Audiobook Review: Elizabeth of East Hampton (For the Love of Austen, #2) by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Elizabeth of East Hampton
Series: For the Love of Austen, #2
Author: Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Narrators: Brittany Pressley and Teddy Hamilton
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: August 6, 2024
Print length: 384 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 54 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

This fresh and whip-smart modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice transports you to summer in the Hamptons, where classes clash, rumors run wild, and love has a frustrating habit of popping up where you least expect it.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged—well, by Elizabeth Bennet anyway—that there’s nothing worse than summer in the Hamptons. She should know: she’s lived out there her whole life. Every June, her hometown on the edge of Long Island is inundated with rich Manhattanites who party until dawn and then disappear by September. And after twenty-five years, Lizzy wants to leave, too.

But after putting her own dreams on hold to help save her family’s failing bakery, she’s still surfing the same beach every morning and waiting for something, anything, to change. She’s not holding her breath though, not even when her sister starts flirting with the hot new bachelor in town, Charlie Pierce, and he introduces Lizzy to his even hotter friend.

Will Darcy is everything Lizzy Bennet is not. Aloof, arrogant…and rich. Of course, he’s never cared about money. In fact, it’s number one on his long list of things that irk him. Number two? His friend Charlie’s insistence on setting him up with his new girlfriend’s sharp-tongued sister. Lizzy Bennet is all wrong for him, from her money-hungry family to her uncanny ability to speak to him as bluntly as he does everyone else. But then maybe that’s why he can’t stop thinking about her.

Lizzy is sure Will hates everybody. He thinks she willfully misunderstands them. Yet, just as they strike an uneasy truce, mistakes threaten Charlie and Jane’s romance, with Will and Lizzy caught in the undertow. Between a hurricane and a hypocritical aunt, a drunken voicemail and a deceptive party promoter, the two must sift through the gossip and lies to protect the happiness of everyone they love—even if it means sacrificing their own. But when the truth also forces them to see each other in an entirely new light, they must swallow their pride to learn that love is a lot like surfing: sometimes the only way to survive is to let yourself fall.

Back in September — on a vacation that seems like it happened waaaaaay too long ago — I read this author duo’s first Austen spin, Emma of 83rd Street. It was a lot of fun, but at the time, I wasn’t sure about continuing the series, fearing I’d get tired of rich New Yorkers in a big hurry, despite the Austen themes.

Well, I’m back to say that I dove back in after all, and I’m glad I did! Elizabeth of East Hampton is a clever, engaging retelling of Pride and Prejudice, which admirably succeeds in relocating Elizabeth and Darcy to the Hampton shores… and even turns Lizzy into a surfer!

Lizzy is one of five Bennet sisters, and she’s taken responsibility for running her family bakery ever since her father’s stroke earlier in the year, even though that’s meant deferring her dream of enrolling in Columbia’s prestigious journalism program. Family comes first — although the Bennets can be hard to take, especially the intensely needy and oblivious Mrs. Bennet, party girl Lydia, and environmental activist Mary.

When Charlie Pierce walks into Bennet Bakery with his friend Will Darcy, the Bennet family’s lives are turned upside down. Charlie is renting an extremely expensive East Hampton beach house (beach mansion would be more accurate) — and he’s instantly smitten with Lizzy’s sweet older sister Jane. Unlike Charlie and Jane, Lizzy and Darcy do not click… their antagonism is clear right from the start.

Elizabeth of East Hampton follows the major P&P beats, but with charming twists. It’s often disconcerting to see Austen tales transposed into modern settings, where plot points like looking for wealthy husbands can seem jarring, to say the least. Here, though, the authors really succeed at keeping the bones and feel of the original while making the modern-day story make sense.

The focus is not marriage, but love. Lizzy and Darcy’s chemistry is apparent from the start, even if they don’t realize it. The dynamic of ridiculously wealthy people summering in the Hamptons vs the local folks trying to make a living off the tourist who invade their town for a few months every year works really well at conveying themes of class differences and snobbery. The Bennet family’s dynamics are really entertaining — casting Mary as a rebel activist is a hoot.

