Best of 2017

Man am I ever so glad to see the back of 2017. Could be the fact that my husband accepted a job offer and we moved across the state all within the span of a month. And that we sandwiched said move right between the holidays. Ugh. Don't do that to yourselves, friends.

But there has also been a lot of really, really good and surprisingly exceptional things that happened in 2017. I started editing for another publisher and have been enjoying a steady increase in my freelance business too. Dreams do come true! And there were some pretty wondrous books that came my way. This year I read 176 books -- 12 audio, 91 ebooks, and 73 in print. Some of these were published prior to 2017, but I'm still counting them because I'm a rebel like that.

Best Fantasy
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
This book lived up to every expectation V.E. Schwab set in the previous books and then some. Her character arcs were heartbreaking and beautiful and maybe I cried for like the last 30 pages of the book. Maybe. I wanted to get lost in the gorgeous words and luxuriate in the descriptions. Schwab is a master at her craft and I so loved every single moment I spent with Kell, Lila, Holland, Rhy, and Alucard in the four Londons.

Best Feminist Manifesto
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
I read a lot of feminist stuff this year. A lot. But it's like, once you know this stuff is out there, you can't stop seeing it ... or wanting to know more, in my case. This though-provoking YA tackles the ever-present sexism and abuse girls face every single day. Moxie does a fabulous job at reminding the reader just how terribly hard it is to grow up female. I want Moxie to become required reading -- and I hope it inspires girls to stand up for each other.

Best All The Feels Romance
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This is one of those books that have been recommended to me over and over again but I never felt like I was in the right place to enjoy it. I'm so glad I waited until this year because I think I was at the perfect place to appreciate the story. I actually began listening to it and really fell in love with the dual narrators. Ms. Niffenegger masterfully made both Claire and Henry's voices come alive as they shared the impossible and the utterly mundane. This book was so viscerally real to me, I actually took over a month to finish it because I just had to savor the words and digest them.

Best Doorstop Fantasy
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
This book is HUGE, like over 1,000 pages huge, and everyone who actually finishes it should get an prize. But Brandon Sanderson needed every single one of those pages to fully embrace and explore his many, many characters on their incredible journeys. This series does such a phenomenal job of fully capturing the nuances of good and evil. It's like he's taken a lens to each character when their back is to the wall, simply to find out, what will they do now? Riveting stuff.

Best Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Hunted by Megan Spooner
This category is kind of a cop-out because Hunted is so much more than a retelling. It's a gorgeously penned story of a fierce female huntress with an incredible weight on her shoulders. The setting becomes almost a character in and of itself and yes, there is a truly epic love story. It's one of those books where I caught myself physically petting the pages because of all the beautiful words.

Best Middle Grade
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Uniquely beautiful story about a girl who struggles to find herself in the perilous struggle of middle school while dealing with loss and grief in her own way. Weighty and unexpectedly lovely, I cannot recommend this one enough.

Best #LoveOzYA
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Gorgeously written with one of the best ideas for a bookshop. Can someone please make this place real? Cath Crowley is an amazingly talented writer and I could not get this story out of my head for weeks. She made the pulse of the ocean and the profound serenity to be found in books come alive. Such beautiful words.

Best Horrifyingly Elegant Mystery
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Another 'classic' book that I finally got around to reading this year. Twisty, elegant, and utterly horrifying plotting by Donna Tartt. She takes this group of misfit Classics students and turns them into a sinister and underhanded lot. Richard is a fabulous unreliable narrator and there were so many moments of dawning horror when I realized just how terrible every single character truly was (even their so-called 'authority figure'). But above all is Ms. Tartt's unmistakable genius.

Best Didn't-Read-as-a-Serial Serial
Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
So I technically read Clean Sweep as a serial on Ilona Andrews' blog when it was first being released, but serials and I don't really get along and I so waited patiently for the rest to come out before binge reading. It'd probably be a surprise if an Ilona Andrews book didn't make my best of list. The storytelling is magnificent and Dina and her inn, Gertrude Hunt, are amazing protectors of all things family and loyalty.

