Great choice for a Halloween read

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness ticked all of my boxes. There's werewolves, daemons, vampires, and of course witches with the main setting of the story set at Oxford University and the Bodleian Library. (There are also side plot lines in Scotland and the U.S. but the most detailed descriptions are those that happen at Oxford.) Our main character is Diana Bishop who comes from a long line of witches but who has decided to turn her back on her heritage in order to lead a "normal life". Unfortunately, life has other plans for her. When she calls up a manuscript at the Bodleian it turns out that there are hidden messages in the pages which only she can see...because she's the only one who's been able to successfully call up the book in centuries. Suddenly the entire community of supernatural creatures is very interested in her but none more so than a vampire named Matthew Clairmont...

Part paranormal/supernatural conspiracy theory mystery and part burning hot forbidden romance this book hooked me but good. The only reason I haven't completely dived into the second book is because this is one hefty piece of work at over 600 pages and my TRL is about 5,700 miles long. Rest assured, I will be continuing this trilogy...even if I didn't particularly like the overly complicated plot in the last third of the book.

Oh and did I mention that it's been made into a TV series? Cause it absolutely has and the guy playing Matthew is scarily accurate to what I pictured when reading this book. O_O 10/10

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: Strange Sight by Syd Moore

What I'm Currently Reading: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

The hard choice: Dmitri, Mason, or Adrian?

Not too very long ago, I read and reviewed Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. As mentioned in that post, Vampire Academy is the first novel in a young adult series about the Moroi (vampires) and dhampirs (guardians of Moroi) who attend St. Vladimir's Academy. Specifically, it's about Lissa and Rose who are shadow kissed and trying to figure out just what that means as there's nothing officially documented about the use of spirit. (I realize this will make no sense unless you read the first book in the series so you'd better go and do that first.) In the second book, Frostbite, Lissa and Rose are continuing their studies so that they can learn how to survive while the Strigoi begin to organize their attacks on Moroi royals. However, the biggest problem that Rose is facing is not against the Strigoi but against her own traitorous heart. (I hope that came across as dramatic as I imagined.) There is not one, not two, but three men in her life and she is very conflicted about her feelings. Ah, that teenage angst! If you were fans of the first novel in the series then undoubtedly you will enjoy this continuation because more of the mythology is unraveled and the characters continue to be fleshed out. It's still bordering on a bit too racy for me but it's the vampire lore which I'm here for primarily (although I am definitely team Dmitri). I'm most likely going to continue reading this series but I'd love to hear your opinion on the books, the reviews, and what you'd like to see me read next. Basically, I just want you guys to talk to me. :-P

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

A school for blood drinkers

I saw a trailer for a movie called Vampire Academy ages and ages ago and even though it looked super corny I knew I would have to watch it. It was exactly what I wanted it to be...and then I discovered it was based off of a book series by Richelle Mead. Firstly, the makers of that film were very faithful to the first book in the series (a rarity, I think you'll agree). Secondly, if you're a fan of books which take place in boarding schools then you're likely to find this series right up your alley. Thirdly, Mead has created a new kind of vampire lore which I always find enjoyable especially as a long-time fan of vampire stories/media. Essentially, she's developed a whole subculture where 'vampire' is not even the preferred label. Fourthly, if you enjoyed Twilight because of the romantic aspect then you need look no further because judging from the first book in the series Vampire Academy is the racy cousin of Twilight that your mom warns you about. If you want a more academic vampire story along the lines of Anne Rice or Bram Stoker this probably isn't going to fill the void for you. However, if you're looking for a book that ticks off the "magical beings who act like bratty teens at a super secret boarding school" box then you need look no further because Vampire Academy definitely fits the bill. I haven't yet decided if I'll continue the series but if I do I'll be sure to let you know if it manages to stay at the bar that was raised by this first book. 8/10

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Reality or fantasy...I can't decide

Okay, I can admit that I have a vivid imagination and at times it has run away with me. This might be one of those times. I was about 50 pages (or fewer) into The Historian and I started to question if what I was reading was actually a work of nonfiction. Let me remind you that this is the story of a quest to locate Dracula. DRACULA. And here I am reading it and the story is too believable to be a work of fiction. The main voice (if you can call it that) of the narrative is the author who has assembled together various pieces of evidence such as letters, manuscripts, book passages, maps, and folk songs to weave the story of her parents mission to find and kill the man who was Vlad the Impaler but more widely known as the mythical vampire, Dracula. Even now as I'm writing this, I feel a thrill of horror that the man Vlad the Impaler was an actual living breathing man. He did unspeakably horrible things in his time (mid to late 15th century) which is why many people felt he was too evil to die outright. This is how the legends that he was an immortal, evil creature came into being. Elizabeth Kostova took this even further by using historical documents that made it all too believable. (I have no desire to check and see if those items mentioned in the book are real or fictional by the way.) I urge you to give this book a try and let me know if you finish it absolutely convinced that it couldn't be real.

