Review: The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1) by Caleb Carr

This book was super popular when it came out in the 1990’s and since TNT has made it into a mini series, the book is getting a lot of attention again. Back in February I picked up a copy of this book from the library and just couldn’t get into it.

But for Halloween I really wanted to try it again so I found a copy at the library and started reading. What drew me in was the time period. I am fascinated by this time period and having a historical thriller set in New York’s late 19th century streets sounded exceptional.

The year is 1896. The city is New York. Newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler—a psychologist, or “alienist”—to view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy abandoned on the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge. Continue reading “Review: The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1) by Caleb Carr”

Review: The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos

This book is marketed to fans of Sarah’s Key and The Lilac Girls as well as fans of WWII family sagas. I was intrigued by the subject matter as well as the time period. As many of you know, I love war time books—mysteries, romances, family dramas etc—-so this book, historically fit right in.

But what stood out for me was the plot for two main characters—–Natalia and Victor split apart by time and war. I loved the idea of seeing two characters from the same region having to pick sides during a war time occupation.

I was interested to see how that scenario would pan out, so that’s how this book ended up on my review schedule for October. Continue reading “Review: The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos”

Cover Reveal: At the Mountain’s Edge By Genevieve Graham

I’ve read two of Genevieve Graham’s novels and have been exceptionally impressed by her writing ability as well as her vision. She tends to look for untapped locations and periods in history to create her novels and I love that.

She’s a Canadian writer and many of her books are set in Canada. Her latest book AT THE MOUNTAIN’S EDGE (due for release in April 2019) is no exception. Just the title makes me want to read this one and throw in love during the Klondike Gold Rush and I’m totally interested in hearing more about this book!

I am thrilled to be able to share this stunning new cover design with you! I love the elegance and simplicity of her cover designs. I can easily pick out a book by her because of the colors and how the text is displayed.

If you haven’t discovered her books then you are missing out!

 

From bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a sweeping new historical novel of love, tragedy, and redemption set during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.

In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before.

For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutes, and thieves is an opportunity to escape a dark past and become the man of integrity he has always wanted to be. But the long, difficult journey over icy mountain passes and whitewater rapids is much more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined, and neither is completely prepared for the forbidding north.

As Liza’s family nears the mountain’s peak, a catastrophe strikes with fatal consequences, and not even the NWMP can help. Alone and desperate, Liza finally reaches Dawson City, only to find herself in a different kind of peril. Meanwhile, Ben, wracked with guilt over the accident on the trail, sees the chance to make things right. But just as love begins to grow, new dangers arise, threatening to separate the couple forever.

Inspired by history as rich as the Klondike’s gold, At the Mountain’s Edge is an epic tale of romance and adventure about two people who must let go of the past not only to be together, but also to survive.For more info see the summary and links to add to your TBR list here! Or you an also visit her newly designed and updated website by clicking here.

 

Design Review: LITERARY BOOK GIFTS

What bookworm doesn’t love bookish merchandise? I have a number of book t-shirts, socks, and of course tote bags in my closet and I am always on the hunt for cute little bookish gifts as well as more to add to my collection.

While Out of Print tends to dominate the bookish merch market, here is why you should be looking at smaller companies that offer a quality product and original designs for bookworms—–personal touch.

I recently discovered the company, Literary Book Gifts and they have a large selection of t-shirts (men and women styles) as well as a variety of colorful tote bags in a range of sizes.

I recently ordered a women’s t-shirt and canvas tote bag to gage the quality for myself and I was impressed by the quality of both as well as the variety of colors and styles available. I ordered the medium size tote and it was a perfect size and the canvas was heavy duty and I have since received multiple  about it when I am out and about. The womens t-shirt do run small so I would recommend sizing 1 or 2 sizes up for comfort.

One of the things that I love most about this store, is the attention to design details. Many book merch companies just put the cover design on the their products but this store showcases unique designs from our favorite books. Often larger companies only feature a few of the more common classics for their merchandise, but this company has many of your favorite classics as well as a few obscure ones—Darwin I am looking at you.

