Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, the title alone is right up my alley. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m an addict but I do love me some Jane Austen and Regency England. And when a character gets transported back in time to Miss Austen’s very own London, Bath and countryside of course I’m right there along for the ride. What Austen fan wouldn’t be? Now if you’re a true lover of Jane Austen’s tales you know them to be wholesome and written from the very depths of heart and mind. This is a playful tale, not to be taken seriously but rather to sit back and enjoy on a sunny afternoon on a nice patch of grass. People write, and everyone wants to be a critic. Stop comparing this to that and appreciate it for its own work. With a title like Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict what truly did you expect? Of course it’s a silly romp of a tale so sit back relax and enjoy the ride. Seriously have a glass of wine I can recommend many of varietal. I chose to read confessions of an Jane Austen Addict as well as the author’s second novel in the confession series, Rude Awakenings. In Rude Awakenings, the Regency England woman gets transported into the blonde body of a California girl in 2009. I enjoyed going back and forth between these two texts and getting glimpses into what each character was going through. I enjoyed the story line to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict more because it took place in a time and country I can only dream of. However, Rude Awakenings is hilarious and should not go overlooked. What would you do if you woke up in another body and another time and every day things such as cell phones, televisions, running water and the lack of horse-drawn carriages came as a shock to you? I know what I would do, but that’s a post for another time. 

Absolute Power, was my first novel by David Baldacci and it sure did not disappoint. If anything, it made me realize that I’ve been missing out on mystery thrillers. This particular novel takes place in Washington DC where you have the working class and the power-hungry pitting against each other. Not only was the plot full of shockers and twists from the very beginning, I personally like the name dropping of different places around town. It was quite funny that I was on UVA campus when the author notified the reader that the main character went to UVA Law school and hung out on “The Corner,” but I am straying away from why this was such a good book. There is conflict around every corner, and romance well there is hope for romance. It contains the best of epic tales, “good versus evil,” where good triumphs. Yes David Baldacci’s Absolute Power makes for a delightful read. It says something when a person who is not much of a reader (not myself of course) can finish it rather quickly. In fact they could hardly put it down. I must say that if you enjoy well written words on a page and well spun tales, then you too will have a difficult time closing Absolute Power by David Baldacci.