Good News Everyone!

More exciting news to share with regards to that well know author J.K. Rowling!
First of all, she has a new book coming out this fall.....now before you ask:

No, it is not a Harry Potter Book.
No, it does not contain magic.
No, it is not written for children.

Yes Rowling is taking a leap into the world of adult fiction and is trying her hand at writing a book aimed at an older audience.  The Casual Vacancy will be available on Thursday September 27th 2012.  Here's the blurb that has been released:

"When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?
Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. " (http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/TheCasualVacancy)

So what do we think? I will read it because I simply can't not read it but a party of me does ache at the thought of reading a book by her that does not follow the adventures of Harry and friends....

Speaking of them....Here is the second piece of Rowling news!

This was recently published on her website in the FAQ section:

Question: What about the Harry Potter Encyclopedia? (side note: Rowling had mentioned at some point that she hoped to one day write and publish this)

"For a long time I have been promising an encyclopaedia of Harry’s world, and I have started work on this – some of it forms the new content in Pottermore. It is likely to be a time-consuming job, but when finished I shall donate all royalties to charity." (http://www.jkrowling.com/en_US/#/about-jk-rowling/faqs-and-rumours)

Let the excited squealing begin!

"Ellen was asked to record the new steamy novel "50 Shades of Grey" for the audio book. Things didn't go according to plan."

"Proof that 'I was here, and I made my mark' "

"In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, complaining about the irritating fad of “scribbling women.” Whether they were written by professionals, by women who simply wanted to connect with others, or by those who wanted to leave a record of their lives, those “scribbles” are fascinating, informative, and instructive." (Goodreads page for Scribbling Women)


I loved Scribbling Women by Marthe Jocelyn.  I have always been interested in looking at different historical events and periods of time through the perspective of women so when I first found out about this book I was immediately interested.  This book was fantastic!  One of my favourite things about it was that I had never heard of any of the eleven women whose stories were told and yet as I learned about each of them, I found myself wondering why on earth hadn't I heard of them??  Each have such amazing stories to tell and have had some sort of historical impact on the world we live in today.  Take Nellie Bly for instance; she was the first female undercover reporter! The things she did to get her story are incredible, especially when you consider that she was the first one to do it!  And Daisy Ashford; she was an author who stopped writing at the age of 14 and whose novel The Young Visiters is still in print and popular today! After reading this book, I have found myself with a large list of books that I now want to read so I can found out more about these 'scribbling women'.


Here are the women whose stories are told in Jocelyn's book:
Sei Shonagon
Margaret Catchpole
Mary Hayden Russell
Harriet Ann Jacobs
Isabella Beeton
Mary Kingsley
Nellie Bly
Daisy Ashford
Ada Blackjack
Dang Thuy Tram
Doris Pilkington Garimara

Books on Film

There are lots of great videos on YouTube that involve books and the literary world.  Here are a few recent favourites that make me smile :)

Many beloved literary characters (Pinocchio, Captain Ahab, Little Miss Chatterbox, Black Beauty, and Raggedy Ann and Andy, just to name a few!) get together to "rally people behind the Book People Unite movement and help get books in the hands of kids who need them the most" (YouTube blur).  Features a lovely song produced by The Roots and features the vocal talents of Jack Black, Chris Martin, John Legend, Regina Spektor, and more!
For more info on the movement, visit the website: Book People Unite

If you have 15 minutes to spare then I really recommend that you watch this!  The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 2011 and it was a well deserved win! Such a charming story, I laughed and cried while watching this visually delightful film.

More Potter!

Many many months ago news broke the J.K. Rowling was putting together and ultimate Harry Potter based website called Pottermore.  It would include lots of additional information, pictures, links, videos, and the ability to purchases all the books in ebook format.  Naturally I hustled my way over to Pottermore to discover that the site was still in beta.  I patiently waited and check back ever few weeks.  And I waited.....and waited....sigh, and waited.  Then a brilliant coincidence occurred today.  While at my local library I happened to glance at one of the many studious teenagers (oh exam season I remember you well) laptops and saw the words POTTERMORE blazing across the screen! When I got home I held my breath and typed in the url and lo and behold, it is alive!!  I am now a member of Pottermore and have spent the last hour exploring and let me tell you...it is fantastic!  I love being walked through each chapter and getting the chance to learn interesting tidbits about characters and places that I though I knew so well (Oh J.K. you sure showed me!)  An example of the brilliant material you can find the story of how Petunia and Vernon Dursley met, the courtship and wedding, as well as their interactions with Lily and James Potter.  Fascinating stuff! While obviously not integral to the plot in the first book I none the less found that this tidbit made these already wonderful characters even more vibrant!  I'm so excited to continue exploring Pottermore and even more excited knowing that I have 7 whole books, chapter by chapters, to go through and fall in love with all over again

POTTERMORE

Reading Roundup!

