Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Everyone has heard of this story in some way shape or form. It could have been the TV movie, the animated movie that Disney did, or the new adaptation that is soon to come from Tim Burton. So with all this new attention to an old story I decided to pick it up and read it for the first time.

I was first surprised to see that there were two stories. Not having been a huge fan of Alice, I did not know that Adventures and Through the looking glass were two separate stories. I have not finished looking glass, but have finished Adventures.

I was pulled in from the first. Carrol knows how to grab the reader from the beginning. I was not only fascinated in how Alice ended up in Wonderland, but also in the style of the story. It seems that this story is one continuous thought. Adventures seems to flow one stream of thought to another, like a child with ADD talking to his friends. The reader jumps from one adventure to another as Alice makes her way through Wonderland. It is interesting to see her interact with the inhabitants of Wonderland and see Alice start to see how adults may see her in her world.

I believe that it is the Child like innocence of Wonderland that brings people back to this story year after year. There is also a layer of danger to Wonderland. They are dangers that look innocent and harmless. Which is another way to look at childhood. The simplicity and complex nature of the story is what makes this story a must read for me.

The Women of Pemberley

The Women of Pemberley by Rebecca Ann Collins

Ms Collins picks up where she left off with the Pemberley Chronicles. We follow the lives of The Darcy Children, as well as their Cousin Emma, and other various relations and friends of the Darcy family.

Again Ms Collins brings in the topics of the day, the plight of the coal miners and other such topics. We follow as the children become the adults and learn to take control of their lives and what it means to be a Darcy or a Bingley.

The story does flow easily like her first book, but it does seem to stall toward the middle. Julian Darcy is brought and the reader finds out more about this character that only made small appearances in the first book.

All in all I would have to say that Ms. Collins has continues her series, but has kept the feeling of Austen, which is often what draws a reader to her stories.

Lipstick Jungle

I just finished Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell. She wrote a little book you may have heard of.... Sex and the City. So what is it about Ms. Bushnell that makes us return to her books.

The answer would have to be her Characters. Why did thousands upon thousands of fans tune in to watch the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and company every week? It's because we all have a bit of Carrie in us. We all want to be Samantha, secretly cringe at the fact that there is a part of us that is Miranda, and like Charlotte, we all just want what was promised to us when we were growing up. The same holds true for Lipstick Jungle.

I found that I could Sympathize with Wendy Healey, that I was often at a Cross Roads like Victory Ford and that like Nico O'Neilly I wanted to succeed, but wanted to also have a heart. Ms. Bushnell has found a way to weave her stories together so that you find yourself wanting to sit down to lunch with these ladies. You may not like the choices they make, but you understands what drives them to do what they do, because they are the same things that are driving you.

The book moved forward with a steady current that kept me hooked. Moving from one character to the other, telling stories in flashbacks and letting the reader feel what her characters are feeling makes for a wonderful read. It did seem that the book comes to a sudden end, and it could be viewed that Ms. Bushnell ran out of things to say, but it only left me wanting more. So here is hoping that this is not the last we will see of the girls from the Jungle.

What this Blog is about

So I like to read. I guess you could say that like is not a strong enough word. :) I plan to use this space to talk about the books I am reading. I will focus on what the book is about , how well written the book is and how I feel the characters development moves.

The Pemberley Chronicles

If you are looking to get back into the world of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett then The Pemberly Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins is the way to go.

You may ask what is so good about this series? First of all Ms. Collins has the feel of Jane Austen. Picking up this book, you feel as if you are reading a work that was written by Austen herself. She stays true to the feel of the story and the characters.

Ms Collins also brings the world of England into the story. The reader becomes aware of the changes in society and how they will effect the characters of this story. You see Darcy and Elizabeth change with the times, and refuse to submit to the pressure of society. They raise their family to be free thinkers and realize the power and responsibility that comes with the Estate of Pemberley.

Old characters become new characters as Ms. Collins allows them to grow and change. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes to read a book with historical significance as well as fans of Jane Austen.