strange and random happenstance

Dawn's Early Light by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 25th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Working for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, one sees innumerable technological wonders. But even veteran agents Braun and Books are unprepared for what the electrifying future holds…

After being ignominiously shipped out of England following their participation in the Janus affair, Braun and Books are ready to prove their worth as agents. But what starts as a simple mission in the States—intended to keep them out of trouble—suddenly turns into a scandalous and convoluted case that has connections reaching as far as Her Majesty the Queen.

Even with the help of two American agents from the Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical, Braun and Books have their work cut out for them as their chief suspect in a rash of nautical and aerial disasters is none other than Thomas Edison. Between the fantastic electric machines of Edison, the eccentricities of MoPO consultant Nikola Tesla, and the mysterious machinations of a new threat known only as the Maestro, they may find themselves in far worse danger than they ever have been in before…"

New Ministry book, sigh. Oh, and Telsa! Too bad the ending made me want the next one like RIGHT NOW!

The Six-Gun Tarot by R.S. Belcher
Published by: Tor Fantasy
Publication Date: March 25th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nevada, 1869: Beyond the pitiless 40-Mile Desert lies Golgotha, a cattle town that hides more than its share of unnatural secrets. The sheriff bears the mark of the noose around his neck; some say he is a dead man whose time has not yet come. His half-human deputy is kin to coyotes. The mayor guards a hoard of mythical treasures. A banker’s wife belongs to a secret order of assassins. And a shady saloon owner, whose fingers are in everyone’s business, may know more about the town’s true origins than he’s letting on.

A haven for the blessed and the damned, Golgotha has known many strange events, but nothing like the primordial darkness stirring in the abandoned silver mine overlooking the town. Bleeding midnight, an ancient evil is spilling into the world, and unless the sheriff and his posse can saddle up in time, Golgotha will have seen its last dawn…and so will all of Creation."

I was recommended this book by a seller at Teslacon, but I just couldn't justify another hardcover purchase. So FINALLY paperback!

The Berkeley Square Affair by Teresa Grant
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 25th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A stolen treasure may hold the secret to a ghastly crime. . .

Ensconced in the comfort of their elegant home in London's Berkeley Square, Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch are no longer subject to the perilous life of intrigue they led during the Napoleonic Wars. Once an Intelligence Agent, Malcolm is now a Member of Parliament, and Suzanne is one of the city's most sought-after hostesses. But a late-night visit from a friend who's been robbed may lure them back into the dangerous world they thought they'd left behind. . .

Playwright Simon Tanner had in his possession what may be a lost version of Hamlet, and the thieves were prepared to kill for it. But the Rannochs suspect there's more at stake than a literary gem--for the play may conceal the identity of a Bonapartist spy--along with secrets that could force Malcolm and Suzanne to abandon their newfound peace and confront their own dark past. . ."

Seriously, I'd buy anything that says "Berkeley Square."

Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 25th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"As the nineteenth century comes to a close, the illustrious Vanderbilt family dominates Newport, Rhode Island, high society. But when murder darkens a glittering affair at the Vanderbilt summer home, reporter Emma Cross learns that sometimes the actions of the cream of society can curdle one's blood. . .

Newport, Rhode Island, August 1895: She may be a less well-heeled relation, but as second cousin to millionaire patriarch Cornelius Vanderbilt, twenty-one-year-old Emma Cross is on the guest list for a grand ball at the Breakers, the Vanderbilts' summer home. She also has a job to do--report on the event for the society page of the Newport Observer.

But Emma observes much more than glitz and gaiety when she witnesses a murder. The victim is Cornelius Vanderbilt's financial secretary, who plunges off a balcony faster than falling stock prices. Emma's black sheep brother Brady is found in Cornelius's bedroom passed out next to a bottle of bourbon and stolen plans for a new railroad line. Brady has barely come to before the police have arrested him for the murder. But Emma is sure someone is trying to railroad her brother and resolves to find the real killer at any cost. . ."

My love of period pieces combined with my love of cozy mysteries? Heck yeah!

The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 25th, 2014
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's the aftermath of Legacy Day, the day when the students at Ever After High are supposed to pledge to follow in their fairytale parents' footsteps, and everyone is in a huff and a puff! Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen, has refused to sign the Storybook of Legends, rejecting her story--and putting everyone else's in jeopardy.

