Review - Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

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Title: Spell Bound
Hex Hall #3
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Hyperion
Publish Date: Mar 13, 2012
Hardcover, 327 pages

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Okay so I really enjoy this particular series. It is fun, imaginative, occasionally romantic, but really it is just a great break from reality. It is the epitome of a day off book; so light and airy. This one followed up nicely, but for the first time I had an inkling of where it was going and what was happening. It felt a little rush with less detail and story than the last couple books. Some really cool secrets were revealed in this book that kept it going for me. Didn't get to see as much of my favorite character, her vampire friend and roommate at Hex Hall. It also had less history and more everyday stuff which, I thought, took away from it a bit. The great thing about this series is reminds me of the books I read growing up like The Babysitters Club. They make me feel good, I like to research the secret and feel a part of the story. At this point, the books can go anywhere, it will be fun to see what happens to Sophie and whether or not they get more action packed and unexpected, though I do not see another one in the making as of yet.

Review of Hex Hall

Review of Demonglass

Summary -
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Review - Hunger Games (book vs movie)

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Title: Hunger Games
Hunger Games #1
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Publish Date: Oct 31, 2008
Paperback, 374 pages

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As many people have probably already said, I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is such a phenomenal read. So many wonderful lessons - Be yourself; Work smarter not harder; Make friends, but be cautious; Use your strengths; Sometimes surviving is more important.

I really loved Katniss. Her character is so strong and so amazing. It really makes the reader wonder if they too would be so courageous. She ends up taking care of her mother and sister when her father is killed. She is the food bearer, the mother, the provider and all the loving family members required. She has little to herself except the spare time she allows herself to hunt - outside the city allowed lines. That is where she talks and hangs with Gale, her secret friend. Katniss is an expert marksman with her bow and arrow. She can also climb trees like a monkey. She is skilled in the ways of the forest knowing the good and dangerous food, plants and sounds. She and Gale long to skip away and be lost in the forest, free and alive, but Katniss will not leave her family.

The city controls the entire twelve districts that provide for the city. Each district has a specialty, Katniss resides in District 12 known for coal mining. Where the city reigns in materials, food and wealth the outer districts are poor and rely on the city to provide for them. This way they always have allegiance to the city.

As a thank you to the city for providing, each year two children are chosen to lead their district in the hunger games. Games in which there is only one victor, or two if happen to come from the same district. All children who are in need may put their names in the drawing as many times as needed for food, clothing, etc, but their name gets a higher probability of being drawn. We learn later in the book that District 1 trains all their children from a very young age to be the best in the Hunger Games; to win and therefore provide the necessary food for their district each year.

I was completely disgusted by the amount of waste, lack of accountability and humor regarding the districts from the city. The city is so arrogant and clueless that they have no idea how sick the tributes feel being lavished in food and personal grooming only to be pawns before a televised audience as they die.

Surprisingly I felt the movie did a pretty spectacular job of sticking with the plot, feeling and overall quality of the book. Sadly, if a viewer did not read the book I feel they would be a bit lost as to why the city was so obviously colorful and brutally gaudy. I also fel they would not truly understand all the history of the hunger games, districts and the reason behind the actual need for each districts. They really skipped over that part, using the saying "May the odds be ever in your favor" as a way of explaining. I thought they could not have picked a better Katniss for the movie. She did embodied the character. I didn't care for the actor who played Petta, but I didn't like him the books either.

In the three books, the first in the series is my favorite. The newness of the idea, the rawness of the horror and the belief that Katniss will prevail is amazing. The second book was incredibly cruel and the third a bit lacking. But overall, I really love the series. It is insurmountably intelligent and reaches all levels of people.

Movie Trailer



Review - Hunting Lila by Sarah Anderson

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Title: Hunting Lila
Lila #1
Author: Sarah Alderson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Publish Date: Paperback, 318 pages

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I devoured this book so fast, I honestly felt like I had a bit of a stomach ache. I hate that I have to wait til Aug to find out what happens next. I really, really, really want to read the next book!! It was just that good!

