Review: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

18405Reading this novel 20 years after reading it the first time was a bit of a shocker. I won’t lie. Reading it as an adult…well, again, I was shocked in places. I sometimes feel it’s pointless to review a book that has millions of reviews already….however, I would be remiss if I just skipped over this novel and acted like there was no inspiration drawn from it. Even though there is no possible way for me give a review worthy of the book.

Parts of this book made me uncomfortable in my own skin. It’s hard to put into words the hypocrisy and the love that members of the South had for their slaves. Or even the same that the slaves had for the South. Harder still to see so many fight for a way of life that was in many ways just a matter of pride. I think Scarlett was a horrible person in many ways. She lacked intelligence when it came to understanding people and any type of “book sense”, but I think her feelings about the war and the South were often spot on, no matter how many would disagree. There are just so many things in this novel that one could review about…so I give up…a million thoughts are running rampant through my mind right now…it’s impossible to pin one down before another one goes running off in another direction…so I shall stop and leave you with an unfinished review…go read this book. It’s worth the weight of the book in your hands to read. One almost needs to feel the weight to appreciate the weight inside the pages as well….

I only wish to say that when I read this book as a teenager, I wasn’t so completely in love with Melanie as others were, in fact I had little to no patience for her. I had no time for Ashley from the very start, I wasn’t drawn to him in any way, shape of form. I thought Rhett Butler was one of the most honest, handsome, and daring men every. I didn’t know if I loved or hated Scarlett. And finally, I think the ending was one of the most brilliant endings of all time.

20 years later, those feelings haven’t changed a bit….they are probably the only constants I have with this epic novel…..I’m so very glad I made the commitment to revisit this novel…

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Review: Love Unspoken by Lisa De Jong

01 loveI swear, Lisa De Jong has mastered the art of tying me up in knots and then very slowly loosening the ropes.

Love Unspoken takes place immediately after Lies Unspoken. So if you haven’t read the first book, stop reading this right now. Go and read it and then come back here. I’ll wait…..

still waiting…..

more waiting….

Done? Good. Whew! That would’ve been bad.

Love Unspoken is about finding happiness and love. It’s about making the right choice, even if it hurts. And boy, does it hurt. It hurts so good.

SYNOPSIS
I lent my heart to the bad boy, and he did exactly what I expected he would. He broke it.

And the guy I should have been with—he’s still here. He tries to take my mind off everything I’ve lost while showing me what I could have. I’m ready for a new start, to fall in love again … to do what I should have done in the first place.

Everything seems perfect.

Then the past comes walking back in. I thought I was over him, but one look and I know that’s not true. We went through too much together for those feelings to completely fade away.

When my past and present collide, how am I supposed to choose? They both love me, and I love them.

A heart will be broken … and it could be mine.

Where to begin??? When we last saw Lila, she was left heartbroken and now she has to put the pieces of her heart back together. When so much time has passed and she begins to wonder if she’ll ever be whole again.

My word, does this book bring out the feels!! I mean, seriously. Lila is trying to move on but her heart won’t let her. It wants what it wants. And it wants a second chance with the one who broke it. But man, oh man, does it take the long way around. Lots of speed bumps disguised as secrets and surprises made for an interesting ride.

I spent much of the book angry at Blake. I understand he has things from his past, which we find out, but he didn’t handle things as I think he should’ve. He should’ve told Lila everything. Why leave her in the dark? On the flip side, I get why he did. Sometimes heartaches of that magnitude, aren’t so easy to talk about.

I loved Pierce. LOVED. He was so supportive and I am so glad Lila had him to lean on. He was the perfect man. Strong, alpha and so very sexy. Majorly swoon worthy. All through the book I just wanted him happy.

While the first book KILLED me, this book was a slow burn. I was good with that. I don’t think my heart could take any more drama.

“Our hearts weren’t made to hold one person. They were made to love many with a special place for the one we love most.”

And that ending!!! I have a feeling I know who the next book is about. I couldn’t be happier. Bring it, Lisa. I’m ready to have my heart ripped out again.

