The Bookbabe's Book Discoveries for the Month of April

Here are a list of a couple of the books that I found interesting this month. All of these books can be purchased on Amazon.com or at the Book Depsitory.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder 

Synopsis: About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. 

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dusté and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. 
As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear.

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison

Synopsis: At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves, and loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride’s mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that “what you do to children matters. And they might never forget.”

Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling

Synopsis: In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, VERY GOOD LIVES presents J.K. Rowling's words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?

Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world famous author addresses some of life's most important questions with acuity and emotional force.

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Synposis: There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. —Genesis 6:5

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous 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.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

At the Water's Edge by Sarah Gruen

Synopsis: After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year’s Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his son’s inability to serve in the war. When Ellis and his best friend, Hank, decide that the only way to regain the Colonel’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster—Maddie reluctantly follows them across the Atlantic, leaving her sheltered world behind.

 
The trio find themselves in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where the locals have nothing but contempt for the privileged interlopers. Maddie is left on her own at the isolated inn, where food is rationed, fuel is scarce, and a knock from the postman can bring tragic news. Yet she finds herself falling in love with the stark beauty and subtle magic of the Scottish countryside. Gradually she comes to know the villagers, and the friendships she forms with two young women open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears: the values she holds dear prove unsustainable, and monsters lurk where they are least expected.
 
As she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, Maddie becomes aware not only of the dark forces around her, but of life’s beauty and surprising possibilities.

Book journaling... (Yeah Its a thing)!

I never thought of book journaling until I got serious about tracking my reading and the books I wanted to buy. It all begun with my goodreads account; of which I have been a regular (almost daily) user for over three years. I use the app to keep track of books I have read, want to buy and have lent out. While the app and site are wonderful however, it does not allow me to really keep track of quotes. Thoughts and sometimes raw emotions

that a book can invoke. So here comes the book journal. I have given these as gifts but until a year ago never thought to get myself one. The beauty of journalling is that it allows you to rant and rave in a way that you may not want to do on a website. It allows you to also write out all the feelings you have about the book your reading while your reading. No need to quickly tweet it, or put it on facebook or goodreads; when you can just write a quick note in your journal and move on.

(This is when post notes can become your friend too; so easy to just stick them to the pages of your book.) Another awesome thing about book journaling is that for the aspiring writer it gets you to write in depth about what you love and may hate about a character, scene etc. It could inspire you to try out different scene/world buliding techniques; change the way you describe objects or characters. God knows Stephen King changed the way I structured chapters and inspired me to not ramble on and on but, to get to the point quickly. Book Journaling is also helpful in helping you decide what books to read next. By simply fliping through your journal ever now and again you may rediscover and author that you liked. Or may want to reread a book again to see if you get the same reaction from it. This happened to me with The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson; the second time around I had a deeper appreciation for the book and the love story of Marianne and the main character. Also journaling is down right therapeutic; so why not combine your love of reading with writing too. I am sure you'll learn more about yourself as you journal. I know I have.

*My journal is the Booklovers Journal bu Moleskin; its available at Barnes and Noble for 20$ and at amazon.com for 17$)

Tea + Books = Hot Date...Here are some of the teas that I love to drink while reading

We can all agree that tea and books just go hand and hand. I really love a great cup of tea while reading; in fact I have more than my fair share of tea mugs. (And honestly, if I bring anymore home I think my roommate with kill me). So here are a list of  top six teas that I love...attached with the name of a few books that I read while drinking them.

1) Blueberry Black Tea from The Spice and Tea Exchange (this one is pricey it starts at $5.49) - I drank this while reading Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices # 3) by Cassandra Clare and City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) also by Cassandra Clare.

2) Berry Boutique Tea (an herbal tea) from The Spice and Tea Exchange (also prices at $5.49) - I drank this one a lot over ice this summer while finishing The Night Eternal by Chuck Hogan and Gulliermo Del Toro. This tea was a nice pairing to this vampire novel. 

3) Tazo Zen (a green tea); I usually pick this up from Target for about three of so dollars. (You can usually catch these on sale). This tea is by far one of my faves to sip on while reading and is my go to tea. I drank this rather heavily while reading Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It was an amazing pairing to this really light hearted romance.

4) Tazo Earl Grey (a black tea); this one of the strongest Earl Grey's I have ever had. I needed way to much sugar and honey with just a little lemon. Earl grey was an amazing pairing to Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan Howard. That book was dark, moody and had a lot of dry British wit. I see me reading the rest of the series with this tea on the nightstand.

5) Cranberry Apple Tart from The Spice and Tea Exchange (this one is also priced at $5.49); it was one of those teas that I drank while reading Jesus wants to save the Christians by Rob Bell. This tea was just perfect and mellow and wonderful for fall (which is when I read this book). Its a nice tea to just sit back and sip and reflect on the beauty of your surroundings. 

6) Tazo Pumpkin Chai; the first time I saw these in store was just this summer/fall. I drank this one a lot while reading Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas. It was nice and spicy much like Celaena (the main character of the series).

You can purchase these teas at www.tazo.com or www.spiceandtea.com

Fangirling over a book...who knew it was really possible?

The First Annual Bookbabe Holiday Gift Guide for 2014....

So I came up with the bright idea to comply a list of books that make really wonderful gifts. The books in this guide will be broken down along several genres; from Faith and Inspirational to Children's books. All of the books can be found on several book buyers websites. Pricing will also be provided.

