The Eclectic Reader: July 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dark Hunter #4

Pages: 416

Sherrilyn Kenyon has a wonderful ability to weave ancient history and mythology in a modern storyline and the story of Dark Hunter Talon of the Morrigantes and Sunshine, a quirky, absentminded artist is now a favourite. Talan is an ancient Celtic warrior, cursed by the God Camulus, his history is tragic, much like Julian's story in Fantasy Lover and Kyrian's story in Night Pleasures but it's the journey into Talon's past that captures your heart and has you yearning for a happy ending.

In Night Embrace the dark hunter family expands when Acheron calls in reinforcements to protect humans during Mardi Gras & we are also introduced to were-hunters. Of the new Dark Hunters, Zarek grabbed my attention; dark, conflicted, sarcastic & bitter, definitely want to know more about this bad boy. I loved seeing familiar characters in Night Embrace, Eros, Psyche, Artemis, squire Nick Gautier and of course the scrumptious Acheron, leader of the Dark Hunters. I kind of like the dark, twisted family reunion stuff and hope there's more in the next books! The interactions between the dark hunters was a highlight in this book, akin to OD'ing on testosterone, I loved it and I laughed ... A LOT!

"You know Talon, killing a soul sucking daemon without a good fight is like sex without foreplay.

A total waste of time and completely ... unsatisfying" And the interactions between Talon and Sunshine were many, varied, ('the backgammon table, the couch, the kitchen counter, the floor, the coffee table') & sizzling but I'll let Sunshine's conversation with Salena fill you in on that ...

"Tell me you're joking about this?"

"Nope, not a bit. I'm telling you Salena, forget the energizer bunny, this guy had it all."

... "it's so not like me but I couldn't help myself, it was just like that weird magnetic force that grabs me when I'm walking past the Frostbite Cafe and makes me swerve in to get a triple sccop of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey."

That was her one major vice, Sunshine had never been able to pass up Chunky Monkey.

"The power of temptation was just too much Salena, I couldn't resist it. He was a Chunky Monkey container and all I could think was ... someone give me a spoon!"

This one was a winner for me, a lot of laughs, a tug at the heart strings, some steamy horizontal action, celtic mythology & just enough good vs evil, yep I'm hooked! Bring on bad boy Zarek's story in Dance With The Devil.

Visit Sherrilyn Kenyon's website for the reading order of the Dark Hunter series.

This month on The Eclectic Reader you could win Blood Promise by Richelle Mead OR Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost OR The Other Tudors by Philippa Jones. Check this blog post for details. International entrants welcome.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

Published: September 2008 Pages: 349 Sub Genre: Forensic Mystery Thriller For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston’s Crispin Museum. Now its sudden rediscovery by museum staff is both a major coup and an attention-grabbing mystery. Dubbed “Madam X,” the mummy–to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact–seems a ghoulish godsend for the financially struggling institution. But medical examiner Maura Isles soon discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse–horrifying proof that this “centuries-old” relic is instead a modern-day murder victim. - www.tessgerritsen.com Tess Gerritsen knows how to draw the reader in, to set the scene and maintain the tension throughout a novel. Check this out and tell me you wouldn't read on ... He is coming for me. I feel it in my bones. I sniff it in the air, as recognizable as the scent of hot sand and savory spices and the sweat of a hundred men toiling in the sun. I turn and face the evil. Archaeologist Josephine Pulcillo enjoys her work at the Crispin museum but when several preserved bodies are found ... her past returns to haunt her. Medical examiner Maura Isles must decipher the forensic evidence and once again teams up with homicide detective Jane Rizzoli to prevent the Archaeology Killer from collecting any more macabre keepsakes.

I've been fascinated with all things Egypt since primary school so I really enjoyed the archaeological elements of this story and I found the detail given to mummification, preservation techniques and ancient death rituals both fascinating and creepy. Mummies, tsantsa (shrunken heads) and a well preserved bog body make for great bed-time reading lol. Another page-turning read with unexpected plot twists that keep you guessing to the very end from one of my favourite thriller writers. I really did enjoy the delve into the past with this one but I have to confess Tess Gerritsen's early medical thrillers are my absolute all-time favourites. You'll find links to two of these 'scare your pants off' novels at the bottom of this post.

