Splendor

Product Details Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (October 27, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 0061626317 ISBN-13: 978-0061626319 Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.5 inches

Product Description from Amazon

New beginnings.

Shocking revelations.

Unexpected endings.

A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.

Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.

In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?

About the Author

Anna Godbersen was born in Berkeley, California, and educated at Barnard College. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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Splendor, like all The Luxe novels, has a gorgeous cover for those of us who like a pretty book, and it's contents are no less appetizing. As the final chapter to the series, I was almost sad to finish it so quickly, but I am very pleased with the ending. I must admit, I would love to see more of the Holland sisters and even Penelope and the Broud sisters, but the series came to a satisfying close.

I wish I could go in to detail, but I don't want to spoil a single thing for anyone else. I'd read a comment elsewhere that gave away a huge part of RUMORS for me (it was a very simple comment, but it ruined the impact of the scene it referenced) and I wouldn't want that for anyone else. All I can say, is that I throughly enjoyed every word of every book in The Luxe series and that I thought everything that happened in the end, was just the way it had to be and the way it should be. Thank you, Anna Godbersen and Harper Collins, for giving us this story.

Envy

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061345741
• ISBN-13: 978-0061345746

Product Description from Amazon

Jealous whispers. Old rivalries. New betrayals.

Two months after Elizabeth Holland's dramatic homecoming, Manhattan eagerly awaits her return to the pinnacle of society. However, when she refuses to rejoin her sister Diana's side, those watching New York's favorite family begin to whisper that all is not as it seems behind the stately doors of No. 17 Gramercy Park.

In this thrilling installment of Anna Godbersen's bestselling Luxe series, Manhattan's most envied residents appear to have everything they desire: Wealth. Beauty. Happiness. But sometimes the most practiced smiles hide the most scandalous secrets. . . .

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As you can see from my last post, I finished this entire novel in a days time. It's amazing.

The one thought on my mind right now, as I've just closed the book, is: DIANA HOLLAND ROCKS! I loved her from the first book but now, AH! She's incredible. The characters in this book are fantastic. I believe they've each had their chance to shine in this one. You can't help but love even the least favorable characters. So many things come together and fall apart in ENVY and the ending leaves you hungry for the final chapter, SPLENDOR.

I don't want to give spoilers, but I want to talk about what I thought of certain parts of the book...All I can say without ruining anything is that I seriously cried for Elizabeth. Waterworks. Wow. Bravo, Anna Godbersen. Not many books can touch me like that.

Second, Henry is more of a man than I gave him credit for. Not that I don't love him, but he's made some very serious mistakes as far as Diana is concerned, and I think this last act is finally going to atone for them. I feel bad for Grayson, but I'm sure something will happen for him. As for Penelope..ugh..Lina, in the end though she proved to be pretty ruthless herself, got what I felt she deserved. Or at least, what she tried so hard to achieve. I'm actually happy for her. And I do hope to see more of Teddy Cutting in SPLENDOR, the fourth and I believe final, book in the series. I'm hoping to make the trip to the book store this afternoon to purchase it.

Rumors

And as all The Luxe novels, this cover is amazing.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061345695
• ISBN-13: 978-0061345692

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Product Description from Amazon

After bidding good-bye to New York's brightest star, Elizabeth Holland, rumors continue to fly about her untimely demise.

All eyes are on those closest to the dearly departed: her mischievous sister, Diana, now the family's only hope for redemption; New York's most notorious cad, Henry Schoon-maker, the flame Elizabeth never extinguished; the seductive Penelope Hayes, poised to claim all that her best friend left behind—including Henry; even Elizabeth's scheming former maid, Lina Broud, who discovers that while money matters and breeding counts, gossip is the new currency.

As old friends become rivals, Manhattan's most dazzling socialites find their futures threatened by whispers from the past. In this delicious sequel to The Luxe, nothing is more dangerous than a scandal . . . or more precious than a secret.

