This week's book haul - 6 books in 2 days

Latest book haul - received yesterday and today

I love getting books in the mail, but wow, I think six books in two days is a new personal record for me. I thought I'd share them with you, so from top to bottom, we have:

1. Captives by Angela Meyer, received from Inkerman & Blunt along with 3 stunning bookmarks just for liking their FB page.

2. A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings by Charles Dickens. Purchased from Boomerang Books using vouchers earned by writing for their blog. Love these clothbound editions from Penguin!

3. All The Little Pieces by Jilliane Hoffman, won in a competition hosted by Booklover Book Reviews. Thanks Jo!

4. The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney, courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia. When I finish reading this one, I'll have an opportunity to interview the author.

5. Devastation Road by Jason Hewitt, courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

6. The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory, courtesy of Simon & Schuster. I can't wait to read this one, it's about Kateryn Parr and is available to the public next month.

I usually read 1-2 books per week, so this haul will take a while to get through, and will definitely boost my TBR pile. If you're interested in any of the books pictured above, just click on the titles with hyperlinks for more info.

What are you reading this week?

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Book of Speculation: A Novel by Erika Swyler

* Copy courtesy of The Reading Room * 

Simon is a librarian living in his family home on the edge of a cliff, his mother drowned when he was young, and Simon believes his father passed away afterwards from grief.

One day Simon receives an old manuscript on his doorstop, sent to him by an antiquarian bookseller, but he has no idea why.


As Simon begins to read the manuscript we find ourselves following an old American travelling carnival in a dual narrative, with Simon bringing us back to the present.

I enjoyed the chapters taking place within the carnival in the 1800s, and found Simon's chapters far less entertaining. 

About halfway through the novel I began to be annoyed by several repetitions:

- Simon's house falling into the sea due to erosion, this was referred to way too much, and I couldn't help but be annoyed with Simon for his lack of care
- continual references to tarot cards, both within the carnival and by Simon's sister 

The curse was mildly interesting, but the reason for the curse was explained over and over as if the author was afraid the reader wouldn't 'get it'. In the very same fashion, the steps Simon takes to counter the curse (and the result) was over-explained to the extent that it became redundant and a waste of words.

With such an exciting blurb, I was disappointed that the last third of the book kept going on and on and sadly it just ate away at my earlier enjoyment. Such a shame.

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Winner of Princess Diaries XI: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot Announced

Thanks to all those who entered the Meg Cabot giveaway last week to WIN a copy of Princess Diaries XI: Royal Wedding.

The giveaway closed at midnight on Friday 24th July, so without further ado, the winner is........

Catherine Goldfinch!

Congratulations Catherine, you'll receive an email shortly letting you know about your win and requesting your postal details.

I'd like to thank Pan Macmillan Australia for providing the giveaway, and I hope to be bringing you another giveaway again soon.

Carpe Librum!

Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

This book was ah-mazing! There, I've said it, You by Caroline Kepnes is going to be in my Top Favourite Books of 2015, I'm sure of it.

Joe works in a bookstore and falls in love with a customer, Beck. He stalks her on social media and becomes obsessed with her, going to extraordinary lengths to control her life without her even realising it. 

Joe is the sole narrator and we experience their relationship through his eyes in such a light-hearted (and often amusing) manner that it's easy to forget that what he's doing is an invasion of privacy and against the law.

This is uber creepy, and should make us all think twice about what we share on social media and be aware of our online footprint. What sends shivers up your spine though is just how matter of fact and upbeat Joe's activity is. You isn't a dark and foreboding novel in the way that Into The Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes is (another crime thriller with a creepy stalker); however it still packs a punch, trust me.

One minor word of warning though. When I was about half way through the novel, I was hoping - and perhaps even expecting - the narrator to shift and give the reader Beck's point of view. I was so convinced of an impending twist similar to that in Gone Girl, that I was surprised and disappointed when it didn't happen.

What I realised later though, was that You works so much better from Joe's perspective, and I'd wasted too much effort trying to anticipate the plot developments before they happened. So, let me set you straight, there is no twist in You. There doesn't need to be; this story is creepy and thrilling enough on it's own and doesn't need any tricks from the author to set it apart from those within the genre.

