Showing posts with label jane austen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jane austen. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

august wrap up

Hi everyone! Welcome to another monthly wrap up here at Stardust and Words. It has been a super busy month for me outside of reading, and also the olympics being on put a major dent in the time that I would normally spend with a book, but I love the olympics so much that I didn't even care. I did manage 11 books, which is pretty good, but only three reviews, which is less so. I hope you guys had a good August. I feel like I kind of hate August because it tends to be the absolute worst in terms of humidity... but FALL IS COMING GUYS!! SOON!!

1. Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) – Juliet Marillier (4)

Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives, they are determined that she know only contentment.

But Sorcha's joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift-by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever.

When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all...
 

2. Lunch Poems – Frank O'Hara (5)

Important poems by the late New York poet published in The New American Poetry, Evergreen Review, Floating Bear and stranger places.

Often this poet, strolling through the noisy splintered glare of a Manhattan noon, has paused at a sample Olivetti to type up thirty or forty lines of ruminations, or pondering more deeply has withdrawn to a darkened ware- or firehouse to limn his computed misunderstandings of the eternal questions of life, coexistence, and depth, while never forgetting to eat lunch, his favorite meal.
 





3. Mansfield Park – Jane Austen (5)*  

'We have all been more or less to blame ...
every one of us, excepting Fanny'


Taken from the poverty of her parents' home, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with only her cousin Edmund as an ally. When Fanny's uncle is absent in Antigua, Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them London glamour and a reckless taste for flirtation. As her female cousins vie for Henry's attention, and even Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms, only Fanny remains doubtful about the Crawfords' influence and finds herself more isolated than ever. A subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, Mansfield Park is one of Jane Austen's most profound works.


4. Saving Francesca – Melina Marchetta (4) 

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian’s, a boys' school that pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas, who specializes in musical burping, to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling of who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

A compelling story of romance, family, and friendship with humor and heart, perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Lauren Myracle.
 

5. Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1) – Shannon Hale (5)*

Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village.

The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires.





 
6. I'll Love You When You're More Like Me – M.E. Kerr (3)

M.E. Kerr's beloved 1977 young adult classic tells the story of two very different teenagers, both struggling to stand up to their parents. Whether it's going to college instead of taking over the family funeral parlor, coming out in a town where homosexuality is considered akin to demonic possession, or choosing between a life of fame or normalcy, the young characters in I'll Love You When You're More Like Me bravely struggle to become who they want to be—even when they don't yet know themselves.

M. E. Kerr was a winner of the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement and the ALAN award from the National Council of Teachers of English. She has been described by the New York Times Book Review as "one of the grand masters of young adult fiction."


 
7. As You Like It – William Shakespeare (3)  

As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the First Folio, 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility. As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia and Touchstone the court jester, to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden. Historically, critical response has varied, with some critics finding the work of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works and some finding the play a work of great merit. The play features one of Shakespeare's most famous and oft-quoted speeches, "All the world's a stage", and is the origin of the phrase "too much of a good thing". The play remains a favourite among audiences and has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre.

8. Nevernight – Jay Kristoff (4)

The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

 
9. Along For the Ride – Sarah Dessen (4)*

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

 
10. And This is Laura – Ellen Conford (2)

Twelve-year old Laura is an ordinary person in a family of superstars. Her beautiful older sister is a talented actress, her older brother writes and performs music, and her little brother can recite every commercial on television from memory. Her parents are gifted, too—her mother is a famous author, her father a brilliant scientist. However, everything changes for Laura when she discovers that she has the ability to see the future. Suddenly, she has popularity, attention from her parents, even media coverage. It’s all new and so great—until her visions grow dark, and Laura realizes that her gift could turn out to be a curse!





 
11. Lock and Key – Sarah Dessen (3)

Ruby, where is your mother?
Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.
That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future; it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?
Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again.


what did all of you read and love in August?
xx
Caroline

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

top ten tuesday: when youre in the mood for a classic

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish, and this week's theme is " March 1: Ten Books To Read If You Are In The Mood For X!" I like these freebie-ish weeks, because I love to see what people come up with :) For my list, I'm going to do Top Ten Books to read if you're in the mood for a classic, because I feel like I never get to talk about the classics that I've really enjoyed. 

