strange and random happenstance

Don't Tell Alfred by Nancy Mitford
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: August 10th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
Rating: ★
To Buy

Fanny's life is being turned upside down. She has spent a quiet life in Oxford with her husband, raising her boys. They are now gone from home, two out of school and two at Eton. What is Fanny to do? Settle into middle age and just wait for death? Sounds fine to her. Then she receives a shocking blow, her husband has been named Ambassador to France, making her Ambassadress. They are to uproot their lives and start hosting cocktail parties and dealing with foreign crises in a large mansion in France. Never before has Fanny had to personally deal with family problems being fodder for the gutter press. Nor did she think that the former Ambassadress secretly living in the Embassy would threaten Alfred's tenure as the new Ambassador. Such little things, like her sons showing up unexpectedly, or her mother remarrying, become not little incidents to be dealt with, but calamities to hide from their dinner guests. Fanny is sure she shall fail, and miserably. Luckily she does have some people on her side, and the ace up her sleeve is her father figure Davey. When in doubt, get Davey. He can do anything, even smoke out former Ambassadresses from the woodwork!

I remember being on Lauren Willig's blog one day and she was talking about heading out to Paris on a research trip and how that had inspired a need to re-read Nancy Mitford's Don't Tell Alfred. At this time I had already read The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, being the two books of Nancy's that you could actually get stateside, so I was interested in this book of hers I'd not heard of. So I went to Wikipedia and looked it up. Where I read "it is the third in a trilogy centered around an upper-class English family, and takes place twenty years after the events of The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate." I instantly went WHAT!?! (But say it in your head as David Walliams does it so well on Little Britain playing Sebastian, the PM's assistant, WOT!?!) So many thoughts went through my head, mainly, wait, there's a third book followed closely by, but I have an omnibus, omnibuses aren't supposed to leave out books in the series. Then very quickly, "I MUST FIND THIS BOOK!" superseded all other thoughts. Luckily it was around the time of Deborah's 90th birthday when the publishing Gods decided to re-release Nancy's back catalog, so finding the book proved a lot easier then I thought it would, you can't say the same for Highland Fling, Christmas Pudding or Pigeon Pie. Of course I had to find time to re-read the first two first... which proved rather difficult... until now!

And oh, how I wanted to love it, or even like it, but seriously... it was horrid. I can see why the critics ripped it to shreds. In fact, because of critics, she never wrote fiction again. Personally, if you where going just by this volume, I am with the critics, I would have been begging Nancy to forever put down the pen. My main gripe? Well, seeing as this is a gaggle of characters that are not only known and loved but revered by some, I wanted them to stay IN CHARACTER. I mean, it's like everyone had a full frontal lobotamy and personality transplant. Uncle Matthew loving cocktail parties and he WILLINGLY went to France!?! This was the man who refused to eat under any roof but his own and hated foreigners. The entrenching tool being his weapon of choice against them, not witty dialogue... thankfully Nancy doesn't push it THAT far, seeing as he only goes to the cocktail parties for the food. Also, Aunt Sadie, her and Matthew were insperable, and here they are, sperated. Alfred actually leaving his cloistered life as an Oxford don to be an Ambassador? No. And then there's Fanny. I don't know what happened to the down to earth Fanny who had her life together, but obviously, she's gone, replaced with a twit who cares more about clothes and bungling parties then anything else. Also blithly killing people off in assides and not telling us why in most cases, goodbye Aunt Emily, Lady Montdore, Lord Montdore, two of Matthew's three boys... I'm sure there are more, but I can't think through all the eliptical carnage.

Besides changing every personality trait of the characters I loved, Nancy added too many new characters I couldn't care about at all, let alone distinguish one from the other. There where lots of French people, lots of non French people. The only person I kind of liked was her cousin Lousia's daughter Northey, who was basically Linda mac two, though Scottish. She even had Linda's badger obsession. If they ever decide to make this into a movie, if they don't case Karen Gillan from Doctor Who as Northey it will be the biggest wasted opportunity ever. On top of the lack of who all these characters are, the writing is confusing so that you never know who is talking. There can be pages and pages of dialogue, with no attribution, no "Fanny said" no "Northey said" no nothing. And you know what? The dialogue was so boring, I didn't even bother trying to figure out who said what. Yes Nancy, you bored me.

