Angieville

As longtime readers of the blog know, I am a full-fledged Ellen Emerson White fangirl and have been for something going on time immemorial. What this means is that a few years ago, having just finished reading my local library's copy of The Road Home for the second time in as many days ,  I sat on the couch, brandished the book at my newlywed husband, and told him I was seriously considering never returning it (my conscience did eventually kick in and I meekly returned the library copy— after managing to procure a copy of my own, naturally).  What this means is I went on to purchase an obscene number of out of print copies of the same title   (before it was available as an e-book) and proceeded to send them winging their way across the globe to homes where I knew they were needed.  What this means is that I refer to Ms. White's characters by their first names in casual conversation (pretty much on a daily basis) with friends and family memb...

I'm always delighted to have Rose Lerner visit the blog because she writes some of my very favorite historical romances. Today's visit is special because I get to take part in the blog tour for Gambled Away —a brand new anthology of novellas featuring women and men who find themselves wagered in a game of chance.  Get revenge. Pay a debt. Save a soul. Lose your heart. Spanning centuries and continents, five brand-new novellas from beloved historical romance authors tell the stories of men and women who find themselves wagered in a game of chance and are forced to play for the highest stakes of all: love. “Gideon and the Den of Thieves” by Joanna Bourne London, 1793 – Soldier of fortune Gideon Gage has come home from halfway around the world, fully prepared to face down a ruthless gang to save his sister. But there’s one member of the gang he could never have been prepared for: fascinating Aimée, driven from her own home by the French Revolution and desperately in ne...

Just in time for summer, these bright, white and colorful pretties are calling my name. I've read and loved books by two of these three authors. The other is new to me. I just want to hold them in my hands and devour their words as I'm lounging next to the pool or out for an evening drive with Aaron on one of these perfect summer nights. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon I truly enjoyed Ms. Yoon's debut novel Everything, Everything , and I'm utterly delighted we'll be getting another novel from her this year. When it comes to YA romance, she has such a lovely touch. This new novel features a young woman who is a scientist and whose family is on the verge of being deported. It also features a young man who . . . well, you can guess. I can't wait. Due out November 1st A Song to Take the World Apart by Zan Romanoff A debut novel with one of the best titles I've heard in a long while. This is being recommended for fans of Jandy Nelson's I...

So. Deep breaths all around, shall we? As D.H. Lawrence said (in my favorite line from the book that taught me about the birds and the bees), "We've got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen." And so this is my attempt at moving on, at living in the wake of a certain series   that has been basically what I've lived and breathed for the last few weeks (barring the recently read and reviewed book we shall not speak of). Bear with me, if you will. I feel a bit fragile still. That said, are you tired yet of my old refrain of holding off on a series because I'm wary of the hugely positive press it's getting? I hope not. Because I present you with my latest bit of folly. A Darker Shade of Magic represents my first foray with  V.E. Schwab , and I would categorize it as something along the lines of uncontrollable love at first sight. Kell wore a very peculiar coat. It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected,...

So basically all I can say is prepare yourselves , if you would. Because it's been days since I finished this one and I absolutely refuse to go quietly into the night about it. I completely adored Ms. Ahdieh's debut novel The Wrath & the Dawn . I thought it did a beautiful job of reworking an extremely problematic fairy tale to begin with, and it did so in believable and beautiful ways. I mean,  I went into it frankly expecting a degree of justification for the story's subject matter. But I also was  prepared to give the author the benefit of the doubt, seeing as how she went to all the trouble of retelling it for a modern audience. And my willingness was unquestionably rewarded. Which is why I was so eager to get my hands on the sequel and find out what those two people I'd thought about so much in the intervening year had been up to. I felt sure all would be well. Perilous, to be sure. Fraught, to be sure. But well. The rubble has cleared and Khalid Ibn al-Ras...