Flapper at the party: Josephine

Fellow blogger, Giada of Dr. Stravagante’s Traveling Book Circus, exits her breezer and rushes over to greet the spiffy dame by the fountain, Josephine.


MEET Josephine here...

Sirens
by Janet Fox
Two girls. One gangster. A deadly secret.

When Josephine's father ships her off to live with her rich cousins on the glittering island of Manhattan, he says it's to find a husband. But Jo knows better--there's trouble brewing, and in 1925, all that glitters is not gold.

Caught up in a swirl of her cousin's bobbed-hair set--and the men that court them--Jo soon realizes that this world of jazz and gangsters and their molls hides a nest of lies. But when she befriends the girlfriend of one of the most powerful and dangerous gangesters in town, Jo begins to uncover secrets--secrets that threaten an empire and could destroy everyone she loves.

Jo is faced with a choice: hang on to her soul, or lose herself in the decade of decadence.

PeekAbook:



~~!~~!~~!~~
Bit o'sip sip gossip...

This book is currently on tour, May 8-17, with guest posts on various 1920s topics and pictures!

Visit these sites to a chance to win this book:

8th @ Alice Marvel
8th @ Uniquely Moi
9th @ The Mod Podge Bookshelf
9th @ About to Read
10th @ Rebecca’s Book Blog
11th @ Chapter By Chapter
12th @ ReadingTeen
13th @ Little Library Muse
14th @ Mundie Moms
15th @ Fire & Ice
16th @ The Book Rat
17th @ Pieces of Whimsy

~~!~~!~~!~~

~*~
* on my want list

* image source: for Flapper guest Giada

_.oO0- Flappers at Floyd's schedule -0Oo._

Lady Giada's Review

Lady Giada raises her hand to share a bit of news...

My Jane Austen Summer
A Season in Mansfield Park
by Cindy Jones
Description from Amazon:
Lily has squeezed herself into undersized relationships all her life, hoping one might grow as large as those found in the Jane Austen novels she loves. But lately her world is running out of places for her to fit. So when her bookish friend invites her to spend the summer at a Jane Austen literary festival in England, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself.

There, among the rich, promising world of Mansfield Park reenactments, Lily finds people whose longing to live in a novel equals her own. But real-life problems have a way of following you wherever you go, and Lily's accompany her to England. Unless she can change her ways, she could face the fate of so many of Miss Austen's characters, destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

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by Giada
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Review:
This novel is not what I expected it to be and, sometimes, it was hard to digest. Forget “Happily Ever After”, forget “Fairy Tale Love Stories” and be ready for a realistic story, believable characters and a journey of self-discovery.

Lily Berry is a character desperate for a change. Her love life ruined, her family upside-down, she seeks refuge in the only things that give her solace… Jane Austen’s books.

I have to be honest...I didn’t like Lily and could not relate to her. Even if living in a novel would be an amazing experience (it depends on “what” novel though… I wouldn’t particularly like to find myself in It by Stephen King), I always believed that problems are something to be faced with courage and not something to escape from.

Nevertheless My Jane Austen Summer is a story I grew to love page after page. I admired Lily’s determination to change her life and rooted for her in her quest for happiness. Life is not easy, but eventually Lily manages to overcome her problems and fears and, most important of all, she comes to understand that happiness doesn’t just fall into your lap. Happiness is the fruit of hard work.

" True happiness involves the full use of one's power and talents." (John W. Gardner)

Baci!

Giada

~end

Guest post created by by Giada of Dr. Stravagante’s Traveling Book Circus
© 2012. All rights reserved.

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by Giada
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~*~
* image source tea cups

~~! Something Amiss at Pemberley schedule ~!~

Pirate Giada

Queen of the Briney Deep
Darkly Lovely Pirate Woman Earrings
created by PersephonePlus

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by Giada
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Pirates wore earrings prior to Golden Age and after the Golden Age, when earrings were fashionable. But there is no real evidence to show that pirates generally wore earrings.

In 1701, the pirate Theophilus Turner, who had been pardoned and was demanding to return some of his plunder, made a desposition, which is possibly the only reliable evidence of pirates having worn earrings:

333 pieces of Arabian gold and 2 gold earrings
100 pieces of Christian gold 20 Ounces of Gold Dust
3 Silver Rings with Stones in ym.
2 Silver Rings with Diamonds in them
1 Gold Ring with a Red Stone
3 Gold Rings with diamonds in them
100 pieces of Eight
29 pieces of Eight in Double Bitts
An Agate and a square stone inlaid
A little Leather case with 3 pairs of gold buttons
3 or 4 morris Stones and others, no.13
One little gold box

However we don’t know for sure whether Turner wore earrings or simply owned them.

Another piece of evidence could be the flag of the pirate Henry Avery.


