To the Upper East Side

My head hurts pretty bad tonight, so this will be fairly short. I've been sharing these thoughts with my friends a lot recently, so I figured I'd share it with you. Here's my list of recommended books and series.

Please keep in mind that for some reason I can't find many books in any section of the library aside from the Young Adult Fiction section that I find to my liking recently. My tastes currently revolve around books about debutantes or New York boarding school children with a few exceptions.

In order of favoritism:

1. The Luxe Series by Anna Godbersen: (Teen Fiction) This series follows several young ladies around 1900 that are among the Old New York society elite. The books are (in order)

• The Luxe
• Rumors
• Envy
• Splendor

2. The Bride Quartet Series by Nora Roberts: (Romance) This series follows a group of four women who live and work together as wedding organizers. Each book follows a different one of the friends as they find love while creating dream events for brides. The books are

• Vision in White
• Bed of Roses
• Savor the Moment
• Happy Ever After

3. The Gossip Girl Series by Cecily von Ziegesar (surprise, surprise): (Teen Fiction) In case you've been living under a rock, this series follows a group of Manhattan's teen elite through several years of high school, and the final novel recaps what happens to the characters as they begin college. DISCLAIMER: I loved this, but you may not. The books are

• Gossip Girl
• You Know You Love Me
• All I Want is Everything
• Because I'm Worth It
• I Like It Like That
• You're the One That I Want
• Nobody Does It Better
• Nothing Can Keep Us Together
• Only in Your Dreams
• Would I Lie to You?
• Don't You Forget About Me
• Gossip Girl: It Had To Be You (Prequel)
• I Will Always Love You
• Gossip Girl: The Carlyles
• You Just Can't Get Enough (Carlyles)
• Take a Chance on Me (Carlyles)
• Love the One You're With (Carlyles)

(The last four of these novels are a spinoff series under the name Gossip Girl: The Carlyles. I read the four of these after Don't You Forget About Me before reading the prequel or the final book in the series because this was the order in which they were written and our library keeps both series in the same place on the shelf. It's entirely your choice if you want to work your way through these 17 novels what order you do so in.)

4. The It Girl Series by Cecily von Ziegesar: (Teen Fiction) This Gossip Girl spinoff series follows popular Gossip Girl character Jenny Humphrey as she ventures off to boarding school and attempts to become (stay with me here) the it girl. The books are

• The It Girl
• Notorious
• Reckless
• Unforgettable
• Lucky
• Tempted
• Infamous
• Adored
• Devious
• Classic

5. The Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz: (Teen Fiction) This series follows one girl's transformation into a vampire (I know, I know...not another vampire series...) set in the same framework of Manhattan's teen elite (get it now?). The series has been the least conventional vampire story I have found as it involves Lucifer himself (ssssssssss) and an intricate story of his falling and the fallen angels that followed him. The books are (so far)

• Blue Bloods
• Masquerade
• Revelations
• The Van Alen Legacy
• Misguided Angel
• Bloody Valentine

6. The Au Pairs Series by Melissa de la Cruz: (Teen Fiction) This series follows three young girls from different backgrounds who all serve as au pairs for a family on their vacations in the Hamptons and the situations these ladies find themselves in along the way. The books are

• The Au Pairs
• The Au Pairs: Skinny Dipping
• The Au Pairs: Sun-Kissed
• The Au Pairs: Crazy Hot

7. The Private Series by Kate Brian: (Teen Fiction) This is a series I started but never finished only because our library seems to have misplaced the third book in the series, and I'm too cheap to buy it just to find out what happened. The series follows a girl who moves to boarding school (are you sensing a pattern yet?) and her strive to fit in with her classmates in the midst of scandal. The books are

• Private
• Invitation Only
• Untouchable
• Confessions
• Inner Circle
• Legacy
• Ambition
• Revelation
• Paradise Lost
• Suspicion
• Scandal
• Vanquished
• Last Christmas (Prequel)

I know I've read a lot more than this and there is one that I cannot for the life of me remember the title of. This is all I have for you at the moment though. Here's a list of what I'm currently working my way through:

1. Secret Society by Tom Dolby: (Teen Fiction) This book follows a group of Manhattan's teen elite as they are inducted into a becoming affiliated with a secret society that opens doors to their futures...but at what cost? (I should totally write those summaries for the book jackets.)

2. La Petite Four by Regina Scott: (Teen Fiction) Frankly, I haven't started reading this book yet, so I'm not really too clear on what it's about, but it sounded good.

3. The Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard: (Teen Fiction) This series follows four girls in the aftermath of their friend's disappearance. The television series is based off of the series, although I did hear they altered some things to keep from having the whole thing spoiled if you've read the books. The books are

• Pretty Little Liars
• Flawless
• Perfect
• Unbelievable
• Wicked
• Killer
• Heartless
• Wanted

I hope you found something here that sounds good to you.

Witticism of the Day: There's a fine line between reprimanding a child and abusing it. Don't be afraid to discipline, but don't cross the line.