Library Sale!

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My public library’s semi-annual sale was this weekend, and I’m pretty excited about my book haul!

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Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life — I love Wodehouse’s work but know nothing about his life (except that the P.G. stands for Pelham Grenville, which is amazing). Looking forward to learning more!

Lisa Hilton, Queens Consort: England’s Medieval Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York — Medieval queens are the best! Ominously, the subtitle is incorrect, as the first queen discussed is Matilda of Flanders, the wife of William the Conqueror. Hopefully the book itself won’t contain such egregious errors.

Rose Macaulay, The Towers of Trebizond — Humorous portrayal of Anglican missionaries in the Middle East.

E.F. Benson, Lucia in London / Mapp and Lucia — I’ve been told that, as a fan of 20th century British fiction, I really need to read the Mapp and Lucia novels.

Martin Edwards, ed., Murder at the Manor: Country House Mysteries — Short stories generally aren’t my favorite, but I cannot resist an English country house mystery (or the British Library Crime Classics imprint!).

Anthony Wynne, Murder of a Lady: A Scottish Mystery — Another British Library Crime Classic.

Eva Ibbotson, Which Witch? — I love Ibbotson’s books for adults, but I’ve never tried one of her children’s books. This one looks adorable and should be a great choice for the 24-hour readathon!

Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making — I’ve been meaning to try this one for a while. I also have one of Valente’s books for adults, but from what I’ve heard, she seems like an author I’ll probably need to ease into.

Sharon Kay Penman, A King’s Ransom — My SKP collection is now complete.

V.E. Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic — I’ve already read and loved this book, but I couldn’t resist the hardcover in pristine condition!

Kate Parker, The Vanishing Thief — First in a mystery series set in Victorian London, and the heroine is a bookseller. Seems relevant to my interests! 🙂

E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady — This one’s been on my TBR list for ages.

Jennifer Nielsen, The False Prince — This book has been compared to the Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, which I love.

C.S. Harris, When Gods Die and Why Mermaids Sing — Books two and three in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series, which is set in Regency England. I already have book one, so I’m excited to continue acquiring the series.

I also bought two DVDs, Letters to Juliet and Becoming Jane, both of which I have seen and enjoyed. And the best part is, I was able to fit all my new books on my shelves without too much rearranging!

Review: The Sky Is Everywhere

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sky-is-everywhere-theJandy Nelson, The Sky Is Everywhere

Ever since the sudden, tragic death of her sister Bailey, Lennie has basically shut down. She doesn’t talk to anyone, not even her best friend or her grandmother. Her only consolations are reading Wuthering Heights for the umpteenth time and writing poetry about her sister, which she leaves in bits and pieces all over town. A month after Bailey’s death, Lennie returns to school and band practice on autopilot — that is, until she meets the new kid, Joe, who is both an amazing musician and an impossibly handsome boy. Joe is a shock to her system, and her instant crush on him actually seems to be requited. But Lennie is struggling with several conflicting emotions, including fear and guilt that she is betraying Bailey by continuing to live her life. Then there’s Bailey’s boyfriend Toby, who is turning to Lennie to ease his grief because she’s the only one who understands. As Lennie sorts out her complicated personal life, she also slowly begins to work through her grief.

I really loved Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun, so I had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one quite as much, although I still thought it was a good read. Much as Lennie annoyed me sometimes — she spends a lot of the novel preoccupied by Joe and/or Toby — her actions did seem realistic to me. The romance was ultimately very sweet, but my favorite part of the book was the portrayal of Lennie and Bailey’s relationship. They’re only a year apart, and they’ve always been very close, with Lennie looking up to Bailey as the older and more extroverted sister. But in the aftermath of Bailey’s death, Lennie realizes that Bailey kept some secrets from her. She also learns that her admiration of Bailey has actually prevented her from following her own dreams, because she always felt that Bailey was the one who deserved the spotlight. I thought this relationship was very complex and interesting, and I’m glad Nelson spent so much time on it, although the romantic story was a little thinner as a result. Overall, I would still recommend this book, even though it didn’t quite grab me in the same way that I’ll Give You the Sun did.

Review: The Invisible Library

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invisible-library-theGenevieve Cogman, The Invisible Library

Irene works for the Library, a vast repository of writings from all over the multiverse. As far as she knows, the Library’s sole purpose is to collect these writings, with an emphasis on works that are particularly rare or influential. In general, Irene’s job is to locate a work requested by one of the Library’s higher-ups and retrieve that work from a particular world. Missions vary in difficulty based on whether the world is more orderly or more chaotic. When Irene is saddled with a brand-new assistant, Kai, and sent to a world whose balance is tipping toward chaos, she knows her latest job won’t be easy. And when Irene and Kai land in an alternate version of Victorian London, they soon learn that the general tendency toward chaos is the least of their problems. Murder, mayhem, and magic abound — but will Irene survive long enough to differentiate friend from foe?

