Throwback Thursday Review: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Title: The Historian Written by: Elizabeth Kostova Published: June 14, 2005 by Little, Brown Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history....Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of, a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.  The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself--to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.

I have been wanting to do this review for so long and for some reason I have not gotten around to it. This is one of my all-time favorite books and I read it years ago and just before I really started blogging but I never officially reviewed it. But I'm trying to do a monthly throwback reviews that fit the monthly theme and this is the perfect one for this month so let's dive right in.

First off I love the plot development of this book. I describe it as Dracula meets The DaVinci Code. It is one of those books where you are taken on a worldwide adventure to hunt for clues and believe me when I say it is a thrilling adventure. I am frequently whining about how much I dislike travel monologues and how they aren't plot points to me and I think it's because this book ruined all future books like this for me because it is so good. It's so well plotted as the clues unfold and you are taken along for an exciting ride. I think the thing that the author does so well is that there is not only are the stakes really high but each step along the way is purposeful and interesting. The plot was so exciting that even the second time around I was just as surprised and enthralled. And many of you will probably know that I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to mysteries. I knew how this was going to end and it still managed to keep me on my toes which really is the mark of a great read if you ask me.

The other great thing about this plot development is the historical aspect. The reason that I am doing this throwback review during this month is because this is a classic example of a historical mystery and why that is my favorite subgenre. The thing I like most about historical mystery is it takes something that happens in the past and attaches it to a mystery in the present. So because of that there are so many great elements of historical fiction, in this case Vlad the Impaler or the real Dracula, and the mystery of the main character trying to find her parents. The two elements blend together beautifully to craft a story full of mystery, fantasy, and adventure.

This book also has a great setting and world. As I said, this is one of those worldwide adventures kind of stories so there are plenty of places to explore. Most of the book takes place in different parts of Eastern Europe like different parts of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Each different place comes alive in your mind as you can perfectly visualize the locations and the history of the place. I felt like I could perfectly imagine everything from the castles of Romania to the markets of Istanbul. The author definitely transports you to these places as you are reading and it's one of the main reasons that the travel works and the book is so enjoyable.

Finally, I really liked the characters of this book. Because this is a book with a ton of mystery and is all about secrets it should come as no surprise that this is a book full of complex and mysterious characters. Every single one of them has something to hide and because of that they keep you on your toes. I loved getting to know each of them and learning about their past and present, It made for a really interesting read to see them at their best and their worst. The other thing about this book is that main character never gets a name. She's just sort of this nameless young woman. That might sound strange and annoying but it sort of lead this great thing where you could immerse yourself into her perspective and the story. It made things even more interesting.

As I said, The Historian is one of my all-time favorite books. I absolutely love everything about it. The plot, the mystery, the setting, the world, the characters. It's engrossing and enthralling. I read it ten years ago and loved it, I read it four years ago and loved. I could read it today and I would probably still love it.

I give The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 10 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! Is there any doubt? I love this book so much and want everyone and their dog to read it. If you like historical mysteries or books that take you on a worldwide adventure you must check this book out.

Have you read The Historian? I know a few of you out there love it as much as I do. Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Throwback Thursday Review: The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire

So I haven't done one of these in awhile but because I am in a reading slump at the moment and didn't have a review ready to post as planned I thought I would instead review a book/series that I read before I started blogging. A series that I really love and have never really talked about. It's a feature I do time to time here and may try to do a little more regularly, I call it Throwback Thursday Reviews.

This is my fantasy month so it only made sense that I talk about a fantasy for this post. But honestly, that is a really hard book to decide on. As many of you know, I am a total fantasy junkie. And this is nothing new, I have always read a ton of fantasy. And there are plenty of really great and even some mediocre fantasy that I could review. Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings? The Chronicles of Narnia? The classics. But instead I decided to go with something on the newer end. Something I talk about pretty often and I haven't reviewed, The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire.