You by Caroline Kepnes is easily the best psychological crime thriller I've read in ages, and I can't wait to read the next in the series Hidden Bodies and follow Joe into his next obsession.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Aitch Factor - Adventures in Australian English by Susan Butler

If you've ever been interested in the history of words and phrases in Australian modern English (as well as the development of new ones), then The Aitch Factor by Susan Butler is the book for you.

Susan Butler began working at the Macquarie Dictionary as a Research Assistant in 1970 and is the current Editor; being uniquely situated to offer decades of experience on all manner of topics relating to the English language as it is spoken here in Australia.

I found myself laughing at some of the entries and observations, and Butler's sense of humour definitely shines throughout on almost every page.

She discusses the subtle differences in language between the states and territories, as well as touching on regional words and slang, which I found very entertaining.

One of Butler's roles at Macquarie is to collect new words (like firescape*), and determine when they should be added to the dictionary. Words like binge-watching, dental-tourism and facepalm seem self-explanatory and clever constructs and indicate an ever changing use of slang and buzz words.

What I found most shocking though, was Butler's stance on the apostrophe. I agree that the humble apostrophe is largely misused these days, but she believes we can do without it completely. I'd hate to see this happen, but what do you think? 

The Aitch Factor is a great read for word lovers and trivia buffs the world over.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

* Firescape means: to arrange the features of a garden (or other area of land) in a way that inhibits the spread of fire. Who knew? Source.

WIN a copy of Princess Diaries XI: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Available July 2015
RRP $19.95

Meg Cabot is the bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, the most popular YA series in all the land.

To celebrate the July release of the 11th adult instalment, Princess Diaries XI: Royal Wedding, I've teamed up with Pan Macmillan Australia for your chance to WIN a print copy.

Blurb
From Meg Cabot, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first new adult instalment, featuring the now grown-up Princess Mia!

Royal Wedding follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding - but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare. 

About the Author
The Princess Diaries series continues to be phenomenally successful fifteen years since its first publication. After topping the US and UK bestseller lists for weeks and winning several awards, Meg Cabot was crowned the 'reigning grande dame of teenage chick lit' by The New York Times Book Review. Two films produced by Disney based on the series have been hugely popular throughout the world.

Review: Stoner by John Williams (possibly my favourite book of the year)

Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House*

Stoner by John Williams is possibly my favourite book of 2015. It's the story of William Stoner, who is born into a poor farming family with little means. Touchingly, his father suggests that he attend University to study agriculture in the lead up to taking over the family farm.

Whilst at University, Stoner unexpectedly falls in love with literature and decides to put his agricultural studies - and the family farm - aside to become an academic. His relationship with his uneducated parents suffers as a result of this choice and his once close bond with them begins to fade.

We follow Stoner as he commences what will be a quiet and underwhelming career as a university academic, although his rivalry with a colleague gives way to some of the funnier parts of the novel.

His marriage is a failure and his relationship with his daughter is painful, and throughout the novel I longed for Stoner to shout or put his foot down and make a stand to improve his home life.

This is a deeply honest portrait of an average man, living an average and sometimes depressing life, but it's told with such care and beauty that I really was swept away.

I finished reading Stoner a few weeks ago and the final paragraph still makes my chest ache with sadness (similar to the ending of Cloudstreet, the one difference being I didn't cry this time, but it was close).

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

* I received this novel from Random House last year, as part of their National Book Bloggers Forum (NBBF14) and if it wasn't for this, I don't know if I'd ever have discovered Stoner on my own.

Interview with J.M. Peace, author of A Time To Run

J.M. Peace is the author of A Time To Run

J.M. Peace is the author of A Time To Run, and is stopping by Carpe Librum today on her Australian book blog tour.

Hi Jay, and thanks for joining me. Being a serving member of the Queensland Police Service, I’m interested to know how your colleagues have reacted to the news that you’re now a published author. Do they pay you out? Have any of them read A Time To Run, and did they like it?
No one’s giving me a hard time at this stage, mostly because no one really knows it’s me. I’m not sure if there’s going to be a conflict between being a cop and being a writer so I’m just pretending it’s not me. And I will continue to deny it for as long as possible. 