Tess Gerritsen also has a terrific blog which I keep in my faves list. Click on the title to see my reviews of The Surgeon - 5 stars & Harvest - 5 stars

*UK release titled Keeping the Dead

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Frantic by Katherine Howell

Genre: Crime Suspense-Thriller
Copyright: 2007

Pages: 282

In one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips's life is ripped apart – her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is abducted from his bed. Suspicion surrounds Chris as he is tainted with police corruption, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal, a consequence of her own actions.

While Chris is in hospital and the police, led by Detective Ella Marconi, mobilise to find their colleague's child, Sophie's desperation compels her to search for Lachlan herself. She enlists her husband's partner, Angus Arendson, in the hunt for her son, but will the history they share and her raw maternal instinct lead to an even greater tragedy? - book jacket

Wow this is certainly one book that lives up to its title. Frantic is the pace of this novel and my racing heart as I galloped through the story with my heart in my mouth, unable to turn the pages fast enough. What an awesome debut novel by Australian author Katherine Howell.

Katherine obviously writes what she knows and loves, taking the reader on an intense and realistic ride. I Loved the paramedic work references, the Sydney setting and the characters, particularly Sophie. The narrative moves from the perspective of mother Sophie, father Chris and investigating officer Detective Ella Marconi, contributing to the feverish pace while still allowing for plot development. The stresses of Sophie's job as a paramedic really come through on the page and I found her emotions throughout the story compelling and entirely relatable. The distress, guilt, panic, the rash decisions & horrifying consequences all worked to show the very believable lengths a mother will go to for her child.

Hold your breath and hang on tight for this read!!

I will definitely be tracking down this author's next work, The Darkest Hour published 2008 and waiting on Cold Justice, due for Australian release in Feb 2010.

Katherine Howell is a former ambulance officer and her first published work, Frantic won the 2008 Davitt Award for best crime novel by an Australian author. To learn more about this author and her work visit http://www.katherinehowell.com/

Harry Potter Reading Challenge

I cannot believe that my boys have the whole set of Harry Potter books & I have not read one of them. I think my eldest son read the first one and that's where the Harry Potter reading journey ended even though we all love the movies. So I'm going to rectify this abysmal situation by participating in a Harry Potter Reading challenge over at Galleysmith. Click on the link to sign up for the Harry Potter Reading Challenge and get more details. What: Read or listen to all seven books in the Harry Potter series

Sorcerer’s Stone

Chamber of Secrets

Prisoner of Azkaban

Goblet of Fire

Order of the Pheonix

Half-Blood Prince

Deathly Hallows

The challenge will run from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010 ~ join up whenever you want.

Teaser Tuesday

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event. Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

She slammed the door on her way out. Chris lay on the lounge, his face in the crook of his arm, his heart peeling away from the wall of his chest like a piece of dead dry paint.

page 229 Frantic by Katherine Howell

I kid you not, this one is a heart-stopper, check out my review!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Mailbox Monday

Thank you to Marcia at the Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday every week. Was a good week for me, I received my ordered copy of Cleopatra's Daughter & two books I won over at Jenn's Bookshelf arrived - thanks Jennifer.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome, but only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts. www.michellemoran.com I read this as soon as it arrived, absolutely loved it, a fantastic read from one of my favourite authors ~ review will be up soon.

