Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for historical fiction] 

Instead of working on my homework like a responsible college student I've been distracting myself by signing up for lots of reading challenges! I have posted about this one yet and now seems like as good a time as ever because I'm right in the middle of writing a paper (you should know that my brain has deteriorated to such a point that I first wrote that I was "write in the middle of righting a paper").

Anyway... Royal Reviews is hosting a Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. If you've been reading my blog then you know this is right up my alley since I love historical fiction. I will be doing the Addicted level which means I'm planning on reading twelve historical fiction books from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. I'll probably end up at the Obsessed Level, which is 20 books, but who knows. Maybe I'll fall out of love with historical fiction in 2010. To make things a little more interesting on myself I have come up with a list of historical fiction genres I have yet to explore. I mostly just read historical fiction about 18th and 19th Century Britain but there a lot of other books I want to read out there. I'm not going to come up with a definite list of books, but I would like to read one book from each of the following sub-genres or time periods or places:

1. The Civil War
2. Something about Mary, Queen of Scots
3. A Historical Romance Novel (wooo)
4. The Great Depression
5. Japan
6. A Western Historical Novel

I am at home sick with the flu, but I have entertained myself by making charts of my reading habits. I reorganized my bookshelves earlier this week by read and unread, but then further by genre. I noticed some definite patterns taking place so I decided to see what the patterns looked like in numbers.

The first thing I looked at was how many books I had read my read shelf from each "genre."

As you can see, most of the books I have read are either general nonfiction or classic fiction, which didn't surprise me. What did surprise me is that I've read almost as many YA & MG books as I have essay collections. When I thought about this it made sense, since a lot of the books I have are from junior high and high school and several of those are YA & MG. I was really surprised by the amount of poetry I had!

I then looked at how many books in each genre were on my TBR shelf.

Once again, most of the books I own are general nonfiction with general fiction and classic fiction also making a large part of the books I own. Just by looking at these numbers it seems like I am extremely likely to read the YA and MG books that I purchase, but I'm less likely to read the historical fiction I purchase. When I first started blogging I was a lot more interested in historical fiction so I purchased more of it, but after awhile I became less interested and now I have some historical fiction I've never gotten around to reading. I've never bought much science fiction until recently, so it will be interesting to see how many of those books I end up reading.

The last thing I looked at was how many books in each genre I've read since starting my blog in October 2009.

Clearly I've spent most of my time reading general nonfiction and YA & MG. This, once again, surprised me. I never read many YA books before I started blogging and never thought I would. It must just be all the great YA bloggers out there! It's interesting that general fiction and classic fiction are evenly split, although I noticed most of my classic fiction is made up of books I read for class. If I wasn't in school I think general fiction would probably be a little higher.

How are your shelves organized? Are you surprised by the different genres you see there?

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Hey, all!

Great to see all the different Historical Fiction posts out there! I have so many books added to my TBR pile, it's not even funny. I had a busy week so wasn't able to get a post in--maybe tonight?

Which brings me to a point I want to make sure everyone understands, since we've gained quite a few new people in recent weeks: there is no deadline to Weekly Geeks! You have all week to post your assigment--or you can even pick up a topic in a different week--or skip a week entirely. No need to apologize for missing or being "late"--no pressure to "catch up"--just jump in when you can and we'll be glad to see you!

And now, on to the round-up of some of the blogs that addressed this question of Historical proportions.

Sometimes feeling passionate about history can be a barrier to enjoying Historical Fiction. Take Sari, for example. She's working towards a Masters degree in European Medieval History, and admits she's too picky for a lot of historical fiction but she's your go-to girl for nonfiction. She's got me sold on Ghost Map by Steven Johnson, a book "about the 1854 Cholera outbreak and how John Snow stopped the epidemic. It reads like a detective novel and is very hard to put down."

Melissa of Book Nut gets mad when historical details aren't accurate, and the throwing of books ensues. She offers a list of entertaining (and, presumably, historically accurate) YA and adult historical fiction she thinks our fictionally reluctant Ashley will love.

Rikki got hooked on I, Claudius years ago, and now takes us on a literary tour of ancient Rome, with a film recommendation to go along with it.

Looking for something a little out of the mainstream? Susan offers a book list that includes many authors of color, including two stories by authors of Haitian and Dominican descent that take place in the Dominican Republic under dictator Trujillo. I'll definitely be seeking those out.

Paxton, of Calvacade of Awesome, ponders books that take place mostly in the present but have a focus on history (take the Da Vinci Code, for example)--do they count as Historical Fiction? (For the record, I'd vote yes, if the book transports the reader back to that time in any way). Paxton also takes us through his introduction to Westerns, starting with the Emilio Estevez movie, Young Guns.

And a big welcome to Jodie, of Book Gazing--this is her first Weekly Geeks assignment! (Jodie is a big fan of lit that takes place in the 17th century, and has challenged herself to read more in 2009. Be sure to stop by and welcome Jodie to the Weekly Geeks family.

Thanks to all for participating--I can't wait to see what Chris has in store for us next week!

Ali

This weeks participants in Weekly Geeks were asked to explore book recommendations. Becky wrote:

So your assignment this week, if you choose to play along, is to ask your readers for recommendations. Choose a genre--any genre--and ask for recommendations. You can be as general or as specific as you like. Consider it as an "I'm looking for..."

