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See full review for The Lady of Secrets at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Lady Margaret Wolfe has finally become the Lady of Faire Isle. Due to her declining health, Arianne decided to give up her post and spend whatever time she had left with her husband. Meg has blossomed into a woman and has flourished under the new title. But her old demons still haunt her and they really press on her when a man named Lord Patrick Graham asks for her assistance with a matter that has to deal with the king of England. Despite Seraphine's protests and Lord Graham's traveling companion - Doctor Blackwood - warning, Meg agrees to go to the king's side and see if she can break the curse.
If you've paid attention to any of my other reviews of Carroll's work in this series, you'll know that the heroine of our tale falls in love with the male who gives her the most problems while also overcoming some marvelous and tragic feat. And if you haven't then...surprise! So, as much as I love Carroll's work, I have to admit this book sort of bored me to tears.
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See full review for The Huntress at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Megaera - the Silver Rose - is still at large in the French court even though her father carried her away to England and the Silver Rose was supposed to have died with Cassandra. But the Silver Rose still has followers who are looking for Meg, and the Dark Queen is hot on the trail because she knows that Meg also has the elusive Book of Shadows. Ariane is displeased to hear that the Dark Queen is on Meg's tail, and sends out someone of her own to help protect Meg - Cat - considering that she is in no state to go herself.
Cat is more than happy to go and help her Lady of Faire Isle, but there is one thing she didn't count on. The protectiveness of Meg's father - Martin le Loup - and his stubborn attitude that he doesn't need Cat's help protecting her from the threat of the Dark Queen and those that still believe she is the Silver Rose. Eventually, he reluctantly agrees to let Cat stay on and protect his daughter, and things get rather interesting with these two hard-headed people living under the same roof...
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See full review for The Courtesan at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
As the Lady of Faire Isle it is Ariane Cheney's job to protect those on the Isle. But there are some things she can't predict to happen. The woman who the Cheney sister's father was having an affair with died and the house has been left to them. Ariane is about ready to decline the house, when Gabrielle decides she wants it. She doesn't want to live on Faire Isle anymore, not with so many bad memories. Ariane forbids her from going, but she does anyway, stealing away in the middle of the night. Three years later, Gabrielle is one of the most famous courtesans at court, but she still has ghosts to put to rest.
She searches out for her friend Cassandra, a daughter of the earth who is versed in a darker sort of magic, to help summon the ghost of Captain Remy the Scrouge who perished in the bloodbath of St. Bartholomew's Eve. The blind witch agrees to help, but for a future favor. They try to summon Remy, but he doesn't appear. Instead, Cassandra's master appears with a prophecy. Gabrielle is destined for greatness. She will be the mistress to the king of Navarre and be his right hand when he becomes king of France. The seance ends, with no sign of the captain, which means one of two things. Either Remy has moved on and is at peace, or he never really died in the first place.
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See full review for The Taming of the Queen at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
I have to admit that after the last two of Gregory's novels, I wasn't too keen in reading this one. Did I really want to waste my time considering that I skimmed the last two to completion when I only have so many days to read so many books to complete my challenge for the year? But I remembered that with The Tudor Court series, Gregory had yet to let me down and besides she was writing about the wife that I was most curious about - Kathryn Parr, Henry's sixth and final wife.
Granted, I got a good look at Kathryn when I was reading the Secrets of the Tudor Court series over the summer, but compared to Gregory? These books had nothing on this one. The way she tells Kathryn's story is spot on.
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See full review for The Dark Queen at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Ariane Cheney - the Lady of Faire Isle - always wanted a simple life. A life where she could do the work she does and not give her heart to another and have it broken like her mother. But it isn't to be. The comte de Renard has set his eyes on her and will stop at nothing to make her his bride. He even gives her a magical ring where if she uses it three times to summon him, they will wed. She doubts she will use it, but she should never say never. In the middle of the night, a messenger from the abbey comes to her, there is a wounded man there and if she doesn't come right away to help he won't make it through the night.
