The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Hardcover, 387 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Doubleday (first published September 1st 2011)

Read this on by Kobo App via Toshiba Tablet

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Before this book was released it seemed everywhere I looked there it was. Reading review blogs, there it was. I received emails from Amazon and Chapters about this book. This book that was so amazing, that it was the new Harry Potter. Its not a good thing to read raving reviews, it puts one expectations way too high.

What did I really think of this book? Well, I did enjoy it. I loved the writing style, the sentences just took on a life of there own that matched the time period and story line. Does that make sense? I guess maybe you will have to read the book to understand.

The story was original, but I can't say that I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed it, I connected more with some of the secondary characters more so. I will definitely read more by this author, after all things can only get better

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

In her first historical novel, popular royal biographer Alison Weir cunningly places the short-lived Lady Jane Grey (1537-54) at the heart of a fiction with haunting similitude. Real personages, including Henry VIII, Prince Edward, and the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, people this tale of religious strife and court intrigues. An auspicious fiction debut.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am not sure if was because it was audio, but I got to know each character so well. Each chapter was from a different persons point of view, which had a different narrator. I liked that, though some voices were close to others. I was distracted a bunch of times by some swallowing, but not enough to take away from the story.

My heart ached for Jane and what happened to here. My first HF by Alsion Weir (and I guess her debut fiction book) and I will definitely be reading/listening to more.

Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Paperback, 694 pages

Published February 22nd 2011 by Bantam

From the cover:

Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin's magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin's stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A GAME OF THRONES

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

My Thoughts:

My son The Illiterate Scribe, has been after me to read this book for a while now. Fantasy is not my favorite genre these days, Historical Fiction is. I didn't jump when he said read (I am remembering The Wheel of Time, huge books, intense plots, a huge pile of characters plus lots and lots of fantasy). But when I saw Kate Quinn (Mistress of Rome author) gush about this series, well what could I say, if Kate (Historical Fiction author) loved it, comparing it to the War of the Roses, well then I would give it a try.

I have to say that I am glad that I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were quite a few names that I will never remember and at some points wondered which side they were on. But all in all it was a great read. I loved the chapter names (each a character rather then a number), I got to know each of the main characters, I have my favorites and those I dislike too. What really impressed me was how the storyline just seemed to flow smoothly, I didn't find anything that was disjointed or distracting either. I didn't always like the way the story went, but could see the reasons why things happened.

I am almost finished the HBO series now. I really felt they did a great job of casting the characters, they matched the personalities nicely and I can't wait to read the next book so that I can watch Season 2 as it is televised.

*****

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped by all that her strong personality will temper the young Amunhotep’s heretical desire to forsake Egypt’s ancient gods, overthrow the priests of Amun, and introduce a new sun god for all to worship.

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people. Her charisma is matched only by her husband’s perceived generosity: Amunhotep showers his subjects with lofty promises. The love of the commoners will not be enough, however, if the royal couple is not able to conceive an heir, and as Nefertiti turns her attention to producing a son, she fails to see that the powerful priests, along with the military, are plotting against her husband’s rule. The only person wise enough to recognize the shift in political winds—and brave enough to tell the queen—is her younger sister, Mutnodjmet.

Observant and contemplative, Mutnodjmet has never shared her sister’s desire for power. She yearns for a quiet existence away from family duty and the intrigues of court. Her greatest hope is to share her life with the general who has won her heart. But as Nefertiti learns of the precariousness of her reign, she declares that her sister must remain at court and marry for political gain, not love. To achieve her independence, Mutnodjmet must defy her sister, the most powerful woman in Egypt—while also remaining loyal to the needs of her family.

Love, betrayal, political unrest, plague, and religious conflict—Nefertiti brings ancient Egypt to life in vivid detail. Fast-paced and historically accurate, it is the dramatic story of two unforgettable women living through a remarkable period in history. 

Hardcover, 463 pages

Published July 10th 2007 by Crown Publishing Group

This was my first Michelle Moran book and also my first HF about Egypt. This is also the authors debut novel (I love reading debuts). I really enjoyed reading this book, I thought the characters were portrayed nicely and I had pictures in my mind of what everyone looked like as well and the scenery. I kept thinking what a society, letting 15 & 17 year old's running the country, but if you are born royal that is your lot in like. I only wish that I knew alittle more about the culture, gods and calendar of Egypt.
 

A sweet haul :)

Today I went for a little visit to my favorite used book store. As you can

see it is basically an old house. Now we often refer to it as the fire

hazard store. Every room is filled with books, they are piled on tables, piles in boxes on top of piles. Its the kind of store you keep your arms in when walking as just the slightest touch could send books raining on you. The nifty part also is that it is 2 storeys high, twice the fun.

What made today so special is that everything is half price. I asked about a particle book and it was scary, but the gal knew exactly where I would find it (if they had it, but they didn't).

But that's fine because I came away with 2 little treasures. One I started to read there, but alas no chair to be found.

Joan if Arc by M D Holmes (published 1930) - its similar to this one, but I am keeping mine.

Eleanor of Aquitaine by Marion Meade

But that is not the end of my book buying adventures this week. There is also The Book Depot, some of you might know it as CloseoutBooks.com

They have a scratch and dent section, everything a couple bucks.

My little puppy, Spencer, was helping me.

