Fortnight of Fright: Halloween Movies with Abigail

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FoF2014

Hey there! Today we have Abigail telling us all about her favorite Halloween movies! I looove the Corpse Bride but have never seen Over the Garden Wall. I will be adding that to my list for sure! Have you seen these movies? What do you think? Head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

This month, to prepare for Halloween (because of course this whole month is about the wonderful autumn holiday) I’ve been watching weird, comedy and Halloween-like movies. I am not a horror fan, I just don’t handle it well. So for me these films are a good compromise for wanting to watch Halloween-esque stuff. Also because I had a strange childhood I didn’t see a lot of films that most people have seen, so this gave me a good excuse to catch up on all Tim Burton’s work. 😉 But without further ado, here is the first part of my list.

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Shaun of the Dead: I’d heard a lot about this film, and I decided to finally sit down and watch it after my brother-in-law told me how much he loved it. Shaun of the Dead is everything you would hope from a British comedy that makes fun of zombies. Shaun spends the first part of the film hilariously unaware that the world is going to hell around him. The ending didn’t really go where I thought it would, but I still enjoyed the film overall. I would give it 3 stars on a 5 star scale. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Apple Tart Recipe With Kritika

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FoF2014

Hi friends! Today we have Kritika sharing a DELICIOUS fall recipe with you all! It is FINALLY starting to feel like fall out here in New England (what took you so long, Mother Nature?!) so I can’t wait to delve in and make me this tart! YUM! After your mouth finishes watering head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

I just moved from California to Michigan for grad school this year, so it’s been so much fun to experience my first actual fall. I’d never gone apple picking or had apple cider with fresh warm donuts before (California is more of a strawberry/cherry/blueberry picking kind of place), so of course when I went apple picking for the first time I got a little too excited and ended up with waaaaaaaaay too many apples!

Whenever I have too much of an ingredient in my kitchen, my solution is always to bake something with it. I ended up making apple streusel muffins, apple jam, and even some apple grilled cheeses (which were surprisingly good!!) but my favorite recipe is this French apple tart recipe. I made two of them  because I loved the taste so much!

This recipe is adapted from this Williams Sonoma Apple Tart recipe, but I used store-bought pie crust instead of making my own tart dough because 1) I’m too lazy and 2) grad student budget doesn’t have room for buying fancy things like tart pans XD

Ingredients

1 9″ pie crust

Frangipane filling (sweet almond paste)

3/4 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Apple filling

2.5 Apples, cored, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp apricot preserves (for glaze)

Recipe

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2) Use a food processor to blend the almonds, 1/3 cup sugar and the salt until the almonds are finely ground. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter and blend until you have a thick paste

3) Pour the frangipane into the pie shell and smooth it out with a spatula/spoon

4) Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice. Place the first layer of apples on top of the frangipane in a spiral.

5) Keep adding layers of apples until you’ve covered the whole tart or run out of apple slices!

6) Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar over everything and stick the tart in the oven for 1 hour.

7) Once the tart is cooled, warm up the apricot preserves until they’re syrupy and brush them onto the apples

I thought this pie was delicious, I hope you enjoy it 😀

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Fortnight of Fright: Favorite Episodes of Lore by Kathleen

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FoF2014

Today is fun for me because my good friend Kathleen is here to post about one of my favorite podcasts which is run by someone I think is pretty swell! Kathleen is here to tell us all about her favorite episodes of the podcast Lore. I have spoken about Lore before because I looove it. Those of you into history will enjoy it and those of you into the somewhat creepy history will LOVE it. I really don’t think it is too scary for those of you who don’t enjoy horror, however. So read on about what Kathleen has to say, go listen to Aaron’s soothing voice tell you some nice stories and then head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

lore

Have you heard of the podcast LORE yet? No? Well go and correct that immediately! The podcast LORE is created and hosted by Aaron Mahnke and focuses on lore throughout history and true crime. I was first introduced to LORE by the lovely Alyssa, and I’m so happy I gave it a shot because it’s my favorite podcast out there. LORE was created in March of 2015 and Aaron has been producing biweekly episodes ever since. Not only does Aaron do the LORE podcast, but there is also an Amazon Prime TV show that’s available starting on 10/13 and he has multiple books coming out soon. (All of which I’m VERY excited for!) Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Spooky Podcasts With Maggie

