Category: Gen Lit

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott

Beware the Ravenswood!

Sir Walter Scott’s, The Bride of Lammermoor is a must read for fans of the genre….a classic gothic romance! This is your ultimate indulgence gothic romance fans…honest and truly.

This ridiculously over the top tale has it all…witches, women going mad, a family fallen from grace, degenerative castles, ruined fortunes, Byronic heros, star crossed lovers, a dark prophecy, ominous symbology….everything!  It is MacBeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Wuthering Heights all rolled into one.

The novel is introduced as a tale based on a true story, set in Scotland at the time of Queen Anne (early 1700’s). Lord Ravenswood is dead and all that remains of the Ravenswood family is Master Ravenswood (Edgar) and the ruin known as Wolf’s Carg castle.

The Ravenswood family blames their demise on Sir William Ashton who profited at the Ravenswood’s expense….the Ravenswoods have been stripped of their titles after the rebellion and have subsequently lost their estates/fortunes as a result of a legal scheme gone awry. Continue reading “Review: The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott” →

Books, Gen Lit, Reading

Giveaway: Pierre and Luce by Romain Rolland

by The Lit Bitch8 Comments on Giveaway: Pierre and Luce by Romain Rolland

Enter to win a copy of the beautiful and tragic love story of Pierre and Luce  by the Nobel Prize-winning French author Romain Rolland. Thanks to my friends over at Onesuch Press for giving a beautiful copy to 2 lucky winners! I am a huge fan of this cover, Onesuch Press did a fantastic job with it!

An interesting but about this publishing company is that they publish the lesser known works of well known and respected authors. This is one of the reasons I LOVE this publisher, I love being exposed to new literary works that I might normally have overlooked.

This giveaway is open to US, UK, AU, and CA residents 

Giveaway is for: A paperback copy of Pierre and Luce by Romain Rolland (2 available)

Runs though: 3/26/12-4/2/12

How to sign up and details: Sign up using the Rafflecopter widget below. Winners will be chosen at random and announced on my blog, Twitter, and Facebook page. Winners will have three days to claim their prize.

What the book about: Read my review of Pierre and Luce here. 

Questions? Email me at thelitbitch@me.com

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

Review: A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport

The romance between Prince Albert and Queen Victoria is legendary–a love that bordered on obsession. Helen Rappaport’s latest non-fiction book, A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy explores how a fairy tale romance turned into a dark melancholy that altered the course of the British monarchy.

I won an ARC of this book through Goodreads. Non-fiction is normally not my review genre….non-fiction is more The Lib Bitch’s area than mine :). But I love Queen Victoria and was thrilled when I won the giveaway.

I haven’t read a lot of books on Queen Victoria but I know the love story like I know any classic fairy tale. I love all things Victorian era and went to the Albert and Victoria exhibit in London a couple of summers ago….and I love the movie The Young Victoria also! So needless to say I was really excited to read this book. Continue reading “Review: A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport” →

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

Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Richard Mayhew has no idea what awaits him in London on the eve of his going away party in Scotland. His friends pitch in to get him a going away gift, a white umbrella with a map of the London Underground.

He can’t help but stare at the umbrella with an eerie omen of impending disaster….little does he know how right he is.

For three years, Richard’s life is more or less normal. He works in business and he is engaged, but he still can’t help but feel disenchanted. One night, Richard’s life changes drastically….he encounters a girl bleeding on the streets of London.

With his decision to help her, Richard is propelled into a dark, gothic urban fantasy set in the Underground–better known as London Below.

London Below is an alternate reality–a strange world of Underground railways, tunnels, and sewers, which is home to a host of eccentric and unique characters. Continue reading “Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

by The Lit Bitch10 Comments on Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Abnegation. Amity. Candor. Dauntless. Erudite.

Where faction do you belong to?

On Choosing Day Beatrice (Tris) Prior must decide but first she undergoes an aptitude test to see which faction she will most likely gravitate toward….then she must choose to define her identity for the rest of her life based on that information.

Born into the Abnegation faction, she is supposed to be selfless and think only of others….but she feels like a square peg in Abnegation. Hoping the test will shed some light on her conundrum, the worst happens—her aptitude test is inconclusive.

She is Divergent.

Being Divergent is dangerous….if anyone find out, her life will be in imminent danger. She is a threat to the delicate balance of the five factions. Faced with this new information, Tris must choose her destiny….and she chooses bravery. She is Dauntless. Continue reading “Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth” →