Tag Archives: historical novel

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Jazz Age January – 1

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Hello gentle reader,

Jazz Age January is a reading challenge hosted by Leah at Books Speak Volumes. The idea is to read books related to the Roaring Twenties during the month of January.If you want to join in the fun, read about it here.

This week, I’m reviewing DOLLFACE by Renee Rosen.

Dollface

Title: Dollface: A Novel of the Roaring Twenties

Author: Renee Rosen

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Publication: 5th November 2013 by NAL Trade

Blurb (from Goodreads):

America in the 1920s was a country alive with the wild fun of jazz, speakeasies, and a new kind of woman—the flapper.

Vera Abramowitz is determined to leave her gritty childhood behind and live a more exciting life, one that her mother never dreamed of. Bobbing her hair and showing her knees, the lipsticked beauty dazzles, doing the Charleston in nightclubs and earning the nickname “Dollface.”

As the ultimate flapper, Vera captures the attention of two high rollers, a handsome nightclub owner and a sexy gambler. On their arms, she gains entrée into a world filled with bootleg bourbon, wailing jazz, and money to burn. She thinks her biggest problem is choosing between them until the truth comes out. Her two lovers are really mobsters from rival gangs during Chicago’s infamous Beer Wars, a battle Al Capone refuses to lose.

The heady life she’s living is an illusion resting on a bedrock of crime and violence unlike anything the country has ever seen before. When the good times come to an end, Vera becomes entangled in everything from bootlegging to murder. And as men from both gangs fall around her, Vera must put together the pieces of her shattered life, as Chicago hurtles toward one of the most infamous days in its history, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

What I thought:

I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up because I read somewhere fans of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire would enjoy it, and I wasn’t disappointed. I found in this book the same atmosphere and the same kind of plot that I love in Boardwalk Empire. What I also thought very interesting was that this story is told from the point of view of the women: wives and mistresses of the mobsters.

All in all, it’s an excellent example of historical fiction set in the 1920s, and I do recommend it if you read Adult books.

What have you been reading this week? Make sure to leave me a comment below!

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Waiting On Wednesday – 34

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m waiting on Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter (expected publication: 27th May 2014 by Arthur A. Levine Book). It’s a YA Historical novel set in Ancient Rome and it sounds awesome!

Cursesandsmoke

From Goodreads:

When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto?

TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master’s injured gladiators. But his warrior’s heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

LUCIA is the daughter of Tag’s owner, doomed by her father’s greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she’s been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air. . . .

When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them — to Lucia’s father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Have you heard of Curses and Smoke? Is it on your TBR list? What are you waiting on this week?

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Book of the Week – 17

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Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m reading a YA Historical Mystery/Fantasy. The Ruby In The Smoke (A Sally Lockhart Mystery) was written by UK author Philip Pullman. It is the first book in a quartet published between 1985 and 2004. Set in Victorian London, this series follows sixteen-year-old Sally as she investigates her father’s death and uncovers secrets that threaten her very life.

From Goodreads:

“Sally is sixteen and uncommonly pretty. Her knowledge of English literature, French, history, art and music is non-existent, but she has a thorough grounding in military tactics, can run a business, ride like a Cossack and shoot straight with a pistol.

When her dear father is drowned in suspicious circumstances in the South China Sea, Sally is left to fend for herself, an orphan and alone in the smoky fog of Victorian London. Though she doesn’t know it, Sally is already in terrible danger. Soon the mystery and the danger will deepen – and at the rotten heart of it all lies the deadly secret of the ruby in the smoke…”

What are you reading this week?

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A Writer in the Spotlight – Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly, a YA historical novel with zombies and a steampunk vibe, is out TODAY! And I have the pleasure to interview debut author Susan Dennard about the release and her writing process. As a reminder, the idea behind the “Writer in the Spotlight” feature is that published authors are the best source of advice for us, would-be-published writers.

Author : Susan Dennard

Genre : Young Adult, Fantasy

Location: Germany

Website: http://susandennard.com

Official Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnQuHXPTUP0&feature=youtu.be

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4499623.Susan_Dennard

Twitter: www.twitter.com/stdennard

Books : Something Strange and Deadly series: Something Strange and Deadly (2012), A Darkness Strange and Lovely (2013) from Harper Teen.

My interview (22/07/2012):

On writing

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I can’t say that I ALWAYS knew. I didn’t start putting my daydreams onto paper until I was around 13 or so. After that, all my dreams of a becoming a marine biologist vanished in my obsession with writing (though I was a TERRIBLE writer). Of course, I was such a snotty teen, though, that I refused to be taught–I didn’t want to learn to write since I thought I was already amazing. Ha! Then, when I went off to school to major in creative writing, I got side-tracked by marine biology. Funny how those things work!

I still love science and the marine world. College and graduate school were amazing experiences. In fact, the only reason I returned to writing was because my husband and I would have to live apart if I pursued my PhD. So–rather than separate–I moved with him to Germany, started writing (and studying the craft of writing) full-time, and the rest is history! 😉

When and where do you write?

I write in my office everyday. Or…I do something writing-related everyday. I’m very strict about this. My rule is that if my husband is working, I ought to be too! So either I’m BICHOK-ing (butt-in-chair, hands-on-keyboard), revising, or working on “administrative stuff” (emails, blogging, self-promotion, etc.).