It’s quite fun to figure out how the various characters fit into the Austen framework. Some key Austen characters are missing here (no Mr. Collins, and Darcy is an only child, so no Georgiana either). The replacement for Lady Catherine de Bourgh is really entertaining, and the Wickham stand-in is just as sleazy as you’d expect. (No spoilers from me, but I loved that the Wickham scandal unfolds really differently than in P&P).

The audiobook narrators are terrific, although I don’t always love Teddy Hamilton’s line delivery. Still, the alternating chapters from Lizzy and Darcy’s perspectives provide great insights into their actions, and the audio experience zips along and keeps things lively.

I’ll share the same complaint I had while listening to Emma of 83rd Street — I prefer my Austen retellings with closed bedroom doors, thank you very much! There’s something really disturbing about having to endure explicit sex scenes with Jane Austen characters, even if these are modern-day versions of them. I do not need to know what Darcy and Lizzy get up to in bed (or on the floor… or in the kitchen…)

That quibble aside, I had a lot of fun with Elizabeth of East Hampton (and enjoyed seeing George and Emma pop in for quick visits too). At this point, I can safely say that I’ll be picking up the next book just as soon as my library gets a copy!

*Next in series: Anne of Avenue A (a Persuasion retelling)*

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

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7Sep2025

Book Review: The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet by Melinda Taub

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet
Author: Melinda Taub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication date: September 30, 2025
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Classics mashup / scifi
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

An utterly fantastical and undeniably queer melding of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein that recasts Mary Bennet as an insatiable scientist, one who creates a monster in an attempt to save herself from spinsterdom

Mary Bennet is the middlest middle child of all time. Awkward, plain, and overlooked, she’s long been out of favor not only with her own family but with generations of readers of Pride and Prejudice.

But what was Mary really doing while her sisters were falling in love? Well, what does any bright, hardworking girl do in an age when brains and hard work are only valued if they come with a pretty face? Take to the attic and teach herself to reanimate the dead of course. The world refuses to make a place for peculiar Mary, but no Bennet sister ever gives up on happiness that easily. If it won’t give this fierce, lonely girl a place, she’ll carve one out herself. And if finding acceptance requires a husband, she’ll get one. Even if she has to make him herself, too.

However, Mary’s genius and determination aren’t enough to control what she unwittingly unleashes. Her desperate attempts to rein in the destruction wreaked by her creations leads her to forge a perhaps unlikely friendship with another brilliant young woman unlike any she’s ever known. As that friendship blossoms into something passionate and all-consuming, Mary begins to realize that she may have to choose between the acceptance she’s always fought for and true happiness.

The 2023 novel The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch was a dose of pure fun, a terrifically entertaining Pride and Prejudice retelling that recasts Lydia’s story in utterly surprising ways and turns her into an unexpectedly memorable heroine.

Now, author Melinda Taub is back with another fresh take on P&P, this time making Mary Bennet the star… and inserting a very clever Frankenstein-inspired story, making this the Austen/Shelley mashup I never knew I needed.

Mary Bennet seems destined for spinsterhood all her life. Bookish, not socially adept, not especially witty or attractive, Mary’s the one who shows off without actually having talent and quotes preachy books ad nauseum. Not exactly the life of the party. But what if there was more to Mary than meets the eye?

In this terrific tale, Mary is a bright, inquisitive child who is constantly underestimated and undervalued by her family. Still, she reads everything she can get her hands on, and develops a passion for science that she must keep hidden from her family. When she discovers a secret passageway from her closet to a stairway to an unused attic, Mary realizes that it would make the perfect laboratory for her scientific explorations (Oh, the idea of Longbourn having a mad scientist’s lair tucked up under the roof — that no one knows about — made me just laugh and laugh…)

Mary is especially fascinated by experiments with electricity, and discovers a formula for new dyes that produces colors no manufacturer has access to. Of course, a proper young woman can’t actually conduct business, so she enlists her uncle’s young clerk, Septimus Pike, to act as her business agent. The sale of dyes produces a tiny amount of income for Mary, nowhere near the fortune she’d hoped would offer a sense of security for her future if she never marries (which seems like the most likely fate awaiting her).

