The Book of Dust Vol. 1: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 17th, 2017
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Renowned storyteller Philip Pullman returns to the parallel world of Lyra Belacqua and His Dark Materials for a thrilling and epic adventure in which daemons, alethiometers, and the Magisterium all play a part.
The Book of Dust will be a work in three parts, like His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass). The book is set ten years before The Golden Compass and centers on the much-loved character Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon.
Philip Pullman offers these tantalizing details: “I’ve always wanted to tell the story of how Lyra came to be living at Jordan College, and in thinking about it, I discovered a long story that began when she was a baby and will end when she’s grown up. This volume and the next will cover two parts of Lyra’s life: starting at the beginning of her story and returning to her twenty years later. As for the third and final part, my lips are sealed.
“So, second: is it a prequel? Is it a sequel? It’s neither. In fact, The Book of Dust is . . . an ‘equel.' It doesn’t stand before or after His Dark Materials, but beside it. It’s a different story, but there are settings that readers of His Dark Materials will recognize, and characters they’ve met before. Also, of course, there are some characters who are new to us, including an ordinary boy (a boy we have glimpsed in an earlier part of Lyra’s story, if we were paying attention) who, with Lyra, is caught up in a terrifying adventure that takes him into a new world.
“Third: why return to Lyra’s world? Dust. Questions about that mysterious and troubling substance were already causing strife ten years before His Dark Materials, and at the center of The Book of Dust is the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organization, which wants to stifle speculation and inquiry, and those who believe thought and speech should be free. The idea of Dust suffused His Dark Materials. Little by little through that story the idea of what Dust was became clearer and clearer, but I always wanted to return to it and discover more.”
The books of the His Dark Materials trilogy were showered with praise, and the Cincinnati Enquirer proclaimed, “Pullman has created the last great fantasy masterpiece of the twentieth century.” With The Book of Dust, Philip Pullman embarks on an equally grand adventure, sure to be hailed as the first great fantasy masterpiece of the twenty-first century."
What it's all about people. What it's all about.
Harry Potter: A Journey Through A History of Magic
Published by: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: October 17th, 2017
Format: Paperback, 144 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"As the British Library unveils a very special new exhibition in the UK, Harry Potter: A History of Magic, readers everywhere are invited on an enchanting journey through the Hogwarts curriculum, from Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and more in this book uncovering thousands of years of magical history.
Prepare to be amazed by artifacts released from the archives of the British Library, unseen sketches and manuscript pages from J.K. Rowling, and incredible illustrations from artist Jim Kay.
Discover the truth behind the origins of the Philosopher’s Stone, monstrous dragons, and troublesome trolls; examine real-life wands and find out what actually makes a mandrake scream; pore over remarkable pages from da Vinci’s notebook; and discover the oldest atlas of the night sky.
Carefully curated by the British Library and full of extraordinary treasures from all over the world, this is an unforgettable journey exploring the history of the magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories."
Anything that makes Harry Potter more real, am I right?
House of Shadows by Nichola Cornick
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: October 17th, 2017
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The wooded hills of Oxfordshire conceal the remains of the aptly named Ashdown House—a wasted pile of cinders and regret. Once home to the daughter of a king, Ashdown and its secrets will unite three women across four centuries in a tangle of intrigue, deceit and destiny...
In the winter of 1662, Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, is on her deathbed. She entrusts an ancient pearl, rumored to have magic power, to her faithful cavalier William Craven for safekeeping. In his grief, William orders the construction of Ashdown Estate in her memory and places the pearl at its center.
One hundred and fifty years later, notorious courtesan Lavinia Flyte hears the maids at Ashdown House whisper of a hidden treasure, and bears witness as her protector Lord Evershot—desperate to find it—burns the building to the ground.
Now, a battered mirror and the diary of a Regency courtesan are the only clues Holly Ansell has to finding her brother, who has gone missing researching the mystery of Elizabeth Stuart and her alleged affair with Lord Craven. As she retraces his footsteps, Holly's quest will soon reveal the truth about Lavinia and compel her to confront the stunning revelation about the legacy of the Winter Queen."
Yeah, I love house books. English house books are even better!
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 17th, 2017
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A warm, wry, sharply observed debut novel about what happens when a family is forced to spend a week together in quarantine over the holidays...
It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she’s been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family.
For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity—and even decent Wi-Fi—and forced into each other’s orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems.
