zippitydoo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2008
Book #2 of 50: Joyland by Stephen King
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Several months ago, I added a private sub-forum to allow members to discuss these topics without fear of infractions or banning. It's opt-in, opt-out. Corey Click Here
Annual reading challenge 2017-come join us
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#11/80: In the Bleak Midwinter ((Fergusson/Van Alstyne #1) by Julia Spencer-Fleming (4/5) (mystery)
Enjoyed this and plan on reading more in the series. One of the main characters is a female priest.
#12/80: The Closers (Bosch #11) by Michael Connelly (4/5) (LAPD homicide)
Another series I enjoy.
Enjoyed this and plan on reading more in the series. One of the main characters is a female priest.
#12/80: The Closers (Bosch #11) by Michael Connelly (4/5) (LAPD homicide)
Another series I enjoy.
Tiggerish
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 17, 1999
Week Eight - which means 1/6th of the year has already passed. I read three books this week bringing my totals to 31/104. It was an odd assortment this week.
Book 1 - The Husband's Secret by Laine Moriarty. Woman's fiction about the secrets that husbands and wives keep from each other. From the book jacket, "secrets can be sinister; they can eat you alive. But they can also set you free."
Book 2 - Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart. A Christian mystery. It was a quick read with a decent plot and not overly preachy.
Book 3 - An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski. This was non-fiction. The true story of a 11-year old panhandler, a busy sales executive and an unlikely meeting that started as a single contact and developed into a relationship covering years.
Book 1 - The Husband's Secret by Laine Moriarty. Woman's fiction about the secrets that husbands and wives keep from each other. From the book jacket, "secrets can be sinister; they can eat you alive. But they can also set you free."
Book 2 - Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart. A Christian mystery. It was a quick read with a decent plot and not overly preachy.
Book 3 - An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski. This was non-fiction. The true story of a 11-year old panhandler, a busy sales executive and an unlikely meeting that started as a single contact and developed into a relationship covering years.
disneychrista
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2002
Wow. Seems like so much time has past when you put it that way.
disneychrista
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2002
#8 Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home…
A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of—but never arrested for—the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife.
He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents—including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries—one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all…
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home…
A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of—but never arrested for—the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife.
He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents—including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries—one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all…
9/40 - Home with my sisters: Faith, Hope, and Joy. As children, the Garland sisters seemed to fit together as seamlessly as their names. Banding together helped them survive their free-spirited parents, who moved from place to place and whim to whim, until their father took off for good. But as the girls grew up, they became virtual strangers. This Christmas, they intend to spend the holidays in their usual way: far apart. But their ailing grandmother wants her girls around her once more, and Hope, always the peacemaker, convinces her reluctant sisters to travel to Leavenworth, Washington. Hope is immediately charmed by the unique setting, modeled on a Bavarian village, and by her grandmother’s handsome, mysterious neighbor. Still, there’s scant trace of celebration within the Garland family. Joy’s main motivation for visiting is to secure start-up funds for a coffee shop. Faith, oblivious to her children’s unhappiness, is waiting until the holidays are over to announce that her marriage is over and she has a new love. With a festive schedule of candy-cane martinis, hot tubs, and snowball fights, Hope tries to expose and heal old resentments, but moving forward as a family will take more than a little seasonal goodwill. Against a stunning winter backdrop, Mary Carter brings rare insight to the deep and complicated nature of sisterhood—a bond that endures far beyond childhood, and can always bring us home again.
10/40: Results May Vary: She never saw it coming. Without even a shiver of suspicion to warn her, Caroline Hammond discovers that her husband is having an affair with a man—a revelation that forces her to question their entire history together, from their early days as high school sweethearts through their ten years as a happily married couple. In her now upside-down world, Caroline begins envisioning her life without the relationship that has defined it: the loneliness of being an “I” instead of a “we”; the rekindled yet tenuous closeness with her younger sister; and the unexpected—and potentially disastrous—attraction she can’t get off her mind. Caroline always thought she knew her own love story, but as her husband’s other secrets emerge, she must decide whether that story’s ending will mean forgiving the man she’s loved for half her life, or facing her future without him.
11/40: Karolina's Twins: From the author of Once We Were Brothers comes a saga inspired by true events of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to fulfill a promise, return to Poland and find two sisters lost during World War II.
