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The Bloggers at With A Book in Our Hand
Ashley Craft
Cooking, Food & Wine
240 pages
Published November 10, 2020 by Adams Media
Description from the
Publisher:
Experience the magic of the Disney Parks right in your
kitchen with these 100, easy and delicious recipes inspired by Walt Disney
World!
Stroll right down the middle of Main Street USA, journey from Adventureland to
Infinity and Beyond at Pixar Pier, and explore every avenue in between to taste
the flavors of the Disney Parks… all without leaving your kitchen.
With The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook you can bring the
magic of Disneyland and Walt Disney World snacks and treats right to your home. Recreate favorites like the classic Dole Whip
and Mickey Pretzels to new favorites like blue milk from Star Wars land and
Jack Jack’s Cookie Num Nums from Pixar Pier.
These 100 recipes inspired by iconic yummies are perfect whether you are a
forever Disney fan or just love a good snack.
Now you can feel as if you shared a snack with Mickey himself right from
the comfort of your own home!
My Thoughts:
If you’re a Disney-phile like me, then you just KNEW the moment you saw this book that you HAD to have it! The beautiful cover, in signature Disney navy accented in gold, just screams, “PICK ME”. Flipping over to the back side, you know right away you’re in good hands. Not only did author Ashley Craft grown up in Anaheim Hills right next door to California’s Disneyland, but she also had the amazing experience of not one, but two, internships at Florida’s Walt Disney World in her college years. We are GO FOR LAUNCH, people, with a tried and true Disney expert.
Now, if you’ve ever been to a Disney park, you know that the food is an attraction category all its own. If I lived a little closer, heck, I’d drop into Disney World just to eat! And, of course, my family and I have stacked up our short list of favorites. So, the true test for this Unofficial Disney Cookbook – did our faves make the cut? So, let’s dig in and find out!
The recipes are organized by Disney Park: the original Disneyland, which is followed by Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom; then we swing back to California with Disney’s California Adventure, the newest of the American Disney parks (it appears Craft has organized the parks from oldest to newest.)
· Craft hit the ball out of the park (ha ha) with
her first theme park section. Perennial favorites that my family has been
enjoying for almost 25 years made the list, such as the delicious Mint Julep and scrumptious Beignets
from New Orleans Square.
· I was also pleased to see that popular
Adventureland stop, Bengal Barbecue, made the list with its mouth-watering Tiger Tails. While I, myself, would have included Bengal
Barbecue’s Chieftain Chicken Skewer, it was
nice to see several skewers in the mix, with the Bengal
Beef, Pork Belly, and Safari skewer options. Not to
be outdone are the Jungle Julep and Hummus Trio.
· I’m not familiar with the Main Street’s Raspberry Rose Mickey Macarons or Fantasyland’s Matterhorn Macaroons, but they sound delectable and I
can’t wait to try them!
· The volume does also include crowd pleasers like
Main Street’s Churros, New Orlean’s Square’s Clam Chowder, and Critter Country’s Churro Funnel Cake.
· If you don’t see your Disneyland faves here,
check out the Magic Kingdom section!
· Beloved Disney Park favorites are well
represented with offerings such as Dole Whip,
the giant smoked Turkey Legs, and Caramel Apples.
Fun fact: There are only two outlets in the world where you can buy the
tropical Dole Whip, a dairy-free, pineapple-flavored,
ice cream-like dessert, – a Disney park, and Dole’s home base at the historic Dole Plantation
in Honolulu, Hawaii.
· Other tempting recipes being slapped onto my
weekly menu as we speak are the Mickey Sugar Cookies,
Cheshire Cat Tails (a puff pastry, vanilla
pudding, and chocolate-chip dessert), Peter Pan Float
(which sounds like a heartier version of an Italian Soda, but with ‘eggs to
make you grow strong’), and the Maple Popcorn.
· Ahhh, Epcot – if Disney holds the gold standard
for theme parks, then Epcot holds the triple crown! It’s hard to pick a favorite when it comes to
Epcot, because there are just so many great options. Not to
mention the annual Food & Wine Festival where Disney really takes it up a
notch – or three!
· Some my family’s favorites come from the Canada
area of Epcot, in the form of the beer cheese soup from Le Cellier and the
beaver tails (like an elephant ear – we like it topped with chocolate-hazelnut
spread!) occasionally offered at seasonal food stands. I
don’t see those in the cookbook, but with so many options available, I can only
imagine the difficult task Craft had in narrowing this volume down to a mere
240 pages. I am thrilled, and you will
be too, to see pages for France’s Macaron Ice Cream
Sandwiches and Crepes, and Germany’s Caramel Corn from the Karamell-Kuche (German for
Caramel Kitchen), all three of which my family can personally attest are
absolutely mouth-watering as well as addictive!
· On my “must try” list are Craft’s recipes for
the Caramel-Chocolate Pineapple Spears, Caramel Pecan Bars (Sensing a theme yet? Epcot is a veritable caramel-lovers
paradise!), and of course the Coconut Popsicles.
· Fun fact: Epcot stands for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”, which was Walt Disney’s name for the park, which he sadly didn’t get to see visualized. Disney passed away in 1966, while Epcot did not open until 16 years later in 1982.
· While there certainly is much room for debate,
in my family’s minds, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
(DHS), Animal Kingdom (AK), and California Adventure (DCA) have never really been
known for their food, unlike their Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Epcot
counterparts, so I’ll review these three together.
· That said, DCA has recently stepped it up in
recent years, with efforts such as bringing in celebrated chefs. And this reviewer does in fact believe it
appropriate to include a section for each park, as the cookbook wouldn’t be
complete without it. So, I was enthused to dive in and see what
intriguing options Craft includes for her readers.
· I was glad to see a top favorite, Candy Apples, in the DHS section, along with the Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas. Every child’s dream Mickey Waffles enter in the AK section, as well as Mickey Ice Cream Sandwiches and Bars (kiddos and grown-ups alike can’t get enough of Mickey-shaped food!). DCA brings us Pumpkin Spice Churros, Chili-Lime Corn on the Cob, and Bavarian Pretzels.
· A very handy feature is a section on The Disney Cook’s Essentials, a valuable grouping of
the tools of the cooking trade, Disney style, for your home kitchen.
· One of my absolute favorites about this book, though – and I’m sure it will be one of your as well – is the tales, anecdotes, and interesting factoids sprinkles throughout the book like pixie dust. In fact, this is what really makes this book special, as each recipe is thoughtfully headed with a small tale relating to the recipe you are about to read – truly a treat that will whisk you off to that Disney magic in a jiff!
With 240 pages, numerous full-color, full-page illustrations, and even maps of the park marked with the location of each of the tasty treats, this is sure to be a treasured volume in your kitchen cookbook library for years to come.
A big thank you to Ashley Craft, Adams Media, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this publication in exchange for this honest review.
The Unofficial
Disney Parks Cookbook released Tuesday, November 10th and is
available now from Adams Media, a division of Simon & Schuster. Please consider buying from BookShop.org,
the online book seller that contributes 75% of the profit margin to support
independent bookstores. (Note: Desiree
does receive a small commission should you purchase through this link, however
she shares this out of her enduring love for corner bookstores everywhere,
rather than for any monetary gain.)
⭐⭐⭐
Anthony Horowitz
Mystery
608 pages
Published November 10, 2020
by HarperCollins
From Goodreads: Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is living the good
life. She is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her long-term
boyfriend Andreas. It should be everything she’s always wanted. But is
it? She’s exhausted with the responsibilities of making everything work
on an island where nothing ever does, and truth be told she’s beginning
to miss London.
And then the Trehearnes come to stay. The strange
and mysterious story they tell, about an unfortunate murder that took
place on the same day and in the same hotel in which their daughter was
married—a picturesque inn on the Suffolk coast named Farlingaye
Halle—fascinates Susan and piques her editor’s instincts.
One of her former writers, the late Alan Conway, author of the fictional Magpie Murders,
knew the murder victim—an advertising executive named Frank Parris—and
once visited Farlingaye Hall. Conway based the third book in his
detective series, Atticus Pund Takes the Cake, on that very crime.
The
Trehearne’s, daughter, Cecily, read Conway’s mystery and believed the
book proves that the man convicted of Parris’s murder—a Romanian
immigrant who was the hotel’s handyman—is innocent. When the Trehearnes
reveal that Cecily is now missing, Susan knows that she must return to
England and find out what really happened.
Conway was notorious for working real people into his books so Susan, and you the reader, must figure out how the characters in one mystery relate to those in the other.
This book is intricately plotted since you’re actually reading a
mystery wrapped in a mystery with places and characters in one related
to those in the book within a book – it’s very meta.
The writing is clear and descriptive but avoids floweriness.
The
characters are well-developed, even – maybe especially- the unlikable
ones. It shows that Anthony Horowitz spent years writing television
shows because he paints detailed and clear images of his characters.
This
is a slow read – Horowitz wants you to pay attention as first Pund and
then Susan solve their respective mysteries. Take time to appreciate all
of the clever wordplay, deftly hidden clues, and brilliant reveals.
Both mysteries are incredibly satisfying.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the DRC.
St. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace. The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless and passionate as Peter himself.
Chelsea Pitcher
Mystery, Young Adult
304 pages
Published November 10, 2020 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
From Goodreads: Poppy, Lily, and
Belladonna would do anything to protect their best friend, Raven. So
when they discovered he was suffering abuse at the hands of his
stepmother, they came up with a lethal plan: petals of poppy,
belladonna, and lily in her evening tea so she’d never be able to hurt
Raven again. But someone got cold feet, the plot faded to a secret of
the past, and the group fell apart.
Three years later, on the eve
of Raven’s seventeenth birthday, his stepmother turns up dead. But it’s
only belladonna found in her tea, and it’s only Belladonna who’s carted
off to jail. Desperate for help, Belle reaches out to her estranged
friends to prove her innocence. They answer the call, but no one is
prepared for what comes next.
Lies Like Poison is an atmospheric, high drama mystery romance. Told from multiple perspectives, the highschoolers try to solve a murder, discovering truths and uncovering the lies they've told each other.
Throughout the story, their relationships, both friendship and romantic, shift and change along with their loyalties to one another.
I
loved the lyricism and spareness of the writing. The plot was
satisfyingly intricate and fast-paced. I was amazed at how many plot
twists happened in such a short book.
The author created a cast of characters that's inclusive with regard to race, gender, and
sexuality.
CW: Abuse, murder, addiction, suicidal thoughts.
Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC.
Amanda Prowse Josiah Hartley 283 Pages Psychology Mental Health Published on 01 November 2020
Bestselling novelist Amanda Prowse knew how to resolve a fictional family crisis. But then her son came to her with a real one…
Josiah was nineteen with the world at his feet when things changed. Without warning, the new university student’s mental health deteriorated to the point that he planned his own death. His mother, bestselling author Amanda Prowse, found herself grappling for ways to help him, with no clear sense of where that could be found. This is the book they wish had been there for them during those dark times.
Josiah’s situation is not unusual: the statistics on student mental health are terrifying. And he was not the only one suffering; his family was also hijacked by his illness, watching him struggle and fearing the day he might succeed in taking his life.
In this book, Josiah and Amanda hope to give a voice to those who suffer, and to show them that help can be found. It is Josiah’s raw, at times bleak, sometimes humorous, but always honest account of what it is like to live with depression. It is Amanda’s heart-rending account of her pain at watching him suffer, speaking from the heart about a mother’s love for her child.
For anyone with depression and anyone who loves someone with depression, Amanda and Josiah have a clear message—you are not alone, and there is hope.
My Thoughts
| The Boy Between Amanda Prowse Josiah Hartley This is a book that everyone needs to read. I feel like I have been on an emotional rollercoaster. I think most people have had their lives touched by suicide, and if you haven't then you probably will in future. I typically stear clear of books that claim there is raw emotion in them, so for me to say that's what in this book is huge. As a massive fan of Amanda's books, this was one of my most anticipated reads for 2020. In her fiction Amanda has never been afraid to tackle huge and emotional topics, so I was expecting high emotion in this true life story. I laughed I cried and I gasped reading this. Both Amanda and Josh poured their hearts out on these pages, and I really think this book will be an important read to so many people. As a mum to 3 young girls, and stepmum to a 27 year old, I felt all of the pain on these pages. My stepson is in final year of PhD, having had to swap courses after 1st year in college, I've probably only seen a fraction of how difficult it was for him at times. This is one of those books that will stay on your mind for a long time after you finish it, and when I was done I really just wanted to give Amanda a hug! Josh really left nothing unsaid, and I truly hope he continues to see life in colour. I loved this book. Thank you to Amanda Prowse Josiah Hartley Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy for review. |
Erin Ruddy
Thriller
344 Pages
Published October 3, 2020 by Dundurn Press
When a woman is snatched by an obsessed stranger claiming to be her soulmate, the consequences could be deadly in this suspenseful and darkly twisted psychological thriller … unless she can remember his name
In this modern day take on Rumpelstiltskin ( “If you can guess my name in three days,” he says, “you may keep your baby,) Erin Ruddy tells the harrowing tale of a woman kidnapped by her new neighbor.
While the kids are at summer camp, Ellie and Neil Patterson are spending some much needed time together at their new cottage. After ten years of marriage, they had hit a rough patch and this was the perfect chance to get things back on track.
Just as they are getting comfortable Ellie is attacked and kidnapped. The kidnapper swears that he and Ellie are soulmates. Once he has Ellie secured, he gets Neil, too. Once they are both tied and helpless he tells Ellie they are going to play a game. All Ellie has to do is to tell him his name. Ellie has three chances to answer correctly before Neil dies.
There's just one problem. Ellie has no idea who this lunatic is. What follows is insanity!
Fair warning here, there is graphic violence. Tell Me My Name is not for the faint of heart!
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for an advance reader's copy for review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A collection of short stories from a chorus of bestselling writers all set on the same day, October 23, 1915, in which over a million women marched for the right to vote in New York City with an introduction by Kristin Hannah.
Stories From Suffragette City is a collection of short stories from the leading voices in historical fiction that all take place on a single day. The day one million women marched for the right to vote in New York City in 1915. A day filled with a million different stories, and a million different voices longing to be heard. Taken together, these stories from writers at the top of their bestselling game become a chorus, stitching together a portrait of a country looking for a fight, and echo into a resounding force strong enough to break even the most stubborn of glass ceilings. With stories from: Lisa Wingate, M. J. Rose, Steve Berry, Paula McLain, Katherine J. Chen, Christina Baker Kline, Jamie Ford, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Megan Chance, Alyson Richman, Chris Bohjalian, and Fiona Davis.
My Thoughts:
This book exceeded my expectations! Never before have I come across a book that sought to so thoroughly convey an event from so many perspectives. The power of combining all of these stories into one tome is nothing less then mesmerizing. The contributing authors are so captivating with their stories that the reader would be hard pressed to select just one favorite. From poor mountain families, to immigrants, to refugees, to the underprivileged, to the affluent; no corner of society was left untouched by the suffrage movement. The authors do not attempt to provide the full historical context of the suffrage movement, but harness their energy on one pivotal event, the march for a woman's right to vote that took place in New York City on October 23, 1915. Even still, the resounding struggles of the movement up to this pivotal point linger in each and every story. As the United States celebrates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment which secured women that very right, this book is a timely reminder of all that was sacrificed by so many for the greater good.
I received an advanced copy of this title via NetGalley.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sarah Foster
Mystery |
Psychological Suspense
352 pages
Publishing
November 3, 2020 by Blackstone Publishing
Young, 21-year-old Eleanor is looking for a fresh start. She packs up her belongings, scantly more
than a suitcase a few articles of clothing, and heads off to London for a new
life. She’ll be living with her mother’s
only sibling – an uncle Eleanor barely knows – in Uncle Ian’s tony home on
Notting Hill, along with his wife and two young daughters. What’s more, Aunt Susan’s publishing firm has
an opening for an admin assistant that should be perfect for Eleanor.
But things start to go terribly wrong on a rainy evening at
the company Christmas party. Eleanor has
only been in the UK and at the firm a few weeks and so hasn’t yet made any
friends. Determined to be merry and
hopefully find some companionable souls, Eleanor is flattered when the
beautiful, social butterfly Arabella, the belle of the publishing house,
singles Arabella out for drinks and conversation. But then the next day, Arabella is dead. And Eleanor has no recollection of what
happened after the party or even how she got home that night.
Frightened of The
Hidden Hours in her subconscious, and how she may have been involved in
Arabella’s death, Eleanor frantically attempts to recreate the tragic events of
that night and salvage her future… while simultaneously outrunning the past
that lives inside her mind as it were only yesterday.
My thoughts:
A chilling thriller of memory loss and secret lies by best-selling author Sara Foster who, with five novels under her belt, is proving to be a modern-day master of psychological suspense. Shrouded in the moody, drippy weather of London in winter, this gripper sucks you into the story faster than green grass through a goose!
Not to be out done by the main murder-mystery plot is the fable-like, cautionary tale embedded in the immensely layered and deftly woven flashbacks to Eleanor’s childhood in Australia. These are all the more powerful, as well, due to the contrast between the hot, dry landscape of the southern continent and the damp and dark bustle of the London metropolis.
