Saturday 29 October 2011

Are Bookstores a Thing of the Past?

This is an interesting article that was written by Maria Rodale (CEO and Chairman of Rodale Inc and book author) on some ideas she has on how to save bookstores.  I like what she's come up with!

How To Save Bookstores

Wednesday 26 October 2011

"I see you shiver with antici...pation."

I'm always checking websites like amazon.ca, goodreads, and individual author's websites to see when authors I enjoy have new books coming out.  I also always manage to find new authors and books that peak my interest!  Here are 9 books coming out in the near future (next 6 months or so) that I'm looking forward to!

Crossed by Ally Condie 
(November 1st 2011)
The second book in Condie's Matched Trilogy.   
"Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.  Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again."

The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon
(November 29th 2011)
The latest novel in Gabaldon's 'Lord John' series, I am really excited about this one!
"Jamie Fraser, a Scottish Jacobite officer paroled as a prisoner of war on an estate in the Lake District, finds the numbness of his days disturbed. First, by dreams of his dead wife, then by the presence of the small son he cannot claim. Much more disturbing is the sudden reappearance in his life of Lord John Grey, with a summons that will take him - again - from everything he values.
A legacy from a dead friend has led Lord John and his brother Hal in pursuit of a corrupt army officer, along a trail of politics and murder. The matter becomes critical when the trail leads into Ireland, with a baffling message left in the tongue called "Erse" - the language spoken by Scottish Highlanders.
Jamie is forced to help the Greys, in order to guard his own secrets. But the Greys have secrets, too, which may deprive him of his life, as well as his liberty" 


Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D James
(December 6th 2011)
I just found out about this one while surfing around amazon.ca. James recreates the world of 'Pride and Prejudice' and puts in a murder mystery.
"The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome, healthy sons in the Pemberley nursery, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live within seventeen miles, the ordered and secure life of Pemberley seems unassailable, and Elizabeth's happiness in her marriage is complete. But their peace is threatened and old sins and misunderstandings are rekindled on the eve of the annual autumn ball. The Darcys and their guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley's wild woodland, and as it pulls up, Lydia Wickham, an uninvited guest, tumbles out, screaming that her husband has been murdered."

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
(December 10th 2011)
The second novel in Clare's 'Infernal Devices' trilogy.  While I enjoy the series that made Clare a household name, 'The Mortal Instruments', I find that I'm liking this series even more.  I love the time period, the characters, and the gadgets.

"In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.  With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do"


Fables Vol. 16: Super Group by Bill Willingham
(December 20th 2011)
I love Willingham's graphic novel series 'Fables'.  It is so smart, fun to read, and wonderfully illustrated.  My husband and I eagerly await each new installment!

A Million Suns by Beth Revis
(January 10th 2012)

I was pleasantly surprised with Revis' debut novel 'Across the Universe' and I eagerly await the sequel to her intergalactic love story.
"It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies. But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart." 


Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb
(February 21st 2012)
This marks the 34th novel in Robb's 'In Death' series.  I am always so happy when a new Eve Dallas novel hits the shelves since I know I'm in for a good read!

The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig
(February 21st 2012)
The latest novel in one of my favourite series, this is the 8th novel in 'The Pink Carnation' series.
"As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, English operative Augustus Whittlesby gets wind of a top secret device, to be demonstrated over the course of a house party at Malmaison. The catch? The only way in is to join forces with that annoying American socialite, Emma Morris Delagardie, who has been commissioned to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. Even so, it should leave plenty of alone time with Augustus’ colleague (and goddess), Jane Wooliston, who has been tapped to play the heroine. Or so Augustus tells himself. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing seems to go quite as scripted… especially Emma"



Insurgent by Veronica Roth
(May 28th 2012)
I loved Roth's debut novel 'Divergent'.  I have read so many YA novels dealing with some sort of post-Apocalyptic world and this one stood out from the bunch.  I'm really looking forward to the second in this planned trilogy.
"Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so."

Comfort Fiction

Lately I have been craving what I like to call 'comfort fiction'.  Stories that involve often dysfunctional families who grow apart and come back together and are full of love, family, and friendship. 'Comfort fiction' doesn't take long to read and you just feel a sense of calm and happiness during the story and after you have finished it.  You often feel the urge to relocate to where the story takes place (more often then naught, a small town where everyone knows everyone) and to meet and befriend these people.  I have officially found a new 'comfort fiction' author in Sherryl Woods and her Chesapeake Shores series.

This series takes place in the small community of Chesapeake Shores and centers around the O'Brien family.  Each novel centers on a different family member (though all the rest of the family appears in each novel).  Besides the central story, revolving around whichever O'Brien Woods has chosen to write about, there is always this idyllic town present.  I love reading about the small businesses, the relationships between townspeople, and the beautiful bay that the town sits upon.

This series is 'comfort fiction' at its best.  The reader is able to escape into this lovely town and into the lives of this family for a peaceful afternoon.

Sherryl Woods' Chesapeake Shores Series 
  1. The Inn at Eagle Point
  2. Flowers on Main
  3. Harbor Lights
  4. A Chesapeake Shores Christmas
  5. Driftwood Cottage
  6. Moonlight Cove
  7. Beach Lane
  8. An O'Brien Family Christmas

Tuesday 25 October 2011

“The finest of pleasures are always the unexpected ones.”

Title: "The Night Circus"
Author: Erin Morgenstern

I bought this book for my Kobo after reading some extremely positive reviews about this debut novel.  I really loved this book.  I was drawn to it initially by what little information I knew about it: it involved a circus (I enjoyed "Water For Elephants", especially the parts revolving around circus life, and was interested in reading more on this theme), magic (I have read a number of books involving some sort of magical element and usually enjoy them), and some sort of love story (I have been reading a number of 'romance' novels lately so this fit right into what my brain was craving).

I was really impressed with the way that Morgenstern was able to present so many different perspectives, be it from one of the many central characters that were given a voice, or from the perspective of you, the reader.  This voice in particular was really fun to read since the reader is literally taken on walk through the circus; we experience the tastes, smells, and sights that we would be seeing if we were actually there.

The language is beautiful, especially the descriptions of specific tents at the circus and the physical (and emotional) magic that is created by Celia and Marco.  Here is one scene in particular that I found so lovely:

“He goes directly to the ballroom, making his way to the center of the dance floor. He takes Celia’s arm, spinning her away from Herr Thiessen.
Marco pulls her to him in an emerald embrace, so close that no one distinction remains between where his suite ends and her gown begins. To Celia there is suddenly no one else in the room as he holds her in his arms. But before she can vocalize her surprise, his lips close over hers and she is lost in wordless bliss.
Marco kissed her as though they are the only two people in the world. The air swirls in a tempest around them, blowing open the glass doors to the garden with a tangle of billowing curtains. Every eye in the ballroom turns in their direction. And then he released her and walks away. By the time Marco leaves the room, almost everyone has forgotten the incident entirely. It is replaced by a momentary confusion that is blamed on the head or the excessive amounts of champagne. Herr Thiessen cannot recall why Celia has suddenly stopped dancing, or when her gown has shifted to its current deep green. “Is something wrong?” he asks, when he realizes that she is trembling.”

Such a beautiful book and a wonderful debut for Morgenstern.  I eagerly look forward to reading more by her in the future.

“Most of the time, there is no truth, only various levels of interpretation. Fact is a construct we provide to the public.”

The Ashford Affair  by Lauren Willig I really enjoyed Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series and thought I would give one of her stan...