Poetry Sunday (08)

This is a fabulous new blog feature here at Eli to the nth!  Thanks to Genna from Reading, Writing, and the World of Words, who created this awesome feature and gave me the permission to host it here, as well as, use her cute graphic!  Poetry is one of my passions, but I have yet to share it here.  So this feature gives me the perfect opportunity to do so!

I had the awesome opportunity to win Genna's, at Reading, Writing, and the World of Words, Poetry Magazine giveaway.  Poetry is an awesome magazine full of awesome poetry!  I'm going to share one of my favorite poems from the magazine.

What’s Left
by W.S. Di Piero

How often now, raging weeping for the days
love gives then takes away, takes from you
the slightly chapped hand laid on the one
you’re pointing at a tree, and the voice
that breathes coffeeberry bush into your mouth.
The finger that taps and feathers your ear
but the giggle’s gone before you turn around.
The sandalwood scent hanging in the room,
the auburn strand like a flaw in the carpet.
The days eat into your stomach, knife you
with longing for relief from love
that you cannot leave or leave alone,
from its rings of fire where you won’t
burn down to ash or be transformed.
You become them, and they keep burning
and have a coffeeberry voice.
          Listen how
                    their rhymes sing
                             the little deaths you live.

Hope you like the poem.  Check out Genna's blog: Reading, Writing and the World of Words and check out Poetry magazine.

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Top 5 (03)

Hosted by Larissa over at Larissa's Life

Rules:

1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme Larissa chose for the week.
2 - Mention her blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Feel free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it below Larissa's post)
4 - After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the   
     Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post on Larissa's blog.

This week’s theme is Favorite Book Quotes!

1.     "Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they'll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back."
   
2.  "You can never have too much sky . You can fall asleep and wake up drunk on sky, and sky can keep you safe when you are sad. Here there is too much sadness and not enough sky. Butterflies too are few and so are flowers and most things that are beautiful. Still, we take what we can get and make the best of it."
   
3.  "The important people in our lives leave imprints. They may stay or go in the physical realm, but they are always there in your heart, because they helped form your heart. There's no getting over that."
   
4. "Investigation?" Isabelle laughed. "Now we're detectives? Maybe we should all have code names." "Good idea," said Jace. "I shall be Baron Hotschaft Von Hugenstein."
   
5.  "And while I was talking, the idea of actually losing Peeta hit me again and I realized how much I don't want him to die. And it's not about the sponsors. And it's not about what will happen when we get home. And it's not just that I don't want to be alone. It's him. I do not want to lose the boy with the bread." 

All such good good good books!  It was so hard to narrow it down, luckily my Goodreads quote page is stocked full!  Happy Reading!  And may the odds be ever in your favor! 

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In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by one of her friends, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

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Follow Friday (08)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View.  It is an awesome opportunity to network other book blogs.  Here's a blurb about it from her site!

Hi, welcome to Follow Friday! Let me tell you what is going on today. First PJV will be featuring one blogger from this great community each Friday along with having the Follow My Book Blog feature. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

This week's question is:

Q. It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. 

Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you? We all have them...

1. When I have over-medium eggs, I cut off the whites, eat them separately, then scoop the entire yolk up and eat it in one go.
2. When I'm thinking I suck air through my front teeth, making a squeaky sound.
3. I eat each section of my food one at a time.
4. I only use pink or yellow highlighters
5. I have to color coordinate my school supplies.

WHAT A WEIRDO!

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Hereafter by Tara Hudson Book Trailer

(Goodreads)

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Things That Make Me Smile (01)

New thing I'm trying out.  Similar to Daily Dose hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly and Tilt: Things I Love Thursday hosted by Gala Darling (You guys should check out both blogs. GGMH is an awesome book blog and GD is an inspiring lifestyle blog).  So in "Things That Make Me Smile" I'm going to be posting pictures, videos, links to things that make me smile or that I've been loving lately.  Please enjoy and feel free to link to your Daily Dose or Tilt or anything you do on your blog that makes you smile!

1. The FREE Angry Bird app for Google Chrome!  I can't stop playing, it's an obsession. 
2. Watched RENT for the 25th time today!  La Vie Boheme is my favorite scene and everyone should watch it once.
   