Honorable Mention

Best Twisty YA
Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert
I discovered this gem randomly clicking through the archives of Forever Young Adult and it more than delivered. From the multi-layered meaning of the title, this books screws with your head in the way only truly talented authors can manage. Braden, Trey, and their dad, Mart, are all such carefully drawn characters in a story that unfolds in a terrifyingly real and heartbreaking way.

So that's it for me. What books made your Best Of lists?

See Michelle Read's Best Of 2016 2015 2014 2012 2011 2010

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

I am not, by any stretch of imagination, a reader of mystery novels. But sometimes I stumble across an author who just happens to combine the right amount of atmosphere with unique characters and I'm utterly helpless to resist. Like with Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series. Or practically anything by Mary Stewart. Once again the stars have perfectly aligned and have brought me another winner: Laurie R. King's The Beekeeper's Apprentice. It's the first novel in a series featuring a young orphaned girl called Mary Russell who happens to stumble across Sherlock Holmes in his retirement. Holmes immediately recognizes a fellow savant -- albeit one many years his junior -- and Miss Russell's continued visits to the detective spark an unusual partnership full of unorthodox lessons and later, intrigue.

Now I am not a devoted fan of Sherlock Homes (other than a slight addiction to the Benedict Cumberbach and Martin Freeman version, that is). So if The Beekeeper's Apprentice had been written as a 'Sherlock' book with Mary Russell as a supporting character a la Dr. Watson, I would never have become as engrossed in the story as I did. Happily it was not. Shifting the POV to Mary's perspective gives the reader such a open look at England during WWI and the changing roles a woman faced during that time. Not to mention all the early forensics work Sherlock teaches Mary. Fingerprinting, soil identification...fascinating stuff. Also! There are plots and schemes to be unraveled which of course kept this reader continually in awe of watching the true brilliance of Mary's agile mind unfold under the tutelage of Holmes.

Perhaps most notable is that Mary comes into her own by the close of the story, not simply functioning as a protege but a true, valued partner to Holmes, for which I am ever so grateful. Furthermore, Laurie R. King does a superb job introducing suspense and letting her characters stop to feel the tension, rather than just plow through the action. Such subtle yet realistic treatment of emotions are the basis for the lasting connection forged between Mary and Sherlock that I am happy to discover continues on for many books more. I believe I've found a new favorite friends.

series reading order:
~ The Beekeeper's Apprentice
~ A Monstrous Regiment of Women
~ A Letter of Mary
~ The Moor
~ O Jerusalem
~ Justice Hall
~ The Game
~ Locked Rooms
~ The Language of Bees
~ The God of the Hive
~ Beekeeping for Beginners
~ Pirate King
~ Garment of Shadows

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
A Striped Armchair's review
BookLoons review

Retro Friday: Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted 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.

From the moment she first sets foot back in France, Linda Martin feels as if she's finally coming home. Even if she's not returning to her own home per say, she is returning in the role of governess to the quietly contained nine-year-old Count Philippe de Valmy. An orphan like Philippe, Linda quickly gains her footing with her new charge but it's the boy's family that keeps her on her toes. She never can quite find her balance in the face of the tremendous presence of his uncle Léon or the quiet ambivalence of his aunt. But it's the handsomely arrogant Raoul that keeps her "eggshell composure" permanently rattled. Yet when a series of accidents seem to point to an attempt on Philippe's life, Linda doesn't know what to believe or who to trust and time is running out.

Somewhat ashamedly I admit that Nine Coaches Waiting is my very first foray into the fabulous world of Mary Stewart. Which seems utterly absurd to me now that I've gone and read it because it reads like a laundry-list for All Things Michelle Adores. The language (can you get more romantic than French?), the setting (I swear I could see those twisting zigzag switchbacks leading up to the château), the frightening yet enigmatic Valmy family (Léon practically gave me the shivers with his puppet master-like remarks). And oh! The suspense! Told in Linda's first person narrative, I could not have been more caught up in her fears and triumphs and most importantly her unease concerning whom to trust.

It's like Jane Eyre and Rebecca (two of my all time favorite reads) went and had a gorgeously intelligent baby with a flair for the dramatic and a penchant for poetry. I don't think I've ever read a book that references another so subtly and appropriately. And the best part is that Linda even makes the Jane Eyre connection herself -- she is fully aware of the similarities but it only serves to heighten the aptness of the comparison, not lessen it. How does Ms. Stewart do that?!

