strange and random happenstance

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
Published by: Little Brown
Publication Date: June 5th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
Bree is a new vampire. Before Riley took her to "her" she didn't even know that Vampires existed. But now she's stuck with a bunch of other uncontrollable newbies and no one she can relate to. Till one night, while her hunting party starts a fracas, she decides on option B, Diego. She's never really talked to or interacted with him because he's a little older and been a vampire a little longer and appears to be Riley's boy, but all of a sudden there's a connection. They get each other. They spend the night hunting and then come dawn they take to his hidey hole, seeing as their newest "home" was destroyed once again. There they discover that not only can vampires have trust in each other but that their trust in Riley was badly misplaced. Something is happening, and not only that, the sun is not their enemy. They form a pact to get to the bottom of what's going on and get more than they bargained for. In the end, a final death is what awaits, but can they find the truth before then? Can they find out why they were created and who their creator is.

No one but Twilight fans will pick this book up, that's a given. It's a little back story on the only newbie vamp that Bella encounters in Eclipse after the final showdown of Cullens and Weres vs. Victoria and her "army." So the story is interesting in that we know the outcome, Bree and the others WILL die. We also know the mysteries that plague Bree, she was created by Victoria to exact revenge on Bella. So we know far more than the narrator and we're just waiting for the information to click into place for this hapless vampire. It's a waiting game, yet it's very intriguing. The way Victoria and Riley use vampire mythology to retain control over the newbies and almost treat them as hostile fugitives, keeping them locked in basements, gives a nice, darker spin to the sparkling vampire saga. Of course there's a love story, or course love would be able to conquer all and Bree and Diego could learn to be like the Cullens if they knew that option existed and their fate hadn't already been sealed. Because Bree has to be sympathetic while she's ripping out a whore's jugular.. she just didn't know any different. But in all, it was diverting, a quick read, and didn't have Bella being all clumsy and EMO, though it did have it's typical proliferation of typos and grammatical errors. But it also had a nice shout out to one of my favorite authors, Shannon Hale!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bree, Diego, Eclipse, Emo, Reading Challenge, Shannon Hale, Stephenie Meyer, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Twilight

Two L by Lauren Willig
Published by: Amazon
Publication Date: August 27th, 2011
Format: Kindle
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
The Dean is taking time off. There is scandal brewing at Harvard Law. One of the most popular professors is accused of having an affair with one of his students. Never mind that he's known this woman, who is returning to school, from when they where first undergraduates together. But scandal is scandal. The Dean is leaving Arhur Agnelli in charge. Agnelli is a champion of women's rights and a bit on the puritanical side. Enter Megan Milner. She's caught in the eye of the storm, being asked by her "boyfriend" and the other frat boys over at the Law Review to speak on behalf of the accused. Megan has always had a high regard for Agnelli. His book Legal Bodies, THE work on the objectification of women in America's leading law firms has been her touchstone. Yet Agnelli seems to be propositioning her... which has to be some sort of test... right? With interviews and meetings, thinking about Agnelli gets put on the back burner, temporarily. Enter Mr. Friar, a career counselor, whose outre wardrobe belies the font of knowledge underneath. Megan appears to be being pulled into a weird world or eccentrics, plots and counter plots, and annoying calls from her "boyfriend." She really should dump him, no matter how busy her schedule is.

"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall." Or so Shakespeare tells us. And when does he get it wrong? Two L is written with the conceit of reimagining Shakespeare's Measure for Measure at Harvard Law. While to those who have never lived in the rarefied world of academia, the absurdities of Shakespeare might seem overly comical, unrealistic and absurd for the "real world." For those who've spent any time in academia, this seems totally plausible. The caricature of Mr. Friar, sadly dwells quite close to the reality of my advisor, just add a Russian fur hat and a penchant for bottling his own urine and you're there.

While labelled as one of Shakespeare's "problem plays" because it is never quite clear if it's comedy or tragedy, the set-up does lend itself well to Lauren's story. She is never more astute or wicked as when describing the ferocious job hunt, of which I myself have been participating of late, though not in Law. The only real fault I think the book has is in sticking too closely to the original play by Shakespeare (Wikipedia has a nice synopsis if you are in dire need). This, after all, is an adaptation. You can take or leave what you want. I would have eliminated the quotes at the start of each chapter, which did lend a bit too much melodrama and, for those unfamiliar with the play, probably confusion. The story speaks for itself really well and does not need the words of a greater man to frame it. But the happiest surprise of all was that Lauren can write in other genres. I am a huge fan of her historical novels and a modern retelling is a big step in a different direction. It was a fun quick read, and for those who are fans of Shakespeare, will contain even a little more for you.

Also, as a final aside, did anyone else picture the dean as Kyle Maclachlan?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agnelli, Harvard Law, Kyle Maclachlan, Lauren Willig, Legal Bodies, Measure for Measure, Megan Milner, Pink Carnation, Shakespeare, Two L, Wikipedia

Elegy for Eddie by Jaqueline Winspear
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: March 27th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 353 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Maisie Dobbs—psychologist, investigator, and "one of the great fictional heroines, equal parts haunted and haunting" (Parade)—returns in a chilling adventure, the latest chapter in Jacqueline Winspear's bestselling series.

Early April 1933. To the costermongers of Covent Garden—sellers of fruit and vegetables on the streets of London—Eddie Pettit was a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. When Eddie is killed in a violent accident, the grieving costers are deeply skeptical about the cause of his death. Who would want to kill Eddie—and why?

