strange and random happenstance

Season of Darkness by Cora Harrison
Published by: Severn House Publishers
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Inspector Field shows his friend Charles Dickens the body of a young woman dragged from the River Thames, he cannot have foreseen that the famous author would immediately recognize the victim as Isabella Gordon, a housemaid he had tried to help through his charity. Nor that Dickens and his fellow writer Wilkie Collins would determine to find out who killed her. Who was Isabella blackmailing, and why? Led on by fragments of a journal discovered by Isabella’s friend Sesina, the two men track the murdered girl’s journeys from Greenwich to Snow Hill, from Smithfield Market to St Bartholomews, and put their wits to work on uncovering her past. But what does Sesina know that she’s choosing not to tell them? And is she doomed to follow in the footsteps of the unfortunate Isabella...?"

Dickens and dead bodies? Through in Wilkie Collins and this is a must read mystery for me.

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe returns to the world of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane with a bewitching story of a New England history professor who must race against time to free her family from a curse.

Connie Goodwin is an expert on America’s fractured past with witchcraft. A young, tenure-track professor in Boston, she’s earned career success by studying the history of magic in colonial America - especially women’s home recipes and medicines - and by exposing society's threats against women fluent in those skills. But beyond her studies, Connie harbors a secret: She is the direct descendant of a woman tried as a witch in Salem, an ancestor whose abilities were far more magical than the historical record shows.

When a hint from her mother and clues from her research lead Connie to the shocking realization that her partner’s life is in danger, she must race to solve the mystery behind a hundreds’-years-long deadly curse.

Flashing back through American history to the lives of certain supernaturally gifted women, The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs affectingly reveals not only the special bond that unites one particular matriarchal line, but also explores the many challenges to women’s survival across the decades―and the risks some women are forced to take to protect what they love most."

Witches and history and Salem oh my!

Bewitched and Betrothed by Juliet Blackwell
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A supernatural force on the loose in San Francisco and a family reunion keeps witch and vintage storeowner Lily Ivory on her toes as she prepares to walk down the aisle...

When Lily Ivory stumbles on the uniform of a former prisoner from Alcatraz and SFPD inspector Carlos Romero’s cousin is kidnapped, Lily suspects something dangerous has been unleashed on the ghost-ridden island of Alcatraz. She'll have to sleuth out the culprit - when she’s not busy entertaining her visiting relatives and resolving romantic conflicts as her wedding date approaches. Could recent omens be pointing to the magical threat in her adopted city? If so, she'll have to line up her allies to change the fate of the Bay Area. Because no matter what, Lily's determined to celebrate her marriage with her friends by her side - even if it means battling a demonic foe before she can make it to the altar."

If you haven't yet picked up this delightful series, what's wrong with you? 

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins crafts an unforgettable story about a sleepy Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a truly magical friendship.

Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler.

If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents—Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book.

“A mesmerizing fusion of the mystical and the everyday” (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author), The Book Charmer is a heartwarming story about the magic of books that feels more than a little magical itself. Prepare to fall under its spell."

Books ARE magic people!

Golden Pavements by Pamela Brown
Published by: Pushkin Children's Books
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third book in the Blue Door series, which starts with The Swish of the Curtain, the classic story which inspired actors from Maggie Smith to Eileen Atkins.

'How do you think you'll like the Academy?'
'Like it!' cried Lyn. 'I love it already. I'd not have missed it for the world. This has been the happiest day of my life.'

At the Actors' Guild in London, the Blue Door Theatre Company are throwing themselves into anything that will bring the dreams of their own theatre to life - touring the country with the Guild's summer productions, working behind the scenes at local theatrical companies, even taking walk-on parts between classes.

But just as plans for their own beloved Blue Door seem almost within their grasp, a disaster threatens to destroy one career for good..."

I love that this old British books are being re-released! 

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret - she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead - her gumiho soul - in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl - he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to men. He's drawn to her anyway.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous and reignite a generations-old feud...forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's."

I can not wait for this modern meets fable YA book! And yes, one yes is because of my love of foxen.

