Author Archives: Laura

• Advance Excitement at a Glance I

  Posted at 11:30 am by Laura, on January 12, 2014

  This year, in an effort to blog more, to become more involved with the blogging community, and to keep up with the latest publications, I thought I’d create a monthly post about the ARCs I’ve received. These ARCs will be read and reviewed a month prior to the publishing date. The Advance Excitement at a Glance posts will feature one or two (or more, depending on what happens this year) books to look forward to, and it will motivate me to keep my to-read list on track.

  Tyringham Park by Rosemary McLoughlin
  (Atria Books, February 25)

  Tyringham Park is the Blackshaws’ magnificent country house in the south of Ireland. It is a haven of wealth and privilege until its peace is shattered by a devastating event which reveals the chaos of jealousy and deceit beneath its surface.

  Charlotte is eight years old when her younger sister Victoria vanishes. She grieves alone, without the support of her harsh mother and terrible nanny. Instead, she finds some solitude with the servants as she grows, learning to cope with being the “lesser loved” daughter and attempting to move on with life. But the mystery of Victoria’s disappearance continues to haunt Tyringham Park.

  I should preface with the disclaimer that although I’m a Downton Abbey fan I typically do not read books with blurbs stating it’s perfect for DA fans. The Edwardian period and the whole upstairs/downstairs concept does not appeal to my bookish side. But this book screams perfection for Kate Morton fans. It even seems to have a hint of The Thirteenth Tale going on. For these reasons, I’m anxious to begin and see how Charlotte fares!

  The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott
  (Doubleday, February 25)

  The warm-hearted and enthralling saga of a bold young woman caught between two worlds — the vibrant camaraderie of factory life and the opulence that a budding romance with the mill owner’s son affords — as the murder of her best friend sends shock waves throughout the town.

  Alice Barrow joins legions of young women seeking independence and worth by becoming a Mill Girl, working in a fabrics factory. But the working conditions are extremely poor and Alice finds herself an emissary for these women. The mill owner, Fiske, invites her to his home to discuss her case — and it is there she meets his eldest son Samuel Fiske. As the romance blossoms, Alice’s best friend is strangled in a field, creating a rift between the lovers and their respective classes.

  I enjoyed Alcott’s The Dressmaker, and am excited that she’s publishing another class divide romance with factories and fashion in the background. Her writing style is engaging, and I fully expect to enjoy this one too.

  What ARCs are you reading? What books are you looking forward to in February?

  Posted in Advance Excitement, books, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, advance reading copy, ARC, books

• A to Z Bookish Survey: Part III

  Posted at 10:30 am by Laura, on January 6, 2014

  Over the next couple weeks, if a Top Ten Tuesday isn’t posted or I feel this place has been too silent and forming cobwebs, I’ll add some more letters to The Perpetual Page-Turner‘s A to Z Bookish Survey for you to read. Here’s Part III of the alphabet! 
  

  Part I || Part II || Part III || Part IV

  

  Major Book Hangover Because of:

  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. It was so hard to do much of anything after reading that book.

  Number of Bookcases You Own:

  This shouldn’t be a difficult question. Just look around a count. But it is difficult because, by the standard definition of “bookcase,” I have three. My idea of a bookcase tends to be five shelves or more, some structure that holds books from floor to ceiling and is about an arm’s length or wider, in which case I have two, with two other “half” bookcases. I own two tall bookcases, one medium bookcase with three shelves, and another “half” bookcase with two shelves that stands on top of my desk. I need more…

  One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

  Preferred Place To Read:

  Usually in bed, but wherever there’s a couch near a window I gravitate towards that as a reading spot. I like to pretend I’m outside when I’m really in my own controlled environment.

