Shelf Candy Saturday #140: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss

 

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful book covers!

It also provides information,

if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information

about Shelf Candy Saturday,

simply go HERE.

Today I'm comparing two covers 

for the same book!

The Name of the Wind

(The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)

Patrick Rothfuss 

Trade Paperback, 672 pages

Gollancz

June 12, 2008

Fantasy, Science Fantasy 

My Thoughts About This Cover

Ever since I saw my very first Gollancz cover, I've been hooked! This publisher puts out absolutely gorgeous covers which never fail to catch my eye. It's a very rare occasion when I don't like one of them!

This particular one immediately captivated me. It's just perfect in every way! The whole scene is mysterious, yet compelling. The forest surrounding and framing the wizard of the story seems to be protecting and sheltering him as he slowly walks into it. The vines and branches, done in a beautifully ornate style somewhat reminiscent of Art Nouveau, also frame the wizard, heightening his importance. This makes him very compelling as well, and motivates the reader to pick up this book and read it. 

The wizard is placed against a totally white background, which also serves to place the focus totally on him. This is the one thing I don't completely like about the cover, though. I think that the background should be very lightly tinted. On the other hand, perhaps the cover artist had the intention of showing the wizard surrounded by brilliant light, which would thus suggest that he's a good wizard.

The font used for the title and author's name is a classical one. I love the leafy vines growing out of the "W" in the word "Wind"; they echo those running along the sides of the cover.

The color scheme is also perfect; the artist has hit upon just the right colors to catch the viewer's eye. In  short, when I purchase this book, as I undoubtedly will, it will be the one with this cover!

I have not been able to locate any information about the highly talented artist, so I'll have to wait until I own  this book to see who this person is.....

 

 

The Name of the Wind

(The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)

Patrick Rothfuss 

Trade Paperback, 672 pages

DAW Trade

April 7, 2009

Fantasy, Science Fantasy

Incredibly, this cover doesn't appeal that much to me, even though it's predominantly blue, and this happens to be my favorite color. (Just take a look all over this blog!) 

The overall design of this cover is just not original or creative at all. Honestly, I feel that I've seen images very similar to this one many times before. The stormy sky and tall prairie grass don't really suggest wind to the viewer. Besides, the wizard is calmly walking along, apparently unconcerned about the weather. Or perhaps he has paused briefly to watch the approach of the storm.

The font used is very elegant, but it's totally unrelated to the cover image. Given the lack of movement in the scene depicted, it could have at least been made to suggest wind.

In short, I find this second cover to be totally uninspiring, and it would actually not compel me to buy the book, as the Gollancz cover does.

The Amazon US reader does provide the name of this artist. He is listed, simply, as "Donato". When I did a Google search, I found the name "Donato Giancola", and then visited his website. He certainly has a very impressive portfolio there. His style is very realistic. However, this particular cover just doesn't do much for me at all.

Donato's website can be accessed HERE.

 

What do you think of my 

choice this week?

Please leave a comment

and let me know!

The Book Lover's Den #15: On Scaling Mount TBR (Part II), and Hugging Beloved Books

Welcome to my Friday feature!

In each weekly post, I explore 

my thoughts on several 

book-related topics.

My husband and I are currently in the process of moving, so I now have no choice but to put some of my books in storage, as there are far too many to take to our new dwelling. Therefore, I've been frantically going through my shelves, to see which books I might be able to part with, and which ones I will not let go for even a HUGE amount of money (going into the millions, believe me). Surprisingly, I have found quite a few books that I definitely know I won't be interested in reading -- ever! I don't know how these managed to make it into my collection, but perhaps my reading tastes have somehow shifted with the years, and I haven't even been aware of it! Interesting, as well as funny....

Now I have to select which books I want near me, in the new condo. These are books which I am very, very interested in reading, either because of exciting plots or fascinating subject matter (in the case of nonfiction). I am therefore telling myself that, if they remain close to me, I will be reading them very soon. Of course, this is typically what bookworms tell themselves, as they lovingly -- and yet with some despair -- scan their shelves of unread books.....lol.

In addition to those books that I want to read as soon as I get the chance, there are other, highly treasured volumes I have indeed read, but love them so much I can't bear to put them in storage! So, even though I've already read these books, I desperately NEED to have them close by, just for the sake of picking them up from time to time, lovingly leafing through their pages, and then giving them a fierce hug before tenderly returning them to their shelves with a contented sigh.....

