strange and random happenstance

As Fairy Tale Fortnight draws to a close, today is a very real example of why we love Fairy Tales. Today, the world has one more Princess. There may be earthquakes and tornadoes and havoc the world over, yet the world turns it's eye to a cold damp little island where today Fairy Tales do come true. While I sadly did not receive my wedding invite, letting a wondrous absurd hat opportunity go to waste, I at least got to be a part of Book Rat's celebration of happily ever afters. While we can't be certain of Kate and William's happily ever after, today is the day where it begins, where the future holds endless possibilities, and there just might be a happily ever after to come... here's wishing the royal couple well.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Book Rat, Fairy Tale Fortnight, Fairy Tales, Misty, Royal Wedding, William and Kate

The Children of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
Published by: Odyssey
Publication Date: 1954
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Toseland is being sent off to the country to spend the holidays at Green Noah, the family estate on his mother's side. His father is off gallivanting in warmer climates with his new wife while Tolly braves the flooded plains to reach his great-grandmother's, just as if he was Noah himself. The house is warm and inviting after the waterlogged journey. Tolly feels instantly at home. Every shadow is a friend, and if he's patient enough, Granny Oldknow hints, then perhaps the house will offer up it's secrets. Green Noah has remained in the family down through the centuries, and ghosts do tend to happen in big English Manor Houses. But the ghosts here are family. Their lives are stories to enchant young Toseland at the fireside with Granny Oldknow. She weaves the past into a living memory. Toby and his faithful horse Feste, his younger brother Alexander, whose voice and flute entranced Charles II, and young Linnet, with her animals, become Tolly's best friends. They might have died hundreds of years ago, but they do start to make rare appearances just for Tolly. Soon Tolly's life is a magical adventure, as the flood waters recede and the ground is covered in a thick blanket of snow. He plays with the animals, especially the birds, who were Linnet's favorites as well. The house and it's abiding spirits have welcomed Tolly, only there is a dark secret. A gypsy curse that haunts the ground... if Tolly is strong enough, perhaps he can overcome the evil and be lucky enough to finally see that which he wants to most, Toby's loyal steed, Feste, who is notoriously shy.

The Children of Green Knowe is an enchanting quick read sure to capture the minds of young readers. L.M. Boston has created a world where ghosts aren't scary or terrifying, but welcoming and family. She believes in the legacy of family and the importance of history. All the history it not sugarcoated, everyone doesn't live, but there's a feeling of safety, a feeling that everything will be all right. It has a similar feeling to that of The Chronicles of Narnia, only it lacks the saccharine sweetness and the religious overtones. For being written over fifty years ago, it has a contemporary feeling. Also, unlike many children authors, L.M. Boston doesn't talk down to the reader. There is no patronizing, there is no shielding, there is just a good story.

Oh, how I wish that all authors would just rely on children to be able to read without condescension and instead feed their imagination. Just go back and read The Wizard of Oz sometime, or any of the rest of the Oz series, yes, there where other books. L. Frank Baum just talked down to you. Reading those books you felt as if he was patting you on the head and congratulating you on being able to form a sentence. You ended up wanting to harm him, whereas here, I just desperately needed the next book. I want to champion this book as a new old classic. It lets your imagination fill in the blanks, it doesn't spell out everything, like the battle with the evil... now that would be telling. I didn't want to throttle Tolly, I didn't hate him as I did those characters form that well regarded children's classic, The Secret Garden. How I wish I could harm those children. But alas, you can't harm those who reside in books, instead, just pick up this book and realize what a classic it should be. Fans of The Spinderwick Chronicles are heartily encouraged to devour this book, trust me, it's right up your street.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Charles II, Granny Oldknow, Green Noah, L.M. Boston, The Children of Green Knowe, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Secret Garden, The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Wizard of Oz, Toseland

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell
Published by: Balzar and Bray
Publication Date: April 26th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream.

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined.

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw."

Candace Bushnell keeps using the Sex and the City franchise to make herself more money while exploiting the ever growing YA market at the same time!

Abandon by Meg Cabot
Published by: Point
Publication Date: April 26th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld. Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid. Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld."

I like it when Meg Cabot doesn't do the typical Meg Cabot, Princess Diaries thing.

Naked Heat by Richard Castle
Published by: Hyperion
Publication Date: April 26th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"When New York's most vicious gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne, is found dead, Heat uncovers a gallery of high-profile suspects, all with compelling motives for killing the most feared muckraker in Manhattan. But Heat's murder investigation is complicated by her surprise reunion with superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook. In the wake of their recent breakup, Nikki would rather not deal with their raw emotional baggage. But the handsome, wise-cracking writer's personal involvement in the case forces her to team up with Rook anyway. The residue of their unresolved romantic conflict and crackling sexual tension fills the air as Heat and Rook embark on the search for a killer among celebrities and mobsters, singers and hookers, pro athletes and shamed politicians. This new, explosive case brings on the heat in the glittery world of secrets, cover-ups, and scandals."