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FoF2014

We have Maggie from Macarons & Paperbacks telling us all about her favorite spooky podcasts. I loooove podcasts and some of these are my favorites, but others I haven’t listened to before! Check out what Maggie has to say and then  head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

I love listening to podcasts. I find that it’s a great way to fill up my time when I’m on my work commute or doing housework and I don’t feel like listening to an audiobook or putting on music. The podcasts I listen to tend to be of the historical or true crime persuasion, and some of them can get pretty spooky (especially when they’re about real life events). If you’ve visited my blog, macarons & paperbacks, you may know that I identify with Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey: we both like to indulge in scary stories, specifically at night so our imaginations can get the best of us.

Here is a list of some spooky podcasts that have kept me up at night (and have given me the heebie-jeebies even in broad daylight). Since I’m a Classics lover (if you couldn’t tell from my Northanger Abbey reference), I’ve also included some narrations of my favorite gothic short stories. Let’s me honest: no one does scary better than Edgar Allan Poe 😉

Stuff You Missed in History ClassStuff You Missed in History Class – “The Hinterkaifek Farm”

Let’s start off with a mild one; although it’s about a gruesome unsolved family murder so I don’t know if that can be considered mild. Tracy and Holly host the SYMIHC podcast, where they “teach” about a variety of interesting topics and events throughout history. Usually they focus on topics such as war battles, royalty, and important figures in STEM fields, but sometimes, especially this time of year, they cover unsolved murders. One of the first SYMIHC episodes I listened to was this “History Mysteries Double Feature”, and it really creeped me out (but also made me become a regular listener to the podcast). The first part of the episode is about a couple that vanished on their honeymoon, and the second part, the really creepy part, is about a family that was murdered by someone who may have been hiding in their farmhouse for weeks or months. Have fun sleeping after listening to that story… Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Witchy Films & Morning Brews from Cassie

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I have one of my faaaavorite people on the blog today! Cassie from Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile! Cassie is here today to talk about two of my favorite things….witchy films and DRANKS!! Take a look at what we have going on today and don’t forget to head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

witchy brews

Hi Everyone! It’s finally autumn and Halloween is just around the corner…EEEK. I’m ecstatically happy to be part of Fortnight of Fright this year. In this post, I have paired two of my favorite beverages with my most cherished films: Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic. I love witchy movies, and these two films hold a special place in my witch-loving heart. So I present to you the pairing of my favorite films with two amazing drinks that you can sip during a breakfast or brunch movie marathon.

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First up, I have Hocus Pocus paired with the Hallowed Ground Latte. This sacred coffee will open your eyes to another glorious morning. Sip this sweet coffee while you watch the Sanderson Sisters run amok around my favorite witch city: Salem, Massachusetts.

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Ingredients and directions:
Brew some coffee and pour it into your favorite Halloween mug. Add steamed milk or sweet creamer. Top it off with some whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Flash Fiction From Danielle E. Shipley & Tirzah Duncan

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FoF2014

Hi, friends! Today we have Danielle E. Shipley, author of the Wilderhark Tales novellas and the novel Inspired (see her other features on my blog here and here). Also contributing is Tirzah Duncan, writer of novels, short stories and poetry. They are here to share some truly awesome flash fiction to help us celebrate Fortnight of Fright this year. I have always been a fan of Danielle’s work and after reading this post I am sure that you will want to read more from her and Ms. Duncan for sure. Take a gander below and don’t forget to head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

Once upon an October years ago, there transpired what might only be described as a supernatural occurrence: A total stranger became my best friend.

