Weekend Recommendations #32

This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or more strawberries) that I would recommend to friends!

Title: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters

Author: Suzanne Weyn

Genre: classic retelling/mystery

Part of a Series: No

Rating: 4 out of 5

Who'll Like It: Fans of Gothic novels, classic retellings, and Frankenstein purists will find this an enjoyable short read. It'll appeal to both guys and girls, but probably mostly girls (a bit heavy on the romance). Thirteen-and-up due to interest level.

Why I Liked It:

I'm a purist when it comes to classics, and especially Frankenstein. It's not my favorite Victorian novel - not by a long shot. But for some reason, the misconceptions about it drive me up a wall (for the record, Frankenstein was the scientist, not the Monster, and there is no Igor). I also love Gothic novels and classic retellings. With classic Gothic suspense and details that only a purist can appreciate, this was a great read - very fast, very fun, and surprisingly well developed characters.

Title: Ripper

Author: Stefan Petrucha

Genre: historical fiction/steampunk/mystery

Part of a Series: A possible sequel planned

Rating: 5 out of 5

Who'll Like It: Girls and guys alike, fans of steampunk, historical fiction mysteries, and novels featuring the Ripper!

Why I Liked It:

Because I'm a fan of all three! I love steampunk, I love historical fiction mysteries, and I find the Ripper very interesting. This is a great "what if" novel, it has awesome steampunk gadgets - many of which actually existed, - it's got a great boy protagonist, awesome secondary characters, suspense, mystery, and an ending that will leave you thrilled. Think you have the plot twist figured out already? Think again.