In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant
Published by: Subterranean
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nature abhors a straight line. The natural world is a place of curves and softened edges, of gentle mists and welcoming spirals. Nature remembers deviation; nature does not forgive. For Harlowe Upton-Jones, life has never been a straight line. Shipped off to live with her paternal grandparents after a mysterious cult killed her mother and father, she has grown up chasing the question behind the curve, becoming part of a tight-knit teen detective agency. But “teen” is a limited time offer, and when her friends start looking for adult professions, it's up to Harlowe to find them one last case so that they can go out in a blaze of glory. Welcome to Spindrift House. The stories and legends surrounding the decrepit property are countless and contradictory, but one thing is clear: there are people willing to pay a great deal to determine the legal ownership of the house. When Harlowe and her friends agree to investigate the mystery behind the manor, they do so on the assumption that they'll be going down in history as the ones who determined who built Spindrift House - and why. The house has secrets. They have the skills. They have a plan. They have everything they need to solve the mystery. Everything they need except for time. Because Spindrift House keeps its secrets for a reason, and it has no intention of letting them go. Nature abhors a straight line. Here's where the story bends."

Subterranean Press at it again with a spooky house to boot!

The Dry Heat by Natalia Ginzburg
Published by: New Directions
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Finally back in print, a frighteningly lucid feminist horror story about marriage.

The Dry Heart begins and ends with the matter-of-fact pronouncement: “I shot him between the eyes.” As the tale - a plunge into the chilly waters of loneliness, desperation, and bitterness - proceeds, the narrator's murder of her flighty husband takes on a certain logical inevitability. Stripped of any preciousness or sentimentality, Natalia Ginzburg's writing here is white-hot, tempered by rage. She transforms the unhappy tale of an ordinary dull marriage into a rich psychological thriller that seems to beg the question: why don't more wives kill their husbands?"

Because summer and murder just go together like bacon and eggs.

Murder in the Fens by Clare Chase
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 341 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When the body of twenty-year-old Julie Cooper is found - her pockets stuffed full of wilting flowers - in an iron-age hill fort on the edge of the fens, Detective Tara Thorpe and her team are called in to investigate. The evidence points to an illicit affair gone wrong...but is there more to the story?

As always at the Cambridge constabulary, the case turns personal. Detective Blake is exhausted after the arrival of a new baby with wayward wife Babette, and Tara is keen to put as much distance between herself and Blake as she can - both at the station and on the hunt for the killer. Charming rookie officer Jez is the perfect distraction...but is he a little too good to be true?

Then Tara makes a startling breakthrough when she finds an unsettling family heirloom hidden in the late victim’s bedroom - a golden statue of a sinister-looking cat with emerald eyes. As she traces its origins, Tara begins to realise that Julie’s murder is no one-off crime, but a sinister plot with its roots in a terrible secret that was covered up decades earlier."

A delicious Midsomer Murders meets Lynley vibe. 

The Snakes by Sadie Jones
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A chilling page-turner and impossible to put down, The Snakes is Sadie Jones at her best: breathtakingly powerful, brilliantly incisive, and utterly devastating.

Recently married, psychologist Bea and Dan, a mixed-race artist, rent out their tiny flat to escape London for a few precious months. Driving through France they visit Bea's dropout brother Alex at the hotel he runs in Burgundy. Disturbingly, they find him all alone and the ramshackle hotel deserted, apart from the nest of snakes in the attic.

When Alex and Bea's parents make a surprise visit, Dan can't understand why Bea is so appalled, or why she's never wanted him to know them; Liv and Griff Adamson are charming and rich. They are the richest people he has ever met. Maybe Bea's ashamed of him, or maybe she regrets the secrets she's been keeping.

Tragedy strikes suddenly, brutally, and in its aftermath the family is stripped back to its heart, and then its rotten core, and even Bea with all her strength and goodness can't escape."

At first I was drawn to this book by the Leigh Bardugo reminiscent cover, then I read the blurb and saw it was Sadie Jones and was sold. 

Watchers of the Dead by Simon Beaufort
Published by: Severn House Publishers
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""All Londoners will see what the Watchers are capable of on Christmas Eve..." December 1882. Attending the opening of the new Natural History Museum, Pall Mall Gazette reporter Alec Lonsdale and his colleague Hulda Friederichs are shocked to discover a body in the basement, hacked to death. Suspicion immediately falls on a trio of cannibals, brought over from the Congo as museum exhibits, who have disappeared without trace. Alec however has his doubts - especially when he discovers that three other influential London men have been similarly murdered. When he and Hulda discover a letter in the victim’s home warning of a catastrophic event planned for Christmas Eve, the pair find themselves in a race against time to discover who exactly the Watchers are and what it is they want..."