~Melpomene

Buy Lies Unspoken (Flawed Love Book 1)

Love Unspoken (A Flawed Love Book 2)

EXCERPT
My eyes scan the room, full of well-dressed men, many with beautiful women on their arms. A few of them look lost like me, but most own the room like professional socialites. This could never be my whole life, I think to myself.
And, as I continue scanning, I see him.
He’s here. The man who stole my soul is standing across the room with his back against the wall. My eyes are locked on him, but his eyes dance around the room like I’m not here. Maybe to him, I never was. Maybe he’s looking for the next one—the girl he’ll show the world to then disappear.
I look beside me—at Pierce—and I feel sick that any part of me even wants to go across the room. I feel sick because there’s a man here who I know could make me happy—who does make me happy—and yet I’m willing to throw it all away. He looks away from Royce, eyes instantly finding mine. He smiles, and I return it the best I can because for just a few more minutes, I need him to think that nothing has changed. And, maybe nothing has.
“I’m going to find the restroom,” I whisper to Pierce.
“I’ll come with you.”
Shaking my head, I say, “No, you stay. I’ll be right back.”
He nods, hesitantly, and I wait for him to turn his attention back to Royce before blazing a path through the crowd, anxious to prove to myself that this isn’t a dream.
The shield cracks.
My heart races.
His eyes still roam, taking in everything … everything but me.
I’m not going to let him out of my sight … I’m not going to let him hide from the anguish he’s buried me in the last several months. He has nowhere to run. Even if he did, I wouldn’t let him, not this time.
A few long strides and I’m standing in front of him, staring into those familiar pained eyes. When you love someone, it’s impossible to look at them and feel hate. You may want to feel it. You may think you feel it, but love and hate can’t co-exist. I hate that I love him, but I can’t hate him.
And, I want to hate him. It would make it easier to love someone like Pierce who deserves my heart. This man stole it months ago, and I don’t think he has any intention of returning it. Sometimes I don’t know if I want it back.
But then, I think of the last few days—few months actually—and I realize another man may be winning it back for me. Maybe it’s not gone forever but simply misplaced.
His hair is a little longer, but he’s the same. The way he stands … the way his fingers curl around a beer bottle. He’s exactly the same.
“Blake,” I whisper, afraid of what he’ll say, what he’ll do. Still afraid he’ll find a way to run away, and I won’t be able to catch him.
He stares at me like he’s never even met me, or maybe he’s spent the last several months trying to forget me. I can’t say I haven’t tried to do the same. There’s not enough alcohol in the world do erase him.
“Does he make you happy?” he finally asks, practically staring through me. He sounds so broken, so sad.
“Who?” I ask, caught off guard by his question.
“Pierce. Does he make you happy?”
My eyes well with tears I’ve left unshed … tears I left for him to see. “Yes,” I whisper, doing my best to hold them in. He deserves to watch every single one of them run down my cheek but not here … not now.
He nods, reaching his fingers up toward my cheek before quickly pulling them back away. And just as quickly as he came back into my life, he’s gone.
It’s really over.
If any part of him wanted me, he would have fought for me.

Review: The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden

25917801New Orleans is a city of excess. Music, food, drink…it’s all there to be had in abundance. Stories of the supernatural and paranormal are no exception. Ghosts, witches, voodoo queens, vampires…you name it and they’ve got it. One of the best known and most frequently retold legends centers around the Casquette girls of the Ursuline Convent. Walk by on a dark & foggy night and you can almost see the shutters rattling.

This take on the infamous tale picks up after the Storm of the Century. Katrina isn’t specifically mentioned but the implication is there. Adele is eager to return to the city she loves. She and her father are among the first to come home, the magical pull of the city being too strong for them to resist. It’s a city in ruins. Electricity is scarce, groceries are hard to come by, and there’s a city-wide curfew in effect. Still, it’s good to be back. Adele finds comfort in the little things such as walking the streets of the French Quarter in the mornings and evenings. It’s on one such walk that she happens to walk past the Ursuline Convent. She’s lived in New Orleans her entire life, and she knows the stories. When the infamous blood suckers are accidentally released, Adele and her friends must find a way to stop them from taking over what’s left of the city.

Did I love this story so much more because of my love for New Orleans? No doubt. The author writes with such depth and accuracy that I felt as if I was walking the streets of the French Quarter, waiting for one of the vampires to jump out and grab me. But I also know that I would have loved this story almost as much without that sense of familiarity. The vampires are dark and scary with just enough charm thrown in to almost make them likeable. Intertwined with their tale are stories of voodoo and witchcraft. To top it off, the human characters are fun and likeable. And Adele makes one heck of a leading character.