This man turns out to be a captain from the king of Navarre's army. He was protecting the queen when she was suddenly struck ill and died in the morning. The captain believes that she was poisoned by Queen Catherine de Medici, or as everyone else knows her the Dark Queen. He enlists her help to find the poison on the pair of gloves the Queen of Navarre was wearing before she was struck by the illness. Despite knowing what going against Catherine will do to her family, Ariane agrees.
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See full review for Royal Inheritance at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Out of all the books in this series, Royal Inheritance is definitely one of the strangest. The book begins in 1556 with Audrey instructing her daughter to pose for her portrait. The daughter - Hester - is very restless and won't sit still unless her mother tells her a story of the time she met King Henry. Audrey does in fact tell her daughter the story and even something a little bit more. As it turns out, Audrey is a bastard of Henry's. Not that she knew that when she was a child. In fact, she didn't know that until the king had died. This is the story of how she tried to figure out her true parentage and what the burden of living with a royal inheritance is.
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See full review for The King's Damsel at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Tamsin Lodge is well aware of what loss feels like. She has lost her father and her brother within a very short time span. Due to this loss, she believes that all the lands her family owns - except for the third her step-mother was given as her father's widow - now belong to her. But she gets a letter that says otherwise. A man named Sir Lionel Daggett has purchased her wardship from the king and is now in control of her and the lands until she reaches the age of 21. Using his influence at court, Sir Lionel has gotten Tamsin a position as a maid of honor in Princess Mary's court.
Not all is well, as history likes to indicate. Even though Tamsin has found a comfortable spot in Mary's household as a storyteller, Queen Catherine is falling out of favor with the king and the lady Anne Boleyn has taken her place. She has no love for Mary, seeing her more as a threat to her throne than anything, and everyone knows that its only a matter of time before she has Henry strip her of her title. To make matters worse, Sir Lionel has returned and believes that Tamsin can now marry...him. He also senses that the tides are turning and believes that she doesn't have a place in Mary's household. So, despite her faithfulness to the princess, Tamsin comes up with a plan to become a spy in Anne's household.
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See full review for By Royal Decree at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
For the first time in this series, we have a book that doesn't focus all that much on a woman trying to become the king's mistress for personal gain. Elizabeth (Bess) Brooke is brought to court to try and become the next Queen of England by Henry VIII, but he doesn't pick her. Instead, Bess catches the attention of William Parr by accidentally running into him and her cousin Dorothy Bray having an intimate moment in a darkened alcove. It's love at first sight, except for the fact that Dorothy wants Bess's head for even looking at him and he's already married. As things do in books like these, time passes rather quickly and Bess is still at court - this time a maid of honor to Queen Kathryn - when William returns from abroad and tells her directly that he wants her and has wanted her since they first met. Although she knows that he is married, she can't help but fall for him, but their romance must remain a secret until Will can petition the king for a divorce from his wife.
Unfortunately for them, they cannot wait that long and wed in secret. But no perfect time arises to ask the king for the divorce and before too long he dies and his son takes the throne. Edward is a little bit more pliable to their cause and grants the divorce, making their marriage legal. However, Edward doesn't stay alive long and the next in line to the throne won't recognize their marriage at all. So Will and Bess try to find a way around the line of succession, which is treasonous if they get caught...
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See full review for Between Two Queens at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
So, remember how in my review for The Boleyn Inheritance, I had a few questions about Henry's sixth wife? Well, I sort of got my answers with Between Two Queens. Emerson continues her Secrets series with an interesting installment. We're introduced quickly to Anne Bassett who is desperately looking to become a maid of honor in Queen Jane's household. Compared to her sister Cat, Nan believes that she is prettier and should receive the position with ease. And she does, especially because the king himself is there during her interview with the queen. What follows is a lengthy tale of court politics and romance that ranges from Queen Jane's reign all the way through King Henry's death.
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See full review for The Pleasure Palace at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
I really hate the Goodreads recommended section. I can never go into that section without adding to my reading list. This time was no exception. After reading The Boleyn Inheritance, Goodreads came up in my feed and said, 'Hey, because you read this book, maybe you want to try this one?' I read the summary and was kind of curious and I'm still not sure if that curiosity paid off...