Clearly I have fallen behind on updating! Having recently gotten 2 adorable kittens, I have found myself very easily distracted!

Here is the rundown on recent reads:

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak
The first in a trilogy about Catherine the Great, this novel covers Catherine's arrival in Russia and her eventual taking of the throne.  Really well written novel about a very interesting period of time and a fascinating woman!  I really liked how Stachniak told the story form the perspective of Varvara, a maid turned spy in the palace.  A really excellent read!

Maus I + II by Art Spiegelman
Moving, funny, shocking, wonderful....just a few words to describe Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece. The graphic novel style is perfect in telling us the two joining stories of Spiegelman's relationship with his father in recent times and his father's story as a Jew during the Holocaust.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
My second novel by Willis and her second in her Oxford Time Travel novels.  This one took me a little longer to get into (I found that it started much slower than The Doomsday Book) but I also really liked this book.  Set in Victoria England and involving the misadventures of two time traveling historians, a mischievous cat, and a whole slew of well written character.  I'm excited to read more by her!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I have heard lots about Green and what an amazing author he is so I decided to read is latest novel.  Wow, this guy is good! I don't think I have ever read teen based dialogue that I actually find believable and not just annoying!  This book was an emotional roller coaster! I laughed, I cried, I felt it all!  Definitely worth a read and this has convinced me to pick up his earlier novels.

“I gasp, and I'm Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he's the serpent, and I cannot resist.”

After hearing so much buzz about Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, the erotic ebook phenomenon that seems to be taking the world by storm, I felt that I had to join the party and get the 411 on this.  Let me just say....oh my....I had a friend as me what I thought of the book / was it as scandalous as all the press was saying and my answer was yes, yes it is.  The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to another literary phenomenon, the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.  Now if you have read that series, thing about what it is about, the general storyline, characters, etc...Now take out all the supernatural elements....and in place of all the longing, sexually charged looks between Bella and Edward add a whole lotta kinky sex (and I do mean kinky!).  While the writing is not stellar and the story is somewhat predictable (except the ending which I didn't see coming, especially since there are two more books in the series) it was an enjoyable read and I can see why women everywhere are getting all hot and bothered across the globe.  I will read the next two books because at this point I really need to see what other shocking things Ana and Christian get into.  Curiosity has definitely gotten the best of me.

Vacation Reads

I was recently on my Honeymoon and spent two and a half glorious weeks traveling around Paris, Venice, and Florence.  Besides seeing epic works of art, drinking delicious wine, and basking in the sun, I also did a lot of reading!

 Here was my favourite place to read: (can you blame me for wanting to spend lots of time here?!)

Here is the lineup that I got through during my vacation:

Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
Not my favourtie in the series but I did like seeing a female vampire and a human male as the main characters since most of the series has been the other way around.  As per usual, lots of sexy time which equals a perfect plane read!

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
I had never heard of Connie Willis until I picked up one of her books on a whim at work...and discovered that she won both the Hugo and the Nebula for this book...WHAT?! How did I not know about her!  I had this on my Kobo for awhile and this trip seemed like the perfect time to read it.  WOW!  I loved this book.  While classified as Science Fiction (what with all the time traveling going on) it also is very much a historical novel (what with a historian from the mid 21st century being sent to the Medieval Ages).  It was moving, humourous, informative, and very believable.  This is the first novel Willis wrote about time travelers from Oxford and I will definetly be picking up the other three that she has written about this topic (note these are not sequels but books that take place in the same universe).

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
I had read The House at Riverton sometime ago and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to reading this novel of Mortons (especially since many people called this one her better book!).  What a brilliant novel!  Beautifully written, emotionally stirring, and wonderfully imagined, I was gripped from page one (ask my husband, I quite literally wouldn't leave the rooftop garden until I was done reading it the next day).  I love how Morton weaves mystery into her novels and keeps me guessing right up to the big reveal.  I was thinking about the story days after finishing which I find is always the sign of a good read.  I'm looking forward to reading her latest novel!

