Eventually the young girl was tossed away to a boarding school where she was all but a servant, still the ever resilient child showed herself to be composed of more than many ever believed her to be. Surviving the desperate conditions of Claypoole School and the death of a dear friend, Gemma perseveres to attain her education and seek employment beyond the walls of the institution once she has become of age.

 Enter this novel’s tragic hero and possible tragic flaw: Mr. Sinclair who just happens to be the guardian of a young girl named Nell in need of a governess.

 Sound familiar? It should. Touted as the contemporary Jane Eyre of our time, Margot Livesey’s The Flight of Gemma Hardy has been promoted in such as way as to create enormously large literary shoes that claim to have been filled before the first pages were even lightly turned by the majority of everyday readers.

 However all is not as well written, as it may seem or as it has been advertised.

 The modern day Mr. Rochester’s secret lacks power much as the romance between him and Gemma lacks spark and magnetism. While one of the hallmarks of Jane Eyre is a detached sense of emotion, it also a raging sense of passion that ignites between her and her lover that make the novel what it is and is celebrated for being. That bond makes the novel and unfortunately is missing in this newest interpretation. In this department the relationship and interactions between Gemma and Mr. Sinclair pale in comparison and ultimately fall devastatingly short.

 Nevertheless the experience of losing all hope of love and affection at such a young age only to grow up and possibly find it in the most unlikely of places; is a great one. It also makes for a great story no matter the time in which it is written. Gemma’s ongoing search for love and family among the wilds of Iceland lend nicely to taking on some originality beyond the barest of modernizations. The story of Gemma Hardy is one with small caches of originality mixed with an undeniable blue print of one of the most celebrated pieces of literature ever written. It also is a testament to the writer’s talent for inspiration and re-invention. Incidentally it is also impossible to put down.

 In the end the book while it cannot be said to be anything less than a reasonably well written piece of literature it also manages to more than anything shine a light on Charlotte Bronte’s true masterpiece as not only the gem that it is but also as a work of inspiration for writers of today and the future.

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of A Wrinkle in Time Stiletto Storytime is pleased to be a part of the 50 Years, 50 Days, 50 Blogs Celebration. As part of the second week of celebrating we are blogging about “sharing” this great book.

Personally the first time I read A Wrinkle in Time I didn’t get it. I was in middle school and I quickly went through the book and simply didn’t “get it”. Then the second time I read it, once again in middle school…I kind of got it. I got that it was special. As Meg says ” I got it. For just a moment I got it! I can’t possibly explain it now, but there for a second I saw it!” And so began my cycle of re-reading this destined classic. A cycle that has continued from young adulthood into graduate school and beyond into my library career.

How could this book not be destined to be a classic although in many ways it was lucky in finding it’s way to print at all. The classic good vs. evil, dark vs. light, right vs. wrong…but for children. That was the key. For the first time someone was entrusting children with saving the world, with joining the ranks of Jesus, Gandhi and so many of the other fighters. Someone was given children worth not only in constructing a story of this magnitude where they were the heroes but in also creating a story that might be hard to “get” but believing that those children out there devouring each page would persevere even if it did take a few times.

That to me is what makes A Wrinkle in Time and Madeleine L’Engle special and the reason why it must continue to be shared. And what better way to share than with this dazzling new 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition which can rival it’s contemporary companions in shelf presence while providing a little something new for everyone to learn about their treasured favorite or new discovery, whichever may be the case. If you have not read this book I do hope you will let me share it with you now. Enjoy & Happy Reading!

About the 50^th Anniversary edition:

The 50^th Anniversary Commemorative edition features:

•       Frontispiece photo*†

•       Photo scrapbook with approximately 10 photos*†

•       Manuscript pages*†

•       Letter from 1963 Caldecott winner, Ezra Jack Keats*†

•       New introduction by Katherine Paterson, US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature  †

•       New afterword by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Voiklis including six never-before-seen photos †

•       Murry-O’Keefe family tree with new artwork †

•       Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery acceptance speech

( * Unique to this edition    )         (   † Never previously published)

“Immediately compelling and action-packed, this carefully researched work of historical fiction introduces young readers to the childhood of the famous yet elusive Beryl Markham, the first person to fly solo from England to North America. As in her debut novel, Prisoners in the Palace, MacColl propels readers into a multilayered story with an unforgettable heroine and evocative language that brings the backdrop of colonial British East Africa to life. A fascinating read for anyone with a thirst for adventure.”