Before you jump to conclusions, this is not really about the Tudor court, or at least not the usual suspects of the Tudor court. The Pleasure Palace follows the tale of Jane (real name Jeane) Popyncourt as she flees from France and comes to England with her mother. They are offered places in the Henry VII's court, her mother with the Queen and Jane with the royal charges. She grows up with Henry VIII, Mary and Margaret and time seems to fly by. No, really, within three chapters you've already bypassed Henry VII's reign, Henry VIII's coronation and marriage, and the pregnancy of the first son who died within days of his birth. If you've read The Constant Princess, you don't really mind the speed through of events. Especially because it gets to the juicy parts faster.
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See full review for Cleopatra's Daughter at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
At the dawn of the Roman Empire, when tyranny ruled, a daughter of Egypt and a son of Rome found each other...Selene's parents are gone, her country has been taken from her and she has been brought to the city of Rome in chains, with only her twin brother, Alexander, to remind her of home and all she once had. Paraded as captives and brought to live among the ruling family, Selene and her brother attend lessons, learning how to be Roman and where allegiances lie. Devoting herself to her artistic skill and training as an architect, she tries to make herself useful, in hope of staying alive and being allowed to return to Egypt. But before long, she is distracted by the young and handsome heir to the empire. But all is not well in the city and when the elusive 'Red Eagle' starts calling for the end of slavery, causing riots and murder, and the Roman army goes to war, Selene and Alexander, the children of Mark Antony, Rome's lost son and greatest rival, find their lives in grave danger.
There were a few times that I was going to give up on this book, because although it was rather interesting to read about ancient Rome, the story didn't really move.
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See full review for Brazen at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
As a constant reader of historical fiction, especially that of the Tudor era, I've seen the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn done in a few different ways by now. I think what I loved the most about this book was how the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn was paralleled with Mary Howard falling in love with Henry Fitzroy. In my constant search for anything to do with the witch queen, I've come across Henry Fitzroy - the bastard son that Henry VIII had before Catherine's fall - but I never really cared to hear his story. Until now. And I did love it. Both Fitzroy and Mary are so naive in some things like love and romance, while knowledgable about others and it's hard not to be in King Henry and Queen Anne's court.
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See full review for Prisoner of Night and Fog at: http://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.w...
One of the many things that I didn't like about my education was the fact that even though I took a lot of history classes, we never really covered World War II. Every year in those history classes we talk forever about World War I, but we would briefly go over WWII before going on to the Vietnam War. So, I was pretty much on my own when it came to finding out facts about the war.
Prisoner of Night and Fog is mostly a work of fiction. The main character - Gretchen Muller - and her family are fictional but most of the other characters actually existed. Gretchen is a teenaged girl whose father was a close friend of Adolf Hitler's. So close, in fact, that he sacrificed his body to protect him a few years previously. Because of his sacrifice Hitler has always held the Muller family in high esteem. However, it isn't until one night when her brother Reinhard goes after a Jew on the street that Gretchen starts to question what her 'Uncle Dolf' has been telling her about the Jews, and she meets a mysterious young man who calls her different than the others.
This mysterious man is Daniel Cohen a reporter for the Munich Post and who has been investigating Hitler and his closest allies. He seems to know the truth about what actually happened to Gretchen's father that night, and it isn't what she's been told. Someone in the National Socialist party killed Gretchen's father not by the state police bullets like everyone thought. The question is, who did it and why? Gretchen is hell bent on finding out even if that means alienating her family and her Uncle Dolf.
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See full review for The King's Curse at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
The quickest summary of a 597-paged book ever: The King's Curse follows Margaret Pole as she recovers from her brother's death and watches as her home country of England turns from the worst to the better and back again. I think that pretty much sums it up.
I did not like this book one bit, which is such a shame considering I liked the time period that this book took place in.