These are some of my most treasured volumes, in the category of "Books Read One or More Times, and Loved Forevermore!":

1.   The Twilight Saga - Stephenie Meyer
2.   Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
3.   The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
4.   The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
5.   The Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
6.   Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
7.   Sunshine and Shadow - Sharon and Tom Curtis
8.   Tryst - Elswyth Thane
9.   Night Magic - Charlotte Vale Allen
10. My Name Is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok 
  

Below are some of the books that I will do my very best to read in the coming year. These are in addition to the ones listed in "The Book Lover's Den #14", posted last Friday. Of course, as with the previous list, I may not necessarily read these books in the order given.   
 

1.   I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

2.   City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

3.   City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare

4.   City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

5.   City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare

6.   City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare

7.   City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare

8.   Drawing the Light from Within - Judith Cornell

9.   Art and Visual Perception - Rudolf Arnheim

10. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

11. Nuno - Carlos Aleman

12. Alienated - Melissa Landers 

13. Spock: The Fire and the Rose - David R. George III

14. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

15. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen

16. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

17. Through A Glass Darkly - Karleen Koen

18. The White Queen - Philippa Gregory

19. The Silver Chalice - Thomas B. Costain

20. Lonely Planets - David Grinspoon 

            

What do you think of my two lists?

Have you read any of 
these books?

If so, what did you think 
of them?

Waiting On Wednesday #123: Dead Heat, by Patricia Briggs

This is a weekly event hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine!!

It showcases future releases which

we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!!

Here's my choice for this week!

Dead Heat 

(Alpha &Omega, #4)

Patricia Briggs

Hardcover, 336 pages

Ace 

March 3, 2015

Paranormal Romance,Urban Fantasy

Amazon US/Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository 

THE NEW CHARLES AND ANNA NOVEL
Praised as “the perfect blend of action, romance, suspense and paranormal,"* the Alpha and Omega novels transport readers into the realm of the werewolf, where Charles Cornick and Anna Latham embody opposite sides of the shifter personality. Now, a pleasure trip drops the couple into the middle of some bad supernatural business…

For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal--or at least it starts out that way...
Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.  *Rex Robot Reviews

Why I'm waiting on this one!!

I've been wanting to read a Patricia Briggs novel 
for the longest time now.....She's supposed
to be a truly AWESOME writer!
This series is entirely new to me, though; I
recently came across it on Amazon.
The female hero sure sounds like a dynamite
character, and she's obviously paired up with
an equally dynamite male hero!
These two remind me of Cat and Bones, the
couple in Jeaniene Frosts's amazing
Night Huntress series, another one
that I've wanted to read for a long time....
Of course, the couple in Briggs's series
are werewolves, but it seems that 
their relationship is similar.
I really have to get both of these
exciting series under my belt!!  

What do you think of my choice?

What fascinating book(s) are 
you longing for this week?

Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway!! Capturing You, by Katana Collins

Welcome to this stop in the Capturing You Blog Tour, sponsored by

Bewitching Book Tours!!

Capturing You

(A Maple Grove Romance, #1)

Katana Collins

Digital Edition, 258 pages

Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

December 16, 2014

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Contemporary Romance

After discovering she can't have children, Lydia Ryder has all but convinced herself that she doesn't need a family to be happy. All she needs is her camera, her passport, and a damn good manicure. And maybe, maybe a sexy male travel companion. But when her job as a magazine photographer lands her in the small town of Maple Grove, NH, a precocious ten-year old and her single father barge into Lydia's life, turning what she thinks she wants onto its head. In this town full of happily-ever-afters, Lydia finds herself wishing for things she had sworn off long ago...

When Cameron Tripp's wife passed away from heart disease, he thought he'd never find love again. He certainly never would have expected a woman like Lydia Ryder to waltz into his life and awaken his dormant heart and libido. But despite his better judgment, Cam finds himself drawn to the vivacious and argumentative outsider. He quickly learns that, like him, she knows all about misplaced trust, heartbreak, and how quickly a family can fall apart if you let it.

As impassioned arguments morph into frenzied kisses, the two wonder if one week can ever be enough. Despite lacking a maternal side, can Lydia connect with his ten-year-old daughter? And when Cameron finally learns the truth behind Lydia's past career, the trust he worked so hard to build crumbles once again. With such doubts filling their minds, is there any hope that Lydia and Cameron will be able to start a new life together?

Prequel available for FREE @ Smashwords!!!