I heart Castle so much and it makes me joyous that his "books" really exist!

A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: April 26th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Set in 1910, the delightful 19th Amelia Peabody novel from bestseller Peters (after Tomb of the Golden Bird) takes Amelia and her husband, Emerson, to Palestine, where an English adventurer, George Morley, is planning to excavate Jerusalem's Temple Mount in search of the Ark of the Covenant. Gen. David Spencer, the director of Military Operations in London, suspects Morley, an amateur archeologist at best, of spying for the Germans, whose influence has been growing in the Middle East. Spencer wants Egyptologists Amelia and Emerson to stop Morley from undertaking a project sure to offend the three religious groups that consider the temple site holy. Meanwhile, son Ramses embarks on a treacherous journey to convey to his parents important information learned from two travelers he meets while on a dig in Samaria. Once again, MWA Grandmaster Peters uses vivid settings, sharp characterizations, and deft dialogue to transport the reader to another time and place."

I love Amelia Peabody so very much!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A River in the Sky, Abandon, Amelia Peabody, Candace Bushnell, Elizabeth Peters, Meg Cabot, Naked Heat, Richard Castle, Sex and the City, Summer in the City

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Published by: Atria
Publication Date: January 1st, 2008
Format: Hardcover, 552 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
Nell dies with a secret. A secret she bequeaths to her granddaughter Cassandra. Nell raised Cassandra ever since her own daughter abandoned her at Nell's little house in Brisbane back in the seventies. Nell's secret took her clear across the world to England, but answers were not forthcoming. Nell has felt a stranger in her own life since she learned from her father that she was a foundling, wandering the wharves of Australia. She was the answer to their prayers and so they kept her. On his deathbed he leaves the suitcase that was found with Nell. A suitcase with a very rare and beautiful book of Fairy Tales by one Eliza Makepeace. Nell takes the leap and heads to England in such of the one link she has, Eliza Makepeace. Her journey leads her to Cornwall and Blackhurst Manor. She gets an inkling as to her heritage and buys Cliff Cottage from the now broken up Blackhurst Estate, planing to return and find out who she is. She never returns. Thirty years later Cassandra journeys to England, to Tregenna. Her life, like Nell's was, is mired by shadows and memories. She has given up on her art, she has almost given up on life now that Nell is gone. The least she can do is come to this poky little cottage that she never knew existed and find out the truth about her grandmother.

The beginning of Nell's story is back in the time when Dickens walked the streets. High above the Thames in a windowless room above Swindell's Rag and Bottle shop, Eliza Makepeace and her twin brother Sammy eek out a living after the death of their mother. They are poor but happy, with Eliza able to take their mundane and bleak lives and spin stories of pure magic. But their little hideaway is soon invaded. Her brother is killed playing a game they invented. The bad man whom her mother always warned them of comes to take Eliza away. Far away from London to the cliffs of Cornwall. To Blackhurst Manor. The home her mother ran away from all those years ago and brought shame to by becoming pregnant by a sailor. Eliza's mother Georgiana also broke her brothers heart. Now Eliza spends her days with her Aunt and Uncle Linus and their sickly daughter Rose. In between all the visits and checkups from Dr. Matthews, Eliza is a fountain of stories and adventures that help to bring young Rose back to life. They grow together, as close as any sisters, till one day Rose journeys across the sea and falls in love with a young painter, Nathaniel Walker. Everything changes, and Eliza feels that she must make one last sacrifice. One last gesture to prove that she loves Rose more than any other.

But Cassandra, with the help of the hansom handyman Christian, can't rectify the life and times of Eliza Makepeace and how it links to Nell. Is Nell the daughter of Rose and Nathaniel? Because after their tragic death in a train collision, their daughter also died of scarlet fever. But Cassandra is certain that Nell was that child. Will Cassandra be able to unravel the clues of her own past and find out what makes her feel like Cliff Cottage is home? Could she be the descendant of the great artist Nathaniel? Sometimes unearthing the skeletons in the closet yields unexpected results.