The second part of the assignment is to write a list of recommendations and share them with your readers. Choose a genre--any genre--and share your list of favorites. I think of this as "If you're looking for..."
Here are just a few of the great responses we got...

Bunny from Bookosaurus Rex joined us for the first time (Welcome to Weekly Geeks, Bunny!). She asked readers for recommendations of Victorian literature- 'as in, something actually written during and set in the Victorian era' Her list of favorite books with a Victorian setting includes: Tipping the Velvet AND Fingersmith...both by Sarah Waters, The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libby Bray, and The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman.

Megan from Leafing Through Life loves historical fiction. She wants to explore an historical fiction sub-genre involving kings and queens and knights and court intrigues and would love your recommendations. In exchange, she shared some of her five star historical fiction books including: Sweetsmoke by David Fuller, A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, and The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy.

Bernadette at Reactions to Reading is looking for some audio-book recommendations. She writes:

Listened to anything lately that has left you breathless? speechless? teary? joyful? bent over with laughter? If so, let me know. Tell me what book you listened to and what you loved about the experience (if you can please tell me the name of the book, author and narrator as there are often different narrators of the same book and I want to share your exact experience if I can).
Erotic Horizon is an eclectic reader looking for recommendations for good crime fiction, M/M, Urban Fantasy and Paranormal. She also writes that although self-help is not her favorite thing to read, she is 'open to reading books that give you a chance to open you inner eyes and rethink just about everything of your life or the people who revolves around you. Also world folklore would be nice as well.'

Trisha at Eclectic/Eccentric gave us some great recommendations for non fiction, personal essays and short stories including Stiff by Mary Roach, Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, The Latin Deli by Judith Ortiz Cofer. In return she looking for good Contemporary Literary Fiction...'stories published in the last fifteen years or so that aren't YAL, SFF, non-fiction, romance, etc.'

This is only a small smattering of responses to this week's Weekly Geeks. It is never too late to join in!

Okay, so I know I said no more challenges, but this isn't an actual challenge really. It's more of a personal goal and growth challenge. The Reading Resolutions Challenge is hosted by Jenny Loves to Read. I was going to wait to post this until it was closer to new years, but since I have finished signing up for challenges now seems like a good time. I am a new blogger, English Major's Junk Food has only been around for three months, but I have been a reader for a long time and every year I say I'm going to do certain things and stuff (friends, school, life) gets in the way. Hopefully publishing it for all of you to read will help keep me on track.

In the short amount of time that I've been blogging I have really seen a change in how I read. I read a lot more for one thing, mostly because I feel like I have a reason to read. I want to thank everyone who has helped me learn the ropes and get involved in the community. It's been a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the upcoming year!

My first resolution is to keep reading often and posting often. I have started a few blogs in the past and usually they only last a week or two and I quit. I don't want that to happen to this blog because I am loving it.

My second resolution is to get out of my historical fiction and classics box even more. I posted about the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and mentioned that I want to read different kinds of historical fiction that I haven't read before. I would like to do that in general all year. I'm okay with staying inside my preferred genres but I really want to try some new things out. Specifically I would like to try out some more YA novels. There are some great ones out there but I never really pay attention to them.

My third resolution is to post more about the children's books I've been reading. On average I read about four-five children's books per week. I probably won't post about the meh ones, but ones that I really do not like or do like will be spotlighted on this blog.

My final reading resolution is not exactly a reading resolution, but we'll go with it. I want to start keeping a journal again. I used to be an avid journal writer but when I came to college I quit. I'd like to keep a journal to write about what I am reading and my life in a way that I really can't on my blog.

Finally, here are a list of all the challenges I am signed up for:
Shelf Discovery hosted by Booking Mama.
Reading Western Europe hosted by Samantha's Reading Challenge.
18th and 19th Century Women Writers hosted by Becky's Book Reviews.
All About the Brontes Challenge hosted by Laura's Reviews.
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews.
First in a Series Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews.
Second in a Series Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews.

EDIT
I couldn't resist this one: You've Got Mail Challenge.

I started reading this book because it was a suggestion from someone else, but I was thrilled to find out as I read that the book was about Elizabeth I, or the end of the Tudor bloodline. Since I was totally obsessed with the show Tudors at the time I was reading this I had a little bit of extra information that helped me with the book. In Ella March Chase's The Virgin Queen's Daughter the main character is Nell de Lacy, a young woman obsessed with knowledge. As a child she meets (then) Princess Elizabeth and has a very profound impact on her future. What Nell doesn't know is how closely Elizabeth is related to her.

Nell hears many stories about Queen Elizabeth's ladies. They are said to be intelligent women who give the men in their circle a lot to discuss. Since Nell has always been encouraged by her father to learn more she thinks she will fit in with these women perfectly. Nell's mother, however, is not keen on Nell's desires to join Elizabeth's court. Her mother was a lady-in-waiting to Katherine Parr and claims that Nell does not know what she is getting into. She believes the court is dangerous and she prefers Nell to stay with her. When Queen Elizabeth summons Nell though, her mother is left with little choice.

