Favourite books of 2011 Part #2

Here is Part #2 of my favourite books read in 2011. Enjoy!

Marcelo in the real world 
by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm.

He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Reminiscent of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" in the intensity and purity of its voice, this extraordinary novel is a love story, a legal drama, and a celebration of the music each of us hears inside. ~ Click here for my review

Sing you home by Jodi Picoult
One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter's marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds. Like her House Rules and several other previous Jodi Picoult novels, Sing You Home grapples with hot button issues. The novel also includes a CD of songs, each matched with a chapter in the book. Perfect for book clubs. ~ Click here for my review

 Raising Demons (Hex Hall #2) 
by Rachel Hawkins
Sophie Mercer's first term at Hex Hall turned out to be quite eventful. First the ghost of her evil grandmother haunted her every move, then her best friend was accused of murder and of course there was the discovery that Archer Cross, aka the boy of her dreams, was actually an undercover demon hunter - which would probably be something she could have worked on, if she hadn't also discovered that she was actually the demon Archer was hunting…
So, despite their issues, Sophie is actually relieved to be spending the summer in London with her father. But when your father is Head of The Council of Prodigium and your summer is being spent at the headquarters of everything magical, then a quiet holiday isn't really that likely. And, as Sophie struggles to come to terms with her new found demon powers, she finds herself thrust once again into a world of dark magic and conspiracies. The only thing that could possibly make things more complicated would be for Archer Cross to show up again, which of course he wouldn't, would he? ~ Click here for my review

Harmonick Feedback By Tara Kelly 

Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn't have friends. She has, as she's often reminded, issues. Drea's mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on "a touch of Asperger's."
Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea's preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.
It's obvious that Drea can't hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she's found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them? ~ Click here for my review

 A Rose for the Anzac Boys 
by Jackie French
The 'War to end all Wars', as seen through the eyes of three young women

It is 1915. War is being fought on a horrific scale in the trenches of France, but it might as well be a world away from sixteen–year–old New Zealander Midge Macpherson, at school in England learning to be a young lady. But the war is coming closer: Midge's brothers are in the army, and her twin, Tim, is listed as 'missing' in the devastating defeat of the Anzac forces at Gallipoli .

Desperate to do their bit – and avoid the boredom of school and the restrictions of Society – Midge and her friends Ethel and Anne start a canteen in France, caring for the endless flow of wounded soldiers returning from the front. Midge, recruited by the over–stretched ambulance service, is thrust into carnage and scenes of courage she could never have imagined. And when the war is over, all three girls – and their Anzac boys as well – discover that even going 'home' can be both strange and wonderful. ~ Click here for my review

Die for me by Amy Plum
In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again. ~ Click here for my review

 Lola & the boy next door
by Stephanie Perkins
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. ~ Click here for my review

 Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
A novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932. When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. ~ Click here for my review

Have you read any of these books? Did you like them?

*Pictures and blurbs taken from goodreads

 

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child "brings joy and hope to needy children around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. Since 1993, more than 94 million shoe box gifts have been delivered to children in more than 130 countries". {Taken from Company Overview}

General information

Pack a shoe box with small toys, hygiene items and school supplies for a child 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14 and share the love of Jesus Christ. National Collection Week is November 12-19, 2012. {Taken from the facebook page}





This is such a good cause and I wanted to take part in this last year but never got around to it. So I thought 2012 was the year to do it! I'm very excited to take part and I will be packing a box for a girl aged 5 - 9. What a wonderful way to do something for someone in need over Christmas. Please have a look at their website and maybe you will be inspired to take part too.

If you want to get more information you can visit their facebook page or their website

"Changing the lives of children around the world, one box at a time" 

Will you be taking part this year?

The end to a series or is it??

Now by Morris Gleitzman

Rating: 3 out of 5

Set in the current day, this is the final book in the series that began with Once, continued with Then and is... Now. Felix is a grandfather. He has achieved much in his life and is widely admired. He has mostly buried the painful memories of his childhood, but they resurface when his granddaughter Zelda comes to stay with him. Together they face a cataclysmic event armed only with their gusto and love – an event that helps them achieve salvation from the past, but also brings the possibility of destruction.

