Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Goodreads Summary: Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. 

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. 

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

Why I Read This Book: I really liked the first book in this series, so I continue with it.

 *caution - small spoilers*


Review: I don't normally do this, but I actually revised my rating of this book down a star on Goodreads after I took a little more time to think about it. It went from being a book I thought I really liked, to being only a book that I liked. I enjoyed the story, and since I'm planning a NYC trip in 2 months, I enjoyed the setting, and I think I got caught up in the meeting of Miranda, and the Carrie/Samantha friendship, that at the time I didn't notice how much teenage Carrie, well, kinda sucked. I couldn't really picture the older Carrie making some of these decisions, and I also couldn't picture a 17 year old being the way that Carrie was in these books. I was also sorely disappointed that there was brief mentions of the Castlebury crowd, if they were mentioned at all. I know that at 17, I wouldn't have completely left my friends in the dust for an entire summer without thinking about/talking to them at all. I still enjoyed the book, I just didn't like some things.


Rating: (Because I still did like it, even if it doesn't sound like it above)

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Goodreads Summary: Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation? 

The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted. 

Rabid fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. They'll learn about her family background -- how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. We'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next Carrie Diaries book will take place.

Why I Read This Book: I was a lover of the show, and have read almost all of Candace Bushnell's other books, except, surprisingly, Sex and the City, so I picked this one up for my e-reader.

Review: I thought this was a pretty good book. I kept trying to picture a teenage SJP as the character, and I could kind of see it. The only thing I didn't really like about the book was that it seemed that the main feature of the book was not the people, but smoking. It seemed unnecessary  how much Bushnell talks about smoking in this book! Like I said, I didn't read SATC, but was it like that too? I know you want to be able to picture what a character is doing, but god, this was overkill. I liked most of the characters, and I liked the story though, I thought it was a good read for chick-lit and SATC fans. The last line is the best, because it gives you the exciting tie you were hoping for :)

Rating: