Tag: genre: fiction

• Book Review: “A Mad, Wicked Folly” by Sharon Biggs Waller

  Posted at 9:05 pm by Laura, on March 3, 2014

  A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller 

  Publisher: Viking
  Published: January 2014
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780670014682
  Goodreads: 3.95
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.

  After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

  All Victoria Darling wants to do is get into the Royal College of Art and become a master artist. Normally that would be quite simple — but Vicky is restricted to the social and political rules of 1909 London. As a female, she cannot apply confidently, nor can she pay for tuition without seeking aid from a man. After posing nude for an art class, her reputation is sullied and her parents quickly try to patch it up with an engagement to Edmund Carrick-Humphrey, a wealthy and educated young man who could inherit Mr. Darling’s business. Vicky can hardly find solace with a wedding to plan and parents restricting her art, so when she decides to draw the suffragettes and gets wrapped up with the police, her world turns upside down. All it takes is one copper, police constable William Fletcher, to make her face her dreams.

  

  In short, this book will make you feel all the feels.

  Passion. Vicky has a talent, she knows how to use it, she seeks to further her education in it, and she has a goal to become like a Pre-Raphaelite, remembered and adored for her artistic creativity. She wants to become an artist that inspires feeling in another person, just like Waterhouse’s painting A Mermaid does for her. To be inside a character’s thoughts like that — how she can find beauty in the smallest thing, how time stops for her when she has an artistic project, the way she can make art a part of every aspect of her life — is so thrilling. We all have something we are passionate about, and whether or not you’re an artist or enthusiast you’ll still feel that connection. Because it’s not just art — it’s women’s rights. Vicky has a base desire for equality from the start, a simple “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t do this” intuition. She’s frustrated with it, but is completely thrown when she meets passionate suffragettes. It shocks and inspires her that women will chain themselves to fences, will willingly go to prison, will starve themselves or endure force-feeding, just so a politician can hear their cry. Her artwork wraps up in their movement, and she with the women. Her growth and development in both is amazing.

  Anger. I love the Victorian era, and sometimes I believe I’m better suited in that time, but then a book like this comes along and reminds me that even when my great-grandmother was a little girl (nine years old in 1909) women did not have the rights we have today. And it astounds me that hundreds of thousands of women and male sympathizers would willingly get arrested and endure such torture. To me, these days, the faults of our history never make sense to me. Why would someone enslave another human being, deny the rights of another sex, deny the rights of another race, deny the rights of another religion, deny the rights of another sexual preference? It doesn’t make sense. We still have these issues today — but imagine the frustration to be in that party at that time. It angered me, seeing what these women dealt with — and what the anti-suffragettes did! And non-suffragette women! It wasn’t the book that angered me, but the history. And the author did a fantastic job of portraying the history!

  Sadness, betrayal. Will. Oh, Will. And Vicky with her father. And Vicky with her friends. And her mother’s history. Will’s family. Vicky’s good intentions but poor reception of those intentions. Edmund and his demands. I cannot say more without spoiling the book, but the author wonderfully wrote each character and their place in society. It was touching and beautiful.

  Love, happiness. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed, how many times I smiled and rolled my eyes along with Vicky during “deadly dull” house calls or “crushingly boring” dinner parties. Or when she was so wrapped up in her art and Will that social protocol is thrown out the window. Or how thrilling it was for Vicky and her suffragette friends Sophie and Lucy to work together and spread the truth about the prisons. Or how exciting the whole application process into the RCA was for Vicky. How she was able to teach her backward-thinking father to use the telephone, or learn to accept that cars were the new mode of transportation. How she was able to overcome her claustrophobia by using the Underground. How time could fly by and she only just realized she’d been holding Will’s hand. 

  There’s so much in this story that I can’t wait to continuously share with other readers. It’s a phenomenal fiction debut, and I’m looking forward to Sharon Biggs Waller’s future work!

  

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Panic” by Lauren Oliver (ARC)

  Posted at 11:15 am by Laura, on February 22, 2014

  Panic by Lauren Oliver 

  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Publishing Date: March 4
  Genre: young adult, thriller, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780062014559
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★

  Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

  Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

  Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

  For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

  Heather and Dodge, participants in a thrilling post-graduation game where the winner takes all, have different reasons for entering Panic. Heather jumps in to prove something to herself. Dodge, in a sense, plays for revenge. But Panic must be kept a secret from the adults and police of Carp — a small, poor town in the middle of nowhere — because Panic is the only chance any of the students have to escape and start a fresh, new life.