If you’re a fan of chills and thrills, and things that go bump in the night, then you won’t be able to put this one down! Desiree Reads really enjoyed the book and gives it a praise-worthy, four stars.
A
big thank you to #SaraFoster, BlackstonePublishing, and #NetGalley for providing a free Advanced
Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review. Originally released in paperback and for Kindle in 2017, in
an unusual move, this is the debut release of the hardcover edition for 2020.
Support your indie books stores and pick up your copy of The Hidden Hours, releasing November
3rd, at BookShop.org – the online bookstore that gives away 75% of
its profit to support local indie bookstores.
(Note: Desiree does receive a small commission should you purchase
through this link, however, she shares this out of love and care for her local,
corner bookstores everywhere.)
Drop us a
Comment below and let us know your thoughts on this review as well as The Hidden Hours – we’d love to hear
from you!
Susie Yang
General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction | Mystery
& Thrillers
368 pages
Publishing November 3, 2020 by Simon & Schuster
Today we bring you a tale
that is making waves in the book club fiction market – Susie Yang’s debut
novel, White Ivy. Chelsey and Desiree each had the chance to preview
the story. We think you’ll be intrigued
by their unique and different takes on this book. Read on for With a Book in Our Hand’s
interview with these fabulously bookish ladies!
With a Book in Our
Hand: Desiree, tell us what the story is about.
Desiree: A multi-faceted novel, White Ivy is partly a coming-of-age story, partly the account of an immigrant trying to fit-in in America, partly a new-adult yarn, and a bit of a chilling, gothic romance. Ivy, who moves to the U.S. when she is just five years old, is a girl who ultimately is just trying to fit in. As her parents had to start-over when arriving in Boston, Ivy’s family doesn’t have a lot of money, but all Ivy wants is to own all the same things her classmates do, and feel like a “real” American girl. Her crush on Gideon, a boy at school, epitomizes her struggles and longing, as she views him and his family as if they are gilded and golden and everything she wishes her poor immigrant family could be.
Just when Ivy thinks she is “this close” to being “seen”
by Gideon, she suffers a humiliation that is excruciating to her teenage mind,
and then is also unexpectedly ripped from the rose-colored life in Boston that
she loves.
Fast-forward more than a decade, Ivy is reacquainted with
Gideon and his brightly-lit world. More
determined than ever to keep Gideon and his sparkling upper-class world within
her grasp, Ivy faces life-altering choices that she never expected.
With a Book in Our
Hand: What did you ladies think of the novel?
Chelsey: This was an intriguing debut and a solid three star read for me. The novel spans most of Ivy’s adolescence and young adult life. My interest waxed and waned with the various parts and my disdain for Ivy grew considerably as the story unfolded. Ivy was selfish, flaky, and lacked empathy. Part of me loves disliking the main character so I actually didn’t mind that I found Ivy unappealing. Her relationships intrigued me and Ivy was like a chameleon with who and what she was with each person.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐
Desiree: I completely
agree with you on that, Chelsey – Ivy was rather unlikeable at times. However, I really found myself loving this
novel. White Ivy is a tour de force of remarkable prose – I think I burned
out the battery on my Kindle just from highlighting memorable passages as they
poured forth from Ivy’s mind and heart.
Not to mention that Ivy’s cranky mother Nan and beloved grandmother
Meifang who have a meaningful saying of wisdom for any and every situation –
and they aren’t shy about telling Ivy what they think. I couldn’t put this one down!
Ivy kept me on my toes throughout this tale – I was never
quite sure what she was going to do next.
I was metaphorically biting my nails throughout! This book was a strong contender for five
stars, as I was enraptured from the beginning, yet there were two issues I just
couldn’t get over: 1) There was a side-story two-thirds of the way through
that, in my opinion, was left as a loose end; and 2) I just couldn’t reconcile
the ending – to put it plainly, I didn’t “get” why Ivy made the choice in the
end that she did. I felt, in regard to
Ivy, that she could be the actor in that once-famous TV commercial puzzling,
“What’s my motivation”.
That said, I will confidently say that this was a very well-written and supremely engaging novel that is well worth reading. An impressive debut by author Susie Yang. I’ll be very much looking forward to what she does next!
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
With a Book in Our
Hand: Anything else that you’d like to let our subscribers know before we
wrap up?
Desiree: Yes, both Chelsey and want to thank #Susie Yang, #Simon & Schuster, and #NetGalley for providing each of us with a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.
