RTW: Best Book of May
From YA Highway:
Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's
contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question to write about on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination
and get everybody's unique take on the topic.
This Week's Topic:
Best Book of May
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| Gooseberry Falls ~ Castle Danger |
Some of them were fantastic, some only so-so. I read a couple of books that I've had on my to-read list for a long time.
The best of the bunch? Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier.
From goodreads:
Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!
Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.
How had I not heard about this book? Originally published in Germany in 2009, it was published in the US a year ago. Last month I saw an ad for the paperback publication on Shelf Awareness and found it on the shelf at my local library. Even though I don't read a ton of time travel novels, I love the concept and this one was intriguing. Gwyneth's story -- growing up thinking that she didn't have the time travel gene and being completely unprepared when she discovered that she did -- fascinated me. The story is told in witty, funny prose that kept me turning the pages.When I finished I returned to a few passages to re-read and was seriously disappointed to learn that the sequel, Sapphire Blue, won't be available until October 30! Ha, no problem, I thought, I'll just order it from the UK. No luck there, either. Same publication date. It's a good thing I have a lot of other books to read while I wait.
What was the best book you read in May? What not-yet-published books are you waiting for?
I really like the sound of that! I'm a sucker for time travel. :)
ReplyDeleteMe, too. Time travel or time bending, would you say? Time parallels? One of my favorite movies is Sliding Doors.
DeleteOK, I'm intrigued. Though I'm a little wary of books in translation. As a writer, I want to hear the author's voice, and when reading something in translation it's hard to know whether what you're reading is the author's voice, or the translator's. But, if the story is that good, I might set my concerns aside and read it anyway. If it ends up being really good, that might encourage me to learn German and get the original. :D
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a really good point. I've never really given much thought to that aspect of books in translation. As a lit student, I read tons of books and stories in translation - Chekhov, Kafka, Garcia Marquez. I have a certain trust in the translators that they will honor the work of the author. I hope that's the case here! And keep me posted after you learn German. :)
DeleteI've never even heard of this series! I'll give Ruby Red a try - and it's great that I can read the original, in German :D
ReplyDeleteOooooh, if you read it in German, you can read the WHOLE trilogy already!
Deleteyay :)
DeleteI've never heard of that one--sounds good! On my lengthy TBR list it goes :)
ReplyDeleteMine got a lot longer today, too!
DeleteI loved RUBY RED, and I've been waiting impatiently for SAPPHIRE BLUE ever since I read the first one. The crazy thing is that because they're originally in German, the SAPPHIRE BLUE has been out for ages already. Just not in English. :(
ReplyDeleteWhat prompted me to pick up RUBY RED in the first place was the gorgeous cover, and it looks like the second book will be just as beautiful. Can't wait!
Oh yes, the covers are luscious. Love them! How many days till Sapphire Blue??? 116.
DeleteThis sounds like a great book! I love time travel and I definitely want to get my hands on this one!
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it as much as I did! :)
DeleteI just added this to my TBR list - and ordered it from B&N! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great reco - I'm looking forward to reading this one!
I hope you like it! :)
DeleteOo I hadn't heard of this one! I'm definitely adding it to my TBR list. I love time travel novels and the premise of this one sounds great.
ReplyDeleteYes, the family drama stuff is great!
DeleteOoo this sounds like a great book! I love any book associated with time travel! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://lifeisgood-forever21.blogspot.com/2012/06/rtw-best-book-of-may.html
Thanks for stopping by - I hope you get a chance to read it soon!
DeleteThis sounds great! Thanks for sharing it :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liz. I hope you get a chance to read it sometime. :)
DeleteI gave you an award! http://onceuponatimelit.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/chic-to-next-lev.html
ReplyDeleteRuby Red sounds good...reminds me of The Time Traveler's Wife, which I love, so I will have to check this one out!
Thanks, dear! Whew - dressing up is a RARE occasion for me - I'll see what I can do! :)
DeleteHaven't heard of this one, but it sounds GREAT. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Daisy - hope you get a chance to check it out! :)
DeleteI haven't read these. I'll have to check them out. I went on a little mini-vacation to the north shore to and we stopped and hiked around Gooseberry Falls. It was lovely there.
ReplyDeleteYay for mini-vacations! Had you been to Gooseberry before? One of my favorite places!
DeleteI will check this one out for sure. I don't think I've ever heard of it before now- thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it -- it's got lots of England-y bits for us anglophiles!
Delete