40-50. End of Year Quick Summary Part 1

40. Wickham's Diary by Amanda Grange
This is a prequel to Pride and Prejudice told from Wickham's viewpoint. It's interesting to see how someone can become the bad guy. I think Amanda Grange is one of the better authors in Pride and Prejudice fan fiction universe. I liked this one.

41. The Salamander Spell by E.D. Baker
I love all of her books and this was just as good as the others. It is a prequel to her Frog Princess series. It explores Grizelda's life before she was turned into a witch by the family curse. I would highly recommend it for a fun fairy tale/fantasy story.

42. Shredderman 3: Meet the Gecko by Wendelin Van Draanen
Wendelin Van Draaned is another author that I would recommend anything she writes. Shredderman strikes me as her "boy" series and is aimed at a younger audience (2nd-4th grade) than her Sammy Keyes series. They're still good mysteries though and I really enjoyed this one where Shredderman meets his movie star idol and is able to help him solve a mystery on set.

43. Shredderman 2: Attack of the Tagger by Wendelin Van Draanen
I read this series in reverse order. It was silly but it really didn't matter. This one is great also. Shredderman tries to solve the mystery of who is vandalizing his school and local playgrounds. It is a good look at the issue of tagging. I liked it.

44. Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris
I love these books. This is the first book in the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mysteries series. They're fun and true to the original characters. And they are good mysteries. I also like that they entertwine other characters from the original Austen books, for instance, Caroline Bingley in this one. This is the fourth time I've read this one. I still like it.

45. Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
This is a great book that deals with environmentalism in Florida. It's very well written and interesting. The movie is pretty good but the book is better. Mary picked it for her bedtime story and we all enjoyed reading it together.

46. Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance by Marthe Jocelyn
This is a book I picked up randomly because of its great title and cover. It is just as good as its cover. It is a really cute story, told in journal format, of a young girl who leaves home for the first time to go with her sister to a frontier town and teach school. It explores the issues of women's suffrage in the early 1900's. It's funny and clever and a really quick read. I loved it.

47. The Trolls by Polly Horvath
My girls picked this book to read for our mother-daughter book club. We had previously read the book in the library's club. It is a cute book about some kids who have their aunt come and babysit them while their parents go on a trip. This is the first time they've met the aunt and she begins to tell them stories about when their father was a boy. The stories range from being really funny to being really scary. It is a good book to talk about how our actions affect other people in our family, whether we realize it or not. It is a good, fun discussion book.

48. Mudshark by Gary Paulsen
This is a hilarious book by a really good author (he wrote Hatchet). Kate chose this as a bedtime story because she'd read it at school and thought the other kids would like listening to it. She was right. We laughed a lot while reading it. It's the story of a boy nicknamed Mudshark who can solve any puzzle but comes up against his match when erasers start disappearing out of every class in his school. He also meets a parrot who is just as good at solving puzzles and becomes his arch rival. It is super funny and very short. It's well worth the time and works really good as a read-aloud.

49. Bobby the Brave (Sometimes) by Lisa Yee
This book is hilarious too. It's about a boy named Bobby who's father is an ex-pro football player. Since Bobby is small and scrawny, he feels like he's nothing like his father and a complete disappointment. It takes all his courage to confront his father about their differences. It is a really cute book. This is an author I found out about by going to the library's teen book fest. They were right: she's a great author.



50. Dragon Princess by E.D. Baker
This is the 6th book in the Frog Princess story. This book is the story of Millie, the daughter of Eadric and Emma (the original frog princess). She has a small problem. Whenever she gets upset, she spontaneously turns into a dragon and her grandparents hate dragons. She decides to run away and go to see a mysterious witch who is supposed to know how to help her. It's a fun adventure/fantasy story. I love this author.

28.Mr. Darcy's Great Escape by Marsha Altman

These books are some of my favorite Pride and Prejudice spin-offs. John told me after we went to see a Jane Austen play, that nothing ever happens in them. I think lots happens, but whatever. But I have to admit that this series is fun precisely because lots of things happen. Mr. Darcy gets trapped in a Turkish prison and Elizabeth has to rescue him. But it is not just the action that makes these books my favorites, it is that the characters are all likeable. I still like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, even though they have flaws and weaknesses. They're not unrealistically good, and thus, boring. Nor are they so crazy that they are unrecognizable as Jane Austen's original characters. These are just fun sequels and I really enjoy them. I think this is the third in the series and I've enjoyed them all and would recommend them.

28. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

This novel is for all you Twilight fans out there. Wasn't Edward modeled after Darcy? So what's better than Darcy as a tortured, love stricken vampire? I liked this book. I like the author's style of writing (better than Stephenie Meyer's actually, sorry). And I don't really mind that the novel is relatively bloodless, and that you know Darcy is a vampire and Elizabeth doesn't. I actually like to read books where I know part of the ending, but that's just me. And it is definitely less silly than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It's an interesting twist that I think works as a sequel.

24. The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater

This is not my favorite rewriting of Pride and Prejudice. This is not my least favorite version (there have been some that I had to put down because they were pure trash). There were glimpses of interpretations that were interesting. But mostly everything was taken too far. I just can't buy Darcy as a frequenter of whore houses. Sorry. That would make him not respectable in my eyes and ruins his whole aura. I did like that Darcy felt sorry for Lydia and that Wickham was evil. But I really didn't get or like the whole Byron side story. What was that? And Georgina wasn't really likable at all. I don't know. I wouldn't really recommend this book. It was interesting, but may not be worth your time. There are better retellings out there, if you're looking for that.

10. These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan

This is the last in this series. It tells the last half of Pride and Prejudice from the part where Darcy runs into Elizabeth at her aunt's house to the end. I think the author makes Darcy really likable and moral. She does a good job of making Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth seem plausible and real. I also like the supporting characters she added, especially Lord Brougham. It is a fun retelling of the best parts of Pride and Prejudice.

8. Duty and Desire : A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan

This is the second in the three part Darcy series which is basically a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. This middle book covers the time between Darcy leaving Hartfordshire just before Christmas and Darcy running into Elizabeth at Easter. I really like it because the story is a pretty good Victorian Gothic novel on its own while still maintaining ties to the original novel. The characters are interesting and fun to read about. This is the second or third time I'ver read it, I can't remember. Each time I am not very excited to read it because it really doesn't have any of the parts of Pride and Prejudice that I like, but then I get sucked into the story and I just can't stop.

6. An Assembly Such As This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan

This is the first in a 3 book series telling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. It covers the time from the beginning of the book to when Darcy returns to London after the ball at Netherfield. This is actually the second or third time I've read it, I can't remember. But obviously I like it. The thing I like most about it is that Darcy is a nice guy. He has his flaws but not any moral ones, which is how I would like it to be. I also like the other characters she has added to flesh out the story and her portrayal of the other existing characters like Colonel Fitzwilliam and Bingley. It is a little long sometimes but it has been fun reading it while I walk and listen to my ipod. It is clearly a light read. Anyone who really likes Pride and Prejudice will probably enjoy this novel.

5. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

This book took me a really long time to read. It is kind of like Jane Austen meets Jules Verne. It definitely was less violent than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but only slightly. I couldn't quite put it down because I had to find out how they would follow the Austen story and still incorporate the sea monsters. The dedication to the book reads, "This book is dedicated to my parents--lovers of great literature and great silliness." That pretty much sums up the book, great literature mixed with great silliness.

2. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I honestly feel a little silly reading this book. But I have to admit that the first time I saw this book in the BYU Bookstore I laughed hysterically. Something about it struck me as the funniest thing ever. I know. I'm weird that way. I think I even called John on my cell phone to tell him about it (which I never do). But after reading the book, the whole idea still makes me giggle. And it IS funny even if it is a little gory and zombieish at times. But, it actually is like a guy took Pride and Prejudice and juiced it up with a few beheadings, some ninja battles and a lot of zombie fighting in all the mushiest or most important parts of the book. It really is hilarious, maybe the best rewriting of P&P yet. If you don't mind the gore, I would highly recommend it. The novel is really pretty well written, (and I don't even like zombies). It's definitely worth a few good laughs and I haven't laughed so much in a long time.

92. The Plight of the Darcy Brothers by Marsha Altman

This is a sequel to a sequel, but I actually really like it. I like the author's adaptation of the characters. This time Mary Bennet is in trouble and in need of help. Darcy, of course, comes to the rescue. However, rescuing Mary requires a trip to the continent with Elizabeth. Along the way, he discovers some unsettling things about his own family that he must come to terms with. It is a fun story and moves as quickly as Austen style novels usually move. I like it, probably even better than her first sequel.

91. The Darcys & the Bingleys by Marsha Altman

This is another continuation of Pride and Prejudice, if you couldn't tell by the title. It starts a couple days before the weddings and continues through about the first year of marriage. It is pretty good. The characters all seem pretty true to Austen's characters without being boring. The author seems to have a gift for making even the unlikeable characters likeable. For instance Caroline Bingley ends up tolerable and so does Mr. and Mrs. Bennets' marital relationship. I don't know about her interpretation of Darcy as someone who can't hold his liquor (thus usually avoids drinking) but it does provide some comic relief and I think all authors have to come up with a fault for Darcy to make him a little more human. This was suggestive though. I would definitely rate it PG-13. This actually was one of the more interesting adaptations I've read though and, in the end, I liked the way she treated the original characters. Might be worth a try.

