Long overdue....

So its been way too long since I've posted anything. They good new is that unlike my post my list of book have grown.

Here are a few of my favorites:
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
In Pale Battalions by Robert Goodard
The Gilded Chamber by Rebecca Kohn
The Solider's Wife by Maraget Leroy
The Last Time i Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene
The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons
The Girls in Room 28 by Hannelire Brenner-Wonschick

Ones on my Waiting List:
Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussman
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Gone Girl by Gilliam Flynn

So this is a short and sweet post... but will go more in depth next time with "Shadow of Night".

December Update

So I started to read The Blind Assassin but got sidetracked with many things. I am sad to say I haven't been able to read much lately. My husband and I are in the middle of moving and looking for a new place to move in three weeks. Needless to say its been very chaotic and busy at my house, but I hope to get back on track soon.
I am now attempting to read Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson.

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

The Red Tent

I just finished reading  The Red Tent by Anita Diamant last night. I must say it is now in my top five books.

Diamant draws her basis of the story form Genesis  and Exodus, but tells the story from the view of a woman. Diamant gives voice to Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah.  In religious texts Dinah’s story is told by her father and brothers which  tells a story of rape  and disgrace. Dinah’s voice paints an entirely different picture of her life, one filled with curiosity, grief, and happiness. In The Red Tent readers learn the role of women in biblical times, their bond, and their courage. It is hard not to become absorbed in Dinah and her mothers lives.

For me, the book reconnected me with the role of daughter, sister, and woman. I feel a stronger connection with all of those who have come before me and respectful for those who had suffered adversity and have survived despite it. While in history women’s voice is usually silenced; women must rely on writings of men to gain insight. The Red Tent is able to fill a void in the writings of men and give women a glimpse of their own story.   

Up next The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. Also in researching future books, I searched other books by Anita Diamant and found Day After Night which I hope I can picked up soon at the library.

Witches, Vampires, Skeletons, and Lights?

We’ll I’ve quite busy since posting my initial blog and haven’t made it back to post on what was to be my first book review on Discovery of Witches. I thought this would be appropriate since it  was just Halloween. My dear friend Amy suggested this book to me since I am having withdrawals from True Blood, which I can also blame on her.

First of all I was very impressed with all the details Mrs. Harkness, a 17th historian, puts into the book. From the wine to Ashmole 782  to knights of the crusade- you can tell a lot of work was put into this book. I must say if you don’t enjoy the book then at least you will get some great wine suggestions however chances are you won’t be able to afford them. But back to the book…

 The heroine Diana Bishop, who happens to be a witch that is trying to forget about her special powers,  is researching alchemical manuscripts in Oxford’s Bodleian library and she unknowingly opens a lost manuscript that has been bewitched. Once this happen, every magical being seems to show up in the library. Diana finds herself teaming with Matthew Clairmont, a centuries old vampire, to defend herself from the other witches who want the lost manuscript and herself. In order to discovery her true powers and the meaning of the book Diana and Matthew must travel back in time.

I should first mention  this book is being followed by a sequel that is scheduled to come out in July 2012.  While many of the authoritative reviews did not like like the book, I found it hard to put down. While I know the fantasy of witches and a vampires has been played out, Mrs. Harkness put a nice adult spin on the typical romance plot and plugs nice historical details into the text. My thought is if you read the first chapter and like, you love the book. If not just put it down.

I’ve also read two books by Sarah Addison Allen over the weekend –quick reads (The Peach Keeper and The Girl Who Chased the Moon). While they do fall under allure of mystical beings and death, the are truly playing up the author’s southern roots.  I am not sure if they are book I would recommend to friends but  if asked I would not say don’t read them. They definitely did not leave me with the feeling I need to read all of her books- the mystery she was trying to portray in each book was lacking. May case for The Girl Who Chased the Moon by the end of the second chapter you have figured out what the “lights” are the end is not very dramatic as it is played up to be. The same goes for  The Peach Keeper. I got the feeling of “ok so… that’s it”. While my comments may be harsh by no means let me discourage you from reading the books. If I think a book is not worth your time – I will tell you. But please let me know how you feel about the two books by Allen.

So that’s it for now. I’m reading The Red Tent by Anita Damante now… so far so good!

Introductions....

Just a quick first blog post to introduce myself. I am Caroline and a graduate of Florida State University's Library and Information Science program. This being said,my blog will consist of book reviews as well as comments on articles concerning education and libraries or anything else that strikes my fancy. Please post comments- I would love to hear what you think!