 

Amazon US/Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Barnes & Noble 

Note to Readers
This book includes content suitable for 
adults only (18+).

Chapter Eleven

            It didn't take long before Cam was lying on the floor, face up, a half-empty bottle of wine clutched in a hand. His ceiling fan was so dirty. He'd have to make a mental note to dust up there next time. If he'd even remember in this inebriated state. Do drunk people use words like inebriated? Apparently this one did.   

            He looked to his left, swiveling his head without lifting it off the floor. Callie was lying face down on his couch. One leg dangled off the edge and knuckles that grasped her bottle of vino scraped the floor. Her cheek was squished, making her loose lips pucker. Sensing his stare, she opened her eyes; they were red and bloodshot. “You're so drunk,” she slurred.

            “You're an enabebler,” Cam attempted to speak. Clearly it wasn't going well. He could tell in his own head it was wrong and his sister broke out in a fit of giggles.

            “This is fun,” she said, “Why didn't we ever do this before?”

            “Because you weren't twenty-one before,” he grunted and bringing the bottle to his lips, took another swig. The sweetness wasn't so much of an issue after your sixth glass. And after almost a whole bottle? You didn't even taste it anymore.

            Callie sat up on an arm, propping her body in some sort of yoga-like pose that made Cam's back hurt just looking at it. Shit, he was getting old. “Listen, mister. I've been twenty-one for...” she counted on a few fingers, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as though the extra thinking hurt, “many months now. There's no excuse!” Her elbow gave out and she fell back down onto the couch with an "Oomph".

            “Yeah, well, I've got reponsibilities,” he said. “Responsilibilities,” he tried again. “Re-spons-ib-ilities.” There. He got it, finally.

            Callie broke out into another fit of girlie giggles and rolled off the couch onto her back next to Cam. He couldn't help but laugh too. And damn it felt good to laugh. It was creaky; unused. But nice, nonetheless. “So seriously,” Callie's eyes were only half open, “who's the city chick?”

            Cam groaned. Lydia. Everything came back to Lydia lately. “I need to be drunker if we're going to talk about this,” he lifted the bottle again, the halogen lamp reflecting off the tinted glass. It was noticeably lighter than before.

            “C'mon,” she propped herself up on an elbow. “Tell me about her.”

            He sighed. “She's...beautiful. Like a sunset on...uh, a summer's eve.”

            Callie burst out laughing again. “Okay, I think you've had enough,” she reached across him and took the bottle from his hands. “You just compared a woman to a feminine cleansing product.”

            He closed his eyes, picturing her face. That sleek chestnut hair; grey eyes with little specks of gold like his granite counter tops; high cheekbones and large, plump lips. When he opened his eyes, Callie was looming over him smiling. “You're thinking about her, aren't you?”

            He groaned. “She has a boyfriend. It's a moot point.”

            “Did she say it was a moot point?”

            “She doesn't have to. She has a boyfriend and she lied about it.”

            Callie arched an eyebrow. “Which only proves that she's into you, too.”

Shelf Candy Saturday # 139: Between Two Thorns, by Emma Newman

 

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful book covers!

It also provides information,

if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information

about Shelf Candy Saturday,

simply go HERE.

Here's my choice for this week!

Between Two Thorns

(The Split Worlds, #1)

Emma Newman

Trade Paperback, 400 pages

Angry Robot

February 26, 2013

Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy,

Paranormal Fiction, Science Fiction,

Urban Fantasy,  Young Adult Fiction

My Thoughts About This Cover

The beauty of this cover lies in the exquisitely done calligraphy, with all of its slashing flourishes. The title and series title actually take center stage, which is something cover artists/designers focus on, at times.

This ornate font -- which I'm sure has been further embellished -- has a certain Arabic flair to it, as well as a medieval one, too. It is just simply gorgeous in the extreme!

Echoing the letters of the title and series title are the gracefully curving vines along each side of the cover. These vines have little eyes located around the middle of the way up, which gives them an obvious touch of fantasy. At the bottom of the left-hand corner (as the viewer looks at this cover), there's a red poppy, which makes a stark contrast with this predominantly dark-toned violet background, which is lovely as well.

Last but not least, I also like the bridge that spans the trailing thorn vines on each side of the cover.

I wish I knew who designed this delightful cover, but alas, I have no idea.....The Amazon reader has been of help whatsoever.... So I will not have this information until I actually own this book, which I most assuredly plan on doing!

 

 

  

What do you think of my 

choice this week?

Please leave a comment

and let me know!