Kelly reviews "Confessions of Marie Antoinette" + giveaway!

Title: Confessions of Marie Antoinette
Author: Juliet Grey
Published: Ballantine Books, 24 September 2013

This book was reviewed as a part of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.



While I've read through and reviewed the first two books in Juliet Grey's trilogy covering the life of Marie Antoinette, I knew it'd all come to this. The final book. The ending is never going to change, but I always hope it does. Let me just tell you now, in Confessions of Marie Antoinette the ending doesn't change and it's extremely heartbreaking. Get out the tissues.

The overall feel of the book is very bleak and leaves you with feelings of helplessness as it takes place in the midst of the Revolution and overturning of the monarchy. Marie and her husband King Louis are losing stability everyday. Their power has been stripped away and they are completely at the mercy of the French citizens attempting to create and control a new government. The majority of their family and friends have fled to the country - those who stay risk their lives in doing so. Even servants who seem to show to much kindness to the king and queen are arrested for fears of royalist sympathies. It's a disturbing and frightening time in France, yet Marie Antoinette but put on a brave face for her husband, her children, and her people. Yet through this, we still have tender, thoughtful, and clever moments that emphasizes what a close unit Louis, Marie, and their children were forced to become. You get the feeling that their family was the only reason they survived so long.

This book was originally titled something along the lines of The Last October Sky, which I thought was extremely beautiful. It correlated nicely with the last few pages of the book. I'm not sure why the change came about, but it sounds like it'd be written in diary form, which it's not. It's also strange because the whole point of the book was that Marie was innocent of all the slander thrown against her. She had nothing to confess. Throughout the journey of this trilogy you can tell that Marie Antoinette is a figure very near and dear to Juliet Grey's heart. She is written with such sympathy, detail, and care that it's hard not to become attached to her as a character throughout this journey.
Grey's Marie Antoinette will always be my favorite!

Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of Confessions of Marie Antoinette!

A Quick Bookish Survey (4)

I (Kelly) found this short bookish survey awhile ago and it's a fun, easy way to update everyone on your current reading habits. Sometimes questionnaires of this sort can get a little long - this is just five easy questions! If you would like to participate and catch us up on your reads, be sure to leave your choices or a link in the comments. (I wish I could make this post a little more aesthetically-pleasing with some pictures, but my computer is not cooperating...)

1. The book I'm currently reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling - I reread this series annually and this year's is coming to a close. The sixth book is my favorite, so I'm enjoying this immensely :)

2. The last book I finished: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - my goodreads friends have been gushing over this one, so I gave it a try. I really like the world and magic created in the story!

3. The next book I want to read: The Maze Runner by James Dashner - I tend to get overexcited when books get turned into movies! 

4. The last book I bought: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I bought this A LONG time ago, because thanks to my library, I don't have to buy books very often anymore. What a crazy ride Mara was! I rushed out to get the sequel almost immediately.

5. The last book I was given: The White Princess by Philippa Gregory - people usually don't give me books, but I received this one for review recently. You can find my review here.

Kelly reviews "The White Princess" by Philippa Gregory + giveaway!

Title: The White Princess
Author: Philippa Gregory
Published: Touchstone, July 2013

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


The White Princess is fifth in The Cousin's War series revolving around the Plantagenet family. I read this series in the completely wrong order: book one, two, five, four, and then three. This would usually drive me nuts but I'm pretty familiar with this time period so it all still made sense. The latest release revolves around Elizabeth of York, King Edward IV's oldest daughter. Historically, we know her most famously for being the mother of Henry VIII, yet there aren't really many books that center around her, so this was exciting to pick up. Philippa and I have had our struggles in the past, but I still keep coming back for more.

In the series, we've left off right after Richard III is killed and Henry VII takes the throne. Elizabeth knows she comes as part of the package in Henry's ruling of England, but of course she's not eager to marry the man who stole her family's throne and killed her uncle. Henry certainly isn't a pleasant man in the beginning (aka he's HORRIBLE; what an awful portrayal of a pretty decent guy in reality), especially in his treatment of Elizabeth, but they eventually grow into somewhat happy pair. With a childhood spent in hiding, most of her family members meeting tragic ends, an unwanted husband, a rocky time as Queen, and the loss of many of her children, Elizabeth had quite an interesting life, but we don't see much of it in this book. She's pretty clueless throughout the entire thing (she says "I don't know" at least 400 times and most of her dialogue is her simply repeating what was just said previously) and at times I felt her character was underdeveloped and that she was simply observing things around her rather than participating in them (boooringgg).