I have had an article that I wrote about policing pop up in my personal Facebook newsfeed, shared by police friends of mine who didn’t know that it was me who wrote it. That made me smile. 

The main character in A Time To Run is a cop named Sammi who’s kidnapped and whose disappearance is investigated by Detective Janine Postlewaite. I instantly admired both women for their independence and determination, and in Sammi’s case her clear thinking. Did you relate to one character more than the other?
Sammi is essentially a younger, smarter, better-looking version of me. I wrote her scenes by asking myself, “What would you do in this situation?” Janine, on the other hand, is an amalgamation of a couple of detectives who I know and have a lot of respect for. 

The majority of your novel takes place in the Australian bush and you made it feel so real, I was wondering if you wrote any of it outside in order to capture the essence of the outdoors so well?
No, but it’s an interesting question. Maybe I should start? I do love being outdoors. I’ve done a lot of hiking and I always try to be observant wherever I am.

I thought your novel had incredible pace, and the action kept the story moving swiftly along. It almost had the pace of a James Patterson novel; do you have any literary influences in the crime or thriller genre?
One of my favourite crime writers is Joseph Wambaugh. He was a serving police officer (in the US) when he wrote several of his novels. Although American police culture is slightly different, I love the anecdotes he peppers through his novels, and it all rings true to me.

Thanks, I might have to check him out. Can I ask what you're reading at the moment?
At the moment, I have Stephen King’s On Writing half-finished on my bedside table. It has dust on it by now. It was pushed aside in favour of Tell Me Why by fellow Aussie crime writer, Sandi Wallace. But I have been so busy with writing that I am not getting much reading done at all. 

What are some of your favourite books/authors?
My all time favourite is Lord of the Rings. Epic imaginative storytelling at its finest. I am not fussy with books. I’ll read pretty much anything that comes through my hands – books friends have written, anything my mother has finished with, something someone chooses for my birthday. If a book was good enough to be published, it’s good enough for me.

Do you have a secret reading pleasure that you’d like to share with us?
I love Dr Seuss. I initially wanted to be a children’s book author and tried (unsuccessfully) to channel him. I love word play. It’s a joy to read his stories out loud. It’s just lucky I have children as an excuse to do this. So what do you know about tweetle beetles…?

What's next? I heard there’s a sequel planned, what can you tell us about it?
The sequel was finished a couple of months ago. I’m currently wading through an extensive structural edit of it. It’s set in Angel’s Crossing and follows up with Sammi as she returns to work. She attends a suicide, but the further she investigates, the more secrets she uncovers.

Oooh, that sounds really good. Anything else you'd like to add?
I’m a little stunned by all the support and encouragement I’ve received from people like yourself, who are willing to take the time to read and talk about my book. Thank you so much to everyone for taking an interest in my story. I’m humbled. And delighted.

You're very welcome and thanks for your time Jay. Best wishes for the rest of the blog tour; I really enjoyed A Time To Run, and I’m sure many other readers will too.

Review: Six Degrees - The Power of Attraction Connects Us All by Honey Brown

* Copy courtesy of Jane Curry Publishing re-branded as Ventura Press *

Let me tell you, this book is HOT HOT HOT!

Six Degrees by bestselling Australian author Honey Brown is broken down into six (hot) stand alone stories; each one a tale of sexual attraction involving different characters.

Each setting has a uniquely Australia feel about it and the chapter headings give readers a good indication of what lies ahead.

Chapter headings in Six Degrees are:

• Threesome
• Two Women
• Older
• Younger
• Two Men
• First Time

Each of the main characters are connected to each other by one event in their past, and I enjoyed following the breadcrumbs as their six degrees of separation (as I liked to think of them) were gradually revealed.

I have to tell you, each of these chapters/stories are very sexy and definitely made for 'hot under the collar' reading! The blurb mentions this novel is the author's first time venturing into rural romance, but I have to disagree; rural romance is never this raunchy!

Six Degrees by Honey Brown is available 1 August 2015, and I heartily recommend this well-written, exciting and racy novel to readers looking to spice up their bookshelf / life (wink wink nod nod, just turn the page).

