Sunday, April 29, 2012

More Kate Atkinson: Mystery, Grief, Heartbreak...and Humor?

When Will There Be Good News?
by Kate Atkinson






Genre: Adult Literary Fiction, Mystery


Review: This novel won't disappoint fans of Atkinson's work! The main character, Reggie, was quite likable. Sadly, she was kind of like Job, because bad things kept happening to her; however, she kept her head up, and I respected her devotion to Dr. Joanna Hunter. Once again, the threads of the plot wove together in intricate ways, and our favorite characters Jackson Brodie and love interest/cop Louise made a reappearance. The dry wit, clever asides, and meditation on death, grief, and religion were ever-present, what we have come to know and love in an Atkinson novel. Sad, mysterious, and heartwarming all in one.


Songs to Read by: "Run" by Snow Patrol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eNAdz8LM5g

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Take a trip to Casa al Vento...


The House of the Wind

By Titania Hardie



Genre: Adult Fiction

The pace of this book was slow, but luxurious, like riding a bike through the Tuscan countryside. The story takes place primarily in Bay Area, CA 2007 and Tuscany, 1347, following Madeline, a 26-year-old lawyer suffering a devastating loss, and Mia, a girl without a voice. Following their journeys was a privilege. The myth, religion, and folklore interspersed in the story was informative and engaging. Madeline especially became real to me, and the ethical dilemmas raised in the novel were food for thought. The setting descriptions are sensory and textured, the romance subtle yet satisfying.

Next up: I am going to check out her other book, The Rose Labyrinth.


Song to Read By: "White Dress" from the Under the Tuscan Sun soundtrack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci1aUaA2zhg 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A hilarious mystery!

One Good Turn
By Kate Atkinson


Genre: Adult Mystery, Fiction




The Review: I have read Kate Atkinson's earlier books, including the previous Jackson Brodie mystery, Case Histories. One Good Turn follows Brodie as he investigates murders in Edinburgh that practically throw themselves in his path. A unique new character/mystery writer named Martin made me laugh out loud while reading. Love the dialogue and witty asides. Expect the dry wit and absurd situations that we have come to know and love in an Atkinson novel. 


Up next: Looking forward to reading When Will There be Good News? and Started Early, Took My Dog, Atkinson's two more recent novels. 


Author Websitehttp://www.kateatkinson.co.uk/ 


What? There is a BBC TV series following investigator Jackson Brodie? http://www.kateatkinson.co.uk/jacksonbrodie/


Song to Read by: "Called Out in the Dark" by a Scottish band, Snow Patrol, in honor of the novel's setting in Edinburgh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwTXwJg6_VE

Monday, April 16, 2012

TASTE: Cover Reveal

Hi Everyone,


I am so excited to be hosting this blog's first-ever COVER REVEAL for Taste by Kate Evangelista! We will also gain exclusive access to the book trailer for this intriguing novel (stay tuned later today for the book cover). 






What is this book about?


At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.


This Blogger's opinion: I love novels set at private schools, but this book has a twist of mystery and romance as well. The search for the new (but better) Twilight may be over--FINALLY!



The Excerpt:



I sat up and followed Calixta’s gaze upward. I rubbed my eyes. I didn’t know what I was seeing at first. A statue? ­My brain refused to snap together coherent thoughts.  I didn’t realize I’d fallen so close to one of the garden benches until I stared up at the boy that sat on one. He was strikingly beautiful. His tumble of blonde hair curled just above his sculpted cheekbones. He wore a silk shirt and a loosened cravat, like he’d become bored while dressing and decided to leave himself in disarray. His ivory skin and frozen position was what had me mistaking him for something carved from marble by Michelangelo. Then he sighed—a lonely, breathy proof of life. If I had to imagine what Lucifer looked like before he fell from heaven, the boy on the bench would certainly fulfill that image. My brain told me I had to look away, but I couldn’t.

“Luka,” Calixta said again, her voice unsure, almost nervous. It no longer contained the steel and bite she had threatened me with, which made me wonder who the boy was.