This book is a really fun and unique fantasy novel. I loved the concept of the Library and was intrigued by the hints that something shady might be going on. At the beginning, Irene is blindly devoted to the Library and sees the preservation of literature as the highest goal. She has no interest in saving the world — or, more correctly, one of the infinite worlds that comprise the multiverse. But as she spends more time in one particular world for this mission, she starts to wonder whether there are additional moral and ethical factors to consider. I also really enjoyed the various fantasy and mystery elements in the novel. For example, Irene and Kai team up with a private investigator, and Irene is excited to fulfill her childhood dream of working with a Holmes-esque “great detective.” I was a little disappointed in the main antagonist, who is introduced as a Big Bad and remains a Big Bad throughout. But other character relationships were more fleshed out and less predictable. All in all, I think this is a very promising start to the (planned) trilogy, and I look forward to reading book two!

Review: The Darkness Knows

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Darkness Knows, TheCheryl Honigford, The Darkness Knows

It’s 1938, and actress Vivian Witchell has just landed her first big role on a popular radio show called “The Darkness Knows.” Although she has a privileged background and still lives with her mother, a leading light of Chicago society, Viv is determined to succeed in her chosen career. She knows showbiz can be cutthroat, and she doesn’t shy away from competing with her fellow actresses, both for roles and for her handsome costar Graham Yarborough’s attentions. But when a famous actress at the radio station is murdered, Viv learns that the business is even more dangerous than she knew — especially when an anonymous letter hints that she might be the next victim. The police are immediately called to investigate the murder, but the station also calls private detective Charlie Haverman to protect Viv in case the murderer decides to strike again. Charlie wants Viv to stay away from the station and stay out of trouble, but of course Viv has other ideas. Can they unmask the murderer together before Viv or anyone else becomes the next victim?

I really enjoyed this book! The mystery, while not particularly innovative, was solid, and I loved the period setting. Viv is a clever, spunky heroine whose lively narrative voice is lots of fun to follow. I did find her somewhat annoying at times; like many amateur sleuths, she takes far too many risks and races into danger without thinking about the consequences. I also found her attitude toward wealth and privilege to be a bit confusing — she insists she wants to make it on her own, but she doesn’t mind enjoying the benefits that come from living with her rich mother. I hope the issue of social class will be explored a lot more in the sequel(s) that will hopefully follow this book. I also really liked Charlie, although his characterization as a tough, streetwise detective veers toward the stereotypical at times. The banter and chemistry between Viv and Charlie is a highlight of the novel, and I enjoyed their interactions more than the slow unraveling of the whodunit. Overall, if you like the premise of this novel, it’s a very enjoyable debut, and I definitely look forward to continuing with the series.

Review: The Storyteller and Her Sisters

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Storyteller and Her Sisters, TheCheryl Mahoney, The Storyteller and Her Sisters

This companion novel to The Wanderers centers around storytelling princess Lyra and her eleven sisters. All their lives, the twelve princesses have known about the enchanted forest beneath their father’s castle. The forest’s trees have silver, gold, and diamond branches, enough wealth to buy their kingdom many times over. But the enchantment is an evil one, corrupting anyone not strong enough to resist its whispers of wealth at any cost — including their father. The king insists that his daughters have the power to access the forest, but Lyra and her sisters steadily resist. Eventually, however, they do enter the forest and find something unexpected: twelve princes who need the girls’ help to break a curse on their faraway kingdom. But when the king suspects that his daughters have entered the forest without him, he claims the girls themselves are cursed and offers a reward to any champion who can break the “curse.” Will Lyra and her sisters be able to save the princes before the king discovers what they’re up to and puts a stop to it for good?