Grab this one, turn the lights down low, and get ready to be scared!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: The Casquette Girls

Preview and Giveaway: The Collectors’ Society Encyclopedia by Heather Lyons

I have mentioned before that I love Heather Lyons’ Collectors’ Society. It’s basically an adult themed fairy tales. Think Once Upon A Time, but much better, AND in book form. Action, adventure, romance, and all the things fairy tale. If you like adventures and romance, you must try this series. Another cool thing about this series, well at least to me, is that one of the characters is named after me. I have a bit of crazy in me. And for those who know me personally, being portrayed like that, in a book, isn’t that far off from my reality. 😉

For those previously introduced to the mysterious Collectors’ Society and its mission, eager to discover more, The Collectors’ Society Encyclopedia is the perfect full-color companion piece to the series. Within are detailed entries elaborating upon various agents and employees as well as key villains suspected of targeting and destroying Timelines. Backstories, relationships, secrets, and clues are revealed alongside a thorough bibliography of important Timelines and their designations. Profiles are also included of the Institute in New York City as well as Wonderland. Society fans and lovers of classic literature will undoubtedly delight in unraveling the secrets that lay within these pages.

Librarian Encyclopedia Introduction

CLASSIFIED MATERIAL

If you are reading this dossier, you have been granted Level Three clearance within the Collectors’ Society. Included in these pages are snippets from multiple key agent files as well as those on persons of interest. Please keep in mind that this compendium is considered highly sensitive and is illegal to share with anyone outside of your clearance. It is not to be removed from the Institute.

Happy reading!

—The Librarian

This is but a glimpse of what’s in store for you. I can’t stinkin’ wait to get my hands on a copy!!
Alice Encyclopedia Page

Be sure to go HERE and enter the rafflecopter.

The Collectors’ Society Encyclopedia
AMAZON
iBooks
KOBO
Read the entire series!
The Collectors’ Society
AMAZON
BN
iBooks
KOBO
The Hidden Library
AMAZON
BN
iBooks
KOBO
The Forgotten Mountain
AMAZON
BN
KOBO
heather_front_headshot
About Heather Lyons:

Heather Lyons writes epic, heartfelt love stories and has always had a thing for words. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

Links:

Website: http://www.heatherlyons.net
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/heatherlyons
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hymheather
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherlyonsbooks?fref=ts
THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22735431-the-collectors-society
THE HIDDEN LIBRARY Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24017512-the-hidden-library
THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25392947-the-forgotten-mountain
THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY ENCYCLOPEDIA Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27177530-the-collectors-society-encyclopedia

InkSlinger Blogger Final

Review: The Broken Hearts Book Club by Lynsey James

  
This British rom-com is cute and young and fun… and naïve and a little bit silly for this Definitely Over 30 reader. 

I would have appreciated the wishy washy guy, the finicky girl, the mean older ladies, and the stressed out dad a LOT more if I read this when I was younger. 

While there’s plenty of responsibility going on – renovating a house, taking care of a child, starting a business, running a book club – it was all through the lenses of a 20-something who just really didn’t seem invested in life yet.  Nor does she need to – she’s still young! But I’m not, and I wasn’t the best audience for this story. 

If you’re still in your twenties — or you’re still living with your parents — this book is a good, light read about love, loss, and opening your heart again. 

-calliope

Buy THE BROKEN HEARTS BOOK CLUB

Review: The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman

22430677Hip Hip Hooray!!! I am soooooooooooooo glad I picked this book to read out of the thousands I have on my TBR list….I’m not at all sure that I could have found any other book like it….what a delightful change!

I don’t even know where to begin….I mean, I’m very sure that many people would find a book that starts with a 10-year-old girl, born and raised in a whorehouse fighting her way into a boxing ring, against both men and women, completely horrible….I admit to finding myself cringe at bits of this tale! Especially once the reader finds out that the boxing is some of the more pleasant bits of the story!

No, the novel isn’t all about boxing. Yes, it’s a huge part….HOWEVER, the actually boxing takes up only a small portion of the novel…..

Not only do you have the one young girl who grows up right before your eyes, you have several other key characters…and Freeman ties them all together with ambition, lies, deceit, obsession, love, and hate. You have key players that would do anything for one another….and those that are nothing short of unfeeling opportunists..you see what lengths some will go to for loyalty and how others feel not an ounce of it and look out only for themselves….

Finally we find out that the old adage is true….beauty comes from within and has nothing really to do with how a person looks….

