strange and random happenstance

Final Girls by Riley Sager
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: July 11th, 2017
Format: Kindle, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Quincy Carpenter is a final girl. Not just because she survived a massacre in the Poconos which left all of her friends dead, but because the press has elevated her to that status officially. She, along with two other women, are THE final girls. The first was Lisa, she survived a knife wielding maniac who attacked her sorority and killed all nine of her fellow sisters. Then there was Sam, she survived the Sack Man who showed up at the Nightlight Inn and killed everyone on site until Sam killed him. Then there was Quincy, she survived Pine Cottage and ran into the arms of her savior, the cop Coop, who gunned down her assailant. Coop's been keeping a protective eye on Quincy for ten years now. He's glad she's leading a normal life. She has a baking blog and is deep in the stages of baking season, that stretch from October to December when baked goods are a must. She has a solid almost-finance in prosecutor Jeff. In fact, from the outside her life looks perfect, and that's what she wants everyone to think. She's not a final girl, she is normal. But below the surface is rage. She pops Xanax with grape soda any time she feels. She is a mess, and events are about to rock her carefully controlled world. Because Coop brings her news that Lisa has killed herself. It's not just that this will bring the reporters out of the woodwork yet again, it's the fact that Lisa had survived so much and to take her own life goes against everything it means to be a final girl. What's more, Lisa tried to reach out to Quincy moments before her death. What did Lisa need to tell her? And if that isn't strange enough Sam shows up on Quincy's doorstep. After the public scrutiny Sam went off grid. She successfully disappeared. She was the mysterious one of the three final girls and here she is wanting to bond with Quincy, claiming that it's what Lisa would have wanted. Only Sam has many secrets and many demons following her. But Quincy wants to do what is best, and she invites her in. Then Sam gets arrested and Quincy realizes that the reason Sam so successfully disappeared is because she changed her name to Tina Stone. Well, whomever Sam/Tina is, she's pushing all Quincy's buttons, trying to get her to open up, to lash out, to embrace what it means to be a final girl. But is this because Sam has another motive? Soon they're on the cover of every newspaper, Quincy is under suspicion for battery of a junkie, and Lisa, well, Lisa didn't kill herself. Which means, is one of them next?

As the forth of July holiday approached I was longing to read Riley Sager's newest book, Survive the Night. He was my author of last summer and I was determined he'd be my author of this summer as well. But I was still waiting on my signed copy from Murder By The Book so I decided to delve into the only other book written under the Riley Sager nom de plume I hadn't gotten around to, Final Girls. Sadly it didn't scratch my itch. This is my least favorite of Riley Sager's books so far. And the truth is, I don't think it was a flaw in the book that made me dissatisfied, because it had so many things going for it, a relevant baking blog, true crime websites, though I disagree that the preponderance of them are run by men, and glorious Twin Peaks references that if you have obsessively watched the show for years like I have will clue you into the twist at the end. No, the problem was with me and my hatred of the "single white female" trope. I was all in for the slasher/cabin vibe, but sadly despite being the event that made Quincy a "final girl" it's more a subplot. Nothing more than background for where she is now, a decade later. And that is dealing with Sam/Tina and her moving in on Quincy's life. So you might be wondering, why do I hate the "single white female" trope so much, because I really can't stand it, so I will try to explain. So the trope is all about a woman coming into your life and incrementally taking it over. For me, the reason I hate this is that if someone tried to do this to me they'd be gone before they knew what hit them. If someone is problematic, if someone gives off a stalker vibe, WHY ARE YOU LETTING THEM IN!?! Admittedly, here Riley Sager is giving us a set of circumstances where it would be wrong to turn that woman away, so points for that, but for me, I can't see opening up my home to anyone who would basically end up being a hurricane. I like my nice, neat, controlled life. I would not tolerate it to ever go "single white female" and so I am annoyed when others let it happen to them. The ONLY time I've enjoyed this trope was in season four of Buffy the Vampires Slayer when Buffy's roommate Kathy is trying to single white female Buffy but Kathy turns out to be a demon and is vanquished. Rightly so if just for her music taste!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Coop, Final Girl, Final Girls, Going Gothic, Horror, Murder by the Book, Pine Cottage, Poconos, Quincy Carpenter, Riley Sager, Single White Female, Slasher, Survive the Night, Twin Peaks

Murder by the Book by Clare Harman
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the acclaimed biographer - the fascinating, little-known story of a Victorian-era murder that rocked literary London, leading Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and Queen Victoria herself to wonder: Can a novel kill?

In May 1840, Lord William Russell, well known in London's highest social circles, was found with his throat cut. The brutal murder had the whole city talking. The police suspected Russell's valet, Courvoisier, but the evidence was weak. The missing clue, it turned out, lay in the unlikeliest place: what Courvoisier had been reading. In the years just before the murder, new printing methods had made books cheap and abundant, the novel form was on the rise, and suddenly everyone was reading. The best-selling titles were the most sensational true-crime stories. Even Dickens and Thackeray, both at the beginning of their careers, fell under the spell of these tales - Dickens publicly admiring them, Thackeray rejecting them. One such phenomenon was William Harrison Ainsworth's Jack Sheppard, the story of an unrepentant criminal who escaped the gallows time and again. When Lord William's murderer finally confessed his guilt, he would cite this novel in his defense. Murder By the Book combines this thrilling true-crime story with an illuminating account of the rise of the novel form and the battle for its early soul among the most famous writers of the time. It is superbly researched, vividly written, and captivating from first to last."

