Friday, October 31, 2014
What Color Are YOU?
The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson
Maud found out the accommodations brought about more than a warm place to stay and good meals. Sylvie, the young lady she was taking care of, smoked opium and stole things, her "brother" wasn't very honest, and nothing was what it seemed. What else was going to happen, and what did she get herself into?
What was supposed to be a life-changing winter turned out to be a winter of lies, danger, deceit, and murder.
The beginning of THE PARIS WINTER was a bit slow, but as the tale unraveled, there was nothing slow, nothing short of deviousness, and nothing short of
intrigue. Don't give up too soon.
You will feel sorry for Maud, you will love Tanya and Yvette - they are actually comical and so loyal to Maude, you will hate Sylvie and her "brother," and you will question all that goes on with them and question their motives.
I thoroughly enjoyed THE PARIS WINTER because of the well-developed, unlikeable, devious, corrupt characters and the unpredictable, twisted plot with a marvelous, thrilling ending. This thrilling ending was set during the Paris flood of 1910 and was a perfect connection to Maud's intentions.
Don't miss reading THE PARIS WINTER. You will be pulled in just like the flood waters of Paris pulled in its citizens. THE PARIS WINTER is an alluring, captivating historical read. 4/5
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Giveaway and Review of An Unseemly Wife by E. B. Moore
Giving up the only life she knew, leaving all her possessions for a new life she was not excited about, following her husband's wishes and keeping silent. That is what Ruth's life was like as she followed the rules of her Fold.
We follow Ruth and her family as they get ready to leave their secure community for the unknown in Idaho and follow them on their difficult, two-thousand-mile trek. A trip that was supposed to give them a better life.
The
writing in AN UNSEEMLY WIFE is beautiful, and Ms. Moore smoothly and
masterfully moves from
one time period to the other revealing what Ruth's life was before
marrying Aaron and what it was like now. As the journey west continued,
Ruth realized that her life with Aaron would never be the same. She
had no family close by, and the people they met were not like her Fold at home.
AN
UNSEEMLY WIFE is actually an account of the author's great
grandmother. I enjoyed this book because I do like historical fiction, but definitely wouldn't want to be
living in the 1800's as a woman.
AN UNSEEMLY WIFE did drag a bit, though, but it was quite educational to see the difficulties of traveling in and living in a covered wagon along with the hardships of everyday life. You will feel the family's pain as sad things happen, and all the characters definitely grow on you. The children were so innocent and good. Ruth was obedient and a very good mother. Aaron was a good husband, but not one that I would want. He was kind but too strict.
AN UNSEEMLY WIFE did drag a bit, though, but it was quite educational to see the difficulties of traveling in and living in a covered wagon along with the hardships of everyday life. You will feel the family's pain as sad things happen, and all the characters definitely grow on you. The children were so innocent and good. Ruth was obedient and a very good mother. Aaron was a good husband, but not one that I would want. He was kind but too strict.
If you are interested in the early days of
settling America, you will enjoy this book. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.
*******************
Enter the giveaway here from October 30 to November 6. USA ONLY
Good Luck
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
A Spooky Twitter Party at 2 p.m. ET
Time to roll out the orange and black carpet because Atria is having a spooky Twitter party!
Share your favorite #SpineChillingReads today at 2pm ET to give your favorite thrilling, chilling, too-close-to-real-life scary tales a little Halloween love!
You can list many books, tell why one book is particularly spine-chilling, and share yours using the hashtag to join in.
AND if you’re in love with our Atria #SpineChillingReads, here are some e-cards to take a look at.
Hope to see you there!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Giveaway of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
and
by
Mark Twain
Two
Classic boyhood adventure tales updated with new introductions by noted
Mark Twain scholar R. Kent Rasmussen and a foreword by Azar Nafisi
********
“All Modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called
Huckleberry Finn”
—Ernest Hemingway
********
Never having been out of print, one would think that new editions of
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, would not be much of a reason to celebrate.