Yet what was the biggest bore and drain? Politics! I'm guessing the two main things that where being debated in the book was some rocks/islands and the forming of a European Army... someone else who has read this I would love confirmation as to this being the case. Politics in general bore me, made up French politics put me into a coma. I'm sorry Nancy, just because you where in love with a Frenchman who worked for de Gaulle, doesn't mean that instantly all his boring politics and life become interesting to the rest of us. Plus, it was more you in love with him and his world, he really couldn't care about you... so, why did you torture us with this book? Really!?! It was like you where purposefully destroying all the lovely memories I have of the previous two volumes. It no longer surprises me why this was out of print.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amy Pond, Charles du Gaulle, Doctor Who, Don't Tell Alfred, France, Karen Gillan, Little Britian, Love in a Cold Climate, Mitford March, Nancy Mitford, Oxford, The Pursuit of Love

Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: August 10th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Polly Hampton was hoping that upon her family's return from India that she would reach the cold climate of England and that everyone would be more refined and not at it all the time. By it, she means love and the affairs of the heart. Sadly, her friend Fanny fills her in, that indeed, daydreams of love fill most hearts even far away from India. The thing is, Polly does not want love. She doesn't want her mother constantly hoping for her to fall into a mad passion, even arraigning for notorious French seducers to ply their trade on Polly. Polly will play the part but her heart will never enter into it. Lady Montdore continually has Fanny as her own "spy" hoping that Fanny can detect a glimmer of love within her daughters cold heart. Lady Montdore has spent her life planning for her daughter to have "all this." Yet, when the truth comes out as to the long game Polly has been playing, "all this" doesn't even enter into it. Love takes many forms, and it doesn't matter if it's odd or unconventional, love is what matters.

Love in a Cold Climate is always combined with The Pursuit of Love in adaptations for the simple reason that the events are actually concurrent with the previous volume. Also, for some reason, they think it's more romantic or apt to call it by Love in a Cold Climate. While I do see the reasoning, I always feel that by doing this neither story is getting full justice. While Pursuit is Linda's tale, Love is more obviously, not just Polly's story, but Fanny's, whose life gets fleshed out. It's not just about living in Linda's world anymore, but Fanny's own world and how others view it. In giving us more time with Fanny, who, let's face it, is the character the majority of us will identify with, there is a stronger connection for me with this book. Fanny's love of Linda, and, really, hero worshiping of her, gave the first book less heart for me. Perhaps it's because I'm the more sensible one and will identify with whichever character that may be. Like in Sense and Sensibility, I am Eleanor, not Marianne. I am Fanny, not Linda. While Polly might be the "main" character for much of the first half, her flinty heart, the opposite of Linda's overflowing heart, puts Fanny center stage and gives me a more satisfying read. Also, less time at Alconleigh and more time with Fanny's father figure Davey, means you realize what a hoot Davey is. His humor and his love of gossip fuel the fires of this book to make it more fun and full of laughs then you would expect after reading only the first volume.

There is also so much in this book that appeals to the lover of Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey in me. In Fanny staying with the higher echelons at Montdore House we have grand feasts on such a scale that you may be salivating while reading this book. There are balls where the rooms are flooded (on purpose) to make it like Venice, where you can float on gondolas indoors, an image that I think will never leave me, despite how short that passage is! With the character of Cedric, we have open acceptance of a gay character in a 1930s setting! Yes, there is some not quite PC labeling of him, but for the time, it was very forward. While Cedric didn't sit that well with critics in 1949, the fact remains that Nancy had a fully realized, sympathetic character with a non-mainstream lifestyle who was loved, truly loved by Lady Montdore, and therefore secured his acceptance in the aristocracy.

