Manic Monday: Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A McKillip

Each Monday (or the closest I can get to Monday) I will be posting a Past/Present/Future Reading Post called Manic Monday. Don't hate me if I post it on a Tuesday - it just indicates how "manic" my Monday really was! If you want to see more of what I have been reading, I try and update my Goodreads account with each book I am reading.


What I just finished reading
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Stars: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads:
Dear Reader,

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power?

That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it. Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: a conservative woman in a button-down shirt. Or in Amanda's case, buttoned all the way up to her chin. She's smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal---in other words, me.

My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Yet every time I look at her, I find myself wanting to try again. Wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist. Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there's any way a woman like Amanda can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he's not sure it will ever beat again.

Kyrian of Thrace

Why I picked it up: It was sitting next to my bed and I was bored.
Why I finished it: Because I love Sherrilyn Kenyon, and I have only read Kyrian's story a few times.
I'd give it to: Anyone who loves Sherrilyn Kenyon and anyone who likes reading paranormal romance.

What I am reading now
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip

Blurb from Goodreads:
Deep inside a palace on the edge of the world, the orphan Nepenthe pores over books in the royal library, translating their languages and learning their secrets. Now sixteen, she knows little of the outside world—except for the documents that traders and travelers bring her to interpret.

Then, during the coronation of the new Queen of Raine, a young mage gives Nepenthe a book that has defied translation. Written in a language of thorns, it speaks to Nepenthe's soul—and becomes her secret obsession. And, as the words escape the brambles and reveal themselves, Nepenthe finds her destiny entwined with that of the young queen's. Sooner than she thinks, she will have to choose between the life she has led and the life she was born to lead...

What I am reading next
I need to pick up On The Road again. I reached page 21, and became distracted by new purchases from Galaxy. It needs to be completed by the 14th for the Sutherland Book Club (let me know if you are around Sutherland and want to attend a bookclub!). Oh, does anyone have suggestions of what I should choose for us to read in September? Austen is out, it needs to be a single book, not part of a series, and it needs to be something I am interested in, but haven't read yet *sigh* I am drawing a blank! My list of possibles are The Lace Reader, The Great Gatsby and The Historian. However, I was thinking maybe I should have a look at the steampunk genre? I haven't read many of those. Suggestions?



P.S. - Who do you think the best Paranormal Romance authors are?

Funky Friday: Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A McKillip (cover)

Welcome to Funky Fridays! 
It is time we do something different to celebrate TGIF. Instead of focusing on the content of what we are reading (writing reviews, finding teasers to share, etc.), I thought I would start a meme on the covers of the books we are reading. There are some really amazing covers out there, and they really are worth sharing.

The Book Bites "Funky Friday" meme works like this:

• Every Friday, have a look at the books you have read in the last week and choose the cover you loved the most. If you aren’t a big reader (some of us are freaks of nature) think about the last 5 books you read, and choose one from those).
• If you know the name of the artist (it should be listed other side of the title page and is also sometimes on the back cover), please include it, so people can look into their art.  
• Think about why you liked it. Was it because you loved the artist, the concept, the model? Or maybe it was really in keeping with the spirit of the story?
• Find a picture of your favourite cover (scanned or online – if in doubt try fantasticfiction.co.uk) and share it with us. I recommend a minimum size of 200x325 so you can see the cover clearly.
• Tell us why you like it, what draws you to it, and tell us if it affected how you approached the book.
• Enjoy all the pretty covers! There are so many amazing, creative, inspiring and meaningful designs floating around the traps. Friday seems like a good time to celebrate this.
• Feel free to continue this on your own blog and share the funky Friday cover love! <3

The Book:
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
The Artist: 
Kinuko Y. Craft
The Cover:

(Click below for a close up)

Why I like it:
I have been drawn to both the stories Patricia A. McKillip writes, and the covers by Kinuko Y. Craft which normally adorn the cover. I can spend hours staring at all the tiny hidden details. They are like a puzzle you can only figure out as you read the novel. For example, the fish you see swimming all over the page are actually letters of a lost alphabet. They look pretty, but you don't know the significance until you read the book. I eventually want to find some Kinuko Y. Craft artwork for my walls.