Book Tour + giveaway: "The Flower Reader" by Elizabeth Loupas

The Flower Reader by Elizabeth Loupas

Reviewed as a part of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Author's Website: http://elizabethloupas.com/

Twitter Event Hashtag: #FlowerReaderVirtualTour

This is going to be a difficult book to review, as I feel that most points of the story could be called spoilers. The back cover and descriptions give away an awful lot of the plot, so much in that nothing surprising or shocking ever happens because you are already expecting it. So, I'm going to attempt to summarize as vaguely as possible! Rinette Leslie has been under the wardship of Mary of Guise (Mary, Queen of Scots' mother) for many years.Upon her deathbed, Mary of Guise entrusts Rinette with a box containing important secrets/information for the young Scots queen when she returns to Scotland. A while later, when Rinette goes to deliver the box to the queen, her husband is brutally murdered. Rinette then is able to use the box as a pawn: she will only give it to Mary when her husband's murder is avenged and Rinette knows she will be safe. Needless to say, the contents of the box are of special interest to many people (Catherine de Medici, Elizabeth I, etc.), so Rinette must stay on her toes and keep alert as danger constantly surrounds her.

Books about Mary Stuart are usually pretty iffy for me. She annoys me most of the time because she is either portrayed as a misunderstood martyr or a whiny brat. In The Flower Reader, she is very realistic. She is still an 18 year old girl with childish tendencies, but she is also smart and powerful. As the author wrote in the afterward, this portrayal of Mary in the few years before all of the excitement she is most known for (the husbands, exile, death) gives us an entirely different view of her. I really liked Nicolas de Clerac, the man helping and protecting Rinette. As for Rinette herself, I mainly liked her because she didn't always win. She was not perfect, but she was able to learn from her mistakes/defeats. 

My only problem has to do with the title. Rinette is a flower reader -- she can associate people with flowers and deduce their personality traits and future. It's SUCH an interesting concept that wasn't used nearly enough. I loved the meanings associated with each flower and how what they meant went along with each person. Rinette's reading of Mary and Henry Darnley was just plain spooky. I wished we could've seen a lot more! Overall, The Flower Reader was exciting, romantic, full of mystery, and just plain fun. 4 stars.

Giveaway!

I'm excited to be able to give away two copies of The Flower Reader! One lucky winner will also receive a handmade flower bookmark as well. Entry is simple, just fill out a simple form HERE. The giveaway is only open to US residents, you have until May 9th. Good luck!

Julia's Top Ten Books To Be Made Into Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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Future Top Ten Tuesday topics can be found here!

Hello again, and welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday! Julia here bringing you the movies I want to see made (whether they are in production or not). I do have to mention though it was really hard finding books that have not been made into some sort of visual medium (movies, miniseries, TV shows). Did all of you have the same problem?

Top Ten Books I'd Like To See Made Into A Movie

1. Catching Fire and Mockingjay
I guess this one is cheating a bit because Catching Fire is most likely already in pre-production. It's pretty much guaranteed that these are going to get made because of the boatload of monie$ Hunger Games made and is still making. I am okay with that :) (Shameless plug: Book vs. Movie: The Hunger Games @CompBiblio)

2. His Dark Materials
Oh, stupid studios! Why did you have to mess with The Golden Compass so much that it turned to cinematic trash?! I saw the filmed scenes in the trailer for the correct ending! I know the ending was there. I so wanted to see Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig acting out some scenes from The Amber Spyglass! I would love if these got made, but sadly I don't think it will be for a while now, if ever :(

3. Across the Universe
Across the Universe, the first book in Beth Revis' as of yet incomplete trilogy of the same name, I think would translate to film very well. It's got the love element (yay! not a triangle!) and some cool futuristic sci fi elements combined with an interesting and engaging plot. All the best ingredients for a good blockbuster movie.

4. The Book Thief
Though this would break my heart to actually view, I think The Book Thief could be a great film. It would need an outstanding director/visionary to interpret the character of Death best for the screen, but I think it could be done, and done well.

5. The Desperate Duchesses
Eloisa James' romance novel series that was inspired by Desperate Housewives (though of Georgian England) I think would make a WONDERFUL BBC/Masterpiece miniseries. The entire story through the six books weaves together so well and yet each book completely stands alone. I know it would be super popular with the Downton Abby crowd. Romance in Georgian England? Yes please. Though actually, now that I think on it, I'd want HBO or Showtime to pick this up so we can see all the yummy dirty scenes. Done with tasteful class of course :)

6. Soulless
Steampunk movie! With the success of the new adaptations of Sherlock Holes which are somewhat steampunk, I think this would have a foothold in the money making market for movies. And if it did well, it could continue through the series. I think this could just be a really cool standalone movie, though.

