pride and prejudice and zombies

As I've said in my Death Comes to Pemberley review, I love Jane Austen. I've heard so many great things about Seth Grahame-Smiths reinterpretation of the classic Pride and Prejudice that I was excited to read it. 

I'm going to be honest and say that excitement only lasted a handful of chapters. I'm not sure what keept me from loving this book. It was well written, captivatingly adapted, but there was something about it that didn't keep me wanting to turn the page. 

I read it in spouts. Like I said before, the first few chapters I had high hopes for the book. I was enjoying the witty additions of zombie slays. As the book went on I just got lost. 

Part of the problem may be that I have read Pride and Prejudice a few times, so I know it maybe a little too well. Another part of my dislike is that it I think the book was written for guys. Which does not always mean that I wouldn't enjoy it, but this time it did. 

I think one of my draws to Austen is the way she writes. The flow of her words are so beautiful. In Pride and Prejudice and Zombies this beautiful flow of words was mixed in with a different style sometimes the book felt disjointed. 

It was a good book, and if someone were to ask me about it I would tell them to give it a try, but man did I have trouble getting through it. 

Maybe when it comes to Austen, I'm a bit purist. But I'm ok with that.

the steampunk chronicles

Although the The Steampunk Chronicles is targeted at teens, I thought they would be a great way to introduce myself to the world of Steampunk.

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United States—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. (deification via wickapedia)

After reading Kady Crosses first two books in The Steampunk Chronicles I think it is a genre I could really get into. Not sure where this Steampunk adventure will take me, but I'm sure it will be an adventure to remember.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is The Steampunk Chronicles .5. It's background on Finley Jayne the main character of The Steampunk Chronicles.

In this book short nine chapter book,  you fall in love with Finley as you watch her grow and develop into the character that she becomes in The Girl in the Steel Corset. She starts to come into her own finding her strength and protecting those she cares about.

The Girl in the Steel Corset is the first book in The Steampunk Chronicles. And what a book it is. The story picks up not long after the end of The Strange Case of Finley Jayne, but there are twists and turns that you could never expect. In an unexpected turn of events Finley finds herself among an unlikely group that turn into her friends.

Griffin, Emily, Sam, Jasper and Finley embark on an adventure none of them could have imagined. Along the way Finley learns about her mysterious strength. Not to mention throwing in a some fights and a little romance. 

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar comes out in May of 2012. I'm pretty pumped to see what new adventures lie in America for the Steampunk Chronicles gang!

death comes to pemberley

I am a huge Jane Austen fan. When I read Pride and Prejudice I wished I could be Elizabeth Bennet.  I fell in love with John Knightley just as Emma did. I longed to be loved by Edward Ferrars just as Elinor Dashwood did. When I read Jane Austen the pages come to life and I am in Jane Austens' England and all the magic she places there.

The thing about Austen is that it always ends with a "happily ever after", which I am totally game for. I'm all about a happily ever after, in fact I'm waiting for mine. After finishing a book that ends like a fairy tale I always wonder and day dream about what happens to the characters. Is it really happely ever. Are their lives really swept up in perfection. What does their future hold, or is there no future for them.

Did Jane Austen ever think about Mr. Darcy as an old man? What stuggles do Edward Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood encounter in their life together? Did Emma really stop attempting her match making? Was it all truly a happily ever after.

P. D. James has come up with a possible solution to Pride and Prejudice six years after Jane Austen ended her classic novel. James really did a great job of emulating Austen's writing style. I had no problem imagining myself in the story, jumping right into the England that Jane Austen creates.

It was an interesting take on the after story. Yes Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, Mr. Bingley and Jane were all still happy. They were living the fairy tale, just as you always wished they would. Raising their children and having dinner parties. Well... I won't spoil any more for you. 


I think the long and the short of it is I enjoyed the book, being the the world that Austen and James created. And just like always, it ended happily ever after.