Alyssa Goodnight's Blog, page 5
November 5, 2013
Book Review Club: The Haunting of Maddy Clare
Click icon for more book review blogs @Barrie Summy
After a month-long hiatus (read, I was super busy), I’m back with this month’s Book Review Club and a review of THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE by Simone St. James. Normally I would never have picked this book up. In fact, I only stumbled across it because it is a 2013 Rita winner. The Ritas are given out by Romance Writers of America for excellence in romantic fiction. THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE not only won the Rita for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements, it also won Best First Book. It also apparently won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada. (Something I learned during the course of writing this review.) Being naturally curious about good books, I decided to give it a try, even though I don’t particularly like scary.
Luckily, it wasn’t too scary. It was just the right amount of scary.
From the back cover:
In 1920s Englan d, a young woman of limited means and even less experience confronts the ghost of a mysterious serving maid…
Sarah Piper’s lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist a ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis–rich, handsome, scarred by World War I, and obsessed with ghosts–has been summoned to investigate the spirit of nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is said to haunt the barn where she committed suicide.
Maddy hated men in life, and she will not speak to them in death. But Sarah is unprepared to go alone into a haunted barn looking for the truth. She’s even less prepared for the arrival of Alistair’s associate, rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, also a veteran of the trenches, whose scars go deeper than Sarah can reach.
Soon, Sarah is caught up in a desperate struggle. For Maddy’s ghost is no hoax–she’s real, she’s angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Can Sarah and Matthew discover who Maddy was, where she came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance…before she destroys them all?
SCARE FACTOR: I read the preview on my Kindle while my husband was out of town and then did my best to put off reading the rest of the book until he got home. Couldn’t do it. I plunged ahead, and despite some night reading, I didn’t freak out or have a single nightmare. Take it for what it’s worth.
ROMANCE FACTOR: I would not classify this novel as a romance, but there was a romance. At first it was about as awkward as any I’ve ever read, and I’ve read plenty, but eventually, it resolved itself into a sweet, steamy, solid relationship.
MYSTERY FACTOR: I am not an armchair sleuth. I’m completely happy to let a mystery unfold without any help from me. Even when I do try to guess at things, I’m not particularly good at it. So, the fact that I was able to predict a good bit of what was going on in this story before it happened is interesting. It didn’t lessen my enjoyment one bit. Just thought I’d mention it.
OVERALL: It kept me riveted. Pairing a naive young woman from a temp agency with a couple of fearless ghost hunters worked very wel
l and added to the novel’s tension and uncertainty. The longterm effects of WWI further contributed to the stark loneliness of the setting, even though the war had ended several years prior. All of the characters were well-drawn and interesting, particularly Sarah Piper, whose courage in the face of terror, shock, grief, and even madness, was magnificent. And then there was the ghost of Maddy Clare.
I think what made her truly terrifying was her unpredictability. Her reaction to the ghost hunters and everyone around her changed with each encounter, getting progressively more and more intense. Her ability to reach beyond the grave was truly frightening and made for a gripping read.
The conclusion was well done, and like a romance novel, it ended with the relationship in a good place. I can see why this novel has won some awards! I’ve already purchased Ms. St. James’ next book: AN INQUIRY INTO LOVE AND DEATH, and honestly, I can’t wait!
For more great reviews, click on the typewriter above to visit Barrie Summy’s blog, where you’ll find a whole list of them.
October 26, 2013
My Favorite Literary Sleuths
If I hadn’t added that ‘Literary’ part, then Richard Castle just might top my list. Followed closely by The Bletchley Circle. (If you’re not watching either of those shows–you should be!)
Anyway, my favorite sleuths who originated between the pages of some of my favorite books (in no particular order):
1. Flavia de Luce from the Flavia de Luce Mysteries by Alan Bradley. This series has been optioned for TV movies! Whoo-hoo!
