Review - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Published: January 2011 by Penguin Books
Source: Finished Copy Provided by the Publisher
Rating: 5+ Stars

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. 

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. Her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. She has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. 

I honestly don't know where to start. Harkness took my soul, wrapped it around her pinky finger, and watched as her words made it glow in the darkness. Not only could I escape reality every moment I picked this novel up, but I felt the main characters' feelings. When they were heartbroken, my heart bled. When they were eloped in passion, i had naughty thoughts (and may have told the boyfriend). When they were scared, but brave... well you understand. 

Back to the basics.. we have Diana Bishop, a witch who has chosen to refuse her own powers and instead has focused her life on being a professional academic. She calls up a mysterious manuscript from Oxford's library, realizes it has been spelled, and promptly sends it back. The problem is all of the creatures have perked up. Witches, vampires, and daemons alike are all vying for the manuscript that may hold the answer to how each creature was created.  In steps Matthew Clairmont, a gentlemen/scientist/vampire whom we all start to swoon over. Which is the only proper response.

"He held me while I spoke, and when I couldn't speak, and when I cried."

Matthew wants the manuscript just like anyone else, but then he takes an interest in Diana. In her professional and personal life. He starts to see her as more than just another witch. Diana has always ignored her heritage as a witch. She has focused her entire life on her education and her professional and has earned all of her merits the good old fashioned way. Matthew tests Diana to be who she is. A man pushing a woman to be herself? 

Can we love this man anymore? NO. The answer is no. I've decided to stop here. I don't want to ruin for you the AMAZINGNESS that happens with Diana and Matthew, but I'm sure you can imagine the storm the is a brewing. All I can say is if you enjoy some fantasy, some adult love, and amazing writing... just go buy this book. And then the sequel. And then the third book in the trilogy. 

Review - The Deep by Nick Cutter

The Deep by Nick Cutter
Published: January 2015 by Gallery Books
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5+ Stars

From the acclaimed author of The Troop—which Stephen King raved “scared the hell out of me and I couldn’t put it down.…old-school horror at its best”—comes this utterly terrifying novel where The Abyss meets The Shining.

A strange plague called the ’Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys…then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily…and there is no cure. But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. It may just be the key to a universal cure. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But now the station is incommunicado, and it’s up to a brave few to descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine. 

This book reminded me of the movie Sphere with Dustin Hoffman, except this book actually was terrifying. I couldn't tell if things were real or not, and if/when I did.. it was too late for the character. I was sucked into the mind of the narrator and his worst nightmares (some of which were real turned out to be real) come to life and just scare the hell out of you. The world-building aspect of this novel was on par for me. Not too much detail, not too little. We get a sneak peek of the world slowly being consumed by the 'Gets, which was terrifying in itself, but we also got to go eight miles under the sea to cramped labs and living quarters. 

As for the scare factor... an example, (and I don't think this qualifies as a spoiler), but millipedes. MILLIPEDES. They freaked the narrator out his whole life and then he would imagine them (or were they real?) and the detail of them... the scratching noises their legs make, the squishy noise of their bodies sliding and curving to push forward. The imagery Nick Cutter created seriously made my skin crawl.

Besides the scare factor and world-building, the plot kept me fixated completely. I was rooting for the narrator the entire time and there never was a dull moment. The narrator honestly want to help his brother, who would in turn help the world by curing the 'Gets. But still.. the creep factor is what held this novel together for me. 

I mostly read at night in bed and I literally got up a few times and flipped my sheets up because my legs itched. I really enjoyed this book, but I'll be honest and tell you now it was a complete mind-bender. I'm still waiting for nightmares from reading this. I'm sure it'll happen soon enough and I'll update you all with the juicy details!

Review - The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
Published: October 18th 2011 by Simon & Schuster
Source: Crazy Book Tours

Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines.

I was so excited when I received this book for review. Historical fiction was my first love and it has been a while since I went back to it. In this regard, The Lady of the Rivers did not let me down. It was full of everything we love in a book.. romance, war, family, love, betrayal, power, and even a little magic.