The Royal Apple White doesn't want to think Raven is being a rebellious pain, but Raven's choice means Apple might never get the poisoned apple, Prince Charming, and a kingdom to rule. Behind Apple stands the Royals, those who want to play by the book and embrace their stories. The Rebels, supporters of Raven, believe in breaking free from destiny and writing their own stories.

But when the chaos and rivalry land wonderlandiful Madeline Hatter in trouble, Raven and Apple must bring the Royals and the Rebels together to shut the book on their feud before it threatens to end all of their Happily Ever Afters once and for all.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...Who'e the Unfairest of Them All?"

Love everything that Shannon Hale does, I mean, seriously, love.

A Phantom Enchantment by Eve Marie Mont
Published by: Kensington Books
Publication Date: March 25th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this brilliant, multi-layered conclusion to the Unbound trilogy, Emma Townsend journeys to Paris and discovers her own choices echoed within the labyrinthine love story The Phantom of the Opera...

Senior year in Paris means dazzling architecture, gorgeous cafés, and a hefty workload. But no matter how busy her days, Emma Townsend misses her Coast Guard boyfriend, Gray. That lonely ache might explain the unsettling whispers Emma hears in the school's empty corridors, and the flickering images in her room's antique mirror. Her foreboding only increases as she reads Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera and becomes lost in the gothic masterpiece.

When Gray goes missing during a rescue at sea, Emma refuses to believe the worst. In her strange waking dreams, Gray is very much alive, drawing Emma into a mysterious otherworld beyond her mirror. Friends worry that she's losing her grip on reality. Emma half wonders if they're right. . .and if her own story will end in a way she never envisioned. . ."

The  end of the unbound series, sigh.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alyssa Maxwell, Berkeley Square, Dawn's Early Light, Eve Marie Mont, Ever After High, Pip Ballantine, R.S. Belcher, Shannon Hale, Teresa Grant, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, The Six-Gun Tarot

Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshire
Published by: Point
Publication Date: January 28th, 2014
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The year is 1911. And at The Manor, nothing is as it seems . . .

Lady Charlotte Edmonds: Beautiful, wealthy, and sheltered, Charlotte feels suffocated by the strictures of upper-crust society. She longs to see the world beyond The Manor, to seek out high adventure. And most of all, romance.

Janie Seward: Fiery, hardworking, and clever, Janie knows she can be more than just a kitchen maid. But she isn't sure she possesses the courage -- or the means -- to break free and follow her passions.

Both Charlotte and Janie are ready for change. As their paths overlap in the gilded hallways and dark corridors of The Manor, rules are broken and secrets are revealed. Secrets that will alter the course of their lives. . . forever."

Hmmm... sounds  very Downton-esque wouldn't you say?

The Paris Plot by Teresa Grant
Published by: Kensington Books
Publication Date: January 28th, 2014
Format: E-Book
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the fallout of one of history’s bloodiest battles, a personal war is waged…

Paris in 1816 is reeling from the Battle of Waterloo, and relations between the British and French are uneasy at best. So it’s hardly a surprise to British attaché and Intelligence Agent Malcolm Rannoch when he and his wife Suzanne, soon to give birth to their second child, become the target of violent threats. Malcolm is certain that the secrets of his past have caught up with him—but he’s unaware that Suzanne has more than a few secrets of her own…

The Rannochs both served as spies throughout the Napoleonic Wars, Malcolm for the British and Suzanne for the Bonapartist French—and both could have left any number of enemies in their wake. But even for two seasoned agents, finding a would-be killer in a country where allegiances are tested and no one can be trusted may prove as impossible as escaping their history…"

I love that authors are taking advantage more and more of e-books. I love a good old fashioned physical book, but when in a pinch, yeah for my Kindle!

The Bird's Nest by Shirley Jackson
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: January 28th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Elizabeth is a demure twenty-three-year-old wiling her life away at a dull museum job, living with her neurotic aunt, and subsisting off her dead mother’s inheritance. When Elizabeth begins to suffer terrible migraines and backaches, her aunt takes her to the doctor, then to a psychiatrist. But slowly, and with Jackson’s characteristic chill, we learn that Elizabeth is not just one girl—but four separate, self-destructive personalities. The Bird’s Nest, Jackson’s third novel, develops hallmarks of the horror master’s most unsettling work: tormented heroines, riveting familial mysteries, and a disquieting vision inside the human mind."