Review: This isn't the end of this series, there is a fourth book which has just been released called "After" which I'm really looking forward to reading as it continues Felix's story when he defeats the Nazis. So instead of the final book being voiced through Felix, it's all from Felix's grand-daughter Zelda's point of view. I liked this book but not as much as the other two, mainly because I liked Felix as a character and didn't have that same feeling for Zelda. I also think it's because there was so much more I wanted to read about Felix's story and I didn't feel like it was over yet (but now I know there's more, that makes me happy). Zelda is living with her grandfather because her parents are doctors working overseas and during her stay with her grandfather we get glimpses of how Felix (which is what she calls him in the book, not pop or grand-father etc) has changed since the war and how he moved to Australia. The "event" that happens in this is also based on truth, it really did happen in Australia and that's what makes these books feel so real. The ending was really sweet and a little bit sad, but in a good way if there can be...

On the cover: The cover depicts a scene that happens in the book. Other than that I think this cover isn't all that exciting. I would probably walk straight past it if I hadn't already read the first two in the series.

What I'm listening on Audio to next: House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Vintage Pink Sparkle Range

In an earlier post I showed you some trim that I purchased at the Melbourne Quilt & Crafts Fair. 

Well I wanted to show you what I created from those beautiful trims. 

And so my Vintage Pink sparkle Range was born.

You can view these products on my Facebook page Love Sami

Any comments or Feedback would be appreciated.

{Animoto.com was the website I used to create my slideshow}

Graphic Novel did it for me

Witch & Wizard (Graphic Novel)

by James Patterson

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Imagine waking up to find that the world around you - life as you know it - has changed in an instant. That's what happens to Whit Allgood and his sister, Wisty. They thought that they were just a couple of normal teenagers, until their rude awakening at the hands of a dozen armed police! Charged with being a wizard and a witch, accused of having incredible powers they never dreamed possible, the siblings find themselves the targets of an upstart political regime, The New Order, which has swept the country and vowed to wipe "their kind" from existence. Now Whit and Wisty must fight for both their freedom and their lives as they unlock the powers burning inside of them!





Review: I'm a fan of James Patterson's young adult series "Maximum Ride" so I thought I'd love this new series when he released it. But, I tried to read the book and the Audiobook but couldn't seem to enjoy the story. So when I saw that there was a graphic novel I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did because it was much better. I still felt the same way I did when I was reading the book, which was that it all started so quickly and we (as readers) are expected to just "get" what is happening. I like a book that gets right into the story but I don't like when things aren't really explained properly. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this - I loved the illustrations and the humor. So I will continue reading the graphic novels

On the cover: I looove the cover, It makes me feel like kicking butt! The fire looks awesome.

Reading Next: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Have you ever tried a graphic novel after not enjoying the book?

Mermaid nails - Essence 'Blue Addicted'

Hi! Last weekend I did a bit of shopping and picked up this fantastic colour of nail polish, I couldn't get over how cute & tiny the bottle was!! This is a new range of products that Priceline sell called "Essence" so of course I had to check out their nail polishes. There were so many gorgeous colours but I couldn't pass this one up.

It's called 'Blue Addicted'. In the bottle the colour looks like it will be black with green & blue glitter mixed through but when I started applying it, I realised it's blue rather than black. There's not only the green and blue big chunks of glitter but there's a fine blue sparkle running through it too.

To get the look on my nails I applied 3 layers of colour, to get it even darker I could've tried for 4 layers but decided that I liked it like this.
It's a fairly quick drying nail polish so I could apply each layer within a few seconds. I also like that there's a good amount of glitter that comes out each time you apply.

After I was done, I thought "These look just like mermaid nails" because it reminds me of a mermaid's tail all sparkly & scaly swishing underwater.

 Have you tried this brand of nail polish before?

They just keep getting better and better!

Purity in Death (In Death series #15)

By J. D. Robb

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purity in Death finds our heroine on an assignment that leaves her even more tormented by the past. When a deadly computer virus is unleashed on society's undesirables (namely, child abusers), it's up to Eve -- along with her astonishingly handsome husband, Roarke; her feisty aide, Peabody; e-geek McNab; and her mentor, Captain Feeny -- to discover the origins of the virus and shut down the clandestine vigilante group that created it before the next target is marked for execution.

Eve's task is complicated further as she grapples with her demons (as a child-abuse victim, it was a matter of survival that led Eve to kill her father) and squares off with Roarke, who does not regard the group's intentions as inherently bad. Once again, she must muddle through those gray areas of right and wrong as she seeks to "stand for the dead," and answer the question of whether the group is justified in its actions, or whether they simply represent a new breed of terrorist.


