Obsessed With Books

The Salt Road by Jane Johnson

2012-01-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

I read Jane Johnson's The Tenth Gift in July of 2009. That story involved the lives of two women living in two different time periods paralleling each other. The story and Johnson's writing stayed in my mind; a woven tapestry that at the end was revealed its completion not its unraveling. I know I'm being overly dramatic here but I've never really come across another writer like Jane Johnson, with her exotic settings, evocative prose and dynamic female characters. Maybe I could call up a few authors that have storylines with similar elements but not the same way of threading together the stories and histories of the female characters.

From the author of The Tenth Gift comes another story of exotic, foreign lands, entwining storylines spanning generations, and the quests to overcome love lost.

"My dear Isabelle, in the attic you will find a box with your name on it."

Isabelle's estranged archeologist father dies, leaving her a puzzle. In a box she finds some papers and a mysterious African amulet — but their connection to her remains unclear until she embarks on a trip to Morocco to discover how the amulet came into her father's possession. When the amulet is damaged and Isabelle almost killed in an accident, she fears her curiosity has got the better of her. But Taib, her rescuer, knows the dunes and their peoples, and offers to help uncover the amulet's extraordinary history, involving Tin Hinan — She of the Tents — who made a legendary crossing of the desert, and her beautiful descendant Mariata.

Across years and over hot, shifting sands, tracking the Salt Road, the stories of Isabelle and Taib, Mariata and her lover, become entangled with that of the lost amulet. It is a tale of souls wounded by history and of love blossoming on barren ground. From the Hardcover edition.

Johnson's sophomore effort The Salt Road, is equally good as The Tenth Gift, and follows a similar formula. This time we are taken to the historical land of the desert Tuareg tribes and modern day Morocco. At its heart, The Salt Road is about the strength of women, and further, is wonderfully insightful about the lives of the Tuareg people. The women in the novel, Mariata and Isabelle, overcome abuse and hardship and in the process find their true selves. There are also good and not so good surprises in store for both characters that keep the story suspenseful. Johnson portrays the Tuaregs as a fierce people fighting to preserve their traditions in an oppressive world.

I recommend The Salt Road. Its focus on the lives of women reminded me other great novels with strong women within an historical context:

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Expected One and The Book of Love by Kathleen McGowan
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

My Rating: 4.5

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Related Links:
The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson
The Book of Love by Kathleen McGowan

Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer

2011-11-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Powder and Patch is a lighter piece of fluff for Georgette Heyer, and much shorter in length than the majority of her novels. The book centralizes on two characters, Philip and Cleone. Here is the synopsis:

To win her hand, he must become what he despises . . .

Cleone Charteris's exquisite charms have made her the belle of the English countryside. But Cleone yearns for a husband who is refined, aristocratic and who is as skilled with his wit as he is with his dueling pistols . . . Everything Philip Jettan is not. As much as she is attracted to the handsome squire, Cleone finds herself dismissing Philip and his rough mannerisms.

With his father's encouragement, Philip departs for the courts of Paris, determined to acquire the social graces and sirs of the genteel -- and convince Cleone that he is the man most suited for her hand. But his transformation may cost him everything, including Cleone . . .

The charm of Powder and Patch, as with many of Heyer's other novels, is her discourse on the social customs of the time, revealed through character exchanges and descriptions of dress and mannerisms for both ladies and gentleman. There is certainly a lot of great description of the clothing and accoutrement from the Georgian period in Power and Patch. Of course, what constitutes a gentleman has changed from era to era, in the Georgian period gentlemen must have great "love making" technique, have a certain air and posture, be a wonderful dancer, have a sly wit and, of course, must have great swordsmanship for all those duels to defend "my lady's" honour. Anyhoo, Powder and Patch is a fun read. I highly recommend for fans of Georgette Heyer but would recommend The Grand Sophy, The Nonesuch or Arabella instead for Heyer first timers.

My Rating: 3.5

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Related Posts:

Arabella

From TIME Video: The Making of a Romance Novel Cover

2011-11-29T21:48:00.001-07:00

TIME goes behind the scenes of a romance novel cover shoot.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1292273354001_2100414,00.html#ixzz1fA3S2dm9

A rare look into the making of the the romance novel cover...all
kinds of good stuff in this video.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

2011-11-07T01:34:00.000-07:00

Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a lonely mansion on Soldier Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they start to die...

Possibly her most famous book, and certainly the most adapted, Christie used different endings for the novel and her stage adaptation, giving the stage version a happier ending. The Boston Transcript

I love a good mystery. Strike that...in this case a 'great' mystery. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie has actually been called the greatest mystery novel of all time and the author spent months researching before she started writing the story.

So I thought it was finally time to read this novel. As I was reading the first few pages, I started to ask myself questions about how 10 characters could die. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to write all these questions down first...get my thoughts in order and make some assumptions before I read any further and then after I read the novel I could go back and reflect. Create for myself a sort of logic puzzle research project. This book is also known as, "Ten Little Indians," so with no insult intended to indigenous cultures, I am going to call a participant an Indian. Stopping at page 27, the end of chapter two, I have the following:

There are 10 strangers and they all die. But the book summary does not state they are all murdered, just "they die". A death could be faked.
Crimes of passion are committed because of jealousy, greed or revenge. It could be revenge. The deaths likely are not crimes of passion but of justice.
There must have been at least one person who investigated each "Indian" on the island. If each Indian committed a crime then the common thread is the law - justice.
The external characters are the boatman (Fred Narracott), the old seafaring gentleman, the jew (Mr. Isaac Morris), the porters and taxi drivers.
Only Justice Wargrave was NOT invited by Owen, but supposedly by Lady Constance Culmington. Rather Wargrave is the only one who thinks he was invited by her and not Owen.
A doctor, someone who can save lives, is one of the Indians.
Someone could be hiding out on the island.
Could one of the individuals have a twin?
Use of the word prisoner = military.
Mr. Isaac Morris arranged and paid for transportation of the Indians to the Island as stated by Norracott. Mr. Blore may have been contracted by Morris.

Wow, ok so after reading the novel I have determined that all my logical assumptions above hold true. But I really can't discuss the plot of the book any further without giving away spoilers. This has been an interesting exercise though! And Then There Were None is an unforgettable mystery. Its not very long but it has great impact. I highly recommend to fiction and mystery lovers.

My Rating 5.0

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Mini-Review: The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn

2011-09-27T23:16:00.000-06:00

Partners now in marriage and in trade, Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane have finally returned from abroad to set up housekeeping in London. But merging their respective collections of gadgets, pets and servants leaves little room for the harried newlyweds themselves, let alone Brisbane's private enquiry business.

Among the more unlikely clients: Julia's very proper brother, Lord Bellmont, who swears Brisbane to secrecy about his case. Not about to be left out of anything concerning her beloved—if eccentric—family, spirited Julia soon picks up the trail of the investigation.

It leads to the exclusive Ghost Club, where the alluring Madame Séraphine holds evening séances…and not a few powerful gentlemen in thrall. From this eerie enclave unfolds a lurid tangle of dark deeds, whose tendrils crush reputations and throttle trust.

Shocked to find their investigation spun into salacious newspaper headlines, bristling at the tension it causes between them, the Brisbanes find they must unite or fall. For Bellmont's sakeâ € “ and moreâ € “ they'll face myriad dangers born of dark secrets, the kind men kill to keep….

The Dark Enquiry is the fifth book in the Lady Julia Grey series. First of all I’m not sure the title of the fifth book really reflects the content. I would have liked something more impactful. I absolutely LOVED this installment to the series. There is much protectiveness, tenderness and growth between Julia and Brisbane. Their marriage is put front and center, although Brisbane is still hiding many secrets. Julia has taken up a new hobby, or rather Brisbane has channeled Julia's energy into a hobby so he doesn't have to rescue her from getting into trouble all the time.

Even though the antagonist’s and their motivations can be worked out with some thought, there are still quite a few surprises. The part of the story with Julia confronting the antagonist is a bit too coincidental for my liking but this does not detract too much from the story as a whole. There is a particular sentence that struck me deeply, although I’m not going to give any backstory, as it may lean too much toward a spoiler, but I love the way Deanna Raybourn uses metaphors.

"I was wandering through a garden, a beautiful place, with the most exquisite blossoms. And as I put a hand to smell one, it closed, furling its petals tightly against me. I moved to the next flower, and it did the same, and it happened again and again until I reached the garden gate. I passed through and closed the gate, looking back to see the sea of blossoms, nodding sleepily on their stems. I locked the gate firmly behind me and walked on. I did not look back again."

Now you'll just have to read the story to understand what that quote means! I recommend reading the series in order...The Dark Inquiry is not really a standalone. Raybourn is working on a sixth instalment to the series.

My Rating: 5.0

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Related Posts:
Mini-Review: Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

Mini-Review: Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn

2011-09-27T22:59:00.000-06:00

The fourth Lady Julia Grey mystery (following Silent on the Moor, 2009) finds Julia happily married to handsome, brooding detective Nicholas Brisbane. Their honeymoon is interrupted by her sister Portia and brother Plum, who want Julia and her new husband to come to India, where Portia’s former lover, Jane Cavendish, is living on the tea plantation her recently deceased husband, Freddie, inherited. Freddie died under mysterious circumstances, and Jane suspects he may have been murdered for his inheritance. Jane is pregnant, and she fears her child will be in danger if it proves to be a boy. Despite her husband’s objections, Julia decides to investigate Freddie’s murder, getting to know the potential suspects, including Freddie’s spinster aunt, his cousin Harry, several neighbors, and a mysterious man known as the White Rajah. As Julia closes in on the killer, she uncovers more than a few family secrets.

In this installment, I don’t feel that Julia or Brisbane advanced much as characters or in their marriage though there is still great chemistry in their exchanges. Many significant events happened with secondary characters, such as Jane, Portia and Plum and many new characters were introduced. There are the usual incidents of Julia’s curiosity getting her into trouble and Brisbane coming to the rescue. The setting of India gives an exotic underpinning and the cultural aspects were interesting. Somehow either because of the setting of India or maybe it was all the new characters, Dark Road to Darjeeling just did not work as well for me as the earlier instalments in the series. Raybourn does excellent character building though...maybe there was just too many extra characters for my personal tastes. The ending is a complete shocker and left me wanting more, so this series is still one of my favourites and I look forward to the next book.

The next instalment in the series, Book 5, is The Dark Enquiry.

My Rating: 4.0

ChaptersIndigo
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Related Posts:
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

Highlights of London/Scotland/Ireland

2011-09-07T19:37:00.000-06:00

We flew to the UK for our summer vacation this year. We were in London for 5 days, then took a train to Edinburgh (2 days), staying in Scotland 9 days in total, then we flew over to Dublin (2 days) and toured Ireland and Northern Ireland for 9 days. An amazing trip with too many experiences to mention but here are the highlights.

London
London is a great city but busy, busy, busy. We will visit again sometime. The shopping districts have the same stores repeat every other block and sometimes across from each other!

Oxford/Regent Street Shopping

Tower of London/Westminister. City Sightseeing Tours Best way to see London.

The British Museum. Marble Bust of Alexander the Great.

Taking the Train South to Sunny Coastal Worthing

We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre

Edinburgh/Scotland
Edinburgh was by far our favourite city and the West Highlands of Scotland were magical and awe-inspiring. We would go back here again in a heartbeat.

Edinburgh & Edinburgh Castle

Scotch Whiskey Taste Experience. Largest collection of scotch whiskey in the world.

Glamis Castle

Isle of Skye and hiking ALL the way up to Old Man's Storr

Midlands and West Highlands, specifically the Nairn and Glencoe areas. Spectacular!

Urqhart Castle at Loch Ness

Glasgow Shopping

Restored Great Hall at Stirling Castle

Rosslyn Chapel. A beautiful structure marred by scaffolding.

Ireland/Northern Ireland
The Trinity College Old Library/Book of Kells was ok but I would recommend Dublin's Chester Beatty Library instead.

Dublin. The Spire.

Guinness Storehouse

Powerscourt Estate Gardens

Miven Head

View from Road to Miven Head

Killarney National Park

Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet

Cliffs of Moher

Giant's Causeway

Trim Castle

Newgrange

Did you know that an automatic car rental will cost you three times more than a manual rental in the UK? We had a friend give us lessons in driving standard/manual in order to save costs. So, not only did we have to drive on the wrong side of the road, we wrangled with changing gears with the gear shift on the opposite side we learnt on. Our trip was awesome when we weren't driving but those roundabouts drove us nuts!!! We navigated around using our iPad and Google Maps/Offmaps and drove 1350 km in Scotland and 1685 km in Ireland. Its not something I would suggest doing for the faint of heart. Our summer vacation was very memorable but I think I'm done with 3 week vacations where you are sleeping somewhere different almost every night.

Back from Summer Break

2011-08-11T21:15:00.000-06:00

So, I've got some great reasons why I've not posted to the blog since late March. The winter semester at the University of Alberta School of Library and Information Studies was incredibly difficult. Then I took a three week practicum course (LIS 590). Then we travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia for 8 days and then we travelled on to London/Scotland/Ireland for three weeks. Since we got back from our travels, I took a summer course, (LIS 598 Information Security) and I've been taking a bit of a break.

Here's some thoughts on the courses I took in my second semester. By my own design I ended up taking probably the four most difficult courses in the program and then I subsequently took LIS 590 in the spring and LIS 598 in the summer.

LIS 505 - Introduction to Research
Oh the cold shivers running up my back at the memories. Suffice to say LIS 505 was a brutal course and I'm not exaggerating! This is a required course in an MLIS program. Basically you come up with a research question (e.g. quantitative, qualitative or textual) and live with it for 3 months, do a plethora of related assignments and then churn out a 35 page single-spaced research proposal including interview questions, ethics review, hypotheses, recruitment poster, budget, timeline and on and on for final term project. What was both great and not so great were the students from other disciplines enrolled in the course. Most classes in LIS only have LIS students but not LIS 505, as the course is meant to instruct students on how to put together a research proposal and how to conduct research. So external students brought refreshing opinions but those same students hogged the class time in a class filled to over capacity. Luckily, my marathon effort on my final proposal reaped rewards and I got a grade I am happy with.

LIS 532 - Cataloging and Classification
This was the most frustrating course but the most practical and rewarding. We learnt standards in bibliographic description, AACR2 rules, MARC 21 format, LCC, DCC, LCSH. We had five items of varying format such as monograph, serial, DVD, electronic resource, which we learnt the above aspects of cataloging and classification. The detail required and the high level of understanding of rules and standards was exacting and the source of my frustration being a perfectionist. Luckily, we had a wonderfully giving instructor, KDG, who felt our pain but had high expectations of our efforts. Our term project was a 20 page group paper examining LCSH and DDC on a high-level topic (cooking and ethnicity). I would recommend all MLIS students take this fundamental course. I even got to apply what I learnt in my spring practicum work placement!

LIS 533 - Database Design for Information Management
This course at its core was not about building a database in a software program but learning the conceptual, logical and practical design steps when creating and implementing databases. For this course you needed to be able to think abstractly when ER modeling and analytically when developing relational models, creating SQL queries, QBE and using normalization. The term project required you to go through each step of database design, then create the database in Access, as well as forms, SQL queries and QBE. I did well with the analytical aspects to the course but in my mind failed with the more conceptual aspects, the ER modelling. So I just missed out on getting a top grade and I'm bitter about it. The content of the course was difficult, even for those who have the aptitude for it so I would not recommend this course to the majority of MLIS students.

LIS 538 - Digital Libraries
Digital libraries was my favourite course in the winter term, though a demanding one. It really opened my eyes to all the different layers involved in considering building a digital library, such as funding, preservation, metadata standards, etc. The course really ran the gamut on topics and was very informative. The final project was to create a digital library using the Greenstone application, with an accompanying paper. The course was demanding because Greenstone was very tricky and problematic to use. Many hours I'll never get back were spent on trial and error experimenting and perfecting my digital library which I called Interpretations of Tea. This course was my best grade. I would recommend a digital libraries course to MLIS students but if you are not comfortable with technology you may want to look at other options.

So, as you can see from above, all my final projects were very demanding...and of course they were essentially due all at the same time, along with some other assignments. I had two weeks of stress, poor diet, no exercise, sporadic sleep, mental intensity and then after submitting an assignment 6:00pm on the last Friday of the term, I had to pack up and clean my apartment, then move Saturday back to Calgary and start my practicum work placement on the Monday. The practicum was for 3 weeks and then I finally got a break!

LIS 590 - Practicum
My practicum placement was at a special library for a large Canadian oil & gas company. I got great exposure to reference requests, original and copy cataloguing and I researched embedded librarianship and alternative library models for my final project. I would recommend library and information studies students compete a co-operative work placement or a practicum, as it provides great insight into real world librarianship. The practicum was pass/fail, three-week intensive (100 hours) and although I was not paid it does count toward three credits or a full course in my program.

