Waiting on Wednesday: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Stalking Jack the Ripper Author: Kerri Maniscalco Published: September 20, 2016 by Jimmy Patterson (Little Brown) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...  Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world. The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Why I'm Waiting 

I could probably not be more excited about this book. It has been on my TBR for about a year now when I first heard about it back when it had a different name and was just a synopsis. It's a total me book. For one thing it is historical set during the Victorian era with a strong female protagonist who is subverting genre and society's expectations to be who she want to be not who they think she should be. Then on top of that you have the serial killer mystery elements and the fact that it has period photographs. Everything about this sounds creepy, complex, and captivating.

This has been one of my post anticipated debuts for the fall and I was so excited to get a copy at BEA and meet the author. Kerri was so sweet and it was great meeting here. Plus it means I got an advance copy of the book and can read it as part of ARC August which is super exciting.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Swan Riders along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Historical Fiction Set Outside the U.S.

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Okay so I think if you follow the blog and/or know me you know that I read mostly genre/fiction. So trying to come up with a list of books set out the US would probably be nothing but high fantasy novels. "Westeros isn't the US, Scadriel isn't the US, Erilea isn't the US." So instead of that, I decided to talk about all the historical fiction that takes place in different contries.

Word War II Historical Fiction

1.) The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - (My Review / Goodreads)

I was really late to the game when it came to this book. So many people love it and I just thought it wasn't going to be for me. I was wrong, it was fantastic. So engaging and heartbreaking in the best possible way.

2.) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - (My Review / Goodreads)

Speaking of heartbreaking in the best possible way, this book. Ugh. I love how it made me emotionally distraught for days afterwards. No but seriously, it's a really fantastic read and a great story of friendship, plus not your average WWII story.

3.) Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudain - (My Review / Goodreads)

I read this book a few months back and love it! I loved it so much I can't believe I waited to read it. It's not really WWII or historical fiction but it's an alternate history and I'm bending my rules a little because I like it that much. Plus I love that it takes you to different places.

Great Britain 

4.) A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller - (My Review / Goodreads)

More books about women's suffrage, please. This is a fantastic one about the suffrage movement in Victorian England so right there you should be interested. But it also has a really good romance and is a story about what you want versus what society wants for you.

5.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - (My Review / Goodreads)

So this had to be on the list because not only is it a fantastic story with amazing characters (Claire and Jamie!) but it also makes you want to visit Scotland. It's such an interesting and lush setting in both history and just the location.

6.) Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray - (My Review / Goodreads)

I love Libba Bray and this was one of my first books of hers I read. It's a really great YA historical fantasy (I mean the ending was a bit iffy but I'll forgive it) plus it had fantastically complex characters and that British boarding school series that you gotta love.

7.) Scarlet Trilogy by A.C. Gaughen - (My Review / Goodreads)

So you may think of this in terms of it's retelling elements but I like it a lot for the historical setting and the way that it kind of immerses you in the history. Plus it's got great characters and the classic Medieval Britain setting.

Russia

8.) Sekret by Lindsay Smith - (My Review / Goodreads)
I am such a sucker for books set in Russia, and Soviet Russia is a time and place that is so fascinating and under-utilized especially in YA. Sekret does a great job with that plus it has fantastic spy elements and they have psionic powers.

9.) The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye - (My Review / Goodreads)
Okay, so this another one with great fantasy elements but it's also set in Imperial Russia which I am perilous to resist. The setting is definitely lush and interest too. But again, I'm a sucker for YA books set in Russia.

Other

10.) The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - (My Review / Goodreads)
So I'm stretching a little bit with this one because it's a historical mystery that doesn't really have a firm time period or location really. But this is one of my all-time favorite books and it takes the reader on a fascinating quest through much of Eastern Europe and even parts of Western Europe and Asia. 

11.) The Song for Achilles by Madeline Miller - (My Review / Goodreads)
Yes, this is another retelling. But it is also a book set during Ancient Greek and generally just fantastic. This is another book that is heartbreaking in the best possible way. But seeing the title and knowing what happens in the Iliad that should be no surprise.

