Friday, May 22, 2009

Beach Season Begins...You Know What That Means!

Alright, maybe you don't. But with Memorial Day Weekend starting right about now, bookworms everywhere will crawl out of their holes and into the sunshine to read on the sand. So I'm taking time away from finishing chapter 10 of my novel to write about an author perfect for those glorious beach days.
Cara Lockwood has written a number of adult and YA books, and one by one I've been reading them. For the YA-inclined, there's the Bard Academy series, which centers around sassy 15-year-old Miranda, who (after smashing a car and various other no-nos) gets shipped off to Bard Academy, a remote boarding school. In the first book, Wuthering High, Miranda begins to suspect there's something strange about her new home, and when ominous events mirror those from classic novels, Miranda knows there's more to Bard than meets the eye. Like the fact that her teachers are ghosts of famous writers who died tragically. And then there's the dark, magnetic boy named Heathcliffe who can't keep his eyes off her. In a nutshell, it's a lit-nerd's dream series, and the writing is fun and witty enough to capture the attention of those who snoozed through the classics. Check out the sequels, The Scarlet Letterman and Moby Clique.
For her adult novels, Cara's written I Do (But I Don't), about the seriously entertaining trials of Lauren, a neat-freak wedding planner (who's been divorced 182 days and 6 hours), as she deals with psycho-brides and meets a gorgeous fireman. (Start drooling.) I haven't read the sequel I Did (But I Wouldn't Now), which centers on Lauren's free-spirited younger sister, but I'm sure it's just as fun.
She's also written Dixieland Sushi, about a half-Japanese Southern girl who travels home for her cousin's marriage to her childhood sweetheart. Oh, family drama, hijinx, and romance - how I love thee.
I haven't picked up Pink Slip Party yet (about Jane, a girl who's boss/boyfriend fired her AND broke up with her...time to plot some revenge) but there's no reason you shouldn't!
And last but not least is her latest adult novel, Every Demon Has His Day, which just released in April. The summary on Cara's website is so perfect I'm quoting it: "It’s your not-so-typical Girl meets Demon story, where our heroine discovers she’s the Chosen One who must prevent the conception of the Antichrist. Her only helpers are the ghost of her useless almost-ex husband and a talking French Bulldog in a pink sweater. Looks like God likes rooting for underdogs." The one thing it didn't mention is Nathan Garrett, the yummy love interest of protagonist Connie. (I can always count on Cara to provide a fantasy-worthy romantic storyline.) I really enjoyed Cara's foray into supernatural chick lit, and I'm looking forward to the sequel coming out this fall.
Check out Cara's website: http://www.caralockwood.com/ for more details! Also, follow her blog: http://www.caralockwood.blogspot.com/

Have any recommendations for great beach books or authors?

2 comments:

  1. Omg, I just finished Wuthering High yesterday, and I LOVED it. I've already recommended it to a bunch of my friends! I was a little dubious going on--the narrative hit on some of my pet peeves (like brand names in books), but that was quickly pushed aside as I was swept up by Miranda and the creepy fantastic world of Bard Academy. I'm checking the next two out today!

    For those who loove Bard Academy, you might want to try the adult series Thursday Next. It's about a literary detective in a strange, alt-reality London. The writing can be intense, the plots can be convoluted, but if you're a hardcore lit-lover, they're fabulous. I call Bard Academy a cross between everything that was fabulous about Twilight and Thursday Next.

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  2. I have to recommend Richelle Meadher young adult and adult books-they are all soooooo much fun! The YA books (surprisingly are a little more serious and have darker themes) but are AMAZING! Lucky for me after I finish the current book of hers I'm reading, there are 3 more out there and 3 more being released this summer-one for each of her series, Succubus Blues, Vampire Academy and Storm Queen:-)

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