Top 5 - historical settings

I don't know about you but I go through different fazes with my books. For a while last year I loved books set in Paris thanks to 'Anna and the French Kiss' by Stephanie Perkins and then there was that period were I only read about witches and all things supernatural. 
Right now it would seem that I'm drawn to worlds set in the past. Whether it's a historical novel or a fantasy world set in an historical context I'm sold! I think it's the old world charm that draws me in and keeps me locked within it's paperback pages until I'm dreaming of turn of the century somewhere, top hats and corsets.

So I thought I would share some of my favourites with you. These are my Top 5 books that make me wish I had a time-turner that could simply Take Me Back. 

1. 

The Madman's Daughter 
by Megan Shepard

I read this book with another blogger for a post we were doing and it was amazing. The book is based on H.G. Well's The Island of Dr. Moreau, which I have never read. If I'm honest, I'm glad that I went into this without knowing anything about Moreau as it enabled me to make my own discoveries about the characters. I got strong Frankenstein vibes when reading this book and it delves deeply into the whole meaning of creation. It is intense and descriptive and it transports you into the deadly and monstrous world that is, Moreau's playground.

2.

The Seventh Miss Hatfield 

by Anna Caltabiano

This is the book that started off my YA historical setting book binge - try saying that 3 times fast! The Seventh Miss Hatfield is set in the early 1900's and is so close to perfect! I think the one thing I love most about this book is Henly... the sweet fool that he was. A great read that has only just hit the shelves so go and get yourself a copy and start/continue your love affair with historically set YA. 

3.

Something Strange and Deadly series 
by Susan Dennard

    

I had a total binge with these books and read them in a week! OMG the settings in these are amazing and they really capture the time in which they are set. You know, if there were zombies running around at said period in time. It takes you from an historical American setting to Paris and even Egypt. They are beautifully written and well worth the read!

4.

Shadow of Night 
by Deborah Harkness

The All Souls Trilogy is probably one of my favourites. It's full of magic and adventure and in the second instalment we even get a little time travel. In Shadow of Night we see our favourite witch and vampire duo travel back to 1590 to discover the full extent of Diana's powers. However in a time where Europe was hunting witches it isn't exactly the safest place in the world. This book is full of exciting period drama that will have you turning the page well into the early hours of the morning. No it's not a YA but it's so good you won't really care. A good books, a good book after all! 

5.

The Ring and The Crown 
by Melissa de la Cruz

 

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Okay so some of the historical concepts aren't quite correct and the dialogue is a little wrong for the time but who cares! It has magic and princes' and an exciting and rich story line. For me it was pretty damn perfect and the loosely based historical setting was endearing. I can't actually recommend this book enough!! 

So those are my recommendations for anyone in the mood for an historical read! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and let me know know what historically based books you enjoy reading!

Book Club Review: Dangerous Boys

DANGEROUS BOYS

by Abigail Haas

Pages: 336 (paperback)

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books

Publication Date: August 14th 2014

ISBN: 9781471119163

Links to Mine and Emma's spoiler free reviews of Dangerous Boys

The YA's Nightstand & Mab Is Mab

Dangerous Boys

Book Club Discussion

**SPOILERS**

What were your first thoughts after finishing Dangerous Boys?

Mily: Oh. My. God.

What am I meant to do with my life now?

What the hell just happened?!?

This book was addictive but that last page changed the whole damn thing. I’ve never known an author to be able to switch my outlook on a character so dramatically. It was epic! I mean it was a complete and utter head f**k but I want more. I know it’s got nothing to do with Dangerous Boys but I need to read Dangerous Girls now because I need more of this ladies writing!

Emma: “wait… what? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!”

I felt like I had just had the ground pulled from beneath me. I also realized I had been siding with Chloe the whole way without really knowing it! That and, like Mily says, “I need Dangerous Girls”. I had heard it was even better and I didn’t believe it could get any better!

How did you feel about the love triangle?

Mily: I went through several fazes with this one. To start with it felt a little predictable, like ‘oh sure start falling for the good guys bad brother’. But as it developed and the story became more about who Chloe was and having Oliver there to encourage her darker side made the love triangle aspect much more intense. It took on a new and twisted tone. Which in turn, made it exciting and disturbing all at the same time.

Emma: I am usually very “anti” romance and definitely don’t choose books with a strong relationship theme. However, it has got to be said that this love triangle was darkly intense and I loved it! I liked that Oliver was the rebel, the bad boy, and therefore, as tradition dictates, “the alluring, hot one”. However, nothing is as it seems in this book and everything gets flipped on its head and it was such a thrilling ride!

