Once again, Deborah Harkness brings another masterpiece to life. Shadow of Night had me gripping onto the pages, at the edge of my seat, up at all hours of the night waiting to find out what happens to Diana Bishop and her beloved Matthew de Clairmont. As someone who quickly loses herself in history when given the chance, I was fascinated by Harkness' attention to detail and incorporation of significant historical figures during the lovebirds' trip into the past. Diana and Matthew meet new struggles as they find themselves in sixteenth century Europe. How will Diana fit in when she so clearly stands out, even in her own time? Can they possibly find a witch to teach Diana to control her power in a world where witches are being searched out and killed for being different? Will their relationship withstand the continual challenges sent their way? Can the two find the mysterious Ashmole 782?
I cannot answer these questions for you because, alas, I do not write reviews that give away even a hint of details about the book. That, my friend, is for you to discover. I will say, however, that if you enjoyed A Discovery of Witches, you will most certainly enjoy Shadow of Night. You will quickly get lost in Elizabethan London and find yourself talking in more formal tones during everyday conversation. You may even plan to dress in the morning and realize you only have jeans and t-shirts, not flowing skirts and petticoats. Set aside a weekend to be swept up in this beautifully written, historically influenced love story of struggle and learning how to overcome your deepest fears and inner struggles. Do not be discouraged by the book's length either. You will love every minute of it just as I did. My only disappointment is that I have to wait so long for the third book to be released.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
A Discovery.
Just try to guess what book this is about, just try! Ok, good guess, it's Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches and my mind is completely blown. Deborah brings together a beautiful mix of history, romance, suspense, and mystery. When the book first came out, I was interested mostly because I liked the color of the cover (yes, I'm superficial like that). I read the synopsis and my interest was peaked, but unfortunately the price and my long list of "Need to Reads" seemed to be looming over me. Needless to say, I began reading it last Tuesday after a friend recommended it to me and loaned me hers (my friends have the best tastes when it comes to books).
So Tuesday at midnight it began, and on it continued into Wednesday while I sat patiently at the courthouse to hear if they wanted me to be a juror. Reading for eight hours instead of correcting tests was time well spent. I could not put this book down, a difficult task since the book is nearly 600 pages. Finally, I thought, an excellent fantasy read that I don't have to pull out my high school Aeropostale clothes to buy (If you have no idea what I mean, young women such as myself may feel slightly bashful to admit to the amount of young adult novels they fawn over). I am going to digress for a moment, and please don't stop reading at what I am about to say: A Discovery of Witches is my new Twilight. There, I said it. Why? Twilight brought me into the world of YA. I was familiar with Tolstoy, Hardy, Lawrence and all the other authors whose classy romance fiction novels have been considered Literature, and have been read in many English classes. However, once I read Twilight, I was a goner. I reacted the way every author wishes his or her readers to react and when I was done reading, I read the series again. I am pretty sure I was in love with Edward, and not the "oh my gosh I love that character" kind of love. I mean when another girl said she loved him, I became the jealous girlfriend and had to stop talking to said female before I destroyed her pretty hair. So, Twilight was my go to book to get those fuzzy feelings.
It's been a few years since I read the books and I have probably found ones that I love more, but that first reaction will always stick with me. That is how I feel about Deborah's book. I slept only 8 hours this weekend because I did not want to stop reading. I forgot to eat meals and nearly refused to go Christmas tree shopping with my family just so I could keep reading. Then, when I finished all 594 pages, I wished there were more. Now I constantly fantasize about the world and the characters, and I have decided I want to go back to school to study history. I want Diana's job. And I wouldn't complain if I happened to meet a handsome vampire while in the Bodleian Library either. So, let's just say I am enthralled.
Do I need to say it was well written? I think my ranting and raving say it all. I can't really say much else because my discovery of this book (see what I did there?) and my love for it were so unexpected that I would not have wanted anyone to tell me anything more than the synopsis. The story progresses from Diana's seemingly innocent historian life to utter chaos in a matter of weeks, but it feels like a lifetime, even for the characters. The unexpected mysteries behind Diana's heritage slowly start to trickle into the story, and like all unexpected twists and turns, they are utterly brilliant. Okay, okay, sometimes I had to step back and think, "Wait, what? Seriously?" But Harkness incorporates every detail so well that even the things you weren't expecting or didn't even want to know make the story what it is, a masterpiece.
Oh and don't forget Diana's stubborn insistence on being independent. Strong female protagonists have become more and more common and Diana is no exception. She will do what she wants to do, say what she wants to say, and isn't afraid to do the exact opposite of someone's good advice just for the sake of not being told what to do. But there is a flaw in her need to take care of herself, and Diana soon realizes it. Sometimes, I just wanted to smack her and tell her to get over it and let the guy open the door for you, but that's Diana and I love her.
