In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap release celebration: Quotes

This week on the blog, I'm doing a series of posts to celebrate the release of In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap. Today, I'll be sharing some of my favourite quotes from the book.

Goodreads description

'It's 1854 and sixteen-year-old Molly would give anything to change her circumstances as a lowly servant in a posh London house. So when she hears of an opportunity to join the nurses who will be traveling with Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, she jumps at the chance. The work is grueling, the hospital conditions deplorable, and Miss Nightingale a demanding teacher. Before long, the plight of British soldiers becomes more than just a mission of mercy as Molly finds that she's falling in love with both a dashing young doctor and a soldier who has joined the army to be near her. But with the battle raging ever nearer, can Molly keep the two men she cares for from harm? A love story to savor, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes imagining of the woman who became known as "the lady with the lamp."

Quotes

Please note that these quotes come from an advance readers copy. There may have been changes in the finished copy of the book.

' If they never got closer than they were then to the battles, it might seem glorious, I thought. They wouldn't see the fear and pain on the men's faces, just where they moved, like the painted lead soldiers rich children played with.'

'Every now and then a puff of white smoke would come from above Sevastopol, followed by a distant boom. Like fireworks during the day but instead they were guns. I saw up close what they did to soldiers, and it wasn't glorious or pretty.'

'I saw her standing in the middle of the ward. The sun streamed in through the rows of windows in a pattern that showed floating specks of dust and made the dingy linens look almost white. Miss Nightingale, dressed all in black was like a statue there, her eyes travelling up and down the rows, looking for anyone in need...'

'I wanted him to tell me more, not just about the water, but about the strange buildings that crowded the shore, with their odd shapes and fancy decorations like a lady's lace collar.'

'Words are so different when you speak them than when you write them'

I hope that these quotes will whet your appetite for more because I absolutely loved In The Shadow Of The Lamp- it's an amazing book! If you're interested you may want to read my review.

NOTE: In March I started a feature called Super Snippets to share some quotes from books like in this post but I've discovered another blogger who does this too and feature 'stealing' isn't right so I won't be doing a separate post for it anymore but I hope to include some quotes I like in my reviews. This is just a one off to celebrate the release of In The Shadow Of The Lamp.

Coverlicious: In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap

Coverlicious is a regular feature her on the blog featuring everything to do with covers from covers I love to lookalike covers.

This post is part of a series of posts to celebrate the release of In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap and I'm featuring the cover today.

Goodreads description

'It's 1854 and sixteen-year-old Molly would give anything to change her circumstances as a lowly servant in a posh London house. So when she hears of an opportunity to join the nurses who will be traveling with Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, she jumps at the chance. The work is grueling, the hospital conditions deplorable, and Miss Nightingale a demanding teacher. Before long, the plight of British soldiers becomes more than just a mission of mercy as Molly finds that she's falling in love with both a dashing young doctor and a soldier who has joined the army to be near her. But with the battle raging ever nearer, can Molly keep the two men she cares for from harm? A love story to savor, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes imagining of the woman who became known as "the lady with the lamp."

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway on Dunlap's Facebook page for an ARC of In The Shadow Of The Lamp in September and the first thing I thought when I opened the precious package was how beautiful the cover is. I love it! It's perfect for the book with the MC Molly Fraser's auburn curly hair spilling out of her bun (that little escaped curl is cute!) and the lamp symbolic of Florence Nightingale glowing in the background. I like the way that the title isn't too big to detract away from the rest of the cover and the swirly writing, which is always a win. Usually, I like there to be pretty swirls on covers but I think this would have spoiled the effect of this cover.The way the model is positioned also works really well because she is looking down demurely and it made me wonder what she is thinking or about to do. I'm so glad that Bloombsury decided to keep the published cover the same as the ARC cover.

If you're intrigued by the pretty cover and the premise too, you might like to read my review or order a copy off Amazon!

What do you think of this cover?

 

Happy Release Day and Review Repost: In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap

Today is the release date for In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap, the new YA historical book set in the Crimean War and including Florence Nightingale! You can now buy it off Amazon here. I was lucky enough to win an ARC on Susanne Dunlaps Facebook page back in December and some of you may remember my gushing review about how much I loved it in February. So, I've decided to do several posts to celebrate the release of this brilliant book and spread the word about it. Today, I'm be re-posting my review for those of you who missed it or might want to read it again:

Goodreads description

The lovely cover

It's 1854 and sixteen-year-old Molly would give anything to change her circumstances as a lowly servant in a posh London house. So when she hears of an opportunity to join the nurses who will be traveling with Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, she jumps at the chance. The work is grueling, the hospital conditions deplorable, and Miss Nightingale a demanding teacher. Before long, the plight of British soldiers becomes more than just a mission of mercy as Molly finds that she's falling in love with both a dashing young doctor and a soldier who has joined the army to be near her. But with the battle raging ever nearer, can Molly keep the two men she cares for from harm? A love story to savor, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes imagining of the woman who became known as "the lady with the lamp."