What I especially loved about this book is that we see the flaws in the characters we love…and at times, as much as it pains me to say, for the characters we absolutely hate, Freeman made us feel pity for them…

I should also point out that for a very long time now, I start out all excited about a book but my enthusiasm often wains after a short while….I can still enjoy the novel and the story and the characters, but I lose my feelings of excitement over the whole experience…..with this novel….I have to say…..it only built and built….that hardly EVER happens…..sometimes my enthusiasm doesn’t leave me….but I can’t ever recall a book that had me liking it from the very start and my love growing with each new chapter….near the end of the book I had to walk away for a bit because I was NOT willing to say goodbye to some of the characters that I was so enjoying….I was also fearful that it would not have a happy ending….I’m not a reader that has to have a happy ending for a book…but I really wanted it for some of these people….

I know this book isn’t for everyone….however, I don’t really care….I absolutely loved it and I encourage everyone to step outside their comfort zone and give it a try….I won’t hesitate to recommend this to any and everyone…and that isn’t something you’ll see me doing often…

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman

Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

38447So lately I’ve been a bit burned out on dystopian/apocalyptic type stories. For awhile there I’d read any and every book of this genre I could get my hands on. And although the trend didn’t begin with The Hunger Games, for me it did. There were some very, very good ones. And there were some very, very not good ones. So as the market became oversaturated, I moved on to different types of stories.

But then this one caught my eye. Up until this point, I had not read anything by Margaret Atwood. Her stories have been on my TBR list, sure, but so are thousands of others. Can’t say exactly why I decided to read it, but that’s often the case with the books I choose.

Atwood’s tale follows the story of Offred, one of the handmaids in a new society. Stripped of all rights and privileges, they are at the mercy of the men in charge. Her only role in life is to help populate society by producing offspring. Puritanical in nature, the story is both scary and satirical at times. She finds herself without anything to live for, nothing to work for. But still she goes on, surviving day to day without any say in her life. She does find small moments of rebellion and somehow finds the strength to go on. And at the very end, we’re left wondering if her will to survive is enough.

Did this novel start the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it craze? Not likely. But it did come before modern stories that are much more well-known. And that’s a shame. Because this one is good, better even than many others I’ve read. It’s a cautionary tale of what might someday be in the far off or not so far off future.

A side note: I listened to the audio version of the book which in no way diminishes the power of the story. And the narration by Claire Danes is excellent, told with just the right blend of detachment and resignation.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: The Handmaid’s Tale

Review: A Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel

  I’m not exactly a YA reader. I like realistic fiction with protagonists my own age – I can just relate better, you know? But A Blind Guide to Stinkville reeled me in. I was laughing in Chapter One. I was invested by Chapter Three. I was bawling my eyes out in Chapter Seventeen… but that’s for later in this review. 

Alice moves across the country and, like the rest of her family, is having a hard time adjusting. Besides the friend factor and the school factor, Alice has some physical challenges that were much easier to handle when everyone in her old town had known her since she was born. In Stinkville, Alice has to learn how to do things without the predictable help of those around her. 

I am SO IMPRESSED with Vrabel’s consistent pace and even-keeled writing. Alice could be barely holding it together, or the girl in the library could have just revealed something astonishing, or a new friend could be just as mean as the old friend just was… and Vrabel writes it all very matter-of-factly, like none of these things are the end of the world. No melodrama, here. No way. And that’s totally refreshing in a world of melodramatic teenagers and melodramatic teenage books. 

I know that when my children read Stinkville, they will accept the characters and their idiosyncrasies without batting an eyelash. They will understand that differences are No Big Deal. And maybe they’ll realize that all the things they’ve been practically fainting about in their real lives are also No Big Deal, because, hey, Alice got through much more challenging circumstances with far less indignity. 

I am also excited for my children to read Stinkville so they might be eager to be more independent, be inspired to find their way around their town (literally and figuratively), and be able to navigate new situations with grace and purpose. 

So, Chapter Seventeen. Well, I had just taken a break after reading the first sixteen chapters, and I was ready to settle in for two wonderful last chapters – my favorite chapters in any book. Beth Vrabel threw me for a loop and wrote something so funny and so heartbreaking that I choked out a laugh and then proceeded to cry my head off. I cried and laughed until I finished the book. I’m a mom, and I get emotional when I read about children struggling – or in this case, overcoming their struggles so well that my heart fills up. 

Everything in A Blind Guide to Stinkville seems so real that I want to say You Can’t Make Up This Stuff. But Vrabel did. She put her imagination together with her experiences to create something so wonderful that I need to read it again. 

Oh, and that Blind Guide that Alice wrote? Stories within a story are brilliant, Beth Vrabel. Add me to your fan club. 

-calliope

Buy A BLIND GUIDE TO STINKVILLE