WWW Wednesday – July 12

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

WWWWednesday

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words and was formerly hosted by A Daily Rhythm. It is open for anyone to participate, even without a blog you can comment on Sam’s post with your own answers. It is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

1943742

Silent in the Sanctuary (Lady Julia Grey #2) by Deanna Raybourn

“I put my hands on my hips, not caring if I sounded like a Billingsgate fishwife. “Yes, it was a dangerous thing to do, but as it seems to have escaped your attention, I remind you I am above thirty years of age, of sound body and mind, and in control of my own fortune. That means,” I said, moving closer still, poking his chest for emphasis, “I am mistress of myself and answer to no one.” 

I absolutely love the characters that Raybourn created for this series. Our leading lady, Lady Julia Grey, is such a strong character and really goes against the grain of everything a woman of standing was supposed to represent at the time. Some of the reviews on Goodreads call her a privileged bitch, and not in a complimentary way. You know, I can see why they would say that but she couldn’t do what she does if she wasn’t privileged and if she wasn’t a bit of a bitch she would get trampled on by the men. I’m good with it.

 

What did you recently finish reading?

267869

Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey #1) by Deanna Raybourn

“To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.”

To say I’m a little obsessed with this series right now would be a bit of an understatement. I fell in love with Raybourn’s writing with her Veronica Speedwell mysteries and decided to pick Silent in the Grave up as a bit of a break from my recent fantasy reads. I devoured this sucker. Loved every page. The characters were all entertaining and I was completely wrong about who the murderer was. I love when it isn’t obvious who the wrong doer is. My review for this book will be coming up soon.

 

What do you think you’ll read next?

29939048

Roar (Stormheart #1) by Cora Carmack

“She had hoped. And hope broke more hearts than any man ever could.”

I have had this one sitting on my shelf since it was released and it is just calling to be read. First of all, that cover is beautiful. The online image just doesn’t do it justice. I am also really hoping for a strong leading lady without too much of a love story. Oh please, don’t make me suffer through a love story…

 

That is all for this week! What have you been reading? Have a book you think I’d enjoy? Tell me in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday – Female Literary Leads

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 13 Comments

e34e0-toptentuesday

Hello hello and welcome to another week of Top Ten Tuesday. The ladies at The Broke and the Bookish are still on their July break so today’s theme is another left to the individual blogger. This Tuesday I am going with Top Ten(ish) Female Literary Leads. These will be books that I have read with strong and influential female characters.

The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon

I’ve made it no secret that I adore this series by Samantha Shannon. Our leading lady, Paige Mahoney, displays many of the characteristics I find appealing in a female character. She is cast off by society, told she is less than human, and sent to become a prisoner in what is effectively a slave camp. What happens? She begins leading a rebellion to topple all that is wrong in society and pull those that are different, the voyants, up into the light. Paige is strong, determined, and aware of her fear and uses it to her advantage. One of the best things about Paige is that she is also flawed, she does her best, makes mistakes, and learns from them. She doesn’t give in. For me, she is one of the best female leads in recent literature.

The Bone Season Review
The Song Rising Review

 

ShadesOfMagic

Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab

Schwab has received a lot of attention recently and for good reason, she is an amazing author. In her Shades of Magic books we encounter one of my all time favorite female characters, Delilah Bard. Lila is so many things. She is strong, highly intelligent, calculating, self reliant, and unafraid to tackle whatever is thrown her way. Sure, she is also cocky and more than a little rude but that is just more reason to love her. Lila sets the bar high for positive female characters in fantasy.

A Darker Shade of Magic Review
A Conjuring of Light Review

 

Veronica Speedwell Series by Deanna Raybourn

In Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series we are given a truly extraordinary character. The books are set in Victorian times when women were still considered little more than a pretty accessory. Ms. Speedwell breaks the mould by being educated and having a successful career. She makes her own money, does her own work, and speaks up for herself at every opportunity. Contrary to the times she is no dainty flower prone to fainting and being delicate, but instead a wild rose. Strong, beautiful, and not easily tamed.