If you are unfamiliar with this name, you know it better as Wicked. Yes, that Wicked. The Defying Gravity musical about the witches of Oz before Dorothy arrived. But honestly, that's only the beginning of this series. Yes, that is the general plot of the first book. It's an origin story, a villain origin story about the Wicked Witch of the West. It's a much more self-contained story plot wise. It introduces us to the characters that we know and love from the original Wizard of Oz but in a new and different way. If you have seen the musical, I will say, it is very different. They are much more overt in their reference to characters beyond the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda. But it's still really cool to see the origin for these characters. And it also develops some of the unexplained questions from the original like why the witch is so wicked, why she wants the ruby slippers so bad, and why she's out west in Winkie territory. But my favorite thing is how dark it is. It's surprsingly complex and mature especially compared to the

The rest of the series is even more complex and mature. It focuses on the question of what happened in Oz once the Wicked Witch of the West is killed and the Wizard leaves. It also continues a lot of the big picture plot points that started in the first book. For that what I mean is that Oz is at war and there is a power struggle between who is going to control it. It's not the focus of the book but it's a big part of the world of the series. I think that it gives it this great combination of classic sword and sorcery kind of books and the more modern fantasy with political intrigue. Now don't get me wrong, it's not about scheming and plotting like some of the books with politics that I love but it does have a really interesting plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat with plenty of surprises.

The other thing that I really like about the series and the way it develops is the interconnection of the characters. I don't want to give too much away but considering that you can see by the title of the second book that this is about the descendants of the Wicked Witch. Or maybe you assumed it was about Glinda's son. Crap. Sorry. Spoiler alert? Whatever. Anyway, it's about Elphaba's descendants and kind of the lasting affects of her legacy on Oz. Each book you are interested to a new main character but you are able to connect with them because of their connection to the previous character. It's kind of an interesting way to structure a series and I really think it works. But it's not just the main characters, there is so much connection with secondary characters too. Certain ones appear throughout all the books where others make an appearance and then come back later in unexpected ways.

My only criticism of this series is the pacing. These are not fast reads. These are complex and long books that you need to slow down and take your time reading. It develops in a very methodical way as it takes us through the world and experiences of the characters. Now it's not a bad thing to have a slower paced book but it's not something that I prefer. It took me a long time to finish each of these books because I think it took me a long time to get into them. I think because each book has a different character and each book has to set up their story and how it connects to the larger story so it takes a little bit longer to get to "the good stuff." It's been awhile since I read them so I can't say if it's because there is a lot of exposition or why exactly this happens, but I do very distinctly remember it happening with every book in the series.

But on the whole, I really love this series. I'm a hug fan of Gregory Maguire and his retellings. He does such a great job in creating a new and unique story that captures the spirit and characters from the original book. This is the series that started it all for me. It's got great characters and a fascinating world. It's surprisingly complex and I loved the way it developed. It's a must read for fans of the original Wizard of Oz or fantasy fans.

I give The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I'm a huge fan of this series. I love the way it developed and I loved how dark and compelling it was. If you liked the musical I think you should probably check it out.  And if you read Wicked and didn't realize there were more books in the series, there are and the rest of them are really good.

There you have it. My thoughts on a book I read years ago, before I started blogging. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got a case of nostalgia along with me. Have you read The WIcked Years? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Throwback Thursday Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - (Amazon / Goodreads) The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - (Amazon / Goodreads) Life, The Universe, and Everything - (Amazon / Goodreads) So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - (Amazon / Goodreads) Mostly Harmless - (Amazon / Goodreads) Plot of the series: The various versions follow the same basic plot but they are in many places mutually contradictory, as Adams rewrote the story substantially for each new adaptation. Throughout all versions, the series follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, a hapless Englishman, although the story also follows the adventure of other major characters: Ford Prefect (who named himself after the Ford Prefect car to blend in with what was assumed to be the dominant life form, automobiles), an alien from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse and a researcher for the eponymous guidebook; Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ford's semi-cousin and the Galactic President; the depressed robot Marvin the Paranoid Android; and Trillian, formerly known as Tricia McMillan, a woman Arthur once met at a party in Islington and the only other human survivor of Earth's destruction. [Source]