One of the hazards of good deals is coming home with something you already have.

The Queen's Sorrow by Suzannah Dunn is a duplicate for me. Anyone want it?

Introducing Spencer...

It has been six years since we have had a puppy in the house. We vowed never to do it again, not that it was a bad experience, just alot of work.

So here is Spencer, 9 weeks old, alot of work and alot of fun.

Ella March Chase books

As captivating now as it was more than four centuries ago, the reign of Elizabeth I—with its scandal, intrigue, and resilience—has spark

ed the imaginations of generations. In her sweeping historical debut, Ella March Chase explores a thrilling possibility: that the Tudor bloodline did not end with the Virgin Queen.

This was Ella March Chase's debut novel. I know very little about Elizabeth I's reign and thought this would be a good read. It was given 4 and 5 start reviews on goodreads and amazon. I have to say that I did enjoy the story, but just found something missing. I can't quite put my finger on what it was, but it just didn't have 'that grab me by the neck and not let go until I was finished feeling'. The story was good, the characters were developed, though it was predictable.

In the second novel from Ella March Chase, we meet sixteen-year-old Jane Grey, a quiet and obedient young lady destined to become the shortest reigning English monarch. Her beautiful middle sister Katherine Grey charms all the right people—until loyalties shift. And finally Lady Mary Grey, a dwarf with a twisted spine whose goal is simply to protect people she loves—but at a terrible cost.

Well here is Ella March Chase's second novel. Again another piece of history that I was not familar with. I guess that is why I was drawn to these two books. This one took only a couple days to read, I just had to find out what was going to happen to these 3 sisters. The author did a really good job of developing each of their characters, I felt like I knew them. Again I found it hard to take how women were treated during this time period and very thankfully I wasn't born then (my goodness it was bad). I felt their emotions and hoped that somehow history would have change while reading this book.

One of my feelings about both of these books was that they seemed more like Young Adult novels, but good YA novels.

These books were added to Where Are You Reading

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, time to share what you are reading and plan on reading (but if you are like me that could change from day to day).

Shelia over at Book Journey gets this rolling faithfully every Monday morning.

So my plans for last week didn't work out like I had planned. We will see if this weeks plans work out :)

I am almost finished Three Maidens for a Crown: A Novel of the Grey Sisters (my Kindle read)

My audio read is the Hunger Games. Originally I was going to listen to something else, but this jumped out at me instead. I should be done in a day or so and then move on to Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

My actual book read is Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. My oldest son, the Illiterate Scribe always asked if I have started this book, which is about once a month for the past year. When I went away for 2 days I only brought one book and had no choice. So I started and am enjoying it.

Once I am done with the Three Maidens I hope to begin Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante, which I think looks very interesting.

Plus its not a huge read and should be able to finish in a couple days.

I am behind in some of my reviews, so hoping to get a couple extra done in that department this week also.

So that my plans for the week, what are yours?

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J Watson

Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he's obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis--all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she's written three unexpected and terrifying words: "Don't trust Ben." Suddenly everything her husband has told her falls under suspicion. What kind of accident cause d her condition? Who can she trust? Why is Ben lying to her?

I thought the story line was a great idea, maybe I just haven't read enough but I can't recalling reading about an amesiac before. The write up about the book left me with a real desire to buy the book. I haven't read a good mystery in ages and was really looking forward to getting started, I mean even the reviews were glowing.

So why then did it take me about 2 weeks to get 53% of the way through (yes I have a Kindle)? It started out strong, how could it not. I mean poor Christine, what a life that would be. Waking up everyday and not remembering anything. The author did portray Christine well and I couldn't help feeling for her and also for Ben, her husband. But the book just didn't grab me like I had hoped.

Once I sat for 4 hours straight (don't tell hubby I did that :), then the action started. I couldn't put the book down. I loved the ending and honestly didn't see it coming (and I am usually pretty good at figuring out endings). Without an spoilers here, even the last couple of pages were great and it was really the only way this book could end.

This book was added to Where Are You Reading?

In The Shadow of the Lamp by Susanne Dunlap

It's 1854 and sixteen-year-old Molly would give anything to change her circumstances as a lowly servant in a posh London house. So when she hears of an opportunity to join the nurses who will be traveling with Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, she jumps at the chance. The work is grueling, the hospital conditions deplorable, and Miss Nightingale a demanding teacher. Before long, the plight of British soldiers becomes more than just a mission of mercy as Molly finds that she's falling in love with both a dashing young doctor and a soldier who has joined the army to be near her. But with the battle raging ever nearer, can Molly keep the two men she cares for from harm? A love story to savor, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes imagining of the woman who became known as "the lady with the lamp".

I knew nothing at all about Florence Nightingale, for some reason it just sounded like a made up name and not a real person. I pictured someone mysterious and almost supernatural like (don't ask why, I just did). So when I discovered this book I knew I had to read it (thank goodness for mr. kindle, I didn't even have to leave the house).

It's 1854 in London, Molly has been unjustly dismissed from her job, what can she do when supporting a mom but lie and worm her way over to Turkey with Florence Nightingale. I learned alot about this war (that I never heard of before), the author has a real talent with words and I could picture the hospitals, the journey, the war and even the rats. Some things were predictable, the ending I liked. Definitely YA, but a good YA novel.

This book has been added to Where Are You Reading?