A Curious Beginning Review
A Perilous Undertaking Review

 

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede

In Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles we have two female characters that deserve recognition. First we have Cimorene, a princess from a land where women were expected to learn needle point and giggle prettily behind dainty fans. Cimorene is having none of that nonsense and instead goes to work for the king of the dragons, go on adventures, and save two kingdoms from evil wizards. She is pretty bad ass.

Also in these books is the witch Morwen. Morwen casts aside all preconceived notions of what it is to be a proper witch, makes her own decisions, and is side by side with Cimorene saving the Enchanted Forest. Both of these characters are prime examples of female strength in literature.

 

Bitterblue

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) by Kristin Cashore

I have probably talked about Bitterblue until I am blue in the face. No matter where I am, where I’ve moved, or what I am doing, picking up a copy of Bitterblue feels like home. Bitterblue is the queen of a kingdom in a state of terrible turmoil. Her people have been lied to, manipulated, used, abused, and murdered all during her father’s reign. This queen, little more than a child, has to find the strength to lead them out of that darkness. Her determination in the face of terrible odds always gives me heart. She doesn’t give up, doesn’t give in, and she is always trying to do her very best and beyond for the people she governs. Bitterblue is amazing.

Bitterblue Review

 

There are my top five on a Top Ten Tuesday. I did not want to add characters simply for the task of finding ten of them. I wanted to give you characters that I truly thought displayed strength, courage, intelligence, and perseverance. Something I love about the fantasy genre is that, for the most part, it is unafraid to give us shining examples of strong female characters and that is, to put it simply, beautiful.

Down the TBR Hole #3

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 4 Comments

Hello and welcome to another installment of Down the TBR Hole. I wish I was more adept at photoshop to make an awesome intro image for this. I see lightning and flying books in my head. Instead, you get this photo from National Geographic. Sigh.

rabbit2b2

 

This meme is hosted by Lia @ Lost in a Story.

Here is what you do:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

18467802

Euphoria by Lily King

Inspired by the true story of a woman who changed the way we understand our world.

In 1933 three young, gifted anthropologists are thrown together in the jungle of New Guinea. They are Nell Stone, fascinating, magnetic and famous for her controversial work studying South Pacific tribes, her intelligent and aggressive husband Fen, and Andrew Bankson, who stumbles into the lives of this strange couple and becomes totally enthralled. Within months the trio are producing their best ever work, but soon a firestorm of fierce love and jealousy begins to burn out of control, threatening their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives…

First of all, that cover is beautiful. It definitely makes me think of the jungle without being overly obvious about it. This may not be my usual read, but I’m still interested in picking this one up.

Verdict: KEEP

 

23168816

The Ripper Gene by Michael Ransom

A neuroscientist-turned-FBI-profiler discovers a gene that produces psychopaths in this thrilling debut novel.

Dr. Lucas Madden is a neuroscientist-turned-FBI profiler who first gained global recognition for cloning the ripper gene and showing its dysfunction in the brains of psychopaths. Later, as an FBI profiler, Madden achieved further notoriety by sequencing the DNA of the world’s most notorious serial killers and proposing a controversial “damnation algorithm” that could predict serial killer behavior using DNA alone.

Now, a new murderer—the Snow White Killer—is terrorizing women in the Mississippi Delta. When Mara Bliss, Madden’s former fiancée, is kidnapped, he must track down a killer who is always two steps ahead of him. Only by entering the killer’s mind will Madden ultimately understand the twisted and terrifying rationale behind the murders—and have a chance at ending the psychopath’s reign of terror.

I added this one to my TBR well over a year ago and, to say the least, my tastes have changed since then. It is time for this book to go and make space for something different.

Verdict: tenor

 

21853621

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her. 

As the war progresses, the sisters’ relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.

This is another book that got added to my TBR well over a year ago. I’m pretty sure I just added it because of how poplar it was and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I’m over that. The story just doesn’t sound like it is for me.

Verdict: tenor

 

18498569

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam–a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion–a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.

“There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .”