However, when R. Kent Rasmussen, Mark Twain scholar extraordinaire,
pens insightful new introductions to these two classics, we sit up and
take notice! And we’re extra excited to have a foreword for
Huck Finn by Azar Nafisi, whose new book The Republic of Imagination
examines Huck Finn as one of three books central to the American identity.
Of all the contenders for the title of The Great American Novel, none has a better claim than
ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN. By turns praised, derided, banned, and celebrated,
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain’s enduring masterpiece, an incomparable adventure story, and a classic work of American humor.
Few books have taken so deep and enduring a hold on the American imagination as
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER. Younger readers delight in the sheer pleasure of following the
rollicking, mischievous adventures of Tom, a consummate prankster with a
quick
wit. Yet older readers recognize the somber undercurrents lurking
dangerously beneath the secure and wondrous world of boyhood. A classic
that has lost neither its popularity nor its capacity to delight,
Tom Sawyer is a treasure of American literature.
********
About the Authors:
Mark Twain
(1835-1910) was born Samuel Langhorne
Clemens in Florida, Missouri. Starting out as a typesetter, he went on
to work as a steamboat pilot, prospector, and journalist before
publishing his first major book,
The Innocents Abroad.
R. Kent Rasmussen
is the author or editor of nine books on Mark Twain, including the award-winning
Mark Twain A to Z, as well as more than a dozen other books. He lives in Southern California.
Azar Nafisi is
the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, Things I’ve Been Silent About, and The Republic of Imagination. A passionate advocate of books and reading, she appears regularly on major media and speaks to
packed audiences around the world. She lives in Washington, D.C.
********
This is a USA giveaway only.
One lucky winner will receive BOTH books.
Complete this form to enter the giveaway from October 28 until November 4.
********
Sunday, October 26, 2014
A WOMAN'S CHOICE E-Book Promotion
A Woman's Choice Sounds Amazing
A Woman's Choice - E-book
$1.99 For 5 Days Only
Until October 30
Usually $3.90
$1.99 For 5 Days Only
Until October 30
Usually $3.90
4.6* reviews on Amazon
A riveting read, immersed from the start.
Set
in early 20thC New York the novel tells the story of Clara, a young
emigrant girl, working her way from sweatshop poverty to success. But as
the horror of the first World War in Europe threatens to engulf
America, she discovers that she needs more than wealth and security to
make her happy, and that personal lives cannot be lived apart from
public events.
A Woman’s Choice is a compelling saga of friendship, love and ambition.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Halloween Edition of The Book Blogger Hop - 10/24 - 10/30
Question of the Week:
You accidentally unleashed ghouls from a
novel and they are now running amok. What fictional hero (book or film)
would you like to help you defeat the ghouls?
My Answer:
Oh dear...I am awful answering these Halloween questions, Billy. Jeepers.
I don't know any ghouls to help defeat the ghouls. I don't read this genre.
Do you have any ghouls to help you?
I don't know any ghouls to help defeat the ghouls. I don't read this genre.
Do you have any ghouls to help you?
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Cattle Kate by Jana Bommersbach
Cattle Kate was a delicately raised rule follower, but she had to break away, and break away she did.
Ella Watson's story is creatively told and keeps your interest from the first page. "Taming" the west really wasn't for women was it? Even though it may not have been for women, homesteading is what Ella did, and what left Ella hanging from a rope at the ripe old age of 29.
I really did enjoy CATTLE KATE. Ms. Bommersbach did a great deal of research and turned her research into quite a fascinating, splendid book. The ending pages document dates and times, and these are even categorized in an organized, unique way with wonderful detail.
Learning about the West and how the Wyoming Territory became settled will keep you turning the pages and wanting to find out how Ellla actually lived and what turned people against her and her husband.
