strange and random happenstance

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: March 1st, 2019
Format: Kindle, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Joanna Teale is alive because her mother is dead. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer too late. But it wasn't too late for Jo. After a radical double mastectomy Jo wants her life to get back to some semblance of normality. Cancer put her life on hold so she's trying to get back to that life. And that life means grad school. Therefore she is burying herself in her graduate work in the wilds of southern Illinois studying birds. She has her routine. It's solitary but restorative to work from dawn until dusk until all you can do is collapse into bed. Or drink a nice cold beer in the backyard of her white clapboard student housing before collapsing into bed, banging on the window AC to show a little life. But her life is about to change radically once again. A young shoeless girl appears battered and bruised outside her house. The girl claims to be an alien child named Ursa, sent from the stars to witness five miracles. Obviously the kid is running away from something and has created this mythology to cope. But the more time Jo spends with Ursa the more she questions what is possible. She can't do this on her own, and there's something about the police that she just doesn't trust, so she turns to her neighbor Gabe. He runs the roadside stand selling eggs while coming to terms with his own existential problems. Gabe agrees that Ursa is special. Maybe she is some sort of extraterrestrial. They can't deny that Ursa brings a strange sort of luck with her wherever she goes. As the three unlikely souls form a ragtag family time passes and Jo realizes that it will be harder and harder to explain to the authorities why she has kept someone else's child for an entire summer. But when Ursa's real life finally catches up to her and shows Jo and Gabe the dark underbelly of human existence they will do anything to save this little girl. It might just take a miracle, but as humans who are they to judge what an alien would view as a miracle?

You know the phenomenon of the last great book you read? Where it was so amazing and transformative that anything that came after would pale in comparison Well, I had the exact opposite experience with this book. I was suffering from last shit book I read. The book I had read previously was possibly the worst book I have ever read. It was Devil House by John Darnielle if you're interested. So anything would have been better than Devil House. Anything at all. While my friends were lamenting that this book used the alien angle as a kind of bait and switch all I could say was at least there wasn't fake ye olde english. So what if this is Northern Exposure meets Law and Order: Special Victims Unit verging towards the almost completely unrealistic? It wasn't Devil House. Where the Forest Meets the Stars is competently written if completely quixotic. But for me it was a place I could escape into. I felt just like Jo, I needed a reprieve from reality, I needed to swim in the rivers, I needed to bath in the forests, I needed to purge the stank of Devil House from my being and Where the Forest Meets the Stars did that for me. But it was Jo's graduate work that intrigued me the most. Glendy Vanderah was a field biologist who got her MS in the Cerulean Warbler so the insight she brought to the character of Jo made her research spot on. And the reason I connected so strongly to this is because of one of my best friends. She's now a Biometrician for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but every summer for more years than I can count I remember her going out into the field somewhere to do research. She'd be in Ohio in prime Mothman country studying riparian zones or just slightly north of home looking into the impact of windmills on birds. Actually I think she didn't actually get the windmill summer job, but I remember proofing her resume. As well as her paper on riparian zones. What Glendy Vanderah gave me was a glimpse into my best friend's life for all those summers she was away from me and for that I am grateful. I can see her and Jo hanging out a sharing a beer.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aliens, Birds, Breast Cancer, Devil House, For the Love of Book Clubs, Glendy Vanderah, Illinois, Joanna Teale, John Darnielle, Law and Order SVU, Northern Exposure, Summer, Ursa, Where the Forest Meets the Stars

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon in early spring of 2013 when Robin LaFevers finally had a tour stop in the Midwest to promote the second book in the "His Fair Assassin" series, Dark Triumph. Six productive years since I had first found Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos at my local Barnes and Noble. She had ten books under her belt during that time, and yes, I had every one of those books in the back of my car as I headed to Illinois. Because what was a three hour ride to finally getting to meet one of my favorite authors? My friend Marie and I were making a day of it. First there was delicious pizza to be had at Giordano's, which is located right behind Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. Then we took in the Riverwalk and saw a rather spectacular duck. A male wood duck to be precise, and growing up in a family that sold wildlife art, yes, I have to be precise. After working off some of the delicious pizza filling our bellies we went to Anderson's to get good seats for the coming talk by Robin. Not wanting to be overeager we chose seats in the second row and Marie was happy to find the last hardcover copy of Grave Mercy, as she hadn't started the "His Fair Assassin" series yet. Then we settled in for the wait.