My review

Sixteen year old Molly Fraser doesn't know what to do when she is sacked from her job as parlour maid in when she is accused of committing a crime she did not do because London in 1864 isn't kind to young girls without references. Ready to do anything to keep from working in the awful conditions of a factory, she grabs the opportunity of going to the Crimea as a nurse with Florence Nightingale when nurses are being recruited. The only problem is, she is dismissed for being too young and inexperienced so Molly must use her wits to sneak onto the ship without being noticed and try to prove her worth.

Molly is a high spirited and determined heroine with a very kind heart and I really admired and loved her character for this. She also had flaws and I felt her thoughts and actions were very genuine, which made her realistic. Dunlap portrayed her feelings well through the distinctive voice of her character and I felt like I was growing closer to her over the course of the book. She is the kind of girl I would love to have as a best friend and her story was very original.

I liked how there was a romance integrated into the story too. Whilst I know that many people are finding love-triangles in YA very cliche and overused now, this one was a little different and very realistic because it was easy to see what a difficult position Molly was in as her heart was pulled between two men. It is very plausible to find yourself in this position if the two men are in different countries and the rule of nurses not being able to fraternise with doctors made it all the more exciting for her. At seventeen, she has never experienced love before and her confused feelings were very believable and I liked the way she felt guilty about not making a decision because she didn't want to hurt anyone. Each of the two men were extremely likable in their own way. Will, her friend from back home was very kind, caring, earnest and very much honestly in love because he had sacrificed and risked so much for her in her time of need and Doctor McLean was very handsome, merry and always able to make Molly laugh in a way that makes her heart beat faster. I was happy with who she ended up with in the end though.

Dunlap's descriptive and atmospheric writing set the scene for the war very well and whilst I was reading about Molly's time in the hospital, it felt like I was living there too. Everything is described just as it would have been, from the terrible injuries of the men to the appalling unsanitary conditions without being too gory. The setting of the Crimean war is one that I haven't come across yet in YA historical fiction and was a refreshing change from books in the genre that are set in Tudor and Victorian England or Colonial America. Although not a lot of the details are known, I thought that Dunlap weaved fact with fiction seamlessly to provide scenarios and events that are easy to imagine actually happening at the time whilst keeping to real dates and actual people. I also really liked how the story worked around Florence Nightingale as the famous 'lady in the lamp' that everyone knows about became more real in my mind rather than just lines in a textbook through seeing her through the eyes of one of her young nurses. Her character was serious but very strong willed and she was a young lady who knew her own mind very well and seemed to be a born leader.

Verdict: I was swept away with adventure, sorrow, romance and fear on Molly's journey and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put this book down as it was so compellingly addictive and I took it everywhere with me as I wanted to read it at every spare moment I had. It is one of my favourite YA historicals I've read (and it's my favourite genre!)I'm now really looking forward to reading my copy of Anastasia's Secret and getting immersed in whatever Susanne Dunlap writes next. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance without hesitation and especially those who are taking part in the YA historical fiction challenge- it's one you can't miss!

Rating: 5 stars and it made my top 5 books of 2010

Look out for more posts about In The Shadow Of The Lamp this week.

ARC Review: In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap

Goodreads description

It's 1854 and sixteen-year-old Molly would give anything to change her circumstances as a lowly servant in a posh London house. So when she hears of an opportunity to join the nurses who will be traveling with Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, she jumps at the chance. The work is grueling, the hospital conditions deplorable, and Miss Nightingale a demanding teacher. Before long, the plight of British soldiers becomes more than just a mission of mercy as Molly finds that she's falling in love with both a dashing young doctor and a soldier who has joined the army to be near her. But with the battle raging ever nearer, can Molly keep the two men she cares for from harm? A love story to savor, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes imagining of the woman who became known as "the lady with the lamp."

My review

 Sixteen year old Molly Fraser doesn't know what to do when she is sacked from her job as parlour maid in when she is accused of committing a crime she did not do because London in 1864 isn't kind to young girls without work. Ready to do anything to keep from working in the awful conditions of a factory, she grabs the opportunity of going to the Crimea as a nurse with Florence Nightingale when nurses are being recruited. The only problem is, she is dismissed for being too young and inexperienced so Molly must use her wits to sneak onto the ship without being noticed and try to prove her worth.

Molly is a high spirited and determined heroine with a very kind heart and I really admired and loved her character for this. She also had flaws and I felt her thoughts and actions were very genuine, which made her realistic. Dunlap portrayed her feelings well through the distinctive voice of her character and I felt like I was growing closer to her over the course of the book. She is the kind of girl I would love to have as a best friend and her story was very original.