Jacquetta is the kind of woman we all love to read about. She is loyal to her husbands, can do know wrong and she possesses a unique gift. She can see the future. But she cannot just call upon anything she wants to see and she only sees spinets. The life she leads.. having so many children, always at the queen's side because of friendship, and staying loyal to her king even when she had her doubts.. this makes for an extraordinary book. Not once was there a slow moment in this entire book. I was utterly captivated and immersed until the end. I recommend this for any historical fiction lover. You will love it.

You can follow the rest of blog tour here.

Review - Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Published: 2011 by Atria
Source: Crazy Book Tours

Three female friends face midlife crises in a no-holds-barred exploration of sex, marriage, and the fragility of life.

Holly: Filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, she sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Will it bring the fulfillment she is searching for?

Andrea: A single mom and avowed celibate, she watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for - a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband?

Marissa: She has more than her fair share of challenges - a gay, rebellious teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts.

As one woman’s marriage unravels, another’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s reconfigures into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Unflinchingly honest, emotionally powerful, surprisingly erotic, Triangles is the ultimate page-turner. Hopkins’s gorgeous, expertly honed poetic verse perfectly captures the inner lives of her characters. Sometimes it happens like that. Sometimes you just get lost.

Get lost in the world of Triangles, where the lives of three unforgettable women intersect, and where there are no easy answers.

I have a steadfast love/hate relationship with this book. I hated how some of the women cheated. No one condones cheating, but this was a part of what the book was about. It was hard for me at first to feel for the women who had cheated. I'll admit, I was prejudiced towards them completely. I did what every reader does and related the characters to myself and for me, it just did not compute. But then my eyes started to open. These women suffered. They bore the grief of their families and tried so hard to numb the pain. Someone doesn't just wake up one day and say, "Hey! I'm going to cheat on my husband!" At least these women didn't. I'm sure there are plenty of people in the world who do wake up and think that, but that's a whole other discussion. I believe it takes small steps that eventually lead a normal person with morality to cheat. Once again, I do not think cheating is ok by any means at all, but after reading Triangles, I can see how small things in life can lead a person to cheat.

This was my first verse novel and just... wow. The stanzas, the poem-like writing worried me at first. I didn't want to read a book of poems. I discovered that verse novels are not like that by any means. Far from it, actually. Triangles read just like a prose novel. The words were simply... beautiful. This will definitely not be the only verse novel I will read.

I know that Ellen Hopkins' other books are all YA. I read how Ellen hopes Triangles, her first adult novel, will appeal to the people who grew up reading her YA novels are now adults. Even though this is the first novel I've read by her, I can't help but feel comforted that she thought of her readers like that... how she wanted her writing to transcend genres with us. I will definitely have to dive into her YA novels now!

A special thanks to Shannon and Ashley for talking to me after I finished reading this book. They helped me collect my thoughts and bring them together to write a review that is acutally readable. Thanks, ladies!

Stop by the other blogs participating in the Triangles blog tour hosted by Crazy Book Tours here.

Review - Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane
Published: 2011 by Dutton Adult 

Source: Crazy Book Tours

Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn't fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides — one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.

Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he’s one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he’s sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his singleminded, bloody purpose fades away.

Before Maria, Joseph’s only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world. As Children of Paranoia reaches its heart-in-throat climax, Joseph will learn that only one rule remains immutable: the only thing more dangerous than fighting the war... is leaving it.

So this book is totally different from my usual genres. That being said.. I really enjoyed it! I actually commented on Goodreads while I was reading it wondering what genre this book is and guess who commented back?! Trevor Shane!! He took the words right out of my mouth and called it a genre stew. I love it. I would label this book as dystopian, action-packed, adventurous, suspenseful with a splash of romance. 

The main character, Joe, is an assassin. Yup, he definitely kills people for a living and he does it seamlessly in the first chapter. He is a part of one of two faction. There's the good guys and then the bad guys. He believes he's on the good side. But is there really a way to tell? Both sides kill people. While I can't honestly say they kill innocent people, but some of them are elderly, they are moms and dads, brothers and sisters. This war though and Joe believes his cause transcends morality. Besides his job, Joe is just like us. He eats, sleeps, watches TV, and has a mom. While his job does make him a recluse and non-committal in relationships, I could still identify with him in some way. 

While on a job, Joe does meet an interesting girl in a way interesting way. I won't spoil the surprise for you, but it did get a chuckle out of me. Here's where the splash of romance comes in. He's never had a girlfriend. Basically, he can't have one. But will his sudden affection deter him way from his destiny? 