I liked this book, which is a well-told but not particularly original retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Not every character is well developed — several princesses and their corresponding princes aren’t in the story at all, apart from a brief mention of their names — but Lyra and her prince, Dastan, are pretty three-dimensional. Lyra at first defines herself solely as “the sister who like stories,” but she eventually comes to realize that she is unique in other ways, too. The romance was cute, and I liked that Lyra is torn between her love for Dastan and her desire to be independent. As I mentioned above, this novel is a companion to The Wanderers; if you’ve read that book, you’ll remember Jasper and Julie’s involvement with this story, but you won’t be missing anything if you haven’t read it. I found the writing style of this book a little clumsy and choppy at first, but as I got further into the story, I didn’t notice the prose as much. I would recommend this book to fairytale lovers, especially those who don’t mind reading books geared toward the younger end of the YA spectrum.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR

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Top 10 TuesdayFall is here, and the weather has finally recognized that fact, so it’s a great time for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic: 10 books on your fall TBR list. I’m too much of a scaredy-cat to read actual horror, but a lot of the books on my list are spooky, gothic, Halloween-appropriate reads. I’m also excited to read a few new/upcoming releases, and then there are the fluffy romances that I’ll be enjoying during the 24-hour readathon in October! So, in no particular order…

1. Carl Hiaasen, Skink — No Surrender — I’ve had an ARC of this book since Book Expo America 2014. Time to finally read it!

2. Jay Kristoff, Nevernight — My lovely former secret sister Natasha (go visit her at A Binding Attraction!) got me a signed copy of this book! We’re going to buddy-read it in October. 🙂

3. Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane — Halloween is the perfect time for some creepy, magical Neil Gaiman.

4. Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom — I wasn’t blown away by the Grisha trilogy, but I loved Six of Crows and am dying to find out what happens to everyone in this sequel!

5. Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle — I’ve never read anything by Shirley Jackson but have always been curious. My impression is that her books will be creepy enough to get me in the autumnal spirit without actually, you know, terrifying me.

6. Emma Mills, This Adventure Ends — I thought First & Then was very cute, so I’m definitely looking forward to reading Mills’s new book!

7. Connie Willis,  Crosstalk — My most anticipated release of 2016 by a mile! I’m such a Connie Willis fan, and this techno-rom-com sounds right up my alley!

8. Donna Moore, Old Dogs — The description of this one caught my eye: “Two septugenarian sisters take the classic heist to new levels in this addictive caper.” Sounds delightful, no?

9. Kasie West, P.S. I Like You — A young adult version of “You’ve Got Mail” is the perfect book for Hour 22 of the readathon!

10. Lindsey Kelk, We Were on a Break — Huzzah, a new Lindsey Kelk book is coming out! Obviously I’ll need to read it immediately.

Top Ten Tuesday: All-time favorite historical fiction

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Top 10 TuesdayThis week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a tough one–we’re asked to list our all-time favorite books in a particular genre! Personally, it takes a lot for me to characterize a book as an all-time favorite. Then there’s the fact that I read in a variety of genres, so it’s hard for me to pick 10 books in just one genre that I’d consider all-time favorites. That said, here’s my list of top 10 all-time favorite works of historical fiction,* some of which can be classified in other genres as well! In no particular order:

1. Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel — It may not be the greatest novel from a literary standpoint, but it will always hold a special place in my heart! A French Revolution setting, spies disguised as dandies, swashbuckling heroes who rescue those in peril, and a wonderfully swoony romance all combine to make this one of my favorite books.

2. Sharon Kay Penman, Here Be Dragons — Sharon Kay Penman is one of my absolute favorite authors: She makes the Middle Ages come to life.  I’ve read and enjoyed most of her books, but my favorite is the Welsh trilogy, which starts with Here Be Dragons. It’s a fascinating blend of fact and fiction about a Welsh prince who strives to unite his people against the encroaching English barons. I’m making it sound dry, but it’s actually full of romance, action, and political machinations!

3. Georgette Heyer, The Grand Sophy — To be honest, I could populate this entire list with Georgette Heyer novels. She truly is the queen of Regency romance! The Grand Sophy is probably my favorite of her novels (although Cotillion and Sylvester are right up there as well!). It features a delightful cast of characters, a strong-willed heroine, and a tightly wound hero with a surprisingly kind heart. An utter delight from start to finish!

4. Kate Ross, Cut to the Quick — I don’t know why the Julian Kestrel mysteries aren’t more popular, but everyone who has read them will tell you they’re absolutely fantastic! The protagonist is a Regency dandy who solves crimes. If that doesn’t intrigue and excite you, I don’t know what will!

5. Elizabeth Wein, Code Name Verity — This is one of the more recent additions to my all-time favorites list. It’s an intense, compelling story of the friendship between two girls who are both “doing their bit” in World War II, one as a pilot and the other as a spy. Although I sobbed through the last 60 pages or so, I absolutely loved this book!

