My Book Life

I'm so far behind on my posts!  The weather out here has been so warm for the first time in forever.  So I was terrible and sat on my patio on my days off and soaked up some sun while I read.  Which was a wonderful thing and relaxing!  If only it hadn't put me behind on February posts.  However it looks like I might manage to get caught up before March 1st gets here.  Can't believe that is here on Tuesday either...

Anyway, luck was on my side this month for many things.  One of which was being able to make to the second book and author event I wanted to attend this month.  The Queen of the Night isn't typically a book that I would pick up, but the cover was hard to look away from.  So I clicked the link to see what it was about and I was hooked.  There is something about this book that I me intrigued.

Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all.  As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.

So there's all I know about the book.  I haven't read any reviews that have been popping up since it's released, or anyone lucky enough to have gotten an early copy.  Well, I know it's gotten some pretty awesome reviews.  Which it great!  I just didn't read farther into it.  I want to go into this fresh and unaware of too much or with any kind of spoilers.

Alexander Chee read the first few pages of the book, and I have moved the book up to the must read pile.  Just those few pages were beautifully done.  The world that Alexander Chee is writing is one I don't know so well.  It's not the setting or the time period that I read often.  Though I have no doubt that I will enjoy this book.  In fact it might be one of the ones I bring with my on vacation that is now just a few short weeks away.

This will be my first book by Alexander Chee and after meeting him I really do have high hopes for the Queen of the Night.  It was a nice evening getting to see the time and research that went into the making of the book.  All of the little things that sort of came together for it to happen, and the road that was taken.  I love getting those little windows at events like this.

As for the author himself, Alexander Chee was so sweet and it was a pleasure to meet him.  I cannot wait to make it to his book and I might to add a few his other pieces to my TBR.

I love that he drew us little crowns in our books!