Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

This was my first foray into the writing of Elizabeth Gilbert and I was not disappointed. Of course I am aware of her because of Eat Pray Love, but (even though I own a copy of that book somewhere) I still haven't read it yet.

This book crossed my radar on twitter and after seeing a photo of the cover I had to look into it. It's a book about creativity and living the creative life. Elizabeth Gilbert gives her take on writing and living creatively and she does it in the most refreshingly honest manner. She is just such a down to earth person that tells it like it is and I am so grateful for that. It's part instruction manual, part story time, and part inspirational blanket. It's a book that will spark your creative flame and welcome you into a world of others trying to do what you do.

I loved every bit of this book. Some of her ideas were new and so interesting that I often find myself thinking about them at random times. I don't want to spoil it, but shes got some pretty cool thoughts about where ideas come from, and I think everyone should read it.

 This book is definitely among my most favorite books, and I know that I will be re-reading it in part, or in whole, over and over again for the years to come. Actually, I already have. It's been sitting on my nightstand for about a week now and I keep picking it up to look it over again. I even joined a group on Goodreads just because they were going to read this book this year and I wanted to know what they thought/make myself have an excuse to read it again.

I think I could honestly highlight and quote the whole book if I let myself, there's just so much useful and true wisdom inside. She may give out some tough love with her words, but they are so very necessary. 

Recommendation: This is so very necessary and helpful to anyone looking to live the creative life, especially as a writer. You will not be disappointed in this lovely book. Pick it up and cherish it like I have. 

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

This is one of those books that has been around quite a long time. If you've watched the movie Sister Act 2 with Whoopie Goldberg and Lauryn Hill then you will know that Whoopie told Lauryn to read the book.

It's a series of letters written by Rainer Maria Rilke who was a poet. The man writing to him was asking Rainer to look at his work and to give him advice on writing. There are no letters from the point of view of the man who wrote to Rainer, only the letters that the man received from Rainer. 

The reference that I have seen often when this book has been mentioned is what Rainer says about writing. I am paraphrasing here, but he says that if you look inside yourself and ask yourself "must I write?" and if the answer is anything but a resounding yes, then you should just walk away. If the answer is yes, then you must write. 

His point of view is very interesting, and the book is full of wonderful quotes about life and writing. He focuses on details of the self and of using whats around us in our work. 

It's not a easy read even though it is very short and comprises 11 letters that Rainer wrote. His thoughts are esoteric and at times a little difficult to follow. 

The beauty of it is, Rainer was being completely candid and open with his thoughts and feelings during this period of time. It was like reading some one's journal. I found it quite interesting. 

Recommendation: Pick this up if you are interested in writing, or even following your dreams. It's so full of wisdom that I think it's worth having around to pick up again and again because I'm sure you'll come across something new each time. 

Martha Grimes: The Richard Jury Novels

Martha Grimes is the author of one of my favorite series about fictional Inspector Richard Jury with the Scotland Yard. He works cases together with his old friend Melrose Plant who is not a member of the police force to solve mysteries.

I love these books. The mysteries are a tad heavier than, say, Agatha Christie's or M.C. Beaton's, but they are still very good. I am a huge lover of British mysteries and British mystery writers. 

One of the biggest things I enjoy about these books is that they follow two men who are simply friends, no partners on the job, not people required to work together. They are friends and they help each other out. It's an interesting partnership that I find quite refreshing. 

There is a whole cast of colorful characters that appear in a lot of the novels that add some lovely interest to each story. For one, Melrose Plant actually has a title or two that he no longer uses, but comes in handy in some cases. The stories tend to be titled after the name of a Pub that features in the story which is another interesting part of these books that I really do love. 

I have quite a big collection of her novels that I got second hand (for the most part) from used book stores. I have made it one of my missions to collect them all at some point. (So seriously hard to photograph though! So excuse the photo please!)

Recommendation: These are novels for any mystery lover, especially those who enjoy British mysteries. 

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This book was intense. I cried at times, I felt sad, I felt inspired, I felt like what it would have been like to be married to Hemingway back in the day.

I really do enjoy reading about the lives of others especially when it comes to the lives of writers. Doesn't matter if the stories are fiction, I still love them. 