Usually waiting for an author talk to begin is slightly onerous. You're usually in uncomfortable metal chairs and nervous excitement leads to babbling to strangers who end up thinking you're slightly unhinged. But don't discount what a good friend and a life-size poster of Richard Armitage can do for a long wait. Seriously, as much as they messed up The Hobbit with that whole trilogy, starting with An Unexpected Journey four months earlier in December of 2012, how can you NOT be drawn to that poster on the back wall of the bookstore with Richard giving off that smoldering gaze like he's looking right at you and you're the only thing in the world? Yes, there is a reason the picture with Robin is framed in this way, I couldn't cut out Richard, or Aidan if it comes to that, even if I had wanted to. Once Robin took the stage the presentation passed in a glorious haze of assassins and the history of Brittany and how Sybella is a different kind of heroine. The signing was wonderful as well, I had specifically worn my shirt that Robin had sent me and she jokingly told the rest of the signing line not to worry about "the person with the stalker level of books, we know each other." My books signed, my love of Robin and her work confirmed, Marie and I went in search of more adventures, AKA more books and food.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aidan Turner, Anderson's Bookshop, Assassination Vacation, Book Signing, Dark Triumph, His Fair Assassin, Illinois, Naperville, Richard Armitage, Robin LaFevers, The Hobbit, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Bookstore: Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore

Location: Forest Park, Illinois

The Official Patter: "Centuries and Sleuths is a warm, inviting and well organized store where a customer can sit in a rocking chair while looking through books. A bust of Sherlock Holmes exclusively commissioned by Centuries and Sleuths owner Augie Aleksy graces the bookstore. From the day its doors opened, Centuries and Sleuths has been a destination for the discriminating reader, a meeting place for authors and readers and a place for intellectual discussion. And that’s all been a part of Aleksy’s master plan."

Why I Love Them: I don't know why it is, but whenever I think of the best independent bookstores I know they are almost always stores that specialize in mysteries... This could be because I spent years trailing behind my mom, a devoted mystery fanatic, whenever she went to the bookstore, and especially when she went to Booked for Murder (now Mystery to Me.) Couple that with the fact that Murder By The Book is easily my favorite bookstore I've never been too... and well, you can easily see how my bias came to exist. Enter Centuries and Sleuths. One of my favorite authors was on tour and was stopping by the this Midwestern mystery bookstore I had never heard of... needless to say, they have since made my list of favorite stores I've never been to... and hopefully soon they will upgrade to stores I have been to!

Best Buy: In fact, my best buy from Centuries and Sleuths was initially going to be a best buy purchased in person. Lisa Lutz's Spellman series is hands down one of my favorite book series out there. They are witty and clever and know just when it's right to go dark and just when it's right to throw in a Doctor Who joke. In other words, you can see why I was drawn to them. Well for the book tour for the fifth installment the closest to Madison Lisa was coming was Forest Park Illinois. Not that far a journey, but at the same time, trudging down to the flatland in March is always hazardous, because you never know what the weather will be like. Will it be freakishly warm, or a blizzard? A few years back when I went down in April I was in a blizzard, it wasn't fun. At all. So I decided, as much as I love Lisa, I'd already met her three times at this point so I could sit this tour out, and luckily her tour for the final Spellman book the next year came to Madison! But what was great is Centuries and Sleuths. I called them up saying I could no longer make the event which I had RSVP'd to and instead could they get it signed to me and ship it up north? The sign of a truly great bookstore is when they are accommodating. When they instantly understand that you have had a change in plans and are willing to go the extra mile to help their customers. This, more than anything, is why I want to make the pilgrimage there. I want to go and throw lots of money at them in exchange for books as a big thank you for helping me out when I needed it. And trust me, I needed a signed first edition of The Trail of the Spellmans bad.  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Blizzard, Booked for Murder, Centuries and Sleuths, Illinois, Lisa Lutz, Murder by the Book, Mysteries, Mystery to Me, Sherlock Holmes, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The Spellmans, The Trail of the Spellmans

Bookstore: The King's English Bookshop

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

The Official Patter: "The King’s English Bookshop opened its door (there was only one, to start) in 1977. Betsy Burton and Ann Berman, book lovers and aspiring writers, thought they had it all figured out. They rented an old building with several rooms, thinking they’d write their Great American Novels in the back, emerging to sell a book or two whenever the bells on the front door jangled to announce the arrival of a customer. The women soon realized the jingling bells were not a distraction from their writing life but a welcome sound, signalling the opportunity to meet new friends and talk books. The bookshop became a full-time labor of love."

Why I Love Them: The interesting thing about Utah is this was the epicenter for the rise of the YA movement. Just look at all the authors who write in that genre and still live there: James Dasher, Ally Condie, Shannon Hale, Brandon Mull, Brandon Sanderson (in a one-two Brandon punch), and Jessica Day George. If we go back to those who've since left we'll see the darling of the YA genre, Stephenie Meyer, was also a member of the Utah literati. Having that many big name authors is a boon to an independent bookstore, and that boon was 100% there for The King's English Bookshop. But it's friendliness to YA authors meant it also became a hub for authors on tour, so you could catch everyone from Marissa Meyer to Leigh Bardugo stopping by.   