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Blog tour and review of A Time To Run by J.M. Peace

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *

A Time To Run is a tense crime thriller set in the Queensland bush featuring a cop-turned-victim and a Wolf Creek-style killer.

I'm really pleased to be part of this blog tour to promote A Time To Run by Australian author J.M. Peace.

A Time To Run is a police procedural written by a serving Australian police officer and is a fast-paced novel with action on every page.

The events in the book take place over a single weekend and this was such a tight and quick read, I found myself finishing it in record time.

What I enjoyed most of all though was the quick-thinking and problem-solving skills displayed by the victim Sammi. A police officer herself, Sammi is horrified to find herself drugged and kidnapped, but doesn't panic. Instead, she switches on her 'cop senses' and does everything she can think of to stay alive.

Sometimes when I'm reading a crime novel, I think to myself: "oh no, why don't you do this," or "that's stupid, that'll never work." This doesn't happen in A Time To Run, here I was continually thinking: "ohhhh, what a great idea" and "oh, I didn't think of that."

There is a real sense of the Australian outback in the novel and two smart and tough characters to get behind, Sammi and Detective Janine Postlewaite. A Time To Run is a debut novel for J.M. Peace, and fans of the crime and thriller genre will love this Australian offering.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Blog Tour
Check out the next stop on the #atimetorun blog tour, over at Reading, Writing and Riesling on Monday 6th July and check back here at Carpe Librum on 13th July for an interview with the author J.M. Peace. 

Review: The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

The Enchanted is a haunting and beautiful novel by Rene Denfeld, set in a maximum security prison in America. The narrator is a reclusive inmate on death row who manages to escape the harsh confines of his cell within the pages of his books.

The prison is corrupt and the living conditions are awfully harsh, which makes it even more surprising that our narrator is able to find so much beauty in what we take for granted every day.

As well as his observations on prison life, we also learn a little about some of the other inmates and staff, including: an inmate named York, the warden, a fallen priest and a death row investigator he calls 'the lady'.

We are shown prisoners who long for the release of death and those who fear death and will do anything to escape the finality of the prison oven. I found it bleakly fascinating to read about the lengths men will go to to satiate their desire for pleasure and power and the impact a lack of physical touch has on a human being.

The Enchanted is not a novel with a message about the death penalty or prison conditions, rather it's an enchanted look at love, an absence of love, abuse, violence, guilt, evil and magic.

Here's a quote from Page 3:

"Inside, the lies you tell become the person you become. On the outside, sun and reality shrink people back to their actual size. In here, people grown into their shadows." 

Author Rene Dunfeld has worked as a death penalty case investigator herself, and this experience shows in her intimate portrayal of inmates and the prison system. The inmate narrator in this literary novel is mute, which adds a further dimension to the story.

I'm confident The Enchanted will make my Favourite Reads of 2015 list, and highly recommend it to a variety of readers. It's almost impossible to believe this is Rene Dunfeld's first novel, (because it seems almost perfect) but I hope to read more from her in the future.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Why I Like YA Fiction, Guest Post by Whitney McCarthy, QLD Secondary Teacher and Lover of the Written Word

As a secondary school teacher of English in Queensland, Australia, I'm engaged in a never-ending search for literature that manages to offer masterful examples of the narrative genre, while challenging students to act upon their social conscience.

In the beginning, this search had me reading an average of 10 Young Adult (YA) titles a month. I did this initially so that I could offer sound recommendations to my students and help them avoid the pitfalls of the many copy-cat texts which followed the vampire-werewolf-district-faction phenomena. Somewhere along the way I found I was enjoying these texts just as much as my students, and I'd like to share with you the reason I like YA fiction.

I believe the reticence of some teenagers today stems not from apathy or ignorance, but rather from the fact that the number and scope of the issues requiring their attention are overwhelming. It's for this reason that YA fiction, and dystopian fiction in particular (more about that later), has exploded in popularity over the last ten years. YA fiction provides adolescents and young adults with direction; if a young protagonist can overthrow a government, then they too can face the problems of their world.