  First of all, this is not dystopian and it is not another Hunger Games. Yes, it sounds like THG, and yes it sounds dystopian, but this is a thriller contemporary novel through and through. The high school graduates of Carp of years past devised a daring, life-threatening game where the winner takes $50,000 — money raised from the school population, $1 donated from each student for every day of high school attendance — and escapes the awful, poor, messed up town. The winner can do whatever they want: go to college, get surgery, travel the world, pick up and leave, become athletes or actresses, you name it. These students are desperate, and they will put their lives on the line for that chance to escape.

  And that’s what fuels Panic, the desperation of the participants. Heather is deeply insecure, feels unloved and worthless, and she enters Panic blindly thinking she’ll catch the eye of her ex-boyfriend, when in reality she realizes she entered to prove something to herself and to the world. Every participants has a sad, angry, desperate story, and it fuels them throughout their frightening game. Jumping off tanks, crossing highways blindfolded…anything for the $67,000 pool for this year’s winner.

  So why 2 stars? While this was well-written, dirty and gritty, honest, and filled with intense emotion, it just wasn’t the book for me. I continued reading because I love Oliver’s work, but this particular book was not meant to be read by me. Maybe I’ve never felt this angry, scared, insecure, or desperate, or maybe I’ve had a sheltered upbringing, or maybe I just never interacted with people in these dire situations. Who knows? This is not a reflection of the book’s quality, but rather my enjoyment of the book.

  Thank you, Edelweiss and HarperCollins, for providing the book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: thriller, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Daring Ladies of Lowell” by Kate Alcott (ARC)

  Posted at 6:14 pm by Laura, on February 18, 2014

  The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott

  Publisher: Doubleday
  Publishing Date: February 25
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780385536493
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Determined to forge her own destiny, Alice Barrow joins the legions of spirited young women better known as the Mill Girls. From dawn until dusk, these ladies work the looms, but the thrill of independence, change in their pockets, and friendships formed along the way mostly make the backbreaking labor worthwhile. In fact, Hiram Fiske, the steely-eyed titan of industry, has banked on that. But the working conditions are becoming increasingly dangerous and after one too many accidents, Alice finds herself unexpectedly acting as an emissary to address the factory workers’ mounting list of grievances.

  After traveling to the Fiske family’s Beacon Hill mansion, Alice enters a world she’s never even dared to dream about: exquisite silk gowns, sumptuous dinners, grand sitting parlors, and uniformed maids operating with an invisible efficiency. Of course, there’s also a chilliness in the air as Alice presents her case. But with her wide, intelligent eyes and rosy-hued cheeks, Alice manages to capture the attention of Hiram’s eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske.

  Their chemistry is undeniable, soon progressing from mutual respect and shy flirtation into an unforgettable romance. But when Alice’s best friend, Lovey, is found strangled in a field, Alice and Samuel are torn between loyalty to “their kind” and a chance for true love.

  Young Alice is determined to start a new life for herself by becoming a mill girl in a cotton factory, working with other independent young women on the dangerous looms. One accident after another sheds light on the dangers of factory work, and the list of grievances causes a stir among the workers. But when Alice’s dear friend Lovey is found strangled in a field, tensions rise and a trial threatens the balance of all of Lowell — and tests the bond between Alice and her employer’s forward-thinking son, Samuel.

  Once again, Alcott delivers a great new historical perspective on industry, law, and inter-class romance. With The Dressmaker, we saw a determined young maid desiring to become a seamstress and designer, all during the turmoil surrounding the court cases following the sinking of the Titanic. This novel, too, is based on fact: the murder of a factory girl and the rise of unions and strikes in industrial America. It was exciting to see how all aspects of the story — the wealth and opulence of the Fiske family, the spirited women in the factory boarding houses, the culture of a small town versus that of Boston, the law versus traditional prejudice — intertwined with one another, creating such rich detail and a vibrant story.

  Alice’s naïveté lends to her strong will and determination. From President Jackson’s visit onward, Alice was the voice of the workers without coming across as too strong or too weak. She spoke her mind respectfully, and never backed down. She’s quite an admirable character, and it’s easy to see how the mill girls loved her and how Samuel admired her despite her background. Social custom was a heavy topic, too. The Fiske family are of new money, and Grandmother is determined to make sure her son and grandchildren remember their origins, to look to reform and understand their employees’ grievances.

