tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18812252654851138632024-03-12T17:59:01.165-05:00The Estella CollectiveEstellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.comBlogger471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-73601961583339221842012-02-07T08:17:00.001-06:002012-05-22T13:59:41.050-05:00Coming Soon...The Estella Collective is a book blogging collective which runs original and syndicated content. This site is edited by book bloggers, written by book bloggers, honoring book bloggers! In addition to our mission to highlight the book blogging community, we favor independent and undersung books, authors, and genres, as well as cutting edge issues in blogging. We promote reading outside of Andihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220718933942181809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-32264799999368583472010-08-02T10:02:00.001-05:002010-08-02T10:28:06.573-05:00Grand Re-Opening!This is the first issue of Estella's Revenge to appear in over a year, and we hope it's one of many to come. Heather, Melissa, and Andi all missed bringing you content, so we couldn't stay away any longer. Admittedly, this first issue is a little slim, but there's more to come in November. Andi is planning a column on e-books, we'll continue to spotlight independent and small presses, and we Andihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220718933942181809noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-73999493015766905882010-08-02T10:01:00.000-05:002010-08-02T10:25:55.796-05:00Review: The Waiter RantThe Waiter Rant
Written by Steve Dublancia
Ecco, imprint of Harper Collins
302 pages (with three Appendices)
Reviewed by Melissa
The restaurant industry is an interesting business. It's providing us food -- something we need to survive -- but it's also a luxury. Going out to eat is something that, for the most part, is really only available to those of us middle class and above. And yet, we Andihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220718933942181809noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-42817625898579022622010-08-02T10:00:00.001-05:002010-08-02T12:57:06.243-05:00Why Would Adults Read YA?By Tamela McCann
Why would an adult spend time reading books meant for teenagers? What is it about young adult literature that makes otherwise reasonably well read, mostly mature people put aside the books written specifically for them and gobble up stories featuring characters much younger doing things only teenagers can? Is it the storylines? Is it the characterizations, the sense that you Andihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220718933942181809noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-14071597298515174542010-08-02T09:56:00.003-05:002010-08-02T10:15:13.517-05:00Rozlyn Press: Part 1 (The Birth)Written by Alayne Fiore
Close your eyes and think back on the worst rejection letter you’ve ever received. Remember that hot sting of embarrassment prickling your cheeks? The burn of your eyes filling with tears? Recall the stomach-churning disappointment mixed with the heart-sinking sense of failure? Can you hear that voice? The one saying you aren’t good enough because the letter says there Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-14123996428423743022010-08-02T09:56:00.002-05:002010-08-02T09:56:43.353-05:00Review: Inés of My SoulInés of My SoulWritten by Isabel AllendeHarper Perennial352 pagesReviewed by April D. Boland
Women in history are so often forgotten. Do we really know all there is to know about the parts women played in historical turning points such as the settlement of the Americas? Isabel Allende believes that we do not. For this reason, she wrote Inés of My Soul, to retell the story of one woman who played Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-55971407231728629912010-08-02T09:56:00.000-05:002010-08-02T09:56:12.367-05:00The Waste Land by Simon AclandThe Waste Land: An Entertainment
Written by Simon Acland
Charlwood Books
384 pages
Reviewed by Elaine Simpson-Long
Underneath the title of this book on its front cover are the words An Entertainment. The reader is therefore given a clear message that this book is meant to be just that, perhaps not to be taken too seriously and to be read with enjoyment and pleasure. As this reader did.
The Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-16508786033227515852010-08-02T09:55:00.001-05:002010-08-02T10:17:19.130-05:00Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and RenewalPerfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal
Written by Julie Metz
Voice
Reviewed by Melissa A. Palmer
Julie and Harry have been married for twelve years when he dies unexpectedly, leaving her a young widow with a young daughter, Liza. Julie struggles to put her grief aside so she can function, at some level, for her daughter. As a few months pass, she begins to become a more functional human Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-84732253266637782692010-08-02T01:05:00.000-05:002010-08-02T01:05:00.791-05:00The Guilty AmericanWritten by Nikki DeMarco
We Americans put too much pressure on ourselves. That’s one thing I’ve learned since living in Italy the past 4 years. Italians are whatever they say they are. They don’t question themselves or feel the need to justify or prove whatever it is they claim. They believe it about themselves so it is. I have a European friend that identifies herself as a skydiver. She Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-18229758934874310922010-08-02T01:01:00.002-05:002010-08-02T10:33:43.353-05:00Author Interview: Elizabeth ChadwickInterviewed by Tamela McCann
Welcome to my inaugural historical fiction column! I’ve always loved historical fiction and it’s my hope that with this column, I can share some of my favorites I’ve read over the years and learn of even more from you guys. Though my favorite subject is British history, I’ll pretty much read anything historical. If it happened in the past, it’s bound to pique my Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-90438072195382114662010-06-21T14:36:00.001-05:002010-06-22T11:32:40.067-05:00Resurrecting EstellaAfter more than a year of hiatus, Estella's Revenge E-Zine is back on the grid. Our new tagline is "Pushing bookish boundaries..." and we intend to do just that.
Whether it's exploring independent publishers, the new frontier of e-books, or bringing you new authors to fawn over, Estella is the place to be to expand your reading book-oriented repertoir.
We intend to go live with our Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-11670191932896510382010-01-01T15:15:00.002-06:002010-07-19T07:25:32.865-05:00About the 'ZineEstella's Revenge E-Zine is an outgrowth of Andi's personal blog. Her blog, also Estella's Revenge (near-daily content), started in 2005, and the E-Zine began in 2007. The purpose of the Estella's Revenge E-Zine is to serve as a blog collective and bring to light unsung and underappreciated writers, publishers, and bookish phenomena.
