CH-CH-CHANGES!

SURPRISE!
(if you are reading via a RSS feeder, or e-mail, etc. you may want to click through to see the new design!)

So first, there is the obvious change: Bookish Comforts got a brand new design! I’ll get to this in a minute, because we (yes, I did say we!) have some other changes to discuss first!

You may remember me mentioning one of my bestest internet friends ever, Katy, just a few times on the blog. We met when I stumbled across her former blog, Kaitastrophical, which I loved and I sent her an e-mail just to chat about things since we had a lot in common. Katy and I hit it off immediately, and thus began our 2 years-and-still-going-strong friendship (she recently posted her perspective of our friendship on her new blog, Shoot the Breeze)! She’s actually the one who gave me that final, motivating push to start Bookish Comforts (and to study abroad in the UK!), for which I’ll forever be grateful! I know what you’re thinking -- that’s great and all Rachelia, but what are you telling me this?

Well, I’d like you to give a warm welcome to the other half of Bookish Comforts, Kaitlyn/Katy. We’d talked about her doing guest blogging for a while, but the more we thought about it, the more sense (and fun!)  it seemed to make to have her come on as an official co-blogger. She’s also an English major, which I feel brings more credibility to the blog (I kid, I kid!!), haha. So now where Bookish Comforts was once mine, it is now ours! I don’t doubt that Katy has a lot to offer Bookish Comforts, and I’m so excited for y’all to get to know her more because, no lie, she’s fabulous! Katy has done up a wonderful post for you today so that she can introduce herself, and her favourite books, so be sure to check it out.

With Katy coming on board, we thought it would be the perfect time to give Bookish Comforts an overhaul and re-brand... all by ourselves, which was quite the learning curve! When I first set up this blog I didn’t know a lot about blogging or design and I wasn’t always happy with the look I created for the blog. Since the beginning of 2013 we’ve been working extremely hard to determine our vision for Bookish Comforts and by golly, we think we’ve got it. It wasn’t easy --- and let me just say, this was the best test I could have gave Katy because she had to put up with my perfectionism/constant e-mails/changing designs left and right/etc. but she PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS!! Through this process, I’ve went from not knowing a lot about Photoshop and CSS to knowing more than I could ever have imagined, haha. We went through A LOT of different designs in our brainstorming phase (I think I counted 20+ mock-ups) and thought it would be fun to show a few of them off:

We were aiming for something warm, maybe vintage-y, with a homey feel to reflect the title, but with a good amount of whitespace as well. I think we accomplished that, don’t you? We also encourage you to click around and explore, from the sidebar, to the about page, right down to the review archives, because literally EVERYTHING is new! Over the next few days I’m going to be highlighting some of the new features and pages on Twitter, so if you’d like to follow along I’ll be using #BCrelaunch in my tweets! However, if you only check out one thing, we ask that it please be our updated Policies section, which covers not only review requests, but general policies, including giveaway and commenting.

Over the next while you’ll get to see the new graphics we have for reviews, different types of posts, etc. so keep an eye out. We’ll also be reformatting old reviews and posts to match the new design to hang with us. If you notice any mistakes such as broken links, etc. PLEASE let us know -- we’ve tried to make sure everything was functional, but things can easily be missed!

Two other thing you may have noticed is that the URL now redirects to www.bookishcomforts.com! We’ve bought the domain name for Bookish Comforts and we think it looks so pretty and polished. We can’t believe we didn’t do it sooner!! AND Bookish Comforts is now on Facebook!

Lastly, what would a celebration be without a giveaway?!? The lovely people over at Appliances Online have generously offered up a $50 US (or CAN/UK equivalent) Amazon Gift-Card to help us celebrate all the new and exciting changes here on Bookish Comforts!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We hope you like the new design, and changes, and we’d love to hear what you think about it all!

hi there! introductions: kaitlyn

Hello Bookish Comfort readers! My name is Kaitlyn, and Rachelia has asked me to join her as a regular contributor to Bookish Comforts. Rachelia and I met several years ago when she commented on my blog and that, as they say, was history -- a blogging friendship was born!

Today I'm going to help you all get to know me and my reading tastes a little better by sharing my top ten favourite books (and if you'd like to know more, check out our about us page!).

1. Wicked by Gregory Maguire | I have always loved fairy tales and unique retellings, and Gregory Maguire retells The Wizard of Oz in a very fresh way in this book, the first in a series. I know a lot of people have heard of it after it was turned into a musical (and I actually saw the musical twice when it first came to Canada before reading the book), but... as many bookworms will insist... the book is better. Maguire's world building is amazing and he brings to life the witches who were pretty one-dimensional in The Wizard of Oz.

2. Emily of New Moon (series) by L. M. Montgomery | Many of us know and love Anne Shirley, but as a child Emily spoke to my heart -- she is, after all, an aspiring writer too. Like Anne, Emily grows up in the beautiful countryside of Prince Edward Island. Ultimately, the series captures a beautiful and idyllic childhood, as well as the painful process of growing up and learning to understand and defining one's self. I do also love the Anne of Green Gables series, but Emily's personality is so much closer to my own, and I felt like I had a kindred spirit in this series.

3. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova | I picked this up in high school and chipped away at it bit by bit while simultaneously juggling Grade 10 English class. It’s a ginormous book full of history and drama, centered around the legends of Vlad the Impaler (better known as Dracula). I am a bit of a history buff, and I love reading historical fiction, so it’s no surprise that I love this book. I really enjoyed the complexity of the story -- the variety of plot lines gave each chapter a bit of a “surprise” factor, as in I never knew what to expect next. I am also a sucker for epistolary novels, and large portions of the book were written this way. The setting is amazing and has me itching to go to Romania. Overall, there are so many different aspects to this novel that I loved. It’s not for everyone but I always recommend giving it a try!

4. Ida B ... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan | I read Ida B a couple of years ago, although it is a children’s novel, and I could not be happier that I picked it up on a whim from the library. It’s a story about a homeschooled fourth grader who has to go to “regular school” due to her mother’s illness. Hannigan’s beautiful writing style has me rapt every time I reread this book. It’s poetic, but also very realistic and simplistic. I think what I love best is the lessons Ida B has to learn the hard way throughout the novel. She comes to terms with some hard facts of life -- that, at age 21, I am still learning! -- and she is such an inspiration for it. I would never have guessed that a fictional fourth grader had something to teach me, but there you have it.

5. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore | This book harks back to my YA high fantasy days (anyone else a Tamora Pierce fan?). It’s actually a fairly recent release but I started reading Cashore’s novels quite a while ago and eagerly anticipated the release of Bitterblue. It’s a lengthy novel depicting a young newly crowned queen’s attempts to reverse the damage her father, the previous king, did to her kingdom. I love how Cashore’s fantasy world comes alive, the elements of high fantasy, the strong kickass female characters, and the influences of fantasy greats like Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley. What really makes this book fantastic for me, however, is that Cashore is not afraid to go against the grain and create unusual plot lines and endings. (This is pretty trademark for her, as certain aspects of her first two novels are also a bit unpredictable and unusual.) I love seeing the characters come out stronger and better at the end!

6. Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels | This novel is written in two sections, Book I and Book II; the first follows Jakob Beer, a Jewish child in Poland rescued by a Greek who emigrates to Toronto, and the second follows the story of Ben, a fan of Jakob’s poetry. Michaels writing is gorgeous -- she is a Canadian poet, and it shows in this novel -- and she delves into sensitive topics like World War II in a gentle yet intrusive way. I really like how she marries the impacts of the war with the more everyday problems like marriage and love. As a writer, I really enjoyed reading about the character’s experiences as professors and poets. It’s a beautiful story and I think about it often... which goes to show, I guess, the power of words.

7. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton | I really enjoy all of Kate Morton’s novels, but The Forgotten Garden was the first that I read and has held me enchanted after all this time. It has a bit of a magical The Secret Garden feeling to it, in that, well, a secret garden plays an important role in the novel. Morton writes about family drama in a really captivating way; she melds present and past to tell a family’s, and an individual’s history. There are also several romantic elements to the story, such as the addition of fairytale author Eliza Makepeace, which I found really whimsical and captivating.

8. Pilgrim by Timothy Findley | Timothy Findley was a Canadian author, and I have read many of his books -- all of which can be a little eccentric and “out there” at times. That being said, I love love love this book for many reasons. It is about a man, Pilgrim, who can never die, and has tried to kill himself on several occasions. He is taken to a psychiatric clinic where he is treated by Carl Jung. It allows an interesting look at the doctor-patient relationship, which is further complicated and enlightened when Jung begins reading Pilgrim’s journals, which show a deeper and more complex side to him. I love the idea of this novel, and its execution is both beautiful and brilliant. It’s full of drama, comedy, love, inspiration, and heartache, but most of all, I love its commentary on the human existence.

9. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad | Here is a throwback to my high school English class days. I first read it in -- I believe -- Grade 11 in an advanced literature class, and have studied it every year until now (that’s four years straight!). The amazing thing about it, though, is that I always find something beautiful, surprising, or haunting every time I read it, which has been at least eight times now. It’s kind of heavy subject matter -- it’s about an ivory transporter’s journey down the Congo River in the late 1800s -- but Conrad makes some incredible observations about human nature. It always amazes me when I remember that Conrad was actually Polish and he learned English in his twenties. For someone who learned the language so late he has an amazing grasp on it, and Heart of Darkness has a beautiful poetic feel to it.

10. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith | This is a book for all the romantics out there. It’s about Cassandra, a seventeen-year-old writer living in poverty in a decrepit English castle during the 1930s with her older sister, stepmother, and eccentric, reclusive writer father. I read it when I was around 12 or 13, and I kind of wished that it was my life. There’s something so idyllic about it all. Not that Cassandra is without her problems -- her troubles are certainly relatable and there are many highlighted passages in my tattered, dog-eared copy.

I do feel the need to point out that the Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling is also one of my favourites. I debated about including this because it seems like almost everyone is a Harry Potter fan these days, and it’s no longer unusual or particularly defining for a reader. However, I really don’t think I can make a Top Ten Favourite Books post without including it. Like many, I grew up reading Harry Potter and every time I reread them I am blown away by the intricacies of the series and the amount of detail Rowling embedded in the series. I am definitely a Potter fan for life!

Have you read any of these books? Do any qualify for your favourites list?

*Katy is currently travelling in the UK right now -- she’ll respond to comments when she can, but in the meantime, Rachelia will try her best to reply :)

TBR Pile Read-A-Long: Masque Of The Red Death Discussion Post #2 [Chapters 9-14]

 

Hi everyone!

How is the reading going? This week we found out some interesting revelations! Great discussion last week, by the way. Everyone appears to be Team William so far :) Also, sorry that this post went up a bit late – storm systems here are giving me some awful headaches. All the gloom and rain make is seem like I could be living in a city with the plague, haha!

1. Why do you think the Prince summoned Elliot and Araby to his castle?
2. Were you surprised to learn that Araby’s mother had been held by the Prince during those 2 years? Does it change your opinion of her character?
3. April is not at the Prince’s castle – where do you think she is?
4. In these chapters we have begun to see more of Elliot’s character. He has become more aggressive – holding Araby out above the crocodile infested waters, and told her that he falling in love with her but, in the same breath, not to ever trust him. What do you make of this character and this mixed messages he is sending?

That’s all for this week! I can’t wait to see your answers to some of these questions!

DISCUSSION SCHEDULE

• 5/3: Chapters 1-8(hosted @ Bookish)

• 5/10: Chapters 9-14 (hosted @ Bookish Comforts)

• 5/17: Chapters 15-20 (hosted @ Bookish)

• 5/24: Chapters 21-27 (hosted by @ Bookish Comforts)

Wrap-up:

• 5/25: Favourite quotes and moments, reflections, review and a place for YOU to link up your review/thoughts! (posted at @ Bookish and @ Bookish Comforts)

{Blitz, Guest Post & Giveaway} The Heiresses by Allison Rushby

 

Today I’m excited to showcase a newly released book that I just can’t wait to read! The Heiresses is set in 1920s London (!) and it sounds like it is full of scandals, scheming, and devilish fun! There is also a Q & A with the author, Allison Rushby (whom has had the experience of crashing the Downton Abbey sets – JEALOUS MUCH?!) as she talks a little more about her book and the writing process. Oh, and of course, a giveaway with great odds as 20 paperback copies of The Heiresses are being given away!

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BOOK INFO

 Title: The Heiresses
Author: Allison Rushby
Published: May 7th, 2013 by St Martin's Press
Pages: 352
Genre: New Adult Historical

In Allison Rushby's Heiresses, three triplets--estranged since birth--are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone--least of all each other.

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London--a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things--by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother's fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.

 
[ Add to Goodreads ]
[ Purchase at Amazon  | Barnes & Nobel ]

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The Heiresses Q&A with author Allison Rushby

Q. Where did you get the inspiration for The Heiresses?

A. This is extremely embarrassing, but I think it was actually from watching a Dr Phil show, years ago. I can't say too much as it will spoil the plot completely, but I saw a segment that involved a family and their genetic makeup and asked my husband (a medical specialist) about it all that evening. This led me to wondering how this family's scenario might have played out if genetic testing was not available to them, which is the case in The Heiresses, set in 1920s London.

Q. What other novels in the New Adult genre would you compare The Heiresses to?

A. I think the obvious comparison is Anna Godbersen's The Luxe series, because of the historical setting and the saga-like plot. I love all her books!

Q. What's The Heiresses about?

A. The Heiresses revolves around triplets Thalia, Erato and Clio. Estranged since birth, they are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance. They quickly learn they can't trust anyone in their new lives – least of all each other.

I had an absolute ball writing The Heiresses with all its dramatic highs and lows. I was even lucky enough to be living in Cambridge at the time, so had the advantage of being able to research in London whenever I needed to.

Q. Who are your favourite authors?

A. My very favourite author is P.G. Wodehouse. So much so that for Christmas I received the five book The Jeeves Omnibus set because I'd worn my old five book set out! Some other favourites are Stella Gibbons and anything at all Mitford.

Q. How long did it take to you to complete The Heiresses?

A. The Heiresses was a little different for me because it was contracted from only a short writing sample and a series guide. I wrote it very quickly, in under nine months (altogether, it's roughly 120,000 words). Usually I wouldn't be anywhere near this fast!

Q. What was the hardest part about writing The Heiresses?

A. The most difficult part was the historical research. Although I love to read historical books and watch documentaries and historical dramas on TV, I hadn't actually written anything historical before. When I started writing, I found myself stopping after every second sentence or so to research this point and that point. After a while, I realised I had to write on and put little 'x' signs where I needed to research and go back later to do all my research in one session, or I'd never get anywhere!

Luckily, I wrote The Heiresses while living in Cambridgeshire in the UK (I usually live in Australia), so could pop on a fast train and be in London in under an hour to research anything I liked. Being so close to London was an enormous bonus – from the London Transport Museum, to simply walking around Belgrave Square, it really brought the story to life for me. I even managed to crash the village set of Downton Abbey, which was a hugely exciting day, despite the fact that it snowed (Australians don't do snow well…)!

Q. Why New Adult?

A. I think it's just a fascinating time in life -- a time that's difficult to bridge and often scarier than any other change you've been through. You don't necessarily feel like an adult, but you have sudden adult responsibilities (working, studying in the kind of way where no-one cares if you go to classes or not, maybe being a parent if you have children early…). Everyone has a different experience and everyone deals with that experience differently. There are endless story-telling opportunities!

Q. What do you feel the major differences are between New Adult and Young Adult?

A. For me, it's all about bridging that gap between childhood and adulthood and the more I see people discuss New Adult, the more this is firmed up in my mind. I do think people focus too much on the sexual content of books when talking about the New Adult genre. For me, The Heiresses is New Adult because of how the girls deal with the sex they are having in the book (and, to be honest, there isn't a whole lot of sex) and how it changes them from girls into women, along with all the other happenings in their new lives.

Q. So much New Adult work is self-published. Is there a reason you chose the traditional publishing route?

The Heiresses was a bit of a different publishing experience for me as my agent approached me and mentioned St Martin's Press was actively looking for New Adult ideas that could work in serial form. I had the basis of an historical idea that I'd been thinking about for years and the timing was great as Downton Abbey (set in a similar time period) was really taking off. Thus, The Heiresses began to take shape very, very quickly. I'd love to say all my ideas pull off so easily, but unfortunately that's not quite true (I sold my first chick-lit novel out of the slush pile and agent-less in 2000 and have many a manuscript in my bottom drawer)!

Q. Most New Adult books seem to be set in college. Can you tell us more about writing historical New Adult?

A. As it happens, when I first had the idea for what would become The Heiresses (years ago), there was no such term as New Adult. The idea itself meant that the story required three 18-ish year-old heroines (they needed to be able to inherit money, be of marriageable age, live away from home and be generally young and fabulous in 1920s London etc.), so it simply happened to fall into the New Adult genre naturally. As for the world, I've always adored reading about London in the 1920s and it's a perfect fit for the New Adult genre -- the years between WWI and WWII were a very heady, unstable time to be young in England, with death looming and a 'live for the moment' motto.

Q. What are you reading at the moment?

A. I'm actually on a short New Adult/Young Adult reading break (might have gorged myself a little there) and am reading Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which is absolutely fascinating and horrifying all at the same time.

Q. What are you writing now?

A. I've just finished a contemporary New Adult novel. While it's set in the present day, it's not college-based, but is about a charismatic modern artist and a young woman who becomes his muse. It's set in Paris, London and New York. My next New Adult novel will most likely be historical, though.

Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring New Adult writers?

A. Read widely and write what you'd love to read. I think it always shows if you're writing something you're excited about, rather than trying to write to a trend.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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