Book Title: Shadow of Night
Author: Deborah Harkness
Version: Hardback
Published: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Viking Adult
ISBN: 9780670023486
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Voice: First Person
Number of Pages: 584
NOTE: With this I am going to jump right to the review because this is the sequel to "A Discovery of Witches" and I don't want to give too much away. I purposely kept the synopsis of "A Discovery of Witches" short and vague because there are so many twists and turns in it that I didn't want to reveal any of the wonderful surprises. In that same vein I want to skip the synopsis part of this entry so that I don't accidentally give anything away.
REVIEW: This was another win for Deborah Harkness. No need to worry about "A Discovery of Witches" being a fluke or beginner's luck because this second part is just as good, if not even better. It took me two weeks to read it, and the only reason it took so long was because I was in the middle of packing and moving. If I had, had the time I would have finished it in a couple of days. It was that good!
The story was even more full and complicated than the first one and in this volume Deborah Harkness' past as a historian really came in to sharp relief and let me tell you she didn't disappoint. Of course there were embellishments and small liberties taken but from what I could tell, based on my limited knowledge of Elizabethan London, she had really done her research. One of my largest pet peeves when it comes to books in a historical fiction novel is lack of research so I was overjoyed to find how well researched this was. It was one of my favorite parts about the novel.
Again miss Harkness' writing was superb, full of subtle poetry and beauty. And the way she wrote some of the most beloved characters from history, such as Christopher Marlowe, Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth and William Shakespeare, was so well done it was difficult to remember that they were fictional representations. I love when that happens! I find that a mark of truly great writing; when the reader can completely forget that the characters they are reading about aren't real somewhere in the world.
This was such a good book that I am actually missing reading it. And although logically I know that the third book won't be out for a very long while I still can't wait. Though I know that it is a trilogy I love her writing and these characters so much that I kind of wish the series would continue on. These books, both books in the All Souls Trilogy so far, are the whole package. Great story, superb writing, and characters that you fall in love with. I mean what more can you ask for in a book? I love them and I really recommend them to everyone. Even if you think that these aren't the kind of books you usually go for you should give them a try. They will surprise you in all the best ways. I mean honestly what else can you ask for when picking up a new type of book?
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A Discovery of Witches
Book Title: A Discovery of Witches
Author: Deborah Harkness
Version: ebook
Pubished: February 8th, 2011
Publisher: Viking Books
ISBN: 9781101475690
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Voice: First Person Majority
SYNOPSIS: Diana Bishop is your average tenured history professor and witch. She has taken some time off to further her research on alchemy at Oxford. While in the Bodelian library she requests a book called Ashmole 782 thought to be the definitive book on alchemy. When she gets it her arm begins to tingle and the words race back and forth across the page. After years of denying the magic inside her, Diana quickly slams the book closed and decides to pack it in for the day. She sends the book back in to the depths of the library and decides to forget the whole thing ever happened. If only things were that simple.
Her next night in the library Diana finds that she is in need of a book that is just out of her reach. Kind of willing the book into her hand Diana heads back towards her reading nook and promptly runs into a vampire. Introducing himself as Matthew Clairmont this alluring and slightly dangerous strange vampire asks Diana to dinner. Fearing that she will be on the menu and having no desire to know any supernatural creaures Diana says 'thanks but no thanks.' After this first meeting Diana finds that Matthew Clairmont is a persistent vampire when he begins showing up daily in the library. It turns out though that he is not the only supernatural creature that has taken up a sudden desire in research. In short order witches and daemons begin showing up at the library with a special interest in all things Diana Bishop.
When Diana discovers that all this sudden attention from other creatures has something to do with the strange book Diana looked at, Ashmole 782, Diana decides to form an unusual and highly unorthodox alliance with the vampire Matthew. Together they head out on an adventure to figure out exactly what is in Ashmole 782 and exactly why the whole creature realm is after Diana and the book. Along the way Diana finds that the necessary alliance with Matthew becomes so much more when she begins falling in love with him. Endangering them even more the two form a bond that not even the ancient rules of their world can break.