All in all, an excellent read and a must have for my growing library. Okay, I'm done with this completely random and terrible review, because the sequel was just delivered and I am going into my cave.
So Tuesday at midnight it began, and on it continued into Wednesday while I sat patiently at the courthouse to hear if they wanted me to be a juror. Reading for eight hours instead of correcting tests was time well spent. I could not put this book down, a difficult task since the book is nearly 600 pages. Finally, I thought, an excellent fantasy read that I don't have to pull out my high school Aeropostale clothes to buy (If you have no idea what I mean, young women such as myself may feel slightly bashful to admit to the amount of young adult novels they fawn over). I am going to digress for a moment, and please don't stop reading at what I am about to say: A Discovery of Witches is my new Twilight. There, I said it. Why? Twilight brought me into the world of YA. I was familiar with Tolstoy, Hardy, Lawrence and all the other authors whose classy romance fiction novels have been considered Literature, and have been read in many English classes. However, once I read Twilight, I was a goner. I reacted the way every author wishes his or her readers to react and when I was done reading, I read the series again. I am pretty sure I was in love with Edward, and not the "oh my gosh I love that character" kind of love. I mean when another girl said she loved him, I became the jealous girlfriend and had to stop talking to said female before I destroyed her pretty hair. So, Twilight was my go to book to get those fuzzy feelings.
It's been a few years since I read the books and I have probably found ones that I love more, but that first reaction will always stick with me. That is how I feel about Deborah's book. I slept only 8 hours this weekend because I did not want to stop reading. I forgot to eat meals and nearly refused to go Christmas tree shopping with my family just so I could keep reading. Then, when I finished all 594 pages, I wished there were more. Now I constantly fantasize about the world and the characters, and I have decided I want to go back to school to study history. I want Diana's job. And I wouldn't complain if I happened to meet a handsome vampire while in the Bodleian Library either. So, let's just say I am enthralled.
Do I need to say it was well written? I think my ranting and raving say it all. I can't really say much else because my discovery of this book (see what I did there?) and my love for it were so unexpected that I would not have wanted anyone to tell me anything more than the synopsis. The story progresses from Diana's seemingly innocent historian life to utter chaos in a matter of weeks, but it feels like a lifetime, even for the characters. The unexpected mysteries behind Diana's heritage slowly start to trickle into the story, and like all unexpected twists and turns, they are utterly brilliant. Okay, okay, sometimes I had to step back and think, "Wait, what? Seriously?" But Harkness incorporates every detail so well that even the things you weren't expecting or didn't even want to know make the story what it is, a masterpiece.
Oh and don't forget Diana's stubborn insistence on being independent. Strong female protagonists have become more and more common and Diana is no exception. She will do what she wants to do, say what she wants to say, and isn't afraid to do the exact opposite of someone's good advice just for the sake of not being told what to do. But there is a flaw in her need to take care of herself, and Diana soon realizes it. Sometimes, I just wanted to smack her and tell her to get over it and let the guy open the door for you, but that's Diana and I love her.
All in all, an excellent read and a must have for my growing library. Okay, I'm done with this completely random and terrible review, because the sequel was just delivered and I am going into my cave.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Female Protagonist
All these books with beautiful love stories and strong female protagonists leave me with such conflicting emotions: Treat me like a damsel in distress so I can get angry and assert my stubborn independence, but fall for you nonetheless. It doesn't help that the gentleman in question is drop dead gorgeous, mysterious and brooding half the time, but with a soft spot for characters I can relate to. Damn you fiction. You make me wish there were evil monsters set out to kill me just so I can fall madly in love with the man I would give up everything for but not find peace together until after 1500 pages.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
So I thought I was crafty enough ...
In an effort to save money these holidays, I have decided to make all the gifts this year. Pinterest has been a big help in coming up with ideas for people who appreciate home decor items. It also got me thinking about crocheting. I have been knitting for about eight years now. I never took it further than plain scarves, but last summer I learned to reverse stitch and started adding designs into my creations. Unfortunately, most of the fun ideas I find online involve crocheting, NOT knitting. So I decided to try. I'm too cheap to take a class and don't have to time to find someone to teach me. My impatience led me to teaching myself from a pamphlet I picked up at Michael's. I found a template for an easy scarf and spent about four hours making this monstrosity. As awful as it is I can't bring myself to unravel it or throw it away. Therefore, I have decided to give it to my mother as a washcloth. (One for cups or other dishes with small openings).
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