Category: Gen Lit

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Review: Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

by The Lit Bitch6 Comments on Review: Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

There is only one word to describe Debra Anastasia’s novel Poughkeepsie…..elegant.

I feel absolutely privileged to review this novel, the cover alone is completely breathtaking and haunting…I couldn’t help but say yes to a review. When I first read the summary, I was not sure that this novel was entirely in my general review genre and I was not sure how the story would fit together as it sounded abstract. I am normally not a huge fan of contempo lit, let alone contempo romance, I feel like contempo lit generally leaves the reader feeling disturbed.

Many of the characteristics of contempo lit are feelings of hopelessness, questioning a world that lacks past assurances (happy endings etc). When I am reading I generally like to escape the real world and retreat into a world of happily ever after….I guess I’m saying I need to be in a mood to read contempo lit LOL :). Which was why I thought about waiting to review Poughkeepsie until after the new year….but I simply couldn’t forget the haunting cover and mysterious title….for some reason I just couldn’t get the book out of my mind, so I agreed to review.

Since this will probably be my last review of the year, I am thrilled to say I went out on a high note–the book was hands down phenomenal….one of the best I have read this year and I don’t say those sorts of things lightly. This book was so many additives it was hard to pick just one: spellbinding, elegant, lyrical, breathtaking, magical…..beautiful.

Poughkeepsie is a dark modern day Cinderella story with a distinct classic Romeo and Juliet feel. Continue reading “Review: Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia” →

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Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig

by The Lit Bitch8 Comments on Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig

Letty Alsworthy has an appalling nasty habit of being whisked way by seemingly innocent carriages! What was it about her that made everyone within grabbing distance want to and act upon the sudden urge to toss her an anything with wheels, one would be abductor in particular–Lord Geoffrey Pinchingdale Snipe.

In Lauren Willig’s latest Pink Carnation romantic spy thriller series, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, Letty Alsworthy finds herself in a precarious situation…her sister Mary is secretly engaged to Lord Pinchingdale and plotting to elope with him.

Letty discovers the plot moments before Mary literally flies out the window right along with her reputation….Letty manages to get to Lord Pinchingdale’s carriage before Mary does and to her satisfaction prevents their elopement but before she can gloat too much, Letty finds herself in the compromised position–NOT Mary.

When the coach delivers Lord Pinchingdale’s bride to him, before he can confirm the identity of his beloved, he finds himself swept up in a moment of passion only to reveal he is snogging the WRONG sister! With Letty’s reputation at stake, Lord Pinchingdale does what any English gentleman would do–he marries Letty. Continue reading “Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig” →

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Review: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

1, 2, 3 ACTION! From the first page of Cassandra Clare’s thrilling YA series, The Mortal Instruments, the second book of the series, City of Ashes–readers can expect one thing…ACTION. So much happens in this book, while a lot happened in City of Bones, I felt like the first book in the series was more about foundation laying than this second book…in this book things happen at an alarming pace!

Clary and her shadowhunter friends embark on a dangerous adventure. Having narrowly escaped the clutches of the evil (and rogue shadowhunter), Valentine in Book I, the shadowhunters know it is only a matter of time before Valentine resurfaces.

Suddenly, an alarming number of downworlder ‘children’ are ending up dead….first a warlock, then a fairy, and then a werewolf. The shawdowhunters being to detect the subtle traces of Valentine’s signature all over these crimes.

Clary can’t help but wonder if her mother holds the key to the mystery….but there is one problem, her mother is in a magically educed coma. Continue reading “Review: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare” →

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Review: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

Being a teenager is hard enough without the added stress of suddenly being able to see demons and other downworlders. In Cassandra Clare’s book, City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1), Clarissa ‘Clary’ Frey has gone from being completely oblivious of the shadow world to suddenly being very much aware of demons, downworlders, and shawdowhunters. Clary and her best friend Simon are at a club in NYC when Clary witnesses three other teens kill a boy–well Clary thought he was a boy but really he was a demon–the three other teens are shawdowhunters that only she can see.

When Clary gets home that night, she is still stunned by what she saw, and to make matters worse her mother starts acting very strange. Clary’s mom, Jocelyn, informs her that they will be going on ‘vacation’ suddenly for the entire summer. This brings about a huge argument with Clary storming out of the house, leaving her mom behind. While she is out with her friends, Clary sees one of the other teens from the night before….Jace. She is not sure why Jace is following her but she confronts him, demanding answers.

Jace wants to know why she can see them through their powerful glamouring charms when no one else can….only a follow shadowhunter or downworlder could possibly see through their protections since Clary is clearly neither, Jace wants to know what she is. Continue reading “Review: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare” →

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Review: Letters In Cardboard Boxes by Abby Slovin

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Letters In Cardboard Boxes by Abby Slovin

How do you want to be remembered? How would others see you? How would you see yourself? What if you didn’t remember who you were? That is precisely what happens in Abby Slovin’s novel Letters in Cardboard Boxes.

Parker’s beloved grandma has suddenly become a stranger to her….confused and rapidly declining, Parker must face an alarming reality: her eccentric, loving grandmother is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Throughout her life Parker has come to rely on her grandma. While her parents have all but abandoned her, Parker has felt awfully alone with no one to shield her but her grandma.

Parker’s grandma helps her cope with the abandonment of her parents by writing letters…make believe letters from various exotic locations around the world….fantasy worlds far away from the one Parker is living in.

Throughout the story, there aren’t just letter from Dotty (grandma) to Parker and Parker to Dotty–there are also love letters between her grandma an unknown boy  from Dotty’s youth….Parker begins to see an entirely different Dotty than the one she has grown up with. Continue reading “Review: Letters In Cardboard Boxes by Abby Slovin” →