Last year I blogged about the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which was a really wonderful and Emmy winning video series that told the modern day story of Lizzie Bennet and her sisters based on the original characters from Pride and Prejudice.

Fans of that series now have something new to watch! Emma Approved is a video series from the same producers and again is a modern day retelling of a classic Austen work. I was able to get caught up on the first five episodes today during lunch. They might be harder to get into because Emma Woodhouse isn’t initially as likeable of a character as Elizabeth Bennet, but having read the book (both for school and leisure!) I am feeling confident that she will grow on me with time. It isn’t too late to get caught up with either story, no matter if you are an Austen super fan or just a casual admirer. Read more about Emma Approved and Other Jane Austen Inspirations

October seems like the perfect time of year for dark, mysterious and brooding books. But I am still holding on to September! Something light might just be the ticket before the dark fall reads.

New release Still Foolin’ 'em by Billy Crystal has cracked into the top of the New York Times best seller list. After recently turning 65, Crystal tries to relate to the other millions of baby boomers who are also at or near this milestone often by portraying physical ailments through the lens of appealing humor. He also explores his long career starting off with stand up in New York to some beloved movies and stints on Saturday Night Live and hosting the Oscars. Crystal isn’t afraid to tackle serious issues, but also presents us with a belly laugh at a life well lived. There are numerous holds on the Crystal book, so while you are waiting for this book to come in you might want to try these other humorous memoirs. Read more about Comedy Memoirs for the Boomer Generation

Even though the days are still hot and it technically isn't fall yet, the students are back so we know summer is on its last legs. Fall book previews are out and I am excited to see that some of my favorite authors have new titles coming out in the next few months.

One of my favorite nonfiction authors, Malcolm Gladwell has a new book out this fall called David and Goliath. His previous books include Outliers (my favorite), Blink and The Tipping Point. Gladwell is a journalist who has turned some pop and academic research on the social sciences on its head. The chapters usually are distinct journalistic pieces unto themselves and make for some unexpectedly fascinating reading.

Dave Eggers has a new thriller coming out in early October called The Circle. I didn't love his most recent novel, A Hologram for a King. I liked the story and found the Saudi Arabian setting interesting but I found the main character too unsympathetic. I did love the characterization, setting and unique narrative voice of 2007's What is the What so much that I might possibly have to read everything he ever writes. Read more about Fall Books!

Leading the news today is the announcement that Detroit filed for bankruptcy. They aren’t the first municipality to file, but they are the largest. What this means for residents, city workers, retirees and the state of Michigan remains to be seen. 20 billion dollars is hard to wrap my mind around, and is a figure without names and faces.

Hoping to personalize this story is native son Charlie LeDuff. His recent nonfiction work is called Detroit: An American Autopsy. LeDuff is a journalist who left Detroit at an early age and traveled the world covering international conflicts and won a Pulitzer for his contributions at the New York Times. He returns to Detroit to work for The Detroit News.

This book covers a variety of stories, including the fall of ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, city council corruption, the crumbling auto industry implications, and the struggles of a local fire station. You also meet LeDuff’s family and follow them while they are coping (or not) with living in and near Detroit. Read more about Detroit: An American Autopsy

In a traditional romance, the heroine meets the hero and sparks fly. And often even though there is attraction, the hero and heroine don’t always like each other very much at first. Of course in a romance, they are able to work out their differences and end up happily ever after.

While in many ways Love and Leftovers was a traditional romance, the hero and heroine are already dating when you first meet them! Marcie and Lionel are dating but there aren’t any sparks. Marcie’s family falls apart and she is forced to move across country with her mother. She struggles to keep her relationship going long distance, but is distracted by her mother’s depression and making friends at her new school. When sparks start to fly with a new local boy, Marcie gets even more confused. Read more about Rosie Nominations and Romance Books