That said, blood kissing was 100% weird!

Mily: OMG! The blood kiss was really creepy. And yet, I don’t know about you, but it pulled me right into the story. I think that was the moment I realized that there was a much darker side to Chloe.

What did you think about the change in Chloe’s character through out the book?

Mily: It was unexpected! I mean you could see it wasn’t going to end well because of all the books layout. But it constantly kept me guessing. I didn’t know which brother she would save. I didn’t know why she did any of the things she did. This book turned from a generic love triangle YA to a dark and almost perverted look into human nature. The needs and desires that were unlocked with in Chloe made for an powerful and unpredictable book. As I said, I couldn’t have guessed the Chloe we read on the last page. It was like a whole new character.

Emma: It was clever and paced soooo well. I’m wary to say I kind of related to Chloe in the first half of this book – ha! The need to get out of a small town and experience a bit of the unknown…  I never went to university either and things can get monotonous and stifling. BUT, I would like to think I drew a line at rebelliousness before it hit a certain point! I thought Chloe’s actions under Oliver’s influence were unpredictable and at times shocking. I had absolutely NO idea which brother she was going to be saving at any point!

Mily: I was the same. It wasn’t until the told us which brother it was that I knew. A part of me hoped she was a good person and would safe the right brother but there was so much supporting her darker side. By the time we find out which brother was saved I was shocked that it wasn’t the other.

Would you want to hear the story told from one of the brother’s points of view?

Mily: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!! I’d love a book from Oliver’s point of view. I think it would be fascinating to read what was going through his head and the reasoning’s he gave himself for all the things he did. It would literally be like stepping inside a psychopath’s brain and I think it would make for an intriguing and simply terrifying read.

Emma: No, I don’t think so. I think Dangerous Boys had such an interesting angle coming from Chloe – she was a completely open book, involved equally with both brothers, and perhaps even the “truest” psychopath of the novel.  I also felt I got a good enough sense of the brothers that new viewpoints wouldn’t give much in the way of new insight?! They’d just be more biased?!

What was your least favorite part of the book?

Mily: I always add in this question but I actually don’t think I have a least favourite part of this book! It was all epic and beautifully written.

Emma: Ethan! Haha! He’s just totally not my favourite kind of male character… When he walked into the diner at the start and I realized he would actually be a main character, I almost put the book down. Thank goodness Chloe didn’t instalove him else I’d never have made it to all the awesomeness that ensued!

Mily: Haha. Really? I found Ethan a little on the clingy side (as far as boyfriends go) but I didn’t dislike him.

Abigail has a unique writing style to her books. What did you think of the switching between past and present?

Mily: LOVED IT! The constant back and forth made it exciting. That’s not even mentioning the fact Abby has this way of lulling me into a false sense of security where I think I’ve figured it out and then with a sentence she can unravel and change the whole book. I can’t wait to reread this as I think it’s going to be like reading a completely different story.

Emma: It was brilliant! It kept me guessing the whole way through, revealing just enough to ensure I couldn’t put the book down before switching. So much fun! I definitely agree that the sense of false security is the biggest thing with Abigail’s writing style. And oh, the way she rips it from you!

What was the main thing you took away from the book?

Mily: That human’s a messed up and complicated! That it doesn’t take much to unlock that side of us… I’ve always believed in choice, and that we have the potential to be good or bad and it’s the choices we make that determine that. Well, this book shows that to the extreme.

Emma: Blood kissing?! I literally cannot forget that scene!

Chloe and Oliver’s relationship throughout the book was very dark, but do you blame Oliver for the change in Chloe’s character?

Mily: No. I think he flipped a switch but I think Chloe was always like that. I think it was only a matter of time.

Emma: Totally agree with Mily. Oliver definitely didn’t encourage light and sunflowers(!) but I imagine his game is setting things up to watch them tumble beneath their own weight. That’s what I think he did to Chloe; the darkness was there to manipulate from the beginning, he just watched it crack.

Mily: Exactly! I think that’s also what made Oliver all the more dangerous. He could see something in her and it was a game to him. He loved the power that came with being able to bring out Chloe’s darker side.

What was your favourite moment from Dangerous Boys?

Mily: The ending for sure! I know we (Emma and I) have spoken about it before and I’m still confused. This book messes with your mind and the very last page is so insanely brilliant that I don’t even care that I still have no idea what happened.

Emma: The ending. I seriously can’t fully process what it means - for the past or for the future! Can I have a sequel please?!

Mily: AGREED! Need a sequel.

Tour Post: The Empress Chronicles

Today I'm taking part in the blog tour for Suzy Vitello's new book The Empress Chronicles. Read for all the details about this great read as well as a little Q&A with the lady herself. 

Enjoy x

THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES
by Suzy Vitello

Pages: 254

Publication Date: September 4th 2014

Publisher: Diversion Books

BUY

Amazon || Barnes & Noble || iBooks || Kobo

In this dazzling first book in the EMPRESS CHRONICLES series by the author of THE MOMENT BEFORE, one courageous girl seeks keys to the past to unlock the future… 

When city girl Liz is banished to a rural goat farm on the outskirts of Portland, the 15-year-old feels her life spiraling out of control.  She can’t connect to her father or his young girlfriend, and past trauma adds to her sense of upheaval.  The only person who seems to keep her sane is a troubled boy who is fighting his own demons.  But all of this changes in one historical instant.

*

One-hundred fifty years earlier, Elisabeth of Bavaria has troubles of her own.  Her childhood is coming to a crashing end, and her destiny is written in the form of a soothsaying locket that has the ability to predict true love.  But evil is afoot in the form of a wicked enchantress who connives to wield the power of the locket for her own destructive ends.

*

When Liz finds a timeworn diary, and within it a locket, she discovers the secrets and desires of the young Bavarian princess who will one day grow up to be the legendary Empress of Austria. It is in the pages of the diary that these two heroines will meet, and it is through their interwoven story that Liz will discover she has the power to rewrite history—including her own… 

 

Readers of books like Rachel Harris’s MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY will love THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES

About The Author

Suzy Vitello is a proud founding member of a critique group recently dubbed The Hottest Writing Group in Portland, and her short stories have won fellowships and prizes (including the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Award, and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship).

Goodreads || Website || Facebook

Q&A with Suzy

What was the inspiration behind The Empress Chronicles?

My fascination with 19^th-century Europe generally, and the historical figure, Sisi – the last Empress of Austria.

What was your favourite fairy tale growing up?

I loved the fairy tales with sisters in them. Rose Red and Snow White, for instance. Something about having two girls with different temperaments in a single narrative has always interested me.

Think quick! Vampires or Werewolves?

Vampires. Sort of. Neither, if pressed.

Who was your favourite character to write and why?

I found Liz’s voice fairly easily. I relate to the outlier personality. A teenager who tends to be interior rather than outgoing. Sisi was harder to write – and more tragic. Sisi started out robust and full of spirit, and as time went on, external conditions tamped her down – whereas my plans for Liz (I have two other Empress books outlined) have her going from shy and introverted to outspoken and brave.

Where did your love for writing come from?

A need to find an outlet for an overactive imagination. I turn observation into narrative in my every day life, and if I didn’t write my head would explode.

If you could pick anyone, whom would you cast in a movie adaptation of The Empress Chronicles?

There is a stunning young Polish actress named Agata Trzebuchowska (in an indie film, Ida), and I think she’d be perfect for Sisi. As for Liz, definitely an actress with serious emotional chops. Like Shailene Woodley. Cory could be played by a roughed up version of Jamie Blackley. Lauren Lee Smith for

Willow. 

What three books would you recommend to readers of The Empress Chronicles?

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY by Rachel Harris

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING by Kari Luna

Any of the Stephanie Perkins books: ANNA, LOLA, ISLA …

Here’s a random one for you. If you were living in a Dystopian world that’s ALREADY been written, which one would you choose and why?

Probably THE STEPFORD WIVES. Ha! Seriously – I had a somewhat chaotic upbringing. Young eccentric parents who were also mostly students when I was a kid. I had this secret fascination with what it might be like to have an ordered, pristine household. A mom who wore lipstick and made pot roast. That sort of thing. Of course, I’d last about a day in the dystopian world of Stepford. I’d probably drop an f-bomb at the wrong moment, and that would be that.

What’s the most challenging part of the writing process for you?

Sitting in one place for too long. The physical aches and pains of looking at a screen for hours a day. I have to take long walks to shake my ideas to the next level of depth.

Why did you choose to write for this particular genre?

