Trussoni’s Angelology

The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series

After watching the movie Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging I developed an interest in reading the book. I made the mistake of getting all the audiobooks and listening to them back-to-back. I say this was an error on my part because the books are meant for a younger audience and therefore listening to the inner thoughts of a teenage girl continuously became a little draining at times. 

I will quickly review each of the books, which should provide you with a snapshot of what you are in for should you wish to read Rennison’s teen stories. For a young teen series the books are kind of long (between 250-300 pages), considering the target audience would be from 13 to 16 years of age. I figure the age of 16 years as a max demographic because the height of drama in these books centers around kissing and I think anyone 17 years or older is at least ‘entertaining’ the idea of sex but, being a teen book, sex is obviously not mentioned in this series.

So all that being said … gets go!

 

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Book #1) is the first book in the series. Here we meet Georgia Nicolson for the first time, her family and the Ace Gang (her circle of girlfriends). Written journal-style, we see the world through the eyes of a fourteen year old girl who feels her parents are very uncool, the world centers around her friends, and kissing (snogging) boys is life’s greatest adventure. When a new boy moves to her small English town, Georgia immediately falls for Robbie (a.k.a. Sex God). The book progresses with Georgia struggling desperately to gain the affections of SG.

On a quick note, out of nowhere Georgia begins calling her parents Vati and Mutti. Hilarious!

This was a nice intro to the series. I sympathized with Georgia’s infatuation with SG and her weird family. Some of the side stories were a bit dull and didn’t seem to play into the overall plot. I thought a little too much time was spent talking about her cat, Angus, but all in all the book was fairly interesting.

 

On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (Book #2) continues Georgia’s adoration of Robbie the Sex God. Not to give anything way … but I really would have liked to actually read some dialogue between Georgia and SG. As the relationship progresses I didn’t really understand why SG would like her. Georgia is tongue-tied everything they see each other and she doesn’t say anything revealing during their brief interactions. I had to keep referring to the first book to figure out at which point did he develop interest in her. I never found it.  Another thing I thought odd was the doctor character (mentioned as a George Clooney replica). I’m an American, so I have little understanding of how health care is handled in England but I thought it was unrealistic the reasons Georgia’s mother kept sending her to doctor’s office. 

This wasn’t one of my favorite books from the series. I kept wanting the learn more about SG and Dave the Laugh but there are quite a few distractions in this books (i.e. the parents, the demonic little sister, teachers and other school administrators). On the bright side (no pun intended), we get to meet Dave the Laugh in this book. 

 

Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas (Book #3) The connection between Georgia and SG, which puzzled me in the previous books, is a non-issue with the character Dave the Laugh. What I lacked understanding between Georgia and SG I understood with Georgia and Dave the Laugh. 

This book had a few funny parts in it. I like that Georgia is obsessed with how big her nose is. The ending is abrupt but clearly leaves the door open for the next book. Overall this was a light and easy read. 

 

  

Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants (Book #4) I believe this was the book that lost me. Georgia considers her boy options and goes on a trip to Paris. My issue with this installment is, after three books, the character has not matured. The same inner thoughts that were engaging in the first novel have sadly become tiresome. 

I had a hard time finishing this book. The plot was thin and the side stories fell short of being interesting. The story seemed to drag and often got misdirected. Not one of Rennison’s better editions. 

 

 

Away Laughing on a Fast Camel (Book #5) Just when I thought I was completely turned off this series, the fifth book pulled me back in with the arrival of Masimo (a.k.a. the Luuurrve God). It is understandable why Georgia becomes taken with him.  Even I became a little starry eyed when Masimo entered a scene. Dave the Laugh is an entertaining character and he becomes a very reliable friend to Georgia. 

Rennison’s series takes a turn for the better. Away Laughing on a Fast Camel (where does this woman get her titles?) is one of the better books in the series. I enjoyed it a lot. 

Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers (Book #6) picks up where the last book leaves off. Without giving away too much, Georgia does some traveling. I have to be honest, this section was a bit dull so I skipped over it BUT I was really happy to see Robbie (Sex God) reappear … kind of. I won’t say too much but this is a rather enjoyable book with a good ending. I was eager to read the next release.

 

 

 

Startled by His Furry Shorts ( Book #7) nearly lost me again. The plot is pretty weak. The only bright spot for me were the sections specifically related to the boy(s) in Georgia’s life. Other than that, I was beginning to dislike Georgia. She’s pretty rude toward her friend Jas and their friendship was awkward in this book. The author was a bit over the top on the slang usage and by the middle of the book I was ready to give up. The only redeeming factor was the ending scene, which was pretty interesting. Other than that, I wasn’t too excited about this book.

