Mailbox Monday

Sisi Empress on Her Own by Allison Pataki
In this sweeping and powerful novel, New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki tells the little-known story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, the Princess Diana of her time. An enthralling work of historical fiction set during the Golden Age of the Habsburg court, Sisi is a gripping page-turner for readers of Philippa Gregory, Paula McLain, and Daisy Goodwin.

Married to Emperor Franz Joseph, Elisabeth - fondly known as Sisi - captures the hearts of her people as their "fairy queen," but beneath that dazzling perception lives a far more complex figure. In mid-nineteenth-century Vienna, the halls of the Hofburg Palace buzz not only with imperial waltzes and champagne but also with temptations, rivals, and cutthroat intrigue. Sisi grows restless, feeling stifled by strict protocols and a turbulent marriage. A free-spirited wanderer, she finds solace at her estate outside Budapest, where she enjoys visits from the striking Hungarian statesman Count Andrássy, the man with whom she’s unwittingly fallen in love. But tragic news brings Sisi out of seclusion, forcing her to return to her capital and a world of gossip, envy, and sorrow where a dangerous fate lurks in the shadows.

Through love affairs and loss, Sisi struggles against the conflicting desires to keep her family together or to flee amid the collapse of her suffocating marriage and the gathering tumult of the First World War. In an age of crumbling monarchies, Sisi fights to assert her right to the throne beside her husband, to win the love of her people and the world, and to save an empire. But in the end, can she save herself?

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan book #1
When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm,

Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry.

Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan book #2
It’s the eve of Rachel Chu’s wedding, and she should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond, a wedding dress she loves, and a fiancé willing to thwart his meddling relatives and give up one of the biggest fortunes in Asia in order to marry her. Still, Rachel mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won’t be there to walk her down the aisle. 

Then a chance accident reveals his identity. Suddenly, Rachel is drawn into a dizzying world of Shanghai splendor, a world where people attend church in a penthouse, where exotic cars race down the boulevard, and where people aren’t just crazy rich … they’re China rich.

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan book #3
Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, is back with an uproarious new novel featuring a family driven by fortune, an ex-wife driven psychotic with jealousy, a battle royal fought through couture-gown sabotage, and the heir to one of Asia's greatest fortunes locked out of his inheritance.

When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside—but he's not alone. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim to their matriarch's massive fortune. With each family member vying to inherit Tyersall Park—a trophy estate on sixty-four prime acres in the heart of Singapore—Nicholas' childhood home turns into a hotbed of backbiting and intrigue. As Su Yi's relatives fight over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu but tormented by her ex-husband—a man hell-bent on destroying Astrid's reputation and relationship. Meanwhile, Kitty Pong, married to China's second richest man, Jack Bing, still feels upstaged by her new stepdaughter, famous fashionista Colette Bing.

In this sweeping tale that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a kidnapping at Hong Kong's most elite private school to a surprise marriage proposal at an Indian palace that is caught on camera by the telephoto lenses of paparazzi, Kevin Kwan hilariously reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia's most privileged families and their rich  people problems.

Historical Fiction TV: THE ROYALS

Hey everyone I just wanted to share a new historical TV show that I am completely hooked on The Royals on E! I happened to come across this one because on Google Play it has the first episode for a free download. I admit that once I watched the first one I was utterly hooked into it. The story is so bad it is good, kind of like Reign on CW. It is like watching a car accident that you just can not take your eyes from. The story is suppose to be very loosely based on the modern day ruling king of England. Elizabeth Hurley is the Queen Helena and of all people her mother is Joan Collins!

It is awfully good with the plots and adventures of the younger royals. They too are also loosely based on the current royal family members of the Windsors. There is even a girl, Ophelia that is like Kate Middleton pursing Prince Liam while his twin sister Princess Eleanor parties all her nights away. Now I must state that this show is the extreme version of the Windsors. They party like rock stars and are constantly doing drugs, fighting and plotting against each other. If you are not down with the drugs and sex than this is not the show for you. I do not mind those parts and I find that the writers of the show take a grain of truth and have turned it into a full blown escapade every episode. Sadly there is only one season to date and it won't be back until November but I am patiently awaiting its return. For more on the show check out these sites: E! The Royals Site, Full Cast List on IMDb & IMDb Page.