2. Mo LeBeau from Three Times Lucky and the sequel, coming in February (yay!) by Sheila Turnage
3. Isabel Spellman from the Spellman Books by Lisa Lutz
4. Lady Julia Grey from the Lady Julia Mysteries by Deanna Raybourn
5. Patricia Anne Hollowell and Mary Alice Crane from the Southern Sisters Mysteries by Anne George
6. Lady Georgiana Rannoch from the Royal Spyness Mysteries
7. Hercule Poirot of Agatha Christie fame.
8. Miss Dimple Kilpatrick from the Miss Dimple Mysteries by Mignon Ballard
9. Lady Emily Hargreaves from the Lady Emily Mysteries by Tasha Alexander
10. Maggie Hope from the Maggie Hope Mysteries by Susan Elia MacNeal
This, my friends, is a solid list, with LOTS of books to choose from. Don’t say I don’t do you any favors…
Okay, so I didn’t link any of these books or authors. You’re all tough cookies, and they’re easy enough to find.
What are some of your favorites?
October 18, 2013
Entertainment Weekly!!
AUSTENTATIOUS got a mention in the October 11th issue of Entertainment Weekly!! The Hunger Games issue! There were four collectible covers, each featuring a different Hunger Games character. I bought the Peeta issue…I will treasure it always.
September 3, 2013
Book Review Club: The Theory of Everything
Click icon for more book review blogs @Barrie Summy
After taking the summer off, Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club is back on track with winning reviews the first Wednesday of every month. And this, my friends, is the first Wednesday of September. Here in Texas we may have gone back to school, but temperatures are still in the high 90′s (and likely will be for at least another month–maybe two) and the mosquitoes are quite horrible.
Before I get started with this month’s review, I have a little opportunity for you:
If you haven’t yet read AUSTENTATIOUS, there is a copy up for grabs through Friday (Sept 7th), over at The Book Rat. You can choose either the paperback or audiobook version. She also has a review up, as well as a character interview, so it’s definitely one stop shopping.
Now, on to this month’s review of THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING by Kari Luna.
It was the quirkiness that sold me on this book. First the cover–a girl kissing a giant panda with two other pandas looking on?–curiosity piqued!
Then the blurb:
Can a broken heart really break you? Is string theory the answer to everything? When your life is spinning out of control, can love keep you grounded?
Sophie Sophia is obsessed with music from the eighties. She also sees marching band pandas, plays guitar with The Cure and has an eccentric physicist father who vanishes for days and sees things other people don’t see. But when he disappears for good – and she moves from Brooklyn to Illinois – things take a turn for the weird. Sophie starts seeing things, just like her dad.
Guided by Walt, her giant shaman panda, Finny, her best friend/boy genius and Drew, a Kerouac-loving bookworm, Sophie decides to find her father and figure out her visions, once and for all. Armed with her trusty Walkman and friends, she travels back to where it all began – New York City and NYU’s physics department. As she discovers more about her Dad’s research on string theory, alternate universes and her father, himself, Sophie opens her eyes – and her heart – to the world’s infinite possibilities.
Physics? Pandas? Mix tapes? A boy best friend & a high school crush? Must download now!!
So I did. And I wasn’t disappointed. This wasn’t like any other novel I’ve ever read. Pretty sure.
In a nutshell, Sophie Sophia has been floundering since her dad left and she moved away with her mom. Partly because she misses him–a lot–and partly because she has episodes. Episodes where she chats with giant pandas or performs on stage with The Cure. These episodes often result in her making a fool of herself in front of the rest of the world, and they always result in souvenirs. Taking physics in a new school, Sophie makes a new friend and tells him her secret. Together they decide to try to discover what’s causing Sophie’s episodes and what’s happened to her dad before her mom insists that she see a psychiatrist.