Delving further into this mysterious new world Diana begins to learn more about her past, who her parents were, and exactly just how powerful a witch she is. Through ups and downs, danger, mystery, and discovery Diana and Matthew have each other and a very specific goal in mind, discover what Ashmole 782 has to hide and exactly what it has to do with the creature world.
REVIEW: I love books about books and so I was on goodreads.com looking through a list of books about books. "A Discovery of Witches" came up on the list but as I read the description I was totally turned off. I kind of forgot about it for awhile until a really good friend told me that she read it and that it was really good. She told me that Deborah Harkness was a historian so it wasn't only well written but very well researched. Since I highly respect my friend's opinion I decided I would give it a try. Boy am I glad that I did because it is now on my list of favorites.
The story is a surprising one, one that is more complicated than I thought it was going to be. I enjoy paranormal and supernatural stories so the fact that there was that element in it was a really wonderful surprise, I mean I knew that it was going to be about a witch hence the title, but adding in the other creatures was the pleasant surprise part. But there was a twist to it, it was academic and grown up in nature which was a refreshing turn seeing as most of the vampire tales these days are trying to jump on the 'Twilight' bandwagon. Anyway the point is that this was a grown up book about the paranormal and I loved, loved, loved that.
Deborah Harkness' writing was superb and really that's all there is to it. She has such a beautiful way with words it's almost hard to describe. Her writing is not only well thought out but it's well put together. Every word is put deliberately together to form the perfect sentence that goes on to form the perfect paragraph. I don't know what it is about the writing but I lapped it up and I didn't want to put the book down. The great story, coupled with amazing writing, and add in the fantastic research it all makes for a really, really great book.
I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone because it has everything in it. I know that most people steer far away from all things vampires, which is a shame because there are some good paranormal stories out there, but this is so much more than just another vampire story. And I say this again that this is a very grown up story, by that I don't mean there is a lot of sex or violence or swearing in it, I mean that it is a supernatural tale told through the eyes of adults. I don't think that covers it but it will have to do for now. Go out and read it, it is one of those books that I deem a must read. It is full of mystery and magic, history and love and it is all mixed together in such a wonderful and beautiful way.
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Book Title: The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister
Author: Nonna Bannister
Version: ebook
Published: April 1st, 2009
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Number of Pages: 244
ISBN: 9781414330242
Genre: Holocaust Non-Fiction
Voice: First Person Diary
I want to do this review a little differently, mainly because this was a very different type of book. Nonna Bannister was a holocaust survivor. She lost her entire family, went through quite a number of the various work camps, and almost lost her life on more then one occasion. Through it all she kept diaries, scraps of paper hidden taped to her body or tucked into the straw of a mattress. She wrote everything down, the last good times she had with her family, the day her brother was taken away and never seen again, the death of her father, the baby she watched being killed. Every detail of her time was written down and remembered vividly.
When she was an old woman living in America with her husband, her children long moved out, she finally revealed to her husband what she had been hiding from him all their lives together. She showed him her diaries, that she had been slowly translating into English. What he learned shook him to his core and made him love and respect his wife all the more.
I have always been morbidly fascinated with WWII, mainly because I just don't understand it. I can't understand how it happened or why it did. Many people feel this way but I seek to learn all I can about it in order to understand any part of it that I can. Once I learned that this was about the holocaust I was intrigued. To tell the truth I hadn't yet read anything about what it was like for Russians during WWII and so I was doubly intrigued about this.
I started to read it and I was slightly disappointed. As it was a diary, mainly a child's diary, the writing was slightly disjointed and not all that great. To make matters worse there were interjections from the editors explaining a phrase or word that broke up the flow of the story in rather uncomfortable ways. All of that is not to say that this wasn't an incredible story. Because it really was an intense and moving story. Reading about all that Nonna saw and went through was tough but inspiring because she survived it. She wasn't bitter or overly depressed about any of it, Nonna Bannister was a really amazing woman.