Lila is a girl who has had a hard life. You know those moments that change you! Lila's mom was killed which resulted in her dad moving them out of the country and she lost her brother in the process since he stayed behind. She was so numb from all the change that by the time she came out of it, she had basically created a reputation at school as a weirdo. So she was friendless, familyless (as he dad is never home) and she then realizes she has a special power. One that could be considered dangerous, though she doesn't until she is mugged and this power shows it has a mind of it's own. She immediately freaks out, steals her father's credit card and flies to her brother. And his best friend, Alex, aka the love of her life.

Oh yes, this gets real juicy folks!!

Her brother and his best friend are living lives where they hunt down killers. There are people after them all the time. They have serious security setup at home and at the base. Unfortunately Lila is not sure she wants to tell them about her secret. She doesn't want them to see her differently. As she holds on to this secret, she is pulled in to their lives and their secrets as well. They may very well be hunting the same people as she is becoming. Those with special powers.

LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS BOOK!!

I am excited to check out Sarah Alderson's other book called Fated and when you visit her blog, read her bio. It is truly amazing. I am so envious of her life. How cool is it that she has traveled so far and lives on a beach in Bali??

The only thing I found disappointing, is the book is not available through Barnes and Noble, but we can't have it all, now can we?

Summary -
17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them…

Review - Starters by Lissa Price

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Title: Starters
Author: Lissa Price
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Publish Date: Mar 13, 2012
Hardcover, 368 pages

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The story premise of this book is SO BELIEVABLE that I was riveted from the beginning. I could not believe that this book was written so well that I felt I could see this happening in the future. Old people use younger people's bodies by renting them and living in them. There is a contract to avoid dangerous drugs, illicit sex, but do they really know what is happening in their bodies while they are out? Amazing!!

Callie is one of the unfortunate orphans who's parent's have died during the last Spore Wars. The only ones left are young and old. Many of the young are penniless and left to fend for themselves. Those not left alone are rounded up and arrested. They must find a way to live. Callie has not only herself to take care of, but her ailing brother. She goes in to investigate and ends up finding a solution to her problem she didn't realize she could fix. Renting out her body seems like a quick fix. Just three rentals and she will have all the money she needs. But one of the rentals has a plan, to kill someone important and use Callie as the body and face of the assassin. Something goes terribly wrong when Callie wakes up in her own body, but still in the rental contract. She must stop the assassin and save her life, but having the renter in her head might sway her to see the rental's point of view.

Summary -
HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Review - Fracture by Megan Miranda

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Title: Fracture
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publish Date: Jan 17, 2012
Hardcover, 262 pages

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I read this book initially because I read quite a few reviews that kept saying how good this was and of course, I didn't want to miss it. Sadly many times there are good reviews, I'm left thinking, "What am I missing?" But this one did not disappoint.

Delaney was a fabulous character. After being pulled from a frozen pond, pronounced dead they tell her she'll be fine. She is having a few questionable things happen that lead her to believe she may not be fine.

Troy made me suspicious from the get-go. I didn't necessarily not like him, but I didn't like him either. I felt like he was too shadey. They kept him in the forefront, but not enough to give him a clean bill. Kind of like when I am watching a mystery on tv, it's usually someone who is in the scenes, but in the background. But I won't tell you if he is good or bad.

Delaney has trouble seeing past her need to relate to someone and that is why she starts to hang out with Troy. I really enjoyed the twist of trying to figure out if Delaney was causing these catastrophic happenings or if she is just predicting them. The fun of trying to figure out if dying has caused her to connect with the dead.

This book was mysterious, thrilling and thought-provoking, but not freaky weird. I like that.

Summary -
Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

Hey It's Okay Tuesday

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Visit Airing my Dirty Laundry for more "Hey It's Okay Tuesday" posts!

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up with is an Hey, It's Okay post.