Why A Daughter Needs A Dad by Gregory E. Lang Won over at Jenn's Bookshelf in her Father's Day giveaway Why a Daughter Needs a Dad is one father's loving reflection upon what he brings—or hopes to bring—to his daughter's life. “When I sat down to write,” Gregory E. Lang observes, “I wanted to express the essence of what I think is unique about the relationship my daughter and I share.” He began to think of the things they had done together and how important their moments together have been. He thought of what sort of wisdom he could impart by virtue of a strong relationship, how their years together could provide a bond that would guide her as she grew into womanhood. www.goodreads.com

Why A Son Needs A Dad by Gregory E. Lang "A son needs a dad who knows how to have fun," Gregory Lang begins this testimony to the important roles fathers play in their sons' lives. Increasingly in today's world, young boys are being raised either without a father or by fathers who have very little involvement in their sons' upbringing. A boy needs a dad to teach him how things work, how to talk with girls, and how to tie a tie. He also needs a father who is willing to make sacrifices, one who shows him that love is unselfish and pulls him back when he is headed in the wrong direction. These and more than ninety other things are what a boy must learn about becoming a man. The result is a sequel to the New York Times bestseller Why a Daughter Needs a Dad. www.goodreads.com

What Are You Reading On Monday

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. Only 2 books this week, the fantabulous Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran and my audiobook Night Embrace. I didn't get caught up on my reviews :-( but hey it's a new week so I'm hoping to get heaps done lol! Still had a busy week last week with 200 followers reached, (WOW thanks everyone) new challenges joined & the author C W Gortner visiting my blog and generously offering a giveaway of his book The Last Queen which I highly recommend. You can see the interview & enter that competition here. ************ Books Completed Last Week: CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran - 5 stars - review coming NIGHT EMBRACE by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 4.5 stars - review coming ************ This Week's Reading List: DIME STORE MAGIC by Kelley Armstrong - page 54 FRANTIC by - page 205 TRIBUTE by Nora Roberts - page 35 WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson (audiobook) - chapter 5 ************ Click on the title to see my reviews for THE LAST QUEEN by C W Gortner - 5 stars THE SECRET by Julie Garwood - 4.5 stars THE KEEPSAKE by Tess Gerritsen - 4 stars - oops still to come!

Lisa Jackson Reading Challenge

I only finished one book in the Lisa Jackson read-a-fest & as I still have quite a few LJ books I'd like to read I thought I'd sign up for J.Kaye's 2009/10 Lisa Jackson Reading Challenge.
I've included the basic guidelines here but click on the link above for full guidelines and Mr Linky sign up!

Guidelines:

Create a list of the Lisa Jackson books you'd like to read between now and December 31, 2010. Don't include books you've read prior to or started before 18/07/09.

This reading challenge is for participants with a blog. If you decide to participate in the 2009/2010 Lisa Jackson Reading Challenge, create a post on your blog telling others about this event & include the link to J.Kaye's Book Blog

Audio and eBooks count.

You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

I'll be reading -

Shiver
Lost Souls
Malice
Left to Die
Chosen to Die
Final Scream
Almost Dead

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Interview with C W Gortner & The Last Queen Giveaway

