The Constant Princess - Phillippa Gregory

Synopsis for The Constant Princess:

"As youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs and crusaders King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina, princess of Wales and of Spain, was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill her destiny as queen of England, where she finds true love with Arthur (after some initial sourness) as they plot the future of their kingdom together. Arthur dies young, however, leaving Catalina a widow and ineligible for the throne. Before his death, he extracts a promise from his wife to marry his younger brother Henry in order to become queen anyway, have children and rule as they had planned, a situation that can only be if Catalina denies that Arthur was ever her lover."

Jenn: I have to admit I have a fascination with the Tudor court and this book enlightened me on the original Queen to Henry - Katharine of Aragon. Her story is incredibly interesting and intensely heartbreaking. (The things women had to go through!) I have to admit that after reading about her, I can't help but think that Henry was an idiot. She was an amazing woman - especially knowing her later history during the whole Anne Boleyn time period. Like all of Phillippa Gregory's novels, there's a fair amount of speculation - which is why it's historical fiction - but her research comes through so that you can still tell what's fact and what's not. A great read, and one to start with if wanting to dive into that era.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Synopsis for Hunger Games


In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

Jenn: I am a HUGE fan of these books. It's so different but it's incredibly well written. As far as a distopian society goes, this one is one of the worst I've read. The things that the Capitol does - and it's reasoning behind them - is incredibly warped. The herione is strong and fairly logical, although she has her moments of weakness like all good heroines do. The Hunger Games, and it's sequel, Catching Fire, were fast paced without being confusing and dark without going too far. The plot twists always took me by surprise, but always fit with the story. It really made me think about society's obsession with reality television, and just exactly how far we would go for "exciting television". The third and final book comes out in August and I can hardly wait to see how it concludes. I will definitely be in line to buy it when it comes out!

*The Hunger Games trilogy consists The Hunger Games, Catching Fire - which are both available now - and Mockingjay - which will be released August 24, 2010.

The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

Synopsis for The Boleyn Inheritance:

"Three Women Who Share One Fate: The Boleyn Inheritance

Anne of Cleves

She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

Katherine Howard

She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

Jane Rochford

She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul."

Jenn: Reading this book just cemented my new obsession with Philippa Gregory. I really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, and this book picks up after Jane Seymour dies from complications in childbirth. The narrorators switch between the 3 women, which adds such depth to the story that it's a compelling read. You really get into these women's heads, seeing their motivations and all that preceeded their less than stellar circumstances. It's really well written and I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.

Update - The Host

Exciting news for fans of The Host! Stephenie Meyer has announced that The Host is being made into a movie! I'm very intrigued how it will turn out, but she has said that the man who directed Gattaca and wrote The Truman Show (one of my personal faves) will be writing the screenplay and directing, so it looks like it's off to a good start. I'm not sure when they will start filming or anything like that, but the fact that it's pretty much a sure thing is VERY exciting!!

If you want to read her announcement, and the link to the full story that Variety wrote, you can go to her website www.stepheniemeyer.com.

Austenland - Shannon Hale

Synopsis for Austenland

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen — or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Jenn: I have to say, this book is perfect for the hopeless romantic in all of us. I know that there have definitely been times when I've wished that some guy I was dating was more like the heros of the books I was reading, and the main character in this book is just like that. Her hero of choice? Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, although she's in love with Jane Austen in general. I liked how she goes back and forth from thinking her situation is silly to really getting into it, since I'm a lot like that. The ending definitely surprised me, but in a good way. I loved the "will they, won't they" tug of war between her and the Darcy-esque character. It was a great book, and I loved reading it!