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To know that I will probably never watch Smash on it's actual scheduled time on TV because even when I have Monday off I have something scheduled during that time slot. I'll have to catch up on the episodes online.

To know now that I do not have Bipolar Disorder officially. I'm just who I am and that's okay.

To wish I could have it all. When I am at home, I miss my boyfriend and family, but when I am here, I miss my cats and beautiful house over the lake.

To wish writing novels was easier. It's not.

To be colder in the city where there isn't snow.

To let my mornings off revolve around The Today's Show.

To love the new cooking show Food For Thought by Claire Thomas. She is so cute and seems really nice. And her recipes are always easy to follow.

To know that even though I am in my 30's I still love Aerpostale clothes, especially their sweats.

For the first time ever, I bought green beans. First time. I blanched them by putting them in boiling water for a couple minutes, then cold water and then covered them in salt. They made a great side for dinner and lunches. Who knew green beans could taste so good!

Review - Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

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Title: Pretties (Uglies #2)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: Nov 1, 2005
Paperback, 370 pages

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Couple of things that took me by surprise. The second book, this one I am reviewing, was published back in 2005. That was over 6 years ago. Crazy that I am just now really reading the entire series. It is nice that I don't have to wait for the following book to come out, but odd that I haven't been really seeing the news on these til now. Second, there are at least three different covers that I have seen. I prefer the ones to the left. The designs are more attuned to how I feel when I read the books. I also do not care for books with real people on the front. I like to imagine the people on my own. Oh and these would make an incredible movie!!! (hint)

I read the first one months ago, so it did take me a bit to remember what I was reading and what had happened. You can read my review of Uglies #1 here!

I would highly recommend these books be read in the order they are in the series. I get this questions all the time at work and have a hard time because WHO wants to read a series out of order?? Really why would anyone do this? I admit that Westerfeld does a great job keeping the reader informed and up to speed, but that also takes away from reading the books and finding out what happens because they tell you in the next book.

Tally has survived being ugly, met the boy of her dreams (uhm, her ugly dreams) and he has taught her how to survive in the wilderness. Due to circumstances I refuse to divulge here, she winds up pretty. They give her the surgery to become pretty which she avoided in book one and she is now living in the city as a pretty. She is careless, vapid and constantly partying. She meets her old friend, Shay, but they aren't as close as could be because of Tally's slight betrayal in book one. She does meet a new boy, a pretty boy who she seems drawn to, but he has other plans and they involve Tally. As she is getting comfortable in Pretty Town she has a visit by an old friend. One she can't quite remember, but one that brings trouble and a whole whirl-wind of excitement. As her memory comes back, her level of trouble increases. She will soon learn the value of mind over body.

I am a huge fan of these books, not only as a teen at heart, but because they are clean and youthful. A teen, a tween, a younger maybe slightly sheltered younger person would truly love these books. They have excitement, energy and most importantly a young woman who is very inspiring. They teach you how to think for yourself and going with the flow still requires thinking. They teach how to be a leader amongst a crowd. And so many other wonderful life lessons.

Summary -
Gorgeous. Popular. Perfect. Perfectly wrong.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.


Review - Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith

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Title: Kiss Crush Collide
Author: Christina Meredith
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publish Date: Dec 27, 2011

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Leah is stuck in her life. She is living the life her parent's want her to and she is losing faith in it all. Then she meets this mysterious guy, Porter, and all bets are off. He is a working guy and she is rich man's daughter. She has her whole life planned out, including the boy she dating as her future well fill-in perfect guy. He is living moment to moment with no plans.

Leah is swept up in Porter and all that he represents - Freedom. She is allowed to live for the first time in her life and her heart craves it. Craves him.

This is such a sad story and yet, I was rooting for both of them. Could it be possible for Leah to really get what she wants and keep the boy who opened it up to her? Or will she succumb to life long lessons of do what you are expected?

This is such a fantastic quick read. It is the type of book to to take on a day off. A piece of chocolate that lasts longer than it should. Enjoy!