I'd like to welcome C W Gortner, author of The Last Queen, to The Eclectic Reader and thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions. I hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about Christopher and his work. Teddyree: How long did it take you to research and write The Last Queen? C W G: It took five years for me to write THE LAST QUEEN. My research included several trips to Spain, including one in which I undertook the very journey Juana made from Burgos to her last home in Tordesillas. I visited the Alhambra and the castles associated with her, and read every contemporary account about her that I could find, including letters from her custodians to her son Charles V. Teddyree: I thought, given the chance to rule Juana would have made a good queen, do you agree? C W G: I think it’s very unfortunate that we’ll never know. Certainly, with the right councillors to guide her, she might have been. She certainly had a precedent in her mother and judging from the evidence she was intelligent and educated enough to assume the throne; she was also kind and loyal. So much distortion accompanies her legend it’s quite difficult at moments to separate fact from fiction. But I like to think that she would have been a good queen. Teddyree: Did you find it difficult slipping into the skin of a female to write Juana’s story in first person? (for me personally, if you found it difficult, I couldn’t tell. So even though at times I thought ‘ wow a male is writing this’ I thought it was brilliantly done). C W G: Thank you. That is high praise for me, as my biggest difficulty was getting over my own fears of doing it! At first, I just didn’t think I could. I felt publishers wouldn’t be interested in a first-person story of a queen, written by a man; but after much soul searching and some trial writing, it came down to the fact that first-person POV was exactly what the book required. And once I started, I enjoyed the challenge. My first drafts were in third person and something elusive was missing. It was only after I allowed myself to slip into Juana’s skin, so to speak, that I began to experience her emotional complexity. There’s a general fallacy that men cannot write women as well as women can. I disagree, just as I disagree that women cannot write from the male perspective. Writers must inhabit their characters in order to bring them to life. We are not limited by gender or appearance. We are invisible. There are no limits other than our imagination. Teddyree: I love reading a differing viewpoint about infamous people in history. I believe many women such as Juana and Marie Antoinette were maligned by their detractors, encouraging prejudice & misunderstanding that has remained through the ages. Are there other historical figures you feel fall into that category and would love to write about? C W G: I’m very attracted to these types of historical figures, yes. I always say, that I look for secret histories, the stories that are never told, and my next novel falls right into that category. It’s called The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, and it traces Catherine’s life from her tumultuous childhood in Florence to her rise to power as queen-regent of France and mother of the last Valois kings. As I researched, I discovered that, much as with Juana la Loca, there was far more to Catherine than I thought. She was a leader, a devoted wife and mother, and a rare voice for tolerance in a time when Europe was in the grip of severe religious chaos; she fought to save her sons and France from destruction at the hands of a ruthless nobility; and, perhaps most interestingly, she was considered a seer in her own right, who had visions of the future and patronized Nostradamus. I believe Catherine has been greatly misunderstood by history, made into a lurid stereotype that does not begin to do justice to her historical significance as both a complex woman and queen. There are other characters that I also feel fall into this category and hopefully I will get to write them, as well.

Teddyree: Is there anything you find particularly challenging when you’re writing?

C W G: Right now, setting aside the time, for one! I still hold a 36-hour a week day job and it can be very challenging to come home after a long day at the office, walk the dog, have dinner, and tear myself away from my partner and the television to write. My schedule is that I write every night from 9 to 11 pm, all day on Friday, and I take weekends off. But it doesn’t always work that way, and some week nights I’m too tired and so I have to make up the time later. However, the reward is that by being disciplined, I can write a book. Writing is a passion, so I make the sacrifice. I’m hoping that in the next year or so, as I build my readership, I’ll be able to cut back my office hours and/or write full time. The other big challenge is choosing what to tell and what not to tell. As we know, these historical figures had complex lives, just like ours, and a novel contains a finite amount of words. It can be very challenging to be confronted by a long, eventful and often tumultuous life, such as the one Catherine de Medici had, and realize you cannot include all of it. Making choices over what to include and what not to include is often a historical novelist’s biggest dilemma.

Teddyree: What’s next on the table for C W Gortner?

C W G: My book on Catherine de Medici will be published in the summer of 2010 by Ballantine Books. I’m hoping to write about early 15th century Italy next, followed by a return to Spain and the court of Philip II.

Teddyree: Do you have other passions or does writing ‘do it’ for you?

C W G: I used to paint quite a lot, in oil, but since my writing career began to build, I haven’t had much free time to paint. I hope one day to get back to it, as I enjoy painting and it puts me in a meditative state. I’m still an avid reader, of course; and I’m involved with animal rights and environmental organizations. I also love to hike with my partner and our Corgi, Paris, in South Lake Tahoe, where we have a second home, and we both love to travel to Europe.

Teddyree: Tell us a secret, something the blogosphere doesn’t know? (can be about yourself or your books)

C W G: As a child, I had a strange obsessive compulsive disorder: I collected books and was so afraid of damaging them in some way I’d wear white gloves whenever I touched or read them. My mania eventually passed, but for a while my family thought I was nuts.

Teddyree: Do you have a favourite book from childhood?

C W G: Fernando the Bull.

Teddyree: What would you read to your 5 year old children, nieces, nephews?

C W G: Fernando the Bull and Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

Teddyree: 10 year olds?

C W G: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Teddyree: What are you reading now?

C W G: Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant.