LIS 598 Information Security
I took this as a one-credit course. We learnt about risk management, information security in the context of threats and vulnerabilities (such as hacking, natural disasters, password management, etc.), critiquing acceptable use policies. I learnt a lot in this course, plus it was timely with all the recent Lulzsec and Anonymous events. A final project was required consisting of four parts (Policy Analysis, Software Evaluation, Future Forecast and Incident Report). The summary may sound dry but the course was eye-opening, as we were shown the techniques and technology that hackers use and we studied risk management documents. I got a great grade in this course as well...and I only wish it had been a three-credit instead of a one-credit, it was that interesting.

Next post I will be providing some highlights and photos of our trip to London/Scotland/Ireland.

Books to Film News

2011-03-20T00:50:00.001-06:00

Although I'm sure most would agree that the films and TV mini-series are usually never as good as the book, that doesn't stop me from eagerly awaiting releases of these adaptations. Recently I watched The Pillars of the Earth miniseries, which was I thought was really good, though I haven't yet read the book even though I own it. I will one day!

http://www.focusfeatures.com/video/jane_eyre_the_trailer

A new screen adaptation of Jane Eyre was just released and I'm gasping to watch it, though I have to finish the school term first!

I've noticed two other announcements of upcoming adaptions that I am SUPER excited about. First is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. This was an amazing novel, one of my all-time favourites actually, which is slated to be released in July 15, 2011 in the United States. Here is article from Shelf Awareness.

The second adaptation is... Labyrinth by Kate Mosse to be released in spring of 2012. This one is going to be awesome. It will be a four-hour TV miniseries actually and filmed by the same production team as The Pillars of the Earth, so I have high expectations. Here is the article from Shelf Awareness.

I recommend the daily newsletter by Shelf Awareness as a great resource to follow to keep up to date on the latest media, movie and book news.

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/snow-flower-and-secret-fan/trailer

Mr & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Sharon Lathan

2011-02-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I became obsessed with Austen fan fiction, a brief intense period in which I immersed myself in everything Austen (I recall at the same time Masterpiece Classic was releasing new series versions of a few Austen classics), though eventually I think I burnt myself out and I haven't really focused on it much since...though I do have a nice collection of Austen titles and fan fiction. I think the genre has become saturated and quality has suffered. Seriously, I will never be caught reading Pride & Prejudice and Zombies and I am so glad my favourite actor Natalie Portman decided not to take the lead role). Recently though another series caught my attention in blog posts (mainly because of the book covers), which is Sharon Lathan's Darcy Saga.

I hold the Pamela Aidan Fitzwilliam Darcy - Gentleman series as the pinnacle of Austen fan fiction, which followed the same storyline as the original Pride & Prejudice, but from Darcy's point of view. I was expecting a lot from the Sharon Lathan series, my first foray in Austen fan fiction after a long drought) but after reading the first novel I admit I am bit gobsmacked. Usually I do some research on ratings and recommendations before I purchase books but I have to admit I didn't do so for this series and I wish I had. I'm not really sure how to proceed with reviewing the novel, in order to be fair and not give away any spoilers. For further reviews I suggest visiting LibraryThing. Here are a few observations that may be helpful in deciding whether you would want to read the series:

The novels follow the Darcy's directly after their wedding.
There is a lot of description about the Pemberley estate, manor and history of Darcy's family.
New characters are brought into the story.
Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy contains a lot of romantic language and scenes of intimacy. (I am not a overtly romantic person but I do think I have sensitivity and the quantity of these moments and the verbosity of the characters frankly made me uncomfortable, something that takes quite a lot to do!)
The peak of the story, all the action, comes in the last chapters of the book.
The novel is romance not literature.
Indirectly offers lessons in romance: when, where, why, and how often to say "I love you".
The book covers are certainly pretty.

Well, I purchased the series all at once with a Christmas gift card, so they are there sitting on the shelf, so I suppose they will all get read one day (maybe). I think for me that's it for now with Austen fan fiction...but for those who can't get enough please look to the Pamela Aidan series and Syrie James' The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen.

My Rating: 2.5

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Related Posts:
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Rigler
Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange

Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer

Mini Reviews for The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and Altar of Eden of James Rollins

2011-02-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

I read two action adventure novels recently, that I have a few lingering thoughts about. What do you expect out of action adventure fiction? Yes, I want to be thrilled and I want fast-paced action. I want to learn something, or be taken to somewhere around the world I have never heard of or thought about before...but I also want relationships developing between characters. Is this too much to ask for in action adventure novels with all the other elements packed in? I don't think so, but its often what seems to be lacking.

Also can I just say I DESPISE this new book size for mass market paperbacks...first they had to introduce the tall format which ruined the consistent height of my collections and the spacing between my bookshelves but now they have this extra wide and shorter format, more squarish. Don't the publishers realize they are antagonizing their readers by introducing these new sizes...I try not to buy these when at all possible.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object -artfully encoded with five symbols-is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon''s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon-a prominent Mason and philanthropist -is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations-all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

The most surprising thing about The Lost Symbol for me was unrelated to the content of the book...its actually amazingly long at over 600 pages...but look more critically and you will see that the chapters are short, very short. I really dislike this format...making the chapters short to somehow make the book feel more fast-paced. Yes, the whole premise about the Masons and the inclusion of The Smithsonian was quite interesting but the ending dragged on a bit too much with this fluffy, rosy, bright hopefulness (I don't mind sappy but it seemed over the top for me). With all those pages you would think Robert Langdon would develop relationships with other characters but he doesn't...though I guess this is hard to do when a whole storyline falls within only a few hours. Still, its what I love about reading, the development of character's relationships...which was singularly lacking in The Lost Symbol. There were interesting ideas and themes in The Lost Symbol, so if you like action adventure novels I would recommend reading it.

My Rating: 4.0

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Altar of Eden by James Rollins

Baghdad falls . . . and armed men are seen looting the city zoo. Amid a hail of bullets, a concealed underground lab is ransacked—and something horrific is set loose upon the world.

Seven years later, Louisiana state veterinarian Lorna Polk investigates an abandoned shipwrecked fishing trawler carrying exotic caged animals, part of a black market smuggling ring. But there is something disturbingly wrong with these beasts—each an unsettling mutation of the natural order, all sharing one uncanny trait: incredibly heightened intelligence.

Joining forces with U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jack Menard—a man who shares with her a dark and bloody past—Lorna sets out to uncover the truth about this strange cargo and the terrorist threat it poses. Because a beast escaped the shipwreck and is running amok—and what is about to be born upon the altar of Eden could threaten not only the future of the world but the very foundation of what it means to be human.

I have mentioned many times that novels with themes of technology and science rock my world and James Rollins is one of my absolute favorite action/adventure authors who incorporates these themes. Normally I'm enraptured by the scientific theories Rollins includes in his novels, but in Altar of Eden I felt I was at times being lectured to about the science rather the than the story evolving from the science (this was even more apparent after comparing Altar of Eden to Awakening by S. J. Bolton, which incorporates scientific knowledge as well, but with a more natural feel than in this novel). Maybe it was because Altar of Eden was a departure from Rollins' Sigma series that I felt this way. Other than this aspect of the novel though, I appreciated the story even though it was a bit more far out than usual for Rollins. The main characters were multi-faceted, interesting, resourceful and pulled at my emotions. Read if you are a Rollins fan but if you have never read Rollins before, I would not start with this novel.

My Rating: 4.0

ChaptersIndigo
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Related Posts:
The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
The Last Oracle by James Rollins
Ice Hunt by James Rollins
Deep Fathom by James Rollins
Subterranean by James Rollins

What Does My Bookcase Say About Me Meme?

2011-02-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

1. “I’m a Jane Austen Addict” (Jane Austen The Complete Novels, Pamela Aiden series, fan fiction by Abigail Reynolds, Amanda Grange, Diana Birchall, Lost Memories of Jane Austen by Syrie James, Sharon Lathan's series, Just Jane by Nancy Moser, 2 Linda Berdoll and Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence...just to name a few...and I've not listed all my video titles!)

2. “I collect certain authors an series!” (20 Georgette Heyer, 40 J.D. Robb, Alan Bradley, 5 J.R.R. Tolkien, complete box set of Harry Potter novels, Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series, Kate Carlisle Bibliophile mysteries, 9 Philippa Gregory, 22 Tami Hoag, 4 Susanna Kearsley, 148 Jayne Anne Krentz, 97 Betty Neels, 40 Elizabeth Lowell, 14 James Rollins, 4 Thomas Harris, 11 Andrea Kane, Alison Weir, 19 Carla Neggers, 3 Dan Brown, Elizabeth Chadwick, Stieg Larsson, Sarah Dunant, Michelle Moran, Maria V. Snyder, Kathleen McGowan, Christine Trent and C.L. Wilson.)

3. “I like Gothic fiction!” (Ariana Franklin series, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Drood by Dan Simmons, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 4 Victoria Holt, Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott, Perfume by Patrick Suskind, Eve Silver, A Whisper in the Dark by Louise May Alcott, 3 Kate Mosse and 3 S. J. Bolton.)

4. "Classics call my name!" (The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson, Middlemarch by George Eliot, To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, Vanity Fair by William Makepeace, Lolita by Nabokov, Master & Commander by Patrick O'brian, Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy and The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery ans 2 Oscar Wilde novels.)

5. “I collect Victorian novels!” (The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series, Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily Ashton series, Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody series, Leanna Hieber's Guards and Goddesses' series and Libby Bray's Gemma Doyle young adult series and Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue.)

6. "Fiction involving Asian history or locations fascinates me! (Empress Orchid and The Last Empress by Anchee Min, 3 Amy Tan, Empress by Shan Sa, Peony and The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble, 3 Lisa See novels and Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.)

7. "I like books that have themes of art, math or science or similar!" (Contact by Carl Sagan, Michael Crichton, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Rule of Four by Caldwell and Thomason, Girl With a Pearl Earring and Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier, Signora Da Vinci by Robin Maxwell, The Savage Garden by Mark Mills, The Eight by Katherine Neville, The Tailor's Daughter by Janice Graham, Karen Essex and Sarah Dunant.)

8. "I need another bookshelf!" (Most of the free space at the front of each shelf is filled with stacks of books and there is little remaining free space.)

9. “I buy a lot more books than I can read!” (The right hand side of my bookshelf contains books I haven't read and the left side contains books I have read.)

So, what does your bookcase say about you?

Awakening by S. J. Bolton

2011-02-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

An idyllic village is thrown into turmoil in a startling, heart-racing thriller.

Veterinary surgeon Clara Benning is young and intelligent, but practically a recluse. Disfigured by a childhood accident, she lives alone and shies away from human contact wherever possible. But when a man dies, following a supposed snake bite, Clara learns that the victim's post mortem shows a higher concentration of venom than could ever be found in a single snake.

Assisted by her softly spoken neighbour and an eccentric reptile expert, Clara unravels sinister links to a barbaric ancient ritual, an abandoned house and a fifty year old tragedy that left the survivors fiercely secretive. Then the village's inventive attacker strikes again, and Clara's own solitary existence is brutally invaded. For someone the truth must remain buried in the past...even if they have to kill to keep it there.

S. J. Bolton's suspense novels are like no other mystery suspense novels I have ever read. Browsing Chapters a couple years ago, I happened to see the cover of Sacrifice (a bright gold ring on a gloomy bluish coastal background) and it intrigued me so I read the back blurb...I love elements of science and the supernatural...so I took a chance on Bolton's debut. Well, I wasn't disappointed and Sacrifice stayed in my thoughts (and possibly nightmares) for days after I had read it. I continued to follow the efforts of Bolton, acquiring Awakening and an ARC copy of Blood Harvest. So I've finally gotten around to reading Bolton's sophomore effort, Awakening, and its just as gripping and creepy. For me, it didn't have the shock value of Sacrifice but it was more focused. Yes, there is a lot about snakes in this book, but if anything they are treated with respect...and its the humans who are the real serpents!!

What do I love about these novels. Pungent description, authenticity, damaged female protagonists, multi-layered plots, and science and the supernatural co-mingling (slightly gothic feel). I don't like horror but I love a good thrill and a bit of ugliness doesn't turn my stomach.

The Times stated of Bolton "S.J. Bolton has elevated herself to the High Priestess of English Rural Gothic. If she carries on like this she will have worshippers in their millions." I heartily agree. If you appreciate great mystery/suspense novels, YOU MUST read Bolton. An author not to be missed!!! S. J. Bolton's next effort is Now You See Me, to be released May 26, 2011 in hardcover.

My Rating: 4.0

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon

Related Posts:
New Release by S.J. Bolton - Awakening
Sacrifice by S.J. Bolton

Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters

2011-02-12T17:53:00.002-07:00

Can fear kill? There are those who believe so--but Amelia Peabody is skeptical. A respected Egyptologist and amateur sleuth, Amelia has foiled felonious schemes from Victoria's England to the Middle East. And she doubts that it was a Nineteenth-Dynasty mummy's curse that caused the death of a night watchman in the British Museum. The corpse was found sprawled in the mummy's shadow, a look of terror frozen on the guard's face. What--or who--killed the unfortunate man is a mystery that seems too intriguingly delicious for Amelia to pass up, especially now that she, her dashing archaeologist husband, Emerson, and their precocious son, Ramses, are back on Britain's shores. But a contemporary curse can be as lethal as one centuries old--and the foggy London thoroughfares can be as treacherous as the narrow, twisting alleyways of Cairo after dark--when a perpetrator of evil deeds sets his murderous sights on his relentless pursuer . . . Amelia Peabody

Deeds of the Disturber did not recommend itself to me as well as the previous novels in the series. The setting of this installment was London, not very exciting compared to the wonderfully described desert and Cairo scenes of Egypt in the past novels. Many of the secondary characters were just not likeable or very interesting. The continual overt battle of wills between Amelia and Emerson diluted the usual sparkling banter between them. The story had fits of starts and sections that seemed to drag on. I also guessed a crucial element of the story early on which ruined my enjoyment.

But I did learn another new word...ratiocinative!

In my opinion, events in Deeds of the Disturber did not advance the Amelia Peabody series significantly. A good read but does not have the vibrancy of the earlier efforts in the series.

My Rating: 3.5

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon

Related Posts:
The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters
Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

Thoughts on Masters of Library & Information Studies (So Far)

2011-01-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

So, now that I have completed one term (4 courses) and am on to my second, I have some comments about my particular library and information studies program (MLIS at University of Alberta) I would like to share. First of all, since this question is asked perpetually by those interested in LIS programs: the state of job availability is much more positive in Canada than in the United States, from the commentary I have heard. In the various list serves I am on...there always seems to be new opportunities becoming available...though more often for senior positions or related to technical services. But generally, I would say there are a range of opportunities available across seniority, institutions and experience levels. Metatdata Librarians are particularly in demand. In Canada, I believe the LIS profession is healthy.

In my first term I took 4 required courses. This course-based Masters is 16 courses plus a capping exercise (as opposed to thesis-based), with an IT requirement of 2 courses within the 16. The School states you can finish the program in 2 academic years, which I plan to do. Many, many students take the program part-time...one student has been taking courses for 7 years in fact. The problem with this in my school, is that there are few Spring and Summer session courses offered. Although, you can take external courses, one practicum, or a directed study (in conjunction with seminar courses if needed). Here are some comments about last term's courses.

LIS 501 Foundations of Library and Information Studies - Introduction to LIS. Different types of librarians and their roles. Looked at Mission Statements, Goals and Objectives of Institutions. Some assignments were directed at developing soft skills. I found the Career Development Planning assignment helpful. We were fortunate enough to be taught by visiting scholar Dr. Brooke Sheldon, which made the course quite a fun experience.
LIS 502 Organization of Knowledge and Information - All about the theories behind how we organize, analyze, transmit and retrieve knowledge. Disliked the assignments, which were reflective papers and a final exam, but enjoyed the content and exercises.
LIS 503 Information Services - This course is basically Reference Services 101. The most practical course last term, the most demanding, but the most rewarding and some "fun" assignments (i.e. presentation of a reference source, evaluation of a reference interview).
LIS 504 Leadership and Management Principles for Library and Information Services - If you did not have any management or supervisory experience, the course would be more challenging because a lot of discussion was required by the professor in the lectures and in an online discussion forum.

This term I am taking another required course (LIS 505) and three electives.

LIS 505 Introduction to Research - A step by step progression to creating a research proposal. Oh you bet I am intimidated! Students often go on to extend the proposal as their thesis.
LIS 532 Cataloguing and Classification - Yes, this is all about MARC encoding, ISBD and AACR2R cataloging rules. Library of Congress Subject Headings. Library of Congress Classification and Dewey Decimal Classification. But this class is applicable if you are interested in metadata, which is becoming increasingly important with the semantic web.
LIS 533 Database Design for Information Management (IT) - More about theory, the process of database development and good database design, than creating a database.
LIS 538 Digital Libraries (IT) - What is a digital library? What are good Digital Collections? These questions are more complicated than you may think. We do get to create a small digital library at the end. Super excited about this!