Since then, fellow wordsmith Tirzah Duncan and I have gone on to engage in all sorts of uncanny behavior – from getting sucked into the spirit world of the characters in our joint custody, to writing the opening and closing acts of paranormal collection “Beyond the Wail: 12 Grave Stories of Love and Loss”, to our most recent collaboration: “The Dark Siren” – a co-authored short story for the “Arcane Arts Anthology”, in which a world-weary skeleton teams up with a child’s soul to stop life from going all-too-literally to hell.

Just for 2017’s Fortnight of Fright, and illustrated with creepy findings from my related Pinterest board, here are two new pieces of flash fiction featuring the “Dark Siren”s protagonists and their shadowy pasts. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright (6)

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FoF2014

Wow. I can’t believe we are doing this for a SIXTH year in a row! B (blog and Twitter), Ame (blog and Twitter) and I try and host this two week feature where we celebrate all things Autumn and (if you want) HALLOWEEN!

I am basically just going to copy the same blurb I have for years cause 1. I am lazy and 2. It’s the pertinent info that ya need….SO for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about (hello, and welcome!) Fortnight of Fright is a time in which we host and share different posts related to Autumn and Halloween! We work with you guys and sometimes amazing authors to showcase some creepy books, interviews, movies, and SO MUCH MOAR! There is no limit on what you can post about! Do you have a signature Halloween or Autumn cocktail recipe? Pinterest board filled with DIY decorations? A book recommendation for those of us who love to be scared? We want it all!! JOIN US!!

Sign ups will be open from 9/11-9/22 and you will be notified the following week to confirm your post topic, and so on. We are going to ask that all posts get to us the week of 10/9 as we will be hosting you during the event which runs from 10/17-10/31! As always, the more the merrier, so scroll on down to our Google Doc and sign up to help us out!

Wondering what we had going on from years past? Check it out:

Review: Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed

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31933102Title: Gather the Daughters

Author: Jennie Melamed

Publishing Information: July 25, 2017

Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopia (I guess?)

Series information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 352 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley *all quotes below taken from ARC format and are subject to change

Recommended For: Readers who want something compelling but perhaps rage-inducing. Readers who don’t mind open endings

Note: the first part of this review gives away some details regarding the plot that I don’t consider spoilers as it is pretty clear right away what is happening on the island. Down below, I get into a spoiler-filled review but will clearly note when to look away as to avoid the big spoilers! Also, I had FEELINGS while writing this so please excuse the less formal review!

Gather the Daughters is a hard book for me to review. On one hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about it but on the other hand, I kind of hated it. I’m going to be completely honest. Before I started Gather the Daughters…I almost didn’t. There were some so called “triggers” such as incest and molestation and those are pretty much the two topics that I cannot handle. Finally I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about the book and maybe that was a reason for me to keep an open mind and give it a try.

First, let me say that Jennie Melamed has a knack for beautiful writing. It was compelling and beautiful and kept me needing more. However, Gather the Daughters is told from four different narrators. Unfortunately, it was incredibly hard to tell them apart. I found myself wondering, “which one is this again?” One of the narrators was pregnant, and that was honestly the only way she stood out to me among the others. Obviously as the story progresses they become somewhat easier to tell apart, but it took a long while to get there. The voices sounded the same and therefore I had a very hard time connecting to any of these girls.

Here is where things get frustrating as a reader. In this community, women exist to breed, basically. Wait., it gets worse. On this island, each family is permitted to have only two children. So, when a husband and wife have conceived two children, guess who becomes the stand-in to take care of the father’s pleasure? Did you guess his prepubescent daughter? If so, you are absolutely correct!

“Who is my little wife?” asks Father in a sugary tone.

“I am,” whispers Vanessa.

So, daughters are now the stand-in wives and some of the mothers often resent their daughters while the daughter becomes responsible for their father’s well-being in many ways. Continue reading →

The Secret Sister Project (7)

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secret sister project

I cannot believe that it is already time for round SEVEN of #OTSPSECRETSISTER!!

