Hello everybody – hope you are all keeping safe. I am lucky enough to be exclusively working from home and as I do so, I am trying to create a mental health routine of comfort reading, writing, going for…
Fiction
Title: Oona Out of Order Author: Margarita Montimore Genre: Fiction (Speculative Fiction) Publisher: Flatiron BooksPublication date: February 25 2020Hardcover: 352 pages A remarkably inventive novel that explores what it means to live a life fully in the moment, even…
Title: The Swallows Author: Lisa Lutz Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Ballantine BooksPublication date: August 13 2019Hardcover: 368 pages What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want? It starts with this simple writing prompt from…
Title: A Study in Scarlet Women Author: Sherry Thomas Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Berkeley Publication date: October 2016 Paperback: 323 With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex…
Title: The Dark Between Author: Sonia Gensler Genre: Horror, Historical (Victorian), Mystery, Young Adult Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers Publication Date: August 2013 Hardcover: 352 Pages A supernatural romance about the powers that lie in the shadows of…
Belle Epoque: Elizabeth Ross on Inspirations & Influences (& Giveaway)
“Inspirations and Influences” is a series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspirations and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free rein so they can go wild…
Title: Joyland Author: Stephen King Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller (Ghosts/Horror) Publisher: Hard Case Crime Publication Date: June 2013 Paperback: 283 Pages Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in…
Joint Review: A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
Title: A Spear of Summer Grass Author: Deanna Raybourn Genre: Historical Romance Publisher: Harlequin Mira Publication date: April 30th 2013 Paperback: 384 pages Paris, 1923 The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris…
It’s Friday so this means we are over at Kirkus! This week, Thea reviews Urban Fantasy (with a twist of historical fantasy) novel Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein. With only some reservations, Thea loved this book for…
Title: Jepp, Who Defied the Stars Author: Katherine Marsh Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Hyperion Children (Disney) Publication Date: October 2012 Hardcover: 384Pages Fate: Is it written in the stars from the moment we are born? Or is…
Title: Venom Author: Fiona Paul Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult Publisher: Philomel (Penguin Young Readers) Publication Date: October 2012 Hardcover: 432 Pages Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her…
Today, we are taking part in the Venom blog tour, celebrating the release of the debut YA historical novel from Fiona Paul. Each stop on the tour reveals a new excerpt for “Venomous” – a short story prequel to…
As you might know, last weekend was New York Comic Con 2012 – a ginormous event, drawing in over 100,000 geeks of all fandoms and followings. I was one of the many fans at the convention, taking in panels,…
Title: The FitzOsbornes at War Author: Michelle Cooper Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Afred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers (US) / Random House Australia Publication Date: October 2012 / April 2012 Hardcover: 560 Pages Sophie FitzOsborne and…
Title: Between Shades of Gray Author: Ruta Sepetys Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Philomel Books Publication Date: March 2011 (HC) Hardcover: 344 Pages Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws,…
Title: The FitzOsbornes in Exile Author: Michelle Cooper Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, WWII Publisher: Random House Australia (Aus) / Knopf Books for Young Readers (US) Publication Date: August 2010 (Aus) / April 2011 (US) Hardcover: 464 Pages (US)…
Title: Briar Rose Author: Jane Yolen Genre: Historical, Fairy Tale, Mystery, Young Adult Publisher: Tor Publication Date: August 1992 (original) Paperback: 239 pages (reprint) A powerful retelling of Sleeping Beauty that is “heartbreaking and heartwarming.” An American Library Association…
Title: Cleopatra’s Moon Author: Vicky Alvear Shecter Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic) Publication Date: August 2011 Hardcover: 384 pages “The Luxe” meets the ancient world in the extraordinary story of Cleopatra’s daughter. Selene…
Today we are thrilled to bring you the first in an ongoing series of page-to-screen reviews and author interviews, starting with the incredible bestselling sensation Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Our movie reviewing Smuggler, Lavanya Narasimhan, had the…
Title: When She Woke Author: Hillary Jordan Genre: Dystopian, Speculative Fiction Publisher: Algonquin Books Publication Date: October 2011 Hardcover: 352 pages Hannah Payne’s life has been devoted to church and family, but after her arrest, she awakens to a…
Title: The Berlin Boxing Club Author: Robert Sharenow Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Harper Teen Publication date: April 2011 Hardcover: 416 pages Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But to the bullies at…
Title: Triangle Author: Katharine Weber Genre: Literary Fiction Publisher: Picador Publication Date: May 2007 Paperback: 256 Pages By the time she dies at age 106, Esther Gottesfeld, the last survivor of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, has told the story…
To date, Ana has been the one with a monopoly on these “I Love This Series” posts – but finally it is my turn! *insert evil cackle* Today, I’d like to tell you a bit about a series called…
Title: Bound Author: Donna Jo Napoli Genre: Historical Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Atheneum Publication Date: November 2004 Hardcover: 192 pages YOUNG XING XING IS BOUND. Bound to her father’s second wife and daughter after Xing Xing’s father…
Welcome to Smugglivus 2010: Day 15 Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors, bloggers and publishers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2010, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2011.…