When she passed away her family made sure that her tale was told, not to seek retribution or fame but just so that her amazing story was shared with the world and so that the world would know what a truly beautiful survivor she was. I'm glad I read it, it is a story that should indeed be read by all. It is rather hard to describe what it was like reading this because it is such a personal story and each reader has to experience it for themselves. This book is one that everyone has to decide on their own if they want to read it or not. I will say these things though, it is an intense read, it isn't all that well written or put together, but it is beautiful in many ways and very inspiring. Nonna Bannister was a woman to look up to in many ways and her diaries show the truth of that over and over again. "The Secret Holocaust Diaries" is something that needs to be shared and so I am sharing it with you dear readers and I hope that you find the time to read it because seeing how Nonna Bannister makes it through is truly mind boggling.
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Book Title: Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Author: Jennifer Rardin
Version: Mass Market (Pocket sized) Paperback
Published: July 1st, 2009
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 9780316043540
Genre: Paranormal Ficiton
Voice: First Person
Number of Pages: 335
DISCLAIMER: I know that I have mentioned this series once or twice before. But I have never reviewed the books one by one or in full and I love this series and seem unable to go long without reading it again. So here is the first in a series of reviews where I plan to review each book in the series in order from the first to the last. They will not be one right after the other but I will get to all eight.
SYNOPSIS: Meet Jaz Parks a wise cracking, tough talking, bad ass assassain who happens to work for a vampire. Vayl, her vampire boss, is one of the most skilled assassins the CIA has. Together the two of them, along with the many voices in Jaz's head, make up the most elite paranormal team the CIA employs. And although their styles clash a lot of the time, he's a proper gentleman born, raised, and born again in the 1700's, and she's more of a loose cannon type enjoying to kill all the bad guys and ask questions and do paper work never, they always get the job done.
In the first adventure they are after a very wealthy plastic surgeon who has ties to terrorism. They think that it's going to be an open and shut assassination, go in kill and be done with it. When they discover that his ties are a little less human and much more deadly they find themselves in rather murky waters. They discover that not only are their enemies more of the supernatural, mainly of the vampire variety, but they also have a much more deadly plan then just kill off a few innocent bystanders. What they discover can very easily turn into the end of the world if Vayl and Jaz (and her many personalities) don't stop it in time.
Along the way to saving the world in a timely manner Jaz and Vayl meet some new friends. Cassandra, a very old, beautiful, and amazingly right on psychic. As well as the childlike super sleuth Cole who has a fondness for high tops and bubble gum and unfortunately for him a strange fondness for Jaz. Together the four of them embark on one of the most intricate and interesting adventures that Jaz and Vayl have been on yet. The only question is can they survive it?
REVIEW: I found this book by accident to tell the truth. I was in this amazing used bookstore in Northern California called The Almost Perfect Bookstore with a friend and we were searching around rather aimlessly. I found this book stuffed between a couple others and I was intrigued by the description on the back cover and so for about $2 or so I decided to pick it up. I read it and all I could think was "I want more!" This entered me into a world of trying to find every Jaz Parks book I could. But this was the beginning of the obsession.
The writing was slick and quick, funny, and utterly engaging. Jennifer Rardin's style is a wonderful blend of humor and simplicity. In fact it's the perfect blend of the two a blend that I found I couldn't get enough of. I found that her way of telling a story is one that engaged me so much I would find myself unable to do really anything other than read. And that really is the mark of a truly fantastic book.
The story is sharp and full of mystery and a whole new take on the vampire genre. Really a whole new take on the paranormal genre and that really is something that is hard to find. So my hat goes off to Jennifer Rardin for finding a new way to tell a tale. The fact that it is told through Jaz's perspective makes it even more enjoyable. Watching the way Jaz thinks and processes information makes it so tangible and almost delectable in it's telling. Jaz has a wonderful mind, even if she has more then one inhabitant in it, and spending time there is utterly delightful.
I didn't go into that much detail in the synopsis because the book is so rich and full of surprises and tastey tidbits that I really didn't want to give too much away. It's just one of those books that you have to read to really find out about. I highly recommend this book to everyone just because it's that fun, witty, and great. It's a truly fantastic read, the whole series is, and I can't see anyone not enjoying it as a fun, quick read!
