Waiting On Wednesday #44: Finale, by Becca Fitzpatrick

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that
we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!




Here's my pick for this week!

Finale

(Hush, Hush #4)

Becca Fitzpatrick

Hardcover, 448 pages

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Expected Publication:

October 23, 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Goodreads Synopsis

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the "New York Times" bestselling Hush, Hush saga. Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen Angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean that they will always be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. And yet their biggest challenge lies ahead. Can their love survive a seemingly insurmountable divide? The lines are drawn, but it's unclear which sides have been taken. And in the end, will there be enough trust left to rebuild what has been broken?

I have the first three books of

this series, but have yet to read them...

I've heard it's excellent, of course,

so I really must get started

on it!

And, as soon as this one is released,

I'm getting it, bccause

I simply have to have the complete set!

Of course.

This is what bookwormism does

to otherwise sane human beings...

not that I'm complaining!

Plus, anything with angels in the plot,

fallen or not, will 

immediately get my attention!!

What fascinating books

are you all waiting on this week?

And what do you think

of my choice?

Death of a Beautiful Dream?

All of my faithful readers may be wondering why I haven't posted anything so far this week.  Indeed, I was planning to post on Wednesday.  The thing is, I've been grieving since Tuesday, when I learned the awful, unbelievable news...that Kristen Stewart had actually cheated on Rob Pattinson...   To say that this was a huge shock would indeed be an understatement.  I simply couldn't take it in.  Of course, I immediately went to the Internet to confirm what I hoped would just be a nasty rumor.  After all, I had heard about this from a co-worker, at my day job.  Perhaps she was wrong...

ANNA KARENINA Read-Along: Third Week, Part V

Welcome to the third week of

this read-along, hosted by

Stephanie @

Five Alarm Book Reviews!

If you'd like to participate,

just click on the button for this meme,

located in my sidebar.

Then, write your own post,

and link up by clicking on the

button above!

Overall Impressions

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!

I'm afraid I'll have to do two separate posts again, since there's so much I want to say...

There are times in one's life in which one has to do the morally correct thing, in spite of one's strong feelings.  There is a higher, moral law, and it is this law that must prevail.  That's why I love the classic, Jane Eyre. Jane knew that Rochester was not free to marry her.  He begged her to simply live with him; after all, he said, no one would ever know, since he lived out in the country.  Jane replied that she would know, and that was enough.  She could not live with a guilty conscience.  And so, in spite of her great love for him, she fled...

Shelf Candy Saturday #28: Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman

This wonderful book meme/blog hop

is hosted by

Stephanie @

The purpose of this feature is to display

a beautiful book cover,

with information, if available,

about the cover illustrator,

photographer, and/or designer.

For all the participation rules,

just click

HERE.

Here's my choice for this week!

Seraphina

(Seraphina #1)

Rachel Hartman

Hardcover, 467 pages

Random House Children's Books

July 10, 2012

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

INNOVATIVE ONLINE BOOK TOURS: Review of Beneath the Surface, by Joya Fields

Welcome to this stop for the

Beneath the Surface

Review Blitz, sponsored by

Innovative Online Book

Tours!!

Beneath the Surface

Joya Fields

Paperback, 252 pages

The Wild Rose Press

January 18, 2012

Genres:

Contemporary Romance,

Suspense

Goodreads Synopsis

Brooke Richards survived the earthquake that took her parents and most of her leg, but she needs time to regroup. A trip to Florida for a state-of-the-art prosthesis and to visit her best friend Linda seems ideal. But the trip turns traumatic when Brooke witnesses Linda’s boat disintegrating in a fiery explosion.

Police officer Garrett Ciavello believes the blast was intentionally set to hide something Linda found on a dive. When Brooke offers her expertise in underwater archeology, Garrett accepts her help with the investigation. But since his fiancée’s death years ago, Garrett has become overprotective, and as they are drawn to each other, Garrett realizes he will risk anything to keep Brooke safe.

