{Review}: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Genre: Gothic Literature
Publisher:  Atria (September, 2006)
Hardcover: 406 pages
ISBN:9780743298025
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Description from Amazon:

Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Setterfield has rejuvenated the genre with this closely plotted, clever foray into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths. She never cheats by pulling a rabbit out of a hat; this atmospheric story hangs together perfectly.
There are two heroines here: Vida Winter, a famous author, whose life story is coming to an end, and Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop. Vida has been confounding her biographers and fans for years by giving everybody a different version of her life, each time swearing it's the truth. Because of a biography that Margaret has written about brothers, Vida chooses Margaret to tell her story, all of it, for the first time. At their initial meeting, the conversation begins:
"You have given nineteen different versions of your life story to journalists in the last two years alone."
She [Vida] shrugged. "It's my profession. I'm a storyteller."
"I am a biographer, I work with facts."
The game is afoot and Margaret must spend some time sorting out whether or not Vida is actually ready to tell the whole truth. There is more here of Margaret discovering than of Vida cooperating wholeheartedly, but that is part of Vida's plan. The transformative power of truth informs the lives of both women by story's end, and The Thirteenth Tale is finally and convincingly told.

My Review: 
I am a fan of Gothic stories such as those written by Daphne du Maurier, Robert Goddard and the Brontë sisters. If you share my love of creepy houses, strange families, secrets, ghosts, murder and madness, then this is the book for you. 

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by The Story Siren, held usually on Sundays that encourages bloggers to share what they bought, borrowed, or begged for this week.

Title: Mermaid: A twist on the classic tale
Author: Carolyn Turgeon
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tales
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (Feb 2011)
Hardcover: 240 pages
Borrowed: Library

Description from GoodReads:

The story of two very different women, one mortal, one mermaid, and the clash between worlds best kept apart... It is a cold day at the end of the world when a young woman, a princess in hiding, looks out across a Northern sea and sees something she could not have seen. It looks...it can't be. It looks like a mermaid's tail. And, as she looks more closely, she sees that the mermaid is dragging a drowning sailor in her arms. Because, only hours before, another princess, the daughter of the sea queen, has decided to risk everything and take a look at the world above the sea: the world of mortals. And there she finds a storm, a shipwreck, a sailor, and sets in train events which will change both women's worlds forever.

 Title: The Thirteenth Tale

Author: Diane Setterfield

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Atria (Jan, 2006)

Hardcover: 406 pages

Borrowed: Library

Description from GoodReads:

Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father's antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise–she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels. 
Late one night while pondering whether to accept the task of recording Miss Winter’s personal story, Margaret begins to read her father’s rare copy of Miss Winter’s Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. She is spellbound by the stories and confused when she realizes the book only contains twelve stories. Where is the thirteenth tale? Intrigued, Margaret agrees to meet Miss Winter and act as her biographer. 
As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story. In the end, both women have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets. As well as the ghosts that haunt them still.

This is what I borrowed this week. I am so behind on my reading. I don't know why I keep getting more books.  Yes, I do... The reason I keep getting more books even though I have a pile of them on my desk is because they are awesome! :)

What's in your Mailbox? 

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by The Story Siren, held usually on Sundays that encourages bloggers to share what they bought, borrowed, or begged for this week.

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Author: Carrie Ryan

Genre: YA Fiction

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 2010)

Paperback: 336 pages

Bought: Barnes & Noble

Description from GoodReads:

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

 Title: Neverwhere

Author: Neil Gaiman

Genre:  Fantasy/Fiction

Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 2003)

Paperback: 400 pages

Borrowed: Library

Description from GoodReads:

When Richard Mayhew stops one day to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk, his life is forever altered, for he finds himself propelled into an alternate reality that exists in a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals and abandoned subway stations. He has fallen through the cracks of reality and has landed somewhere different, somewhere that is Neverwhere.

Title: Prophecy of the Sisters
Author: Michelle Zink
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Atom Books (2009)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Borrowed: Library


Description from GoodReads:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-
One good...
One evil...
Who will prevail?
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. 
Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.
They just know they can't trust each other.

For Review

Title: Fated

Author: Carolyn McCray

What's in your Mailbox?

{Review:} Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Title: Safe Haven
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (September 2010)
Hardcover: 340 pages
ISBN: 9780446547598
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon


My Rating: 5/5

Description on GoodReads:

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . .  a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

My Review:


I am not normally a big Nicholas Sparks fan. I enjoyed a few, and I like many of the movies made from his books. Yet, I decided to give this book a chance and I really enjoyed it.

I like how he made me feel for these characters. I felt scared for Katie, feared and hated Kevin and fell in love with Alex. I  enjoyed the way real life problems are portrayed in this book it offered me a window to understanding how people feel when they experience these situations. Some of the parts of this book where a little hard for me to read because they contained violence towards women, but they were necessary for the story. 