All my courses this term develop practical skills...and this is my whole mandate - Information Technology (practical and technical skills). Most of the assignments in the courses allow you to target the program to wherever your interests are. This is the best way to get the most out of the program.

Last term I decided not to work and I received good grades (though these are really not so important unless you are applying for scholarships). This term will be the same though I plan on working next academic year. Working and participating in a full-time MLIS program is a fine balance. Including class time and time required for all readings, sourcing and assignments, I would say I devote 30+ hours per week and probably closer to 40+ hours per week the last 6 to 8 weeks of the term, to the program. I would also say I am the average student...not one who is completely dedicated...I want a life too!

Many scholarships are given out by the school automatically and other scholarships require applications with research proposals....yes research proposals! Needless to say, I probably will not be receiving any scholarships in the program. Why? I do not have a second Masters, second undergrad degree or a Doctorate, and these are the usual candidates for scholarship money.

The majority of students in the program are looking at entering traditional library roles after graduating (roles in academic, special and public libraries). Other roles include archives and schools...and even more non-traditional and alternative are jobs in the information profession and the corporate world...which is this gray fuzzy area seemingly impossible to gain any insight on - this is my focus and I did find one good printed resource called What's the Alternative? by Rachel Singer Gordon.

The most rewarding aspect about being in library school is putting behind me the sense of feeling like "the piece that won't fit into the puzzle" of the professional world. I have made many friends, we all have different backgrounds but we have the same desire to acquire an MLIS, although we all have different interests and want to accomplish different things. Being exposed to others, with various creative ideas and collaborating on different assignments (yes, group work is heavy in some courses) has exposed me to a variety of perspectives. I have grown so much as a person from this experience.

The profession is a small one, so its important to be visible, network, join committees and generally participate. Really, not as scary as you may think!!! Everyone is very supportive. I decided to go to library school...because everything in me was telling me it was something I just HAD to do. Don't go to library school on a whim. Make sure it becomes a thought that never goes away. I recommend having a strong interest on a subject related to the profession. Its not necessary to be in the profession or have worked in the profession, but you must have an open mind, the ability to adapt to change and a willingness to learn, learn, learn.

Related Posts
First Impressions First Week of Library School
Ever Felt There Was Something You Just Had To Do?

Giveaway Winner!!!

2011-01-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

The winner of A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent is...

Busy Working Mama

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

GIVEAWAY Reminder - A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent

2011-01-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

Reminder you have only a couple more days to enter the giveaway for A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent. This novel would be a great addition to your historical fiction collection!!!

For here for more details and to enter the giveaway.

GIVEAWAY and Review: A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent

2011-01-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

As heiress to the famous Laurent Fashion Dolls business, Marguerite Ashby’s future seems secure. But France still seethes with violence in the wake of the Revolution. And when Marguerite’s husband Nicholas is killed during a riot at their shop, she leaves home vowing never to return. Instead, the young widow travels to Edinburgh and joins her old friend, Marie Tussaud, who has established a touring wax exhibition.

Under the great Tussaud’s patient instruction, Marguerite learns to mold wax into stunningly lifelike creations. When Prime Minister William Pitt commissions a wax figure of military hero Admiral Nelson, Marguerite becomes immersed in a dangerous adventure—and earns the admiration of two very different men. And as Britain battles to overthrow Napoleon and flush out spies against the Crown, Marguerite will find her own loyalties, and her heart, under fire from all sides.

With wit, flair, and a masterful eye for telling details, Christine Trent brings one of history’s most fascinating eras to vibrant life in an unforgettable story of desire, ambition, treachery, and courage.

I was impressed with Christine Trent's debut The Queen's Dollmaker in early 2010. The novel appealed to me because it featured a strong, independent heroine with the unique employment of being an artist and entrepreneur in dollmaking. I am equally as impressed with Trent's sophomore release A Royal Likeness. Marguerite is a sympathetic character and it was a great pleasure to read about her escapades. I had planned on reading the book over a couple days but once I started reading I couldn't put it down and stayed up to the wee hours of the morning to finish it!!

A Royal Likeness combines history of the Napoleonic Era, including fascinating details about the Battle of Trafalgar, an abundance of adventure and intrigue, and a good dose of romantic interest. The novel stands on its own, although I do recommend reading The Queen's Dollmaker first, to better understand the enmity between Marguerite and her husband's mother and brother, Maude and Nathaniel Ashby, two characters easy to dislike intensely. I also recommend reading The Queen's Dollmaker so you can meet the hero and heroine of that novel, Claudette and William, who appear in A Royal Likeness.

Marguerite's naivety and preoccupation with overcoming the grief from the loss of her husband gets her into a bit of trouble, ok more than bit, but she soon learns to become independent and face challenges with courage and determination. I would like to mention the hijinks Maurguerite gets up to, but I think this would spoil the story a bit so I will refrain. The author gives this character more adventure than she ever expected, when all she was trying to do was survive the death of her beloved husband.

For me, Christine Trent's novels stand out from others through attention to the details. Beyond the historical content, I learned things about ships I never knew before and the process of wax modeling was fascinating. I highly recommend this novel if you love quality historical fiction, adventure and intrigue, and original characters. Christine Trent's next novel is The Prince's Pavilion, to be released in 2012 by Kensington Books.

My Rating: 4.5

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon.com

**GIVEAWAY**

Christine Trent is generously providing a copy of A Royal Likeness for giveaway. To enter please leave a comment on this post. The contest is open to International entries.

One entry for leaving a comment on this post. Please include your email address.
One entry if you are a Follower of this blog.
Two entries if you post about this contest on your own blog.

Please include how many entries you have in your comment on this post (if you post about this contest on your blog please include the link in your comment on this post).

The entry deadline is Friday, January 21st 11:59 PM MST.
The winner will be announced Saturday, January 22nd.

Good Luck!!!

Related Posts
Christine Trent's Upcoming Sophomore Release - A Royal Likeness
The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Classic Novel and A&E Miniseries

2011-01-08T21:53:00.001-07:00

So over the holidays I had myself a bit of a Scarlet Pimpernel marathon. I read the classic novel by Baroness Orczy and then watched the 1999 A&E six-part TV miniseries featuring Richard Grant and Elizabeth McGovern. Notwithstanding, I have watched the original 1934 The Scarlet Pimpernel movie starring Leslie Howard over half a dozen times, my favourite film version.

Simply brilliant. Two words that sum up the novel. I cannot believe it has taken me so long to read this classic novel but it was absolutely wonderful. The only thing wrong with the novel is that it was too darn short! I mourned the ending of the adventure. There are sequels (and prequels) to the original story but I am content to have read just The Scarlet Pimpernel and no farther, which I will explain why in a bit more detail below.

Orczy was brilliant at characterization...contrasting mannerisms and speech of characters from different strata of society in England and in France. The adventure is taut and rollicking and the longings of Percy and Marguerite wrap around your heart. Though short in length, the book has many nuances of emotion and thoughts by the characters, adding dimension to the story that is lacking in the film versions. For instance, in film versions it never comes across that Marguerite is an intellectual, as well as an actress, but that is how she is described by Baroness Orczy.

I think the miniseries is enjoyable in the context of the events of the French Revolution, though I venture the miniseries is not entirely accurate. As to staying true to the plot and relationships in the novel, the miniseries takes many, many liberties, which I think is unfortunate. There are many surprising events happening, many of which I did not agree with, which has decided me not to continue to read any more novels in the series, to preserve my pleasure of The Scarlet Pimpernel novel. Now having read the book, gaining more understanding about the motivations of all the characters, I appreciate the story even more and rank it as one of my all time favourite story concepts.

My favourite quote from the 1999 A&E TV miniseries is when Sir William Wetherby says to Percy, "More pimp than Pimpernel, what". I laughed hysterically...In the last episode Sir Percy plays at a bit of matchmaking...

I have watched The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) many times, each time enjoying it as much as the first time. The 1934 version captures the intensity, fraught emotions and sweetness of love renewed imparted in the novel. So I highly recommend the novel by Baroness Orczy and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) movie but only recommend the A&E TV miniseries (1999) version for those you interested in another perspective of the French Revolution and a bit of adventure.

My Rating - Novel: 4.5
My Rating - A&E Miniseries: 3.0

Novel
ChaptersIndigo
Amazon.com This Amazon edition is enriched with notes and commentary.

A&E Miniseries
ChaptersIndigo
Amazon.com

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley

2010-12-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

Verity Grey is thrilled to be asked to join archaeologist Peter Quinnell's dig in the Scottish borders, but after her first day she isn't so sure. Quinnell, having spent his whole life searching for the resting place of the lost Ninth Roman Legion, is convinced he's finally found it - not because of any scientific evidence, but because a local boy has seen a Roman soldier walking in the fields, a ghostly sentinel who guards the bodies of his long-dead comrades. The worst thing is that Verity believes in Peter, and the boy, and even in the Sentinel, who seems determined to become her own protector...but from what?

I know there are quite a few Susanna Kearsley fans out there...and I am one of them! Not only is she a fantastic writer but she is a fellow Canadian - its great to support a talented writer from your own country. A Susanna Kearsley book always reemphasizes for me why I love reading and why quality writing always wins out over filler and flash. Instead of focusing this post on reviewing The Shadowy Horses though, I am going to discuss more why I love Susanna Kearsley and highly recommend this author!

For me, what elevates Susanna Kearsley's novels is the development of the setting and the characters. Locations have related historical events and even though there are a variety of characters in her novels they are distinct from each other and well rounded. Kearsley lets the quality of her writing speak for itself, with wonderful descriptive language, historical detail, sparkling and sharp dialogue - not one word is superfluous to the story. Chapters rarely end with cliffhangers...though there is mystery enough. There is no race to the finish with the plot but a slow build to a satisfying conclusion. You really need to think about all possible motivations to determine the antagonizing force in the story. Ghostly or supernatural elements are interwoven into the storyline - often the protagonist relives a past life, or encountering ghosts or experiencing strange events. Another reason why Kearsley's novels are so great, is that the female protagonists lead independent, interesting and creative lifestyles, with careers such as painter, writer, archeologist, etc. Kearsley's stories can be appreciated by adult and young adult readers alike.

The Shadowy Horses, specifically, is a smoothly paced book. Verity Grey is an intelligent and stubborn woman, an archeologist herself, helping another renowned and reclusive archeologist explore for evidence of the Ninth Roman Legion at an estate called Rosehill but someone...or something...is meddling and strange incidents and coincidences occur. Though the formula for The Shadowy Horses is similar to Mariana and The Winter Sea, the setting and characters are completely different and I found all the related history to the Ninth Roman Legion fascinating. Coincidentally I recently watched the movie Centurion, which explores another take on the Ninth Roman Legion and I recommend it to fans of the historical action/adventure movie genre. Another upcoming movie about the same Legion is The Eagle to be released February 25, 2011.

So now I have now read The Winter Sea, Mariana and The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley (but have not written reviews for the previous two novels). Kearsley also writes mysteries under the pseudonym of Emma Cole. Every Secret Thing, originally written under the Emma Cole pen name, has been recently released under Susanna Kearsley and is on its way into my mailbox. I look forward to reading it and collecting this author's back list.

My Rating: 5.0

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon

Jane Austen Made Me Do It

2010-11-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

Announcement of the Random House anthology Jane Austen Made Me Do It was first made way back in May of this year, but I thought it would be worthwhile to remind you all.

The anthology is a collection of inspired by Jane Austen (no vampires or zombies I'm hoping) short stories more than 20, yes 20!!!, authors, to be released in the fall of 2011. I'm excited to see in the list Pamela Aiden, Syrie James and Lauren Willig.

Below is the list of included authors from a post at austenprose.com

Pamela Aidan (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Trilogy)

Elizabeth Aston (Mr. Darcy’s Daughters, & Writing Jane Austen)

Stephanie Barron (A Jane Austen Mystery Series, & The White Garden)

Carrie Bebris (Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mysteries Series)

Diana Birchall (Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma, & Mrs. Elton in America)

Frank Delaney (Shannon, Tipperary, & Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show)

Monica Fairview (The Darcy Cousins, & The Other Mr. Darcy)

Karen Joy Fowler (Jane Austen Book Club, & Wits End)

Amanda Grange (Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, & Mr. Darcy’s Diary)

Syrie James (The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, & The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte)

Diane Meier (The Season of Second Chances)

Janet Mullany (Bespelling Jane Austen, & Rules of Gentility)

Jane Odiwe (Lydia Bennet’s Story, & Willoughby’s Return)

Beth Pattillo (Jane Austen Ruined My Life, & Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart)

Alexandra Potter (Me & Mr. Darcy, & The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather: A Novel)

Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino Bradway (Lady Vernon & Her Daughter)

Myretta Robens (Pemberley.com , Just Say Yes, & Once Upon a Sofa)

Margaret C. Sullivan (AustenBlog.com, & The Jane Austen Handbook)

Adriana Trigiani (Brava Valentine, Very Valentine, & Lucia, Lucia)

Laurie Viera Rigler (Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, & Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict)

Lauren Willig (The Pink Carnation Series)

What Kind of Geek Are You??

2010-11-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

I love this...I'm a combination of book geek, chic geek and tech geek. See the original post here at Flowtown! Love this website.

Librarians Do Lady Gaga (Cataloger Style). Love it!!!

2010-11-06T23:53:00.007-06:00

Students and faculty from the University of Washington's Information School. From May 2010.

"A Bibliophile Mystery" Series by Kate Carlisle

2010-09-30T21:29:00.001-06:00

So being in library school I thought it would be appropriate to highlight a book-related mystery series (A Bibliophile Mystery series) by Kate Carlisle that I have recently added to my Absolutely Must Acquire list. All the books in the series look highly recommended from the reviews I have read...looking forward to reading and reviewing!

The Lies That Bind

To Be Released in MMP November 2, 2010

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright returns home to San Francisco to teach a bookbinding class. Unfortunately, the program director Layla Fontaine is a horrendous host who pitches fits and lords over her subordinates. But when Layla is found shot dead, Brooklyn is bound and determined to investigate-even as the killer tries to close the book on her for good.

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon

If Books Could Kill

MMP Release February 2, 2010

Murder is easy-on paper.

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is attending the world- renowned Book Fair when her ex Kyle shows up with a bombshell. He has an original copy of a scandalous text that could change history-and humiliate the beloved British monarchy.

When Kyle turns up dead, the police are convinced Brooklyn's the culprit. But with an entire convention of suspects, Brooklyn's conducting her own investigation to find out if the motive for murder was a 200-year-old secret-or something much more personal.

ChaptersIndigo

Amazon

Homicide in Hardcover

MMP Release February 3, 2009

Murder is always a bestseller...first in the new bibliophile mystery series!

The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor would not be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.

With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless and supposedly cursed copy of Goetheas "Faust" for safekeeping.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless but attractive British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice.

ChaptersIndigo

Amazon

First Impressions First Week of Library School

2010-09-11T20:58:00.001-06:00

It has been just over a year since I first embarked upon the application process to enter graduate studies in a Masters of Library and Information Science program. The application process was long and fraught with emotion for me. At first I was nervous about even contemplating returning to school after 10 years since acquiring my undergrad degree. Then there was all this anxiety about putting a credible application together, visiting professors I had not seen in over a decade to discuss being referees and keeping my intentions withheld from my coworkers. After sending off my package I was depressed, second-guessing the content of my application and still trying to stay motivated at work. Then when I found out I was accepted I still had to keep this huge secret for a couple more months. That was especially hard.

But let me tell you all the angst of the process was well worth it!!! So if you are contemplating making a significant life change, I would recommend you go for it, if it is truly a lifetime goal or dream of yours.

I'm attending the MLIS program at the University of Alberta. The School of Library and Information Studies at UofA is very small, tucked away at the south end of Rutherford Library. There are only three classrooms in actual fact! The UofA campus feels intimate, although for some reason I thought it would be huge. There are many green spaces and the grounds are very well taken care of. You can tell the governing body has a lot of pride in the institution. The SLIS community is very small and the Faculty make you feel important and welcome, stressing over and over again that they were here for us and the students their first priority.

There are about 50 to 55 graduate students enrolled in SLIS this year under various programs. Some students are part-time but the majority are full-time. There are about the same amount of students as in 2009-10, but I guess the year before that they only accepted around 30 students to the program. You must start the program in a fall term. The majority of students are looking to enter into traditional librarian roles after graduating. I am one of the few planning on entering a non-traditional role and I am very surprised there are so few of us, as there are many emerging information professional opportunities. The age range of the group is from the mid 20s to mid 50s, with a very wide variety of backgrounds. Some people have multiple degrees, undergrads and Masters, and even Doctorate's! The group seems to have been made deliberately diverse. A good chunk of assignments in each class will involve group work. I find collaboration very rewarding so I'm looking forward to the team projects.