Now I think Philippa Gregory writes wonderful fiction full of action (okay, not so much in this one), intense characters, and vivid scenery and life, but I don't like how she pushes many of her speculations as historical fact and her tendencies to make things over-dramatic simply for the sake of a good book rather than historical accuracy (as if this period of time wasn't dramatic enough). For instance, there's a BIG plot in The White Princess that Elizabeth was her uncle Richard III's lover (NO NO NO NO). There is only one tiny shred of historical evidence pointing to this and it's awkward to push this so heavily in a book (it's also a big point in the television show based on the series as well). Gregory's focus on Elizabeth and her female ancestors being descendants of a water goddess and consequentially sorceresses, if that's the right word, themselves is cool to an extent but mostly made me want to face-palm the entire time. The constant 'prophecies' Elizabeth kept relaying felt a little over the top - ("our family line will end with a red-headed girl," yeah yeah yeah). Still, I've enjoyed this series so far for what it is - "historical entertainment" (heavily twisted and imagined fiction as well). This was a good addition, even with a little debate and eyebrow-raising moments along the way - just don't take anything too seriously.

Giveaway! I have a beautiful hardcover copy of The White Princess to give away to one of you! US residents only - simply leave a comment below by August 16th to be entered.

Kelly reviews "The Queen's Rivals" + giveaway!

The Queen's Rivals by Brandy Purdy

Tour and giveaway hosted by:
 Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Kensington Publishing | 384p | June 25, 2013

Jane Grey is known in history as the Nine Days Queen - she briefly held the throne of England between the time of her cousins Edward VI and Mary. There are countless books telling her story, but what about two other equally fascinating characters, her two sisters Katherine and Mary? They are often overlooked during this turbulent period of history. Interestingly, in The Queen's Rivals, Brandy Purdy chose to have Mary as the narrator. Mary was the youngest sister and was historically described as either a dwarf or a hunchback. In this story, she stopped growing at the age of five and is thus often overlooked or pushed to the back. Because of this, Mary offers the best view of all the events surrounding her tragic family.

The Grey sisters, daughters of the Duchess of Suffolk, who is the daughter of Henry VIII's sister, are all very sympathetic characters. Yes, as is typical, Jane is painted as a prude and generally unlikable, and Katherine is seen as ditzy and naive, but they are so real. You really feel sorry for them as they are treated as pawns in games they really wanted no part of. Even though the sisters are completely different, they stuck together through everything. Each character, especially the sisters, had such a depth and the story was vividly brought to life. The book follows through to Jane's attempt for the throne and her consequent downfall, to Katherine's marriage and later demise, and as well as Mary's heartbreaking time as the only Grey left. None of the sisters had an easy life nor a happy ending.

Mary holds nothing back, whether it be the tantrums thrown by Jane, the abuse given by her mother, or the unusual interests of her father. There was an entirely creepy undertone to the book that I'm finding hard to explain. It may be the difficult family the sisters had, the lack of anything positive really ever happening to them, or a jaded narrator, but I constantly felt queasy and like I was the one personally subjected to all this bad luck. It was discomforting to tell the truth, but really hit home as great writing and characterization. Overall, The Queen's Rivals struck me as a truly unique look at Jane Grey and the ascent of Queen Mary, making it a standout reading experience.

GIVEAWAY: You have a chance to get a copy of The Queen's Rivals for yourself! Simply leave a comment below to enter, you have until August 3rd (U.S. only).

U.S. cover

U.K. cover

A side note: The Queen's Rivals will be published in the UK this September as The Fallen Queen under the name Emily Purdy (confusing!) and of course, there's another cover comparison! I do like the UK one better. The stained glass background is quite pretty.

Kelly reviews The Tudor Conspiracy + giveaway

The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

Tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

St. Martin's Griffin | 352p | July 16, 2013

The Tudor Conspiracy is the second book in C.W. Gortner's Spymaster Chronicles series.  Brendan Prescott is caught between trying to show loyalty to Princess Elizabeth and trying to stay alive with Queen Mary. His mission is to help hide a letter of Elizabeth's that may potentially have her arrested or killed as part of a treason plot against Mary. His comings and goings between the two women are made difficult because of a shady ambassador and a beautiful woman (isn't there always) who may or may not be all that she seems (....but isn't there always?). Brendan himself has secret ties to the royal family and struggles to keep his true self out of harm's way.

Perhaps me not reading the first book in the series is the reason for feeling a little disconnected from the characters. It would probably help if you read the first book of the series, The Tudor Secret, before reading this one. I think I was missing a large plot piece in this book: how was Brendan involved with the Dudleys and why do they hate him so much now? There were a lot of characters that I think were in the first book and got some good development, yet here fell a little flat without knowing their backstories. Elizabeth, one of my favorite historical women, didn’t seem that interesting to me, yet I loved the portrayal of Queen Mary. She was still a bit crazy, but she’s very sympathetic and seems simply misguided and lonely.

I thoroughly enjoyed having a male narrator. I made a mental list of the fiction books I've read this year so far (81), and except for Fight Club, a John Green book, and Harry Potter, NONE of them have had a male narrator or main character. My two favorite genres, historical fiction and YA, seem to be severely lacking in attempts to get into the male brain. This fact made The Tudor Conspiracy so refreshing, though I did quite miss detailed descriptions of the women's dresses, as are usual in historical fictions! I really loved C.W. Gortner’s other book on Queen Isabella of Castile and enjoyed his writing style; this carried over to his recent book as well. Even though I felt disconnected from the characters (perhaps my own fault) I still thought the story was an interesting ride overall!