Once Nell becomes a lady-in-waiting the story becomes more of a mystery. This was fine, but I would have liked to hear more about the women in Queen Elizabeth's court. I got a great sense of who Elizabeth was and how she acted, but not really in relation to other women. I will also say that this novel is taking a great deal of liberties with Queen Elizabeth's life. You can read more about that at the end of the novel should you choose to read it. It is by no means a blow by blow historical account.

Still, I liked this book. Quite a bit. In fact, I think it is one of my favorite historical fiction novels. True I liked the beginning more than the end, and some of the story is sketch. But... this is the first historical fiction book I have underlined in. It was so well done in respect to the meanings of motherhood and womanhood during the Tudor reign. And Nell, even though she is a little different, represents of lot of concerns for women at the time. Such as unwanted children, the inability to have children, marriage, love, romance. Can we have it all?

This novel earned a B.

Pub. Date: December 2009
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Format: Paperback, 368 pp

I read this book as part of the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

I made myself a new layout last night! I think it's much improved from my previous layout, which I never thought reflected me very well. This is closer to what I'm wanting, but I only have time to do a little bit on the layout every once in awhile. Luckily I'm ahead on posts for next week so that gave me some extra time to work on layout.

I've been tossing over what to do Sunday Salon about this week. It's not quite the end of March, so I didn't really want to do a March wrap-up post, but I did just reach 25 books which I think is something to celebrate! So I think I'll do a 1/4 year wrap up today, and next week I'll do a quick, more focused, March wrap-up. You can check out the full list of books I've read on my 2010 Reads page.

Books read in 2010: 26
YA Books: 5
Classics: 7
Graphic Novels: 3
Historical Fiction: 12
Romance: 2
ARC/For review: 4
My favorite: The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen
My least favorite: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Distributed grades: 10 A's, 8 B's, 6 C's, and 1 D.

I was actually really surprised by a few things on this list. For example, I thought I'd given out mostly C's this year, but I've actually read more A books. I think this is partially because I read a lot of C books at the beginning of this year and recently I've had a streak of awesome books. I was also surprised to see how many "Classics" I have read, since it seems like I haven't read that many. I was really surprised by how many historical fiction books I've read because I felt like I've read hardly any, although to be fair I counted graphic novels in that which I don't really consider historical fiction while I'm reading them. 26 books in three months means I should be able to read 100 books this year. This was never really a spoken goal of mine, but I thought it would be neat. I'm glad to see I'm on my way.

This week I posted a review of Dawn of the Dreadfuls and Aurora Floyd. I brought back Children's Book Thursday with a vlog about a great book called Library Lion. I shared my thoughts on Writing Classes and posted a review of the Moleskine Passions Book Journal. Also, don't forget to enter the contest to win a bag from Strand Bookstore in New York City! I will announce the winner next week so be sure to leave a comment on last week's Sunday Salon before next Sunday!

Yesterday, the winners of the 2012 Newbery (MG) and Printz (YA) Awards were announced, along with the other ALA Award winners (Caldecott (illustrations) Morris (debut), Alex (adult w/ YA crossover appeal) etc).

I apologize for both being a bit absent from the online world lately and not getting this posted yesterday. I had every intention of posting yesterday, but had to be to work before they were even finished announcing the winners. ANYWAY

THE WINNERS!! (With commentary, of course: P)

Newbery Award Winner:

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos: I'll be honest with this, and admit that I'm disappointed. I don't actually know anything about this book, but I've read all four of the Joey Pigza books (book 2, Joey Pigza Loses Control won a Newbery Honor) and I have read his memoir(ish) book, Hole in My Life, which won a Printz Honor and I was not impressed with any of them. I'll read this one, but if I feel for it the way I've felt for his previous novels, it will be my last Gantos no matter what new awards he's won.

Newbery Honors:

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai: This is one that I'm really excited to see. It has come highly recommended to me by Shannon at Books Devoured. It's also historical fiction, about the Vietnam era, which I think is very under mentioned in literature. And, it's a verse novel! I'm a huge fan of verse novels and love anything that gets them more attention! This has been on my TBR for a long time now, but knowing that it's won a Newbery Honor is going to push this to the very top of my TBR!

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin: I hadn't heard anything about this book prior to the announcement. But now, I've had a chance to look it over, and I'm definitely intrigued! It actually sounds like it could be really amazing!

I'll say that I'm quite surprised that out of three award/honors given., all are historical fiction. That's not something I think I've ever seen before and I find it very interesting. (In a good way, but interesting nonetheless).

Printz Award Winner:

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley: Ginger over at Greads raved about this one a little while ago and her review was just so awesome that I immediately added this to my TBR/close watch list. It sounds absolutely amazing and although I haven't read it, I'm thrilled that it won because from everything I've seen, it's exactly my kind of book.

Printz Honors:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Holder: This is a book that I was really surprised to see on the Printz list. I haven't read it yet, but it is one that has been on my list to read. But everything I had seen about it made is sound like more of a fun read than anything really serious. But it shall be interesting to read it and see what I actually think of it!