As Michaela MacColl showcases her second novel she proves to all that her calling in historical fiction extends far beyond what we saw in her debut novel Prisoner’s in the Palace (Stiletto Storytime Review) which brought itself immediately to so many readers’ attention in such a positive way. In particular the author has a great talent for combining historical fact and well-created fiction into a seamless tale that is in the end as a whole so much greater than it’s individual parts.

Completely different and yet utterly special in it’s own right Promise the Night is based on the true life story of Beryl Markham’s unique childhood in the wilds of British East Africa and more specifically her interaction with the Nandi tribe. Told in flashback from the present day (1936) feat of her famous flight from England to North America, the tale can be somewhat slow at times but proves to still keep young readers in it’s clutches with it’s adventurous nature and wildly audacious young Beryl leading the action. Also interesting is the use of mixed media in the telling combining traditional prose with journal entries and even newspaper articles.

With it’s call to high adventure and remarkable leading lady the book will be a hit with audiences of both genders in both the middle grade and young adult markets. It also shines as a historical fiction work about a lesser known historical figure of the female gender which always lends itself well to school projects and reports from an educational stand point. Well-researched and as always with Ms. MacColl appealingly written, the book will shine for many readers and many purposes.

Book Giveaway

Thanks to the generousity of the always fabulous Chronicle Books one lucky reader at Stiletto Storytime will receive a copy of not only Promise the Night but MacColl’s debut novel Prisoners in the Palace as well.  Giveaway ends midnight EST January 30, 2012. This giveaway is open US/Canada only. Winners will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address and/or Twitter. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

Since adventure is key in MacColl’s latest tale:

To enter simply comment below and share your favorite adventure tale as a child or young adult.

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

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Be?Become a Follower of Chronicle Books on Twitter (Please leave name in comments.)

Tweet or Blog about this Giveaway (Please leave link in comments.)

  We all know what it means to be new in some capacity. We were all new to this world that surrounds us at one time, learning what we needed to know as we grew and aged. We got by while making our way being taught by those around us who had once not so long ago been in our shoes. We had guidance and knowledge passed to us and hopefully love and encouragement to light our path as well. For Ana none of that has come to pass for she is truly new in a world that is not only old but populated by those who have lived for thousands of years; centuries that each and every person within the Range and the city of Heart can remember except for Ana.

 In this new world created by author Jodi Meadows each individual has lived multiple lives- thousands of years of memories and reincarnation filled with experiences, learning and relationships that with each birth rebound and build upon one another again and again. As a child is born into the world, it is expected to be a certain individual and immediately known to and by all. Sometimes a person is born of a different gender or into a new family but some things seem to never change like the fact that they often may have similar interests and talents and that they always come back within a certain time period. That is until Ana comes along and replaces on old soul with what some call her “Newsoul” and others reject as “Nosoul” at all.

 It all begins when a teenage girl discarded in many ways by her own mother Li and abandoned at birth by her father Menehem, sets out on her own to discover who and what she is and where she came from amid a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with her. Along the way a handsome “young” man called Sam who just happens to be sympathetic to the plight of a nosoul saves her from death and promises to help her along her quest. What follows is not only a satisfying love story but also a quest of adventurous feats and an unraveling mystery as to what will happen not only to Ana but to this entire world that her birth has shaken to it’s very core.

 Within this unique debut novel Incarnate we are introduced to a story unlike any other built upon the idea of reincarnation, fantastical creatures and a genuinely endearing love story. In its pages we also encounter themes of prejudice, discrimination and religion that lie just beneath the surface of a well written if sometimes slow novel of inventive proportions.

 Among a cast of well thought out characters Ana shines as a protagonist giving the novel a somewhat responsible and mature feeling while navigating a world that is truly “new”.  Meanwhile her relationship with Sam is perfectly paced and real enough to keep readers interested and captivated about whether or not circumstances and feelings will allow for them to finally be together in the end. Creative and inviting, Incarnate offers a little something new in the young adult genre filled with paranormal and fantasy titles that while strong in their own right still offer none quite like this. One can’t help but wonder where the story will go as this planned series continues. And what a great cover to boot!

Incarnate will be released on January 31, 2012.

From the spectacular Queen of the Nile Cleopatra to the infamously wild leading lady of the roaring twenties Zelda Fitzgerald and beyond to more obscure figures such as the fiesty pirate Grace O’Malley and the saucy pin-up Emma Hamilton, Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women chronicles those females who flouted convention and largely ignored what was expected of the fairer gender within their respective time periods in history. As it does so the author also manages to present these ladies with a great amount of  style, wit and panache that will leave readers both enlightened and entertained.

