Happy All Hallows'

Be kind to all the ghosts, witches and goblins you meet along the road tonight!

🍁......My Fall Wishlist....🍂

Sometimes a girl just have to have a few books to buy to make the next few months exciting! Of course, I have more than enough books. But here are the top for books I can't wait to buy....

Synopsis:

Sometimes I believe the baby will never stop crying.

Sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner fears she is losing her mind. When her family move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, Amanda hopes she can leave her haunting memories behind: of her sickly Ma giving birth to a terribly afflicted baby; of the cabin fever that claimed Amanda's sanity; of the boy who she has been meeting in secret. . .
But the Verners arrive on the prairie to find their new home soaked in blood. So much blood. And Amanda has heard stories - about men becoming unhinged and killing their families, about the land being tainted by wickedness.

With guilty secrets weighing down on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or within her soul . . .

Synopsis: 

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted.
     In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.
     Like the protagonist of Gulliver’s Travels, Cora encounters different worlds at each stage of her journey—hers is an odyssey through time as well as space. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre–Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once a kinetic adventure tale of one woman’s ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share.

Synopsis: 

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 
 
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 
 
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”  
 
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
 
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
 

Synopsis:

Chilling real-life accounts of witches, from medieval Europe through colonial America, compiled by the "New York Times "bestselling author of "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane "and "Conversion" 
From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, "The Penguin Book of Witches" is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft. 
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

*all descriptions came from Google Books*

Oh...Hermonie's...Black! Yes...and it's amazing!

Look at these beautiful people! The Weasley Family....Ron, Hermonie and Rose!

Did your mom make that sweater Ron!

The Brave, Intelligent, well read, Hermonie! 

Hello there Rose! 

I am so happy to see that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will have a diverse and talented cast. I am most excited to see a Hermonie that looks like me! And I am sure more Black and Brown Potrer fans will feel the same. However, over the past few months (since Hermonie's

Casting was announced) there has been a bit of a back lash about it. Mainly because the character has always been thought of as White. Which, may not be the case. Hermonie at one point in the series is described as being "very brown", with bushy hair and large teeth. Hermonie could easily have been biracial. As a fan of the books I don't care if she is played by a Causasian, Asian, Latino or Black woman - as long as Hermonie is a part of the story I am happy. Hermonie is a heroine for all girls, an example that being witty, bookish and intelligent equals being a bad ass! It's sad that I feel the need to comment on something so trivial. The world has a enough going on that something as small as a characters race in a play should be even be something to fight over. So to all those that are hating on the casting really needs to expand your minds and be happy that there is any new In the Potterhead universe for us to experience! So I raise my wand in support of Noma Dumezweni....our beautiful Hermonie! 

Six Books I instantly loved....

Bookish love is a wonderful thing. And bookish love at first sight is even more wonderful. There are very few books that I fell in love with upon opening to the first page or at the conclusion of its first chapter. But here is a short list....

1) The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - In Tan's bestseller I instantly felt as if June was a kindred spirit. I read the book at a time of my life when I was discovering who I was. I was finally learning more about my own family and about my own mother; and at the heart of this book is the story of daughters learning to value their mothers. 

2) The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank- I read this book at a very young age and it has stayed with me my entire life. Anne was so much like myself, she liked to read, she was curious about everything. She also was coming into her own; sadly Anne's life was cut short. I sometimes wonder what she would have done with her life had she survived the concentration camp.

3) Renee and Jay by J.J. Murray - This was the second book by Murrary I had ever read; however, it is why I kept reading his work. In that one little book he weaved a love story so real I was completely taken aback. What's funny is that supposedly the story is loosely based on his relationship with his real life wife. Another thing about this story that really made me love it was that he is a Caucasian man writng as a black woman and a very very convincing way. 

4) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - what's not amazing about this book. Austen writes about the way that people sometimes fall into love. It can come from out of nowhere; and sometimes that love can be bought on due to a few misunderstandings. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett's love story is be far one of my favorites and I know I will be reading it over and over again for the rest of my life! 

5) The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - does this need any explaination. I mean what's not to love about The Potter series; it's got it all. Witches, Wizards, Magic, Danger, Loce and laughs. 

6) The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness - I read this series last summer and fell head over heels in love with it. Mainly I fell in love with Matthew Clarimont; the mysterious Oxford professor. Matthew is dreamy, and Diana (who would become his love interest)  has a mystery of her own to unreveal. It seems the closer they get to one another the more they need each other to work through every great the mystery of the series.

What books did you really fall in love with? Please feel free to comment!

Daemons, Witches, Vampires and Enchanted Books ... oh my!

The Bookbabe Reviews: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

So I have completed the last book in this freight train of a book and I can honestly say that I was not at all disappointed. Harkness built the right amount of drama, suspense and weaved just the right amount of magic. There are a few things that I was really excited to see happen in this book. We finally travel back to England with Diana and Matthew and the rest of the "clan". Diana is still learning about her magic and more of Matthew's secrets are coming to the surface. As a result their bond is tighter than ever. While they are finally coming to terms with how the blood rage will affect their lives and we get a glimpse of the madness of Matthew's son, Benjamin. We also get reunited with one of my favorite characters from the previous book (Shadow of Night), Jack. We also see the reappearance of Father Hubbard; who the last time around was shrouded in shadiness. That is still the case this time but their is also a surprising twist that I really did not expect. The best part of this book was seeing Diana let go of her fear and go into battle with the congregation. As she takes them on we get the impression that Harkness is leaving an opening for a possible return to the story line. Which honestly is exactly what you are going to want to see happen after you've finished this book. 