Let’s first get some housekeeping things out of the way…

The two most important things to do when signing up to be a part of this project are:

  1. Head over to the google form which coincides with your monetary tier and fill it out in full. NOTE: IF YOU FORGET TO DO THIS THEN YOU WILL NOT BE PAIRED. THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT WE ARE USING TO PAIR YOU UP, IF YOU AREN’T ON THE FORM, WE CAN NOT PAIR YOU.
  2. BEFORE scrolling down to the questions, and BEFORE signing up to be a part of this project please THOROUGHLY read our FAQ and Rules post. Memorize the rules and refers back to it throughout the project. We have had to put more strict standards in place due to prior issues and therefore there is little leeway for tolerance of people not abiding the “rules.”

Just to cover all of our bases let me reiterate a few things, but please keep in mind that this is just a basic glossing over of these rules, we go more in detail and clarify everything in the main post that we are asking you to reference.

First, please remember that this is a commitment. By signing up to be a secret sister you are promising to send at least one small card AND gift to your secret sister a month depending on the “monetary group” for which you sign up. Only those in the pen pal tier are not expected to send gifts, that is strictly letters/cards. IN ADDITION to packages, you are also asked to send letters and or/postcards to foster positive communication. Many people asked for their to be an emphasis on the pen pal aspects of this project and we have been working hard to remind everyone that it’s not about the gifts, and this seems like the perfect way to do so. It is very important that you don’t sign up for this unless you are willing to follow through. Please think of how sad (and unfair) it would be for someone to be working hard to make their secret sister feel special and not receive anything themselves!

Last thing, sign-ups run from July 7 to midnight on July 21!

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS: Due to time zone differences and issues in the past with late questionnaires, etc. we are only able to give you until July 16 to sign up for round 7 of The Secret Sister Project. More details on how to sign up as an international participant below.

The Rules:

  • You must “know” one of the hosts in order to join! 
  • You must be 18 or older to participate in The Secret Sister Project 
  • You must actively use the hashtag #OTSPSecretSister during your time participating in The Secret Sister Project.
  • If we have to reach out to you more than once to ask if you why your sister hasn’t yet received anything then you will be asked to cease in participating.
  • If we contact you and ask if you sent something to your sister and you say yes but are unable to provide tracking for the package then you will be asked to cease in participating. 
  • If you have not received anything by the end of the month then you must contact us.
  • If for any reason you find that you have to drop out of this project, please email us immediately.
  • You will be asked to provide the name and contact info (email addresses, please) of a “buddy” who will be willing to answer questions put forth by your sister. We are asking that you keep this to someone who is in the community and therefore will be easy to contact. Husbands/moms/sisters are not easy or comfortable to contact.*Don’t stress out about this. This person will be available to ask you questions from your sister, or let you know to check your mail. It is not necessary for this person to know you inside and out, just that they have the ability to be contacted, and to contact you when your sister has a question. Additionally, do not bog this person down with incessant questions, use your best judgement when possible and get creative!
  • Below, you will be asked to provide a Goodreads or Amazon wish list with 20 or more books including newer and older titles that is specific to The Secret Sister Project. *Do not share this list with anyone else!
  • You must answer ALL of the questions put forth in the sign-up email as well as be detailed and thorough. We will absolutely be sending emails back to you that we deem “incomplete.”
  • Keep in mind that there is strong emphasis on the pen pal aspect. Meaning that if you have signed up for one of the higher price ranges, you should still send a letters to your sister.
  • Do not tweet or use the hashtag to ask for specific and/or luxurious items.
  • Do not tweet negativity while using the hashtag
  • Do not send swag
  • Pay attention to your sister’s likes/dislikes and wishilists
  • ARCs and shipping do not count toward your monetary limit
  • Do not send packages directly from Amazon without speaking to your point person first

I cannot say this enough times, read and re-read our FAQ and Rules post and remember that we are here for you. Do not hesitate to reach out to use if needed, we want to help you and can’t unless we know what is happening!

Okay, now we can move on to the fun stuff!

So how do I sign up?

It’s easy! Just answer every question in the questionnaire below and email it over to onthesamepagesecretsister@gmail.com by midnight on July 21! ALSO In addition to the questionnaire, you will also be asked to answer a few questions for a Google form. PLEASE NOTE: If you do not fill out BOTH of these things in full, then you will NOT be paired. This is what we will be using to pair, so DO NOT FORGET. Please remember to thoroughly answer each and every question, and keep in mind that there is no such thing as saying “too much!” If you need some help filling this out, head back over to a previous round’s FAQ and Rules post and check out the example we provided!