White Ivy will be available in stores on Tuesday, November 3rd, in both hardcover and audio CD editions. Please consider purchasing through BookShop.org – the online bookstore that gives away 75% of its profit to support local indie bookstores. (Note: I do receive a small commission should you purchase through this link, however, I share this out of my unabashed love for local, corner bookstores everywhere, rather than for any profit potential.)
Chelsey: Drop us a Comment below and let us know your thoughts on this review, as well as Susie Yang’s White Ivy – we’d love to hear from you!
Elizabeth Kostova
Historical Fiction, Gothic
704 pages
Published June 1, 2005 by Little, Brown and Company
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.
My thoughts:
I remember being drawn to this book in the store solely for its cover and its title.
I read this YEARS ago but remember how much I enjoyed reading it to this day. Yes, it is a monster book, coming in at 704 pages. It is also not a quick read. This book is meant to be the only thing you do for several days. You WANT to take your time and savor each and every page. This was Elizabeth Kostova's debut title but one would never be able to tell. The book is seductively mysterious and thoroughly enchanting. It pays due homage to the precedent set by Bram Stoker's original Dracula. Neither are action packed thrillers. They are not gripping page turners. In my opinion, the secret of The Historian and Dracula is the way they bury under your skin unnoticed until it's to late for you to become unattached.
As the title indicates, there is plenty of historical information in between the covers. Kostova does a magnificent job of providing the reader with a wealth of knowledge about Eastern Europe and the medieval ruler Vlad the Impaler. Lovers of gore rejoice because the historical content regarding Vlad the Impaler provides plenty of it. The book's overarching theme though is a quest for knowledge: the quest for answers behind the dragon book, the knowledge of what happened to those who disappeared, and the knowledge behind the elusive Dracula himself. One of the things I loved most about this book is the portrayal of Dracula. He isn't a bloodthirsty purveyor of death. He doesn't sparkle or melt in the sunlight. This book allows the reader to enjoy the fantastical thrill of entirely losing oneself. Gothic literature fans around the world should flock to read this one if they haven't already done so. It ranks right up there as one of my favorite all-time reads.
The Once and Future Witches
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alix E. Harrow
Fantasy
528 pages
Published October 13, 2020 by Orbit
From the publisher: In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.
But when the Eastwood
sisters--James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna--join
the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words
and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement.
This is Alix Harrow's second novel following her amazing debut, The Ten Thousand Doors of January. Written with the same lyrical and atmospheric style, this historical fantasy is full of emotion.
She set her story in a fully realized and rich world. Witchcraft is forbidden. Women's dresses don't even have pockets - else they might hide the workings for spells. The Suffragette Movement is trying to have a voice with the mayor and council of New Salem.
I loved the complex characters of the three sisters. Alix Harrow did a fantastic job giving each one her own unique voice and POV, goals and desires. Their relationships are relatable, complicated, and realistic.
Not only is this an enthralling adventure, it also addresses serious issues - women's rights, the rights of BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ rights.
This a haunting but enjoyable read that left me in tears but wanting more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stefan Bachmann
Middle grade Fantasy
368 pages
Published October 13, 2020 by Greenwillow Books
From the publisher:
When a scarecrow climbs
over the garden wall, delivering twelve-year-old orphan Zita Brydgeborn a
letter saying she has inherited a distant castle, she jumps at the
chance of adventure. But little does she know that she is about to be
thrust into a centuries-old battle between good and evil. Blackbird
Castle was once home to a powerful dynasty of witches, all of them now
dead under mysterious circumstances. All but Zita. And Zita,
unfortunately, doesn’t know the first thing about being a witch.
For fans of Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones or The Golden
Compass by Philip Pullman, Cinders & Sparrows is about a resourceful
young girl prepared to meet challenges head-on and battle the forces of
darkness for her friends and family.
Fast-paced with creepy, atmospheric descriptions, this fantasy will appeal to tweens and adults. Zita is trying to learn how to cast spells while also discover exactly what happened to her family - all with a looming deadline, emphasis on dead.
While full of all things witchy and scary including Zita's cold and exacting mentor, Mrs. Cantanker, the story has just enough lighthearted moments thanks to castle's two young servants, Minnifer and Bram, to keep it from being too intense for younger readers.
Described
as a standalone, I hope that Stefan Bachmann has the opportunity to put
this descriptive worldbuilding to use in other books.
This dark fantasy with its resilient and resourceful main character is highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Greenwillow Books for providing ARCs for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