It's Science Fiction month here on My Thoughts Literally. It has been a long time since I have done a Before I Blogged I Read post and I thought this would be the perfect time to do that. Plus I had the perfect series to do that. One of my absolute favorites, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

It has been so long since I have read these books but I have seriously always wanted to review them here on the blog. And then as I started to write a review I realized that doing that is nearly impossible. I mean it has been nearly four years since I read them. And one thing I have realized recently is that I seem to compartmentalize my thoughts on books. Like I usually vaguely remember what I thought about a book, like if I loved it or hated it, but I rarely remember exactly why I liked it and I almost never remember any details about the plot of the book.

However I do remember basically every detail of the first book in this series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It is one of those books that has always stuck with me because of it's creative and engaging Science Fiction plot and world that is full of action and humor. I remember reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and literally laughing out loud at so many moments and to this day I reference things from book in my daily life. It also got me hooked on so many different things that I'm not sure I would be the same type of reader had I not read this book.

First and foremost The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy got me hooked on space operas. For those who are not aware, space operas are a subgenre of Science Fiction where typically a quirky cast of characters travel through space on some sort of galactic adventure. Think Star Wars, Firefly, or The Lunar Chronicles (well mostly just Cress). The Hitchhiker's Guide took us to all kinds of crazy corners of the galaxy including a legendary planet that creates planets. Along the way we get to see and experience all kinds of crazy places and unique technology. You guys know that I hate travel monologues, moving around for the sake of moving around is something that always bothers me. But put it in space and I am more than down for the ride. There's just something amazing and interesting about travelling through the galaxy at lightspeed (or with the use of an Infinite Improbability Drive) and exploring places both mysterious and weird. And that is one of the best things about this book, the weirdness factor. It creates this intricate Science Fiction world with advanced technology like a book that contains all the information about the universe and computers to find the answer to life, the universe and everything (comment with the answer and I will love you forever). But it also seems to poke fun at the genre and almost appears satirical. Either way it was a fun ride and an amazing series.

And one thing that was incredibly amazing about this series is the fascinating cast of characters. Something you should know about me is that I hate aliens. It's a serious irrational fear that I have. I blame my brother for using an ET doll to terrify me as a kid. And for that reason I avoided a lot of Science Fiction novels for a really long time. But then I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The humor in this series and the quirky characters made me realize it's not all bad. As far as the characters go, my personal favorites are the aliens. Sure, the earthlings are great. There's our everyman main character Arthur Dent is great and the perfect combination of curious and concerned. But the best characters for me are the hilariously dry and sarcastic Ford Prefect who is resourceful but pragmatic and loves a good drink, the lovable rogue Zeephod Beeblebrox, and the whiny "paranoid android" Marvin. The series also has a  hilariously villainous conquering alien race known as Vogons that I enjoy despite the fact that they are far from humanoid (a thing that usually gets me over my fear of aliens). And those are just the main characters. The characters in this series are what makes it so fun and enjoyable. Especially when weird secondary characters come back into the story in later books (the whale? Argrajag?).

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also got me hooked on audiobooks. I listened to the audio when I was stuck on a train for thirteen hours headed to Rochester, NY (my hometown) from Providence, Rhode Island (where I was living at the time). And that was the best and worst decision I have ever made. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy first began as a radio play so it was the perfect book to have in an audio format. It was full of action and excitement, a thrilling plot, and engaging characters. Plus this book is a hilarious and sarcastic book that is almost satirical. I found myself trying desperately not to laugh out loud and failing miserably. People most have thought I was crazy but I didn't care, it was so fantastic! And after that every time I was traveling, whether it was on a plane, train, or automobile, I had an audiobook for the trip.