Trevor Shane did a great job regarding world building with this book. The dystopian-feel was amazing, but I am a little bias on that comment since it is becoming one of my favorite genres. This book isn't for the faint of heart.. it does have some blood and guts, but what book about an assassin wouldn't? I really did enjoy my foray into a new kind of book that I never thought would be on my shelf. You should give it a try.

Blog Tour - Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

all wars have rules

rule #1: no killing innocent bystanders

rule #2: no killing anyone under the age of eighteen

break the rules, become the target
 

Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn’t fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides — one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.


Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he’s one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he’s sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his singleminded, bloody purpose fades away.


Before Maria, Joseph’s only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world. As Children of Paranoia reaches its heart-in-throat climax, Joseph will learn that only one rule remains immutable: the only thing more dangerous than fighting the war. . .is leaving it. 

Book Trailer

About the Author

Trevor Shane lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. This is his first novel, and the first in the trilogy.


Find Trevor At...
Website
Twitter
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Children of Paranoia on Facebook
Read an Excerpt of the Book

Interview with Trevor Shane

What inspired you to write Children of Paranoia?

I wanted to write a hugely entertaining series with a nuanced, even complicated view of good and evil.  I think a lot of the really entertaining grand struggle books (many of which I love) ultimately have a kind of snarling, mustache twirling villain who claims his dedication to the dark-side at the end.  In the real world, these struggles are more often between different sides that all truly believe that they are the good guys.  So I open my book with the protagonist committing what, to most sane people, appears to be this horrible act and everything else flows from there.     

What are some of your favorite books?

I try to read a lot of different genres and different authors and try to read both the really popular stuff and some more obscure books.  I loved the Harry Potter series and really enjoyed the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.  I read, and liked, the first Hunger Games book but haven’t had time to get to the second and third ones yet.  My all-time favorite books, however, have to be Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernst Hemingway.  I’m a stickler for a good ending and those two books have two of the best endings of any books I've ever read. 

Did you have much say in the cover of your book?

The team at Dutton designed it.  They asked for my opinion but it’s honestly hard to say whether or not they would have listened to my opinion because I loved what they did on the very first shot.  I remember telling my agent that I really liked the cover but that I would probably just defer to the professionals on this one anyway (I've always thought of a book cover as more of a marketing exercise than part of the book and I am anything but a seasoned marketer).  My agent warned me not to trust the professionals too much because they often do a crappy job with their first attempt at book covers but that they did a great job with Children of Paranoia.  She was as excited about the cover as I was.  Still, her advice was probably good advice, though I hope to never have to follow it because I hope I to keep getting to work with great people who love and understand my books.

When can we expect to read your next book?

Book II, tentatively titled Children of the Underground, should come out next fall.  It’s the second book in the Children of Paranoia trilogy and I’m really excited about where it’s going to take readers.  Now that I've gotten such positive feedback on the first book, I’m really inspired to try to break new ground with the second book and shock and thrill people by bringing them to places that they didn't expect and making them feel things that surprise them.  I feel like every book is an exercise in setting your readers’ expectations and then a dance between when you should meet those expectations and when you should subvert them.  This dance gets even more magnified when you’re writing a series.   

Tour Schedule

10/11 - Kritters Ramblings   http://www.krittersramblings.com                       
10/12 - Ravishing Reads   http://ravishingreads.blogspot.com                        
10/13 - My Utopia   http://myutopia36.blogspot.com/                           
10/14 - Reader Girls   http://readergirls.blogspot.com                          
10/16 - Mental Foodie   http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com                             
10/17 - Rants~N~Scribbles   http://rantsnscribbles.blogspot.com       
10/18 - Sinnful Books   http://sinnfulbooks.blogspot.com                         
10/19 - A Bookish Affair   http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/                           
10/20 - Between the Covers   http://www.betweenthecoversblog.net/               
10/21 - The Fiction Enthusiast   http://thefictionenthusiast.blogspot.com/      
10/22 - Proud Book Nerd   http://proudbooknerd.com/                           
10/23 - Book Hooked   http://www.bookhookedblog.com                           
10/24 - Girls in the Stacks   http://www.girlsinthestacks.com                          
10/25 - All I Ever Read   http://books.nicoleabouttown.com  


Don't forget to drop by the other tour stops for more Children of Paranoia info!! :)

Blog Tour - Parallel by Claudia Lefeve + Giveaway

Welcome to the 7th stop of Parallel's blog tour!! I am so happy to be participating in this tour! I absolutely loved Claudia Lefeve's novel, Parallel. (Review to come!) I had the opportunity to interview Claudia, but first here's a little info about her and her book.