On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office–leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist–an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand–and fear–the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Sigh. I don’t know what I was thinking. Pretty much everything I added to my TBR over a year ago has lost it’s appeal. Granted, I have changed a lot since then so it is not surprising. To say the least…

Verdict: tenor

 

26022605

Sister Sable (The Mad Queen #1) by T. Mountebank

THE FIRST TENET OF THE WIND: Do not get caught.

Sister Sable has lived by the first tenet for seven years, but when an unexpected accident reveals the runaway nun to the clergy, she is forced to embrace the remaining four.

THE SECOND TENET OF THE WIND: Win by any means.

With the King’s spymaster committed to killing her, and his general regretting he didn’t, Sable enters a deadly game.

THE THIRD TENET OF THE WIND: The purpose of picking up a blade is to cut the enemy.

Scaring them is discretionary.

THE FOURTH TENET OF THE WIND: Have no preferred weapon. 

Even so, she likes the axe.

THE FIFTH TENET OF THE WIND: Know the way of all professions.

Prophet, pilot, assassin, spy, Sable will need to call upon all she has learned to protect the King’s future from the past.

Oh look! Something I added to my TBR a year ago that still sounds good! I have zero memory of adding this book but it still sounds like a worth while read.

Verdict: KEEP

 

Three out of five got tossed out this week which brings my “to-read” list down to 119. Granted, I also added probably five or six last week but at least the list is growing more slowly now. My interests have changed widely in the last year or two so I’m not surprised that a lot of my older adds are getting tossed out. How have your reading interests changed? What do you think caused them to?

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 5 Comments

ClockworkAngel

“If no one in the entire world cared about you, did you really exist at all?”

Sigh. It is time for me to be “that guy” again. The time when I am the jerk that doesn’t really like a book that everyone else and their brother seem to love. I hate being that person. I start questioning myself. “Maybe I missed something? Maybe I didn’t understand what was going on? Maybe I’m emotionally crippled and just don’t give a crap about anything?” No matter what the reason, it can’t change the facts. Every review I’ve seen for this book has been gushing hearts and rainbows. Mine isn’t going gush or involve arm flails or happy squealing. Mine is more of a frustrated sigh.

Let’s begin with one of our main characters, Tessa. What a single minded, simple minded piece of work. She reminded me of Scarlett from Caraval. While Scarlett was only concerned with saving her sister from a situation she really didn’t need saved from, Tessa was only concerned with saving her brother from…guess what? A situation from which he did not need saved. Only thought in their heads was saving their sibling. They both even had awkwardly terrible romantic interests. Tessa had absolutely no depth of character and was as interesting as overcooked spaghetti.

Will. Don’t get me started on Will. Typical, dull, brooding dark horse male. “Oh, I’m so mysterious and complicated.” No. You’re not. You’re like a kid in high school leaning against the lockers with their arms crossed pretending to be cool. While Tessa is overcooked spaghetti, Will is that container of leftovers that has been in the back of the fridge for too long. Pungent and ready to be tossed out. Hard pass.

Also, is it just me or is this book 99% dialogue? Everyone seemed to always be talking but never really saying anything. I want to be shown what is going on in the story. Not be constantly told by never ending, dragging, pointless conversation. We were given very little insight into what was going on throughout the book because none of the characters shut up long enough for anything interesting to happen. Instead we had Tessa shouting and acting like a spoiled child, thinking that the world revolved around her. Cue Veruca Salt meme…

want it now

Oh, and what was obviously supposed to be this amazing and unexpected plot twist with the brother? Saw that 200 pages back. I’m sure someone spouted off the give away during one of the incessant dialogue blocks.

This “review” is quickly turning into a rant. Lets try to get back on track, shall we?

Nope. Can’t. Sorry. I just popped over to Goodreads hoping to find a good quote to drop in and break up my spewing rant. What I found instead was, you guessed it, more dialogue! Not even interesting dialogue, at that.

“Whatever you are physically…male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy–all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside.” 

Wtf. Is that supposed to be inspirational? Personally, I don’t find being compared to a lamp particularly uplifting. Maybe it’s just me.

“Black hair and blue eyes are my favorite combination.”

Oh look! Here we have someone being superficial. That makes for a fun story.

“Will smiled the way Lucifer might have smiled, moments before he fell from Heaven.” 

