The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Frankie Landau-Banks is not your typical teenager. She seems more interested in participating in debates than painting her toes. After an amazing summer where she transformed for a duckling to a swan she is ready to return to Alabaster, the boarding school she calls “home” for most of the year. Alabaster used to be a male only school, but they allow girls to come as well. Even though girls are allowed at Alabaster now there is still a strong male dominance. Especially concerning a famous secret society, The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, who are infamous for their scandalous pranks. Frankie has only briefly heard of this rumored society from conversation her dad has had, as he was an alum of Alabaster and supposed member of the Order. Shortly after school begins Frankie captures the heart after the gorgeous, much sought after Matthew Livingston. She is soon his girlfriend and invited into his inner circle of friends. While she loves being apart of this group of guys she realizes that they are all apart of the Order and are keeping it a secret from her. With ambition and some super sleuthing skills, Frankie listens in on a couple of meetings and learns that Matthew and is right-hand man Alpha are the current, so-called Kings of the Order. Whenever tries to lure information out of Matthew-and o, does she try- he either acts like he is clueless or just plain ignores her. This infuriates Frankie in more than one way. First of all, she doesn’t think her boyfriend should be keeping secrets from her and second of all she doesn’t think it’s fair that the Order only allows male members. Being the type of girl that she is Frankie finds a devious way into the Order and makes sure that her name will go down in history. She devises many pranks and lets her message ring clear, but how is she getting away with it and how long can she make it last? Along her hilarious journey she realizes many things, not only about herself, but about how she should be treated.

When picking up this book I had high expectations, because it was written by the amazing E. Lockhart. Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. In fact I think this is E. Lockhart’s best book to date. Frankie’s character was original and I felt like I instantly connected with her. I too have a lot of views that Frankie has, such as why do guys have different standards than girls and so forth. The way Frankie stood up for herself was great. I wish I could do as good a job as she could! Also the book was fall on the floor funny. I was laughing at all the pranks that got pulled and just the words that came out of Frankie’s mouth. The setting was also really neat. I could actually picture myself sitting in the cafeteria eating the wilted vegetables, and walking on the grass where it deliberately says “No Walking on the Grass!” I definitely think that this is a must read for anyone looking for a truly humorous, honest, and all around great book!

*Released March 25, 2008, I highly suggest you go buy it!!!

Interview with Charlotte Kandel

I recently got the amazing opportunity to interview and talk with Mrs. Charlotte Kandel. As I waited to for the phone to ring I started to get really nervous, but then as soon as I started talking to Charlotte all fear escaped me and I had a complete blast. Charlotte is a wonderful woman and I just don’t have enough good things to say about her. If you have not read The Scarlet Stockings: The Enchanted Riddle I highly recommend you go to the store and buy it. It is a great read for all ages and I know you won’t be disappointed.


Why did you write about ballet? Were you a “ballerina” as a child? Was that your dream?
Not at all. I am the kind of person that can barely walk in high heels and am very clumsy! I am constantly dropping things and am such a huge klutz. However I did loved watching ballet because it seemed so impossible to me. Also when I worked at Warner Brothers as the global head of publicity for 15 years, I really got to seem what goes on behind the scenes, which I thought was so interesting, and just increased by love of ballet.

What made you want to become an author? When did you realize this is what you wanted to do?
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be an author. The thing is I was to scared. I was always very shy and had no self confidence. When I left Warner Brothers I questioned what I was going to do with the rest of my life and realized that maybe I could finally achieve my dream of becoming an author. Then a friend, who happens to be a Tony Award winning set and costume designer pushed me and kept telling me I could do it. After much persuasion and my knees shaking I finally sat down at my computer and started thinking about wonderful ideas for a book.


Why did you make our book take place in the 1920’s?
Because for women it was the most exciting point that had ever occurred and everything changed. Women were allowed to wear makeup and cut their long hair. They could get real jobs that weren’t horrible. This shocked their parents and grandparents and I just thought it was such a glamorous time to be in.