If you've finished watching the recent season of Victoria and love the time period but thought the show could use some murder, this book is for you! 

Murder in Midtown by Liz Freeland

Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1913, while the women’s suffrage movement gains momentum in the nation’s capital, the thought of a woman joining the New York City police force is downright radical, even if recent transplant Louise Faulk has already solved a murder...

Louise has finally gathered the courage to take the police civil service exam, but when she returns to her secretary job at the midtown publishing house of Van Hooten and McChesney, she’s shocked to find the offices smoldering from a deadly, early morning fire. Huddled on the sidewalk, her coworkers inform her that Guy Van Hooten’s body has been found in the charred ruins. Rumors of foul play are already circulating, and the firm’s surviving partner asks Louise to investigate the matter.

Despite a number of possible suspects, the last person Louise expects to be arrested is Ogden McChesney, an old friend and mentor to her aunt Irene. Louise will have to search high and low, from the tenements in the Lower East Side to the very clouds above the tallest skyscrapers, to get to the bottom of an increasingly complex case..."

A little female gumption and know-how in New York!

The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beloved heroine Maisie Dobbs, “one of the great fictional heroines” (Parade), investigates the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz in a page-turning tale of love and war, terror and survival.

When Catherine Saxon, an American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in her London digs, news of her death is concealed by British authorities. Serving as a linchpin between Scotland Yard and the Secret Service, Robert MacFarlane pays a visit to Maisie Dobbs, seeking her help. He is accompanied by an agent from the US Department of Justice - Mark Scott, the American who helped Maisie escape Hitler’s Munich in 1938. MacFarlane asks Maisie to work with Scott to uncover the truth about Saxon’s death.

As the Germans unleash the full terror of their blitzkrieg upon the British Isles, raining death and destruction from the skies, Maisie must balance the demands of solving this dangerous case with her need to protect Anna, the young evacuee she has grown to love and wants to adopt. Entangled in an investigation linked to the power of wartime propaganda and American political intrigue being played out in Britain, Maisie will face losing her dearest friend - and the possibility that she might be falling in love again."

Since the beginning I've always wondered if Maise Dobbs would make it to WWII, and this book answers my question.

What Would Maisie Do? by Jacqueline Winspear
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A one-of-a-kind illustrated companion to the best-selling Maisie Dobbs series, which invites readers into the beloved heroine’s world - and shares her wisdom and inspiration.

Through fourteen books, the Maisie Dobbs series has had a resounding impact on fans. Readers have shared with author Jacqueline Winspear how Maisie’s stories have resonated with them or helped them through difficult times. Fans have been inspired by the heroine’s resilience and endurance, repurposing her strength in their own lives in a way perhaps best embodied by the phrase “What Would Maisie Do?”

Anchored by thirty of Maisie's most timeless quotes, coupled with Jacqueline Winspear’s inspiration for each nugget of wisdom, these reflections offer readers additional insight into the world of Maisie Dobbs and invite them to reflect on favorite moments and memories. Here are just a few:

On the value of respect: “Liking a person we are required to have dealings with is not of paramount importance. But respect is crucial, on both sides, as is tolerance and a depth of understanding of those influences that sculpt a character.”

On grieving: “Grief is a pilgrimage along a path that allows us to reflect upon the past from points of remembrance held in the soul. At times the way is filled with stones underfoot and we feel pained by our memories, yet on other days the shadows reflect our longing and those happinesses shared.”

On the importance of departure: “Leaving that which you love breaks your heart open. But you will find a jewel inside, and this precious jewel is the opening of your heart to all that is new and all that is different, and it will be the making of you - if you allow it to be.”

The perfect supplement to the Maisie Dobbs series, What Would Maisie Do? also features the iconic jacket art that has graced the series, as well as period photographs and prompts for readers' own observations and inspiration - making this a unique journal that fans will turn to and treasure for years to come."

If you were thinking, one Maisie Dobbs book isn't enough this week? Well I have good news for you!

Killing November by Adriana Mather
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch comes a thriller set at a secretive boarding school where students are trained to carry on family legacies that have built - and toppled - empires.

November is trapped.

At the mysterious Academy Absconditi, a school that's completely off the grid, there's no electricity, no internet, and a brutal eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from knife-throwing and poisons to the art of deception. And the other students? All children of the world's most elite strategists, in training to become assassins, spies, and master manipulators. November Adley doesn't know why she's been sent to this place, or the secrets that make up its legacy, but she'll quickly discover that allies are few in a school where competition is everything. When another student is murdered, all eyes turn to November, who must figure out exactly how she fits in before she is found guilty of the crime...or becomes the killer's next victim.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Adriana Mather comes a captivating thriller that will leave you breathless."

