Month: March 2024

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9) by Deanna Raybourn

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9) by Deanna Raybourn

I discovered author Deanna Raybourn many years ago. I love all her books. She has written some wonderful historical mystery series that I will forever cherish, this series being at the top of that list. Veronica is such a wonderful character and I have loved watching her and Stoker grow together as a couple and in their friendship throughout the course of the series.

Naturally this was on the TOP of my TBR list for this year. There have been times though where I have felt like maybe this series could have wrapped up but it is hard to say good bye to characters that you have become attached to. I do think that once a series goes past about 5-6 books it gets to be a little much—not always but occasionally. I definitely felt that way when I read book 8 in this series. But I love the characters so much that I felt compelled to come back to this series for another installment.

If you are finding this series for the first time with this book, I HIGHLY suggest going back to read the books from beginning to end as this book especially would be a challenge to jump into as there are other threads from previous books in this one. I am excited that this isn’t the last book in the series yet, I think there is still more to be had in the narratives—-plus I love this series and even if I feel like it could wrap up, that doesn’t mean I want it to!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature/Excerpt: Finding Jane Fairfax by Robbin J Peterson

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature/Excerpt: Finding Jane Fairfax by Robbin J Peterson

If you have been around my blog for a while, you will know that I am a big Jane Austen fan. I love reading books that are ‘Austen Spin-offs’ if you will. Not necessarily retellings, but books that take characters from her beloved books and give them either an entirely new story or in some cases an actual story. In this case, Jane Fairfax is a character we meet in Emma and she’s mostly a blip in the larger story and the audience rarely thinks of her again. However, author Robbin Peterson gives us something to think about when it comes to Jane Fairfax in her latest book!

I haven’t read anything from this author before, but I was excited to see how she would portray Jane Fairfax and after reading the excerpt I have here to share today, I admit I am intrigued to see how this book shapes up. In the classic Emma, Frank Churchill is sort of this villain of the story where he leads on our beloved Emma but then dumps her in favor of Jane Fairfax so I am curious to see how Frank goes from being the villain to now the hero and love interest in this retelling!

I am bummed I couldn’t find room in my calendar for this particular book to review but I am super excited to be sharing an excerpt with you all today! If you are a Jane Austen fan, then I think you will enjoy this novel! You do not have to read all of Austen’s books or even Emma to enjoy a book like this. There is still plenty for readers to enjoy who have never read the original. In my experience I feel like authors do a good job giving a nod to classic novels and their characters while also being approachable for new readers or readers who have no interest in classics and based on the excerpt I feel like new readers will be totally fine exploring Austen characters without having to read the original text!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke

I randomly watched a show on National Geographic about Sir John Franklin’s lost Arctic expedition days before I was pitched this book. I was fascinated by the lost expedition and when this book made it onto my desk for review immediately following the show, I was super intrigued and couldn’t WAIT to read this one! I was so excited to read a new ghost story and one that featured shipwrecks, questions, and a rugged landscape that takes on a life of its own within the story.

I have really been on an Arctic kick lately, the Franklin expedition show was just the start, I got hooked on more series featuring Arctic climbing in Greenland and other extreme mountain sports shows on National Geographic. From the time I was a kid, I have been fascinated by Iceland and Greenland, these locations hold a certain amount of mystery simply for their remote locations and I am so here for it—it appeals to the adventurer in me! There aren’t many books that feature this kind of unfamiliar setting so when I saw this one I jumped to review it and the location did not disappoint!

This book is definitely more of a horror book than historical fiction, though there are elements of historical fiction and the Gothic but I felt like it was more horror in nature but because it included elements from other genres, I think it will appeal to more readers but just know when you pick this one up you are picking up more of a ghost story/horror novel than historical fiction! Side note, this book did make me go down a complete rabbit hole about whaling and Arctic exploration which both were fascinating to research!

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