Showing posts with label Bronte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bronte. Show all posts

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Always Emily by Michaela MacColl

Always Emily
by Michaela MacColl

Visit Michaela:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Blog
Discussion/teacher's guide
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter

Just released: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Historical, Mystery, YA
Hardback: 296 pages
Rating: 5

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature.

But they're not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor's death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle— before someone else gets killed.


PeekAbook:

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My two-bits:

Great way to be introduced to members of the Brontë family. Portrayals of siblings, Charlotte, Emily, Branwell (excluding Anne) and their father, Rev. Brontë were given. Now, I am curious to read a more in-depth biography about the family.

The story is written with a light victorian gothic vibe. But also, presents strong female protagonists. Woot! girl power!

What I found intriguing in this story were the interactions between the family members and how that may have influenced each of their writing styles and content.

I liked the quotes that prefaced each chapter. They were from either Emily's Wuthering Heights or Charlotte's Jane Eyre which parallels the storyline quite well.

The author's note in the end was a treat. Michaela gave a bit of historical account of the Brontës in relation to the story which made me even more curious to read up on this family.

Note: I am feeling inspired to do a Brontë virtual book event in November. Feel free to let me know in comments if you want to participate with a guest post, giveaway, etc.

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About the author:

Michaela MacColl studied multidisciplinary history at Vassar College and Yale University, which turns out to be the perfect degree for writing historical fiction.

She lives with her husband and two daughters in Connecticut.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--

signup to win this book

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* review copy and giveaway courtesy of book tour


Friday, April 11, 2014

Little Miss Bronte Jane Eyre by Jennifer Adams (with giveaway)

Little Miss Bronte
Jane Eyre
A Counting Primer
by Jennifer Adams

Visit Jennifer:
Amazon
Baby Lit Blog
Goodreads

Published: 2012
Publisher: Baby Lit
Genre: Children’s Board Book
Hardback: 22
Full-Color Illustrations
Rating: 5

Spend a day with the humble governess of Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre: A BabyLit Counting Primer. Count candles, chalkboards, pearls, and books on your adventure through Mr. Rochester’s mysterious manor.

My two-bits:

Fun way to learn numbers with a tiny introduction to the world of Jane Eyre.

BookExcerpt:


--~ Book Giveaway ~--

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: April 27, 2014

TO DO:

In keeping with the Bronte theme, send me a link to a picture of something Jane Eyre (i.e. book, film, youtube, etc)

AND, leave your email.

Participants:

vvb's pick:

Jane Eyre
Japanese musical 2013

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* image source: participant entries are in comments

Jane by April Lindner

Jane
by April Lindner

Visit April:
Amazon
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter

Published: 2010
Publisher: Poppy
Genre: Bronte, Romance, YA
Hardback: 384 pages
Rating: 4.5

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.


Series:
Jane
Catherine

My two-bits:

This modern day retelling of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was a good one! It stayed true to the original vibe and sequence of events.

The infamous Mr. Rochester (from original) was cast as rock-n-roll celebrity, Mr. Rathburn which played out just right for the story.

Jane was her Jane self.

What I found interesting to note in comparing the original with this version is that in the retelling I found Mr. Rathburn a bit creepy (at first) to be hitting on a 19 year old. However, I did not feel this way when reading about Mr. Rochester's pursuit of Jane in their time period.

I would love to see this version adapted to film. It would be so fun with the music element included.

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* part of Bookish Bingo challenge

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Bronte Goodies

Bronte Sisters Power Dolls

It would be so cool if these dolls were actually available to purchase. Check out this fun fake commercial...



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Coming in 2016...

The Brontes

The world’s first English-language, big-budget, feature-length biopic of the Bronte sisters with an A-list cast and crew to be unveiled at Charlotte Bronte’s 200th birthday in 2016.

Storyline (per IMDB):
After moving to Haworth in 1820 and following the premature death of their mother, the young Bronte siblings Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne begin to lose themselves in writing fiction as their father, the local vicar, struggles to keep the family together. When the sisters' novels, published under male pseudonyms, become world-famous they must learn to balance their fame and their new-found wealth with their anonymity.

For more details: IMDB | Facebook | Twitter

Directed by: David Anthony Thomas
Cast so far:
Matthew Lewis as Branwell Bronte
Rachel Teate as Anne Bronte
? as Emily Bronte
? as Charlotte Bronte

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Bronte comic
from Hark, a vagrant
more here

Little Miss Bronte Wuthering Heights by Jennifer Adams (with giveaway)

Little Miss Bronte
Wuthering Heights
A Weather Primer
by Jennifer Adams

Visit Jennifer:
Amazon
Baby Lit Blog
Goodreads

Published: 2013
Publisher: Baby Lit
Genre: Children’s Board Book
Hardback: 22
Full-Color Illustrations
Rating: 5

Watch Wuthering Heights endure the unpredictable weather of the Yorkshire moors in Wuthering Heights: A BabyLit Weather Primer. From sunny and breezy to windy and stormy, each page features charming illustrations by Alison Oliver and quotes from Little Miss Bronte selected by Jennifer Adams to describe the different types of weather Heathcliff and Catherine experience while strolling the grounds.

