43. Drood by Dan Simmons...

When I received Drood, it was in a box. I remember wondering, "am I expecting a bunch of books?" Then I opened the box and realized, there was only one book. ONE book. One 775-page book. And then I thought, "Holy cow! That's a huge-a$$ book!" followed quickly by "OMG! I have one week to read it!"

And while this review is late (I meant to get it up this morning, which meant posting last night), I did it! Hah! So, here goes...

Drood is a fictional account of the last years of Charles Dickens, told from the viewpoint of fellow author Wilkie Collins. It was written in the 1800s, for today's audience, and the prose reflects this. I have to confess, that definitely played a part in the length of time it took me to read the book. It's really hard to book through 1800s-English.

Victorian London is described in detail, especially the poorer sections of town. I went "ewww" at the sewers, "bleah" at the graveyards, and "nooooooo!" at the opium den. Holy moly, Wilkie is such an addict.

As for the mysterious Drood himself, well, you'll just have to read the book & find out. He's creepy... And I swear Dickens is nuts (or I need to get more sleep instead of trying to inhale this book in a week!). If he were my friend... Well, let's just say that wouldn't have lasted very long.

If you're a fan of Dickens, and very descriptive writing, then Drood's the book for you. So stop by my blog tour post & enter the giveaway. =)

Title: Drood
Author: Dan Simmons
ISBN-10: 0-316-00702-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-00702-3
Hardcover: 775 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2009

Blog tour and giveaway ~ Drood!

*** THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!! ***

On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens--at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world--hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever.

Did Dickens begin living a dark double life after the accident? Were his nightly forays into the worst slums of London and his deepening obsession with corpses, crypts, murder, opium dens, the use of lime pits to dissolve bodies, and a hidden subterranean London mere research . . . or something more terrifying?

Just as he did in The Terror, Dan Simmons draws impeccably from history to create a gloriously engaging and terrifying narrative. Based on the historical details of Charles Dickens's life and narrated by Wilkie Collins (Dickens's friend, frequent collaborator, and Salieri-style secret rival), DROOD explores the still-unsolved mysteries of the famous author's last years and may provide the key to Dickens's final, unfinished work: The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Chilling, haunting, and utterly original, DROOD is Dan Simmons at his powerful best.

Read an excerpt here. And watch the author discuss the book:

Dan Simmons is the prolific author of multiple award-winning novels, including the Hyperion series, and The Terror (giveaway!). He can be found online at his website, and earthbound in Colorado.

Blog tour participants (sorry I'm late with this, my bad!!):
A High and Hidden Place
book:thirty
Bermudaonion's Weblog
Write for a Reader
The Book Czar
A Circle of Books
A Bookworm's World
The Tome Traveller's Weblog
Books Ahoy!
Allison's Attic
Medieval Bookworm
Cafe of Dreams
The Sleepy Reader
My Friend Amy
Jenn's Bookshelf
A Blog of Books
cheryl's book nook
Shooting Stars Mag
Savvy Verse and Wit
Best Book I Have Not Read
Bookish Ruth
Booking Mama
Marta's Meanderings
Darby's Closet

Giveaway details:
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have 3 copies of Drood to give away. This giveaway will run till 11:59pm on March 8th, and is open to US & Canada residents only. Sorry, no P.O. Boxes - HBG rules.

To enter, just leave a comment. That's it. Multiple entries will be be disqualified.

Follow my blog for an additional entry. Existing followers count, too. Comment & let me know. Blog about this giveaway for two more entries. Comment with the link to your actual post.

And don't forget to come back & find out if you've won. Winners will have 3 days to get me their mailing info, after which I'll draw a replacement. Good luck!!

Check out more giveaways at the Book Giveaway Carnival, March 2nd to March 8th!

link love: Check out West of Mars - Win a Book for more Drood giveaways!

Giveaway - The Terror by Dan Simmons...

Time for another giveaway! I have 5 copies of The Terror (paperback) by Dan Simmons, courtesy of Hachette Book Group.

The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of finding the Northwest Passage. When the expedition's leader, Sir John Franklin, meets a terrible death, Captain Francis Crozier takes command and leads his surviving crewmen on a last, desperate attempt to flee south across the ice.

But as another winter approaches, as scurvy and starvation grow more terrible, and as the Terror on the ice stalks them southward, Crozier and his men begin to fear there is no escape.

A haunting, gripping story based on actual historical events, The Terror is a novel that will chill you to your core.

Giveaway details:
This giveaway will run till 11:59pm on March 1st, and is open to US & Canada residents only. Sorry, no P.O. Boxes - HBG rules.

To enter, just leave a comment and tell me which Dan Simmons book(s) you've read, & whether you liked it. THIS STEP MUST BE DONE FOR YOUR ENTRY TO COUNT! Please don't do this multiple times - you'll be disqualified. Also, make sure your entry has an email address somewhere so that I can contact you if you're a winner.

Follow my blog for an additional entry. Existing followers count, too. Comment & let me know. Blog about this giveaway for two more entries. Comment with the link to your actual post.

And don't forget to come back & find out if you've won. Winners will have 5 days to get me their mailing info, after which I'll draw a replacement. Good luck!!

link love: Check out West of Mars - Win a Book for more The Terror giveaways!