Furthermore, Mary Stewart possess that rare quality in a writer of being able to not say something and have it mean a great deal. This may seem like a small thing, but I so appreciate an author who is willing to trust her readers to pick up the threads and make sense of their emotional import without beating the thought to death. It's a very quiet trait (and often very undervalued) but I think Ms. Stewart has it in spades.

Ms. Stewart certainly understands how to play upon this readers' emotions; despite its initial slow buildup, there was always yet another twist just around the corner to throw my heart back into overdrive. Truly when all's said and done Nine Coaches Waiting packs a bit of a wallop in the best way possible. I literally could not put it down and venture to say, if you're a Mary Stewart innocent like I was, I recommend you remedy the situation immediately.

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Allure of Books review
Angieville review
Book Harbinger review
Chachic's Book Nook review
She Reads Novels review

book source: purchased

Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn

***SPOILER WARNING: See, I hate to do this to you, but there is no way I can talk about what happens in Dark Road to Darjeeling without revealing a major, major detail from Silent on the Moor. So. If you haven't read this series yet (and why the heck not?!?) I am warning you now that spoilers be contained hereafter.

There, now that's done with. Let's get onto the good stuff. Yeah, that would be onto more Julia and Brisbane.

Having enjoyed a relaxing and calm honeymoon together for the last eight months, Lady Julia and Brisbane are unexpectedly brought back to the real world with the sudden arrival of Julia's sister Portia and brother Plum. Portia has arrived in a flurry, insistent that Julia and her detective husband accompany the pair to Darjeeling, India to help Portia's former partner Jane Cavendish. Ever since the death of Jane's husband, Portia has been worried about the vagueness of Jane's letters - worried for the impending birth of her first child and worried that someone might have killed Jane's husband. Naturally, Julia insists Brisbane takes the case and her help along with it but Brisbane is not about to thrust his wife into the middle of a possible murder investigation. Mad as a wet hen, Julia's continued determination to prove her usefulness to Brisbane in his work sparks a disagreement that lasts throughout much of the novel as both are too stubborn to compromise on the subject. As one hopes only to help while the other tries only to protect.

Upon their arrival in the Valley of Eden, Julia is struck by the eccentric qualities of almost all of Jane's new family and neighbors. A grieving doctor who cannot remain sober, a free-spirited American artist married to an English clergyman and even the White Rajah, a recluse who has adopted the native dress and customs. There amidst the lush and stark Indian landscape of the Cavendish's prosperous tea plantation, Julia finds herself quickly deducing a plausible motive for murder in every single person she has met. The trouble is sorting out who the killer is before he can strike again.

As the fourth installment in what has to be one of my favorite series out there (mystery or not), Dark Road to Darjeeling is a unique animal. As a Lady Julia mystery, some elements remain the same - like the previous novels, a murder is solved - although always drastically different than how you would have expected - but there is also a decided departure from some previous standards. Starting with the new cover image and title format and extending even to the landscape - no longer in traditional England but India. Both settings equally evocative while remaining worlds apart.

Once inside the story, the changes continue. As a married couple Julia and Brisbane are faced with the difficulty of striking a balance between their private and personal lives. The pair are both passionately driven individuals and it is only natural they would clash (if you don't believe me, just read their previous books - tension galore). I was so grateful that Deanna Raybourn did not sugar-coat this aspect of their marriage. Yes, they are honeymooners - utterly in love - but they are also very much strong individuals. Their disagreements have never been easily solved but that just makes for a more satisfying resolution in my opinion. Ms. Raybourn's characters have never failed to entrance me with their sharpness - I can easily imagine any of them alive and wandering around, sticking their noses in other people's business - and that remains to be true in Dark Road to Darjeeling. As always, Deanna Raybourn strikes the perfect balance between tension (oh the delicious tension!) and humor (especially where the Marches are concerned) and yet again I'm awed and more in love with Julia and Brisbane than ever. Ms. Raybourn hasn't steered them wrong yet.

series reading order:
~ Silent in the Grave
~ Silent in the Sanctuary
~ Silent on the Moor - my review
~ Dark Road to Darjeeling (October 1, 2010)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Allure of Books review 
And She Reads review
Angieville review

book source: review copy from the publicist

The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman

***SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't read the first two books in the Sally Lockhart trilogy - especially The Shadow in the North - I highly recommend you not read this review. I really can't talk about The Tiger in the Well without giving away one vital piece of information from the previous novels. So. Now you've been properly warned. But may I ask why haven't you read this series already?

