Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Top Ten Tuesday | My Autumn TBR!


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find out everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read List', and considering Halloween is getting closer I've decided to set myself a spooky/supernatural TBR!



by Neil Gaiman

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . 



by Stephen King

At Cold Mountain Penitentiary, along the lonely stretch of cells known as the Green Mile, killers are depraved as the psychopathic "Billy the Kid" Wharton and the possessed Eduard Delacroix await death strapped in "Old Sparky." Here guards as decent as Paul Edgecombe and as sadistic as Percy Wetmore watch over them. But good or evil, innocent or guilty, none have ever seen the brutal likes of the new prisoner, John Coffey, sentenced to death for raping and murdering two young girls. Is Coffey a devil in human form? Or is he a far, far different kind of being?



by Thomas Harris

Seven years have passed since Dr Hannibal Lecter escaped from custody...

Seven years since FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling interviewed him in a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane. The doctor is still at large, but Starling has never forgotten her encounters with Dr Lecter, and the metallic rasp of his seldom-used voice still sounds in her dreams...



by James Herbert

Three nights of terror in a house called Edbrook. Three nights in which David Ash, there to investigate a haunting, will be the victim of horrifying and maleficent games. Three nights in which he fill face the enigma of his own past. Three nights before Edbrook's dreadful secret will be revealed - and the true nightmare will begin.



by Daphne du Maurier

Working as a lady's companion, the heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Her future looks bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Max de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. She accepts, but whisked from glamourous Monte Carlo to the ominous and brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding housekeeper, Mrs Danvers...

Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the Other Woman. An international bestseller that has never gone out of print,Rebecca is the haunting story of a young girl consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.



by James Bradley

London, 1826: Gabriel Swift has left behind his father's failures to study with Edwin Poll, the greatest of the city's anatomists. It is his chance to find advancement by making a name for himself. But instead he finds himself drawn to his master's nemesis, Lucan, the most powerful of the city's resurrectionists and ruler of its trade in stolen bodies. Dismissed by his master, Gabriel descends into the violence and corruption of London's underworld, a place where everything and everyone is for sale, and where, as Gabriel discovers, the taking of a life is easier than it might seem.

Ten years later, another man teaches art in the penal colony of New South Wales, his spare time spent trapping and painting birds. But as becomes clear when he falls in love with one of his pupils, no one may escape their past forever, and the worst prisons are often those we make for ourselves.



by Bram Stoker

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries about his client and his castle. Soon afterwards, a number of disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman’s neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the imminent arrival of his ‘Master’. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count Dracula and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing deeply into questions of human identity and sanity, and illuminating dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.



by Mira Grant

The year was 2014. The year we cured cancer. The year we cured the common cold. And the year the dead started to walk. The year of the Rising.

The year was 2039. The world didn't end when the zombies came, it just got worse. Georgia and Shaun Mason set out on the biggest story of their generation. They uncovered the biggest conspiracy since the Rising and realized that to tell the truth, sacrifices have to be made.

Now, the year is 2041, and the investigation that began with the election of President Ryman is much bigger than anyone had assumed. With too much left to do and not much time left to do it in, the surviving staff of After the End Times must face mad scientists, zombie bears, rogue government agencies-and if there's one thing they know is true in post-zombie America, it's this:

Things can always get worse.



by K.N. Shields

Two hundred years after the Salem witch trials, a grisly new witch hunt is beginning. 

Salem, New England, many dark nights ago. It is a time of spells and shadows, of black magic and blood. And the most famous witch hunt in history is about to begin... 

Years later, a young woman is found savagely murdered, a pitchfork thrust through her neck, her body arranged in the shape of a star: the death pose of a witch. Someone - or something - is reviving the terror of the notorious Salem Witch hunts. And only one man - a brilliant, eccentric loner with a dazzling mind and a fascination with witchcraft - can keep the evils of the past at bay. 



by Celia Rees

Ellen Forrest is sick, she feels as if the life is being sucked out of her. The doctors think that she is suffering from a disease of the blood, and she has been sent to her grandmother's house to rest, but she seems to be getting worse, not better. Can it have anything to do with the diaries she has found in the attic? Diaries written in Victorian times by her great great grandmother. Diaries that describe an encounter with a handsome young Count who comes from the Land Beyond the Forest. 

Ellen likes a vampire story, who doesn't? The difference is that this one just happens to be true…

Which books made your top ten?

Monday, 22 September 2014

Classics & Contemporaries | Social Commentary

Back in July I started this new series with Romance and promised that I'd be back in August with the Science Fiction installment. Then I ended up going on a little hiatus while I finished up my MA coursework and there was no C&C post in August! 

I thought of just bumping Science Fiction up into September and doing two C&C posts, but considering Halloween is next month, I thought it would be a lot more fun to write up Science Fiction then, alongside the Gothic post I have planned.

So today we're talking about Social Commentary, and I promise you it's a lot less boring and/or intimidating than it sounds!