In my opinion, the continual rise of YA fiction can also be attributed to the fact that protagonists give readers a voice. This is true of all protagonists, but as Graham F. Scott at Canadian Business says, YA fiction capitalises on the seemingly endless resource that is teenage angst. While this trivialises the causes of that angst, he has a point; adolescence hits us all with a wonderful cocktail of physical, emotional and social confusion, one which often requires help to understand and negotiate. Enter the army of adolescent protagonists whose brave life-choices, embarrassing love-lives and fierce battles for freedom provide the reader with one recurring message: It will get easier. Even better than the message itself, readers are clearly educated that nothing gets easier without effort, resilience and a clear sense of purpose.

I appreciate the ways in which protagonists work to overcome the challenges of a world usually thrust upon them by an older, wealthier or more well-armed society. My students appreciate that the perspective of an adolescent is valued, even privileged, rather than ignored. As a result, teaching and learning is improved because I can prepare teenagers for a world needing their attention, rather than assuming ignorance (not that I would!).

Parents should certainly engage with the books their children read; a frank discussion about a YA character and his/her actions might allay many of the fears we parents have about our children’s choices. It's worth noting that few YA titles present alcohol, drugs or teen pregnancy as the main issues facing adolescents. Driving and digital communication are still presented as pitfalls, but the issues which occupy the average YA protagonist’s mind are identity, freedom (intellectual and physical), tolerance and purpose. I find that reassuring.

As a genre, YA fiction should not be dismissed out of hand. A younger character voice is just as authentic, and their challenges just as real. Sure, there are some dreadful YA novels out there, but that’s true of any genre. My tip: befriend a teenage reader - they’ll steer you right, and will appreciate that you cared enough to ask.

I'll be back to Carpe Librum soon to share some of my favourite YA novels, but until then, you can have a sneak peak at some of my recommendations here.

Guest blogger, Whitney McCarthy

Bio

Whitney is the Head of English at Downlands College in Toowoomba, QLD and divides her time between school and her children, who spend more time dancing than at home.

She is currently working towards a Masters of Education (Literacy and Language learning) at University of Queensland.

Review: The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The Pearl is the first book I've read by John Steinbeck, better known for Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath.

I thought I'd start with something easy, and a parable of just under 100 pages seemed like a good place to start. I should also admit to being influenced by this stunning clothbound classic; I'm in love with these lately.

Kino is a hardworking pearl diver living a simple life, until he finds the pearl of a lifetime. Happy and content with his life before the pearl, he suddenly desires more than he has and is surrounded by greed and envy.

Kino's experience from the moment he discovers the pearl to the bitter end, is an example of how greed and evil can cloud your decisions, and the consequences when we fall victim to these desires.

I read that Steinbeck was inspired to write The Pearl based on a Mexican folktale, and it doesn't surprise me.

Readers who enjoyed The Alchemist will love the simple life lessons contained in The Pearl. I also think this parable is suitable for younger readers, from middle school right through to high school age.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Vanessa Skye vampire giveaway winners announced

Thanks to all those who entered the Vanessa Skye giveaway last week, entries closed at midnight on Friday 19th June. The giveaway included 1 signed copy and 3 ebook copies of Koven by Vanessa Skye.

Vanessa reviewed your entries (and bonus entries) and chose the winners based on your one word descriptions.

1st prize
Congratulations Alfred, you've won a signed copy of Koven for your description of a vampire as tortured.

Winners of an ebook copy of Koven are:
Elusive by Mary
Intriguing by Kate
Bloodthirsty by Sharon

Congratulations to the winners. You'll each receive an email from Vanessa Skye this week regarding the details of your win. Thanks again to all those who entered, and Carpe Librum!

Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell

The Sleeper and the Spindle is written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell, and first came to my attention when it was mentioned by Jen Campbell, author of Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops. 

Jen is both author and bookseller, and I'm a subscriber of her book related videos on YouTube. In her October haul of books she mentioned she'd fallen in love with The Sleeper and the Spindle (click here for the original video) and I just had to check it out - literally, from the library.

Essentially this beautifully illustrated book is the re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty and Snow White fairytales, where Snow White has to save Sleeping Beauty, but not all is as it seems.

The illustrations are dark and elaborately drawn in black ink, with the occasional highlight in gold, giving this edition an almost illuminated feeling. You'll need to know at the outset that this is a very dark tale, there is an abundance of skulls in the illustrations, and in my opinion, The Sleeper and the Spindle is for the mature reader, not for young kids.