12.) Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth - (My Review / Goodreads)
And another book that is one of my all-time favorites and is a retelling. But it explores the story of Rapunzel in an interesting way and takes the reader to different parts of Renaissance Europe including France and Venice.

Those are my favorite historical fiction reads set outside of the U.S. What books made your list? Do we have any in common? Did I miss any good ones? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

DNF Mini Review: The Devourers by Indra Das

I don't mark a lot of books as Did Not Finish but every once and a while a book is just not working for me. It's been a few months but I have to once again mark a book as DNF. I gave it a good go but after following my rule of putting it down for a few days to gauge interest, I still didn't want to pick it up. Plus with reading a few books I had loved and not a lot of time to read this week, I decided not to power through and DNF it.

I decided to to a quick posts to explain my thoughts on the book I shelved as "DNF" this month. Writing DNF reviews is a tricky subject. I don't want to do full reviews on the book because I don't really have a well-rounded enough view on it. But I also wanted to explain why I didn't quite like the books because I try to be really honest here. So I based this post on Nikki at There Were Books Involved's DNF Q+As. This allows me to explain why the book didn't quite work for me without giving a full review. So here you go, my DNF Reviews

Title: The Devourers Author: Indra Das Published: July 12, 2016 by Del Ray (Random House) Source: Netgalley (Amazon / Goodreads)                                                                                           Synopsis: For readers of Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, China Mieville, and David Mitchell comes a striking debut novel by a storyteller of keen insight and captivating imagination.  On a cool evening in Kolkata, India, beneath a full moon, as the whirling rhythms of traveling musicians fill the night, college professor Alok encounters a mysterious stranger with a bizarre confession and an extraordinary story. Tantalized by the man’s unfinished tale, Alok will do anything to hear its completion. So Alok agrees, at the stranger’s behest, to transcribe a collection of battered notebooks, weathered parchments, and once-living skins.  From these documents spills the chronicle of a race of people at once more than human yet kin to beasts, ruled by instincts and desires blood-deep and ages-old. The tale features a rough wanderer in seventeenth-century Mughal India who finds himself irrevocably drawn to a defiant woman—and destined to be torn asunder by two clashing worlds. With every passing chapter of beauty and brutality, Alok’s interest in the stranger grows and evolves into something darker and more urgent.  Shifting dreamlike between present and past with intoxicating language, visceral action, compelling characters, and stark emotion, The Devourers offers a reading experience quite unlike any other novel.

How Much I Read:
48% of the e-ARC

Why it Didn't Work For Me:

Well first, I did actually like the writing and world of this book. When you have a Gaiman comparison in the synopsis of course there is high expectations. And I honestly think this book lived up to that. It had gorgeous and lyrical prose that that brought the book to life. It was one of those books that reads like a modern fairy tale. It had an old world and lyrical style that I did really like. But atmosphere alone will not keep me reading.

I think the biggest thing here was that it's just a case of being such a plot driven reader. It's not that this book was boring, it just had a very different style. It was kind of rambling and that's not what I typically like when it comes to my books. The half of the book that I read really felt like nothing much was happening. There was a bit of a mystery that I was interested in exploring further but not enough really to keep reading.

In addition I didn't really connect with the characters. The book was split up into two different time periods, a past and a present. Both were inhabited by different people who were noticeably similar. It was hard to keep track of them which made it hard to really connect. This is also a book about shapeshifters or werewolves. I was into the concept but in actual practice I felt like this aspect was confusing and the attempt to make them darker and gritty just came off as almost aloof. It was just one more thing that kept me from connecting.

Will I Go Back to It:
Probably not. I am kind of curious about the mystery and reveal but I don't think I'm curious enough to keep reading. I have theories about it and kind of want to make sure I'm right but I'm not really sure. But to be entirely honest I just really wasn't feeling it and I'm not sure that the second half would be more plot-driven. This is probably just a case of a book not working for me.