Social Commentary does what it says on the tin; these are the kind of books that had something to say about the time they were written in, regarding issues from gender to class to race to poverty - you name it, someone's written about it!

Charles Dickens is probably one of the most well known authors for this kind of literature; so many of his stories explore issues with poverty and class - just think of the way he portrayed the workhouses in Oliver Twist.

In fact we're starting our Social Commentary journey in the 19th century, with a brilliant (and sadly underrated) female author...

Anne Brontë is one third of the fantastic Brontë trio, but no one seems to talk about her as much as her sisters. She is most famous for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which is believed to be one of the first Victorian feminist novels, but today I'm going to be talking about her first, semi-autobiographical novel, Agnes Grey.


Agnes Grey tells the story of its titular character, who decides to take life by the horns and become a governess to help her family after her father loses all of his money through no fault of his own. As the younger of two daughters her family are initially uncertain, but Agnes is determined to prove herself and soon finds herself the governess for the children of the wealthy Bloomfields. 

Working for the Bloomfields is nothing short of disastrous; the children are spoilt and cruel, much like their parents who constantly criticise everything Agnes does. Unhappy and lonely, Agnes is relieved when Mr Bloomfield sends her back home, convinced that his children are not learning fast enough, and her mother helps her to find her new position with the Murray family.

Agnes becomes the governess to the Murray's two daughters, Rosalie and Matilda, and though she still often feels the isolation that comes with being a governess, she develops a tentative friendship with the flirtacious Rosalie and befriends the kind curate, Edward Weston.

Throughout Agnes Grey, Anne Brontë reveals how governesses were really treated in the 19th century, and through Agnes's friendship with Rosalie Murray she explores femininity and the way women were treated, even if they happened to be wealthy women. It's an exquisite little novel, and it's one of my favourites, but I think it's something of a marmite read; I loved it, but I've come across many people who found it boring.

So if you're not quite ready for the 19th century, perhaps this piece of historical fiction will be more to your taste...


Eva Ibbotson is a guilty pleasure of mine. She's well known for her children's books, but also for her YA historical romance fiction. A Song For Summer is one such novel, and, like Agnes Grey, it features a feminine heroine, named Ellen, who finds herself working with children when she accepts a job as the housekeeper at a school in Austria.

Ellen becomes intrigued by Marek, the school's mysterious gardener and fencing teacher, but as Hitler's troops advance across Europe their love is endangered by the looming shadow of war.

A Song For Summer is much more romance orientated than Agnes Grey, though Brontë does a wonderful job of portraying the yearning that goes hand in hand with unrequited love, but they both have an innate sweetness which is laced with serious and thought-provoking themes. If you like A Song For Summer, then I definitely believe you would enjoy a classic like Agnes Grey!

Next we have a much more modern classic, written by one of the world's most famous playwrights!


I'm incredibly jealous of anyone who got to study Arthur Miller's The Crucible in school. I had to read Death of a Salesman instead and I loathed it. The Crucible, however, is right up my alley!

The Crucible is Miller's take on the famous Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century. Originally published in the 1950s, it is believed to be an allegory for "McCarthyism", the practice of accusing people of treason or disloyalty without evidence, when the American government began to blacklist suspected communists. 

It's a brilliant commentary on hysteria, manipulation and morality, and you don't have to be a history enthusiast to enjoy it! (Though those of you who do enjoy your history might just appreciate it all the more).

However, while The Crucible is a modern classic, and therefore less intimidating than something as huge as War and Peace, it is a play, and often plays are a lot more fun to watch than they are to read.

But have no fear! I have a very recent novel that might just spark your fancy...


Katherine Howe is no stranger to the Salem Witch Trials; not only is she believed to be descended from two of the accused witches, but her first novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, is all about witchcraft. Her recent YA novel, Conversion, isn't all that different.

In Danvers, Massachusetts Colleen Rowley, a student at St. Joan's Academy, is trying to get through high school and all the stress that comes with it. She's been reading The Crucible for extra credit, and when the school's queen bee, Clara Rutherford, falls mysteriously ill with seizures and violent coughing fits, an illness which soon spreads to her circle of friends, Colleen's suspicions begin to rise.

After all, Danvers used to be known as Salem Village where, centuries before, another group of girls suffered from the same epidemic...

I think the very fact that Conversion's protagonist is reading The Crucible herself makes it an ideal read for anyone out there who's not quite ready to read Arthur Miller's famous play. Ultimately, Conversion takes the famous story of the Salem Witch Trials, or at least the epidemic that led to them, and places them in the 21st century. So if you enjoy Conversion, I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy The Crucible!

There's another genre (though I suppose Social Commentary is more of a sub-genre) done and dusted! Check back next month for Science Fiction and Gothic, just in time for Halloween!

J.

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Waiting On Wednesday | The Penguin Book of Witches


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted over at Breaking the Spine as a way for us readers to share the upcoming releases we're most looking forward to!