7. The Graveyard Book
I really enjoyed this book and think it would be a pretty interesting movie to make. Cool effects for the dead people, too!

8. What Happens in London
A fun romantic comedy, but instead of being in modern time, Regency London. Seriously, I don't understand why more romance novels aren't made into movies... I think they would make money. More money than some of the crap they put on screen today.

9. My Name Is Memory
While My Name Is Memory really intrigued me, it left me bored at some parts. Despite that, I think this could be translated to film really well. Especially with the time/reincarnation elements. Some of the things that didn’t work well for me in book form could be translated to the visual medium and some of the crappy/strange/series beginning(?) ending issues changed :)

10. The History of Love
Oh, The History of Love. You would be a movie I would head straight to the theaters for. As I think a lot of women would.


So that's enough of me talking. What are your lists? Link them up below!

Daisy's Review of Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Title/Author: Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death #1) by Bethany Griffin
Publisher/Date published: Greenwillow Books, April 24th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up... and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club — in the depths of her own despair — Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for — no matter what it costs her."

I think this is the first steampunk novel I have ever loved. I have enjoyed The Girl in the Steel Corset very much, but I LOVED Masque of the Red Death! I knew it wasn't time to give up on the genre yet! Also, I had heard really good things about this and it was number one on my TTT Spring TBR List, so I'm very happy I liked it so much! And I can't stop staring at that pretty cover...

Masque of the Red Death is dark and wonderful and it sweeps you up and drops you down 320 pages later. It's incredible and I was definitely not amused when it was time to cook dinner and I had to put it aside for a while. I absolutely adored that nothing was black and white and if I'd been Araby I would have been floundering around figuring out who to trust and what to do.

And you guys, there's a love triangle and I didn't hate it! There, I said it. In my opinion it was really well done and I found myself rooting for one guy, then the other and back again... It was an emotional rollercoaster and even though it seems like she's making a choice at the end of Masque of the Red Death, I'm curious to see what will actually happen and who will hold her heart in the end.

I really loved Araby, she's a complicated girl and very flawed, as are all the other characters (LOVED that) and my heart broke for her grief over her brother's death and the vow she made him. I loved Will (though he may have broken my heart just a little) and Elliott and Araby's family and Will's little brother and sister (SO CUTE) and April, Araby's best friend! It always gives me a happy when I can love not only the main characters, but several of the others as well!

I must admit that I've never read any of Edgar Allen Poe's work, but I'm curious to check it out after reading this book! I love when a book makes me want to read other books and it's not just the sequel!

Also, the song 'We Are Young' by Fun ft. Janelle Monae reminds me of this novel SO MUCH it's scary. I love that song!



What do you think? Yes? No?

There's some crazy going around and evil leaders and lots and lots of people dying. The last couple of chapters had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what would happen and how Bethany Griffin would tie this one up! I'm glad to say it didn't feel like a cliffhanger, but it did leave me wanting the next book ASAP. I loved that we already got some answers and I'm hoping the sequel will tell me everything else I want to know, cause this world is endlessly fascinating!

It was fabulous and dark and twisty and I just want more! What are you all waiting for? It's out now, go read it/order it!

My rating: 5 stars

Jessi Reviews The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Title/Author: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
Publisher/Year: Riverhead Trade, 2009
Where I Got It: I picked up a copy from my library's used book sale
Why I Read It: Any book blurbed by Stephen King is a must-read for me!


Synopsis (from Goodreads): 



With The Little Stranger, Waters revisits the fertile setting of Britain in the 1940s - and gives us a sinister tale of a haunted house, brimming with the rich atmosphere and psychological complexity that have become hallmarks of Waters's work.

The Little Stranger follows the strange adventures of Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. One dusty postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline - its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become entwined with his.

Abundantly atmospheric and elegantly told, The Little Stranger is Sarah Waters's most thrilling and ambitious novel yet.


Review: 


This book came as a surprise to me in many ways.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

I was surprised by how quickly the pages flew by.

I was surprised by how good it was.