INNOVATIVE ONLINE BOOK TOURS: Review of Dreaming Montana, by Kim Nathan

Welcome to this stop on

the Dreaming Montana Tour,

sponsored by Innovative Online Book Tours!!

Reviewer's Note

Since this book was published in a

Kindle edition, and I do not read ebooks,

the author was nice enough

to send me a copy of her original manuscript.

I really appreciate this!!

Her kind action has in no way influenced my opinion

of her novel.

I have always been committed to

posting totally honest reviews.

Goodreads Synopsis

In a single day, Cara Gallagher experiences a sensual dream about a man she doesn’t know and has a premonition of her identical twin—at the exact moment her sister dies in a car accident. To escape her grief and a loveless marriage, Cara accepts a temporary job reassignment in Seattle, where she continues to have sensuous dreams of the unknown man. There she encounters an angel who claims to be sent by her dead sister to help her find the man in her dreams. Meanwhile, photographer Jay Amiens sees angel wings on his film and has recurring intimate dreams about a woman he doesn’t know—but would love to meet in person. Set in 1993, Dreaming Montana invokes the spirit of Seattle at the height of the grunge era, with the city as the backdrop for Cara and Jay to potentially cross paths.

Goodreads Page for Dreaming Montana

ANNA KARENINA Read-Along: Second Week, Parts III and IV

Welcome to the second week of

this fabulous read-along, hosted by

Stephanie @

Five Alarm Book Reviews!

If you'd like to participate,

just click on the button for this meme,

located in my sidebar.

Then, write your own post,

and link up by clicking on the

button above!

 

Overall Impressions

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!

I think, at this point, that the main reason I'm reading this book now is to find out whether or not Kitty and Levin get married.  As for Anna and Vronsky, I can't relate to their situation at all.  I can't feel any sympathy for Anna, even if she feels trapped in a loveless marriage.   I don't think she made enough of an effort to resist her attraction to Vronsky.  Apparently, the divorce laws of the time would not have allowed her to divorce Karenin simply because she no longer loved him (which I doubt she ever did).  Of course, everything in their society was geared to benefit the interests of men.  Still, I think that Karenin has been very patient with her.  A man of a different temperament would have left already.  It seems that Karenin loves her, in his own way, although she can't see that at all.

Shelf Candy Saturday #28: Ascend, by Amanda Hocking

 

This wonderful book meme/blog hop

is hosted by

Stephanie @

The purpose of this feature is to display

a beautiful book cover,

with information, if available,

about the cover illustrator,

photographer, and/or designer.

For all the participation rules,

just click

HERE.

 

Here's my choice for this week!

Torn

(Trylle Trilogy, #2)

Amanda Hocking

Paperback, 324 pages

St. Martin's Press

February 28, 2012

(first published November, 2010

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult,

Paranormal Romance

ANNA KARENINA Read-Along: First Week (Part II)

 

Overall Impressions

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

I am now doing Part II of this novel, for two reasons.  First, I started the book late, because I didn't order it from Amazon early  enough.  Second, my previous post became a rather long one, so I saw the need for another post, just for Part II.

There's so much going on in this novel!   It's immediately obvious, as one advances deeper into the book, that this novel is not just about Anna Karenina, in spite of its title.  ( A couple of other participants have mentioned this, too.)  More than one character takes center stage at several points.  The plot first focuses on one of them, and then another.  Of course, by this time, Vronsky and Anna usually appear together whenever the narrative focuses on Anna. 

INNOVATIVE ONLINE BOOK TOURS: The Bridge of Deaths, by M.C.V. Egan

Welcome to this stop

on the The Bridge of Deaths Tour,
sponsored by
Innovative Online
Book Tours!

The Bridge of Deaths

M.C.V. Egan

Paperback, 372 pages

Authorhouse

June 13, 2011

Genre: Historical Fiction,

Contemporary Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

On August 15th 1939, at the brink of World War II, an English plane crashed and sank in Danish waters. Five deaths were reported: two Standard Oil of New Jersey employees, a German corporate lawyer, an English member of Parliament, and a crew member for the airline. Here is a conceivable version of the events.