The Returning by Christine Hinwood: This is another book that I knew nothing about prior to the announcement. Looking at Goodreads, it seems to be one of those books that you either REALLY like or you really... DON'T. But... umm... MELINA MARCHETTA BLURBED THIS BOOK. I WANT.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey: This makes three books I had never even heard of before the announcements. It looks like it's another Historical Fiction, and the summary sounds intensely amazing. It sounds like there is really a lot of room for that book to just Wow and amaze you. Definitely one I'm going to need to get my hands on as soon as possible.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: This is the only book on the list that I've actually read before and it is, sadly, not a book I was a fan of. I won't get too detailed, but basically it's 390 pages of absolutely nothing exciting (although some of it is interesting and beautifully described), with about 10 interesting pages scattered throughout the novel and 10 exciting and climactic pages right and the very end. I can, however (almost) see why some people really love this one, and do think Maggie is a talented writer, even if this one wasn't for me (because no amount of pretty writing is enough to make up for nearly 400 pages of extreme nothing.)

So there you have it! The winners of the Newbery & Printz awards as narrated by me!

What do you think?! Any of these books you are excited for/about!? Do you agree/disagree/dislike/like my commentary?! Do you even pay attention to or care at all about the awards? Let me know what you think & how you are feeling!!

AND — Stay tuned for tomorrow, because both Jacinda and I will be posting for the Award Winning Reads Challnege (have YOU signed up?!) and these books DO count!:)

In loving memory to Dewey, a book blogger who made a HUGE impact on the blogging community, especially all book review blogs, welcome to the results for the Weekly Geeks Book Bloggers Top 10 of 2009.

For two weeks, Weekly Geekers nominated their top 10 books that were published in 2009. Then, we invited readers from all over to converge on the voting booth to cast their books for their favorite novel. There were 15 different categories with a total of 2216 votes cast. Holy cow. That was a lot close to 1000 more than last year.

So, without further ado, I give you the top 3 picks from each category:

Childrens Middle Grade / Contemporary Literature / Fantasy Science Fiction / Urban Fantasy / Graphic Novel / Historical Fiction / Memoir / Mystery / Mystery Thriller / Nonfiction / Romance / Short Story Collections / Women's Literature / Young Adult / Young Adult: Fantasy

Childrens & Middle Grade

Contemporary Literature

Total Votes Percentage Novel 14 8.00% Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult 14 8.00% Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella 13 8.00% The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Total Votes Percentage Novel 49 35.00% Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen 32 23.00% Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman 23 16.00% Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre

Fantasy: Urban

Total Votes Percentage Novel 51 18.00% Road Trip of the Living Dead by Mark Henry 43 15.00% Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler 42 15.00% Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Graphic Novel

Total Votes Percentage Novel 29 56.00% Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan 13 25.00% Babymouse #11: Dragonslayer by Jennifer Holm 10 19.00% The Book of Genesis by R. Crumb

Historical Fiction

Total Votes Percentage Novel 15 14.00% The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory 13 12.00% Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran 12 11.00% Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Memoir

Total Votes Percentage Novel 32 33.00% Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton 13 13.00% A Child’s Journey out of Autism: One Family’s Story of Living in Hope and Finding a Cure by Leeann Whiffen 7 7.00% Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading by Lizzie Skurnick

Mystery

Mystery: Thriller

Nonfiction

Total Votes Percentage Novel 54 56.00% Kiss & Hell by Dakota Cassidy 12 12.00% Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby 11 11.00% Ghostland by Jory Strong

Short Story Collections

Total Votes Percentage Novel 13 45.00% Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy 11 38.00% The Mechanics of Falling and Other Stories by Catherine Brady 5 17.00% The Best American Essays 2009 by Mary Oliver

Women's Literature

Total Votes Percentage Novel 17 28.00% Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner 17 28.00% Still Alice by Lisa Genova 8 13.00% Aphrodite’s Workshop for Reluctant Lovers by Marika Cobbold

Young Adult

Total Votes Percentage Novel 17 13.00% Seraph of Sorrow by MaryJanice Davidson & Anthony Alonghi 12 9.00% Willow by Julia Hoban 11 8.00% Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Young Adult: Fantasy

Total Votes Percentage Novel 499 69.00% Blood Promise by Richelle Mead 72 10.00% Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 47 7.00% Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

**Once again, a huge thanks to Jackie for organizing and compiling this!

I remember in elementary school my art teacher told my class about an artist named Vincent Van Gogh. She said he cut his ear off and everyone in my class squealed and squirmed and some of us (including me) asked why. I still remember very clearly that my teacher said he did it because he was in love. Later in high school one of my art teachers told me that he was in love with a prostitute. And now in college I took an art history class where my professor told us he cut his ear off, that he was in love with a prostitute, and that he was extremely depressed. I've always been attracted to Van Gogh's painting and curious about his story, so when I saw Sunflowers

by Sheramy Bundrick I knew I had to give it a try. This is the story of Van Gogh, or at least what Bundrick thinks might be the story of Van Gogh. Here's the rub: there is really no information about this prostitute he was in love with, and we don't really know how in love with her he was. So most of this book is just Bundrick's musings.

