Austenland by Shannon Hale

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?

I enjoyed this book immensely! It has a good plot, romance, humor, everything! I'm not exactly a fan of Jane Austen (I've never read any of her books, but I have seen the movies.. does that count? :) but I really liked this book anyway. I would suggest that you go out and buy it right now! Parents: It's a PG rated book... Slight inappropriate content and language. I would say for ages 12 and up.

Peace out,

Robin

Owl in Love by Patrice Kindl

Owl in Love is a story about a girl who is an Owl by night (or whenever she wants to be) and a 14 year old girl by day. Her features and clothes are old, so is her home, and some of her values. The way she treats people isn't bad, just careful, as she doesn't really know how. She has no friends. She is the weird girl, though no one knows anything near her story. She has her parent's, who are human. She is somehow miracly a wereowl as she calls herself. Owl is her name too, though no one can even begin to realize how, say, ironic that is. Nothing but her oversized eyes and pale sand skin can give it a clue. What will happen with her 'crush' on her science teacher? More of an infatuation, thanks to her owl blood. What will happen when she finally makes a friend? What will she do about Houle, the boy she has seen as an owl, taken a liking too, and tried to figure out, and take care of?

I loved this book! It's way better then it sounds. It's rather underappreciated if you ask me. I rate it 4 stars! It's kind of short at only 212 pages, but no less pleasing. It left me wanting more, just as any good book does, and lead the time to pass quickly. The story begins fairly fast moving, so it isn't hard to get into. It is well written as well, flowing nicely, those words on the pages are a reflection of a deep, odd, and unknown story to the unknowning reader who hardly knew they were picking up a book about a weirdo who turns into an owl. So, read it! :) :)
I recommend this for ages 12&up for some scary elements and mild language. I also have a feeling that mainly only girls will enjoy this, even in the adventurous manner it has.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

My new favorite book of all time! I very reluctantly picked up this book after my mom had told me I should read it because it was so good. First of all I'm the kind of person that judges a book by it's cover, and even though this book is only a few years old it looked way older then that, so I wasn't too thrilled to read it. Second, I'm a teen, and if my mom says something is cool I tend to not think it's as awesome as she says, but anyway... So after I got the book my family and I went on a trip, and I read the book in our hotel room, I finished it in one day (It would have been less, but I was busy!) The book is amazing! It's like new with old fashioned elements, but it's still totally awesome! It's a story of four sisters there’s responsible, practical Rosalind; stubborn, feisty Skye; dreamy, artistic Jane; and their shy little sister Batty. The four sisters and their father go to a cottage for summer vacation, and they get into all sorts of trouble, and have fun adventures! They soon meet the owner of the property their staying on, the very tough Mrs. Trifton and her son Jeffrey. Mrs. Trifton isn't too pleased with the Penderwicks because she thinks they are a bad example for her son. This book is filled with humor, adventure, and in my opinion it's everything a kid's book should be, and I highly recommend you read it!

Peace out,

Robin