Kendra, she of the giveaway, has been trying to get me to read A Discovery of Witches since it debuted in early 2011. I put it on my list of books to read, knowing I would get to it once I moved past the description.
“A reluctant witch. A 1500-year old vampire.”
Forgive me for raising a skeptical eyebrow. I read “witch” and “vampire” and automatically tuned out, imagining A Discovery of Witches would be of the 2? 3? 4,839,847? books out there on paranormal love triangles. I also snorted at the word “reluctant,” because I couldn’t imagine anyone reluctantly in possession of great mythological and folkloric power. I certainly wouldn’t be crying myself to sleep. I’d be too busy turning all copies of the Fifty Shades of Grey Series into bunnies and binding E.L. James’s hands with magical anti-writing rope.
Because I hear regular rope is hard to find in hardware stores these days.
Sigh.
I had my concerns, is what I’m saying.
Then I heard Deborah Harkness is a historian and professor at USC. Comforting. A few book reviews called it intellectual vampirism, and that sounded good, too. I finally decided to read it when I heard book two was coming out and the movie rights had been optioned. Besides, this is the Phenomenally Indecisive Book Club, and we are committed to reading a little bit of everything. Paranormal was a genre we hadn’t yet read, and this book seemed weighty enough to please most of the readers here. (Check out the pinterest board for the club. We’ve got some serious literature fans.)
I’m so glad I read it. I didn’t love it all throughout. There were some parts that were slow for me, and some parts made me gnash my teeth. For example, I would be perfectly fine if I never again read about a vampire watching another person sleep. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and walked away realizing what I should look for in a book.
- First person narration. I like this deeper connection with at least one character. In looking back at the many books I have enjoyed over the years, many of them have this in common.
- Informed historical fiction. Again, this is something I wasn’t aware of until now and something my favorite books share in common. The more unfamiliar I am with the time period and the more informed the author is, the better. Deborah Harkness is a historian with an specialty in 15th and 16th centuries, and it shows–especially in book two. I love, love, love having to take a break in the middle of a book to research more about something I don’t know. In contrast, nothing bothers me more than historical fiction with a cardboard backdrop. Looking at you, historical romances.
There’s more I look for in a book, of course, but these are two points A Discovery of Witches had in its favor.
One last note before we jump into the discussion. I liked the book when I read it, but I loved it after meeting Deborah Harkness and listening to her discuss the inspiration behind the book and how she weaved her life and career into the story. We talked about personal connection briefly when we read Jenny Lawson’s book, and it’s true. It really does make a difference to hear an author’s voice, listen to their motivations, and learn more about their methodology. If you ever have a chance to attend a book signing and reading–for any author–I highly recommend it. It’s something I only recently started doing, and I’m hooked. It changed the reading experience entirely for me.
Fun fact: Ashmole 782 is a real alchemical document misplaced by Oxford’s Bodleian Library.
So, what did you think of the book, and did Harkness succeed in writing something new in what many believe is a saturated genre? My friend and I have already had this debate on twitter a few weeks ago; I’m eager to hear your take.
Did intellectualizing vampires, witches, and daemons benefit the paranormal genre, or should we stick to the campy dime store novels we’ve seen over the last few years? Do you have a favorite paranormal book or series?
Finally, I hate to bring up a book by another author, but I would like to know how this book compared with The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. That book has sat in my unread library stack for years for the same reasons I put off reading A Discovery of Witches. I hear they are similar in style, with camps on either side claiming one is better than the other.
I don’t really have anything productive to contribute to the discussion yet, since I’m only on Chapter 6 or so. Obviously, I kept putting off reading the book, too. But last night I found myself locked in the bathroom finishing just one more chapter… I’m looking forward to finishing it this week. I just finished another historical fiction book, and had forgotten how much I enjoy them. So I’m headed back to my Kindle with a cup of coffee now!