"Drama about a fictional British Royal family set in modern day London, who inhabit a world of opulence and regal tradition that caters to any and every desire, but one that also comes with a price tag of duty, destiny and intense public scrutiny. - Written by E!"

"The Buckingham Palace on steroids New York Post"

Full cast photo

Prince Liam with Ophelia

Princess Eleanor with her smoking hot body guard Jasper

Joan Collin's as The Grand Duchess Alexandra of Oxford

Prince Cyrus with his daughters Princess Maribel and Princess Penelope

Princesses Penelope and Maribel Inspiration: Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice LOL!! If you want to check out more of who is who's inspiration then check out this funny article by New York Post.

Book Review: PRINCE LESTAT by Anne Rice

The vampire Lestat is finally back. This time he has a purpose he just does not know it yet. Picking up in modern times Lestat is still the pitiful self-made outcast.  Loathing himself he has refused to intergrade himself back into his vampire family. In his self-imposed exile Lestat roams the world haunted by the past that he cannot change. While wandering he does a few miraculous things, first he saves a little girl named Rose from utter destruction and becomes her uncle “Lestan”. Second he meets two unique vampires one of very ancient lineage named Seth that is the human son of the dead queen of the damned Akasha. Seth’s newly made vampire partner Dr. Fareed is a genius doctor that has quickly become a valuable asset to the “vampire tribe”. In his medical experiments Fareed has discovered a way to stop the vampire blood in the body long enough to give Margaret new eyes and Flavious a new leg.  With these medical break troughs whirling around the vampire community is on the cusp of a new era not just medically but also socially. The vampire dj Benji has taken notice of this and on his nightly broadcasts he tells all the vampires that  “we are a tribe of one” and every night he begs Lestat to come home and help the tribe. Lestat refuses to do so but Benji’s pleas do not go unheard.

The whole vampire community is still recovering in the wake of the terrible events that Queen Akasha dealt them. At the time no one knew that when she awoke she also woke up many super ancient vampires that had been sleeping for centuries and even some millenniums. As they have been coming to many have found that this mysterious “voice” has been talking to them demanding the destruction of the young vampires all across the world. Some of the ancient ones had fallen victim to incessant demands of the Voice nearly driving them to madness. Lestat has become a great vampire of interest to the Voice and loved to torment him.  The torment of the Voice had been harassing Lestat for quite some time until the burnings of the young ones began. That was Benji’s reason in vigilantly calling Lestat home to the tribe. There is only one way the vampire tribe was going to figure out what this mysterious Voice wants. They would all have to come together to and use all of their strength to find out where this voice is coming from. Only then will they discover its reasons for wanting to destroy the young ones.  The Voice must be stopped at all costs before it kills them all.

5/5 I loved this wonderful addition to the Vampire Chronicles because it almost brings every single one of the vampire characters together. The only part of this novel that I did not like was that Anne left out Tarquin Blackwood and Mona Mayfair.  The only reason it upset me that there was no mention of them was because the last two previous novels in the series were completely devoted to Lestat’s adventures with Mona and Quinn in New Orleans. I was disappointed because I felt that if everyone was coming together to be a tribe then that would include Mona and Quinn. On a really positive note there was a new feature I really found useful that none of the previous novels had and at the very end of the novel there is a full character index and an “informal” guide to the whole series. I found both of these features really helpful in jogging my memory on the previous novels events and it really helped in keeping track of all the newly awaken vampires. I would not recommend this novel as a stand-alone novel because it literally pulls the previous twelve novels together. If you really want to read this novel with out reading all twelve other novels I would recommend at least reading “The Queen of the Damned” because then you will at least get the major points in the back history.

R ~ Rating for sexual references and graphic violence

FTC ~ this novel is from my personal collection. I received no compensation for this review and it is reflective of my honest opinion of this novel.

A M A Z O N

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

STAY CONNECTED WITH ME: 

S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪

~L I Z Z I E~

Book Review: BLOOD CANTICLE by Anne Rice

The adventures of the southern gentleman turned vampire, Quinn Blackwood and the Brat prince Lestat continue on with Blood Canticle. This time around Lestat could not help himself and he made a new vampire. Mona Mayfair has always been the love of Quinn’s life yet she was dying. The only way to save Mona was to give her the dark gift or say goodbye to her forever, which Quinn could not bear. After Mona was given a new life the deadly trio set out to find out the truth about Mona’s mysteriously missing daughter. Mona’s daughter was a “taltos” which was an alien race that over the years had been born to only the women that were witches. Mona’s family had a dark extensive history with the taltos, which is all covered in the series The Lives of the Mayfair Witches.

