Beautiful Days audiobook

!!!WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS!!!4.5/5I'd be lying if I said I was utterly blown away by BEAUTIFUL DAYS. However, with that said, this eagerly awaited sequel really brought me back to the Jazz Era - along with the lives of Cordelia Grey, Astrid Donal and 'Letty Larkspur'. There's mystery, romance, intrigue, fun, tragedy and beautiful days and roaring nights among it all.The girls are back! Cordelia (on cover this time) is dealing with her father's recent murder, and with the confusing circumstances surrounding that elusive and cold pilotman Max Darby. Astrid is about to be wed with Charlie Grey but yearns for the constant excitement that only a night out in the town can provide. And little miss Letty is going to go after her dreams of making it big - no matter what.Once again, in this review I'd like to say that I have not read the THE LUXE series, so I can't draw any comparisons between the two series. If you're looking for a great summer read - this will be among the top of the list. BEAUTIFUL DAYS takes place during the LAST SUMMER of the Jazz Era, which can only mean one thing for the next instalment to the series. ;) I for one can't wait for the drastic changes!Godbersen continues to utilise the third person multiple perspectives style that she has used in all her past novels. Anyone who has read any of Godbersen's novels will know exactly what to expect, writing-wise. What Godbersen continues to do well is switch between these girls with such ease that you're barely even aware of it. I love how she does go over the appearances of each scene and notable character, so that you're actually able to visualise every scene precisely how Godbersen has imagined it. The girls are even more glamorous in this book. I rekindled my love for both Letty and Cordelia, but I just couldn't stand Astrid most of the time. She's pretty whiney and in her naivety gets into so many stupid situations. I don't even want to talk about her that much. I applaud Charlie for his patience, no matter how slight they were. He was going through so much crap throughout this book, what with his bootlegging business, that he didn't need his silly fiance to ruin things for him. Anyway, Letty really matures during the course of this book, and it shows. I think she's always been my favourite of the three, just because she has that unmasked sincerity and girlish charm to her that never goes away. Cordelia revels in her luxury, and although she does have a few hiccups here and there, she's self-assured and confident and a glittering picture of the Jazz Era.There is so much romance/flirting in this book! Nothing that really swept me off my feet or had me swooning, mind you, but you can't review this book without mentioning the voluptuous amount of suitors for each girl. Okay, maybe it wasn't a whole hoard or anything, but still. The pairs that matter are Cordelia x Max, Letty x Grady (he's back!) and Astrid x Charlie. My favourite is definitely the first - I just soaked up the events that follow their relationship.One thing that did bother me (other than Astrid) was the almost lack of direction in this installment. There isn't one really undercurrent storyline running throughout the book, more like a bundle of stories that are intertwined together. I guess it is hard for that to happen in this kind of era, but I don't know. Anyone else feel that way?What I really love is that Charlie Grey takes on such a large role during this book, compared to BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS. I didn't like how he kept secrets from his fiance - which gave her even more the reason to oppose him and go do stupid things - but...I liked his character.For fans of a delectable read, BEAUTIFUL DAYS picks up where BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS left off. This time, the summer is hotter, and the romances and betrayals even stronger. Godbersen hits the nail on the head with maintaining a solid storyline for each girl, and intertwining these stories to form a coherent plot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~QUOTES:"My father has been dead barely a month." Her voice trembled a little, but her words fell with violent precision. "He wasn't a bad man, and he did all he could for himself and his family. He didn't begrudge other people their choices, and he left a life grander than the one he was born into. So you'll not say 'bootlegger' to me in that righteous tone again." She took another sip of the drink, and then thrust both the glass and the pitcher forward with sudden force, so that Max had no choice but to take them. Then, learning forward, holding his gaze, and almost hissing, she concluded: "Don't expect me to act like some ashamed nothing just because you talk so high and mighty. I know who I am."(p. 51, Cordelia - kicking ass as always)"I've eaten some bad meals in my time." He paused for effect, and more or less subdued the smile he'd been wearing since she'd begun to act carefree again. "This may possibly be the most inedible plate of food I have even been served in my long years of eating." "You bastaard!" she hooted. "The worst? You're in trouble now, my friend--earlier I was going easy on you when it came to our little game, but now I shall show you no mercy." "Ah, it's on then?" he replied with a wise smile. "Indeed it is, mister." She sat up straight in her chair and focused on her hand.(pp. 168-169, Astrid and Victor - Charlie's man ~ Astrid cooked dinner for Charlie, and burnt the roast and oversalted the potatoes in the process. In the end, Charlie had 'things to do' and so she was left with a babysitter. Victor. Astrid and Victor just had dinner and now they're playing gin rummy.)"Letty's feet were heavy and her chest felt like one big days-old bruise that keeps getting kicked. She wished ... Gracy had any girl but Peachy at his side. For the sight of her long legs had always made Letty seem short, as her rich dress made Letty feel poor, and the length of her neck and the way she carried her head perched on top of it could reduce Letty to nothing. The bruised sensation spread outward from her heart to the pit of her stomach and up to her temples, and she began to take in the full scope of her loss.(p. 295, Letty on Grady)"In a black dress, with her face framed by a gold headress, Letty was a vision of a much more experienced performer. Her eyes danced across the audience and she raised her arms, slow and sure, as her voice swelled. Cordelia thought of her when they first became friends, when they were still girls and Letty blushed when anyone said even the most casual thing to her. It was incredible that this was the same girl. If Cordelia had told any of the men along the bar watching Letty, rapt, that she was just seventeen and had only arrived from Ohio in May, she knew they would have fallen off their stools in surprise.(p. 313, Cordelia on Letty as she performs)Sorry for the long quotes. Godbersen writes really long passages and they're only effective when they are quoted in their entirety.THANKS TO PENGUIN AUSTRALIA FOR THE REVIEW COPY.