It's like a prose version of Deadly Class!

Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third in a tasty series, Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is a delight!

Everyone agrees that the food at Ho-Lee Noodle House is delicious - unless it happens to be deadly.

Lana Lee’s stake in her family’s Chinese restaurant is higher than ever now that she’s been made manager. So when she enters Ho-Lee into Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest, Lana makes it her business to win - at all costs. But when a local food critic receives a threatening note in a fortune cookie and is later found dead, face-down in a bowl of lo mein, all bets are off...

Now, along with her sweet-and-sour boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana decides to take matters into her own hands and dig into the lives of everyone involved in the contest. But when she receives an ill-fated fortune, Lana realizes that in order to save the reputation of her restaurant, she needs to save herself first..."

My friend Johnnie never steers me wrong on books and this series is HIGHLY recommended by him!

Timat's Wrathby James S.A. Corey
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 544 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The eighth book in the NYT bestselling Expanse series, Tiamat's Wrath finds the crew of the Rocinante fighting an underground war against a nearly invulnerable authoritarian empire, with James Holden a prisoner of the enemy. Now a Prime Original series.

Thirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire in the alien ruins, the mysteries and threats grow deeper.

In the dead systems where gates lead to stranger things than alien planets, Elvi Okoye begins a desperate search to discover the nature of a genocide that happened before the first human beings existed, and to find weapons to fight a war against forces at the edge of the imaginable. But the price of that knowledge may be higher than she can pay.

At the heart of the empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to take on the burden of her father's godlike ambition. The sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortázar and the Mephistophelian prisoner James Holden are only two of the dangers in a palace thick with intrigue, but Teresa has a mind of her own and secrets even her father the emperor doesn't guess.

And throughout the wide human empire, the scattered crew of the Rocinante fights a brave rear-guard action against Duarte's authoritarian regime. Memory of the old order falls away, and a future under Laconia's eternal rule - and with it, a battle that humanity can only lose - eems more and more certain. Because against the terrors that lie between worlds, courage and ambition will not be enough..."

If you're thinking, wait, this is March I was expecting this book in December, well, you're not the only one... 

Firefly - Magnificent Nice  by James Lovegrove
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The second original novel tying into the critically acclaimed and much-missed Firefly series from creator Joss Whedon.

An old flame of Jayne Cobb's, Temperance McCloud, sends a message to Serenity, begging him for help. She lives on the arid, far-flung world of Tethys, and bandits are trying to overrun her town to gain control of their water supply: the only thing standing between its people and dustbowl ruin. Jayne tries to persuade the Serenity crew to join the fight, but it is only when he offers Vera, his favourite gun, as collateral that Mal realises he's serious.

When the Serenity crew land at a hardscrabble desert outpost called Coogan's Bluff, they discover two things: an outlaw gang with an almost fanatical devotion to their leader who will stop at nothing to get what they want, and that Temperance is singlehandedly raising a teenage daughter, born less than a year after Temperance and Jayne broke up. A daughter by the name of Jane McCloud..."

Yes, I'm glad that they're creating more in the 'verse, but could they hire a cover artist instead of using bad Photoshop filters on old promotional stills?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Claire Harman, Firefly, Jacqueline Winspear, James S.A. Corey, Killing November, Liz Freeland, Maisie Dobbs, Murder by the Book, Murder in Midtown, Murder Lo Mein, The Expanse, Victorian, Vivien Chien

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: Murder By The Book

Location: Houston, Texas

Official Patter: "Murder By The Book is one of the nation's oldest and largest mystery specialty bookstores, established in 1980 by Martha Farrington, and purchased by McKenna Jordan in 2009. The store stocks over 25,000 books - new and used, hardbacks and paperbacks, first editions, collectibles, gift items, mystery magazines, and more. We host over 200 of the hottest mystery, crime, and fantasy authors for book signing events every year. We've had everyone from Dick Francis to P.D. James, Sue Grafton to Robert Crais, Michael Connelly to Patricia Cornwell, James Lee Burke to Daniel Silva."

Why I Love Them: They are literally my favorite bookstore that I've never been to! I first heard about them because I had fallen in love with the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig and I saw this was a bookstore she was stopping at way back in 2008 to promote the fourth book in the series, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose. It wasn't long before I started to notice how many authors I loved stopped by, all those wonderful signed first editions that could be coming my way! From Tasha Alexander to Deanna Raybourn, Melissa Marr to Kate Morton, Mary Robinette Kowal to Jacqueline Winspear, so many authors on the historical fiction/mystery spectrum made Murder By The Book their go to stop on their tours that I long to live closer. And this doesn't even include Charlaine Harris's link to the store and how many signed books they have supplied me with of hers!