Teddyree: A little-known author or book you like and would recommend?

C W G: She’s not little-known but I’d love to recommend Robin Maxwell’s Signora da Vinci, a marvellous evocation of Renaissance Italy and the woman who gave birth to the genius, Leonardo da Vinci. I also love her novel about Elizabeth I and the pirate Grace O’ Malley, The Wild Irish. Mary Sharratt’s The Vanishing Point is a gorgeously rendered tale of two English sisters caught up in the turmoil of wild America, and David Blixt has written a stupendous tale of feuding Renaissance families, Master of Verona.

Teddyree: When you were little what did you want to grow up to be?

C W G: A writer; I always wanted to be a writer. I know it sounds like a cliché but it’s the truth. My mom still has notebooks of stories that I wrote and illustrated myself, making covers for them with my own publisher logo. Yes, I was a freakish child :-)

Teddyree: If you could be dropped into any book as a character, who would you be and why?

C W G: I’ve never been asked this before. Hmm . . . I think that if I could be dropped into any book as a character, I’d want to be one of the rabbits who go on pilgrimage to find a new home in Watership Down. I wouldn’t want to be human; I think the world must be an incredible place as seen through the eyes of a wild rabbit.

Bookmark or Dog ear? Bookmark, always! (Remember the white gloves . . .) Fine dining or take-away? Fine dining. Bungee Jump or Parachute drop? Parachute drop. Favourite junk food? Potato Chips. Favourite way to relax? In bed, with a book. If you could go anywhere for a holiday, where would you go and why? Spain, because it’s my home. 3 must-have items if you were stranded on a tropical island? Fresh water, the collected works of Daphne du Maurier, my partner. Anything random you’d like to add? Thank you for inviting me to your blog! I love meeting bloggers and readers; the blog world has been instrumental in helping me get word out of my books, and has shown me so much enthusiasm and generosity. If you want to find out more about me and my work, or invite me to chat with your reader group – which I can do via speaker phone or Skype – please visit my website at: http://www.cwgortner.com/

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: I am thrilled to be able to offer readers a chance to win a copy of The Last Queen thanks to the generosity of C W Gortner. Christopher will be be posting to the winner personally so this one is only open to US readers. HOW TO ENTER: leave a comment with an email address to be entered in the giveaway + 2 if you are a follower + 3 for my long-time followers + 2 comment on The Last Queen review & let me know + 2 if you post this on your blog, sidebar, etc & leave me a link Competition ends Friday August 7th and winner will be announced on this blog. Good luck to all!

Friday, July 24, 2009

The Last Queen by C W Gortner

Genre: Historical Fiction

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 400

Loved it, Loved it, Loved it! The Last Queen wins a permanent place in my bookcase, it's definitely a keeper! I've been in a bit of a historical fiction reading rut lately & C W Gortner's amazing tale of Juana of Castile lifted me out of that rut and straight onto the 'hot tamale' train.

In The Last Queen we are given a fresh perspective on the life of Juana, daughter of Queen Isabel & King Ferdinand of Spain and sister to Catalina otherwise known as Catherine of Aragon. At 16, she is betrothed to Philip of Flanders, heir to the Hapsburg throne and so begins an arranged marriage to improve Spain's political alliances. Juana & Philip's first years together are passionate and happy but following the death of her brother, sister and nephew, Juana becomes heir to the Spanish throne throwing her into a dangerous power struggle with her scheming husband.

C W Gortner’s portrayal of Juana in first person is extremely perceptive and moving. I was completely enthralled by the story, pulled in from the very first page and left stunned by the betrayal, cruelty & tragedy of Juana’s life. I like to think that rather than a descent into madness, this strong, courageous and passionate woman was maligned by her detractors to encourage prejudice and misunderstanding that has remained through the ages.

Surrounded by advisors loyal to Philip, manipulated and betrayed by her husband and then the father she adored, separated from her children, imprisoned, beaten and threatened, I see only reasonable and justifiable behaviour by a woman determined to secure the succession for her sons. Ok, and maybe a few emotionally distraught displays and flashes of temper but hey under the circumstances!!