  Easy to read straight through or flip about casually, each individual portrait gives an interesting mini-biography of these often notorious women including relevant facts about their claim to fame plus not to be missed juicy tidbits of each aspect of their unforgettable lives. Chapter by chapter we are introduced to these daring women organized into uniquely created themes such as “Amorous Artists” or “Crusading Ladies”. From the naughty doings of Anne Boleyn to the courageous journeys of women such as Joan of Arc, Scandalous Women has a little something for everyone leading to an enjoyable and yet educational reading experience which seems to breeze by far too fast. Best of all is Mahon’s witty and characteristically humorous writing style which only enhances each woman’s portrait further by bringing each leading lady to life in their own individual and creative way. Not to be missed-readers are guaranteed to learn at least one thing they didn’t know about these most daring women of history. In the end trivia abounds and satisfies in this great collection. For extra fun make sure to also check out the author’s blog: Scandalous Women.

Book Giveaway

Like a little scandal with your history? Then this is the book for you! And one lucky reader will win their own copy of Scandalous Women from the generous author Elizabeth Kerri Mahon herself. Giveaway ends midnight EST January 26, 2012. This giveaway is open US/Canada only. Winners will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address and/or Twitter.. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply comment below and share your favorite scandalous leading lady of the past and why she appeals to you personally. Who intrigues you? Is it a daring actress, a brave Queen or a generous benefactor who went above and beyond to help others? Who knows your favorite femme fatale may even be chronicled within the book.

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower/Subscriber of Stiletto Storytime

Be/Become a Follower Stiletto Storytime on Twitter (Please leave name in comments.)

Be/Become a Follower of Scandalous Women on Twitter (Please leave name in comments.)

Tweet or Blog about this Giveaway (Please leave link in comments.)

]]> http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/review-giveaway-scandalous-women-by-elizabeth-kerri-mahon/feed/ 32 stilettostorytime Scandalous Women http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/2011-reading-challenge-wrap-up/ http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/2011-reading-challenge-wrap-up/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:37:52 +0000 stilettostorytime http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/?p=4596 Continue reading →]]> It’s the end of the year and it’s time to tally up my progress in my various reading challenges for the year. It was a tough year and I didn’t get as much reading done as I would like but I did manage to meet most of my goals and complete the majority of the challenges that I did sign up for in 2011. All in all I read 143 books this year and completed 8 official challenges including my very own Classics Challenge of 2011. You can check out each challenge I participated in this year below and see what books I chose to read for each challenge. Also click on any challenge to get more information and possibly see if that particular reading challenge will be sponsored again in 2012. Now I am off to pick my challenges for 2012…I would love any suggestions you might have!

Wishing you the Happiest New Year in 2012 & as always Happy Reading! 

Student Level: Read 5 Classic Books

1.) The Histories by Herodotus (Re-Read)

2.) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Re-Read)

3.) An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (Re-Read)

4.) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (Re-Read)

5.) Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (Re-Read)

6.) Christy by Catherine Marshall (Re-Read)

7.) The Pearl by John Steinbeck

8.) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Challenge is to read a minimum of 12 Debut Author’s Books in Young Adult and Middle Grade Literature.

1.) Haven by Kristi Cook

2.) Across the Universe by Beth Revis

3.) Clarity by Kim Harrington

4.) XVI by Julia Karr

5.) Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

6.) Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

7.) Future Imperfect by K. Ryer Breese

8.) The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

9.) Forgotten by Cat Patrick

10.) Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

11.) Envy by Gregg Olsen

12.) How I Stole Johnny Depp’s Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain

13.)  Virals by Kathy Reichs

14.) Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

I will be doing “Undoubtedly Obsessed”: 15 books.

1.) The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe by Andrew O’Hagan

2.) The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

3.) Christy by Catherine Marshall (Re-Read)

4.) Bride Flight by Marieke van der Pol

5.) Before Versailles: A Novel of Louis XIV by Kathleen Koen

6.) Becoming Marie Antoniette by Juliet Grey

7.) Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

8.) The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

9.) Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer

10.) Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

11.) Salt Bride by Lucinda Brant

12.) The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

13.) Noble Satyr by Lucinda Brant

14.) A Winter Scandal by Candace Camp

15.) The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Levels: Neophyte: 1 – 4 selections, Disciple: 5 – 8 selections, Aficionada: 9 – 12 selections.