First – I loved the book. Read it in one day – my favorite way to spend a Saturday! Second – I really liked book two but, as I’ve mentioned, I was lost the first 100 pages or so because I couldn’t remember the genealogy of those vampires. So confusing! :) I was too lazy to go back and figure it out – I wish I had read them back to back. Third – I had just finished all the Sookie Stackhouse books and was irate that there are different vampire laws (Daylight? Food?) . My 15yo assured me there are multitudes of supernatural laws and I just had to let it go. :)
Having said all that – I actually didn’t think of there as vampire/witch books as much as great historical fiction, with just enough science to make me feel intellectual. Love that stuff but I don’t have a good science background and feel stupid about anything too technical. (And by science I mean the alchemy, which I realize isn’t really science.) And that is WAY COOL about Ashmole 782!!
And finally (maybe) although I haven’t heard any of my favorite authors in real life, as I frequently mention, Terri Gross’s interviews with authors have led me to some of my favorite books – usually books I would not have read otherwise.
Isn’t there a third book coming out? I can’t wait! :)
One day?! Holy crap you must be a fast reader :D
I read it for about 8 hours one Saturday, inching my way through about 200 pages, LOL
I know, Susan is fast like lightening! She read Night Circus in, like, 12 minutes. ;)
LOL – come by it honestly – my mother and grandmother and on back. But as you can see by my vampire family tree issues my retention isn’t great. Need a yellow highlighter for that! :)
I liked it. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. I had to force myself through the first 100 pages, but then it picked up and I found myself wishing I had more time to read. I stayed up past my bedtime many nights and withdrew from social functions until I had it finished. So it was definitely good enough (after that first bit) to keep me wanting to go back. However, the sign of a really good book for me is the daydreaming that comes after. The reminiscing of the characters and scenes. The theorizing of what will come next. I didn’t have that after finishing this one.
I agree with another reader that really enjoyed the science-y bits. I think I’d like the next book more because of the historical bits. This one had some, to be sure, but not enough for me to really consider it in the “historical fiction” genre.
I realize I’m being completely vague. I finished the book on the 18th and I’ve read another book since then. I honestly can’t remember the name of any of the characters. I do remember a few scenes. Most of which took place in the castle and in the house. I loved that house! “Oh, just leave it there. The house will put it away.” Imagine!
I do remember starting to wonder if it was actually the main character since there were so many other instances where she was using magic without realizing it. So all that time, she believed it to be the house – but it was actually her unknowingly doing it. *shrug*
I also enjoyed the under-riding theme throughout it all, which came across to me as: “Be true to yourself, otherwise you’re just creating unnecessary difficulty and possibly making yourself sick.”
That house was crazy! I would have been completely freaked out, but I’m just a human. I did like the theme, as well. You are what you are–no amount of hiding or wishing it away will change that.
I enjoyed “Discovery” much much more than I expected — and I, too, loved the scholarly basis. However, having just finished the second book, I was struck by the fact that neither of the two main characters has even a shred of a sense of humor, and the books would be better with a little leavening (and also a stronger editor to trim up the flabby middle parts).
They’re professors written by a professor; they can’t have senses of humor. My mom is a professor. Trust me: I know of which I speak. ;)
You haven’t been hanging out with Legal Writing Professors–we are a funny bunch! (Probably because tenure is unavailable to most of us, thus making us not “real” professors in the eyes of the Academy.) But, agreed that the book characters lacked humor or witty banter.
yeah, my professor dad’s attempt at humor makes my sis and I both groan. ^_~
I like you wasn’t sure about this book but I had heard from so many places that it was a great book and I should read it. Well I have to say that they were right. I read both books within a week and now am dieing because I have to wait a WHOLE year for the next one!
Anyway, I loved the story and the historics to it, although I agree not much in the first book but wait until the second! I love books that keep me turning the page wanting to know what happens next and this book did that for me. I guess in a way I connected with it on a personal level as well, I lost both of my parents many years ago and it totally changed some of the ways I thought and felt about myself and the world around me. Coming into your own is very different when you have had such a loss.
