Life as We Knew it

Back Cover: Miranda's disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. In her journal, Miranda records the events of each desperate day, while she and her family struggle to hold on to their most priceless resource--hope.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Miranda is a high school student who keeps a journal of her everyday actions. The writing is a simple, easy to digest form. What I love so much about this book is the main character Miranda. She is a sometimes selfish individual who is reacting honestly, and to the best of her abilities, to a natural disaster. We all like to think that we would be heroes in the face of danger, but your never really sure of how you will react at that moment. 

As a group of people who rely so heavily on man-made amenities (running water, electric, heat...etc.) we tend to think that nothing can interrupt these things. Life as we Knew it brings us to a world where things appear they will never be the same...one must learn to adapt and live on. It made me think about how incredibly unprepared I would be for such an event to occur. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm going to (or advising you) to run out and stock pile on canned goods and warm clothes, but Life as We Knew it was an eye opener. 

For example, Miranda and her family have to be conscience of their water usage, in fear of their well drying out, their food intake, in fear of running out of food, and their fuel usage, in fear of not having heat for the cold months. We (society in general) are such wasteful individuals. We run the water constantly when brushing our teeth, through good food away for the fact that we are too full, and crank the heat up with open windows. 

I was so engrossed in this book that when I did put it down I had to remind myself I was not living in a world where the Moon was closer and havoc was prevailing. I decided to read this book on a recommendation and I'm glad I did. Also, I just found out it's a series and I can't wait to start the next one!

Envy - Luxe 3 by Anna Godbersen

Back Cover: Jealous whispers. Old rivalries. New betrayals.

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

Farther uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker are the city's most celebrated couple. But despite the glittering diamond ring on Penelope's finger, the newlyweds share little more than scorn for each other. And while the newspapers call Penelope's social-climbing best friend, Carolina Broad, an heiress, her fortune - and her fame - are anything but secure, especially now that one of society's darlings is slipping tales to the eager press.

In this next 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. . . .

 

Elizabeth and Diana are back with new scandals and broken hearts still mending. The characters are now dealing with the the consequences their past actions have caused them. I've begun to rally for the one's I was against in the beginning of the series. 

On the other hand - Envy did not keep me glued to the pages as Luxe & Rumors did. The book tends to drag in some places and moves at a slow pace. The cliff hanger is enough to make me read Splendor. So I'll hope for the best and cross my fingers!

Rumors - Luxe Series 2 by Anna Godbersen

Back Cover: True Love. False Friends. Scandalous Gossip. Welcome Back to Manhattan, 1899.

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. 

Oh how this broke my heart! The twists and turns of this novel are unpredictable. Anna Godbersen has created a historical soap opera where her characters are vulnerable and manipulating villains. One's actions are calculated based on everything that isn't openly said by others, in turn creating  situations that spiral out of control. The end result lead me to cry for some and hate others.