Review of Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Status: read and sitting next to my other Princess Diaries books.
Rating: 3/5.

Mia Thermopilis, POG (Princess of Genovia) herself, is back in the building! Long time no see Mia and Michael! Hiiii Lilly, I have missed the sass. Aww Tina, hello lovely. And Lana... well, I haven't missed you. The crew is back together! As I acknowledged in my latest book haul, I knew this was a money grab book from the start, a novel not intended to change the ending but to build a bridge for the Princess Diaries fandom to the inevitable spin-off series.

Mia's family drama is as always a delight to read. Oh the first world problems and the humour that ensues. Grandmere and Mia's father also play key roles in this book which I really enjoyed. Grandmere has also bought a new lady friend for Rommel the poodle, which doesn't really work out as she had hoped. And of course, as the title reveals, we do get a beautiful proposal and wedding :) *Sigh* Eleven books later and here we are.

In this book we also have quite a bit of romance however it was mostly alluded to; I expected a bit more maturity from the themes in this book but most problems and sexual themes were kept very surface, despite Mia's age and the expected maturity of the fandom. The plot wasn't exactly brave or surprising, thus, while I enjoyed the novel, I would not place it highly compared to the other books. Book 10 is one of my favourite finale books and so it has stayed.

Favourite quote:

I'm completely demanding an autopsy on my grandmother's brain when she's dead so I can see what I'm in for as I age.

Pre-Final-Exams Book Haul, where I regret nothing.

Recently I was invited to a Dymocks VIP event for Dymocks members. Not only was there wine and cheese involved, but there were also some enticing books I caved in and purchased. Here is my pre-final-exams book haul.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Plath’s notoriety precedes her. In one of my introductory units we were given an essay on Plath’s life and its resemblance to The Bell Jar, which I now see was a ruse to get us to read Plath. After a year of picking up this beautiful book at every bookstore I entered, I found a hardcopy version I didn’t have the heart to replace on its shelf. It now graces my bookshelf besides my hold and white version of Gatsby. I am looking forward to reading this scandalous tale.

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries saw me all through my adolescence. Book 10 was one of the greatest finale books ever. Though I am a little skeptical of this book as being the publisher’s last grab at my expendable income, I will admit I am excited to revisit some old friends and laugh at the antics of Mia’s life.

Ariel by Sylvia Plath

In the spirit of discovering classics, I also picked up a copy of Ariel. Plath’s writing style beautifully lends itself to heart-wrenching poems. I am excited to read this in a darkened coffee-shop like the literary nerd I am.

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I have heard nothing but praise for this contemporary YA. It sounds like the perfect summer read, complete with romance, coming of age, humour, and a hopeful ending.

With that, let the holiday reading commence!