I'm living in the newly constructed Graduate Residence just a hop, skip and a jump from the SLIS school, all the main university buildings, the Kinsmen Center and shopping on Whyte Ave. So I have been very fortunate as well in location and type of housing. I have my own room. Its small, but cute and perfect for me. To maintain balance and counteract stress, I have enrolled myself in yoga classes twice a week...and since I paid for them I am committed to going to every class.

The Reading Room in the Rutherford Library (as shown in the picture right) is an inspiring place to study, although its a bit chilly so its necessary you bring a hot drink and chunky scarf.

My final thoughts: After my first week in the MLIS program I'm excited for all the learning to come, the people to get to know and the city and campus to explore. I will be joining a few associations to get involved, which I think is essential for every student to do. I'm feeling content, grateful and very fortunate in getting another chance at a university education, even better being in a Masters program. Having worked for 10 years I feel I have the experience, confidence and mindset to be successful in the program that I never felt was there while completing my undergrad degree. It will be a lot of hard work but I expect untold rewards.

If you have any questions about a Masters in Library and Information Studies feel free to ask away...

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

2010-08-26T21:04:00.000-06:00

Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Kostova''s masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

I really wanted to love The Swan Thieves as much as I loved The Historian but it just didn't capture my interest the way The Historian did. Novels that incorporate art of any kind and art history usually fascinate me. Some readers do not like a multitude of technical details and find they bog down the storyline, but for me I find they only enhance a story and make it more interesting. I thought The Swan Thieves would have such content for the size of the book but it really doesn't, though being lushly detailed its much more about the emotional journeys, obsessions and passions of the main characters in the story, with a bit of mystery thrown in. Unfortunately the mystery was not very suspenseful, more of a slow burn, darts of menace rather than a blaze of shocks.

Kostova's prose and development of plot and characters are first rate though. It was satisfying to read a novel where a lot of care is taken with the development of the characters, background events, description and dialogue. On a side note this book had all sorts of interesting new words I have never encountered before like ecumenical and numinously. If you want to read a finely crafted novel, with intriguing characters, that you can immerse yourself in, and explores the darker human emotions of obsession, fear, entrapment, jealousy and deception, I would recommend The Swan Thieves. If you are looking for an exciting, suspenseful read I would take a pass.

NPR Link Love - Nancy Pearl & Killer Thrillers

2010-08-07T00:52:00.000-06:00

First of all if you have not heard of Nancy Pearl and you blog post book reviews you really need to check her out. A long-time librarian, Nancy can be found doling out her book recommendations on NPR, in podcasts and in her own publications, as well as her website. She's wonderful to listen to and archives of her podcasts on various radio stations can be found at the iTunes store...best of all they are free!!

What I really wanted to mention though was Nancy's most recent article at the NPR website on "Under the Radar Reads". There are some books on the list that are on my to acquire list, Under Heaven and Blood Harvest and from Nancy's recommendation I'm adding The Lotus Eater's to my list.

Another article on the NPR website caught my eye, "Top 100 Killer Thrillers". Here are the Top 20.

1. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
3. Kiss the Girls, by James Patterson
4. The Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum
5. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
6. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
7. The Shining, by Stephen King
8. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie
9. The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy
10. The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
11. Dracula, by Bram Stoker
12. The Stand, by Stephen King
13. The Bone Collector, by Jeffery Deaver
14. Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
15. Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown
16. A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
17. The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton
18. Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane
19. The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth
20. Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier

So I have read 1,2,3,6,11,13,14,15,16 and 17. Watched 1,2,3,4,6,9,10,11,13,14,15,16,17 and 18 in either movie or tv format. I also own 1,2,6,10,11,15 and 20 in book format.

So do you think Silence of the Lambs deserves to retain the number 1 spot or should it have been overtaken by The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?

NPR is a great organization. Check them out sometime. Happy Reading!

Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb

2010-08-02T22:32:00.000-06:00

They were best friends, driven by one shared vision - to rule the world of virtual reality games. Cill, hard-edged and beautiful, Var and Benny, brains and business acumen, and Bart, the genius behind the idea. Their newest invention, developed to transport the player into a fantastical virtual world, is just about to be launched. Then, suddenly, Bart is found brutally killed, defeated by their own game. Their close-knit group is torn apart. Who could have engineered a virtual death with such devastating consequences? Even Eve Dallas, New York City's most cunning investigator, is hard-pressed for an answer. But as she digs deeper, peeling back layers of secrets, revenge and misplaced allegiances, she realises with growing dread the depth of the killer's master plan. And she knows his game is far from over...

In Fantasy in Death the majority the progression of the storyline seemed too staged for me and some of the dialogue too canned. Since the victim has his head cut off there was quite a few one liners about being beheaded, detached, etc., and these just seemed unnecessary filler and silly. The scant action and overabundance of discussion made the plot stutter a bit, but the last 75 pages or so made up for the slow start. A lot of the ideas on "holonetics" were pretty frosty, as Peabody would say, and I found this aspect and the theories of the science, fictional and otherwise, super interesting. Fantasy in Death did not really reveal anything new about Eve and Roarke's relationship, other than that they would rather die together than have one of them live on after the other's death. I would recommend Fantasy in Death to fans of the series and those who have interest in gaming systems.

Next up in the In Death series is Indulgence in Death, to be released in hardcover on November 2, 2010.

My Rating: 4.0

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Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

The Lost (Anthology)

2010-07-25T20:25:00.003-06:00

"Missing in Death" by J.D. Robb investigates a female tourist's disappearance during a ferry ride. Detective Eve Dallas wonders...if she didn't jump, and she's not on board, then where in the world is she?

Eve makes a very difficult decision that goes against the rules she is supposed to abide by being in law enforcement. Sometimes the line between victim and criminal is blurred. Solid novella I highly recommend to J.D. Robb fans. My Rating: 4.25/5

In Patricia Gaffney's "The Dog Days of Laurie Summer," a woman awakens to a familiar yet unsettling world.

My first Patricia Gaffney story. This novella was very unexpected in that the soul of Laurie leaves her comatose body to inhabit a dog so she can still be near her family. Unique perspective and voice. My Rating: 3.5/5

In Mary Blayney's "Lost in Paradise," a man locked in an island fortress finds hope for freedom in an enigmatic nurse.

Lost in Paradise was the weakest novella in the collection for me. It started too abruptly, the story felt forced and the religious undertones were overly pretentious. My Rating: 2.0/5

And Ruth Ryan Langan's "Legacy" belongs to a young woman who unearths a family secret buried on the grounds of a magnificent but imposing Irish castle.

Legacy is a very solid story that manages to develop credible relationships between Aidan and other characters she meets for the first time, in a handle full of days. Usually I find such rapid relationship development hard to accept, but in Legacy the story is very believable and this is fiction after all. My Rating: 4.25/5

In a novella either a relationship has to evolve in a credible way, or the story has to have impact and resolution, or a crime must be committed and solved...and in only 90 pages at that. A successful novella is hard to achieve and very difficult perfect. Anthologies seem to be published more abundantly now than in years past and, as its mainly a tool to introduce lesser known authors to readers, its difficult to get value for money. I would recommend waiting for Missing in Death to be repacked with other J.D. Robb novellas or buy the ebook if available rather than spend your money on The Lost.

ChaptersIndigo
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Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Syrie James (Dracula, My Love) Huffington Post Article

2010-07-20T22:15:00.003-06:00

Here's a link for an article in HuffingtonPost.com written by Syrie James discussing why she chose to write about Dracula for her next novel, Dracula, My Love, which was released today, July 20th in trade paperback from Avon (HarperCollins Publishers, 480 pages, ISBN-10: 0061923036).

Dracula: The Roots of the Vampire Romance

What interested me the most in the article was her discussion on how the image of Dracula (or vampires) have evolved over the years. Vampires never used to be categorized as "sexy" but now this connotation runs rampant through popular vampire novels of today. Following is the book summary.

Syrie James approaches Bram Stoker's classic Dracula with a breathtaking new perspective--as, for the first time, Mina Harker records the shocking story of her scandalous seduction and sexual rebirth.

Who is this young, magnetic, handsome, fascinating man? And how could one woman fall so completely under his spell?

Mina Harker is torn between two men. Struggling to hang on to the deep, pure love she's found within her marriage to her husband, Jonathan, she is inexorably drawn into a secret, passionate affair with a charismatic but dangerous lover. This haunted and haunting creature has awakened feelings and desires within her that she has never before known, which remake her as a woman.

Although everyone she knows fears Count Dracula and is pledged to destroy him, Mina sees a side to him that the others cannot: a tender, romantic side; a man who's taken full advantage of his gift of immortality to expand his mind and talents; a man who is deeply in love, and who may not be evil after all. Soon, they are connected in a way she never thought humanly possible.

Yet to surrender is surely madness, for to be with him could end her life. It may cost Mina all she holds dear, but to make her choice she must learn everything she can about the remarkable origins and unique, sensuous powers of this man, this exquisite monster, this ... Dracula!

I very much enjoyed Syrie James' novel The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen (author debut), which I read before I started my blog, and have The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte sitting on my bookshelf. No doubt I will end up buying Dracula, My Love eventually, even though I'm not huge on the whole vampire craze right now.

Ever Felt There Was Something You Just Had To Do?

2010-07-19T16:00:00.001-06:00

I was an average post-secondary student in university. By average I mean I was depressed, miserable and fearful of failing and had no clue what I was spending all that money for. I was the first child of a large number of cousins to go to university and really my parents were poor so they couldn't help me out financially. I ended up withdrawing from university for a year due to poor grades and lack of resources and I came back a year later, a bit more mature, as an unclassified student. Pretty much taking the expensive, hard, long way about it. When I graduated it was by default, not actually graduating with the Bachelor's degree I finally decided on, Computer Science, but a degree based on the fact that I had a large number of electives in it, Psychology. There was one highlight of my university career, I received an A in Library Science 2000. I LOVED that class. It was the first time I actually felt I had a talent for something.

After I graduated I applied to a MLIS program in Ontario and was rejected. I promptly forged ahead and landed with an amazing company, a private boutique bank where I started as a filing assistant and worked my way up to Senior Research Assistant, supervising staff among my main responsibilities of desktop publishing and copy editing research publications. Through working at this company for ~7 years as was able to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.

It really happened like this. An incident happened at work that broke though my contentment with my job. One day I was happy and the next day I was unhappy and restless. Not too long after that I woke up one morning and realized I HAD to go back to school, which I never thought I would ever do again. I HAD to try again and apply to an MLIS program. Have you ever felt that? Like you have been knocked over the head with a sledgehammer? The decision seemed taken out of my hands, out of my control, a total subconscious realization. From one day to the next my whole axis revolved from one future to another.

Can we talk about scared, confused, angry, nerve racking, exhausted, depressed, hopeful, anxious, numb, excitement, elation and then scared again? These are just some of the emotions I have gone through since May of last year through the process of applying to enter graduate school. Come September I will be entering a Master's of Library and Information Studies program at the University of Alberta. I'm going to be focusing on Information Technology.

Though I have always been a bit of an erratic blogger I'm not quite sure what time I will have to commit to the blog once I am in school. I still want to blog and I hope I can write about some of my adventures in the MLIS program, as well as continue with the book reviews. I'm always going to be reading and its fortunate I bought all these books sitting to be read on my bookshelf, as I won't have any money to buy more, being a broke student. Hey maybe I will actually have more time to read and review books as I'll need frequent breaks from studying. Guess I will find out come September.

If you have ever had such a momentus, life-changing event happen to you, I would love to hear about it.

Wish me luck!

Photo: http://www.slis.ualberta.ca/

Christine Trent's Upcoming Sophomore Release - A Royal Likeness

2010-07-18T19:27:00.000-06:00

Last year, I was fortunate enough to receive a galley copy of Christine Trent's debut effort The Queen's Dollmaker. I loved The Queen's Dollmaker for its originality and cleverness; the story of Claudette Laurent, an entrepreneurial and strong willed frenchwoman who grows her business of dollmaking in England and comes to the notice of Marie Antoinette. If you have have not read the novel yet and have interest in the French Revolution I highly recommend it. There's much more to the story than the brief explanation above, so check out my review.

Christine Trent's next release is A Royal Likeness (a much more beguiling title than the original working title of The Wax Apprentice). I'm not that much of a fan of covers where the lady's head is cut off (can someone tell me why the industry favours this?) but this cover is gorgeous and if similar to The Queen's Dollmaker, will show the lady's face on the spine. A Royal Likeness is a sequel of sorts to The Queen's Dollmaker - this is Marguerite Ashby's story. Marguerite apprenticed to Claudette Laurent and eventually took over the management of the dollmaking shop.

As heiress to the famous Laurent Fashion Dolls business, Marguerite Ashby’s future seems secure. But France still seethes with violence in the wake of the Revolution. And when Marguerite’s husband Nicholas is killed during a riot at their shop, she leaves home vowing never to return. Instead, the young widow travels to Edinburgh and joins her old friend, Marie Tussaud, who has established a touring wax exhibition.

Under the great Tussaud’s patient instruction, Marguerite learns to mold wax into stunningly lifelike creations. When Prime Minister William Pitt commissions a wax figure of military hero Admiral Nelson, Marguerite becomes immersed in a dangerous adventure—and earns the admiration of two very different men. And as Britain battles to overthrow Napoleon and flush out spies against the Crown, Marguerite will find her own loyalties, and her heart, under fire from all sides.

With wit, flair, and a masterful eye for telling details, Christine Trent brings one of history’s most fascinating eras to vibrant life in an unforgettable story of desire, ambition, treachery, and courage.

Release Date: December 28, 2010
Format: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 384
ISBN: 0758238584
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The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

Upcoming Releases On My Auto Buy List

2010-07-15T21:06:00.012-06:00

The fifth installment in the Lady Emily Ashton-Hargreaves series by Tasha Alexander, Dangerous to Know, to be released in hardcover October 26, 2010. I have read the first two novels in the series, And Only to Deceive (my review here) and A Poisoned Season and enjoyed them very much, but have yet to read A Fatal Waltz or Tears of Pearl, though they stuffed somewhere in my bookshelf.

After escaping from the hands of a ruthless murderer while honeymooning in Constantinople (Tears of Pearl), Lady Emily Hargreaves reluctantly agrees to recover from her wounds at her mother-in-law’s estate in Normandy. The calm permeating the lush countryside is destroyed when Emily, out for a ride, discovers the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. Begrudgingly accepting the investigation is firmly in the hands of the police, she focuses her attention on the reappearance of an old friend—Sebastian Capet, a thief of impeccable taste whom Buckingham Palace has taken a new interest in—until a series of clues draw her back into the fray. Haunting cries, the ghost of a small child, and two families afflicted with degenerative madness lead her into a terrifying game of wits against a cold and brilliant killer.

Pages: 320
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN-10: 0312383797
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The Salt Road by Jane Johnson to be released in hardcover January 4, 2011. Jane Johnson's previous effort was The Tenth Gift (my review here), a wonderful timeslip novel I highly recommend to anyone. I think the cover is exotic and mysterious, don't you?

When Isabelle’s estranged father dies he leaves her the house she grew up in, in the attic of which lies a mysterious box with her name on it. Inside the box are three items: an archaeological paper about an ancient Saharan queen, a faded piece of paper written in what appears to be in Arabic, and a curious piece of antique silver: an amulet.

In another place and time, Mariata belongs to a desert tribe which traces its roots back to Tin Hinan, founding queen of the Tuareg, the legendary Blue Men of the Sahara. She meets and falls in love with Amastan, a charismatic and damaged young warrior. But when her father takes a new wife who has no wish to live the nomad life he takes Mariata to settle in a town in south Morocco. Mariata hates her new existence; and when her stepmother plots to marry her off to a detested suitor, she decides to follow in the steps of her ancestress and make an epic solo journey a thousand miles into the desert in search of her lost love.

Separated by different times and cultures, the lives of Izzy and Mariata are about to become fatally entwined. Izzy discovers that her amulet is a Tuareg artefact containing an inscription in Tifinagh, a language of the ancient world used for poetry and magic, understood now only by nomads in the deep desert. The desert routes once travelled by caravans of camels bearing ivory, gold and salt are now more perilous than ever but Isobel must follow them if she is ever to lay her ghosts to rest.

Out in the magnificent wastes of the Sahara she will find more than she ever dreamed: not only the answer to her mysterious inheritance, but a romance as grand and sweeping as the desert itself…

Pages: 464
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
ISBN-10: 0385669976
Amazon ChaptersIndigo

Happy Reading!!

Blogger or Wordpress?

2010-07-08T17:31:00.000-06:00

So I'm going to have some free time in about a month or so and I have these "day(s) for" planned. A day to spend watching movies, a day to spend reading, a day to get my recipes organized, a day to play PS3...and a day to update my website. So I need your input! Blogger is what I have been using but I really want to spruce the layout up visually. So do I stick with Blogger or move to Wordpress? Anything I should know if I decide to move to Wordpress? Thanks All!