My two-bits:

Colorful and cute.

Not an adaptation of the Wuthering Heights story by Emily Bronte, but rather illustrations of the exterior of Wuthering Heights depicted in different types of weather scenes.

BookExcerpt:


--~ Book Giveaway ~--

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: April 27, 2014

TO DO:

In keeping with the Bronte theme, send me a link to a picture of something Wuthering Heights (i.e. book, film, youtube, etc)

AND, leave your email.

Participants:

vvb's pick:

Wuthering Heights
2011 film

Juju's pick:

Wuthering Heights gloves

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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~*~

* image source: participant entries are in comments

* part of Bookish Bingo challenge

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Cover reveal: Always Emily by Michaela MacColl

Always Emily
A Novel of Intrigue and Romance
by Michaela MacColl
release date: April 8, 2014

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they're not there yet.

First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor's death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle— before someone else gets killed.


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* thought I would mention another Bronte themed book that will be released next month 

* I have read Jane Eyre. And, I have watched the movie adaptations of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Been reading to read more Bronte works which are in my tbr pile. I am curious to know if you have read any Bronte novels. If so, which?

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Cover reveal: Catherine by April Lindner

Catherine
by April Lindner
Release date (paperback): August 19, 2014
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Book Depository

I am super excited to be able to help spread the word about the new cover for the paperback edition of CATHERINE by April Lindner which will be available this August.

Both covers are amazing but convey something very different with the image and colors. And I’m thrilled to be able to welcome April Lindner to the blog with a post discussing them both.

There is also a giveaway for an Amazon eGift Card. Just scroll to the bottom of this post for details and to enter.

While CATHERINE’s paperback release is still a few months away, if you purchase the eBook edition now, it comes with the new cover. And if you’re a fan of the first cover, the hardback copy is still available to purchase.

Both covers rock, but which one is your favorite?

Catherine
by April Lindner
Hardcover: January 1, 2013

Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad's famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?

Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years -- a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn't die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her -- starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.

Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine delivers a fresh retelling of the Emily Brontë classic Wuthering Heights, interweaving a timeless forbidden romance with a captivating modern mystery.


About the Author:

April Lindner is the author of three novels: Catherine, a modernization of Wuthering Heights; Jane, an update of Jane Eyre; and Love, Lucy, due out in January, 2015.

She also has published two poetry collections, Skin and This Bed Our Bodies Shaped. She plays acoustic guitar badly, sees more rock concerts than she’d care to admit, travels whenever she can, cooks Italian food, and lavishes attention on her pets—two Labrador retriever mixes and two excitable guinea pigs. A professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University, April lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The Guest Post:

Promises, Promises: Judging a Book by Its Cover
By April Lindner

We’ve all been told that you can’t judge a book by its cover. And yet some of us book lovers can’t help ourselves; there’s nothing like a gorgeous cover to lure us in. More often than not, an enticing cover is the main thing that moves me to pick up a book I’ve never heard of, to start paging through it, giving the first few paragraphs a chance to seal the deal—or not.

So for me the most exciting moment in the whole bookmaking occurs when a book’s future cover appears in my inbox. I click on the thumbnail, and wait breathlessly as the image blooms onto my computer screen. Only then can I imagine my manuscript as a book—on a shelf, or, better still, in the hands of a reader. I know the cover will set the book’s tone. And it will make promises—hopefully the right ones.

All of this explains why I’m so thrilled by the new cover of Catherine’s paperback edition, due out in August. Don’t get me wrong: I love the original Catherine cover. Lush and dramatic, it makes certain promises—ones I believe the book keeps. The elegant model in her kickass stance promises a strong female protagonist. (Actually, the book has two alternating strong female narrators—Catherine and her daughter Chelsea.) And the background, with the iconic Flatiron Building rising up through the mist, promises the book’s Lower Manhattan setting will be as important as its characters. The title typeface—bold and purple—promises a confident, free-spirited heroine—exactly how I see Catherine herself.

But the new paperback cover—already available to readers who download the Ebook-- makes a different set of promises. On it, a boy and a girl hold each other in the shadows of a graffiti-covered underpass. They gaze at each other in rapt wonder, their shoulders, neck and heads echoing the shape of a heart. Secret romance, this cover says. It promises love against the odds. The scene is gritty—less glamorous than the cityscape on the original—but this grittiness befits the book’s main setting, a post punk night club on the Bowery. The title’s typeface is still bold, but its peachy color underscores the sweet and optimistic innocence of this couple’s embrace.

Inspired by the classic romance Wuthering Heights, Catherine is a story of star-crossed love interwoven with mystery. Its soundtrack is the post-punk music played by Catherine’s boyfriend, Hence. And the new paperback cover captures that complex mood exactly, I think. In fact, when it popped up on my computer screen for the first time, I almost swooned. There it was, in front of me: almost exactly the picture I saw in my imagination as I wrote the book.

An author can hope for nothing more than that.

--~ Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--

WIN A $15 Amazon eGift Card to ONE winner.

Open to all.

Offer ends: March 25, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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* I like the hardcover image. And you - which image do you like?

* This reveal is sponsored by Rockstar Book Tours.


 
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