  Whenever I think of cotton mills and all the strikes, deaths, and horrors that came with the Industrial Revolution, I can’t help but be both frightened and disgusted with that bit of history. It makes reading fiction based on that difficult. And yet Alcott made each character’s hopes, voice, and personality shine so brilliantly that, for a moment and like Alice, I too forgot about the dreary hardships and absorbed the friendships, the passion for change, and the desire to break social code. Alcott is an excellent storyteller, and her next novel is definitely one to read.

  Thank you, Edelweiss and Doubleday, for providing this book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 3 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Tyringham Park” by Rosemary McLoughlin (ARC)

  Posted at 9:15 am by Laura, on February 11, 2014

  Tyringham Park by Rosemary McLoughlin 

  Publisher: Atria Books

  Publishing Date: February 25

  Genre: historical fiction

  ISBN: 9781476733104

  Goodreads: —

  Rating: ★★★.5

  Charlotte Blackshaw is only eight years old when her little sister Victoria goes missing from the estate. Charlotte is left to struggle with her loss without any support from her hostile mother and menacing nanny. It is obvious to Charlotte that both of them wish she had been the one to go missing rather than pretty little Victoria.

  Charlotte finds comfort in the kindness of servants. With their help she seeks an escape from the burden of being the unattractive one left behind.

  Despite her mother’s opposition, she later reaches out for happiness and believes the past can no longer hurt her.

  But the mystery of Victoria’s disappearance continues to cast a long shadow over Tyringham Park – a mystery that may still have the power to destroy its world and the world of all those connected to it.

  Young Charlotte is building a bridge of sticks and mud when she’s informed her younger, beautiful sister Victoria is missing. From that day forward, her horrible nanny treats her even more poorly, her resentful mother scorns her, and her own self-worth fades. From her first hunt on the estate grounds, to her first art gallery showing in Dublin, to her exile in Australia as a doctor’s wife, Charlotte’s plagued by the disappearance of little Victoria. But as family, friends, and servants begin to piece together the events of that sad day, Charlotte strives to take matters into her own hands to prevent the truth from crumbling so many lives.

  Let’s first burst the bubble to all Downton Abbey fans and confirm that this is not like the show. It seems marketing teams try to entice readers by comparing any book with a large estate featuring upstairs-downstairs relationships set during WWI and WWII to that of the show. However, there’s something sparkly with the show, its good relationships between classes and care for other wealthy families and the villagers, that doesn’t quite ring true with the books advertised as such. In fact, this book (and many like it) may be more true to life than the show. Consider O’Brien and Barrow from the first season — hateful, conniving, self-centered — and set them upstairs as well as downstairs. Consider Edith, the unloved and unlucky of the three sisters. These characters are featured in the book, and it’s fascinating.

  Tyringham Park follows the family, the servants, and friends across three decades, from the Park to Dublin, London to Sydney. Victoria’s disappearance haunts 8-year-old Charlotte through adulthood. Charlotte’s decisions, mentality, emotional range, and personality are so affected by this childhood trauma that she, even into adulthood, sometimes acts like a child. Her growth is stunted, her self-esteem crushed, her world-view skewed. I wanted nothing but the best for poor Charlotte, but few people cared for her or believed in her. She was abused as a child before Victoria’s disappearance, and evidence of that shines through to the end. It’s heartbreaking.

  Shining moments of growth in Charlotte — moments that, if they lasted longer and if she were around more positive people, would have helped her overcome her psychological obstacles — really brought light to the story. Her moments riding horses, her first true praise in her self-worth. Her times painting with her tutor, Cormac, and the affirmation at a gallery that she is truly extraordinary. Her tenderness as a mother when she’s living in Australia. It’s so beautiful and bittersweet, because someone with great influence in her life crushes each joy.

  The mother, Lady Edwina Blackshaw, and the nanny, Dixon, are so beyond hateful it took all my willpower not to want to crush the review copy. That’s good news — excellent writing on McLoughlin’s part! Edwina is so self-centered, jealous, and wicked that she does not realize how incredibly dull and hurtful she truly is. There’s a moment when her husband, Waldron, shouts at her for her treatment of others — especially Charlotte — that for a moment you genuinely like his character (despite how oblivious he can be) and wish you could be shouting at her as well. Dixon, also self-centered, is vain, abusive, critical, and so incredibly strange in her view of her self-worth and perception. In one chapter, she talks about how beautiful she is, how she could snag any man she wants, how stunning her dresses are and how others will be so impressed by her. In the next, another character looks upon her and finds a plain, dull, over-dressed and desperate woman. Quite comical, actually.