Maisie Dobbs' father, Frankie, had been a costermonger, so she had known the men since childhood. She remembers Eddie fondly and is determined to offer her help. But it soon becomes clear that powerful political and financial forces are equally determined to prevent her from learning the truth behind Eddie's death. Plunging into the investigation, Maisie begins her search for answers on the working-class streets of Lambeth where Eddie had lived and where she had grown up. The inquiry quickly leads her to a callous press baron; a has-been politician named Winston Churchill, lingering in the hinterlands of power; and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk it all to see justice done.

The story of a London affected by the march to another war years before the first shot is fired and of an innocent victim caught in the crossfire, Elegy for Eddie is Jacqueline Winspear's most poignant and powerful novel yet."

I love Maisie Dobbs! And no, it's not just because of the pretty covers... ok, even if at first it was the pretty covers, it's now all about the books.

The Memory of Blood by Christopher Fowler
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: March 27th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Christopher Fowler’s acclaimed Peculiar Crimes Unit novels crackle with sly wit, lively suspense, and twists as chilling as London’s fog. Now the indomitable duo of Arthur Bryant and John May, along with the rest of their quirky team, return to solve a confounding case with dark ties to the British theater and a killer who may mean curtains for all involved.

For the crew of the New Strand Theatre, the play The Two Murderers seems less performance than prophecy when a cast party ends in the shocking death of the theater owner’s son. The crime scene is most unusual, even for Bryant and May. In a locked bedroom without any trace of fingerprints or blood, the only sign of disturbance is a gruesome life-size puppet of Mr. Punch laying on the floor. Everyone at the party is a suspect, including the corrupt producer, the rakish male lead, the dour set designer, and the assistant stage manager, who is the wild daughter of a prominent government official.

It’s this last fact that threatens the Peculiar Crimes Unit’s investigation, as the government’s Home Office, wary of the team’s eccentric methods, seeks to throw them off the case. But the nimble minds of Bryant and May are not so easily deterred. Delving into the history of the London theater and the disturbing origins of Punch and Judy, the detectives race to find the maniacal killer before he reaches his even deadlier final act.

Whip-smart and endlessly entertaining, The Memory of Blood is an ingeniously intricate mystery from the deliciously inventive Christopher Fowler."

Ok, while I've been dying to read these books because of their awesome covers, I think this cover wins hands down, I mean evil Punch and Judy, yeah!

The Master of Heathcrest Hall by Galen Beckett
Published by: Spectra
Publication Date: March 27th, 2012
Format: Paperback, 736 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Even as her husband is about to attain undreamed-of power, Ivy Quent fears for her family’s safety. With war looming and turmoil sweeping the nation of Altania, Ivy finds the long-abandoned manor on the moors a temporary haven. But nowhere is really safe from the treachery that threatens all the Quents have risked to achieve. And an even greater peril is stirring deep within the countryside’s beautiful green estates. As Ivy dares an alliance with a brilliant illusionist and a dangerous lord, she races to master her forbidden talents and unravel the terrible truth at the heart of her land’s unrest—even as a triumphant, inhuman darkness rises to claim Altania eternally for its own."

Oh, another series I've been wanting to read... just beacuse people say it's like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell... sigh, I love that book.

The Incorigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: March 27th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Of especially naughty children it is sometimes said, "They must have been raised by wolves."

The Incorrigible children actually were.

Since returning from London, the three Incorrigible children and their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, have been exceedingly busy. Despite their wolfish upbringing, the children have taken up bird-watching, with no unfortunate consequences—yet. And a perplexing gift raises hard questions about how Penelope came to be left at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and why her parents never bothered to return for her.

But hers is not the only family mystery to solve. When Lord Fredrick's long-absent mother arrives with the noted explorer Admiral Faucet, gruesome secrets tumble out of the Ashton family tree. And when the admiral's prized racing ostrich gets loose in the forest, it will take all the Incorrigibles' skills to find her.

The hunt for the runaway ostrich is on. But Penelope is worried. Once back in the wild, will the children forget about books and poetry and go back to their howling, wolfish ways? What if they never want to come back to Ashton Place at all? "

Yeah, more Ashton fun, and this time with Pith Helmets!

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 27th, 2012
Format: Paperback, 365 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover, Eric Northman, and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows..."

The newest Sookie out in paperback... yes, I know they aren't as good anymore with too many characters and meh plots, but I still love em.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Charlaine Harris, Christopher Fowler, Elegy for Eddie, Galen Beckett, Jacqueline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs, Maryrose Wood, Sookie Stackhouse, The Master of Heatcrest Hall, The Memory of Blood

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Published by: Dial Press
Publication Date: April 19th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy
The economic downturn has everyone in England in an uproar. Everyone except Becky Brandon, who instead of looking at it as a problem that is effecting her family, views it as a way to introduce a new buying scheme at her work. The Look, unbeknownst to the higher ups, and on Becky's say, starts having their really expensive products sent to their customers houses in inoffensive packaging, such as computer paper boxes, so their husbands won't be in an uproar that they are spending when they should be saving. This kind of deceit against ones husband is second nature to Becky, she's been doing it for years. The economic downswing isn't the only problem though. In the past year the Brandons have been unable to find a home and have taken over Becky's parents house, their dinning room table is now her makeup area. Luke's step-mother, who was always more of a mother to him has passed away, and his real mother is now estranged to him. But let's not forget Minnie. Luke and Becky's daughter is a terror, or so everyone thinks. They even get a consulte from TVs super nanny. So instead of dealing with anything that might actually be productive Becky decides to spend all her time and tons of money she doesn't have planning a birthday party for Luke which almost doesn't happen and almost gets people fired, she herself gets put on leave. Becky being Becky, she will somehow pull it all off and be loved by all despite being a truly vile person.