But I was still glad I read it. There are some beautiful moments where Bundrick tries to recreate what she thinks (from research) is Van Gogh's spirit; "You have years ahead, but one day you'll wake-up and wonder where they went. Don't let the things you want escape you" (39). I just thought that was a fantastic line, and whether Van Gogh said half the things she writes him saying or not, it's still great writing. She does an amazing job of recreating his total obsession with art as well; "But I can't stop. I can do without everything else- money, people, even God- but I can't do without my painting. Even if someday it kills me" (113). But there is something else to that quotation too and it has a lot more to do with Rachel, the prostitute, the main character really, than anything with Van Gogh. We're seeing Van Gogh through Rachel's eyes and in this quotation we can see how in love with painting Van Gogh is, but we can also see that Rachel clearly does not come first in his life. And how must that feel? To love an artistic genius so much you would do anything and everything for him, but to know you will never come first in his life. I think this is something Bundrick really considered when writing this novel and it really shows in the conversations between Rachel and Van Gogh and even the characterization of Rachel herself. What kind of woman is that selfless?

Historically, I also found this novel interesting just because of the way Rachel talks about her job. She talks about how she is regarded as a piece of meat and how she has to pay to have her name removed from a list before she can get another job. But money is too precious and everyone knows she is a prostitute anyway. So she feels very stuck. I also thought it was interesting how she viewed sex in two different ways. Vincent is her lover and she wants to love him just because of that, but the man that come and visit her are just "jobs" she has to do for money. I just think that would be such a strange way to experience sex and love and really even just to live your life.

This is great writing, and lovely characterization, but I still wasn't completely satisfied. The ending wasn't as good as I had hoped for, although I won't go into great detail about that. When I look at this book from a fiction perspective I think it was awesome even though the ending wasn't quite right for me, but from a historical standpoint... the fact that the majority of the book is almost entirely a fabrication makes me a little uncomfortable. But then at the same time that is where Bundrick can really bring her creativity in, and she follows the outline of Van Gogh's life fairly well. Honestly, this is an argument you can make over any historical fiction novel, so I won't dwell on it anymore.

This novel earned a B, if you are interested in art or just like historical fiction I think you will enjoy it.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Eleven-year-old Bess de Montacute is infuriated when she discovers that she is being forced to marry thirty-two-year-old Hugh le Despenser. Hugh comes from a family of traitors, and isn't very happy about the arrangement either. For the past several years, he has been having a love affair with a woman he would never be permitted to wed.

After being imprisoned after his father's execution, Hugh realizes he must accept this gift he has been presented. The two are forced to come together and perservere despite the challenges placed before them. Young Bess is allowed a reprieve of one year after she weds before she must share a bed with her husband. An appalling thought in the current time, but a very common practice in the 14th century.

Even though they eventually grow to love one another, their love is continually tested. A war separates them and threatens to systematically destroy those they love. And just when it appears as though it can't get any worse, they are faced to deal with an unforgiving and indiscriminate plague-pestilence. Just how much can their love withstand?

Hugh and Bess

is truly a coming of age novel. We watch each of the main characters grow and mature as their love blossoms and they become remarkable people. Higginbotham does an outstanding job of growing her characters. She makes this historical fiction/romance an interesting one. At no point was I overwhelmed or bored with the historical facts that were relayed. Higginbotham overcomes this by the incredible dialogue she creates between the characters. Most of the history is relayed by the characters themselves, and not some dull and dry narrator. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, but not typically historical romance. But I can't say enough about this powerful love story between two people forced together by marriage. I was so enamored by this love story that I read it twice! Those that know me understand that I can count on one hand the books I have had a desire to read more than once! Higginbotham is an author I will continue to follow.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing a copy of Hugh and Bess for review!

Let's take a magical history tour this week, with a focus on Historical Fiction. That is, contemporary novels with a historical setting. I like to give choices, so here they are, pick the question(s) that appeal to you:

Is there a particular era that you love reading about? Tell us about it--give us a book list, if you'd like. Include pictures or some fun facts from that time period, maybe link to a website that focuses on that time. Educate us.

Do you have a favorite book that really pulled you back in time, or perhaps gave you a special interest in that period? Include a link to a review of it on another book blog if you can find one (doesn't have to be a Weekly Geek participant).

A member of your book group, Ashley, mentions that she almost never reads Historical Fiction because it can be so boring. It's your turn to pick the book for next month and you feel it's your duty to prove her wrong. What book do you pick?

If you're in agreement with Ashley on this one (or even if you're not): Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to browse through this week's WG posts, and by the end of the week, pick a book from one of the posts to read. Report on which book you picked, linking to the Weekly Geeks post where you found it.

Create your post and come back here to sign Mr. Linky. Be sure to enter the direct URL to your post, not your blog's main URL.

Remember to stop in and say hi to other Weekly Geeks!

I started my novel today for National Novel Writing Month. After much struggling in my decision I have decided to write a YA romance, or is it really a romance? I chose this over the historical fiction because it required less research. If I had spent October working on research then I probably would have chosen my historical fiction story, but since I did not YA it is. I'm attempting to right a YA novel that I would have read when I was a teenager, which is actually a lot harder than you might think. When I was at the age for YA novels I had pretty much lost interest in them because I didn't feel like they were catered towards girls like me. So maybe I'm onto something, we'll find out.

I wrote exactly 1,667 words today, so I'm right on track!

So Thursday marked my last month as a teenager. Yes, I am turning twenty. Most people aren't that excited about their 20th birthday, and I guess I'm not really either. To make things a little more exciting I've decided to do a self challenge. I've never read a lot of YA books, even when I was a teenager. I mentioned during National Novel Writing Month that this was the reason I decided to write a YA novel. When I was in high school it was the cool thing to not read YA books, but to read literature books. Sometimes I regret not reading more YA, but the truth is that I really had trouble finding YA books that interested me.