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

2010-07-02T20:57:00.000-06:00

Sister Evangeline was just a young girl when her father left her at St. Rose Convent under the care of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Now a young woman, she has unexpectedly discovered a collection of letters dating back sixty years - letters that bring her deep into a closely guarded secret, to an ancient conflict between the millennium-old Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful Nephilim, the descendants of angels and humans. Rich and mesmerizing, Angelology blends biblical lore, mythology and the fall of the Rebel Angels, creating a luminous, riveting tale of one young woman caught in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.

The summary above from the publisher makes Angelology by Danielle Trussoni sound so promising and I had great hope that this would be a fantastic read, but unfortunately the novel did not live up to expectations. Albeit, maybe my expectations were too high. I won a a signed hardcover copy from Booklounge.ca and I had read S. Krisha's glowing review, so you can imagine I was quite excited to see its startling cover when it showed up in my mailbox. I thought Angelology would be something like The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, as S. Krishna described, and in a couple ways it was. Evangaline is a young nun of St. Rose's who is suddenly confronted by an almost unbelievable past through a series of letters and she must delve deeper into the clues left for her by her grandmother to determine her history and her destiny. Superficially similar to The Historian no doubt. Beyond the summary Angelology falls very short of the amazing work of fiction The Historian is.

I do give kudos to Ms. Trussoni for the interesting ideas involving Angelology and its intriguing historical content, as well as Angelologists and their eternal battle with the Nephilim. My mind was often left whirling from trying to absorb the unfamiliar but compelling concepts.

The novel is in three parts and changes focus from present day to historic day and back. I found the language staccato in places, mostly at the beginning, which made immersing in the story difficult at first. A portion of the book was about an Angelologist by the name of Celestine Clochette, set years before Evangaline's time, and included some historical writings by a Bishop on an Angelology mission. This section of the novel was truly interesting and engaging, I only wish the whole story was written this way. There were an abundance of characters in the novel, each with their own act, which detracted from the story because point of view switched between characters too often and left me unable to become engaged with any one character more than the other. This disconnect left me dissatisfied and feeling kind of left empty.

I am left with a couple of conclusions. The "heart" of the story seemed missing. Although the length of the novel at 464p (as compared to The Historian's 642p) seems average for most fiction novels, the switching from scene to scene to scene left me wanting more. There should have been much more description to enhance the erratic plot. "Scene to scene to scene" is the operative qualifier...Angelology reads more like a movie script rather than the novel it is, depleted of all the promise of what could have been a truly great story.

My Rating: 3.0

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Related Posts:
Gothic Fiction - Historical and Timeslip Favourites

Lucky To Live in Such a Great Country

2010-07-01T12:37:00.000-06:00

Even if our Prime Minister is a dork! Happy Canada Day!!!

Top 10 Hawaiian Experiences

2010-06-27T16:42:00.000-06:00

Here's my top ten list of favourite Hawaiian experiences. We spent two weeks in Hawai'i and ended up visiting four of the islands. I would recommend Hawai'i to anyone and look forward to traveling there again.

10. The afternoon and evening we spent in Lahaina, Maui, where we shopped on Front Street, had dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and watched the evening show, 'Ulalena, presented by Cirque du Soleil. Great steak and great entertainment.

9. Fred's Mexican Cafe, Kihei, Maui. Watch out you don't fill up on the basket of freshly made taco chips and the margaritas because the entrees are super-sized. I had mouthwatering shrimp, fish and calamari tacos, and at a great value too.

8. The shopping at Ala Moana Center, Honoloulu, Oahu. J Crew on the Islands, Banana Republic flagship store, Coach, the awesome and huge Victoria Secret store, shoe stores aplenty. What more could a girl ask for!

7. Makawao and area. In Makawao proper you can see glass blowing at Hot Island Glass and there are numerous small little trendy shops like Pink, where you can shop for clothes, antiques, jewelry, spices, etc. We lunched at the classy and contemporary Haili'imaile General Store, Maui...I had the blackened Ahi Tune Wrap with refreshing and zesty coleslaw, accompanied with glass of Conundrum and finished with a generous slice of chocolate truffle layer cake. Yum yum.

6. The Road to Hana. Although I was not a fan of being in a tour bus and having to sit at the back of the van...we were able to go completely around Haleakala, instead of turning back at Hana from whence we came. Highlights were the pineapple winery, the black sand beaches, and the Sacred Pools at Oleo Gulch.

5. Watching the body board surfers at Sandy Beach on Oahu. They were too cool for school...or just plain crazy.

4. The scenic views and snorkeling at Hananuma Bay on Oahu. You have to pay a fee to enter the park but the setting is amazing and the snorkeling is pretty good too...and so is the beach!

3. The sunrise at Haleakala on Maui. The drive was slow and twisty up the volcano in the pitch dark early morning (3:00 AM) to to watch the sunrise at 5:45 AM. Beautiful scenic views at the top and through the drive down.

2. The changeable landscape at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island . We also experienced a 25 degree change in weather from the top of the Chain of Craters Road to the bottom...refreshing at the top and baking hot at the bottom.

1. The Trilogy catamaran sail from Lahaina, Maui to Hulope Bay, Lana'i and back. A full day trip. We saw hundreds of spinner dolphins on the way to Lana'i, snorkeled in the Hulope Bay Nature Preserve, were provided breakfast, lunch, snacks and a late afternoon barbecue. Great people, great sailing, beautiful sunset. A perfect day.

The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

2010-06-21T21:28:00.002-06:00

At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica. In Africa, a U.S. senator's son is slain outside a Red Cross camp. Three murder victims on three continents, linked by a pagan Druidic cross burned into their flesh.

Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force have only days to solve an apocalyptic puzzle dating back centuries. Aided by two women from his past-one his ex-lover, the other his new partner-Gray must uncover a horrifying secret that threatens America and the world, even if it means sacrificing the life of one of the women at his side. The race is on-from the Roman Coliseum to the icy peaks of Norway to the lost tombs of Celtic kings-and the future hangs in the balance. For humankind's ultimate nightmare is locked within a talisman buried by a dead saint-an ancient artifact known as . . . The Doomsday Key.

James Rollins action/adventure thriller novels are always far fetched, though the scientific details always have a basis in fact. This time, in The Doomsday Key, the scientific storyline delves into the areas of genetically modified foods, fungal viruses and super enzymes. The regular cast of characters are there, Gray, Monk, Painter, etc. with the addition of Rachel and Seichan in a new twist. I'm always very keen on the scientific elements and arcane bits of knowledge, and in this, the novel does not disappoint. But The Doomsday Key does have too much of an overemphasis of the scientific problem at hand and I missed the emotional intensivness of the past two novels in the series, The Last Oracle and The Judas Strain.

I found this storyline less balanced and fluid in the doling out of details and the switching between description and character interaction. Consequently the pace of the story gets bogged down. But the storyline is redeemed with the emotional wrenching and poignant events at the end that wrap up all the loose ends. James Rollins certainly thrills me and he will you too! Next up is The Devil Colony to be released in hardcover August 3, 2010.

Just want to reiterate that I detest the tall paperback format, as it makes my Rollins collection off kilter in height. I saw this new "wide paperback" format of The Judas Strain in Indigo Spirit the other day. Wacky! Hope it doesn't become mainstream.

My Rating: 4.0

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Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

2010-06-10T20:55:00.003-06:00

The summer of 1950 hasn't offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home's abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which Flavia has claimed for her own.

But then a series of mysterious events gets Flavia's attention: A dead bird is found on the doormat, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. A mysterious late-night visitor argues with her aloof father, Colonel de Luce, behind closed doors. And in the early morning Flavia finds a red-headed stranger lying in the cucumber patch and watches him take his dying breath. For Flavia, the summer begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw: "I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn't. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life."

Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet's custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family's loyal handyman, Dogger… or by the Colonel himself! At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime - even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it's up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim's identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces' murky past.

Flavia de Luce, a little smartass curmudgeon, with a lightning quick mind, is like no other 11 year old girl. Her prestigious family lives in Buckshaw, the rambling ancestral estate of the de Luces. Her father either bolts himself in his study to pursue his philetist interests or in his aging Rolls Royce to grieve the long past death of his wife Harriet; her sister Daphne always has her head buried in Dickens or some other esoteric author; and her sister Ophelia spends her hours staring at her reflection and primping or absorbed in playing her piano. Flavia is left to her own devices, which would be to indulge in her obsessive interest in Chemistry in the laboratory she has claimed as her own at Buckshaw.

When Flavia stumbles upon a man dying in the early hours of the morning in Buckshaw's cucumber patch and with his last odorous exhale states “Vale”, she determinedly sets out to investigate the manner of his death. Flavia is delicious in her pleasure of things of a gruesome nature. I often found myself chuckling at her over the top rudeness, diabolical thoughts and ornery nature. Flavia tries to be this strong, indomitable force, yet we are shown that at her heart she is still an 11 year old girl with a clutch of insecurities.

The novel is a complex formula in itself; layers and sidesteps and sequences all combined together to form a brilliant deduction. The quality of the writing is first rate, with vivid descriptions of a bygone era. The abundance of details in this unique series debut are a sheer delight. So many interesting topics are described in myopic detail that keep you enthralled with the story - philetology, chemistry, the art of conjuring, forensic science and investigations, and literature. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a brilliant effort that shines bright and true. Highly recommend.

Winner of the 2007 CWA Debut Dagger Award.

Next up in the series: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag released in hardcover March 9, 2010.

My Rating: 5.0

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Going On Vacation - Need Your Input On Books to Bring

2010-05-19T19:06:00.000-06:00

So we are leaving for Hawaii this coming Friday morning for two weeks and I cannot choose which books to bring. I have a very tall stack and I need your help.

Which four should I bring??? Or do you have any others suggestions for the perfect beach read?

Note the Obsessed With Books blog will be on hiatus for a couple weeks starting May 21.

The Mist by Carla Neggers

2010-05-10T21:11:00.002-06:00

Things looked bad when Lizzie Rush finally found hard evidence that her boss, thrill-seeking billionaire Norman Estabrook, heads an international criminal network. But when he escapes police custody after a deadly Boston bombing, the worst is yet to come.

From nowhere arrives the mysterious Brit, Will Davenport. Lizzie isn't sure which side he's on, but his mercenary talents may help end the violence. Now, emerging from a year of secrets and lies as a double agent straddling two worlds, Lizzie has little choice but to trust a man answering to no one. When the mist clears-and the frightening truth is revealed-who knows which side she herself will end up on.

Ok I think I'm done with Neggers for awhile. I'm just not a fan of the FBI series she is currently developing. There is divided focus in each installment between past characters and current characters and neither set are provided any growth or dimension, as there are just too many characters floating around. Relationships are short-changed and less developed, if developed at all, so you feel no connection to their resolutions, or HEA as the case may be. There is too much going on in too many different locations and there is too much word count focusing on explaining the back story. I do not get a real sense for who the characters truly are. The relationships between characters intending to be romantic are rushed, as is the timeline...yes this is fiction but two strong-minded, intelligent, talented people realistically do not fall in love and realize they want to spend their lives together in a 24 hour period where they only spend a handful of hours together.

The title 'The Mist' only relates slightly to a couple minor scenes that do not represent the bulk of the story...the lighthouse on the cover is not mentioned at all...but hey, it certainly imparts a moody and mysterious undertone that will get you to buy the book. There are fleeting events that suggest supernatural forces - destiny, fate, full circle - I find these the most interesting elements of The Mist and it would have made the novel more compelling if these aspects had been explored in more depth. If you are a Neggers fan I suggest getting loaning The Mist from your local library and saving your money for the next Susanna Kearsley or J.D. Robb.

My Rating: 3.0

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon

Related Posts:
A Rare Chance by Carla Neggers
Cold River by Carla Neggers
Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers
The Angel by Carla Neggers

A Rare Chance by Carla Neggers

2010-04-23T22:04:00.000-06:00

Gabriella Starr has silk suits, champagne tastes, and a great new career. She also has a strange man following her around Boston. Two of them, actually. When she tries to chase down the first, she encounters the second -- ex-cop and new D.A. Cam Yaeger. He's sure she's in trouble, but Gabriella bristles when he offers to help. She's way too attracted to him, and it's not like her to go for law-enforcement types anyway. She''s far too independent, too naturally defiant. And she's spent too many nights in jail....

Cam Yeager likes cold beer, his Bruins sweatshirt, and shaving every other day. He knows all about Gabriella Starr, her eccentric father, and their years rescuing rare, endangered orchids no matter the stakes. Now something shady is going on in Boston. And something explosive is hovering on the horizon as well: the wild fireworks of two intense opposites falling in love....

Gabriella is a woman who will not settle for any less in a man then the one who understand both sides of her personality...the adventurer and the straightlaced businesswoman. After leaving her father to his orchid adventures for stability in Boston, she unwittingly becomes a target of animosity from her employer's brother, Joshua Reading. Having noticed she is being followed by not one by two ex-cops she confronts cop-turned-lawyer Cam Yeager and demands answers. When he refuses to give them, Gaby determines to investigate for herself exactly what is going on with the people she works for.

Complicating events further, her nomadic father and her long-time friend Lizzie show up at her apartment after having not seen each other for more than a year. In a so-called whirlwind romance, Lizzie and Joshua become involved, making Gabriella's decisions murky and actions weighty with consequence.

A Rare Chance has some great characters and an interesting story. The book cover does not really fit the storyline...I hate that! An orchid greenhouse attached to Garbriella's apartment happens to be a setting where a lot of the character interactions takes place. I thought all the details about orchids and their care provided an additional element of interest. A few plots elements were unnecessary or contrived and detracted from the story.

I appreciated how Neggers dealt with and provided a comparison of different types intimate and familial relationships and the types of people who get involved in each. Those that are healthy where the individual keeps their identity and those that are unhealthy, obsessive, dominating, and emotionally damaging.

I think I like romantic suspense so much because I am a problem-solver. Regular romance stories are mainly about the character's issues and how the characters find resolution together for the HEA. But romantic suspense provides more dimension, threatening situations, hopefully thrilling plot and an added layer of tension. Originally published in 1996, A Rare Chance is a solid romantic suspense novel that fans of Carla Neggers will enjoy. The romantic side of the story is not very involved but this is typical of Negger's novels...more of a sideline really with suspense front and center.

Recently released in paperback by Carla Neggers is The Mist. The Whisper will be released June 29, 2010 in hardcover. Cold Dawn November 1, 2010 in paperback.

My Rating: 3.5

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon

Related Posts:
Cold River by Carla Neggers
Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers
The Angel by Carla Neggers

Eagerly Looking Forward To...

2010-04-22T21:40:00.011-06:00

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley

Re-Release Date: May 7, 2010. Originally published May 1997.

Publisher: Allison & Busby

ISBN: 0749007036

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 400

Verity Grey is thrilled to be asked to join archaeologist Peter Quinnell's dig in the Scottish borders, but after her first day she isn't so sure. Quinnell, having spent his whole life searching for the resting place of the lost Ninth Roman Legion, is convinced he's finally found it - not because of any scientific evidence, but because a local boy has seen a Roman soldier walking in the fields, a ghostly sentinel who guards the bodies of his long-dead comrades. The worst thing is that Verity believes in Peter, and the boy, and even in the Sentinel, who seems determined to become her own protector...but from what?

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

Release Date: July 6, 2010

Publisher: The Dial Press

ISBN: 0385340850

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 416

Heralded as “a modern day Jane Austen” by USA Today, National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman has compelled and delighted hundreds of thousands of readers. Now, in her most ambitious work yet, Goodman weaves together the worlds of Silicon Valley and rare book collecting in a delicious novel about appetite, temptation, and fulfillment.

Emily and Jessamine Bach are opposites in every way: Twenty-eight-year-old Emily is the CEO of Veritech, twenty-three-year-old Jess is an environmental activist and graduate student in philosophy. Pragmatic Emily is making a fortune in Silicon Valley, romantic Jess works in an antiquarian bookstore. Emily is rational and driven, while Jess is dreamy and whimsical. Emily’s boyfriend, Jonathan, is fantastically successful. Jess’s boyfriends, not so much—as her employer George points out in what he hopes is a completely disinterested way.

Bicoastal, surprising, rich in ideas and characters, The Cookbook Collector is a novel about getting and spending, and about the substitutions we make when we can’t find what we’re looking for: reading cookbooks instead of cooking, speculating instead of creating, collecting instead of living. But above all it is about holding on to what is real in a virtual world: love that stays.

Dracula My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker by Syrie James

Release Date: July 22, 2010

Publisher: HarperCollins

ISBN: 0061923036

Format: Paperback

Pages: 480

Syrie James approaches Bram Stoker's classic Dracula with a breathtaking new perspective--as, for the first time, Mina Harker records the shocking story of her scandalous seduction and sexual rebirth.
Who is this magnetic, fascinating man? And how could one woman fall so completely under his spell?