I give The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy a 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Whether you are a Science Fiction fan or not this is a brilliant and funny series that includes a thrilling space adventure, a creative world, and amazing characters. I would definitely suggest this book as a gateway not only into Science Fiction but also into audiobooks. There are amazing versions of the this series including one narrated by who was a great Arthur Dent in a less than stellar movie adaptation. Although be warned, like a lot of series some of the books are better than others. The first one is the best and despite that I didn't hate Mostly Harmless, the series does sort of fizzle towards the end.

Have you read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? What did you think? Do you quote and reference it any chance you can get? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Celebrating Banned Books Week with Before I Blogged I Read: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

(I first saw the idea of Before I Blogged I Read from Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner)

I'm sure that many of you know that this week is "Banned Books Week" here in the US. The week where we celebrate all those books that get challenged for their content and themes which are "unsuitable" and should therefore not be taught in schools or even for sale according to some people. Many of the books which have shaped my upbringing and view of the world are in fact "banned books" so for today's Throwback Thursday and in honor of Banned Books Week I have decided to review one of my favorite banned books/series...

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman (Published 1995 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (Published 1997 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (Published 200 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. You may also know this as The Northern Lights trilogy or by the first book in the series which became a movie, The Golden Compass. It is an incredible Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy series with interesting and complicated characters, a thrilling and mysterious plot, and a complex and interesting world that develops with each passing book.

One of the things I love about this series is that with each book it takes on a very different tone as it explores a different subgenre or trope in Fantasy novels. In The Golden Compass the series seems like it's your typical YA/MG High Fantasy adventure story. Our plucky heroine Lyra Belacqua goes on a mission to find her lost friend with the help of some interesting and unlikely characters (more on them later). Then at the end of the book we are left with a cliffhanger. This leads us to book 2, The Subtle Knife, which takes a more Science Fiction feel as it takes place in multiple worlds. Then in the final book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, we get the end of the world epic fantasy vibes that the Fantasy genre has been known for. But this is not your typical story of good versus evil.

Much of this series breaks with the fantasy tradition of good and evil and nothing communicates this more than the characters. What you would usually think of as an evil entity is good in this series like witches and a race of militarized bears (seiously the armored bears are totally kickass!) are supportive and helpful to our heroine and her goals. And those that you would usually think of as good are the more diabolical entities in this world like angels and the Magisterium, the church like entity in the world. And then there are the individual characters, many of whom walk the line between right and wrong and your opinion of them changes often throughout the series. Most, if not all, of these characters are manipulative and care more about their own self-interests than those who they claim to love and care about. In the first book the best example of this is Mrs. Coulter & Lord Asriel who use Lyra to prove their points in their church versus state argument and their science versus religion argument. They put her in all kinds of compromising positions and even attempt to turn her against the other person. Then later in the series we have Balthamas and Baruch, angels who are doing the same thing yet interestingly enough, to characters who had previously been the manipulators. And I can't even begin to talk about the dubiousness about the god-like entity in this series (I'll attempt to later).

Even the main characters, Lyra and Will, are far from perfect. Lyra, the ultimate heroine of the series, is your typical strong female characters. When we first meet her she is a tomboy who would rather be running around the roof with the gyptian children than being a proper "young lady." She is intelligent and curious but she often uses her quick thinking skills to manipulate people and is a notorious liar. Her lies and manipulations do get her out of many a tricky situation that her impulsiveness got her into in the first place. Her Hero's Journey in this series actually leads to more corruption than anything else. It all makes her rather dubious and you guys know how I feel about dubious characters. Will on the other hand is arguably Lyra's polar opposite (comment if you get that pun). He is honest and kind and unlike Lyra who is in a perpetual state of childhood, he has had to grow up too quickly. He has a strong sense of right and wrong but still often does things that breaks with his moral code. But as they say opposites attract and I totally ship Lyra and Will. They are great well-rounded characters that make this series interesting.

Lyra being careless and Pan changing shape!

