After Reading: A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism. (Goodreads)

So, I totally and utterly loved this book. As in, devoured it, despite the very limited reading time I currently have. Did it screw up some basic evolutionary principles? Yes. Did I have to skip a few parts because I found myself going "ack! Not how science works!!"? Yes. Still, totally and utterly loved it. I know there are a few reasons why: I love history. I adore Oxford. I have a soft spot for immortal creatures and all they've seen. And I really liked Diana's voice. Well, more so at the start of the novel when she seems much more put together and stronger than later on (and even though I totally understand what broke her down, I found myself wanting to tell her, "hey, you are a strong person--act like it!" (I apparently had a lot of conversations with these pages!) Anyhow, overall, very fun read, and I can't wait to check out the next one, because hello Time Travel!

Have you read this book? Or do you ever have conversations with books? :)