Christmas is also another great time to commit a crime...

Lucifer Vol. 1: The Infernal Comedy by Dan Watters
Published by: Vertigo
Publication Date: June 25th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Prince of Darkness is missing, and from the look of things he's not coming back. Blind, crippled, and without a penny to his name, the onetime ruler of Hell is now a wizened, unkempt old man trapped in a small town where sinister forces torment him at every turn and nothing is as it seems. He has no memory of how he got here, no hope of escape, and no way to track down his child - the only entity capable of preventing the end of the world.

At the same time, a police officer in Lucifer's adopted hometown of Los Angeles is about to lose everything he holds dear. Desperate to find a reason for his suffering, Detective John Decker is drawn into a shadowy conspiracy whose widely varied members share a single common purpose: to kill Lucifer Morningstar.

With monsters and magicians from every plane of reality set against him, can the Lightbringer heal his broken mind and body and regain his wrongful place in the cosmos?

Acclaimed author Dan Watters (The Shadow, Deep Roots) and the incredible art team of Max and Sebastian Fiumara (All-Star Batman, The Amazing Spider-Man, Abe Sapien) begin an all-new chapter in the saga of one of the Sandman Universe's most mesmerizing characters in Lucifer Vol. 1: The Infernal Comedy - from the mind of New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman!"

I'm a major Luci-fan since Lucifer first came on screen... now I can't get enough and have to go back to where he first appeared, comics!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Blue Door, Clare Chase, Cora Harrison, Foxen, Juliet Blackwell, Karen Hawkins, Kat Cho, Katherine Howe, Lucifer, Mira Grant, Natalia Ginzburg, Neil Gaiman, Pamela Brown, Sadie Jones, Simon Beaufort

The Marvels by Brian Selznick
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 15th, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 640 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Caldecott Award winner and bookmaking trailblazer Brian Selznick once again plays with the form he invented and delivers a moving and mesmerizing adventure about the power of story. Two seemingly unrelated stories -- one in words, the other in pictures -- come together with spellbinding synergy! The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries. How the picture and word stories intersect will leave readers marveling over Selznick's storytelling prowess. Filled with mystery, vibrant characters, surprise twists, and heartrending beauty, and featuring Selznick's most arresting art to date, The Marvels is a moving tribute to the power of story."

Even if you think that Brian Selznick isn't for you, I urge you to pick up any of his books, you will be surprised and most likely blown away simultaneously.

Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton
Published by: Drawn and Quarterly
Publication Date: September 15th, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A follow-up to Hark! A Vagrant, which spent five months on the New York Times bestseller list.

Ida B. Wells, the Black Prince, and Benito Juárez burst off the pages of Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection, armed with modern-sounding quips and amusingly on-point repartee. Kate Beaton's second D+Q book brings her hysterically funny gaze to bear on these and even more historical, literary, and contemporary figures. Irreverently funny and carefully researched, no target is safe from Beaton's incisive wit in these satirical strips.

Beaton began her infectiously popular web comic, Hark! A Vagrant, in 2007 and it quickly attracted the adoration of hundreds of thousands of fans. It was an unequivocal hit with critics and fans alike, topping best-of-the-year lists from E!, Amazon, Time, and more. Now Beaton returns with a refined pen, ready to make jokes at the expense of hunks, army generals, scientists, and Canadians in equal measure. With a few carefully placed lines, she captures the over-the-top evil of the straw feminists in the closet, the disgruntled dismay of Heathcliff, and Wonder Woman's all-conquering ennui. Step Aside, Pops is sure to be the comedic hit of the year: sharp, insightful, and very funny."

While Kate Beaton's comics range from crap to the sublime, the sublime make the crap worth it. Yes, it's uneven, but so are most things and she does make up for it!

The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen by Katherine Howe
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 15th, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A haunting, contemporary love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Conversion.