1.) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

2.) Sense and Sensibility 1995 (Film)

3.) Sense and Sensibility 2008 (Masterpiece Theatre Adaptation)

4.) Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Read 20 Books with a Vampire as a Central Character

1.) Throat by R.A. Nelson

2.) Haven by Kristi Cook

3.) The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

4.) Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

5.) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

6.) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Re-read)

7.) Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (Re-read)

8.)  Insatiable by Meg Cabot (Re-read)

9.) Overbite by Meg Cabot

10.) Supernaturally by Kiersten White

11.) Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

12.) I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

13.) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Re-Read)

14.) Fangland by John Marks

15.) Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (Re-Read)

16.) Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (Re-Read)

17.) Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (Re-Read)

18.) Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (Re-Read)

19.) All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (Re-Read)

20.) From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (Re-Read)

Challenge:  To read books about South Asia or by South Asian authors.

Level: South Asian Adventurer  - 7 books

1.) The Storyteller of Marrakesh by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya

2.)  The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

3.) The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar

4.) The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair

5.) If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar

6.)  The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi

7.) Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

Read 12, 25, 50 or 100 books from your local library in 2011.

1.) The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

2.) Numbers by Rachel Ward

3.) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4.) Beastly by Alex Flinn

5.) Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg

6.) Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

7.) Under the Dome by Stephen King

8.) The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

9.) A Friend Like Henry by Nuala

10.) The Truth-Teller’s Lie by Sophie Hannah

11.) The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe by Andrew O’Hagan

12.) Promises to Keep by Jane Green

13.) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

14.) Room by Emma Donoghue

15.)  The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

16.) The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

17.) The Shining by Stephen King

18.) Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress

19.) Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

20.) The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar

21.)  The Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

22.) Christy by Catherine Marshall (Re-Read)

23.) The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

24.) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

25.)  If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar

26.) Overbite by Meg Cabot

27.) Tigerlily’s Orchids by Ruth Rendell

28.) Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

29.)  Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

30.) Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

31.)  Virals by Kathy Reichs

32.)  Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

33.) Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism by Jenny McCarthy

34.) Mother Warriors:  A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds by Jenny McCarthy

35.) Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies by Kenneth Bock and Cameron Stauth

36.) Healing and Preventing Autism: A Complete Guide by Jenny McCarthy and Jerry Kartzinel M.D.

37.) A Child’s Journey Out of Autism by Leeann Whiffen

38.) Then Came You  by Jennifer Weiner

39.) I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

40.)  Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

41.) The Children of Men by P.D. James

42.) Fangland by John Marks

Level: Reading with a Child: “Watering” – Read 36 picture books with a child during the year.

1.) Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg. Illustrated by Janet Ahlberg.

2.) Hide and Squeak by Heather Vogel Frederick. Illustrated by C.J. Payne

3.) Press Here by Herve Tullet

4.) Baby at the Farm by Karen Katz

5.) Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

6.) Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals. Illustrated by Ashley Wolff

7.) Bye-Bye Time by Elizabeth Verdick. Illustrated by Marieka Heinlen

8.) Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

9.)Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs by Willy Claflin. Illustrated by James Stimson.

10.) Hide by Jeff Foxworthy. Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman.

11.) Read to Your Bunny by Rosemary Wells

12.) Compost Stew by Mary Mckenna Siddals. Illustrated by Ashley Wolff.

13.) From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

14.) Snappy Little Monsters by Dugald Steer

15.) My First 100 Words by Roger Priddy

16.) Grover’s Mommy by Liza Alexander. Illustrated by David Prebenna (Little Golden Book)

17.) From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

18.) My First Superman Book by DownTown Book Works

19.) Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

20.) What’s to Eat? by Charles E. Reasoner

21.) Trains by Byron Barton

22.) Airplanes by Byron Barton

23.) Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

24.) Whose Baby Am I? by John Butler

25.) Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley

26.) My First Superman Book by Downtown Bookworks

27.) My Very First Book of Shapes by Eric Carle

28.) My Very First Book of Numbers by Eric Carle

29.) My Big Boy Potty  by Joanna Cole

30.) Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel

31.) My First 100 Words (Board Book)

32.) Donald’s Christmas Gift by Sheila Sweeney Higginson

33.) We Belong Together by Joyce Wan (Board Book)

34.) The Big Book of Beautiful Babies by David Ellwand

35.) The Santa Claus Book by Eileen Daly. Illustrated by Florence Sarah Winship

36.) Donald’s Christmas Gift by Sheila Sweeny Higginson

Looking for a new read for the new year? How about an elegantly written historical fiction to kick off 2012?  Perhaps Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King would be just the thing! You can find a summary of the book below to whet your appetite and also read my full review on Stiletto Storytime here.