I mean, Sarah Waters can really write. When I first picked this up and saw that it was 500 pages long, I was wary. I thought it would take me forever to get through. After the first 40-ish pages, though, I was hooked. I felt like I was hypnotized. I'd sit down for what felt like ten minutes, and here it'd be hours later and I'd be hundreds of pages down the road. Even when I wanted to be doing other things, like blogging or whatever, I couldn't bring myself to put the book down. And like I said, Sarah Waters writes really well. Her prose is beautiful, but at the same time, I wasn't even really aware that I was reading. I was able to picture everything perfectly clear, and her story is one of the most atmospheric I've ever read. Hundreds Hall was so sinister, it was like I could feel it oozing off the pages. I was genuinely creeped out at parts, particularly that nursery scene.

I did have a few frustrations, though. By the end, Doctor Faraday made me want to scream, which I'm guessing was Sarah Water's intention. I get it. You have to play the rational card. But seriously--how much has to happen for you to start thinking that maybe something weird is happening that can't be explained rationally? Also, without wanting to give anything away, I found him to be too forward and definitely too persistent without having any reason to be so. Crazy obsessive stalker, much?

And finally, the ending just didn't really do it for me. I thought it was terribly anti-climactic. It was like, "Oh man, all this stuff is happening!" and then all of a sudden: "Oh...well...okay, I suppose that's it." Part of my frustration with the ending, too, is that Sarah Waters leaves it with one of those open-ended endings for the reader to decide what happened. Personally, I'm not a big fan of those, so it didn't work for me.

All things considered, though, it was an awesome read. Gothic, subtle, creepy, atmospheric, hypnotizing. I would definitely recommend it.

Book vs. Movie: I Capture the Castle

Hey everyone. It's Julia. A while ago, I did a feature on my blog, CompBiblio, where I compared book to movie. I have been meaning to do it again and I thought I would do it here with I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

I reviewed I Capture the Castle at CompBiblio, but here is a bit of a summary of the book and what I thought of it.

Cassandra is our narrator of this story and she chronicles the going on of her family, who are destitute and living in a ramshackle castle, through a series of journals. You can see her writing become better as the story progresses. ...

The cast of characters in this novel are remarkably well rounded. I loved the interactions between them all, and those interactions really drove the plot. The first few chapters are getting to know them and their situation, but the plot really begins when two men stumble into the castle one day. These two men are the new owner of the castle they rent, Simon, and his brother Neil.

Shenanigans ensue.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and toward the end it was hard to put down. ...

I would recommend this to people who like historical fiction and a fun set of love stories. It really is just a picture of these peoples lives, a really interesting picture too.

I really think how much you in enjoy a movie based on a book or the book it was based on depends in the order you actually experienced the story. Can you appreciate the story told from both mediums? Sure. It just takes a lot of willpower to forget what you originally thought from the first experience. That said, lets look at the movie.

First off, my God! Could the casting of this been any better for some eye candy? The first one I recognized was Neil, played by Marc Blucas from my Buffy the Vampire Slayer days. Then there is the kid who was in E.T., Henry Thomas, all grown up. But the coup de grâce is truly a young Henry Cavill. Oh wow! I loved him from the few The Tudors episodes I have seen and he his soon to be superman in the new movie...

Now the actual movie. The book is a very character driven plot which means casting wrongly or over acting would have negatively effected this experience. Luckily, I think the cast and their acting was done really well. A lot hinged on who was set to play Cassandra but she was very good. I was not disappointed.

What they changed early-on, if there was anything, I didn't notice. I did notice them skipping some things, but I didn't mind as it moved the story. In the last half hour though the changes started to become more noticeable. Were they necessarily bad? I don't know. I don't think so. Did they add anything? I don't think they did. I think they were really one of those things that changes when the book is adapted for a movie.

I did have one qualm and that was the pacing. It felt a bit rushed, especially toward the end. Also there were some subtleties that the book had that were lost in the movie, because you were able to see scenes that were not from Cassandra's POV.

Some positives were that I didn't have to deal with some of the repetition of 17 year old in love crap that I had to in the second half of the book. Also the last page of the book bothered the crap out of me, but the way they edited the line for the movie made me very, very happy.

Overall, I enjoyed both of them for what they were. I liked the book more, but I truly enjoyed the movie.

For anyone who is interested in seeing I Capture the Castle, it is instant streaming now on Netflix. And I am sure, since it was out in 2003, you could find it at libraries that have DVDs.

Kimberly and Kelly's Ten All Time Favorite Characters

Learn more and check out the TTT schedule.

With the insanity that is finals week, it was pretty much impossible for one person to do a full list. So Kelly and I decided to do a collab. Here is our list of favorite characters.