Yet for all that, Nancy can never make one non-mainstream lifestyle acceptable. This is a fatal flaw in this book, and that is Boy (Harvey) Dougdale. In fact Boy has so loomed in my memory that, aside from the "Venetian Ball" he is the overwhelming memory I have of this book. Boy is not just lecherousness, he is a pedophile. I am sorry, but there is no humor in someone who is not just sick but, as Uncle Matthew would say, a sewer. He has preyed on all the young girls, and boys, and for this he is nicknamed the Lecherous Lecturer. Yet is anything done about this pervert in their midst? NO! In fact most people find it funny in a kind of deviant way, "Oh, that's just Boy". He is in fact pitied, yes PITIED, because his unwanted attentions to young girls has resulted in him marrying one of the young girls he molested with his "sexy pinches" and massages. Pitied because his proclivities sparked an unwanted love that drove this girl to pursue him to the alter, not just the roof for a little cuddle. Guess what, don't fiddle with little children, because no matter what others think, I will not pity you, I will hope that the little girl will murder you on your wedding night.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alconleigh, Downton Abbey, India, Love in a Cold Climate, Mitford March, Nancy Mitford, Sense and Sensibility, The Pursuit of Love, Uncle Matthew, Upstairs Downstairs, Venice

The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles De Lint and Charles Vess
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 12th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The magic is all around you, if only you open your eyes....

Lillian Kindred spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest, a magical, rolling wilderness that she imagines to be full of fairies. The trouble is, Lillian has never seen a wisp of magic in her hills--until the day the cats of the forest save her life by transforming her into a kitten. Now Lillian must set out on a perilous adventure that will lead her through untamed lands of fabled creatures--from Old Mother Possum to the fearsome Bear People--to find a way to make things right.

In this whimsical, original folktale written and illustrated throughout in vibrant full color by two celebrated masters of modern fantasy, a young girl's journey becomes an enchanting coming-of-age story about magic, friendship, and the courage to shape one's own destiny."

It's cats! Well, it's also a wonderful storyteller combined with one of my favorite illustrators... but really, it's about cats, and your cat overlords demand that you go and buy it to read to them.

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 12th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale."

I've recently become very interested in the tales about Bluebeard. They seem to be very interesting and gruesome, but less mainstream. Therefore with my love of Fairy Tale re-tellings combined with this new interest, this is the perfect book for me right now!

Code: A Virals Novel by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
Published by: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: March 12th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by "The Gamemaster." A second, greater geocache is within reach--if the Virals are up to the challenge.

But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box--a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster. Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there--a real one--and the clock is ticking.

So first off, what's with this blase new cover design? Secondly, is Kathy now handing this series off to person of unknown relation to her but has the same last name?

Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth
Published by: Ecco
Publication Date: March 12th, 2013
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jennifer Worth trained as a nurse at the Royal Berk-shire Hospital in Reading, and was later ward sister at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in London, then the Marie Curie Hospital, also in London. Music had always been her passion, and in 1973 she left nursing in order to study music intensively, teaching piano and singing for about twenty-five years. Jennifer died in May 2011 after a short illness, leaving her husband, Philip; two daughters; and three grandchildren. Her books have all been bestsellers in England."

The final book that Jennifer Worth wrote about her life of midwifery, so enjoy it! At least once you finish the books you'll still have the tv show!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bluebeard, Call the Midwife, Charles De Lint, Charles Vess, Code, Jane Nickerson, Jennifer Worth, Kathy Reichs, Strands of Bronze and Gold, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, Virals

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: August 10th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Fanny's mother is known throughout the family as "The Bolter." Leaving your child behind to be raised by your siblings isn't that odd in a family that uses children instead of foxes in hunts, has their own distinct argot, and lives in such an old house that only one closet has the warmth to be bearable. It is in this "Hons" closet that Fanny and her cousin Linda spend all their time dreaming of true love. Because love is what life is all about. As they grow up their thoughts turn less from the fantasy of marrying the Prince of Wales and more towards any decent chap that can be lured to Alconleigh for their debut ball. Linda, growing up at Alconleigh has not had the luxury of an education that Fanny has living with their Aunt Emily. Linda therefore is so desperate to fall in love that she mistakenly falls for the first man who comes along. The wrong man.

While Fanny happily settles down with an Oxford don and starts having babies, Linda's marriage to Tony Kroesig is a sham. They have one daughter whom Linda can't stand, but she keeps up the pretense of happy families, until one day she throws off her Facist husband for Communist Christian. Yet again Linda has misstepped, thinking that she is in love once more, when really she is just in love with being away from Tony. Always wanting so desperately to be in love, Linda mistakes any male attention for the real deal. Could she be turning into Fanny's mother, The Bolter? Or will her desperate search for love pay off in the most oddest of ways?