Spanning over a hundred years and several generations of women, this book asks the question, can you live a fulfilled life if you don't know where you come from. While this quest would drive many, I think turning up on a dockside after a long sea journey and not knowing the how and the why would make me more than a little curious. Nell's father changed her life forever when he told her the truth. Instead of setting Nell free, the feverish quest that grips her is what drives the novel. Skipping back and forth between time periods we glean bites and pieces of the puzzle till at last all is revealed, or almost all, I still think there's more with that creepy Uncle Linus that we're not being told. I had some issues with the book. The time periods where not very seamless, and when that first jump to Victorian times happens it changes the entire tone of the novel. It's as if Jack The Ripper himself has taken narration away from the author and brought a dark, forbidding air that never quite leaves and is never fully satisfied. My mind would wander over all these gruesome possibilities and scenarios. Who was the bad man, whose baby was it really, is Blackhurst Manor the seat of the devil. Some of these answers I guessed right away, though Kate Morton added a twist here and there so I wasn't 100% spot on. But there were so many juicy ways she could have taken this plot and in the end I felt let down. The truth is far more mundane than my imagination thought up. Like Eliza's gift for weaving the perfect yarn, The Forgotten Garden had me thinking and plotting more than any book I've read recently. This book could have been spectacular, but at the close, it was a lackluster ending that brought dissatisfaction.

Also, a niggling aside. There is so much mention of the beautiful fairy drawings by Nathaniel Walker. Now, the endpapers of my edition have gorgeous drawings by Arthur Rackham. This does a disservice to the novel. While, yes, I will admit it's why I first picked it up, once I read the book I thought that a more unknown illustrator, more in keeping with the style of the book within the book was necessary. How about Charles Van Sandwyck? So you won't instantly be pulled out of the book by Rackham's distinctive style.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Arthur Rackham, Blackhurst, Cassandra, Charles Dickens, Charles Van Sandwyck, Cliff Cottage, Cornwall, Eliza Makepeace, Jack the Ripper, Kate Morton, Nathaniel Walker, Nell, The Forgotten Garden

Starting this week, my friend Misty, aka The Book Rat, along with one of her friends, is doing a Fairy Tale Fortnight. To which I proclaimed, "I'm in!" I have always loved Fairy Tales, and even now that I'm "grownup" (yes, it does need quotations), I still gravitate to stories that have the feeling of Fairy Tales (capital letters a must). I hope for the happily ever after, I weep with delight at retellings and reinvisionings. Some of my happiest times as a child were reading my Mother Goose and my big Fairy Tale book with my grandmother. One was the typical checkered one, the other, a forest green. There was always one story I loved more than others, which, once I tell you, you'll probably understand my warped mind a little better. It was about this guys who jumped in and out of thorns. I remember nothing else, just that. It was my grandmothers favorite as well. It was located to the back of one of the books and we always wanted to read that one. We could never remember which book of the two, and we never started at the back and worked our way in reverse. We always started at the front and read the whole thing, and if that wasn't the right book we'd do the same with the other. Because, while we both loved that one story, it wasn't just that story that enlived the minds both young and old and brought us together, it was all the stories. I will never grow too old for fairy tales, and if my grandmother is any proof, it runs in the family.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Book Rat, Fairy Tale Fortnight, Fairy Tales, Grandmother, Misty

The Vampire Dimitri by Colleen Gleason
Published by: Mira
Publication Date: April 19th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Dimitri, also known as the Earl of Corvindale, should be delighted that the headstrong Maia Woodmore is getting married. His mortal ward and houseguest has annoyed—and bewitched—the Dracule nobleman too long, and denying his animal cravings grows more excruciating by the day.

Miss Woodmore's family has a rather…complicated history with the immortals and she herself possesses a keen sensibility far beyond mere women's intuition. Marriage will give her safety, respectability and everything else a proper young lady could wish for. Everything, that is, except passion.

In the looming battle between Dracule factions, all pretenses will shatter as Maia and Dimitri come together in an unholy union of danger, desperation and fiercest desire."

Colleen Gleason back doing what she does best, VAMPIRES! And Regency vampires at that!

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Published by: Dial Press
Publication Date: April 19th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In the latest installment to the wildly popular Shopaholic series (Shopaholic and Baby; etc.), Rebecca Brandon returns with willful two-year-old Minnie, who has taken after her mother in her fierce determination and her addiction to luxury brands. When the financial crisis finally hits the Brandon family, Rebecca vows to stop shopping until she's worn everything in her closet at least three times; Luke scrambles for new business directions; and Minnie remains exceptionally difficult. Still, Rebecca wants to throw Luke a surprise birthday bash, but planning it behind his back and on a budget proves almost impossible. As in all previous Shopaholic books, Rebecca is loud and proud about her luxury-brand obsession and equally at ease being a flighty, sometimes annoying lead, though her well-meaning secret birthday mission scores her much-needed points in the sympathy department. Series fans know what to expect and will get it by the Birkin-load. "

So, the newest book is out in paperback... still not sure if I feel like reading it... maybe by the time it hits mass market.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Colleen Gleason, Mini Shipaholic, Regency, Sophie Kinsella, The Vampire Dimitri

Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
ARC Provided by Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 4th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
Challenge: Valley of the Kings
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Theodosia is returning to the land of her birth. Egypt! Who cares if she has a very important mission to return some items to a secret society bent on hiding artifacts of the Gods in the desert. It's Egypt and she's on an expedition with her mom. Take care of the Orb and Rae and the Emerald Tablet and spend the rest of the time doing what she's always dreamed of doing, archeology! Obviously, with her pet cat Isis by her side, despite her mother's protestations. When they arrive in Cairo though, the angry people milling about does tend to put a damper on the Egyptological fervor. The Nationalist Party is holding a demonstration, one of many to cause an inconvenience. Her mother needs to check in at the Museum, as does Theo, though, not so much with Maspero, but with the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers and their subterranean headquarters. But the Keepers in Egypt are very different from those in England. Here they are the front line, not the last defense. So it's more offense than defense, and Theo is not quite sure she's willing to embrace those methods. That's until she sees von Braggenschnott posing as a member of the museum staff, a Mr. Borscht, and having a cup of tea with her mother! Trying to flee the museum is harder than you'd think. There's another rally and they resort to taking Donkey's. Theo's driver is a little hunchback boy, Gadji, and he proves himself very wise in the ways of the street... and very cunning, his "hump" is his pet monkey, Sefu.

The next day they travel to Luxor, and surprisingly so does Gadji and Sefu, his family was originally from there. Which makes Gadji the perfect tour guide for her when Theo's playing sick. Because what other explanation could she give her mother for not wanting to scramble around in the dirt looking for hidden temples? But she must meet her contact here, a Major Grindle, and get the trade off set up at the temple with the wedjadeen. The trade off goes pretty well, despite all the threats that she shouldn't be allowed to live, even if the wedjadeen take an unusual interest in Gadji. Things can't remain so simple for long, the Serpents of Chaos are stirring the natives for more uprisings, and soon they kidnap Gadji in order to get the Emerald Tablet, which they apparently don't realize Theo already got ride of. Another trade is set up, which goes horridly wrong and ends with Theo and Major Grindle in the hands of the wedjadeen. They know too many secrets and their lives now hang in the balance. But will Theo's powers and her destiny be able to save herself and all those in danger? Most importantly of all, will she get answers as to what she actually is?

The Last Pharaoh is everything I expected from Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles that it failed to deliver. Theo's world is expanding and becoming more complex, but in a way that is natural. Robin has not forced the change, she has gradually led us to it in the most wonderful journey yet. Instead of being trapped within the confines of the museum and having Theo playing all her contacts off one another, here we have a true Egyptian adventure. All the books have been leading to this one. Temples with true power, statues that come alive, where Theo's magic really comes from. All of this is woven together in a plausible yet magical way. You don't have to suspend your belief to be satisfied by the ending. At first I did have some misgivings. Gadji was very much like an Egyptian Sticky Will with a monkey instead of a snotty younger brother. But I should have trusted that Robin knew what she was doing and the plot twist, I did not see coming. Plus Theo's connection to Isis made my heart yearn for a cat in my life again. The only problem I now face is how will I wait for the next installment. Will Theo begin training? Will the wedjadeen and the Chosen Keepers embrace their shared goals and heritage and work together to defeat chaos. As we crawl ever closer to the first World War, I wonder how Chaos and all their evil little Germans will fit in. But as long as I get my Egyptian fix I will be a satisfied reader.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Egypt, Emerald Tablet, Isis, R.L. LaFevers, Rick Riordan, Serpents of Chaos, The Chosen Keepers, The Kane Chronicles, Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh, Valley of the Kings Reading Challenge, Wedjadeen

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 12th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Challenge: Valley of the Kings
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

With Will's brother in a mesmeric trance by the Great Awi Bubu he eerily repeats Theodosia's false prophecy to the Black Sunners: "The Black Sun shall rise up in a red sky before falling to earth, where a great serpent will swallow it." Theo is instantly suspicious of this Egyptian Magician. How did he get Ratsy to say what she herself said? It's got to be a trick! But when she's trying to loose her "protective detail" that the Black Sunners have set on her, the Egyptian Magician doesn't really bear thinking about. But at least The Black Sunners have a tendency to take care of those other occultists trailing her, The Serpents of Chaos. But that Egyptian Magician comes to the fore when he appears one night at the museum, which her parents have shut down for two weeks to prepare for their gala opening to celebrate their recent discoveries from the Tomb of Amenemhab. He then asks for Theo to return to him an artifact of great value. But how could he know about the Emerald Tablet when she just discovered it in the basement mere hours before? She needs to inform The Chosen Keepers about these events, but by forcing her to deal only with Fagenbush, she'll just have to find a way to keep him occupied... perhaps a few cursed objects landing in his lap? After all, she'll do whatever is necessary to deal with Wigmere himself and cut out Fagenbush and use only Will, her street urchin best friend. But with a mummy who is haunting her brother, all these occultists and parents to keep happy, it's a wonder Theo gets anything done! But she has a feeling, if she could just find out who the wedjadeen are and get ride of the Emerald Tablet, everything would return to normal... or at least as normal as can be when you can detect curses and have mysterious powers that don't have an easy explanation.