  So many people’s lives unexpected change from Victoria’s disappearance. If Victoria was still around, Dixon could have kept her post as nanny, Charlotte wouldn’t have learned to paint, her brother Harcourt wouldn’t have introduced her to Lochlann, Charlotte wouldn’t have been exiled to Australia. And that’s not the end of it — periphery lives are changed as well: other servants in the household, a manageress at an Australian hotel, the people in Charlotte’s town, a medical family down the road from the Blackshaws’ townhouse. This saga (if that’s the appropriate word) was so incredibly fascinating that I couldn’t put it down.

  The writing was phenomenal, the storytelling wonderful. My one concern is that, unless the reader understands major psychological impacts of various aspects of disappearance and abuse, it can be difficult to understand and enjoy the various points of view. Even the horrid characters can be hard to enjoy reading, but I have to say it truly gave life to the book, gave a well-rounded interpretation of events from the good and the bad sorts of people. That must be where enjoyment of this book lies: an understanding in the complexities of humanity, and knowing one event can change the course of many lives forever.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Atria Books for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 5 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Winter Witch” by Paula Brackston

  Posted at 10:08 am by Laura, on January 13, 2014

  The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston 

  Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin
  Published: December 2013 (originally January 2013)
  Genre: historical fiction, fantasy, romance
  ISBN: 9781250042705
  Goodreads: 3.58
  Rating: ★★★★★

  In her small early nineteenth century Welsh town, there is no one quite like Morgana, who   has not spoken since she was a young girl. Her silence is a mystery, as well as her magic.  Concerned for her safety, her mother is anxious to see her married, and Cai Jenkins, a widower from the far hills, seems the best choice.

  After her wedding, Morgana is heartbroken at leaving her mother, and wary of this man, whom she does not know, and who will take her away to begin a new life.  But she soon falls in love with Cai’s farm and the wild mountains that surround it. Cai works to understand the beautiful, half-tamed creature he has chosen for a bride, and slowly, he begins to win Morgana’s affections.  It’s not long, however, before her strangeness begins to be remarked upon in her new village.  A dark force is at work there—a person who will stop at nothing to turn the townspeople against Morgana.  Forced to defend her home, her man, and herself, Morgana must learn to harness her power, or she will lose everything.

  Morgana hasn’t spoken a word, not a single sound, ever since her father disappeared. Her mother, ailing and worried for Morgana, encourages her to marry Cai Jenkins, a drover and widower from a far town. As Morgana and Cai try to adjust to their awkward situation, the town and its inhabitants are suspicious of Morgana and her strange, otherworldliness. But Morgana is determined to prove herself, to make her new husband proud, and to protect the town with her powers before an evil destroys them all.

  

  The stunning cover grabbed my attention, followed by the 1830s Welsh setting and the raw magic the heroine possesses. Morgana is a witch, and people have their suspicions of it, but she is not one that brews potions or shouts incantations (or shouts in general) or waves a stick in the air. She is a “wild” one, a woman bonded with the earth and all its creatures, with the ability to control her surroundings, the elements, and animals’ emotions. Cai senses this in his new wife, but is never fearful of her. He sees no harm in what she does; he finds her abilities merely a way for her to express herself without words.

  The landscape, the lush language, the interaction with animals and townspeople, the dangers of farm life and drovers’ work, and the horrible Reverend Cadwaladr and Mrs Isolda Bowen all build upon one another to create a fantastic story. It’s as if I was reading a Bronte novel, with the wild landscape, the high winds, the juxtaposition of peace and danger in seclusion. Brackston’s language was so perfect, I truly felt like I was helping Morgana, Cai, and his drovers with the livestock; that I was there with them in the kitchen attempting to cook something before Mrs Jones lost all hope and took over the task; that I could smell the evil emanating from the town’s most respected people.