I am able to giveaway my copy of the book (I simply can't keep books anymore) to one of you readers! Like I said earlier, try to get your hands on The Tudor Secret before reading this one. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and you have until July 26th. Simply leave a comment below! Good luck!

U.S. cover

U.K. cover

 I love doing cover comparisons, whether they be by county, language, or time. I received the U.S. version on the right and was constantly giggling at the determined look on the girl's face (and still wasn't sure of who she was) but I am absolutely in love with the U.K. cover! It's both mysterious and serious, two things I associated with the story. Is it just me or are all British covers usually better?

Code Name Verity (Elizabeth Wein) Collaborative Review

Kelly, Kimberly and Jen did a buddy read of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Each of us loved the book! We have so many praises for Code Name Verity but it's so hard to go into detail without revealing the jawdropping plot twists. Instead of a traditional review we decided we would each write about an element of the book that we loved.

Jen: 

I love that this is a female adventure story. Our two main characters, Julie and Maddie are fearless. I wish I was half as brave as they are! Julie is a spy for the British and gets herself into some dicey situations. She is unable to tell her best friend about the things she has done (after all, "careless talk costs lives"). Maddie is a pilot. One of the few female pilots during the war, and if I remember correctly she was a better pilot than some of the men.

I admire their strength and resourcefullness.  Even though the characters of Julie and Maddie were not based on specific women there were women who did the same things these two did. I hope I would have been as courageous as they were.

Kelly:

The first rule of Code Name Verity: you don't talk about Code Name Verity. Extreme sneakiness was just one of the countless things I loved about this book (war, history, plot twists, badasses, etc). However, in my opinion, one of the most striking things is the fierce BFF-ness between Maddie and Julie. The cover is very appropriate -- they never once let go of or abandoned each other, no matter their circumstance. Code Name Verity passes the Bechdel Test: two individual women have a conversation that does not involve a man (you'd be surprised how many things DON'T pass this test). Maddie and Julie don't have romantic subplots - this is simply a story of survival and deep friendship. Boyfriends would just get in the way, these girls have more important things to do.

Kimberly:

Okay, now that I've stopped giggling over Kelly's reference, I have to tell you about this book. Or at least, what little I can tell you. Kelly and Jen both read the book, I listened to the audio. (Which is fantastic, by the way) I love Julie and Maddie.  They are each other's best friend. The type of friend that is closer than a sibling, someone who is somehow very nearly closer to you, than you are. That friendship is what won me over. However, the historical aspect of this story was facinating. I come from a military family. The majority of them are/were in the Air Force, so I've grown up hearing the war stories. This book gave me a different perspective than you normally get of WWII. You hear about the Americans, you hear about the Germans, the Japanese... But how often do you get the story of two women from the UK? Maddie and Julie are both incredible women. They are brave, very smart, and determined to do what they believe is right.


*While the three of us were discussing the novel we got a little off-track and somehow it came up that Jen had only read the first Harry Potter book. Kelly and Kimberly were appalled by this and convinced Jen to read the second book rest of the series this summer. Jen also joined Pottermore where she was sorted into the house of Slytherin. Kelly is also a Slytherin and Kimberly is a Ravenclaw.

Kelly reviews "Clockwork Angel:" the graphic novel

Title: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Manga #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Illustrator: HyeKyung Baek
Published: Yen Press, 2012

Okay, I'm pretty sure I'm some sort of publisher's hit list after this one (is there such a thing? I'm pretty sure there is). I received a beautiful copy of the graphic novel adaptation of Clockwork Angel in October....and here is the review at the end of June. As a HUGE fan of the world Cassandra Clare has created in her books, I devoured this in maybe an hour or so. Pretty pictures everywhere!

Hi, I'm a Silent Brother and I look TERRIFYING.

I've only read one other graphic novel, about two years ago for school, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. All of the illustrations were done by HyeKyung Baek and they are simply marvelous. I loved the aspect of further bringing this already vivid story to life. I've got to say though, some of the characters, particularly the villans, were straight from a nightmare. Just look at the Silent Brothers! ---->
I'd somehow forgotten about their horrible eyes and sewn-up mouths. I also loved actually being able to see the Shadowhunters with all of their tattoos.
Talk about the ultimate badasses, walking around Victorian London with crazy tatts. Just thinking about this novel is making me excited for the City of Bones movie coming out later this year! This graphic novel is a good refresher if you are catching up on the Infernal Devices series: it's super quick and easy to ready, plus it's so intriguing. I never thought I'd be so into a graphic novel, no matter how much I loved the book it's based upon!

Upon further investigation, I've noticed that a lot of books are being turned into graphic novels: Soulless, Beautiful Creatures, Vampire Academy, Hush, Hush, and, well, Twilight too. This is a trend I am now fully in support of! What are some of your favorite graphic novels that I should check out? Or what are some other books you think should be turned into a graphic novel? Leave a comment below!