There are so many things that I loved about this book that I am going to go back and read both of them before the next one comes out. I have since just finished The Night Circus and I am getting books crossed a little. But I would recommend this series to everyone! It was a great escape!
I’m so sorry to hear you lost your parents young, Christie. Diana was 7 in the book when she lost hers, and all I kept thinking was that she was Mikey’s age. Horrible.
Normally when there is a popular series I hold out until all the books are out, but I caved with this one. I’m almost finished with book 2, and now I have to wait for a year to see how it ends. I’ve never done that before!
I loved it. I actually had to give it to my husband to hide until our trip so that I wouldn’t be tempted to read instead of pack! I enjoyed the history/science aspect the most but was also intrigued at the thought of great artists being daemons. The thing that bothers me is the instant love between the main characters – it’s too Edward/Bella for me. I can’t wait to read the second one.
I think that going to author readings can go both ways. I went to the Night Circus reading and then couldn’t get the author’s condescending/theatrical voice out of my head while I read. Boy that didn’t help with the read! :)
Hah! I thought Night Circus the book was condescending and theatrical, so it doesn’t sound like a book reading would have helped me in the least!
I, too, was so annoyed with the insta-love. In fact, I complained about it on Twitter and made a snarky comment on my FB page. Something about me one day writing a book where the characters falling in ordinary love over the course of several months while doing some mundane task, like laundry. The Insta-Love is explained well either in this book or the next one–can’t remember–or at least well enough that I wasn’t as upset anymore.
Coincidentally, the author of Night Circus did a segment on NPR about Stephen King’s It and I had the same reaction to her. See if you can find it online!!!
Yes, the insta-love made me want to barf. It bothered me even more in ADOW than in Twilight, because I can allow for a certain amount of melodrama when dealing with teenagers, but these are GROWN UPS, for cripe’s sake.
The insta-love in Twilight didn’t bother me in the least. Like you said, teenagers. I remember being 15 and really thinking I was going to DIE if I didn’t see the guy I had a crush on. Oof.
Yup. I mourned my first break-up (age 15) for MONTHS.
Oh – yes, the daemons. I actually want to know much more about them – the second book especially made them so intriguing! Maybe a spinoff series? :) Your comment makes me think about so many of the great artists (of all genres and media) having perhaps undiagnosed mental conditions/illnesses. I have a dear friend who is a gifted artist but suffers terribly from periods of depression and some other problems. Unfortunately, when she takes medications for it she “loses” her art, which is unbearable to her. Maybe she’d prefer to think of herself as a daemon (especially with that cool spelling!).
I have trivia on the spelling! It’s intentional, and I’m going to attempt and paraphrase what she said at the signing. Daemons were, for a lack of a better word, God-like creatures of great artistic talent and intelligence. They received guidance and inspiration from “voices.”
Socrates is said to have received guidance from voices, and in Plato’s Symposium daemons are described as everything between divine and mortal.
As Greek mythology and philosophy lost its stronghold to Christianity, the idea of divine inspiration from beings other than on true God lost it’s appeal. That’s when people–priests and other men in position of power I’m assuming–dropped the “a” in daemon and spun it to what we now consider Satan’s minions.
I’m not convinced that daemons and demons are one and the same, or that conspiracies are involved. I think daemons are your John Nash cases of extraordinary genius blended with mental illness, and demons are demons. Then again, I’m Catholic and believe in heaven, hell, evil, and demonic possession. I’ve never seen The Exorcist and you couldn’t pay me enough money to do so. There is some other demonic possession movie coming out this Halloween. The preview came out while I was in the theater and I turned my back on it/didn’t watch one second of it. I was that scared.
