Month: October 2010

“The Carrie Diaries” by Candace Bushnell

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies1 Comment

Finally Candace Bushnell answers the questions that have plagued diehard Sex in the City fans ever since Carrie Bradshaw sipped her first pink cosmo: How did Carrie hit the big time as a newspaper columnist in New York City? What spurred her fascination with bad boys and high fashion? And most importantly – how did she meet her fabulous trio of gal pals?

Considering this book is classified as young adult, many Sex in the City fans will dismiss it as a dumbed-down “little Carrie” story filled with high school hijinks and insipid mean-girl melodrama. But don’t be fooled, this book runs much deeper than – gasp! – the plotlines in the TV series and the movies.

Before donning Monolos and hobnobbing with A-listers at trendy Manhattan hotspots, Carrie Bradshaw was a small town girl who dreamed of being a writer and jumping on a train toward the bright lights of Manhattan.  Detailing  the hardships young Carrie encountered after her mother’s death – a back-story barely touched upon in the series – Bushnell reveals  how the insecure teen depended more on her friends than her widowed father to maneuver her way through the emotional minefield of adolescence.

In this much-anticipated prequel, Bushnell offers a glimpse into  the origins of Carrie’s outlandish fashion sense and penchant for tall, dark and dangerous men. Sebastian Kydd, a James Dean kind of bad boy, most certainly foreshadows Carrie’s rocky road ahead with the notorious Mr. Big.

A refreshing departure  from shallow plotlines surrounding  product placement, over-the-top weddings and decadent trips to Abu Dhabi, “The Carrie Diaries” offers a coming-of-age story that gives “our girl” a bit more substance. Fans in need of a Sex in the City fix will love seeing Carrie evolve from an awkward teen into a quick-witted, insightful writer.

Although I was hoping Bushnell would give readers a taste of Carrie’s early beginnings with Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, she does reveal the young fashonista’s road to New York City and serendipitous encounter with a certain PR bad girl. Oh Candace, please tell me you’re writing a sequal!

Gizzy’s Pick: “Murder Melts in Your Mouth” by Nancy Martin

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies6 Comments

 

I’m not the biggest fan of heiresses, the Upper East Side elite or celebutantes, which is probably why I’ve always skipped over Nancy Martin’s  high society book series. Unable to resist the chocolate-infused murder plot in “Murder Melts in Your Mouth,” I decided to give the books a shot and realized that I’ve been missing out on a real treat!  

In this fast-paced Blackbird Sisters adventure, Nora Blackbird – former Philadelphia heiress and high-society It Girl – is teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Her big sister got ran over by a Rolls Royce and left her in charge of five kids while she recuperates at the Ritz. Just when life couldn’t’ get more hectic, Nora’s best friend becomes suspect No. 1 after her boss plummets to his death from his high-rise office balcony. Then madcap hijinks ensue when the tax-evading Blackbird parents reappear with their life coach, sending Nora and her two zany sisters into a tizzy.

On a quest to prove her friend’s innocence, Nora searches for suspects while covering see-and-be-seen social events for her high society newspaper column. After rubbing elbows with Philly’s most notable bluebloods at the annual chocolate festival, she discovers anyone is a suspect – even her own  father!   

With the help of her old flame, a hunky Jersey tough guy with mafia ties, Nora must root out the truth – even if it means turning in someone she loves.

 This book – peppered with witty one-liners, steamy sexual tension and oddball characters – is the perfect antidote for a bad mood.  If you’re in need of a good laugh, this book will do the trick!  The sharp murder plot and entertaining fashion commentary is sure to delight fans of Janet Evonovich, Ellen Byerrum and Jennifer Cruise.