So yesterday I did some shopping, virtually and physically, and found four YA books that I would like to give a shot. The first I've already started. It's The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner. I also ordered the first three books in the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, Sorcery and Cecelia, or the Enchanted Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Most of these are historical fiction, which to be honest I wasn't very interested in when I was in my early to mid teens. I was really interested in Kurt Vonnegut and Jack Kerouac at the time. The turning point in my reading habits was actually when I read Jane Eyre, although it wasn't an immediate change. It's taken me awhile to really become a historical fiction reader, although I've always enjoyed books set in the past.

So basically this is just a way for me to relax, read some books that I probably wouldn't read otherwise, and enjoy my last few days as a teenager. I'll be posting the reviews to these books as well as something adolescent every Saturday until January 9, which is the day before my birthday.

I have more mini-reviews today, because these both also fall under the category of wanted to/should have loved these books, But.

First is May B. by Caroline Starr Rose. This is a book that I really should have loved. It's written in verse, which I'm pretty sure most people know how much I absolutely adore. It's historical fiction — life on the prairie — which I've been totally fascinated with for as long as I can remember. And it's a survival story taking place in the midst of a crazy, nasty blizzard. Oh ya, and, the importance of reading and language plays a large part in the growth of the main character. Umm, yes please.

I was in love with the idea of a historical fiction story being told in verse. I feel like non-Contemporary verse novels are rather rare, so I was really excited for this one. But for some reason, the execution was really lacking for me. May is sent by her parents to live/work with a newlywed couple because her family needs the money her servitude will bring. But shortly after May gets there, the wife (who is from the city and really struggling with the vast prairie life) decides she is going to leave, and the Mr. goes after her. He's only supposed to be gone for a day, but he never comes home. May is left completely alone as winter approaches and she has no idea how to get home.

That is enough for a compelling story. But there were other things added to the story that I assume were meant to give depth to the story and to May's character, but instead just felt underdeveloped and tacked on to say — Look!! Character growth! May should have been a strong character, but I never really believed that she was, I only ever believed that I was supposed to think she was. I just never felt a true sense of connection with May and honestly thought the inclusion of May's struggles to read were overdone and unnecessary, constantly pulling me out of the story and severing whatever connection had started to form. I don't know why that was. Reading is (obviously) a big deal to me, but it never felt natural or necessary. It always felt to me like a plot device, and a poorly disguised one at that. This is actually a story I think might have worked better in traditional prose (although it pains me to say this) and although, overall, I did enjoy the story well enough, it's not a book I'll be recommending much, although if you are already interested, I suggest you give it a try anyway. I will definitely try the author again, and I think this is a book worth giving a chance, even if it didn't quite click for me.

On a completely different note, I have always been completely fascinated by true crime stories, and serial killers and other morbidly interesting stuff. So when I saw Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen on Netgalley, I was like — Yes! Win! The Green River Killer was a big deal for a lot of years, killing a tragically large number of women and eluding the police for a very long time. And, because I really am morbid, I was excited to read a story written by the lead detective's son and told as a graphic novel.

Unfortunately, the idea behind the book was the most interesting part of it. I found myself very disappointed in the actual contents of the book. The story had a very strange chronology that didn't flow well and it made it really hard to be interested in the story. There were random and unexplained jumps in time and setting that were never explained and it made the story really awkward to read.

And, the illustrations, while well drawn, weren't very distinct, and I'll admit that there were times I wasn't sure who was actually depicted. They all kinda just looked the same to me.

I feel like this is a story that could have been amazing. As the son of the lead detective on such a high profile case, you would have a lot of different information and a different view of the case than most people, and I feel like there could be a lot of really solid material for a book. Unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me and I ended up spending a good 85% of the book bored and wishing it were over.

*Disclaimer: Both of these books were electronic ARCs received via Netgalley.

I mentioned yesterday that I got a lot of books for Christmas. I thought I'd go through which ones I got as a preview for what I'll be reviewing in the next few months. The coolest book I got is probably The Wild Things (Fur-covered Edition), which I received from my boyfriend. For those of you who don't know this is an expansion on Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I haven't read a lot by Dave Eggers but I am a big fan of Best American Nonrequired Reading. This book averages four stars on Amazon, hopefully it will hold up well under my critical eyes.

I received A Good Man by Larry Baker from my boyfriend as well. Baker lives in Iowa City as well so I am eager to read his book. The man character of this novel is essentially at the end of his rope. He is failing at everything until he meets a strange man named Peter Prophet. This man makes many claims that the main character is skeptical about, but they begin to turn around his life.

I got two Bronte novels, Emily's Ghost: A Novel of the Brontë Sisters and The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte

. Emily Ghost is about the three Bronte sisters but seems to concentrate on Emily. As a child Emily goes to school and says she can see ghosts. She is punished for this and it later inspires a scene in Jane Eyre. It averages four stars on Amazon. The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte begins with Charlotte trying to clear her name against an accusation of plagiarism. On the way to London she witnesses a murder and this is the beginning of her adventures. The book averages four and a half stars on Barnes and Noble. I will be reading both of these books for the All About the Brontes Challenge.

