Time to Hop!!!

  I am glad to have finally reached Friday!!!    And, I'm ready to HOP!!!    The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy for Books, and it lasts all weekend.   I'm determined to hop my way through this weekend (even though I'm working on Saturday and Sunday).......

This week's question comes from Suko at Suko's Notebook:  What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any?  Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?

I almost feel like I should invent some kind of cool drink just for blogging, like something fizzy and purple......     but the truth is, what I drink really depends on what time of day it is.   I do about half my blogging really early in the morning, so I usually have some coffee (I mix it about 1/3 half and half, 2/3 coffee), but we don't make coffee every day in this house, so sometimes, it's just a diet soda (yes, in the morning --- I can't actually drink very much coffee, so I rely on a soda for my morning jolt).     With the weather getting cooler, I'm all about the apple cider -- cold or heated up.  Yum!!        However, I do admit that I'm not a no-alcohol kind of person ---- I don't mind having a beer occasionally, especially now that there are so many good pumpkin ales, and fall brews to choose from.   I also love having some lambic -- that's a special kind of beer brewed with fruit.   My favorite is New Glarus Belgian Red, which is like a grown-up tart cherry soda.    


Just thinking about all of this is making me thirsty ---- good question, Suko!    I'm curious to see what kind of answer other bloggers give --- so Happy Hopping, everyone!!

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Summary (courtesy of Goodreads):  Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove longs to break free from her respectable life as a Victorian doctor's daughter. But her dreams become a nightmare when Louisa is sent to Wildthorn Hall: labeled a lunatic, deprived of her liberty and even her real name. As she unravels the betrayals that led to her incarceration, she realizes there are many kinds of prison. She must be honest with herself - and others - in order to be set free. And love may be the key...

And here's what I thought:   I am admitting now that this might turn into a bit of a rant.   But before I get to that part, let me state that this was a GREAT book.   I found myself getting completely wrapped up in the story, and actually having a pretty emotional reaction to it at times.  Jane Eagland has such a vivid way of writing that I felt like I really knew Louisa, and was experiencing things right along with her.   Louisa is very smart, but this means that sometimes, her behavior isn't entirely "suitable."   For example, she's interested in medicine, and reading, and she doesn't try to hide her interests --- but this puts her completely at odds with members of her family who feel that she should behave in a more "ladylike" manner.   Because she's unconventional, she's basically sent to a lunatic asylum.   It's not clear who has sent her there, and this is something that becomes uncovered through the story.  However, she is sent there, under a different name, and forced to figure out not only who sent her, but also what she's going to do.   It takes all of her wits to figure out how to survive while she's there.... and plan her escape.

I don't want to say too much more, because I don't want to have any spoilers here.  However, I will say that there is mention of love in this book, but it's a little.... unconventional.  Readers picking this book up might expect a typical historical romance, and might be a bit surprised, because Louisa has feelings for other girls.  Historically speaking, this actually wasn't that uncommon (although most of the time quite hidden), but it might surprise readers.   

And this leads me to that little part I warned you about: my bit of a rant.   In addition to writing what I felt was a great book, Jane Eagland also provides readers with a window into a very shameful part of women's history (and actually, some history of mental health care in general).  It was very common for a long time period for family members to be able to commit a woman for basically no reason at all.   If you were a woman, and you displayed certain signs, such as a love of reading, curiosity, "willfullness," or any number of things, your family could have a doctor declare you unfit, and have you committed to an asylum.  Once there, you would have no rights at all.   Similar to what happens to Louisa in this story, you would have no contact with your family, and no real say in your medical care, or anything else.   Louisa is intelligent and knows that the name she's being addressed as when she reaches the asylum is not her own --- but of course, if she tries to deny this name, and reason with the staff, it's assumed that she is just a "mad girl" and doesn't know what she's talking about.  Hard to imagine, I know --- but this was the reality for many women.   I found myself reading this story and feeling outrage over what was happening to Lou, mostly because I knew this was based on real history.   I think for many of us, in this day and age, it is difficult to believe that, say, your brother could have you put in a mental asylum just because he didn't get along with you.  Or because you liked to read.  Can you believe statements like "Excessive study, especially in one of the fair sex, often leads to insanity." ??? (p. 70)  How about: "Excessive book-reading and study leading to a weakening of the mind."  (p. 237).  And yes, this is one of the statements in Louisa's intake papers at the asylum.   In this story, we're not sure who has sent Louisa to Wildthorn Hall.  It could be her mother, who is constantly exasperated that Louisa won't "behave" and be a good girl.  Her brother is a snot, always sulking about Louisa's closeness to their father -- once her father passes away, maybe it's the brother who sends Louisa away (especially after he has a doctor pay a surprise visit on her).  The author gives foreshadowing throughout the story, alternating between Louisa in the present, and in her recollections.  It kept me off balance, for sure, and when it was revealed who had actually committed her to Wildthorn, I was floored.  