Yes, Becky is a vile person. She lies to her husband, has serious issues that each book sets up as being resolved but then never is. She actually ditches therapy at the end of this book because she is moving to LA, aka, the inevitable next book wherein she will have all of Beverly Hills and Rodeo at her disposal. She takes over her parents house, never thinking that it's an inconvenience. Sure they can't eat dinner at the table, but what's that to Becky's beauty regime? She makes her co-workers and clients complicit in her lies, as well as Luke's employees, almost getting his assistant fired and not realizing that she is crossing the bounds of acceptable behaviour. I am no better than Becky... ok, yes I am, but the problem is I keep picking up these books. WHY!?! I have some sort of compulsion... I don't know if it's like watching a train wreck and I'm just hoping that one of these days everyone will gang up and kill Becky instead of having a big group hug and a spectacular party. Also, how callus does it look to have all the people partying while the banks are collapsing? Becky would still be shopping if London was burning, she couldn't resist a fire sale.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Becky Bloomwood, Luke Brandon, Mini Shipaholic, Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic and Baby: Shopaholic Book 5 by Sophie Kinsella
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: 2006
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
Becky Brandon is pregnant and now has two to shop for. But being pregnant means not just having the right clothes, the right house and the right stroller, it means having the right doctor. By some miracle, Becky is able to finagle the stars to align to leave the doctor who delivered Luke into the world to get Venetia Carter. The hottest obstetrician. Delivering the babies of Bond girls and throwing to-die-for parties for the "yummiest mummies." She happens to be Luke's ex. She happens to want him back, or so Becky is convinced. So besides dealing with her raging hormones and trying to get the house of her dreams, get herself into Vogue's "Yummiest Mummies-to-be" article and a husband who is working on a very iffy merger she now has a Doctor she can't trust. The distrust leads Becky to not only hid more than just her receipts and credit card bills from Luke, but to also hire a PI to tail him. By the time Becky's water breaks will she be able to miraculously pull her life back together and fix everything before she cocks it all up in the next installment? Most likely she will in the most far fetched unlikely manner possible, because logic, reality and restraint are not words in Becky's vocabulary.

Why I found this book entertaining is beyond me. Becky is at her lowest most despicable and reprehensible. Yes, she is despicable. Setting a PI on your husband should end any marriage. It shows a lack of trust that is fundamental to that partnership that whether or not cheating happened, shows that the two of you should not be together. You shouldn't end up being thanked by your husband because of some lame deus-ex-machina! The profligate spending is not abated, the lessons learned at the end of each of the previous four books have been thrown away. How can someone be so dim and dumb. Why are Becky and Luke together? Really? I know it's chick lit so I shouldn't take it seriously, but COME ON! There is no chemistry, Luke is as dull as a pile of rocks and Becky is as dumb as them... oh wait, I think I might have stumbled onto something. They are rock kin! Too dense and to dull to get anyone better. By the next book she'll be too stupid to stop spending and he'll be too stupid to view it as a problem. But it's a book to pass a few hours by and to be thankful that this isn't your life.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Becky Bloomwood, Luke Brandon, Pregnany, Shopaholic, Shopaholic and Baby, Sophie Kinsella, Venetia Carter, Yummy Mummy

Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
Published by: Hougton Mufflin
Publication Date: March 20th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step inside Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show, a menagerie of human curiosities and misfits guaranteed to astound and amaze! But perhaps the strangest act of Mosco’s display is Portia Remini, a normal among the freaks, on the run from McGreavy’s Home for Wayward Girls, where Mister watches and waits. He said he would always find Portia, that she could never leave. Free at last, Portia begins a new life on the bally, seeking answers about her father’s disappearance. Will she find him before Mister finds her? It’s a story for the ages, and like everyone who enters the Wonder Show, Portia will never be the same."

I'm really into circuses right now. Not the creepy clowns, but the olde tyme air of mystique ones.

A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
Published by: Dial
Publication Date: March 20th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal."

Ok, read that discription and then tell me you dont' want to read this book. I don't think it's possible.

Tough Sh*t by Kevin Smith
Published by: Gotham
Publication Date: March 20th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Profane, honest, and totally real advice from comedian and director Kevin Smith - one of America's most original voices

Take one look at Kevin Smith: He's a balding fatty who wears a size XXL hockey jersey, shorts, and slippers year-round. Not a likely source for life advice. But take a second look at Kevin Smith: He changed filmmaking forever when he was twenty-four with the release of Clerks, and since then has gone on to make nine more profitable movies, runs his own production company, wrote a bestselling graphic novel, and has a beautiful wife and kids. So he must be doing something right.

As Kevin's millions of Twitter followers and millions of podcast listeners know, he's the first one to admit his flaws and the last one to care about them. In early 2011, he began using his platform to answer big questions from fans-like "What should I do with my life?"- and he discovered that he had a lot to say. Tough Sh*t distills his four decades of breaking all the rules down to direct and brutally honest advice, including:

Why he has accepted Ferris Bueller as his personal savior, and what the Tenets of Buellerism can teach about hiding in plain sight and lip-syncing in the face of danger

Why it's really fun to eat but not so fun to be fat

What to do about people who don't like your policies ( for starters, tell them to pucker up and smooch your big ol' butt)

What Kevin's idol Wayne Gretzky can teach us about creativity and direction

For anyone who's out of a job, out of luck, or just out of sugary snack foods, Tough Sh*t is an unabashedly honest guide to getting the most out of doing the least."