6. Robin McKinley, The Outlaws of Sherwood — I encountered Robin McKinley at an impressionable age, and I think I basically imprinted onto her books like a baby duckling. Her books are generally shelved as fantasy, but I think The Outlaws of Sherwood is more like historical fiction. There’s no magic or anything; the only fantasy element is that the main characters are Robin Hood and his merry men (and women!). For me, this book will always be the true Robin Hood story.

7. Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, Sorcery and Cecelia — Regency England + romance + magic = my personal recipe for a fantastic book! This novel has it all, AND it’s epistolary!

8. Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society — I loved this epistolary novel set just after World War II, when a journalist strikes up a correspondence with several people who live on the island of Guernsey and learns about their wartime experiences. The voices of the various characters are wonderful, and I enjoyed their kindness toward one another, as well as their shared love of literature.

9. Mary Doria Russell, Doc — I haven’t read many Westerns and am not particularly interested in the genre. But when I read Doc, I immediately thought, “This is why I love historical fiction.” The novel completely immersed me in the dusty, lawless setting of the American West, and I found protagonist Doc Holliday as compelling as he was complex. I forced my mom (another reader who’s indifferent to Westerns) to read it also, and she was equally blown away!

10. Ellis Peters, One Corpse Too Many — I’ve often sung the praises of the Brother Cadfael novels, which feature a crime-solving Benedictine monk in 12th-century Shrewsbury. This novel (book #2 in the series) remains my favorite, probably because it introduces one of my literary crushes, Hugh Beringar!

*Note: My definition of historical fiction is novels that are set in an earlier time period than the one in which they were written. This means that Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities would be historical fiction (written in 1859, set during the French Revolution), but Bleak House would not (written and set in the mid-19th century). It also means that, much as I adore Jane Austen’s novels, none of them appear on this list!

Top Ten Tuesday: TV talk

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Top 10 Tuesday Since the fall TV season is coming up, this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about television! As someone who watches more than her fair share of TV, I had no problem coming up with a list of ten TV shows I’ll be watching this fall. I’ve even limited my list to shows that will be airing new content in the fall, not old shows that I plan to binge-watch on DVD or Netflix!

1. Conviction (season 1), September 19, ABC — To be honest, the trailer doesn’t do a lot for me, and I’m kind of over case-of-the-week procedurals in general. On the other hand, I loved Hayley Atwell so much in Agent Carter that I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to any show she’s starring in!

2. The Good Place (season 1), September 19, NBC — I’m super excited for this new half-hour comedy, and my reasons are threefold. First, it’s created by Mike Schur, who worked on The Office and co-created Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (ahem, see below!). Second, it stars Kristen Bell, who was Veronica Mars, nuff said. And third, one of the writers is Demi Adejuyigbe, who co-hosts the brilliant Gilmore Guys podcast. A show with this many awesome people involved is a show I need to watch!

3. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (season 4), September 20, FOX — I mean, for this alone.

4. New Girl (season 6), September 20, FOX — I love the specific weirdness of the characters on this show. The individual episode plots are very hit-or-miss, and poor Winston is basically a grab bag full of crazy at this point…and yet, Nick Miller ranting will never not be funny.

5. This Is Us (season 1), September 20, NBC — I don’t really know what this one is about, but it stars Milo Ventimiglia, and I have a lot of Gilmore Girls nostalgia right now, so I’ll give it a try!

6. Pitch (season 1), September 22, FOX — The premise of this one caught my eye: the protagonist is the first female pitcher in major league baseball. I don’t care about sports, but I tend to love sports-related movies and TV shows (hello, Friday Night Lights!).

7. Poldark (season 2), September 25, PBS — I love a good costume drama, and the gorgeous footage of Cornwall makes Poldark especially pleasant to watch.

8. The Durrells in Corfu (season 1), October 16, PBS — Yup, I sure do love a good costume drama! 🙂 And this one looks quite funny and charming.

9. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (season 2), October 21, CW — I was skeptical of this show at first, but I’m so glad I decided to give it a try because it is BRILLIANT! I can never decide which musical number is my favorite: this boy band homage, this Fred-and-Ginger routine, or this up-tempo number about a…personal ailment.

10. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, November 25, Netflix — YOU GUYS, THE GILMORE GIRLS REVIVAL IS COMING!!! Gilmore is my all-time favorite show, despite some rocky episodes (okay, seasons) near the end. I’m really excited that it’s coming back–helmed, as it should be, by Amy Sherman-Palladino–and can’t wait to see what all my beloved characters have been up to!