3. Black and WTF.  This is the funniest Tumblr.  It shows weird ass black and white pictures, and they are super entertaining.
4. Plume Feather Hair Extensions!  I WANT!!!!!  They looks so cool and this is pretty much the last summer I can have something crazy like this in my hair.
5. Florida roll, Florida roll Florida roll.  This sushi is delicious. I must go to Soho Sushi like twice a week at least.
   
   
6. What's In My Bag meme.  This one from Elsie at A Beautiful Mess is one of my favorites.  I watch them all the time on Youtube as well.  It is sad.

Let me know what you guys think about the new feature!

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Waiting on Wednesday (12)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest.

Just so you know, this book isn't a new debut, which is the usual for my WOW posts.  BUT it is new to me.  This is the second book in George R. R. Martin's series A Song of Fire and Ice.  The first book, A Game of Thrones, might sound familiar as there is now an HBO series, Game of Thrones, based on the book.  My friend Emma let me borrow her copy of the first book, and I can't put it down.  Now I'm barely containing my eagerness to read the second book.  You guys should check them out!!!

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Teaser Tuesday (12)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)
• Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

     She looked at Arya. "What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He's very galant, don't you think?"

     "Jon says he looks like a girl," Arya said.

     Sansa sighed as she stitched. "Poor Jon," she said. "He gets jealous because he's a bastard."

     "He's our brother," Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of the tower room.

(page 69)

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Many of you have probably either watched or heard of the HBO series Game of Thrones.  Well in case you didn't know that series is based on a fabulous book, which is actually the 1st in a seven book series (the last 3 haven't been published yet) titled A Song of Fire and Ice.  This is high fantasy and set in the mythical world of Westros which feels a lot like medieval England.  It is such an engrossing book, I can't put it down!!!

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Babe in Boyland (Review)

Title: Babe in Boyland
Edition: Hardcover, 304 pages
Author(s): Jody Gehrman
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 17,2011
Source: Bought from Barnes & Noble
Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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When high school junior Natalie--or Dr. Aphrodite, as she calls herself when writing the relationship column for her school paper--is accused of knowing nothing about guys and giving girls bad relationship advice, she decides to investigate what guys really think and want.

But the guys in her class won't give her straight or serious answers. The only solution? Disguising herself as a guy and spending a week at Underwood Academy, the private all-boy boarding school in town. There she learns a lot about guys and girls in ways she never expected--especially when she falls for her dreamy roommate, Emilio. How can she show him she likes him without blowing her cover

(Goodreads)

My Opinion

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Babe in Boyland is sugary sweet.  Now that isn't an insult, not at all.  I enjoyed the book immensely.  Natalie is a great protagonist and the supporting cast is funny and sweet as well.  It also has a message of acceptance within it which I think is important for teens to read.  And with the way the book presents it, the reader doesn't feel preached to, which is so important!

This cross-dressing, undercover concept is adapted from William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (if you've never read the play, go do it because it is hilarious), but please don't compare it to Amanda Byne's movie She's the Man, because Gerhman puts a decidedly original twist on it.  Natalie is a "love guru" for her school newspaper, but in order to get the real scoop on what boys think she goes under cover at Underwood Academy.  Unfortunately, she is unprepared for the land of boys.  Because of this the contrasts between girls and boys are seen very clearly, and that is what is so charming about the book.

Gerhman doesn't shy away from the realities of the bathroom at an all-boys school or what Natalie must do to get the "right" boy walk down.  Through this switch Gerhman also allows readers to see how different people are when in the presence of their potential love interest.  This is seen clearly through the interaction of Natalie's best friend Chloe and Chloe's crush, big-man-on-campus Josh.  Natalie is able to learn about both sides of the male/female dynamic through this undercover mission.

Of course it wouldn't be a complete comedy of errors without the lead falling in love, and then having to go through an elaborate plan to stop from being discovered.  Natalie, as Nat, is a great voice to narrate this ridiculous voyage from girl to boy to girl/boy? When you read it you'll see what I mean!

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 4/5
Book Title: 4/5
Plot: 8.5/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 8.5/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 43/50: B

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CLOSED (5/31/11) Awesome ARC Giveaway!