What do you say to people who want to be writers?

Do it! Sit down and write. That’s the only way to achieve your dreams–but make sure you dream big too! I think success is three-part: aiming high, working hard, and not giving up. It’s so EASY to let dreams slide away when things take a while or don’t work out as you’d hoped. But you CAN’T give up. My mantra before I was published and to this day is: “It’s not a race. You know what you want, Sooz, so just keep on plugging away until you get there.”

I want to share my stories with as many people as possible, and so that’s what I’m trying to do!

On Something Strange and Deadly

To write this book, where did you get your inspiration from? (How did you come up with a historical novel with zombies?!)

Well, the initial premise came from a dream. My brother was missing; I knew I’d do anything to save him; and the only people who could help  mewere a ragtag team of outcasts. I took that idea and fleshed it out. I knew I wanted a paranormal/creepy element, and I settled on ghosts and corpses after rummaging through what scared me most! It sounds so silly, but honestly, I scanned my shelves trying to pick out which books made my skin crawl. If I was scared, then surely I could transfer that fear onto the page–and nothing creeps me out more than ghouls and zombies!

The historical aspect–specifically 1876–came about because I knew I wanted a steampunk vibe (but not 100% steampunk). I adore 19th century literature and history, and after some preliminary research, I discovered the Centennial Exhibition (the first American World’s Fair). I thought, “Whoa! What a great place for walking corpses! What if…what if my team of outcasts are actually zombie-fighters brought in to protect the Exhibition?”

And that, my friends, is how Something Strange and Deadly came to be.

Why did you choose to write for young adults?

I’m not sure I ever consciously set out to write YA…I just knew I wanted to write a book that I would love. And of all the books I’ve read, the ones that stay with me the most are the books I enjoyed growing up and during my teen years. I knew I wanted to write THAT sort of book, and so…I did! 🙂

 What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m writing the third book in the Something Strange and Deadly series (so weird to work on it when book 1 isn’t even out yet!) as well as a novella set before the events in the trilogy. I’m also working on some other projects–Screechers, an epic fantasy in a desert world; an untitled space opera with author Sarah Maas (Throne of Glass, Bloomsbury 2012); and a fluffy, fun contemporary.

You can buy Something Strange and Deadly on Amazon here. And you can enter the Something Strange and Deadly Outbreak giveaway here.

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Bout of Books Read-a-thon – Day 1

 

Bout of Books is a week long read-a-thon, which has started today Monday, May 14th and will run until Sunday, May 20th.

Find out more here: http://boutofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Follow the fun on Twitter here: @boutofbooks

Check out today’s challenge/giveaway here: Sarah – Bookish Question

I have posted my goals here: https://emcastellan.com/2012/05/12/bout-of-books-4-0-read-a-thon-goals/

 

My update:

Book I’m reading: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Number of pages I’ve read today: 152/386

Total number of books I’ve read: N/A yet

Unfortunately I haven’t read a lot today as I was working from dawn to dusk, so I’m hoping I’ll finish this book tomorrow, since it will be a regular workday for me.

How have you been doing? What have you been reading?

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Bout of Books 4.0 Read-a-thon – Goals!


It’s springtime and my TBR pile is getting big, so I have decided to take part in a read-a-thon created by Amanda @ On a Book Bender. Exciting!

What is that all about?

  • Bout of Books is a week long read-a-thon, which will run from 12:01am on Monday, May 14th through 11:59pm Sunday, May 20st in whatever time zone you are in.
  • Bout of Books is low pressure, meaning participants are only asked to push themselves to read more than they normally would during any given week. There is no competition between readers.
  • How much time a reader wants, and can commit, to read, tweet, or network with fellow bloggers is left to individual preference. All challenges and giveaways are optional.
  • Networking with fellow bloggers is actively encouraged, though never required. Co-hosts are there to facilitate blog hopping and interaction between participants.
  • Twitter will be used to post updates throughout the read-a-thon. Everyone will be tweeting with the #boutofbooks hashtag. Follow @boutofbooks for all important announcements.

My goals:

  • Read every day
  • Finish at least 2 books that week
  • Communicate every day with the community
  • Find new blogs and people to follow

 Books I’m going to read this week:

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins

I know I am a bit late to this party but after reading The Hunger Games I felt that I needed to take a break from this story before reading the rest. I now feel in the mood to finish the trilogy.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

It is a YA dystopian novel and I have only heard good things about it. Time to see what the buzz is all about for myself.

Vixen by Jillian Larkin

A 2010 debut and a YA historical novel… I love books about the Roaring 20s and this one has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time now, so I have decided to finally take a look at it.

What are you going to read this week?

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Waiting On Wednesday – 7

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Today I have chosen Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (Expected publication: July 24th 2012 by HarperTeen). It is a 2012 debut and a YA/historical/steampunk novel with zombies. Doesn’t it sound awesome?

From Goodreads:

“The years is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.”

Visit Susan’s website here.

What are you waiting for this week?

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Book of the Week – 3

This week I’m reading Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber. It’s a YA historical novel set in 19th Century New York. The 17-year-old heroin is mute and the book is her diary, in which she recounts the strange events that took place at the Metropolitan Museum in the summer of 1880. It’s a quick read and a cute love story, as well as a good mystery.