Throughout the story I railed at the treachery of Archbishop Besancon & Cisneros of Spain and cheered on those few who gave their loyalty to Juana; Beatriz, Soraya, Lopez and the admiral, unfortunately their bravery alone was not enough to defeat men hungry for power.

Superb attention to detail, rich descriptions and a heartwrenching story of one woman’s dauntless courage make this an absolute must read. I truly cannot wait for this author’s next novel about Catherine de Medici.

To learn more about C W Gortner visit his website or blog ~ Historical Boys

Be sure to join me tomorrow for an interview with C W Gortner and giveaway of THE LAST QUEEN

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Secret by Julie Garwood

Published: May 1992

Pages: 379

Genre: Historical Romance I'm a sucker for a good historical romance, especially one set in the Scottish highlands & The Secret fits the bill perfectly. Two 4 year olds, Judith Hampton, an English girl and Frances Catherine, a Scots lass form an unlikely friendship that defies time, distance and the hatred between their countries. Years later Frances Catherine is about to have her first child and Judith has promised to be with her for the birth. Iain Maitland, Laird of the Maitland clan convinces the clan council to honour his brother's promise to his wife; Patrick has given his word to Frances Catherine that her dearest friend Judith will be brought to her. Iain travels to England to retrieve Lady Judith & so begins Judith's journey to the highlands and into Iain's heart. Sparks fly immediately; the chemistry & physical attraction between the two is instantaneous, but the constant verbal sparring to keep each other at bay, is most amusing. The characters are absolutely delightful. Iain is honourable, protective, kind hearted and arrogant, and as Laird he is used to being obeyed. Judith is loyal, tender hearted, stubborn & brave. She challenges Iain's authority and clan traditions with a logic that is like a breath of fresh air. As Judith becomes indispensable to the clan the reader gets to know and love some of the other clan members; Alex, Brodick, Graham, Gelfrid. I'm going to share with you one of the hilarious and outrageous moments that had me laughing out loud. How's this for a marriage proposal ... Iain took hold of both her hands and squeezed to get her attention. Then he took a deep breath. Even with his men watching, he wanted the words to be right, his declaration to be one she would always remember. It was a damned awkward undertaking, trying to think of loving words, and he had absolutely no experience in this area, but he was still determined not to muck it up. The moment needed to be perfect for her. "Judith" he began.

"Yes, Iain?"

"I'm keeping you." The Secret is a captivating blend of love, friendship & childbirth in the 1200's. It's Iain & Judith's love story, it's about the enduring friendship & loyalty between Judith & Frances Catherine, & it's a remarkable look at the horrors and joys of childbirth and some of the barbaric midwifery practices encouraged by the church & their archaic beliefs. I'm looking forward to reading Ransom, as Julie Garwood returns to the Highlands with warriors Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan. Visit Ms Garwood's website to find out more.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Humane Award

This award signifies much for me about how I feel about blogging, the friends I have made across the miles through a shared love of reading & blogging. I received this wonderful award from 4 blogging friends in the last few weeks, thank you so much. Please sit down with a cuppa & check out their awesome blogs! J.Kaye @ J. Kaye's Book Blog Jaime @ For The Love Of All That Is Written Stacy at Stacy's Bookblog Linda Ellen @ Bambi Reads The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. This award is to thank them for their growing friendships through the blog world. Without further ado, I'd like to share this one with some old friends and a couple of new ones :-) Caffee at Caffee Reads Christina at Reading Through The Night

Diane at The Book Resort

Staci at Life in the Thumb

Christine at Romantic Crush Junkies Many thanks also to Rachel from The Book Wars for another Heartfelt Award, this is a gorgeous award but I have difficulty posting the code for this one so please check out Rachel's super cool blog! This month on The Eclectic Reader you could win Blood Promise by Richelle Mead OR Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost OR The Other Tudors by Philippa Jones. Check this blog post for details. International entrants welcome.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Teaser Tuesday

"What do they do?" "Collect the bodies. But first, Hermes prods the gladiator with a hot iron, and if he moves, Charon takes a mallet and crushes his skull." page 215 ~ Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran Fantastic read, I'm really enjoying it & it's very hard to put down!

