A Quote from My Favorite Spooky Read of the Year

"The things that your eyes see plainly and can’t forget 

are worse than huddled black figures left to the imagination. 

Imagination has a poor memory; it slinks away and goes blurry. 

Eyes remember for much longer." 
-Anna Dressed in Blood

Happy Halloween!

Audiobook Review: Click-Clack the Rattlebag

Click-Clack the Rattlebag lures you in. You think you know what's going to happen but then in a way that is so distinctively Neil you get spun around. Who is in control of this spook? My only complaint is also my greatest praise. I didn't want it to end but Neil ends it in a way that left my mind spinning. Click-Clack the Rattlebag is the perfect taunting Halloween treat. So grab it audio lovers or audio novices. It's for a good cause, it's only 12 minutes long, and it's the perfect thing to listen to while you're getting dressed for Halloween, headed to a haunted house, or simply waiting for the trick-or-treaters to arrive. 

Ending today, every time Click-Clack the Rattlebag is downloaded for free from Audible.com, Audible will donate $1. to DonorsChoose.org.

Written and narrated by Neil Gaiman. 
Audiobook rating: 5 stars. Narrator rating: 5 stars.
Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

What's the (Halloween) Story Morning Glory?

It's one week till Halloween and I should be blogging but I can't seem to tear myself 

away from my current read (Witches of East End) and listen (The Name of the Star). 

So tell me how what are you reading? Something spooky or paranormal for Halloween? 

Thinking about dressing up? Visit The Hopeful Heroine's post about bookish heroine costumes. 

Wee Book Reviews: Brightest Kind of Darkness & Lucid

 

The romance in the Brightest Kind of Darkness was nothing new. Tortured, mysterious, misunderstood, tattooed bad boy meets good girl with a "gift". Meh. But the story line and special "gift" was reallllly good and fresh. Turns out Nara dreams her next day. But when Nara starts using her gift to help change the future she angers Fate. Now Fate's after her and she's being tormented by something she can't see. Brightest Kind of Darkness kept me on the edge of my seat. No one was safe. It was the perfect amount of spooky and mysterious. 4 stars.

Lucid suffers from the sophomore slump and has a bit of a Twilighty love triangle. It's not badly written. It does introduce more elements, mystery, and questions. It just doesn't feel full and satisfying. I am so sick of love triangles and girls I want to slap because they had an entire book to figure things out and should now be tougher and smarter by now. So this one ended up feeling drawn out, took me a bit more effort to complete, and left me feeling thirsty. 3 stars

Well?: Will I be reading the third book? Yes. I am so knee deep in the mystery that I really want to know what happens. Plus, the powers part is very original and call me an optimist but I believe P.T. Michelle is going to make up Lucid to me with book three.

Wrappings: I love both covers. They're striking, very fall, and fit the stories perfectly.

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

Well Said: Words Written in the Shower Mist

A spooky shower scene from the Brightest Kind of Darkness.

"I tried to scream, but the words came out in a hoarse rasp. Movement along the bottom of the glass door drew my attention. A vertical line had formed at the base of the door, like an invisible finger was sliding through the fog. My legs wobbled, threatening to collapse as I followed its slow, meandering path upward. The line pointed to a message that had already been written on the glass. You can't save them all."

Review coming soon.

What's Up, Buttercup? How Lady Whimsy Has Been Kicking Off Fall

1. We've been to the pumpkin patch and orchard twice already. We love it there. Oh and don't get me started on how divine sugar coated apple cider donuts are. Second best fall treat.

2. Baby Whimsy's new favorite thing is pulling all her books off of her shelf. I could stop her but I love seeing her surrounded by her books.

My quest to perfect my homemade latte technique is back. twitter.com/TalesofWhimsy/…
— Tales of Whimsy (@TalesofWhimsy) October 1, 2012

What happens when mama tries to check blogs while the baby is awake. Attack of the baby hand! twitter.com/TalesofWhimsy/…
— Tales of Whimsy (@TalesofWhimsy) October 2, 2012

I heart a day at the races. twitter.com/TalesofWhimsy/…
— Tales of Whimsy (@TalesofWhimsy) October 13, 2012

Now tell me, what's new with you?

Confession of an Audio Girl: The Narrator Who Won't Fly

I have a confession. One that might shake my audio loving friends. I, Juju of Tales of Whimsy, hereby declare what I believe to be true. I do not like Jim Dale as a narrator. I know I know he's so beloved. So many bookworms and audio lovers are always singing his praises. People who don't normally listen to audios love him. His voice is rather lovely. I would love to chat with him over tea. But as narrator, for some reason I still don't quite understand, he bores me.

The evidence: The Night Circus and Liesl & Po. Two books most people love. I can tell they are well written. The language is lovely. The metaphors are charming. And yet they are both narrated by Jim Dale and I could not finish them. Girls, I confess I actually felt a relief when I put them down and ran away!

So from this point forward, no more Jim for me.
Oh and Night Circus and Liesl & Po, I promise to try you in print some day.

Do you have narrator you steer clear of?

Book Review: Grave Mercy His Fair Assassin

2¢ Worth: This book snared me. From the moment it starts with Ismae (the survivor of an abortion attempt) getting sold to a brute who tries to rape her promptly after their wedding vows, I could not put it down. Like a bug in a spider web I couldn't get out. This story is a 560 page historical fiction but believe it or not, it never seemed to drag to me. In fact, I read it in 1 day. A record for me 'cause I don't do chunksters. I don't know if it was that I connected with Ismae's unyielding spirit or that I just couldn't get enough of Robin LaFevers' world of nobility and charlatans, but once I was in - I was in. 4 stars.

Whippersnappers: The worship of gods, murder, two attempted rapes, and mentions of mistresses and sex.

Wooed: 

• Ismae lives in the 15-century. It is a time when women have no say, very few options, and no respect. Her experience with men has been nothing but awful. So I loved watching her feelings for Duval turn from distrust and disdain to attraction, admiration, and amor. 
• What great characters. From the mysterious and slightly mad Sybella to the kind yet ugly and battle hungry Beast, Robin's characters are intriguing.

Wondering: Have you read Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin? What do you think of the girl on the cover? Will you be reading Dark Triumph? What do you think of the girl on the cover of Dark Triumph? 

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

Contest Winner! A Thunderous Whisper & The Red Umbrella

Pssst! It's WINNER time! The winner of my thunderous A Thunderous Whisper contest is Heidi the GEO Librarian. Congratulations Heidi! Courtesy of the fabulous Christina Diaz Gonzalez, you have won a signed copy of a signed copy of A Thunderous Whisper AND The Red Umbrella. Enjoy dear! I will be emailing you for your mailing address. Heidi was selected with help from Random.org.  Didn't win? A Thunderous Whisper is now available for purchase.

Goodreads Summary: "Ani believes she is just an insignificant whisper of a 12-year-old girl in a loud world. This is what her mother tells her anyway. Her father made her feel important, but he's been off fighting in Spain's Civil War, and his voice in her head is fading. Then she meets Mathias. A boy of action. Mathias's father is part of a spy network and soon Ani finds herself helping him deliver messages to other members of the underground. And then her world explodes. The sleepy little market town of Guernica is destroyed by Nazi bombers. In one afternoon Ani loses her city, her home, her mother. But in helping the other survivors, Ani gains a sense of her own strength. And she and Mathias make plans to fight back in their own unique way."

A Thunderous Whisper at Goodreads

The Red Umbrella at Goodreads

My rave review of The Red Umbrella

Visit A Thunderous Whisper on Amazon to read an excerpt
Want another chance to win? Visit The Thunderous Whisper Blog Tour.

Well Said: A Taste of Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin

"Instead, there is a hint of concern. It is this kindness of his that unsettles me most. I can dodge a blow or block a knife. I am impervious to poison and know a dozen ways to escape a chokehold or garrote wire. But kindness? I do not know how to defend against that."

After a Grave Mercy binge, I'm back. 

Review coming soon.

Audiobook Review: Dead Men Kill

2¢ Worth: Dead Men Kill is an old fashioned, Mickey Spillane style mystery complete with over the top fight scenes and dangerous fainting dames. It isn't going to be for everyone but fans of old black and white movie mysteries are guaranteed to a get a kick out of it. 

Whodunit: The case of dead men coming to life and killing their bosses kept me guessing right up to the very end.

Wooed: Yay for tons of old slang! 

Whippersnappers: Expect mentions to murder and some minor stereotyping that is consistent with the time period, but no cursing, sex, or foul language. 

Words aloud: This was one of those rare times that I listened to an audio and read bits and pieces of it. By chance I had both copies. But seriously the print version doesn't hold a torch to the audio. With the different voices and sound effects it feels like an old 40s radio show. I loved it and will definitely be picking up some of the discounted audios the next time I have a road trip.

Wind-up: Dead Men Kill by L. Ron Hubbard (published by Galaxy Press) is read by R.F. Daley, Jennifer Aspen, Lori Jablons, John Mariano, Matt Scott, and Jim Meskimen and is 2 hours and 6 minutes long. Audiobook rating: 4 stars. Narrator rating: 5 stars.

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

Book Review: Lumberjack in Love

2¢ Worth: 1 hunka-hunka burning love + 1 city girl in need of a real man and some real lovin' = 1 steamy love story

Ok wait. I know what you're thinking. "Blah blah another romance. What evs." But no. Whoa Nelly. Wait. I'm not a big romance fan but I love Penny Watson romances. She somehow always manages to make her stories unique and her characters cool and jaunty. Lumberjack in Love is no exception. The sex is HOT (without being cliché or too descriptive) and the dialogue is snappy and blithe. The characters are fantastic. Marcus is the cat's meow and Ami has many sides. So if you're like me and have a not-so-secret love for outdoorsy alpha males or you need a mini sexy romance break, check out Lumberjack in Love. It's the perfect bubble bath read and it's light on the pocketbook! 4 stars


Wooed: Lumberjack in Love is sort of a love story to two very cool things: big hairy burly guys and Vermont.

Wrapping: What do you think of the cover? Romance covers are hard to do. Too sweet and they look too young. Too raunchy and they're a turn off. I sort of love this one.

Lumberjack in Love is a novella and is available for purchase at Amazon.com
Click here to read my review of Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson
Click here to read my review of Sweek Magik by Penny Watson

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com