Genre Definition and Recommendation #76

Genre Definition and Recommendation is a feature where I will define a genre and a sub-genre definition and the make some recommendations.  

Fantasy - Definition found on Wikipedia

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genre of science fiction by the expectation that it steers clear of scientific themes, though there is a great deal of overlap between the two, both of which are subgenres of speculative fiction.

Historical Fantasy  Definition found on Wikipedia   

Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of historical fiction, which contains the combination of history and fictitious plot (sometimes fantasy, like magic, demons, etc).  It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too. Stories fitting this classification generally take place prior to the 20th century.

My Recommendations: 

Jackaby by William Ritter

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotwood 

  

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

What Do you Recommend? 

Delightful Discoveries #82

Delightful Discoveries are books that I have discovered recently... old, new, just released... from blogs, Goodreads, libraries, friends, or bookstores. 

Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby

  

as
Quinn Sullivan lost the love of her life when her boyfriend, Trent, died in an accident their junior year. In an attempt to get closure, she reached out to the recipients of his donated organs. Though some answered her letters, the one Quinn feels matters most--the person who received Trent's heart--has been silent.

Nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas has spent the last several years in and out of hospitals waiting for a heart transplant. Now that he's finally received a new heart, Colton is regaining strength, and he's walking away from his bedridden past with no intention of looking back. He doesn't want to know about the person who had to die so that he could live. He only wants to move forward.

But Quinn can't let it go. Venturing outside the system to find Colton, Quinn takes a risk in hopes of finally laying her memories to rest. But what begins as an innocent conversation quickly becomes an attraction--and to make matters worse, Colton has no idea how they're connected. His zest for life pulls Quinn from her months of sorrow but leaves her torn between honesty and utter betrayal. Because no matter how hard she's falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she's lost.

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life. 

But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.

And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.

Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future. 

In alternating then and now chapters, debut author Lauren Gibaldi crafts a charming, romantic story of first loves, lifelong friendships, uncovered secrets, and, ultimately, finding out how to be brave.

Dream A Little Dream by Kerstin Gier

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yep, Liv’s dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially this one where she’s in a graveyard at night, watching four boys perform dark magic rituals. The really weird thing is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They’re classmates from her new school in London, the school where’s she’s starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But they seem to know things about her in real life that they couldn’t possibly know, which is mystifying. Then again, Liv could never resist a good mystery. . . .

Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly 

  
The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?

Silver In The Blood by Jessica Day George 

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate . . . or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.

Teaser Tuesday 116 and Top Ten Tuesday #106

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. Bloggers choose two

sentences out of our current read to peak others' curiosity.

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

                                 

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

Teaser:
He brushed a kiss across my ear. Another rougher kiss to my throat. I lay there, eyes shut, feeling the ground spin beneath me. 

Top Ten is an original feature/weekly meme created here at

The Broke and the Bookish that features a great bookish top ten every week.

Top Ten Series I want to start but haven't

Review: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

Title:  The Book of Ivy 

Author: Amy Engel 

Publisher: Entangled Teen 
Publishing Date:  November 4th 2014

Pages: 304
Genre:  YA Dystopian Suspense/Thriller

Series: The Book of Ivy #1
Source: ARC 

  

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

This book kind of came out of nowhere for me. I found it on Netgalley and decided to request. I hadn't heard anything about it, hadn't seen it on any blogs, it was brand new to me. I was approved and I sat down to read it. I didn't get up. This book was a complete sleeper for me, I really didn't expect it to be a grand slammer for me, but it was. I couldn't put it down. Great characters, great story, wonderful writing, excellent pacing. I loved it from cover to cover.

Ivy was destined to marry Bishop. Marriage that was planned for 2 generations. Two feuding families, two political sides that were at war, now at peace... First generation to have one boy and one girl on each side. Expect it wasn't supposed to be Ivy, she wasn't the first daughter, she was the second. It was passed down to her, Ivy never had a chance for anything else in life. She knew for a long time that she would marry the president's son, her families enemy, a boy she was meant to kill. what Ivy wasn't prepared for was falling in love.