If you like fiction at its best, don't miss reading CATTLE KATE. You will get a little bit of everything to appreciate and delight in. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
The Labyrinth House - Giveaway of TWO E-books
When architect Bradley Jensen enters a door in a tree one day to discover an amazing series of rooms, he mistakenly thinks it’s a surprise his new wife set up for him. But what he doesn’t know is that the Labyrinth House, as he calls it, doesn’t intend to let him back out into the real world again.
Rollins introduces the reader to other victims of the Labyrinth House—including a man from the 70’s, a former slave, and a young woman from the time of the Salem Witch Trials—who, along with Bradley, attempt to escape the house through solving a series of puzzles. But someone else in the house is working against them...
Lynn Weide Publicist Associate Marketer of The Zharmae Publishing Press, LLC is offering two lucky winners an e-copy of this book.
To learn more about the book, see its Goodreads page:
https://www.goodreads.
The two winners have been chosen.
#5 and #7 - Yvonne and Sheila.
CONGRATS!!
Enter here from October 16 to October 23 to win one of two E-books.
This is an international giveaway - best of luck.
Monday, October 13, 2014
The Wonder of All Things by Jason Mott
Ava didn't know she had the ability to heal, and it turned her life upside down and the entire town of Stone Temple as well. Folks were flocking to this unknown town after Ava healed her friend Wash.
Most of the people coming to Stone Temple wanted Ava to heal them or a
loved one, but she became ill when she healed someone so it was a
difficult decision for her parents as well as Ava.
THE WONDER OF ALL THINGS will make you think about how you would react to the situation if you were the healer or if you were a person needing to be healed. The characters in the story "grow" on you, and you become attached to them.
Ava was sweet, but aloof. Wash was very likeable. Macon, Ava's dad, was
different. Brenda, Wash's grandmother will make you want a grandmother
like her. Ava's mother, Heather, who had passed away, was different. Carmen, Ava's stepmother, was likeable and someone I felt
sorry for. The Reverend was someone I wasn't too fond of.
THE
WONDER OF ALL THINGS was mostly conversation and a book that had an
interesting storyline like Mr. Mott's other book, but it wasn't
gripping. I simply kept reading because I "had" to find out if they knew why
Ava had this power of healing and what happened to this small town that
was flooded with more people than it could possibly hold. I didn't find the answers out to those questions.
It was an odd-themed book, well written, but not that interesting. The ending was a bit vague, and the entire book was nothing outstanding. 3/5
It was an odd-themed book, well written, but not that interesting. The ending was a bit vague, and the entire book was nothing outstanding. 3/5
This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher and without compensation in return for an honest review.
It's All About The Books
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Crooked River by Valerie Geary
That was the plan, but when a dead body is found floating in their swimming hole that summer, all is changed. Their father was accused of the murder, and all evidence pointed to this homeless beekeeper. His appearance and lifestyle made him the perfect suspect.
Both Sam and Ollie are endearing, quite bright, and love their father. Ollie doesn't talk when she is upset, and she sees things that others do not. She sees things called Shimmerings that warn her about good and bad. Sam knows why Ollie doesn't talk, but she doesn't know what Ollie sees.
CROOKED RIVER has wonderful characters and a wonderful storyline. You will fall in love with both of the girls and their adopted grandparents, Franny and Zeb, but their father, Bear/Frank, was a bit more difficult to like.
Ms. Geary's writing is very descriptive, exceptionally absorbing, and keeps you glued to the pages as Sam and Ollie search for clues that could prove their father is innocent. As so many reviewers have said: "This book is difficult to put down." I wholeheartedly agree.
Ms. Geary seamlessly and creatively takes you back and forth in time as the story unfolds and is told through each girl's voice in alternating chapters.
Everything about CROOKED RIVER is warm and family oriented. CROOKED RIVER had me wanting to be there with Sam and Ollie to mother them and to tell them to be careful with their investigation of the murder and who they were befriending.
I really enjoyed this book. I will be looking for more from Ms. Geary. Don't miss reading CROOKED RIVER.