Best Buy: For more years than I can remember I've been a fan of Shannon Hale. I was lucky enough to meet her once at a bookstore here in Wisconsin and another time down in Illinois. But in recent years as her proliferation as a writer has grown her author appearances outside the sphere of Utah and it's environs has waned. So needless to say the reason I first became away of The King's English Bookshop was because she was signing there. Since then all my Shannon Hale books have come from The King's English, in fact I'm impatiently (very impatiently) awaiting two books at this very moment! But of all her books there is one that I view the most important, the true best buy. When the fourth book in her Bayern series Forest Born was released in 2009 it had a cover that broke with the look of the previous three books. The previous three volumes had simply gorgeous covers by the amazingly talented Alison Jay. These covers are in fact why I picked up the series. But then artistic covers were no longer in vogue and instead we got a picture cover with some YA waif instead of Alison Jay artwork for Forest Born. I was no happy. Shannon Hale herself didn't seem that happy with the change and saw that her fans weren't happy and did something about it. In 2011 a "special edition" of Forest Born was released with an Alison Jay cover and I didn't think I could be happier. But then Shannon was doing a signing at The King's English and I was able to get a signed copy of this much hoped for edition. Therefore it is easily my best buy, and a book lovers dream come true to have all the covers of a series matching!  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alison Jay, Bayern, Forest Born, Illinois, Impatient, Jessica Day George, Leigh Bardugo, Marissa Meyer, Online, Shannon Hale, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The King's English Bookshop, Utah, Wisconsin, YA

Bookstore: Barnes and Noble Oakbrook Center

Location: Oak Brook, Illinois

Why I Love Them: The Barnes and Noble at the Oakbrook Center is a pretty typical Barnes and Noble for it's kind. Meaning for a Barnes and Noble attached to a shopping mall and having an outdoor entrance leading to the parking lot and an indoor entrance leading to the mall. It's pretty cookie cutter; two stories, rather narrow, and could be a Barnes and Noble basically anywhere. In fact it really looks like the one outside Milwaukee. Not that there's anything wrong with that! Sometimes it's nice to go to a foreign town and be surrounded by the familiar. Why do you think that when you're traveling so many of the restaurants you see along the road are ones you could find in your own backyard? To some it's depressing, to others it's comforting. For me, it is how it is and it's nice to know that I can at least count on the layout and the signing protocols to be the same. Because let's face it, there's only a few reasons I stop at a Barnes and Noble while traveling, I'm there for a signing, there's something particular I'm picking up, or I'm going from point A to point B and I know I can be assured a restroom and a Starbucks. So thank you Barnes and Noble for your events and for a safe space to pee. What is so nice about this particular Barnes and Noble is that right around the mall is a restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi. The restaurant is basically your mall version of a French Bistro, but somehow, unlike Barnes and Noble, it doesn't feel like a chain. There's lovely crunchy warm bread with jam to spread on it! Scallops that are to die for. And just so much food that I want to order that I wish there was one in Wisconsin! Perhaps one day...  

Best Buy: As for why I trekked south to a Barnes and Noble in Illinois? Well that's all due to my best buy, Patricia Briggs's Frost Burned. Patricia Briggs rarely comes to the Midwest. In fact, since I've been a fan of hers I think this is the ONLY time she has set foot within a few states radius of me, and believe me this is something I pay attention to. For years I had relied on Murder by the Book with a few outlier bookstores, Mysterious Galaxy, and The Bookworm, for signed editions, but I finally had a chance to get one signed in person! Patricia Briggs might just be my favorite Urban Fantasy author out there... or at least a solid tie with Charlaine Harris, because I really love Charlaine and her books were my gateway drug into this genre. I think I'd have to meet Patricia a second time, because I've meet Charlaine twice, so she does have a competitive edge... But what I loved so much about seeing Patricia Briggs is that she really knows her readers. She knows they are shy introverts for the most part and when you get up to see her in the signing line she asks you what color pen you'd like your book signed in. She told me it's a way to get the ball rolling, because color choice is a very personal decision, notice my pink? After that the conversation flowed more easily and I got to tell her about my all time favorite creature in the Mercyverse, the Otterkin, who appear in River Marked. She then told me the inspiration for those evil water dwellers and how it oddly tied into the Chicago area. This just made me love those evil Otterkin even more, if becoming even more wary of Otters! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Barnes and Noble, Charlaine Harris, French, Frost Burned, Illinois, Mercy Thompson, Mercyverse, Midwest, Mon Ami Gabi, Otterkin, Otters, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Support Your Brick and Mortar, Urban Fantasy