I remember one winter day when I first picked up the Vintage omnibus of The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. The selling point to me was the big silver sticker they had put on the cover for Masterpiece Theatre. I covet those PBS tie-in editions of yore and here was a brand new one waiting for me to buy it. I have mentioned this before, but I am the book dork who must always read a book before watching the show, so I set to reading this before the miniseries was to air. This was a hard time in my life, I had just temporarily dropped out of college because of multiple deaths in the family and I took solace in this little escape. While I enjoyed the book, I was really looking forward to watching the miniseries more than anything. Of course, nothing goes to plan.

My main problem was I was living with my family and we had only two tvs. This was to air on a Monday night, which meant one of the tvs was designated for my little brother watching Monday night wrestling, which meant I had to negotiate for the second tv with my mother. My mother agreed to watch it, so long as it was good. She lasted less then five minutes before she claimed boredom and changed the channel. I was so fed up with everyone else getting what they wanted when all I wanted to do was watch one episode of Masterpiece Theatre that I went into my room and cried. I had waited months and my mom had let me have five minutes, a trait that more or less continues to this day. I had to wait more than four years to finally see the series... so, logically enough, my memory of the book has faded because of the incident that followed.

Therefore when finally getting around to planning Mitford March for my blog, I was excited for the re-read. I remembered very little in the years that followed my initial reading, many of my memories where tied up in the aforementioned incident and in the second volume of the book, more on that later, so I was pleasantly surprised by what I had forgotten and what I had remembered. The odd thing about this book is, truthfully, there really isn't a plot. Instead it is about the yearning and desire for love and how that can go unexpectedly right and horribly wrong. Of all the love stories told, the two that I enjoy the most is Jassy's and Linda's final love. Jassy, Linda's younger sister, has spent her entire life saving up money to run away, finally she does so in order to go to Hollywood and court an actor she has fallen for, who played a background artist in a pirate movie. The media sensation that follows is almost more entertaining then the end of the courtship, with her father viewing the reporters trying to sneak into his house as the first real and formidable enemies since he killed Germans with his entrenching tool in The Great War. While Linda's love of Fabrice is so unexpected when they meet at the train station as she is leaving her second husband, it is their banter and their easy natural conversation that makes you realize that it's not the money and it's not the looks, it's how you click that matters. Linda and I learned that love can be found in the most unexpected of places.

Yet, what I found most interesting about this book is how it was a mirror for the Mitfords themselves. The first time I read this book I knew about them in the vaguest of terms. Sisters, writers, one or two hung out with Hitler, whatever, it wasn't of concern to me, this was fiction. But as Nancy's sister Jessica points out in the introduction "we all know [Nancy's] got no imagination" because "there we were, larger than life, Mitfords renamed Radletts, reliving our childhoods as seen through Nancy's strange triangular green eyes." And the more you know about the Mitfords the funnier the book is. Nancy lampooning herself and her family. Jessica running off to Spain with a communist is both Linda and her little brother's fate. Up and leaving your husband, just like Diana did. Nancy's affair with a Frenchman. The families love of animals, their weird language all their own. This book is the Mitfords as seen through a slightly wobbly magnifying lens, and I love the book for this more then any other reason!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alconleigh, Diana Mitford, Hitler, Jessica Mitford, Love in a Cold Climate, Masterpiece Theater, Mitford March, Mitfords, Nancy Mitford, PBS, The Bolter, The Great War, The Pursuit of Love

Nancy Mitford is the most well known of the Mitford sisters. The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate are considered standard reading among Anglophiles. The eldest of the Mitford children, she was of the generation known as the Bright Young Things, the generation satirized by her friend and fellow Bright Young Thing Evelyn Waugh in his book Vile Bodies. Her debutante photographs where done by Cecil Beaton, the most sought after photographer and chronicler of the age. Unlike her siblings, she never took to politics and instead she threw herself into writing, mainly books that where parodies of her family with the characters thinly veiled.

Much like the people she wrote about, she never had fulfillment in love, placing her heart time and again with the wrong man. Yet where she wasn't a success in affairs of the heart the same couldn't be said about her writing career. "The Pursuit of Love was a phenomenal best seller and made her financially independent." This allowed her to relocate to Paris, where she spent her time writing biographies about French luminaries like Madame Pampadour and Voltaire. Yet it is her comedic sensibilities and sense of humor that people remember in both her novels and her various contributions to newspapers.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bright Young Things, Cecil Beaton, Evelyn Waugh, Love in a Cold Climate, Madame Pampadour, Mitford March, Mitfords, Nancy Mitford, The Pursuit of Love, Vile Bodies, Voltaire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

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

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

The official patter:
"Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

Mercy week! Feels like an eternity since the last book, yes, two years feels like that to me. FINALLY! Do a little dance, because I have to wait probably another two years for the next, sigh.

Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Published by: Roc Hardcover
Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow."

This looks right up my alley!

A Conspiracy of Alchemists: Book One in The Chronicles of Light and Shadow by Liesel Schwarz
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—the intrepid heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold.

In a Golden Age where spark reactors power the airways, and creatures of Light and Shadow walk openly among us, a deadly game of Alchemists and Warlocks has begun.

When an unusual cargo drags airship-pilot Elle Chance into the affairs of the mysterious Mr. Marsh, she must confront her destiny and do everything in her power to stop the Alchemists from unleashing a magical apocalypse.

Discover the thrilling new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold."

This looks like it's going to be a big spending week at the bookstore!

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin Book 1) by Robin LaFevers
Published by: Graphia
Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Paperback: Hardcover, 576 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage to the respite of the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts and a violent destiny. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. But how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who has stolen her heart?

I loved this book so much that it was in the top ten of books I read in 2011. The sequel is finally coming out, so if you haven't picked up this amazing book by Robin, do it now, you won't regret it!

Bright Young Things: A Modern Guide to the Roaring Twenties by Alison Maloney
Published by: Potter Style
Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For lovers of the glamour and scandal of the roaring twenties and the millions of fans eagerly anticipating the return of Downton Abbey (the third season opens in the twenties), an illustrated lifestyle guide to the fashion, the parties, the notrious personalities, and all the glittering trappings from the unforgettable era of the flapper.

Bright Young Things is a perfect guide to the roaring twenties--hot jazz and hotter all-night dance halls, high society's scandalous exploits, fresh new fashions, Prohibition cocktails, costume parties, and of course, the notorious flapper. Decorated throughout with art deco illustrations and packaged in a beautiful foil-stamped case, this book looks stunning resting on a coffee table and makes a fabulous gift."

For something I'm working on for this summer, this book could be perfect!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Conspiracy of Alchemists, Anne Bishop, Bright Young Things, Frost Burned, Grave Mercy, His Fair Assassin, Liesel Schwarz, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, R.L. LaFevers, Robin LaFevers

For some time now I have wanted to do a tribute month to the Mitfords. Now, while I really wanted to do this to coincide with Deborah Mitford's 90th birthday in March of 2010, she being the last living Mitford, as you can see I'm a few years off... but still, better late then never is what I say. For any Anglophile the Mitfords are an interesting subject. Six sisters raised in an unorthodox way, with their own argot, Honnish, with education being for boys, not girls, they never had a formal education, yet despite that hindrance, two of them went on to become celebrated writers, with Nancy Mitford regarded as one of the best writers of the 20th century.

In any time period the Mitfords would be called eccentric. The eldest, Nancy, went on to be famous for her novels saterising her family, Pamela's lesbian relationship didn't raise many eyebrows especially because her younger sister Diana married the heir to the Guiness fortune, then left him for Walter Mosley, the leader of Britian's Fascist movement. They eventually married in Joseph Goebbels' drawing room with Hitler in attendance. Unity was much like her sister Diana, in that she too flocked to Hitler, but was so torn when Britian and Germany declared war that she shot herself in the head, but didn't die till after the war. Jessica meanwhile was a staunch Communist and ran off with her cousin, whom she married, to the Spanish Civil War. Deborah on the other hand is quite docile, having married the Duke of Devonshire and taking care of Chatsworth, one of the great houses of England, and turning it into one of the most successful country homes and tourist attractions.

Of the six sisters, only Pamela and Unity never took pen to paper. While Nancy wrote fiction, it seems that the sisters main literary interest was in non-fiction. Writing biographies, not just of famous people, but also contrasting biographies of themselves. Besides their own writing, there has been a plethora of books written on them. Controversial, stylish and notorious... I can't think of a better gang of ladies to have their own month.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Autobiography, Biography, Chatsworth, Deborah Mitford, Diana Mitford, Hitler, Hons, Jessica Mitford, Mitford March, Mitfords, Nancy Mitford