When I began The Secret of Raven Point my first impression was that this is a novel of devotion. How far would you go for someone you love? It sounds a little sappy, like a Nicholas Sparks novel, the difference is that Juliet has grit. That trait is what carries The Secret of Raven Point. While […]
I read Mudbound several years ago for book club. We had gone through a rut of “happy books” which are not to my taste — I prefer a little hardship in my reading material. A guy had recently joined which had me thinking “good, our selections won’t/can’t be gender specific and will be of more […]
“Nash first saw her as an apparition, a gilt London trinket set down by mistake at a dusty crossroads three miles north of town.” I’m not a romance kind of girl. It’s mushy gushy and not my style. But I do like the regency era so thought I’d give An Untitled Lady a try. It […]
With the exclusion that Josephine was married to Napoleon Bonaparte I knew next to nil about this historical figure. I instantly fell in love. The descriptions were vivid, the story sweeping, and immediately rooted for Josephine. She led a very interesting life with difficulties that could have caused her to roll into a ball and […]
The Blood of Flowers was spellbinding and really took you to 17th century Persia. The descriptions of the process of rug making was very interesting and the colors and patterns the characters used sound gorgeous. I loved the idea of the girl’s ”secret marriage” and had me holding my breath every time her marriage contract […]
I went into Mrs. Poe knowing very little of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. I read The Raven in high school, but like most class literature, it was required, a chore, and thus other than a nice poem it was a blip in my high school career. Having said that, I read Lynn Cullen’s Mrs. Poe […]
Some people would say that the major theme in The Reader is the Holocaust but I think that is a mere sub-plot the main theme being pride. Throughout the entirety of the novel Hanna is too stubborn and proud to reveal her shameful secret, constantly changing jobs, declining promotions that may bring this issue into […]
Excluding the Boleyn sisters I have read very few books on Henry’s many wives particularly his sixth and last wife, Kathrine Parr. Elizabeth Fremantle’s novel is soaking in detail from the descriptions of the elaborate dresses and jewels to the filth of living conditions creating a vivid portrait of 1500s court. I have always enjoyed […]
The premise of The Age of Ice sounded really interesting and the fact that it was inspired by a true story made it all the more intriguing, I went in excited to read the tale of ice but came out lukewarm. I thought the writing was beautiful. J.M. Sidorova always knew which word to use […]
An obituary exhibits surviving family members, degrees, slight accomplishments, but never a full story of the decease’s life. Both Vivien Lowe and Ann Hood showcase this in The Obituary Writer. I almost dropped The Obituary Writer twenty pages in. When we are first introduced to Claire the reader is indulged to her thoughts on sex […]