Good. That’s about it. I wasn’t obsessed with it like I was the first one, but it was still a wonderful read. Definitely found myself in a reading slump but that had to do with the story and my ability to not sleep.

I fully admit this is an inflated rating, and I'm not sorry. Beautiful Days totally delivered as keep-my-mind-off-pandemics bubble gum. Set in 1929 in New York, this has oodles of Gatsby-esque glamour, glitz, and energy and is incredibly easy reading. Basically a shiny bauble of a book, pretty and distracting. What the hell, recommended.

This is the second book in the Bright Young Things series by Anna Godbersen which is set in the jazz age of the 1920s. This is a decade which I love! Flappers, bootleggers, fringed dresses and jazz music all feature to help set the scene for this particular period in time and Godbersen's wonderful prose and gorgeous descriptions combine to transport the reader back to 1929. The roaring twenties are often seen as a glamorous decade with gorgeous fashions, decadence in abundance and where decisions are no more important than where to be seen and what to wear. However, one of the things I love about this series is that although we are shown the glamour, wealth and privilege of many of the families in the book, the emptiness and shallowness of the lives that characters such as Astrid in particular are living is also depicted. This is particularly echoed by Letty who has spent an idle and empty summer with Cordelia. Gradually she begins to realise that she has begun to let her dreams slip away and that if she truly wants to become a star then she must create her own luck and work her way up to the top.Although Cordelia was my favourite character in the first novel, I really warmed to Letty in 'Beautiful Days'. Her story is full of ups and downs as she tries to fulfil her dreams to star on Broadway. She also has the chance at a real romance but even with this things don't go smoothy for her. I found that I could identify with her the most out of the three girls and I enjoyed seeing her personality develop further and see her struggle to become something and make a name for herself.All three of the main characters have numerous romantic entanglements. I must admit that I've always found something slightly sinister about the relationship between Astrid and Cordelia's half-brother Charlie. Their relationship has progressed a step further by the end of the book but I feel like there's a continual threat of something going terribly wrong between them. Their romance is incredibly tempestuous so it will be interesting to see whether they're still together by the end of the series. Cordelia is still recovering from her betrayal in the first book so she starts to put business first and pleasure second although she too forms a romantic attachment in the form of a handsome pilot.One of the things I love about this series is that it may be set in the past, during a period of history which I find absolutely fascinating, but all the girls are dealing with situations which are still relevant today. They get their hearts broken and their dreams dashed just like modern girls. Anna Godbersen is currently working on the next book in the series and I can't wait to see what's going to happen to all the characters next.