Upon finishing The Shadow in the North, I can only say that my poor heart had been reduced to millions of teeny, tiny little pieces in the face of Sally's heartbreak and the death of her best friend and fiance Fred Garland. I was shocked and stunned to say the least. But I just couldn't stomach leaving poor Sally and friends in such a lurch so I hesitantly sat down with the next installment, The Tiger in the Well, fiercely determined that Sally would get her happy ending.

In the two years since Fred's death Sally has been left to raise their daughter, Harriet, alone. But her life has not been altogether unhappy. Her business has prospered and can rely on her many friends for support. In a matter of minutes however, this framework of happiness comes crashing down when Sally is being sued for divorce and custody of Harriet from a certain Mr. Parrish - a man she has never even met. Determined to combat her enemy's outrageous bluff, Sally turns to the law for help only to discover that he has created a paper trail of lies, spanning years, which only serves to tighten the noose around Sally. Most frustrating is that Sally doesn't even know why someone has set out to destroy her entire life. Finally forced to flee penniless and alone, Sally attempts to solve her most daring mystery yet. And failure is out of the question.

I thought all my fear and pain for Sally had been effectively wrenched out of me by the end of the previous book, but as I watched Sally face bitter disappointment in the face of yet another dead-end, it all came rushing back. Time and again I watched Sally's options dwindle into nothing as she desperately fights to figure out who is trying to destroy her happiness. Even more forceful is the injustice of Sally's vulnerability in the face of a prejudiced society against an unmarried woman with a child. Suffice to say, this one was a doozy.

I was intensely disappointed to discover that Jim (or Fred for that matter) does not have a starring role in this last book. In all fairness, it couldn't have been the same story if Jim had been present, but still. My poor little heart was left missing him something fierce. Somewhat interesting is the curious subplot Pullman inserts on the plight of Jewish immigrants and socialism - which on the surface seem to be incredibly random topics to be sticking into a young adult Victorian mystery, but there you have it. If anyone can make such a crazy tangent work, it would have to be Philip Pullman.

series reading order:
~ The Ruby in the Smoke - my review
~ The Shadow in the North - my review
~ The Tiger in the Well
~ The Tin Princess (companion novel)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Firefly's Book Blog review
PhlioBiblos review

book source: purchased

The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman

It's been six years since Sally Lockhart solved the murder of her father with the help of photographer Frederick Garland and the handy office boy Jim Thorpe. In the years since Sally not only studied at Cambridge (although not with a certificate - dang Victorian anti-feminists!) but set up her own thriving investment consulting business. With Sally's sound business advice (and capital), Fred's photography business has continued to grow and evolve - even allowing him to do a bit of private detective work on the side. While the lovable, jack-of-all-trades Jim spends his nights at the theaters and his days writing fantastically gruesome plays which continue to be rejected by every playhouse in London. The three have remained fast friends although Fred's repeated attempts to ask Sally to be his wife - and her subsequent refusals - have added an element of strain to an otherwise enviable friendship and partnership.

Proud of the name she has made for her business, Sally is quick to offer help to a former client who cries foul after all the money Sally advised her to invest in a British shipping company is unexpectedly lost when the company goes under (pun intended). In her methodical and rational way, Sally begins to tackle this newest mystery with her customary intelligence and tenacity. Along the road to discovery, she begins to find parallels in her own search to Fred's current job of helping a talented magician discover who is trying to kill him. But it's a good thing they continue to cross paths because the solving of this mystery proves to be a deeper and more dangerous game than they've ever played before.