That is so cool – it actually gave me chills to think about beings like that. And I do absolutely believe those voices – whether from some god-like being or the (mis)firing of neurons makes for some incredibly interesting people. (I loved A Beautiful Mind – the movie – but have not read the book. I thought it was one case in which visual might even be better than written – being able to see his hallucinations, for example.) Even though I’m not Catholic The Exorcist kept me awake for WEEKS (that and Rosemary’s Baby). I’ve never watched the movie – the commercials used to terrify me.
I loved the book, and have read the second. Trying to describe it in one line to my husband -“a witch who falls in love with a vampire against all odds” was kind of embarrassing! I loved the location, the alchemy, the history and the fact that vampires have a personal perspective on human history.
Ridiculous, right? I tried to tell my husband and I just couldn’t explain it without giving a million qualifiers. I didn’t even try to explain it to my mom!
Oh, I forgot to mention how I loved the witches house – having a house that took care of my valuables would save on renting a safe deposit box! :)
Liked (a lot) “A Discovery of Witches”; I had a few nitpicky complaints just like anybody might. But I LOVED “The Historian”. I read “The Historian ” years ago, and reading “Witches” just made me want to go back and read it all over again.
I need to read The Historian. Thanks for the inspiration!
I have to say that this is one of my most favorite books ever. I love how Ms. Deb has the scifi/paranormal aspects and then intertwined the story to give readers a picture in their minds. These books are amazing and I have read them more than once, twice and three times.
If ya. Like to discuss this book please visit on FB All Souls Triliogy Discussion Group. This is also a good way to interact with Ms. Deb and to get more insight into book!!
I love this story!!! I wish and hope there will be more than just 3 books!!!
Someday I will actually finish the selection in time for the discussion. Just wanted to say thank you for the selection. It is a fun read thus far and I am looking forward to book two. As already mentioned above, I have to do a quick O_0 about how the love developed. The transition from life threatening vampire to husband was a little fast.
I know. I grumbled about that. A lot. All over the internet.
I had seen your grumblings so when I got to that part I instantly knew what you were referring too and agreed. :) It didn’t ruin the story for me even though I rolled my eyes (a lot).
I LOVED A Discovery of Witches! Book two is waiting patiently for me to finish a few others but I’m so ready to delve in to the next part of the trilogy. Oh, the agony of having to wait another year for the conclusion! I did find ADOW to be very reminiscent of The Historian. I might like ADOW a titch more but both are so well done. I love the historical backdrop- you can tell the authors know their stuff in both books. Up until a few years ago, I never read anything about vampires or supernatural stuff and even now I’m pretty picky but ADOW won me over right from the start. So well written, great character development, plausible other world. The whole explanation of daemons was fascinating, like a big wink to readers. The way witches, vampires, and daemons interact and affect history made me almost wonder if it could be true! I’m so intrigued to see how the insights from Ashmole 782 plays out.
I never read supernatural until Twilight. That was my first YA and first paranormal. I think that’s why I liked it and didn’t get terribly upset with it like many people did. I had no familiarity with either genre, so I had nothing to compare it to. I don’t know how I would feel about reading it today having read so much more paranormal and YA.
p.s. I know exactly what you mean about wondering if all of this could be true! I thought about that for days after the first book.
Yep. Twilight was the gateway for me, too. What I liked about Twilight and ADOW (and Historian, for that matter) is that the supernatural elements are not the main draw to the story. Though it’s hard for me to put Twilight in the same category as those fine books. But you know what I mean.
Haha! Yes, Twilight is the marijuana of publishing. I wouldn’t put Twilight in the same category, either, and I agree that the paranormal aspects weren’t the main draw to the story. I read Twilight and knew that no way in a million years would true gothic/horror/vampire fans enjoy reading a book like that. I couldn’t imagine them being anything other than insulted!
I too wondered if it could all be true!
I agree very much with Shaina – liked, didn’t love. I was absolutely skeptical going in (it was a book club pick) and then pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I haven’t started the second one yet.