Claudia Lefeve was born and raised in the Gulf Coast border town of Brownsville, Texas; a curious place where folks see curanderas in lieu of shrinks, tortillas are served at every meal, and even gringos speak Spanish. Parallel, the first book in The Travelers series, is her debut YA speculative novel. She currently resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and two pugs.

Destiny has a way of catching up.Saddled with powers she doesn’t understand, Etta Fleming’s world turned upside-down the day she meets Cooper Everett, the man who transports her to an alternate reality. A reality she was meant to be a part of.One minute, she’s an orphan living in Dominion House for Girls, an institution for delinquent foster kids, then finds herself attending the exclusive Dominion Hall Academy.Plucked from the only world she’s ever known, Etta now has to deal with an aunt she never knew, a boyfriend she doesn’t know, and a best friend who can’t know.

Parallel also has a new book cover! What do you think?

And now here's Claudia!

Before we begin the interview, I’d like to thank Lauren for having me here on Ravishing Reads and for being a fabulous host during my blog tour!

What inspired you to write this book?
I've always been fascinated by the concept of alternate realities and time-travel, even though I'm not a fan of science fiction (I know, right?). When I set out to write Parallel, I also wanted to focus on the study of psionics (psychic abilities, fringe science, etc.). I wanted readers to be introduced to the scientific principles of the paranormal versus writing about vampires, werewolves, or witches. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good vampire story, but I hope my readers will appreciate something different.

What are some of your favorite books?
That's so not a fair question! I read, on average, two to four books a week. I'm also guilty of re-reading books. I don't think I can pick a favorite book, but as far a genres, I love reading cozy mysteries, horror, paranormal romance, young adult, and police procedurals. I go through phases when I read and right now I'm really into young adult paranormal. Last fall, it was all about mysteries.

Did you have much say in the cover of your book?
As an indie author, I have complete control over my cover art. One of the things that led me to go the indie route was the ability to have complete control over my books. Before I decided to take the plunge and publish on my own, I used to worry that I'd be published by a mainstream publisher and get stuck with a horrible cover.

When can we expect to read your next book?
The second book in the series, Paradox, will continue where Parallel left off. I don't want to give away too much, but I can say that Etta will learn more about her role on the Council, will be introduced to the dystopian conditions of Cooper's reality, and you’ll even find her traipsing around realities, in order to round up her team of travelers to take down Oliver.

And now what you've all been waiting for...

THE GIVEAWAY!

I am giving away an ebook of Parallel (open internationally!!). All you have to do is comment on this post with your email address. Each day on each blog, one ebook of Parallel is being given away.

In addition to the daily giveaway, each comment will enter contestants into the grand prize giveaway for a chance to win a Parallel prize pack complete with a gorgeous bracelet, a travel coffee mug with the Battle Grounds logo (Battle Grounds is a fictional coffee shop that figures throughout Parallel), an ebook of the book and a eReader skin (Nook, Kindle or Kobo – winner’s choice) and a signed, hard copy of Parallel!

Just comment here to enter! Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out the other tour stops! :)

Monday, October 3rd - Alice Marvels

Tuesday, October 4th - Librarian Mouse

Wednesday, October 5th - Smitten with Books

Thursday, October 6th - My Shelf Confessions

Friday, October 7th - Bewitched Bookworms

Monday, October 10th - Kindle Fever

Tuesday, October 11st - Ravishing Reads

Wednesday, October 12nd - The Book Faery

Thursday, October 13th- I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read

Friday, October 14th - Chick Loves Lit

Monday, October 17th - Tynga's Reviews

Tuesday, October 18th - That Bookish Girl

Wednesday,October 19th - Books Complete Me

Thursday, October 20th - Belle Books

Friday, October 21st - Books With Bite