Book Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Version: ARC
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Number of Pages: 908
Genre: Teen/YA Fantasy
SYNOPSIS: In a world where the most important thing in a teens life is whether or not they have the right car and the most up-to-date cell phone, Blue Sargent can be considered an outsider. For her the most important thing in life is making sure she never falls in love and never kisses a guy, there-by avoiding killing him. Living in a house full of seers and psychics has become run of the mill for Blue just as having everyone of them warn her that her first kiss with her true love will kill him. Although Blue has never had the same talents as her mother she has a rather unique talent of her own. While in the presence of Blue whatever magic is around is magnified making it easier for her mother or whichever psychic is using her to do a reading or see the dead on St. Mark's Eve.
Every year Blue has sat next to her mother in the cemetery enhancing Maura's ability to see the line of soon-to-be-dead souls. This year one of Blue's 'aunts' Neeve has taken up the watch and brought Blue along with her. Thinking this is just going to be a year like any other Blue is startled when she actually sees a spirit boy on the line. Surprised and a little unnerved Blue goes up to the boy and asks his name, he at first seems to be so dazed that he wanders off without responding. Following him Blue asks again for his name, finally at the entrance to an abandoned church he looks right at her and mutters 'Gansey.' With this knowledge Blue becomes determined to find out all she can about this mysterious boy and hopefully prevent his death.
Meanwhile the real, very much alive Gansey, a rich, intense, student at the very prestigious Aglionby School, is trying to figure out the very strange experience he had. He went out on St. Mark's Eve with a tape recorder hoping to record some ghostly voices. What he recorded instead was a girl's voice asking 'what's your name' and his voice replying 'Gansey.' Putting this on his list of things to figure out he calls his best friends and tells them all about it. They decide to make an appointment with a psychic named Maura to get some answers.
When Blue hears that a boy named Gansey has made an appointment with her mother she begins to get nervous. Wondering who this boy is and what it could possibly mean that she saw him on St. Mark's Eve. When Gansey shows up to her house with his friends, Adam and Ronan, they all realize who's voice it was on the recorder. Joining together the new friends embark on an adventure that is not only an adventure of a lifetime but one that takes all of them into a darker and deeper place then they ever expected.
REVIEW: I know that there isn't much to the synopsis but this is such an intricate book and so full of mystery that I felt as if I had to keep a lot hidden. I guess you'll just have to go out and buy it in September to find out the details.
This was a surprisingly great book. I got it at the book expo that I attended last month and although I was interested it didn't scream out at me. As I have said before I don't usually read YA/Teen books so I was sceptical. But as soon as I started reading and realized it was dark and full of mystical and spiritual stuff I was hooked. The story was full bodied and amazingly put together. It was the perfect blend of fantasy, fiction, darkness and mystery. I found that the story hooked me so well that I was unable to put the book down. The mark of a truly great read.
The writing was superb and that's really all there is to that. Maggie Stiefvater has a voice that is unlike any that I have come across before. It is dark and beautiful in a perfect combination that makes it extremely difficult to put the book down. Ms. Stiefvater's writing was so well balanced and put together that this is a book that I will not only remember for a very long time but made it a book that I am sure to pick up again.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is a book that I think will speak to people of all ages and of all temperaments. I have to say that this is one of those books that you should mark your calender about and go out and buy as soon as it's released. Spend the money on the hardback or the ebook and let yourself in for a really fantastic adventure.
Book Title: Between the Lines
Authors: Jodi Picoult, Samantha van Leer
Version: Hardback
ISBN: 9781451635751
Published: June 26th, 2012
Publisher: Emily Bestler/Atria/Simon Pulse
Number of Pages: 358
Genre: Teen Fantasy
SYNOPSIS: Have you ever wondered what happens when you close the covers of your favorite book? What if it wasn't as simple as when you read the words 'the end' everything really did stop? Imagine that there was a whole cast of characters that every time the pages of their story were opened went to work and put on a play that as a Reader we found fascinating and full of adventure. Wishing we could switch places with the princess trapped in a tower or the prince that saved her. Imagine that they thought we had the life of adventure and would do anything to switch places with us.