What is perhaps the most interesting thing about this series however is the world. The Golden Compass begins in a High Fantasy version of Oxford. It's a steampunk kind of Victorian world with zeppelins and interesting gadgets that run via a supernatural force. But there are also daemons! And I don't mean this is the usual sense of the word (just another dichotomy in this sereies). This is the absolute coolest thing about Lyra's world. Every person has their soul manifested as a talking animal that follows you around. As a child your daemon changes shape and then when you become a teenager is settles into something that best represents you. Lyra's daemon Pan is not only one of her best friends but also tries to act like her conscience throughout a lot of the series. As the series goes on we learn more about the larger world. We see how it's connected to our world and we travel between worlds to some interesting places. And then there's this world's view of the afterlife. It is reminiscent of Greek mythological views on the subject and the storyline that takes place there are quite creepy and interesting.

But that probably explains the plot of this book pretty well, interesting and enthralling but quite creepy. I've already given a little explanation about each of the books in the series and some of it's themes. What this series does really well is combine classic fantasy adventure with mystery and plot twists and larger themes about humanity and society.Throughout most of the book, as the reader, you are easily along for the ride as Lyra and later Will go on their missions to save someone or something. You enjoy exploring the world and meeting new characters. But along the way there are so many questions about what is happening in the world and why. It is all a little unsettling at times as it makes you question what you thought was good and real about society as you know it. Phillip Pullman throws in ingenious plot twist after ingenious plot twist keeping you on your toes and questioning things. There's a great sense of mystery with the adventure of the series.

But the really interesting and unsettling thing about the plot and themes of this series is the reasons why it is listed among the banned and challenged books, its themes about science versus religion, biblical allegories, and criticism of organized religion. Lyra is this prophecized girl who will bring about the downfall of the Magesterium, a religious and governmental entity in her world who we learn throughout the series is doing some not so great things in the name of their religion. It definitely takes a very critical look on the subject of religion, pointing out it's flaws and making it and even the higher power working in the world the ultimate antagonist of the story. Pullman expertly crafts an antagonist out of something you usually see as being positive. It's sort of the ultimate contradiction where you are rooting for a person who is probably doing something not very good and while it is unsettling to think you support them, they really do seem to have the right idea. Part of Lyra's prophecy is that she is a "second Eve" or the "betrayer" that will lead to "an end of death" or a sort of second original sin. It is definitely the kind of book that could offend someone who is more religious. However when taken on it's storytelling and as a fantasy novel, it's quite incredible.

I give the His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman series 9.5 out of 10

It's a complex and interesting series with complex and dubious characters, a creative and engaging world, and a interesting and mysterious plot that combines fantasy elements with a criticism of society and religion.

Have you read His Dark Materials? What did you think? If you could have a daemon what form would it take? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. If you haven't read His Dark Materials (or even if you have) tell me what is your favorite banned book? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Throwback Thursday Before I Blogged I Read: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of Witches Author: Deborah Harkness Published: Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:  A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday was to talk about "gateway books." I mentioned A Discovery of Witches because I hated it so much it got me back into blogging. A few comments made me realize I never actually blogged about this book, but also that I should probably explain myself. But first a story:

Remember how amazing it was when 1-click buying was created on Amazon. How you could, for the first time, use your preferred shipping address and billing information to purchase a book with the swipe of a single button. It was GLORIOUS! Did anyone else accidentally order a book without even realizing it? Just me? That's cool, I'm not ashamed. If you haven't deduced why I'm telling you this story it's because that book was A Discovery of Witches. 

So I ordered this book that I wanted but wasn't totally sold on and decided it was fate. I thought I should give it a try and read it. Now this was a time where I was going through a lot personally. I was about to move to Pittsburgh, a city where I knew one person, for a brand new job and it was very stressful. I was also going through a bit of a reading slump so I decided to dive into what seemed like the perfect book for me. It was fantasy with a focus on magic and seemed like a lot of the Historical Mysteries/Thrillers that I always love. So I started reading with high hopes thinking that the universe wanted me to read this book, and who can argue with the universe? (No one, that's who). But as I started reading I realized that this book was not at all what I was hoping for.