I have a ton of ARCs lying around my room, and unfortunately not enough time in the day to read all of them, plus the other books I have.  Because of this I am going to giveaway FIVE SIX awesome ARCs to TWO lucky winners!

The 1st winner wil get their first choice of THREE books and the 2nd winner will get the other TWO THREE books!  Hopefully everyone will get what they want!


Contest will run until May 30 and I will pick the winners May 31.  I'll email the 1st winner and after they email me back with their choices the 2nd winner will be notified.


FORM is found below and good luck to everyone!! 

The books are as follows:

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Famous by Todd Strasser

Kat Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Leverage by Joshua C Cohen

Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer











UPDATE:  I've added a 6th book!!!

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann











TO ENTER:


Must be a GFC follower to be eligible
Must be 13 years of age or older
US residents ONLY
Extra entries are possible
Fill out the FORM
Contest Ends May 30!

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED WILL BE ANNOUNCING WINNERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

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In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by one of her friends, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

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PART ONE

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PART TWO

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Friday Covers (07)

Friday Covers is a weekly meme inspired by Cover Crazy, which is hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms.  The point of this meme is to admire the art and beauty of a book’s design.  In my interpretation, I'm not only admiring covers, but criticizing them as well.

This week I'm showing off another gorgeous cover from the Blue Bloods series by Melissa De La Cruz:

Lost in Time (Blue Bloods #6)

I love it so much!  If you've never read the Blue Bloods series, you really should.  They are fantastic vampire novels with a really interesting and original mythos to how vampires came to be.  Also each cover is gorgeous, and gives a hint to the reader about the setting of the book.  For instance, those are pyramids up there in the black outline, so expect to head to Egypt this time around.  I can't get enough of these covers and love that each book in the main series (there are two companion books as well) are the same design.  That is my one pet peeve, not having matching book covers!  Let me know what you think  of the cover in the comments!

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Hush, Hush (Review)

Title: Hush, Hush 

Edition: Paperback,  400 pages

Author(s): Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

Source: Barnes & Noble

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

  

  

  


The Summary

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For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. 

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

(Goodreads)

 My Opinion

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Hush, Hush is most likely a book I won't read over and over again.  That being said, I did enjoy the book.  It has an interesting premise, with the concept of Fallen Angels and how they are meant to get what they want (can't say too much or it'll spoil the book!).  Nora and Patch are interesting characters, but at times I would get frustrated with them both.

Nora's development is static for the most part, and she doesn't react the way most humans would to the things which happen to her.  This is an aspect that annoyed me while reading, just as it does when I'm watching a thriller.  Because, for all intensive purposes, that's what this book ends up being, which brings me to another problem I had.

The pace of the story is extremely slow.  At least I felt it was.  It wasn't until the last third of the book that the plot picked up.  Before that it was a drawn out "detective" runaround with Nora and her best friend Vee.  Each time I thought "Finally, she figures it out!" something would happen, and often times it wasn't surprising just aggravating.

I think I would have found this book much more engrossing if it had been told from Patch's point of view.  Patch, while not the protagonist, ends up being the more interesting of the two leads.  The conflict he goes through in the book is a much more compelling storyline than the drama Nora finds (sometimes fabricates) herself into.

However, the mythos that is involved within this book is what kept me going.  The premise of fallen angels, guardian angels, and a battle of Heavenly origin.  Being Catholic, I am always interested to see how people interpret such a big aspect of Christian dogma.  There are a lot of interesting takes on Angels and Fallen Angels, and I'm hoping that Crescendo, the second book in the series moves the plot along faster than in Hush, Hush as we have a base in which to establish ourselves. 

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 4/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 7/10

Characters: 7/10

Writing: 7/10

Ending: 8/10 

Overall: 37/50: C

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Follow Friday (07)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View.  It is an awesome opportunity to network other book blogs.  Here's a blurb about it from her site!

Hi, welcome to Follow Friday! Let me tell you what is going on today. First PJV will be featuring one blogger from this great community each Friday along with having the Follow My Book Blog feature. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

This week's question is:

Q. The Blogger Apocalypse made me a little emotional.

What is the most emotional scene in a book that you have read lately?

I think the most emotional scene I’ve read in a book lately was probably in God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo.  It is such an emotional book, and then surprise just slams into unexpectedly and completely.  If you are looking for a really great Adult Contemporary book then you should check this one out; it’s fantastic!