Have you read The Devourers? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Crossing Over: Atmospheric Fantasies with Surprisingly Sinister Antagonists

Hey all. This month's Crossing Over is a little later than usual because it was hard to decide on. On top of the fact that I don't have a theme this month to focus me, I've used up all my idea stockpile I put together when I first created the idea. But I finally decided on one and I'm really happy with it.

If you're not familiar with Crossing Over it's a feature that stemmed from my desire to recommend an adult book with crossover appeal based on a YA or sometimes Middle Grade book that are similar. I hate that we pigeonhole books into a specific age range and so I try to combat that. Plus it's basically an if you liked, then try but for crossover books. It runs once a month here and I pick the books based on the theme of what I'm reading. But like I said, no theme this month so here is a completely arbitrary choice.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steivater
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

First things first, this is an absolutely amazing book with gorgeous writing and an atmospheric tone that you will get swept away in. Plus the setting is so unique and enthralling you'll wish it was a real place. It's one of those books that forces you to slow down when you're reading and take it all in but at the same time it's not at all boring. The plot will have you wanting to find out what will happen next and there is a surprising amount of action. There is also a surprising antagonist. You don't expect sinister demon horses to be as vicious and terrifying but that's exactly what they are. And of course you have great characters that you will relate to, a complex family dynamic, and a really sweet romance. It's a fantastic read. Plus the audio is top notch!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

And of course Uprooted is also an absolutely amazing book with gorgeous writing and an atmospheric tone that you will get swept away in. Plus the setting is so unique and enthralling you'll wish it was a real place. It's one of those books that forces you to slow down when you're reading and take it all in. It will take longer than you expect to read it but at the same time it's not at all boring. The plot will have you wanting to find out what will happen next and there is a surprising amount of action. There is also a surprising antagonist. You don't expect a sentient wood to be as vicious and terrifying but that's exactly what it is. And of course you have great characters that you will love, an amazing female friendship, and a really good hate to love romance. It's a fantastic read and worth the time.

These are both good examples of books I think of as a modern fairy tale. They have these really great atmospheric tones and a unique setting that feels magical even if there isn't any magic in play. But then you add magic and/or magical creatures and it makes it all the more enjoyable. But I think the best thing about these books is how great of a conflict there is with an antagonist that is surprsingly sinister. And they'll both leaving having loved the way the standalone ended but wanting more.

Have you read The Scorpio Races and/or Uprooted? What did you think? What retelling that read like historical fiction crossovers do you like? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Rocks Fall Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar

Title: Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies Written by: Lindsay Ribar Published: June 7, 2016 by Kathy Dawson Books (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Twin Peaks meets Stars Hollow in this paranormal suspense novel about a boy who can reach inside people and steal their innermost things—fears, memories, scars, even love—and his family's secret ritual that for centuries has kept the cliff above their small town from collapsing.  Aspen Quick has never really worried about how he's affecting people when he steals from them. But this summer he'll discover just how strong the Quick family magic is—and how far they'll go to keep their secrets safe.  With a smart, arrogant protagonist, a sinister family tradition, and an ending you won't see coming, this is a fast-paced, twisty story about power, addiction, and deciding what kind of person you want to be, in a family that has the ability to control everything you are.

I was intrigued by this book when I first learned about it. Nevermind the Twin Peaks meets Stars Hollow comparison, a magical realism and paranormal mystery with a crazy family dynamic... sign me up. And this book did not disappoint. It was weird in the best possible way and one of the most unique YA fantasies I have read in awhile.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the magical realism aspects. It's a subgenre of fantasy that I have really enjoyed lately and I loved it here. The magical system was so interesting and unique. Pulling things out of people through their objects sounds really strange and it was, but it was also really fascinating. Like all good magic systems it had clear rules and guidelines but it was also something all it's own. I loved seeing the magic in effect and learning more about it as the book developed. As the book went on it became more and more complex as it was tied to deeper seated issues both internal and external. But what I liked most about is that it's one of those magic systems where it explores the idea of if magic helps or harms. There were deeper themes tied to the magic which I really enjoyed. It was definitely fantastic and weird.