But if the business isn’t actually successful, as Pike reports back, why is she suddenly seeing ribbons and fabrics in her unique colors everywhere? And why is Pike suddenly well dressed and courting the daughters of wealthy men?

What follows is a silly romp through science and society, as Mary’s electrical experiments eventually lead to a Frankenstein-esque turn of events. Can she control the monster she’s created? And at what cost?

Further complicating matters is the arrival of Georgiana Darcy, sister-in-law to Mary’s sister Lizzy and a fellow science enthusiast, who’s also hiding a serious secret of her own. (Readers of the Lydia book will know what that secret is, but it doesn’t actually matter if you’ve read that one first — all will be revealed soon enough).

Mary and Georgiana share a passion for science… and more?… as they work together to control Mary’s experiment, gain the materials and knowledge they need, and keep the rest of the Bennet household in the dark about what’s going on.

Mary’s innocence about certain possibilities is depicted with such seriousness that it’s really funny:

At twelve, I had a fascination with female elegance. I often found my gaze lingering on their faces and forms, which I realized must be because of a sort of collegial curiosity.

Collegial curiosity? Sure, Mary.

After attending a party with a demonstration of electricity, where a current was passed through a circle of people holding hands — including Mary and the young girl next to her — she notes:

It seemed as though that strange awakening the shock brought about never entirely went away Whenever I see a girl or lady who reminds me of my electrical companion , I feel a phantom shock pass through me.

For all the silliness, Shocking Experiments has a more serious undertone as it contemplates the lack of options for girls like Mary. Marriage is really the only path, but that means undermining one’s own nature and intellect, and allowing oneself to be molded into the complacent type of person who makes an acceptable wife. Mary’s lack of options, plus her sense of duty toward her parents, whose hold on Longbourn becomes more tenuous with each passing year, drive her toward actions and decisions that are clearly against her own interests, but which might possibly grant her the social acceptance they all so desperately need her to attain.

Never fear, the serious elements related to Mary’s plight never derail the pace or the delights of the storytelling. With its mad-scientist vibe, plus dangerous hijinks, lightning strikes, and plenty of misadventures. The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet is a treat from start to finish.

End note: Believe it or not, this book is actually the second Mary Bennet/Frankenstein mashup that I’ve read. For a different approach, check out the excellent Pride and Prometheus by Jonathan Kessel.

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

7Oct2023

Book Review: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch
Author: Melinda Taub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication date: October 3, 2023
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

A sparkling, witchy reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, told from the perspective of the troublesome and—according to her—much-maligned youngest Bennet sister, Lydia.

In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice—while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.

Who knew that we needed a witchy retelling of Pride and Prejudice? Just when I thought I’d had my fill of P&P retellings, along comes The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch to prove me wrong.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter must be a witch.

In her Scandalous Confessions, Lydia tells us what was really going on behind the scenes at Meryton, Brighton, and beyond. Lydia is a talented young witch, so inseparable from her beloved cat as a child that she eventually turned Kitty into her familiar — and Lydia’s magic was powerful enough to have the entire Bennet family believe that they had this additional daughter all along.

Lydia is bright and gifted, but with a flair for mischief. Fortunately, her aunt also is a witch, and teaches her spellcraft — a good thing, since Lydia never does seem to have the patience to develop the more expected skills of needlework or musical performance.

The arrival of the regiment in Meryton is a source of great fun and romance for the local girls, but Lydia’s life get significantly more complicated with the introduction of Wickham. Here, Wickham is a demon who inhabits the body of a formerly human man, and is the son of a major magical force who wants to “eat” the power of Lydia and other witches. But Lydia doesn’t give up easily, and she’s willing to fight to protect her beloved Kitty.

Narrated by Lydia as she writes an accounting of her adventures, this book is fast-paced, funny, and very clever. Lydia’s story follows the plot beats of P&P, but as told from Lydia’s perspective, there’s more going on behind the scenes than we might imagine. There’s adventure, danger, and plenty of spells, but also balls, garden clubs, and lots of flirtation with handsome and/or fortune-seeking soldiers.