Gone With the Wind is one of the longer books I received this Christmas, which is frustrating because I am very eager to read it. This is the description of the book from Amazon: "Gone With the Wind is a sweeping, romantic story about the American Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy. In particular it is the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong Southern belle who survives the hardships of the war and afterwards manages to establish a successful business by capitalizing on the struggle to rebuild the South. Throughout the book she is motivated by her unfulfilled love for Ashley Wilkes, an honorable man who is happily married." This book averages four and a half stars on Amazon. Another book about the Civil War I received is A Separate Country. Both of these books are historical fiction and a little different from the normal historical fiction I read. I'm looking forward to them both.

I got a few other books but these are the most exciting ones that I actually got for Christmas. I've bought a few other books using gift cards and other books I just couldn't resist because they were on sale. Needless to say I won't be buying new books for awhile. (And I mean it this time!)

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

I was incredibly lucky to have Lynn Cullen's new novel, The Creation of Eve for my first TLC Book Tour experience. The novel is about Sofonisba Anguissola, a female painter in Spain during the Renaissance. A student of Michelangelo, she becomes one of the first famed female painters of the time. When I originally picked up the book I thought it was going to be more about Michelangelo since that is what stuck in my mind after the description. I was thrilled when I began the book to find it was not really about him a tall, but rather about Sofonisba's experience not only a painter but a woman during this time period.

Cullen does an amazing job of placing the reader in the time period and really feeling what Sofonisba is feeling. In many other historical novels I find myself asking stupid questions, like Why is she afraid of showing affection to that man? Cullen doesn't even allow you to do that. She weaves historical information so well into that story that you know exactly why Sofonisba or the Queen of Spain or any other person in the novel feels the way they do. Before reading this novel I knew nothing about Spain or Sofonisba, and I really didn't know much about the Renaissance beyond what I've learned in my art history class. This book was an amazingly fun way to immerse myself in a historical time period I'm fairly unfamiliar with.

And I got so immersed. The novel has a few things pushing you to read to the end, but I'm not sure if I even needed them. The experience of reading The Creation of Eve was similar to my experience of reading Jane Eyre (the ultimate compliment). I was interested in the storyline, but I was more intensely interested in Sofonisba's voice. I felt like I was getting to know her and seeing the world around her through her eyes. She was incredibly interesting because she was an active participant in her time period, but in other ways she was acting out against it. Simply becoming a painter is extreme, but the beginning of the novel shows how she acts out sexually against her peers. What I loved about the way Cullen portrayed the sexuality of Sofonisba was that she was honest about it. She didn't romanticize it and she showed the fears women experienced at the time dealing with sex.

This novel earned an A.

This novel counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog. I received this novel through TLC Book Tours in exchange for my review.

This week's Booking Through Thursday is all of these questions!

1. Favorite childhood book?
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes was my favorite picture book. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was my favorite chapter bok.

2. What are you reading right now?
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Best American Essays 2008, and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

4. Bad book habit?
Putting them down on the table with the spine up.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
The Catcher in the Rye, About a Mountain by John D'Agata, Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farguharson, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Yes, I have a nook.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several, although lately I've been focusing more on one at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Oh yeah, I read a lot more and I'm more conscious about what I think while I'm reading.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Genres I know I can count on like literary nonfiction, graphic novels, young adult series, and classics.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yeah I do it all the time.

14. Favorite place to read?
Outside as long as I don't have the sun to my back.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I'll lend to anyone I'm friends with.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I used to but now I use bookmarks and sticky notes.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Often.

18. Not even with text books?
Still do it here.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English though I can read some French.

20. What makes you love a book?
Strong female characters, strong characters of any kind, detailed description but not flowery language.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I come away from a book thinking it either changed the way I look at something or helped me learn a lot about a subject or life.

22. Favorite genre?
Literary nonfiction.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Current literary fiction.

24. Favorite biography?
Wild Child: Life with Jim Morrison by Linda Ashcroft.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I've read fitness walking books and study books.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Popcorn or oranges.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I think I expected too much from it.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Depends on the critic. I usually agree with book reviews from the Believer. Bookmarks is more touch and go.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I feel that I always give reasons for why I don't like a book so I don't mind giving negative reviews. I try to find something good even in books I dont like.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Dutch.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Middlemarch by George Eliot.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

35. Favorite Poet?
Emily Dickinson.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I didn't have a library card until last week (I know, I know!) but including the university library I would say about 3 or 4.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Frequently when I was younger, which is why I didn't get a library card again until last week.

38. Favorite fictional character?
I have way too many! One I always remember fondly is Marcus in About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Lydia Gwilt from Armadale by Wilkie Collins.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Some literary nonfiction and historical fiction.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Three or four months probably.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Most recently I have been very challenged by Surviving Paradise. Not sure if I'll finish it or not.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Noise, other conversations, my own nagging thoughts.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Jane Eyre! The PBS version.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I wasn't too fond of The Lightning Thief.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Oh boy, no clue. Definitely upwards $150 dollars.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not that often, surprisingly.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Boring plot.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I like to keep them on shelves, but in no particular order.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I prefer to keep them.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Gone With the Wind, even though I said I'd read it by the end of the summer.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I can name an essay that made me angry. Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
I wasn't sure if I'd like Candy Girl by Diablo Cody and really enjoyed it.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Luxe series.

