From Sourcebooks to review, I recieved:

First issue date: 1932 Heinemann, London

US Publisher: Dutton, New York, 1966

Synopsis for Devils' Cub:

Happy Sunday everyone! This week I published a review for India Edghill's newest book that comes out in a few weeks: Delilah. India has written a couple of previous biblical fiction reads that have gotten fabulous reviews; her newest was no different, and is one I highly recommend, and I would love for you to stop by my review. Biblical fiction is a new genre for me, and as a Catholic I wondered what my reaction would be to reading about certain biblical themes. I have enjoyed both of the books that I have read so far, and I also want to read India's previous works as well. The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy is one on my list to read as well, along with another titled Pilate's Wife which is by Antoinette May, and The Red Tent: A Novel by Anita Diamant.

I had another wonderful read this week with the reissue of Georgette Heyer's Arabella. I am so glad to have been introduced to Heyer; if Sourcebooks hadn't been reissuing her works it is very likely that I would have missed her altogether. I now have officially put Heyer up there on my list of favorite classic authors along Jean Plaidy (Victoria Holt) and Louisa May Alcott.

This week I updated my Jean Plaidy list by putting my collection online for all the world to see. I will continue to update that post with whatever new Plaidy/Holt/Carr books I buy and then link to the review. There are about 6 reviews linked to it now. The Plaidy list can be found here, and there is a new button up in the navigation bar for the post as well. I will also begin to compose a Georgette Heyer list as well.

IMPORTANT NEWS ALERT!!

Please subscribe to my NEWSLETTER!! Using the Google Friend Connect Follower gadget you can update your preferences there. There is also another Newsletter Gadget right below the Follower gadget on the left sidebar to update your email preferences. I will not spam you. I will not use the newsletter to announce posts or reviews. I will instead simply send out my Sunday Salon posts early to you and have special newsletter-only-giveaways. You must subscribe to the newsletter to be eligible. You will have to verify your email address from the physical email that it will automatically send you. (Check your spam account!) This is not the same as just following the blog!

With Christmas coming up, and my first Blogiversary around the corner as well, I will use the CURRENT newsletter subscribers only for the exclusive giveaways I host around that time. So get on that early bird Newsletter list and don't miss out, as you will have to be on that Newsletter list to know what is going on!! How lucky are you to be the FIRST TO KNOW!!!

I had a busy week last week with Halloween adventures so I didn't do a Sunday Salon post. Sheri missed me because she wanted to see a pic of the kiddos in costume. In honor of Sheri at A Novel Menagerie, this is for you:

Award Number 2 from Heather at The Maiden's Court, thank you again!


This Honest Scrap Award is for those bloggers who write from the heart. The rules are:

Pass it on to 7 deserving bloggers and write 10 honest things about yourself.

Ten Honest Things That Are Sure To Bore You (A.KA. Things you never really wanted to know):

1.I despise most of my extended family (on one side in particular) & am obviously not ashamed to admit it. Trust me, they deserve it and they could care less anyway.
2.On the other hand, I am truly blessed with a wonderful immediate family. (check out those adorable pics above! And I write this as my toddler is dribbling spittle on my foot from his toy flute.)
3.I love kitty kats but will probably never own one again, not after the last two tore apart my house with their claws and poo.
4.I really hate my job. I have officially sucked at math all my life, and now I am a bookkeeper.
5.I will always regret not finishing college. Not that I had the chance to.
6.I prefer things neat and organized but I hate housecleaning and do not do much of it.
7.I have a large collection of Porcelain dolls, Barbie Dolls, Precious Moments and other porcelain figurines, stamps, scissors, papers, and of course books...collectomaniac?
8.I can still name at least 85% of the 1986 New York Mets Roster. Don't get me started.
9.I now cannot name a single current New York Mets player.
10.I have crayon scribbles on my walls which really bother me. But if I fix them they will just reappear so I'll wait till he grows out of the scribble stage.

The bloggers I would like to pass this on to are: (Heather has already picked a bunch I would have picked so I have to really think on this one.)

Sheri of A Novel Menagerie
Kathleen of Celticlady's Ramblings
Laurel Ann of Austenprose
Erin at The Courtier's Book
Melisende of Women of History
Virginie of Virginie Says...
HappyHelen of TudorTastic

And all these awardees may do with as you like with these awards, I realize they are cumbersome to acknowledge at times. But you are all well-deserving of them, so enjoy the notoriety at your leisure!

The Giveaway for The Queen's Mistake by Diane Haeger is now over (which I have just started to read). If you missed the interview I had with Diane, see it here. I really loved having that opportunity to converse with her on Catherine Howard.


The Winners are:

Heatherzilla and Sheila! Congratulations! If they have already found this book elsewhere, then Michelle and Carol are next in line.

That concludes my recent round of giveaways, stay tuned for a giveaway of My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy coming 11/18/09.

TEASER TUESDAYS is hosted by ShouldBeReading and 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.
♠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!
From Arabella by Georgette Heyer:

'No, no, how could you think I would grudge you anything, Bertram? But to have you in town, and to be obliged to pretend I am not your sister, and to deceive Papa and Mama-' She stopped, remembering her own situation. 'Oh, Bertram, how wicked we are!' ~page 179

{I am so loving this book, it is absolutely the epitome of pure delight!}

Some may recognize the legendary story of Samson and Delilah that is used as a theme here. The main gist is that Delilah bewitches Samson with her famed beauty and betrays him by cutting his long hair, stripping him of his heroic powers. The novel doesn't jump right into the heart of that story, instead it guides you in slowly as you are introduced to each character one at a time. There are multiple narratives here, with the first person narrative being told by Delilah as her story began when she was ten. Delilah remained my favorite 'part' throughout the book, as the others were told in third person but with the views of several of the other characters. This typically jars me and turns me off. After I delved deeper into the story of Samson, and returned to the Delilah in first person narrative, it helped me appreciate the technique more. Halfway through the book, Delilah becomes more retrospective and leaves sentences heavy with foreshadowing.

Delilah is portrayed as the girl who simply wants to dance as a form of worship, and that is an honor she has accomplished along with her best friend, or heart-sister, Alyah. The two girls dancing together are a source of beauty and awe, as Delilah's features exhibit the night sky, and Alyah exudes the Sun with the blond hair and lighter coloring. They are treated as a precious commodity within their world of Temples and the Five Cities, and are among the best of the dancers. Alyah is just as much a part of this author's story as Delilah or Samson are; as they each share a love for the other in an amazing triangle that holds them together like a knot to the bitter end.

There is a bit of social structure that needs to be learned here, with the promotion of New Moon to Rising Moon to Full Moons; and the High Priestess ruling for the City's goddess within a Temple, who is at odds with the Prince of Ascalon.. at first a bit overwhelming for me but I eased into the story and let it become familiar to me in its own time. Along with the social structure there is also the political structure that is a large part of the story; as the struggle for power and strength in itself is a major underlying theme with Hebrews vs. Philistines, Temple vs. City, man vs. woman.

And then we finally meet the mighty Samson. Samson's beginnings are dubious and of questionable heritage but he quickly befriends Orev the Harper, and they travel together while swiftly becoming famous. Samson decides to protect a specific road for travelers, aptly names the Lion's Path. As he learns this is not the best choice for him, we follow them along travels, and shake our head at the warnings that Samson does not heed. He goes to the famed City of Ascalon. We reach our climax as we wonder what happens to Samson as he enters this city of the Philistines who see Samson as a criminal due to Hebrew's not sanctioned by Samson committing crime in Samson's name. The climatic chapter begins with quote from the age-old story that is told by the harper Orev:

"Then there came the day that mighty Samson laid his eyes upon Delilah. Delilah the Dark, Delilah of the night-black hair. Delilah, who desired Samson's heart, and Samson's soul, and would stop at nothing to claim them as her prizes. She was beautiful as night and cunning as a fennec, and she filled his eyes until he could see no other. He vowed he must have her for his own, or die of love...."

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. And I am adding what I purchased, swapped, etc.

From Paperbackswap:

The Glory Cloak by Patricia O'Brien I had recently read and reviewed O'Brien's Harriet and Isabella, which I loved, so I had to get this one which also has a wonderful premise:

"From childhood, Susan Gray and her cousin Louisa May Alcott have shared a safe, insular world of outdoor adventures and grand amateur theater -- a world that begins to evaporate with the outbreak of the Civil War. Frustrated with sewing uniforms and wrapping bandages, the two women journey to Washington, D.C.'s Union Hospital to volunteer as nurses. Nothing has prepared them for the horrors of this grueling experience. There they meet the remarkable Clara Barton -- the legendary Angel of the Battlefield -- and she becomes their idol and mentor. Soon one wounded soldier begins to captivate and puzzle them all -- a man who claims to be a blacksmith, but whose appearance and sharp intelligence suggest he might not be who he says he is.
Through the Civil War and its chaotic aftermath to the apex of Louisa's fame as the author of Little Women and Lincoln's appointment of Clara to the job of finding and naming the war's missing and dead, this novel is ultimately the story of friendship between women -- women who broke the mold society set for them, while still reckoning with betrayal, love, and forgiveness."

Ordered to complete The Story of Civilization collection of my late father's:

The Story of Civilization, Vol. 11: The Age of Napoleon: A History of European Civilization from 1789 to 1815 by Will and Ariel Durant "A comprehensive, integral account of European life, society, politics, arts, science, philosophy, economics, manners, and morals of the epoch."

O, Juliet by Robin Maxwell (February 2, 2010)
"One of the queens of historical fiction offers a new take on the mesmerizing young woman and poetess who inspired Shakespeare's most famous female character. Before Juliet Capelletti lie two futures: a traditionally loveless marriage to her father's business partner, or the fulfillment of her poetic dreams, inspired by the great Dante. Unlike her beloved friend Lucrezia, who looks forward to her arranged marriage, Juliet has a wild, romantic imagination that knows not the bounds of her great family's stalwart keep. The latter path is hers for the taking when Juliet meets Romeo Monticecco, a soulful young man seeking peace between their warring families. A dreamer himself, Romeo is unstoppable, once he determines to capture the heart of the remarkable woman foretold in his stars. The breathless intrigue that ensues is the stuff of beloved legend. But those familiar with Shakespeare's muse know only half the story... "