Kelly reviews "Royal Mistress" by Anne Easter Smith

Title: Royal Mistress
Author: Anne Easter Smith
Published: Touchstone, May 2013

Anne Easter Smith write fascinating historical fiction about some of the most intriguing  characters. People that you only read about in history books beautifully come to life in the pages of her books, and her newest, Royal Mistress, is no exception!

Royal Mistress mainly follows Jane Shore, a simple merchant's daughter who catches the eye of the Queen's son, Tom Grey. They are both married (or are about to be married) and Jane doesn't want to stoop to being his mistress, so they part ways. Several years later, after Jane's divorce (something that was a HUGE deal in this period of time), she this time catches the eye of Tom's stepfather, Edward, the King of England. Jane is older now and realizes that being a mistress to a high ranking man has many advantages. She becomes Edward IV's final and most beloved mistress, staying by his side for eight years until his death. Edward's brother, Richard, then claims the throne, and as a very moral man, he heartily disapproves of Jane and her background. Jane must struggle to survive using her wits in this turbulent and unstable time in England's history.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this period of time. I usually like to jump ahead and read about Henry VIII, but it's always great to come back to his ancestors. Edward IV and his family  drama is more entertaining that any show on television. So much betrayal, jealousy, murder, secrets, and, depending on who you ask...incest. I liked that Royal Mistress told us this story through the eyes of several key players, though mostly through Jane, who was a fascinating woman. She truly did care for Edward, but she states that she never really loved him, as she truthfully had no choice in the relationship. It's such a realistic look at how mistresses felt. No romantization here, just reality. The only problem I had with the story was Jane and Tom's relationship: they meet two times before they part ways and see each other maybe another two times in the following ten years - yet Jane is forever hung up on how he is her "true love" and is convinced they could live happily ever after if only they could be together. She hardly knew him! I know their relationship is historically accurate but it just seemed so far fetched here. Still, overall, this was a fascinating read, not just for historical fiction buffs, but lovers of drama, romance, and books that keep you intrigued every page.


Thank you to Simon & Schuster for my review copy!

Kelly reviews "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Title: The Virgin Suicides

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Published: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1993

 I am a HUGE fan of Sofia Coppola movies, and upon noticing that her wonderful movie The Virgin Suicides was based on a book, I knew that book had to be great.

The five Lisbon sisters are the unnamed narrator's beautiful and mysterious neighbors. The narrator and his friends (teenage boys) are obsessed with every move the girls take and worship the ground they walk on. At first you'd think that the sisters are some perfect, angelic beings, but they're not. It's mentioned that they all have crowded teeth, and some walk duck footed or have upper lip hair. The girls are real people. (They felt too perfect to me in the movie. Kristen Dunst? AJ Cook? Come on.) The Lisbon parents are very overprotective, but when the youngest sister makes a suicide attempt, they become even stricter. I couldn't quite tell why the parents were so fanatic. Was it religion? Or just wanting to protect the girls' innocence?

As time goes on and certain events happen, the girls are put on stricter and stricter lock-down  to the point they are withdrawn from school and barely let outside. That's when the girls hit their breaking point and, well, the title comes into play. The book is a haunting look at how a typical white-picket fence community in the 70s reacts to "the year of the suicides" and tried to come together to protect itself. I wanted to know more personally about the narrator. He's telling the story as a middle-aged adult looking back at a year in high school, yet he's clearly still obsessed. I wish we could see more about how the girls' actions affected him in the few years afterward. Reading the book made me realize that the movie, in pure Sofia Coppola form, is too minimal. The book and movie are the same in that the use of dialogue is sparse, but the book gives us much more detail and insight into how the girls lived their lives and for all practical purposes, struggled to survive.

Kelly's Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

For the future Top Ten schedule and how to participate go HERE!

Compared to last week's topic, things are about to get depressing up in here. Today's subject is about books dealing with tough subjects, whether it be abuse, suicide, grief, or just whatever speaks to you personally.

1. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - We get slammed with two tough subjects here: a friend's death and an eating disorder. Before reading this, I never really knew how destructive and complex anorexia could be for everyone involved. Of course, Anderson's Speak should also get a mention here.
2. Crank by Ellen Hopkins - This is the first book in a trilogy about a girl who gets caught up in a drug addiction and how her choices affect her family, friends, and life. It's very dark and VERY powerful.
3. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen - When I picked up this book I expected it to be a light, fluffy (and I mean fluffy in a good way) read like the majority of Sarah Dessen's other books, but I was completely wrong. Dreamland is almost scary with its realistic scenarios of domestic abuse. 
4. Hold Still by Nina LaCour - I only read this within the last week but it's one of the most accurate books portraying the grief after death (in this story's case, a friend's suicide). The feelings of depression and despair the main character experiences are completely real.
5. If I Stay by Gayle Forman - If you ever want a book to completely break your heart, this is it. A car crash is traumatizing enough, but when it kills your entire family and leaves you alone...heartbreaking. 
6. The Fault in our Stars by John Green - While of course all of John Green's books are witty, fun, and full of adventure, they all have a more serious side. This is one of his best, bringing the wake of cancer and it's side effects to life.
7. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay - Though mostly fictional, this book regales the horror of concentration camps during WWII. This particular story takes place in France, and the Nazi monstrosities that were allowed to happen on French soil still haunt the citizens of France to this day.
8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Almost as much as what went on in WWII, the racial prejudice in America absolutely sickens me. Kathryn Stockett's story of 1960s Mississippi made me nervous, uncomfortable, and scared while reading it.
9. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer - Even scarier because it really happened, this is a terrifying tale of an abusive mother, both physically and psychologically. 
10. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - This is another book I thought would be a nice, light read but left me SOBBING by the end. As opposed to The Fault in our Stars, this book looks more at the effect of cancer on an entire family.

Kelly reviews "Blood Between Queens" + giveaway

Blood Between Queens by Barbara Kyle

Hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Publication Date:  April 30, 2013 | Kensington Publishing,448p

Twitter Hashtag: #BloodBetweenQueensTour

Barbara Kyle's Thornleigh series about a ficticious family in 16th century England has a new addiction with "Blood Between Queens." I initially giggled at the overly dramatic cover (and perhaps the slight historical manipulation as well, if the two are supposed to be Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots) but after diving into the book, that was all the giggling to be done. This book is so dark! I've never read any others in the series so I can't be sure if all are like this, but Blood Between Queens was abound with attempted rapes, murders, explosions, and sleazy people.

The focus is on Justine Thornleigh, a teenager who through her family ties (I think there is an extensive backstory in previous books in the series) is able to serve Queen Elizabeth I as a spy. Mary Queen of Scots has fled Scotland and is looking for refuge in England. Elizabeth sends Justine as a lady in waiting for Mary with the hopes that Justine will lure a confession of treason out of the Scottish queen. Justine ends up finding herself sympathizing with Mary, as they share much in common. Justine feels the tugging of betrayal between Mary and Elizabeth and it's hard to tell which way she will turn.

As I said before, a good number of the characters were total sleazeballs. There's an edge of creepiness in everyone that feels quite uncomfortable. As weird as that is, I feel like it's accurate - how else could anybody make their way up in harsh world they lived in without being a little cunning and advantagous? Blood Between Queens can be read as a standalone novel, but you really have to read the rest of the series to understand the backstory. I was lost with the entire subplot of Justine's uncle/aunt and father. One other issue I had was with Justine and her fiance....I didn't feel the connection at all. I didn't recognize any spark and he just seemed like a pretty boy. It made me sad because I wanted someone better for Justine! She's a fabulous and complex character. I enjoyed the story overall but just wish I had understood the family history better to get a more complete understanding of the story. Nevertheless, this is still a great read for historical fiction lovers!

Giveaway!

I'm beginning to feel like Santa Claus here with all of the free books I'm able to giveaway to you! Enter for a chance to win Blood Between Queens by leaving a comment below with a way to contact you. You have until May 6th, USA entries only please. Good luck!

Kelly reviews Roses Have Thorns + giveaway

Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd

Tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Publication Date: April 9, 2013 | Paperback; 336p

 

Twitter Hashtag: #RosesHaveThornsVirtualTour

It's hard to stick out in the slew of books that take place in 16th century England isn't it?  Thankfully authors have recently been straying away from the usual suspects (Henry VIII, his wives, Elizabeth I, etc) and focusing on less talked about but equally as key characters. Sandra Byrd excels at this, as seen in her past novels, and has done it again in Roses Have Thorns. This novel focuses on Elin von Snakenborg, one of the closest friends of Elizabeth I. Elin leaves her homeland of Sweden unloved by her fiance and scorned by her sister for England, where through marriage she becomes the highest ranking woman besides the queen. When her first husband dies, Elin (anglicized as Helena) is torn between a personal life and being loyal to Elizabeth. The queen forbids her marriage to a man of low rank, so they marry in secret. Helena and her new husband had at least eight children who they kept away in the country and naturally, as a mother, Helena wants to be with them but is often called away by Elizabeth. When her husband's family is later involved in Catholic plots (remember, Catholicism is a BIG no-no during this time), she once again doesn't know what side to take - her family's or the queen's. 

I thought Helena was a fascinating character. Since this book doesn't cover her entire life, I looked her up on wikipedia and found out she lived until 86, dying in 1635. The page also claims that on her death, she had 92 living decedents  When you read the book and see how quickly her family in England grows you can definitely believe that! She seemed like a fascinating woman who started her life as the relatively unimportant youngest daughter of a Swedish family and ended as a Marchioness and the closest friend of the queen of England. 