The author weaves together the familiar storylines (plus a bit of Sanditon too) with a plot involving witchcraft, magical forces, cruel hexes, and clever twists. Lydia herself is such a fun character, and I loved seeing Kitty’s story unfold as well. Lizzy doesn’t appear in many scenes, but she’s always a presence from a distance, especially as Darcy gets caught up in the Wickham crisis and has problems with Georgianna to solve as well.

Remember, always, not to judge people too hastily, for everyone is living out a story of their own, and you only get to read the pages you appear on.

Smart, funny, and well plotted, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch is a perfect October read. Highly recommended!

12Sep2021

Travel reading wrap-up (fall 2021): A batch of mini-reviews — high school drama, Aztec vampires, and classics retold

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I’ve just returned from a one-week trip (which was all sorts of awesome), and realize that I’ve fallen way behind on my reviews. Here’s a quick wrap-up of what I read while I was away (and the week before, when I was already in pre-trip mode). As always, a mix of genres, topics, and new vs old.

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado: A YA story starring a plus-sized Latina high schooler who dreams of a first kiss, even while feeling like she’ll never measure up. The story emphasizes the importance of true friendship and trust, as well as body positivity. Charlie experiences a first relationship, has her relationship with her best friend tested, gains confidence as a writer, and learns to stand up for herself and not let others’ negativity undermine her belief in herself. While there are some plot points that I found frustrating (such as a mother whose toxicity about Charlie’s weight is never truly resolved, and unnecessary break-ups with both her boyfriend and her best friend), I loved the lead character enough to make this a really enjoyable read overall.

Rating:

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: This is my 3rd book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. Certain Dark Things is a gritty, noir-ish story of vampires, gangs, and drug runners in Mexico City. The main character is a teen boy who devotes himself to helping a lone Aztec vampire escape the city and the various other clans of vampires who want to see her and her people wiped out. It’s a fascinating spin on the world of vampires, and while I would have liked to have seen a bit more on the origins and natures of the different vampire species, I still really enjoyed this book. It’s dark, fast-paced, and surprising.

Rating:

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers: I guess I should have read the full synopsis, instead of deciding after just the first sentence that this book sounded like fun. The main character wakes up alone in a Las Vegas hotel room with a vague, hung-over memory of having married an adorable woman the night before. All she has to go on is a note left by the woman with a radio station listed. Grace decides to track down the mystery woman… but for the most part, despite the potential rom-com set-up, this is a story about a woman trying to find her place in the world, figure out who she’s meant to be, and understand her relationships with family and friends. Maybe because I went into it with incorrect (or incomplete) expectations, I was mostly frustrated and annoyed by the depth’s of the main character’s introspection and occasional selfishness.

Rating:

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle: This YA retelling of Romeo and Juliet offers a fresh perspective — that of Rosaline, the girl Romeo loved before meeting Juliet. Here, the teens are seniors at an upscale California high school. Rose has been looking forward to reuniting with Rob, her best friend and boy next door since they were small children, especially since their near-kiss right before he left for his summer job. But within a few days of school starting, Rob dumps Rose for the new girl in town — the mysterious Juliet, who also happens to be Rose’s cousin. I really liked the way the author turned the classic story into a contemporary YA drama, and found her portrayal of Rose very thoughtful as well as being a creative twist on a tale that’s been told and retold so many times. When You Were Mine follows some, but not all, of the original’s storyline, and the little differences keep this book fresh and engaging. Sure, I have a few quibbles and would have liked to see a few plot points handled differently, but overall, this is quite a good read.

Rating:

The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi: Another classic retold! This twist on Pride and Prejudice centers on the “Bennet Women” — the young undergraduate women living in Bennet House at Longbourn College. EJ (the Elizabeth stand-in) is a senior studying engineering and the RA of Bennet House, who holds the values and standards of Bennet House dear to her heart. Her best friends are a trans woman, Jamie, who’s our Jane stand-in, and Tessa, who has a smaller role and seems to be taking the place of Charlotte Lucas. While hitting the major plot beats of P&P, it’s a fresh take full of woman power and feminism, with a nicely diverse cast and some clever approaches to the expected storylines. I really appreciated how EJ’s education and aspirations were given prominence. Here, marriage isn’t a goal or even talked about much — it’s about finding love and respect while also finding themselves, pursuing their dreams, and not giving in to the many ways the world outside of Bennet House might want to limit their opportunities or pull them down.