So did I preorder this months ago... yes I did.

The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: January 28th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Before there was Hill House, there was the Halloran mansion of Jackson’s stunningly creepy fourth novel, The Sundial. When the Halloran clan gathers at the family home for a funeral, no one is surprised when the somewhat peculiar Aunt Fanny wanders off into the secret garden. But then she returns to report an astonishing vision of an apocalypse from which only the Hallorans and their hangers-on will be spared, and the family finds itself engulfed in growing madness, fear, and violence as they prepare for a terrible new world."

Ditto above!

Ravenscliffe by Jane Sanderson
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: January 28th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 544 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Yorkshire, 1904. On Netherwood Common, Russian émigré Anna Rabinovich shows her dear friend Eve Williams a house: a Victorian villa, solidly built from local stone. This is Ravenscliffe, and it’s the house Anna wants them to live in. It’s their house, she says. It was meant to be.

As Anna transforms Ravenscliffe, an attraction grows between her and union man Amos. But when Eve’s long-lost brother Silas turns up in the closely-knit mining community of Netherwood, cracks begin to appear in even the strongest friendships.

Meanwhile, at Netherwood Hall, cherished traditions are being undermined by the whims of the feckless heir to the title, Tobias Hoyland, and his American bride Thea Stirling. Below stairs, the loyal servants strive to preserve the noble family’s dignity and reputation. But both inside the great house and in the world beyond, values and loyalties are rapidly changing."

Sequel to awesomeness and awesome too.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Jane Sanderson, Katherine Longshore, Manor of Secrets, Ravenscliffe, Shirley Jackson, Teresa Grant, The Bird's Nest, The Paris Plot, The Sundial

Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: March 26th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Leaving Everything Most Loved by New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs investigates the murder of Indian immigrants in London.

The year is 1933. Maisie Dobbs is contacted by an Indian gentleman who has come to England in the hopes of finding out who killed his sister two months ago. Scotland Yard failed to make any arrest in the case, and there is reason to believe they failed to conduct a thorough investigation. The case becomes even more challenging when another Indian woman is murdered just hours before a scheduled interview. Meanwhile, unfinished business from a previous case becomes a distraction, as does a new development in Maisie's personal life.

Bringing a crucial chapter in the life and times of Maisie Dobbs to a close, Leaving Everything Most Loved marks a pivotal moment in this outstanding mystery series."

Ok, so if I didn't already love this Maisie Dobbs series and their luscious covers, the "bringing a crucial chapter...to a close" would have me scrambling to pick up this book anyway!

Death of Yesterday by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: March 26th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a local woman tells Sergeant Hamish Macbeth that she doesn't remember what happened the previous evening, he doesn't begin to worry. She had been out drinking, after all, and he'd prefer not to be bothered with such an arrogant and annoying woman. But when her body is discovered, Hamish is forced to investigate a crime that the only known witness--now dead--had forgotten."

For my mom, the biggest M.C. Beaton, and in particular, Hamish Macbeth fan I know!

The Paris Affair by Teresa Grant
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 26th, 2013
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the wake of the Battle of Waterloo, the Bourbon court in Paris and their victorious allies give lavish parties while the Royalists are quick to exact vengeance for everything since the Revolution. Countless Bonapartists are arrested and executed in what comes to be known as the White Terror. In this seething atmosphere British attaché and spy Malcolm Rannoch learns that his murdered half-sister, Princess Tatiana Kirsanova, may have left behind a secret child in Paris; a child who may now be in grave danger.

While friends and former associates are imprisoned and executed around them, Malcolm and his wife Suzanne set out to find the girl. And as kings argue over legitimacy and relations battle over estates, trusting the wrong side can be deadly…"

New Teresa Grant! I think some people who love Regency Romances are in for a treat! Oh, that would be me.

A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont
Published by: K-Teen
Publication Date: March 26th, 2013
Format: Paperback, 255 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The compelling heroine of Eve Marie Mont's acclaimed novel A Breath of Eyre returns to find truth and fiction merging through the pages of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic, The Scarlet Letter. . .

