Month: February 2014

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore Review

Posted February 22, 2014 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 2 Comments
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore Review

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore My rating: 5 of 5 stars Publisher: Delacorte Press Length: 416 pgs Series: Goodnight Family #1 Format: Hardcover, borrowed from my local library Goodreads Synopsis: Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn’t as simple as it seems—she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that “normal” doesn’t mix with magic, and she’s worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect any hope of ever having a normal life. Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that. Good old ordinary, uneventful hard […]


Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor Review

Posted February 19, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 3 Comments
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor Review

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor My rating: 4 of 5 stars Publisher: Little Brown Length: 513 pgs Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2 Format: Hardcover, checked out from my local library Goodreads Synopsis: Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war. This is not that world. Art student and monster’s apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: […]


The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory Review

Posted February 15, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory Review

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory My rating: 3 of 5 stars Publisher: Touchstone, 2006 Length: 390 pgs Series: The Tudor Court #1 Format: Paperback, borrowed from my Grandmother.  Find it on Amazon here Goodreads Synopsis: “I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known…and I will be Queen of England.” Thus, bestselling author Philippa Gregory introduces one of her most unforgettable heroines: Katherine of Aragon. Known to history as the Queen who was pushed off her throne by Anne Boleyn, here is a Katherine the world has forgotten: the enchanting princess […]


Angelfall by Susan Ee Review

Posted February 10, 2014 in Reviews / 11 Comments
Angelfall by Susan Ee Review

Angelfall by Susan Ee My rating: 4 of 5 stars Publisher: Feral Dream, 2011 Length: 282 pgs Series: Penryn & The End of Days, Book #1 Format: Paperback, purchased from Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on […]


Oxford: A History of Children’s Literature

Posted February 8, 2014 in Travel / 3 Comments
Oxford: A History of Children’s Literature

While on my travel course last month, I was able to take a day trip from London to Oxford. While the primary attraction in Oxford was the two hour Harry Potter Walking tour, we also had five hours of free time to wander the quaint, beautiful area. What we came to learn was that Oxford has a history of Children’s Fantasy Literature, from C.S. Lewis to Lewis Carrol to one of the largest bookstores in the UK. First up on the day’s agenda was Christ Church College (see above), notable for having many Harry Potter movie scenes filmed on its […]


Remember when I said I was going to Hogwarts?

Posted February 6, 2014 in Harry Potter Musings, Travel / 8 Comments
Remember when I said I was going to Hogwarts?

(Members of Ravenclaw house outside the Warner Brother’s Studio Tour.) Well, technically it was a Harry Potter travel course offered by my university- same thing, really! I posted about it this summer, and I just got back two weeks ago, and it was literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone and everyone, especially an avid reader and Harry Potter fanatic like me. (Oh hey, Tom Riddle Sr.’s Grave) The course was an honors course, titled “Deconstructing Hogwarts: A Critical Examination of Harry Potter in Context.” Only twenty students were selected to go, evenly divided into the four Hogwarts houses, and each […]