Best Buy: But the best thing about Murder By The Book is that through them I have been given some of the best book recommendations. Recommendations that I'm sure I'd never have heard of otherwise! Johnnie Cakes (the moniker many authors know and love John Kwiatowski by) introduced me to The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, a favorite Steampunk series of mine by Pip Ballantine and her husband Tee Morris among many many others. Occasionally he'll just email me and be like, you need this. I always listen. But before Johnnie there was the store's dearly departed owner David Thompson giving me recommendations. Back in 2009 there was a new book coming out, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and he told me it was not just a must read but that it was going to be big. I listened and am the proud owner of a signed first edition of this Alan Bradley book that went on to win every award that year. Though the awards would mean nothing if it wasn't for the fact that I just fell in love with this series. Every year I wait with baited breath for the next installment, currently at nine books, one short story, and book ten on the way. There's something about Flavia De Luce that I just connect with. She's precocious, incorrigible, and whip-smart. She might be one of my favorite crime solving heroines of all time, and easily my favorite who isn't yet a teenager! But to think, I would never have heard of her it not for David! That is why I love reaching out and forming relationships with bookstores online. They have all these books they want to recommend to you and they help to expand your horizons. The Internet truly does make the world smaller, and because of it I've met some great friends, both real and fictional.       

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alan Bradley, Flavia De Luce, Lauren Willig, Murder by the Book, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 374 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

At Buckshaw, the ancestral home of the de Luce's, Flavia spends her time lovingly researching poisons and thinking up ways to exact revenge on her two older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne. What else can one do with a distant philatelist father interested only in his stamps, a dead mother, and sisters more concerned with reading and makeup then forging sisterly bonds? Add Mrs. Mullet, a cook who keeps plying them with her unwanted custard pies, and Dogger, the shell shocked comrade in arms who saved the Colonel in the war and is now the house's general dogsbody, and you can see why Flavia likes the uncomplicated world of chemistry to that of her fellow man. Lucky for Flavia the long dead Tarquin de Luce had a fervent love of chemistry equal to hers and she has inherited his envy inducing laboratory in Buckshaw, where even the china has a story to it. But their peace is soon to be disturbed, and not by the shrieks of Feely as her pearls are disintegrated by Flavia, or the muffled sounds of Flavia trying to extricate herself from the closest where her sisters imprisoned her. No. Murder is about to strike Buckshaw, foreshadowed by a dead jack snipe with a postage stamp skewered on it's beak. In the middle of the night Flavia is woken by her father arguing with a man in his study. She is taken back to bed by Dogger and she blasts music to lull herself to sleep rather than stewing in her habitual discontented and inquisitive mindset, but not before she heard her father say he had murdered a man by the name of Twining twenty years ago.

In the early dawn hours she awakens and goes out into the garden to find the intruder almost dead in the cucumber patch, his last words uttered into Flavia's face. The authorities are called and the investigation begins. But Flavia has her own investigations to conduct, starting at the public library and the death of this man named Twining. To her trusty steed, Gladys, her mother's old bicycle that Flavia uses to race off to the library. Which is closed... but soon a librarian approaches. The retired Miss Mountjoy, the bane of the village, has returned to help the current librarian. But her arrival is felicitous, she happens to be the niece of the murdered Twining, who was a teacher at Greyminster, the school Colonel de Luce attended. Twining committed suicide in front of all his students by jumping off the top of the school tower after a prize Penny Black stamp was taken from the headmaster and destroyed in front of his eyes. Flavia, intrigued, then goes to the local inn, assuming that the mystery man had to be staying there. In his room she finds the stamp that was supposedly destroyed... and it's twin! But back at Buckshaw it might be too late... her father has been arrested! Can Flavia save the day and her father before Inspector Hewitt and the other detectives? Or will she need saving herself?

When the dearly departed David Thompson from Murder by the Book casually mentioned a new and unique mystery that he thought I'd like I had little inkling that it would be the start of one of my favorite book series. Six years have passed since he sent me that email, five years since I first read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and David died. I can't believe it's been that long, but the sheer joy with which I've devoured the following six volumes attests to the fact that time hasn't stayed still. Flavia de Luce has worked her way into my heart. Part Addams Family, part Eloise, she's precocious but in a way that isn't cloying because it is balanced by her fondness for the macabre.  Bradley's world is populated with overtones of Christie and Du Maurier, which I'm sure he would gladly confirm. He has given us a wonderful mystery that reads like the best of the British whodunits but with a unique narrator in the guise of Flavia. Her family and their estate remind one of a dysfunctional Larkin family, they all have their little quirks and obsessions. Whether it's Flavia and her chemical compounds or Daffy and her books or the Colonel and his stamps, Bradley has created a myriad of interesting folk and their foibles who you can't help but love. But their bizarre personality quirks aren't just their for the sake of creating a semblance of depth in these people, they are integral to the plot and to the solving of the mystery. Only those with the experiences and backgrounds that the de Luce's possess would be able to see the greater picture.  

