Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

5 out of 5 stars.

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. Mr. Norrell is reclusive and guarded, Jonathan Strange is more open and drawn the to wilder forms of magic. Eventually their partnership becomes strained. Jonathan Strange becomes more daring in his magic and risks losing everything he holds dear. 

This book follows the lives of two magicians, Mr. Norrell and his student, Jonathan Strange. At an eye popping 1006 pages (paperback), this book pretty much gives every last detail of their journey both together and separately. Included in the story is a long list of characters that add to it and make it one of the best books I have read in a long time. Sounds good right? Of course! But here’s the thing; would I recommend this book? Well, that depends. Since it reads more like an historical fiction with footnotes included (yes, there are footnotes…..lots of them), I cannot say I would recommend it to just anyone. So I’ll put it this way…..If you are looking for a quick read (see 1006 pages above) with some magic included, a few laughs, and think this would be just like reading Harry Potter (which I love btw), this is not the novel for you. If you like books that take its time telling its story, plays on all your emotions, has that dry British humor that not all people get, and has a Dickens like feel to them, then you might want to give this one a shot. I’m glad I did.

Available on Amazon at the link below:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

 

 

 

 

 

The Taxidermist’s Daughter by Kate Mosse

5 out of 5 stars.

Constantia Gifford, the taxidermist’s daughter, is 22 years old and unmarried. She lives with her father in a decaying mansion, Blackthorn House, that houses the remains of his once world-famous museum of taxidermy. Connie has no recollection of why it closed as she suffered a childhood accident that erased all the memories of her childhood days.

A woman is found dead. Connie’s memory starts to surface. Something about the victim is familiar but every time it starts to come to her, the memory stops. Her father won’t answer her questions. There is a dark secret in Blackthorn House. It’s buried within Connie’s mind as well. It draws her closer, until the startling truth can no longer be contained.

I received this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

This book took me totally by surprise. Not one to usually read Gothic historical thrillers, I was surprisingly sucked in from the beginning. This chilling tale was well written and richly atmospheric. I felt I was transported in time and taken on a dark journey with Connie, as she tried to remember her past so she could learn the truth and connect it to the present. The characters, although at times I would get them confused due to similarity in names, were interesting and complex; multi-layered personalities that had you questioning who were the good guys and who weren’t. The gruesome techniques of taxidermy that were included were a little unsettling, but it also gave an interesting look into the field that I know very little about. The way Connie describes it as capturing the beauty for a lifetime made me see it a little differently than I had before.

Overall, this is a wonderfully crafted tale and I enjoyed it immensely, finding it very difficult to put down. I am thankful I was given the opportunity to read it.

Available on Amazon at the link below:
The Taxidermist's Daughter

Ripe for Murder (Cypress Cove Mystery #2) by Carlene O'Neil

3 out of 5 stars.

I received this book as part of a First Reads Goodreads giveaway.

Penny Lively runs her family's winery and deciding she needs to attract more guests, goes to a lavish resort to hear details about investing in a new train that runs through wine country. Unfortunately it's during this stay that one of the investors' wives is murdered and Chantal, who is her neighbor's daughter, ends up as the prime suspect. It's up to Penny to clear her name and find out who the real killer is.

I did not read the first story in this series, which luckily didn't seem to matter too much as the author created enough of a background to catch you up to speed. I enjoyed the book for the most part and did enjoy the main character, my only criticism of her is that I did feel she accused everyone too quickly and came off a little too busy body. I get that she wants to find out who the killer is, but she pretty much was an open book in her sleuthing and I just felt she needed to be a little more discreet. The relationship between her and her winery manager and potential love interest, Connor, was a bit odd for me as well. Again, I didn't read the first book which may have helped, but his character was pretty one dimensional in this particular story and I really didn't know or learn anything about him other than the fact that she likes him and he is a runner. I got more details out of her friendship with Antonia and her dislike of Chantal than I did from her relationship with Connor. Aside from those things though, I did enjoy the story and there were enough potential suspects, both likable and dislikable, to keep you guessing. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Available on Amazon at the link below:
Ripe for Murder