Angieville

I have chills.

Raw Blue has been skirting the edges of my consciousness for awhile now. I knew it was a debut novel. I knew it was written by an Australian author. And I vaguely knew that it wasn't really available here in the states. But I wasn't really interested until a few days ago, when for some odd reason I started investigating it seriously. I'm not sure what made me do it. All I can say is, I saw a reference to it somewhere and I got a feeling. You know what I mean. So I went on the hunt. As far as the cover goes, well, I'm not wild about it. I like the title font and color just fine. But nothing about the rest of it reels me in and, having read it, this neither looks like how I picture Carly, nor does it really capture the many complexities of what is going on in this novel. But. As I looked into tracking down a copy, I remembered I'd read very positive reviews on several of my favorite sites, and after checking out Kirsty Eagar 's site, it quickly became clear that

You guys. Honestly. I don't know what I did with my time until I discovered Downton Abbey . I mean, I'd heard about it here and there. And, yes, any mention of a British costume drama usually reels me in hook, line, and sinker. But nothing had really pushed me over to investigate until my good friend Holly mentioned that I would really like it. Like, really like it. She was in the middle of it herself at the time and somehow I could just tell from the earnest and excited look on her face that she was right. So I mentioned it casually to DH that evening and, when I got home the next night, he had it all queued up and ready to go. So, for those not familiar with it yet, Downton Abbey is a British period drama series that was broadcast here in the U.S. early on this year as part of Masterpiece 's 40th anniversary season. It stars a few favorites of mine: Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Brendan Coyle (enshrined in my heart for his spectacular portrayal of Nicholas Higgins in

Retro Friday   is a weekly meme hosted here at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! I include roundups from participating bloggers in my weekly post. I'll just go ahead and start by saying this review is a hard one for me to write. My emotions become tied up in all of the books I have loved over the years, and it matters very little what genre they are or what the writing style is or when they were written and by whom. Those books that I really love, I tend to love with wild abandon and, once given, that devotion is rarely retracted. My friend Janicu recently commented that I am "the queen of re-reading." And this is true. I love nothing better than a cozy sit down with an old friend, and I don't hesitate to put off the shiny new tome I've got in my hand if the battered old

I've been a fan of Linda Gillard 's books ever since I read Star Gazing and Emotional Geology last year. I will never understand why her books aren't more available here in the States (and just in general), and I love talking them up so that more readers can find and enjoy them just as I do. So when Linda alerted me to the imminent publication of House of Silence , I knew I would have to get my hands on it. It sounded deliciously fun. The story of this book's publication is very interesting indeed. Linda's been trying to get it published for more than three years, but publishers seemed reluctant to attempt to market this cross-genre novel. Linda describes it as Cold Comfort Farm meets Atonement . And, of course, I'm sitting here thinking to myself, who in their right mind wouldn't want to read that book? Sometimes the publishing process mystifies me. So finally Linda decided to publish the book herself as an e-book. I applaud the move, and I was lucky eno

Apparently, I'm all about the covers lately. But don't these three look great? I've only read one of these authors before, but all three covers (and synopses) have me interested and excited. Quite different in tone, they each represent an upcoming young adult contemporary fiction title currently residing on my list.  The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas You know how much I loved Donna Freitas' This Gorgeous Game , and I have pretty much been looking forward to the release of this book ever since. I love the juxtaposition of photo and drawing on this cover, as well as the great font and title spacing. When Rose's mother passed away, she left her a brown paper bag "survival kit" to help her daughter get through the loss. As she ponders each item, she moves closer to that goal. Also, there is a gardener/hockey player named Will. Sign me up! Due out October 11th. Paradise by Jill S. Alexander I've not read Ms. Alexander's previous novel-- The Sweethea

And here's the cover for the third novel set in Ilona Andrews ' Edge universe-- Fate's Edge . Due out November 29th, there's no synopsis yet, but you can read a very intriguing snippet from the beginning of the book over here . I love the cover. Love the women and swords theme this series has going. Kate would be proud.

In honor of National Poetry Month , a favorite:  He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by W.B. Yeats HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. And, should you like to hear Sir Anthony Hopkins reading this lovely poem, here's the clip of him doing so in the marvelous film 84 Charing Cross Rd . 

I was browsing through upcoming books, and I came across these paperback releases of fairly recent young adult titles. One I've read and one I've not. But isn't it interesting the differences between the hardback covers (left) and the paperback covers (right)? In this case, both   hardback covers for Jandy Nelsons '  The Sky is Everywhere and Gayle Forman 's  If I Stay are done in bright, eye-catching colors, and are somewhat abstract and simple in style. The paperback covers, on the other hand, opt for more detailed photographs depicting the female protagonists themselves, both lying down. I find them certainly more concrete, perhaps a bit grittier. I'm not sure I'm sold on the switch in either case. What do you guys think? I wonder sometimes what goes into the decision to repackage a book for its paperback release. I'm sure it's about widening the potential audience and perhaps catching the eyes of those readers who might not have given the origi

Retro Friday   is a weekly meme hosted here at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! I include roundups from participating bloggers in my weekly post. I'd been hearing lots and lots about Meredith Ann Pierce long before I ever picked up one of her books. For the longest time I associated her in my head with a book called The Woman Who Loved Reindeer . And neither the title nor the cover did anything for me. But, as is so often the case, I had several friends who highly recommended her Darkangel trilogy. And they were persistent enough and vociferous enough that I finally picked up the The Darkangel   (much more interesting title and premise) to give a new author and a new series a go. This was probably somewhere around ten years ago. And I'm still so glad I gave in and picked up the trilogy