Monday, June 1, 2009

Book List: A New Take on Cinderella, I Do or I Don't and Dallas meets Dukes of Hazzard

More random library finds. I checked out 6 or so this time and I'm really excited about all of them. Here are the first three that I've read:

Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon: I love fairy tale remakes so I was intrigued when I saw this in the library. One of my favorite books of recent times is Wicked by Gregory Maguire (although I hated his remake of the Snow White story Mirror Mirror--possibly the worst book I've ever read.) Godmother is like no other fairy tale remake I've read. This is a totally new take on an often told story, the story of Cinderella. This novel centers on Lil, an elderly woman who works in a small bookstore in Manhattan. But Lil has a big secret: she is Cinderella's fairy Godmother. Something did not go according to plan on the evening of the ball and Lil was banished from the land of fairies. This book slowly reveals Lil's life now, her former life as a fairy godmother and the story of Cinderella. She strives to right the wrongs of her past so she can return to her friends and family in the land of fairies. It's an interesting read. All is not as it seems. Very interesting.

Wedding Season by Darcy Cosper: Joy Silverman is the lucky girl who gets to attend 17 weddings in 6 months including the weddings of her mother (her third), her father (his second), her younger brother and her five closest friends. Unfortunately for Joy, she does not believe in marriage. Fortunately for her, neither does her boyfriend Gabe--at least that's what they both thought. This novel tracks Joy as she experiences and reacts to the many weddings--although numerous, each is very unique and the details add some extra interest to the novel which is full of Joy's rants on the evils of marriage. I enjoyed this book and enjoyed all the different characters although some may have been a little contrived. As the wedding season continues, there is a sense of an impending train wreck and I found myself feeling anxious for Joy as the book progressed. Anyway, anyone who was ever been asked the question "So when are you getting married?" can relate in some way to this book.

Don't Let It Be True
by Jo Barrett: I chose this book from the many at the library's "grab and go" fiction shelf because it takes place in Texas. As a "Texan" now, I thought it would be fun to read a novel that takes place in Texas--and it was. Don't Let It Be True is about Kat and Dylan, a couple who are both broke and trying to keep the rest of Houston society from finding out. I grew up watching Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas on Friday nights and felt this book was like those two shows combined (if you can imagine that). I found this novel to be very entertaining. The chapters are short, the characters are interesting and likable, there are some great one-liners, and the plot moves at a decent pace. It's no life-changing novel, but it was an enjoyable read.

1 comment:

Kate (KnitsInClass) said...

Thanks for the reading recommendations - I am still plugging away at 52 books in 52 weeks (I have read 9 to date, so I think it's safe to say I won't quite make that goal!). Always interested in what others are reading and recommending -