Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James

A few years after Pride & Prejudice, Darcy and Elizabeth have settled at Pemberley.  The night before their annual ball - a dark stormy night - Mr. Wickham's friend is found murdered in the Pemberley woods.  And Wickham is the primary suspect!  A murder investigation and trial follows, forcing Darcy to come face to face with his pride.  Or was it his prejudice?  

The lawyer in me enjoyed a peek at how investigations and trials were handled in the 1800s.  And the Jane Austen fan in me loved imagining how Darcy and Elizabeth might have ended up.

Read: July 2012 (via CD from the library)

Monday, July 16, 2012

What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown

Check out this book cover! I never ever would have picked this up, but my mom checked it out from the library and then passed it on to me.  I needed a new book so I gave it a shot.  And it was actually pretty good!  After a bad break up, Eleanor Pottinger goes to stay at an old estate in England.  What do you suppose she finds?  Two ghost sisters who take her back in time to Jane Austen's day.  Her mission: to prevent the two sisters from having their reputation ruined by the dashing Lord Shermont.    Will Eleanor fall in love with Lord Shermont?  Will she get to meet the real Jane Austen?  A light easy read if you happen to run across it.  

P.S. I really don't know why there are abs on the cover.  There are only two bodice-ripping scenes.  

Read: June-July 2012 via my mom via the library

Decision Points by W.

I really enjoyed reading President Bush's memoirs.  The book is structured so that each chapter focuses on a major decision in his life: running for President, choosing his cabinet, reacting to 9/11, initiating the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other things.  I learned a lot and respect him even more for how he handled his time in office.  I can't even imagine the pressures he faced and I hope that his presidency will be vindicated over time.  A good read if you want to learn more about W. and why he did what he did.

Read: May-June 2012