In the third  installment of the Theodoisa series by R. L. LaFevers', we once again are immersed in the wonderful world of Edwardian England in the grip of Egypt fever. I too have that fever. I don't know if it's contagious... but those mummies coupled with that fashion sense, I wish I could dive right into these books. This book had a very satisfying ending to plot points that have been dangling for awhile, yet at the same time opening it up to a whole new level of awesome. The end of the Black Sunners and their uber creepy and inappropriate leader is at an end. The Serpents have had a little bit of a smack down and Tetley, that inconveniently "modern" mummy has been put to rest. Also, surprisingly, Theo's prophecy came true. Who would have thought that!?! But then again, as Awi Bubu told her, she is more than she could ever imagine. She has a role to play and her powers, as well as her travelling companions, indicate that the Gods themselves might have a stack. After all, who else do you know with an occasional jackal sidekick?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Awi Bubu, Black Sunners, Egypt, R.L. LaFevers, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, Theodosia Throckmorton

The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide by Stephenie Meyer
Published by: Little Brown Books
Publication Date: April 12th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 524 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
This must-have hardcover edition--the only official guide--is the definitive encyclopedic reference to the Twilight Saga and provides readers with everything they need to further explore the unforgettable world Stephenie Meyer created in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. This comprehensive handbook—essential for every Twilight Saga fan—is full-color throughout with nearly 100 gorgeous illustrations and photographs and with exclusive new material, character profiles, genealogical charts, maps, extensive cross-references, and much more."

This has been a long time coming, with it being pushed back again and again, but in the final anallysis, it's just yet another way to milk this franchise for all it's worth.

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Published by: Walker Books
Publication Date: April 12th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn' texactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief 's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother."

The first book always looked like a fun read to me, now when I finally get around to it I'll have two!


The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 12th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home—and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. Her best friend, Daniel, has also been experiencing unexplainable premonitions about certain people and situations. It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy—her paw-print birthmark."

After her sucessful foray into YA with her Darkest Powers series, we get the first in a new YA series from Kelley Armstrong.

The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
Published by: Riverhead
Publication Date: April 12th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 352Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books about an 1880s pioneer family, children's book editor and memoirist McClure (I'm Not the New Me) attempts to recapture her childhood vision of "Laura World." Her wacky quest includes hand-grinding wheat for bread, buying an authentic churn, and traveling to sites where the Ingalls family attempted to wrest a living from the prairie. Discovering that butter she churned herself was "just butter," McClure admits she "felt like a genius and a complete idiot at the same time." Viewing a one-room dugout the Ingallses occupied that was "smaller than a freight elevator" prompted McClure to admit that "the actual past and the Little House world had different properties." McClure finally tells her boyfriend, "I'm home," after recognizing that her travels stemmed from her reaction to the recent death of her mother. Readers don't need to be Wilder fans to enjoy this funny and thoughtful guide to a romanticized version of the American expansion west. "

I will admit, that I too am a bit obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder, the books, not the show. So I'm kind of hyped to read a book by a fellow fan, who has visited all the sites, whereas I've only visited one, and not even the one in my home state! Also, a little thrill of joy that they used the Garth Williams illustrations on the cover!


The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart
Published by: Chicago Review Press
Publication Date: April 12th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Nicola Ferris, impetuous, attractive, and on holiday from the British Embassy in Athens, arrives in Crete a day ahead of schedule and discovers adventure and romance. Blithely savoring the wild beauty of the countryside, she stumbles across an assured young Englishman hiding out in the hills who is less than pleased to have been found. Before long, events begin to spiral in an alarmingly perilous fashion, leading to a stunning climax among the fishing boats of Agios Georgios Bay. With her keen delineation of character, Mary Stewart once again casts an enviable spell of suspense on readers."