Rating:

That’s my reading round-up! And now, back to all the ARCs and other books calling my name…

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27Jul2021

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded On a Deserted Island

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded On a Deserted Island. I love this! This topic is really making me think… or over-think? If I was stranded… which means reading the same 10 books over and over again… potentially forever…

Hmmm, what to pick, what to pick? Here are my ten:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Not a surprise for anyone who knows me… I’ve already read this book (and series) multiple times, but if I’m going to be stuck on a deserted island indefinitely, I think I need Jamie and Claire for company.

The Lord of the Rings (one-volume edition) by J. R. R. Tolkien

Is it cheating to pick an all-in-one edition of three books? I’m declaring that this counts! I’ve been wanting to go back and reread LOTR, and with endless reading time to fill, it seems like a perfect opportunity to really dig in and enjoy.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I’m tempted to just fill my list with all-in-one editions of all my favorite authors, such as a complete-works-of-Jane-Austen volume, if I had one… but I’ll hold back and stick to actual individual books…

In which case, I’d have to pick just one Jane Austen, although it’s a tough choice and I might want to swap for Persuasion. But really, can’t go wrong with any Jane Austen books!

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

I’ve been obsessed with this book since reading it last year and then re-reading it this year. I can’t imagine ever getting tired of re-reading it!

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

I’ve read this book several times already, but each time, it affects me in new and different ways.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

I still have my edition of The Riverside Shakespeare from my college days, and it’s not exactly a light, portable volume. Still, if I were stranded on a deserted island, at least I’d finally have time to get to all the plays I haven’t read yet! (I know I said I wouldn’t do any more all-in-one books, but I had to make an exception for Shakespeare.)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I think this is a book that I haven’t spent enough time with yet in my life. I’ve read it only once, and I’ve always meant to go back to it again, at least once. And if not while stranded, then when?

The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye

Yet another book that I’ve sworn to re-read at some point. Since it’s over 900 pages, this will last a good long while!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Such a beautifully written book! I listened to the audiobook my first time around, and I think lying on the beach of my deserted island with this book in hand would give me a whole new opportunity to enjoy it all over again.

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht

This just seems like a really practical choice for a deserted island situation. Although if I were truly being practical, then this list should include a medical book, something on identifying edible plants, and perhaps a book on sending smoke signals?

What books would you want along on a deserted island? Please share your TTT links!

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1Jul2020

Shelf Control #223: Darcy and Fitzwilliam by Karen V. Wasylowski

Posted in Shelf Control by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: Darcy and Fitzwilliam
Author: Karen V. Wasylowski
Published: 2011
Length: 481 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

A gentleman in love cannot survive without his best friend…
Fitzwilliam Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam couldn’t be more different, and that goes for the way each one woos and pursues the woman of his dreams. Darcy is quiet and reserved, careful and dutiful, and his qualms and hesitations are going to torpedo his courtship of Elizabeth. His affable and vivacious cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam is a military hero whose devil-may-care personality hides the torments within, until he finds himself in a passionate, whirlwind affair with a beautiful widow who won’t hear of his honorable intentions.
Cousins, best friends, and sparring partners, Darcy and Fitzwilliam have always been there for each other. So it’s no surprise when the only one who can help Darcy fix his botched marriage proposals is Fitzwilliam, and the only one who can pull Fitzwilliam out of an increasingly dangerous entanglement is Darcy…

How and when I got it:

I bought a copy at a used book store a couple of years ago.

Why I want to read it:

I hadn’t heard of this book before, but it practically jumped off the bookstore shelf straight into my hands. I’m always up for a good Austen retelling, and I think presenting the Pride and Prejudice story with an emphasis on Fitzwilliam’s role and his viewpoint sounds like a really good twist.

What do you think? Would you read this book?

Please share your thoughts!

Literary Potpourri
Bookmarked

__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

29Jul2019

The Monday Check-In ~ 7/29/2019

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

My little vacation last week was lovely (but too short). Sun, sand, good books! Some strawberry tiramisu too. What more could I ask for?