Mona’s cousin Rowan was the matriarch of the family and she was also a super genius doctor. At times Rowan had a history of mental instability that all stemmed from her history with the taltos. Mona wanted answers from Rowan about her daughter but Rowan did not really have any clear answers for her, which made the trio all the more determined to find out the fate of Mona’s daughter. Coming together in this novel the Mayfair witches and the vampires contact the only ancient being that Lestat knew would know the truth. The ancient vampire helped locate the daughter and what they find is shocking to say the least.

3/5 Not my favorite, out of all the books in the Vampire Chronicles this one is by far my least favorite. That does not mean I did not enjoy reading because I did enjoy the novel. I think if I had read the whole Lives of the Mayfair Witches series first then this novel would have been much better. I also felt that since I have not read that series that if I had I would have more fully grasped everything that was going on with Mona and Rowan. I would highly recommend reading the Lives of the Mayfair Witches before reading this novel.

X-Rating for sexual references
FTC- I borrowed this book from my local library

Amazon: BLOOD CANTICLE by Anne Rice
~Lizzie~

Book Review: BLACKWOOD FARM by Anne Rice

Quinn Blackwood, a true Louisiana southern gentleman and heir to the vast Blackwood estate had a very unusual childhood. From as far back as he could remember he had a doppelganger spirit that no one else could see. Goblin as he called him, always had been a part of his life, which was eccentric to say the least. There was nothing typical about growing up at Blackwood farm. All of the Blackwood’s were filthy rich. The whole family had lived there for many generations even their servants had been with the family for generations. Raised by his loving grandpa Quinn could do or have anything he wanted yet his main focus was his other half Goblin. The family and servants patronized him but in his life only one person really understood him. Quinn’s equally eccentric aunt queen loved him like no one else could, she believed in his doppelganger even though she could not see him. Blackwood manor had a great family history to go along with the heritage home; it was not uncommon for a person to see some of the family ghosts roaming about the house. For Quinn though it was different from everyone else, he saw the ghosts and seemed to attract them.

In the backwater swamps that the Blackwood family owned was a legendary island called Sugar Devil Swamp. No one had ever seen it but Quinn’s great grandfather supposedly had gone there as a retreat for weeks at a time. It was also said at this time that he had built a secret house out there in the swamp. No one had ever dared find the island because it was legend that his elderly great grandfather on his deathbed had taken off and escaped to the island never to be heard from again. Quinn was determined to find the island and when he did he was shocked at what he had found. Finding the island was just the beginning. Crossing paths with a vengeful ghost from his great grandfathers past was terrifying enough but then he crossed the most terrifying and mysterious being he had ever seen; an immortal.

Quinn was not given a choice about becoming a child of the blood, stolen in the night from his eccentric life there was no going back on what happened to him. Immortal now and forever yet Quinn could not turn his back on the home and the people or spirits that loved him the most. He felt he had to return home especially to Goblin yet when he returned home he had found that Goblin had changed and now was becoming a great threat. Quinn did the most logical thing a blood child could do he reached out to none other than the brat prince himself, Lestat. It made perfect sense and since Quinn had read Lestat’s vampire memoirs he knew Lestat’s history with ghosts, spirits, witches and vampires. If anyone was going to be able to help Lestat was the only one with the know how to do it. Quinn’s only hope was teaming up with the notorious brat prince of New Orleans.

4/5 Enjoyed this one but for me it was lacking in the whole historical aspect I enjoy so much. But I must admit that what it lacked for me historically it made up for it in other paranormal ways. This is one of the few books I would not recommend to just anyone because in all honesty you really need to read the whole Vampire Chronicles to fully grasp all that’s going on in this novel. I also would recommend that you read Anne’s other series “The Mayfair Witches” because this novel is a cross over between the two series. I have not read the Mayfair series and found that I did follow the novel along quiet well but I think it would have been much better of a read if I had read the Mayfair series first.

X-Rating sexual encounters
FTC-this novel is from my personal collection

Amazon ~ BLACKWOOD FARM by Anne Rice
~Lizzie~

Book Review: FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E L James

It has been on the lips of masses that Fifty Shades of Grey is the next best thing after Twilight. Very recently it was announced that a movie based on the books would be in the works a.s.a.p. Hunky Tatum Channing has even offered himself up for the part of Christian Grey. I just could not help myself I had to know what everyone was raving about.