Can you see the earring?

But it is impossible to trace the origin of that flag and to determine whether it was really Avery’s.

About WHY pirates wore earrings, the reasons are diverse and explanations are often contradictory.

1) Eyesight Improvement
Pirates believed their vision would be improved by wearing earrings, because earrings warded off eyesight-thieving evil spirits. Anyhow acupuncturists have confirmed that the earlobe has nerve endings connected to the eyes.

2) Sea sickness
Pirates believed that sea sickness was caused by a petite imbalance and that the problem could be solved by wearing an earring in one ear.

3) Portable wealth
Wearing gold earrings is a safe way of transporting one’s wealth around.

4) Funeral expenses
Pirates trusted that if a pirate drowned and his body was found, the finder would use the earrings to pay for his funeral.

5) Admission in afterlife
After entering the spirit world, pirates would pay with their earrings to be admitted into the afterlife

6) Shipwreck survival
Pirates who survived shipwrecks would mark their good fortunes by donning earrings, that would protect them from another disaster.

7) Mark of a voyage
After a particular voyage (going south of the Equator or rounding Cape Horn), pirates would mark the occasion by wearing earrings.

But probably the one and only reason pirates (maybe) wore earring was:

8) Fashion
I don’t think pirates are immune to fashion trends.

What do *you* think?

~end

Guest post created for ...and a bottle o'rum event by Giada of Dr. Stravagante’s Traveling Book Circus
© 2011. All rights reserved.

fyi: Giada's got some pirate goodies to give away at her site, visit her for more details

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by Giada
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Here are a couple earrings that may be of interest available at Etsy...

Pirate Queen - Princess of Eboli Earrings
created by PersephonePlus

Feejee Mermaid Skeleton Earrings with Nautical Star
created by PersephonePlus

Come down to the Midway, and for a few coins see the Wonder of the Sea!

A mermaid from the exotic lands of "FeeJee"!

Found by a sailor, struck by her beauty, brought to the Carnivale just for you!

~-~~-~ ...and a bottle o'rum schedule ~-~~-~

Dr Stravagante's Debut

Presenting...

Dr. Stravagante’s Traveling Book Circus

My guest reviewer, Giada, has now started her very own book blog in which she will...

open her SeCrEt BookCases to Us!

Magic Books, Rare Books,

Mystery Books, Adventure Books,

Books of Wonder

and

Much More!

~*~
* twirls the tip of his handlebar mustache *
dr viiiii hopes you will join him in welcoming dr stravagante today. with a quick hello at the debut post here.