What did I read during the last week?

My vacation reading (all reviewed here):

Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev
We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory
I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin

And since returning home, I’ve also read:

Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior: A sweet, engaging debut novel. My review is here.

Fresh Catch:

Oof. I bought myself a copy of Wanderers by Chuck Wendig. This book is BIG. I need to steel myself a bit before diving in.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar: Israeli science fiction revolving around alternate realities. Really mind-bending! I’ve read about 75% — can’t wait to see how it all works out.

Now playing via audiobook:

Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery: The 6th Anne book! Loving the series, although I’m not sure that I love the shift of focus from Anne herself to her big brood of children. Still, carrying on…

Ongoing reads:

Two ongoing book group read right now:

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens — our current classic selection, reading and discussing two chapters per week.
Virgins by Diana Gabaldon: Our newest group read — a novella telling the story of teen-aged Jamie and Ian during their time as mercenaries in France. I’ve read it before, but I”m excited to be sharing it with the group this time around.

So many books, so little time…

25Jul2019

Vacation reading wrap-up (summer 2019)

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I haven’t done a vacation wrap-up post in a while… mainly because I haven’t had a real vacation (i.e., travel plans not involving family health visits) in AGES! As vaactions go, this week’s was a mini — just four days, but hey: I found sunshine!

My husband and I drove down the California coast to San Luis Obispo county, where we spent a few days hanging out in beach towns, enjoying balmy weather, good food, and even venturing into ocean water that was just a shade warmer than ice. But seriously, it was a good time, even if a bit too short.

And now I’m back, waiting for my laundry to finish (yes, I lead an exciting life), so I thought I’d share a taste of the reading I did these past few days. Because hanging out in beach towns means lots of time basking in the sun on comfy chairs, beach mats, and towels — book in hand, sunglasses on face, not enough sunscreen on body. (Ouch).

Here’s a quick wrap-up of what I read on vacation, with my take on the vacation-worthiness of each book. The number of little beach umbrellas reflects my own personal feelings about whether or not this is a good choice for tucking into your beach-tote!

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev: A modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice (obviously), set in the Bay Area and featuring the unlikely pairing of world-class neurosurgeon Trisha Raje and up-and-coming master chef DJ Caine, whose initial meeting is fraught with haughtiness and false impressions. As it turns out, Trisha is the only doctor offering a cure for DJ’s beloved sister’s brain tumor, so despite their mutual dislike, the two are forced together again and again. I liked that the author didn’t follow the P&P plotline 100% — there are plenty of familiar beats, but the story here stands on its own and isn’t shoehorned into unnatural shapes just to make it fit the pattern. I also like that it’s Trisha who’s in the Darcy role here, hiding behind her snobbiness and self-image and repelling the very person she finally realizes she wants to attract. The story moves quickly, has some key emotional moments, LOTS of mouth-watering descriptions of DJ’s culinary creations, and definitely succeeds as a love story with plenty of modern twists. Quite fun — I’m hoping Sonali Dev writes more in this world!

A five-umbrella vacation read for sure! Between the romance and the food, what more could you want?

Vacation rating:

We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory. This book (and this author) have been recommended to me repeatedly — so I finally tossed it in my beach bag and gave it a go. What a weird but oddly compelling story! We Are All Completely Fine is about a group therapy session for people who’ve survived encounters with the supernatural, and have the scars to prove it. Each of the group members has their own horrifying story to tell, and all are joined together through their process of sharing and healing, ultimately banding together to fight off a big bad coming after one of their own. It’s a short read, easily digestible in one sitting. I really liked it, and now that I’ve dipped my toe into his work, I’ll definitely be reading more by Daryl Gregory!

Giving this one 4 beach umbrellas — easy to read on the beach, but the subject matter didn’t really meld well with the bright light of day.

Vacation rating:

I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin: I went at this story a little bit backwards — this is book #1 of 2, but I read #2 first (reviewed here). Oh well. It still works! In this first book, we meet Ava and Gen, two best friends embarking on their freshman year of college on opposites sides of the country. The story is told through their emails and texts, which really capture their personalities and their quirky friendship. It’s light and sunny, but also contains moments of self-discovery, pain, and challenge, as the two characters discover new aspects of themselves and question whether their friendship still works as they grow into their college selves.