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Rotters by Daniel Kraus Book Trailer

(Goodreads)

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Waiting on Wednesday (11)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.  

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel. 

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful. 

(Goodreads)

Jackson Pearce is hilarious and so are her books.  But while they are funny, the books also carry a poignancy which is beautiful.  Sweetly, Pearce's latest book, is a companion novel to her 2010 book Sisters Red.  As with Sisters Red, Sweetly is a re-telling of a beloved children's story, Hansel and Gretel.  It is a modernized, but if it's anything like Sisters Red, it will maintain a feel of wonder and old world.  I'm excited to read it and so should you!  Check out the video below for more information from Ms. Pearce herself.

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Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper (Review)

Title: Fallen Grace 

Edition: Hardcover,  320 pages

Author(s): Mary Hooper

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: February 1, 2011

Source: ARC won from New Books for New Bloggers

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

   

  

  The Summary

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Life has been nothing but unfair to Grace Parkes and her sister. Penniless, the two orphans manage to stay alive—but only barely, like so many on the streets of Victorian London. And Grace must bear a greater heartbreak, having become pregnant from terrible circumstances and then given birth to a stillborn baby. But the infant's death sets Grace on a new path, bringing her into contact with people who hold both riches and power. A great fraud has been perpetrated on young Grace and her sister, and they are the secret recipients of a most unusual legacy—if only they can find the means to claim it. Mary Hooper's latest offers Dickensian social commentary, as well as malicious fraud, mysterious secrets, and a riveting read.

(Goodreads)

 My Opinion

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I need to preface this review with the fact that I don't normally enjoy historical fiction.  I loe the classics as much as the next English major, but they are in no way my go to reading material.  Saying that, I can confidently declare Fallen Grace to be one of the most riveting and engrossing historical fictions I have read.  Very well researched and the voice of the protagonist, Grace, was pitch-perfect.

Mary Hooper is the next Charles Dickens.  Seriously.  I can picture Oliver Twist running through the pages of this book.  It is the epitome of Victorian London, in all it's dirty, corrupt glory.  The trials that the orphaned Grace and her sister Lily go through are so sad.  I can't imagine living the life they had to, and surviving as honorably as they have. These struggles are made worse by the fact that Lily is mentally challenged. Grace therefore has to take on the role of caregiver even though she is the younger of the two.

Grace stole the show, which is good considering she is the protagonist.  The confidence and intelligence she exudes is a testament to the strength the women in this time period needed to have to survive.  The way Hooper crafts Grace's love for Lily is lovely.  I also throughly enjoyed the revenge Grace gets to reek on the most repugnant character in the book.  It was satisfying.

I love the description of the crazy traditions regarding burial during this time period.  Having funeral mutes is just not something I can wrap my head around.  Another great aspect to the story was the hint of romance.  It felt that subtly fit perfectly withint the time period and didn't detract, but added another layer to the story's dimension!  Also, the antagonists of the story were actual bad guys.  Like twirl the mustache and lay out a master plan kind of bad guys.  No redemption with help by the right person here.  I appreciate that so much.  In this day and age, I think many people turn to fiction for a happy ending to offset the bad things happening in real life.  I, for one, love when fiction is reflects what actually happens within human society, especially if it is contemporary or historical fiction.

Go out and grab a copy of Fallen Grace.  It was sweet while having twisty turns and a sinister edge.  If that doesn't tempt you to read it I don't know what will!

 Final Rating

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Book Cover: 3/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10 

Overall: 42/50 - B

Extras 
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Teaser Tuesday (11)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)
• Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

     "A Seven Dials breakfast? What's that?" asked Lily with interest.

     "It's a joke," Grace said. "It's nothing. Nothing at all."

     "But how can it be a breakfast, then? I don't understand."

     Grace squeezed her sister's hand. "It's just a saying Lily. It's suppose to be droll."

     "I'd rather it was breakfast."

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I had the luck to win this from New Books for New Bloggers (which is an amazing blog for new book bloggers!) It is a Dickinson-esque tale following to sisters, Lily and Grace.  It is a pitch perfect book filled with reference and historical facts placing the reader directly into Victorian London.  Pick it up if you love historical fiction, it is fantastic!

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