Top Ten Classics for When You're in the Mood for One 





1.  Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
2. Jane Eyre– Charlotte Brontë





 



3. The Odyssey – Homer
4. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen









5. Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston 
6. Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman







7. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky 
8. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas





 



9. Any Sherlock Holmes story – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
10. Tess of the D'Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy






what is on your TTT this week?

xx
Sunny

Monday, January 25, 2016

♔ disney princess book tag ♔


Y'all I saw this tag today and my first thought is "HOW have I not done this one yet??" My love for Disney and for books are two things that know no bounds. I first saw this over at Alexa Loves Books, but it was created by Of Stacks and Cups! I can't wait for this one.

You're supposed to start off with three facts about Disney Princesses, so here goes:

1. Belle is and always was my favorite princess, but I also love Tiana a lot.
2. I have all the Disney animated movies on VHS to this day, and Robin Hood was the one I watched most as a kid. (I had a crush on Robin okay)
3. Disney songs basically get me through my days... I know all of them. Even the most obscure. I know it. By heart. Don't test me.

Onto the tag! (these edits came from disneyismyescape.tumblr.com!)

1. Snow White | Favorite Classic


My favorite classic has been Little Women since I first read the "junior" version when I was eight years old. I have always seen a lot of myself in Jo, both good and bad, and I love the story, the sisterhood, and the language of this book. Will always be one of my all time favorites, and it is an amazing audiobook too! 

2. Cinderella | A Book That Kept You Up Past Your Bedtime

 

I distinctly remember picking this up when it first came out, then looking up at the clock and it was somehow 2am. This one definitely gripped me from the start, and didn't let go until I had finished! Still one of my favorite reading experiences, ever, the way it just made me forget about everything else going on. 

3. Aurora | Favorite Classic Romance 

 

One of my absolute favorite romances is between Fanny and Edmund in Mansfield Park. I know that this is definitely not one of the most popular Austen novels, but I have always loved this book, and I love the ease of the relationship between these two. (Even though they're cousins, which I can look past, lol) 

4. Ariel | A Book About Making Sacrifices For Your Dreams 

 

In this book, Dee sacrifices what she feels like could be true love in pursuit of her dream of being a singer. This doesn't mean she isn't true to herself, just that the boy she loves doesn't necessarily fit into her life and her dreams. She's focusing on herself above all else, and the things that she wants, which will eventually make her happy, instead of changing for someone else. 

5. Belle | A Book With a Strong, Independent Female Character

 

This series in general has so many smart female characters, all of whom are independent and amazing on their own. First of all, of course, our protag Celaena is the most badass of all. But then there's Nehemia, Ansel, Manon, Lysandra and and Elide. The Throne of Glass world is just chock full of amazing female characters, which is a big reason why I love this series so much. 

6. Jasmine | A Book Where the Character Challenged Social Conventions 

 

Vengeance Road was one of my favorite books of 2015, and that had a lot to do with Kate, our main character. She definitely challenged the social conventions of the Wild West, with basically everything she did, from dressing like a boy to going on a treasure hunt to learning to shoot a gun to allowing herself to be alone with two boys. She was totally awesome because of it.

7. Pocahontas | A Book Whose Ending Was A Roller Coaster of Emotions
 

I'm going to agree with OP on this one... I have never ever read a book where I cried more than this one. For one, this is one of my favorite series EVER. I was so invested in every single character, and there was absolutely no way that they could all end up happy at the same time. Therefore: tears. Happy, sad, all mixed together into a really gross mixture that left me feeling drained. 

8. Mulan | A Book With A Kickass Female Character 

 

Obviously, I love books with kickass female characters, so there are tons to choose from, but the reason that I choose Shazi from The Wrath and the Dawn is because she is kickass in a different, more subtle way. She doesn't go around cutting down everyone who goes against her, like, say Celaena does, but she is kickass in her own way. She is a boss, she is self-possessed and strong, and she completely controls her own destiny, even when it seems like she has no choices. 

9. Tiana | A Book With a Hardworking, Self-Made Character

 

I just finished this book last night, and maybe that's why I'm hard pressed to think of a character who works harder than Skylar Evans. She lives in a shit town, but works two jobs and keeps her grades and her personal life as close to perfect as she can, all the while taking care of a mentally ill mother and earning herself a free ride to a college where she can study art. 

10. Rapunzel | A Book That Features An Artist 

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After features some of the best art couple aesthetic opportunities that I've ever seen! I love this story, and how it focuses on art as a way to express love or affection. It is also the third book of three companion novels that I absolutely will adore forever, so that is also something good going for it.