 I liked how there was a romance integrated into the story too. Whilst I know that many people are finding love-triangles in YA very cliche and overused now, this one was a little different and very realistic because it was easy to see what a difficult position Molly was in as her heart was pulled between two men. It is very plausible to find yourself in this position if the two men are in different countries and the rule of nurses not being able to fraternise with doctors made it all the more exciting for her. At seventeen, she has never experienced love before and her confused feelings were very believable and I liked the way she felt guilty about not making a decision because she didn't want to hurt anyone. Each of the two men were extremely likable in their own way. Will, her friend from back home was very kind, caring, earnest and very much honestly in love because he had sacrificed and risked so much for her in her time of need and Doctor McLean was very handsome, merry and always able to make Molly laugh in a way that makes her heart beat faster. I was happy with who she ended up with in the end though.

Dunlap's descriptive and atmospheric writing set the scene for the war very well and whilst I was reading about Molly's time in the hospital, it felt like I was living there too. Everything is described just as it would have been, from the terrible injuries of the men to the appalling unsanitary conditions without being too gory. The setting of the Crimean war is one that I haven't come across yet in YA historical fiction and was a refreshing change from books in the genre that are set in Tudor and Victorian England or Colonial America. Although not a lot of the details are known, I thought that Dunlap weaved fact with fiction seamlessly to provide scenarios and events that are easy to imagine actually happening at the time whilst keeping to real dates and actual people. I also really liked how the story worked around Florence Nightingale as the famous 'lady in the lam' that everyone knows about became more real in my mind rather than just lines in a textbook through seeing her through the eyes of one of her young nurses. Her character was serious but very strong willed and she was a young lady who knew her own mind very well and seemed to be a born leader.

Verdict: I was swept away with adventure, sorrow, romance and fear on Molly's journey and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put this book down as it was so compellingly addictive and I took it everywhere with me as I wanted to read it at every spare moment I had. It is one of my favourite YA historicals I've read (and it's my favourite genre!)I'm now really looking forward to reading my copy of Anastasia's Secret and getting immersed in whatever Susanne Dunlap writes next.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance without hesitation and especially those who are taking part in the YA historical fiction challenge- pre-order it!

 

Rating: 5 stars and it made my top 5 books of 2010 when I read it in Decemeber (Yes, my first review using a rating system gets the highest!)

 

In The Shadow Of The Lamp is due to be released on April 12th 2011 in the US.

Thank you to the author, Susanne Dunlap, for holding the wonderful competition to win an ARC that I won back in December.

Best of 2010- My top books read this year!

2010 has been a wonderful year for reading for me as I've learnt about so many wonderful authors and books through blogging and been introduced to genres that I might never have tried before. I have chosen a top 5 and then another 5 of my favourites to make it up to 10. Within the two sections the books are in no particular order- it would be far too hard to choose! Almost all of my favourites are books I have read in the second half of the year after starting my blog, which is probably because I have been reading a lot more since then and because of the good recommendations I've had.


Note: Titles link to my reviews.


Top 5

 

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson


A sweet love story that is loosely based on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty set in Medieval Germany . Rose Hathaway is a woodcutter's daughter who has been appointed by the town's healer and when Lord Hamlin, the heir to the kingdom is injured, she must tend to him.  When she falls in love with him, she knows that they can never be together for he is already engaged to a young lady who has been kept in hiding all her life.


This year I've discovered that I love fairy tale retellings and The Healer's Apprentice was such a sweet romance and I really warmed to the characters I also like the fact that it has Christian elements in it too. An amazing debut- all mothers and their daughters should read it!


The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

A YA historical romance that is set in Elizabethan times- right up my street! Ellie lives with her father who is an impoverished alchemist and Will is a young earl who must marry well to save his family's estate and wealth after his father frittered away his money. Will William choose duty over his heart?


This is exactly the kind of book I would describe as being what I love to read- a YA Tudor story of love against all odds. I couldn't put it down and I'm so excited about the sequel, The Queen's Lady which is due to be released in January.


Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 

Andi is a young girl living in New York and struggling to overcome her depression after the death of her younger. When she finds the diary of a young girl living through the French Revolution in an old guitar case on a trip to Paris, their two stories collide.

At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like Revolution but as I read on, I couldn't help but enjoy the intertwined story of Andi and Alex and it has made me want to read more books about the French Revolution.

In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap (review coming soon)

In 1864, sixteen year old Molly is a lowly servant in an upper class London house but she would do anything to change this. When she hears that the famous nurse, Florence Nightingale is looking for nurses to travel with her to the battlefield hospitals of the Crimean war, she takes the opportunity without looking back. Before she knows it, she is falling in love with a handsome doctor and a soldier.


I can't tell you how much I love Molly and her story. I very quickly warmed to her character and she is now on my list of fictional characters I would love to have as best friends. In The Shadow Of The Lamp is released in April next year and would be a wonderful choice for those of you who are participating in the YA Historical Fiction Challenge.

Matched by Ally Condie (review coming soon)

Seventeen year old Cassia lives in The Society; a place where officials decide who people love, where they work and where they die. She has always dreamed of finding out her perfect match but soon after she starts falling in love with another boy and she starts to question the world she lives in.


Matched took me to a new world which I am dying to find out more about and left me wanting to read more books in the dystopian genre.

Up to 10

The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry

A fictionalised story of Joan, the daughter of Elanor of Aquatine and Henry II, the King of England. She loves them both dearly but as she grows up and her parent's feuding continues, Jone begins to feel like a political pawn as she is forced into a loveless marriage to the King of Spain. Can she learn who she can trust before it is too late?


What I love about the Queen's Daughter is that it is very rich in description and detail but it doesn't saturate the story and Jon's emotions really come off the page.

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Grace Parkes has just give birth to an illegitimate child and taking the advice of a midwife, she travels to Brockwood Cemetry to slip her baby into the coffin of a rich lady to save the shame of a pauper's burial. However, she must try and forget all that and do all that she can to help her and her older sister , who is unable to care for herself, scrape enough money together to pay their rent and food. Little does she know that the Unwins, a group of funeral directors she met at Brockwood will have a huge effect on their life. Fallen Grace paints a vivid picture of the harsh realities of Victorian London.

Mary Hooper has been one of my very favourite authors for a few years now but I thought Fallen Grace topped her other books.




Drawing With Light by Julia Green

The story of a teenager making sense of the world and finding out more about who she is.Emily and her sister Kat never knew their mother, she left them and her father when they were very young.

They, and Dad's new girlfriend Cassy are staying in a tiny old caravan over the winter while their new house is being renovated. But when Emily finds out Cassy is pregnant, it sets her off thinking about her own mother. Why did she abandon them? Why does she never communicate with them? Did she love them? Whilst she searches for the answers, she finds romance of her own.

I don't read many contemporaries and Drawing With Light was really refreshing and poignant. Julia Green's writing really captures the delicacy of teenage emotions. Some of the descriptions were beautiful too.

 

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Crown Princess Ani has a special gift: she can communicate with horses and birds. However, living up to her mother's expectations and speaking comfortably to people is something she can't master. When she is sent to a nearby kingdom and her servants mutiny against her, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl on the King's estate. Can she find the courage to reclaim her rightful place?

I am so glad that I have discovered Shannon Hale and her lyrical writing!

Daughter of Fire and Ice by Marie Louise Jensen

After an attack on her family, fifteen year old Thora is snatched by a cruel Viking chieftain, Bjorn Svanson to accompany him on a journey to Iceland because she is a valuable healer and midwife. However, when he is killed by a slave who wants to avenge his sister, she and the slave who she  has seen in recurring dreams, they seize the dead man's ship to escape. Thora knows it is her destiny to be with this man and they soon begin to care for each other deeply. However, when things don't go to plan, circumstances mean it is impossible for them to be together.

I love Daughter Of Fire and Ice because of its originality because not many YA historicals are set in Iceland and also because of the impossible romance. The sequel, Sigrun's Secret is coming out in January and I will be rushing to get it!

Best new authors I have discovered  this year

• Anna Godbersen
• Shannon Hale
• Celia Rees
• Melanie Dickerson
• Carrie Jones
• Susan Coventry
• Julia Green
• Eve Edwards

What are your favourite books of 2010?

Edit: sorry for the jumbled up state of the pictures and writing earlier due to technical difficulties. I've now fixed it!

In My Mailbox 21/11/10

In My Mailbox is a feature held by the lovely Kristi at The Story Siren, which encourages bloggers to share what new books they have got every week.

The books I got this week (my camera is not working!)

• An ARC of In The Shadow Of The Lamp by Susanne Dunlap (won in a giveaway on Susan's Facebook page)

Thank you so much to Susan for holding the fantastic early ARC giveaway for your Facebook fans and for being willing to ship it internationally. I am so excited about reading this one as it is YA historical fiction and about Florence Nightingale who is a historical figure I know quite a bit about but haven't read about in a historical fiction book.

I love the cover, I think it's really pretty and suits the story.

I couldn't resist reading the first chapter and so far it is fantastic and really made me want to read more of it! .It is set to be released in April 12th next year.

• Captivate by Carrie Jones (from the library)

I am currently reading the first book in the series, Need and am planning on reading this one next in order to review Entice in time for its release date.

 haven't been able to read or post this week as much because I have been preparing for school exams. I'll try to do more this week but it should all be over in the next couple of weeks :D

What new books did you get this week?