Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: Henna House

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

My most wished-for book this week is:

Henna House by Nomi Eve
(Release date: August 12, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

An evocative and stirring novel about a young woman living in the fascinating and rarely portrayed community of Yemenite Jews of the mid-twentieth century, from the acclaimed author of The Family Orchard.

In the tradition of Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent, Henna House is the enthralling story of a woman, her family, their community, and the rituals that bind them.

Nomi Eve’s vivid saga begins in Yemen in 1920, when Adela Damari’s parents desperately seek a future husband for their young daughter. After passage of the Orphan’s Decree, any unbetrothed Jewish child left orphaned will be instantly adopted by the local Muslim community. With her parents’ health failing, and no spousal prospects in sight, Adela’s situation looks dire until her uncle arrives from a faraway city, bringing with him a cousin and aunt who introduce Adela to the powerful rituals of henna tattooing. Suddenly, Adela’s eyes are opened to the world, and she begins to understand what it means to love another and one’s heritage. She is imperiled, however, when her parents die and a prolonged drought threatens their long-established way of life. She and her extended family flee to the city of Aden where Adela encounters old loves, discovers her true calling, and is ultimately betrayed by the people and customs she once held dear.

Henna House is an intimate family portrait and a panorama of history. From the traditions of the Yemenite Jews, to the far-ranging devastation of the Holocaust, to the birth of the State of Israel, Eve offers an unforgettable coming-of-age story and a textured chronicle of a fascinating period in the twentieth century.

Henna House is a rich, spirited, and sensuous tale of love, loss, betrayal, forgiveness, and the dyes that adorn the skin and pierce the heart.

I love the sound of this book! The story of Henna House focuses on a piece of history that I think is not well known — but for me, there’s a personal connection as well, as the time period and the community portrayed here are a close match for my husband’s family history. Henna House sounds deeply touching and quite fascinating, and I’m hoping (fingers crossed!) to be able to get hold of a review copy.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

4Mar2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My most wished-for book this week is:

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
(Release date: April 1, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In the spirit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books-and booksellers-that changes our lives by giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds.

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

Okay, this book sounds like it’s totally full of win. Because a) Gabrielle Zevin and b) bookstore. Sold! Seriously, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author so far, and what could be better than a book about books, book lovers, and book sellers?

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

25Feb2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Paying Guests

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My most wished-for book this week is:

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
(expected publication date: August 28, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa, a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers.

For with the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the ‘clerk class’, the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be.

This is vintage Sarah Waters: beautifully described with excruciating tension, real tenderness, believable characters, and surprises. It is above all a wonderful, compelling story.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is one of my all-time favorite, most recommended, you’ve-absolutely-got-to-read-this books… so I’m pretty much willing to read whatever new book she comes up with. Granted, it seems like there are a ton of books out right now set in 1920s London — but no matter. I’m sure, in the hands of Sarah Waters, it will be genius! And meanwhile, maybe between now and the end of summer I can catch up on the two of her previous novels I’ve yet to read.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

24Feb2014

Review: The Time Tutor by Bee Ridgway… plus a giveaway!

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I absolutely loved Bee Ridgway’s debut novel, The River of No Return, which was released in 2013. (You can read my review here). And so… I’m incredibly excited to share two goodies today: A review of The Time Tutor, a novella set in the same world as The River of No Return, and a giveaway of the brand new paperback version of The River of No Return!

In The Time Tutor, we revisit the world of time travelers and their mysterious secret society The Guild, this time through the experiences of Alva Blomgren. In The River of No Return, we meet Alva as a woman of the world, running a house of ill repute with a secret basement holding all sorts of goodies from her travels through time. Alva is a strong, beautiful woman who interacts with the main character, Nick, but her role in the novel is as a supporting, secondary character. In The Time Tutor, we get to know Alva’s backstory and see how she becomes the person she is, breaking free of the Guild’s hold and finding a way to use her skills, brains, and power for her own purposes. The Time Tutor is short and to the point, so don’t read it expecting a lot of scene-setting or build-up. Instead, it’s a fast-paced story that includes passion, intrigue, deception, and of course, leaps through time. Some familiar characters appear in addition to Alva, but note that this is a prequel, so knowledge of the events of the novel is not essential in order to enjoy this novella. The Time Tutor works on its own, but of course its greatest appeal will be for fans of The River of No Return who are eagerly awaiting a new installment!