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See full review for Changeling at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Another Philippa Gregory book that was filled with disappointment. But unlike previous books, this one takes place in Italy and we're introduced to two characters - Luca and Isolde. Luca is an orphan who still believes his parents are alive and has a special gift with numbers. This gift brings unwanted attention, but one man asks him to join his order where he will go on journeys to bring about religious justice. Isolde is a young woman of 17 who has just lost her father. According to the old will, she was to get his lands except for those in France which would go to her brother. However, in the last days of his life, he refused to see his daughter and would only speak to her brother. After his death, her brother tells her that the old will is void and in the new will the brother gets everything and Isolde has two options. She can either marry or go into sanctuary. She does not wish to marry - especially the oaf that her brother chooses - and goes unwillingly into sanctuary.
Luca and Isolde's paths cross when he is called to her abbey to investigate strange occurances that make it look like Isolde is the guilty party.
I'd made this book sound a lot more interesting then it actually was. There was a good chunk of it that I actually skimmed over because there was really no plot to this book.
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See full review for Tarnish at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
So it's no secret that I find the life of Anne Boleyn fascinating. I love reading author's perspectives on her life and how exactly she rose and then fell. So when this came across my path I was a little intrigued. It's very rare to see a tale of Anne told in a YA format. The reason soon became clear. This wasn't really about Anne's rise to the throne of England, it was about her struggles before the king took an interest in her. And I have to say that while some parts of it were good, others weren't.
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See full review for The White Princess at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Princess Elizabeth of York has known the wheel of fortune. She has been on the upside - where she was a crowned princess and beloved of all the court - and she has known the downside - being in sanctuary with her mother and legalized as a bastard. Her fate seemed to have changed when King Richard of York - her uncle - took an interest in her. But even that wasn't to last. Richard's reign was threatened by Henry Tudor - Elizabeth's betrothed - and he rode out on the battlefield to defend his throne. But he lost and now Elizabeth has a new ruler to pledge her loyalty to, even though he has heard the rumors of what she did.
But that isn't the hardest part, because no matter who sits on the throne there is always someone out there who claims to be a true heir. And with the mystery still of the York princes, Henry isn't sure if he can hold on to his throne or who to trust.
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See full review for The Kingmaker's Daughter at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
To be quite honest (when am I ever not in these reviews?) this book was a page turner once I got going on it. Anne's story is scarily good.
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See full review for The Red Queen at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Villains aren't born, they're made. I think that runs really true when you read The Red Queen and understand how Margaret Beaufort - or if you've read The Constant Princess, you'll know her as the stubborn King Henry VII's mother - came to be. She starts out as a child of nine who wants to devote her life to the church, but her mother has other plans for her. She contracts her daughter to marry Edmund Tudor, and at twelve the couple weds. Before she's fourteen, she has a son and is widowed. Her story should end there, but it doesn't. She had a son and he is third in line to the throne of England for the house of Lancaster. What follows is another tale of the Cousins War with more political intrigue, but this time from the other side of things.
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See full review for The White Queen at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
England is at war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Elizabeth Grey's family sided with the House of Lancaster and have lost with King Edward of York taking the throne. Knowing she has to put her family prejudices aside if she wishes to get the king to give her lands based on her widowship, she goes out onto the road to wait for him. When he stops, he is immediately entranced and he promises to come back to her. She knows to resist him, because she doesn't want to bring shame on her family, and in the process she makes a fool out of him. This time he promises to never see her again, but he can't stay away. Eventually, neither can deny their attraction to the other and they wed. Elizabeth becomes queen of England and all hell breaks loose.
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See full review for The Lady of the Rivers at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
This story follows Elizabeth Grey's mother Jacquetta from the time she was married to the duke of Bedford to when she defied the king and married for love in her groomsman Richard Woodville. It also shows her close friendship with the king and queen of England who are of the house of Lancaster and how they fell.
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See full review for The Other Queen at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
The Other Queen starts in the tenth year of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Not much has changed. Elizabeth is still a spinster, there are still plots to topple her from her throne, and Cecil is her commanding officer in all things. The only difference now is that Mary, Queen of Scots, has claimed asylum - read prisoner - in her country due to some misfortune. Queen Mary has been toppled from her throne in Scotland because she is believed to have assisted her husband's murderer and her son taken from her. Elizabeth knowing what it is like to be kept from her inheritance, feels for Mary's plight and agrees to help her return to her throne in Scotland and her son. She tasks George Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife Bess to keeping her until they can arrange her re-ascension. But like with everything in the Tudor court, there is always some kind of plot a foot.