Re-release with an awesome new cover. I says hells yes!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Garth Williams, Janette Rallison, Kelley Armstrong, Mary Stewart, My Unfair Godmother, Stephenie Meyer, The Gathering, The Moon-Spinners, The Twilight Saga, The WIlder Life, Wendy McClure

The Unicorn's Tale (Nathaniel Fludd Book 4) by R.L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
ARC Provided by Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 4th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
There's nothing Nate wants to do more than hunt down his odious cousin Obediah. He needs to find out if this feeling he's having, this hope that his parents are still alive, is justified. Beasts don't matter when he might get his parents back. But what does Aunt Phil do? Pack them all in her little plane, grumbling Dodo included, and head to France to deal with a Guivre! A little water spitting eel like creature that has quickly developed a fondness for soaking Nate. While wrestling with the wee beastie, Aunt Phil gets an urgent message from a Mr. Sylvan that the Unicorn he is the caretaker of is behaving oddly and he needs her help right away. So once again, instead of going back to England and trying to find out where Obediah has secreted himself, Nate is off to tend another creature with his Aunt. Luckily they are close by, and despite Nate's misgivings, Unicorns are pretty cool, especially when they are cared for by fauns! The torso of a man and the legs of a goat. Their arrival is rather later than the worried and harried faun would have liked... but after a good night's sleep they are all up at dawn and trekking into the forest to find Luminessa.

Aunt Phil quickly sees that Luminessa might pose a problem, that's until the unicorn recognizes the little Gremlin Greasle as a fair maiden. Maidens and unicorns go together like bread and butter, even if the maiden could use a bath. Also for the first time ever Phil realizes that perhaps Greasle is of use... diagnosing the unicorn is far easier with the calming influence of Greasle. They make a wonderful discovery and just as they are about to leave the forest to gather supplies, the odious Obediah appears. It is quite convenient to have your enemy show up when you've been wanting to have a bit of a chat... having that enemy show up on the doorstep of a rare and magical beastie... not good at all. Obediah has a deal to strike. Either they comply and not everyone looses, or they resist and he will make all suffer. Working against the clock they have 48 hours in which to foil Obediah and keep all mystical beasts safe from this madman and come out of this with the most precious of prizes.

Nathanial Fludd keeps growing on me. It's not just the message it sends about the preciousness of life and the danger of extinction. But it's the way Robin presents these lessons in a way that is a fabulous narrative with a heartwarming message at the center that is not beat into us or told to us in a condescending manner. I will admit, I did, when younger, have a weakness for unicorns. You can't fault me, I'm a child of the 80s and what with the Serendipity books and rainbows and Pegasuses being everywhere. And yes, there was a short time when I thought that if I wished hard enough I'd get to meet one. Here Robin brings us unicorns in all their glory! And rhinos are unicorns! This made me so happy and brought a smile from ear to ear. The classification of rhinos as unicorns made this a five star book hands down. Though I will admit, that Mr. Sylvan is a close second. He is a wonderful little nod to Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He has a jaunty red scarf and when it says he has an umbrella stand near his fireplace I actually held my breath a little, but of course he keeps forks for roasting bread over the open fire there, not a little umbrella. In the end though, these little joys aren't what make this book the best. What does that is we have significant plot movement on the odious Obediah and the disappearance of Nate's parents. Though it's going to be a painful to wait for the next installment, I want the confrontation with the nasty nanny to be now... but with everything Robin writes, it will be worth the wait.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Aunt Phil, Beastologist, Dodo, Mr. Sylvan, Mr. Tumnus, Nathaniel Fludd, Obediah Fludd, R.L. LaFevers, Rhinos, Serendipity Books, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Unicorn's Tale

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
Published by: Putnam Adult
ARC Provided by Putnam
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Lacey Hansen is trapped in a dead end life with her brother Paul. Making a living supplying the local colleges and nursing homes with pot is not a way to live. Even Mythmatch, where legendary gods and monsters battle each other on the small screen, is no cure for boredom. But even a dull and inert life can be pushed into action by the arrival of a headless corpse on your doorstep. Due to the proximity of so much pot near a recently deceased body, the siblings decide to dump the body off a hiking trail where it will be found and investigated, far from their home. Because they know this corpse. It's Darryl, Paul's friend and pot irrigation expert. The next day, Lacey views it as her right to investigate a little, it is kind of "their corpse"... but when that investigation turns up Darryl alive and well... well then, who's the corpse? And where did it go? It's not where they left it. But a missing corpse is nowhere near as interesting as a plane exploding at the local airport and the new Doc Egan moving into town with his cute Wilson brothers looks to replace the old Doc Holland, who did leave town awful fast. It's not long before Lacey and Paul wonder when the body will finally be discovered, only to find it back on their front porch... except this time Lacey takes a closer look and realizes it's her ex-fiance Hart. Knowing that if they hide the crime again someone will most likely return the body, Lacey makes the call to inform the police, giving her brother a few minutes to clear out the marijuana plants and stash them with his pot mentor, Terry Jakes.