Yes, I was pleasantly surprised, too. That’s a good way to put it.
Liked it, didn’t love it, but I’m looking forward to reading the second one, if my library ever gets a copy. I liked the plot and the historical backdrop. The main character’s journey of self-discovery was far more interesting than the romance.
Oh, I agree. The romance was more of a passing interest for me. I’m far more interested in Diana’s self discovery and what is inside that blasted book!
Totally! I also really appreciated that she kept the sex to a minimum.
I guess I’ll be in the minority here, but I just found it to be okay. In comparison to The Historian, I liked The Historian better,
You make me want to read The Historian! I don’t think you’re in the minority. I saw on Goodreads some lukewarm reviews. xoxo :)
I had put off reading this book the first few hundred times it crossed my path thinking that it was just another witch/vampire book, but was finally motivated to read it for the book club this month.
I read it over a weekend and really enjoyed it overall as a new take on the vampire/witch/supernatural story. I enjoyed the historical aspects and the science/alchemy, as well. The House as a character was fantastic. Very fun.
However, I did find the book to be over long and in need of a good edit. If I had to read about how vampires eat or about how often they all have wine and she drinks tea again I was going to scream out loud! I don’t care about yoga for the supernatural set either. All that being said, I DO want to read the second book in the set to see where Deb Harkness takes them and if so much of the background in the first book is leading to something tangible later on in the trilogy.
*I haven’t read any of the Twilight series, so I cannot compare the two. I also haven’t read The Historian, but am now curious about it.
I am glad someone else was annoyed about the wine/tea drinking. I felt like this was repeated a lot and didn’t really add much to the overall story.
Holy cow, yes, that annoyed me. But, I figured Harkness couldn’t help herself. She’s a wine enthusiast and, if I’m not mistaken, authors a popular (maybe award winning?) wine blog.
You know how wine people/foodies can be about these things, especially when it comes to describing how something tastes. It’s why I don’t read a very popular gluten-free blogger–the one married to a chef. *hint* You’re eating a bowl of brown rice, not rolling around in ecstasy with your lover on a sandy beach while the waves gently lick at your fevered bodies.
Lol!!!
Cracking up about the popular gluten-free blogger! NO KIDDING! I’ve read her book and was like, ‘come ON! REALLY?!’ As for Harkness, I didn’t realize she also authored a wine blog. It’s all coming together for me….
You are brave to read that book. It looked good, and there is no doubt the gluten-free lifestyle owes her a huge debt of gratitude, but…
AMEN! It was so annoying that early on in the book I almost quit reading. I’m glad I didn’t & continued on, but that’s how strongly I felt about it.
Luckily, I knew about her passion for wine. I’m not sure what I would have thought had I not. Probably nothing generous.
I liked it a lot more than I expected to. I was so surprised to get to the final page! I was fully prepared for some eye-rolling and page-skipping. I am so glad I didn’t have to do that.
I liked the combination of history/facts/plausible science. I did not know the Ashmole text was a real thing. Thanks for sharing that fact. I haven’t read Twilight, so this was all new to me.
I haven’t read Twilight, so I have nothing to compare it to. I liked the explanation of the distinction between witches and daemons and vampires although I could have used less of an explanation of eating habits.
I am wondering why they take care not to use magic in front of non-magical people and yet the house just expands and contracts at will. Maybe I missed it, but did the house appear the same from the outside, and just changed inside? (I no longer have the ebook from the library to refer to.)
If Diana was spellbound (was that the term they used?), how was she able to use her magic to do things like fix her washing machine? Or maybe that was to show that she was just that powerful that her magic could not be stopped.
My interest is piqued about The Historian. I am #1 on the waiting list for the ebook at my library.
Lastly, I would like to say that this book club is awesome because I would not have read this book on my own.