My pick this week is: The Penguin Book of Witches ed. by Katherine Howe



Expected Publication Date: 30th September, 2014

Publisher: Penguin Classics

From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, The Penguin Book of Witches is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft, never failing to horrify, intrigue, and delight.

Why I'm Waiting: I'm a big history nerd, and this year I've been working on a novel featuring witches and witchcraft, so this book is calling to me! I own so many novels about witches, but I'd love to get my hands on a book full of actual historical accounts of witchcraft. I think this book will be really interesting!

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Top Ten Tuesday | Authors I Need to Read More Of!


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Authors I've Only Read One Book From But NEED to Read More', which sounded like way too much fun to miss! So, without further ado, here are my top ten:

Eva Ibbotson


One Book Read: A Company of Swans


Diana Wynne Jones


One Book Read: Howl's Moving Castle


J. Sheridan Le Fanu


One Book Read: Carmilla


Katherine Howe




Margaret Atwood


One Book Read: The Penelopiad


Rainbow Rowell


One Book Read: Attachments


Wilkie Collins


One Book Read: The Moonstone


Susan Fletcher


One Book Read: Corrag


Shirley Jackson




Geraldine Brooks


One Book Read: Year of Wonders


Who made your top ten?

Monday, 15 September 2014

End of Hiatus!

So that little hiatus that was only supposed to be a week long ended up lasting for almost a month. Oops!

I have to say, however, that it was really helpful. I needed to put all of my concentration into finishing up my MA - which is now finished! - and now that I've finished university (possibly for good if I decide to never go back!) I can start putting my efforts back into blogging, and I'm really looking forward to getting back into the blogosphere! I may post something later this week, but the likelihood is that from next week is when I'll be back to my regular posting.

Speak to you soon!

J.

Friday, 22 August 2014

Mini Hiatus!

At the start of this year I said I wanted to get into blogging regularly, and when I decided that I wanted to post something new every Monday and Friday I was immensely proud of myself when I managed to keep to that self-made promise. This year I think I've really become a blogger and I'm really proud of the amount of content I've managed to put forward.

When I decided to start taking part in What's Up Wednesday and the odd Top Ten Tuesday there came times when I was posting four times a week, which is a lot for someone who also happens to be doing a Creative Writing MA and trying to write a novel.

For the most part I've been able to schedule posts, but I'm now nearing the end of my MA - my portfolio is due in in ten days! - and I want to be able to concentrate on finishing it without worrying about not having any content on my blog.

I know I'm not a world famous blogger or anything, I'm sure no one cares whether I post four times a week or four times a year, but I just wanted to tell anyone who might regularly read my posts that next week I won't be posting any new content. After next week I'll be back to scheduling as normal, but if posting something every Monday and Friday really starts getting in the way of my novel writing I may change things up a bit.

So, this is just to let any of you reading this know that I'll be absent next week while I work at getting my portfolio polished and finished!

Toodle pip!

J.

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

What's Up Wednesday! | 20/08/14

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk as a way for writers and readers to stay in touch!

What I'm Reading

I finished rereading The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time, and then last night I decided to revisit my childhood by reading Even More Terrible Tudors by Terry Deary. No regrets.

I'm not sure what I'm going to read next, but I'm hoping it'll be The Thickety: A Path Begins by J.A. White if my copy has arrived!

What I'm Writing

I'm sure you all know this by now: I'm working on my portfolio. Over the past few days I finally managed to get one of the big, climactic scenes of the novel written, and though I'm sure it needs a lot of editing I'm strangely proud of it - hopefully that doesn't jinx how other people receive it!

What Inspires Me Right Now

Today is the 402nd Anniversary of the Pendle Witch Trials, one of the most famous witch trials in Britain, and this year the Castle opened up the dungeon they were kept in and allowed people to go down in groups and be told the story. This was great news for me as one of the main characters in my WIP is accused of witchcraft and imprisoned in the same castle so it was great research, but being the sap that I am I actually found being in that dungeon quite emotional. I didn't cry, but there's something so painfully sad about the injustice of the witch hunts in the late 16th/early 17th centuries.

I wish I could say witch hunts don't happen now, but they're still happening in the Niger Delta where children are bathed in acid, buried alive and tortured to extract confessions. Stepping Stones Nigeria is a charity who are trying to put an end to this, but sadly not many people know of them - please spread the word of the great work they do!

What Else I've Been Up To

The Castle was really busy on Saturday when I went - which is great, it's awesome to see so many people enjoying this fascinating building - and there were so many different events on, including a birds of prey demonstration. The birds were adorable, so naturally I got some pictures on my phone while I was there, including this one of Rio the barn owl:


While I was in town I was also ecstatic to come across a small pile of Horrible Histories books in the editions I had when I was younger. The majority of my childhood books and all of my childhood toys aren't with me any more, for various reasons, and as someone who places a lot of sentimental value on things it's always made me very sad. The books were 60p each, so naturally I got seven of them. No regrets!


I'm also currently holding a giveaway over on my tumblr, so if you're tumblrer yourself why not check it out and enter? You could get a free book out of it!

What's new with you?