Waiting on Wednesday: Deadly Voyage: RMS Titanic by Hugh Brewster

I Am Canada: Deadly Voyge: RMS Titanic by Hugh Brewster

Fourteen-year-old Jamie Laidlaw is returning to Canada from England aboard the Titanic. In his four days on board, he busies himself with new friends, finding ways to explore the ship’s forbidden areas, and generally landing himself in trouble.
When disaster strikes and the horrifying scramble for survival ensues, Jamie is on the front lines — struggling to help free the lifeboats and get people on board them. When a huge wave washes over the ship’s sloping deck, it’s time for Jamie to take action — and take his fate into his own hands. With hundreds of others, he dives into the sea, hoping he will find a way to survive.
Since its launch in Fall 2010, the I Am Canada series has been praised for its accurate and energetic exploration of fascinating moments in Canadian history, through the eyes of young men who lived through them. In Deadly Voyage, award-winning author and noted Titanic historian Hugh Brewster draws from his vast knowledge of that fateful journey to create an enthralling tale of historical fiction — the ultimate adventure, whose terrifying end we know all too well


I love reading historical fiction about the Titanic, and with the 100th anniversary next year, there are several new books being published in the next few months. I usually prefer books with female main characters, but I will be reading this one because it's about the Titanic, and also the series is a male version of the Dear Canada series, which I love. I actually have three other books from the I Am Canada series on my shelf already, but I still need to read them.

In My Mailbox - 6/25/11

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

For review:


Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw

The Night of Souls—when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest—is only days away.
Albion is at war . . . and losing.
The wardens have descended, kidnapping innocent citizens for their army, but looking for one in particular.
And fifteen-year-old Kate Winters has just raised a blackbird from the dead.
As her home is torn apart by the wardens, Kate's discovery that she is one of the Skilled—the rare people who can cross the veil between life and death—makes her the most hunted person in all of Albion. Only she can unlock the secrets of Wintercraft, the ancient book of dangerous knowledge. Captured and taken to the graveyard city of Fume—with its secret tunnels and underground villages, and where her own parents met their deaths ten years ago—Kate must harness her extraordinary powers to save herself, her country, and the two men she cares for most. And she'll make a pact with a murderer to do it.
Those who wish to see the dark, be ready to pay your price.

Bought:

Cross my Heart by Sasha Gould

Laura della Scala knows nothing beyond the convent walls which have trapped and bound her since she was twelve years old. A single night will change her life. She will soon learn the difference between an arranged marriage and true, reckless love. Venice is a dangerous city. Intrigue, romance and power lie at its heart and secrets run through the blood of its rulers. They call Laura 'La Muta'. The Silent One. She is about to break her silence ...but at what cost?


Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Rose Red trusts no one with her secret. She hides in the forest, her face veiled in rags, shunning the company of all save her old father and her nanny goat. Her life is bleak and lonely.
Until she meets a privileged young man sent to spend his summer in the mountains. Leo, a lonely lad, befriends Rose Red, and together they begin hunting for the Mountain Monster which, rumor says, stalks these lands.
But the hunt which began as a game holds greater risk than Leo supposes. Rose Red can scarcely guess at the consequences should he insist on continuing his search. Dare she trust him with her secret? Or tell him what dwells at the top of the mountain in the cave only she can find?
Above all, when Leo asks Rose Red to leave the mountain and follow him to the low country, dare she agree and risk the wrath of a Monster that is all too real?

Book review: The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell (Published by HarperCollins, September 6, 2011)

This creative and original retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is set in Sylvania, a fictional region of Romania, in the fifteenth century. Thirteen-year-old Reveka has recently arrived at Castle Sylvian, where she is an apprentice to the castle's herbalist. Because her mother died when she was a baby and her father was a soldier, Reveka grew up in a convent until her father retired from the army, and it was there that she was first trained in herbalism. Unlike most girls, Reveka hopes never to marry and would prefer to become the herbalist for a convent, but she is not wealthy enough to obtain such a position.

For several years now, the twelve princesses of Sylvania have been cursed. Their dancing shoes are worn out every morning, but no one knows where they go at night. Anyone who stays with them at night to try to find out is cursed with a sleep that no one has woken from. Their father, Prince Vasile, is desperate to break the curse so his daughters can leave the castle to marry, because he has no sons and needs a grandson to be his heir. So he has offered a reward - if a man solves the mystery, he can marry one of the princesses, and if a woman solves the mystery, she will receive a dowry. Reveka knows she could use that dowry to join a convent as an herbalist, so she decides to investigate, and discovers a far more complicated msytery than she ever expected, leaving her with difficult choices.