  Quote that Inspires You/Gives You ALL THE FEELS from a Book You’ve Read:

  Not sure about all the feels, but these quotes definitely hit me in the gut every time I read them:

  I love the ground under his feet, and the air over his head, and everything he touches and every word he says. I love all his looks, and all his actions and him entirely and all together. –Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

  I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is or should be an existence of yours beyond you. –Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

  I know that life isn’t life if you just float through it. I know that the whole point – the only point – is to find the things that matter, and hold on to them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go. –Delirium by Lauren Oliver

  I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will. –Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

  You know what I can’t understand? You have all these people telling you all the time how great you are, smart and funny and talented and all that, I mean endlessly, I’ve been telling you for years. So why don’t you believe it? Why do you think people say that stuff, Em? Do you think it’s a conspiracy, people secretly ganging up to be nice about you? –One Day by David Nicholls

  Reading Regret:

  I regret reading Walden and Grapes of Wrath  — sometimes I feel those were the lowest points in my English studies and I should’ve just conformed with everyone else in my class and looked at the Spark Notes instead — and I regret NOT reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I want to someday, but being friends with major LotR fans has somewhat spoiled the books for me at the moment.

  Series You Started and Need to Finish (All Books are Out in Series):

  Ooof, this is a difficult one, mostly because every series I’ve started I’ve actually finished. Maybe Allegiant and the rest of the Mortal Instruments series. The thing is, I read Mortal Instruments back when it was supposed to be a trilogy-only project. Every book that’s come out since in that particular section of the series has not appealed to me whatsoever — and it may have something to do with the fact that, in my head, the trilogy is done and there’s no need to continue. All the other portions of the series — Infernal Devices, the one set in 2015 LA, the one set in turn-of-the-century London or NYC — I’m invested in, but TMI has been a done deal for me since the mid-2000s.

  What are your answers to these second seven letters? Anything you’d recommend I read that could change these answers?

  Posted in A to Z Bookish Survey, books | 6 Comments | Tagged a to z bookish survey, books, reading

• 2014 Bookish Resolutions / 50 Books Challenge

  Posted at 12:12 pm by Laura, on December 31, 2013

  

  Although I read nearly 70 books this year, I am not sure if I’ll be able to match that ever again. The thought of having a goal of more than 50 puts me into a paralyzing shock. This year’s number one goal is to begin my career!

  I have hopes for this blog. Not sky-high, but hopes high enough that, if I post something here at least once a week, I think it could be considered a healthy, active blog. Now it’s a matter of finding the time and figuring out the content…Any suggestions? What would you like to see on here?

  Because Quirk Books seems to like my sporadically submitted and published blog posts, and many ideas were tossed around and approved, it’s time I devote even more of my spare moments on researching and blogging for more Quirk content.

  The fourth goal is something I really need help with. Excuses can be made for everything, but now it’s a serious situation: lack of space for new books combined with my inability to read as quickly as I buy means I have way too many books I need to get around to reading. So any books that are going to be purchased this year, the books that can break this rule, are the next installments of trilogies/series that are forthcoming in 2014.

  Finally, because libraries are important and I do have several library cards, I plan to use the library more. I’m certain I made this goal last year and I failed miserably (apart from researching for my thesis, which does not count in this case).

  Let’s hope I can stick to these! What are your bookish 2014 resolutions? If you don’t have any resolutions per se, what’s your reading goal?

  Posted in books | 7 Comments | Tagged 50 book challenge, books, bookstores, library, personal, quirk books

• Bookshop Goldmine

  Posted at 8:09 pm by Laura, on December 30, 2013

  One of my college friends visited me while I was home for Christmas and asked if I wanted to visit Von’s Books. I had heard him describe this place multiple times — a haven of used and new books, a miracle of bookstores, a goldmine — and not once were we free at the same time to visit. But a few days ago, we did just that, and drove an hour outside of my hometown visit this glorious bookshop.

  Do not be deceived by the poor website, because the store is heaven! I found several Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights editions I’d been searching for for eons. My friend shook his head and laughed when I snatched them off the shelves and held them close to my heart.