The pace of this book also worked for me. I liked the slow beginning as I got to know the characters and their stories. I am not a fan of books that rush the beginnings and fail to make a proper introduction of their characters. 

The main reason I give this book a 5/5 is because of the crazy ending. I loved it! I was laying in bed reading with a wide smile on my face. I guess I should of seen it coming but I did not and am glad because it was a great ending. Some readers may find it strange because it's not really his style and a little strange but it worked for me. 

I recommend this book for anyone that wants to read a book about the power of love, but that doesn't ignore that life sometimes throws unexpected events that may make "happily ever after" seem impossible.

{Review} My Name Is Memory by: Ann Brashares

My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Title: My Name Is Memory
Author: Ann Brashares
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Tagline: "Sometimes love lasts more than a lifetime."
                                             Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (June 2010)
                                             Hardcover: 336 pages
                                             ISBN: 9781594487583
                                             Source: Library
                                             Available on: Amazon
Rating: 5/5

Plot: 18/20
Setting: 17/20
Writing: 19/20
Characters: 17/20
Creativity: 20/20

Total: 91/100 = 5 of 5 stars

Description:

From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Last Summer (of You and Me) comes an imaginative, inspired, magical book-a love story that lasts more than a lifetime.

Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together, and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

A magical, suspenseful, heartbreaking story of true love, My Name is Memory proves the power and endurance of a union that was meant to be.

Plot: Good: This is a story of love, vengeance, guilt, and fear. Daniel feels guilty because he killed the woman he loves and is scared to lose her again. Joaquim wants retribution against his brother for getting in his way. Lucy is scared because she doesn't understand the love she feels for Daniel. Bad: The ending of this story bothered me, it was just too much of a cliff hanger. I also don't understand why Daniel loves Sophia/Lucy. Daniel had already made up his mind that he loved her even before he knew her. Does he love her because she is beautiful and he feels guilty that he killed her?

Setting: Good: Ann Brashares does a great job in taking us to different times and places without losing us along the way. Bad: I would have liked more description of the locations and a better view of their life in those times.

Writing: Good: It is beautifully written with a believable voice. Bad: A bit more of humor or lightness would have been good, I felt depressed, worried or scared for most of the book.

Characters: Good: I really like the mysterious character of Ben and the way he deals with his "memory". Ben adds a nice contrast to the way Daniel deals with his. Bad: I don't really understand the reason behind Joaquim's hatred towards Daniel. I like to know the reasons behind the actions of my characters and him I just don't fully understand. Daniel's lack of action also bothered me but I guess the story would have ended in the first chapters if he was more proactive.

Creativity: Good: The way reincarnation and soul-mates are portrayed in this book is unlike anything I have read. Bad: None, I love the originality of this story.

EXTRAS

Cover Art: I don't love the cover. The water concept is nice because it ties to the story but it just doesn't grab my attention.

Action: Most of the story is calm and reflective, it isn't until close to the end when it becomes action packed and then it ends.

Romance: If you like the concept of soul-mates then this is the book for you.

Overall: I recommend this book and I can't wait until the second in this series.

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{Review:} Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Title: Water for Elephants
Author: Sara Gruen
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Algonquin (April 2006)
Hardcover: 331
ISBN: 9781565125605
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

"I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent." Dr. Seuss

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell. 
Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. 

Review:

I decided to read this book because every time I go to a book store I always see its colorful cover. I was a little hesitant at first but I was soon swept up by Jacob's fascinating life story. I began reading expecting the book to be boring and dull and this may be the reason why I enjoyed this book so much.

I loved the narration. This book actually made me laugh at times. It took me on a roller coaster of emotions. I would have liked the story more if it had revealed more about Marlena's character. I did not fully understand why Jacob fell in love with her. Was it because she loved animals or because she looked beautiful in colorful dresses? I don't know.

I also loved how the quote from the beginning ties up the story beautifully. Rosie, the elephant, was indeed faithful.
---
I just learned that it is going to be a movie released on April of next year. I cannot wait to go see it. I believe Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon will play the parts of young Jacob and Marlena. We will just have to wait and see.

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{Review:} Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Title: Under the Tuscan Sun
Author: Frances Mayes
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Broadway Books (Sept 1997)
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN: 978-0767900386
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

Frances Mayes entered a wondrous new world when she began restoring an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. There were unexpected treasures at every turn: faded frescos beneath the whitewash in her dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles in the garden, and, in the nearby hill towns, vibrant markets and delightful people. In Under the Tuscan Sun, she brings the lyrical voice of a poet, the eye of a seasoned traveler, and the discerning palate of a cook and food writer to invite readers to explore the pleasures of Italian life and to feast at her table.

Review:

I decided to read this book because I have heard many people speak wonder and other say that it is horrible. So I had to give it a try and judge for myself.

The author takes us on her journey as she buys an abandoned villa named Bramasole. We join her as she discover her new life both her joys and he hardships. From re-building her villa to discovering new recipes and the joys of a simple life.