Mina Harker is torn between two men. Struggling to hang on to the deep, pure love she's found within her marriage to her husband, Jonathan, she is inexorably drawn into a secret, passionate affair with a charismatic but dangerous lover. This haunted and haunting creature has awakened feelings and desires within her that she has never before known, which remake her as a woman.

Although everyone she knows fears him and is pledged to destroy him, Mina sees a side to him that the others cannot: a tender, romantic side; a man who's taken full advantage of his gift of immortality to expand his mind and talents; a man who is deeply in love, and who may not be so guilty of evil after all.

Yet to surrender is surely madness, for to be with him could end her life. It may cost Mina all she holds dear, but to make her choice she must learn everything she can about the remarkable origins and sensuous powers of this man, this exquisite monster, this ... Dracula!

Poison by Sara Poole

Release Date: August 3, 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312609833
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 400

In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover a plot that threatens to end the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval darkness.

Determined to avenge the killing of her father, Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim the position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. She becomes the confidante of Lucrezia Borgia and the lover of Cesare Borgia. At the same time, she is drawn to the young renegade monk who yearns to save her life and her soul.

Navigating a web of treachery and deceit, Francesca pursues her father’s killer from the depths of Rome’s Jewish ghetto to the heights of the Vatican itself. In so doing, she sets the stage for the ultimate confrontation with ancient forces that will seek to use her darkest desires to achieve their own catastrophic ends.

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz)

2010-04-19T20:21:00.002-06:00

Book 6 in the Arcane Society Series by Amanda Quick - Jayne Ann Krentz - Jayne Castle

Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plantsand occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: She can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom.

But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. At the murder scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing a very rare species of fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimen exists in all of England and it was stolen from her conservatory just last month.

To keep her name out of the inquest and to find the murderer, Lucinda hires fellow Arcane Society member Caleb Jones who runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, Jones is very skillful at protecting its secretsand frighteningly good getting at the truth. Immediately, Lucinda senses both a raw power and an undeniable intensity in the imposing man.

But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy that can be traced to the early days of the Arcane Society and to a legacy of madness that could plunge Caleb into the depths of his own tortured soul. . . .

Am I going to give up on Jayne Ann Krentz? Probably not, but I'm just not as satisfied with her writing as I used to be, although admittedly having collected over 130 books by Krentz I guess my expectations are biased. Maybe my preferences have evolved or maybe I've just been exposed to too much great fiction and have higher standards now. The Perfect Poison's book jacket looks pretty and promising with purple flowers and ferns and a hot pink spine. The books feel nice and weighty, so I was excited to start reading, hoping The Perfect Poison would be the story that makes me fall in love all over again with Krentz. Well this novel will not be the one to make me do that...but neither will it make me give up her novels for good. The 437 pages I thought an ideal size of read, but realized soon enough that the page count is deceptive and the read is much shorter and quicker than I was expecting. The type is a bit larger and the lines are quite spaced out and thicker paper is used, albeit the book is still priced at CAD$9.99.

Maybe its just the whole Arcane Society Series books that cross the paranormal (Castle), historical romance (Quick) and contemporary (Krentz) romance genres, which include the common storyline of the "Arcane Society" that is causing the problem for me...a lot of the language sounds repetitive, so the stories are not as fresh as they could be. If The Perfect Poison is the first book you pick up by the author I think it would be a fun read, with a unique premise that the independent, strong-minded heroine Lucinda Bromley can detect plant energy, including poisons. But the overly indulgent, flowery and flamboyant language made me cringe instead of chuckle this time. The hero Caleb Jones was not as much alpha as caveman really and his characterization could have done with more depth and polish. Overall: Average.

Recent January 2010 release in hardcover is Fired Up (Krentz); Next up is Burning Lamp (Quick) released in hardcover April 20, 2010; Midnight Crystal (Castle) released in paperback August 31, 2010.

My Rating: 3.0

Chapters
Amazon

Related Posts:
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz
My Bookcase

Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

2010-04-15T20:16:00.003-06:00

When the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their vacation, they are looking forward to spending time with their bright and vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter, who stayed behind.
Not even their worst nightmares could prepare them for the crime scene that awaits them instead. Deena has been brutally murdered in her bedroom, and her body shows signs of trauma that horrify even the toughest of cops, including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who is specifically requested by the captain to investigate.

When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities.

Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to serve justice.

Kindred in Death is the 29th book in the In Death futuristic mystery series featuring kick-ass cop Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her mega wealthy husband Roarke. Having read the past 20 novels in the series, Kindred in Death is about as perfect as I think an In Death mystery can get.

An extremely brutal crime involving the daughter of a police captain, a diabolical murder with no close connection to the victim and clues that refuse to provide cohesive answers. The focus on the rape and murder of a young female teenager on the cusp of womanhood really strikes at the heart. Whereas there usually seems to be some personal element for Eve with the murders she investigates, this murder strikes more close because of the specific brutality and the helplessness of the victim. The senselessness of the crime really comes across.

I enjoyed the sort of nature versus nurture theme as an explanation for human behaviour. How a person's makeup can be imprinted by family and whether someone is born evil. Kindred in Death presents the idea that whether you are naive or worldly, someone with enough devious bent or someone who has been imprinted by evil can deceive and exploit weaknesses. In the end, whom can you trust?

I did not mind at all that Roarke and Eve's relationship had less of a focus than the other recent novels in the series, although I was a little surprised that the couple times Roarke and Eve had sex they did so in water...I mean isn't that supposed to be dangerous?? But then again this is fiction after all. The only element that bothered me was that there was a second murder in the plot, which seemed more of an afterthought, with the lack of attention the first murder received.

My rating is based only on comparing Kindred in Death with the other In Death novels.

My Rating: 5.0

ChaptersIndigo
Amazon

Related Posts:
Promises in Death
Salvation in Death
Naked in Death

The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen

2010-03-14T22:03:00.004-06:00

It's 1559. A young woman painter is given the honor of traveling to Michelangelo's Roman workshop to learn from the Maestro himself. Only men are allowed to draw the naked figure, so she can merely observe from afar the lush works of art that Michelangelo sculpts and paints from life. Sheltered and yet gifted with extraordinary talent, she yearns to capture all that life and beauty in her own art. But after a scandal involving one of Michelangelo's students, she flees Rome and fears she has doomed herself and her family.

After Sofi's flight from Rome, her family eagerly accepts an invitation from fearsome King Felipe II of Spain for her to become lady-in-waiting and painting instructor to his young bride. The Spanish court is a nest of intrigue and gossip, where a whiff of impropriety can bring ruin. Hopelessly bound by the rules and restrictions of her position, Sofi yearns only to paint. And yet the young Queen needs Sofi's help in other matters- inexperiences as she is, the Queen not only fails to catch the King's eye, but she fails to give him an heir, both of which are crimes that could result in her banishment. Sofi guides her in how best to win the heart of the King, but the Queen is too young, and too romantic, to be satisfied. Soon, Sofi becomes embroiled in a love triangle involving the Queen, the King, and the King's illegitimate half brother, Don Juan. And if the crime of displeasing the King is banishment, the crime of cuckolding him must surely be death.

Combining art, drama, and history from the Golden Age of Spain, "The Creation of Eve" is an expansive, original, and addictively entertaining novel that asks the question: Can you ever truly know another person's heart?

When visiting Michelangelo's workshop in Rome, Sofi becomes tempted into an indiscretion with the young man she has longed for for some time, Tiberio. With no resulting offer of marriage Sofi accepts the position of lady-in-waiting to the very young, newly crowned Queen of Spain, Elisabeth, and in doing so subjugates her love and talent for painting. The story follows Sofi through the trials of the Queen's new marriage to King Felipe II and the jealousies and rivalries that arise between the King's son Don Carlos, his brother Don Juan, nephew Don Allesandro and the King for the attentions of the Queen. The King is fiercely jealous and has total command over the lives of those in the royal household. Sofi becomes favourite of the Queen and through her naive errors and inherent timidity creates more difficulties for herself, and at times, the increasing discontented Queen Elisabeth.

What I loved about this book was the original story about a little-known, unique person in history, Sofonisba Anguissola, a female painter during the Renaissance. The novel is very intimate from the first, presented in journal format, so we are reading about the events as they happened through Sofi's eyes. The novel is divided into Notebooks and journal entries, and before each journal entry Sofi writes Items...little notes about painting, herbs, history, culture, court life...whatever Sofi deems important.

Sofi is very naive and I chuckled at every time she was driven to say "Sweetest Holy Mary" when confronted with temptation or surprising events. Sofi is used to living within a constrained lifestyle and the story is more about her attempts to have increased understanding of the world and venturing beyond the restrictions imposed on her...sometimes with disastrous consequences. The story is bittersweet as Sofi both indulges and repels her yearnings to paint, experience life and discover love.

At times some of the scenes were repetitive...the King comes across the Queen acting seemingly indiscreet one too many times. Some of the story seems to lagged in places, but the premise is creative and very well researched. This is quality historical fiction that I recommend if you like original characters, court intrigue and a focus on artistic talent.

Disclosure: LibraryThing EarlyReviewers ARC from Publisher
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 390
Publisher: Putnam
Release: Hardcover March 23, 2010

My Rating: 4.0

Chapters
Amazon

Further Recommendations:
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson

Signora Da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

Other Obsessions Besides Books?

2010-03-10T21:13:00.001-07:00

Being obsessed with books from an early age, I have to admit I am a creature of habit in other areas of my life too, so when I try new things and absolutely love them I usually go back to them them over and over again. Like I have used the same shampoo and conditioner for over I think five years and it wasn't only until last winter that I changed from "volumizing" to "moisturizing" in the same brand. I don't know what this says about me...but if you find something great, why deviate? These are some of my favourite things. I'd love to hear of some of your obsessions beyond books, so please comment!!!

Volumizing Shampoo and Moisturizing Conditioner from Pureology - This conditioner is super and works great to counteract my daily use of a flat-iron.

Earl Grey (Loose Leaf) Tea from Café Artigiano - Has an amazingly strong Earl Grey flavour and wonderful scent.

Calvin Klein Black Shaper Tights from The Bay - I feel an inch thinner all over with these tights on.

Grilled cheese and ham sandwich with a garlic pickle on the side. Comfort food and my go to meal when I do not want to put any effort into dinner.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her Perfume (Pink Bottle) - Has a woodsy scent that is still feminine. I have a very sensitive sense of smell and this is the only perfume I have found I can wear.

Russian Caravan tea by Murchies…a unique smokiness in this medium-bodied tea.

Dark chocolate ice cream with Skor bites in a dark chocolate dipped waffle cone from Marble Slab Creamery.

Sony Reader PRS-600 - Pefect for travelling on the bus to and from work every day. Nothing can replace reading from the real thing though!

My Diamond Hoop Earrings from Anne Louise - The perfect discreet earring for everyday.

Ombra Eucalyptus Bubble Bath. Wonderfully strong menthol smell that is totally relaxing...almost like being at the spa!

Starbucks Extra Hot Hot Chocolate. Some hot chocolates have a very week chocolate taste but not this one...I always order extra hot because I like to savour it rather than gulp it.

Rosebud’s Strawberry Lip Balm. I put this on every night before going to sleep and I never have chapped lips anymore...and I used to be a chapstickaholic.

Black Crocodile Print Riding Boots from Arnold Churgin - Perfect with skinny jeans and skirts.

Slate Blue Cashmere Scarf from Club Monaco. The perfect color for my blue eyes.

NeoStrata Intense Daytime Total Anti-Age Complex - A women in her 30s needs to fight those wrinkles. I have been a long-time user of NeoStrata products and this one was well worth the price. I waited until I got a two for one deal though!

Lush Fluffy White Clouds and Bathos Bubble Bars - Both bars have patchouli undertones which are soothing. I make the bars last a long time by using a bit of the bubble bar with Milk & Honey bubble bath gel from Bath & Body Works.

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black with the Curved Brush - I have used this mascara since my teens and only varied to black-brown from black a couple times. The best mascara!

Evolution of the Book Visualized

2010-02-26T20:51:00.001-07:00

From Best Colleges Online. There is a larger graphic on their website.

Blog Award

2010-02-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned before that I usually do not to participate in blog award chains but it is definitely super nice to be recognized for your efforts. I appreciate each and every comment I receive, as I know its so much easier and quicker to read a blog post and then move on to the next. Just the fact that there is more than one person who even knows my blog exists is gratifying. I blog because I have thoughts and opinions about books and if I do not put them into some concrete form they haunt me. I do not have many friends who have the same interests in books and reading as I do, so my blog and all the comments/feedback I receive is the substitute. I want to thank every individual who has ever left a comment at Obsessed With Books.

I also want to thank Mary Ann DeBorde at Mary Ann DeBorde Writes for her kindness in passing along this award. This is an award to honor kindhearted bloggers, those certain individuals who leave the sweet comments that brighten our hearts and make blogging worthwhile.

AWOL at the Olympics

2010-02-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

This Canuck was just at the Olympics in Vancouver!!! We got lucky and were able to get tickets to a Germany-Belarus hockey game, Men's and Women's Curling in which we were able to see Canada play in both, the U.S.A.-Canada hockey game and the Ice Dance Free Dance. We were quite bummed ar the loss to the U.S.A. in hockey but Monday night more than made up for the loss, with an incredible and historic golden win in Ice Dance. Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue were the youngest ever Ice Dance gold medal winners and the first time gold has been won in North America. Finally! So glad to see that the waves Bourne and Kraatz made were enough to open the field for more Canadians. Too bad the Ice Dance rules were not changed years ago...

Vancouver was overflowing with Canadian patriotism and pride. An amazing once in a lifetime experience!

Tweaking My Blog

2010-02-01T22:58:00.002-07:00

Most of us I know are addicted to our Feed Readers but if you click on this post link you will see my new tailor-made background that I designed using this BgPatterns tool. Its been fun to tweak the color and design of my blog to give it a more personalized and sophisticated look. I did have to enter the html code though to change the background...I would advise saving a copy of your template code in a safe place before you go making any changes. I also used Photobucket to grab the image of the background from my computer (which I has downloaded from BgPatterns once I was happy with my creation) to create a link which I could then use in the html code in replace of Blogger's background image link. The images are small gifs or jpegs which are then applied in a repeated pattern.

I recommend creating free accounts with both BgPatterns and Photobucket. In BgPatterns if you do not create an account you can only rely on your memory of the patterns you make but if you have an account you can save your patterns to My Favorites. Photobucket has come in useful many times for hosting images and gif slideshows in various blog posts and the tweaks I have made to my blog design.

I've said goodbye to blah brown and hello to glamourous grey and green. So what do you think of the new look?

Looking for more inspiration to beautify your blog? Here is a post at Mashable about how to Build A More Beautiful Blog. Good luck and have fun tinkering!

Sharon Lathan Giveaway at Hist-Fic Chick

2010-01-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

Hist-Fic Chick is hosting an amazing giveaway for Sharon Lathan's three Jane Austen fan fiction novels: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley and My Dearest Mr. Darcy: An Amazing Journey into Love Everlasting, which is being released by Sourcebooks this month. Don't miss out on your chance to enter...the contest ends January 28th. Open to residents of U.S. and Canadian residents only.

Masterpiece Classic - Jane Austen's Emma

2010-01-20T20:49:00.001-07:00

The beginning of every year would not be the same without new productions from Masterpiece Classic. I've loved Masterpiece Theatre and PBS for years because of the Jane Austen productions and 2010 is no different with Emma (January 24-February 7), Northanger Abbey - Encore (February 14, 2010) and Persuasion - Encore (February 21, 2010) all upcoming.

I'm looking forward to watching the new Emma three part mini series although I still have to wrap my head around Jonny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightly when everytime I think of him I see him as Dade Murphy from Hackers...with both characters wearing tight pants though its not that much different. :)

Here are all the online special features for Emma on the Masterpiece Classic website.

Here is the Masterpiece Classic complete schedule.

Deanna Raybourn's Next Julia Grey Mystery - Dark Road to Darjeeling

2010-01-20T19:35:00.001-07:00

I love Deanna Raybourn's blog and follow it religiously...she posts every day and has so many great viewpoints on life, love, beauty and fashion, as well as music, reading and writing.

I caught in yesterday's post the title of the next Lady Julia Grey mystery...Dark Road to Darjeeling, although I believe the title was first announced in Raybourn's Twitter feed on January 13. No release date mentioned.

Lady Julia Grey has a Twitter feed too. Soooo looking forward to the next book in the series!

Blog Award

2010-01-18T21:57:00.004-07:00

I just wanted to thank Kath at http://kathmeista.blogspot.com/ for the Honest Scrap Award. I am not a fan of spamming other bloggers with awards so I will refrain from passing the award along but how about I reveal some secrets.