Faith and Inspirational

1) God thinks your Wonderful by Max Lucado ($11.89 on Amazon)

2) Love Wins : A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived ($5.99 on Bookoutlet.com)

3) The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch ($17.14 on Amazon)

4) Night with a Perfect Stranger: The Conversation that Changes Everything by David Gregory ($9.24 on Amazon)

Horror

5) Salem's Lot by Stephen King ($6.00 on Amazon)

6) Prince Lestat by Anne Rice ($17.37 on Amazon)

7) The Strain by G.Del Toro & Chuck Hogan ($12.85 on Amazon)

8) Psycho by Robert Bloch ($13.02 on Amazon)

10) Revival by Stephen King ($17.04 on Amazon)

Mystery/Thiller

11) The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper ($11.51 on Amazon)

12) Angels and Demons by Dan Brown ($10.45 on Amazon)

13) And Then There Where None by Agatha Christie ($6.00 on Amazon)

14) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn ($9.00 on Amazon)

General Fiction

15) Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan ($11.75 on Amazon)

16) The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson ($8.06 on The Book Depository)

17) Austenland by Shannon Hale ($9.19 on The Book Depository)

18) The Color Purple by Alice Walker ( $10.38 on Amazon)

Classic Lit

19) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen ($2.57 on Amazon)

20) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ($9.00 on Amazon)

21) The Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ($13.53 on Amazon)

22) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte ($3.50 on Amazon)

Children's Books

23) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis ($6.00 on Amazon)

24) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White ($6.00 on Amazon)

25) Coraline by Neil Gaiman ($6.00 on Amazon)

26) Harry Potter Series ($50.26 on Amazon)

Young Adult Books

27) Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl ($9.63 on Amazon)

28) Marked (House of Night Book #1) by P.C. & Kristen Cast ($8.04 on Amazon)

29) City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments Book #1) by Cassandra Clare ($7.37 on Amazon)

30) Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices Book #1) by Cassandra Clare ($7.93 on Amazon)

Book Babe Book Blitz

Hey Book Nerds...twice every month I will be doing a book blitz. The blitz is a list of books that I have come in contact with on tumblr, amazon, the reading room and publishers newsletters. Each book featured will have a synopsis and their price (all prices will be from www.amazon.com).

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (8.99$ on Amazon) 
Here is the synopsis: 

Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great - until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At their helm sits the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir.

As if his bizarre heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind - he's one of the last of the warriors - at a time when both houses are scouting for a player.

The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler (12.61$ on Amazon)

Here is the synopsis:
Impressionable and idealistic, Esme Garland is a young British woman who finds herself studying art history in New York. She loves her apartment and is passionate about the city and her boyfriend; her future couldn’t look brighter. Until she finds out that she’s pregnant.

Esme’s boyfriend, Mitchell van Leuven, is old-money rich, handsome, successful, and irretrievably damaged. When he dumps Esme—just before she tries to tell him about the baby—she resolves to manage alone. She will keep the child and her scholarship, while finding a part-time job to make ends meet. But that is easier said than done, especially on a student visa.

The Owl is a shabby, second-hand bookstore on the Upper West Side, an all-day, all-night haven for a colorful crew of characters: handsome and taciturn guitar player Luke; Chester, who hyperventilates at the mention of Lolita; George, the owner, who lives on protein shakes and idealism; and a motley company of the timeless, the tactless, and the homeless. The Owl becomes a nexus of good in a difficult world for Esme—but will it be enough to sustain her? Even when Mitchell, repentant and charming, comes back on the scene?

A rousing celebration of books, of the shops where they are sold, and of the people who work, read, and live in them, The Bookstore is also a story about emotional discovery, the complex choices we all face, and the accidental inspirations that make a life worth the reading.

The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters (TBR October 14, 2014) (14.19$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

Trust Me, I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer
(TBR October 14, 2014) (11.37$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Fans of Ally Carter's Heist Society novels will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, andOcean’s Eleven–inspired action.
 
Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu (TBR October 7, 2014) (12.44$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire (TBR October 14, 2014) (13.49$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Pretty Little Liars meets Final Destination in this YA psychological thriller that will have readers’ hearts racing right till the very end!
 
Every year, the lives of ten girls at Vienna High are transformed.
All because of the list. Kenzie Summerall can’t imagine how she’s been voted onto a list of the hottest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her. This is the power of the list. If you’re on it, your life changes.If you’re on it this year? Your life ends.

From the desk of yours truly <3

Dear Bookish Friend, 

Fall is a fantastic time of year for book lovers; we have more excuses  be hold up in our warm reading nooks with our favorite books. For me fall has a particular fondness because some of my all time favorite books where introduced to me during the autumn months. I became friends with Fern and Wilbur and the gang at Zuckerman's farm when I was 8. I traveled to Narnia shortly there after. At 12; I was just finishing a short visit with my friend Anne as she was held up in the Secret Annex in Amsterdam. At 16; I was learning that I was just another girl interrupted and by my 21st autumn I had been to Japan and experienced the life of a very famous Geisha. Fall has introduced me to some of the best and most beautiful stories I have ever encountered. I hope that as the years pass and the seasons turn that we all continue to carry our favorite stories with us; and that we pass them on to those we love. 

Happy Fall Fellow Word Nerds,

Hugs and Lots of love,

The Bookbabe of Delaware