It’s July in New York City, and aspiring filmmaker Wes Auckerman has just arrived to start his summer term at NYU. While shooting a séance at a psychic’s in the East Village, he meets a mysterious, intoxicatingly beautiful girl named Annie.

As they start spending time together, Wes finds himself falling for her, drawn to her rose-petal lips and her entrancing glow. There’s just something about her that he can’t put his finger on, something faraway and otherworldly that compels him to fall even deeper. Annie’s from the city, and yet she seems just as out of place as Wes feels. Lost in the chaos of the busy city streets, she’s been searching for something—a missing ring. And now Annie is running out of time and needs Wes’s help. As they search together, Annie and Wes uncover secrets lurking around every corner, secrets that will reveal the truth of Annie’s dark past."

Totally didn't realize this was YA, it will still be good though...

Dishing the Dirt by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 15th, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When therapist Jill Davent moved to the village of Carsely, Agatha Raisin was not a fan. Not only was this therapist romancing Agatha's ex-husband but she dug up details of Agatha's not-too-glamorous origins. Jill also counsels a woman, Gwen Simple, that Agatha firmly believes assisted her son in some grisly murders, although there is no proof. Not one to keep her feelings to herself, Agatha tells anyone that would listen that Jill is a charlatan and better off dead. Agatha could only sigh with relief when the therapist took an office in Mircester.

When Agatha learns that Jill had hired a private detective to investigate her background, she barges into Jill's office and gives her a piece of her mind, yelling "I could kill you!" So when Jill is found strangled to death in her office two days later, Agatha becomes the prime suspect. But Agatha, along with her team of private detectives, is determined to prove her innocence and find the real culprit. This time Agatha must use her skills to save her own skin."

Two "Beatons" this week, interesting...

Driving Heat by Richard Castle
Published by: Kingswell
Publication Date: September 15th, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Richard Castle, New York Times mega-bestselling mystery writer and star of ABC's hit primetime show Castle is back. In the seventh novel of his popular Nikki Heat series, the NYPD's top homicide detective has been promoted to captain just in time to face a thrilling case with a very personal twist. Captain Heat's fianc , Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jameson Rook, is deep in an investigation. Professionally for Heat, Rook's meddling in the case compromises her new job. Privately, it becomes an early test of their engagement when Rook becomes a distraction at best, and an obstacle at worst, as their parallel lives not only cross, but collide."

The "Castle" books keep coming on!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Raisin, Brian Selznick, Driving Heat, Hark a Vagrant, Kate Beaton, Katherine Howe, M.C. Beaton, Nikki Heat, Richard Castle, The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen, The Marvels

Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn
Published by: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: September 30th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 368
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn returns with a Jazz Age tale of grand adventure.

On the verge of a stilted life as an aristocrat's wife, Poppy Hammond does the only sensible thing—she flees the chapel in her wedding gown. Assisted by the handsome curate who calls himself Sebastian Cantrip, she spirits away to her estranged father's quiet country village, pursued by the family she left in uproar. But when the dust of her broken engagement settles and Sebastian disappears under mysterious circumstances, Poppy discovers there is more to her hero than it seems.

With only her feisty lady's maid for company, Poppy secures employment and travels incognita—east across the seas, chasing a hunch and the whisper of clues. Danger abounds beneath the canopies of the silken city, and Poppy finds herself in the perilous sights of those who will stop at nothing to recover a fabled ancient treasure. Torn between allegiance to her kindly employer and a dashing, shadowy figure, Poppy will risk it all as she attempts to unravel a much larger plan—one that stretches to the very heart of the British government, and one that could endanger everything, and everyone, that she holds dear."

While I enjoy the Lady Julia books, Deanna Raybourn has really found her niche with these newer books. Adore them!

Murder at Marble House by Alyssa Maxwell
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: September 30th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With the dawn of the twentieth century on the horizon, the fortunes of the venerable Vanderbilt family still shine brightly in the glittering high society of Newport, Rhode Island. But when a potential scandal strikes, the Vanderbilts turn to cousin and society page reporter Emma Cross to solve a murder and a disappearance. . .

Responding to a frantic call on her newfangled telephone from her eighteen-year-old cousin, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Emma Cross arrives at the Marble House mansion and learns the cause of her distress--Consuelo's mother, Alva, is forcing her into marriage with the Duke of Marlborough. Her mother has even called in a fortune teller to assure Consuelo of a happy future.

