The Luxe by Anna Godberson

Like TV shows like Gossip Girl, 90210, and the OC? Then this book is for you. Full of fancy dresses, secrets, and wealthy teens who seem to have not much better to do than one-up each other, The Luxe is as its title suggests. However, not is all as it seems. It’s 1899 in New York and socialite Elizabeth Holland has fallen in love with her family’s stable boy. Unfortunately, their difference in social status is not the only obstacle in the way of their love. The Hollands, who are “old money,” have lost their wealth, and Elizabeth must marry wealthy playboy, Henry Schoonmaker, before anyone finds out and her family is ruined. The plotting begins when Elizabeth’s best friend, and greatest rival, Penelope Hayes, finds out about the engagement. Penelope has already set her sights on Henry Schoonmaker and has been having a secret affair with him. She wants to marry Henry so he can give her “new money” family some credibility in the upper class social circles into which they are trying to break. There are some interesting twists to this story, one coming right at the beginning: the story opens at Elizabeth’s funeral, during which not everybody seems all so sad, including Elizabeth’s sister, Diana. What happened to Elizabeth? You’ll have to read this fun, guilty pleasure of a book to find out!

This story is a fast read- great for a travel or summer book when you don't want to have to think too hard! This is definitely fluffy, chick lit with lots of descriptions of clothes, friends betraying friends, and forbidden romances. It is the first in a series, the entirety of which has great reviews. I'll definitely be picking up the next guilty pleasure in the series soon!

Book; ISBN 0061345660; New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2007

Leonardo’s Shadow, or, My Astonishing Life as Leanardo da Vinci’s Servant by Christopher Grey

Giacomo has no idea who he is, including his real name. His last memory is of running from a mob who thought he was a thief. As he falls off a rooftop in trying to escape his pursuers, he is rescued by Leonardo da Vinci, the great Italian painter and inventor. This is a story of Giacomo’s quest to discover who he really is and of da Vinci’s creation of his masterpiece, The Last Supper. Da Vinci is horribly in debt and must finish The Last Supper before the Duke of Milan gives up on him and hires Michelangelo to finish the painting. He is already two years behind in working on the painting. Giacomo has a plan to help da Vinci get the painting finished and please the Duke of Milan before he becomes penniless. In the meantime, Giacomo is sure that da Vinci know the secret of his past, but why won’t da Vinci tell him? Furthermore, da Vinci refuses to give Giacomo painting lessons even though he works with pampered and spoiled young nobles to teach them an art they will never truly appreciate. Giacomo is determined to have his questions answered and to gain da Vinci’s trust.

The book is a great story that gives insight into da Vinci’s life and 15th century Milan. Giacomo tells the story as if you are living each step with him. If this were a movie, he would be speaking to the camera much of the time. The book is an easy read, but older teens will be able to enjoy it as much as younger teens. It's a must read for those who like to read historical fiction in order to learn more about certain time periods and historical figures. If you plan to travel to Italy someday, you may enjoy it for the location as well.

Book; 12+; ISBN 978-1416905448; New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

This untypical Victorian tale is a great mix of fantasy and mystery. After the death of her mother, Gemma Doyle moves from India to England to live nearer to her remaining family and to go to the exclusive Spence Academy, a boarding school. But don’t dismiss this book as yet another private school clique story; Gemma Doyle has visions—she even foresaw her mother’s death. Furthermore, a mysterious young man has followed Gemma from India. Is he there to protect or harm her? Or, is he there to keep her from learning the mystery of her mother’s death? At Spence, Gemma encounters the usual group of mean girls—the beautiful girls everyone wants to hang with at Spence. When Gemma protects her roommate from the girls, she gains their attention and is invited to join their “private club.” In spite of their initial animosity and general suspicion of each other, the rivals form a tight group centered around a diary that Gemma had found at Spence after following one of her visions. The diary was written by Gemma’s mother and tells of two former Spence students and a secret order that found their way into an otherworld called the Realms. Gemma and her friends use the diary to find their own way into the Realms unaware of the dangers that wait for them there. For the girls, who live during the strict confines of Victorian London, the Realms offer a freedom they know they will never have after they marry. Each girl finds her own fantasy in the Realms not knowing that a dark danger lurks and would follow them back into their world if they were careless enough to let it. In the middle of this story, Gemma searches to solve the mystery of her mother’s death. While the girls merely follow Gemma into the Realms, it is Gemma who has the power to go there. Exactly what are Gemma’s powers? Will Gemma go along with the expectations of her times and become wife to a wealthy man? Or, will she maintain her individuality and independence?