Another 5-umbrella read — once you start, it’s impossible to stop!

Vacation rating:

And that’s it! Not too shabby for a four-day vacation!

Now I need to go plan my next get-away… I’m not ready for a return to reality just yet.

27Jan2019

Book Review: Unmarriageable (Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan) by Soniah Kamal

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

In this one-of-a-kind retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan, Alys Binat has sworn never to marry—until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider.

A scandal and vicious rumor concerning the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won’t make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and have children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire the girls to dream of more.

When an invitation arrives to the biggest wedding their small town has seen in years, Mrs. Binat, certain that their luck is about to change, excitedly sets to work preparing her daughters to fish for rich, eligible bachelors. On the first night of the festivities, Alys’s lovely older sister, Jena, catches the eye of Fahad “Bungles” Bingla, the wildly successful—and single—entrepreneur. But Bungles’s friend Valentine Darsee is clearly unimpressed by the Binat family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her and quickly dismisses him and his snobbish ways. As the days of lavish wedding parties unfold, the Binats wait breathlessly to see if Jena will land a proposal—and Alys begins to realize that Darsee’s brusque manner may be hiding a very different man from the one she saw at first glance.

Told with wry wit and colorful prose, Unmarriageable is a charming update on Jane Austen’s beloved novel and an exhilarating exploration of love, marriage, class, and sisterhood.

Pride and Prejudice retellings come in so many flavors and varieties — but Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal makes it all feel new and fresh again by setting the familiar story in her native Pakistan in the early 2000s.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl can go from pauper to princess or princess to pauper in the mere seconds it takes for her to accept a proposal.

So begins this enchanting story. You know the basics, of course. A formerly prosperous family, rather down on their luck, has five daughters in need of husbands. Their small-town life gets a dose of excitement when a new, very eligible, very wealthy young man arrives on the scene and instantly attracts attention from all the mothers dying to make good matches for their daughters.

In Unmarriageable, the Binat family lives in the less-than-exciting town of Dilipabad. Having been cheated out of the family fortune, they’ve adapted to their reduced circumstances, and meanwhile mother Pinkie obsesses over the futures of her single daughters, exhorting them to make sure to “grab it” whenever they have a chance to meet a wealthy man. The oldest two sisters, Jena and Alysba (Alys) teach English at a private school for girls. In their early 30s, the sisters are practically over the hill, but Pinkie has not given up on them just yet. When the family is invited to the big society event — the NadirFiede wedding — it’s another opportunity to find eligible men for the girls to make “you-you eyes” at.

Alys, our main character, is smart and independent, not willing to accede to her mother’s insistence on marriage as the be-all and end-all of a woman’s purpose. She loves her family and her friends, loves to read and think, and is not about to pursue a man or agree to a match because it’s expected or provides access to a fortune. At the wedding, she and Jena meet Bungles, a lovely young man who’s instantly smitten with Jena, but his friend Darsee is rude and stand-offish, and Alys takes an immediate loathing to him.

We all know where the story goes, right? Unmarriageable hits all the major marks of the Pride and Prejudice story, but the Pakistani setting keeps it fun and different. Some retellings just don’t work within a 21st century timeframe, because the emphasis on social standing and marrying for money doesn’t necessarily translate well in a way that makes sense. Here, though, we’re led to understand that among the upper class society circles (and those longing for acceptance into those circles), the pursuit of successful marriages is everything. It’s really entertaining to see the traditional butting up against the modern, whether through the descriptions of the clothing, the marriage rituals, or the expectations for women to fulfill their prescribed roles in respectable society.

I loved the introduction to Pakistani culture — the foods, music, clothing, literature, and unique ways that the English and Pakistani languages are interwoven. The use of close-but-not-exact names to mirror Austen’s characters is really clever too.

