Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Her Royal Spyness

Her Royal Spyness
by Rhys Bowen.

Bowen’s new series lives up to her previous “Constable Evans” and “Molly Murphy” series. It seems like a mixture of P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum.

Lady Victoria Georgina Charlotte Eugenie, daughter to the Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch, is 34th in line for the throne of England. As a poor relation, she finds herself looking for ways to live the LIFE without any funds. A summons from the Queen leads to spying on her cousin David and that American tart he’s interested in.

This series is another lighthearted mystery romp - this time through the world of English aristocracy in the late 1920s.

- Rochelle

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler: a Memoir

Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler: a Memoir
by Wade Rouse

Because I've worked in public service my entire adult life, including a stint in the alumni office at UCONN, this book caught my eye. It's the true story of the author's work as public relations liaison at a private prep school and his interactions with staff, students and, especially, their families. Rouse's descriptions of the "Pink Barbies" and "Mean Mommies" (including what their little dogs are wearing) are absolutely hilarious. At times laugh-out-loud funny and at other times quite sad, it is the story of how the ultra-rich live and, quite often, rule over others. Though it is hard to understand why Wade Rouse allowed himself to be treated the way he was by these people, he does paint quite a vivid picture of how the other half lives. This book is available through CLEVNET.

- Linda B.