I found it a little difficult to get into the story because it is not writing in the usual story format. The journal style way it is written makes it a great book to pick up and escape your life and join her in the Tuscan countryside.

If you are looking for a romantic story then this may not be the book for you but if you want to read a well written book that serves as a perfect escape and window into life in Italy. Then Under the Tuscan Sun is a must read.

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{Review} Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Angelology
Author: Danielle Trussoni
Genre: Literature & Fiction/ Mystery & Thriller
Publisher: Viking Adult (March 2010)
Hardcover: 464 pages
                                    ISBN: 9780670021475
                                    Source: Library Book
                                    Available on: Amazon
Rating: 4/5

Plot: 17/20
Setting: 18/20
Writing: 18/20
Characters: 15/20
Creativity: 18/20

Total: 86/20 = 4/5 stars

Description from GoodReads:

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now twenty-three‚ her discovery of a 1943 letter from philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late Mother Superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans‚ the Nephilim

Plot: Good: Danielle Trussoni creates a fabulous world where the Nephilim still exist and are evil, selfish, 7 foot beautiful creatures. Angelologist have come together to fight the control of the powerful Nephilim. The ancient battle between good and evil never ceases to exist. We meet Evangeline, a beautiful nun that works in the library of her convent and Verlaine, a young art historian and both have to dig into the past to unravel the mystery of certain correspondence between Abigail Rockefeller and a simple nun and why this information is worthy of killing for to the Grigori family.In their journey they discover that the powerful Grigori family and Evangeline share a past that might change the future of both humans and Nephilim. Bad: It took me about 100 pages to really get into the story. It would have also liked if it explained how study of Angelology began.

Setting: Good: The mountains of Bulgaria were a great setting for the Angelologist's discovery. The author does an incredible job in transporting the reader to it's locations.

Writing: Good: The way Trussoni describes how the Nephilim came to existence was captivating. Bad: The narrative voice was a bit dry. It was also strange how ancient Nephilim, nuns, Angelologist from different times and art historians all read the same.

Characters: Good: I enjoyed reading about Celestine, in my opinion the most developed character in the book. Bad: The main characters are undeveloped and flat.

Creativity: Good: The Nephilim are not a new concept but I found the part of their degenerative disorder refreshing.

Extras

Cover Art: A beautiful cover!
Action: As a thriller is has plenty of action.
Romance: It's there, not a major part but definitely there. I would have liked a romantic ending but it left me wanting to read the next installment.


Overall: This is a must read if you, like me love history, mysteries, theology, and fallen angels with a love story.

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{Review} A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Title: A Reliable Wife
Author: Robert Goolrick
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Algonquin Books (April 2009)
                                  Hardcover: 291 pages
                                  ISBN: 9781565129771
                                  Source: Library Book
                                  Available on: Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Plot: 17/20
Setting: 17/20
Writing: 18/20
Characters: 19/20
Creativity: 15/20

Total: 86/100 = of 5 stars

Description from GoodReads:

"Abandoning her worldly life, traveling to a remote Wisconsin town in the dead of winter, trusting her future to a man she had never met - such was Catherine Land's new beginning. But there was an ending in sight as well, an ending that would redeem the treachery ahead, justify the sacrifice, and allow her to start over yet again. That was her plan." "For Ralph Truitt, the wealthy businessman who had advertised for "a reliable wife," this was also to be a new beginning. Years of solitude, denial, and remorse would be erased, and Catherine Land, whoever she might be, would be the vessel of his desires, the keeper of his secrets, the means to recover what was lost. That was his plan." Set just after the turn of the twentieth century, A Reliable Wife is the story of these two people, each plagued by a heart filled with anger and guilt, each with a destiny in mind. But neither anticipates what develops between them - the pent-up longings that Catherine discovers in this enigmatic man and the depth of her own emotional response; the joy Ralph experiences in giving Catherine the luxuries she has never known, his growing need for her, and a desire that he thought was long buried."

Plot: Good: A story of passion, murder, madness that is a joy to read. A psychological driven tale with predictable twist and turns but non the less entertaining.

Setting: 1907, wintry Wisconsin was a good setting for this story.

Writing: Good: I loved the Gothic feel of this novel. Bad: It had too much of an erotic undertone for my taste.

Characters: Good: Ralph is a perverted, lusty, lonely man and Catherine is a manipulative, and murderous woman. Yet, despite the fact that they are both liars, I couldn't help wanting them to be happy and together. Bad: I would have liked a little more elaboration on the crazy citizens of the town.

Creativity: Not the most original story but still a good read.

EXTRAS

Cover Art: I read the Hardcover, with the snowy trees cover and didn't like it. However, the paperback cover I saw later was amazing. I think that the faceless women in the red dress standing on the snow with a train in the background gives a wonderful preview of what the book is about.

Romance: It is not your average good girl meets prince charming, it's more like Wuthering Heights.

Overall: A good book for lovers of Gothic literature you just have to get over the author constantly thinking about sex.

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