Full report to come . . .
It is a pleasure to be a part of the blog tour for Hazel Prior's debut novel Ellie and the Harpmaker. I confess it was the title that drew me in when Berkley approached me about a possible review. It sounded a bit fey, a bit on the ethereal side. The comparisons to the exquisite Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Finedecidedly did not hurt. And so I readily accepted and opened my review copy to the first page.
A thought:
Some things are easier to hide than others.
A fact:
Harps come under the "others" category. So do small boys. As you know by now, I am such a sucker for a good epigraph, and this one did the trick nicely. As did the novel's opening lines: A woman came to the barn today. Her hair was the color of walnut wood. Her eyes were the color of bracken in October. Her socks were the color of cherries, which was noticeable because all the rest of her clothes were sad colors. And so we are introduced to one Dan Hollis and the particular way that he sees the world and …
Some things are easier to hide than others.
A fact:
Harps come under the "others" category. So do small boys. As you know by now, I am such a sucker for a good epigraph, and this one did the trick nicely. As did the novel's opening lines: A woman came to the barn today. Her hair was the color of walnut wood. Her eyes were the color of bracken in October. Her socks were the color of cherries, which was noticeable because all the rest of her clothes were sad colors. And so we are introduced to one Dan Hollis and the particular way that he sees the world and …
I wouldn't part with those either.
ReplyDeleteLivi, right?!
DeleteThe Raven Boys! Can't wait to read that. I hope it's just as good as The Scorpio Races.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to manage my expectations post-Scorpio, because it seems ludicrous to expect the same thing in terms of impact. However. I really cannot wait to dive in!
DeleteI can't wait for those reports. :D
ReplyDeleteSandy, hehe.
DeleteI can't wait to hear what you think! I can not wait to read The Raven Boys!
ReplyDeleteAlexa, it was my most anticipated book of BEA for sure.
DeleteI'm so glad to see that The Raven Boys were unputdownable, Angie. One of my Norwegian book blogging friends went to BEA and she surprised me with mailing me copy of The Raven Boys when she got back home. I was over the moon! Can't wait to delve into Maggie's world :)
ReplyDeleteMari, that is so awesome!! What a good friend.
DeleteI haven't read them yet, I should clarify. They were just the ones I couldn't bear to stick in the box to ship. Lol.
I'm reading THE DARKEST MINDS now. (And then probably THE RAVEN BOYS.) Good picks.
ReplyDeleteNic, and? How is it so far?
DeleteOh. OH! I really, really want to get my hands on a copy of THE RAVEN BOYS. Hope you had a good time at BEA!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, it was a good time. A frantic, but good time.
DeleteOooh! Can't wait for these reports!
ReplyDeleteKay, must. read. faster!
DeleteI can't wait to try The Darkest Minds. I really liked Brightly Woven--it doesn't get enough play, IMO. Look forward to your thoughts:)
ReplyDeleteFlannery, I feel precisely the same way. It really flew under the radar, and I've been so excited to see what she'd do next.
DeleteGAH! Proof that I have way too many books to read atm is the fact that I have both of these, and am STILL jealous of you having gotten to them. Hope they made great company on the trip home!
ReplyDeleteHeidi, LOL. We book bloggers are a strange lot, to be sure.
DeleteTo be clear, I haven't read them yet. Just stroked fondly and savored the anticipation. I know . . .
I've been seeing raven boys everywhere!
ReplyDeleteShane, there were a LOT of people excited about snagging a copy. And rightly so.
DeleteYAY I'm so excited for both of these (and I'm so glad to have snagged them at BEA). I need to get my reading on.
ReplyDeleteTara, woo-hoo! So do I. I've been recuperating, I think. Time to get my reading butt in gear.
Delete