This tale is dark but very enjoyable. It is mildly supernatural and does not quite fit in with the other run-of-the-mill supernatural books out there. The writing is beautiful, and the author never insults her reader's intellegence. This is a good book for teens to adults so don't be surprised if your mother/aunt/oldest sister tries to steal it. The book isn't a total chick lit book, so guys, don't be afraid to pick it up and read it too!

Book; 14+; ISBN 9780385732314; New York: Delacorte Press, 2005

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Meyers

Fighting in battle can seem romantic and brave. The Vietnam war caused many to begin questioning that romanticism of war. Seventeen year old Richie Perry had plans to go to college after graduation in the late 1960s, but those plans fall through. Not knowing what to do, Richie enlists in the Army figuring it is better than ending up on the streets of Harlem. He is quickly sent off to Vietnam after a brief training. He has hopes that his knee injury will get him out of fighting, but, of course, something happens with his paperwork, and he ends up in battle alongside his new buddies, PeeWee and Jenkins. Richie struggles to come to terms with what he was told about war and Vietnam during his basic training and the reality he experiences in Vietnam. He begins to question the validity of the U.S. role in Vietnam. After dealing with commanders who are more concerned with their own promotions and their soldiers’ safety and realizing that African-Americans are purposely being sent on the most dangerous missions, Richie decides to demand some answers from his authorities, despite warnings from his comrades.

This is a coming of age story about a young adult who is trying his best to live to come of age. The story is an eye opener about the realities of war. This is a great book about survival and discover, and a recommended book for anyone who dreams of fighting in battle. Meyers manages to let the story speak for itself without becoming preachy. With you are for or against war, this page turner will have you questioning your own beliefs and perceptions. Fans of other Walter Dean Meyers books will not be disappointed as he continues writing in his usual edgy style here.

Book; 14+; ISBN 978-0545055765; New York: Scholastic Inc, 1988

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Abbotson

Anna, who was a Russian countess until the Russian Revolution forced her aristocratic family to flee to England, decides to find work as a house servant to help support her family and allow her brother to remain in school. To keep her job, Anna must keep her aristocratic upbringing from her employers and also keep her job secret from her own family. Even though Anna is almost penniless, her new co-workers soon figure out that Anna was born into a higher class. However, Anna manages to keep her job by showing her wiliness and determination to work just as hard as everyone else. Complicating matters is the young master of the house, Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme. Rupert has recently returned from the Great War (that’s World War I) with the guilt of his brother’s death. Anna is attracted to Rupert, but he already has a fiancée, the horrible Muriel. To Rupert, Muriel is sweet, perfect future wife. To the house servants and Anna, Muriel is a cruel woman and a horrible snob. Unknown to Rupert, Muriel is into eugenics, a plan to breed people to create a superior race and eliminate undesirable traits. Sound a little like the Nazis? Hitler and his followers tried to implement eugenics in their quest for the perfect, Aryan race.

A Countess Below Stairs is a bit predictable, but still enjoyable. It’s a great read for hard times when you need a lift. There are enough twists to keep a reader interested, and readers of this book usually end up coming back for more Eva Ibbotson books. Whether you are interested in this book as a romance or as historical fiction, you will enjoy it.

Book; 12+; ISBN 978-0380613748; Leicester: Ulverscroft, 2007