Take The Picture of Dorian Gray for example. This design focuses on the vanity of the painting and Dorian himself. Rather than just putting a cover art on this t-shirt, Literary Book Gifts gets to the heart of the story itself.

I also think it’s important to have choices. As you will see, the owner gives a fabulous write up about her company below, but one thing that hit home for me was the choices of this store. There are a number of different colors and books to pick from. There are a number of favorite classics and all styled with elegance and simplicity, and yet consumers can customize their choice by picking a color.

The Frankenstein shirt, shown here in red/maroon, is eye catching and captures a classic horror feel. But if you wanted something a little darker you might pick a black or charcoal.

There are so many books to choose from in this store. They have everything from classic children books like The Secret Garden and Black Beauty to adult classics like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice and then of course other darker classics like Poe and Dracula. They even have other designs that feature things like National Parks and Michelangelo.

You might be curious which design is my favorite…..while I had multiples that stood out, the Ulysses design was my favorite. The simple bow was eye catching and classy and I loved the vertical placement of the letters. These designs are ones that I feel like I could incorporate into my regular wardrobe and not feel like I was being overly nerdy, if that makes sense. They are elegant and simplistic which I think makes them a classic design.

Sometimes other companies use too many colors and the shirts get too busy but with this company the focus is on the simplicity of the design and show casing the spirit of the book.

This is a small company just getting its start and as we get into the holiday season and you are shopping for your bookish friends…..or maybe even shopping for yourself, this is one store that isn’t to be missed. I found them reasonably priced with fast shipping and a quality product that boasted soft t-shirts and sturdy tote bags. Their website if easy to navigate and like the product designs—-the website is simple and customers will easily find their way around and products that they will love.

I am thrilled to be able to also offer you all a discount with their store! If you are doing your shopping, be sure to use THELITBITCH20 for a 20% off!  I can’t say enough great things about this company and I highly recommend you take a few minutes to peruse their website! 

About Literary Book Gifts

I began Literary Book Gifts earlier this year, with the store launching to the world wide web just a few months ago. Like many others, I have a great love of books, literature, and other forms of writing such as poetry. What I noticed though, was that the taste of readers was as diverse as the many books available. For example, those interested in Frankenstein may also like The Picture of Dorian Gray but may not be interested titles such as Black Beauty or The Secret Garden. Essentially we all have different tastes. And I thought what better way to service such a variety of likes and dislikes than through an online store. In addition, there are tons of sizes and colors to suit each and every reader or writer.

I am deeply inspired by the books I’ve read and the ideas that come from them. The classics give us representations of author’s worlds from so long ago. Fantastic and magical stories and characters we can only know through literature. And 100 lives we’ve never lived. I’ve gone on adventures with Tom Sawyer and down the rabbit hole with Alice in her Wonderland adventures. Literature is meant to be discussed and shared. Whether you are reading paperbacks, eBooks, listening to audio books, or wearing books on t-shirts, I encourage everyone to talk about the ideas and pass on their favorite reads to others!

Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Right now, The Haunting of Hill House is everywhere thanks to the Netflix mini series. My sister and I do a buddy read for October/Halloween every year and each of us pick a book to read for the month and then we read it together. My pick was Frankenstein and The Haunting of Hill House was her pick.

I wasn’t terribly excited about this book, but I’ve been looking for something similar to Crimson Peak (the movie) and this one sounded like it would be in the same vein—-though a more modern setting.

I also picked up the Penguin Horror edition with an intro by Guillermo del Toro and I was incredibly impressed with his artistic insight into the Gothic and horror genre. I normally skip over the intros by people when reading classics etc, but Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite directors and I was eager to see what he thought. Plus I LOVE Gothic horror—–more emphasis on Gothic than the horror—-and I was excited to see what his observations were for this book.

The classic supernatural thriller by an author who helped define the genre. First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. Continue reading “Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson”