Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

TITLE:  Daughters of the Witching Hill
AUTHOR:  Sharratt, Mary
GENRE:  Fiction/Fantasy
MY RATING:  4/5
DATE FINISHED:  7/31/2011

This book is so deep, rich, and filled with the spirits of the hundreds of those falsely accused of witchcraft.  I must begin my review by saying it was a wonderfully told story.  The writing is deliciously straight out of the 1600's, and so are the characters and settings.  It was slightly difficult to dig into at first.  But once you get used to the style of writing, and get into the plot line a little more, this tale unfolds before your eyes.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys hysterical fiction, and any recounts of the witch trials.  My heart goes out to those who were falsely condemned by those who were simply misled.

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Honorable Mention: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

I'm still in the process of reading Daughters of the Witching Hill, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.  I cannot help but find similarities between this book and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe.  I read this book quite a while ago (after purchasing it for my best friend for Halloween).  I absolutely fell in love with the story as well as the writing.  Katherine Howe is a brilliant author, and she really brings this story to life.

Therefore, I figured this book deserves an "Honorable Mention".  I've decided I need to start doing this for books that I read before I started this blog.  For those of you looking for some amazing hystorical fiction, and a tale that will keep you up reading late at night, this is the book for you!  I highly recommend it.

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Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes by Roisin Meaney

TITLE:  Semi-Sweet:  A Novel of Love and Cupcakes
AUTHOR:  Meaney, Roisin
GENRE:  Fiction
MY RATING:  5/5
DATE FINISHED:  7/15/2011

This book was an absolutely perfect beach/pool read.  I cannot recommend it enough!  It was a fantastic combination of characters in the most wonderful Irish setting.  This novel of love and cupcakes was memorable.


Reaching the end of this feel-good, lesson-filled story was bitter/semi-sweet.  I wish is could have lasted even longer.  And I love books like that.  This is definitely a story that I will come back to over and over again.

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Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

TITLE:  Journey to the Centre of the Earth
AUTHOR:  Verne, Jules
GENRE: Science Fiction
MY RATING:  3/5
DATE FINISHED:  7/9/2011

It was lovely reading yet another classic, but I'm definitely glad that I finished it right during the start of my vacation.  I can't say that this book classifies as a "beach read".  I had a 16 hour road trip on the way down to my vacation, and I finished the majority of Journey to the Centre of the Earth on the way there.


I must say, the adventurer's visit to the center of the Earth was an extremely short one.  There were a few exciting chapters, but they were very wordy (as is the language of Verne).  However, the descriptive sections were interesting enough.  As far as classics go, this was wonderful.  I enjoyed it a lot more than I anticipated I would.

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Beach Reading!

Starting this afternoon, I'm going to be off the grid!  I'm going on vacation with my boyfriend, and my family.  So, I will likely be unable to blog at all while I'm away (if I can, the entries will be short and sweet!).  I plan to do a lot of reading by the pool and the beach...

I am still in the process of reading Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, and I am a huge fan!  It's very short and to the point, and although not a style I'm usually fond of, I think it's fantastic.

I am bringing 4 other books with me to share with my best friend.  Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank, Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt, Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes by Roisin Meaney, and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.  I can't wait to read all of them!!!

No matter what, I will definitely keep a record of when I started which books, and what I thought of them.  But until then, Journey to the Centre of the Earth it is... and rightfully so, seeing as I'm going to be going on a huge adventure starting this afternoon.

Will read and write soon!

Nerd Do Well: A Small Boy's Journey to Becoming a Big Kid by Simon Pegg

TITLE:  Nerd Do Well:  A Small Boy's Journey to Becoming a Big Kid
AUTHOR:  Pegg, Simon
GENRE: Non-Fiction/Memoir
MY RATING:  5/5
DATE FINISHED:  7/4/2011

Happy 4th of July everyone!  I recently finished reading Simon Pegg's memoir, Nerd Do Well during a bout down by the pool with family.  His memoir is full of wonderful anecdotes, and a fabulous insight into his journey of acting and performing.  Being a fellow nerd, it was interesting to read about his similar interests and obsessions.


I would recommend this book to any Trekkie, die hard Star Wars fan, or overall fan of Simon Pegg and his work.  It was a great read, and I'm certainly glad I picked it up!

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