Bookstore: Lake Forest Book Store

Location: Lake Forest, Illinois

Why I Love Them: Back when I was writing about Myopic Bookstore I mentioned that I was profiling them, but with reservations. Stores always deserve a few chances to get things right, I mean think about how many times you send a book back to Amazon to get a copy in perfect condition? Or is that just me? The same rules have to be applied to brick and mortar stores. And in fairness to Lake Forest Book Store my issues with them probably have more to do with their overhead and staffing. Now this store is in the transitional category, almost moving on from bookstores I've been to to bookstores I've only ever dealt with online. I have actually never been to Lake Forest Book Store's brick and mortar location, but I have had PLENTY of contact with them over the years, because they are the bookstore that provides all the books at signings within the Illinois library system. So all those times I've ventured across the Wisconsin state line to the flatland to see Lauren Willig, sometimes with other authors, sometimes solo, I've bought my wares from the table set up and manned by Lake Forest Book Store. Nothing will ever beat the display when I went to a joint event with Lauren and Tasha Alexander, there were so many copies of their books the tables groaned. But at a recent event in 2016, Love Across Ages and Cultures which you had to register for so they had a head count, I had issues, in that they had no backlog of the author's work, even though I reached out to them in advance! In fact they were snippy and told me I was in the wrong when I confronted them at the event. So here's hoping they mended their ways? If not... there are plenty of other stores to support.   

Best Buy: My best buy was back in 2008 and was the first time I went to one of the events put on by the Illinois library system. Cozy Librarians, which is a now defunct website to the best of my knowledge, had brought together a plethora of amazing authors for a panel. I of course went for Lauren Willig, but because of this event Julie Hyzy became one of my mom's favorite authors. It was in the middle of one of my worst ever semesters at school and of course that meant that everything was conspiring against me, even my computer died! So funds were short but I knew the golden rule for book signings, you go, you buy a book. No. Matter. What. It doesn't even have to be the author you're going to see, but it does help. So I picked up a paperback copy of Lauren Willig's The Deception of the Emerald Ring, which I had in hardcover already, but I knew the rules. Ironically I would later make a point of having all Lauren's books in paperback and hardcover, for first editions versus ease of reading, but at the time I was just discovering her as a writer and this rule wasn't in effect. The event was wonderful and fun, all the authors doing a little intro about themselves but then having a wonderful back and forth discussion about murder mysteries. It basically made me want to just go home and read for days and days, which I didn't have the luxury of doing. But the signing line was really my jam. I finally got to talk to Lauren in person, versus just talking online, and I think my friend Huyen said it best, "Lauren feels like the kind of person we'd be friends with." I couldn't have agreed more.  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cozy Library, Illinois, Julie Hyzy, Lake Forest Book Store, Lauren Willig, Love Across Ages and Cultures, Support Your Brick and Mortar, Tasha Alexander, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, Wisconsin

Bookstore: Myopic Bookstore

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Why I Love Them: Whenever I go somewhere I try to find a bookstore nearby to visit. One November I was headed to the Chicago area to go to a Lauren Willig event and the whole day would oddly, aside from Lauren, have been a book bust if not for the Borders on Michigan Avenue having a going out of business sale. Because earlier in the day I had decided to take a chance on a bookstore that everyone raved about but that left me oddly cold. You might be wondering why I would profile a store that didn't bowl me over... well truthfully, I just want to say my two cents on a store that so many people rave about and secondly, all bookstores deserve a second chance and I haven't been there a second time and everyone in this day and age needs to support brick and mortar stores. Let's get to the point, I'm talking about Myopic Bookstore. Myopic looks exactly like what you'd expect a used bookstore in Chicago to look like. The "L" is right behind the store and creates that clackity whooshing sound that is the lifeblood of the city. The building is old and the top two stories have a wonderful bay window. But inside the store feels tenuous. Some landings feel as if they'd collapse with too much weight on them. Ceilings are occasionally really low as you look through old crates that have been lashed together to create shelving. As for the basement? The least said the better, although it could easily have been in The Silence of the Lambs. But for all that, they had great marketing graphics, and for that I'm willing to forgive a lot.

Best Buy: For all it's rickety and temporary feel, some sections felt homey, like there was a glow about them, most likely from the 80s desk lamps strapped to shelves so you could see. It was in one of these comfortable nooks that I found my best buy: a few Angela Thirkell books. Now most people probably don't know her, but to those of use who crave things to be even more British in our lives, she is a comfort read. Anthony Trollope wrote a series of books set in Barsetshire. They were famous, loved, and memorable, and not just because of the miniseries starring Alan Rickman. Though Alan Rickman is sheer perfection so you should check out The Barchester Chronicles as soon as you can. In the 1930s, almost fifty years after Trollope's death, Thirkell started to write books set in Barsetshire. They were contemporary, much like Trollope was in his day. They were funny and satiric, and just lovely, making it no surprise why Virago Press finally got around to republishing many of these classics. This book buying excursion was before Virago got involved. At this time the only editions were pricey copies published by Moyer Bell, the same publishers as Helene Hanff if you're into those kinds of weird facts. In fact many of the editions I found that day at Myopic were never released and don't appear to be in the pipeline at Virago, no matter how many times I email them! So this proves that even in the most odd of stores I can still find a best buy... but in truth, I can always find an excuse to buy a new or new to me book.    