The rules for this award are:

1. The Honest Scrap Blogger Award must be shared.
2. The recipient has to tell 10 (true) things about themselves that no one else knows.
3. The recipient has to pass on the award to 7 more bloggers.
4. Those 7 bloggers should link back to the blog that awarded them.

10 True Things About Me That Most People Do Not Know

1. I'm a rule breaker and risk taker.
2. I write a blog about books...about my book obsession.
3. I am a fanatic about cataloging the books I own using Bookpedia.
4. I refuse to sell or giveaway any of my books if I only own the one copy. For giveaways I always buy additional copies.
5. I love really strong black tea such as Irish Breakfast and Lapsang Souchong...they both have smoky notes.
6. The painting of Girl Reading by Sir Charles Perugini on my blog is the same graphic I use on my work computer desktop and my Blackberry. I also own a poster and one day hope to frame and hang it.
7. I have not used the library to borrow books in many years because I buy all my books. But I love libraries and bookstores. It would be a dream to visit The Library at Trinity College in Dublin.
8. I cry when characters are crying on TV, in books and in movies.
9. As a young adult we received a Doubleday flyer in the mail and I secretly subscribed without telling my parents...of course they eventually found out when the bills and books started coming in the mail.
10. I have a couple odd talents like being about to pick out the perfect greeting card and being able to square a picture frame on a wall by just eyeballing.

O, Juliet Love Games Poetry Contest

2010-01-18T21:12:00.001-07:00

Do you love to write poetry? Well if you do author Robin Maxwell has two competitions, one for adults and one for teens 13-18, and all you have to do is write a poem about love. The winners for each competition will receive this lovely tooled leather journal and a phone conversation with Robin Maxwell!

For more details visit Robin's blog at http://robinmaxwell.blogspot.com/

Robin is releasing her next novel O, Juliet February 2, 2010.

Related Posts

Robin Maxwell's O, Juliet and the Love Games

Cold River by Carla Neggers

2010-01-13T21:34:00.004-07:00

I have been a fan of Carla Neggers for a long time, loving her blend of a hint of romance with suspense. I am a fan of her U.S. Marshall and FBI series and some of her standalone novels but I'm not so keen on her new Black Falls series. The series revolves around numerous characters set in Black Falls, Vermont basically involving a handful families, the Camerons and the Harpers. The Cameron siblings recently lost their father Drew Cameron, who was murdered by assassins because he was asking questions about something...but we don't know what that something is. There are many secondary characters which have cameos in each book.

Hannah Shay has finally shown the town of Black Falls what she's worth. Her Three Sisters Cafe is a success, and she's soon to become a prosecutor. When the cafe becomes an epicenter for investigators trying to pierce a violent crime ring that's leaving bloody trails on nearby Cameron Mountain, Hannah suspects a man from her past is involved.

Sean Cameron returns to the snowy cold of his Vermont hometown to unmask his father's killer. Sean has the skills and resources to mount his own search, but he must convince the resistant Hannah to cooperate--because the killer is ready to strike again...and closer than anyone ever imagined.

The second book in the series, Cold River, falls short of the mark for me and was not as good as the first book Cold Pursuit, which I rated 3.0. To be honest I'm not even sure what the title of the book represents because I don't think a "Cold River" or similar was ever mentioned...although most of the cast seem to be outside in freezing weather a lot of the time. The book summarized too much the first book in the series and didn't really develop the characters, the plot or the relationships between characters enough. I would recommend skipping this series. On the other hand I liked The Angel, the second book in the FBI series a bit better and would recommend this read for a good suspense story set in Ireland. I'll probably pick up The Mist, the third book in the FBI series to be released March 30, 2010 but I'm afraid for me this is the end of the road for the Black Falls series.

My Rating: 2.5

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Related Posts

Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers
The Angel by Carla Neggers

Robin Maxwell's O, Juliet and the Love Games

2010-01-11T21:19:00.003-07:00

Robin Maxwell has a series of giveaways up for grabs during the O, Juliet Love Games, which are being run to celebrate the upcoming release of her new novel O, Juliet based on the tale of Romeo and Juliet to be released on February 2, 2010. Head on over to her blog to check it out. You could win one of three gorgeous necklaces and a signed copy of O, Juliet!

This week's giveaway is for a hand blown glass necklace but you still have time to enter for the Thai silver necklace. Next week's giveaway will be for a hand-crafted solid silver heart necklace - the Grand Prize!

Nefertiti: A Novel by Michelle Moran

2010-01-06T23:18:00.003-07:00

My Christmas holidays allowed me to dedicate a good amount of time to reading and one of the books I selected has been much talked about and praised. Really, I don't know that I can say anything more than has already been said about Michelle Moran's debut effort Nefertiti: A Novel.

I was captivated by a period in history that many of us would admit we are fascinated by. Michelle Moran made Ancient Egypt come alive with such ingenuity and precision, creating strong, compelling characters and layered intrigues set in a region continually on the brink of turmoil. I am in awe of Moran's writing and the dedication to research I am sure was required. If you are a lover of historical fiction this story is a must read!

Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped that her strong personality will temper the young ruler's heretical desire to forsake Egypt's ancient gods.

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people but fails to see that powerful priests are plotting against her husband's rule. The only person brave enough to warn the queen is her younger sister, yet remaining loyal to Nefertiti will force Mutnodjmet into a dangerous political game; one that could cost her everything she holds dear.

I'll definitely be picking up The Heretic Queen and Cleopatra's Daughter in the near future. Currently Michelle is working on her next novel about the life of Madame Tussaud during the French Revolution to be released March 2011. I will miss her vision of Egypt but look forward to her recreation of the French Revolution in her next effort.

My Rating: 4.5

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The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

2010-01-03T17:26:00.003-07:00

Half the fiction I read is historical fiction, although I have not yet read much on the French Revolution. For the past year I have promised myself to investigate more into the history of Marie Antoinette, purchasing the 2008 movie Marie Antoinette directed by Sofia Coppola, which I had not yet watched, as well as Antonia Fraser’s MTI version of Marie Antoinette: The Journey, which I have not yet read. Then I was given an opportunity to read The Queen’s Dollmaker (released in trade paperback by Kensington, December 29, 2009, 384p) on offer from the author Christine Trent and I am so glad I accepted.

The Queen’s Dollmaker is a very clever and fresh perspective of the French Revolution period set in both England and France.

On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil—as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris. After a fire destroys her house and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London. But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, The Queen of France herself, cherishes. When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home…

Infused with the passion and excitement of a country—and an unforgettable heroine—on the threshold of radical change, this captivating novel propels readers into a beguiling world of opulence, adventure and danger, from the rough streets of eighteenth-century London to France’s lavish palace of Versailles.

The story follows in a series of vignettes of Claudette’s life coinciding with the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Through her strong determination and ingenuity she crafts her future as a premier dollmaker in England, eventually catching the attention of Marie Antoinette. Their destinies become entwined as events unfold.

Marie Antoinette is from the outset a sympathetic character that the young Claudette is fascinated by, but she is presented in a realistic and factual way, with Trent not choosing sides one way or another whether she deserved her fate or not. Historical details are revealed through the events that happen. The story at times quickly progresses over the years and so I would not have minded if the book had been a bit longer.

I appreciated the amount of detail about the craft and selling of dolls. I’m a reader who enjoys all the technical details, so the story appealed to me in this way too. The Queen’s Dollmaker is a very good novel that stays true to its voice. After an accomplished debut effort I am excited to read Christine Trent's next novel, The Wax Apprentice, to be released in 2011. Other recommended historical fiction reads with strong-willed, entrepreneurial female protagonists include The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory, The Tailor’s Daughter by Janice Graham, The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson and Signora Da Vinci by Robin Maxwell.

My Rating: 4.5

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The Queen’s Dollmaker certainly got me more interested in the life of Marie Antoinette. I also watched Marie Antoinette directed by Sofia Coppola in the middle of reading the novel. The movie is stunningly visual with more focus on Marie's earlier years as the Dauphine of France. While I did not know much about the life of Marie Antoinette previously, now I have a much better understanding of this period in history. Eventually I hope to read Antonia Fraser’s Marie Antoinette: The Journey.

Related Posts:

The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson
Signora Da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

Happy Holidays

2009-12-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Holidays to you and yours. Cherish your love ones, stay warm and safe travels!

Upcoming Release - O, Juliet by Robin Maxwell

2009-12-06T17:02:00.003-07:00

I read and reviewed Signora da Vinci by Robin previously and thoroughly enjoyed the book...a unique perspective on the the life of Leonardo da Vinci's mother. Her newest novel O, Juliet will be released February 2, 2010 in trade paperback (the cover is gorgeous). Watch for my review in the next couple of months.

Robin is launching the Love Games to promote the release...a series of competitions and giveaways announced every two weeks until Valentine's Day. For more details follow her blog.

Before Juliet Capelletti lie two futures: a traditionally loveless marriage to her father's business partner, or the ">fulfillment of her poetic dreams, inspired by the great Dante. Unlike her beloved friend Lucrezia, who looks forward to her arranged marriage, Juliet has a wild, romantic imagination that knows not the bounds of her great family's stalwart keep.

The latter path is hers for the taking when Juliet meets Romeo Monticecco, a soulful young man seeking peace between their warring families. A dreamer himself, Romeo is unstoppable, once he determines to capture the heart of the remarkable woman foretold in his stars. The breathless intrigue that ensues is the stuff of beloved legend. But those familiar with Shakespeare's muse know only half the story...

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Related Posts:

Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters

2009-11-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Radcliffe Emerson, the irascible husband of fellow archaeologist and Egyptologist Amelia Peabody, has earned the nickname "Father of Curses" -- and at Mazghunah he demonstrates why. Denied permission to dig at the pyramids of Dahshoor, he and Amelia are resigned to excavating mounds of rubble in the middle of nowhere. And there is nothing in this barren area worthy of their interest -- until an antiquities dealer is murdered in his own shop. A second sighting of a sinister stranger from the crime scene, a mysterious scrap of papyrus, and a missing mummy case have all whetted Amelia's curiosity. But when the Emersons start digging for answers in an ancient tomb, events take a darker and deadlier turn -- and there may be no surviving the very modern terrors their efforts reveal.

So I don't have much to say about the third book in the Amelia Peabody series. What was incredibly funny was the way Peabody talks about Emerson in the story as if he were a woman, with his fussing and hysterics and sensitivity of emotion and soft heart...yet outwardly of course he is blustery, always yelling and cursing, and quite manly. I found the more in depth description of archeological methods and techniques informative and interesting, as well as the description of the various settings, especially the Cairo's bazaars.

Normally Peter's characters are likeable or interesting even though they may be responsible for evil-doing. In The Mummy Case I did not really care for some of the secondary characters, which impeded my enjoyment of the story. There seemed to be too much going on in the plot as well, making events confusing. Actually I got irritated and finished the book as quickly as I could...I have now moved onto Lion in the Valley, the fourth book in the series. Maybe I moved on to The Mummy Case too soon after The Curse of the Pharaohs but I don't think so as I have been liking Lion in the Valley so much more.

My Rating: 3.5

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Related Posts:
And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

Cover Love

2009-11-20T19:32:00.009-07:00

These covers are divine. Cannot wait to read the stories contained within them...

February 2, 2010. Before Juliet Capelletti lie two futures: a traditionally loveless marriage to her father's business partner, or the fulfillment of her poetic dreams, inspired by the great Dante. Unlike her beloved friend Lucrezia, who looks forward to her arranged marriage, Juliet has a wild, romantic imagination that knows not the bounds of her great family's stalwart keep.

The latter path is hers for the taking when Juliet meets Romeo Monticecco, a soulful young man seeking peace between their warring families. A dreamer himself, Romeo is unstoppable, once he determines to capture the heart of the remarkable woman foretold in his stars. The breathless intrigue that ensues is the stuff of beloved legend. But those familiar with Shakespeare's muse know only half the story...

January 12, 2010. Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

December 29, 2009. On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil - as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris. After a fire destroys her home and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London. But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France herself, cherishes. When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home...Amid the violence and unrest, Claudette befriends the Queen, who bears no resemblance to the figurehead rapidly becoming the scapegoat of the Revolution. But when Claudette herself is lured into a web of deadly political intrigue, it becomes clear that friendship with France's most despised woman has grim consequences. Now, overshadowed by the spectre of Madame Guillotine, the Queen's dollmaker will face the ultimate test.

January 21, 2010. Katherine Ashley, the daughter of a poor country squire, happily secures an education and a place for herself in a noble household. But when Thomas Cromwell, a henchman for King Henry VIII, brings her to the royal court as a spy, Kat enters into a thrilling new world of the Tudor monarchs.

Freed from a life of espionage by Cromwell's downfall, Kat eventually befriends Anne Boleyn. As a dying favor to the doomed queen, Kat becomes governess and surrogate-mother to the young Elizabeth Tudor. Together they suffer bitter exile, assassination attempts, and imprisonment, barely escaping with their lives. But they do, and when Elizabeth is crowned, Kat continues to serve her, faithfully guarding all the queen's secrets (including Elizabeth's affair with the dashing Robert Dudley) . . . and ultimately emerging as the lifelong confidante and true mother-figure to Queen Elizabeth.

March 23, 2010. It's 1559. A young woman painter is given the honor of traveling to Michelangelo's Roman workshop to learn from the Maestro himself. Only men are allowed to draw the naked figure, so she can merely observe from afar the lush works of art that Michelangelo sculpts and paints from life. Sheltered and yet gifted with extraordinary talent, she yearns to capture all that life and beauty in her own art. But after a scandal involving one of Michelangelo's students, she flees Rome and fears she has doomed herself and her family.

The Creation of Eve is a riveting novel based on the true but little-known story of Sofonisba Anguissola, the first renowned female artist of the Renaissance. After Sofi's flight from Rome, her family eagerly accepts an invitation from fearsome King Felipe II of Spain for her to become lady-in-waiting and painting instructor to his young bride. The Spanish court is a nest of intrigue and gossip, where a whiff of impropriety can bring ruin. Hopelessly bound by the rules and restrictions of her position, Sofi yearns only to paint. And yet the young Queen needs Sofi's help in other matters-inexperiences as she is, the Queen not only fails to catch the King's eye, but she fails to give him an heir, both of which are crimes that could result in her banishment. Sofi guides her in how best to win the heart of the King, but the Queen is too young, and too romantic, to be satisfied. Soon, Sofi becomes embroiled in a love triangle involving the Queen, the King, and the King's illegitimate half brother, Don Juan. And if the crime of displeasing the King is banishment, the crime of cuckolding him must surely be death.

Combining art, drama, and history from the Golden Age of Spain, The Creation of Eve is an expansive, original, and addictively entertaining novel that asks the question: Can you ever truly know another person's heart?

April 20, 2010. The Arcane Society was born in turmoil when the friendship of its two founders evolved into a fierce rivalry. Nicholas Winters’s efforts led to the creation of a device of unknown powers called the Burning Lamp. Each generation of male descendants who inherits it is destined to develop multiple talents—and the curse of madness. Plagued by hallucinations and nightmares, notorious crime lord Griffin Winters is convinced he has been struck with the Winters Curse. But even as he arranges a meeting with the mysterious woman Adelaide Pyne, he has no idea how closely their fates are bound, for she holds the missing lamp in her possession. But their dangerous psychic experiment makes them the target of forces both inside and outside of the Arcane Society. And though desire strengthens their power, their different lives will keep them apart—if death doesn’t take them together.

July 15, 2010. They say I’m mad and perhaps it’s true. It is well known that lust brings madness and desperation and ruin. But upon my oath, I never meant any harm. All I wanted was to be happy, to love and to be loved in return, and for my life to count for something. That is not madness, is it?

So begins the story of Eleanor Glanville, the beautiful daughter of a seventeenth-century Puritan nobleman whose unconventional passions scandalized society. When butterflies were believed to be the souls of the dead, Eleanor’s scientific study of them made her little better than a witch. But her life—set against a backdrop of war, betrayal, and sexual obsession—was that of a woman far ahead of her time.

The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters

2009-11-15T20:35:00.002-07:00

From the Back Cover:
Victorian gentlewoman Amelia Peabody Emerson does not relish the joys of home and hearth, For while she and her husband, the renowned archeologist Radcliffe Emerson , dutifully go about raising their young son. Ramses, Amelia dreams only of the dust and detritus of ancient civilizations. Providentially, a damsel in distress-demands their immediate presence is Egypt. The damsel is Lady Baskerville, and the site is a tomb in Luxor recently discovered by Sir Henry Baskerville, who promptly died under bizarre circumstances. Amelia and Radcliffe arrive to find the camp in disarray, terrified workers, an eccentric group of guests...and a persistent rumour of a ghost on the grounds. Now the indomitable Amelia must battle evil forces determined to stand between her and her beloved antiquities-and make her foray into the truth a most deadly affair...

