Honolulu by Alan Brennert

Born with the name Regret, the protagonist of this story deals with both external and internal struggles to discover who she is and how she will find where she belongs. Regret's story begins in Korea, where her secret love of reading and her passion for writing must be concealed from her rigid father and passive mother. Once Regret discovers that she will not get her father's approval to pursue an education, she takes matters in her own hands and finds herself in Hawaii with an entire journey through many obstacles right in front of her. Regret's story, from her poetic narrative to her powerful ambition is a memorable tale that weaves many different cultures together, creating a new environment and home for Regret, and she discovers opportunities that she could only dream of. The road to Hawaii may not have been paved in gold, but Regret's ambition and perseverance offers a great lesson in growing up and finding who you are. 

I recommend this novel to Historical Fiction lovers, people who love Korean culture, Hawaiian culture and Japanese culture. By creating her own chogak po, Regret blooms where she is planted and never gives up on creating a home that is all her own.     

Jane by April Linder

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of my favorite literary stories. It's not very often that you come across a great modern day adaption of a tale you already know and love. I found Jane a year ago, right before I graduated college, and it quickly became a favorite on my book shelf. 

In this adaption, Rochester is a recovering rock star, and Jane is a nanny on the road to self discovery and the freedom to do what she believes she can. The novel is told in Jane's point of view as she is hired to work for Nico Rathburn, a rock star that even Jane has heard of, due to her brother's love of rock music. With the many rumors and countless People articles about Nico's road to success, mysterious fall out and his upcoming album, Jane must find who the real person is behind the mask. As she adjusts to the new enviornment, and meets Maddy, Nico's daughter, she expects to barely see the celebrity, even on his own grounds, but he has other plans, and Jane soon finds herself in a completely different world than she has ever lived in. To find who she is, and even the true Nico Rathburn, Jane goes on a journey, both intellectual and spiritual to find where she belongs and how much she should listen to her own heart.

I recommend this novel to anyone who loves Jane Eyre, Rock Stars and Star Crossed Romance. Jane's voice is refreshing yet it stays true to the original and Nico Rathburn is an enigmatic character. 

Dreams and Wishes

Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook

What do you do when you've lived your life for everyone else? Deidre Griffin has done just that and more. She is in charge of her famous brother's schedule, right down to the tee. With her whole life wrapped around her family's PR for the new age guru Tag, Deidre tends to fall in the background and watch her brother shine. But what she has always wanted to do is dance and live her life for herself. Dragged down by everyone's expectations, and going insane from the fact she seems to be nothing but a scheduler in her family's eyes, Deidre decides to risk it all, and use her brother's massive fan club to gain her own fifteen seconds of fame in the spotlight. As one thing leads to another, from the endless supprt Tag's fans give her to the actual offer on Dancing with the Stars, Deidre learns that in order to be herself, she must follow her heart and trust that she will land on her own two feet.

I enjoyed this novel. It was told in a voice that I found extremely familair and amusing. Deidre's family is not your usual group of people, from their quirks to goofy obsessions, you learn to see them as Deidre does, and you see Deidre as a person whose only obstacle is herself. Once she gets past the most difficult hurdle, Deidre learns more about life than she would have if she was still stuck in a job she only stayed with for fear of her family's disapproval. I recommend this book to anyone who feels like they have not bloomed themselves. It's important to recognize what the real obstacle is when you look at your life and your dreams. A fun and enlightening read.