The first reason I hated this book is that it had such promise. From the description it sounds like a book totally up my alley. I really wanted to love this book but I couldn't, I really couldn't. I kept waiting for it to get interesting and it never got there. I was waiting for the magic to come into play and there was so little that it was almost like there wasn't any at all. If you are expecting a book about magic, you have come to the wrong place. I told multiple people when I was reading this book that "it sounds so interesting, but it really isn't."

Another problem is that the pacing was terrible. It took forever to get interesting and when something exciting did happen it was over before I even realized what was happening. Certain things dragged on and on but then other moments were over way too quickly. There were so many times where I thought that entire chunks of the plot were missing because things passed way too quickly. But I also think I was just really not a fan of the writing style. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the editing but there was just something about it that felt unfinished and poorly executed. It felt like amateur hour.

But my real problem was that I just  couldn't get behind the protagonist. I was hoping for a strong female academic and she was not it. She changed her opinions more than she changed her clothes and couldn't stand by any of her decisions. Every time she would tell herself she should do something or not do it seconds later she would change her mind. She was spineless and I hated it. 

It felt like it was trying too hard to be an adult alternative to Twilight. The similarities between that story and this are astounding. I already mentioned how I disliked the MC and she seemed to just be a regurgitation of all Bella's bad qualities. Then we have the insta-love with a vampire situation who by the way is super overprotective. It was just too much of an Edward and Bella situation for my liking. Plus a lot of the vampire lore and mythology is similar to Twilight and they were things that differ from traditional vampire lore. It really just felt like this book was trying to capitalize on the popularity of Twilight and I cannot get behind pandering. 

I really wanted to DNF the book but all my other books were packed away in boxes for my move and so I forced myself to finish it. I'm glad that I did because the last 50 pages were actually not that bad but it was a case of too little too late. I've read some reviews about people who really liked this book and the second one in the series sounds a lot better but between the poor writing, the fact that I didn't like the characters, and that I found the world uninteresting I don't think I will be picking the next two books up.

I give a Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 4 out of 10 stars

And now that you know why I didn't like this book you can make up your mind for yourself about if you want to read it. If you are a fan of the Twilight series and looking for something similar than check this book out. If you've read A Discovery of Witches leave me a comment with your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

#ThrowbackThursday... Before I Blogged I Read The Luxe Series by Anna Godberson

I first saw the idea for this post from Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner’s Blog. I love this concept.  My blogging over the past few years has been very subpar. I’ve read a lot of books that I want to talk about and discuss with people but I never wrote anything about them on here. So I am adopting the concept and making it coincide with Throwback Thursday, because it just makes sense.

My first pick is The Luxe Series by Anna Godbersen. It includes The Luxe, Rumors, Envy, and Spendor. The series is Young Adult Historical Fiction and Romance set in New York City at the turn of the 20^th Century. But it’s not your average Historical Romance, its Gossip Girl in petticoats and corsets.

I initially started the series in 2008 when I worked for Americorps. I brought the book to a retreat I was attending and I ended up leaving it there. I wasn’t too brokenhearted because I wasn’t totally in love with the series at the time. It was good not great. The Luxe suffered from what I call “First Book Syndrome.” It spent a lot of time just setting things up that weren’t going to develop much later. Then I was again reminded of the series in 2011 when I was at a Border’s that was closing (a moment of silence for Border’s) and I picked up the second book in the series for $2 when I was travelling for work. I started it but never finished it because it was again a little slow. Then when I was moving to Pittsburgh I realized I had a substantial amount of books that I half read and so I picked it back up determined to finish it and I devoured the rest of the series. 

I will try and make my review as spoiler free as I can but that is often difficult when you are trying to review an entire series.