Though re-reading it all these years later with the sheer number of books I read per year details have become hazy and it was nice to refamiliarize myself with Flavia's origins. The truth is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is rough around the edges. Bradley has matured as a writer over the years to be more polished and to tell Flavia's story in a more assured and competent manner. With his development over the past few years he has definitely secured Flavia's place among the cannon of British whodunits, even if he's Canadian. But here this assurance is lacking and there are times when I was distinctly put out. Flavia waffles between being mature for her age and being very slow on the uptake. This results in her inner monologue occasionally becoming repetitive and simplistic in her deductions when the answer is actually right in front of her. While the mystery isn't really the driving force of Flavia's story, it is hard on the reader when they are so far ahead of Flavia that you start hoping that she'd get on with it already. But then again, this slow style is typical of the cozy genre and for a first outing, it's better than some writers achieve in their entire life. Yes, it might be a little clunky, yes, it's not perfect, but it does lay the groundwork magnificently for a solid series to come.

What really strikes me coming back to the beginning is just how British this series is. It's not just that this story could only happen to this family but also this could only happen in Britain. My love of Lark Rise to Candleford has made me more then a little obsessed with running a small rural post office in Victorian England, and the history of the postal service and the issuance of stamps and the Penny Black and it's connection to revolutionary forces and how it oddly ties into the climax of the movie The Young Victoria; well, the Anglophile in me was doing a happy dance. I find it interesting that in my original review, which I might have liberally borrowed from here, I found the reminisces of Colonel de Luce over long and unnecessary. But the truth is his unburdening in that little jail cell is the core of this book. Not only do we get this postal history but how much more British can a book get than long reminiscences of boys going to boarding school? The halcyon days of Greyminster and Colonel de Luce's mentor, Twining, are the stuff of Waugh and Powell, but here, here they take a deliciously dark twist. These settings, this time period, it just makes you long to dwell in the world, to walk the crumbling Buckshaw estate and wade out to the little folly. It is a world that is gone and we long to recapture, and here it is thanks to Bradley.    

And then there's Dogger. Dogger is a product of this time and this place and he is the heart of this book. Knowing, as I now know, Dogger's full past, seeing the clues, the little crumb trail that Bradley started here makes me realize what a long game he was playing. But it's not just Dogger, it's the way the de Luce's take care of him and even shelter him. They know Dogger is special and they treat him as such and let him do as he does in order to recover. Dogger is also the balancing force to Flavia. Flavia spends so much time talking about death and poisons and how she would eliminate her siblings, she's a bit out there. In fact, some people might be put off by her love of these deadly arts and that she solves the murder by rather gruesome knowledge. Inspector Hewitt doesn't even want her to finish her demonstration on her articulated skeleton Yorick because he's more than a little spooked. Therefore Flavia needs some way to humanize herself. While anyone who was a young girl would attest to the fact that young girls do spend much of their time planing the downfall of their enemies, it might not be so palatable for readers, and here is where Dogger comes in. Flavia helps Dogger however she can. She helps him through his attacks in whatever way he needs, whether it's a helping hand, a cup of tea, a lie down in his bed, or acting as if everything is OK, Flavia just knows what Dogger needs and does it. He humanizes her and she anchors him, they are the true dynamic duo of this book, sorry Gladys.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Alan Bradley, British, Buckshaw, Daphne Du Maurier, Dogger, English Cozy, Flavia De Luce, Lark Rise to Candleford, Murder by the Book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Young Victoria

1) Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells - The end of the Sabina Kane book, sigh. Thanks to my peeps down at Murder by the Book for getting me a signed copy at their June event! Bought at Murder by the Book.

2) The Taken by Vicki Pettersson - I had heard about series and then John at Murder by the Book insisted on it's awesomeness and the fact he could get me a signed copy, yes, an easy sell, plus I trust his opnion. Can't wait to dive in! Bought at Murder by the Book.

3) *Everyone's Reading Bastard by Nick Hornby - An epub short story that wasn't worth it. Bought at Amazon.com

*Means it's already been read

4)* A Ministry of Peculiar Occurances: Tales from the Archives The Wrong Camera by Catherine Ford - Yet another great addition to the Ministry's every growing archive of epubs! Also fun to see Eliza pre-England. Bought at Amazon.com.

5) The Thames: Sacred River by Peter Ackroyd - I've been reading the new book by Deborah Harkness and there is so much about Queen Elizabeth's England and life on the Thames, that I saw this book at just had to get it. Also, the cover is a cool die cut of the waterline. Bought at Half Price Books.

6) Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - THE book of this summer, which I've been waiting to pick up for quite awhile. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

7) The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller - Crumbling old estate, murder mystery, I am so sold. Ironically I didn't realize this was the second in the series by Elizabeth Speller, but luckily I had picked up the first awhile ago! Bought at Frugal Muse.

8) Peter and Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham - So, I've kind of been sucked into the world of the Fables comics. Actually, seems pretty logical if you look at my reading tastes. I'm actually not this far along in the series yet, but since I was at the comic book store, and they had a mint copy... and I knew this is one I would need some time with other than the comics which I can speed through, seemed a logical choice. Bought at Westfield Comics.

9)* Shadow of Night by Deboarh Harkness - Finally in hardcover! I read the book on my Kindle thanks to the publisher, because I knew I was going to a signing so I didn't want to have to buy the book twice! (Always support you local stores when they have an event by buying the book there! Even if they where as disorganized and chaotic as the Barnes and Noble this event was at.) Also, Deborah Harkness is a damn good speaker. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

*Already read the book, though not this edidtion

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.