If I had only one word to describe The Shadow in the North it would be gut-wrenching. Seriously. Sally, Fred, and Jim face some enormously hard situations that do not end well. At. All. But luckily there are those quiet moments too, when they are finally given a chance to sit together and talk and remember just why they became friends in the first place. Each one is so very different, but the strengths of each contribute a whole so perfectly matched to the group. If nothing else, The Shadow in the North is a beautiful treatise on friendship and relationships. To my unending delight Jim was give a much bigger role in this book. By far he was one of the most intriguing characters from The Ruby in the Smoke and I loved to see how his boyish penchant for penny dreadfuls translated to a passion for play-writing.

Sally's second adventure was a much more intense and plot-driven novel with plenty of twists and atmospheric references so that as a reader, you can never escape Sally's unenviable place or position in the strict Victorian England society. What can I say besides the fact that it's a fabulous piece of storytelling by Philip Pullman? It was like each new page introduced some new compelling and intriguing detail that I had no idea what to expect next. Furthermore, given the shocking ending - which literally left in tears, my friends - I am happy to say I already have the next Sally Lockhart mystery, The Tiger in the Well, on hand and despite such heartbreak, am ready to dive right back in.

series reading order:
~ The Ruby in the Smoke - my review
~ The Shadow in the North
~ The Tiger in the Well
~ The Tin Princess (companion novel)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Alice in Blogland review
Jenny's Books review
Soliloquy in Blue review

book source: my local library

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

Sally Lockhart wasn't an entirely new character to me when I first decided to sit down with The Ruby in the Smoke. My mom had recommended I give them a go a few years back and then Angie did a Retro Friday post on their awesomeness and so, consequently I've had them in the back of my mind ever since. Now I'm not really a dedicated mystery reader, but after finishing Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy earlier this year, I found myself stunned with his storytelling ability and curious about his other novels. What I found in this first Sally Lockhart mystery was a entirely unexpected yet happy surprise. With what has to be one of the best opening paragraphs I've ever read, I became immediately invested in the struggles of one friendless sixteen year old girl trying to solve the mystery of her father's murder.

Sally Lockhart wasn't raised like your typical Victorian England lady. She likes to read books, review military tactics, and happens to be a crack shot. So when Sally is told that her father has been killed while sailing home from China, Sally isn't content to simply mourn her beloved father while others decide her fate. This unusually intelligent sixteen year-old decides to track down her father's murderer on her own - no matter that she is female, alone, and penniless. Along the way, Sally receives help from the resourceful errand-boy Jim Thorpe (who likes nothing better than to trade insults or sit down with a penny dreadful) and a quick-witted young photographer named Frederick Garland. Support that goes a long way in helping Sally face murderous secrets, horribly nefarious landladies, opium dens, and even one fist-sized ruby. 

The Ruby in the Smoke is an atmospheric, dark mystery with engaging characters where things tend to go horribly wrong - always a good thing in my opinion. I admire Philip Pullman for putting his characters in no-win situations where they are forced to make a hard choice, followed by a more difficult one. Sally may not be accomplished enough for the drawing room but her talents are many. Most refreshingly, her difficulty in remaining an independent woman in Victorian England is never made light of - in fact it's one of the major obstacles Sally has to overcome. And although I enjoyed Pullman's His Dark Materials books, the Sally Lockhart Mysteries are my new personal favorite and ones I'm glad to have finally discovered.

As a side note, has anyone watched the PBS Masterpiece adaptations to this series? I haven't heard much about them but I'm curious.

series reading order:
~ The Ruby in the Smoke
~ The Shadow in the North
~ The Tiger in the Well
~ The Tin Princess (companion novel)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review
Firefly's Book Blog review
Jenny's Books review
Things Mean A Lot review

book source: swapped

The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

Claire Donovan, a visiting history professor at Cambridge University, is in over her head. After helping historian Andrew Kent to uncover a centuries old secret as told in Christi Phillips' previous novel, The Rossetti Letter, she's now at Cambridge upon Andrew's request but instead of enjoying her time in the history-filled campus, she's feeling out of place and abandoned. Awkwardly alone in such an unfamiliar, traditional English environment, it's not until she stumbles upon the diary of one Hannah Devlin that Claire once again finds herself in the midst of what she loves best: unraveling the mysteries of history. Because Claire will soon discover that Hannah is unlike most usual 17th century women. She's a talented physician (which is uncommon in itself) whose experiences in the royal court of Charles II could shed light on a series of brutal murders left unsolved for generations.