But the future is short-lived for the fortune teller, who is found dead by her crystal ball, strangled with a silk scarf. Standing above her is one of the Vanderbilts' maids, who is promptly taken into police custody. After the frenzy has died down, Consuelo is nowhere to be found. At Alva's request, Emma must employ her sleuthing skills to determine if the vanishing Vanderbilt has eloped with the beau of her choice--or if her disappearance may be directly connected to the murder. . ."

Ever since reading The American Heiress, I'm now kind of obsessed with Gilded Age Newport.

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel
Published by: Henry Holt and Co
Publication Date: September 30th, 2014
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One of the most accomplished, acclaimed, and garlanded writers, Hilary Mantel delivers a brilliant collection of contemporary stories.

In The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Mantel’s trademark gifts of penetrating characterization, unsparing eye, and rascally intelligence are once again fully on display.

Stories of dislocation and family fracture, of whimsical infidelities and sudden deaths with sinister causes, brilliantly unsettle the reader in that unmistakably Mantel way.

Cutting to the core of human experience, Mantel brutally and acutely writes about marriage, class, family, and sex. Unpredictable, diverse, and sometimes shocking, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher displays a magnificent writer at the peak of her powers."

More for the cover then the book, though I'm sure that's awesome. But the cover... it repels me and attracts me at once...

The Penguin Book of Witches by Katherine Howe
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: September 30th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Chilling real-life accounts of witches, from medieval Europe through colonial America

From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, The Penguin Book of Witches is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft."

And JUST in time for the beginning of the witching season!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alyssa Maxwell, Deanna Raybourn, Gilded Age, Hilary Mantel, Katherine Howe, Murder at Marble House, Newport, Night of a Thousand Stars, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Witches

1) Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie - Because I adore this little short story that introduced the world to Peter Pan. Also, my copy is a tiny little paperback Penguin mini that hasn't aged very well, whereas this is a Facsimile Edition of the original with drawings by Arthur Rackham! Score! Bought at Frugal Muse.

2) Endgame by Ann Aguirre - The end of Sirantha Jax, weep, sob. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

3) Ghosts of Manhattan by George Mann - I have been wanting to get my hands on this book in George's Ghost series for awhile, and imagin my joy and finding both at once. There was almost a happy dance, I lie, there was a happy dance, once I had taken the books of the shelf and made sure no one would snag them from beneath my nose. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

4) Ghosts of War by George Mann - Ditto above, happy dance, yeah! Bought at Barnes and Noble.

5) The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron - I admit I know nothing about this book. But I had a 30% off one YA or Kids book and I saw this vaguely Steampunky cover and read the blurb and it said English Country Estate, so I was sold, if it's any good, only time will tell... Bought at Barnes and Noble.

6) The Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt - So over on Lauren Willig's site, she was having a discussion/recommendation as the best "gateway" book for those who've never read Victoria Holt. I personally have never read her and when her recomendation was one about Egypt, I went straight to Amazon and bought it now. Bought at Amazon.

7) Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie - Another Christie facsimile I ordered with Mrs. Oliver, finally arrived from England! Bought at Amazon UK.

8) Third Girl by Agatha Christie - Ditto! Bought at Amazon UK.

9) The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe - I've been waffling on buying this one for awhile, so the fact that she was doing a signing at Murder by the Book swayed me to the yes category. That and I could get my copy of her first book signed! Bought at Murder by the Book.

10) Seizures by Katy Reichs - Again, another book I was debating that swung to the yes category by a signing at Murder by the Book. Bought at Murder by the Book.

11) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr - Yeah, a new Melissa Marr book which everyone has told me is awesome. Though it's still hard for me to type "carnival" and not want to but an "e" on the end. Damn, I miss that show. Bought at Murder by the Book.

12) Ruby Red by Kersin Gier - Has been on my "to get" list for a long time and to tie in with the new book they re-released the first book (aka, this one) in a snazzy new and elegant cover. Bought at Amazon.

13) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - Did I know that they had released the book in the Everyman's Children's Classics Library? Uh, duh, no I didn't otherwies I would have bought it long ago! I love this series from Everyman's Library! Bought at Amazon.

