#julia fine

For contemporary gay fiction set in Italy, click here. Vesuvius by Cass Biehn (YA, 79) Nicked by M.T. Anderson (1087) The Ballot Boy by Larry Mellman (1368) Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine (1717) Eight Strings by Margaret DeRosia (19th c)

one of the more beautiful books I’ve read recently

Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine is a dark tale of deals with shadows and a teenage girl who will give anything to get what she wants. All Maddalena wants is to be recognized, and she finds that in the golden, quiet violinist at the Pietà, Luisa. As they fall into a close bond that may be more than friendship, Luisa's ambitions with the violin rise. But as her star rises, Maddalena finds she gets less of her heart. And Maddalena is determined to own all of Luisa—or none of her. What does Maddalena want the shadows to give her? And what will she give in return?

This vivid dark read is set in the twisting canals and masked revelries of Venice and is perfect for anyone who fell for VE Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, or other tales of lush, simmering tales of deals with the devil, oaths sworn, and promises betrayed. Well-written with short chapters, carried along by two girls who share a secret, stolen love affairs, and the unhinged glory of notes on a violin, this novel was hard to put down. The twists are predictable but never in a way that spoils the book—it's near-intentional, because it adds to the dark suspense and the inevitability of what happens when you trust the shadows to give you what you wanted, how you wanted it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Maddalena and the Dark is out as of June 23 from Flatiron Books.

Hello, everyone! I didn’t plan to make a post two days in a row, but I’ve got some time and there are some cool books on sale sooo here we are! How are you all doing this morning? I hope you’re all able to find some time to relax or just take a breather. :) It’s been a tough week already, but I think we’ll all make it through okay!

As mentioned, there are some awesome books on sale again today! I personally recommend Snow, Glass, Apples and The Labyrinth of the Spirits (I still can’t believe he’s passed! :( ), both of which are amazing. And Letters from Father Christmas is so neat--it’s letters that Tolkien wrote for his kids posing as letters from the North Pole, and they are so detailed and have illustrations and everything.  Has anyone read Ararat? It sounds like it’s right up my alley, but I’ve not heard too much about it. I’ve also heard so many intriguing things about Italian Folktales and have no idea if it’d be something I’d enjoy or not, haha--any of you read it? 

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day and happy reading! :)

Here is the link to find resources on how you can help out with the BLM movement! Keep the momentum going!

Today’s Deals:

The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - https://amzn.to/389ies2

Ararat by Ben Walker - https://amzn.to/3gU8NAA

Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman, illust. Colleen Doran - https://amzn.to/3ahNUhx

Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino - https://amzn.to/34ly5CF

Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary by Juan Williams - https://amzn.to/3mqi3xm

The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth - https://amzn.to/3r24vM5

What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine - https://amzn.to/34k8KsH

The Other People by C.J. Tudor - https://amzn.to/34lyipr

Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller - https://amzn.to/38aMCCf

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood - https://amzn.to/38dQh26

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey - https://amzn.to/2WnXcAt

Docile by K.M. Szpara - https://amzn.to/3nw4o9K

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi - https://amzn.to/34lzdWV

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh - https://amzn.to/2ITG9D6

 Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien - https://amzn.to/34itCkg

Lakewood by Megan Gidding - https://amzn.to/2WidCdw

The Map of Time by Felix J Palma - https://amzn.to/34khTBI

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

 "How would I hide from a part of myself?" 

 Some mothers take to their newborns as soon as their baby meets their chest. Some mothers find it difficult to connect for a time, needing to get used to caring for their child outside the womb before they begin to feel comfortable. And another set of mothers lose themselves amidst all the crying, sleeplessness, and constant feeding, wondering if they love their baby or just feel compelled to keep them alive. 

 Megan is one of the latter, struggling constantly to do best by her daughter, Clara. Her thesis has been pushed aside for months, as has work of any kind. All she's expected to do is feed Clara, change Clara, and soothe Clara when she cries -- something that Megan cannot seem to enjoy. 

 What to do, then, when Megan meets a new, unexpected (and probably ghostly) neighbor? And what to do after that neighbor lets in a poltergeist with far more demands and anger than Megan can keep up with? 

 This is the crux of Julia Fine's magnificent story, but Fine reaches further to investigate feelings of failure surrounding motherhood, hysteria from a woman's perspective, toxic relationships that persist beyond the grave, what constitutes art, choosing between a career and a family, and the all-too-haunting realities of post-partum depression and (perhaps) psychosis. The all-too-real vies for space with the speculative, building complexity matched by the main character herself as she grows into her own version of motherhood that, despite the interruptions from the dead, remains fully grounded in reality. 

 Pick up this book. Begin to read. And prepare to keep turning pages, madly hoping to understand the haunt and its mysteries.

AVAILABLE 23 FEBRUARY 2021