Summary -

Kiss
What Leah did—only she really shouldn’t have—one hot night at a country club party.

Crush
What Leah has—only she really shouldn’t have—on the guy with the green eyes, the guy who is not her perfect boyfriend, the guy who does not fit in her picture-perfect life, the guy her sisters will only mock and her mother will never approve of. Not in a million years.

Collide
What happens when everything you always thought you wanted—having cool friends, being class valedictorian and homecoming queen—runs smack into everything it turns out you really do want.

Kiss. Crush. Collide.
For Leah and Porter, summer is only the beginning.

Tuesday - Tune In & Teaser

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Sitting here in bed trying to think of one of the songs I have Shazam'd in the past couple of days. There have been more than a few. Meanwhile this song is rotating around in my thick skull.

Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory

Lady Gaga really is amazingly talented. I love how different she is and so wonderful that she doesn't care she is who she is!! Can you imagine what the video would look like if Janet Jackson or Gloria Estefan had done it?







With her mind tangled by these questions, Tally put her foot wrong. The sole of one shoe slipped from a thick cable coated in slick plastic, sending her flailing legs away from the tower, yanking her hands from their grip on a strut that was still wet with dew. Tally tumbled downward, the feeling of free fall surging through her body, familiar from all the times she had wiped out on a hoverboard or thrown herself from the top of a building.

Pretties (uglies #2)
Scott Westerfeld



An entire week away from my computer

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I just checked in my email and realized I haven't done a thing on my computer for at least a week. How refreshing. But then again, the same post has been up for well, a week. I have been enjoying life.

I joined a gym and have been working out as often as I can find a class. My muscles are sore and not so happy. I have days lifting my legs to walk seem difficult. Then one day had a massive migraine attack my sleep due to a pinched nerve and knotted muscle under my shoulder blade.

However, I have realized that Cardio Boxing is awesome and my Popeye muscles aren't so little. I really love Yoga and took an awesome all yoga class that the first twenty minutes were slow and breathing right, only to go in to warp speed and finish the class forty minutes with sweat pouring off me. Cycling is horrible. Too much time for my brain to wander and not enough to keep it busy. And I know now what my "saddle" is as it has been sore for the past four days. Zumba is fun, but not as focused as I like. Felt like a rag doll, bouncing around for an hour with no purpose. I am going to keep trying the new classes and I cannot wait for the Beginner Ballet to start. That is really what inspired me to join this gym. Ballet, I know. I have no idea why, but I am excited to try a new type of dance. Sadly in the first week of working out, I lost a water bottle. Can't seem to locate it or remember where I last had it. Hard part of being so tired at the end of class all I can do it put one foot in front of the other.

My landlord replaced my hot water tank and I AM SO EXCITED!! I get to take a bath anytime I want and it is actually steaming hot. So hot, I slightly burn my foot getting in. More than a few times this week, I have jumped back screaming HOT HOT HOT! No worries, I am so happy with a bath too hot it takes a minute to get used to it. Wasn't sure I was going to get the water heater when my landlord insisted that I have normal water. Uhm, normal is 11-12 minutes of hot water. I was lucky to get 7 minutes. That is not normal. I think my good argument is what prevailed.

Started writing a new novel this morning, really excited. I am going to finish this one. I will write it and then figure out the logistics of it all. There is a bit of lawyering and laws I will need to beef up on and I want to make sure I am not just telling the story, but really showing it. I have both my mother and my grandfather (an editor in the past) to help me, which is awesome.

Saw the movie, Gone with Amanda Sefried who I love from Big Love. It was so good and so thrilling. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I had a friend I was going to go with and then I dropped my boyfriend off at the bus and had the rest of the day free, so I found myself in the theater seat before I could think twice.






