Austenland by Shannon Hale

7 Stars

"When her great-aunt bequeaths her a trip to a role-playing resort called Austenland, Jane must discover whether playing dress-up in Regency clothes can cure her of her [Mr. Darcy] obsession and help her find real love, once and for all." (Synopsis taken from the Superfast Reader.)

My Review:

This book was HALE-arious!

...

Ok, I couldn't resist. Sorry. Seriously, this book was a refreshing read and very funny. Perhaps only funny to those of us that get Austin-humor (when reading section to my husband; not so funny) I thoroughly enjoyed all the awkward moments and the regency air and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that has seen or read Austin. It was clean and I loved the quirkiness of the main character.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison

6 Stars (-1 for language)

Georgia Nicolson is a sassy British teenager, for whom nothing ever goes right. And even if things were to go right for a change, she'd still find plenty to complain about. Herein, Georgia argues with her father, complains about her cat, crushes on a local hottie, complains about said hottie's girlfriend, argues with her mother, complains about her sister, argues with her friends about the hottie, and generally makes the reader laugh throughout it all.

This is definitely not a read for everyone. As evidenced by the title, it's a little irreverent at times. But HILARIOUS. If you're ever in the mood for being in a whiny, self-centered, British teen's head for an afternoon, though, this here's your book. (And, if nothing else, you should pick it up and read her "British" glossary at the back. Probably the best part of the book, really.)

Funny In Farsi by: Firoozeh Dumas

7 stars

Funny In Farsi is a memoir of an Iranian girl growing up in America. Firoozeh Dumas first came to the U.S. from Iran in the early '70s when her father was sent to California on a two-year contract from the National Iranian Oil Company. Her family soon discovered that his presumed skill in English was basically limited to "vectors, surface tension and fluid mechanics." In short, humorous vignettes, the author recounts their resulting difficulties and Americans' almost total ignorance of Iran, illustrating the kindness of people and her father's absolute love of this country. - From Amazon.com

I must say that I enjoyed this book. I was led in a playful way through some of the culture of Iran, laughing as I went. Firoozeh amusingly describes the hilarity that ensues when as two very different cultures clash. The easy pace and friendly tone made it a quick and easy read, and one I would recommend to those looking for a little humor or a peek into Iranian culture. My only possible complaint was that in seemed a little rushed at times. I would have liked to have read a little more.