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alan Rickman, Angela Thirkell, Anthony Trollope, Barsetshire, Borders, Chicago, Helene Hanff, Illinois, Lauren Willig, Moyer Bell, Myopic Bookstore, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The Barchester Chronicles, Virago

Bookstore: Amaranth Books

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Why I Love Them: Amaranth Books is a bookstore I found by accident. I had headed to Evanston for a book signing at the local Barnes and Noble but what really drew me to the area was Bookman's Alley. This labyrinthine bookstore was mentioned in Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife and was, to me, the most memorable part of that book. So I made the pilgrimage and as I looked through the shelves and stepped over the piles of books I heard the owner, Roger Carlson, talking about the time Frank Sinatra hit on his wife. After I went into sensory overload from the sheer number of rooms and artifacts I decided to wander around the neighborhood and saw a Red Mango frozen yogurt shop. My friend Jess had recommended them to me so I went in for a post book binge treat and as I sat eating my pomegranate infused dessert I noticed a small storefront that said Amaranth Books: Used and Rare. I HAD to check it out. The store is very small, only a few aisles wide and not that deep. But for how small they are they have an amazing collection, especially of British authors that are rather hard to find stateside. There's something to be said for small stores that are well curated. Amaranth might not have had the lure of Bookman's Alley, but for all that, I bought more books at Amaranth...     

Best Buy: While I have only been able to get to the store a few times, my first visit was a true book buying success story. I adore P.G. Wodehouse. More than that I adore Overlook Press' amazing hardcover re-releases with the vintage style covers and the stripped endpaper. The problem is they are rather pricey, coupled with how prolific Wodehouse was as a writer, and this can put a serious dent in your wallet. Therefore, aside from the Jeeves and Wooster series which was worth any price, I have attempted to find all the rest of the books at used bookstores. I sometimes am successful, occasionally I have been very successful, but more often than not I strike out. That first day in Amaranth, oh, they had SO MANY of the Wodehouse books I just wanted them all. I NEEDED them all. But I was trying to be good. So I bought only the first Blandings story, Something Fresh, and then went to my book signing and then went home and stewed. I felt that I had just missed a big opportunity. I should have bought all the books they had, but I didn't. I held out hope that when I returned in the future they would still be there. But I knew, in my heart of hearts, they wouldn't be. Ironically when I did return for a book buying spree it was at Bookman's Alley and a local Half Price Books where I found more Wodehouse, because of course Amaranth had sold theirs. But I know that whenever I get the chance to return they will surely have something I need to buy.  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amaranth Books, Audrey Niffenegger, Blandings, Bookman's Alley, Illinois, Jeeves and Wooster, Overlook Press, PG Wodehouse, Something Fresh, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The Time Traveler's Wife

Bookstore: Anderson's Bookshop

Location: Downers Grove, Illinois

Why I Love Them: Anderson's Bookshop is the Midwest mecca for book buyers wanting to support independent bookstores. The West Coast has Powell's, the South has Murder by the Book, but Illinois, and therefore the Midwest has Anderson's. I only wish it was a tad closer, but then I'd always be broke because they literally have events every night that I want to attend. I believe the first time Anderson's got on my radar was back in 2009 when Philippa Gregory was on tour promoting The White Queen. Why I hadn't heard of them prior is probably because 2009 is when my book addiction really started to go into overdrive and resulted in my starting this blog and as a result I started stalking authors. And stalking authors, I mean supporting them by going to events, means sooner or later you're going to end up at Anderson's Bookshop. They have three locations in the suburbs of Chicago, a new location I have yet to visit in La Grange, an intimate store in Downers Grove where most of the events take place in the Tivoli Theater across the street, and their flagship store that's in Naperville. If you're going to visit their store and not a specific event totally go to the Naperville location, the town is charming and has a lovely river walk. While the store with it's cape code shingles might look like your quintessential small town bookstore, the sheer number of signed volumes inside will make you realize this isn't your normal bookstore.  