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See full review for The Virgin's Lover at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
As a reader who's really into any book set during the Tudor era, I was really excited to read this book because it deals with a queen that I haven't read a lot about - Elizabeth I. When I was a kid I read one of those royal diaries, but she was still a child herself, I was really looking forward to reading something from her as she ascends the throne of England. I should have known better. Don't get me wrong, The Virgin's Lover is a really good read and insight into Elizabeth's reign, but my god. Was she really a queen at all, or just a puppet to be used?
I'm getting ahead of myself though, anyway, The Virgin's Lover starts out where The Queen's Fool pretty much left off, the bells of churches around the city of London are chiming the death of Queen Mary. But there's a woman in Norfolk who is not so happy about the queen's death, for that means another queen, one her husband has been in love with since they were children. Amy Dudley - Sir Robert's wife - knows that with the new queen's ascension, her husband who is barely home as it is, will probably never set foot in their home again. Something she doesn't understand, considering his last try for power left him with nothing and very close to the chopping block. Robert does stay away from his wife as he falls in love with the new queen and even proposes marriage to her, because they both know the truth, they can't be without each other and she can't say no to him despite knowing that most of the lords at court and the people would not accept this marriage.
William Cecil - Elizabeth's most trusted adviser - knows the pull that Dudley has on her, and keeps trying to not only force them apart, but put forward his own political agenda. Elizabeth becomes a pawn between the two men, until she only looks to Cecil for advice and a dastardly plot is put in place.
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See full review for The Queen's Fool at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
Hannah Green has never known a home at the age of fourteen. Since she was a child her family has been on the run. They are Jews who grew up in Aragon, Spain during the time of the Inquisition. Her mother was already claimed by the fire, and her father tries very hard not to have her claimed too, because not only is she a Jew, but she is also a Seer. The pair has escaped to London at the end of King Edward VI's reign. Her father has set up a printing press and lords of the court come to buy his printings and manuscripts. On one such day, Hannah has a vision and the two lords are fascinated by her. They think she has seen an angel and they want her to work for them at court as the king's fool. Hannah reluctantly agrees which takes her on a most interesting ride.
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See full review for The Boleyn Inheritance at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
You know what I don't understand? Why for almost every review I've seen for this book states that it covers the rest of Henry VIII's wives. Let's be clear about something. It doesn't. The Boleyn Inheritance picks up three years after the events of The Other Boleyn Girl. Jane Boleyn is in exile with only her title and small fortune after turning evidence against her husband and her sister-in-law. She still stands by what she does only because she claims to have loved George Boleyn. Anne of Cleves is preparing herself to be picked by the king to become his new wife. She is leaving behind a brother and mother who have only ever used her to get what they want. Katherine Howard is living with her grandmother and trying to overcome her cousin Anne's enormous shadow. She wishes for something more, although at the tender age of thirteen she finds herself in love.
Okay, so in The Constant Princess we had Catherine of Aragon's story, she was Henry's first wife. She got put aside for Anne Boleyn, who was beheaded. Henry's third wife - Jane Seymour - gave him a son and is only mentioned a few times in this book. By the point this book begins, Jane has already died from complications of childbirth. Anne of Cleves becomes Henry's fourth wife, but it doesn't last. She makes the mistake of not recognizing the king when he first shows himself to her at a New Years Eve celebration and thinks that he is just some old drunkard. It's the worst start to a marriage, so they never consummate the marriage. She gets put aside for her lady-in-waiting Katherine Howard who he loves completely. The only problem is that because he's so old, she cannot get pregnant. She takes on a lover and that is her doom.
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See full review for The Boleyn Reckoning at: http://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.w...
It's been three months since the ending of The Boleyn Deceit, William has miraculously survived the small pox with only small scarring on his face, Minuette has grown closer to the king with his proposal imminent, and both her and Dominic are trying to keep their marriage to each other a secret. But with each passing day the task is getting more difficult. William is pressing Minuette to marry him as he rubs their relationship in the face of his court and the French ambassadors. But something has changed in the king since his bout with illness and he has become a lot more like his father than he was before.
