The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

Overview: "Lucy Derrick is a young woman of good breeding and poor finances. After the death of her beloved father, she becomes the unwanted boarder of her tyrannical uncle, fending off marriage to a local mill owner. But just as she is resigned to a life of misery, a handsome stranger—the poet and notorious rake Lord Byron—arrives at her house, stricken by what seems to be a curse, and with a cryptic message for Lucy. With England on the cusp of revolution, Lucy inexplicably finds herself awakened to a world where magic and mortals collide, and the forces of ancient nature and modern progress are at war for the soul of England . . . and the world. The key to victory may be connected to a cryptic volume whose powers of enchantment are unbounded. Now, challenged by ruthless enemies with ancient powers at their command, Lucy must harness newfound mystical skills to preserve humanity’s future. And enthralled by two exceptional men with designs on her heart, she must master her own desires to claim the destiny she deserves." First off I loved this book. I loved the intrigue. I loved the magic. This is another book that I wished I had purchased instead of borrowing it from the library. I know a lot of people will not like this book, and they will not enjoy it as much as I have. There are people that will be concerned with the witchcraft aspect of the book. I loved Lucy, she is not perfect, and at times her character is a little flawed, but I loved her. I believe the book was well done, and the author put together a great story. It was a fast easy read. I loved how all the pieces fit together.

Sarah Addison Allen

Sarah Addison Allen has written a few books. I have read three of them. I loved all three, and they are all different. I would read all three books again. Plus I want to read the rest of this authors books!

The first is The Sugar Queen

From Books

Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters.

Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.


I loved the main character of this books. She is so relatable. I also love Della Lee, she is sassy, and funny. The ending wasn't really a surprise, you kind of figure out what is going on before the end of the book, but that's what pulls you to the end, because you want to know if you are right. I loved this book, it was so great.

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The second book is The Peach Keeper

From Books

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather and once the finest home in Walls of Water, North Carolina—has stood for years as a monument to misfortune and scandal. Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite Paxton Osgood—has restored the house to its former glory, with plans to turn it into a top-flight inn. But when a skeleton is found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, long-kept secrets come to light, accompanied by a spate of strange occurrences throughout the town. Thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the passions and betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover the truths that have transcended time to touch the hearts of the living.

This book shows what happens when friends bond together to support each other. I loved the story, and I love how well it was told. This was such a great book, I am now wishing I had bought this book instead of borrowing it from the library.

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The third book is Garden Spells

From Books

In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it.…

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants—from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys—except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down—along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy—if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom—or with each other.

I was so excited to read this book, and thankfully it was not a let down. I love how the apple tree likes to throw it apples at people. It is almost as if the apple tree is a character all on it's own. I love how the characters are developed. This was such a great story, this is another one that I wish I had bought instead of just borrowed.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

From Books

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all- knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.


The beginning of this book is a little sad, but I loved the book. I loved how the author was able to show a glimpse of the bond between women. This is a book that I see myself reading several times.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

From Books

The Secret Life Of Bees is the story of Lily Owens, a girl who has shaped her life around one devastating memory—the afternoon her mother was killed, when Lily was four. Besides her harsh and unyielding father, Lily’s only real companion is Rosaleen, a tender, but fierce-hearted black woman who cooks, cleans and acts as her “stand-in mother.”

Set in 1964 in South Carolina, a place and time of seething racial divides, violence explodes one summer afternoon, and Rosaleen is arrested and beaten. Lily is despserate, not only to save Rosaleen, but to flee from a life she can no longer endure. Calling upon her colorful wits and youthful daring, she breaks Rosaleen out of jail and the two escape, into what quickly becomes Lily’s quest for the truth about her mother’s life.

They are taken in by three black, bee-keeping sisters, May, June, and August, and Lily is consumed by their secret world of bees and honey, and of the Black Madonna who presides over this household of strong, wise women. Lily’s journey is one of painful secrets and shattering betrayals but that ultimately helps her find the thing her heart longs for most.


I liked the book. I liked the characters. I also believe that the author did a lot of research on bee keeping, I know that some of what is said about bee keeping is true. The story is very heartfelt. However I felt a little disconnected from the story.

The Hourglass Trilogy

From Books

From Books

From Books

The Hourglass Door Overview: "His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time?

Abby's senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves."

I can only put the overview for the first book up, the other two give too much away. I loved this trilogy. It was also nice that since all three books where out I was able to read them one after the other. The story seemed a little long, but it really would have been hard to cut any of it out. I highly recommend reading all three books, I also recommend reading them one after the other, it made the whole story easier to read (at least for me).

Switched

From Books

"When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…"


Wendy is a Trylle changeling, for those that don't know what a Trylle is, it is s type of Troll. She has never really felt she fit in, she can't seem to get along with anyone other than her brother and her aunt. Even her mom tries to kill her.
Finn the new kid in school who seems to be constantly watching her, it turns out he is her tracker, he is suppose to take her to her real home. She probably would have stayed where she was if it weren't for the fact that another group of Trylle's are out to get her, and seem to be willing to use whatever means possible to do so.
When she goes with Finn to meet her new mom she is hopeful that she will now fit in. To her disappointment she finds her real mom cold. She also finds out she is a princess. However the Vittra are still trying to get her, even in her new compound like home.
I like the book, it is the first of a trilogy. I have read the second book, and it was good, but not as good as the first.

My Soul to Take

From Books

"She doesn't see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…"

Kaylee has a weird ability, she screams whenever someone dies. She doesn't know why, and she can't really figure out how to stop it.When she meets Nash she finds out that she is a banshee. She sees a persons soul when they die. Kaylee finds out that normally when someone dies it is suppose to happen. However with several of the girls at her school dying, she is pretty sure that they weren't suppose to die. With the help of her new friend (that may possibly be her boyfriend) she wants to find out. As she searches for the truth, she also learns what happened on the night her mom died, and why her dad just left her with her uncle and moved to Ireland.
It is a teen drama, and the whole is he, isn't he my boyfriend does tend to get a little annoying, but that doesn't diminish the story line. However this book is the first in a series, and I doubt I will read the whole series. To me it seems like the plot can only be stretched for so many books, and right now there are five books. I really liked the first book, and I thought it was a great story, but I can't see myself reading all the books in the series.

The Wood Queen

From Books

"Donna Underwood is facing an alchemist tribunal for stealing the elixir of life when her ailing mother takes a turn for the worse. Donna seeks an audience with Aliette, the Wood Queen, who offers a deal: if Donna can use her powers to open the door to Faerie and send the wood elves home, Aliette will free her mother from the elven curse that shattered her mind.

Along with friends Navin and the half-fey Xan, Donna struggles to unlock the secrets of her iron tattoos in time to save her mother’s life. But she discovers that some secrets might be better
left untold . . ."

Donna finds out in this book that not everything she was taught was correct. People in her life left out a lot of truths. I believe this is why she keeps making the choices she does. She doesn't understand the truth, and she wants the truth from everyone. However the only person that is willing to tell her anything is the Wood Queen, that has once again given her a choice that she doesn't feel is a real choice. She can either let her Mom die, or she can save her.
I liked this book, and liked how the story picked up where the first book left off. I am now very curious as to where the third book is going to go with the story.

The Iron Witch

From Books

"When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.

But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin—even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect."

So you have this seventeen year old girl that has lived in a complete bubble for pretty much her entire life. Her best friend lives next door, and is her life line. Maker is the one that saved her life, by fixing her hands. So when the Wood Queen kidnaps Navin and Maker, she feels she is left little choice other than to save them.
The book is an easy read, and being the emotional person that I am, I found that I really liked this book. I loved how it pulled me into Donna's thoughts and feelings. It was worth the read.

Matched

From Books

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.


I loved this book. It is so hard to write about all the great things about it with out giving it away. I love that Cassia starts seeing things in a new way. I love that she starts questioning the right way of things. I love that she makes her own choice in the end.