I won't lie, I was left with a bit of an empty feeling at the end. This book took a lot out of me. It was definitely an emotional journey. I won't go into details (as usual) but this book follows the life of one of Hemingway's wives. The good, the bad, the ugly, the great. It's all there imagined how the author, using details from her life, thinks it went. It's all there. 

I find that the same thing that happens with movies happens with books. So often you will hear of a new release of a movie on a topic and right after, or even at the same time, you see another movie just like it come out. This book came across my radar around the same time I heard of Z the book about the life of Zelda Fitzgerald. I have read both, and I think I read both in the same year (though I'm not saying they came out at the same time). It's just interesting how that seems to happen. 

Recommendation: Read this if you enjoy stories about people who lived, life stories, and stories about the lives of writers. It's worth the read. 

Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints by P.J. Brackston

This one was another library rental. I grabbed it up because it's a mystery related to the Brothers Grimm stories. This one is the first one in a series by the author P.J. Brackston.

In the book Gretel is grown up and she is a private detective who lives with her brother Hans. The characters themselves are quite interesting and different then I would have imagined. I think that's part of the fun. We all have ideas about the old fairy tales. Along the way they meet another character or two from the old stories which I thought was pretty neat too. 

The story took a couple totally different turns that I wasn't expecting but I did enjoy them. Gretel was one of those characters that you may not love, but you become invested in what happens to her and it makes you keep reading. I really loved a lot of the different elements of the story and I was hooked to reading it till I finished it. I do think I will keep my eyes out for any more by this author. 

As far as mysteries go, it wasn't one of the greatest I've read, but the overall story and the characters made it a good read. 

Recommendation: For those who enjoy a good story, especially fans of the Brother Grimm stories. 

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Rita Mae Brown

I came across this one at the library and I snatched it up because I was familiar with the author. Years ago, when I first got into mysteries, I came across Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie Brown series which involved cats. I loved them, and quickly read as many as I could get my hands on. I had no idea that she had other series, so when I saw this one, I had to read it.

This book is the ninth book in her Sister Jane series. These books are all about fox hunting and feature different animals like foxes, horses, and hunting dogs. The awesome part of the books by Rita Mae Brown is that she not only writes in the point of view of people, but from the point of view of the animals in the story. I love it. I think she does a great job and it all works together seamlessly.

I will say that the detail and background of fox hunting is very interesting but you should be open and ready to learn things. You will come away with more knowledge about fox hunting when you finish it  but do not worry though, they do not actually hunt foxes to kill them, its more about the thrill of the hunt and the sport of the thing. 

Rita Mae Brown writes a heavily detailed story, but I did not find it hard to read. She does provide a cast of characters and a list of terms at the begining to make sure you don't have any troubles while reading. I didn't find it dry with all the information, the details were nestled right into the story so it didn't feel like a text book.

Recommendation: This is definitely one for the mystery lovers out there. Be prepared to read about fox hunting and you will enjoy this one as much as I did. 

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night is the second book in the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. (I've reviewed the first one here in case you missed it!)

The first novel left off on a cliffhanger and this book picked right up in the same place. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one because the way the story has changed since I began reading the first, I was keeping an open mind and totally just going with the flow. I was not disappointed! 

To give you a little background on these novels, they involve witches, vampires, and daemons. There is a fear for their continued survival and its up to a witch and a vampire to figure it all out. There is so much more to these novels, but I don't want to give anything away by explaining more. 

These novels aren't a quick read. They are detailed and more involving then a lot of reads. I don't think these books get enough love, really. They are adult novels, but I don't think that anyone who reads more of the young adult type novels wouldn't enjoy them as well.

There is so many little plot points along the way that I almost feel like they could have evolved into their own stories separate from the book. Definitely keeps your attention and in no way does it feel boring or overly done. 

I am of course going to read the third one, but I think I am going to wait a little longer. Not sure I want to let this story come to an end yet. I will miss the adventure and knowing that it all will come to an end. 

Recommendation: Well worth giving these a try. Totally for the lovers of witches, vampires, and love stories in the pursuit to save the world.