strange and random happenstance

A Dead End Christmas by Alyssa Day
Published by: Holliday Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: December 25th, 2019
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's Christmas time in Dead End.

And this year Santa's bringing...murder!

Join Tess, Jack, and the gang for the craziest Christmas since Fluffy the taxidermied alligator was still alive and got into Otis's moonshine.

Because in Dead End, that reindeer you thought you saw might have been Bigfoot in disguise … and you never, ever want to see elves. Christmas might be merry after all, if Tess can investigate Santa and Jack can use his tiger's eye to see the truth.

Warning: This book contains a taxidermied alligator, shapeshifters, Santa, elves, a dead body, magic, hideously bad singing, horrible puns, a slow-burning romance, mystery, mayhem, and "I laughed so hard I almost peed myself"* humor.

Read at your own risk.

*From a reader review of the Tiger's Eye Mysteries."

For when you need to escape your relatives. Just sneak upstairs and download this book onto you're Kindle and your sanity will be saved!

Daughter of Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan
Published by: Scholastic Inc.
Publication Date: December 26th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Half-witch, half-mortal sixteen-year-old Sabrina Spellman has made her choice: She's embraced her dark side and her witchy roots. Now her power is growing daily...but will it come at too high a price?

Sabrina Spellman has just made the hardest decision of her life: She's leaving behind her beloved friends at Baxter High. Now it's time to follow the path of night and find her way among the witches and warlocks at the Academy of Unseen Arts.

Sabrina has always been good at the school thing, but now she has a whole new world to navigate. Her power is growing daily, but it comes with a high price. She must always remember her new allegiances and the cost they have on her friends...and on herself.

And then there's her new classmates. Prudence, Dorcas, and Agatha are friends, kind of, but can Sabrina trust them? And what about Nick Scratch? He's as charming as ever, but will his feelings for Sabrina last?

Based on the hit Netflix show, this original YA novel tells an all-new, original story about Sabrina."

For me I didn't ever really "feel" the new series until the Christmas episode last year, so lucky for me I'm getting something Sabrina for Christmas! 

Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Sirens by Jim Henson et al
Published by: Archaia
Publication Date: December 24th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A collection of stories of sirens and mermaids, inspired by folklore from around the world and told in the spirit of Jim Henson’s beloved television series.

It’s not the stories you tell, but how they are told. The critically acclaimed Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens showcases four alluring tales of mermaids and the sea, inspired by folklore from around the world and told in the spirit of Jim Henson’s beloved television series.

Featuring beautiful stories told by some of today’s most exciting voices, including Jakub Rebelka (Judas) with Sztybor Bartosz, Chan Chau (Elements), Sarah Webb (Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Under the Spell), and Aud Koch (The Wicked + The Divine), this stunning hardcover edition also includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the process and care taken in adapting each of the these timeless tales."

I get nostalgic around Christmas, and nothing takes me back quicker to my childhood that something Jim Henson...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Dead End Christmas, Alyssa Day, Christmas, Comics, Graphic Novels, Jim Henson, Sabrina, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Sarah Rees Brennan, Sirens, The Storyteller, Tuesday Tomorrow

A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 16th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Members of an Egyptian expedition fall victim to an ancient mummy’s curse in this thrilling Veronica Speedwell novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries.

London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.

But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything..."

EGYPT!!! Also, Deanna Raybourn I think is the #1 author out there who I want to see at a book signing that I haven't met yet, just FYI all booksellers in the Midwest! 

The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 16th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator’s Wife, a fascinating novel of the friendship and creative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female legends—screenwriter Frances Marion and superstar Mary Pickford.

It is 1914, and twenty-five-year-old Frances Marion has left her (second) husband and her Northern California home for the lure of Los Angeles, where she is determined to live independently as an artist. But the word on everyone’s lips these days is “flickers”—the silent moving pictures enthralling theatergoers. Turn any corner in this burgeoning town and you’ll find made-up actors running around, as a movie camera captures it all.

In this fledgling industry, Frances finds her true calling: writing stories for this wondrous new medium. She also makes the acquaintance of actress Mary Pickford, whose signature golden curls and lively spirit have earned her the title “America’s Sweetheart.” The two ambitious young women hit it off instantly, their kinship fomented by their mutual fever to create, to move audiences to a frenzy, to start a revolution.

But their ambitions are challenged by both the men around them and the limitations imposed on their gender—and their astronomical success could come at a price. As Mary, the world’s highest paid and most beloved actress, struggles to live her life under the spotlight, she also wonders if it is possible to find love, even with the dashing actor Douglas Fairbanks. Frances, too, longs to share her life with someone. As in any good Hollywood story, dramas will play out, personalities will clash, and even the deepest friendships might be shattered.

With cameos from such notables as Charlie Chaplin, Louis B. Mayer, Rudolph Valentino, and Lillian Gish, The Girls in the Picture is, at its heart, a story of friendship and forgiveness. Melanie Benjamin perfectly captures the dawn of a glittering new era—its myths and icons, its possibilities and potential, and its seduction and heartbreak."

I think this is the Benjamin who is going to be the first author of 2018 at the Wisconsin Book Festival... or it could be Chloe... 

Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge
Published by: Ink Monster, LLC
Publication Date: January 16th, 2018
Format: Kindle, 265 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Hex Hall, The Magicians, Practical Magic, and Food Wars!

Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spellbooks in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Too bad one wants witchcraft on their campus. Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with rejection letter after rejection letter.

Desperate to escape her dead-end future, Anise contacts the long-lost relative she’s not supposed to know about. Great Aunt Agatha owns the only magic bakery in the US, and she suddenly needs a new apprentice. Anise is so excited she books it to New Mexico without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl.

The Spellwork Syndicate rules the local witches in Taos, but as “accidents” turn into full-out attacks on Anise’s life, their promises to keep her safe are less and less reassuring. Her cranky bodyguard is doing his best, but it’s hard to fight back when she has no idea who’s the enemy. Or why she became their target.

If Anise can’t find and stop whoever wants her dead, she’ll be more toasted than a crème brûlée.

Who knew baking cakes could be so life or death?"

Because I NEED my Sabrina fix until the new series is a go on Netflix! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Treacherous Curse, Deadly Sweet, Deanna Raybourn, Egypt, Lola Dodge, Melanie Benjamin, Netflix, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Girls in the Picture, Tuesday Tomorrow, Veronica Speedwell

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles Book 1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Published by: Little Brown
Publication Date: December 1st, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 563 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Ethan Lawson Wate dreams of the day he can finally leave Gatlin. The small town is suffocating him and his home life isn't the greatest either with his father being a recluse since his mother's death. But that's not Ethan's only dream. He dreams of a girl. He dreams of falling through trees with this girl. This nameless faceless girl whom he clearly loves. On the first day of school he meets Lena Duchannes, quite literally the girl of his dreams. Lena isn't like the other girls, and this draws Ethan to her. In fact she's not like any girls, she's magical, being a Caster. She feels like her entire life is living on borrowed time because come February and her 16th birthday she will either go to the good or the bad. Therefore it's very inconvenient that Ethan and Lena start to fall in love. But perhaps Ethan is what she needs to survive.

Back in December 2009 I had been blogging for about seven months. With my blogging I started to become more savvy about books in general. I became a connoisseur about my book purchases, not buying everything that looked good, instead seeing what other people said and relying more on my fellow blogger community. This of course was a two edged sword, sure I wasn't indiscriminately buying every book out there, but I was getting so many recommendations that, well, my book buying increased more then decreased. One book that everyone was excited for was Beautiful Creatures, and their excitement was contagious. Ironically not only did I buy the book but I won a copy from Little Brown! So I was all set to dive right into this series, and as is usually the case, I didn't get around to it for a few years. It was in fact the release of the movie that finally spurred me into action. Obviously I couldn't NOT watch a movie staring Emma Thompson, I suffered through that second Nanny McPhee movie after all. But the book had to come first!

What really struck me about Beautiful Creatures is it's exotic local. Yes, Gatlin, South Carolina is exotic, at least for popular YA. Usually YA likes to be set among the same popular cities as urban fantasy, laying in the shadows of New York or Chicago. Or it's dystopian and some future unknown ruin of a city. Or it's both, ahem Veronica Roth. But here we have a very recognizable southern US that brings with it all the baggage of the War of Northern Aggression (I should note that all my family fought for the North). There is a charming southerness to the book filled with Civil War reenactments and swampy cemeteries. This brings with it a certain Gothic romanticism to it that makes you think that magic isn't the most unlikely thing that could happen in this setting. Garcia and Stohl capture the town and the environment so well that it almost becomes a character in it's own right.

But despite it's southern hospitality there is still a small town mentality against anything "other." Even if Lena Duchannes wasn't a Caster with supernatural powers, her being an outsider, as well as a relative of the town's local recluse, would make her the subject of gossip. Add to that her "bewitching" Ethan, and there doesn't need a window shattering to make her an outcast. The window shattering just ups the whole situation to Carrie levels and there's more then just one or two hints to the Stephen King classic. Of course this being Gatlin they opt for liquid soap instead of pig's blood. Also Gatlin is a little more organized then King's small town and Lena is far more in control and aware of her powers to let the situation escalate. But there are several leaflets against Lena as well as a petition to have her thrown out of school, but sadly for them, the mean girls don't succeed.

Yet the Carrie undertone isn't the only undertone. To me there is a lot more of the Bewitched and Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibe then any other touchstone out there. I'd say in fact it leans very heavily on Sabrina, what with how Lena can't be raised by her mother, and that a Caster can go good or evil on their sixteenth birthday. It reminded me strongly of Sabrina and her evil twin. Yes, I love Sabrina and I'm not afraid to admit it. But despite all these great undertones and references and the atmosphere, there was just something missing. Beautiful Creatures lacks it's own identity. It becomes muddled between past and present mythology and it made the overall book quickly forgettable. Yes, despite reading this book fairly recently, I had to go and read a synopsis on Wikipedia to refresh myself as to what happened before writing this review. Because in all seriousness, if someone was to say what this book was about I'd say people running around in the south and there's some SCA fun. That isn't the book though, that's just my take away, and it's a lame one at that.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:01 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Beautiful Creatures, Bewitched, Bloggers, Carrie, Caster Chronicles, Civil War, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, SCA, South Carolina, Stephen King, Veronica Roth