And now, a giveaway! Thanks to Plume Books/Penguin, I’m able to offer one copy of the brand new paperback edition of The River of No Return, which is scheduled for release on March 25th.

Gorgeous cover, right?

The giveaway is available for residents of the US and Canada only. To enter, click the link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

22Feb2014

Book Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Better off Friends

A little like When Harry Met Sally for teens, Better Off Friends asks the question, “Is it really possible for a boy and a girl to be just friends?”

Macallan (yes, she’s named for the whiskey) and Levi just click from the very start, when Levi moves from California to Wisconsin right at the start of 7th grade. He’s the new kid worried about fitting in and making friends. Macallan has troubles of her own, still recovering from her mother’s shocking death in a car accident the previous year. Yet somehow, these two get each other, moving quickly from the discovery of a shared loved for a (fictitious) BBC comedy to best friend status, finishing each others’ sentences, being relatively unsufferable to those trying to get a word in edgewise, fitting into each others’ families, and really connecting in the way only true friends can.

Their friendship continues, with its share of ups and downs, into high school. They manage to survive the awful fall-out from Levi dating Macallan’s best girl friend, as well as a variety of other awkward moments that might break up a less solid friendship. But Levi and Macallan are totally strong and inseparable — until things start to fall apart. As Levi finally gets what he always thought he wanted — guy friends, success in sports, a crowd to hang out with — he has less time and attention for Macallan. Meanwhile, she’s realizing that friendship with Levi isn’t quite as easy or comfortable as it was in their younger days.

For years, people have always assumed that these two were “together” — and they really can be quite frightful when they’re on a roll with their in-jokes, ignoring everyone else around them, completely oblivious to their other friends, or even their current boyfriend or girlfriend. An attempt at a double-date is never repeated, after it ends disastrously (and also somewhat hilariously).

But when Levi finally starts to wonder what it is that he feels for Macallan, their friendship enters rocky territory, to the point where it looks doubtful that they can survive it at all. Plagued by doubts and worries and serious miscommunication, Levi and Macallan each have to decide whether it’s worth pursuing something more… or whether they really are better off friends.

How many times have you seen a character in a book or movie use the excuse “I don’t want to ruin our friendship” as a reason for not going out with someone? Totally lame, right? Well, in Better Off Friends, not ruining the friendship is the crux of the problem, and it’s not at all lame. I loved seeing how much Levi and Macallan care about each other and how vital their friendship is for both of them. Neither of them can stand the idea of ruining it… but their inability to be honest and take a risk may destroy the friendship anyway.

Told in alternating voices, we get to hear in first-person perspective from both Macallan and Levi the history of their friendship and to see how it grows and changes over the years. Each chapter ends with a bit of banter between the two. It comes across like a recounting of their history, so that after Macallan tells the story of the first time she met Levi, we hear a few choice comments from Levi –usually snarky and funny — telling what he thinks of Macallan’s version of events. It’s a nice touch, and it lets the reader know that they’re in this together and enjoying the tales from their past. It does also remove a little element of suspense: Since the story is told as the two of them looking back on their shared history, there’s really no fear that they won’t end up at least as friends, if not more.

Insta-love seems to be all too common in YA fiction these days. They meet, they exchange five words, they looks into each others’ eyes — and BAM! It’s true, deep, soul-scorching love. (It definitely helps if one is from the wrong side of the tracks, or has a troubled past, or is hiding a deep, dark secret). Better Off Friends is like the antidote to insta-love: When romance finally becomes a possibility, it’s after years of friendship and a true, deep connection. We feel like the characters have earned it; love feels organic for these two, and not something forced on a pair of characters in order to fit a formula.