What kind of research did you do for this book?
Google. God bless it! Since I worked at Warner Brothers I knew a lot of people who knew lots about ballet. Also I knew where ballet started, so I had a good base. After that I really started to research ballet and discovered its founder Pierre Beauchamp. This immensely helped me and I was able to fill the book with true facts about ballet. I didn’t want to fill the book with a bunch of rubbish because I didn’t think it was fair to all those dancers who really know their history.



Will Daphne’s story continue?
O yes. There will be a total of three books in all. I have always envisioned Daphne’s story to be told as a trilogy because to me it has always logically had three parts, I don’t know why, but it just has. In each book Daphne will be two years older than in the previous book. For example, in the first book she was thirteen and fourteen, in the second book she will be sixteen, and in the final book she will be eighteen. I did this because I really wanted people to grow up with Daphne and see how she handled her teenage years. Also with Daphne being a little older in the third book I could really write about and finish with a romance. Each book will continue to have a ballet as part of the main plot. In the second book it will be Giselle and in the third book it will be Sleeping Beauty. Throughout the rest of the series old characters will reappear and new one’s will come into the story, but one thing is for sure is that Daphne’s adventure will never be over.


I loved how you made the character’s all have their own voice, using different accents. What gave you the idea?
I wanted the book to be real. I wanted the readers to feel like they were actually meeting real people. In the 1920s many of the great ballerinas were Russian. After visiting St. Petersburg I really grasped the way people talked, thus helping me create the accents.


Did you create any of the characters based on people you know or have met?
Daphne resembles me in quite a few ways. I did have absolutely wonderful parents, but they did travel a lot. My twin sister and I were sent to boarding school and we both hated it. Because of this I could really key into Daphne’s feeling of loneliness, self-consciousness, and isolation.
Now if I were to ever do a movie of The Scarlet Stockings I would definitely want Uma Thurman to play Magda. I have had the pleasure of working with her and she is just divine. She is well read, knows many languages, doesn’t walk around with an entourage, and is just a fabulous person. I guess when writing about Magda I was kind of thinking of Uma, but it is only a loose relationship between the two.

The Nutcracker is my favorite ballet and I loved how you included it in the book. Now what’s your favorite ballet?

I don’t have just one favorite ballet! I do have a soft spot for all ballets, but my three favorites would have to be The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Sleeping Beauty. This is why these are the ballets in my books, because I just love them so much. One of my fondest memories of a ballet was when I was 19 and saw Giselle. The ending when the two main characters must part and their fingers move slowly apart just captivated me. I could feel the yearning, a cried for three days, the emotion produced was just so grand.

The Scarlet Stockings:The Enchanted Riddle by Charlotte Kandel

Daphne has been at St. Jude’s for thirteen long years. The only snippet of her story that she knows is that she was laid on the doorstep with a note attached with three simple words on it, “my name’s Daphne”. Daphne’s dream is to become a ballerina. Her dream seems farfetched until a package arrives in the mail with a book entitled “How to Teach Yourself Ballet” and a pair of scarlet stockings. On the inside cover of the book is a mysterious riddle that perplexes Daphne. She loves her gift and soon realizes that the stockings hold magical powers. She only wishes now that she had more time to dance.
Daphne doesn’t think her life could get much better, and then she finds out that she is to be adopted by the local vegetable stand owners. The Greens are just the nicest people around and are gracious to have Daphne in their home. As a surprise the Green’s take Daphne to see a production of Swan Lake with the amazing Ova Andova dancing the leading role. Daphne is star-struck and realizes that she has to be a ballerina. Another surprise awaits her as the Green’s inform her that she will soon be taking ballet lessons. Daphne is overjoyed, until the day she goes to lessons. Her teacher acts like a witch and deflates all of Daphne’s dreams of becoming a ballerina. She knows that she can’t be that bad and soon sets off to make her dream come true.
One day while scanning the newspaper she finds an ad that shocks her. The famous Magda Magellan is looking for a personal assistant. Daphne knows this is her ticket into fame and secretly goes to London to apply for the position. She is delighted when she lands the job, but doesn’t know how to break it to her new parents. When they agree to let her take the position she knows that she will soon become a great dancer. With the help of the scarlet stockings and a few of Magda’s contacts, Daphne hopes she will succeed. Will she become a famous ballerina?