43. Darcy's passions: Pride and Prejudice retold through his eyes by Regina Jeffers

Contrary to what you may believe from the title, this wasn't a skanky book. It had romance but nothing that I found over the top. I liked this remake. It tries to show why Darcy changes over the course of the story and how that carries on into their marriage. All of the characters were interesting and believable. It was true to the original but also original enough to make you want to read on. I think it was one of the better retellings that I've read lately.

40. Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer

This is another retelling of Pride and Prejudice through Darcy's eyes. It was pretty good. It stuck very close to the original--so close that it didn't feel like it really had a voice of its own. But it was written fairly well, and Darcy seemed pretty likeable so that's good. I guess it was very subtle and that's OK. I liked it and I might read it again in a few years.

21. The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough

This book was very different than most of the P&P sequels that I've read. (The book takes place about 20 years after the original.) First of all, Mary is the heroine. She's still a little quirky but she makes a great character. Next, Elizabeth and Darcy are not happy in their marriage. They basically either fight or ignore each other. Darcy is very controlling and Elizabeth basically just suffers through. Darcy has controlled the entire Bennet family to minimize embarassment to himself. At the beginning of the book, Mrs. Bennet finally passes away and Mary is freed from her job of taking care of her mother. A semi-elderly (age 38) spinster, she decides to start making some decisions for herself, much to Darcy's dismay.

This book has madmen, thieves, murderers, orphans, hordes of gold, skulking mystery relatives, bad father-son relationships, and bad marriages. With all that, it ended happily. Darcy and Elizabeth reconcile and Mary gets her own way.

I really liked it. It did have a little language and a little sex. But overall, it was pretty exciting and interesting and I liked the realistic characterizations. It was a fun book.

14.Pemberley by the Sea by Abigail Reynolds

This is a modern retelling of P&P. The Elizabeth character is a marine biologist from the wrong side of the tracks in Chicago and the Darcy character is from an East coast political dynasty (kind of like the Kennedys). Anyway they meet and by the end they are together in spite of Darcy’s controlling father. I like the story, the characters and the creative adaptation. There is too much sex in it for me though.

11. Pemberley Shades by D.A. Bonavia-Hunt

This is another P&P sequel, the second one ever written, according to the publisher. It is a fun mystery. Darcy has to hire a new minister for the Pemberley parish and tries out a man who is recommended to him but whom he has never met. The man comes for a trial period and does some incredibly strange things. Darcy and Elizabeth try to figure out what’s going on while entertaining various guests and romances. It was fun and harmless and I liked the depiction of Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship.

7. Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma by Diana Birchall

This is another P&P sequel. It takes place about 20 years after the original. The Darcys have 3 children, 2 sons and a daughter. In an act of mercy, Mrs. Darcy invites the 2 eldest daughters of Lydia Wickham to stay at Pemberley. Of course, the Darcy sons fall in love with the crazy cousins and the fun ensues. It was pretty good but a little dry. Not the worst but not the best.

5. Austenland by Shannon Hale

This is a novel about a lady who is obsessed with P&P and especially the A&E Colin Firth version. She can’t have a real relationship because she is always looking for Mr. Darcy. So her crazy old aunt leaves her a vacation to Austenland in her will. Austenland is a resort where you go and it is supposed to be like living in P&P. She basically goes and lives out the story and tries to deal with her issues so she can live a normal life. It is hilarious, especially if like me you know the Jane Austen stories well. This is about the third time I’ve read this book and every time it is just as funny. This time I listened to it and the production was really well done. I loved it!

4. Impulse and Initiative by Abigail Reynolds

This is a “what if” take-off on P&P. What if Darcy pursued Elizabeth even after she said no and went back to Herefordshire after her. It was interesting because basically the same things happen but in different order and for different reasons. It was a little racy for my taste (Darcy and Elizabeth sleep together just prior to their wedding), but I liked the depiction of the characters and the plotline. It was definitely creative.

2. Mr. Darcy’s Decision by Juliette Shapiro

This was another sequel to P&P. I really liked this one. Darcy and Elizabeth were very personable. In this take-off, Wickham leaves Lydia after she is pregnant. The Darcys decide to adopt the child as their own and treat it as a twin to their own expected child (the two sisters are due about the same time). I just liked how it portrayed the ups and downs and uncertainties of newlywed life for even the most devoted people. I’d read it again in another 5 years.