Will's sister, Elizabeth is watching all of this with as much fear as the rest of England, while their half-sister Mary has decided that now is the time to strike and take back what was wrongfully taken from her many decades ago. She is not alone in her plans to overthrow the Boleyn king and a plot quickly emerges that you don't really see coming.
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See full review for The Boleyn Deceit at: http://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.w...
So, after the crazy ending in The Boleyn King, I had a feeling that the next book was going to be intense...and man, did this book not disappoint.
The Boleyn Deceit takes place a few months after the events in King. William is trying his best to keep his feelings towards Minuette a secret as he tries to figure out a way out of the peace treaty and engagement to France. Minuette and Dominic are trying to keep their romance a secret from their best friend. And Elizabeth, well, Elizabeth is just a hot mess of her own. She's still in love with Robert Dudley, even though he's married and a traitor - not that she knows that - and she is craving her chance to rule ever since William made her regent while he was fighting the war in France last year.
Like I said, intense.
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See full review for The Boleyn King at: http://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.w...
Confession: I hated history in high school, but I love historical fiction, especially anything to do with the Boleyn family. So, when I came across this book last year at the bookstore, I instantly picked it up and read the summary. And holy crap, I fell in love.
The Boleyn King is basically a what-if story. What if instead of losing her last baby, Anne Boleyn carried to term and gave birth to a son? What would have happened?
Answer: a whole hell of a lot of things.
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Even though the cover is beautiful, don't let it fool you. This book is a confused mess, a tale trying to combine Jane Austen and Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty series while at the same time trying to have some suspense and intrigue. Sadly, this book didn't hit its stride until the last ten pages, sort of redeeming it, but not by much.
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See full review for Memoirs of a Geisha at: http://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.w...
So back in 2005, I read this book because of the movie. I remember back then that I absolutely loved this book because not only did it show a side of Japanese culture, but it was also a well-told love story. I really want to know what the fourteen-year-old me was thinking, because this time around I literally want to claw my eyes out as I was reading this book.
This book tells the story of Chiyo - Sayuri as she is called later in the book - as she struggles through her life and tries to become a geisha. At a young age she is sold to an okiya by her father and separated from her sister. Thrown into this new world, she is shocked to find that one of the mistresses of the house - Hatsumomo - hates her because she thinks that one day she will be her largest rival. In fact, this geisha does everything in her power to make sure that Chiyo never becomes a geisha.
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See full review for The Constant Princess at: http://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.w...
As I have stated in my reviews for The Boleyn King and The Boleyn Deceit, anything that has to do with the Tudor court and Elizabethan England I find completely fascinating. Philippa Gregory is actually the main reason for this, six years ago I picked up The Other Boleyn Girl and I've been obsessed ever since.
The Constant Princess is the sort of prequel to The Other Boleyn Girl. The story follows that of Princess Catalina of Spain who is to become Queen Katherine of England. It follows her as she falls in love with her first husband Arthur - Henry's brother - and is thrown for a ride when he dies and makes her promise that no matter what she will become Queen of England, even if that means telling the world a lie.
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TITLE: The Day the Falls Stood Still
AUTHOR: Cathy Marie Buchanan
WHY I PICKED IT UP: The cover is gorgeous. I'm a sucker for historical fiction. And I knew from the blurb that I was going to love Tom Cole. If I'd have known just how much I was going to love him, and just how much he would break my heart, I maybe wouldn't have picked up the book.
Oh, who am I kidding? I still would have. Because this book was so, so, so, so, so good.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT: Oh, for pity's sake. The whole damn thing. The main character, Bess is so well-drawn. Seventeen years old at the start of the book and facing down the loss of her family's fortune. Seventeen years old and determined to befriend the mysterious riverman who is far beneath her family's status--even with the loss of their fortune. Seventeen years old and carrying the burden of her ailing sister and the high expectations of her mother. And when Tom Cole (the green-eyed riverman) has the nerve to tell her she lacks grit you both love him and hate him for it because it's both true and not true.