Now for the rating, but this time it's a little difficult. I adored the illustrations (4 stars) but for me the re-imagined fairytale fell short of my expectations (2 stars) so I guess my rating is in the middle somewhere.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Carpe Librum celebrates 10 year anniversary

Great news, this month I'm celebrating my 10 year blogiversary. When I started in June 2005, this blog was called My Four Bucks, and in August 2012 I changed the name to Carpe Librum (seize the book) and my URL to www.carpelibrum.net 

I started from humble beginnings with only a few hits per month, and clearly remember the excitement of my first book offer from an author. Since then, I've accepted a few but had to decline over 450+ individual requests emailed to me by authors and publicists. Now that my blog has grown, I receive monthly offers and opportunities via publisher catalogues, including; Simon & Schuster, Pan Macmillan & Picador, Allen & Unwin and Murdoch Books to name a few.

In the last 10 years I've published 576 posts, (most of them book reviews), given away 21 books and have almost reached the milestone of a million page views (I'm currently in the vicinity of 770,000). 

I've met some great authors along the way, participated in blog tours, read-alongs, blog hops and countless reading challenges and enjoyed every minute of it.

Thanks to all those who have supported me over the years, I enjoy my role as an Australian book blogger and look forward to many more entertaining reads, interviews and giveaways in the future.

Review: The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer

*Copy courtesy of NetGalley *

The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer is a gripping and entertaining read, straddling both the thriller and crime genres equally.

Anna is a mother trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her young son Daniel, who disappeared one morning and hasn't been seen since. Every day she painstakingly preserves the last sign of him, footprints left in wet cement in front of her house, being poured the morning Daniel disappeared.

Anna's husband James left the front door open on the morning of Daniel's disappearance and their marriage is feeling the strain of the blame game.

We also hear from Detective John Marvel assigned to a different case, but whose investigations will cross over into Daniel's disappearance.

Anna is close to losing her mind with grief, and can't be sure if she is seeing visions or not. There is a subtle tint of the paranormal in The Shut Eye that is slight and well-handled and it added to my enjoyment of this mystery crime thriller.

The character's despair felt so real, and the mystery of the disappearance and other cases Marvel was investigating definitely kept the pace flying along.

This was going to be a five star rating for me until the end; there was one aspect of the ending I wasn't entirely satisfied with, although I - kind of - understand why the author chose to leave one of the cases open ended. We don't always get all the answers we want in life, but I was selfishly hoping for all the answers here.

Highly recommend The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer to readers who enjoy a good mystery, thriller or crime novel.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Guest post and giveaway from author Vanessa Skye: why we're fascinated by vampires

Author Vanessa Skye

So who isn’t fascinated by vampires, really? Even with the current domination by vampires in the romance novel category, the fascination remains, and we eagerly await the next incarnation of this genre.

I can’t tell you how many nights I lay awake as a teen and begged for a visit from a local vampire to rescue me from my life, take me away, turn me and make me immortal. Never happened though, dammit! Instead, I decided to create my own vampire world in Koven, and the ride was indeed fun.

So why are we, as humans, so fascinated by these mythical creatures?

Vampires are powerful. At one time or another in our lives, we have all felt quite powerless, whether we are being bullied at school or work, or we are feeling put upon or taken for granted by others. So, the idea of being a powerful vampire, with superhuman powers and abilities is pretty appealing. Not only would bullying be a problem of the past, but vengeance also becomes an easy option. People always want more power, so it’s unsurprising that we love our vampires.

Vampires are immortal, and who doesn’t want to live forever? Imagine all the changes you could witness in human history? Imagine what you could achieve without the shackles of mortality limiting your potential? Enough said really.

Vampires are sexy, and not because they are always portrayed as being good looking (because they don’t have enough going for them!). They are the perfect ‘bad boy’, offering that elusive mix of sensitivity and brute strength. They are the oppressors and the protectors in a single hot package. If a vampire loves you, you’d never have to feel unsafe again. And then there are the fangs. Long, elongated, penetrative. It’s doesn’t get much more phallic than that, does it?