Monday, July 20, 2009

What Are You Reading On Monday

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. I felt a bit better this week, not great but definitely a little more motivated. Read another wonderful book, The Last Queen and caught up on a few reviews so I was happy :-) I keep saying it, so it has to be true, I've been blessed by the 'good reading' fairy, the last month has been filled with wonderful books; there are links to some of these reads below. All I say to my fairy now is - keep them coming *pretty please* ************ Books Completed Last Week: THE LAST QUEEN by C W Gortner - 5 stars, loved it - review coming THE KEEPSAKE by Tess Gerritsen - review to come ************ This Week's Reading List: CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran - page 235 DIME STORE MAGIC by Kelley Armstrong - page 34 NIGHT EMBRACE by Sherrilyn Kenyon (audiobook) - chapter 10 WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson ************ Click on the title to see my reviews for IF I STAY by Gayle Forman - 5 stars THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows - 5 stars SILK DREAMS by Diana Groe ~ 4.5 stars

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Synopsis: January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name - Guernsey Literary Website

Review:

In one word, this book is enchanting. I am going to be very honest and give myself a wrap on the knuckles for being terribly shallow & horribly impatient because when I first started listening to Guernsey on audio I thought 'good grief - how boring' (at that stage I could not have listened to more than 2 minutes.) Minutes later I was berating myself; just goes to show, first impressions can in fact be very wrong.

I hope my review does this wonderful story justice.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a unique story of love, friendship, courage, heartbreak & literature, set on the island of Guernsey (in the Channel Islands) and written as a series of letters.

When Juliet unexpectedly receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, resident of Guernsey and member of the literature society new friendships are formed along with an idea for a new book. As correspondence between Juliet & Dawsey expands to include other members of the literature society, Juliet is captivated by the stories of life on Guernsey during the Occupation and of friends connected through a mutual love of literature and the trauma of war.

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true." - from Dawsey Adams to Juliet

“That’s what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It’s geometrically progressive – all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.” - from Juliet to Dawsey

The character's have an authenticity that makes them feel like old friends, I shared their sorrows and joys, laughing out loud, sniggered in places, & at times I sat with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Juliet, Dawsey, Sidney (Juliet's editor), Amelia Maugery, Elizabeth & Kit McKenna, Isola Pribby, Eben Ramsey are portrayed with such humour and colour, they capture your heart, staying with you, like part of your family, long after the story is finished.

It was obvious that this beautiful story was written from the heart with a warmth and vividness that has me reserving a special place in my heart for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Mary Ann Shaffer passed away in February 2008. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was her debut novel completed with the help of her niece Annie Barrows.

The movie rights for Guernsey have been snapped up by an unusual partnership: Hollywood producer Paula Mazur (Nim's Island) and Florida bookstore owner Mitchell Kaplan.

PS. this is an absolutely brilliant story on audio, if you have the opportunity to listen to it, then take my word for it ~ do so.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Winners of A Worthy Legacy

What a wonderful response to this beautiful book by Tomi Akinyanmi.

The 2 winners are

Kaye

Lilly

Thank you once again to Tomi for her generosity & congratulations to the winners.

Tomi will be mailing your copy to you personally.

I hope you enjoy the simple message within as much as I did.

Please email me your full address details.

