One of my favorite reads this year! Cassy Holmes, or Sassy Gloss as she’s known to her millions of fans, is a member of the hottest girl group around. This story switches between current time and back to the 90s when the group was formed. What is Cassy’s past or present would lead her to take her own life? The book always switches between Cassy and other band members Merry, Yumi and Rose as we get a raw peek into the lives of young pop stars and how those experiences impact their lives 15 years later.
448 pages
- Robin
320 pages
Maybell is me; I am Maybell.
She literally had the same childhood books as I did! And her daydreams to escape reality...me. And Wesley...I can't.
308 pages
What a fun concept! I loved the texts, email exchanges about various wedding ridiculousness.
Sophie was wonderful - she's a Taylor Swift fan, therefore she's a relatable heroine! :P
Don't get me started on Lady Cordelia. If I don't have anything nice to say about a character, I probably just shouldn't say it.
390 pages
by Thomas Ryan
Pages: 672
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
| This work arranges Top 40 hits chronologically. The essays about each one include information on the artist, inspiration for the songs and the cultural context of when the songs came out. The book begins with singles from 1955 since that is when the Top 40 charts came into existence. The book was printed in 1995 so, of course does not include more recent works. If only authors (and their editors) would choose to name books with From (date) to "the Present." Now if only all these facts I've been reading and learning about music and musical theater, would stick in my head and be recalled at the right moment during trivia games, etc. |
With a family like his, it would be impossible for Gregory Bridgerton not to believe in true love. When he meets her, he’ll just know. And that was exactly how Gregory felt the moment he laid eyes on Miss Hermione Watson.
Except Hermione Watson wasn’t the one. Hermione is in love with someone else, someone entirely unsuitable, and her best friend, Lady Lucinda Abernathy, is determined to save Hermione from herself. She forms an alliance with Gregory. Who better than Hermione’s best friend to help Gregory steal her heart?
Lucy had no plans to fall in love with Gregory, but that’s exactly what happened, despite the engagement arranged by her uncle. Even when Gregory finally comes to his senses and realizes Lucy is the one for him, there’s no going back. Once again, a Bridgerton must risk it all for love.
Book #8 in the Bridgerton series. 371 pages.
Pages: 336
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Story starts off with an intriguing premise, what if the high school age girl was the first scientist named Frankenstein to bring someone back from the dead. How would she and her best friend, lab partner, deal with the ethical implications? What would they do with the uh, person? during the day while they were in class? How does she keep Mom from finding out? A good beginning introduction to horror and science fiction for a young teen or even the right pre-teen. Some of the ethical questions brought up could lead to good classroom or book club discussion. Not scary at all for most adults and most older teens.
Pages: 810
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Steven Suskin shares critiques of musicals on Broadway from 1943 to 1964. Many consider this time period, the golden era of musical theater. This time period does include many classics and musicals that even those who don't watch musicals, have heard of and may have watched the movie version, such as Hello Dolly, Funny Girl and the Music Man. The critiques are from well-known newspapers such as the Post, Daily Mirror, World-Telegram & Sun, the Times. A true collection of theater history.
by Kurt Gänzl
Pages: 488
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This is a guide to 75 Broadway musical favorites ranging from the 1890s to the 1990s. Actor, author and producer, Karl Ganzl, provides full production information, casts, plot synopses, song titles and notes about each show. The work is illustrated throughout with photographs of the original Broadway productions. The Broadway shows featured include The King and I, Jesus Christ Superstar, Damn Yankees, Grease, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Annie, The Sound of Music, Gypsy, Sweeny Todd, Evita, Show Boat, 42nd Street, Anything Goes, Cats, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, Carousel, Hair, South Pacific, Phantom of the Opera, Guys and Dolls and Miss Saigon. Fascinating information for theater buffs.
Gareth St. Clair isn’t quite sure what to do when he receives an old family diary, one of the few family heirlooms he’s sure he’ll ever get, given his father’s determination to run the St. Clair finances and estates into the ground. To make matters worse, the diary is written in Italian, and it may help Gareth learn more about his past. What’s a man in a bind to do?
Enter Hyacinth Bridgerton. She has a way of throwing off members of the ton: She’s almost too smart and decidedly outspoken. Thanks to an Italian governess, she also speaks Italian. Not fluently, but enough to get by. And Hyacinth might be just what Gareth needs.
Book #7 in the Bridgerton series. 384 pages.
At the retreat, she's not allowed to use her real name or reveal any personal information. When the neighboring martial arts retreat is canceled and a few of its attendees join their small writing group, Ava, now going by "Aria," meets "Dutch," a man who seems too good to be true. The two embark on a baggage-free, whirlwind love affair, cliff-jumping into gem-colored Mediterranean waters and exploring the splendor of the Italian coast. Things seem to be perfect."
I finished it!! Finally! Through sheer stubbornness, I did it.
I usually love Sophie Kinsella, but this book was a miss for me.
Favorite bits:
416 pages