Ana (Anastasia) Steele is an unrealistic mess; she is naive woman that has never known a man and suffers from the dreaded indecisiveness. She has a Bella from Twilight feel that tends to be on the whiny side. Ana a senior at college got manipulated into taking her roommate and BFF’s interview for the school newspaper. BFF Kate sent Ana to Seattle to interview some well to do CEO who was a benefactor for the college both girls attended. Things did not go as planned for Ana and just like every other woman who came across the super handsome, outrageously rich, and super successful Christian grey. The perfect specimen of a man and like a moth Ana was drawn into Christian’s magnetic personality.  Feeling that she left the interview with a sour taste in her mouth Ana did not dare pursue Christian. That did not keep her from thinking of him though. Maybe it was just fluke that Kate got sick and could not make it to do the interview herself but Ana doubted she would ever see Christian again.

Ana could not forget Christian and his face became a permanent fixture in her mind that is until one-day at work she looked up and there was the college benefactor in all his fleshy glory. Baby steps at first and that day led to him giving Ana his card with his personal info on it including his cell number.  The next day Kate suggested that she should call him and ask him if he would mind doing a photo shoot to follow up on the article for the school news paper.

The shoot went off great with Christian staying in Portland Oregon for a time being. Christian was to be a speaker at the graduation ceremony. It was on this second meeting that it was confirmed to Ana that there was defiantly something there between Christian and her. Even best friend Kate noticed the chemistry but they also both notice a dark and mysterious side to Christian. Ana became determined to know this man and find out what it really was that made him so different from every other man she ever met.

The truth is that everyone has secrets; some are darker than others and more sinister than others. Ana was about to be launched into a downward spiral that is Christian Grey’s dark side. She may or may not like what she finds when she gets there but she did have a choice. Her life became the dilemma of love the man and become a part of his darkness or move on and try to forget he ever existed. Just like touching the light in darkness the moth gets burned and the burns leave their marks on the delicate wings. She has a choice to make and he is waiting for the answer. This will be the hardest choice of her romantic life and it could cost her the only man she has ever known or loved.

2/5 First the positive, yes I enjoyed that this book was super sexy. Christian is a man worthy of dreaming of. I really enjoyed that most of this book is set in an area around me Portland Oregon. I loved that when places that were mentioned I knew where it was and had actually been there like The Heathman Hotel in Downtown Portland. Besides that it did have it’s hang ups though. Okay so on with the hang-ups. From here on out I will be completely frank because I know no other way but keep in mind my option is just one in a sea of endless reviews. Not everyone will see this book the same but this is just me being honest. First off I really do not think this book should be laid out as a romance or erotic romance this should be considered a genre of only erotica. I feel this way because one scene in particular where hot Christian asks Ana if she is on her period and Christian plucking it out for “her” so they could do it kind of falls across the line as erotica. Another hang up for me is the coincidence of the two main characters reminiscent of other famous series like Ana is a likeness to Bella in Twilight and Christian Grey is distinctly characteristic of the TV show “Nip Tuck” Christian Troy.  Nip Tuck is a now discontinued show that was on FX. For one the name Christian Grey versus Christian Troy there are so many more similarities like the constant discussion of the size of the men’s very large male member. The fact that both Christian’s share the same freakishness, arrogance, super rich, super hot, and just down right nastiness. It kind of made me wonder the whole time if it was just more than a coincidence.  I hate to say this but this book was like watching a train wreck it was bad and you just cannot help but stare at it.  I think this is the rare case where the movie will be better than the book. My curiosity has been appeased and I will not be reading the next to books

Amazon

~Lizzie~

Book Review Re-Read: THE MAN IN THE PICTURE by Susan Hill

For the first time EVER in my reading history I have re-read a novel. That for me translates to it must be pretty dang good novel or the urge to re-read it would not be there. This one is a really unique gem. So much so that I had to re-read it when I finally got my hands on a copy. It only took me 3 years to get it but when it showed up I inhaled it all over again like it was the first time. If you like a good short mystery with a touch of Venetian mystery then this is your novel. I implore you all to at least check out this novel it is so short that you could inhale it in one night. Just trust me if I had to wait almost three years for a copy on paperbackswap.com and finally gave up on my efforts there and resorted to buying it from Amazon instead then I must not be the only one who wanted it. The PBS wait does prove that I am not alone in my feelings that this novel is a very intriguing mystery.

