This Week's Reads 9/6

Late getting this up!  I was really busy designing my mini kit for the Next Designer contest...


Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs (Austen Takes the South) by Mary Jane Hathaway
This was fun.  I got the first in the series (Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits) as a Kindle freebie, and then when I saw this one drop to $0.99, I bought it.  Austen fan fiction, a retelling of Emma (obviously).  There's only a couple issues I take with it.  One, Emma's growth out of being so very self-centered did not get the same kind of development as it did in the Austen novel.  I understand that is not surprising, of course, but specifically her interactions with this retelling's version of Harriet Smith were lacking.  Also, I found the conclusion to be a bit abrupt and there was no resolution with another big issue (i.e., the Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill characters and their mischief).  Now, don't misunderstand me.  I enjoyed it.  It was a quick romantic Austen inspired read, perfect for a tired mommy who needs to unwind a bit.  :)


The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
My review for this is much like my review of An Inquiry Into Love and Death.  Delightfully creepy.  Don't read it alone at night!  :)  Historical fiction, set in 1920's England, that era between the two World Wars.  Also a couple scenes I skipped, since they didn't match up with my squeaky clean policy.  I really liked it, but not as much as An Inquiry Into Love and Death.