Did any of my answers surprise you?

I am so excited to have a guest post today with Sarah Ockler! She has a really fun post today, in the spirit of love for all genres, which I totally adored and even though Contemporary is my favorite, I do read and love many other genres and I love this post talking about the common threads between all genres.

Contemporary Realism vs. Paranormal & Fantasy: Smackdown or Lovefest?

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As an author of contemporary realistic teen fiction, I'm often asked about the imbalance in the bookstores between contemporary titles and paranormals — yes, those sparkly black covers of awesome. Some have asked me why I write contemporary instead of chasing the fantasy "trend." Others want me to convince them to read one over the other, or defend my own favorites, or talk about why contemporary is so much better.

Some of this is in jest, of course. All in good fun. But sometimes it does feel like there's a bit of rivalry going on, doesn't it?

I'm not sure why. To me, fantasy isn't a "trend" anymore than realism *isn't*, and the only thing that's "so much better" is that teens and adults are reading tons of YA — way more than we used to. A big part of that is availability and choice. Even as recently as ten years ago, bookstores might've only had one YA shelf, or the teen fiction might've been mixed in with the younger children's stuff. Now, it's so popular that it usually has it's own section, and that section includes rows of ever-expanding shelves — plenty of room for magic *and* reality.

My favorite local indie, the Tattered Cover, just expanded its YA section, and they host young adult and middle grade authors almost every month — contemporary, fantasy, scifi, dystopian, romance, mystery — we're all represented, and we're all awesome.: -) Walking down those long shelves stuffed with sparkly black covers, pink ones, white ones, scenic ones, close up kissing ones, monster ones… it just makes me insanely happy to have so many choices for my ever-growing TBR list.

So what about the original question? Smackdown or lovefest?

I say lovefest. I love contemporary realism. I love fantasy, paranormal, and scifi. I love it all. Because in young adult fiction, contemporary realism and paranormal / fantasy are just two sides of the same coin. The difference is in the execution. Maybe your boyfriend broke up with you because the scent of your blood makes him want to tear you apart with his pointy little fangs. Or maybe he just likes another girl. Maybe your parents are getting divorced because Mom discovered that dad is a dark elf plotting to take over the world. Or maybe he just leaves the toilet seat up. These are silly examples, but the point is, the underlying emotional strife is the same. Both types of story explore complex emotions and issues like changing friendships, death, sexuality, sex, heartbreak, addiction, family problems, physical challenges, violence, and economic hardship, to name a few. Both feature multi-layered characters forced by difficult — sometimes life-threatening — external situations to dig deep to uncover their own hidden strengths. Both have the twists and turns and surprises that often come when teens experience new situations for the first time. And let's not overlook the best part — all the kissing. Sexy vampires, beautiful witches, six-pack-ab-rockin' shapeshifters, and plain old regular humans… there's plenty of romance to swoon over in most young adult fiction. Team Kissing, are you with me? Yes!

So whether you're typically into contemporary realism or paranormal, whether you like your boys human or bloodsucking, whether you go gaga for girls with wings or wands or just plain old pom poms, whether you're reading about transgender issues or trans-species ones, whether you like escaping to the beaches of California or the halls of Hogwarts, I encourage you to read a bit more of… well… everything. This is a lovefest, after all. Let's show some love!

Need a few recommendations? Check out the newly posted Best Teen Books of 2011 over at Kirkus. Editor Vicky Smith says, "With shelves fairly groaning under the weight of paranormal love triangles, it may be easy to think that books for teens are all the same these days. Not so, we are delighted to report. In sifting through the piles of great books published for teens this year, I was happy to discover soulful romance of the utterly normal kind, deliciously frothy historical novels, piercingly intelligent nonfiction, thrillingly inventive fantasy and science fiction and some great kickass horror, as well as some books that may leave you weeping with laughter."

Some of my faves from the list are Misfit, Winter Town, Virtuosity, Anna Dressed in Blood, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and many more are on my TBR list. There's something for everyone over there. Happy reading!
~ Sarah Ockler

Author of Twenty Boy Summer, Fixing Delilah, and the upcoming Bittersweet (which features the special magic of cupcakes and hockey boys… mmmmm...)

Thank you again Sarah, so very much! I love it!:)

And for all my awesome readers, Sarah has been generous enough to donate a signed paperback of Fixing Delilah to one luck winner! This is a phenomenal book, absolutely amazing, and I'm already excited for whoever wins this one!

Enter Below. Like all Just Contemporary Giveaways, it will end Dec 10th. This is also only open to US/CN.

The last two weeks Jackie invited people to share their 10 favorite books published in 2009...and many bloggers took on the challenge of selecting their favorites. Today Jackie started compiling the votes...We'll let you know when the polling booth is up and then make sure you check in with her at Literary Escapism to vote for the final results.

I spent some time browsing the lists (32 bloggers weighed in) and there is a wide array of books mentioned from all genres including children's literature, women's fiction, YA, historical fiction, literary fiction, fantasy, and everything in between. I found many books on these lists I had not yet been aware of (oh no, watch out TBR pile!!).

I can't wait to see our final list of top 10 books published in 2009!