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This book is even better than the first. I just closed the back cover and I'm about to start reading the third book in The Luxe series, ENVY. I HAVE to know what happens next! I love the style in which these books are written. Anna Godbersen is a brilliant writer. She pays careful attention to every detail making the reader feel like she's right there.

I'm not at all surprised at Penelope and what she's done, but I am disappointed in Lina. And I cried for Elizabeth and Diana :( but I'm glad that Elizabeth has returned to NY and I can't wait to see how she's changed.

Teen Read Week and The Luxe.

In honor of teen read week, and having just finished THE LUXE, I took the "Who is your Luxe boy" quiz @ http://www.harperteen-theluxe.com/luxe.html and my result is Will Keller. As for girls, my results say I am Diana Holland, who happens to be my favorite ;)

Teen Read Week:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2009/home.cfm

From the website:

Teen Read Week 2009 Teen Read Week 2009 will be celebrated Oct. 18-24! This year's theme is Read Beyond Reality @ your library, which encourages teens to read something out of this world, just for the fun of it. Registration for Teen Read Week 2009 is now closed. News Happy Teen Read Week! Thank you for encouraging teens to read something out of this world, just for the fun of it. Tell us what you're doing to celebrate on the 2009 Teen Read Week wiki. Have teens vote for the 2010 Teen Read Week theme! The 2010 choices are Books with Beat @ your library, Deal with It @ your library, and Find an Alibi @ your library. We'll announce the 2010 theme on this website in November. See who won the 2010 Teens' Top Ten! Watch the webcast, hosted by World Wrestling Entertainment's Superstars and Divas and featuring a video of this year's winner. About Teen Read Week Teen Read Week is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Teen Read Week started in 1998. Why is it important to celebrate? For a lot of reasons! Teens have so many options for entertainment, so it's important to remind them to spend time reading for pleasure: it's free, fun, and can be done anywhere! Research shows that teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce. Also, it’s a great chance to let your school or your public library communities know how important teen services are! Let teens know the possibilities that exist within your doors, and within the covers of books. If you have other questions, please take a look at our most frequently asked questions or email YALSA. Related Links Teen Read Week Wiki YALSA Blog Learn more about our other reading initiatives... Teens' Top Ten WrestleMania Reading Challenge

The Luxe

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• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (November 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061345660
• ISBN-13: 978-0061345661
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From Publishers Weekly

With a quote from The Age of Innocence as an epigraph and an enthusiastic blurb from the creator of Gossip Girl on its back cover, this lavishly produced debut makes no secret of its twin influences. The story opens in 1899 with the funeral of Elizabeth Holland, a well-bred beauty said to have plunged to her death in the Hudson River. The narrative then travels back several weeks, tracing the relationships and events that have led to the somber assembly. This tangled web includes not one but two sets of star-crossed lovers; an upstairs/downstairs romance; a scheming social climber; a bitter servant girl; and oodles of money, all set in a Edith Wharton via Hollywood vision of Old New York. The dialogue has its clunky moments, and the plot twist that drives the tale is telegraphed from the very start, but readers caught up in the fancy dress intrigue are unlikely to mind much: it’s all part of the dishy fun. Needless to say, the ending paves the way for at least one sequel. Ages 14-up.

My Thoughts:

I just finished reading THE LUXE by Anna Godbersen. On a 1-10, I give it a 10. You fall in love with the characters right from the start. Although the book is told from the (3rd person) perspective of five different characters, you sympathize with all of them (except maybe Penelope Hayes) and by the end of the book, you feel you know them like your own friends. Even the supporting characters are great!

The cover of this book is beautiful and a very nice quality. I only wish they had had it in hardcover when I purchased it. Thankfully, I have the third book in the series in hardcover.

It's lengthy, the paperback being 433 pages, but you never loose interest. It is definitely a page turner, even to someone like me who has never really gotten in to historical romances.

Gosbersen (I love her name by the way, don't you?) recreated Manhattan island in 1899 just as you would imagine it--girls in unspeakably gorgeous gowns dancing with handsome young men at lavish parties and engaging in forbidden romances. This book is not to be missed!

Pick it up now for TEEN READ WEEK!