Now that I have thoroughly freaked myself out, let me tell you about my next book. About a month ago I reviewed Cinder by Marissa Meyer and I mentioned that it was the start of a series called the Lunar Chronicles. Do you see where this is headed yet? That's right, I'm reading book two in the series, Scarlet! For those of you who heeded my advice and read the first book in the series you will remember that it ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger. This book picks up at that point but it also introduces us to a completely different character, Scarlet, who is on the opposite side of the world from Cinder. She's got problems of her own because her grandmother is missing and she soon discovers that she is in grave danger. Who can she trust? How do the paths of these two girls cross? LET'S FIND OUT!

This book should come with a warning

*I'm going to break one of my rules and give you guys a tiny spoiler. This is also a warning for those of you who might be triggered by sexual assault. Even though I had seen both film adaptations for Let the Right One In I was completely unprepared for what lay ahead for me in this book. Whereas gore, violence, and death have little to no effect on me some of the themes in this book gave me nightmares. There are graphic depictions of pedophilia, male castration, sodomy, and rape. If you want me to give you the page numbers so that you can otherwise enjoy this novel I think I can make that happen.*

Now with that bit out of the way I can focus on the rest of the book. Let the Right One In is a unique spin on the vampire tale. There are several mini stories that converge on the two main characters: Oskar and Eli. Oskar is a bullied boy with a thirst for revenge. Eli is the mysterious 12 year old who moves in next door and bewitches Oskar almost immediately. Eli is also a vampire. (This isn't a spoiler because this is a vampire novel, ya'll. Someone had to be a vampire.) This is no Twilight. That isn't to say that there aren't romantic tones but it's completely different from Edward and Bella. For one thing, they're 12 year olds. For another...well I don't want to give that part away. Lindqvist is a fantastic writer (and since it's been translated I'm sure it's even better in Swedish). There are so many themes that are covered in this book: bullying, discovering your true self, alcoholism, drug addiction, abuse (emotional and physical), and true love just to name a few. And because I have some kind of masochistic streak I've just discovered that he revisited these characters in a short story collection titled Let the Old Dreams Die which of course I've just added to my TRL. XD

I decided to go in a slightly different direction after reading Let the Right One In and so next up is Ellen Degeneres's Seriously...I'm Kidding. From what I can tell this is basically Ellen's stand-up in book format. O_O

Body snatching and the Shelleys

I'm guessing most of you have read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Have you ever wondered about the history of the author and how she came to write such a story before she'd even turned 20 years old? Well, if you didn't um...well you probably won't be interested in what I've just read. If you did, then hold onto your hats! The Lady and Her Monsters: A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece by Roseanne Montillo is the book for you! A large portion of the book is dedicated to the history of galvanism (electricity applied to muscles and its reactions) and the preoccupation of reanimation in the early 1800s. This fascination was not relegated to those in the sciences but also crossed over to the literary world as well. This is where the Shelleys come into play. Percy Bysshe Shelley, the poet, had an obsessive interest in galvanism and discussed this at length with his wife who had an equal interest in the subject and in particular, reanimation. Are you seeing where this is headed? The author discusses the history of the sciences while also delving into the marriage of these two iconic literary figures. I'd say the only thing this book was lacking was a more fleshed out appendix (remember I'm an uber nerd who actually reads these things). Other than that, I'd say this was an excellent book. It provided a lot of interesting information on an unfamiliar topic and I find myself wanting to learn more which is definitely the mark of a good book. :-)

In a move which no one could have anticipated, I've decided to read a vampire novel next. Let the Right One In is a Swedish novel by an author named John Ajvide Lindqvist. It has been adapted into two rather fantastic films (hence why I even know about this book). I'm hoping that it answers some questions that I had after seeing the films and I'm also hoping that I can come back with a favorable review for you guys! This isn't your typical vampire story, ya'll.  XD