Now with a police investigation finally underway, Lacey decides that it's time to ramp up her own investigation. Solve the crime, leave the town, it's as easy as that. Only, solving this crime is not going to be easy when everyone has a motive for killing Hart, who, if Lacey is being honest, was quite the lowlife. Throw in a shady bar owner, an even shadier nursing home run by the Babalatos, an endearing or perhaps lethal old man, Sook, land deals, long cons, blackmail, and a stripper with an IQ higher than most members of MENSA, and Lacey doesn't know which suspect is the guilty party. At times it seems even the authors are unsure. With the authors one upping each other and making the stakes higher and the death rate escalate, we are not only waiting to see if Lacey and Paul get out of this crappy little town, but if Lisa and David will be able to get the book finished without killing each other or the entire populace of Mercer California.

Many authors when collaborating have decided to divide the work with alternating chapters. Rachel Cohn and David Levithan come to mind, as well as Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. But, one assumes, that they at least get along. Lisa and David, while disagreeing on almost every aspect of the book, except the title, have been able to create the funniest collaboration I have yet to read. Openly displaying hostility and willing to eek out a little retribution through calamity and downfall to the other author's favorite characters. With Lisa favoring Lacey and the doddering old Sook and David being Paul and Terry's biggest fan, it's fun reading and anticipating the ways the other author tries to change and manipulate the plot to their characters advantage. From Lisa having to kill a character twice and then his doppelganger as well, to David writing as if for a primary school reader, the banter back and forth is what drives this novel, almost more so than the plot.

I was impressed that they were able to come up with a cohesive and plausible ending, because they made no effort to tailor their own styles to fit together. David has a tendency to overwrite, to use stupidly named made up tv show titles and big words, I had to keep a dictionary handy in his chapters, and even then, sometimes, I was at a lose. As Lisa stated in one of her letters between the chapters, "Why in God's name would you use the words 'subfusc,' 'asperous,' and 'caliginious' in a freaking crime novel? Here's a rule worth following: If the spell-check doesn't recognize the word, don't use it!" To which I have to heartily agree. Because if I have to drag out the dictionary, it pulls me out of the story, no matter how fractured and funny it is. Whereas Lisa is a spare writer with sharp, refined wit, even if David got the biggest laugh out of me with his slur against David Caruso, letting me forgive the superfluous oleaginous. Also, Lisa is wrong, cats do need back stories. In the end, at the close of the day you will be left with a smile, a strong hope that they will be on book tour together, bickering across America, and the desperate need to hear more about their abandoned previous collaboration The Fop.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Caroline Stevermer, David Caruso, David Hayward, David Levithan, Doc Holland, Hart, Heads You Loose, Lacey, Lisa Lutz, Marijuana, Mythmatch, Patricia C. Wrede, Pot, Rachel Cohn, Terry Jakes, The Fop

Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by R.L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this fourth book in the series, Theodosia sets off to Egypt to return the Emerald Tablet—embedded with the knowledge of some of the ancient world’s most guarded secrets. Accompanied by her cat, Isis (smuggled along in a basket), Theo plans to return the artifact, then explore the mysteries surrounding her own birth and oh, yes— help her mother dig up treasures on her archeological expedition.

But nothing ever works out as planned, especially when a precious treasure appears suddenly, and then just as suddenlydisappears. . . When the Serpents of Chaos get involved, Theo finds she’s digging up a lot more than she expected!"
It felt like forever waiting for this book, but it's so good it was worth the wait!

The Unicorn's Tale by R.L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Is there no rest for the travel worn and weary? Not if you’re Nathaniel Fludd, the world’s youngest beastologist-in-training! All Nate really wants is to track down his missing parents, but when a unicorn falls mysteriously ill, Nate’s Aunt Phil makes it clear where a beastologist’s duty lies: to the beasts.

And if taking care of the world’s beasts isn’t difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must also keep them safe from the villainous Obediah Fludd, who intends to do them harm. With all this taking up every last bit of his energy and time, will Nate ever find the parents he is so absolutely convinced are alive?"

Another stellar book from Robin. Two awesome books in one day is more than I could hope for. April is looking like an awesome month!

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
Published by: Putnam
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 330 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"New York Times-bestselling author Lisa Lutz conspires with-or should we say against?-coauthor David Hayward to write an original and hilarious tag-team crime novel.

Meet Paul and Lacey Hansen: orphaned, pot-growing twentysomething siblings eking out a living in rural Northern California. When a headless corpse appears on their property, they can't exactly dial 911, so they move the body and wait for the police to find it. Instead, the corpse reappears, a few days riper . . . and an amateur sleuth is born. Make that two.

When collaborators Lutz and Hayward (former romantic partners) start to disagree about how the story should unfold, the body count rises, victims and suspects alike develop surprising characteristics (meet Brandy Chester, the stripper with the Mensa IQ), and sibling rivalry reaches homicidal intensity. Think Adaptation crossed with Weeds. Will the authors solve the mystery without killing each other first? "

Another fabulous book by Lisa, afterall, it is my giveaway of the month!