In short, Estella wants to shake you up.
Estella's Revenge Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-39091501185630948372010-01-01T10:38:00.000-06:002010-06-22T11:39:34.282-05:00Call for SubmissionsThe purpose of Estella's Revenge E-Zine is to act as a collective highlighting the best the book blogging and writing community have to offer. Specifically, we are interested in "pushing bookish boundaries" which can be interpreted in a number of ways. We encourage creativity in writing and interpreting this mission.
Estella's Revenge E-Zine is currently accepting pitches for ongoing Andihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220718933942181809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-75292473862072804722009-04-02T07:18:00.007-05:002009-04-06T19:51:58.823-05:00Letter From the EditorTaste. We all have different tastes in what we like to read. Some like everything, but most have their favorites be it historical fiction, mystery, non-fiction, comics and more. The one thing we all have in common is a love of words and the new and exciting worlds all books bring to us. This month we invite you to celebrate these tastes with us. See you next month for a little "Culture."If anyoneEstellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-34491224026192616912009-04-02T07:13:00.004-05:002009-04-06T13:20:30.465-05:00March Winners for DROODThe winners for the DROOD giveaway are...Carl V at Stainless Steel DroppingsAmanda TeagueKristi at Books and NeedlepointChristina at Book-a-ramaVasillyCongratulations you guys! Those will be coming your way soon! Come back in May for more great giveaways!Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-45308841984555017662009-04-02T07:12:00.000-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.803-05:00I like...By Stuart Sharp
I like...Well, lots of things, really. I quite like fantasy literature, as the more observant among you may have noticed. I like poetry, I like sports books on that most maddening and obsession inducing of sports, cricket. I’m prone to a bit of comedy, a bit of serious literature, and I’ll even admit to reading the odd romance novel if you catch me in a particularly odd Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-9910611069733293492009-04-02T07:00:00.012-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.806-05:00Sure I Know the QueenBy JodieWhen I was at school we were taught that the Victorians were the embodiment of an ideal English spirit. They were stoic, athletic, serious minded and far too busy inventing to be interested in sex. Compared with the dashing cavaliers of the Stuart age and the riotous indulgence of the Tudor period the Victorians sounded like the dullest kind of ancestors. Cajoled into taking a course on Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-62383581846144389962009-04-02T07:00:00.011-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.810-05:00Assistant Editor's Month By Chris BuchnerWhen the cat’s away the mice will play, and that’s true this April at the house of ideas. Marvel is releasing two one-shots called Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular. The premise is the Marvel staff is sick of the A-Listers the Marvel editors seem to favor and want their top picks to get some face-time, which brings us some D-list characters that could possibly be Marvel’s next Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-48684112168197729522009-04-02T05:02:00.003-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.816-05:00Families in Fiction By Stacey Nerdin
It is estimated that nearly 1 in 5 American families deal with some form of mental illness (NAMI). From depression to schizophrenia to obsessive-compulsive disorder and beyond, these families must forge a difficult path, not only towards treatment and a cure, but through a variety of social stigmas attached to mental illness. Sadly, such social stigmas are most often perpetuatedEstellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-20855801722548434542009-04-01T20:05:00.000-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.821-05:00The Darcys and the BingleysA Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters by Marsha Altman Sourcebooks Landmark 417 pages Reviewed by Melissa As I was reading this book, I discovered I was torn between my intellectual, Jane Austen purist side and my emotional, chick-lit loving side. As I discovered I cannot reconcile these two halves of my reading experience, I thought it would be beneficial to Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-69913991194988747922009-04-01T20:02:00.003-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.826-05:00Pemberley by the Seaby Abigail Reynolds Sourcebooks 426 pages Reviewed by Melissa I have to admit that I was intrigued by the title -- specifially the subtitle: "A modern love story, Pride and Prejudice style"-- enough so that I was willing to pick up a copy of the book. A modern retelling of a Jane Austen classic, I thought. That could be interesting. And, at first, it was. Cassie is a marine biologist in Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-55984011766436904772009-04-01T13:20:00.002-05:002009-04-06T19:50:28.322-05:00A Perfect Waiterby Alain Claude SelzerBloomsbury Publishing211 pagesReviewed by Elaine Simpson-LongThis book was sent to me by Bloomsbury. I must say that those doom mongers who said that after the last Harry Potter book Bloomsbury would find it hard to survive, are doing this house a disservice as they seem to have an endless stream of fascinating books published and ready to come in 2009 and this is one of Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-43502576697768075122009-04-01T13:09:00.001-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.834-05:00Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-63070248132624505342009-04-01T11:56:00.003-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.838-05:00The Ever-After Bird by Ann RinaldiHarcourt, Inc.232 pages, incl. bibliographyReview by Nancy HornerImage courtesy of Harcourt, IncCecelia McGill’s father has told her repeatedly that she has no soul and routinely beat her for the slightest infraction. Cece doesn’t understand why he risks his life helping hide runaway slaves; and, assumes the reason he treats her so badly is because he blames her for her mother’s Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881225265485113863.post-55607276335112141962009-04-01T09:42:00.000-05:002009-04-06T13:18:04.842-05:00Jane Austen Ruined My Lifeby Beth Pattillo Guideposts Books 320 pages Reviewed by Melissa Emma Grant -- professor, Jane Austen specialist, and hopeless romantic -- has had the foundation of her world completely shattered. She walked in on her husband, Edward, in the act of sleeping with her teaching assistant. And, to top things off, he supported the teaching assistant in a plagerism accusaition against Emma. Estellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430574682284367416noreply@blogger.com1