I will admit that Kevin Smith is a love him or loath him figure. I love him. I will admit his comedy is VERY hit or miss. So this book, while I'm interested, I'm going to wait till the reviews are in before it's a MUST BUY.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Temptation of Angels, Hannah Barnaby, Kevin Smith, Michelle Zink, Tough Sh*t, Wonder Show

Enless Night by Agatha Christie
Published by: UK General Books
Publication Date: October 30th, 1967
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Every Night and every Morn
Some to Misery are born.
Every Morn and Every Night
Some are born to Sweet Delight,
Some are born to Sweet Delight,
Some are born to Endless Night.
-William Blake

Michael Rogers is a Jack the Lad. Drifting from job to job and never staying in one place long. Yet there is one place he keeps coming back to. Gipsy's Acre. The land has always spoken to him, and not in the cursed way the locals say, but what chance does a guy like him have to live there in the house of his dreams. The dream house being designed by the odd and always ailing Santonix, whom Mike met while chauffeuring around the affluent. Despite the fact that the nicer things speak to him, that he would love a nice pair of shoes from the finest shops, or a painting by some famous artist, or the best watch money can buy, doesn't mean he's ever likely to get it. Till he meets Ellie. They meet in the lane approaching Gipsy's Acre and it's love at first sight. Little does Mike know, but Ellie is a very wealthy woman, answering to many trustees and familial leeches. Ellie doesn't confide any of this to Mike till some time after they meet. With the help of her companion Greta, Mike and Ellie run away together, eventually ending their whirlwind romance at their dream home at Gipsy's Acre.

All Mike's dreams have come true. Everything that he could possibly want. Only now things start to go wrong. Dead birds and thrown rocks. Ellie has an accident and despite all advice to the contrary, Greta moves in and slowly starts to take over the happy couples life. How much longer can the happiness last when danger threatens the newlyweds? When death is a constant spectre on the horizon, though they might not see it yet.

I read a little review for this book in Bas Bleu (that snooty book catalog that has great books but you can never afford their prices so you go to Amazon) that made me hunger to read this book immediately. Let me here post their mini review:

"During a dramatic evening at the Gipsy's Acre estate, Michael Rogers meets American heiress Ellie Guteman. The two embark upon a whirlwind romance that culminates in a secret marriage and the purchase of the seaside estate where they met. They hire eccentric architect Rudolf Santonix to construct their mansion, and the couple hopes to begin a fairy-tale life together, but this notion quickly begins to unravel. A rock thrown, an unfortunate encounter with a gypsy, and a dead bird lead the couple to suspect that their dream life may have otherworldly influences. These events are quickly overshadowed by Ellie's grim murder. Do the rumors of a local curse have merit? Said to rank highest among Dame Agatha's personal favorites, this Gothic, psychological thriller is certainly one of her best. "

This little review led me astray. I was expecting something entirely different and was majorly let down. I take issue with this review firstly because they did NOT meet during a dramatic evening at Gipsy's Acre, which is a plot of land, NOT an estate... it was more a grey afternoon in a dirty lane. Also, "quickly overshadowed by Ellie's grim murder!" If almost 200 pages into a book that is only 220 pages constitutes as quick, then I must really have a bad grasp of time and space. But the lack of a speedy murder and the hundreds of pages of how happy the couple are and all the lovely things they buy for their home is nothing to my major problem. Michael Rogers is my problem. This book is a first person narration by easily the most unlikeable narrator I have ever ever ever read. There can't be enough evers I hate Mike so much. Of course, my hatred of him is a cunning twist that Agatha Christie in her wisdom was counting on. When I got to the final pages I was shaking my fist going "damn you Agatha." She didn't fool me, and in fact gave me the ending I wanted, it was just having to endure all that came before that made me dislike this book. Also, for those Christie aficionados out there, when you read the ending, you'll be like, wait, isn't this really similar to Death on the Nile... the answer to that is, yes it is, only Hercule Poirot did it better.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Amazon, Bas Bleu, Death on the Nile, Endless Night, Gipsy's Acre, Poirot, William Blake

Snuff by Terry Pratchett
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: October 11th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Samuel Vimes has finally been made to go on vacation. Sybil insists, as does Lord Ventinari. They have this lovely estate they never go to and young Sam needs country air, and apparently lots of poo to look at. The country is good for poo... but then again, so are the streets of Ankh Morpork... it's just different. Of course, you can take the copper away from the watch house, but Sam will always be a copper. Always asking the uncomfortable question, pushing on people and never willing to let things be. His fellow noblemen, how Sam hates being in the same titled category as the likes of Rust, soon realize that Sam is going to be a problem. A problem that they will solve.

After the local blacksmith disappears after a confrontation with Sam and copious amounts of blood are found on his estate, Sam is "arrested" by the local copper Feeney. It only takes a few minutes to get Feeney over to his side and then the hunt is on for the body that used to contain all that blood. The body is that of a young Goblin girl. Goblins are a tricky subject. They are technically classified as vermin, not creatures capable of love and feeling like Dwarves, Trolls and the like. Sam doesn't care though. I body is a body and if the law has to catch up to him, then so be it. Soon Sam has a plethora of suspects, but they are all lower level henchmen. Sam wants to know all the secrets in this sleepy shire and wants to get all the skeletons out of the closets. He wants who is behind the Goblin problem, and if he has to turn to his darker half, if he has to take on Old Treachery, the dangerous river known for damn slams, then he will. Sam Vimes is a copper to the core!

I felt that this started out so strongly. Snuff was like Terry Pratchett doing a little cosy country mystery with balls and tea promised but with coppers, a la Hot Fuzz. The Pride and Prejudice spoof was one of the best written parodies in all Austen parodies, yes I'm looking at you vampires and zombies. Why didn't I ever think how funny the juxtaposition of a lumberjack would be against Mrs. Bennet? But did we get one ball, one gala? NO! Instead we got a treatise on Goblin rights. About how to categorize sentience from plain vermin. Sam Vimes would not approve of a bait and switch! Unless of course it was to catch a criminal, but he'd have a lot of inner monologues, and I am no criminal.