  Brackston also uses two engaging perspectives that pushes the reader to keep reading till the end. Cai’s portions were written in third person, outside of his head to allow for the best possible view of his surroundings, his opinions, and his observance of Morgana. Morgana’s portions were written in first person, to best allow for the reader to join her on her witchwalks, to feel her pain and sorrow, to understand her joy. These perspectives alternate within chapters, and I grew to love each one. But once a big event happens in one perspective, I became anxious to see the other’s take on the event, and scrambled to finish one portion so I could move to the next. Such an interesting style, and one that certainly propels the reader forward.

  Ultimately, the three vastly different witches in this novel, coupled with Welsh farm life and the dazzling hills, and the sweet, budding romance between Cai and Morgana, will keep the reader craving more till the whole book is completely devoured. An absolutely stunning book.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 9 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, goodreads, review

• Top Five Books of 2013

  Posted at 7:32 pm by Laura, on December 7, 2013

  

  Once again, 2013 was a difficult year to narrow down which books made my top five list. I read several ARCs this year (which I will not include in this challenge), as well as over 20 young adult gothic books and loads of fantasy. To see all the books I’ve read in 2013 (and to come at least in the few weeks we have left), check out my Goodreads challenge.

  In no particular order, here are my Top Five Books of 2013! To see my picks for 2012, click here. Those books still stand to be in a Top Five placement!

  1. Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole (see my review!)
     The epistolary format of this book was so well done. It’s rare to find a novel written entirely in letters — and done well! Plus, paralleling the storylines between two World Wars made it all the more powerful. I could go on and on about this book — all the themes of love, war, triumphs, failures, traveling across great lands and seas, life — but I’ll leave it here in hopes you get a chance to pick up this book one day.
  2. The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle (see my review!)
     This book was for my graduate thesis — and quite honestly was the one that helped me discover what I wanted to write for my thesis! I stared at it for weeks on the shelf at work, and began to wonder, “Is gothic coming back? And back in the YA format?” After those questions, I saw the gothic everywhere! So thanks, Laura Bickle, for unknowingly sparking this!
     Thesis epiphany aside, Hallowed Ones was terribly frightening. I thoroughly enjoyed it, all the gore and shock and transgressions and suspense. You’re in for a good story with this one!
  3. Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell (see my review!)
     If you’re an Anglophile in any way, or if you love history and monarchies and empowering women, this is absolutely a must-read. Follow Emma of Normandy as she begins her journey as queen of what we know today as England. It’s phenomenal.
  4. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (see my review!)
     I love fantasy, but I’m not one for dragon stories. This completely changed my entire perspective, and introduced me to a whole new world of YA fantasy I didn’t think was possible. Any musician, medieval history buff, and high fantasy indulger would enjoy this. Juliet Marillier’s Shadowfell is near-tie with this book.
  5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (see my review!)
     Every time a friend or customer asks for a good fantasy recommendation — or any recommendation, really — I always mention this book. The setting (Prague), the topic of art, the discussion on discrimination and stereotyping, the concept of war and love and tragedy and sacrifice, was daunting yet perfect. It blew my mind, I devoured the second book, and now I can’t possibly wait any longer for the third!

  The theme for favorite books of 2013 seems to be independent, empowered (and empowering) women in history and fantasy. Not too shabby!

  What are your favorite books from 2013?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 17 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: history, genre: young adult, goodreads

• Book Review: “Letters from Skye” by Jessica Brockmole

  Posted at 9:13 pm by Laura, on November 4, 2013

  Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole 

  Publisher: Ballantine Books
  Published: July 2013
  Genre: historical fiction, WWI / WWII fiction
  ISBN: 9780345542601
  Goodreads: 3.94
  Rating: ★★★★★

  March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.

  June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

  When Margaret Dunn’s mother, Elspeth, up and leaves Edinburgh in June 1940 after a series of bombs, Margaret is left with only one clue as to her whereabouts and intentions: a letter written to “Sue” from “Davey” in 1914. As Margaret searches for her mother’s past, Elspeth is searching for David Graham, an American she corresponded without before and throughout the First World War. Told entirely through letters, these women face two very different wartime atmospheres, and are determined to uncover the past that may heal the future.

  The whole concept of a book written entirely in letters fascinated me. There’s something antiquated about it, something charming, and it brought me back to a time when a response from a loved one was never instantaneous. People were open and emotional and detailed in their letters — there were few forms of communication to truly and accurately keep up with friends and family. When David mailed an obscure Scottish poet, he didn’t expect a response — and she didn’t expect a letter from anyone outside of Skye or Scotland, for that matter. Their surprises, witty quips, slow exposure of their true feelings, and later their deep love and devotion through one another, all grip you and hold you from the first page to the last.