Sandra Byrd is a great story teller and makes every character come to life. The relationships are real and there's a wonderful blend of politics, history, and personal stories. This is historical fiction at its best!

Giveaway!

I have a copy to Roses Have Thorns to give away to one of you! To enter, simply leave a comment below with a way to contact you. This giveaway is open only to the US unfortunately, and you have until May 5th to enter!

Kelly reviews The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Format: Kindle ebook


Hadley is on her way to London to attend her father's wedding and everything is going wrong. She's late, ends up missing her flight, and is stuck wandering around JFK until the next flight. The only good thing is Oliver, the wonderful British boy she meets in the waiting area and who ends up being her seatmate for the seven hour flight. They talk and bond all night yet end up losing each other at the airport in London with no ways of contact. Hadley then makes her way to her father's wedding, fighting conflicting feelings of facing her new stepmother and hurt towards her father for his new life. All the while, Hadley wonders where Oliver is and if she can ever find him again.

In the past six months, I've been in a lot of different airports. They've been humongous ones (Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles) as well as foreign ones (extra scary not knowing the language). All I remember about them is A LOT of people, A LOT of madness, and feeling like I was going to lose myself in the huge crowds. Jennifer Smith accurately portrayed the crazyness of airports as well as rush and nervousness of being late and/or missing a flight. Unfortunately, I can't much relate to her her "fated flight romance" scenes, as that has yet to happen to me. I always end up next to old ladies or babies!

It's hard to get a grip on the fact that this book takes place in less than 24 hours yet so much happens and so many miles are covered. It's a pretty basic and predictable story overall, but it was extremely cute and made me smile and tear up plenty of times. Highly recommended for all YA lovers or those who want a quick read while traveling! 4 stars.

Top Ten Books Kelly Just HAD to Buy but Still Hasn't Read

Last week we told you that we were nominated for Best Meme and thanks to you guys -- we made the final run-off vote! You can now vote for Top Ten Tuesday in the finals with one click.

For future topics/more info click here

If any of you try to tell us that you've never pined after/lusted for/impulsively bought a book that you though you absolutely couldn't live without and then never read it - you're LYING! We've all done it in the past and will again in the future. So many of the unread books on my shelves (or worse, packed away in storage) were books I whined about NEEDING but then I either lost interest or forgot about them. It's a bad habit that us bookish folks can't seem to get rid of :) Here's a list of ten books that I've been ignoring for far too long:

1. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
2. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier - I've read three or four other books by this author and LOVE them...but I been gracefully ignoring this one for some reason.
3. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - I went through a kick a few years ago of devouring the classics, and even with the recent movie, it's still gathering dust on my shelf.
4. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
5. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - Blogger friends I trust have heartily recommended this one and I snapped it up at a charity shop. That was maybe two years ago.
6. The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz - I possibly love the Beatles more than my own life, but I've for some reason just never opened biography even though it's supposedly the best.
7. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
8. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - I rushed out to buy this one since I loved Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. I don't know why I've been ignoring it for so long!
10. Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky - After a WWII kick, I thought this book sounded perfect and begged my best friend to lend me her copy...she's since moved across the country with no hopes of getting it back soon (I'm not even sure where it is in my room!).

What books are on your list of shame...errrr I mean list of books you HAD to have and still sit unread!?

Kelly's review of "Bitter Greens"

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Tour hosted by Historical Fiction Book Tours

Publisher: Allison & Busby, 25 February 2013

Twitter Hashtag: #BitterGreensVirtualTour

I received Bitter Greens about a week ago in the mail and was pretty worried that I wouldn't get it finished in time. However, even at almost 500 pages, I finished it in less than 12 hours! It was simply - and I don't EVER use this word lightly - unputdownable and is already a contender for my favorite book of 2013.

Bitter Greens is a retelling of the fairy tale about Rapunzel, but it still so much more than that. It's the story of three women: Selena, a great Venetian beauty in the early 16th century, who in order to preserve her youthful looks, kidnaps Margherita (of course not named Rapunzel, but that still has a part) in order to feed off of her youth, and Charlotte-Rose, a former lady in the court of French king Louis XIV who has been banished to a nunnery and is having the story of Selena and Margherita told to her. Sound confusing? It may be at first - if you need a better explanation, click HERE for the book's goodreads page. The POVs are not sequential and jump around a fair bit, but soon enough you'll get used to this. Kate Forsyth is one of the most wonderful storytellers I've come across - everything from the decadence of Versailles to the stink of Venice was written so vividly.

Charlotte-Rose's story is by far my favorite. Of course I love reading about kings and their courts, but Louis XIV is one of the best and Charlotte-Rose's role in it all was intriguing. She is a person who really existed and is a wonderful person to read about. She wrote books, was sassy to the king, and rescued her lover by dressing up as a bear. It was interesting to see her change from a fancy, liberal court lady to a humble woman in a nunnery. I can't wait to check out some biographies about her! In all three stories, witchcraft plays quite a big role, and as a historical novel, there is always some danger in those stories. Bitter Greens is a great look into the beliefs and laws of the times. God forbid if you were anything but Catholic in either France or Italy during these times! You'll certainly read about these wars and prejudices as well. I love that I received subtle history knowledge while reading an entertaining story.