Snuff is well plotted, which is a rarity in Discworld, where there's usually lots of threads running every which way and then somehow tangling all together at the end, in some sort of knot, if I'm to stick with the thread analogy. Yet, it just didn't work. Maybe Sam Vimes needs his watchmen by his side to maintain the humor. Because Sam has successfully functioned outside Ankh Morpork before, yet not here. If the plot had stuck with the country house and the ingrained superiority of the landed gentry versus the peasants and not brought in the Goblin slaves, then this could have been the best book yet. Instead he retreads familiar ground and eventually ends up making this some sort of sea faring tale with a battle against Old Treachery. Sigh... what could have been... Hot Fuzz meets Jane Austen.

Another disappointment was that I've been reading the Discworld books in order so that I don't miss out on something. They can stand alone, but their cumulative history is so wonderful, knowing the first time Wee Mad Arthur appeared, or getting a joke that would only be gotten had you read the first Witches book. But here I skipped ahead because of my excitement hearing passages at the North American Discworld Convention, I shouldn't have done that... what really happened in Koom Valley!?! I think Thud! has to be required reading to get half of what's going on with Sam's internal monologues. So maybe after I finally get to Thud! (I'm still like nine books behind) and then get back up to Snuff (five books later), I might appreciate this book for what it is and not bemoan what it isn't.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ankh Morpork, Discworld, Goblins, Hot Fuzz, Jane Austen, Koom Valley, Mrs. Bennet, NADWCon, Pride and Prejudice, Sam Vimes, Snuff, Terry Pratchett, Thud

The Gilly Salt Sisters by Tiffany Baker
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: March 13th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The author of the New York Times bestselling The Little Giant of Aberdeen County returns with a magic-tinged tale of dreams, family secrets, and betrayals on a New England salt farm.

In the isolated Cape Cod village of Prospect, the Gilly sisters are as different as can be. Jo, a fierce and quiet loner, is devoted to the mysteries of her family's salt farm, while Claire is popular, pretty, and yearns to flee the salt at any cost. But the Gilly land hides a dark legacy that proves impossible to escape. Although the community half-suspects the Gilly sisters might be witches, it doesn't stop Whit Turner, the town's wealthiest bachelor, from forcing his way into their lives. It's Jo who first steals Whit's heart, but it is Claire--heartbroken over her high school sweetheart--who marries him.

Years later, estranged from her family, Claire finds herself thrust back onto the farm with the last person she would have chosen: her husband's pregnant mistress. Suddenly, alliances change, old loves return, and new battle lines are drawn. What the Gilly sisters learn about each other, the land around them, and the power of the salt, will not only change each of their lives forever, it will also alter Gilly history for good."

There's just something so compelling about this little write-up.

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter
Published by: Hyperion
Publication Date: March 13th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With more than a million Gallagher Girls books sold, a legion of fans have fallen in love with the New York Times best-selling spy-girl series, and the fifth book delivers the most nerve-wracking, high-stakes adventure yet.

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan—an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer."

A new Gallagher Girls book? Yes please!

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
Published by: Hyperion
Publication Date: March 13th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?"

Newest Hex Hall book impossible to put down? We shall have to see now won't we....

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ally Carter, Gallagher Girls, Out of SIght Out of Time, THe Gilly Saly Sisters, Tiffant Baker

The Wise Man's Fear: Kingkiller Chronicles Day 2 by Patrick Rothfuss
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 1008 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
It is day two. The story resumes at The University where Kvothe, in another gallant attempt to win Denna, puts his life at risk once more, yet again in the hands of Ambrose. He escapes with his life, but Ambrose is not done with him. Kvothe is brought up on charges stemming from the incident where he broke Ambrose's arm the term before. While he does get cleared and Chronicler is sad that Kvothe refuses to go into details, Kvothe claims that this episode in his life is already well documented, it is brought to Kvothe's attention that it might be best if he where to take a semester or two off. Count Threpe, who has never been able to sponsor his musical abilities, due to the blacklisting from Ambrose, secures a position for him in Severen to work for Maer Alveron as a musician. While Kvothe loses everything but his lute on his journey, he soon becomes invaluable to the Maer. Not only providing music and tips for wooing a lady love, he also saves his life. All this while Denna is also in Severn, making it a very happy time in Kvothe's life, despite all the court politics and intrigues he has to navigate.

After Kvothe is successful in obtaining the hand of Meluan Lackless for the Maer, Kvothe's presence is no longer desired and the Maer sends him off with some mercenaries to the Eld to locate thieves who have been stealing his taxes. One of the mercenaries, Tempi is an Adem warrior and after much coersion from Kvothe, starts to teach him their ways. But soon Kvothe is lured into the land of fairies only to emerge a much more sexual and virile man, willing to go with Tempi to Ademre to learn to be an Adem warrior. Kvothe is slowly become the man of legend, the lover, the fighter, the hot head who still doesn't know when it's best to hold his tongue. Things will soon get bad, but hopefully they will also bring answers.

I always have problems with the second book in a trilogy. It's like a placeholder book. The book before the final, so you have to be given enough information to entertain you but not enough information so that you can solve all the mysteries. So frustrating! I was very sad that there was not much at The University what with Kvothe needing to get out of the glare of his infamy for a bit. But I loved the Renaissance world of Severn and the Maer. The court intrigues and back biting. Like Machiavelli and the movie Ever After in one. The beauty combined with the scheming. I could have spent the entire book there, which made me pissed when we went off on the weird mercenary jaunt. What is it about Kvothe that made the Maer go, yes, he'll lead a band of mercenaries. I do know that it was really just to get him out of the way, I'm not stupid, I just think it could have been a better more feasible excuse.