  

  

   

  Wuthering Heights (blue and black profiles) — Harper Design / HarperCollins
  Wuthering Heights (field of leaves) — Vintage

  Jane Eyre (fire) — Harper Perennial Modern Classics
  Jane Eyre (profile) — Vintage
  Jane Eyre (purple leather quotes) — Canterbury Classics

  What books can you not keep your hands from grabbing (and prevent your wallet from emptying) when you see it?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 5 Comments | Tagged authors, book hoarding, books, bookstores, genre: classics, genre: gothic, genre: romance, personal

• Quirk Books Post: YA Books for the Movies!

  Posted at 6:29 pm by Laura, on December 23, 2013

  Another one of my blog posts made it to the Quirk site: Five YA Books that would Make Great Movies.

  It’s official: Hollywood has turned to Young Adult books for movie magic inspiration. The large fanbase for these books provides an opportunity to bring new stars in the limelight, make big bucks, and show off new special effects. After the explosion and mania of Harry Potter and Twilight took hold, followed by The Hunger Games, Beautiful Creatures, Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Divergent, The Maze Runner, The Book Thief, and The Fault in Our Stars.

  I’ve thrown in Maureen Johnson (for the horror/thriller), Natalie Sandiford (for the history/Cold War buff), and Jane Nickerson (for some true Southern gothic fairy tales).

  Which YA books would you like to see turned into a movie?

  Posted in books, Link, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged books, personal, quirk books

• Book Review: “The Madness Underneath” by Maureen Johnson

  Posted at 11:13 am by Laura, on December 22, 2013

  The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson 

  Publisher: Putnam / Speak
  Published: December 10 (originally February 23)
  Genre: young adult, gothic, paranormal
  ISBN: 9780142427545
  Goodreads: 3.86
  Rating: ★★★★

  Rory Deveaux has changed in ways she never could have imagined since moving to London and beginning a new life at boarding school. As if her newfound ability to see ghosts hadn’t complicated her life enough, Rory’s recent brush with the Jack the Ripper copycat has left her with an even more unusual and intense power. Now, a new string of inexplicable deaths is threatening London, and Rory has evidence that they are no coincidence. Something sinister is going on, and it is up to her to convince the city’s secret ghost-policing squad to listen before it’s too late.

  After three weeks of pointless therapy in Bristol, Rory’s parents are convinced to send her back to Wexford in London to attempt to catch up and finish her first term. As Rory struggles with her trauma on top of mountains of schoolwork, she is recruited by the Shades as a human terminus: a person with the ability to zap ghosts into oblivion with the touch of her hand. But sinister events are happening around Wexford, events that link ghosts, Rory’s strange new abilities, and a history of madness.

  

  Once again, Johnson brings forth a thrilling paranormal murder mystery to young adult fiction. Rory is witty and humorous, and her internal monologues kept me laughing even through the serious moments. The way she seemed to float through her week back at Wexford — aware she’s behind, stressing out and panicking, getting entirely distracted and researching the history of Wexford’s land and a historical madhouse, and then coming to terms with her own academic failure — felt so real. And surreal. She cannot focus, she knows her priorities, but her trauma and her desire for answers take over any rational thought she may have had prior to the Ripper accident. The whole first half of the book builds on this, and I was quite relieved — trauma can really disorient a person, no one can truly jump back.

  This book appeared to have two things going on: more murders by ghosts, which makes Rory go on a quest about the history of London; and another secret society of ghost-seers and their plans for Rory’s cooperation. I was very intrigued by the madhouse storyline, about the bodies of the insane thrown into graves just outside the London city limits before the Great Fire, the site of which is below Wexford property. But the second we were going somewhere with that storyline, Rory’s tricked and abducted by a group of people who claim to have something in store for her, and threaten her to be silent and cooperate else all those she loves will be harmed. I felt a little lost with this one, as it could have used more development, but that’s what the next book is for, I suppose!