I was going to offer up my copy for a giveaway but I've just become too attached to it (and the gorgeous cover)! If you guys do want a chance to win a copy, hit up the link under the banner for some blogs that may be having giveaways. I encourage you to do so as I can't recommend this book highly enough! 5+ stars.

Kelly reviews "The Chalice" by Nancy Bilyeau

The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

Touchstone Publishing | March 5, 2013 | 512p

Tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Twitter Hashtag: #TheChaliceVirtualTour

A while back, I reviewed a historical mystery/thriller called The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau. It was action packed and filled with great historical details and left us with a bit of cliffhanger. Now a year later, I've finally gotten my hands on the sequel! (Look at that cover, it's gorgeous!) In The Chalice, our heroine Joanna Stafford is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after the priory she was a novice nun at was disbanded. She and her former Sisters are feeling out of place living freely among the citizens of their town. The Reformation is still in full swing, and the Catholics of England are at their breaking point. After some mix-ups, Joanna finds herself in the midst of a plot to get rid of Henry VIII in favor of his Catholic dauther, Mary (because we all know how great that  eventually would turn out). One of the most interesting parts of the book I thought was when Joanna, by accident, becomes a part of Anne of Cleves party entering England. Also, the way that the attempted assasination plot is actually carried out was a great turn. Joanna still really is a fascinating character. The title of 'former nun' leads for so many interesting characteristics and possibilities.

Just like the first book, The Chalice is full of great history, action, and wonderful writing. The English Reformation has a fresh new view through the eyes of someone who is not your typical key player. That being said, The Chalice relies heavily on your knowledge of what happened in The Crown. You would be greatly confused reading this as a stand alone book. I had to wrack by brain trying to remember events and people from the first book, as there was really nothing to help refresh your memory in this book. I was often confused because of this, but I can't say it was the book's fault. It took me awhile to get through the book, not because it was unreadable, but because there was so much information. I felt that the book could've been maybe 100 pages shorter. Overall though, The Chalice was a fun and heart-racing adventure!

"Lady of Ashes" by Christine Trent + giveaway

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent

Publication Date: February 26, 2013 | Kensington Publishing | 384p

Hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Twitter Hashtag: #LadyOfAshesVirtualTour

"In 1861 London, Violet Morgan is struggling to establish a good reputation for the undertaking business that her husband has largely abandoned. She provides comfort for the grieving, advises them on funeral fashion and etiquette, and arranges funerals.
Unbeknownst to his wife, Graham, who has nursed a hatred of America since his grandfather soldiered for Great Britain in the War of 1812, becomes involved in a scheme to sell arms to the South. Meanwhile, Violet receives the commission of a lifetime: undertaking the funeral for a friend of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. But her position remains precarious, especially when Graham disappears and she begins investigating a series of deaths among the poor. And the closer she gets to the truth, the greater the danger for them both…"

I've recently become re-obsessed with the Victorian era and was eager to snap up Lady of Ashes. Another plus is the fact that Christine Trent and her books are wonderful! The entire concept of a female undertaker in 1861 was fascinating. Victorians were notably obsessed with death, but a female in this profession would have been quite odd. Our MC is Violet, who has married into the undertaking business but her husband is a bit of a deadbeat which leaves Violet in charge. When she discovers a string of mysterious deaths and sets out to investigate, Violet finds herself in some crazy scenarios (a train crash, overseeing Queen Victoria's husband's funeral, some sort of American gang scheme, and fighting a tiger). Despite all of this, she still is a very believable character (yes, even the tiger). You sympathize with her as a woman struggling against social norms and trying to survive after her husband disappears.

Christine Trent's books seem to all follow the same exact pattern, yet with fresh and lively characters and locations for each book. As Lady of Ashes is set in the time period of the Civil War, it was interesting to get a British perspective of the American war. Every now and then I would get disoriented with the constant jumping around from character to character, but each offered a fresh viewpoint. If you are interested in the Victorian era like me, Lady of Ashes gets us a good glimpse into the life, customs, and people of the time. It was an adventure from beginning to end! This is the first in a mystery series and I am excited to see where the next book begins.


Giveaway!

I have a copy of Lady of Ashes to give away to one of you!
To enter, simply leave a way to contact you in a comment below.
You have until March 6th to enter.
USA only, please (I'm a poor college graduate!).
Good luck!

Kelly discusses the art of bookshelves

Bookshelves. Where would we be without them?! Personally, without my shelves, I'd be drowning in a sea of books scattered all over the floor. I like to arrange my shelves by genre, though I know some of you are dedicated enough to go by author as well. Bookshelves are not just a place to store and keep track of our books, but they're also a place to possibly let our creativity shine. I've seen a lot of fun ideas on pinterest recently and decided to share some of the most fun bookshelves I've come across. I'm a big fan of any shelf big enough to need a ladder to get to the top of.