Another delightful mystery, the second book in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels, Barbara Mertz). The story is worth reading for the first chapter alone with the hilarity of Ramses Emerson's adventures and opinions, Amelia and Radcliffe Emerson's "catastrophically precocious" son. Despite Amelia's acerbic tone when describing Ramses, she has obvious pride in him though her mind yearns for Egyptian escapades. The author has a gift for creating very colourful secondary characters whether they are animals or ghosts, children or adults and gives each a distinctive voice and personality. I am looking forward to reading more about Ramses and the Egyptian cat that has adopted Peabody and Emerson as its owner.

I think the Amelia Peabody mysteries have captured me fully and I am well on the way to becoming obsessed with the series, like I already am by the Lady Emily Ashton series by Tasha Alexander and the Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn, having purchased and already started reading The Mummy Case with The Lion in the Valley waiting in the wings. Very fitting as I believe Barbara Mertz pioneered the historical fiction mystery series featuring a strong female protagonist. No doubt I will end up reading the entire collection. So I highly recommend the the Amelia Peabody mysteries for those who like humor and wit with murder and mayhem in a historical context.

My Rating: 4.5

Chapters
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Related Posts:
And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

Winners of the Gothic Fiction Giveaway

2009-11-01T17:31:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who entered my Gothic Fiction Giveaway. According to List Randomizer the winners are:

Enna has won The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

A Bookshelf Monstrosity has won Perfume: The Story of a Murder by Patrick Suskind

Brizmus has won The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

It was great hearing about all of your gothic fiction favourites and now I have a few more books I must add to my tbr list.

Happy Halloween to All!!!

There was a bit of a mix-up and so Brizmus will be receiving another copy of Perfume: The Story of a Murder rather than The Shadow of the Wind, which means Raspberry is now the winner of Shadow of the Wind!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

2009-10-25T19:59:00.003-06:00

My Birthday turned out to be lovely even though my man is away for 10 days for work. I had lunch with a friend and indulged in a burger and indulged even more afterward with a cupcake and hot chocolate from Buttercream. The sun was shining and I was wearing my favourite boots. All-in-all a great day.

My man and I celebrated my birthday before he left and GUESS WHAT I GOT!!! Oh yes I did...the Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-600 in black and I even managed to find the swanky leather cover with light at another store in the city and these are totally on backorder and sold out online. The last one left!

What I love:

The touch screen.
The ability to organize my books under whichever tag I choose and to make collections.
The leather case that I purchased extra.
That I was able to add a memory card so I never have to think about running out of space.
The battery lasts a long time.
The ability to write notes and draw pictures and have these accessible in the Sony eBook Library.
I can highlight words and look them up in the dictionary.
The included stylus, which I thought I would never use.
The ability to turn pages using fingers or buttons.
The I can load pictures and audio. The audio is more important and I will probably never upload pictures.
That I got a US$25 coupon to the eBook Library when we bought the Reader, which I have already spent of course.
That you change change orientation of the reader.
That you can search text.
The back icon that takes you back to the previous menu.
The hidden power button so you do not accidentally hit it.
That Sony has finally provided software compatible with the Mac computer.

What I wish was different:

Not much at all. I wish the e-ink was darker or there was more contrast with the white space. I wish there was a feature where you could change contrast. But you can still change the font size.
The screen has a bit if glare depending on where the light source is.
That when you are reading the time was shown somewhere!
I wish you could make shortcuts.
The leather case light is a bit annoying. I hate glare and you have to have the light just so and the book just so so you do not see the reflection of the light. But I would rather have the light than not have it at all.

Even though the Reader is not wireless this does not bother me because I would be too tempted to buy books randomly if it was and I like to research the books I plan to purchase. When I connect my Reader to the computer the eBook Library automatically opens. You need to shut it down and then open Calibre. Note that Calibre now recognizes the Sony Touch Edition. In Calibre you need to modify your tags for each book and these tags will show up as collections in your reader. Before you can view any eBook Library books on your Reader you need to authorize your computer and your device in My Account in the eBook Store. This was not an intuitive process...and you must do this first before you can view the books on your device, even though you can move them to your memory stick.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the PRS-600. Ask away!

Don't forget to enter my Gothic Fiction Giveaway by October 30 to win either The Historian, Perfume or The Shadow of the Wind.

Gothic Fiction Giveaway

2009-10-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

Originally Posted October 1, 2009

It has been a year of blogging at Obsessed With Books and to celebrate I will be giving away the following Gothic fiction 'modern classics' to three lucky winners. I read all three before I started blogging but the memory of them has stayed with me since, each being a distintictive work of fiction. All three novels are new, never been opened!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind (Trade Paperback) In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift-an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille''s genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and frest-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"-the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brillance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (Mass Market Paperback) To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history....Late one night, exploring her father''s library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of-a labyrinth where the secrets of her father''s past and her mother''s mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known-and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself-to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive. Parsing obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions-and evading the unknown adversaries who will go to any lengths to conceal and protect Vlad''s ancient powers-one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Trade Paperback) Barcelona, 1945?A great world city lies shrouded in secrets after the war, and a boy mourning the loss of his mother finds solace in his love for an extraordinary book called "The Shadow of the Wind," by an author named Julian Carax. When the boy searches for Carax''s other books, it begins to dawn on him, to his horror, that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book the man has ever written. Soon the boy realizes that "The Shadow of the Wind" is as dangerous to own as it is impossible to forget, for the mystery of its author''s identity holds the key to an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love that someone will go to any lengths to keep secret.

I recently posted about my love of Gothic fiction, as well as historical and timeslip novels with Gothic elements, and I thought what better way to highlight the genre than to hold a contest!

One entry per person. Open to entries worldwide. Entry Deadline: October 30th
Winners Announced: October 31st

What to Do: Comment on this blog post naming your favourite Gothic fiction novel or novel containing Gothic elements. Please include your email address in the comment and your book of choice out the three in the giveaway (pick one). Earn an additional entry by linking to this post on your blog. Don't forget to let me know!

Related Posts:
Gothic Fiction - Historical and Timeslip Favourites

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

2009-10-13T21:09:00.003-06:00

Elizabeth Peters' unforgettable heroine Amelia Peabody makes her first appearance in this clever mystery. Amelia receives a rather large inheritance and decides to use it for travel. On her way through Rome to Egypt, she meets Evelyn Barton-Forbes, a young woman abandoned by her lover and left with no means of support. Amelia promptly takes Evelyn under her wing, insisting that the young lady accompany her to Egypt, where Amelia plans to indulge her passion for Egyptology. When Evelyn becomes the target of an aborted kidnapping and the focus of a series of suspicious accidents and mysterious visitations, Amelia becomes convinced of a plot to harm her young friend. Like any self-respecting sleuth, Amelia sets out to discover who is behind it all.

Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first book in the Amelia Peabody Mystery series and although categorized as a mystery I think I smiled and chuckled all the way through. Amelia Peabody is such a character – a strong willed, opinionated, bossy woman, who thinks the only appeal she has is the inheritance left to her by her father. Touring Rome Amelia’s companion falls ill and must be sent home before they can reach their final destination of Cairo. She encounters a young Englishwoman, Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has collapsed on the grounds of the Forum of Rome. After hearing Evelyn’s shocking story of betrayal and abandonment by a man she thought loved her, Amelia determines to takes Evelyn under her wing to mentor her and be her companion on her Egyptian adventures.

This novel is a mystery, a story of self-discovery and a bit of a comedy of errors. In the end Evelyn teaches Amelia more about life, loyalty and love than she ever expected. Beneath her prickly and spunky exterior Amelia hides a kind heart. The below quote is one of my favourites in the novel and portrays Amelia to a tee. “I watched them with the most thorough satisfaction I had ever felt in my life. I did not even wipe away the tears that rained down my face – although I began to think it was just as well Evelyn was leaving me. A few more weeks with her, and I should have turned into a rampageous sentimentalist.”

I’ve not delved too much into Egyptian archeological history so I’m not sure how true the methodology was for techniques in preserving Egyptian antiquities but I was impressed with the level of detail and how the descriptions of Cairo and Amarna come to life even though the story is fairly short. I’m sure I’ll continue on to read the rest of the series, the second book being The Curse of the Pharaohs. I would also recommend the Lady Emily Ashton series by Tasha Alexander.

Book Disclosure: Purchased

My Rating: 4.5

Chapters
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New Release by S.J. Bolton - Awakening

2009-09-29T21:52:00.004-06:00

Sacrifice was an original and thrilling debut novel by S. J. Bolton. Her sophomore effort, Awakening, was released in trade paperback in Canada on August 29, 2009 (UK Import) and in hardcover in the U.S. on June 9, 2009. The mass market paperback edition will be released on February 23, 2010. I will definitely be looking to pick up the MMP in February as it is supposed to be even better. S.J. Bolton - synonymous with suspenseful and unique.

An idyllic village is thrown into turmoil in the startling, heart-racing new thriller from the author of Sacrifice. How did it all begin? I suppose it would be the day I rescued a new-born baby from a poisonous snake, heard the news of my mother’s death and encountered my first ghost . . . Veterinary surgeon Clara Benning is young and intelligent, but practically a recluse. Disfigured by a childhood accident, she lives alone and shies away from human contact whenever possible. But when a man dies following a supposed snake bite, the victim’s post mortem shows a higher concentration of venom than could ever be found in a single snake. Assisted by her softly spoken neighbour, and an eccentric reptile expert, Clara unravels sinister links to a barbaric ancient ritual, an abandoned house and a fifty-year-old tragedy that left the survivors fiercely secretive. Then the village’s inventive attacker strikes again, and Clara’s own solitary existence is brutally invaded. For someone the truth must remain buried in the past — even if they have to kill to keep it there.

Chapters

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Related Posts:

Sacrifice by S.J. Bolton

2009-09-29T18:37:00.000-06:00

You're born. You live. They die. Moving to remote Shetland has been unsettling enough for consultant surgeon Tora Hamilton; even before the gruesome discovery she makes one rain-drenched afternoon…Deep in the peat soil of her field she is shocked to find the perfectly preserved body of a young woman, a gaping hole where her heart has been brutally removed and three rune marks etched into her skin. The marks bear an eerie resemblance to carvings Tora has seen all over the islands, and she quickly uncovers disturbing links to an ancient legend. But as Tora investigates she is warned by the local police, her boss, and even her husband, to leave well alone. And even though it chills her to the bone to admit it…something tells her their concern isn't genuine.

I was pleasantly surprised by this debut effort by author S.J. Bolton. The setting of the Shetland Islands off the northeast coast of Scotland is interesting and unique. An area of isolation, myth and legend, remote from the rest of the world where secrets have been hidden for decades and immense power has been hoarded. Imagine moving from bustling London to a small acreage on a stark, unforgiving island. Your husband is often away on business, you have made no friends in the six months you have been working in the nearby hospital and your beloved horse has just died. Tora Hamilton is determined to bury her horse nearby her home, even though it is illegal, and in doing so uncovers a female body buried deep in the peat, heart taken out, runes carved into her back. From here leads a strange, twisted tale of murder and mortality, ethics, fertility manipulation, cults and myths.

Bolton's prose is rawly descriptive and blunt. Events are presented in a cold and analytical way, yet to offset this the author has created a sensitive, vulnerable character in Tora, who buries her feelings of confusion, pain and loss deeply. At first I did not like Tora, thinking her weak, misguided and a little dense, but after awhile I realized she is someone juggling a lot of issues and handling them the best she is capable of. Tora has difficulty making friends and with communication. People don't warm to her readily and she knows it. She has fears, inadequacies and issues to overcome. I would describe her as having questionable self-esteem, a frustrated, nervous temperament...yet tenacity of will and a caring heart. Someone that I could relate to rather than being some grand heroine or superwoman.

Bolton does a great job of disguising the true motivations of the characters, which made the story very suspenseful. I did not like most of the characters in the novel...we are not given much background on the characters, rather just the bare bones of their lives...and actually I do not think the author wants you to like any of the characters either. The tension, disapproval and antagonism between particular characters is portrayed well and really comes across in the writing.

One word in the story - a character's career - led me to figuring out some of the plot but by no means led to unravelling everything, as the story has been very cleverly crafted. Of course there are a few plot holes and loose threads (Why exactly did Dr. Kenn Gifford state (lie?) that KT meant Keloid Trauma when he must have known it meant something else entirely...he could not have been kept in the dark about everything...but we are left to ponder!) but the premise and setting are unique which makes for an out of the ordinary read.

I really liked this book and think its a solid debut effort by S.J. Bolton. Although it took me awhile to warm up to it, once I did, I did not want to put the book down and could not get the story out of my head. My Rating: 4.0

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E-Book Universe

2009-09-25T15:58:00.003-06:00

A very good pictoral summary of how the e-book world is interconnected!

Pondering My Intimidating Bookcase

2009-09-19T19:50:00.004-06:00

Somehow the actual collecting of books is insidiously replacing my enjoyment of reading.

I remember the joy of finding two or three books at the bookstore and then returning home to snuggle with a blanket on the sofa or in bed, with a cup a tea and cookie. I would read for a good three hours or so until I had finished one of the books I had bought...then most likely I would have started on the second. I had piles of books around my bed, under my bed, in shoe-box after shoe-box and in what closet space I could cram them into and in rubber maid containers stacked upon each other. With finally owning a home I determined to buy a bookcase which I then saved for and took my time picking out so I picked the right one.

When the bookcase first arrived I loved it, loved looking at it and running my eyes over all my precious books. Every time I walked into the house my eyes were drawn to it and I could smell the newness of the wood stain. Now more often than not to look at my bookcase raises anxiety instead of pleasure.

The left half of the bookcase are books I have read and the right half contains the unread ones...over 120 of them (and I have more put away in boxes and another bookshelf ). When I first started buying books to fill up the shelves I told myself I was doing so, so that when I retire or when I am on vacation I can pick from the bookshelf instead of going to the bookstore. That I would already have collected all my favourite fiction. What I did not realize was that the more unread books I have on the shelves the more difficulty I have in actually picking out a book to read. With wanting to read all the books I am finding it very difficult to pick just one.

I know I am lucky... not everyone can afford to buy books. I do miss the library but really not all that much because I have replaced that experience with the purchasing of books in a bookstore or online. I've turned into the type of person who cannot pass a bookstore by without stopping and hunting down books I've put on my To Buy list. I use Bookpedia to track the books I own and those on my wish list, which I then export to my iPod so I can always carry around a list of my To Buy. I spend a lot of time browsing online bookstores, LibraryThing, and GoodReads for reviews...time that could have been spent more enjoyably actually reading a book!! If only that darn bookcase would stop intimidating me.

Is there therapy for those who are book obsessed? I mean seriously, I need to create a plan of attack to stop allowing my bookcase to push me around. Instead of standing in front of it waiting for inspiration to strike, I think a good start may be to pick out three to five books that appeal, take them to another part of the house and see if one of them stands out. Do you have any helpful suggestions? Are you similarly book obsessed?

Bye Bye TuesdayThinger

2009-09-17T21:15:00.005-06:00

Life can be unpredictable... the last few months I have tried my best to keep up with the weekly TuesdayThinger post but there have been many times I have not been very successful at doing so. Who would of thought posting only weekly would get so difficult!! I'm the time of person who keeps her promises and its been frustrating for me that my TuesdayThinger post keeps on getting later and later in the week. With that said, after close to a year and 43 TuesdayThinger posts later I am retiring from the group.

I love LibraryThing and highly recommend buying a lifetime membership (only $25). If you are new to LibraryThing I suggest subscribing to Wendi's Book Corner and following the TuesdayThinger posts. You can discover a lot about LibraryThings' features and learn educational helpful hints and tricks.

I'm thinking of some big life changes next year and I've been very involved in researching possibilities. I'm not going to get into specifics now but I hope next year to make an announcement about exactly what I am up to!

Fourth Novel in the Mistress of the Art of Death Series

2009-09-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

A Murderous Procession looks to be the next novel, book four, in the Mistress of the Art of Death series by Ariana Franklin (Putnam). There is some conflicting information as ChaptersIndigo shows the book to be released in trade paperback February 2, 2010 and Amazon.com is showing hardcover in April 10, 2010.

Summary from Chapters:

Joanna, the youngest of King Henry's daughters, is on her way to marry William II, king of Sicily. The journey will be long and dangerous, so Henry sends the only doctor he trusts-Adelia Aquilar, who is just as gifted with the living as she is with the dead. Usually, Adelia would be eager to visit her homeland, but Henry insists she leave her daughter in England as insurance she'll return. Adelia takes out her bitterness on Rowley, her former lover and Henry's most loyal man. Rowley is along for protection because a princess travelling with a fortune in jewels and gold is a tempting target, especially when among the treasures is the great sword Excalibur. Henry has decided to give it to his future son-in-law and greatest ally-to keep it from his ambitious sons. But the scheming of princes is nothing compared to a madman who seeks revenge because he blames Adelia for his lover's death...

Chapters

Amazon

The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin