10 journalers for this copy...
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Journal Entry 1 by bookreadera from Pottstown, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, November 09, 2005
 From the back cover:
For more than a hundred years, creative souls have traveled to the Bosco estate to live and work under its captivating spell. Novelist Ellis Brooks is writing a book based on the infamous events that took place there during the summer of 1893. All she knows is that the wealthy Milo Latham brought in a notorious medium to help his wife contact their three departed children-only to have the séance turn deadly and his only surviving child abducted. As Ellis uncovers the Latham family's dark secrets, a series of bizarre accidents occurs. The lines between past and present, and living and dead, blur, until the tangled truth threatens to ensare all it touches.
The opening lines:
I came to Bosco for the quiet.
That's what it's famous for.
The silence reigns each day between the hours of nine and five by order of a hundred-year-old decree made by a woman who lies dead beneath the rosebushes-a silence guarded by four hundred acres of wind sifting through white pines with a sound like a mother saying hush. The silence stretches into the still, warm afternoon until it melts into the darkest part of the garden where spiders spin their tunnel-shaped webs in the box-hedge maze. Just before dusk the wind, released from the pines, blows into the dry pipes of the marble fountain, swirls into the grotto, and creeps up the hill, into the gaping mouths of the satyrs, caressing the breasts of the sphinxes, snaking up the cental fountain-allée, and onto the terrace, where it exhales its resin- and copper-tinged breath onto the glasses and crystal decanters laid out on the balustrade.
This is my first "official" ARC for review-so a few extra details.
This is not a book I would have purchased. (I'm not sure why Random House sent it to me-but who turns down free books?!) The cover illustration would have caught my eye, but on reading the back cover I would have put the book back down. However, once I read the first few lines, I couldn't put the book down. I had many rings/rays to read last month and tried to read them instead of this book. I even left this in places where I don't normally read or at the bottom of a stack of books. I always went back for it. The story/plot didn't hold me so much as the atmosphere kept drawing me back in. It was a little eerie. The descriptive prose is so detailed that I actually felt "in" the book, as if I could turn around and see the scene. That made the shivers and chills a bit more personal. Definately a "cup of tea & a blanket book."
Again, the plot wasn't what held me (I figured it out early on.) But much like an amusement park ride, you know how it's going to end-but the ride is thrilling.
9 1/2 stars for atmosphere-6 1/2 stars for story itself.
Going to send out as a ring. (Reminder-this is an ARC. There are no illustrations or other additions-text only.)
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Journal Entry 2 by bookreadera from Pottstown, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Ring Guidelines Please:
Please journal book when received.
Please PM the next person on the list for their address before you’re finished. This should move the book along in a more timely fashion.
Please read and pass on in a timely fashion (I understand that we all have other commitments & financial responsibilities. However, if you cannot pass the book along within 4-6 weeks, at least send me a PM that you still have the book. I worry.)
Please add another journal entry and journal the book as “traveling” when you send it to the next person on the list.
Finally, if you wish to be moved down the list for any reason-let me know. I’d rather rearrange the list than see the book stall. Any other problems or concerns, feel free to pm me.
I hope that you enjoy the book and thanks for allowing me to share it with you : )
List Order:
BunnyLady WI
Lpree NE
morsecode NY
ladilee24 PA
momx3lovesbooks NE
carlissa FL
cloggy UK
tabbystripes UK
sarradee TX
SandDanz IN
schoolinathome AL
Cinnamon-Girl NC
any new additions
back to me
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Journal Entry 3 by bookreadera from Pottstown, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, January 04, 2006
posting out today-Enjoy : )
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Journal Entry 4 by BunnyLady from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin USA on Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Just rec'd today. I have been getting ALOT of rings all at once. I have just finished a 3 book ring and have 3 others ahead of this one now but there should be no problem with finishing this within the 4-6 week requirement. Just keeping you on top of things so you know that it will not be finished in a week.
2/2/06 I finished reading this last night and have the next persons address. I will be trying to get to the post office this week yet to get it out.
My thoughts: the book started out a bit slow and a few times at the begining of a chapter it was a bit confusing until you realized whether or not you are in the present or the past. Towards the end I couldn't put it down. Some of what I thought was going to happen did but a few things surprised me.
I'd LOVE to travel throughout the world. Here are all the places I've been to so far:
Pottstown, Pennsylvania USA
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin USA
Omaha, Nebraska USA
Buffalo, New York USA
Morton, Pennsylvania USA
small town, Nebraska USA
Miami, Florida USA
Please help me to travel the world by passing me on after you've read me. So I can visit other new places.
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Journal Entry 5 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, February 17, 2006
This arrived the other day. I have a couple of bookrings ahead of it but will read it as soon as I can. I'm looking forward to reading it!
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Journal Entry 6 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Sunday, March 05, 2006
I just finished this book. I really enjoyed the story, though, like others, occasionally got confused as to whether we were in the past or the present. I love supernatural type stories. I have also read "The Lake of Dead Languages" by this author and enjoyed that book as well, so I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her books.
Thanks very much for sharing this book - it'll be on its way to morsecode tomorrow.
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Journal Entry 7 by morsecode from Buffalo, New York USA on Monday, March 20, 2006
I am very happy to report that this book arrived today!
I can't wait to dig in to Goodman's new book.
Thanks so much for sharing, bookreadera!
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Journal Entry 8 by morsecode from Buffalo, New York USA on Wednesday, March 22, 2006
So, I'll start out by saying that this is the 3rd book of Goodman's that I've read (the one I haven't read yet is Seduction of Water). I'm trying to figure out how I'd rank them. Lake of Dead Languages is definitely still my favorite, but I am not sure whether this one beats out The Drowning Tree for second place or not.
As others have mentioned, this book has a great atmosphere.
The setting of the book is also amazing. Trying to imagine the grounds of the Bosco estate truly boggles the mind.
I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the contemporary story (that of Ellis and the other artists at the Bosco artists’ colony) and the historical story (that of the Lathams and famed medium Corinth Blackwell). When I first started reading this book I thought the historical narrative was Ellis’ novel, but I quickly realized that it was the “true” version of the events that Ellis was trying to capture for the novel
The connections between the contemporary characters and the historical characters seemed at times to be a bit farfetched. All in all, though, it was a good book and it kept me interested.
I’m planning to get this book back on the road this week.
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Journal Entry 9 by ladilee24 from Newark, Delaware USA on Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Returned from a few days away to find this one in the mail pile. I'm looking forward to this and will start it tomorrow, I think.
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Journal Entry 10 by ladilee24 from Newark, Delaware USA on Sunday, April 02, 2006
Just as bookreadera noted, this is a very atmospheric book. It's a fine modern gothic, filled with supernatural happenings and an overwhelming sense of foreboding. I enjoyed the historic story more than the modern happenings, but thought both parts of the book went together well. I wasn't confused by the changes from past to present, but that might be because I read everyone else's journal entries before I got started. I've not read Carol Goodman's work before, but I'd certainly pick up another of her books. The very detailed writing draws you in and holds on to you, just as the gardens at Bosco hang on to ghosts of the past.
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I'll be mailing this to momx3lovesbooks tomorrow, 4/3/06
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Journal Entry 11 by momx3lovesbooks on Monday, April 10, 2006
I have 1 ring in front of this book. I'll be done in the next couple of weeks at the very latest. :)
04/25-Just wanted to post an update on how I was doing with this book. WOW..thanks soo much bookreadera for starting this ring! This book is fantastic, but it's taking me quite a bit longer to read it. I can't sit down and just read it, it's such a dark book that I can only read a couple chapters at at time, otherwise I get so sucked in. This book has been entering my dreams at night and quick honestly..scaring the crap out of me from time to time. This is my first book by this author and Im LOVING her writing!! Im 1/2 way through it and will pm the next reader in a few days.
04/28-Finished. I was on the edge of my seat until the last couple of chapters when everything started coming together. I'll highly recommend this book!!
05/04-Ready to mail and it should of left my house yesterday, but I didn't get that far in my errands. It'll be in the mail 05/08.
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Journal Entry 12 by momx3lovesbooks on Monday, May 08, 2006
Mailed to carlissa via media mail! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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Journal Entry 13 by carlissa from Miami, Florida USA on Monday, May 15, 2006
I received this book in the mail today. I am currently reading another bookring book, but I am almost finished with it so I shall start this one soon!
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Journal Entry 14 by carlissa from Miami, Florida USA on Monday, June 19, 2006
Sorry I have had this book so long! I have been sick lately and haven't been able to concentrate on my reading! I did get half-way through this book and liked what I've read so far. I didn't want to hold up the ring, so I will be sending this book on to Cloggy today. I noticed that my library has a copy of it, so when I'm feeling better, I will check it out and finish reading it!
7/7/06: I bought an ebook version of this book (someone checked it out from the library the same day I went to check it out!). I finished reading it while on vacation in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. The story was confusing at first as it switches from the story in the present to the story in the past, but once I figured out where I was (the past or the present), I enjoyed the story.
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Journal Entry 15 by cloggy from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, June 23, 2006
It's here - and just before the weekend as well. Perfect timing.
Thanks Bookreadera and Carlissa for sharing
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Journal Entry 16 by cloggy from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, July 03, 2006
Not sure if this book worked for me. I've previously read The Lake of Dead Languages and enjoyed that much more.
The writing is excellent and atmospheric, I just don't think some of the plot twists worked once you thought about it. Not wanting to give anything away here, so I won't say which particular one.....
Otherwise, in the beginning I was confused about what was really happening and which part was 'fiction within fiction'.
Still, a pleasant summer read, when you don't want anything heavier. I've got tabbystripes addy and will mail tomorrow
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Journal Entry 17 by tabbystripes on Friday, August 11, 2006
The neighbour brought this round this morning. It seems it was delivered to her house by mistake and as she's been on holiday it's probably been sat in her porch for some time. I was actually beginning to think it'd got lost in the post so I'm just relieved it's turned up eventually.
I loved The Lake of Dead Languages so I'm really looking forward to reading this and I'll make a start on it tonight.
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Journal Entry 18 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Friday, March 02, 2007
Arrived safely in the mail today. I'll get started as soon as I finish up the other two I'm currently reading.
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Journal Entry 19 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Friday, March 09, 2007
What an absolutely fascinating and sometimes confusing read. It took me a while to realize that the two narratives were not the modern day and Ellis' novel but rather modern day and then the "actual" events of the past that Ellis was trying to capture in her novel.
Some of the plot devices and twists were a little far fetched, but overall the story worked very well and was certainly very entertaining. I enjoyed this read greatly and look forward to reading more of Goodman's works.
Mailed to sanddanz on March 10th.
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The Ghost Orchid : A Novel (Advance Reader's Edition)