He leaned on his hands and crossed his legs, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the night sky. His movements spoke of elegance and control. I’d encountered many people with breeding before, but his took on the air of arrogance and self-assuredness of someone used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

I only realized I’d been holding my breath when my lungs protested. I exhaled. My heart sputtered and restarted with a vengeance. Luka tore his gaze away from the stars and settled it on me. I’d expected pitch-black irises, like the other Night Students, but blue ice stared back at me.

“Human,” he whispered.

He reached out, and with a finger, followed an invisible trail down my cheek. I stiffened. His touch, cooler than Demitri’s, caused warm sparks to blossom on my face. He lifted his finger to his lips and licked its tip. He might as well have licked me from the way my body shivered.

Luka’s curious gaze held mine. “Leave us,” he said, but not to me.

“But—” Calixta protested like a spoiled child.

He spoke in a language I hadn’t heard before, remaining calm yet firm. The words had a rolling cadence I couldn’t quite follow, like rumbling thunder in the distance. They contained a harsh sensuality. The consonants were hard and the vowels were long and lilting.

Footsteps retreated behind me.

Luka reached out again.

It took me a minute to realize he wanted to help me up. I hesitated. He smiled. I smiled back timidly and took his hand, completely dazzled. Even with my uniform soaked from melted snow, I didn’t feel cold—all my attention was on him and the way his callused hand felt on mine. Without moving much from his seated position, he helped me stand.

“What’s your name?” he asked. He had a voice like a familiar lullaby. It filled my heart to the brim with comfort.

I swallowed and tried to stop gawking. “Phoenix.”

“The bird that rose from the ashes.” Luka bent his head and kissed the back of my hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”

My cheeks warmed. My head reeled, not knowing what to think. I couldn’t understand why I felt drawn to him. And the strange connection frightened me.

From behind, someone gripped my arms and yanked me away before I could sort out the feelings Luka inspired in me. I found myself behind a towering figure yet again. Recognizing the blue-black silk for hair tied at the nape, relief washed over me. Calixta hadn’t come back to finish me off.

Demitri’s large hand wrapped around my wrist. Unlike the night before, no calm existed in his demeanor. He trembled like a junky in need of a fix. The coiled power in his tense muscles vibrated into me.

“What are you doing here?” Demitri asked.

I didn’t know he’d spoken to me until I saw his expressionless profile. I sighed.

“Phoenix.”

I flinched. The ruthless way he said my name punched all the air out of me. “You owe me answers,” I said with as much bravado as I could muster.

“I owe you nothing.” He glared. “In fact, you owe me your life.”

“I don’t think so.”

Ignoring my indignation, he faced Luka, who’d remained seated on the bench during my exchange with Demitri. “Why is she with you, Luka?”

“I wasn’t going to taste her, if that’s what you’re implying,” Luka said. “Although, she is simply delicious. I wouldn’t mind if you left us alone.”

There it was again. Taste. The word that kept coming up between these Night Students and I was connected to it in an increasingly uncomfortable way. To taste meant to sample, but what? My flesh? They had to be joking because the alternative wasn’t funny.

“The sins of the father …” Demitri left his sentence unfinished.

Luka’s smile shifted into a snarl. “Obey my command.” His chin lifted. “Kneel.”

Demitri’s stance went rigid. His grip tightened around my wrist.

Okay, weird just got weirder. Why would Luka want Demitri to kneel before him? I thought back to Eli and the others bowing to Demitri when he questioned them, but they didn’t kneel. Seriously? Were they all living on a different planet or something?

Kneel.” Luka’s detestable smirk made his features sinister rather than angelic. The real Lucifer: a fallen angel.

Without letting go of my wrist, Demitri knelt down on one knee and bowed his head, his free hand flat at the center of his chest. “Your command has been obeyed,” he said formally.

Luka nodded once.

Demitri stood up and pulled me toward the school without telling me where we were going. Not having the time to thank Luka for saving me from Calixta, I risked a glance back. Luka smiled at me. His smile spoke of whispers, secrets, and promises to be shared on a later date.




About the Author:



When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.



Awesome Links:



Author Website: www.kateevangelista.com
Twitter: @KateEvangelista
Crescent Moon Press page for Taste: http://crescentmoonpress.com/books/Taste.html