“Refugee. Queen. Saint. In eleventh-century Scotland, a young woman strives to fulfill her destiny despite the risks . . .

Shipwrecked on the Scottish coast, a young Saxon princess and her family—including the outlawed Edgar of England—ask sanctuary of the warrior-king Malcolm Canmore, who shrewdly sees the political advantage. He promises to aid Edgar and the Saxon cause in return for the hand of Edgar’s sister, Margaret, in marriage.

A foreign queen in a strange land, Margaret adapts to life among the barbarian Scots, bears princes, and shapes the fierce warrior Malcolm into a sophisticated ruler. Yet even as the king and queen build a passionate and tempestuous partnership, the Scots distrust her. When her husband brings Eva, a Celtic bard, to court as a hostage for the good behavior of the formidable Lady Macbeth, Margaret expects trouble. Instead, an unlikely friendship grows between the queen and her bard, though one has a wild Celtic nature and the other follows the demanding path of obligation.
Torn between old and new loyalties, Eva is bound by a vow to betray the king and his Saxon queen. Soon imprisoned and charged with witchcraft and treason, Eva learns that Queen Margaret—counseled by the furious king and his powerful priests—will decide her fate and that of her kinswoman Lady Macbeth. But can the proud queen forgive such deep treachery?

Impeccably researched, a dramatic page-turner, Queen Hereafter is an unforgettable story of shifting alliances and the tension between fear and trust as a young woman finds her way in a dangerous world.”

Book Giveaway

Sound like your cup of tea? To help celebrate the new year and the paperback release of this title Stiletto Storytime is excited to be able to offer two lucky readers their own copy of Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King. Giveaway ends midnight EST December 31, 2011. This giveaway is open US/Canada only. Winners will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address or Twitter on January 1, 2012. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply comment below and share any of your reading goals for 2012. Do you have any in mind? Any challenges you may be joining? Do you already know what book will you be reading first in the new year? It doesn’t matter what you share…let’s just talk books!

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower/Subscriber of Stiletto Storytime

Be/Become a Follower Stiletto Storytime on Twitter (Please leave name in comments)

Tweet or Blog about this Giveaway (Please leave link in comments)

However before I get to the prize portion of this post, I do want to give dear Jane a gift. Out of all the wonders I thought to give her…a new freshly trimmed bonnet, an exquisite dress-dare I say a barouche? No..none felt just right. And so if I could I would give Jane just the perfect gift. It would be that of more time and perhaps more quill and ink so she could create more stories for us all to enjoy.

Austen Inspired Giveaway

One very lucky soiree attendee will win their own Austen inspired party favor. The fetching Lucinda Brant has been kind enough to provide a signed hardcover copy of her novel Noble Satyr: A Georgian Historical Romance. Look for a review of this rollicking romance in later days on Stiletto Storytime. I dare say Jane would approve.

Giveaway ends midnight EST December 23, 2011. This giveaway is open internationally so all are welcome to enter. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address or Twitter. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply comment below and share any memory of Jane that you can think of. It can be of one of her works or even an interest in one of her works if you are a newbie. Also don’t forget to visit the other blogs participating in this wonderful event and check out their giveaways as well.

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower/Subscriber of Stiletto Storytime

Be/Become a Follower of Stiletto Storytime on Twitter (Please leave name in comments)

Be/Become a Follower of Author Lucinda Brant on Twitter (Please leave name in comments)

Tweet or Blog about this Giveaway (Please leave link in comments

1. Austenprose
2.  SemiTrue Stories
3.  First Draft
4.  Regency Skethes
5.  Brant Flakes
6.  Mesmered’s Blog
7.  The Heroine’s Bookshelf
8.  vvb32 reads
9.  The Fiction vs. Reality Smackdown
10.  ReginaJeffers’s Blog
11.  Alyssa Goodnight   
12.  Jane Austen in Vermont
13.  Jane Started It!
14.  Choc Lit Authors’ Corner
15.  Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
16.  The Jane Austen Film Club 
17.  El Salón de Té de Jane
18.  Kaitlin Saunders
19.  One Literature Nut
20.  Patrice Sarath
21.  Jane Austen Brasil
22.  Jane Austen Sequels 
23.  Stiletto Storytime
24.  Jennifer W. Becton
25.  Urban Girl Takes Vermont
26.  Pemberley Variations 
    