Elizabeth I by Margaret George
Published by: Viking
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 688 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Personal and political conflicts among such larger-than-life historical figures as Francis Bacon, Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake, and Will Shakespeare intertwine in George's meticulously envisioned portrait of Elizabeth I during the last 25 years of her reign. Unlike most contemporary depictions of the Virgin Queen, this one is actually a virgin; she's married to England, whose interests she pursues with shrewdness, courage, and wisdom borne of surviving the deaths of her family. Readers see the queen through her own eyes and those of her cousin, Lettice Knollys, wife of Elizabethan heartthrob Robert Dudley, aka the earl of Leicester. Elizabeth's antithesis, thrice-married and much-bedded Lettice, is driven by passion and self-interest, easily evidenced by the story's beginnings: it's 1588, and Elizabeth meets the threat of the Spanish Armada head-on while Lettice calculates how her son might benefit. Like her heroine, George (The Autobiography of Henry VIII) possesses an eye for beauty and a knack for detail, creating a vibrant story that, for nearly 700 pages, enables readers to experience firsthand Elizabeth's decisions, triumphs, and losses. Rather than turn Elizabeth I into a romantic heroine, George painstakingly reveals a monarch who defined an era."

Most known for her book on Elizabeth's father, this is sure to be another great Tudor read, plus I'm going to the book launch! How cool is that?


City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Who will be tempted by darkness? Who will fall in love, and who will find their relationship torn apart? And who will betray everything they ever believed in?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge.

In the heart-pounding fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series, the stakes are higher than ever."

Yeah, new Mortal Instruments!


Red Glove by Holly Black
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself? Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose."

Yeah new Holly Black. Asside from the beginning of March, what with new Rothfuss and Briggs, this is a totally awesome line-up.

Bossypants by Tin Fey
Published by: Reagan Arthur
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy."

Love ya Tina Fey, but this cover creeps me out major. So perhaps this will be an e-book purchase for me?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bossypants, Cassandra Clare, City of Fallen Angels, Elizabeth I, Heads You Lose, Holly Black, Lisa Lutz, Margaret George, R.L. LaFevers, Red Glove, The Unicorn's Tale, Tina Fey

As you probably all recall, I have a bit of a Lisa Lutz obsession. I just love her clean and witty writing style. Well, this month she finally branches into new territory, the Spellmans being shelved until next spring. But for her new foray into crime she has a partner, David Hayward. Writing in such ways as David Levithan and Rachel Cohn have been known to, it's as if those two writers decided to declare open warfare. Hilarious and entertaining, and yes, this applies to the authors as well. I hope you'll take the time to pick up this book (or win it, hint hint), or see them on tour! I've been eagerly anticipating seeing how they interact in a confined space for an allotted about of time since I read the book. After all, it's not often that you read a list of demands from an author before embarking on tour:

•In airports, let’s pretend we don’t know each other. Obviously, if I’m getting mugged or injure myself, break character. Otherwise, you’re some tall blond guy in a wrinkled shirt (and it will be wrinkled) who happens to be on the same airplane.

•I’ve noticed in the few signing sessions we’ve had that you’re getting fancy with your signature. Knock it off. It doesn’t change the fact that my name is bigger on the cover.

•Even though we’re pretending that we don’t know each other, sometimes bringing a stranger coffee makes you feel better. It’s like one of those pay-it-forward things, which I’m generally not all that big on, but there are some exceptions.

•If I ask you to bring me an apple, don’t then ask me if you can eat it later. Just get another apple.

•No more blue pens. And bring your own. I’m not your pen valet.

•Don’t deplane slowly just to prove you’re more zen than I am. Guess what? I give that to you, yoga boy. You are more zen. You win that one, I give it to you.

•Finally, if tensions still arise, I suggest we resort to Twitter for all communication. I believe we’re less likely to reveal our dark sides in front of the voting public.

So onto the giveaways "official rules"...

The Prize:
An ARC of Heads You Lose (curtesy of Lisa's awesome publishers at Putnam).

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international, but no shipping to space stations or TARDI), just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Saturday, April 30th at 11:59PM CST

4. How to enter: Just comment in the space below!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

+1 for answering the question: Are you for or against cat based mysteries? I thought about asking what you'd do if a corpse showed up in your yard, but that a tad bit gruesome.

+2 for becoming a follower

+10 if you are already a follower

+10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @MzLizard), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link!

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 7 comments  

Labels: ARCs, Book Tour, David Hayward, David Levithan, Demands, Giveaway, Heads You Lose, Lisa Lutz, Rachel Cohn, The Spellmans