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

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

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!

Westfield Comics - the local comic book shop that I try not to ever hit on a Wednesday. Madison has a strong geek community and it's kind of like a mad crush on Wednesdays.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Beautiful Ruin, Catherine Ford, Deborah Harkness, Fables, Jaye Wells, Murder by the Book, Nick Hornby, Peter Ackroyd, Sabina Kane, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, Vicki Petterson

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Published by: Harper Teen
Publication Date: May 29th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations."

I've been wanting to read this series for awhile, even more since the RT Convention... sigh, there are too many books!

Changeling by Philippa Gregory
Published by: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 29th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dark myths, medieval secrets, intrigue, and romance populate the pages of the first-ever teen series from #1 bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl.
Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

The first in a series, this epic and richly detailed drama is grounded in historical communities and their mythic beliefs. It includes a medieval map of Europe that will track their journey; and the interior will include relevant decorative elements as well as an interior line illustration. And look for a QR code that links to a note from the author with additional, detailed information about the setting and the history that informed the writing. With Philippa Gregory’s trademark touch, this novel deftly brings the past—and its salacious scandals—vividly and disturbingly to life."

I wonder how Gregory's bid to pry her way into the YA market will work... I'm betting on a fail.

The Janus Affair by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: May 29th, 2012
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Evildoers beware! Retribution is at hand, thanks to Britain's best-kept secret agents!!

Certainly no strangers to peculiar occurrences, agents Wellington Books and Eliza Braun are nonetheless stunned to observe a fellow passenger aboard Britain's latest hypersteam train suddenly vanish in a dazzling bolt of lightning. They soon discover this is not the only such disappearance . . . with each case going inexplicably unexamined by the Crown.

The fate of England is once again in the hands of an ingenious archivist paired with a beautiful, fearless lady of adventure. And though their foe be fiendishly clever, so then is Mr. Books . . . and Miss Braun still has a number of useful and unusual devices hidden beneath her petticoats."

Steampunk yeah! This new series was heartily endorsed by my friend John at Murder by the Book.

Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells
Published by: Oribit
Publication Date: May 29th, 2012
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The epic conclusion to the amazing Sabina Kane urban fantasy series.

Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey: Cain, the father of the vampire race and the one who murdered her family and her friends. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too.

The one man who holds the key to defeating Cain is, of course, Abel. A mage with secrets to spare and, hopefully, the power to match it. Unfortunately, for Sabina, he's in Rome and may not want to be found.

Sabina sets out for Italy with her friends, Giguhl and Adam Lazarus, to track down the only man who can get her the revenge she hungers for. But will he help her or oppose her? And just who is Abel, really? Worst of all, when Sabina figures out the goddess Lilith has a plan for her-she realizes this trip is getting deadlier by the minute. As they say: when in Rome-SURVIVE."

Yeah new Sabina Kane, boo last Sabina Kane.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Blue-Blodded Vamp, Changeling, Dreamless, Jaye Wells, Josephine Angelini, Murder by the Book, Philippa Gregory, Pip Ballantine, Sabina Kane, Steampunk, Tee Morris, The Janus Affair, Tuesday Tomorrow

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

January:

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

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

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

* Means it's already been read

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note on the bookstores:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

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

Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: May 17th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adults, a story about the living, the dead, and a curse that binds them.

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place--and the man--she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D--a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk."

Previously known for her teen fairy series, Melissa Marr goes into the land of the adult... which I can't wait for. The Wicked Lovely series was always best when it went into the dark places, so this should be a great read. Plus my friend John from Murder by the Book says it's awesome, 'nuff said!

Embassytown by China Mieville
Published by: Del Ray
Publication Date: May 17th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"China Miéville doesn’t follow trends, he sets them. Relentlessly pushing his own boundaries as a writer—and in the process expanding the boundaries of the entire field—with Embassytown, Miéville has crafted an extraordinary novel that is not only a moving personal drama but a gripping adventure of alien contact and war.

In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak.

Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language.

When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties—to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak yet speaks through her. "

I haven't read any of China Mieville's books, but the review in Entertainment Weekly for this one really capture my attention. Could be total crap, or could be awesome, we'll just have to see now won't we?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: China Mieville, Embassytown, Graveminder, Melissa Marr, Murder by the Book, Tuesday Tomorrow, Wicked Lovely

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls (Ghost Hunter Mysteries, No. 5) by Victoria Laurie
Published by: Penguin
Publication Date: December 28th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"When M.J. Holliday and the crew of her cable TV show, Ghoul Getters, venture to the haunted ruins of Dunlow Castle in Ireland, drawn by the legend of hidden treasure, they hope the road will rise up to meet them, that the wind will always be at their backs-and that the resident phantom won't push them off a cliff. If they treasure their lives, M.J. and her ghost busters need to get the drop on the menacing phantom..."

Yeah new Ghosthunter book! And yeah for Murder by the Book holding the book launch!

Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: December 28th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl - at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane's world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females — supernatural, halfling, and human — Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she's not sure which she finds more frightening."

A fun new Jane True book yeah!

Deadly Little Games by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Published by: Hyperion
Publication Date: December 28th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend.

Before either teen has a chance to fully grasp these abilities, an unresolved family tragedy resurfaces in Camelia's life, irrevocably changing everything she cares about..."

I've been wanting to pick up the first in the Touch Series... how time flies, she's already one book three!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Deadly Little Games, Ghost Hunter, Ghouls Ghouls Ghouls, Jane True, Laurie Faria Stolarz, Murder by the Book, Nichole Peeler, Tempest's Legacy, Touch, Victoria Laurie

Well, my pretties, the time has come to draw some names, let the random number generater generate. So, eight prizes... now that's quite a few. Thanks, of course, go out to Dutton, for providing me with books and ornaments. Lauren, obviously, for being awesome, writing this book and going on tour. Murder by the Book in Houston for getting me the signed editions and of course, all of you for entering! Let's get to the winners now, shall we?

1st Prize (2 winners): A Signed 1st Edition of The Mischief of the Mistletoe Signed by Lauren Willig plus a lovely Mischievous Christmas Ornament

Carol T, that most dangerous of Beetroots!
Christy, who shall rename root veggie moniker-less.

2nd Prize (2 winners): A 1st Edition of The Mischief of the Mistletoe plus a lovely Mischievous Christmas Ornament

Kulsuma, who, as a Radish, should watch out for Fraggles.
Gaby, who feels she's less root vegetable, than vine fruit, watermelon!

3rd Prize (4 winners): A lovely Mischievous Christmas Ornament

Melissa, who as a Parsnip, has me to thank for addicting her to these books.
Tina, the succulent Cactus.
DeeClare, the sweet sugar beet!
Huyen, my carroty friend, whose tall and has a very lovely mop o'hair.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 11:59 PM 3 comments  

Labels: Christmas, Fraggles, Lauren Willig, Murder by the Book, The Mischief of the Mistletoe, Turnip Fitzhugh

Today the book world lost a great man, David Thompson. He was the assistant manager at Murder by the Book in Houston and my book guru. He died suddenly yesterday at the young age of 37, 21 of those years being spent at Murder by the Book. I never met him, though we joked about me making a journey just to Houston so that our correspondence would be less like 84, Charring Cross Road and I could stalk more of the authors I love in person. Like Helene Hanff, I have left it too late, but know that the store will continue on with his memory to inspire them. It wasn't just my bookshelves that were better because of him, but my life.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 3:48 PM 1 comments  

Labels: 84 Charing Cross Road, David Thompson, Helene Hanff, Houston, Murder by the Book

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Ace Hardcover
Publication Date: March 2nd, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own ..."

Oh... collectible edition! Because any true Sookie fan knows that it wasn't until book four that Sookie became worthy of the coveted hardcover... so now (in order to capitalize on Charlaine's fame) they're offering them in hardcover. Personally, I love this, but I wish they'd stick to a standardized size... small, big, uber big, small... urgh. It infuriates the true collector. Especially the font change over! Also, my book dealer bbf, David, over at Murder by the Book has signed editions! Make sure to nab one of those, I already have!

Ghouls Gone Wild by Victoria Laurie
Published by: Signet
Publication Date: March 2nd, 2010
Format: Paperback, 366 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Psychic M.J. Holliday finds herself in a witchy situation... When M.J. and her friends travel to a small town near Edinburgh, Scotland, to film the first installment of their new cable TV show Ghoul Getters, they find plenty of spooky action in a series of supposedly haunted caverns. But when they discover the body of a maintenance worker, the cause of death is reminiscent of an old legend involving a witch's wrath..."

Such fun! These covers are just wonderfully and graphically stunning. While, not the highlight of book three, with the Golden Gate Bridge, we do get Scotland!

Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop
Published by: ROC
Publication Date: March 2nd, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For years the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, forbidding their traditions, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. Now that their land has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, makes it her duty to restore it and prove her ability to rule.

But even if Lady Cassidy succeeds, other dangers await. For the Black Widows see visions within their tangled webs that something is coming that will change the land-and Lady Cassidy-forever..."

I have so many people who swear by this series... I should really pick up the first book off the bottom of my to be read pile.

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn
Published by: Mira
Publication Date: March 2nd, 2010
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A husband, a family, a comfortable life: Theodora Lestrange lives in terror of it all.

With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh — and a disappointed suitor — far behind. She is bound for Roumania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence.

She arrives at a magnificent, decaying castle in the Carpathians replete with eccentric inhabitants: the ailing dowager; the troubled steward; her own fearful friend, Cosmina. But all are outstripped in dark glamour by the castle's master, Count Andrei Dragulescu.

Bewildering and bewitching in equal measure, the brooding nobleman ignites Theodora's imagination and awakens passions in her that she can neither deny nor conceal. His allure is superlative, his dominion over the superstitious town, absolute — Theodora may simply be one more person under his sway.