In modern day England, Oliver who lives in London, pays a visit to his old Cambridge professor whom over the years he has developed a genuine deep-rooted friendship with. During his visit to Oliver he notices a painting that has an unusual masquerade scene in it. Creepy and eerie would not even begin to describe the painting Oliver had never noticed before. Oliver was instantly drawn to it like a magnet and he began asking Theo questions of how he acquired the piece. Theo in response told him, "I would like to tell you a story, mostly for my sake, to alleviate some of the burden". Theo's story started with how he came across the painting at an auction, & won the painting. Immediately afterwards a mysterious man appeared and wanted to purchase the painting for any price Theo named. He refused and the man told him he would regret it. After some time he had the painting at his home when one day the light hit it just right and a mysterious man appeared in the masquerade scene he had never seen before. The man was being dragged to a boat on the canal by two men, with a distressed look of horror about him. Theo had never noticed him before in the painting and he found it rather particular that it would randomly show up after so many long years.

After a series of spooky happenings to Theo an unknown duchess extended an invitation to him at her country estate to discuss the painting. Wearily he arrived and met the duchess, who was probably well into her nineties. She wanted the painting and Theo knew it, but the story she told of the painting and the history behind it was astounding and down right creepy. Theo never could have foreseen what the paintings history was when he bought it and he truly already regretted purchasing but yet he could not part from it. It had drawn him in and it would not let him go. Never would Theo have foreseen the dark events that were to come in the not too distant future involving not only him but also others around him that he cared dearly about.

5/5 I cannot give any more details because it will ruin the mystery for you. I wish I could but I can say it is well worth it to read this tale of the mysteriously creepy masquerade painting. If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how many words a painting is worth. What secrets can lie beneath the oil and canvas of a sinister carnival scene? Your imagination will run wild with this read and you will just have to read this one to find what really happens.~Lizzie~

Book Review: RECEIVE ME FALLING by Erika Robuck

Have you ever had a book that was always on your mind but for some reason or another never able to get to it? That is what this novel was like for me until I was finally able to sit down and give it a go. I was hooked, lined, and sinkered within the first two pages. Normally I stay away from anything having to do with American historical fiction because it is just not to my taste. Erika delivered a seamless double story of two incredible women that lived over a hundred years apart.

"Nevis Island February 1831....The slave woman fell over the cliff's edge toward the black swirl of water that churned over the boulders reaching up from the sea. Her mistress crawled to look over the ledge. The stones bit her shins and left smears of blood on their jagged surface. She was unable to locate the body amidst the swells and rocks, unable to see through her tears, and the night, and the rain."

Catherine Dall was the young daughter of a plantation owner on the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother suddenly passed away after giving birth to Catherine, leaving her to be cared for by her alcoholic father. She grew up loved by the hard working slaves who ran her father's plantation, they were the heart and soul of her home. Mami, the plantations house slave was the only mother she ever knew and it just so happened that Mami had given birth to a daughter about the same time that Catherine was born. Leah and Catherine were inseparable even as babies, sleeping with Mami every night together. Crossing the lines of skin color Catherine's love knew no color and she loved whole heartily. In a period when when whites ruled over the blacks Catherine had a different approach.

She loved the plantation slaves and felt extreme empathy for them when others would not even recognize that they were not animals. She knew they were human beings who had thoughts, feeling, and dreams. I developed a great respect for her she was not cruel and did have the strength to stand up for what she believed in. She deep inside of her she had this feeling that no matter how great Nevis was, it was built on the backs of the suffering of others and she knew it could not go on like this forever.

Then Meg enters set in modern day times in America. She is what most would call American elite, working for the mayors office, living in the NY, successful parents who had money. In the midst of preparing for her up coming wedding her parents were suddenly lost in a terrible car accident. Meg became lost in a world of chaos and seeked solace by going to her parents home. I felt every sting with Meg and as she walked through her parents home seeing how things had been left. It was like they were coming back, things like a coffee cup with her mothers lipstick still on the edge were traumatizing. At her fathers desk she found a stack of folders at the very bottom was a folder with an old picture of a plantation home in what looked like paradise. The word Nevis was written on the back she would find out later Nevis meant paradise. After trying to return to work Meg felt like the world was suffocating her and she ran. She called off the wedding, left her fiance behind, and took off to her newly inherited property in the Caribbean, called Nevis.