Sounds pretty darn interesting, doesn’t it? Well, it was! It was wildly creative and fun and sweet and kooky. But it was also serious. Sophie is really desperate to know what’s going on in her head and whether she’s a little bit crazy. Her dad is gone, and her relationship with her mom is fractured, but she’s found a best friend who’s willing to help her figure things out and even a boy who might just be interested…
This book is about real life and mind-boggling possibilities, and the overlap between them. Aren’t you curious??
August 29, 2013
Austentatious Interview & Giveaway
Later today, Misty will be posting her review!
http://www.thebookrat.com/2013/08/giv...
August 12, 2013
Audiobooks & Haiku Reviews
So…ti’s been like a whole summer since I’ve posted! Is anyone still out there??? [echo, echo]
The summer has been pretty crazy. My boys’ activities kept us busy, plus I’ve visited the Asheville area twice this summer and been sick for an entire week. Some progress has been made on a few things though. First things first: all my books are now available in audiobook format, professionally narrated, and they all sound great! They are available on Audible.com, Amazon, or ITunes. Let me know what you think of the audiobook images–I’m quite taken with them.
Austensibly Ordinary on Audible
Austentatious on Audible
Unladylike Pursuits on Audible
I’ve been making some moderate progress on my novel-in-progress, and I hope to buckle down and finish it once my boys start back to school in TWO WEEKS!! (The countdown has absolutely started!) I have reached the point in the writing where I have a good feel for the characters and their behaviors, so it’s a lot of fun to write. Currently I get about five-ten minute blocks before someone comes to me with a question or complaint. Not good for the concentration, not good at all.
I’ve read some really good books this summer, and rather than do a lengthy review for each of them, I’m trying something new (for me anyways), a review haiku. Just to whet your appetites.
1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Survival Story
of Louie Zamperini
World War 2 hero.
2. Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers (second book in the His Fair Assassin series, which I love):
Handmaiden of Death
trying to forget the past
and find her future.
3. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani (the start of a new series)
Heroes and villains
At Hogwarts-style school but two
friends buck the system.
4. The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig (The Pink Carnation series)
Capable spinster
meets her match in merry romp.
Series continues.
5. Faking It by Cora Cormack (my first New Adult read)
Sexy romantic
story of two broken souls
Finding each other.
6. This is W.A.R. by Lisa and Laura Roecker
A horrible death.
Four girls’ make a pact to get
justice and revenge.
7. The Paris Affair by Theresa Grant (Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch Historical Mysteries)
A new adventure,
Napoleonic Europe,
crafty, married spies.
8. The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart
Old school, romantic
suspense on island of Crete
Incomparable.
June 4, 2013
Book Review Club ~ June 2013
Whew! Made it through another school year, almost. Today is my fifth grader’s end-of-year party, and it’s an all day bash, celebrating the end of elementary school. Both my boys will be in junior high next year, and it will be the end of an era: eight years (for me) at that elementary school. But I think we’re all ready.
Summer will mean lots of swimming, lots of snowcones, and lots of reading, and I already have my summer reading lined up, at least for the first few weeks, including these two: The School for Good and Evil and The Last Camellia, both of which I bought on a trip to the bookstore yesterday.
Very excited.
But those are for later… Back to today.
I recently discovered a new cozy mystery series I like at the library of all places. (I rarely browse through the library for myself–usually I go in looking for exactly what I want.) But, it was was a very nice surprise, so I thought I’d use Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club as a forum to chat about the “Miss Dimple” series a bit.
Click icon for more book review blogs @Barrie Summy
Miss Dimple Disappears is the first book in the series by Mignon Ballard, and I zipped right through it and am currently reading the third book in the series, Miss Dimple Suspects. (I didn’t plan to read them out of order, it just happened!)