Give me a break.

b4a8d12264f910f225ac6217aa49c96321529684_hq

For me, this book was filled with reasons for me to roll my eyes and drop it onto the coffee table or into my bag to try to trudge through again later. I wish I hadn’t pushed myself to finish it but I kept assuming there was a reason that everyone loved this story. I couldn’t find a reason. Dull, simple characters and a predictable story line do not a good story make. I’m typically a stickler for finishing a series once I start it but I will not be picking up any more of Clare’s books.

/endrant

 

Find this book on

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Book Depository | Thriftbooks

Throwback Thursday – July 6

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

throwbackthursday

Renee began Throwback Thursday at Its Book Talk as a way to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books that she wants to read that were published over a year ago. Books that were published over a year ago are almost always easier to find at libraries or at a discounted sale price. As I have been sifting through my TBR list and purging those books that no longer hold my interest, I came across several from years past that I’d love to share with you!

 

10852343

Title: Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1) by Jay Kristoff
Published: September 1st 2012
Publisher: Tor UK
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.8

 

Arashitoras are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shõgun, they fear that their lives are over – everyone knows what happens to those who fail the Lord of the Shima Isles. But the mission proves less impossible and more deadly than anyone expects. Soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled arashitora for company. Although she can hear his thoughts, and saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her. Yet trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and the beast soon discover a bond that neither of them expected.

Meanwhile, the country around them verges on collapse. A toxic fuel is choking the land, the machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure, and the Shõgun cares for nothing but his own dominion. Authority has always made Yukiko, but her world changes when she meets Kin, a young man with secrets, and the rebel Kagé cabal. She learns the horrifying extent of the Shõgun’s crimes, both against her country and her family.

Returning to the city, Yukiko is determined to make the Shõgun pay – but what can one girl and a flightless arashitora do against the might of an empire?

 

“Why, Amanda! This does not sound like your usual kind of read at all! Are you feeling okay?” Yes I am, thanks for asking! I stumbled across this little beauty of a book on another blog earlier this week and it caught my eye. Admittedly, I’d have to be in the right kind of mood to pick this one up but it sounds fascinating all the same. It gives me the impression of some kind of steam punk anime and, while neither of those concepts usually spark my imagination, I think this one could be well worth a shot.

 

Find this book on

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Book Depository | Thriftbooks

WWW Wednesday – July 5

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ Leave a comment

WWWWednesday

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words and was formerly hosted by A Daily Rhythm. It is open for anyone to participate, even without a blog you can comment on Sam’s post with your own answers. It is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

13600168

“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.”

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

I have a problem. I both like and dislike this book. I pick it up and feel engrossed in the story even though I don’t particularly like the story so far. Does that make sense? Taylor’s writing style is to blame, I think. The way she crafts the story just sucks you in even though I’m not feeling the plot quite yet. It’s still early, though. We’ll see what happens.

What did you recently finish reading?

17167166

“But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years.” 

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

If any of you read my review for Throne of Glass you’d know that I was completely unimpressed. However, a few of you lovely folks convinced me to read Crown of Midnight and do you know what? I’m glad you did. It was a hundred times better than book one. The assassin actually does assassiny things! There is still a weird and awkward love story woven into it but that is okay. I have accepted that I will never like Chaol and moved on. My review will be up for this book on the 14th.

 

What do you think you’ll read next?

267869

“To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.” 

Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey #1) by Deanna Raybourn

I have a love affair with Raybourn’s books. I just can’t seem to help myself. After reading her two currently published Veronica Speedwell novels I needed more from her so I picked Silent in the Grave up at the library. I’m trying not to read it at the same time as Daughter of Smoke and Bone but I’m tempted. Can’t wait to get started on it. Murder and a strong female lead all mixed up in a historical mystery? I’m in.

 

What are you reading this week?

