A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Book One)

Gemma Doyle is determined to leave her home in British India and seek out a proper education at a boarding school in England. After a brief meeting with a mysterious man with an odd message about a woman named Circe, Gemma’s mother dies. in the light of this, and her father’s growing addiction to laudanum, Gemma is sent to the foreboding Spence Academy for young ladies. There she meets new friends and enemies, and learns that she has a special power to enter a magical place called the realms. With her own powers and the help of her friends, she discovers the dark history of the school, as well as he own heritage and the power she possesses.

 

This book really captured me, and it didn’t take me long to finish it and begin longing for the others. I really how Libba Bray is really able to blend Victorian England with fantasy that really suits the time. Although the magical elements aren’t as bold as, say, Harry Potter, which I usually prefer, it simply suits the story and era so well, that it really melds together. Plus, I really like historical fiction.

Now, when I had originally read about the books, and it mentioned  ‘popular girl’ (Those may not have been the exact words, but that’s essentially the meaning) I was a bit put off because I thought it would be another of the usual YA fantasies filling the shelves, only set back in time a bit. I wrongly assumed that the new girl would be jealous and trying to fit in with the popular crowd. However, Gemma isn’t like that, and the way the relationships develop between all the characters is definitely not the norm.

Gemma has a strong voice, the setting seems accurate (I haven’t done an extraordinary amount of research to know), and all the characters are real and easily imagined. You can easily compare this book to everyday life, which means that the author has done their job of creating a believable story

 

The Recommendation – This book is great for anyone, especially fans of fantasy, YA lit, and historical stories.

The Other Books – Well, I’ve already bought them. So that should tell you something. :) Their reviews are coming up.

The Vitals* – A Great and Terrible Beauty can be purchase in either hardcover($16.95) or paperback ($9.99). Also available in audio for $44.00, and other bindings as well.

The Links - The Official Website of the series ; Libba Bray's Official Website

*=All prices are form Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

In My Mailbox

I know a lot of people do this meme called In My Mailbox, which is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren. This isn’t exactly like that, but it’s similar, so I thought I’d share the new books I got over the weekend. We had coupons, so Daddy took me to Borders.

I got:

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

Captivate by Carrie Jones

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

So, look for some back logged reviews, as some of those are sequels, and new reviews as well, as I’m trying to steadily work my way through my growing pile of books.

Rhia’s Ten Favorite Books of 2009

Everyone’s doing it. Everywhere I look, there’s another list of someone’s favorite books of the year. So why can’t I do one?

There is no reason. So without further ado, here are my ten favorite books of 2009! They are in NO PARTICULAR ORDER, because I just can’t do a thing that to my babies.

P.S. I’m not doing one for the decade, like a lot of people, because well there a lot of factors why. I’m just not.

 

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben Winters

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Archenemy by Frank Beddor

Fade by Lisa McMann

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

Storm Glass by Maria v Snyder

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

 

And here are some of the best books of 2009 that I missed out on:

Wings by Aprilynn Pike

the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Soulless by Gail Carriger

 

These are all still on my reading list, but I just don’t know when I’ll get to them.

 

What are some of your favorite books of the year?

Hyperventilating

Well, I’m still working on the reading thing. Didn't get to any yesterday, focused on the writing instead.

But OMG you guys I have some AMAZING NEWS!!! I’m bursting at the seams to tell you, but I want it to be a surprise. Let’s just say there’s a veerry special post coming up soon!

I totally can’t wait!!

Archenemy!!

Oh my gosh, you guys! I can't believe that is New Year’s EVE!!! This year has gone by so fast!

Well, I know this baby seems pretty lonely right now, but I have some exciting news! Remember first (And only at the moment) feature of The Looking Glass Wars back in October? When the third and final book came out?

WELL I FINALLY GOT A COPY. So I’m going to start it soon, and then a review will follow!

I really haven’t had a lot of time to read lately, because I’ve been busy with so many projects, and new ones are still trying to pile up on me. (I like to stay occupied.) But I have a nice big stack of books that waiting for me now that the holidays are coming to a close, and believe I’m going to hit them hard! I have a writing class in January, but that hopefully won’t slow me down too much!

But I want you all to know that I have NOT forgotten this blog at all, it has NOT been abandoned, it is NOT on hiatus, and it WILL continue!

So I hope you all can bear with me while I get thing straightened, take the time to get reading, and slowly but surely keep updating!

Have a great new year!

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

 

Eyes Like Stars tells the story of orphaned Bertie Shakespeare Smith, who has lived the magical Theatre Illuminata as long as she can remember. The theatre Illuminata is where all of the characters in any play ever written perform their roles, their lives, endlessly. When Bertie’s escapades in the Theatre finally become the last straw for the Theatre Manager, she must prove herself in order to stay at the only home she’s ever known, and find out a little about herself in the process.

At the risk of soundly completely cliché, this is a very imaginative debut novel. I know I’ve never read anything like it. Lisa Mantchev really brings the characters to life, and creates a magnificent world and an incredible plot, tempered heavily with one of my favorite aspects: humor. Plenty of giggles, mostly brought by the fairies from the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Moth, Peaseblossom, Cobweb, and Mustardseed. I fell so totally in love with this book, that I couldn’t put it down. Literally, really. I’d make my nice big stack, and wound up reading more of this than anything. It’s even the book I celebrated with one night when I had finally earned reading time during NaNoWriMo. I was crazy for it!

As for some of the romance, there’s just enough fluff and triangle to make it interesting, but this book has so much more to offer! Which is one of its greatest points for me.

 

The Recommendation – I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone, it’s such a great read! But if you’re a lover of fantasy and the stage, you’ll enjoy it all the more!

The Other Books – I MUST have the other books in the trilogy! (The second is titled Perchance to Dream, and that’s all I know right now.) We’re talking, top of the buy pile, please please daddy please, if I don’t get the next one I’ll scream. That’s how badly I want it. I will gladly pay the money for hardback.

The Vitals* – Eyes Like Stars is available in hardcover for $16.99, and will be available in paperback for $8.99 April 13, 2010.

The Links - The Theatre Illuminata's Website

 

* = All Prices from Borders.com, and are subject to change without notice. That change may not be reflected on this page.

December Update

Since NaNoWriMo is finally over (I DID IT!!!) I can get back to work on everything else, while still working on writing. I’ll start with some new reviews here (I have two), but I’m also going to review a few books a while ago, to keep you occupied while I continue my reading.

I’ll try to get to those reviews later today, I’ll post one today, and schedule the other to come a little later. I have a lot of stuff to get to around the house, as well as other work regarding my writing, so it might take me a while to make a dent in my reading stack. But I’ll keep updating with older reviews, and I’ll work on this months’ Feature.

Thanks for being to patient!