From Amazon:
Meet Miss Dimple
It is 1942, and most of the men in the town of Elderberry, Georgia, have gone to war. One frosty morning just before Thanksgiving, young schoolmistress Charlie Carr and her fellow teachers are startled to find that the school custodian, Wilson “Christmas” Malone, has neglected to stoke the furnace or empty the wastebaskets—and then is found dead in a broom closet, the apparent victim of a heart attack. But when Miss Dimple Kilpatrick, who is as dependable as gravity and has taught Elderberry first graders—including Charlie—for nearly forty years, disappears the following day, town residents are shaken down to their worn, rationed shoes. Knowing that Miss Dimple would never willingly abandon her students, Charlie and her friend Annie begin sleuthing—and uncover danger surprisingly close to home.
What I like about this series:
1. The covers! LOVE them! Although…I’m pretty sure that’s Charlie Carr on the cover and not Miss Dimple, which strikes me as a little strange, given that the series is named for Miss Dimple.
2. The setting. I mentioned a few months back that I am drawn to WWII fiction, and so it’s no surprise that I’m enjoying this series. But this series is unique (at least for me) in that it takes place well away from the fighting and the true urgency of the war, in central Georgia. That said, the author does a very nice job of making you feel the camaraderie of spirit, the patriotism, and the sacrifices of the family and friends left behind when their boys go off to war. I particularly enjoyed hearing about the rationing and how recipes were adjusted when ingredients were in short supply.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!”
3. Miss Dimple is an excellent protagonist–no nonsense, capable, compassionate, and smart. Pairing her with two younger, hipper co-horts, her fellow teachers, Charlie Carr and Annie Gardner, was a stroke of genius. They play extremely well off each other and offer various viewpoints on the war, small town life, and the mysteries themselves.
4. The clever mystery linked to the war itself.
5. The considerable cast of characters. After reading Miss Dimple Disappears, I felt like I knew everyone in town, not to mention all their quirks. And I liked them!
6. The tiniest hint of romance–you know I love that! Well, it’s there, and well done.
I hope you’ll give Miss Dimple and her Victory Muffins (made with whole wheat flour and soy flour) a try. I’m sure you’ll find much to enjoy. I definitely plan to keep track of this series.
Happy reading this summer!
April 30, 2013
Book Review Club ~ May 2013
I missed Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club meeting last month (mostly because I hadn’t had any time for reading and thus, had nothing to gush over), and this month, rather than gush over the third book in a series I have already hyped for a different Book Review Club (The Maggie Hope Mysteries), I’m previewing a novel I’ve just started reading.
That said, if you aren’t reading The Maggie Hope Mysteries by Susan Elia MacNeal, I highly recommend you do! They are wonderful–her latest, His Majesty’s Hope, out May 14th, is a riveting read, its storyline drawn from the atrocities committed in Nazi Germany during WWII.
Click icon for more book review blogs @Barrie Summy
So, my recommendation this month is Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler, an author also repped by the fabulous Rebecca Strauss. Tempest Rising, currently a deal on Kindle at $3.79, is the first in the Jane True urban fantasy series. Now, I don’t typically read urban fantasy, but I was curious, and the price was right. Plus, I like the cover!
Book description from Amazon (Kindle version):
Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn’t quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.
Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new “friend,” Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.
It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever-rub the genie’s lamp.
If you love Sookie Stackhouse, then you’ll want to dive into Nicole Peeler’s enchanting debut novel.
Despite a few descriptive words: “grisly,” “terrifying,” and “deadly” (exactly the sort of words that typically keep me from this genre, not to mention “vampire”), I’m finding this novel to be relatively light and very funny. I’m only about 20% in (can you tell I’m reading it on my Kindle?), and Jane True has just discovered that she’s the child of a human and a Selkie, and that, surprise, surprise, her world is populated with an interesting mix of supernatural characters.
When one of them is murdered and Jane pulls the body out of a whirlpool, they decide to hold an intervention of sorts to let her in on their secret and solicit her help in learning whether the murder was committed at the hands of the supernatural. Admit it, you’re curious.
Nicole’s writing is very colorful and engaging, and I admit, I’m definitely curious about what Jane True will discover and where this series will go.