As serious readers, most of us will agree that practicality outweighs design/cleverness. A lot of the shelves in the pictures below look cool, but can only fit a few books on them. This is not an ideal situation for book hoarders! So, which shelves are your favorites? Do you have any pinterest-worthy shelves of your own? How do you organize your bookshelf? Are they like mine and about to snap in half from the weight?

Kelly's review of The Forgotten Queen by D.L. Bogdan + giveaway!

The Forgotten Queen by D.L. Bogdan 

Publication Date: January 29, 2013 | Kensington Publishing | 384p

Hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Twitter hastag: #ForgottenQueenVirtualTour

"From her earliest days, Margaret Tudor knows she will not have the luxury of choosing a husband. Her duty is to gain alliances for England. Barely out of girlhood, Margaret is married by proxy to James IV and travels to Edinburgh to become Queen of Scotland. Despite her doubts, Margaret falls under the spell of her adopted home. But while Jamie is an affectionate husband, he is not a faithful one. And nothing can guarantee Margaret’s safety when Jamie leads an army against her own brother, Henry VIII. In the wake of loss she falls prey to an ambitious earl and brings Scotland to the brink of anarchy. Beset by betrayal and secret alliances, Margaret has one aim—to preserve the crown of Scotland for her son, no matter what the cost…"

I was so excited to receive a book about Margaret Tudor! As the title suggests, she is often a forgotten historical character (she doesn't even exist on the TV show The Tudors!). There are plenty of books about her sister Mary and in books about her brother, Henry VIII, she may appear early on but quickly disappears, never to be mentioned again. It was wonderful to find a complete and lengthy book about her life....even if Margaret herself wasn't the most likable character. She is portrayed as very naive, selfish, and troubled. When Margaret is young and sent to Scotland to be married, she imagines herself as the savior that will unite Scotland and England through her power and sons. Even when none of that happens (at least in her lifetime) she is still under the impression that she is a great and mighty queen, all while the nobles of Scotland want nothing more than to see her gone. She also has the irritating quality of falling in love with every man she meets, or expecting that he is falling in love with her. This tendency leads to many problems (and many husbands). A lot of parallels were drawn to her granddaughter Mary, Queen of Scots (the husband troubles, alienation from her child, ineffective rule, her entire country upset with her, etc). Funnily enough, these two mostly disliked women, who never met, were the ones that would actually bring Scotland and England together.

Slightly unlikeable queen aside, the story overall was very engaging, well-written, and informative (that last word sounds a bit boring, but it's true. I learned a lot and sometimes that's the best thing you can take from a book). Some of the side characters were the most interesting to read about. I especially liked Margaret's father and mother (Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, a couple who don't have nearly enough fiction written about them) and her African maid Ellen. We all know that Scots, especially historically speaking, are a crazy, eccentric bunch, and The Forgotten Queen is a wonderful little glimpse into that world!


Giveaway!

One of you has a chance to win a copy of this exciting new historical fiction release! This giveaway is open internationally and you have until February 3rd to enter. Simply leave a way to for me to contact you (email, Twitter, etc) in a comment below. Good luck!

Kelly reviews "Is Everyone Hanging out without Me?" by Mindy Kaling

Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Author: Mindy Kaling

I've never really been one for memoirs written by celebrities. In a genre overrun with "books" by Miley Cyrus and Spencer Pratt/Heidi Montag (barf), it's rare to just find a witty, fun book by a down-to-Earth celebrity. I recently gave Tina Fey's Bossypants a try and since I liked it so much, I hoped that Mindy Kaling's book would be just as great.

Mindy covers her life as a "chubster" kid, her college years, and how she got to her position in comedy as an actress, writer, and director. She also throws in other "life lessons," such as karaoke etiquette and how men should properly dress (amen). Two of my favorite quotes are "There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it,” and "Bren and I befriended each other early on. We clung to each other with blind loyalty, like Lord Voldemort and his snake, Nagini. I, of course, was Nagini."

My favorite section was the part about her life working and acting on The Office, which used to be my favorite television show ("used to" as in I got extremely bored not long after Michael left and haven't watched since). She quickly establishes that she is NOT like her character Kelly, at least in the bad ways. Mindy has injected so much of her personality into her work and it really shows. I loved hearing about the different actors on and off set, as well as the writing process and finding out which episodes and bits Mindy wrote or came up with (Kevin spilling chili all over himself/the floor in a cold opening was her brainchild? Excellent).

There have been a lot of negative reviews about the book, dismissing it as pure fluff and having no substance. What did you expect? This isn't high literature, it's just fun. The overall tone is very casual, as if you are just talking to a friend. The book isn't chronological and arranged in neat chapters, it's more or less a collection of random thoughts/reflections. It can seem a bit spazzy at times or egotistical. She also spends a lot of time professing her love for Amy Poehler, but really, who doesn't love her?