Ok, now here will be the, damn, she went to a Fierce Reads author event with Marissa Meyer, Ann Aguirre, Lish McBride and Elizabeth Fama, so I couldn't NOT buy all their books... right? Also, I know you're jealous I was there and just won't admit it...

14) Enclave by Ann Aguirre - I was kind of kicking myself for not getting this book in the spring at the RT Convention where I first met Ann, so luckily I got my chance again! Also, right when Outpost came out, which leads too... Bought at Books and Company.

15) Outpost by Ann Aguirre - See, I couldn't just buy Enclave, now could I? Bought at Books and Company.

16) Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride - Serious cover lust and after hearing more about the book, it made me want to stop reading my current book and pick this up. Bought at Books and Company

17) Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride - Perhaps even great cover lust, sigh. Bought at Books and Company.

18) Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama - Probably the book prior to the event I was least excited about, until I heard, evil mermaids, New England, and kind of like Frankenstein. Yeah, sold! Bought at Books and Company.

So, with all the work at school I've been stressed, and I tend to stress by books... it's weird, but it's like, I'm looking forward to when I have free time so I over buy books. Also, as a side note, perhaps it's unwise my doctor's office is like right near Barnes and Noble, so when I went in thinking I was breaking out in hives (I wasn't, just bug bites) to calm myself after, what better thing is there than books?

19) Foretold by Carrie Ryan - YA Anthology that I've been waiting for. Even better, it arrived at Frugal Muse so I got it for a quarter of the list price! Bought at Frugal Muse.

20) The High Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate by Scott Nash. Never heard of this book. Saw it and it looked awesome, so, yeah, I bought it. Bought at Frugal Muse.

21) The Twelve Rooms of the Nile by Enid Shomer - As I said on "Tuesday Tomorrow" it's about Egypt, so I'm sold, also, gorgeous cover! Bought at Barnes and Noble.

22) Dodger by Terry Pratchett - DUH! Terry Pratchett devote in the house! Bought at Barnes and Noble.

23) In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell - Witchy fun, perfect for October! Bought at Barnes and Noble.

24) Alchemystic by Anton Strout - The proclaimed nemesis of Patrick Rothfuss, who donated money for every preorder... odd that I bought Pat's nemesis's book on Pat's recommendation... Bought at Amazon.

25) Death on a Silver Tray by Rosemary Stevens - The first in her Bean Brummell mystery series, highly recommended by Lauren Willig. Bought at Amazon.

26) The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King - I recommended the newest in this series about Sherlock Holmes recently and realized, I haven't read the first. So this is the first, fyi. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

27) Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans - I love Harriet Evans and have been wanting her newest book for quite some time but sadly every time I tried to get a copy it was damaged beyond belief, sometimes it astounds me what mailing a book does to it. But FINALLY I found a mint copy! Bought at Barnes and Noble.

Note on the bookstores:
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!

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

Books and Company - Local bookstore, not local to Madison, but Oconomowoc, which isn't that far away. They have great signing events, I got to meet Erin Morgenstern through them last year!

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.

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!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Ann Ag, Carrie Ryan, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Fama, George Mann, Harriet Evans, Katherine Howe, Katy Reichs, Lish McBride, Melissa Marr, Peter Pan, Steampunk, Terry Pratchett

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal
Published by: Tor
Publication Date: April 10th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mary Robinette Kowal stunned readers with her charming first novel Shades of Milk and Honey, a loving tribute to the works of Jane Austen in a world where magic is an everyday occurrence. This magic comes in the form of glamour, which allows talented users to form practically any illusion they can imagine. Shades debuted to great acclaim and left readers eagerly awaiting its sequel. Glamour in Glass continues following the lives of beloved main characters Jane and Vincent, with a much deeper vein of drama and intrigue.

In the tumultuous months after Napoleon abdicates his throne, Jane and Vincent go to Belgium for their honeymoon. While there, the deposed emperor escapes his exile in Elba, throwing the continent into turmoil. With no easy way back to England, Jane and Vincent’s concerns turn from enjoying their honeymoon…to escaping it.

Left with no outward salvation, Jane must persevere over her trying personal circumstances and use her glamour to rescue her husband from prison . . . and hopefully prevent her newly built marriage from getting stranded on the shoals of another country's war."