In fact, Better Off Friends is so far from formulaic that reading it feels like a breath of fresh air. Other than the fact that a main character has lost a parent at a young age, nothing in this book feels like a retread of what’s trendy in teen fiction at the moment. I enjoyed the originality of the characters and the care and detail devoted to letting us get to know them. Their struggles to pursue their own interests and passions, balance these with school and home demands, and figure out how to still be a good friend felt realistic and appropriate for their ages, and it was interesting to see how the two grow over the years from nervous middle school kids to confident high school juniors.

Last year, I read Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg, and loved the honest way in which the author approached the problems and challenges of a terrific main character. (You can check out my review here.) After reading Better Off Friends, I’m adding Elizabeth Eulberg to my list of incredibly talented YA writers whose work I’ll always want to check out.

If you enjoy contemporary young adult fiction with main characters you can care about, definitely give Better Off Friends a try!

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The details:

Title: Better Off Friends
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: February 25, 2014
Length: 288 pages
Genre: Young adult contemporary
Source: Review copy courtesy of Scholastic via NetGalley

20Feb2014

Book Review: After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman

After I'm Gone Secrets, lies, and obsessive love lie at the heart of this new mystery novel by Laura Lippman. Felix Brewer, a wealthy but not quite legitimate businessman, flees the country in 1976 rather than face a prison sentence, leaving behind the wife he loves, three daughters, and a young, devoted mistress. When the mistress is reported missing in 1986, the natural assumption is that she’s finally gone to join Felix. But when her remains are discovered years later in a local park, it’s clear that Julie Saxony has been murdered. The investigation goes nowhere for 15 years, until retired detective Roberto “Sandy” Sanchez pulls the cold case file and starts to dig… and notices connections that had been missed the first time around.

The story starts with Felix’s escape, and then moves forward over time, through all the years since his disappearance, focusing not on Felix himself but on the shattered lives of those he left behind. He’d intended to provide for the family financially, but the money never surfaced, and his wife Bambi and her daughters live in the years since always on the verge of ruin. Meanwhile, Julie was given ownership of one of Felix’s businesses and expanded from there into a restaurant and B&B — so did she have the missing money? And would someone have killed to get hold of it?

We follow Sandy’s investigation into the meager pieces of evidence and the random witnesses who might have new light to shed on the past, while in alternating chapters, we learn what’s become of Bambi, her sad and troubled daughters, and their families as well. The clues start to pile up, and as Sandy remarks, the murderer in a cold case is usually someone whose name appears in the original investigation file. Nobody connected to the Brewer mystery has led a spotless life. Greed, callousness, disappointment, and bitterness all play a part. As close as Bambi and the girls are, each one is hiding secrets from the others, in misguided attempts to protect their loves ones from unpleasant truths or to avoid letting their mother down.

In a way, this book is quite sad. Bambi truly loved her husband and he adored her as well, but she spends most of her adulthood alone, scrounging to maintain the life she wanted for her daughters, and always suffering the indignities of her abandonment. The daughters have issues, to say the least: Trust issues, feeling like their father ruined their lives, the constant air of scandal surrounding the family, worry for their mother — and later, relationship problems, marital difficulties, and the pain of knowing that their father chose a life of exile rather than doing time and then resuming life amidst his family.

The mystery itself is clever and confounding. There are red herrings galore. At several points, I thought I had it all figured out… but mostly, I was dead wrong. (I will pat myself on the back and say that I did in fact pick the killer — but I got the circumstances and motivation completely wrong, so I suppose it was mostly a lucky guess!) The book covers quite a big chunk of time, dipping in and out of the family’s life over a span of 35 years, but it doesn’t feel like too much. Instead, we get samplings of what Bambi and the daughters go through at various points in their lives post-Felix, with glimpses of Julie as well, and it’s just enough to start connecting dots and figuring out which pieces fit together — and where and when the true secrets are hidden.