Book Blurb

The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery.

Fictional characters travel through

the world of pastlife regressions, and use information acquired from

psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "one of those mysteries that never get solved".

It is based on true events and real people.  It is the

culmination of 18 years of sifting through sources in

Denmark, England, and the United States.

It finds a way to help the reader feel that he/she is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions. 

ANNA KARENINA Read-Along: First Week (Part I)

Welcome to the first week

of this fantastic event,

which is hosted by Stephanie @

Five Alarm Book Reviews!

If you'd like to participate, just click

on the button in my sidebar

to sign up, then go to this week's post

(click on the button above)

so you can link up your own post!

Overall Impressions

It's been a long time since I've read literary fiction, let alone a classic.  So, as I began to read this famous masterpiece of Russian literature, I found myself having to shift gears.  The prose in literary fiction has a different rhythm, which thus creates a somewhat different state of mind as one reads, as compared to the prose in what is known as 'popular fiction'.  Not only is the pace slower, but there are subtle undercurrents of psychological depth in nearly every sentence.  In other words, literary fiction is more thought-provoking, which makes for a slower read.  The emphasis is not so much on 'what happens next', as on the complex interactions of all the characters, the psychologiccal implications of these interactions, and the larger message of the whole work, which is usually universal in scope.  In short, literary fiction usually presents characters caught in an archetypal drama.  As this drama plays out, the reader experiences a cathartic effect. 

Shelf Candy Saturday #27: A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeline L'Engle

This wonderful book meme/blog hop

is hosted by

Stephanie @

The purpose of this feature is to display

a beautiful book cover,

with information, if available,

about the cover illustrator,

photographer, and/or designer.

For all the participation rules,

just click

HERE.

Here's my choice for this week!

A Wrinkle In Time

Madeleine L'Engle

Hardcover, 203 pages

Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux

January 1, 1962

Genres: Science Fantasy, YA

Why do I love this cover?

Needless to say, any cover with blue in it will immediately catch my eye!  However, this cover also calls out to me because of the beauty of the total design, as well as the sheer inventiveness of it.  The three central characters,  done in a greyish-blue tone, are so magical and weird-looking.  One of them wears glasses, and reminds me very strongly of Harry Potter, although A Wrinkle In Time was published long before J.K. Rowling's first book in the series appeared on the literary scene.  

These figures are a marked contrast to the ones inside the arched enclosure at the bottom of the cover, which are done in earth-colored tones.  My curiosity is piqued by the strange ball held aloft by the tallest character within the enclosure.  Is it a crystal ball?  Is it some sort of time machine?  The older children are looking up at the ball as if expecting it to do something, while the little boy at the bottom seems indifferent to the proceedings.  

I'm also wondering what those unusual-looking columns or spikes surrounding the arched enclosure are.  They're peeking above what looks like either a forest or tan-colored clouds -- I'm not sure which.

The border is inspired by the Art Deco style, and is a very visually pleasing anchor to the whole composition.  The golden circle at the top right-hand corner is a Newberry Medal, since this book was given that award in 1963.

The font used for the title and author's name is very classic-looking, reminding me of Roman capitals.  I like its simplicity, which doesn't pull the viewer's attention from the gorgeous, complex, overall design. 

If you haven't already guessed who the illustrators of this wonderful cover are, they're the same ones who created the beautiful cover I featured last week -- Leo and Diane Dillon!  These highly talented artists were responsible for the first three covers in L'Engle's Time series, and each cover is a jewel that deserves its own separate post.  All three feature the Dillon's signature style, which is totally unique, totally beautiful!

If you missed last week's post, which provides more information about the Dillons, just check out my Shelf Candy post dated June 30th, which you can access HERE.  

For a quick link to the Dillons, just click HERE.   

Where to buy this edition:  Amazon

So what do you think

of this cover?

What beautiful cover(s)

are you featuring this week?

Waiting On Wednesday #43: Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that
we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!


Here's my pick for this week!