In The Luxe we are introduced to the myriad of characters that are the centerpiece of this series. First and foremost are the Holland sisters. Elizabeth, the elder sister, is the darling of the high society set. She wants nothing more than to please her family and is a perfect and demure young lady. This is in contrast to bold and brash Diana, her younger sister, who has a bit of a rebellious streak and does not want to be the kind of lady that her place in society dictates. The Holland’s father died leaving them bankrupt and Elizabeth is forced to marry Henry Schoonmaker. The Schoonmakers are the wealthiest family in the city and Henry is known as a bit of a cad, a womanizer, and kind of a drunk. Henry and Diana meet when he comes to the house to meet Elizabeth and they are instantly smitten with each other and find kindred free-spirits in one another. To complicate things further we have Penelope Hayes, Elizabeth’s best friend. She is a member of an upstart new money family who had a fling with Henry and is still in love with him. She’s jealous of Elizabeth and will do anything to get Henry to marry her instead. As if that weren’t complicated enough Elizabeth is actually in love with William Keller, the Holland’s coachman, who she grew up with. He is also in love with her and wants to run away and start over in the West. The Holland’s maid Lina is desperately in love with Will and extremely jealous of Elizabeth. The characters are scheming and plotting against one another for their own personal gains by spreading salacious rumors to each other and in the press.

As the love hexagon may lead you to believe this is not a typical romance. There is no insta-love that you see a lot in these kinds of stories, Young Adult romances often being the most guilty of this phenomena. If you don’t get that then you get the “love can conquer all” trope that feels so disingenuous. In the case of The Luxe series there is the idea that your first love isn’t necessarily your only love, which is a concept I think more YA romances need. It was incredibly refreshing and I loved it. The romance in this series was dark and a little torturous. They were EPIC in the Logan Echolls sense of the word. They spanning years and continents, ruined lives, bloodshed. EPIC!

My favorite part of the series was probably the characters. Anna Godbersen created a host of deep and complex characters who live in the grey area between good and evil. There is no clear villain and no clear hero of this story, all the characters were scheming and plotting against one another for their own personal gain. I think it’s a testament to the writing that I didn’t actually like the character that was arguably the most villainous. They were all very different and interesting and had elements that made you like them and dislike them at the same time. And while they could have very easily fallen into the stereotypical, from the beginning it really seemed like they were going to, but they were all full of surprises. The biggest surprise among them was the Holland Sisters. They are both hopeless romantics and have a bit of a Sense and Sensibility vibe but things do not turn out in the way you expect for either of them. As the series goes on they both become strong female characters who learn to do what they want instead of what is expected of them. They become quite the feminists and they do it all in fancy dresses!

The uniqueness of the characters is further developed by the fact that each chapter is told from a different character's perspective. And while that can often make a story muddled, in the case of this series it worked to move the plot along in a steady and interesting pace. It gave each chapter a unique voice and never left you wondering about what someone was thinking or feeling. The character's lives intertwined in such an intricate way the story was improved by the multiple perspective approach. It also added to the fact that you empathized with even the most malicious of characters because you learned their deeper motivations.

      

The situations that the characters are faced with, while they are taken directly from the issues young people were faced with during the specific time period, also felt like issues people today are faced with. These included concepts like family dynamics, love and marriage, friendship, responsibility, and feminism. These ideas can often devolve and end up being too fluffy but this series walked the line brilliantly. It’s something I think everyone can relate with particularly young women.

If you are going to read this series, and I recommend you do, my suggestion is to marathon it. Only the first book feels like a unique story. For the rest of the series they build on one another to create one larger narrative full of intrigue and surprises. Forewarning, the ending is not at all happy, it’s very bittersweet but it’s more satisfying than a happy ending would be. And don’t give up after the first one like I did, they get better and better as it goes on building to a big crescendo in the ending that leaves you incredibly satisfied. 

I recommend this series to anyone who likes Historical Fiction, realistic romances, characters that are both good and evil, or strong female characters. This series is one of my favorites and Splendor was one of the best books I read this year. If you’ve read it already let me know your thoughts in the comments section, and if you haven’t check it out!