27.  AustenAuthors
28.  November’s Autumn
29.  My Jane Austen Book Club
30. O! Beauty Unattempted
31. Sharon Lathan

]]> http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/janes-birthday-soiree-a-gift-for-miss-austen/feed/ 35 stilettostorytime austenbdaysoiree Noble Satyr http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/happy-5th-blogoversary-stiletto-storytime/ http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/happy-5th-blogoversary-stiletto-storytime/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:07:46 +0000 stilettostorytime http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/?p=4537 Continue reading →]]>

It’s so hard to believe it has been five years that Stiletto Storytime has been a part of my life. It’s been with me through so very much. It’s a testament to many things about me. It’s an outpouring of my love for the written word, an outlet for supporting authors, book bloggers and the act of reading in itself and as I have found in this past year especially; it’s a way to hold on to a piece of who I am in this crazy world when life tries its hardest to get the best of you.

I don’t often get too personal at Stiletto Storytime. Most the time I keep it simply about the books and that’s always seemed appropriate to me but I would like to share something on this momentous occasion as I reach the milestone of five years in this crazy book blogging world. You see Stiletto Storytime almost didn’t turn five. As many of you may have noticed there has been a definite decrease in posting in this last year. It’s something I apologize for and that truly bothers me as I consider my blog to be a very important responsibility and a pleasure because of the wonderful readers that I call my own. However there are other things in life that trump a blog in the big picture and chiefly among those is my family.

I never really sat down and considered why I read. For me it’s always been as natural as eating and sleeping. It’s just something I was born to do. However in the past year reading has taken on a whole new meaning for me…it has become a way to find answers to the most important of issues, to  reach decisions based on facts and at times a way to escape the world when I feel I have simply been handed way too much. You see in this past year my beautiful son who many of you have watched grow through Little Man Reads has been diagnosed with autism. This past year has been not only a struggle but absolutely the hardest I have faced in my entire life. At times reading and posting on this blog has not only been hard because of time restraints and his need of me but also in some ways it felt pointless. What did it all count for when my little man was so desperately in need of me? What did it mean when my world was coming crashing down on me as the most important thing in the world to me was in jeopardy? Why did I even bother?

The answer: it meant my identity. It meant a way to stay connected to who I am as a person and in that way to be a better mother to my son. Stiletto Storytime has been my outlet to the outside world at times. My friends and book buddies have been a support system and a cheerleading team. And reading…my dear old friend has given me the information and the power to know how to help my son and give him the best possible outlook for his future which I know deep in my heart is certainly bright. So this year I thank my blog, my readers and all my dear bookish friends for always being there. It’s because of you that I am celebrating five years here at Stiletto Storytime. And it’s because of you that I have hope for many more. On that note Happy Blogoversary Stiletto Storytime and as always…Happy Reading to All!

  In the newish dystopian The Eleventh Plague, readers are introduced to a region of North America that would be unrecognizable to us all in this modern day and time. In the near future after a catastrophic war with China resulting in bio-warfare producing a devastating plague….little and barely anyone remains. Food, shelter, supplies and other life sustaining items are scarce. Options are few and many are forced to become “scavengers” who travel the land looking for items of use to trade and sell to keep alive.

One such scavenger is a young man named Stephen. Born into this bleak world after the Collapse, all he really knows is this life of darkness and hardship. Traveling along with his father and grandfather, he keeps to the wisdom they have taught him and thinks very little about the past or the future until the day that everything changes and he finds himself becoming a leader.

Being a fan of dystopian novels, I was immediately drawn to this book especially when I saw that author Suzanne Collins of Hunger Games fame had endorsed it. In the end I found it to be a pretty satisfying read. The characters were well-defined and shaped and they progressed well as the novel picked up steam although at times I did feel like things were moving rather slowly. Still it was a well thought out and believable world into which the reader was escaping and that can be tricky to create with dystopian novels. I think it would be a great read for teen boys especially although there is some romantic element later on in the book that might appeal more to the teen girls out there as well. Ideally it’s a book that would be suitable for either gender if they were inclined towards the dystopian genre.

 Triple Book Giveaway

 One extremely lucky reader of Stiletto Storytime will win not only their very own copy of The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch but also copies of Underdogs by Marcus Zusak and iBoy by Kevin Brooks. That’s right three books! Giveaway ends midnight EST December 19, 2011. This giveaway is open US/Canada only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address or Twitter. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply comment below and share your favorite dystopian novel. I am always on the look-out for a new read and would love to hear about any you have read recently or maybe even those that you consider your favorites.

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