Told from the alternating perspective of Claire and Hannah, The Devlin Diary moves along at a fast clip, yet the more fascinating story by far resides with the woman doctor Hannah. Her experiences are documented with such feeling and detail that I could picture the contrasting filth and splendor of 17th century England. While Claire's lackluster account of her dealings within the backstabbing community of Cambridge failed to ever capture my interest. Which shouldn't come as a surprise as the focus of the novel itself leans very heavily upon Hannah's unfolding story and not so much on the historian Claire. Unsurprisingly, I found myself much more drawn to Hannah and her mystery than I ever did to Claire. I think I might have liked Claire more as a character if I had been able to spend more time with her, but as it was, I didn't. I have however heard many, many good things about The Rossetti Letter - which I know follows Claire much more closely - so I'm thinking my opinion could differ from those who have already had the opportunity to meet and like Claire.

The Devlin Diary immediately brings to mind a Da Vinci Code-like chase where instead of the clues being found in art, they are discovered in historical documents. Intriguing for any fan of historical fiction to say the least. Although it did seem like every time the story switched back to Claire I found myself constantly pulled out of the adventure due to her misguided attempts at crime-solving. I'm thinking if The Devlin Diary had simply been Hannah's story, without the unimaginative addition of Claire, I would have eaten it up with a spoon (which I did) and then passed it without hesitation to friends.

series reading order:
~ The Rossetti Letter
~ The Devlin Diary

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Avid Reader review 
Book Hounds review 
Reviewing the Evidence review
Rundpinne review
S. Krishna's Books review

book source: provided by the publisher

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn

With her Lady Julia Grey novels, Deanna Raybourn has proved herself a master at creating evocative, atmospheric settings and her decision to set her latest Gothic novel, The Dead Travel Fast, in a mysterious and darkly exotic, feudal Transylvania castle can only be labeled as perfectly brilliant.

The death of Miss Theodora LeStrange's grandfather and guardian has left her at a impasse. Never one to desire marriage and motherhood she can either move in with her sister - and her many children - or marry a man she likes but does not love. Neither option is particularly appealing to Theodora when her rescue from domesticity arrives in the form of a letter from her school-friend Cosmina, inviting her to come to Castle Dragulescu in Transylvania prior to her upcoming marriage. Convinced this is the opportunity she has been waiting for to write her long-dreamed of novel, Theodora convinces friends and family to let her travel halfway around the world to a place steeped in tradition and superstition. Upon her arrival at Castle Dragulescu, Theodora is delighted to discover more than enough inspiration for her novel - the crumbling, yet majestic castle, the superstitious villagers, howling wind and dangerous wolves, not to mention the enigmatic Count Andrei Dragulescu himself. A figure cut for the most dashing adventures surely. But when a strange, horrifying murder strikes at the castle and rumors of supernatural involvement begin to swirl round, Theodora finds her pragmatic intellectual ideals sorely tested as the chilling and diabolical sequence of events unfold.

It is with a heavy heart to say that I truly struggled with this novel - I must have picked it up only to set it down again about twenty different times in the course of a couple of weeks; each time succumbing to the temptation of other, more shiny books. And it makes it even harder to admit when I say I have truly, truly been looking forward to reading it. That's not to say I wasn't impressed with Ms. Raybourn's latest offering - oh no, I was quite enthralled in fact. Perhaps I just wasn't in the proper frame of mind for such a dramatic and chilling Gothic novel. Over the course of Theodora's narrative I seemed to come across each and every ingredient necessary in crafting a traditional Gothic tale as if I was reading with a checklist in hand: the dark, creepy castle; the mysterious and handsome feudal lord with a libertine past and hidden depths; superstitious townsfolk; the first person, diary-style narrative; the introduction of supernatural elements all combined to create a truly haunting narrative -- just not anything particularly unique. Except for the added twist of Theodora's sleuthing - very much reminiscent of Lady Julia's adventures in that just when you think you've got it all figured out, another shocking revelation comes to light. Still, Ms. Raybourn is one of those authors who I have come to trust implicitly and although I didn't *love* The Dead Travel Fast, I very much liked it. And if I say I'm seriously anticipating the next Julia and Brisbane adventure -- Dark Road to Darjeeling -- like wow and boy howdy, would you even hold that against me?