11. Merida | A Book That Features a Mother/Daughter Relationship


This book features a relationship between America, who we got to know in the first three books of the Selection Series, and her daughter Eadlyn, who is just introduced in this fourth book. I loved getting to see a character I know and love all grown up, which is something that does not normally happen. Though they can have a sort of tempestuous relationship, they are still close, which I love reading about. 

12. Anna and Elsa | A Book With A Great Relationships Between Siblings

 

Margot, Lara Jean and Kitty are the Song girls. Three sisters who lost their mother, but who grew closer because of it. This book is one of my favorite sister books that I've ever read: it is a cute contemporary, but it is just as much about family as it is romance, and I thought the relationships between the three girls were realistic and sweet at the same time. 

So that's it for the Disney Princess tag! If you decide to do this, link me, I would love to see what some of your answers are! 

xx
Sunny

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

top ten tuesday: romances


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish, where each week we highlight a different category of the bookish lifestyle. This week is a free week, and we can pick anything that we want to post about. I personally have been in a particularly swoony mood all week, so I chose to talk about my top ten favorite book romances. (keep in mind though that these are not necessarily my favorite book couples, I just enjoy their stories the most.) These are examples of events that made my put down the book and squeal from the adorableness, cry happy tears, or be sad because these are things that do not happen to normal people. Let's all appreciate the love here people.

1.Will and Tessa from The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. Clockwork Princess especially is just a riot of swoon-worthy moments, but really all three books are just golden for these two. To see Will grow from a distant and snarky boy to someone deeply in love is one of the most powerful changes in any book that I've read.  I'm also just partial to the fact that, no matter what, Will and Tessa need each other and, even when all seems hopeless, they can't help but have hope for each other. The epilogue of Clockwork Princess completely ruined me, it was so beautiful and indicative of the depth of love between the two.

2. Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. One of my favorite tropes in books is a friendship that grows into something more, and the way that Anna and Etienne do this is magical. They are two people who just seem to get one another, from the very beginning, and even though they're both unavailable for romance at the beginning, their relationship deepens to something more meaningful than either of them realize. Another favorite trope of mine is the idea of home being a person, and for Anna and Etienne, this is adorably wrought.

3. Macallan and Levi from Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg. This is the classic When Harry Met Sally syndrome of two friends who can't quite get the timing right to grow into something more. This book stretches through years, and the constant thing throughout those years is Macallan and Levi's unbreakable friendship. Though they both date other people in the story, it is clear to the reader that the only way they will ever work is if they're together. The rest of the time you're just waiting for they themselves to figure that out.

4. Lara Jean and Peter from To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. Lara Jean starts off the book by hiring Peter to be her fake boyfriend to prove that she is over someone in her past. However, as most fake-boyfriend situations do, Lara Jean and Peter grow from business partners to something more, something that is scary for the both of them to admit, even to themselves. They're a bit awkward, and that makes their story that much more adorable.

5. Tamlin and Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This is a recent release, which means that this story has to be REALLY good to make it into this top ten. However, I have always loved the story of beauty and the beast, of looking past stereotypes and first impressions to the person that lies underneath them, and Maas does this in an incredibly fresh, engaging and sexy way. Tamlin is a perfect match for Feyre (though we all love to hate Rhys) and though it takes them awhile to get there, their romance is sweeping and grand.

6. Emma and Mr. Knightley from Emma by Jane Austen. I have always loved Emma's romance, almost more than other Austen heroines'. The idea that Emma didn't have to marry, that she never planned to need anyone other than herself, but somehow found herself drawn to her older brother figure with a passion that surprises even her? Beautiful, in my opinion. Emma may be silly and a little bit vain, but Mr. Knightley knows this and everything else about her, and loves her anyway. There is a level of transparency between these two that only comes from years of friendship, and it is beautiful.

7. Paul and Marguerite from A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. Two people jumping through the multiverse makes for a complicated love story, especially when one of them is suspected of murdering the other's father, but that is what makes Paul and Marguerite so different and also amazing. Even though this story takes place in four different parallel universes, somehow Paul and Marguerite end up near each other in every single one. Their closeness is not only on a physical level, but also seemingly soul-deep. I love the idea that, even in different worlds, if two people are meant to be together, they will be.

8. Amy and Roger from Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. Amy and Roger have the slow burn type of romance that takes a while to get off the ground, but that makes the moment that it does so much better. They both have walls and secrets and things that they'd rather hide, but something about being in the car, driving cross-country alone tends to bring out the secrets in these two, and it is wonderful to watch them begin to trust and care for each other as the state lines pass under their wheels.

