![]() ![]() ![]() Both political machinations ended in failure, lending an air of despair to this portrait of a powerful woman in the last months and hours of an incredible life. The story revisits her youth, marriage and rise to power, as well as key events during her reign, but lingers longest on a period near the end of her life when she was attempting to safeguard the future of her dynasty by marrying her granddaughter to a powerful foreign prince and naming her grandson Alexander as heir, bypassing the son (Paul) whom she considered unworthy to rule Russia. The story unfolds entirely in flashbacks, in fact, as Catherine is in her last hours, dying from a stroke. In Empress of the Night, the story shifts to the later years of Catherine’s reign (although we revisit her early years in flashbacks) and the point of view shifts to Catherine herself. Eva Stachniak’s last novel, The Winter Palace, told the story of Catherine the Great’s rise to power from the perpsective of her servant-turned-spy, Varvara. ![]()
0 Comments
![]() ![]() The novel feels like it belongs in the same world as Their Eyes were Watching God. It means learning from past techniques and uses the best of them to create something new. But this is an excellent example of what I mean when I say stealing. It’s a wholly original work with a voice all its own. Learning From the Greatsįirst off, I’m not saying that Jesmyn Ward is plagiarizing anything. In addition to that, her brother, Given, was murdered, and his presence is felt throughout the novel. ![]() Like the Breedlove family in Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, we learn about her painful past and why she’s headed for self-destruction. She is obsessively in love with her children’s father, who is himself an addict. In the 90s, every made-for-tv movie seemed to be about crackhead moms living in poverty, but in the hands of Ward, Leonie is a fully fleshed-out character. Twenty years ago, she would have been a cliché villain. Leonie disappears for weeks, leaving her two children with her elderly parents. Jo-Jo’s mother, Leonie, is one of the POV characters and is a drug-addict. ![]() ![]() They sort of reminded me of the Baudelaire siblings from the Series of Unfortunate Events – in a brilliant way. They were all so wonderfully unique and smart. It's so exciting and accessible and enjoyable and is just a really fun, pretty easy read. ![]() And my God, kids will love this! I just know they will. But by far the best quality was the fantastical world – oh, and the wonderfully odd sense of humour too. It had all the action, adventure, suspense, fantasy, humour and family feel that I'd expect from these two authors. So it's safe to say that I had ridiculously high expectations of House of Secrets. And Ned Vizzini? He's one of the writers of Teen Wolf – a show I absolutely adore. When I saw House of Secrets was written by Chris Columbus, I knew I had to read it. ![]() Well, the children soon find out, as they are thrown into the middle of a tangle of dark secrets – and even darker magic. ![]() ![]() My uncle wore to go vote for the first time, Imagine making a quilt where each patch reminds you of a special person, or a momentous event. ![]() Quilting reinforced the ties between generations - from mother to daughter and beyond.* Yeah, okay, that's kind of snarky, but basically true.īut, for the residents of Gee's Bend, a rural community in Alabama, quilting is a way to connect the generations, teach heritage, and strengthen the community.Įarly quilts were made from materials at hand: old jeans, work clothes, and dress tails (the back of a dress which sees the least wear and tear.) Originally, quilting was the evening activity or chore of the women, which, in addition to creating covers fro warmth, also gave them a platform for storytelling, communicating, and singing the songs their mothers sang. ![]() you get large sheets of fabric, cut them up, and sew them together to make a large sheet of fabric. You see a pattern in a magazine, you buy the fabric at a store, and, well, as my husband describes it. ![]() In my world, quilts are pretty much a decorative item. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I always wanted to write something steampunk, but I knew that I wasn’t great at big plots – so I stole some. LR: I’ve always loved the aesthetics of steampunk – for me that comes from videogames – I grew up playing all the old SNES final fantasy games, and I loved those. Hijynx, romance, talking rabbits and killer robots ensue.ĪA: What was the motivation for creating All Men of Genius? How did the initial idea develop? So she disguises herself as her twin brother and gets in. LR: Sure! All Men of Genius is inspired by both The Importance of Being Earnest and 12 th Night – it’s about Violet Adams, a young scientist in Victorian England, who wants to go to the men-only Illyria Academy – essentially Hogwarts for Mad Scientists. ![]() Would you share with readers what is it about? This week we are talking with Lev AC Rosen, author of All Men of Genius.Īirship Ambassador: Hi Lev, thanks for joining us to chat.