For those of you wishing to join the Pen Pal Tier ONLY: please still fill out the questionnaire in full with the exception of your wish lists. The questions will be a good way for us to pair you up with someone, and for your pen pal to get to know you.

International participants: Please use this Google form to sign up instead of one coinciding with the tiers. There will be a place for you to fill out your preference of which tier you would like to belong but we can not guarantee this. Due to international participation being low, we may have to put you all into the same tier, which will most likely be chosen by the majority vote, in order to ensure that you all get a match! Please remember that you have until midnight on July 16 to sign up as an international participant.

Here we go!

Name: 

Mailing Address: 

Is the above address a residence/PO Box/Condo/place of employment: (*As in, will your mail get to you when the tracking says delivered, or will you need to wait to get to the mailbox/mailroom?)

Email Address: 

Blog: 

Twitter Name:

Did you participate in one of the prior rounds of the Secret Sister Project? If yes, which round?

If yes, please provide us with the names of your former sisters (those you gave to, and received from – it is okay if you don’t yet know who is sending to you this round):

How much are you willing to contribute to the project monthly? Choose one (NOTE: this is just a range, you can of course go over the limit but please keep the pen pal aspect in mind, and please remember that is about cheer and not just gifts.) REMINDER: International participants are to fill out THIS google form only, do not fill out one provided below.

  • Pen pals: That’s right, this is strictly letters and cards. No trinkets, no extras, nothing besides letters. If you want to send ANYTHING more than a letter or a card every month then we ask that you sign up for one of the higher monetary tiers. *IF YOU ARE CHOOSING THE PEN PAL TIER THEN CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT YOUR GOOGLE FORM
  • $5-$10: (Send a heartfelt letter to catch your sister up on how things are going that month and then send an e-book, baked goods, homemade bookmark or other DIY project, or how about a movie night box with a DVD (thanks to the $5 bin at Walmart) and some candy for a movie night!) *IF YOU ARE CHOOSING THE $5-$10 TIER THEN CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT YOUR GOOGLE FORM.
  • $15-$20 (Any of the possibilities listed above and perhaps a newer hardcover from your sister’s wish-list, some fun socks, fandom tshirt, themed box, get creative!!) *IF YOU ARE CHOOSING THE $15-$20 TIER THEN CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT YOUR GOOGLE FORM
  • $25+ (The sky’s the limit here, we just ask that you remember to reign it in a bit and remember the goal of this project is for cheer, and joy and forging positive relationships, not excessive gifts. Send those heartfelt letters!!) *IF YOU ARE CHOOSING THE $25+ TIER THEN CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT YOUR GOOGLE FORM

Your OTSPSecretSister “buddy’s” Twitter or email: (*We are asking that you keep this to someone who is in the community and therefore will be easy to contact. Husbands/moms/sisters are not easy or comfortable to contact. This person will be available to ask you questions put forth by your sister, or let you know to check your mail. It is not necessary for this person to know you inside and out, just that they have the ability to be contacted, and to contact you when your sister has a question. Do NOT bog this person down with incessant questions, use your best judgement when possible and get creative!)

Goodreads Profile (*so that they can access your wishlists! Make sure to turn off the privacy setting & try and keep it updated!):

Goodreads/Amazon bookish wishlist: (*must have at least 20 titles of older and newer titles, please try not to purchase any books off of this wishlist and if you do please let your sister know via your buddy or one of us. Do not give anyone else access to this list. Not parents, husbands, friends, co-workers, secret santas…etc. If you do not want to share a wishlist by making it public, you may list the books here instead.)

“Other” wishlist: (*Keep these within reason for prices, etc! Please do not include pricey things, this is more for places like Etsy or for cheap DVDs on Amazon, and so on!)