Even though this book is geared for younger readers (9-12 year olds) I thoroughly enjoyed it. Charlotte Kandel did a great job creating her characters, especially Daphne. I felt like I wanted Daphne as my best friend. I loved how Mrs. Kandel made each character come to life. It felt like I was actually watching the book come to life. Each character’ accented voice could be heard through their conversations, making you feel like you were standing right there beside them. I found this very refreshing. The message in the book was great too. Encouraging people not to give up on their dreams is huge, because without dreams you wouldn’t be reading this review on a computer. There was also an essence of mystery, which I absolutely adore. All in all this was a great first novel and I am anxious to learn what becomes of Daphne next.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Aislinn has always been able to see faeries, but has never let on to it. This is one of the rules that her grandmother instated when Aislinn first mentioned the faeries. She always abides by this rule in fear that if the wrong faerie finds out, there will be grave punishments. Life is good for Aislinn until she begins to be stalked by two faeries, one of whom happens to be the Summer King Keenan. Keenan has been in search of a queen for centuries, but just can't seem to find the right girl. Yes, many girls have been swooned by his looks and attempted to be the prized Summer Queen, but they have all failed either becoming Summer girls, who are sultry faeries, or are filled with winter and become Winter Princesses. When Keenan meets Aislinn though he knows she is the one. Not only because of her ability to resist him, but that his mother, Beira the Winter Queen, is very afraid of her because of her abilities. As for Aislinn she wants nothing to do with the faerie world. She is content being a teenager. The only thing is she can't seem to figure out is her relationship with her best friend Seth. They've been friends for a long time, but she's not sure if she only likes him as a friend anymore. He is constantly flirting with her and seems to be sending out mixed messages. What is a girl to do? Putting her feelings on the back burner for a few days Aislinn enlists Seth's help to deal with the faeries. She wants them to leave her alone, but she seems to have an irking feeling that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to help them out. With the help of Seth Aislinn learns that she can be in control of the situation and starts to see if she can make the best out of the situation and make everyone happy.

This was an absolute gem to read. Everything about it was beyond amazing. Isn't the cover fantastic too? I must admit I have never been keen to read faerie books, but Wicked Lovely left me craving for more of the faerie world. To me the story was completely original and the writing was phenomenal. Melissa Marr slowly reeled me in from the first page and left me dangling throughout most of the book. It wasn't until the very end that everything came together. Also the names used in the book are so original and creative. Aislinn's character was great. I felt like I had a connection with her, not that we seem to be alike, but there was just something there. This was a great debut novel and I cannot wait to read more of Melissa's writing. Ink Exchange comes out at the end of April. I strongly recommend this book to everyone and anyone, whether you like faerie tales or not. This is truly a unique book that I think everyone will love.

Eva Underground by Dandi Daley Mackall

It's 1978 and Poland is still under communism's reign. The militia control everything from food to religion. How does this relate to American girl Eva Lott? Well her father has decided to uproot her from her perfect life in Chicago to a small village in Poland in order for him to lead an underground newspaper. Eva is devastated. She doesn't want to leave her amazing best friend and her awesome boyfriend, plus she just earned a spot on the varsity swim team. Eva is furious that her father won't let her stay with her best friend Melanie, but with no other choice she packs two measly suitcases and accompanies him on his journey. After an arduous and frightful trip, Eva and her father finally arrive in Poland and are greeted by Tomek. Tomek doesn't say much, but Eva finds him very handsome, although he seems very standoffish. He leads them to a house in Zakopane, Poland which will be the newspaper's headquarters. Tomek introduces them to all the other people living in the house, but Eva feels unwelcome and immediately starts planning an escape route. When it finally comes time to escape Eva feels that she has become used to Poland and it's strangeness. She also thinks that there may even be something pulling her towards Tomek. Will Eva stay, or will she go? Will her father be successful in creating an underground newspaper?