The Orchid Affair / The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig
I had been saving Willig's newest novel for this trip, as well as rereading the one before to do a quick catchup on the integral plot points.  The Orchid Affair was once again excellent and The Garden Intrigue didn't disappoint either.  I liked the pairing of Augustus and Emma for most of the story though I did start to waver near the end...the eventual 'hook-up' wasn't quite what I was hoping for but oh well!  I'm also really looking forward to wear Willig will take the Eloise / Colin plot line which gets better and better with each book!

Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
Lancaster's first memoir and the only one I hadn't read! It was interesting reading this one after having read all her other memoirs because it introduced 'rich, VP Jen' which is someone I had only had glimpses of.  I found this one much more moving, reading about her and husband Fletch's fall from the top after the economic crisis from the early 2000's and all the troubles they went through.  Lancaster biting wit and honest voice is as present here as in her other memoirs and I loved reading her story.  She is fast becoming my favourite non-fiction author.  Many rereads of all her wonderful memoirs are in my future.

“Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.”

I don't know how many times I have picked up Kathyrn Stockett's debut novel, The Help, at bookstores.  I read the back, flip through the pages and thought....ehh, maybe another time.  I just couldn't seem to get excited about reading it for some reason.  Maybe because every other person I talked to (especially when I was at work at the bookstore) was telling me I HAD to read it! It would change my life! Maybe it was just to popular for me to get excited about since everyone else was excited about it.  While the topic peaked my interest, I just kept thinking it was going to be a downer read and that I didn't wanna go there. 
The other day I was having a really hard time trying to pick a book to read, nothing peaked my interested!  I was at work and I picked up The Help and thought to myself, 'oh what the hell, I might as well give it a go.'  I think that this quote by YA author Margaret Stohl (co-author of Beautiful Creatures) on her reading experience with The Help sums it up best: "It's really almost horrible when those books everyone loves turn out to be worthy of all the adoration. But it does."
 This book was amazing and I quite literally didn't put it down until I finished it (took me from one evening to the next). So moving and emotional, the stories of Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter tell the reader of these three amazing women and how they take a chance and take a stance; they tell the truth.  This was such a pleasure to read and I'm so glad I finally got around to it!  I will have to rent the Oscar nominated film and see how it compares!

Long Live the Queen!

I have always been interested in the royal family, especially the Queen (how can one not love her snappy outfits with her excellent hats and handbags!) so when I saw that a new biography on the life of Elizabeth the second came out this year (in honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee coming up!) I immediately got a copy from my local library.  Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith is a wonderful read about a woman who has lived a very long and unique life. Starting with her childhood and going right up to the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the life of the Queen is fully covered and ranges from topics such as politics, family, friendships, and her long time relationship with Prince Phillip.  I really enjoyed the fact that despite it's size (600 pages!) and topic, this biography was very easy to read.  It is written in a style that not only gives us lots of information but also feels personal (Smith adds lots of of entertaining anecdotes which really liven up the story and make the Queen a much more relate able figure).  An added bonus is the number of photographs that are included.  Elizabeth II is amazing; mother, grandmother, wife, woman and monarch are just a few of her titles.  If you are interested in learning more about her and the royal family in general then I really recommend reading this!

“You've won the evolutionary lottery: You're a vampire. Let's go to Disneyland!”

I recently discovered the delightful paranormal romance writer J.R. Ward and I have been working my way through her Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  The series focuses on six vampire brothers and warriors who live together and defend their race against Lessers, de-souled humans who threaten their kind.  Each book is centered around one of the vampire warriors, starting with the leader of the Brotherhood, Wrath, in the first book Dark Lover.  Such a entertaining, funny, and sexy as hell series!  Ward creates an interesting and engaging vampire culture and characters.  A great series to curl up with on a rainy day....or whenever!

Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward

1. Dark Lover (Wrath's Story)
2. Lover Eternal (Rhage's Story)
3. Lover Awakened (Zsadist's Story)
4. Lover Revealed (Butch's Story)
5. Lover Unbound (Vishous' Story)
6. Lover Enshrined (Phury's Story)
7. Lover Avenged (Rhevenge's Story)
8. Lover Mine (John Matthew's Story)
9. Lover Unleashed (Payne's Story)