April 8, 2013
The Update
So…it’s been a while. You may be wondering, what’s up with me. Here’s an encapsulation:
Admiring my mention in the April 8th, 2013 edition of FIRST for Women! AUSTENSIBLY ORDINARY is listed in the feature,
“The 6 Paperbacks We’re Reading Now.”
Participating in Julie Valerie’s Chick Lit Chat for Grilled Cheese Month (April 15th)
Watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (an online adaptation of Pride & Prejudice). I’m only on Episode 25, but I’m so enjoying it. Misty at The Book Rat recently posted this AWESOME video mash-up of TLBD and Beauty and the Beast (the songs are by far the best part). Even if you haven’t been watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, you’ll enjoy it. But you should be watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!!
Eating fish tacos almost every Monday. My special treat until school is out…
Watching Mr. Selfridge on Masterpiece PBS, a new mini series by Andrew Davies (creator of the 1995 BBC P&P)
Reading Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibson. Published in 1938, parts of it are reminding me of P&P.
Waiting for His Majesty’s Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal to come out!!
Looking forward to summer swimming, homemade ice cream, and vacations!
Making Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers and South American Flank Steak…yummers!
Drinking iced chai tea with vanilla soy milk instead of Dr Pepper.
Trying to decide what to make with the bag of Meyer lemons I bought last week.
Planing a family kickball night, wishing for a girls trip…
Writing, writing, writing!
March 5, 2013
Book Review Club *March 2013*
It has clearly been too long since I’ve blogged! My last post was a Book Review Club post from a MONTH ago!!
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book review blogs
@Barrie Summy
Whew, well, clearly I need to make these Book Review Club posts count because who knows when I might be posting again. I’ve been writing, and I’m kinda on a roll, so every time I consider blogging, I think…maybe I should keep the writing up. And I do. And I have, so…sorry. But today, you will forgive me, because today I have a stellar book to blog about! 
Today, I’m reviewing Attachments: A Novel by Rainbow Rowell.
A summary from Amazon:
“Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It’s company policy.) But they can’t quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill can’t believe this is his job now- reading other people’s e-mail. When he applied to be “internet security officer,” he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth’s and Jennifer’s messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can’t help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he’s falling for Beth, it’s way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?”
Oh, how I loved this book. So. Very. Much. To keep from getting too wordy and gushy, I”m going to go with a list to explain why.
Things I Loved About This Book
1. The Blurb! This blurb has potential written all over it for anyone who loves a really good romance. (I personally love a really good romance.) You can almost feel the cringe-worthiness of the final confrontation from the back of the book summary. (And it TOTALLY lives up!)
2. It’s written from the point of view of the guy, not too common in a romance. And this guy is nerdy and funny and cute and really, really nice (which is always a pleasure to read). I was rooting for him the whole way through!
3. The emails between Beth and Jennifer are both touching and hilarious. It might be a tad far-fetched to believe these two are writing back-and-forth emails at the frequency the book would have you believe, particularly during work hours, but this was 1999–email was a novelty. Maybe 20-30 emails a day to the same person could be justified. It felt like they were text messaging via the computer system.
4. The setting. 1999? Y2K? Remember the freak-outs about computer systems going crazy? Good times. There are plenty of other pop culture references from back then too.
5. The supporting cast. From the overbearing mother, to the first serious girlfriend, to the Dungeons and Dragons players, they were really the icing on the cake. (I did not much care for Justin. Just sayin’.)
6. The plot twists: Were they going to get together? Was another girl going to waltz in and win the prize? Were things going to work out? Was this going to be a sad book–PLEASE NO!! I was seriously guessing until almost the end.
6. The biggie: the Romance. This romance was so sweet and unique, so fragile but solid, so quirky and funny, that it blew me away. I read wanting to get to the end and not wanting it to end. I want to read it all over again, and I want to read more from Rainbow Rowell.
I LOVED it.