This book was okay. To me it started out a little slowly. It wasn't until about the half-way point that I really got interested in the story. I had never really read anything about the "Iron Curtain" in Poland and this really opened my eyes to what other people, who were not free, had to endure on a day-to-day basis. The romance that blossomed between Eva and Tomek was cute - it wasn't unexpected, but it was sweet. What can I say, I'm a sucker for love!! I have to say the historical facts were my favorite part of the book. They are the only things I really remember.

A Multitude of Randomness

So I have lots to say and the easiest way to do this is in one huge post. First of all check back latter on in the week for three more reviews and an interview.....I've been a little slow posting reviews...sorry! Also I wanted to thank everyone who reads my blog, it really means a lot to me! Now for the fun part. Contests, no I'm not having one, but many others are. So a list of contests for you to enter.

First of Girls Just Reading is giving away a copy of Jodi Picoult's new book Change of Heart. It looks fabulous, and the copy may even be signed. Hurry over to their blog to enter. The contest ends on March 13.

Then the Page Flipper is giving away SIX books...yes 6...for her monthly contest. All you have to do is email her with the heading March Contest and you are automatically entered. Also if you blog about it you get an additional 5 entries.

The Page Flipper is also holding another contest. Enter before March 17 to get a copy of Wake by Lisa McMann. If you haven't read it yet I strongly advise you to read it. For a review click here.

Also for all you Meg Cabot fans, head over to her website and enter to win a copy of Allie Finkel's Rules for Girls. Also if you are the Grand Prize Winner you also receive an ARC of the much anticipated Airhead.

So those are a random few contests there are many more out there. Good luck to all of you and thanks again for reading my blog!!

Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe

Jas is a 6 foot tall seventeen year old who loves a good mystery. The thing is, her father can't stand her gallivanting around trying to solve these mysteries. After a summer spent being a medical assistant at her uncle's practice she is ready to take her annual summer vacation with her family. Her first day in Las Vegas, at the glamorous Venetian hotel, seems to be perfect. The sun is shining and Jas is having a wonderful time eyeing the hot guy standing by the snack bar. Then her evil cousin Alyson and her henchman Veronique have to come and disrupt the peace. Not only does Jas have to endure this, but then a hairy orange furball of a cat jumps on to her and claws into her skin. OWWW! She runs trying to get the cat off, but only stops when she knocks over a 5-tier wedding cake and sends the bride into a pool. After being taken to a "jail" cell, she is released by the chief of security himself, Mr. Curtis. He seemed to be even thanking her for ruining the wedding! After the accident she realizes that the reason she was let go was because the cat that had caused so much trouble belonged to the super famous Fiona Bristol's son Fred. There even seems to be a mystery surrounding Fiona's life, but Jas is trying to be a model daughter and tries as hard as possible not to get involved. Her attempt fails when she is surprised by a visit from her three best friends, Roxy, Polly, and Tom, who convince her that she must and try to solve whatever mystery there might be. With the help of her friends Jas starts to uncover lots of little clues, and one thing leads to another. Before she knows it shes wrapped up with the cute guy at the snack shop, and has fallen into a case that seems to be way over her head. Will Jas be able to solve the mystery? Will she make her father find the good in mysteries?

This book was really good. At first I was a little leery, but then I just loved it. It's almost like a modern Nancy Drew, but a lot more sassy. Jas makes a great main character. She is quirky, funny, and up for anything. With her three sidekick friends she seems unstoppable. I loved how each character had one thing that was crazy about them. For example, Polly loves BeDazzlers, Roxy is obsessed with Aliens, and Tom is head over heels in love with Polly. This really added to the quality of the book. One thing that I didn't like about the book was the footnotes. It seemed like there was a completely different story going on within the footnotes, which confused me a lot. Excluding the footnotes though the book was great. There were many turns that kept you guessing until the last chapter and many surprises that made me laugh. All in all a great mystery that I recommend to everyone.