Before her sojourn is ended — or her novel completed — Theodora will have encountered things as strange and terrible as they are seductive. For obsession can prove fatal...and she is in danger of falling prey to more than desire."

Another author I've heard so many good things about. Check her out! She'll be at Murder by the Book this Saturday!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:30 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Anne Bishop, Black Jewels, Charlaine Harris, Club Dead, Deanna Raybourn, Ghouls Gone Wild, Murder by the Book, Shalador's Lady, Sookie Stackhouse, The Dead Travel Fast, Victoria Laurie

Cat's Claw by Amber Benson
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: February 23rd, 2010
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Calliope Reaper-Jones is Death's Daughter. She owes a debt to Cerberus, the three headed dog that guards the gate's of hell-a debt that involves a trip to Purgatory, Las Vegas, ancient Egypt, and a discount department store that's more frightening than any supernatural creature she'll ever encounter."

Yeah! I love Amber Benson. She's so nice and sweet and was so wonderful as Tara on Buffy. I also love how she's parlayed her acting into something that really shows how talented and multifaceted she is! From writing and staring in movies, to web series, to books, she can do it all! I've been waiting for the follow up to her first Calliope Reaper-Jones novel, which is finally here! Plus, as she said on her official blog, "Yes, it's that time again. Time for weird old me to get in my car (then hobo hop a train & possibly a plane) and start trekking around the country schilling the latest installment of the Calliope Reaper-Jones series." That's right, she's doing a few book signings, so go check it out, I've met her twice and she's such a sweetie!

The Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, San Diego, CA
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 7pm

Murder By The Book, Houston, TX *Where I've already ordered my book from!
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 6:30pm

Midtown Comics
Saturday, February 27th, 2010, 3-5pm
signing with the lovely & talented: Anton Strout

Black Magic Sanction, Rachel Morgan Book 8 by Amber Benson
Published by: Eos
Publication Date: February 23rd, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The eighth bewitching but overly dense Hollows adventure (after 2009's White Witch, Black Curse) updates the travails of Rachel Morgan, delectable magical jack of all trades. Having recently learned that Rachel is a witch-born demon whose children would be demons, a white magic coven is shunning her and accusing her of black magic. They offer her a terrible choice: sterilization or imprisonment in Alcatraz. Trent Kalamack, drug lord and elf in hiding, offers to get the coven off her back, but her double-crossing ex-rat ex-boyfriend, Nick, shows up and lands her in more hot water. As Rachel battles those she thought were on her side, her survival depends on a paranormal cornucopia of elves, demons, vampires, gargoyles, pixies, and even a leprechaun. This thrill ride celebrates the can-do spirit of one of urban fantasy's most charming witches."

New Rachel Morgan book, so fun! Go check it out!

Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: February 23rd, 2010
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"YOU THOUGHT YOUR LIFE WAS COMPLICATED
Private investigator Isabel Spellman is back on the case and back on the couch -- in court-ordered therapy after getting a little too close to her previous subject.

As the book opens, Izzy is on hiatus from Spellman Inc. But when her boss, Milo, simultaneously cuts her bartending hours and introduces her to a "friend" looking for a private eye, Izzy reluctantly finds herself with a new client. She assures herself that the case -- a suspicious husband who wants his wife tailed -- will be short and sweet, and will involve nothing more than the most boring of PI rituals: surveillance. But with each passing hour, Izzy finds herself with more questions than hard evidence.

Meanwhile, Spellmania continues. Izzy's brother, David, the family's most upright member, has adopted an uncharacteristically unkempt appearance and attitude toward work, life, and Izzy. And their wayward youngest sister, Rae, a historic academic underachiever, aces the PSATs and subsequently offends her study partner and object of obsession, Detective Henry Stone, to the point of excommunication. The only unsurprising behavior comes from her parents, whose visits to Milo's bar amount to thinly veiled surveillance and artful attempts (read: blackmail) at getting Izzy to return to the Spellman Inc. fold.

As the case of the wayward wife continues to vex her, Izzy's personal life -- and mental health -- seem to be disintegrating. Facing a housing crisis, she can't sleep, she can't remember where she parked her car, and, despite her shrinks' persistence, she can't seem to break through in her appointments. She certainly can't explain why she forgets dates with her lawyer's grandson, or fails to interpret the come-ons issued in an Irish brogue by Milo's new bartender. Nor can she explain exactly how she feels about Detective Henry Stone and his plans to move in with his new Assistant DA girlfriend...

Filled with the signature side-splitting Spellman antics, Revenge of the Spellmans is an ingenious, hilarious, and disarmingly tender installment in the Spellman series."

Could be one of my most favorite series EVER! New book coming out in a few weeks, and if you haven't read it, it's time to do some catch up... unless you're waiting because you've been listening to the word on the street that's saying there's some major Spellman swag coming to this blog very soon... won't confirm or deny... but the street's not often wrong!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Amber Benson, Black Magic Sanction, Buffy, Calliope Reaper-Jones, Cat's Claw, Death's Daughter, Izzy, Lisa Lutz, Murder by the Book, Rachel Morgan, Revenge of the Spellmans, Swag, Tara