The Poison Diaries...

The Poison Diaries

by MaryRose Wood

 ...even the most innocent-looking weed can cure...

I loved this book - I picked it up because the whole idea of the ancient art of the Apothecary and Botany are sciences that interest me...but I never expected the magical story this book turn into. 

Based on the The Duchess Of Northumberland, and her famous Poison Gardens at Alnwick Castle, The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaires) draws you into the world of Jessamine. 

Losing her Mother early, Jessamine is left to herself by a Father who stays busy (and away from home) practicing the healing art of the Apothecary. So Jessamine fills her days among the healing plants in his garden...and then she meets Weed and everything changes. 

The writing in this book is amazing - you become so entrenched in Jessamine's ability to converse with the plants around her that you really want to spend time in the wilderness...this book will seriously change the way you look at the wild life around you. A little slow starting (as is the background building in some books) but it picks up quickly and once Weed comes into the story you won't want to put this down. 


Product Description from Amazon:

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .

Countdown: In the words of a 60's News Anchor...You Are There!

Countdown
by Deborah Wiles


I don't know about you - but for me - thinking about the era when I was in school as history is a little painful - but in Countdown author Deborah Wiles does just that. 

This is a new genre for the Children's Market - it is being called a Juvenile Documentary Novel. Basically that translates as historical fiction for kids! 

What an interesting decade to look at - Wiles starts her Historical Trilogy in 1962, the heyday of "Camelot" and through her use of song lyrics, news casts, and period locales - puts you in the shoes of 12 year old Franny Chapman...just as the golden boy of that storybook era gets started and makes a huge misstep with the Bay of Pigs crisis. 

Recent history is sometimes not covered in school and the political nature of the Cuban Missile Crisis has made it a tough nut to crack in an unbiased way. Seeing these life changing issues alongside the issues that are important to Franny and her Middle Grade world is a genuinely unique view of the world in the early 60's and Wiles truly put you there. 

The writing style is compelling and drags you into this look at a generation that lived with the noise of angry voices, political songs, the very real threat of Nuclear Attack and Duck & Cover...I look forward to growing with Franny.


Product Description from Amazon:
It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances. For Franny, as for all Americans, it's going to be a formative year.

Insatiable: Why couldn't she escape stupid vampires?

Insatiable
by Meg Cabot


With a teaser that blatantly says - "Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper." - how could I resist...add that it is from the all time Queen of ChickLit, Meg Cabot and you have the perfect "beach read"! ...you know the book that you just sit down and devour! 

From the description I thought that this was going to be "Sex & the City" meets "Twilight", but Meena Harper is no Carrie Bradshaw. Meena is the script writer for a popular soap opera looking to up it's ratings by adding a "vampire storyline" to cash in on the huge new trend! ...not something Meena is looking forward to. 

When you open Insatiable you get the television studio, behind the scenes glamour, the crazy neighboor, a dark and brooding prince and you have the basic ingredients - but this is Meg Cabot! Not content to simply bring you yet another tale of Vampires living among us, Cabot throughout pokes fun at and makes reference to the other books and TV shows of this ilk. But this vampire romance has a MUCH different outcome...pick this up and take it on your next vacation. 

Older teens and young adults will love this.


Product Description:
Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them.
Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you're going to die. (Not that you're going to believe her. No one ever does.)
But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side. It's a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.
The problem is, Lucien's already dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future, she's never been able look into her own.
And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.
Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future. . . .
If she even has one.

Poison...Renaissance Poisoner as Heroine

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance 
by Sara Poole


The whole idea of "Poisoner" as heroine...begs the comparisons to the like-able serial killer Dexter. But in the Renaissance Era, the setting for this debut novel from Sara Poole, that is a legitimate profession. 

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance begins as our heroine, Francesca Giordano, takes over her father's job as head poisoner for the Borgia family (YES - those Borgias'). Cardinal Borgia wants to become pope, so this could be a deadly position that Francesca finds herself in. With her father recently killed under mysterious circumstances...threats to the Borgias' are numerous (meals and clothing must be routinely checked for poison planted by rival families). Francesca turns out to be one of the greatest poisoners in what was perhaps the most dangerous and corrupt eras, the late-fifteenth-century Rome. 

Poole weaves history and fiction in a tale that will satisfy even the most discriminating follower of renaissance history...if you are a fan of Mistress of the Art of Death this should be right up your alley!


Product Description

In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover the plot that threatens to extinguish the light of the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval darkness.
Determined to avenge the killing of her father, Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim for herself the position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. She becomes the confidante of Lucrezia Borgia and the lover of Cesare Borgia. At the same time, she is drawn to the young renegade monk who yearns to save her life and her soul.
Navigating a web of treachery and deceit, Francesca pursues her father’s killer from the depths of Rome’s Jewish ghetto to the heights of the Vatican itself. In so doing, she sets the stage for the ultimate confrontation with ancient forces that will seek to use her darkest desires to achieve their own catastrophic ends.

The Cowgirl Way - Women in the Wild West....

Middle Grade & Young Teens will love The Cowgirl Way: Hats Off to America's Women of the West...it is a wonderful use of old photos and illustration to bring life to stories of women on horseback!

Kids will love this book and will not even realize that they are learning. That is due to author Holly George-Warren's brilliant mix of story telling and visuals.

What I loved was that the author didn't present these women as "also rans". You know, where their story is more about how they worked with their more popular male partner.

This brief telling of the stories and in some cases legends of women who were riders, wranglers, ranchers, showgirls, rebels and even outlaws are just enough information to send students to their libraries and computers to learn more.

...and at this age isn't that the goal - little snip its of story that tantalize and incite curiosity?


BTW - take a minute to check out the fabulous photos posted by the author of famous cowgirls!


Product Description from Amazon:

The 1840s ushered in the beginning of the largest migration in US history. People in crowded Eastern cities and Missouri River towns were feeling the pull of the Western frontier. It was the dawn of a new era of expansion, and over the next few decades, the making of a new kind of pioneer. It was the birth of the cowgirl!

Welcome to the world of nimble equestriennes, hawkeyed sharpshooters, sly outlaws, eloquent legislators, expert wranglers and talented performers who made eyes pop and jaws drop with their skills, savvy and bravery. In this fascinating account of an ever-evolving American icon, Holly George-Warren invites readers to saddle up with a host of these trailblazers who helped settle the West and define the cowgirl spirit.

Greetings of the Season from Book City!

I want to wish each and every one of you the happiest of holidays...which ever holiday you celebrate!  Know that I appreciate you and your support.

I have a stack of books awaiting review and lots of new "Challenges" I am looking forward to in the New Year.  Mostly from that evil temptress The Story Siren...check out the 2011 Challenges she has posted see if any of them tempt you!   http://www.thestorysiren.com/

I will leave you with the BookScape from one of my favorite blogs http://reflectionof.me/a-city-of-reading

Barnes & Noble Breaks The Color Barrier!!!!

Today Barnes & Noble introduced their first COLOR eReader...NOOKcolor! ...now I may finally invest in one!

There is a video showing the NOOKcolor in action and I have to say this is going to revolutionize the way you get the news...magazines...cook books!

YEP I'M EXCITED!!!

Check this out from their ad:

The Most Social Reading Ever

NOOKcolor helps you stay connected to your friends. It's easy to import all of your Google™ contacts to your NOOKcolor so you can share favorite lines or recommend books to friends, all with just a few simple touches via Facebook® or Twitter™.

Pre-orders are being accepted...this is definitely #1 on my Christmas List ;-p (HINT)

So - what are your recommendations now? still Kindle?

I'm thinking NOOKcolor!