I totally agree about this book club being awesome by encouraging me to read books I wouldn’t normally pick up. Even though it was a book club pick, I still hadn’t completely decided to jump on board for this one until Jules posted that the ebook was on sale and I decided that for $2.99 I would take a chance on it. Then, I ended up really liking it! I didn’t love it but I certainly enjoyed it and am looking forward to getting into the next phase of their story (I’m really looking forward to more history in the second book).
I’ve read the Twilight series but very little other paranormal fiction so I don’t have a lot to base my overall opinion of the genre; however, I did bristle every time something felt a bit too cliche (fast cars/watching humans sleep/possessiveness/insta-love). Those moments were quickly recovered from though because they weren’t too prevalent.
Thanks, Karina and Brandie. That was one of the goals for the club. I get in huge ruts when it comes to reading. I don’t like to waste my time on something new when I know what I will like. The problem with that is that I miss out on some interesting reads. I’ve been using the club to push myself. I’m super nervous about next month’s pick. Journalistic nonfiction…not my strong suit. That, and memoirs are usually my “did not finish” books.
I read A Discovery of Witches earlier this year and remember liking it, but honestly can’t remember a whole lot about it. For those of you who read the second one, do I need a refresher or does the author do that lovely thing where she’ll refer back to things in the first book to refresh the reader’s memory??
She does a good job bringing everyone up to speed by introducing new characters. As they are introduced, they learn bits and pieces of the back story.
I keep starting this book because I own it but then books I want to read on my library list keep popping up so I put it on the back burner. My thoughts on the first few chapters are “meh” and “meh again,” but there’s something about it that intrigues me so I will finish this book eventually and compose a real thought on it.
It started off slow for me, too. There were bits that were slow, but the last third was quite good.
First, thanks Jules for (1) picking the book and (2) posting about it’s sale on Amazon. I picked it up at the sale and flew through it and have been waaaaaiiiting for this discussion.
I LOVED the book, probably because I love good YA in general, love historical fiction done well, love vampires, and really wish I had magical powers. That and I fell in love with Oxford last year. So this was just a lovely culmination of everything rolled into one.
I wonder, however, if anybody else found themselves comparing it to the Darkfever series that you mentioned on the blog last year. I found myself comparing Matthew to Barrons and Diana to the main character there. The theme (it is up to you two to save the world/future of creatures), the protagonist’s special abilities and roles, setting in England, etc were all so similar! Of course, I think ADOW is so much better written, but the similarities were there.
I am sooo looking forward to the third book and the movies!!!
The wine/tea drinking didn’t bother me, but I may have a bad habit of skimming/speed reading parts that don’t interest me as much.
Oh, and I might have enjoyed Book 2 more than Book 1 because I felt like in Book 1 I was constantly waiting for her to figure stuff out–eg. get over your dislike of magic already!
I can see the similarities, but I can’t compare it to the Darkfever series. First, Barrons is HOT. ;) Second, the caliber of writing is just so different for me. Darkfever is just plain ol’ delicious beach read candy. It’s Urban Fantasy (I know, I sound like an idiot and you all probably already know that it’s UF, but that series is the first and only urban fantasy I’ve read, I think?) whereas ADOW is trying to be literature…yes? No? Let me see if I can explain this better.
I see Darkfever as an attempt to entertain. ADOW is…not to educate, but maybe explain? At the signing, Harkness said that she was inspired to write ADOW while on vacation. She went to the airport shop and was greeted with a wall of paranormal fiction. (I’m thinking it was Twilight, since this was 2008.) So she starts making fun of it because her daughter(s) read the books, and she started asking questions like, “But how do vampires make money? And how do they stay out of history? And how is it that no one notices a werewolf/vampire/witch is their neighbor?” So she attacked it like a research project and started writing all these notes, until suddenly she had 180+ pages of explanations.