 

 

Love Is a Many Trousered Thing (Book #8) sparked my interest in the series again. Georgia has her hands full with possibly three guys seeking her attention but the connection between two of the boys is still strange to me. I keep asking myself “Why do they like her?” whereas the answer is very clear with the third boy. For the first time I felt like we got a hint of sexual tension. Or maybe I just have a dirty mind???

Overall, this was a good book. Even though Georgia still has not grown as a character, the situation around her has become a little more sophisticated, which is a great relief. This is probably my most favored book in the Georgia Nicolson stories.

 

Stop in the Name of Pants! (Book #9) is the book that had me a little giddy over Georgia’s boy issues. She is having issues with all of them and can’t seem to keep her feelings under control. I will say Masimo (the Luuurrve God) is HOT. I’m drooling. Perhaps because I have a weakness for Italian men but for whatever the reason I was really digging him. That being said, although I like the direction the story took with Georgia’s personal life (Rennison actually spent more time developing the love triangle than she has in previous books) there are still side stories that don’t seem to mesh well with the overall theme. I found myself flipping through quite a few pages. I will say this, the last few chapters made the book worth reading.

Wrapping it up…

Rennison has a huge following of readers who love this series. It is understandable why it appeals to certain audiences. Some books are better than others but for the most part the series is somewhat entertaining. One issue I do have with the main character, Georgia, is over the course of nine books she doesn’t mature mentally. She approaches ever situation with the same awkwardness and childish manner she presented in the very first book. This is amusing in some instances and a bit frustrating in others. Another point I will mention quickly is that Georgia invents a lot of words (i.e. wisdomosity, glaciosity and confusiosity) and after a while my eyes began to glaze over. 

To summarize, the Georgia Nicolson Confessions has it’s high points. If I had to do it all over again I might have started with the last two books and been just as satisfied. There is a large focus on her family and her cat (all of which I did not find interesting) but in the end I’m glad I was exposed to Rennison’s collection.

Blood Noir … not my cup of tea

This was my second attempt to get into the Anita Blake series. I'll keep this short. I did not love Blood Noir. Not to say this was a bad book but simply not my cup of tea.

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catching fire excites!

Catching Fire is the sequel to Suzanne Collins’s successful novel The Hunger Games. The story picks up exactly where we left our characters. Newly returned to District 12 after winning The Hunger Games Katniss and Peeta try to adjust to life back at home. Life as a victor comes with some perks, elevating them and their families from the brink of starvation, but there is also a serious drawback. Every moved they make is being watched. They will soon discover escaping the games might just be considered easy in comparison to what they are facing next.

I fear saying more might spoil the story for some readers. Rest assured, Catching Fire was an excellent read. Collins is a superb writer who transports us into the danger Katniss faces everyday. I will say, whereas the previous book gave us more insight into Peeta, the boy with the bread, Catching Fire begins to shine some light on Gale, the boy in the woods. It will be interesting to see who’s side people will root for.

I would highly recommend this book. It is considered to be a teen book but if you are easily nauseated by violence you might want to skip over the more colorful parts. At any rate, Collins paints a wonderfully realistic picture of the world that encompasses Katniss and her friends. I read through the book in a few short days, stopping only long enough to eat, sleep and work. I’m addicted and truly can’t wait until the third and final installment, Mockingjay, is released.

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Bagshawe breathes life into a classic

Tilly Bagshawe’s Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game continues the story of the infamous Blackwell family. The Blackwells were first introduced to us in Master of the Game (1988) by the great Sidney Sheldon. Our story starts off with Jamie McGregor, an ambitious Scotsman who rises from poverty to become one of the world’s most powerful men. Upon Jamie’s death his family squabble amongst themselves for control of Jamie’s empire. The stakes are high and the players are willing to risk everything for control of the family’s crown jewel, Kruger-Brent. The story is thrilling and superbly written.

Bagshawe’s Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game begins with the death of Kate Blackwell, the family’s matriarch, which once again plunges the family into another dark period where they plot against one another for control of the family business. In classic Sheldon form, Bagshawe takes us on an adventure that spans the globe in a desperate quest to be master of the game.

I have read all of Sheldon’s books. I was skeptical when first learning someone would attempt to follow up such an acclaimed story. It appears my worries were for not. Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game is a wonderful continuation of the original. Bagshawe pays homage to Sheldon’s memory by writing in much of his same style. Our reintroduction to these classic characters is seamless. Bageshawe does manage to add her own artistic flavor by constructing characters the reader creates a love-hate relationship with. One is never quite sure by the end of the novel which character they will favor.

Sheldon fans will be pleased with this extension of Master of the Game. Bagshawe’s Mistress of the Game is well written, very organized and reminds us of Sheldon’s brilliance, the true master of the game. This book comes highly recommended for fans of the Blackwell saga.

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