  Because of Rory’s distracted mind, we rarely see Jerome, Jazza, Alastair, and other Wexford friends. Everyone is concerned with exams, and Jazza is desperate to pass German while Jerome is more concerned about Rory’s stability and openness for a relationship. Stephen, Callum, and Boo are back, thank goodness — and I loved seeing them working together and discussing “office dynamics.” We get a better feel for who they are as people rather than a police force, which is appealing for Rory.

  The ending — the cliffhanger — broke my heart. I must find a copy of The Shadow Cabinet the second it’s published!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: paranormal, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• December Book Haul

  Posted at 1:56 pm by Laura, on December 21, 2013

  December is when I buy and receive the largest amount of books. I have an employee holiday discount at the bookstore, the other students in the graduate program take part in the Secret Santa Book Swap party, and friends and family know books are the best Christmas gift for a hoarder/collector/reader. Although Christmas has not arrived, I’ve decided to share the piles received already. Quite a lot of books!

  

  Adult and Young Adult Collection (Some of these are gifts and will be mentioned later in the post.)

  Starting second from the left: The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston — I’ve waited a year for this to come out in paperback. Morgana is a silent young woman who is sent to live with a widower in the far hills in Wales. Her strangeness is the talk of the village, and soon a darker power threatens to turn the village against Morgana and her powers.

  Center: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke — A recommendation from Charles Finch (author of Victorian mystery series and future fiction publication The Last Enchantments) after I told him my all-time favorite type of book would probably be a mixture of The Night Circus meets Harry Potter meets Jane Eyre meets Dickens. Basically Victorian magic. He said I needed to drop everything and read this book — so I bought it!

  Blythewood by Carol Goodman — Every time I passed the Young Adult department, this book stared me down. It was like that with C.J. Redwine’s Defiance. So I began to give it some attention — turn-of-the-century New York with magic and factory girls and insanity. Loved it already. The first three chapters were read and enjoyed, so once again, my money went back to my job.

  The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson — The sequel to The Name of the Star, even more mad and witty than the last! Clearly I’m almost finished, that’s why there are bookmarks and tabs within the pages.

  Skip to the last book: Dark Witch by Nora Roberts — My first Nora Roberts. Something about the Irish setting, the historical fiction sections mixed with the present day, the magic, all spoke to me. I asked some friends if they’d ever read Roberts, and they claim she’s phenomenal, really brings you into the story. We shall see!

  

  Children’s Books and Miscellany 

  A Very Fuddles Christmas by Frans Vischer — An adorable story about a fat, curious cat who wants nothing more than to be pampered at Christmas, but the family is too busy cooking food and cookies, decorating trees, and playing in the snow. This is a signed edition, as the author visited our store!

  The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg — How have I not purchased this book for myself before now? My parents have a tattered copy back home; my brother and I loved it to pieces. This is the 25th anniversary edition, and it came with an audiobook CD of Liam Neeson reading it. Sounds of clinking mugs of chocolate, sleigh bells, children and crowds’ voices, and the train rattling and chugging along can be heard in the background. A very atmospheric listening! I found myself shouting, “No! Not the hole!” when the boy loses his bell.

  The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, illustrated by P.J. Lynch — This is my third copy of the beloved classic. The illustrations are to die for, and truly makes this reading feel like a wonderful children’s classic.

  The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo — Unfortunately I never read this as a child! I’ve always wanted to, though, and now seems like the perfect opportunity.

  

  On Black Friday, Penguin had a great discount on their hardcover cloth bound classics that I couldn’t resist. I was able to make the hoarder/collector in me extremely happy by adding to my Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights collection.

  

  Secret Santa Book Swap Party

  Finally, for the Secret Santa Book Swap party, my dear friend and Secret Santa gave me these three books: Stella Bain by Anita Shreve (WWI story about an American nurse having lost her memory, who is taken in by an English family), A Book Lover’s Diary (a place to list and organize everything and anything related to books!), and Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (I’ve wanted to read this ever since I was introduced to Marillier’s work, and my friend loves this book to pieces).