Best Buy: Getting to meet so many of my favorite authors over the years, in particular Robin LaFevers who is an all time favorite, means that picking a best buy is extremely hard. But then, in the end, like most things, it's really easy, because I met Jason Segel! I met Jason Freakin' Segel!!! Yes, Marshall from How I Met Your Mother, Nick from Freaks and Geeks, so many of my favorite roles have been brought to life by Jason Segel and I got to meet him! Why? Because he co-wrote a kids book, Nightmares! and was on tour promoting it! He was warm, funny, he even sang! I seriously loved this man from afar so much and meeting him in person made my crush even worse. Because on the darkest night of my life, he was there for me. My cat of 22 years died and I was destroyed. I just sat in front of the TV blankly staring until Jason caught my eye. I watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall and my pain was slightly lessened. I knew my hell wouldn't last forever, much like the hell Jason's character was going through. Who knows, at the end there might even be vampire puppets... I told this story to Jason and he was so kind, and he listened, and seemed to genuinely care, and that made me realize how truly awesome he is. Here's someone who is a star and he cares about his fans, he made sure to not overlook the children in the audience with questions, which so many authors do. Your book Nightmares! isn't just a best buy, it's a cherished memory Jason.  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anderson's Bookshop, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Freaks and Geeks, Illinois, Jason Segel, Naperville, Nightmares, Philippa Gregory, Robin LaFevers, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The White Queen

In the fall of 2008 I was in the midst of my worst semester ever at school. I was overextended, overstressed, and hadn't really slept in a long long time. Forget about having time to actually read a book, despite trying to carve out time to read the ARC of The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. But there was one thing I wasn't going to miss, and that was the chance to meet Lauren Willig! Since 2008 I have been lucky enough to go to several of Lauren's signings in the Chicago area; in 2010 for The Mischief of the Mistletoe, in 2012 for The Garden Intrigue, later in 2012 for the Romantic Times Convention, and in 2013 for The Ashford Affair, but I will still remember the first time. I remember almost missing the turn off to the library and doing a slightly illegal sharp turn. I remember that the library was having a book sale and I picked up a biography on E.M. Forster. But most of all I remember that despite how awesome the other authors were, and are, my mom is a huge fan of Julie Hyzy because of this event where I was introduced to her, the audience was there for Lauren. While searching my email recently for Lauren related topics, I actually found the note I sent to my friend from the aforementioned "A Subway Interlude" regarding the Cozy Library Event in Gurnee and thought it might be fun to publish it here to get my account without the fog of seven years obscuring odd details. Though I couldn't help myself from adding an addendum or five... and fixing some egregious spelling errors.

"So, now that I'm home and don't have to peck little letters out with my thumbs on my phone I can tell you the whole awesome story. (I had an LG Vx9900 that flipped open to a full keyboard that I thought was the bomb, oh how Apple technology has changed me.)

So, author event in Gurnee for this society called the Cozy Librarians, and Lauren was a guest among 7 other authors (actually 8, because apparently I can't count). They did a little, here are all the authors brief bio, then they let each author talk for about 7 mins. Lauren talked about going to Harvard and how she was so sick of Historians and their little historian world and how she tried to think of a fun mad-cap romp she could write to divert herself that would make her laugh and she thought of spies and masked men like Zorro and the Scarlett Pimpernel, and how the Pink Carnation made it extra girly and therefore extra funny. Also she hated how "accurate" history novels were and by writing as Eloise she could get some things wrong. She said she thought that this would easily go in her writing trunk of abandoned work, which also contained a Nancy Drew spoof from when she was 9 and had wrote a story with 2 girl detectives, because 2 is better than 1, which she sent off and got a nice rejection letter. So then as luck would have it, she got published. And then she was thinking "How else could I make my life harder, I know I'll go to law school too!" So she wrote the next two books and in essence had 3 jobs at once. And then she went to New York (because it is her homeland, she is someone who can't even drive a car) where she was actually spending her billable hours at the law firm that hired her writing book 4 (The Seduction of the Crimson Rose). And when book 4 came out she was pretty sure they figured out what she was really doing, but then she quit, and now she's writing only and she's just loving it.

Then book signing, where we actually got to talk to her for awhile (Huyen went with me). So first off, she thought I was just amazingly organized cause I had post-it noted and wrote who the books were too, and I said that happens from being in a family of publishers. (PS, everyone should do this, it makes spelling mistakes not happen and just helps the authors so much.) Also she mentioned a British comic I should read but now I forgot the name, so I'll have to look it up (it's Annie Tempest's Tottering-by-Gently series, go check it out). So I said, cause she saw I had the new book (aka The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, Pink Carnation Book 5), I wondered if the house in the new book, Girdings was based on Castle Howard, she said totally, that and a mix of Blenheim, and I said I totally got that, what with the mural in the entrance way. We then talked a bit about the original Brideshead mini series. Leading to me saying that my dad always wanted to live in a little shack on the grounds of Castle Howard until recently when he changed his mind and would be happy with the chickens at Chatsworth. And then we talked about how amazing it is that the Duchess of Devonshire is one of the Mitfords, and I went on to ask if she knew about her being one of the greatest art collectors in the world, especially of Lucien Freud, and she had the painting of the Queen that the Queen rejected, and she didn't know that. Then I mentioned that she actually sells her books online signed and I got one for my dad, and she said she'd heard about her online store, and then she asked if I knew if it was still being operated as a farm after the death of her husband and I said that I believe it was (still is even after her death). 

