Monday, June 24, 2013

Beautiful Days by Anna Godberson

Beautiful Days by Anna Godberson, pub. 2011, 368 pg.
Rating: 4/5 stars

Do you like the 1920s? How about humor? Or romance? Or action? What about great dresses, socialite intrigue, or New York City?

If any of those topics catch your interest, you'll want to check out the Bright Young Things series by Anna Godberson.

Beautiful Days is the second book in the series which follows three young women in 1920s New York. One wants to be a star, one was born into a wealthy family, and one is the daughter of a famous bootlegger. If that's not enough to get you hooked, I don't know what is. These books are full of forbidden love, danger, and struggle, as well as adorably funny moments, priceless friendships, and great fashion.

While it's not exactly the most intellectually stimulating read, I love this series. I adore the 1920s, and I love reading about the socialites of eras gone by (which is exactly the same reason why I watch Downton Abbey). Godberson has a great way of portraying the time period and drawing you in. You fall in love with the characters, and you can't help but sympathize with them even when they're being infuriating or making frustrating decisions.

One of my favorite things about this book are the clothes. It's pretty impressive when just a description can make you perfectly picture a dress or piece of jewelry and instantly make you envious
that it isn't yours. Godberson does an amazing job of describing the great clothing (we're talking awesome 1920s fashion here, folks) as well as describing everything else.

The many love stories woven throughout this series are sweet and poignant and often frustrating, because (as in real life) the characters never see the full situation and they make mistakes that could easily be avoided (of course, they don't know that - but the reader does, and it'll break your heart).

Overall, this is a fun series that's great if you just need to read something light and fun or want a bit of escapism. If you like historical fiction and YA lit, I bet you'll like these books. I think it'll end up being one of the series that I fall back on when I'm feeling crummy and just need to take a break from things.

Do you have a go-to series for when you just need to get away from life? Tell me about it in the comments!

No comments:

Post a Comment