Lena Woodward, an elderly woman, enlists the help of both lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart to appraise the story of her harrowing past in Nazi occupied Poland. At the same time, Lena’s son Arthur presents her with a hefty lawsuit under the pretense of garnering her estate—and independence—for his own purposes. Where these stories intersect is through Lena’s dubious account of her life in war-torn Poland, and her sisterhood with a childhood friend named Karolina. Lena and Karolina struggled to live through the atrocity of the Holocaust, and at the same time harbored a courageous, yet mysterious secret of maternity that has troubled Lena throughout her adult life. In telling her story to Catherine and Liam, Lena not only exposes the realities of overcoming the horrors of the Holocaust, she also comes to terms with her own connection to her dark past.
Karolina’s Twins is a tale of survival, love, and resilience in more ways than one. As Lena recounts her story, Catherine herself also recognizes the unwavering importance of family as she prepares herself for the arrival of her unborn child. Through this association and many more, both Lena and Catherine begin to cherish the dogged ties that bind not only families and children, but the entirety of mankind.
10/40: Results May Vary: She never saw it coming. Without even a shiver of suspicion to warn her, Caroline Hammond discovers that her husband is having an affair with a man—a revelation that forces her to question their entire history together, from their early days as high school sweethearts through their ten years as a happily married couple. In her now upside-down world, Caroline begins envisioning her life without the relationship that has defined it: the loneliness of being an “I” instead of a “we”; the rekindled yet tenuous closeness with her younger sister; and the unexpected—and potentially disastrous—attraction she can’t get off her mind. Caroline always thought she knew her own love story, but as her husband’s other secrets emerge, she must decide whether that story’s ending will mean forgiving the man she’s loved for half her life, or facing her future without him.
11/40: Karolina's Twins: From the author of Once We Were Brothers comes a saga inspired by true events of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to fulfill a promise, return to Poland and find two sisters lost during World War II.
Lena Woodward, an elderly woman, enlists the help of both lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart to appraise the story of her harrowing past in Nazi occupied Poland. At the same time, Lena’s son Arthur presents her with a hefty lawsuit under the pretense of garnering her estate—and independence—for his own purposes. Where these stories intersect is through Lena’s dubious account of her life in war-torn Poland, and her sisterhood with a childhood friend named Karolina. Lena and Karolina struggled to live through the atrocity of the Holocaust, and at the same time harbored a courageous, yet mysterious secret of maternity that has troubled Lena throughout her adult life. In telling her story to Catherine and Liam, Lena not only exposes the realities of overcoming the horrors of the Holocaust, she also comes to terms with her own connection to her dark past.
Karolina’s Twins is a tale of survival, love, and resilience in more ways than one. As Lena recounts her story, Catherine herself also recognizes the unwavering importance of family as she prepares herself for the arrival of her unborn child. Through this association and many more, both Lena and Catherine begin to cherish the dogged ties that bind not only families and children, but the entirety of mankind.
#2/12 - The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
Big thanks to the previous poster who mentioned this book. I had received it as a gift a few years ago. I'm only sorry it took me so long to read it.
Excellent book about the husband and wife who were the zookeepers at the Warsaw Zoo prior to WWII. The author used journals and eye-witness accounts to fill in details. It's a fascinating small glimpse into the history of Warsaw.
Big thanks to the previous poster who mentioned this book. I had received it as a gift a few years ago. I'm only sorry it took me so long to read it.
Excellent book about the husband and wife who were the zookeepers at the Warsaw Zoo prior to WWII. The author used journals and eye-witness accounts to fill in details. It's a fascinating small glimpse into the history of Warsaw.
nemofans
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
Finished book #12/70 - The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle
Fairly boring. 2 stars
Iris and Will's marriage is as close to perfect as it can be: a large house in a nice Atlanta neighborhood, rewarding careers and the excitement of trying for their first baby. But on the morning Will leaves for a business trip to Orlando, Iris's happy world comes to an abrupt halt. Another plane headed for Seattle has crashed into a field, killing everyone on board, and according to the airline, Will was one of the passengers on this plane.
Grief-stricken and confused, Iris is convinced it all must be a huge misunderstanding. But as time passes and there is still no sign of Will, she reluctantly accepts that he is gone. Still, Iris needs answers. Why did Will lie about where he was going? What is in Seattle? And what else has he lied about? As Iris sets off on a desperate quest to find out what her husband was keeping from her, the answers she receives will shock her to her very core.