I love fairy tale retellings, and The Princess Curse is now among my favorites in the genre. It's a wonderful mix of fairy tale, mythology, and historical fantasy, and Reveka is a delightful and entertaining narrator. I also loved the unusual setting of Medieval Romania, which really came to life. The Princess Curse is an enchanting debut novel by Merrie Haskell, and I look forward to reading her future books - in particular, I'd love to read a sequel to this book, because while it has a satisfying conclusion, I'd definitely love to read more of Reveka's adventures.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

Book review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Fateful by Claudia Gray (Published by HarperTeen, September 13, 2011)

For years, Tess Davies has worked as a maid for the Lisle family at their manor house in England. But she has always dreamed of a better life, and now that she has saved up enough money, she has decided leave her job. And she gets the perfect opportunity when she is chosen to accompany the Lisles on an ocean voyage to New York. A new country is the perfect place to start a new life. And they are sailing on the maiden voyage of the largest, most elegant ship ever built, the RMS Titanic.

Shortly before boarding the ship, Tess meets Alec Marlowe, a handsome first class passenger. He saves her life - then warns her to stay away. Alec clearly has a terrible secret, but Tess is drawn to him despite that. The two quickly find themselves falling in love, but the biggest obstacle to their relationship isn't their different social classes. An evil brotherhood of werewolves is stalking Alec, determined to force him to join them - and now they are after Tess, too. And as if that wasn't enough, they will face a far greater danger before the voyage is over.

I have been fascinated by the story of the Titanic for many years (even before the movie was released) so when I first heard about the plot of Fateful, I was a bit aghast at the idea of a novel about werewolves set on the Titanic. But I'll read just about anything set on the Titanic so I knew I had to read it, and I'm really glad I did, because this book turned out to be really good - it's one of my favorite books I've read recently, and probably my favorite paranormal romance ever. I loved the romance between Tess and Alec. They were adorable together and it was so sweet how protective and caring he was towards her, unlike in some paranormal romances where the guy acts like a jerk because of some supernatural curse that made his life miserable and the poor girl falls in love with him anyway for some reason. If you love historical romance, paranormal romance, or books about the Titanic, I highly recommend Fateful.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

Book review: Meet Marie-Grace by Sarah Masters Buckey

Meet Marie-Grace by Sarah Masters Buckey (Published by American Girl, August 30, 2011)

Nine-year-old Marie-Grace Gardner was born in New Orleans, where she lived with her father, an American doctor, and her mother, who came from a French family, until her mother and baby brother died in an epidemic. After her mother's death, Marie-Grace and her father moved north, where her father grew up. Now, in January 1853, Marie-Grace and her her father have finally moved back to New Orleans.

Marie-Grace is happy to be back in New Orleans and hopes she never has to move again, since she and her father moved many times in the past four years. She is excited to explore New Orleans, see her relatives from her mother's side of the family again, and go to school, where she can hopefully make friends. But the girls at school are unkind to her and she feels like an outsider. Her only friend is Cécile, a young girl her age who is a free person of color from a wealthy family in New Orleans. The two girls meet at the opera house where Marie-Grace hopes to take singing lessons, and quickly become friends.

I loved the American Girls series growing up and I credit it, along with the Little House and Dear America books, for helping me develop a love for historical fiction. Even though I am an adult now, I was very interested when I saw that the newest American Girl series would be from the perspectives of two girls from very different backgrounds growing up in New Orleans in 1853. The historical setting is very interesting since New Orleans was such a multicultural city and very different from the rest of the United States in the mid 19th century. I think young girls will enjoy this series while hopefully learning a bit about a very unique place and time from American history.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

Book review: Titanic, Book Two: Collision Course by Gordon Korman

Titanic, Book Two: Collision Course by Gordon Korman (Published by Scholastic, August 1, 2011)

This book picks up right where book one, Unsinkable, ended, and continues the story of four young teenagers on the Titanic. Juliana and Sophie are both passengers in first class, Alfie is a young steward who lied about his age so that he could work on the Titanic with his father, and Paddy accidentally stowed away in the ship's cargo while hiding from gangsters in Belfast, where the ship was built. Although the four teens had very little in common, they were thrown together by events on board the ship.

Paddy's secret has been discovered, and now he must travel throughout the ship, hiding from his pursuers. Juliana has learned the terrible reason why her father brought her on his business trip to America, and now she is desperate to escape. Meanwhile, they have discovered that a serial killer is hiding among the Titanic's passangers, but how can they discover his identity on a ship with so many passengers? Unfortunately, an even worse danger lies ahead when the Titanic collides with an iceberg.

This book was a good continuation of the story from the first book and once again ends on a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, I now how to wait until September, when the final book in the trilogy will be published, to find out what happens to all the characters when the ship sinks - that's what I get for reading an advance copy! Although the series is written for middle grade readers, I recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by the Titanic. Although if you hate cliffhangers, you may want to just wait until September, so you can read the whole series together.

Waiting on Wednesday: Velvet by Mary Hooper

Velvet by Mary Hooper (Published by Bloomsbury UK, September 5, 2011)

Rose is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Rose is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Rose is noticed by Madame X, a famed medium, who asks Rose to come to work for her. Rose is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Rose realises that Madame X is not all that she says she is, and Rose's very life is in danger ...A romantic and thrillingly exciting new novel from an acclaimed and much-loved historical writer for teens.


I have read and enjoyed several other young adult historical novels by Mary Hooper, so I am really looking forward to reading her next book.