Because Everyone Loves a Second Opinion:
All About Romance reviews
Angieville review
Dear Author review
Garden in My Pocket review 
S. Krishna's Books review

book source: my local library

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Possessing a practical and curious nature, Alexia Tarabotti has come to accept her faults as the natural cause of her spinsterhood: she's not noticeably pretty (unlike her silly two half-sisters), her deceased father happens to have been Italian (practically unforgivable), and she doesn't have a soul (though of course that isn't widely known). This last point however begins to sway in her favor when she is unexpectedly attacked by a vampire, in a library of all places, without even first asking her pardon - or permission for that matter. As a preternatural however, Alexia's lack of soul allows her to negate any supernatural - vampire or werewolf alike - with only a touch. Handy that. Allowing her to escape becoming a vampire's dinner but resulting in the loss of her tea and having to answer to the gruff Lord Maccon - the local alpha werewolf under the direction of the Queen - who is less than pleased with Alexia's intervention. These two stubborn and...(cough, cough)...outspoken personalities have clashed before and this latest meeting doesn't bode too well for their future either. What follows is a give and take comedy/mystery wherein Lord Maccon gives Alexia advice, usually unsolicited, and she studiously ignores him. Often resulting in less than pleasant results for Alexia.

I was pleased to find Soulless as intriguing and different as its unique cover. Ask the hubby, I have gushed who knows how many times over that dress, that sway back - I adore it all; so that's saying a lot. The language was also a winner - Alexia practically leaps off the page from the very beginning. The following scene takes place at the outset of the book just after she has successfully deflected the vampire's attack and its got a little of everything that I enjoyed about this book:

She decided to waltz directly out of the library without anyone the wiser to her presence there. This would have resulted in the loss of her best hair stick and her well-deserved tea, as well as a good deal of drama. Unfortunately, a small group of young dandies came traipsing in at that precise moment. What young men of such dress were doing in a library was anyone's guess. Alexia felt the most likely explanation was that they had become lost while looking for the card room. Regardless, their presence forced her to pretend that she, too, had just discovered the dead vampire. With a resigned shrug, she screamed and collapsed into a faint.

She stayed resolutely fainted, despite the liberal application of smelling salts, which made her eyes water most tremendously, a cramp in the back of one knee, and the fact that her new ball gown was getting most awfully wrinkled. All its many layers of green trim, picked to the height of fashion in lightening shades to complement the cuirasse bodice, were being crushed into oblivion under her weight. The expected noises ensued: a good deal of yelling, much bustling about, and several loud clatters as one of the housemaids cleared away the fallen tea.

Then came the sound she had half anticipated, half dreaded. An authoritative voice cleared the library of both young dandies and all other interested parties who had flowed into the room upon discovery of the tableau. The voice instructed everyone to "get out!" while he "gained the particulars from the young lady" in tones that brooked no refusal.

Silence descended.

"Mark my words, I will use something much, much stronger than smelling salts," came a growl in Miss Tarabotti's left ear. The voice was low and tinged with a hint of Scotland. It would have caused Alexia to shiver and think primal monkey thoughts about moons and running far and fast, if she'd had a soul. Instead it caused her to sigh in exasperation and sit up.