Vampires are above the law. You can try to catch a vampire, but it’s unlikely to go well for you. Vampires have freedom, because they can act outside the law, and with caring about consequences or repercussions. 

My fascination with vampires started when I first read Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice.

I devoured the entire series in just days because Anne managed to capture all the frailties and sensitivities of these beings, and mix them with just the right amount of power and naughtiness. 

I loved it all. I loved Louis with his conscience. I loved Lestat in all his unashamed manipulations, indulgence and wickedness, plus his name “Lestat de Lioncourt”; I mean could there be a better name for a character in the entire history of the novel?

And Armand—so sexy. The Vampire Chronicles propelled vampires from being evil, bloodsucking minions of satan, to being these sexy, beautiful, sexually ambiguous, erotic Gods that all us sadly-mortal humans aspire to be.

This is the book that started the modern love of the vampire. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, while great, was published a century before this and had long since dropped off your average teenager’s reading list. Anne Rice brought sexy vampires to the apex of pop culture, and they haven’t left since.

We all love our naughty vampire gods!

(Entries closed midnight Friday 19th June 2015.)
_____________________________________________________________________

Koven by
Vanessa Skye

Koven will be released in eBook and paperback on 11 June, so check it out or ask your local book store to order it in for you.

You can also check out Koven on Goodreads or find out more about Vanessa Skye’s crime fiction Edge of Darkness series at www.vanessa-skye.com

To celebrate the release of Koven, Vanessa’s debut crime fiction novel, The Enemy Inside, eBook will be only US99c for the month of June 2015! Get it here! 

Review: Viva la Repartee - Clever Comebacks and Witty Retorts from History's Great Wits & Wordsmiths by Dr. Mardy Grothe

I always appreciate a witty comeback or clever retort and for that reason I picked up Viva la Repartee - Clever Comebacks and Witty Retorts from History's Great Wits & Wordsmiths by Dr. Mardy Grothe.

While I did enjoy some of the content, I was overwhelmingly frustrated by the fact that there was very little material post 1995, and the majority of examples were from actors and writers from decades ago, and an abundance of entries from Winston Churchill.

Now while Churchill has some of the best comebacks of all time, there was no current material to offset the time spent on silver screen actors and nation leaders from 50+ years ago.

Here are five of the best worth recording here:

From Page 30 
Outraged father says: "You think you can run this school any damn way you please, don't you?" In response, Educator Horace Dutton Taft replies: Your  manner is crude and your language vulgar, but you have somehow got the point.

From Page 33-34
I didn't know where the expression 'off the cuff' originated, and was fascinated to learn: it comes from the world of formal affairs in the 1930s, when tuxedo-clad dinner guests would jot brief notes on the cuffs of their sleeves during the meal in order to give the impression of speaking spontaneously later on when they were called upon to deliver a few after-dinner remarks. Such remarks were clearly not spontaneous, but as years passed the expression took on the meaning it has today.

From Page 186
As he got older, Churchill retained his sense of humor, despite many of the predictable problems associated with aging. When told by a friend that his fly was open, he suggested it was no big deal, saying with resigned acceptance: A dead bird does not leave its nest.

In summary, I'd recommend Viva la Repartee by Mardy Grothe as a coffee table book or a library selection, but don't expect to be 'wowed' on every page. The gems are sprinkled throughout.

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (author of Middlesex and more recently The Marriage Plot) seems to have been around for ages, despite only being published in 1993.

The novel is set in 1970s Michigan, USA and centres around the Lisbon girls, who - we learn very early on - all commit suicide.

Their decline and ultimate demise is narrated in first person plural, which I found confusing in the beginning until I realised I wasn't just reading their story as witnessed by a teenage boy, but from the perspective of a group of boys.

Their curiosity about the Lisbon girls fills the pages, each of them having their own story to tell about one of the sisters. This fixation develops into a morbid fascination that never really leaves the boys in their later lives.

Despite the somewhat dark subject matter of teenage depression and suicide, Eugenides is somehow able to weave in plenty of humorous moments and amusing observations and his writing is a pleasure to consume.

The Virgin Suicides is a haunting but rewarding read, and I would definitely consider reading more from Eugenides in the future.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

P.S. This is the first book I can remember being narrated in first person plural (a new term for me), do you know of any others?