Emma Townsend is back at prestigious Lockwood Prep, but her world has altered immeasurably since her tumultuous sophomore year. The best change of all: her boyfriend, Gray. And though Gray is leaving for Coast Guard training, Emma feels newly optimistic, even if the pain of her mother's long-ago death still casts a shadow.

Yet Emma isn't the only one who's changed. Her friend and roommate, Michelle, is strangely remote, and old alliances are shifting in disconcerting ways. Soon Emma's long-distance relationship with Gray is straining under the pressure, and Emma wonders if she's cracking too. How else to explain the vivid dreams of Hester Prynne she's been having since she started reading The Scarlet Letter? Or the way she's found herself waking in the woods? As her life begins to echo events in the novel, Emma will be forced to choose between virtue and love. But can she forge a new future without breaking her heart?"

For all those who loved Mont's twist on Jane Eyre, get ready for a twist of Nathaniel Hawthrone... it could only improve it in my mind!

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 26th, 2013
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Felipe de Castro, the vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.

Now it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down."

For those of you waiting for the final installment... get yourselves ready with Sookie's penultimate adventure...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: A Breath of Eyre, A Touch of Scarlet, Charlaine Harris, Deadlocked, Eve Marie Mont, Hamish Macbeth, Jacqueline Winspear, M.C. Beaton, Maisie Dobbs, Sookie Stackhouse, Teresa Grant, The Paris Affair

Soulless 2 by Gail Carriger
Published by: Yen
Publication Date: November 20th, 2012
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Settling into her new life as the Lady Woolsey, Alexia finds her days quite challenging. Whether it is a regiment of supernatural soldiers camped out on her front lawn or the demands of being the Queen's "muhjah," there never seems to be a want of new hurdles to overcome. But when stories of supernaturals rendered normal by some unknown force begin cropping up, Alexia has a rather serious mystery on her hands. Can she root out the cause of this phenomenon, which smacks of some larger plot at work?"

Ok, why they aren't calling it Changeless makes me a bit confused, but the truth is, I don't care, I loved the Manga adaptation of the first book, even if I wished the whole thing was in color, and now it's my favorite book in the series being adapted. Yeah, sqwee, happy dance! Also, I want that dress!

Fables: Wolves of the Heartland by Bill Willingham
Published by: Vertigo
Publication Date: November 20th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND is a riveting original graphic novel that is both an integral part of the FABLES mythology and an entry point to the long-running, best selling series.
Bigby Wolf takes center stage in the most brutal, action-packed FABLES story to date. Sent out into modern day America at large, Bigby’s on a quest for possible locations for a new Fabletown. In his wanderings, Bigby stumbles across a small town named Luperville, somewhere in American’s vast heartland, that, amazingly enough, seems to be populated by werewolves.

These werewolves are descendants of a World War II German project to create an army of werewolf super soldiers, some of whom who were infected with Bigby’s tainted blood. And even more unfortunate the fact that they’ve captured, caged and tortured the most popular and important canine in history: Bigby Wolf."

I've kind of become addicted to the Fables comics... so yeah, I'm really looking forward to this!

The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery  by Agatha Christie
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: November 20th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1922 Agatha Christie set sail on a ten-month voyage around the world. Her husband, Archibald Christie, had been invited to join a trade mission to promote the British Empire Exhibition, and Christie was determined to go with him. It was a life-changing decision for the young novelist, a true voyage of discovery that would inspire her future writing for years to come.

Placing her two-year-old daughter in the care of her sister, Christie set sail at the end of January and did not return home until December. Throughout her journey, she kept up a detailed weekly correspondence with her mother, describing the exotic places and the remarkable people she encountered as the mission traveled through South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada. Reproduced here for the first time, the letters are full of tales of seasickness and sunburn, motor trips and surfboarding, glamor and misery. The Grand Tour also brings to life the places and people Christie encountered through the photos she took on her portable camera, as well as some of the original postcards, newspaper cuttings, and memorabilia she collected on her trip.

Edited and introduced by Agatha Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard, and accompanied by reminiscences from her own autobiography, this unique travelogue reveals a new adventurous side to Agatha Christie, one that would ultimately influence the stories that made her a household name."