ĪA: Even before Steampunk Scholar Mike Perschon’s review of your book, I was excited to read it. ![]() ![]() ![]() Totally transcending genre writing, these are world class stories from possibly the most impressive horror writer writing today. Every story meets the very high standard of excellence and fright factor that Lindqvist fans have come to expect. "Equinox" is a story of a woman who takes care of her neighbor's house while they are away and readers will never forget what she finds in the house. In "Final Processing," Lindqvist also reveals the next chapter in the lives of the characters he created in Handling the Undead. "Let the Old Dreams Die" is not the only stunner in this collection. Fans of Let the Right One In will have to read the story, which is destined to generate much word of mouth both among fans and online. ![]() ![]() ![]() Now at last, in "Let the Old Dreams Die," the title story in this absolutely stunning collection, we get a glimpse of what happened next to the pair. A classic short story collection from the writer called Sweden's Stephen King that continues the breathtaking story begun in the internationally acclaimed classic Let the Right One Inīecause of the two superb films made of John Ajvide Lindqvist's vampire masterpiece Let the Right One In, millions of people around the world know the story of Oskar and Eli and of their final escape from Blackeberg at the end of the novel. ![]() ![]() * BingeBooks earns revenue from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate as well as from other retail partners.Īrhyen pressed his back against the cracked stone wall. Will they uncover the true source of Liliana’s soul in time, or will London plunge into a dark age of nefarious technology, where only the scientific will survive?Ĭlockwork Alchemist is classified as Gaslamp Fantasy, with elements of magic within alchemy and science, based in Victorian England. Suddenly entrenched in a mystery too great to fully comprehend, Arhyen and Liliana must rely on the help of a wayward detective, and a mysterious masked man, to piece together the clues laid before them. Nor had he expected the alchemist’s automaton daughter, who claims to have a soul. ![]() He hadn’t expected to find Fairfax himself, with a dagger in his back. Steal a journal from Fairfax Breckinridge, the greatest alchemist of the time. ![]() Now he’s lying dead in the next room, and there’s nothing she can do to bring him back.Īrhyen is the self-declared finest thief in London. If only she hadn’t been locked up in her room, reading a book she wasn’t allowed to read, she might have been able to stop her father’s killer. ![]() Her father is dead, and London is very far away. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Gwendoline (1984): Otherwise known as The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak, this film is goofy, immature, leering, and has stunning set design. Until now, that is Severin has seen fit to load up the fantasy/actioner/softcore Gwendoline (1984) and the harrowingly violent The Boys Next Door (1985) with everything a viewer could want to know. The two new releases from Severin I’ll be looking at today fit in that middle category-ones I know of very well, but yet remained unseen. I came of age (whatever that means) in the ’80s, so I’m always very interested in what Severin Films re-releases from that era some I’ve seen and some I haven’t, and others I’ve never even heard of before. ![]() ![]() ![]() But Magnus's biggest challenge will be facing his own inner demons. Along the way, they will face angry sea gods, hostile giants, and an evil fire-breathing dragon. It's up to Magnus and his friends to stop him, but to do so they will have to sail across the oceans of Midgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim in a desperate race to reach Naglfar before it's ready to sail. The Plus Cataloguelisten all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks. He's readying Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead, complete with a host of giants and zombies, to sail against the Asgardian gods and begin the final battle of Ragnarok. The Ship of the Dead Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 3 Written by: Rick Riordan Narrated by: Michael Crouch Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins 4.7 (146 ratings) Try for 0.00 1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep. Now Magnus faces his most dangerous trial yet. ![]() But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. ![]() As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn't naturally inclined to fighting. Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin's chosen warriors. ![]() ![]() ![]() The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. But when she’s short-listed for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it. ![]() The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game in this witty, clever, and swoonworthy novel following a workaholic marketing manager who is forced to go on a cruise with her arch-nemesis when they’re up for the same promotion.īetween taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. Named a Best Romance of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly, Goodreads, PopSugar, Marie Claire, Real Simple, Insider, Vulture, CNN, Bookreporter, BookBub, and more! ![]() |