  What are some of the books you’ve purchased or received this December?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 3 Comments | Tagged book haul, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: children, genre: young adult, goodreads

• Book Challenge 2013: A Year in Review

  Posted at 9:31 am by Laura, on December 20, 2013

  So far this year (I’m still finishing up two books), I’ve read 67 books — 17 more than my goal of 50!

  

  Go to my Goodreads to see the details.

  The longest book I read was Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (although I’m pretty sure that was because there were more pages, and larger type, while other books like A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens may have been longer technically. Who knows. Math is not my forte).

  21 books of the 67 were given 4 stars.

  20,686 pages were read as of today.

  The majority of the books read were published within the last 3 years.

  The majority of the books read were young adult and gothic. Obviously — I had a thesis to work on!

  What does your year-in-review book list look like? Are you surprised by anything? Did you meet your reading goal(s)?

  Posted in books | 3 Comments | Tagged 50 book challenge, books, goodreads, personal

• Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors in 2013

  Posted at 8:05 am by Laura, on December 17, 2013

  Top Ten Tuesday, a concept started by The Broke and the Bookish, is a themed post that connects bloggers to bloggers, bloggers to readers, and readers to readers. Every Tuesday has a special topic, and this Tuesday is Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2013.

  

  There were many new-to-me authors I read this year, partly because of my thesis and partly because I enjoyed so many debuts. This list, seemingly easy, became rather difficult to narrow down. Here I go!

  1. Laini Taylor (her website, her Twitter)
  2. Rachel Hartman (her website, her Twitter)
  3. Patricia Bracewell (her website)
  4. Laura Bickle (her website, her Twitter)
  5. C.J. Redwine (her website, her Twitter)
  6. Page Morgan (her website, her Twitter)
  7. Jo Baker (her website)
  8. Neil Gaiman (his website, his Twitter)
  9. Jessica Brockmole (her website, her Twitter — also an Indiana native!)
  10. Matt Phelan (his website, his Twitter — met him in one of my graduate courses!)
  Posted in Top Ten Tuesday | 14 Comments | Tagged authors, top ten tuesday

• Book Review: “Her Dark Curiosity” by Megan Shepherd (ARC)

  Posted at 6:31 pm by Laura, on December 14, 2013

  Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd 

  Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  Publishing Date: January 28, 2014
  Genre: young adult, gothic, science fiction
  ISBN: 9780062128058
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

  As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

  With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

  Juliet is back in wintery London, desperate to search for a cure that will rid the animal part of herself. But as Christmas fills the air, so too does the electrical spark of fear and scandal when a murderer begins his rampage throughout Whitechapel. Juliet notices a pattern: every victim victimized her, and every victim’s heart was clawed out similarly to Edward’s Beast on her father’s island. She begins her search for the murderer, for the cause and justification of the King’s Club’s involvement in her father’s dangerous experiments, and for a way to become fully human mind and soul.

  I thoroughly enjoyed this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde inspired novel far more than Shepherd’s first — and part of it may have to do with the setting and the novella. I was not familiar with Wells, nor am I a jungle-setting fan; I’m very familiar with Stevenson, and deeply love Victorian London. Once again, Shepherd dives into Juliet’s internal conflict of animal within human, human within animal. But this is on a more meaningful scale. Juliet must come to terms with not what’s instinctual and animalistic, but what’s moral and humane.

  Shepherd added another twist to this novel that was fun to read — ulterior motives of great and powerful men in London. Her father’s work was no secret, and they’re determined to replicate it. This is more than a Jekyll and Hyde scenario, but a book filled with political intrigue, global effects, and greater consequences. I liked that this layer was added. It drove the book into a new, fresh direction.

  It should be no surprise that Edward and Montgomery are back, of course. Edward is blatantly the two-sides-of-the-same-coin character, but every character within this novel encounters similar confrontations. Although not a fan of love triangles — they can be quite exhausting, and for me it is very clear that Juliet should be with Montgomery and Edward out of the picture entirely — Juliet thankfully comes to her own conclusion in this novel, with promises of conflict to come in the next book.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Balzer + Bray for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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