Top Ten Tuesday- Past Releases I haven’t Read Yet

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 8 Comments

e34e0-toptentuesday

Here we are on another Tuesday so that means Top Ten Tuesday! The ladies at The Broke and the Bookish are taking a break in July so that means coming up with our own themes for the month. So as I pondered, weak and weary, an idea knocked on my chamber door. An idea, and nothing more (Oh yeah, I went there). cool-edgar-allan-poe-venus

This week I’ll be bringing you the top ten past releases that I haven’t read yet. That means books that have been out for more than a year that I haven’t taken the time to pick up yet, but I want to.

13600168

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

Published: September 27th 2011

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”, she speaks many languages – not all of them human – and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

I know. I am probably the only jerk that hasn’t read this yet. I actually checked it out of the library over a week ago, read a couple pages, and didn’t pick it up again. I need to. From where I sit I can see it sitting on the counter. Taunting me. I’ll get to you, buddy.

5

Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1) by Rosamund Hodge

Published: January 28th 2014

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex’s secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Yeah, this one is sitting in my house as well. Directly underneath Daughter of Smoke and Bone to be honest. The duo just sits there and stares at me. They mock me with their pretty covers. I’ll get there, alright?!

readyplayerone

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Published: August 16th 2011

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

Alright, I’m not usually into futurist type things but every time I see this book I itch to pick it up. I’m not sure I can read a book with a character named Wade without seeing Dead Pool in my head every time I see the name, though.

186074

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

Published: March 27th 2007

Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. 

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. 

A high-action story written with a poet’s hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

No, I still haven’t read this one. Fight me.

3856268

The Memorist (Reincarnationist #2) by M.J. Rose

Published: November 1st 2008

As a child, Meer Logan was haunted by memories of another time and place, always accompanied by the faint strains of elusive music. Now the past has reached out again in the form of a strange letter that sets her on a journey to Vienna to unlock the mystery of who she once was. With each step, she comes closer to remembering connections between a clandestine reincarnationist society, a lost flute linked to Ludwig van Beethoven, and David Yalom, a journalist who understands all too well how the past affects the future. David knows loss first hand–terrorism is a reality that cost him his family. He’s seen every solution promised by security experts around the world–and he’s seen every solution fail. Now, in a concert hall in Vienna, he plans to force the world to understand the cost of those failures in a single, violent act.

I am a huge fan of Rose’s Reincarnationist series. Something I love about them is that I can read them out of order and it really doesn’t matter. I need to get my hands on this one. Admittedly, her writing isn’t for everyone but I adore it.

6335232

Between Two Queens (Secrets of the Tudor Court #2) by Kate Emerson

Published: January 5th 2010

Pretty, flirtatious, and ambitious. Nan Bassett hopes that an appointment at the court of King Henry VIII will bring her a grand marriage. But soon after she becomes a maid of honor to Queen Jane, the queen dies in childbirth. As the court plunges into mourning, Nan sets her sights on the greatest match in the land…for the king has noticed her. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time King Henry has chosen to wed a maid of honor. And in newly Protestant England, where plots to restore the old religion abound, Nan may be the only one who can reassure a suspicious king of her family’s loyalty. But the favor of a king can be dangerous and chancy, not just for Nan, but for her family as well…and passionate Nan is guarding a secret, one that could put her future — and her life — in grave jeopardy should anyone discover the truth.

Historical fiction based on Henry VIII’s court? Sign me up. The Tudor period is one of the most fascinating times in history and my obsession with it knows no bounds. I will read pretty much anything to do with that bloody king’s time.

15803156

Royal Mistress by Anne Easter Smith

Published: May 7th 2013

Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore—but her heart belongs to another. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane Shore from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain and friend, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows his King will find her irresistible.

Edward IV has everything: power, majestic bearing, superior military leadership, a sensual nature, and charisma. And with Jane as his mistress, he also finds true happiness. But when his hedonistic tendencies get in the way of being the strong leader England needs, his life, as well as that of Jane Shore and Will Hastings, hang in the balance.

What can I say, historical fiction is my jam. Is that still a saying? It should be. Historical fiction certainly isn’t the most popular of genres but it pulls on my little heart strings.

 

So, Top Seven Tuesday. Doesn’t have the same ring but those are seven books all released more than two years ago that I want to read.

What are some blast from the past books you’ve been wanting to pick up?