For those interested in purchasing a copy of A Worthy Legacy click on button below

Friday, July 17, 2009

Silk Dreams by Diana Groe

Published: July 2007 Pages: 327 Genre: Historical Romance Having read all of Emily Bryan's books (Diana Groe's nom de plume) I was very excited when I picked up Silk Dreams, Diana's 3rd novel. Set in Constantinople during the time of the Byzantine Empire, this historical romance is an intriguing mix of love, betrayal, & survival intertwined with political treachery and exotic cultures. A combination that results in a suspenseful, passionate, page-turning read. Scandinavian born Valdis is banished from her homeland, when found to be suffering from the "falling sickness" & sold at a slave market to the Greek, Damian Aristarchus, chief eunuch in the imperial household of Emperor Basil II. Damian hires Nordic warrior Erik Heimdalsson to teach Valdis the Greek language & then enlists the slave Chloe to see Valdis trained in the arts of an Odelisque in preparation for her use as a pawn in his political scheming. Diana's characterisation is superb, she gives as much detail to essential secondary characters as the hero & heroine. Damian is complex; dangerous & scheming while still being compassionate and exhibiting a vulnerability that I found touching. I wanted Damian to have a happy ending, however unlikely. Two characters who are also well portrayed and play a significant role in the story, are the slave Chloe, made wise beyond her years by her tragic history & Valdi's little dog Loki, whose journey from scruffy mongrel to much loved companion is very endearing. One of my favourite quotes in Silk Dreams comes from Chloe: "Learn this as well. Today is all we have and we gain nothing from dwelling on that which is lost. Today we are strong and the sun is shining. That alone is enough that we should dance." Erik is a Norseman banished from his homeland for committing a crime, now part of the Varangians sworn to protect the Emperor, the Bulgar-Slayer. Valdis is everything you want in a heroine, strong, courageous & resourceful. The chemistry between Valdis & Erik is evident early in the novel but they must keep their blossoming romance a secret, both their lives depend on Valdi's purity. Nothing like an 'against the odds' love story to get the heart racing, I tell you. I really enjoyed the look into Norse and Greek culture, the Greek language, the Norse Gods, the practice of seid craft, casting of runes, tossing the knucklebones, I found all of these especially fascinating. But the tales of the harem are both enthralling and horrifying; the opulence, the brutality & cruelty to women, the horror of men made eunuchs to guard harems. I will certainly be searching out Diana's other titles, Erinsong & Maidensong. Visit Diana Groe's website for excerpts & more information on her books.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Published: April 2009 Pages: 199 Genre: YA In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands. - If I Stay Website I have been blessed by the 'good-reading' fairy because the last few weeks have been filled with exceptional reads and If I Stay definitely falls into the exceptional category. Quite simply, it is beautiful! Mia becomes an invisible observer, watching and narrating her ordeal from the time the accident occurs. The passage between Mia's recollections and the present is seamless and through this we get to know Mia, her family and friends, and her passion for music and love of the chello. It's an insightful look at the very real moments that make us human and give our lives meaning.

Forman's writing is honest & 'moreish', you want to know Mia and the people in her life & I felt like I came to know not only Mia, but her parents, her brother Teddy, boyfriend Adam, & best friend Kim intimately. It was impossible not to become emotionally invested in the story, feeling the love, in all it's different forms, relating to the choices and sacrifices, we sometimes have to make for love, crying buckets & at times laughing out loud. You would think given the subject matter that this would be a depressing read, and I certainly shed a tear or two but it's far from depressing and the tears were SO worth it. Emotive, heartwarming, life affirming, hopeful, and memorable, I actually felt bereft when I finished If I Stay, it was just that good, I didn't want it to end. And if I haven't convinced you .... check out the book trailer.

The film rights for If I Stay have been acquired by Summit, the same company that produced Twilight. To find out more about Gayle Forman and her other works visit her website

Friday, July 31, 2009

Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Frantic by Katherine Howell

Harry Potter Reading Challenge

Teaser Tuesday

Monday, July 27, 2009

Mailbox Monday

What Are You Reading On Monday

Lisa Jackson Reading Challenge

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Interview with C W Gortner & The Last Queen Giveaway

Friday, July 24, 2009

The Last Queen by C W Gortner

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Secret by Julie Garwood

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Humane Award

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Teaser Tuesday

Monday, July 20, 2009

What Are You Reading On Monday

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Winners of A Worthy Legacy

Friday, July 17, 2009

Silk Dreams by Diana Groe

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Dusty Bookshelf Challenge

E-Book Challenge

Aussie Author Challenge

Historical Challenge