All that is nothing compared to the teenage fantasy fairy sex wet dream land made me want to hurl. Felurian, oh how I wish you weren't in this book. Obviously Kvothe has to become a great lover, a Casanova if you will, but, really!?! This is how you chose to do it!?! I mean, I'm sure that weird Cheshire cat creature will become very important given Bast's reaction, and it's important to show that Kvothe, even besotted with ecstasy can outwit a fairy, it was all too, urrgh. Though, I will admit that Felurian making his cloak out of the darkness was way awesome. So I'll forgive some of the fairy orgy for that. But nothing will make me forgive Kvothe's "Shogun" period that just about drove me round the bend. I was never one of those kids who wanted to do martial arts, and in fact don't really have an interest in martial arts. Wasn't it Kvothe who earlier said that it was annoying when Tempi was working on the Ketan and gave the names of the moves but they had no correlation to what Kvothe knew? Then Kvothe spends a couple hundred pages listing names of moves you have no idea what they are so therefore you don't care or have any connection to them. Double standards Kvothe! Just cause it's you listing names doesn't make it less annoying. While discussing this with one of my friends he said that not knowing what the names meant didn't matter... then why use names at all was my response? It just gets under my skin and chafes. Fist shaking at the sky time people.

Also, I think I'm going to start an "Oh, Kvothe" for all those times when he does something that makes me cringe and go, no you didn't dumbass. The main one being when he returns to Severen and his Ruh heritage rears it's ugly head. You can become the worlds greatest lover and an Adem yet still get pissed off when people denigrate your Ruh heritage. Get a thicker skin. In the end, which I felt came about abruptly, though I could see there where less and less pages, I was left happy that I know this world but desperate to know more. Also I'm glad that Denna is starting to have a point versus someone for Kvothe to moon over.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ambrose, Denna, Ever After, Felurian, Kingkiller Chronicles, Kvothe, Maer, Patrick Rothfuss, Severen, Shogun, The Wise Man's Fear

Wow, so, ok, it's been almost two years since I had the idea to emulate Nick Hornby and write a monthly column detailing my book buying splurges and excesses. Yeah, so, I titled it "Not Trying to Be Good" and that must have been some weird self fulfilling prophecy, because guess what? I didn't really get around to writing it, like, more than once or twice, if at that. Ok, it was twice! Just checked, I'm not as lame as I thought. Anyways, with the new year and me trying to be good again about my spending habits, I thought that bringing this monthly post back from the limbo land it's been in would be a good idea. Also, unlike Nick Hornby, I will list EVERYTHING I bought. So some months will be good, some you will see me being very very bad... kind of like last month. There's extenuating circumstances, ie, I was out of state and there was a Half Price Books store... see, lame excuse, but still worthy in my books. Also, feel free to share you book buying excesses here. I will not judge... and I hope you won't either when you see what I get up to. And as an aside, because I didn't do this in February for January, I'm doing two months right now, so really, no judging, because I was using up Christmas gift cards. I am also very happy that I started this after Borders went out of business, that was a bit... um... yeah, that was a bad time for my wallet and my shelves. Ok, so here goes nothing...

January:

1) Calling Mr. King by Ronald De Feo - About a Hit Man who takes a sudden interest in art... this sounds just up my warped way. Also, such a lovely limited color cover. Bought at Frugal Muse

2) Conjugal Rites by Paul Magrs - I have to say a major thanks to ebay for finding me this one. I met Paul back in November and have been devouring his Brenda and Effie books, this being the 3rd one... thankfully his amazing publicist sent me 1, 4 and 5.

3)* Cinder by Melissa Meyer - Steampunky/Firefly retelling of Cinderella. Been majorly hyped and lauded by all my blogging friends and it didn't disappoint. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

* Means it's already been read

4)* Sweet Revenge and The Cocoa Conspiracy by Andrea Penrose - Two fun Regency mysteries that are chocolate based that have been repeatedly recommended each week on Lauren Willig's Friday blog post. The first did not disappoint. Bought at Barnes and Noble

5) The True Memoirs of Little K by Adrienne Sharp - A story about the glories that Russia was told through the eyes of a prima ballerina! Bought at Frugal Muse.

6) The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg - The 2nd in a series called Collegia Magica. Sounds all Renaissance and magic, and irresistible to book buyers named Miss Eliza. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

7) Marked by P.C. Cast - So I've seen this series around for years but have been meh to it, till there was a little sample of the new graphic novel at the back of last month's Buffy comic and I really wanted to see if it was as good as the sample made it out to be. Bought at Barnes & Noble.

8) Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons - FINALLY! I have spent YEARS looking for this book and some genius (meant truthfully not ironically) decided to re release it. Because let me tell you, there was no way I was going to spend $600+ on a book I've never read. Bought at Amazon.com.

9) Modern Love by Paul Magrs - Because now that I know how awesome Paul is I must get all his books! Bought at Amazon.com

10) To The Devil a Diva! by Paul Magrs - Ditto above. Bought at Amazon.com

11) Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells - The newest Sabina Kane book signed to me! Bought at Murder by the Book (who you will see a lot of, they are my signed book resource, not that I have a problem or anything... really).

Ok, eleven books isn't as bad as I thought... but you haven't seen February yet...

February:

1) The Knight of Maison-Rouge by Alexander Dumas - A new translation of one of Dumas' Marie Antoinette books. How could I say no? Bought at Avol's.

2) The Red House Mystery by A A Milne - I've always been intrigued that the man behind Winnie the Pooh also did a murder mystery. Bought at Avol's.

3) The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey - Another author everyone tells me to read and I haven't found a good copy of her first book, but then I found the 6th, so I struck while the iron was hot. Bought at Avol's.

4) Winter Town by Stephen Edmond - Garden State meets Nick and Norah... I'll bite. Bought at Frugal Muse.

5) The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry - Which I have been waiting so so many years for ever since I read his first autobiography, Moab is my Washpot. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

6) Fadeaway Girl by Martha Grimes - Which I was planning on waiting to buy because I hadn't read the first in the series but then it was there, with it's lovely cover at Frugal Muse. Bought at Frugal Muse.

7) Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon by Mark Hodder - Because for some reason I am unable to pass a book that is Steampunk these days. Bought at Frugal Muse.

8)* Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal - Patrick Rothfuss told me to read this. He wasn't wrong, it was awesome. Bought at Amazon.com.

9) The Sherlockian by Graham Moore - Someone was recently telling me how good this book is and then I wandered into Frugal Muse and there it was, fate. Bought at Frugal Muse

10) The Orchid Affiar by Lauren Willig - My prize for being the winner of her competition to name her new short story.

11) The Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler - I've been collecting Zahler's fairy tale retellings for awhile now. Bought at Frugal Muse.

12) Aftermath by Ann Aguirre - The latest Sirantha Jax book. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

13) Iron Kissed by Patircia Briggs - The swanky re released hardcovers! With this one I now have all the Mercy Thompson books in lovely hardcovers in their own Patricia Briggs shrine on my bookshelf. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

14) Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray - It's Egypt, that's all that needs to be said. Bought at Half Price Books.

15) Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate - Short stories to hold me till the next book in a few months. Bought at Frugal Muse.

16) All in One Basket by Deborah Mitford - MITFORD! That's it, that's all that needs to be said. Bought at Amazon.com.

17) The American Way of Death Revisited by Jessica Mitford - Ditto, only this time Jessica not Debo. Bought at Amazon.com.

18) A Beautiful Friendship by David Webber - A Cat creature as the heroine's friend, hell yes! Bought at Frugal Muse.

19) A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley - I've been needing a 1st for awhile to round out my collection. Bought at Amazon.com.

20) Elizabeth: The Golden Age by Tasha Alexander - The only book of Tasha's that I didn't own... so I could have her sign it in person! Bought from Lake Forest Book Store at the Barrington Public Library Book Signing Event. ALWAYS support the store that puts on an event!

21) The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig - The only Lauren Willig book I needed still in hardcover and was waiting to buy it. Bought from Lake Forest Book Store at the Barrington Public Library Book Signing Event. ALWAYS support the store that puts on an event!

22-29) Phryne Fisher Books 1, 3, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 17 by Kerry Greenwood - I have been DYING to get my hands on the Phryne Fisher books but they are so pricey at $20+ each! Then I walk into Half Price Books and all of them, assuredly someones private collection, all on sale for $6 each! Bought at Half Price Books.

30) The Library Paradox by Catherine Shaw - A Felony and Mayhem release that is about crime in Oxford, sold! Bought at Half Price Books.

31) The Riddle of the River by Catherine Shaw - The book after The Library Paradox. Bought at Half Price Books.

32- 36) Complete Books of EM Forster - Well, minus A Passage to India, because I hate that book AND the dust jacket was torn. These are the lovely Book of the Month Club editions and each one was only $4! So $20 for the complete works, that doesn't amount to one hardcover! Bought at Half Price Books.

37) Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale - The newest Shannon Hale which was great that I read in ARC form. I finally got my hardcover, which I waited to order because Shannon was doing a book signing at The King's English. Bought at The King's English.

38) The Woman in Black by Susan Hill - Because I can't just see a movie, I have to read the book too. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

39) Timeless by Gail Carriger - YEAH! Yet boo, cause now the series is over... Bought at Barnesandnoble.com.

Ok... so ten more books than there are actual days in February... but it's rare to find that many books on an outing to Illinois! So that's my defense. Damn you Illinois for being so awesome. If you'd just fix the roads and not have such biatchy traffic I'd visit more often.

Note on the bookstores:

Barnes and Noble - the last big chain in the midwest that everyone knows and loves or loathes accordingly.

Amazon.com - because sometimes, more often that not, your local Barnes and Noble didn't stock that ONE book you where looking for, and having prime means everything shows up so fast!

Frugal Muse - local Madison, Wisconsin chain with two stores in town which sells both old and new books at wonderful prices  (at a really steep discount for new books too) and is easily my favorite bookstore.

Half Price Books - chain store of used books where you can often get amazing deals, but whose prices are not quite half off anymore since they decided to raise their prices in a bad economy.

Avol's - local store in Madison, Wisconsin, that is slowly going out of business. You can usually find amazingly rare books in their author section, but you have to be willing to face the very grumpy and vitrolic owner. And he wonders why it's going out of business?

Murder by the Book - the best bookstore in the world! They're in Houston, Texas and have tons of amazing events and for every book you buy they'll let you send in three books to get signed. Love you all!

Lake Forest Book Store - the last independent book store in Lake County Illinois that puts on wondrous events at local libraries.

The King's English - a great independent bookstore in Salt Lake City that is my connection for all my Shannon Hale books. They get them signed for you!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Alan Bradley, Bibliophilic Spree, E.M. Forster, Frugal Muse, Gail Carriger, Lauren Willig, Mitfords, Murder by the Book, Patricia Briggs, Paul Magrs, Shannon Hale, Tasha Alexander

Fair Game (Alpha and Omega Book 3) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 6th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Anna feels that Charles is cutting her off. He is spending more and more time enacting his father's justice without letting Anna in. He may wish to spare her the pain, but it might also drive him insane. Charles needs to get away from himself and the dark world he lives in. While he can't escape, he can change his focus. From being an executioner to being an investigator might be the subtle shift he needs. There is a serial killer on the loose in Boston. Long thought gone to other locals, the killer is back on his home turf. The FBI are desperate and call Charles' Da for some help, he offers them Anna and Charles. They quickly learn that this isn't any ordinary killer, but one targeting their own kind, werewolves.