I have been reading like a mad cat!! Not really news if you know me, but I am knee deep in the series Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Can't wait to see what happens. I hav theories and I am horrified at the amount of physical transformation is required to move from an Uglie to a Pretty and so on. I just figured out the reasoning behind the titles too! (duh)




My boyfriend and I are trying to plan a week long vacation in the future and can't decide where to go. I have over 60 hours of paid vacation time at work and would like to use it all up at once. I can't remember the last time I took a real vacation and not just a few days off. He is thinking Germany, Australia, Hawaii or Florida for Universal Studios. I suggested Alaska, Canada, Bora Bora and Pennsylvania for the Amish country and bed in breakfasts. We have not really narrowed down a thing. We played on the internet for awhile almost deciding on Florida, but then we figured out the cost and thought we'd look a bit more. Thoughts? Ideas? Best vacation ever?

What has been happening in your world??

Tuesday - Tune In & Teaser

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Beautiful song I heard today on the radio.
Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough
by Patty Smyth





Eve
by Anna Carey

"Well you'd better be taking me back to where you found me now. My . . . very large man friend is waiting for me there. He's very scary and . . . . kill-happy," I added, repeating the phrase I'd heard the gang use.


Review - Dead to You by Lisa McMann

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Title: Dead to You
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: Feb 7, 2012
Hardcover, 243 pages

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Dead to You was such an incredible concept and so close to being real that I was sucked in instantly. Lisa McMann wrote with such emotion for the losses of all the people involved.

Ethan was kidnapped when he was just seven years old. His brother was there when Ethan supposedly just walked right up to the car and got in, on his own accord. The anger and resentment that he has for Ethan is overpowering, but his entire life changed because of one action on his brother's part. Understandable. Then there's the youngest sister who is considered the replacement. Yet, Ethan and his youngest hit it off instantly. Every time she called him "Efan" I just melted!!

The way his parent's handles him after he is returned home is amazing. They give him a cell phone for which he has no one to call, but them. When he doesn't return home immediately his parent's are scared sick, instantly propelled back to the moment he was kidnapped. Lisa McMann writes these characters as if they are living and breathing. So hard to imagine it is just a book.

The ending is AMAZING!! And that is all I am going to say about that.

Read it!! Sensational and so worth every moment.

First book I have read by the author Lisa McMann, but I am really excited to read more of hers. She is just a wonderful writer and I hope the other books are just as thrilling.

Summary -
Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

Review - The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

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Title: The Witch's Daughter
Author: Paula Brackston
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Publish Date: Jan 18, 2011
Hardcover, 305 pages

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The cover of this book is what initially grabbed me. The boots are fabulous and against that beautifully colored skirt, I was instantly intrigued. I read the back and discovered it's about a witch and the curse her mother inadvertently placed on her. If anything I was sure this would be a fine read.

It completely went above and beyond "a fine read." It was SO much better.

If you've read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, this has a similar feel. It feels haunting and purposeful. The woman in this story is smart, strong and likable. In fact, I felt the detailing in the story pulled me and made me like each and every character for a different reason. I equally enjoyed the history put forth. I liked that it spanned many centuries and stayed believable.

Every other chapter has the present day story of the main character Elizabeth, told by Elizabeth to a girl who has wormed her way into her life and heart after centuries of being alone. Through this story Bess teaches Tegan of the trespasses of the man who has betrayed Bess her entire life.

Summary -
My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. Each new settlement asks for a new journal, and so this Book of Shadows begins…

In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate at the hands of the panicked mob: the Warlock Gideon Masters, and his Book of Shadows. Secluded at his cottage in the woods, Gideon instructs Bess in the Craft, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had and making her immortal. She couldn't have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.

In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life for herself, tending her garden and selling herbs and oils at the local farmers' market. But her solitude abruptly ends when a teenage girl called Tegan starts hanging around. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth begins teaching Tegan the ways of the Hedge Witch, in the process awakening memories--and demons—long thought forgotten.

Part historical romance, part modern fantasy, The Witch’s Daughter is a fresh, compelling take on the magical, yet dangerous world of Witches.Readers will long remember the fiercely independent heroine who survives plagues, wars, and the heartbreak that comes with immortality to remain true to herself, and protect the protégé she comes to love.