  Another technique I really liked was Margaret’s discovery of other aspects of Elspeth’s life that Elspeth would either never mention in the letters or it would be mentioned later by Elspeth or David. For example, Elspeth and David indirectly refer to an incident between David and her brother Finlay, but it’s Finlay who writes a letter to Margaret explaining what happened. Or, in another instance, Margaret finds a letter that was never sent, which then changes the course of the book.

  Like reading a friend’s diary, this book is deeply emotional, incredibly moving, and impossible to put down.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: history, goodreads, review

• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I was Forced to Read

  Posted at 10:32 am by Laura, on October 15, 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 Book Books I was Forced to Read. 

  

  The Positives!

  1. Jane Eyre — And I’m so glad I read this! Freshman year of high school in my Honors English class, we were covering nineteenth-century literature (I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back it’s very obvious what the theme was). I was new to the school and felt a bit like an outcast, similar to Jane. Soon enough I was participating in discussions and acing the quizzes, and went far beyond our report project requirements. I re-read the book every winter, and it’s a dear favorite of mine. Thank you, Ms Clark, for inspiring me and guiding me towards my favorite genre.

  2. Great Expectations — Again, this was in my Honors English class freshman year. I was curious as to why everyone — adults, students, pets — complained about reading Dickens. “He’s wordy, he has too many characters, the settings are dark.” One complaint after another, and I just plain didn’t understand why. His descriptions are marvelous, his characters are…caricatures, and the settings are reflective of the time! I loved it.

  3. Dante’s Inferno — The AP Language and Composition project required that we create 15-minute video of the circles of hell. My group read Inferno deeply and literally, and placed Harry Potter characters in the levels. It was fascinating, entertaining, and what’s more: my teacher pointed out all the fart jokes. He made epic poetry fun.

  4. The Awakening — My AP Literature and Composition class theme focused on transcendentalism. You know, Walden and the like. I was bored to tears and worried that maybe literature wasn’t my forte when we began reading Kate Chopin’s book. And then everything changed back again. I love it. I haven’t re-read it recently, though I should.

  5. Brave New World — Soma holidays? Commentary on the nature of technology and genetic enhancement? Not my cup of tea…till my Honors English teacher my sophomore year created a fantastic unit that mirrored the book. For a week we were divided into the different castes, assigned different tasks, and somehow, someway, we ended up experiencing the book in real life. It was a wonderful week (even though I was Epsilon), and I’ve never understood a book or genre so fully till this.

  The Negatives!

  6. Grapes of Wrath — Honestly, the turtle chapters were my favorite. And even then I hardly skimmed.

  7. Oroonoko — Or any 18th-century British literature. Shoot me now.

  8. Ethan Frome — This unit in freshman Honors English was torturous. Edith Wharton and I are not friends.

  Surprisingly Never Read for My Education!

  I’m tossing this in here because most students are forced to read these books, but I never had to.

  9. Frankenstein — I’ve only just recently read it for my graduate thesis. I wanted to see how long I could go in my education before I read the book, because somehow I missed it throughout high school and in all of my British literature / Victorian literature / Gothic literature classes. The professors always said, “I know you’ve read this book so I didn’t add it to the syllabus.” Little did they know…

  10. Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird — Never read them. Don’t even have a desire to read them.

  Which books were you forced to read by teachers, friends, or family members?

  Posted in books, Top Ten Tuesday | 18 Comments | Tagged books, education, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: dystopian, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, top ten tuesday

• Book Review: “The Secret Daughter of the Tsar” by Jennifer Laam (ARC)

  Posted at 8:21 am by Laura, on October 14, 2013

  The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam 

  Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
  Publishing Date: October 22, 2013
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781250040916
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★
  

  Veronica is an aspiring historian living in present-day Los Angeles when she meets a mysterious man who may be heir to the Russian throne. As she sets about investigating the legitimacy of his claim through a winding path of romance and deception, the ghosts of her own past begin to haunt her. Lena, a servant in the imperial Russian court of 1902, is approached by the desperate Empress Alexandra.  After conceiving four daughters, the Empress is determined to sire a son and believes Lena can help her. Once elevated to the Romanov’s treacherous inner circle, Lena finds herself under the watchful eye of the meddling Dowager Empress Marie. Charlotte, a former ballerina living in World War II occupied Paris, receives a surprise visit from a German officer. Determined to protect her son from the Nazis, Charlotte escapes the city, but not before learning that the officer’s interest in her stems from his longstanding obsession with the fate of the Russian monarchy.