Sandy is a good investigator with a sorrowful backstory, and if I had any quibbles about this book, it’s that perhaps too much time is spent on Sandy’s history. It really has no bearing on the mystery itself, other than to humanize the law enforcement side of the story, and I could have done with less focus on him and more on the Brewer family, who truly fascinated me. I had the sense, based on the wrap-up, that the author intends to introduce Sandy into future mysteries involving her ongoing character Tess Monaghan. Since I’ve never read anything by this author before, this aspect didn’t matter to me, but I’m sure it will be exciting for fans of the Tess Monaghan series.

Overall, I found After I’m Gone terrific, suspenseful, and smart. I’m not usually a big fan of mystery or crime fiction, but this book had everything I need to really enjoy a good read: engaging characters, unusual plot twists, startling and unexpected scenarios, and some plain old great writing. I tore through this book as quickly as I could, and felt really irritated every time little things like sleep got in the way. If you like books that grab you and don’t let go, check out After I’m Gone!

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The details:

Title: After I’m Gone
Author: Laura Lippman
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: February 11, 2014
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Mystery
Source: Review copy courtesy of William Morrow and TLC Book Tours

18Feb2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Silkworm

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My most wished-for book this week is:

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
(expected US publication date: June 24, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo’s Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days–as he has done before–and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives–meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before…

A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.

The announcement was just made this past weekend that Robert Galbraith, aka J. K. Rowling, will have a new book out this June — and I, for one, can’t wait! I had mixed feelings about Rowling’s first post-Potter book, The Casual Vacancy, but I did really enjoy The Cuckoo’s Calling, which Rowling published pseudonymously last year. What I liked best about The Cuckoo’s Calling was the main character, Cormoran Strike, who struck me as smart, unusual, and not-quite-perfect. I’m really looking forward to reading the next Strike mystery, and hope it takes the character in new and complicated directions.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

15Feb2014

Book Review: See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne

See Jane Run 17-year-old Riley lives a comfortable life with her loving (although stiflingly overprotective) parents, until the day she accidentally discovers a birth certificate for a girl named Jane tucked away inside her own baby book — a baby book that seems to start when Riley is three years old. Riley and her best friend Shelby laugh it off at first, coming up with goofy, ridiculous explanations, but as weird coincidences and creepy occurrences start to pile up, Riley becomes more and more convinced that her parents are hiding a secret.

With the help of the school bad boy, J. D. (who is, of course, hot but misunderstood), Riley sets off to find out more about Jane O’Leary — but comes up blank. There are no records, and an Internet search comes up with no results. But someone seems to know that Riley is searching, and what started out as a puzzle takes on a much more sinister tone. Is Riley being watched? Are her parents lying? Are they even really her parents? Who can be trusted? With each clue, Riley’s seemingly safe world crumbles a bit more, until real danger intrudes and threatens not just Riley, but everyone she cares about.

See Jane Run in many ways feels like a throwback to the late 1980s/early 1990s. Adult readers who grew up in those years will instantly be reminded of Caroline B. Cooney’s A Face on the Milk Carton (which is referenced in promotional materials for See Jane Run), as well as Lois Duncan’s Don’t Look Behind You. As in both of these books, the main character in See Jane Run finds herself forced to confront questions about her own identity, where she belongs, and whether she can rely on her parents — either for safety or for the truth.

The clues in See Jane Run mount quickly, and it’s not too difficult to see where the story is going — or so we’re led to believe, until a last-minute twist changes the outcome and makes the ending both more surprising and more disturbing than we might have expected.

Riley herself is not all that inspiring a main character. She flips back and forth between taking an active approach and letting events wash over her, and she seems to be oddly inexperienced for a girl of 17. Her parents keep her isolated, but this doesn’t entirely make sense. They live in a remote new neighborhood that’s still under development, perhaps in an effort to avoid the prying eyes of neighbors — yet Riley attends public school, has a best friend, and goes about her life during the day, so she’s not exactly unknown either. Riley’s mother gives her an anti-anxiety pill each morning, but Riley isn’t allowed to see the bottle. But why? And why does she not think twice about this and all the other weirdness about her parents until the events in this book?