-o0o- love potion schedule -o0o-

Hufflepuff Gal Giveaway

Giada's Harry Potter Prize Pack!
To celebrate Harry Potter's awesomeness, Hufflepuff Gal, Giada, is offering a suprise pack to anyone interested in taking the Haiku Harry challenge...

~~~~ Giveaway ~~~~
Open to all.

Offer ends: November 28, 2010

TO DO:

Create a HAIKU using a magical creature from the Harry Potter world and leave your email in comments.

List of magical creatures here.

~*~
Here's mine...
Centaurs
running through the woods
arms, tails, hooves, in battle gear
are they friend or foe

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* image source

Hufflepuff House
Movie Re-Watch Party
where the butterbeer flows freely
and the garlic chips are aplenty
~ schedule ~

Alice in Wonderland by Harriet Castor

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Open Me for Curiouser and Curiouser
by Harriet Castor
illustrated by Zdenko Basic

Published: February 2010
Hardback: 28 pages
a pop-up book
Genre: Fantasy

Description from the amazon:
Young Alice dozes on a warm afternoon on the riverbank only to see a white rabbit with a pocket watch rushing down a rabbit hole. Alice follows and enters the magical world of Wonderland where anything and everything can happen. Each spread of this title includes additional features, such as poems, songs, letters, lists and notes that enrich the story, adding background and atmosphere to draw the reader along.

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Mini-review by Giada
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This new condensed version of Alice attracts both young and adult people. Original Victorian style, brilliant colors and mesmerizing artwork are mixed to create a magical world.

If you, like me, love pop-up books and Alice in Wonderland, this is a book you have to check out.
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Mini-review by Giada
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Don't forget...
Leave a comment here for an extra point to go towards the
Alice prize pack giveaway


-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Wereland: WerePumpkin

W E R E L A N D

In Wereland there are artists who have captured creatures of this world in various art forms.

The drawing above depicts a classic scene from a popular Wereland folktale.

The WerePumpkin rides atop his unicorn stead while wreaking havoc amongst those in other lands.

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by Giada
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* Giada's entry for the Halloween Craft off! for Misty's event...



* And, leave a comment here for an extra point to go towards the
Alice prize pack giveaway


-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Carnivale: Tent 3

C A R N I V A L E
Venture into this tent and...

Behold...

the spectacular...

the flying...

the furry...

Unicorn Pegasus Kitten

Clash of the Geeks
A fantastical chapbook to benefit the Lupus Alliance of America

Description from author's site:
Early in 2010, author John Scalzi had a vision. And it was of himself. As an orc. And of actor and writer Wil Wheaton. As a warrior. In a clown sweater. Astride a unicorn pegasus kitten. What did this singular vision mean? Scalzi didn’t know. But he knew it was clearly too powerful to be ignored.

And so, Scalzi contacted artist Jeff Zugale, who used all his skill and art to bring this vision to life. And then Scalzi, Wheaton and Bill Schafer, head of Scalzi and Wheaton’s mutual publisher Subterranean Press, called to the world of writers to answer one question: Seriously, now, what the hell’s going on in that picture?

The writers who answered the call were an eclectic group. Patrick Rothfuss, author of the smash-hit fantasy novel The Name of the Wind, and Catherynne Valente, who had leapt to the front ranks of modern fantasy writers with the Hugo-nominated novel Palimpsest, were the first on board. Hugo and Nebula nominee Rachel Swirsky and video game industry legend Stephen Toulouse then offered up their own interpretations. Science fiction and fantasy balladeer John Anealio put the vision to music. New writers Bernadette Durbin and Scott Mattes competed against hundreds of fellow writers to tell their spin on the tale. And, finally, Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi were of course obliged to share their own take on the thing.

But to what end? Surely a vision of this magnificence — and the stories it spawned — were meant to do something for the benefit of humanity. And so it was decided the stories of Wil, John and the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten would be bound together in a special electronic chapbook, and that this chapbook, entitled Clash of the Geeks, would be used to help those who suffered from lupus, the autoimmune disease which afflicts 1.5 million Americans and five million people worldwide (including Gretchen Schafer, Bill’s wife).

And so it was.

And so here it is: Clash of the Geeks, featuring eight stories (and one song) about the warrior Wheaton, the orc Scalzi, and the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten. From us. For you. And for the fight against lupus.

download your free copy here

~*~
* learned about this book from commenter, Giada

-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Burning Up mini-review from Giada

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Mini-Review from Giada
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Burning Up
By Angela Knight
Nalini Singh
Virginia Kantra
Meljean Brook

Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook

Here there be monsters by Meljean Brook is a wonderfully written short story, part of the anthology Burning Up and prequel to The Iron Duke. I have read various anthologies, but I haven’t had any favorite till now.

We all know it is very hard to write a short story that can be compared to a real book. But Meljean did a superb job.

Here there be monsters is a fantastic steampunk romance in an alternate Victorian setting complete with sexy pirate and strong heroine. In my opinion this is a perfect mix and I can’t wait to get my hands on The Iron Duke.

Contraindication: Meljean addiction. It is inadvisable to read this short story if you don’t already own your copy of The Iron Duke.

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Review from Giada
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* submitted for the Iron Seas series challenge

Have you read this book?

Did you post a review?

Would you like to be eligible to win the next part of Meljean's story, Iron Duke?



It's not too late, you are welcome to join the Iron Seas series challenge just by submitting your review link of Burning Up or you can email me your review vvb32 at yahoo.com.

~~~ Join the Iron Seas series challenge ~~~

The Affinity Bridge by George Mann

The Affinity Bridge
by George Mann

Description from the amazon:
Welcome to the bizarre and dangerous world of Victorian London, a city teetering on the edge of revolution. Its people are ushering in a new era of technology, dazzled each day by unfamiliar inventions. Airships soar in the skies over the city, while ground trains rumble through the streets and clockwork automatons are programmed to carry out menial tasks in the offices of lawyers, policemen, and journalists.

But beneath this shiny veneer of progress lurks a sinister side.

Queen Victoria is kept alive by a primitive life-support system, while her agents, Sir Maurice Newbury and his delectable assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes, do battle with enemies of the crown, physical and supernatural. This time Newbury and Hobbes are called to investigate the wreckage of a crashed airship and its missing automaton pilot, while attempting to solve a string of strangulations attributed to a mysterious glowing policeman, and dealing with a zombie plague that is ravaging the slums of the capital.

Get ready to follow dazzling young writer George Mann to a London unlike any you’ve ever seen and into an adventure you will never forget…

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Mini-review by Giada
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In a steam-powered Victorian London with mechanized taxi cabs and dirigibles, a perilous mystery has to be solved. Zombies, crazed automatons, mad scientists, ghostly apparitions combined with elements of Sherlock Holmes detective stories succeed to create a deliciously appalling world you wouldn’t want to leave. If you love steampunk and zombies, this is the book for you!