As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down.
In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive..."
One for Christmas, which despite being October is still fast approaching...
Cooking Price-Wise by Vincent Price
Published by: Calla Editions
Publication Date: October 17th, 2017
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Best known as a star of stage and screen, Vincent Price was also a noted gourmet whose enthusiastic promotion of home cooking included several cookbooks and a television show, Cooking Price-Wise. This charming book of Price's favorite recipes is based on the Thames Television series he hosted in the 1970s, which showcased timeless international cuisine. Scores of easy-to-make dishes from around the world include soups, breads, main courses, sidedishes, and desserts that can be made from ingredients readily available in supermarkets and food shops. Fascinating food-related historical tidbits add extra zest to the newly typeset recipes and numerous color and black-and-white photographs that enhance this handsome collectible edition.
This special expanded edition of Cooking Price-Wise stands as a true family affair, featuring new contributions from the author's children, including a Preface by his daughter, Victoria, and a Foreword by his son, V.B. An extensive bonus section, "The Culinary Legacy of the Price Family," includes baking recipes from Vincent's grandfather, the inventor of baking powder; journal entries from the author's eye-opening trip to Europe as a 17-year-old; and a selection of family favorites from Victoria Price's childhood. Plus, Victoria also provides a wealth of insights into the Price Culinary Legacy."
Seriously, HOW DID I NOT KNOW OF THIS BOOK!?! Also, extra points if it's cost efficient, LOL!
A good book cover can make or break a book. And I know, we should all abide by the wise words to never judge a book by it's cover. But the truth is, we all do. Me especially because I'm a graphic designer. Therefore when I first saw the cover for Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus with that female caricature with the messy bun with a pencil in it my first thought was, oh look, chick lit. And there are very few chick lit authors I like so I promptly erased the knowledge of this book from my memory. Then when it was announced it was being made into a "prestige" television show starring Brie Larson I finally cottoned on to the fact that Lessons in Chemistry might not be chick lit. In fact it's "closer" to historical fiction. Which given that cover makes no sense to me, but, we live and learn. And hopefully whoever designed that covered learned a new skillset. So I really felt like I missed out. Historical fiction is my jam! Thankfully Apple and Brie, which sounds like a delicious snack, are here to right my inferred wrong. Which might have been more accurate than I realized because while this book isn't chick lit, it's a close cousin. Think The Notebook. It's here to emotionally manipulate you and send you on a rollercoaster ride plumbing the depths of your soul. You think I jest? The third episode narrated by the dog after the death of his human Calvin will destroy you. And yet that's not what I'm angriest about. What I'm angriest about is that there's a totally unrealistic wish fulfillment aspect that makes the series less than in my view. It crosses that line and becomes more fantasy than reality. The story as presented doesn't seem plausible. Elizabeth Zott somehow becomes a famous television cook despite being an unwed mother. OK, I can suspend my disbelief a little there because maybe they just assumed she was a widow and her failure in academia did mirror reality. But then she becomes so popular she's able to call the shots, get sponsors, gets her boss fired, quit and somehow choose the next host of the show while she goes back into academia? If it wasn't for Brie Larson's fantastic acting supported by a magnificent cast I wouldn't have bought any of this. And that's before they brought God into it. Here's the thing, science can be proven, God can't. Elizabeth Zott agrees. But that doesn't stop the show from trying to shoehorn in the "miracles" that have happened along the way, the coincidences that brought Elizabeth to Calvin and Calvin to Reverend Wakely and how this person and that person and all the people have found each other because of, perhaps, some higher power. Just no. All the no. I can believe in serendipity, I can even believe in fate, especially in fiction, but don't try to foist God on me. And as for that fairy tale ending? I don't buy it. I know it's not perfect, the "prince" is dead, but there is still joy in the kingdom and much rejoicing. For this time period that means a potluck. But here's the thing. You can't sugarcoat the past because then the struggle, the fight for female equality wasn't as much of a struggle. Just because one fictional person made a difference doesn't mean that we're done. The fight isn't over, the fight continues. Now, more than ever, we must continue to fight. Yes, be like Elizabeth Zott, take on the system, but don't be so naive to ever think you're done. You pass on your fight and your victories and your defeats to the next generation. And yes, you can have that potluck, but view it as a strategy session, not a happily ever after.
My Drunk Kitchen by Hannah Hart
Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells
