Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

I think from now on I am going to do a daily post with the books that I got in the mail that day (if any at all). Don’t ask me why, I just feel like I want to do it! Sometimes it will be one, sometimes quite a few. I guess it all depends on the US postal service! Or maybe I am just looking for things to post. Who knows?

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (Barnes and Noble First Look)
A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history-the Salem witch trials.  Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie’s grandmother’s abandoned home near Salem, she can’t refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest–to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge.  As the pieces of Deliverance’s harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem’s dark past then she could have ever imagined.  Written with astonishing conviction and grace, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the witch trials of the 1690s and a modern woman’s story of mystery, intrigue, and revelation.

I won a copy of Frenemies by Alexa Young at In Bed With Books.

What happens when two besties become full-blown worsties?

Avalon Greene rules the fashion scene at her sunny SoCal middle school with a diamond-clad fist, calling out classmates for their fashion-do’s and most unfortunate clothes-pas. She’s determined to host the social event of the season—a soiree in honor of her forever-friendship with Halley! Unfortunately, Halley’s new look is one thing Avalon just can’t celebrate. . . .

Halley Brandon is just back from art camp and can’t wait to share her funky new style with her best friend, Avalon. But when Avalon cries fashion foul, Halley realizes her best friend’s true colors may clash with her own. Has their ultra-fabulous friendship finally gone out of style?

From sharing custody of their puppy, Pucci, to drawing up a list of who gets which friends, Avalon and Halley discover what happens when you battle the person who knows everything about you—and isn’t afraid to use your secrets to get what she wants.

Best friends. Worst enemies. Frenemies.

I haven’t been posting these lately. I have somewhat lagged in my postings of stuff, I know.

I won an ebook version of The Unearthed by Brian O’Rourke from Books, Books, and More Books.

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

There was no point in talking now. He should have known that from the moment in the bathroom, when she’d looked at him and wanted to laugh.

- Sway (Zachary Lazar), pg. 142

How many bookstores do you frequent? Do you have a favourite? If so, which one and what makes it so?

I wish that I could say that I patronize local, small book sellers, but I don’t. I usually head for the large chain stores like Barnes and Noble and Borders because I appreciate the atmosphere and the selection. I like to get a coffee and wander around the aisles plucking books that look interesting to take a test read. I might end up with four books and a selection of my favorite horror culture magazines (Fangoria, Rue Morgue, and Horror Hound). Each book will be studied carefully. If I like the book, I mark it down in my special notebook reserved for such a purpose for later purchase.

In truth, most of my books are bought from Barnes and Noble or online. If I don’t get a good deal at Amazon.com, I will check out eBay and see what I can get for $5. I’m all about saving money. These novels tend to be blind purchases because I don’t usually check them out beforehand, which is why I want to get them for as cheap as possible. Though, I have recently taken to purchasing even books I have sampled and do what through eBay. It really depends on how good the copy is and how much cheaper it is than if bought at a bookstore. I don’t want to pay $10 for a used copy, not when I can pay that much for a new copy at Barnes and Noble.

I think it is safe to say that I don’t have a favorite store for books, but I do for browsing and lounging around in. For books, I just shop where ever has what I want for the cheapest price.

Here are the latest book giveaways I have come across in my travels through the world wide web. Whenever I see a book up for giveaway that I think sounds like a good read, I will post a link to the giveaway so that all of you, my readers, can go to the website and snag a chance to win for yourself. Below you will find cover images (clickable to their Amazon.com page), the name of the author, the name of the book, the link to the giveaway, and the date the contest ends. If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to comment.

If you are hosting a book giveaway and would like me to list it here, leave me a comment with the contest URL or send me an email at morbidromantic@gmail.com.

Win Molly Harper’s Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs at Amberkatze’s Book Blog
Contest ends March 29th

Win S.G. Browne’s Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament at A League of Reluctant Adults
Contest ends March 30th

Win Luis Alberto Urrea’s Into the Beautiful North at Bermudaonion
Contest ends March 31st

Win Thomas Buergenthal’s A Lucky Child The Tome Traveller’s Weblog
Contest ends April 1st

Win a mystery book at Chic Book Reviews
Contest ends April 1st

Win Jane Hamilton’s Laura Rider’s Masterpiece at A Novel Menagerie
Contest ends April 2nd

Win Gioconda Belli’s The Scroll of Seduction: A Novel of Power, Madness and Royalty at Historical-Fiction.com
Contest ends April 4th

Win J. B. Stanley’s A Killer Collection at Lori’s Reading Corner
Contest ends April 4th

Win Jean Plaidy’s Mary, Queen of France at Passages to the Past
Contest ends April 5th

Win Kate White’s Lethally Blond at Blood of the Muse
Contest ends April 7th

Win Kalayna Price’s Once Bitten at J. Kaye’s Book Blog
Contest ends April 25th

Win Susan Patron’s Lucky Breaks at J. Kaye’s Book Blog
Contest ends April 25th

Win Amber Benson’s Death’s Daughter at Bitten by Books
Contest ends April 25th