Then there’s the issue of J.D. He’s got a reputation as a juvenile delinquent, but Riley sees something special in him and he seems to really like Riley. Or is there something darker and creepier going on? As with many other YA novels, the Riley/J.D. plot thread feels somewhat like an obligatory attempt to squeeze a romance into a story that doesn’t really need one.

See Jane Run is a fast read, although the pacing is a bit uneven. Scenes of great excitement and danger move along well, but there are also chapters that feel like a slog through malls, diners, and endless car or train rides. Overall, the book held my interest, despite explanations that felt rushed and unsatisfying and a not-quite-convincing wrap-up.

I suppose you could write a whole essay on why teen girls are drawn to books about false identities and parents hiding the truth from their children. Is it the danger? The sense that parents can’t be trusted? Maybe it’s the need to remake oneself during the teen years that makes the idea of a secret other life so appealing. In any case, it seems that this type of story will always be intriguing to young adult readers, and See Jane Run fits nicely on the shelf with those earlier thrillers.

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The details:

Title: See Jane Run
Author: Hannah Jayne
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication date: January 7, 2014
Length: 288 pages
Genre: Young adult contemporary
Source: Review copy courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley

11Feb2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: I Shall Be Near To You

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My most wished-for book this week is:

I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
(published January 28, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

An extraordinary novel about a strong-willed woman who disguises herself as a man in order to fight beside her husband, inspired by the letters of a remarkable female soldier who fought in the Civil War.
Rosetta doesn’t want her new husband Jeremiah to enlist, but he joins up, hoping to make enough money that they’ll be able to afford their own farm someday. Though she’s always worked by her father’s side as the son he never had, now that Rosetta is a wife she’s told her place is inside with the other women. But Rosetta decides her true place is with Jeremiah, no matter what that means, and to be with him she cuts off her hair, hems an old pair of his pants, and signs up as a Union soldier.
With the army desperate for recruits, Rosetta has no trouble volunteering, although she faces an incredulous husband. She drills with the men, proves she can be as good a soldier as anyone, and deals with the tension as her husband comes to grips with having a fighting wife. Rosetta’s strong will clashes with Jeremiah’s while their marriage is tested by broken conventions, constant danger, and war, and she fears discovery of her secret even as they fight for their future, and for their lives. Inspired by more than 250 documented accounts of the women who fought in the Civil War while disguised as men, I Shall Be Near To You is the intimate story, in Rosetta’s powerful and gorgeous voice, of the drama of marriage, one woman’s amazing exploits, and the tender love story that can unfold when two partners face life’s challenges side by side.

I absolutely love the sound of this one — and one of my most trusted book friends has been raving about it. The book is already out, and I really can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

And besides sounding like a fascinating book, it made me think of this… which brings back tons of old camp memories, near and dear to my heart:

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

6Feb2014

Thursday Quotables: Archetype

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

Archetype

Archetype by M. D. Waters
Release date: February 6, 2014

His lips part to say something, but I cannot wait any longer. I kiss him. He does not stop it, but his hands hover over my cheeks as if debating it. Finally — finally — his hands tighten on either side of my head and his return kiss is desperate. This kiss feels as if it is my first breath after a lifetime of being forced to hold it. I want to cry and laugh and scream and claw and crawl inside him. I do not care that I do not understand what has happened, because nothing matters more than being with him in this moment. Holding him. Feeling him. Tasting him.

Wow. Steamy, right?

Happy book birthday to Archetype! Be sure to check out my review of this smart, sexy, and altogether mesmerizing new science fiction novel!

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Leave your link in the comments — or, if you have a quote to share but not a blog post, you can leave your quote in the comments too!
Visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!