Needless to say, asylums were often not pleasant places, although some of them were.  Originally intended to be places of rest and peace, where troubled minds could be soothed, some asylums did offer good treatment to patients.  (There is a really interesting book about asylums by Oliver Jacks called : Asylum: inside the closed world of state mental hospitals).  However, many of them were frightening, filled with unsavory staff and questionable practices.  It was not uncommon for patients to suffer abuse, both mental and physical, while in asylums.   I felt like in this book, the author did a good job of making the asylum pretty realistic, and thus, pretty frightening.   This isn't just a historical novel: it's a scary story.   Personally, I know that if I lived during this time, I would be clamping down on my entire personality because I'd be terrified of something like this happening (because, you know, I'm smart and I like to read....which has made me mentally unstable).   It makes me a little angry, thinking about all of the perfectly sane women who wound up in situations like the one in this story, and whose stories we'll never know.   But maybe that's one of the best things about this book: it made me react, and it made me think.
Cover art:  I like that the cover is a shadowed corset.  First, I actually like corsets -- I have one that I wear when I go to the Renaissance Faire (yes, I do dress up) and it's so comfy (and it makes me stand up really straight).  Mine has boning and lacing in the back, front, and sides, so it's pretty stiff.   At any rate -- I can relate to this cover.  While corsets do give you a very pretty figure, they're not always the most comfortable thing.   I felt like the shadowy corset on the cover helps to illustrate the constraints that Louisa is under, and how they shape her.

First line(s):  "The carriage jolts and splashes along the rutted lanes flooded by the heavy November rains.  Through its grimy window, all I can see of the unfamiliar Essex countryside are bare hedgerows, the skeletons of trees, looming out of the morning mist.  I shiver and clutch my travelling wrap around me more tightly - the familiar roughness of its wool collar on my neck is comforting."

Where I got the book:  Library

Guest post over at The Book Rat!!!!!

this is one of my photos

As some of you might know, I'm participating in Helluva Halloween during the month of October, which is hosted by Misty over at The Book Rat (which is a totally awesome blog, by the way).    She had sent out a call for posts about October/Halloween-inspired things, so I asked if I could send her something about one of my hobbies: cemetery photography.   And she just put it up!!!!!


So stop on over to The Book Rat to check it out, along with Misty's blog (did I mention how awesome it is?) !!!!   And let me just say --- she's so cool for doing this!!!

My teasin' ways........

at least it's not my cheatin' heart.     

Actually, it's all about Teaser Tuesday today --- which is hosted by Miz B over at Should Be Reading.   What you do is:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser comes from a new book I just got from the library:  Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

"In a state of dreary blankness I did what had to be done.  Mary and I drew down the blinds, silenced the clocks, covered the mirrors."    p. 119

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

I'm trying a bit of a new format for reviews -- adding in a little extra (and I'm hoping to add a rating system soon) -- let me know what you think! (please)

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):  Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.

A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world?

And here's what I thought:  I had been waiting and waiting for this book!  I kept seeing little bits about it around the blogosphere, and had ordered it for our library .... and then it finally arrived!  And I wasn't disappointed!   I really liked how Brenna Yovanoff took the idea of a changeling and made it the foundation for her story.  In this book, we experience everything through the eyes of Mackie, who is a changeling (a/k/a a Replacement) who was swapped for a human child sixteen years before.   Although he's been trying to fit in, as he gets older, it seems more and more difficult.  People in Mackie's town know about the "others" around them, and how children disappear.   When Mackie finally meets one of his own kind, he's intrigued (and a little daunted); does he belong with them, or with his human family?   Definitely makes you think about the usual issues of not fitting in, and finding yourself. 