It's hard to exactly put my finger on why I enjoyed this book so much (besides the "primal monkey thoughts" line) - like Gail Carriger says herself it's a little Victorian era, paranormal, mystery, romance, and a little steampunk thrown in for good measure. Even though the steampunk aspects were a bit of an afterthought, I believe it was the concept of Alexia herself that drew me the most. The fact that she is one of the only soulless individuals in England leaves her adventures wide open as she draws not only the attention of the local supernatural community, but the Queen herself. Being a self-professed bluestocking who would much rather spend her time with books and a cup of tea than with her two flighty sisters, Alexia can be exasperating to those who aren't themselves firmly grounded in intellectualism and practicality. Understandable. But still she's witty, knows what she wants, and above all, is very, very fun. The ending was a bit over the top since the focus had shifted a bit from Alexia's independent misadventures to her relationship with Lord Maccon - a bit too sweet for my tastes, but I've got high hopes for the duo's return in Changeless, the Parasol Protectorate book two due out March 2010.

series reading order:
~ Soulless
~ Changeless (March 2010)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review
The Book Smugglers review
Dear Author review
The Hiding Spot review
Popin's Lair review
Pure Imagination review

book source: borrowed from a friend

Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

Lady Julia Grey has had enough. Despite Brisbane's best efforts to keep her safely out of his path, she has decided to follow her sister Portia to his remote Yorkshire estate, Grimsgrave, on the pretext of helping him to outfit the place. Despite his strong feelings for her (and she for him) Brisbane decidedly does not want Julia to come to his new home but Julia convinces her reluctant family to let her go and force Brisbane to decide once and for all what is to become of their relationship. Upon arriving at the mysterious Grimsgrave, Julia finds things are not as calm as they appeared and she slowly unravel mystery after mystery surrounding the the previous owners of Grimsgrave and their connection to Brisbane. All my favorite elements from previous books are once again out in force - gypsies, the quirky Grim, servants who will happily spill gossip for a chance to chat with the lovely Lady Julia, and of course, bodies that keep popping up. Not to mention Julia's frequent interactions with her hilarious family - Julia and Portia's exchanges frequently had me in stitches.

This third installment of Raybourn's fantastic series is a real standout. I felt the mystery itself was much more unexpected yet entirely believable and for that reason all the more horrifying. Julia really comes into her own as well. Always outspoken, she finds herself for the first time on equal footing with Brisbane and adeptly holds her own. I loved it.

Lady Julia Grey is my hero. Not only is she smart and an extremely good dresser but she just so happens to expertly solve the most puzzling mysteries that normal people would run screaming away from. Her curiosity is one of her most intriguing characteristics - she is logical, methodical and can give one cutting remark. I love her. I want to be her. And I also want Brisbane. And Ms. Raybourne, just so you know, I sleep much better at night just thinking that a Brisbane could possibly be wandering around this earth. Thank you.

reading order:
~ Silent in the Grave
~ Silent in the Sanctuary
~ Silent on the Moor

Summer Reading Blitz update: 9/30

Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

I've been reading a bit of Urban Fantasy lately (ok, ok a LOT) and I've gotten just a little burnt out. Not that I don't love it - send a nice Patricia Briggs my way any time, but sometimes a girl just needs a nice fluffy read. Something you don't have to think too hard about and something that will not make you feel bad about that second helping of chocolate cake you had with lunch. Meg Cabot has that wonderful ability to create female characters I find myself wishing I could call up to go shopping with or even just to chat with in real life. So Heather Wells + big bag of peanut M&Ms = a dang good time.

After losing her recording contract, boy-band famous fiance, and her life savings (courtesy of her thieving mother) Heather Wells is in serious need of a job. Still it's a struggle for her when the girl who used to be a household name (if only to tweens) becomes an assistant director at a New York college dormitory, I mean, residence hall. Heather spends her days solving problems for 19 year-olds and her nights pining for her landlord, Cooper, private investigator and Mr. Unconventional Himself. Oh and just to make things even more interesting, Cooper is her ex's brother. So when girls start dying in the dorm - er, residence hall, Heather knows it's not just a coincidence and enlists PI Cooper to help track down the killer.

Flowing throughout is Heather's inner monologue in which she ponders everything from vanity sizing, exercise (walking to your favorite bakery DOES count), the miraculous effects of chocolate and even the love of a good pet. This hilarious thought process is what kept me so intrigued, not the mystery. Mystery = Meh. It almost seemed as an afterthought - which isn't necessarily a bad thing in this case at least. Heather and her antics constantly had me in stitches. I'd love to sit down to lunch with her or her friend Magda and let the good times roll.

reading order:
~ Size 12 is Not Fat
~ Size 14 is Not Fat Either
~ Big Boned