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Mini-review by Giada
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=== September Zombies schedule of events
with links to posts and giveaways from the other Zombiettes===

The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle by Pat Rothfuss

The Adventures of the Princess
and Mr. Whiffle:
The Thing Beneath the Bed
by Pat Rothfuss
illustrated by Nate Taylor

Description from publisher's site:
This is not a book for children.

It looks like a children's book. It has pictures. It has a saccharine-sweet title. The main characters are a little girl and her teddy bear. But all of that is just protective coloration. The truth is, this is a book for adults with a dark sense of humor and an appreciation of old-school faerie tales.

There are three separate endings to the book. Depending on where you stop, you are left with an entirely different story. One ending is sweet, another is horrible. The last one is the true ending, the one with teeth in it.

The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle is a dark twist on the classic children's picture-book. I think of it as Calvin and Hobbes meets Coraline, with some Edward Gorey mixed in.

Simply said: This is not a book for children.

View some of the artwork here.

Guest post mini-review by: Giada
I loved this silly little book and I hope we will see more of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle in the future.

***~*~* Fairy Tales in Bruges schedule *~*~***

SteamBoyz: Italian Leviathan

"Mooring at Hyde Park"
Leviathan art by Keith Thompson
On the Italian front, Giada has discovered a Leviathan Rap.

Quite a funky beat! Jane exclaims as she snaps her fingers.



English translation...

Artist: Mondo Marcio (Rotten World)
Song: Leviatano (Leviathan)

Believe me, we are in a fork
if I look to the horizon
a war is coming
the sky is so dark
I want another future
Don’t you see that you are running on a yarn?
bro, sometime we should have an alternative past
because the sky is so dark
I want another future
I can bring you
back into the years
and make you fly
like a leviathan
I can tell you
all about my dramas
we can run
away from Milan
Maybe you didn’t notice
that the life is a jungle
it’s like a performance
every time more absurd
by now it’s natural
to make a selection
there is nothing we can do
Darwin was right
we are only people
but so complicated
a lot of different stories
but, at the end, all are the same
I haven’t more an S
printed on the chest
I tried to fly
but I found a cold land
I can bring you
back into the years
when, maybe, the sky wasn’t so dark
I can tell you about heroes and deceives
but can you give me another future?
I can bring you
back into the years
and make you fly
like a leviathan
I can tell you
all about my dramas
we can run
away from Milan
I see machines, monsters, bro I’m going crazy
good boy, stay away from me or I catch you with a lazo
I haven’t space
I jump from the terrace
before making an herb tea and going in space
I stood
I stood alone
look at the mixture
but leave that argoument
I’m not a rising star
I am a shining sun
a storyteller about terrible stories
the thing that the first piece of shit push you to buy
2010, it’s hard to think
It’s true that I have closed the curtains
I read and I can travel
In the first world war, I was there
in another future
this one isn’t so dark
I don’t know if my name is so resistant to don’t go crazy
we need another world
not another rotten world
I can bring you
back into the years
and make you fly
like a leviathan
I can tell you
all about my drama
we can run
away from Milan
Because
Believe me, we are in a fork
if I look to the horizon
there is a war coming
the sky is so dark
I want another future
Don’t you see that you are running on a yarn?
we need an alternative past
because the sky is so dark
I want another future
I can bring you
back into the years
and make you fly
like a leviathan
I can tell you
all about my dramas
we can run
away from Milan
I can bring you
back into the years
and make you fly
like a leviathan
I can tell you
all about my dramas
we can run
away from Milan
I can bring you
back into the years
and make you fly
like a leviathan
I can tell you
all about my dramas
we can run
away from Milan

*** Steampunk book giveaway ***

Signup to win this book (English version) at Cecelia Bedelia's.

~*~
* English translation from Giovanni's comment at Scott's site

::= SteamBoyz schedule =::

SteamBoyz: Biological Airship

"Ascending"
Leviathan art by Keith Thompson

Today we have a report from a fellow passenger of the Tiny Bubble.

Giada has prepared her findings regarding Leviathan to share with us.

Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld
Paperback release date: August 10, 2010

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by Giada
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Giada's mini review of Leviathan:

Much of steampunk is set in Victorian-era settings, however Westerfeld brings us to the heart of Europe at the dawn of the First World War (even if the First World War remains in the background).

Through the eyes of Deryn and Alek, we observe the war from two opposing factions: the Darwinists and the Clankers. The two points of view alternate regularly, switching from one character to another every two chapters.

The novel is smooth and without any dead spots, the pace is always high.

Leviathan is an introduction to what will become the real focus of the story. There are still many mysteries to be revealed and many questions that need answers.

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by Giada
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Scott's airship travel thoughts...



*** Steampunk book giveaway ***

Signup to win this book at Cecelia Bedelia's -ends July 17.

::= SteamBoyz schedule =::