Review: Oh my gosh, this was pretty amazing.  I can’t believe J. D. Robb still has fresh material, after 15 books she’s still got! Eve is back to stand up for crime. Although this time is she standing up for the wrong guys? A terrorist type group is killing off people who are truly evil but does that give them the right to choose who gets to live or die? This is the dilemma that Eve is faced with when some people agree with the group. I love this series so much and this one reminds me so much of one of the other books in the series that I enjoyed, it was called Rapture in Death. That book also focuses on technology being responsible for the deaths. These books are set in the future but that is never the main part of the story, it’s just something that is there in the background. So I love when technology is involved in the crime because it’s always really interesting and Robb does a good job of making it seem real – like some time in the near future this could really happen. What I also really like about these books are the characters. Every single one of them feel so real to me and I love learning more and more about them. To wrap it up I can’t get enough of these books and I hope they are still this good by the time i get to the 30^th.

On the cover: Ok ok so there's no way I would pick up this book by it's cover. It's truly hideous and boring but if you take a look at this cover at least it's a little more appealing. Neither of the covers tell me anything about what's going to be inside, so please do not judge this book by it's cover.

What I'm listening on Audio to next: Now by Morris Gleitzman

Have you read this series before? What do you like about it?

Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair 2012

My best friend Amy & I took a train to Melbourne and went along to the Craft & Quilt Fair which was held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Amy has a great blog post on what she bought on the day so go and check it out!

I haven't been attending any markets because the bad weather has kept me inside and also because of this I haven't had any inspiration to do any crafting. So, this was the perfect thing to spark my interest and get me going again. Amy & I had a great time wandering around and seeing all the amazing things people have created.

Below are my purchases of the day. I've been interested in Cross Stitch and was happy to have found a very simple design that I can practice with. My knitting skills consist of scarves and I thought getting this "Ribbons" wool would be a step up from that as it's a trickier scarf pattern to knit.
I fell in love with the trims below and can't wait to work with them to make brooches and hair accessories. I'll post again once I have finished any of these projects.

Did you attend the Fair this year or any other years? What did you think?

Why hello there pretty book

City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5)

By Cassandra Clare

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Jace is now a servant of evil, bound for all eternity to Sebastian. Only a small band of Shadowhunters believe he can be saved. To do this they must defy the Clave. And they must act without Clary. For Calry is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace's soul. Clary is willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?






Review: What can I say about City of Lost Souls. I really wish it hadn’t taken me soooo long to read this because it was really awesome! At the time I was reading this I had lots of nights out and weekends away so I couldn’t snuggle down and enjoy this in a long stint. It didn’t help when each chapter of the book were on average 30 pages! So once I finished one chapter I would get distracted and not pick up the book for another few days. I really enjoy the Mortal Instruments series and this one didn’t let me down. It picks up right where we left off in book Four and takes you on a swoony ride. My My there was so much swoon in this book, we don’t have only one couple to swoon along with but four! There was so much going on (which was a good thing) with so many storylines to follow. They all intertwine with each other so well and keep the fast pace of the story exciting. I think the more and more I read this series the more and more I like Clary as a female character. I haven’t always had such a strong connection to her from the other books but something happened for me in this. I think all the moments she had with Sebastian, and what she was standing up for really pushed her into “Awesome character” for me. I also like Simon a lot more in this one compared to four, I kind of hated when he was turned into a Vampire and now he’s gotten to terms with what he is, not a monster and I like that. Oh and I love all the references to her Infernal Devices series, If you are planning on reading book 4 & 5 of The Mortal Instruments seres without first reading her Infernal Devices series – don’t! There’s some things that you will get better if you read the Infernal Devices first. I can’t go past saying “damn that’s a cliffhanger of an ending”! Cassandra Clare has done a fantastic job with this book, I can not wait to see what adventure I’m taken on next.

On the cover: Awesome is an understatement for this cover. It's truly beautiful! Unfortunetly you cant see how pretty it looks with the above picture. The parts on their bodies that look like they are shiny, they really are shiny! If I hadn't read the first few books, I would still pick this up because its looks really interesting. Also, Clary actually does wear a red dress similar to that in the story so it does show what to expect inside. Oh how I wish this guy on the cover was playing Jace in the movie instead of the actor who is. This is guy is dreamy....

What I'm reading next: Witch & Wizard {Graphic Novel} by James Patterson

What do you think of the cover? Would you read this book based on it's cover?