And it's a good thing that I enjoyed the magic because it was very much a part of the plot of the book. And a great plot it was too. It only took me two days to listen to the audio because I seriously could not stop, it was that good. I was expecting weird and a little creepy with unexplained occurrences and sure, it had some of those elements, but they weren't the focus. What should have been weird made total sense which left room for a very different mystery. It effortlessly combined the magic and mystery to create something so compelling.  Not to mention that it really built to a thrilling ending with a climax that came so late in the book that I was wondering how it could possibly end, but it did. Plus along the way it had a lot going on and explored some really interesting themes that kept me incredibly engaged.

One of those themes was the exploration of the family dynamic, which was so entrenched into the plot and the mystery of the book. I think the family dynamic was the real drama here. There was so much going on with the Quick family and it affected them and the town at large. Learning their history and seeming them interact in both positive and negative ways was one of the best parts of the book. Messed up family dynamics are nothing new in literature but here it was handled so well that it was engaging and complex.

Which I guess brings me to the characters. They were just as complex and weird as the book. There was so much to these secondary characters, especially members of the Quick family like Grandmother Willow and Aspen's Dad. They are quirky in a non-traditional kind of way. It was more dramatic and kind of less expected. They are also terrible. So many of the characters in this book are terrible people, especially the MC. Aspen Quick is not at all likable. He's a self-centered jerk who does things out of selfish personal interest. There were so many moments where I wanted to punch him. But that was what made him so compelling, I wanted to know what would happen to him in spite of or maybe because he was so likable. Plus he had a great development throughout the book and in the end I wanted him to succeed.

I listened to the audiobook for this and it was a really great audio. Michael Crouch, the narrator, did a great job of creating the emotion and characters of this book. His tone and inflection definitely allowed the listener to feel what the characters were feeling. When the action started picking up you felt the suspense. I also really liked the way he developed the characters. His accents help you not only differentiate but get to know them on a deeper level. It was a fantastic audiobook and I'm glad I listened.

On the whole Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies is a unique and thrilling read full of mystery, magic, and complex characters. It's one of the most unique books I read in a long times and I really loved it.

I give Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! I seriously loved this book. It's one of those books, I think, that will stick with you long after you've read it. I personally can't stop thinking about how good it was and I really want there to be a sequel. I want to give If you are looking for something different and suspenseful definitively check this one out.

Have you read Rocks Fall Everyone Dies? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Netflix and Books Tag

This tag was created by Lauren at Bookmark Lit  and Erica at Novel Ink.

I was looking for a tag post to do because I have no reviews ready and no discussions brewing so of course I took to Twitter. Michelle from Pink Polka Dots Book Blog recommended this one to me and it sounded so fun. There are great questions which actually took me awhile to think about. So of course I had to do it. The general idea is that you have to come up with books that match the TV show and prompt. So here you go...

1.) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: unlikeable character(s)

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - My Review
I think I've said this before but I love this series and I know a lot of people don't mostly because of the characters. But I understand why Quentin is so damn unlikable and I thought he had great development. 

2.) Vampire Diaries: your ship sank or didn’t happen

The Falconer by Elizabeth May - My Review
This was a hard one because I rarely ship anything and if I do the ships sail. I'm very selective. But I'm saying The Falconer because I just can't with Kiaran and I liked the other guy.

3.) Friends: best cast of characters/friendships

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater - My Review
I mean obvious Blue and the Raven Boys are squad goals to the extreme. But I also love that this is a story about friendship. So many of the best moments are with the group together or with some iteration of the group having adventures and helping one another learn and grow.

4.) Gossip Girl: hate that you love or guilty pleasure

The Finishing School Series by Gail Carriger - My Review
I don't know! I don't have guilty pleasures. I read what I want and I don't really care what people say. They can judge me all they want. But the reason I picked the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger is because I think if I explained that series to people they would be both confused and judgy about it.

5.) Doctor Who: long series you loved

Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson - My Review
I realized while looking at this that I don't or haven't read many long series. I'm picking Mistborn because I love the second era aka Wax and Wayne stuff. And I'm excited for the next eras in this world. Plus I love the Cosmere.