Meet Oliver a prince who was born never knowing his father and without courage. When he grows up and is told about a princess in distress he knows that despite never learning how to fight Oliver decides to go in search of Princess Seraphima to save her from the evil Rapscullio. And so with his trusty steed Socks and his sidekick Frump the dog he sets off on the adventure of his lifetime. This of course is only what happens when the fairy tale Between the Lines is being read by a Reader. When the tale is closed however Prince Oliver is more likely to be found playing chess on the beach and trusty Frump, who can actually talk, is usually found mooning over Princess Seraphima and ordering everyone around. Evil Rapscullio is more likely to be found catching butterflies. But as soon as the pages open every one knows their places.
Although Oliver puts up a good front for his fellow actors he is really quite miserable doing the same thing again and again. And though actually kissing Seraphima is pleasant he finds her rather annoying. For years he has tried, with no success, to contact a Reader on the outside. All he wants is to experience what life is like in the real world. He is sure that the adventures awaiting him there have to be better than playing the same part over and over again.
Meet Delilah a teenage girl perpetually on the outside in high school. After a small accident involving a baseball bat and the most popular girl in school Delilah has sort of become the cautionary tale. She seems to find her place amoungst books and stories and when she finds Between the Lines stuffed between some books in the school library she is intrigued. Taking it home she reads it cover to cover and despite the fact that it is a children's story she falls in love with it. Delilah reads it over and over again falling in love with the story and mostly in love with Prince Oliver. When Delilah notices an image of a chess board on the beach that hadn't been there before Oliver thinks that she just might be the one to save him.
Oliver attempts to make contact and when Delilah responds Oliver knows that he has found his ally. Together the two of them embark on an adventure to try and get Oliver out of his world and into Delilah's. In the process they find themselves falling in love and forming a connection that Delilah had only ever read about. This connection that both of them feel make it even more important to get Oliver out of the book and into real life. A challenge that seems impossible but one that they are determined to overcome together.
REVIEW: As I have stated a couple of times on here I love all things Jodi Picoult. So when I found out that she was coming out with a teen book co-written by her daughter I was intrigued. As soon as it came out I went to work and borrowed it. I read it in a few days and I actually really, really enjoyed it. The idea that a book comes to life after the pages are closed is something that makes me smile. And because I love books so much I am naturally inclined to read and love books about books. So from the beginning I was excited and couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Going into it knowing that not only did Samantha van Leer co-write the book but also came up with the idea for the book intrigued me even more. I found that the story was well imagined and well thought out. It was an interesting story that I haven't come across before, and with all I have read that is saying something. I loved the story because of the newness of it and of course it was all about the real lives of the characters in books.
I get nervous when there are two or more writers because I worry that the writing won't be cohesive. But I guess being related and working side by side must have helped because the writing was excellent all around. Each chapter flowed easily into the next and the chapters that were part of the fairy tale within the book were perfectly put together. I loved that they added those chapters in because it gave us, as readers a chance to see Oliver playing his role, we read what Delilah was reading and found out just why she loved the tale so much. I thought that the writing, all of it, was brilliantly done, extrememly seamless and well put together.
I found that the more I read the more I wanted to read. I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. I mark that as a very successful read. This is a book that I would recommend to everyone. I think that it will appeal a great deal to teens but also to anyone who really loves books. I also think that this will be a great book to give someone who is on the fence about reading. I feel that this is a book that is fun and interesting enough to tip those unsure readers into the 'yes I love to read' column. It's a fabulous book that you just have to go pick up today. Believe me it is a fun enough ride that it will be worth it.
