21st Century books for Bella Swan

In Twilight, Bella spends a lot of time reading classic books, which is very untypical of an teenager in this day and age. Nearly every single one of my friends would groan at the prospect of having to read a book such as Pride and Prejudice (A-Level English students are supposed to but no-one has. Slackers.) or Wuthering Heights. In this respect, Bella is not normal.

So...this got me thinking and I decided to come up with a list of five books that I would recommend to Bella if she was one of my friends. My list of criteria was...

1. A good old love story like the one in Pride and Prejudice, and an old fashioned one at that! Mr Darcy can hardly be considered the mordern Romeo of the 21st century.
2. Rich kids. All of the books that are mentioned within the book contain rich people running around, gambling money left right and centre as well as buying the latest fashions. So they need a credit card from daddy to satisfy Bella!
3. A crazed set of parents. None of the parental figures in any of Bella's favourite books can be considered normal. Add Mrs Bennett's 'nerves' or Mr Heathcliff's general personality and you have slightly off the rails parents!
4. Historal themes. She likes her old stories of love and romance but also in a nice house with powerful people.

Armed with this list, I racked my brains and hit Amazon. Due to the lack of brainpower and many-a-distraction aka facebook and a mountain of text messages later, I was still not done. This was going to be a bit harder than I thought. Lol. So...I get in a couple of friends to help. They were more of a hindrance so I have decided to stick with what I know. These are some of the best romance/historal/teenage books that I have read and I hope that I can convince Bella to move into 21st century literature.

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir- This is like The Other Boleyn Girl but about Lady Jane Grey, who was the neice of Henry VIII, and the cousin of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. It tells her story as she reigns for nine days and the realisation that she has no choice in her destiny. I have read it and it is writen rather well. I find that it is a better read than the Phillip Gregory books. However, there is very little romance in it. Damn. That certainly will not keep Bella hooked.

Private by Kate Brian- This is not a book set in England but in America. It follows the story of our herione, Reed Brennan, as she enters a protigous school. She falls in love (romance, check), it has crazed parents in the form of her mother and the buildings are dripping with history so it should keep her happy. Oh and all of the kids are rather well off.

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar- This could be the obvious choice yes but I think she may, somehow, enjoy it. Majority of us know the story thanks to the tv programme but Bella's lack of tv watching means that she will have not seen it, thus meaning the whole story will be new to her. I think that it has just about all of the requirements that I set for Bella in it (and everyone agreed!).

Those were the only three books I could find that satisfied my requirements. So read them!

Literature

We have indulged ourselves into the world of fanfiction, but I think we need to recognize how we got there. We need to keep reading real literature. Yes, it does still exist.

Teen:
I am always on the lookout for new books in this area. A good book from this section and a bar of chocolate (bound to leave stains on your pages) can cure anything from a broken heart to a bad number on the scale. I am in love with Forever by Judy Blume. Although it may be pushing the teen boundries a little it is a great read. You travel with Katherine through her relationship with Micheal. It's a great book for girls and really portrays first love.

Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors. She is a great writter and really gets through to the teenage girl. Some of my favorites by her are Just Listen, this lullaby, and the truth about forever. In each of her books we embrace a girl and her struggles. Sarah Dessen has written many books to satisfy the hearts of many teenage books. Her works include Dreamland, Someone Like You, Keeping the Moon, that summer, and lock and key. They are not a series, so you can indulge in whichever suits your fancy. Find her quick because her newest piece (along for the ride) is coming in June.

Classics: There are many classics out there. And many writers of classics. Along with classics in many different areas of literature (american, russian, etc.). My bookshelf contains many of them. I won't even touch on Shakespear because that just wouldn't be fair. And besides who hasn't read Shakespear? Although I would like to mention five must read classics. the CATCHER in the RYE is about a teenage boy named Holden and his journey through New York city. You either love him or you hate him. The book doesn't cover a very long period of time, but you feel like you've know Holden for a long time.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee also earns a spot on my bookshelf (I have thrown out books before because there wasn't enough room). I am sure we have all seen this book at one time or another. I highly reccomend it! P.S - To all the idiots, who like me, don't pay enough attention sometimes, Scout is a girl! I had to read the book twice before I figured that out!

Great Expectations is a fabulous book by Charles Dickens. I read this in 6th grade along with one of my friends Hannah. We had a two person book club while reading this thing! It was insane! We couldn't put it down! I personally think that it's Dickens best piece of work although I do love A Christmas Carol. Because I love the summary:

In the marshy mists of a village churchyard, a tiny orphan boy named Pip is suddenly terrified by a shivering, limping convict on the run. Years later, a supremely arrogant young Pip boards the coach to London, where, by the grace of a mysterious benefactor he will join the ranks of the idle rich and "become a gentleman." Finally, in the luminous mists of the village at evening, Pip the man meets Estella, his dazzlingly beautiful tormentor, in a ruined garden -- and lays to rest all the heartaches and illusions that his "great expectations" have brought upon him.

Now onto Jane Austen. If you're younger you may not understand it, as it was written in the early ninteenth century. Anyways, I love two of her books to death. Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are both amazing books. Although she has written many others these are my favorites. I won't go on any longer about her because a) my words couldn't do her justice b) you should already know about her and c) this post is long and I still have more I want to say.

A book every girl must read: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This author has written other books, but none of them come close to this one. It is my NUMBER ONE favorite book of all time. I will be greatly suprised if a piece of literature can surpass this one on my favorites list. It tells Lily's story as she runs away and meets three women who change her life. She finds out the truth about her mother, who has long passed away. It truly is a book that every girl must read at least once.

What I am currently reading: The Chocolate Lovers' Club. This book is definetly more adult. Four women (Natia, Autumn, Lucy, and Chantal) making up the club. They each have their own problems in life and each share an addiction to chocolate. I am about half way through and love every word. Each character has a unique personality and they each have their own problems, but their one sanctuary is Chocolate Heaven, where they meet and spill all of their secrets. Come and read about each and every Chocolate Emergency.

What I have bought and is waiting to be read: The Knitting Circle and The Friday Night Knitting Club. It seems that books about people who knit has struck my attention while at the bookstore. The Knitting Cirle is about Mary Baxter and how she joins a knitting cirle to join her lonely days. They all share their stories of love, loss, and hope. The Friday Night Knitting Club is about 6 women who exchange jokes, knitting tips, and their deepest secrets. It's not just a club, it's a sisterhood.

As you can see by the end of the post I had a popular theme while at the bookstore today. Groups of women. Well.....what can I say. They all sounded so interesting! I could spend the rest of my life in a bookstore!

Well that was my post on literature! I hope you found something in this post that sparked some interest!