Important Dates to Remember (*This can be anything and everything! Your birthday, the day you are expecting your baby, the day you are leaving for your next vacation, your anniversary with your partner, a big test you have coming up, the first day at your new job, the anniversary of the day you quit smoking, even a sad anniversary on which you would need some cheer!): 

Your favorite items under $5: (things like stationary, nail polish, fav candy etc.)

Food Allergies:

Fandoms:

Your Likes (*Give us an array of things here! Types of snacks, TV shows, movies, bands/types of music, art):

Your Dislikes (*Example: chocolate covered cherries, anything cinnamon flavored, the color brown):

Do you have a favorite store?:

Are you okay receiving a gift card? If so, to where?

Would you be comfortable receiving baked goods of some kind?

What Do You Splurge On?: 

Favorite Flowers: 

Favorite Color?:

Favorite (or least favorite) smells: (*for things such as candles, soaps, bath bombs/bubbles, perfumes)

Do You Collect Anything?:

Do You Drink Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate?: 

Do You Have an E-reader?: 

Would you be okay being gifted an ebook? If so, please provide the email associated with your e-reader:

List some of your favorite genres or authors: 

Are there any authors or genres that you won’t read? 

T-shirt size:

Hogwarts House:

Favorite Disney movie and/or princess:

Any magazine that you wish you had a subscription to? 

Anything else we should know about you? (*Be thorough here! There is no such thing as “saying too much,” the more your “secret sister” knows, the easier it is to spoil you!)

Third and final reminder that you MUST also fill out a google spreadsheet which coincides with your monetary tier. Links can be found above.

As always, please remember that you can always reach out to us with any inquiries or issues, that is what we are here for! Use the #OTSPSecretSister hashtag to talk with us and your fellow sisters! Thank you for helping us continue to spread positive vibes and cheer throughout our community!

Review: Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh

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27064385Title: Ivory and Bone

Author: Julie Eshbaugh

Publishing Information: June 7, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction,History

Series information: Book one in a planned trilogy

Format: Hardcover, 371 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher via Edelweiss

Recommended For: Readers who are interested in the unique prehistoric setting and slow burn relationships

“It’s as if she’s always known him, and is somehow surprised to find him here—right here, in front of her—right where she left him before time began.”

A quick read, but rather underwhelming. While I found the setting to be very interesting, simply because how often do we get to read a book set in this time period, it was not enough to save the story for me.

The author did do a lot of research into this setting, and it’s clear that she was very thorough. The beginning of the novel fascinated me but after some time I found myself skimming through so many descriptions about the rocks, sky and dirt path that I couldn’t help but be frustrated. I understand that we need the world building and the author has to paint the picture for us but it was just the same thing over and over and I got so bored and found myself skimming which I honestly never do.

The main characters seemed layered and interesting enough. We learn much about Kol and his character as we are in his head hearing the story for the most part of the novel. Mya was seemingly unlikable, but I always knew there was much more to her character than we first saw. The other characters fell very short for me. Lo comes in late in the novel and we learn much of the strife between the two clans but it was incredibly obvious Lo wasn’t who she seemed. Even learning of her plans, her character seemed very…off. Like almost dual personalities? I didn’t find her manipulative, I found her to be sick in the head.

I see that quite a few people had a hard time with the narration of this novel, and though it didn’t bother me, I can see why people struggle. Kol is telling the story to Mya so we garner a lot of details that we would miss if we weren’t in the head of our narrator. That being said, things still get confusing at times. Then near the end of novel Kol’s storytelling is over and we switch to a different POV and I can see why this wouldn’t work for a lot of readers.

I will say that the novel was interesting enough to keep me reading and despite the frustrating descriptions and one layered characters it was a quick read. The novel ends on a note that made me surprised to hear that this is the beginning of a series. I can recommend it to those of you intrigued by the setting and Pride and Prejudice comparisons, but overall I found it not worth the hype.

Shelf talker: Ivory and Bone seemed to go on forever with inconsequential details and a slow burn romance that I just couldn’t fall for. The appeal in the unique setting was enough to keep me going, but I probably won’t continue on with the series.