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Book Title: Wallflower in Bloom
Author: Claire Cook
Version: ebook
ISBN: 978145167787
Voice: First Person
Published: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Touchstone
Number of ebook pages: 272
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: Meet Deirdre Griffin a middle aged woman who has what seems the perfect life. She has a world wide following, so many followers on Twitter and Facebook she can hardly count them and a loving supportive family. Only problem? It's not her life, the followers aren't hers and her family has a hard time remembering who she is. All the glory belongs to her guru brother Tag. Tag is the wonder boy, voice of hope and a brighter future for the masses. Deirdre manages Tag's Twitter account, Facebook page, ticket booking, hotel reservations, and anything else that he needs. Basically she is his personal slave on call 24/7.
When Deirdre meets Steve Morretti in Austin she is in a rather compromising position, standing in old underwear in a hotel room. So naturally she gets annoyed and angry to cover her embarrassment. When it turns out that Steve is an old friend of Tag's, Deirdre is forced to spend more time with him and things take a turn for the interesting. One thing leads to another and Steve and Deirdre find themselves alone and kissing. When Tag catches them he goes a little crazy and starts going off on Steve for trying to get closer to him through Deirdre. Losing it Deirdre quits Tag for good and runs away, runs all the way back home to her little sheep shed. She crawls into bed and proceeds to get very, very drunk. In her inebriated state Deirdre uses her brother's influence to get voted in as a last minute replacement on "Dancing With the Stars."
Waking up to a relentless pounding Deirdre finds out just how powerful Tag really is because she finds out that all of his followers have indeed voted her on. Her sister Joanie comes waltzing in explaining to her what happened and promising that when she decides to take the challenge on Joanie will be able to step in and help Tag. Even though Deirdre is frightened and offended that Joanie is only encouraging her to get her job Deirdre says "what the hell? I'm gonna grab adventure and go for it." And so her life finally begins in a dance studio in LA where she begins to take her very first step-step-stepstepsteps all on her own.
REVIEW: I hate to admit this but I had never heard of Claire Cook until we found each other on Twitter. She asked me to like her Facebook page and when I saw she was an author I of course went in search of her books. I had seen "Must Love Dogs" the movie but I never realized it was based on a book, already knowing I liked the story I figured I would try that first. But for some reason that is one of the most difficult books to find so I went in search of her other titles. Wallflower in Bloom wasn't due out for awhile yet so I tried Best Staged Plans. I thought it was good but wasn't all that excited by it but I wanted to try again. When Wallflower in Bloom finally came out I went into it slightly nervously. I wasn't sure what to expect, whether or not her writing would speak to a younger generation or not. Well I ended up really liking it!
It was a smart, fun, truly feel good story that I really got into. Deirdre is a character that you as a reader can really get behind. I found myself rooting for her again and again. The rest of the characters are great as well, they each have these little totally human qualities that make them jump off the page. Tag is the perfect amount of needy and annoying, her parents are perfectly clueless and her sister Joanie is everything an annoying little sister should be. I found myself getting a kick out of all of them.
Claire Cook may not have started writing until later in life but I think she found her calling. The writing was free and funny, witty and very modern. She didn't try too hard or become lazy with any of it, it all seemed as if everything just flowed naturally. I recently read a book where the use of the Facebook name was forced and awkward but Claire Cook's usage of both Facebook and Twitter seemed easy and perfectly in sync with the story. All in all this was very well written.
My one little complaint was that no one ever stood up for Deirdre. No one ever seemed to be on her side which I didn't like, I wanted someone to refuse to laugh at the jokes Tag made or to tell him off for making a jab at her. I did like that the DWTS team seemed to really like her and made her feel good about herself. I felt that she should have been more secure in her decision to be a contestant, that things should have started getting better once she got to LA. But those are small little personal things that I had complaints about. The book was really good and it is something I definitely recommend. If you are looking for a feel good story about a regular woman finding happiness on a ballroom floor this is a book to go in search of. It's a fun, sweet, funny, quick read that is sure to put a smile or two on your face.
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NOTE: With this I am going to jump right to the review because this is the sequel to "A Discovery of Witches" and I don't want to give too much away. I purposely kept the synopsis of "A Discovery of Witches" short and vague because there are so many twists and turns in it that I didn't want to reveal any of the wonderful surprises. In that same vein I want to skip the synopsis part of this entry so that I don't accidentally give anything away. 