Then we went on to talk about her website, and then she actually connected me with my posts, and later said I have to keep posting and must tell her what I think of the new book (I hadn't finished yet, read above, too much school), I mentioned I loved the 4th and she said she thinks that's her favorite and I said it's mine because the characters are less goody goody. So back to website, then I said I only keep up with her and Shannon Hale for authors websites, cause I think it's great how her site is so interactive, and she asked who Shannon Hale was, but then already connected her with Austenland, and I said she should so check out the Bayren books being re-tellings of Grimms, which lead to her mentioning this old Tor book she had, and I said funnily enough my Dad is an agent for a Tor author, Mike Norman, who writes these Haunted non-fiction books who is actually having a book signing today, but I came here, and she said that was great that I came here (which she even wrote in my book) and it turns out that she interned with Tor way back and asked if I had even been to their offices in the flat-iron building and I said sadly I hadn't but my dad had many times, and then she was talking about how slow the elevator is there, like 15 mins for a ride, and then she mentioned how Tom Doherty was pro-casual, and liked walking around in his undershirt, and I said he's a good friend of my Dad's (to this day) and that he just refurbished a gorgeous old Victorian in Brooklyn. Following which it was time to get Huyen's books signed, which I mentioned was my master plan, to get all my friends reading her books (and it still is), and we commented on how we couldn't find Huyen's 2nd book so she'd just have to get the three signed. (We eventually found Huyen's copy of The Masque of the Black Tulip and got it signed at the event we went to for the release of The Mischief of the Mistletoe two years later).

Also around this point a few people behind us started wandering away, cause I mean, she signed 7 books for me then 3 more for Huyen plus we were being really verbose (yes, I still feel bad about co-opting Lauren, but when you're having fun time seems to slip away, and I should note, the true fellow Lauren enthusiasts are always so nice and accommodating and it's wonderful to talk to them before events). Then Huyen asked the question she wanted to ask which was, was Richard Selwick based on Cary Elwes as Westley from The Princess Bride, and I said actually I called her before she read it to watch for it, and we both instantly agreed on it, and Lauren said she totally based it on him, with the blond hair and the little black mask, and that we were the first 2 to get that (though there's a bit of Sean Bean as Lovelace in there as well with Anthony Andrews on the side). And then I said, and how sad about what Cary's become, and she was all, yeah did you SEE him in Ella Enchanted! Which I then said too bad we can't like go back in time and get pretty Carey Elwes for the movie adaption, and I mentioned I'm just always casting in my head (as by now you all know), and she said she rarely does it, except for Sean Bean as Vaughn, even though he's the wrong "coloring" that was her intent. Then we said our good bye's, nice to meets, and write on the website.

Lots of fun, she was very lively, especially considering she had a 5 am flight and stayed up till 2 at a friend's party, and now I have lots of pretty signed books, and I'm glad to learn an author I like is nice. And as Huyen said, she seems like the type of person who we'd hang with and would be our friend. -Liz"

So there you have it! An interesting albeit rambling insight into the first time I got to meet Lauren. Side note, I wrote this as soon as I got home after a three hour drive in each direction and then a shopping extravaganza at the outlet malls on the state line, so hopefully the narrative flow can be forgiven somewhat for the complete and utter lack of polish.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: An August Adieu, ARCs, Book Signing, Cary Elwes, Castle Howard, Cozy Library, Deborah Mitford, Ella Enchanted, Illinois, Lauren Willig, Pink Carnation, Scarlet Pimpernel, Sean Bean, Shannon Hale, The Princess Bride

Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson Book 7) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Of all the horrors that Mercy's faced, she may be coming up against the most dangerous yet... the mall on Black Friday! Her step-daughter Jesse has somehow convinced her that after a great Thanksgiving feast that they should hop in Mercy's Rabbit and go shopping. When they get in a car accident and the Rabbit meets it's true death, Mercy's reservations have been made crystal clear. The mall is not for her. Yet was the jolt of impact the pain she's feeling, or did the pain happen before and perhaps cause the impact? The fact that the two of them cannot get ahold of ANY of the pack does not bode well. It soon becomes apparent that something really bad has happened. The pack has been kidnapped. Finding pack member Ben and then being approached by Bran's friend Asil, means at least Mercy has two "people" on her side. Yet a very dominate wolf like Asil near an injured wolf like Ben isn't the best thing. She's in an explosive situation, and if she can't get her little team to work together, perhaps things could go from bad to worse. The most worrying aspect of all is that obviously someone knows a lot about Adam and Mercy's pack. If they can all survive, can they find out who is pulling the strings and why?