6.) Grey’s Anatomy: all the feels

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - My Review
This is one of my favorite books of all-time. I've read it over and over again and it never effects me any less. Like every time I read it I get made at Amy for throwing Jo's manuscript into the fire and I sob uncontrollably when Beth dies. I know it's coming and I ugly cry better than Claire Danes.

7.) How I Met Your Mother: bad ending

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry - My Review
I was really enjoying this book. I liked the world, I liked the time travel elements, I think I even liked the characters and the plot development. And then it hit the climax. Oh man, that ending was awful. Not only was it one of my triggers but I felt like it was just shock value and could have done the same thing with a different thing.

8.) Supernatural: favorite paranormal/fantasy

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - My Review
I'm such a fan of this book. It's one of my favorites. It's about vampires and how Dracula is real. The thing is, I read this when vamipres were all the rage. But then I read it again when my enjoyment of the creatures had waned but I still loved it.

9.) Freaks and Geeks: left you wanting more

The Fixer series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - My Review
Last month I read The Long Game, the second book in the series and it was so good! It had a great ending but an unresolved resolution. I honestly don't know if this is going to be a duology or trilogy. I think it depends on how many books are sold. So read it!

10.) The OC: series that should have ended earlier

Divergent by Veronica Roth - My Review
I just did not like the last book in this series. I don't understand why it had to suddenly take us out into the larger world, give us a different villain, and then randomly change what we thought about the why not fitting into a box is a good thing. It should have stopped at two.

11.) Girl Meets World: should have a spin-off

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - My Review
I've said it before and I'll say it again, my kingdom for a book about Manon, the Thirteen, and the Ironteeth Witches. I love them so much and want to know so much more about them and their history, Might I suggest, Sarah if you're reading this, one about their war with the Crochan witches.

12.) That 70’s Show:  set in a different time period

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - My Review
I'm such a fan of this book. It's so good. It's one of the reasons I got back into WWII historical fiction. Plus it's full of feels. Recently I thought the expression "fly the plane, Maddie" and I was not okay. I try not to think about it because it's so emotional. 

13.) Orange is the New Black: couldn’t stop reading

Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas - My Review

I was supposed to be buddy reading this with Michelle from Pink Polka Dots Book Blog and I started it and just couldn't stop. She told me just the other day that when she was about to start she saw that I was already finished.

14.) Parks and Recreation: made you laugh out loud

The Reckoners trilogy by Brandon Sanderson - My Review
So Pili at In Love With Handmade is reading this and the other day she was DMing me about it and it made me want to reread because I'm such a fan of it. It's a seriously hilarious series though. Like it's high-stakes action but also bad puns and awkward MCs. I love it.

15.) One Tree Hill: favorite book boyfriend 

Luca Lowe in Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin - My Review
I am not the type to collect or even think about book boyfriends. I very rarely ship them and swoon around a romantic lead even less. But Luca Lowe hit me in all the right places. I really really liked him and embarrassingly like an idiot every time he was around. There was just something so charming about him to me. 

16.) Breaking Bad: favorite villain

Mrs. Coulter in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman  - My Review
Mrs. Coulter is one of those characters you just love to hate. At first she seems kind of creepy and unsettling but then as the series develops she just gets worse. Like she does these absolutely terrible things. But she's still kind of sympathetic at the same time. You get her motivation which I like.

17.) Modern Family: best family or parents

The Weasleys in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling  - Goodreads

How can you not love the Weasleys. They are the most amazing family. The parents are so amazing that they are almost cliche, the siblings are fantastic, their how is amazing. If you didn't want to be a Weasley or live at the Burrow we cannot be friends.

There you have it. That was really fun and it makes me want to marathon some of these shows on Netflix and reread some of these books. Okay, so now I need to tag some people. I don't know who to tag. Who likes tags? You? If you like tags consider yourself tagged.

What books remind you of these Netflix shows? Do you need to watch any of these? What are some fun tags floating around? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!