On My Nightstand: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Goodreads

This book looks like it will be a great read. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy to review it.

How to See Faeries by John Matthews and Brian Froud

International bestselling artist Brian Froud and New York Times bestselling author John Matthews come together for the first time to create a spectacular interactive book that opens the doors to the enchanted world of Faerie. How does one discover faeries in one’s backyard or a garden, forest, or meadow? Through insets, hidden messages, magical signs, reflective mirrors, and other paper mechanics, Froud and Matthews reveal how anyone may discover the way to the land of Faerie. All you need is to believe and to own this book.

Goodreads

 

If you want a look inside...




What I liked:


This book is beautifully illustrated. So much so, that it really captures your imagination. The lift the flap surprises are wonderful and they lead you into the book, where the faeries are waiting for you. The varying styles of faeries, classic of Brian Froud, capture your heart and enthrall the mind.


What I didn't:


Not a thing.


Overall:


If you love books about faeries, then you need to check this out. Pop-ups, lift the flap adventures, and portals into the faery world await. An excellent gift for someone who loves faeries, or for your own collection. I know I will be keeping this book in my library for a long time to come. Many thanks for the wonderful folks at Abrams for sending a copy my way for review.


Key points:


*Lift the flap adventures
*Portals into the faery world.
*Previously unpublished work by Brian Froud.
*Hidden messages
* Reflective faery mirrors
*Magical signs


If you are a fan of Brian Froud, then you know he is practically half faery himself. His books include:
Faeries, The Heart of Faerie Oracle, The Goblins of Labyrinth, The Runes of Elfland and Good Faeries/Bad Faeries. He lives in Devon, England.







John Matthews is a New York Times bestselling author of Pirates. He writes a great deal about history and folklore. He lives in Oxford, England.

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Succubus. An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men. Pathetic. A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven't stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess getup complete with whip and wings. And she can't have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy's life. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...

(Goodreads)

From the first second I picked up this book, I was hooked! Georgia Kincaid is a succubus with style. Her bookstore job is a dream, and the guys she hangs out with when she isn't "working" at her real occupation are a hoot. If you like a series with snark, believable characters you come to love and care about, then this is the series for you. Yes, there is some succubus action, but it is handled in a sultry, well written way that won't leave you feeling like you need to take a shower afterward. I can appreciate that.

What I liked:

The depth of the plot, the breathable characters and the fact that it is a series.

What I didn't:

Not a thing.

Overall rating:

5/5 Stars for a great book, and amazing series I can't get enough of!

On the Broomstick Follow Friday!

Happy Follow Friday!

Have a magical weekend!!!

  

Question of the week:

What do I do when I am not reading?

Hmmm. I read so much, but filling in the blanks...I write alot. Blogging takes up some of my time. So do my puppies and my husband. I review music, so when I am not listening to it, I am usually writing a review about it. When time permits, I try to make my Thursday knitting class, but lately that has been quite the challenge with my full time job demanding more of my time than normal. So, I crochet a bit here and there, watch a sitcom with my husband over dinner and then I am usually back on the computer writing, blogging or reviewing something. Typically, this means I am surrounded by my furry kids, trying to either write a bit on the book, toss some laundry in the machine and run the vacuum all while running plot lines in my head and trying to squeeze as much into my time off as I can. Life is never boring at my house.

Question of the week:

Where do you get your books?

Answer: Most of the time I buy my books, both on my Nook and in physical form. I get some from publishers and authors who are interested in having me review them, and I find some at the e-branch of my public library. I love that you can use the e-branch Overdrive system with the iPad and the Nookcolor. It is super cool. I also use Netgalley. For any of you bloggers out there who have not investigated Netgalley, you really need to check it out. It is like an extended library check out system that you can use on your e-reader or iPad.

What I'm Reading Now...Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

Goodreads

I just started reading this amazing book. If you like books, magic and a whole lot of suspense, try this one. The publisher sent it to me for review, and it is very worth the read. Stay tuned for my up and coming review.

Follow Friday and Blogger Hop

Welcome to another excellent weekend blog hop! I am happy to see you here. It is always great to meet new book loving friends here on the web. Stop and sit for a spell and tell me about your current read!



   

Q. Let's step away from besties...What is the worst book that you've ever read and actually finished?

A. Oh wow. That is a hard question. The worst book that I actually finished. That is so hard. There have been a lot of books I have read over the years that don't get finished. I think I would have to say the one I hated the most was:

I mean, really. A story about a guy that turns into a giant roach? Oh the horror. It was the worst. Wait. No that might actually go to:

I hated every second of this book. It was awful. It's funny, I don't remember why I hated it, but the very thought of reading it again makes me shudder.

This week, instead of a question, we are promoting another blog's giveaway! Check out the awesome things going on at Vampires, Werewolves & Witches, Oh My!

Featured App: The Goddess Tarot

If you are looking for a new app, consider the beautifully illustrated Goddess Tarot App by Kris Waldherr. There is a free lite version with a one card oracle, or a multi card version as shown above. Both are available from the Apple App Store. Both versions are lovely. Each card is full of the gorgeous artwork featured in Kris's deck and in The Book of Goddesses, posted in an earlier review here On the Broomstick.

For more information, check out Kris Waldherr's website:



http://www.artandwords.com/



On My Nightstand: Witches of East End

From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches.

The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

(Goodreads)

This book was sent to me by the publisher and I can't wait to start reading!