From Kelly

1-The Weasley twins from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - I didn't necessarily like these two as much in the movies, though I'm not blaming the actors, but they are absolutely HILARIOUS in the books. They are so witty and full of life (*sad face*) that you can't help but love them


2- Brienne of Tarth from A Song of Fire and Ice series by George RR Martin - In an epic series filled with dozens and dozens of characters, Brienne has always stood out to me. She is a seemingly tough and no-nonsense warrior, but we see such great little sentimental moments with her. She is perfect.


3-Francie Nolan from A Tree Growns in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - This is my absolute favorite book of all time partially because Francie reminded me so much of myself as a child: shy, quiet, and lonely. But most of all, she loves books more than anything!


4-Jessica Darling from  the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty - Jessica Darling and I sometimes share the same brain; we're both weird, awkward, and sarcastic. I don't have a Marcus Flutie though :(


5- Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - never has a character (or a book) smashed my heart into so many pieces, but never has one made me love her so much!




From Kimberly


6-Vin from Mistborn. One of the best heroines you could ask for in a book. She's tough, funny and caring. I believe I've seen mentions of the book being made into a movie, can't wait to see who is cast in the role of Vin. Though it makes me both nervous and excited. Nothing worse than seeing a favorite character miscast.

 

7-Cinna from The Hunger Games. I adored him. He was so kind and sweet. He worked so hard to help Katniss and he truly believed in her and gave her a lot of encouragement. He wasn't as caught up in the world of the Capitol as everyone else was. I loved his humble gentleness.

 

8- Sherlock Holmes. Okay okay. First of all, I read the series and loved the character long before BBC's 'Sherlock' came around. However......their portrayal of Holmes didn't exactly hurt. ;) I fell in love with the character of Sherlock Holmes long ago, at about the age of 3 when I watched The Great Mouse Detective over and over again. Since then I've adored the character. The intelligence, the quirkiness, the total disregard for what would normally be considered 'proper'.

9-Professor McGonagall from (do I really need to say?) the Harry Potter series. She's strict, but when it comes down to it she shows just how much she cares about her students. Her desperation to defeat Slytherin in Quidditch cracks me up. I loved the bond that she and Harry had. Her sense of humor too, though it wasn't always seen. Remember when Ron and Harry flew the car into the Whomping Willow? Stern as she was, she smiled when the boys asked if they really had to loose house points since term hadn't started. : )

10- Lee Scoresby from the His Dark Materials Trilogy. I loved his humor, his determination, the way he cared for Lyra. Remember what I said about casting for your favorite characters? Well his was perfect in the movie. Sam Elliot was so perfect in the role.

 

Tahleen reviews: "I'll Be There" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Title: I'll Be There
Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 2011

Rating: 4 stars

Sam Border has only known what it's like to run. He hasn't had stability since he was a very young child, and ever since his father took him and his younger brother Riddle when they were small they've always been looking over their shoulder for whoever is after them, usually the authorities. Their father is a thief, going against the system and trying to cheat it as often as possible, and uses his sons to get pity from those he tries to swindle. All Sam can do is make sure to take care of his brother as best he can. But all this changes when he meets Emily by chance after a church service, after she seems to sing a song straight to him. He begins to want to stay, to be a part of another person's life. But he has a major obstacle: his paranoid and abusive father, and his worry for his brother.

I read this book a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say I had to stay up reading it until I was finished. Some of you may know this doesn't happen too often to me. It turned from love story, to family story, to survival story, and I needed to know what happened to each character.

I must say the characters were very well crafted and developed. Sam is unsure of this new pattern he has started, and has a fierce loyalty to Riddle. He is tender and caring but knows what needs to be done and does it. Riddle is a quiet, suffers from asthma in silence. He draws complex images of the insides of machines in a phone book as a way to cope. He craves love and gets it from Sam, but wishes for the love of a mother too. Emily is a fairly typical teenage girl who doesn't understand what it's like to live in poverty and can't wrap her brain around Sam's situation, doesn't even consider that such a life could be possible for this boy. Her whole family becomes important to the story, and each is individual and fleshed out.

The story itself is gripping and full of tension, especially when it comes to how Sam and Riddle's father reacts as it is clear he is mentally unstable and we are unsure how he will react or take action when he thinks he's being double crossed or tricked.

I'll Be There is a heartwarming and lovely story survival, hope, and promise.

Disclosure: I got this book from my local library.