This new clue in an otherwise stagnate case throws everything into a new light. Soon Anna and Charles are working within a standard police procedural, with their own twist, bringing werewolves to crime scenes and reestablishing their bonds on a hunt for the killer on a small island. There are overtones of wealth and prosperity, as if the Kennedy's where serial killers, as they narrow in on their suspect. Yet the fact they are hunting one who hunts their own kind leads to a whole new level of danger. Will Anna and Charles be the same after the horrors they have seen... will the world?

I waited, not really patiently, for months for this book to come. I fell in love with the world Patricia Briggs' has created and I love that Anna and Charles have also been embraced by the fans, an obvious deduction by the fact the book was released in hardcover, not paperback like the previous two. There's a part of me that wishes I had re-read the previous installment of this series before hunkering down to read this one. But only a little part of me, because really, Hunting Ground wasn't the best Patricia Briggs can do and there was only one or two references where I was like... was that in the last book... yeah, don't remember that. Also, thankfully, the "brother wolf" was toned down a bit. The book embraced the hunt for the killer and police procedural nature of the story without dwelling too much on Anna and Charles' always fraying bond. They're together, stop throwing so much strife between them.

I was glad I had purposefully cleared my calendar for this book because I don't think I could have stopped reading the book once I started. The hunt for a killer is a powerful narrative force, even if Briggs occasionally used the kidnapping trope, but then again, a killer does have to abduct it's victims, so I guess I can forgive it, except for Anna... maybe... Even if I was able to figure out the killer almost immediately, there where little things I missed that helped the ending be a bit of a surprise. The problem though is, with reading this in a day, now what do I do till the next book comes out? She seems to be jumping them back and forth, so no new Anna and Charles till perhaps 2014... sigh. And with that cliffhanger with the faeries!?! I'm sorry, she just changed all the rules in this game. People who read Mercy but don't read this spin off series better start, because the last few pages of this book changes everything.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alpha and Omega, Anna, Boston, Charles Cornick, Fair Game, Hunting Ground, Kennedys, Patricia Briggs

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 6th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights..."

Luckily I have formed an attachment to the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs which is a spin off from her Mercy Thompson books, because otherwise I don't know how I'd be able to wait till 2013 for more Mercy! Also notice they are now in hardcover... always a good sign!

Discoutn Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: March 6th, 2012
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night... The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity-and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city..."

The cover alone looks like mildly trashy, urban fantasy fun! Yeah! Also, this book was brought to my attention by Patrick Rothfuss, see below.

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: March 6th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Kathryn Harrison, one of America’s most admired literary voices, comes a gorgeously written, enthralling novel set in the final days of Russia’s Romanov Empire.

St. Petersburg, 1917. After Rasputin’s body is pulled from the icy waters of the Neva River, his eighteen-year-old daughter, Masha, is sent to live at the imperial palace with Tsar Nikolay and his family—including the headstrong Prince Alyosha. Desperately hoping that Masha has inherited Rasputin’s miraculous healing powers, Tsarina Alexandra asks her to tend to Aloysha, who suffers from hemophilia, a blood disease that keeps the boy confined to his sickbed, lest a simple scrape or bump prove fatal.

Two months after Masha arrives at the palace, the tsar is forced to abdicate, and Bolsheviks place the royal family under house arrest. As Russia descends into civil war, Masha and Alyosha grieve the loss of their former lives, finding solace in each other’s company. To escape the confinement of the palace, they tell stories—some embellished and some entirely imagined—about Nikolay and Alexandra’s courtship, Rasputin’s many exploits, and the wild and wonderful country on the brink of an irrevocable transformation. In the worlds of their imagination, the weak become strong, legend becomes fact, and a future that will never come to pass feels close at hand.

Mesmerizing, haunting, and told in Kathryn Harrison’s signature crystalline prose, Enchantments is a love story about two people who come together as everything around them is falling apart."

Oh... Russia... this sounds like a must read.

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: March 6th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 1008 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of his family, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived...until Kvothe.

Now, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time."

A nice everyday paperback edition, so that you don't mare your hardcover... I am assuming of course that you have a hardcover...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alpha and Omega, Discount Armageddon, Enchantments, Fair Game, Kathryn Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Patrick Rothfuss, Seanan McGuire, The Wise Man's Fear

Well time does march on, ok, yes, that's a bad joke that it's now march... even with that extra day February just whizzed by. I hope you enjoyed my little tribute to all things Regency. While I sadly did not spend the entire month walking around in clothes with an Empire waist having poets fling themselves at my feet (reality, lots of layers and blankets and pjs), I did have the honor of heading down to the Chicagoland area, aka Barrington, and getting to hear Lauren Willig and Tasha Alexander talk. A wonderful and fun talk wherein I learned that they could both easily quote Dorothy Sayers. No matter what you do, be it pharmaceutical salesman or lawyer, if you where meant to write, you will write. Also too much caffeine could possibly lead to interpretive dance on tables, unless you are able to talk yourself out of it. Yet, while I could dwell on fun, I'm sure you all are just wanting to know who's getting a free book... which does have poets flinging themselves at peoples feet... sadly not my own... maybe if I wore azure shoes... well, without further ado... mariepea! Look to your inbox for further instructions!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Giveaway, Lauren Willig, Regency Romance, Tasha Alexander