Young adult? Historical? Contemporary? It wasn’t the genre that I wrote for – it was just a couple of characters who had a story to tell, and when I’d written a draft, I had to find a category for the book in order to sell it (and me) to an agent. (Even though this book is being pubbed after THE MOMENT BEFORE, it’s my debut chronologically.)

What is your favourite genre to read?

Realistic fiction. Family saga – type stories.

Another random one to keep you on your toes. Prince Charming turns up on your doorstep with a glass slipper. It fits, but isn’t yours! What do you do?

Fun question!  I ‘m a huge believer in going with intuition. If the shoe feels like the perfect fit, I say, it’s meant to be!

Lastly, tell us WHY we should read The Empress Chronicles?

It’s the first of three books I have planned that explore the idea of “the road not taken” for one of the most intriguing marriages of the 19^th century. It’s the foundation for a fantastical adventure in which a girl from our time tackles her crippling phobias through the interaction with an historical legend. It’s a metaphor for the power of imagination. If those ideas appeal – and you’re the type of reader who can patiently suspend disbelief while being transported to a different time and place, please read THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES!

Tour Post: The Fall

THE FALL

by Bethany Griffin

Pages: 432

Publisher: Orion Childrens

Publication Date: October 2nd 2014

Summary 

For Madeline, the House of Usher is a nightmare to live in - but impossible to leave - in this brand new Gothic novel from Bethany Griffin, author of the Masque of the Red Death sequence. 

Madeline and her twin brother Roderick have the Usher name, the Usher house - and the Usher disease. Something is wrong with the family's blood - and it seems to have spread to the house itself. Sometimes Madeline even thinks that the house is alive... When Roderick is sent away to school, the house seems to want revenge on the one member of the Usher family left behind: Madeline herself. 

A gorgeous, eerie, darkly Gothic tale, THE FALL is guaranteed to intrigue and enthrall its readers, winning legions of new fans for the talented Bethany Griffin. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Becca Fitzpatrick and Cassandra Clare.

Click photo to go to Bethany's website

The Fall Chapter One

Giveaway

UK and Ireland the publisher has been very kind and given me a copy of THE FALL to giveaway!! Enter for a change to win this epic book. 

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Book Blitz: The Secret Diamond Sisters

The Secret Diamond Sisters (The Secret Diamond Sisters #1)

by Michelle Madow 

Release Date: 02/25/13

Harlequin Teen

381 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.

The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite.

Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Book Depository | iBookstore

Praise:

"Sexy and often electrifying ... Gossip Girl meets The Princess Diaries in a city that never sleeps." 

--Booklist

"This quick and entertaining read is filled with glitz and glamour ... get ready for one crazy and fabulous ride." 
--RT Book Reviews

Courtney is sixteen years old, and is the middle Diamond sister. She’s the responsible one—she studies hard, does well in school, is a student tutor, and works after school and on weekends to help out her family. Her main goal is to keep up her grades and do well on her SATs so she can get into Stanford, her dream school. She wants to major in English and someday get a career in publishing. She’s competitive with herself and always strives to do her best. 
Courtney’s closest friends are her sisters—with all the time she spends on school and work, she doesn’t have time for anyone else. She’s never had a boyfriend and is fine with waiting to date until college. (She doesn’t need any distractions right now!) She’s not into the high school party scene, and whenever she has time in her busy schedule, her favorite thing to do is read novels. She also loves listening to Broadway music (Phantom of the Opera and Wicked are her favorites) and would love to see a live show someday. 
She’s a natural early bird, and is always awake before her sisters. She could happily wear jeans, t-shirts, and flip-flops every day, and always goes natural with her makeup. Her favorite drink is chai tea. She’s quiet and reserved while first meeting someone, but she will do anything for the people she loves. She would love to travel the world to see historic sites and well-known museums, but it’s always felt more like a dream than a possible reality.

Book Two:

(cover linked to Goodreads)

(Available for Pre-Order)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Book Depository | iBookstore

About the Author

Michelle Madow was inspired to write The Secret Diamond Sisters series while walking through her favorite hotel in Las Vegas. The next book in the series, Diamonds in the Rough, launches in October. Prior to The Secret Diamond Sisters, she successfully self-published The Transcend Time Saga. A tireless promoter of her work, Michelle is active on social media networks and has toured across America to promote her books and encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. A graduate of Rollins College, Michelle lives in Florida ... but she loves going to Vegas.

To chat with Michelle and other fans about her books, joinMichelle Madow's Street Team on Facebook!

Author Links:

   



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