Matthew Roydon, for example, ended up in her notes. He existed, and he presented a problem for her when she was researching for her dissertation (I believe it was her dissertation). He popped up among some research she was doing on the School of Night. When she tried to figure out who he was, she couldn’t. He’s just a man without history who seemed to always be around luminaries. She never forgot that. So, she joked out loud that vampires in history would be like Matthew Roydon. There, but no one knows anything about them. And thus began the trilogy.
So interesting to hear the inspiration behind the book!
That is so neat! (Matthew Roydon actually existing).
I totally agree that the two are very different. Yes, Darkfever is a beach read, and perfect for when you’re standing in line at Disneyworld and recommend only to the closest of friends, while ADOW is something I would actually love to have on a bookshelf and read again and recommend to everyone. I wasn’t trying to compare it, so much, but they seemed to echo each other in certain ways… sort of like how Harry Potter echos LOTR…while being totally different
UF –first time I’ve heard of that. neato kean.
As for being able to use her academic background and write great novels with them–amazing!
I liked it okay. Overall, I wish it had a fresher take on all of the mythology involved– I’d read/seen a lot of these plot devices before. Reluctant witch with dead parents who turns out to have ALL THE POWERS, over-protective stuffy vampire boyfriend, forbidden inter-species love, oaths of undying devotion two days after meeting, etc, etc. In a lot of ways, it felt like I had already read this book. It took me several tries to start reading it, and I kinda had to trudge through the first few chapters.
I did enjoy some of the historical elements, and I liked the addition of the daemons into the mythology. I didn’t find Diana or Matthew especially compelling, though– my favorite characters were probably Diana’s aunts (and their house).
Funnily enough, I’m having a similar problem with Shadow of Night. I downloaded it days ago, and I’ve tried to start it a couple of times, but it just isn’t grabbing me. I thought I’d be eager to jump right in given the setting and my considerable interest in English history, but… Meh. I’m not really feeling it.
Ok, so here’s my take. I didn’t want to like this book, which is weird b/c this type of thing is right up my alley. The reason is b/c my mom read it first and I’m still working out weird issues where if my mom says something is awesome, I have to take the opposing side and say that it’s not. Ha, so ridiculous!
I finally read it after I couldn’t stand listening to how awesome it was from her one more second.
And….I really liked it! I got tired of the pace in the first half. Call me an adrenaline junkie too hooked up on YA fiction and The Hunger Games, but I enjoyed the 2nd half more, when Stuff actually started happening.
Loved most of the characters…..except for Diana. And that’s a problem right, b/c she’s the main character? I didn’t hate her. Just thought she was too full of herself :)
Soooo….thumbs up from me! My complaints are more just minor quibbles really.
The Historian. Oh M Gee. I tried. SO HARD. to like that book. Cuz I love me some vampires, esp old school kind. But I thought that book was like treading thru molasses mixed with cement. Too literate for me, I suppose. I needed something more exciting to happen! That book was a fail for me, except I can appreciate the writing and most everything about it…I think more of what really happened is that I failed the book, not that it failed me :)
Loved both books! Sorry for the delayed post but I put them both in my vacation bag and just got back.
I too am a fan of books with some historical truths and I love me a good vampire so it had me from the begining. Again with Twlight the female character drives me nuts but grew on my in the second book. It left me wanting more about a lot of the back characters (some come back in the second book and give you a few snipets more) but I loved the house and all the ghosts milling around but I’m all about the details and why each thing/person is included and thier role and thier background that makes them important vs just they came with a message and leave but overall a great read.
Thanks for the book club picks – I don’t always comment but it is fun reading.
I had just finished re-reading the Twilight series and my sister suggested I read ADOW. I wasn’t very interested at first but I gave it a chance. I’m very glad I did because I totally loved it! I’ve read both books twice now while waiting for the third to come out. I’m guess I’m a sucker for romance and completely fall for the love at first sight. I believe it does happen and that didn’t bother me about the book. I really enjoyed getting to know each character and I cannot wait to see what happens next!!
Thank you for sharing the history behind her writing this series.