Finished book #13/70 - The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell
Even worse. I had to skim some because it was too slow moving. 1 star
The first is the spirited journey of Lexie Sinclair, a bright, tempestuous woman who finds her way from rural Devon to the center of postwar London's burgeoning art scene. Her force of personality makes her a natural critic (she's a wonderful tour guide to Soho's Bohemian circles), and she soon falls deeply in love.
Fast forward fifty years and you'll meet Ted and Elina: a contemporary London couple who've just had their first child, both afflicted with a crisis of memory--Elina can recall only bits and pieces of her life before the baby, while Ted fights off memories he can't even recognize.
O'Farrell alternates these plots artfully, always keeping the incorrigible Lexie in forward motion, while letting Ted and Elina wade further back in time. Inevitably, the two stories collide, and the result is a remarkably taut and unsentimental whole that embraces the unpredictable, both in love and in life.
Finished book #14/70 - The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
This is book 3 in the Invisible Library series. There will be more books after this. They are interesting and if I have nothing else to read, then maybe I will finish this series. 3.5 stars
Librarian spy Irene has professional standards to maintain. Standards that absolutely do not include making hasty, unplanned escapes through a burning besieged building. But when the gateway back to your headquarters dramatically malfunctions, one must improvise. And after fleeing a version of Revolutionary France astride a dragon (also known as her assistant, Kai), Irene soon discovers she's not the only one affected. Gates back to the Library are malfunctioning across a multitude of worlds, creating general havoc. She and Kai are tasked with a mission to St Petersburg's Winter Palace, to retrieve a book which will help restore order.
However, such plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy - particularly when the enemy is the traitor Alberich. A nightmare figure bent on the Library's destruction, Alberich gives Irene a tainted 'join me or die' job offer. Meanwhile, Irene's old friend Vale has been damaged by exposure to Chaotic forces and she has no idea how to save him. When another figure from her past appears, begging for help, Irene has to take a good hard look at her priorities. And of course try to save the Library from absolute annihilation. Saving herself would be a bonus.
Irene's adventures feature stolen books, secret agents and forbidden societies - think Doctor Who but with librarian spies!
Fairly boring. 2 stars
Iris and Will's marriage is as close to perfect as it can be: a large house in a nice Atlanta neighborhood, rewarding careers and the excitement of trying for their first baby. But on the morning Will leaves for a business trip to Orlando, Iris's happy world comes to an abrupt halt. Another plane headed for Seattle has crashed into a field, killing everyone on board, and according to the airline, Will was one of the passengers on this plane.
Grief-stricken and confused, Iris is convinced it all must be a huge misunderstanding. But as time passes and there is still no sign of Will, she reluctantly accepts that he is gone. Still, Iris needs answers. Why did Will lie about where he was going? What is in Seattle? And what else has he lied about? As Iris sets off on a desperate quest to find out what her husband was keeping from her, the answers she receives will shock her to her very core.
Finished book #13/70 - The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell
Even worse. I had to skim some because it was too slow moving. 1 star
The first is the spirited journey of Lexie Sinclair, a bright, tempestuous woman who finds her way from rural Devon to the center of postwar London's burgeoning art scene. Her force of personality makes her a natural critic (she's a wonderful tour guide to Soho's Bohemian circles), and she soon falls deeply in love.
Fast forward fifty years and you'll meet Ted and Elina: a contemporary London couple who've just had their first child, both afflicted with a crisis of memory--Elina can recall only bits and pieces of her life before the baby, while Ted fights off memories he can't even recognize.
O'Farrell alternates these plots artfully, always keeping the incorrigible Lexie in forward motion, while letting Ted and Elina wade further back in time. Inevitably, the two stories collide, and the result is a remarkably taut and unsentimental whole that embraces the unpredictable, both in love and in life.
Finished book #14/70 - The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
This is book 3 in the Invisible Library series. There will be more books after this. They are interesting and if I have nothing else to read, then maybe I will finish this series. 3.5 stars
Librarian spy Irene has professional standards to maintain. Standards that absolutely do not include making hasty, unplanned escapes through a burning besieged building. But when the gateway back to your headquarters dramatically malfunctions, one must improvise. And after fleeing a version of Revolutionary France astride a dragon (also known as her assistant, Kai), Irene soon discovers she's not the only one affected. Gates back to the Library are malfunctioning across a multitude of worlds, creating general havoc. She and Kai are tasked with a mission to St Petersburg's Winter Palace, to retrieve a book which will help restore order.