Upon her arrival she stays in a local bungalow close to Nevis. She came there with a reason and the reason was to decide what to do with Nevis. Everything would change once she laid her eyes on the old plantation house that was still standing on the property. The locals had told her it was haunted but she was never afraid. Meg later received disturbing news from her attorney that after reviewing her father estate he had found that her father for many years had been embezzling money from his clients. Once the clients found out they wanted their money back and even though her father was gone she had to find a way to pay them all back or be sued.

Meg decided to explore the house more and was shocked upon her entry that everything was as the last people had left it. Dinner plates on the table, and sheet music still on the piano with a pamphlet for the abolishment of slavery hidden in the pages. Something terrible had happened there. Why would everything still be there untouched for over 100 years? Had no one come to check on the house or it previous inhabitants. Where did all the people go and where was that mysterious piano music coming from that wafted into her bungalow at night? Would Meg's search for the truth behind Nevis lead her to Catherine or someone else entirely?

5/5 Muses A surprise new favorite of mine by far. Erika seamlessly told Meg and Catherine's story. Twisting and turning at every corner I was hooked the whole time. I think it became apparent that I loved it when I finished it in three days. Nothing but Praise for Erika and this mysterious tale of two women who became tied together by an act of fate and destiny. If you like a good mystery mixed with historical fiction and ghosts then this one should be on the top of you list.

Book Review: THE MAN IN THE PICTURE by Susan Hill

I am beginning to think that I do not I do not have a normal book genre and I am being pulled in new directions, in a good way. I NEVER read scary books. I am what my husband call wussy, I hate scary movies, books, rides, anything scary, because I get genuinely scared. In college I read a book called In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. For all of you who have never watched the TV show friends, on one particular episode Joey finds that Rachel has a book in her freezer, and he asks what the heck it it doing there. She replied "it is so scary when I read it I get scared and throw it into the freezer afterwards" the book was The Shining. Joey in the end becomes scared of the book too after reading it. I feel the same way about Capote's book, so much still to his day that I came across the book at my moms house and it made me cringe almost ten years later.

I was initially drawn to this book because of its physical appearance, being the size of a half book, and having less than 150 pages. I figured even though it said it was a ghost story, I was going to be brave and try and read it. I was pleasantly surprised that it was more of a eerie thriller and not too scary.

Oliver who lives in London, pays a visit to an old Cambridge professor of his who he has genuinely become friends with over the years. During his visit to Theo he notices a painting that has a unusual mascaraed scene in it. Oliver was instantly drawn to it asking Theo questions of how he acquired the piece. Theo in response told him, I would like to tell you a story, mostly for my sake, to alleviate some of the burden. Theo's story started with how he came across the painting at an auction, & won the paintings auction. Immediately after a mysterious man appeared and wanted to purchase the painting for any price Theo named. He refused and the man told him he would regret it. After some time he had the painting at his home when one day the light hit it just right and a mysterious man appeared in the masquerade scene, being dragged to a boat on the canal by two men, with a distress look about him. He had never noticed before in the painting.

After a series of spooky happenings Oliver is contacted by a duchess who extended an invitation to her country home to talk to him about the painting. Wearily he arrived and met the duchess, who was probably well into her nineties. She wanted the painting and Theo knew it, but the story she told of the painting and the history of it was astounding and down right creepy.

I can not give anymore details or it will ruin the mystery but I can say it is well worth it to read this tale of the mysterious masquerade painting. If a picture is worth a thousand word, imagine how many words a painting is worth. I will be buying this one amazon has used copies for only three dollars.

"An extraordinary ghost story from a modern master. In the apartment of Oliver's old professor at Cambridge, there is a painting on the wall, a mysterious depiction of masked revelers at the Venice carnival. On this cold winter's night, the old professor has decided to reveal the painting's eerie secret. The dark art of the Venetian scene, instead of imitating life, has the power to entrap it. To stare into the painting is to play dangerously with the unseen demons it hides, and become the victim of its macabre beauty. By the renowned storyteller Susan Hill--whose first ghost story, The Woman in Black, has run for eighteen years as a play in London's West End--here is a new take on a form that is fully classical and, in Hill's able hands, newly vital. The Man in the Picture is a haunting tale of loss, love, and the very basest fear of our beings."