My only minor quibble is that it doesn’t quite work for me to have an Austen retelling in which the characters read Jane Austen! In many of the modern-day retellings I’ve read, it’s never acknowledged that the original stories even exist. But here, in Unmarriageable, Alys teachers Pride and Prejudice in her English classes, and returns again and again to thinking about Austen’s themes. So given that, how does she understand her own life and the people in it — sisters Jena, Mari, Qitty, and Lady; her suitor Kaleen; Darsee and his sister Jujeena; and the dastardly Mr. Jeorgeullah Wickaam? Wouldn’t you think she’d end up in some sort of existential crisis, wondering if she really exists or if she’s just a character in a book?

That silliness aside, I do love the writing in this story, which captures some of the archness and intelligence we’d expect in a P&P retelling:

The clinic was an excellent facility, as all facilities that cater to excellent people tend to be, because excellent people demand excellence, unlike those who are grateful for what they receive.

The story doesn’t dwell on serious matters for too long, but there are little moments that let us know that the lives of women are particularly fraught at that time, and that the issues facing women go well beyond securing a rich husband:

She grabbed the newspaper no one had opened yet and flipped through the usual news of honor killings, dowry burnings, rapes, blasphemy accusations, sectarian violence, corruption scandals, tax evasions, and the never-ending promises by vote-grubbing politician to fix the country.

But overall, there’s plenty of lightness and joy to go around:

Alys laughed. “O’Connor, Austen, Alcott, Wharton. Characters’ emotions and situations are universally applicable across cultures, whether you’re wearing an empire dress, shalwar kurta, or kimono.”

And finally, something that I know will ring true for all the booklovers out there:

It was a truth universally acknowledged, Alys suddenly thought with a smile, that people enter our lives in order to recommend reads.

It’s my pleasure to recommend Unmarriageable! If you love Austen and are ready for a new take on a well-loved story, definitely check this one out!

_________________________________________

The details:

Title: Unmarriageable
Author: Soniah Kamal
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication date: January 22, 2019
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

18Oct2018

Library Reading Round-Up: A classic re-told, spooky scarecrows, and the invention of a monster

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

It’s been a busy week, but not so busy that I couldn’t pick up the books waiting for me on the library hold shelf! Here are the three library books I’ve read in the past few days:

Pride by Ibi Zoboi: A contemporary YA retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Pride is the story of Zuri Benitez, who lives in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. When the wealthy Darcy family moves into the mini-mansion across the street, it seems that gentrification has really and truly arrived, and Zuri is not at all happy. What will become of the neighborhood’s way of life? Zuri’s sister Janae falls for Ainsley Darcy, but his brother Darius is rude and stuck-up and immediately sets Zuri’s teeth on edge. Well, if you’ve read Pride and Prejudice, you know where this story is going, but it’s nice to read this take on the classic. Jane Austen’s stories don’t necessarily translate well to the 21st century, but Pride does a pretty good job of sticking to the bones of the original while infusing a new and different vibe. Will the target YA audience love it? No idea. I think Pride works well as a contemporary story about family, culture, loyalty, and teen romance, even without the context of the Austen original. As an adult who’s an Austen fan, I wasn’t 100% sold, but then again, I’m more than a little bit outside the demographic for this book!

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden: Moving on to middle grade fiction… Small Spaces is a spooky treat, perfect for the month of October, with some great scares and a memorable main character. Ollie is a sixth-grade girl in a small rural town. In the year since her mother’s death, she’s withdrawn from friends, activities, and everything that once gave her joy. When she’s forced to go on the class field trip to visit a local farm, she sneaks along a copy of an old book to keep her company. The book tells a ghostly story, and as the class explores the farm, Ollie starts to realize that the story may be true. There are sinister scarecrows, spooky fog, a creepy corn maze… and daring escapes, lots of bravery, and the forging of strong bonds of friendship. Katherine Arden is the author of the beautiful adult novels The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower. It’s fun to see her turn her writing skill to a middle grade ghost story!

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Julia Sarda: A gorgeous picture book about the life of Mary Shelley, showing her early years and the events that shaped her development into a writer. The story is told simply, and the beautiful illustrations give life to Mary’s imaginations and dreams. A lovely book.

Three books, three target age ranges, all quite fun — overall, a nice way to amuse myself during an otherwise crazy week. And now I can return them, and come home with even more new books to stack on my nightstand.