I really don't know were to start  with my review. I am totally obsessed with this book. I read it in one night. Once I started, there was not quitting. It had been a long time since a book grabbed me the way this one did and I can't tell what grabbed me the most... The story, the characters, the writing. It was all so good. I just couldn't put it down. 

Ivy was a great character. The character building in this book was phenomenal and I absolutely adored Ivy. She was two sides of one coin. She was tough but vulnerable, loyal but independent, brave but scared. She was real and I just loved her. Her character made sense for the life she lived and the world she was brought up in. She wanted to be her own person but the weight of her family weighed on her heavily. 

Bishop.... what to say about Bishop. I fell for Bishop right away. I was amazed by his character. He was nothing as I expected and what I did get was just all awesome. He was sweet, patient, kind, generous, honest, and so much more. 

The romance was so so perfect. It was slow building but not. The intensity was slow, the realization was slow, the bond was slow, the falling off the edge, was not so slow. But it wasn't quick either. It was just right. Ivy never knew where she was headed until she was there and Bishop well, he knew what he wanted from the very beginning even if he never admitted it. I am not sure that makes sense, but I think once you read this book, and you must read this book, you will completely understand. The relationship between Ivy and Bishop was slow burning, loving, romantic, and sweet. There was never a big bang moment just a steady build. 

The story was wonderful. Yes it was a dystopian and so yes all the predictable elements are there, but there was also an intense suspense that left me breathless with a quickly beating heart on more than one occasion. It stood out for me because of the small differences in the writing style and direction. It was written as a dystopian, a romance, and a suspense thriller. The pacing of course added much to the suspense thriller part of the story. It was very fast paced, very much a sitting on the edge of my seat kind of read. 

The only complaint I have...which really isn't a complaint... the ending. Talk about cliffhanger. Argh!!! I have to wait an entire year to get more. I don't like that at all! But I will survive and try to find something to keep me occupied until the next book comes out. 

So much awesome in such a small package. In my top reads of the year. 

I was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), I settled in Kansas City, Missouri where I live with my husband and two kids. Before devoting myself full time to motherhood and writing, I was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on television. When I have a free moment, I can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.

Dewey's24 Hour Read A Thon October 2014 Hours 13-19

It is that time of year again and I am so excited. 

I would love to make it all night this time, we shall see. Here are my stack of books too read....

Hour 13: 

About halfway through 2 books and a third through another. 

right now I am reading between 


Challenge Casual Closet Cosplay hosted by Books are my Friends

I decided to dress like the main character- Britt from Black Ice. She is in the mountains in the snow and ice in a cabin. This is something or another of what I think she would wear. 

A scarf and a sweater:

Hour 14: Color Cover Challenge - hosted by Wishful Endings 

My colors- Turquoise black and White

Hour 15: 

Almost done with They All Fall Down 
58 pages left! 

Challenge: Spine Poetry hosted by Ticket to Anywhere- I noticed whenever I do spine poetry it gets a little creepy. Not sure what that means but here is my poem.

Welcome to the Dark House

Fire and Ash, Spirit and Dust

They all fall down 

Poor little dead girls

Hour 16: 

Challenge: Pet Parade hosted by 

My kitties- Leeloo and Gimili and My hubby Michael 

Hour 17, 18, and 19

Finished We All Fall Down 

started 

Challenge: Random Page

I'm Bleeding. My whole mouth is bleeding.  - Prince of Venice Beach 

Challenge Mad Libs 

On Saturday a smelly southwest accent came in, so everyone went dangling. I had an underwhelmed wet basketball, which I was eager to try. I'd found it in the alley and cut of the readers and toenails a few inches to make it fit. 

Challenge: Promote your Genre 

I love YA books of any type. I love Sci Fi, realistic fiction, romance, but I especially love a psychological Thriller. They are intense and fast paced and they really get my blood pumping and mind a thinking. They keep me all night and make me look around every corner. I Love them! 

That's it for me guys goodnight.