Of all the Urban Fantasy series currently out there, I think that I can easily say that the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs are my favorite. While I do love my Sookie Stackhouse, Charlaine Harris's series has it's flaws. I'm not saying that Mercy is by any means perfect, hardly, but I love that over time she has really developed and matured as a character. Forward progression can never be underestimated in a long running series. Because of this love I was beyond excited to see that Patricia Briggs was actually going to have an event near me (as in less then four hours in a car and only having to cross one state border). Of all my favorite authors she was the one I had yet to meet, so queue happy music and me driving off in my car to Illinois.

The event was lovely and it was interesting that someone who deals out a lot of death and destruction on their characters could be so giddy and bubbly. Not only did she put on a great presentation, but she took the time to talk to everyone in line (luckily I was in the first row, I can't imagine how long the others had to wait, but waiting in a bookstore is not a bad thing, except perhaps for your wallet). The thing I found very interesting was how into dissecting the cover art the fans are. Personally, I really like the cover art, it's what drew me to the books, but I didn't really sit for hours examining the tattoos and jewelry. Apparently I should have been, because the tattoos reflect which aspect of the supernatural world Mercy will connect with in the book, Fae, Vampire, Wolves... so that means they change! I basically came home from the talk and took out all the books and looked at each cover closely. It was such fun!

Now ever since her last book River Marked, which I know some people weren't too thrilled with, me being the exception, I've had more then a little obsession with the Otterkin. My friend Matt things I'm more then a little crazy on the Otterkin front, but, I got to talk to Patricia Briggs for five minutes all about Otters and Otterkin, so that was beyond awesome. Although, she did traumatize me more then a little with a story about a vicious Otter... so I guess Matt can gloat about that. The only thing that I didn't like about the talk was which section of the book she chose to read. Now, this would be more in the general gripes about that book, but I didn't really care for the sections from Adam's point of view... so when she read the first section from Adam's POV, well, I tuned out a little. I didn't like reading it the first time, so hearing it a second time was redundant.

So, I've dwelled enough on the talk, let's segue to the book itself. The beginning, well, it was a little cringe worthy. Yet another kidnapping. In fact... is there any book in this series that doesn't have a kidnapping? No, I'm not joking, I'm serious. Moon Called, yes, Blood Bound, yes, Iron Kissed, in a way, yes, Bone Crossed, yes, Silver Borne, yes... in fact, every one except River Marked... so I think it's time to lay off the kidnapping all together. I liked that they were able to get themselves out of a tight situation and therefore the kidnapping was quickly resolved. But still. No more kidnapping. Repeating this trope makes it look like lazy writing, and these books are anything but.

As I said earlier, I love that the characters grow and consequences stick. Mainly I like that the plot lines from the other related books, so far the Alpha and Omega series, but fingers crossed about that possible Ben spin off, feed into this book and the complex universe that Briggs has built. The fact that Mercy is living with the repercussions of the Fae basically declaring war on humans in Fair Game, by just vanishing off the face of the earth is interesting. Because the link to Zee is severed... but then again, Zee is a clever and old fae, so, rules that apply to others are more mailable to him, like iron in his hands. Also, the full extent of what exactly Mercy is and capable of is still shrouded. The encounter she has with a ghost brings a new level of scary... I can't wait to see what Briggs does with this further development. Obviously Mercy can do far more then turn into a coyote, and I can't wait to read it. Sigh, another book quickly devoured and at least another year to wait... perhaps it's time for a re-read? That should tide me over for awhile... right?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Book Signing, Charlaine Harris, Coyote, Frost Burned, Ghost, Illinois, Kidnapping, Mercy Thompson, Otters, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Sookie Stackhouse, Urban Fantasy, Werewolves

So I hope you guys remember, there's still a competition going on right here on my site for a lovely edition of Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl! That's right! I know you want some Tudor drama, and she's the queen of Tudor historical fiction. I'm also going to a talk she's giving today at the Tivoli Theater in Illinois, so I should have some interesting stories to post when the winner is announced. So get on it and enter, you don't enter you can't win, simple as that! If I hit 100 followers, I'll add a little something special! (Currently that's like two more people, I know you guys have at least two friends, people you know, random strangers on the street who you can entice to follow my blog! So get on that will you!?!)

THIS COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Prize:
A Paperback Edition of The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Question:
Who is your favorite British Monarch? Are you a Henry VIII girl? A Richard III guy? Or maybe you favor a little Queen Victoria with a side of Prince Albert? I'd be interested to hear what you think.

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (worldwide), and just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter.
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).
3. Contest ends Wednesday, September 30th at 11:59AM CST
4. How to enter: Just post below
5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

* +1 for answering the question above
* +2 for becoming a follower
* +5 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 at each site, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:10 AM 21 comments  

Labels: Contest, Illinois, Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn, Tivoli Theater