Anna Godbersen just has this magical way of writing that immerses you into another world. Her stories just make me so happy. Beautiful Days picks up about a month after Bright Young Things. Despite the tragedies that occurred at the end of Bright Young Things, Beautiful Days has a very whimsical feel to it. The camaraderie between Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty leaps through the pages and their care-free attitudes as they spend nights on the town reminds me of a few college nights spent with some of my best friends.Even though there are plenty of scenes that will leave you smiling, and in my case pleasantly reminiscing, Beautiful Days still has a lot of danger woven into the storyline—after all bootlegging is an integral part of the characters’ lives. Godbersen’s ability to intertwine these romantic, care-free situations with life-threatening predicaments is remarkable. One of the best things about her writing is how realistic it feels. All the emotions are genuine, the imagery is incredible, the characters are well-developed, and nothing is too easy. There are plenty of books out there that always manage to have all of the situations resolved quite pleasantly—even if the circumstances and emotions involved make this unrealistic. Godbersen always takes into account everything that happens in the story and weaves that into the conclusion. This doesn’t always make for a fairy-tale ending, but it does create an epic story. Godbersen is a shining star in the Young Adult genere. Her next book, The Lucky Ones, will be released in 2013.

WARNING- MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!! As a giant fan of Anna Godbersen, and also considering how much I enjoyed the first book in her Bright Young Things trilogy, I was estatic to read this installment. It is set in the Jazz age of 1929, complete with cigarette girls, country clubs, and the glamour of NYC. I was completely drawn into the setting from page one, wishing I could be part of Letty, Cordelia, and Astrid's world. Godbersen does an amazing job of creating the world and setting and it becomes a breathtaking view. That being said, I felt like the first half of the book was "filler" and the action didn't begin until well into the second half. I felt like a lot more intrigue and scandal could have been introduced with the Grey/Hale rivalry. ***Spoiler Alert*** I also thought the abduction of Astrid fell short for me. It was not nearly dramatic enough, and her rescue came with no pretense nor antics of anything standing in Charlie's way. I found myself relating to each character in their own unique ways. My heart broke for their sorrows, and rejoiced in their triumphs. Overall, I did love the book, if for nothing else than for the setting and time the book was in. I found myself wanting to dress up in my best cigarette girl outfit and dance across my kitchen table. However, the story fell a little short of exciting. I'm hoping Godbersen will pick up the pace a little in the last and final installment of this trilogy. Don't disappoint me Anna! :-)

I was lost in this book for a giddy few hours. It's seriously so beautifully written, I sometimes didn't even mind what was being said. Godbersen is a genius at spinning scenes and making characters. The main three never betray themselves and, sure, sometimes that get's annoying--like how Cordelia is so single-minded she forgets her friend, or Letty is melodramatic and weepy and just making a mess of her romantic life, or how Astrid knows better but won't really fight what she feels is inevitable. And even for the dozens of men featured, they never feel flat. The sheer varieties of characters help draw out the scene and the period until we're lost in their world.But, even for all the languishing beauty, Godbersen made sure the reader felt that sense of foreboding. As summer ends and, as we know, the Depression looms, we're nervous for the characters. They all got a version of their happily-ever-afters in this one but, somehow, it feels like it's just beginning--that everything has to come crumbling down in the wake of some disaster. And so I eagerly, desperately await the next.And I hope Thom comes back as the good guy. Because I love him.Read my full review here: http://by-its-cover.blogspot.com/2011...