Seraphina

(Seraphina #1)

Rachel Hartman

Hardcover, 464 pages

Random House Children's Books

July 10, 2012

Genres: Fantasy, YA

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

I must confess that I love dragons!

I just think they're fabulous creatures,

but...they must be good dragons,

not evil ones, in order for me

to like them.

I'm thinking of the dragons in

such books as Eragon and its sequels,

as well as the dragons of Pern,

in Anne McAffrey's wonderful novels.

Besides, I love high fantasy itself!!

So I've already got my credit card

ready for this coming July 10th,

when I will just swoop down on

Amazon and buy this novel!!

Where To Buy:

Amazon

What enchanting books

are you all waiting on this week?

And what do you think

of my choice?

Author Serendipity #5: Christine de Pizan, Early Feminist

Welcome to this week's installment

of my new book meme!

The purpose of this new feature is to highlight those authors I have recently discovered, and whose books I would love to read. Such discoveries might come about through browsing on the Internet (on Goodreads, Shelfari, or Amazon), a chance encounter with an interesting book in a bookstore,

or through other bloggers' recommendations.

The authors I choose will be those who write in my favorite genres, and might be either emerging authors, or have been in print for a while. 
They will, however, be entirely new to me.

This week, I would like to thank

Brian Joseph @ Babbling Books

for my discovery of a daring medieval writer!

You can access the post which mentions

this writer and her audacious book

HERE.

Here's my fifth discovery!

Christine de Pizan

(Dec. 24, 1362 - Dec. 23, 1433)

Medieval poet and early feminist

This author's views on the status of women were remarkably modern, given the time she lived in, which was rife with misogynistic ideas.  Born in Venice, Italy, she wrote courtly poetry, as well as several works contributing to the rhetorical tradition.   In doing my research, I found conflicting dates for her birth and death; the ones shown above are from her Goodreads profile. 

The book mentioned in Brian's post is, according to scholars, the very first one written by a woman in defense of her gender. 

Although she was born in Venice, she spent most of her life in Paris, as well as at the abbey of Poissy. She wrote in what is known as Middle French.

Her best-known and most influential works are The Book of the City of Ladies and The Treasure of the City of Ladies, both of which exhort women to resist misogyny and stereotypical attitudes toward their gender.

Several scholars have brought her work out of obscurity; among them is the great advocate of feminism, Simone de Beauvoir. Other scholars include Earl Jeffrey Richards (translator of the edition of The Book of the City of Ladies shown here), Charity Cannon Willard, and Rosalind Brown-Gran (translator of the edition sold on Amazon).

The Book of the City of Ladies

Christine de Pizan

Paperback, 282 pages

Persea Books

June 1, 1998

(first published 1405)

From the Wikipedia Synopsis

In The Book of the City of Ladies de Pizan created a symbolic city in which women are appreciated and defended. She constructed three allegorical foremothers: Reason, Justice, and Rectitude. She enters into a dialogue, a movement between question and answer, with these allegorical figures that is from a completely female perspective. Only female voices, examples and opinions provide evidence within this text. Christine, through Lady Reason in particular, argues that stereotypes of woman can be sustained only if women are prevented from entering the dominant male-oriented conversation.

 

The Treasure of the City of Ladies

Christine de Pizan

Paperback, 192 pages

Penguin Classics

May 7, 1985

(first published 1405)

From the Wikipedia Synopsis 

In The Treasure of the City of Ladies, she highlights the persuasive effect of women’s speech and actions in everyday life. In this particular text, Christine argues that women must recognize and promote their ability to make peace. De Pizan then argues that "skill in discourse should be a part of every woman’s moral repertoire".  She proved that rhetoric is a powerful tool that women could employ to settle differences and to assert themselves. Overall, she presented a concrete strategy that allowed all women, regardless of their status, to undermine the dominant patriarchal discourse.

For further information:

Goodreads Profile: Cristine de Pizan

Christine de Pizan

Wikipedia article on Christine de Pizan

The Life and Triumphs of Christine de Pizan