Best Scene:

Favorite Quotes:

   "No wonder Philippe always looks so exhausted," he said ruefully when he was through. "It's very fatiguing pretending you're in charge when your wife actually rules the roost" 

"As I am the end, so my lover is the beginning. I encompass the whole work of creation, and all knowledge is hidden in me " 

"If you truly love someone, you will cherish what they despise most about themselves" 

Witches, Vampires, Shadows and a bit of Elizabeth the first.....

The Bookbabe Reviews: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Well It took me much less time to read this book, then the almost two weeks it took me with book one. I was not at all bored with this book. This is mainly due to Harkness ability to pace the action and plot well. This book is littered with the familiar names and places from not only the first book but from history as well. From monarchs like Elizabeth 1 and Rudolf III to Walter Raleigh and the Lord of Northumberland. The most remarkable meeting of all (for me anyway) is Philippe; Matthews father. When Diana and Matthew travel to Sept Tours at his fathers request Philippee comes off as a brut. Mean and impassive and is the master of all those around him including his children. I expected this throughout the entire time they interacted with him however (as Harkness does so well) the character reveals himself. He slowly shows his care for Matthew and then for Diana. Slowly I begin to see why Ysabeau remains so in love with him, even after his death. What I loved about this book is we slowly see Diana and Matthew get to know one another better. We get to see more of Matthew's defenses shatter as Diana attempts to get closer to him. We see their relationship deepen and they arrive at a kind of understanding that only people truly in love can. Harkness really has a way of writing flawed, real and beautiful relationships. Another thing I loved about this book is the final coming together of the "family" behind Matthew and Diana. I can not wait to see them "fight" as a family unit. Of course, we find out that we have lost one of the members of the family and I can not wait to see how this plays out in the next book. I am also eager to see how Matthew's and Diana's new arrival will affect things as well. I give this book a four star rating; if you like this spoiler-less remove you can read many more at 

www.delawarebookaddict.blogspot.com

Favorite Quotes:

"You are not just my heart but it's beating" - Matthew to Diana

“Gallowglass returned to Sporrengasse with two vampires and a pretzel"

“We don’t lock up books in this house,” Philippe said, “only food, ale, and wine. Reading Herodotus or Aquinas seldom leads to bad behavior"

A Witch, A Vampire and a book; whats not to Love?

The Bookbabe Reviews: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I can not believe that I let this gem sit on my shelves for so long (almost three years). I remember it as one of the last books I purchased from a closing Walden Books location. What can I say about this book? I feel like I was taken away to England on a sea of wonderfully and imaginatively written prose. Deborah Harkness delivered everything you can expect in a Paranormal romance.  There is a very likable main character,  a distant and shadowy love interest and lots of drama. What I enjoyed most about the book was that Harkness has such and amazing way at describing the places and people that both Matthew and Diana interact with. Harkness also is very careful to slowly reveal bits and pieces of the characters at just the right time. The way she builds  the intensity of the drama is awe inspiring. It goes without saying that I have not read a book this good in sometime; especially in this genre. One thing that I really loved about the story was that Harkness was in no rush to get Matthew and Diana into bed; in fact she has the couple "married" off but they have not consummated their marriage. In so many paranormal romances readers often see the characters taking to the sheets in no time flat. I loved that Matthew Clarimont takes on the role of a night and shining armor and wants to protect his lady love; and is okay with "courting her".  Even though this frustrates Diana to no end no doubt. I can honestly say I was in love with Matthew Clarimont's character from the moment he decided to protect Diana in the library. I was also even more in love with him after we are introduced to his family; we get a get to see his devotion to them and we start to learn a little more about our lovable vampire. I really can not wait to see if some of my theories (which I can not post here because they would spoil a good read) about the characters come to past. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in a complex story with complex characters and high drama. If you love all things witches, vampires and daemons then check this out at the library or buy it at your local bookstore.

Quotes I loved:

"the smell of the library always lifted my spirits-that peculiar combination of old stone, dust, woodworm, and paper made properly from rags"

"As far as I can tell, there's only two emotions to keep the world spinning, year after year......One is fear. The other desire."

First Impressions: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

So I am a little late to this band wagon but hey I read what I want when I want. So this month I decided to start the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. I am officially six chapters in and boy let me tell you....I LOVE IT! First off let me say that this book is different. I have read several books featuring a witch as the main character but never have I felt a connection to them; as I do with Diana Bishop. Diana is an intelligent, educated woman that does not want her ability to use magic to get her ahead in life. She is trying her hardest to be "normal" and she is anything but. She has daemons following her around and can not shake off Professor Matthew Clarimont; a sexy, intelligent vampire. I honestly can not wait to read more about Professor Clarimont. I am hoping that something romantically develops between Diana and Matthew. The only thing about the book that I think will drive me crazy is all the alchemy stuff. I see it going right over my head and I have a funny feeling that I will have to read up on some of the terms so that I can fully grasp the subject matter. As of right now I see myself really enjoying the first book and I can not wait to write a review on it. 

Hey ya'll I just got this ARC as an eBook and I will be reading this fall....

New book discovery and just perfect for fall...it's all about a witch ! 

Here is the synopsis:

A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.

Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.

Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for.