Agatha Christie travelogue about the trip I dream to one day make? Sign me up as sold!

His Spanish Bride by Teresa Grant
Published by: eKensington
Publication Date: November 20th, 2012
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Intelligence Agent Malcolm Rannoch proposes to Suzanne de Saint-Vallier, the tumult of the Peninsular War recedes-if only temporarily. For their union may have shattering consequences for the more fragile partnership between Britain and Spain. But meanwhile, let the celebrations begin . . ."

If you're a fan of Lauren Willig and Tasha Alexander, but haven't yet tried Teresa Grant, I have to ask, what is wrong with you!?! New e-reader exclusive in Teresa's Charles and Melanie Fraser series!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Bill Willingham, Changeless, Fables, Gail Carriger, His Spanish Bride, Lauren Willig, Soulless, Tasha Alexander, Teresa Grant, The Grand Tour

Grave Mercy by Robin (RL) LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?"

One of the best books I've read all year. Robin is one of my favorite authors and despite being very different than her other books, it was amazing. I can't wait a year for book two... I just can't. In fact, if you ever pay attention, I always list books in order of favorite to least on my Tuesday Tomorrow posts, and this is a busy week, so busy I omitted several books, and if you notice this is even before that literary titan, Alexander McCall Smith. Just go buy it k?

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Pantheon
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this latest episode in the beloved, best-selling series, the kindest and best detective in Botswana faces a tricky situation when her personal and professional lives become entangled.

Precious Ramotswe is haunted by a repeated dream: a vision of a tall, strange man who waits for her beneath an acacia tree. Odd as this is, she’s far too busy to worry about it. The best apprentice at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors is in trouble with the law and stuck with the worst lawyer in Gaborone. Grace Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti are building the house of their dreams, but their builder is not completely on the up and up. And, most shockingly, Mma Potokwane, defender of Botswana’s weak and downtrodden, has been dismissed from her post as matron at the orphan farm. Can the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency help restore the beloved matron to her rightful position?

As wealthy and powerful influences at the orphan farm become allied against their friend, help arrives from an unexpected visitor: the tall stranger from Mma Ramotswe’s dreams, who turns out to be none other than the estimable Clovis Andersen, author of the No. 1 Ladies’ prized manual, The Principles of Private Detection. Together, Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, and their teacher-turned-colleague help right this injustice and in the process discover something new about being a good detective."

Hmmm, a new Alexander McCall Smith book... will I be buying it? Do we need water to survive?

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It is the color of the Virgin Mary's cloak, a dazzling pigment desired by artists, an exquisite hue infused with danger, adventure, and perhaps even the supernatural. It is . . . Sacre Bleu

In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh went into a cornfield and shot himself. Or did he? Why would an artist at the height of his creative powers attempt to take his own life . . . and then walk a mile to a doctor's house for help? Who was the crooked little "color man" Vincent had claimed was stalking him across France? And why had the painter recently become deathly afraid of a certain shade of blue?

These are just a few of the questions confronting Vincent's friends—baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard and bon vivant Henri Toulouse-Lautrec—who vow to discover the truth about van Gogh's untimely death. Their quest will lead them on a surreal odyssey and brothel-crawl deep into the art world of late nineteenth-century Paris.

Oh la la, quelle surprise, and zut alors! A delectable confection of intrigue, passion, and art history—with cancan girls, baguettes, and fine French cognac thrown in for good measure—Sacre Bleu is another masterpiece of wit and wonder from the one, the only, Christopher Moore."

It's about Vincent Van Gogh and includes a bit about his "suicide." I'm sold. Ever since that one Doctor Who episode, Van Gogh somehow seems even more amazing and real to me.

Paris in Love by Eloisa James
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: she sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris. Paris in Love: A Memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow or cars to park, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life—discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband’s notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools—not to mention puberty—in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law Marina’s raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as Marina overfeeds Milo, the family dog).

Paris in Love invites the reader into the life of a most enchanting family, framed by la ville de l’amour."

I wish a was a well known writer that could go to Paris for a year and then write a book about it that will become a best seller... sigh, my dreams.


The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fifteen years Maria Devane has been desperately, passionately in love with Dante Romano. But despite loving him with all of her heart and soul, Maria knows that Dante can never give all of himself back-at least not all the time.