However, such plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy - particularly when the enemy is the traitor Alberich. A nightmare figure bent on the Library's destruction, Alberich gives Irene a tainted 'join me or die' job offer. Meanwhile, Irene's old friend Vale has been damaged by exposure to Chaotic forces and she has no idea how to save him. When another figure from her past appears, begging for help, Irene has to take a good hard look at her priorities. And of course try to save the Library from absolute annihilation. Saving herself would be a bonus.
Irene's adventures feature stolen books, secret agents and forbidden societies - think Doctor Who but with librarian spies!
20/100 The Perfect Kiss by Susan Hatler 2/15 10:37pm
Super cute fluffy read!
21/100 The Maybe Saint by Lisa Ray Turner 2/19 8:48am
Religious fiction.
22/100 Make Over Your Evenings by Crystal Paine
23/100 Make Over Your Mornings by Crystal Paine 2/22 12:40pm
Course that helps to set up routines for evenings and mornings.
24/100 Seducing the Bride by Michelle McMaster 2/26 10:55am
Another fluffy read! Premise is a woman is found, the man marries her in a marriage of convince and they both find themselves falling in love with each other.
25/100 The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey 2/28 9:00pm
Fun take on the idea of a fairy godmother and how fairy godmothers come into be. The first in a series.
Super cute fluffy read!
21/100 The Maybe Saint by Lisa Ray Turner 2/19 8:48am
Religious fiction.
22/100 Make Over Your Evenings by Crystal Paine
23/100 Make Over Your Mornings by Crystal Paine 2/22 12:40pm
Course that helps to set up routines for evenings and mornings.
24/100 Seducing the Bride by Michelle McMaster 2/26 10:55am
Another fluffy read! Premise is a woman is found, the man marries her in a marriage of convince and they both find themselves falling in love with each other.
25/100 The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey 2/28 9:00pm
Fun take on the idea of a fairy godmother and how fairy godmothers come into be. The first in a series.
willowsnn3
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2009
#7/60
The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis
One of the Chronicles of Narnia books. Love C. S. Lewis!
The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis
One of the Chronicles of Narnia books. Love C. S. Lewis!
tinkerbellandeeyor
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2011
Who was Steve irrwin
Arthur unknown
Who was walt Disney
Arthur unknown
Karen's grandad
Ann m Martin
Arthur unknown
Who was walt Disney
Arthur unknown
Karen's grandad
Ann m Martin
Tiggerish
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 17, 1999
Week 9 - Read seven books this week which me at 38 of 104. The books for this week are
Return to Devotion by Laurie Larson- Christian romance, the last book in the Pawley Island Paradise series with standard happy ending.
Insight by Deborah Raney - Christian romance with the standard happy ending but had good writing style.
Midwife's Tale - historical Christian romance with the standard happy ending.
At Bluebonnet Lake by Amanda Cabot - Christian romance with standard happy ending.
The Practice House by Lara McNeal - woman's fiction. This was my free Amazon Prime book for my kindle for the month of March. It was set in the depression in Kansas for the most part and was an okay read.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - fictional series of letters set in England immediately after the end of WWII. Often a book with two authors makes for a fractured book but this book was smooth and moved forward nicely. It also had interesting details about what life was like for regular people during the war.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - what happens when at 18 years old you age out of the foster care system? This book is a fictional account of one girl getting her life together when she ages out, It went back and forth between her childhood in the foster care system and the life she is building as a florist. Lots of interesting details about the language of flowers that is, each flower having a single word meaning. This book I would highly recommend.
Return to Devotion by Laurie Larson- Christian romance, the last book in the Pawley Island Paradise series with standard happy ending.
Insight by Deborah Raney - Christian romance with the standard happy ending but had good writing style.
Midwife's Tale - historical Christian romance with the standard happy ending.
At Bluebonnet Lake by Amanda Cabot - Christian romance with standard happy ending.
The Practice House by Lara McNeal - woman's fiction. This was my free Amazon Prime book for my kindle for the month of March. It was set in the depression in Kansas for the most part and was an okay read.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - fictional series of letters set in England immediately after the end of WWII. Often a book with two authors makes for a fractured book but this book was smooth and moved forward nicely. It also had interesting details about what life was like for regular people during the war.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - what happens when at 18 years old you age out of the foster care system? This book is a fictional account of one girl getting her life together when she ages out, It went back and forth between her childhood in the foster care system and the life she is building as a florist. Lots of interesting details about the language of flowers that is, each flower having a single word meaning. This book I would highly recommend.
zippitydoo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2008
Book #3/50: Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
Cogswel_Cogs
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2005
#4 The Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner
Some parts of this book were exceptional. They almost reminded me of Fear and Loathing, not in the drug crazed insanity, but more in the way that I was being carried through a journey, just as the character was being carried through the same journey. I felt the wonderment that the charater was going through. Unlike Fear this book almost crawled to a stop and the journey got really lacking and I wanted to just go home.
Still worth the read, loved reading about New York experienced many of the locations as a boy, and love to remember them. It seems to me the only time I remember such things is when I am reading so I love books with New York locals in them.
(If anyone is interested, I would gladly send kindle gift versions of any of my works, Written for You , Cemetery Girl, Three Twigs for the Campfire, or Reigning. You can see them reviewed on goodreads. Just PM here or there or like post.)
Some parts of this book were exceptional. They almost reminded me of Fear and Loathing, not in the drug crazed insanity, but more in the way that I was being carried through a journey, just as the character was being carried through the same journey. I felt the wonderment that the charater was going through. Unlike Fear this book almost crawled to a stop and the journey got really lacking and I wanted to just go home.
Still worth the read, loved reading about New York experienced many of the locations as a boy, and love to remember them. It seems to me the only time I remember such things is when I am reading so I love books with New York locals in them.
(If anyone is interested, I would gladly send kindle gift versions of any of my works, Written for You , Cemetery Girl, Three Twigs for the Campfire, or Reigning. You can see them reviewed on goodreads. Just PM here or there or like post.)
FlightlessDuck
Y kant Donald fly?
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2006
I'm afraid I might not make my goal at my current pace. I'll have to speed up a little.
3 of 20: Heir to the Jedi by Hevin Hearne
An interesting little side story about Luke Skywalker on a mission shortly after the end of A New Hope. It's written in first person, which isn't my favorite tense for novels. I felt like it got a little slow in the middle. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Currently Reading: Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb as well as Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo.
3 of 20: Heir to the Jedi by Hevin Hearne
An interesting little side story about Luke Skywalker on a mission shortly after the end of A New Hope. It's written in first person, which isn't my favorite tense for novels. I felt like it got a little slow in the middle. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Currently Reading: Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb as well as Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo.
willowsnn3
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2009
#8/60
You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott
'How far will you go to achieve a dream?
That's the question a celebrated coach poses to Katie and Eric Knox after he sees their daughter, Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful, compete. For the Knoxes there are no limits...until a violent death rocks their close knit gymnastics community and everything they have worked so hard for is suddenly at risk.'
I'm on a roll here with another "not worth the read" book.
You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott
'How far will you go to achieve a dream?
That's the question a celebrated coach poses to Katie and Eric Knox after he sees their daughter, Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful, compete. For the Knoxes there are no limits...until a violent death rocks their close knit gymnastics community and everything they have worked so hard for is suddenly at risk.'
I'm on a roll here with another "not worth the read" book.
#4/12 - All the Light We Can Not See by Anthony Doerr
I really enjoyed this book. His writing is so beautifully done that I could hardly put the book down.
It's about a blind French girl and a orphaned German boy both growing up during WWII and how their lives parallel and eventually entwine together. Highly recommend!
I really enjoyed this book. His writing is so beautifully done that I could hardly put the book down.
It's about a blind French girl and a orphaned German boy both growing up during WWII and how their lives parallel and eventually entwine together. Highly recommend!
Simba's Mom
<font color=green>everything went to "H*** in a ha
- Joined
- Aug 26, 1999
Book #10 of 65-"Lilac Girls". Great book about WWII and especially the all women's concentration camp. 4 1/2 of 5 stars. Highly recommended.
nemofans
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
Finished book #15/70 - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
This story involves Russian fairy tales come to life in a small, medieval Russian wilderness village. I really enjoyed the writing of this tale and am glad to see it will be a 3 book series.
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
This story involves Russian fairy tales come to life in a small, medieval Russian wilderness village. I really enjoyed the writing of this tale and am glad to see it will be a 3 book series.
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
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