9. Isadora and Ry from The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White. Isadora and Orion (or Ry) are the definition of star-crossed lovers. Mixed up in ancient mythology, epic poetry and culture, these two start off as uneasy friends. It is clear from the beginning that Ry has feelings for Isadora, but for her it takes longer to let him in, past her hard exterior that is a product of her unusual childhood. The twist at the ending for these two is something that I want to read again and again.

10. Harper and David from Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. The idea of two people, sworn enemies, snarking and sassing each other until somehow, their feelings of hatred grow into something else is something that I will never tire of. For Harper, David is the last person that she would ever want to fall for, but when it actually starts happening (while in the background she fights a supernatural force, of course), it isn't so terrible? I adore this pair.

what are some of your favorite romances?

xx
Sunny

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

top ten tuesday: authorpalooza



 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature over at The Broke and The Bookish where we highlight a different theme every week. This week's theme is "April 21: Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Authors (yeah, I'm mean like that! You could narrow it down to a genre if you it REALLY kills you...or just make your list a top 20 :P )" And, as many bibliophiles will know, this is a daunting subject. I narrowed my list down to twelve, but there were nearly thirty amazing authors in the mix at one point or another. There are just so many amazing writers out there, it is hard to pick and choose favorites.

1. Rainbow Rowell – When someone asks me who my favorite author is, I often think of Rainbow Rowell first thing. I absolutely adore every single thing that she has written, and I would highly recommend her to a wide variety of readers. Her stories are real and funny, and I honestly just can't get enough.

2. John Green – Another one of my knee-jerk reactions to the question of favorite authors. I have dutifully read every single novel that John Green has ever written or contributed to, and though I have liked some more than others, there is nothing that John Green has written that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. 
3. Jane Austen– My first Austen novel was Sense and Sensibility, and I read it when I was eleven years old. Ever since then, I have been, maybe predictably, in love with Austen and her entire world. When I visited Bath, in the UK, where Austen spent a lot of time, I nearly lost my mind. Though my favorite novel of hers is Mansfield Park, I truly do adore each one of her novels. 
4. Sarah J Maas– I just read my first novel by Sarah J Maas last fall, and she immediately became one of my favorites. Her Throne of Glass series is one of the most epic, completely compelling and readable series that I have ever read, and I cannot wait to get my hands on A Court of Thorns and Roses soon. Maas is newer to me but definitely up here in the list of my favorites. 

5. Morgan Matson– I must admit, I was interested in Matson for a while, but never got around to reading any of her novels. Then, when I finally read Since You've Been Gone, I fell in love and read her other two novels in quick succession, loving every single second of the experience. It has been a while since I was so completely swept up by a contemporary author, and I can't wait to see what else Matson has to offer. 

6. Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket – One of my primary childhood influences (is this a scary statement? probably) I tore through A Series of Unfortunate Events several times in my formative years. He is so funny and clever, though, I soon expanded my reading experience to those books beyond just the series, and I have yet to be disappointed. 

7. Stephanie Perkins– It has been a good amount of years since I first read Anna and the French Kiss, and after about eight rereads (and several reads and rereads of her subsequent two novels) I can firmly say that I will never get tired of Stephanie Perkins' writing. She has such a talent for characters, and I cannot help but fall in love with her writing, every single time. 

8. Rick Riordan – My love for Rick Riordan's stories goes back to when I first read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief when I was 11 years old. I had never read anything like it, and I kept up with his new releases every single year until the Heroes of Olympus series finished last fall. I can't wait for his new series to begin this October, though I am sad to be leaving some of my absolute favorite characters behind.

9. J.R.R Tolkien– Tolkien is another one of those authors that captured my imagination when I was in middle school, and the first time I read the Fellowship of the Ring was such a magical experience for me, I cannot imagine a favorite authors list without Tolkien on it. 

10. Shannon Hale– It seems that I have loved so many of these authors since I was a child, because Shannon Hale is another author who shaped my young adolescence. I read The Goose Girl and Princess Academy over and over, and I still have yet to read a book of Hale's that I haven't loved. 

11. J.K Rowling– Guys. Come on guys. J.K. Rowling has to be on your list! Where would we all be without Harry Potter? 

12. Gail Carson Levine – Ella Enchanted was just one of the many amazing novels that Gail Carson Levine wrote that I loved. There are many other fairy tales, short stories, and fantastical worlds to visit, and I love every single one of them. 

There are so many other amazing authors! It was so hard to pick just these. What are some of your choices for this list? 

xx
Sunny

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