Adored the first book and have been dying to dive into the second book... I don't like to wait, but if it's as good as the first I should be able to survive the drive to the bookstore... I hope.

The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveny
Published by: Little Brown, and Company
Publication Date: April 10th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Gabriella Mondini is a rarity in 16th century Venice: a woman who practices medicine. Her father, a renowned physician, has provided her entrée to this all-male profession, and inspired in her a shared mission to understand the secrets of the human body.

Then her father disappears and Gabriella faces a crisis: she is no longer permitted to treat her patients, women who need her desperately, without her father's patronage. She sets out across Europe to find where-and why-he has gone. Following clues from his occasional enigmatic letters, Gabriella crosses Switzerland, Germany and France, entering strange and forbidding cities. She travels to Scotland, the Netherlands, and finally to Morocco. In each new land she probes the mystery of her father's flight, and open new mysteries of her own. Not just mysteries of ailments and treatments, but ultimate mysteries of mortality, love, and the timeless human spirit.

Filled with medical lore and sensuous, vivid details of Renaissance life, The Book of Madness and Cures is an intoxicating and unforgettable debut."

Oh, Venice and the Renaissance, I must buy this.

The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe Published by: Voice
Publication Date: April 10th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Katherine Howe, author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, returns with an entrancing historical novel set in Boston in 1915, where a young woman stands on the cusp of a new century, torn between loss and love, driven to seek answers in the depths of a crystal ball.

Still reeling from the deaths of her mother and sister on the Titanic, Sibyl Allston is living a life of quiet desperation with her taciturn father and scandal-plagued brother in an elegant town house in Boston’s Back Bay. Trapped in a world over which she has no control, Sibyl flees for solace to the parlor of a table-turning medium.

But when her brother is suddenly kicked out of Harvard under mysterious circumstances and falls under the sway of a strange young woman, Sibyl turns for help to psychology professor Benton Derby, despite the unspoken tensions of their shared past. As Benton and Sibyl work together to solve a harrowing mystery, their long-simmering spark flares to life, and they realize that there may be something even more magical between them than a medium’s scrying glass.

From the opium dens of Boston’s Chinatown to the opulent salons of high society, from the back alleys of colonial Shanghai to the decks of the Titanic, The House of Velvet and Glass weaves together meticulous period detail, intoxicating romance, and a final shocking twist that will leave readers breathless."

Titanic time! I forewarned you! That's all this year is about... well mainly because Jullian Fellowes has the new Titanic miniseries... not that 100 years thing. These days it's ALL Julian Fellowes.

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 10th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

In The Calling, the sizzling second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of The Gathering clamoring for more. "

For those who can NEVER get enough Kelley Armstrong, her you go!

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 10th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict. Meet the boy who started it all....

Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments. Now he's being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances -- and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he has one important thing in his favor: He's a genius.

On his quest to solve the mystery, Nicholas finds enemies around every corner, but also friends in unexpected places -- and discovers along the way that the greatest puzzle of all is himself."

I keep meaning to pick up this series, and was reminded once again, this time from Lauren Willig... hmm, must really read now.

Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie (Mallowan)
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: April 10th, 2012
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"To the world she was Agatha Christie, author of numerous bestselling mysteries and whodunits, arguably the most popular writer in the English language. But in the 1930s she wore a different hat, traveling with her husband, renowned archaeologist Max Mallowan, as he investigated the buried ruins and ancient wonders of Syria and Iraq. Described by the author as a "meandering chronicle of life on an archaeological dig," Come, Tell Me How You Live is Dame Agatha Christie's first-person account of her time spent in this breathtaking corner of the globe where recorded human history began. It is a fascinating, eye-opening, vibrant, and vivid portrait of a place, a people, and a past, by a legendary writer whose extraordinary popularity endures to this day; an altogether remarkable narrative of everyday life in a world now long since vanished. "

Agatha Christie's memoir of when she was in the Middle East. Could there be a better pairing than the land of sand and pyramids and Dame Agatha? I think not!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Glamour in Glass, Julian Fellowes, Katherine Howe, Kelley Armstrong, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mystyerios Benedict Society, Regin O'Melveny, Trenton Lee Stewart