I liked how the author brought folklore and history and wove it through the story.   For example, when Mackie is talking with his sister, Emma, about their town and the "Others," and the whole concept of human sacrifice (in their town, the swapping of infants for changelings) Emma tells him about how historically, this isn't unusual. She points out that Germanic tribes had something similar, and so did the Druids; that prosperity rituals, like what happens in their town every seven years, have a common history with other places.  Emma's smart, and it's obvious that what she's been learning is so that she can understand her world.  Mackie even says (p. 125), "Her room was a private library of answers, trying to help me, save me, decode me.  It was just another part of what made her beautiful."
That was one of the things I really enjoyed about this book, in addition to the great storytelling and rich writing: the characters.  They are well-written and interesting, and I cared about them (not just about the main character).  Mackie is sympathetic and stoic, even when the world around him is making him sicker and sicker.  And I've already mentioned Emma -- she's smart and not afraid to risk her own safety to help Mackie.  Tate's one of the characters I really liked.  She's unusual, and she's not worried about the fact that she's different from other kids (although not in the way that Mackie is).  Her baby sister has gone missing, so she's got issues of her own.  She's also tough.  One of the descriptions of her in the book that stood out to me was on p. 221, where another girl is picking a fight with Tate, and hits her in the face.  "Blood spurted from Tate's nose, gushing down over the front of her shirt.  She did nothing for a second.  Then she smiled, which, when someone is covered in blood, is basically the most terrifying things they can do."   I was completely intrigued with Tate, and I liked how Mackie approached her, and got to know her.

This definitely was a new take on the usual fairy tale, and was a really enjoyable read.  I'm looking forward to seeing what's next from this author.
Thoughts on the cover: Some of the coolest cover art I've seen in a long time -- it was part of what intrigued me about this book a long time ago.  I love how it has a moody/creepy feel, with the empty pram with things like scissors and a knife dangling over it.  Kinda like a mobile for a really scary baby.

First line of the book: "I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have."  

Helluva Halloween --- and October goodness

Missed the first day.... but now we're officially the second day into my favorite month: October!!!    I love October.   The temperature starts to cool off, the leaves start to change, and my most favorite holiday, Halloween comes at the end!!!!    I've already pulled out my ravens for my picture window, and plan to put up my black feather wreath on my door.    




And.... I'm determined to bump up my dedication to my blog this month, and plan to try to post some October-ish things.   And, I joined in the Helluva Halloween that Misty over at The Book Rat has going on this month.   She's got all sorts of goodies going on, and I even submitted some stuff to her for a guest post this month.   Isn't that a cool button?!?!?


And, in celebration of this month, and the fact that my birthday (and my husband's birthday) is this month, I'm planning on at least one giveaway (maybe two) -- so stay tuned!!     Happy October, everyone!!!

Hoppin' Time!!

I'm a little slow today.... it's been one of those weeks.   But, I'm determined to get myself hopping!!     

just about ready to start hopping.... after I stop sneezing

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy for Books, and is a great way to go around visiting blogs over the next week (which is great for me, considering that my Fridays are sometimes pretty full).    And there's a weekly question, as well.  Today's question comes from Tina at Book Couture and is: "How do you spread the word about your blog?"

My answer:  Not that well, I suppose.  I don't post about my blog on my Facebook page (which I actually visit maybe once a week).   But, I do visit a lot of other blogs, and I try to leave comments when I read something that I find interesting.   I also participate in things like the Hop, and in Teaser Tuesdays.    I feel like I should make more of an effort, however, so I'm going to start doing a little more.  I'm about a year into blogging, so I'm going to step it up a bit.

I'm looking forward to Hopping this week, and finding out how other bloggers get the word out about themselves (because I could use some help!)    Have a great Hop, everyone!!