Every month, Dante shifts shape, becoming a wild animal. During those times, he wanders far and wide, leaving Maria alone. He can't choose when he shifts, the transition is often abrupt and, as he gets older, the time he spends in human form is gradually decreasing. But Maria, who loves him without hesitation, wouldn't trade their unusual relationship for anything.

Since the beginning, she has kept his secret, knowing that their love is worth the danger. But when a string of brutal attacks occur in local parks during the times when Dante is in animal form, Maria is forced to consider whether the lies she's been telling about her life have turned into lies she's telling herself..."

A perfect birthday present for my friend Matt... maybe I shouldn't have posted it then... ah, he nevers reads my blog much.


The Flower Reader by Elizabeth Loupas
Published by: NAL
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rinette Leslie of Granmuir has the ancient gift of divining the future in flowers, but her gift cannot prepare her for the turmoil that comes when the dying queen regent entrusts her with a casket full of Scotland's darkest secrets. On the very day she means to deliver it to newly crowned Mary, Queen of Scots, Rinette's husband is brutally assassinated.

Devastated, Rinette demands justice before she will surrender the casket, but she is surrounded by ruthless men who will do anything to possess it. In the end, the flowers are all she can trust-and only the flowers will lead her safely home to Granmuir."

Elizabeth Loupas' first book got great acclaim last year, luckily she had another one up her sleeve.

Imperial Scandal by Teresa Grant
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amid the treachery of war and the whirl of revelry, no one is what they seem. . .

Nights filled with lavish balls. . .lush, bucolic afternoons. . .. Removed to glamorous Brussels in the wake of Napoleon's escape from Elba, Intelligence Agent Malcolm Rannoch and his wife, Suzanne, warily partake in the country's pleasures. But with the Congress of Vienna in chaos and the Duke of Wellington preparing for battle, the festivities are cut short when Malcolm is sent on a perilous mission that unravels a murderous world of espionage. . .

No one knows what the demure and respectable Lady Julia Ashton was doing at the château where Malcolm and a fellow British spy were ambushed. But now her enigmatic life has been ended by an equally mysterious death. And as the conflict with Napoleon marches toward Waterloo, and Brussels surrenders to bedlam, Suzanne and Malcolm will be plunged into the search for the truth--revealing an intricate labyrinth of sinister secrets and betrayal within which no one can be trusted."

Tracy Grant, I mean Teresa Grant's, newest book, yeah Regency!

A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
Published by: KTEEN
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A scholarship student at an exclusive prep school, Emma Townsend feels like an outsider. Her stepmother doesn't come close to filling the void left by her mother's death. And her only romantic prospect - apart from a crush on her English teacher - is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma's confusion. "Escape" comes in the old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre that Emma receives as a gift. Then a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane's body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma experiences a sense of belonging she's never felt before, and a growing attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane's story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own..."

I have been "patiently" waiting for this book to come out for awhile now... yes, "patiently." What?

Heads You Lose by Lisa Luta and David Hayward
Published by: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times-bestselling author Lisa Lutz conspires with-or should we say against?- coauthor David Hayward to write an original and hilarious tag-team crime novel.

Meet Paul and Lacey Hansen: orphaned, pot-growing twentysomething siblings eking out a living in rural Northern California. When a headless corpse appears on their property, they can't exactly dial 911, so they move the body and wait for the police to find it. Instead, the corpse reappears, a few days riper . . . and an amateur sleuth is born. Make that two.

When collaborators Lutz and Hayward (former romantic partners) start to disagree about how the story should unfold, the body count rises, victims and suspects alike develop surprising characteristics (meet Brandy Chester, the stripper with the Mensa IQ), and sibling rivalry reaches homicidal intensity. Think Adaptation crossed with Weeds. Will the authors solve the mystery without killing each other first?"

Hilarous book where what happens in the "real world" is just as funny as the book world. Check out my review from last year!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexander McCall Smith, Christopher Moore, Elizabeth Loupas, Eloisa James, Eve Marie Mont, Grave Mercy, Jane Eyre, Lisa Lutz, Robin LaFevers, Sharon Shinn, Teresa Grant, Vincent Van Gogh