  Lena, a servant in the royal household and favorite of Empress Alexandra, is asked to help Alexandra conceive a boy after giving birth to four daughters. But in 1920, when Alexandra is delirious from the medication given during labor, Dowager Empress Marie threatens Lena and strikes a bargain to help save the Russian monarchy. Fast forward to WWII occupied Paris as Charlotte flees with her ex-husband and son Laurent to Spain to escape the Germans. Fast forward to the present day, where Veronica is working on her book for tenure and failing miserably. But suddenly a Russian man named Michael seems to be the key to her future with the Romanov family.

  I was a little skeptical about reading a book with three POVs, as they can sometimes be confusing, sloppy, and muddle. Laam, however, was very consistent with her chapters, clearly marked the years and locations, and each piece of the puzzle started to fit together perfectly. This book was in no way confusing with the multiple perspectives.

  The story was enjoyable and kept my attention. It was like a journey across Europe and time, an adventure across the generations. About halfway through the novel, though, when Veronica is visiting New York and meets another claimant to the Russian throne, the circumstances seemed elevated to ludicrous proportions. The other portions of the book, with Lena and Charlotte, maintained reality at least. But after Veronica’s visit to New York, the link between the three women was obvious. I raced to the end just to see how exactly they each reacted to their situations.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book for review.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: history, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Last Enchantments” by Charles Finch (ARC)

  Posted at 8:32 am by Laura, on September 23, 2013

  The Last Enchantments by Charles Finch 

  Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
  Publishing Date: January 2014
  Genre: fiction
  ISBN: 9781250018717
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★★

  After graduating from Yale, William Baker, scion of an old line patrician family, goes to work in presidential politics.  But when the campaign into which he’s poured his heart ends in disappointment, he decides to leave New York behind, along with the devoted, ambitious, and well-connected woman he’s been in love with for the last four years.

  Will expects nothing more than a year off before resuming the comfortable life he’s always known, but he’s soon caught up in a whirlwind of unexpected friendships and romantic entanglements that threaten his safe plans. As he explores the heady social world of Oxford,  he becomes fast friends with Tom, his snobbish but affable flat mate;  Anil, an Indian economist with a deep love for gangster rap; Anneliese, a German historian obsessed with photography; and Timmo, whose chief ambition is to become a reality television star. What he’s least prepared for is Sophie, a witty, beautiful and enigmatic woman who makes him question everything he knows about himself.

  William Baker decides to pack his bags and head to Oxford to study literature for a year. His career in political campaigns has slowed and he feels like he’s stuck in a rut. Leaving behind NYC, job opportunities, a long-time girlfriend, Will looks forward to his adventure in England and putting off “real life” for the time being. As the weeks progress in school, he befriends posh Tom, adorable Anil, talented Anneliese, studious Ella, driven Peter, and the ever elusive Sophie. His journey into self-discovery, and navigating the many forms of love, is deeply moving and incredibly touching.

  I was originally drawn to this book because of the Oxford setting. I didn’t expect to like Will — the stereotype I have in my head of “poor little rich boy” is not a positive one — but little by little I began to see myself in him, my friends in him and his friends, our experiences quite similar. Will feels lost in the “adult world” and finds comfort in academia. Unsure of his future, he makes wild decisions to put off the inevitable. There are so many twenty-somethings out there who feel just the same: the desire to grow up and become someone, while at the same time terrified, unsure, and fearing failure.

  Will is conflicted throughout the book when it comes to romance. Every type of love is presented: the enduring love with a long-time flame, passion and obsession with someone new and out-of-reach, and lust after a friend. There is no clear-cut relationship, which is actually quite refreshing in a book because it’s true to life. Emotions, love especially, never have logical explanations.

  Everything you would expect from a graduate student is in this book: from studying in libraries, pubs, and cafes to parties in clubs, from sleeping with a friend to lazy walks in the park. There’s no sugar-coating or brushing over facts. It’s plain truth about one young man’s journey, all the mistakes and accomplishments, all the experiences, to the path of his future. It’s beautiful.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from St. Martin’s Press for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 1 Comment | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, goodreads, review

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• 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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