CROOKED RIVER just had a homey feel to it along with a storyline that had situations that could actually happen and a very suspenseful, tense ending. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Mystery Monday From Atria
1. THE WOLF IN WINTER by John Connolly
Order Links:
Amazon
B&N
BAM
IndieBound
iBooks
2. FIVE MINUTES ALONE by Paul Cleave
In the latest thriller by the Edgar-nominated author of Joe Victim, someone is helping rape victims exact revenge on their attackers, prompting an edge-of-your-seat, cat-and-mouse chase between old friends, detectives Theodore Tate and Carl Schroder.
Order Links:
Amazon
B&N
BAM
IndieBound
iBooks
3. BLOODLINE by Alan Gold and Mike Jones
Order Links:
Amazon
B&N
BAM
IndieBound
iBooks
Monday, October 6, 2014
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories Video and Giveaway!!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Giveaway of THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW AND OTHER STORIES
This new collection of larger-than-life tales contains Washington Irving’s best-known literary inventions—Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman, and Rip Van Winkle—that continue to capture our imaginations today, and features an introduction and notes by Elizabeth L. Bradley, author of Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York and literary consultant to Historic Hudson Valley, the caretakers of Irving’s Tarrytown, New York home.
Not only is this collection a riveting must-read for the fall 2014 season, it also is an excellent companion to Fox’s hit television series Sleepy Hollow.
The series is a modern-day adaption of Irving’s classic short story with a supernatural twist, and premiered in September 2013. Sleepy Hollow ended its first season with enormous success and the second season debuts on September 22, 2014.
**********
**********
About the Authors:
Washington Irving (1783–1859) is generally credited with being the father of the American short story and was the first American writer to achieve international renown.
He debuted in 1802 with a series of observational letters to the Morning Chronicle, and is best known for his short stories Rip Van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He has written several historical works covering figures such as George Washington and Christopher Columbus.
Washington Irving (1783–1859) is generally credited with being the father of the American short story and was the first American writer to achieve international renown.
He debuted in 1802 with a series of observational letters to the Morning Chronicle, and is best known for his short stories Rip Van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He has written several historical works covering figures such as George Washington and Christopher Columbus.
**********
Elizabeth L. Bradley, the author of Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York, serves as literary consultant to Historic Hudson Valley, the caretakers of Sunnyside—Irving’s Tarrytown, New York, home. She also wrote the introduction and notes for the Penguin Classics edition of Irving’s A History of New York.
**********
SLEEPY HOLLOW EVENTS, FEATURING ELIZABETH BRADLEY
Brooklyn, NY
Headless Horseman Variety Show October 16
The Morbid Anatomy Museum - 8pm
New York, NY
New York, NY
Reading of the Legend, featuring Lev Grossman, October 29
Megan Abbott, Randy Cohen and Tonya Hurley - 7pm
**********
“It is an early American horror story...And that’s why people know it.
Because it’s got the kind of symbolism that good fairy tales or horror stories have.”
—Tim Burton
—Tim Burton
**********
Introduction and Notes by Elizabeth L. Bradley
Penguin Classics - $11.00
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
This Is The Water Yannick Murphy
The first two words in the title of the book is the way Ms. Murphy began many sentences in THIS IS THE WATER, and it seems to be her writing style. To me, it was an odd, unique style and took a bit of getting used to.
THIS IS THE WATER is about a swim team, the parents of the swimmers, and about a murder that affected the entire community.
I was looking
for a mystery, but found a book mostly about swimming and the personal
lives of the team's parents.
It was a bit difficult to get started because of how the book was written. The book did keep you guessing, though, about who the murderer was that was killing young girls at rest stops. When it was revealed, the scene was quite scary, and the murderer was someone you wouldn't expect.I continued to read the book because I wanted to find out how it would end, but I did skim quite a few pages. 2/5
This book was given to me and my book club as a win in a contest on TLC. No compensation was given, and this review is my opinion.
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