Colorful Butterfly & Flowers Nails

These nails were inspired by someone I follow on Instagram. I saw her design and loved it so much that I wanted to try to re-create it. I did these nails at night and didn't get round to taking some nice tutorial photos, sorry! 

Basically I used Revlon Peach Smoothie #345 as the base color. I applied one coat so it gives the effect of not having any nail polish on... my nails are nude! :-P Then using my 2 way nail polishes I did all the detail with the flowers & butterflies. On a side note I did these nails over a week ago and they still look really good! 

Oh and the Revlon nail polish is part of their scented range so not only did my nails look really cool, they also smelt really nice.

Below is a close up of the design. 

Is there a design which you have re-created or want to?

What's happened to a great series?

The Full Cupboard of Life (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency #5) 

By Alexander McCall Smith

Rating: 2 out of 5

Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are still engaged, but with no immediate plans to get married. Mma Ramotswe wonders when a wedding date will be named, but she is anxious to avoid putting pressure on her fiancé. For indeed he has other things on his mind -- particularly a frightening request (involving a parachute jump) made by Mma Potokwani, the persuasive matron of the orphan farm.

Mma Ramotswe herself has weighty matters on her mind. She has been approached by a wealthy lady to check up on several suitors. Are these men interested in her or just her money? This may be difficult to find out, but it’s just the kind of case Mma Ramotswe likes and she is, as we know, a very intuitive lady.

Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi -- plucky assistant detective and deputy manager of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors garage -- is moving. Her entrepreneurial venture, the Kalahari Typing School for Men, is thriving and with this new income she has rented two rooms in a house. Her spare time is occupied with planning the move, the décor and her new life in a house with running water all to herself.

In the background of all this is Botswana, a country of empty spaces and echoing skies, a country so beautiful and entrancing that it breaks your heart. Mma Ramotswe has prepared the bush tea and is waiting for us to join her.

Review: I was really disappointed with this installment because I felt like it wasn’t about the mystery as much as being about boring daily Botswana stuff. Now I know these books are a light detective story and I usually like learning all about life in Botswana but this time it wasn’t doing anything for me and I got bored. I loved the other four because they had a really interesting mystery intertwined with the daily story of Mma Ramotswe but this one took quite a few chapters before we came across our mystery. In the end, I hate to say this, I didn’t finish the audiobook. Instead I looked online to find out what happened in the end and I kinda wished I had finished the book because something really important happened. Oh well! I think i’ll wait a while before I read the next one.

On the cover: It's not a very exciting cover and I don't see how it speaks specifically about the story because there wasn't really much to the story. I suppose the book is called "Full Cupboard of Life" and this a full cupboard?? 

Listening on Audio to next: Purity in Death by J. D. Robb

Have you read this series? What did you think?

Books I'm pining for 31/7/12

"Books I'm pining for" is a new feature for new and old books that I want to read. So I thought I would share with everyone these books and to find out what books you are pining for.

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul. 

Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange #3)
by Lesley Livingston
"I don't love Sonny Flannery." 


That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with Wondrous Strange and Darklight come to a stormy head in Tempestuous, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston's ravishing urban Faerie trilogy.

 Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

 Something like normal by Trish Doller
When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Until I die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum
Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

 Daughter of Smoke & Bone
by Laini Taylor
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

 The Traitor in the tunnel (The Agency #3) by Y. S. Lee

Get steeped in suspense, romance, and high Victorian intrigue as Mary goes undercover at Buckingham Palace - and learns a startling secret at the Tower of London.

Queen Victoria has a little problem: there's a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Charged with discretion, the Agency puts quickwitted Mary Quinn on the case, where she must pose as a domestic while fending off the attentions of a feckless Prince of Wales. But when the prince witnesses the murder of one of his friends in an opium den, the potential for scandal looms large. And Mary faces an even more unsettling possibility: the accused killer, a Chinese sailor imprisoned in the Tower of London, shares a name with her long-lost father. Meanwhile, engineer James Easton, Mary's onetime paramour, is at work shoring up the sewers beneath the palace, where an unexpected tunnel seems to be very much in use. Can Mary and James trust each other (and put their simmering feelings aside) long enough to solve the mystery and protect the Royal Family? Hoist on your waders for Mary's most personal case yet, where the stakes couldn't be higher - and she has everything to lose.

What books are you pining for? 

 *Picture & blurbs taken from goodreads