I'm making a mess of this book review. It's just because it's so damn good, and I don't want to spoil anything and it's SO HARD BECAUSE THE WHOLE BOOK IS SO DAMN GOOD.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT: Well, it kept me from doing laundry, making supper, talking to my husband about his day, writing my own book, and it made my cry my eyes out, so I guess I didn't like that it made me a slovenly red-eyed irresponsible mess for the day and a half it took me to read it.
OH WAIT NO I LOVED THAT. AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN. AND I WILL DO IT AGAIN.
Trust me. If you need a story set during WWI that will make you fall in love and laugh and cry, then run don't walk and grab this one. And be warned...A week after reading it I was still spontaneously bursting into tears over something Tom said to Bess. WANT TO TELL YOU SO BAD BUT DON'T WANT TO SPOIL IT. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. GO READ THIS BOOK SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT, PLEASE.
RATING (1-5 Stars): You know already, don't you? Five stars, a million times over.
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LOVED this book. Loved it so so much. Such a lovely, bittersweet story that sucks you in and keeps you there from start to finish.
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I'm beginning to think there isn't a celebrity memoir read by the author in existence that I won't find immensely entertaining.
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3.5 stars. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it, instead of listening to it. Regardless it was both incredibly inspiring and enlightening but also infuriating at times due to how these genius females were routinely treated because of their gender. In the same vein I was often pleasantly surprised that anyone would have allowed for a woman to work on making such scientific advances even 100 years. Definitely a great gift book and the essays make for perfect short reads when you don't have a lot of time, but want to get something in.
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Felicia Day is my new hero. Definitely seek out the audiobook and do so quickly.
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3.5 stars.
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So incredibly enjoyable, I was truly sad when it ended. Almost all the cast read on the audiobook, which only adds to the fun. Made me fall in love with the movie all over again!
| 0 |
4.5 stars. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected.
| 0 |
3.5 stars. I listened to the audio of Ephron reading this, which I definitely recommend. The collection started out strong, but by the end I found my attention waning.
| 0 |
I pretty much loved every second of this.
| 0 |
4.5 stars. Fascinating, highly readable dysfunctional family memoir.
| 0 |
I really loved this book. Its not the kind of book I would have probably stuck with reading, but listening to the audiobook kept me compelled the entire time. The reader adds so much to the rich prose through her luscious pronunciation of all of the German that is laced throughout the book. The story is very real and beautifully told, especially when its read by someone with familiarity with the German language.
| 0 |
A very interesting, page-turning read.
| 0 |
Generally I'm a fan of Fitzgerald, however I found the characters in this book to be most unlikeable.
| 0 |
Generally I am what you might call a "lightweight" reader - I can't take books that deal with heavy or disturbing issues. And while this book does involve some distressing aspects of Chinese history, I enjoyed the book due to the simple prose and passionate characters.
| 0 |
I normally don't enjoy historical fiction or mysteries, but this hybrid was actually an enjoyable read. There's a definite twist at the end.
| 0 |
Very quick read, nothing you can't find on the internet but still a nice, quick read.
| 0 |
crying
| 0 |
Quick read. There are a few things in this book that made me raise an eyebrow. I have "Factory Made" to read next and I think that will give me a better, less biased perceptive of the Factory. There is worth to this book if only to see a sober point of view of the Factory. She did get to witness some of the strange on-goings in there.
One thing that bothered me is that she hardly mentioned Edie. No, a chapter on how she pities her for her drug addiction doesn't count. I wanted to read about Edie in context, in the Factory, interacting with everyone. But that would coincide with Ultra being Warhol's "main woman" of sorts, something she desperately tries to coin herself as throughout this book.
I agree with Kristine P. bellow, this book is for Factory completists only. Wouldn't really recommend.
| 0 |
all the secrets of our mountains
| 0 |
It was cute. A feel good story.
| 0 |
I half way read this..... I hate saying bad things about books but, 100 pages in I put it back in my library bag. I had so much trouble following along. I was bored to say the least. :/
Not one I would want to finish.
| 0 |
I love Rick Bragg's writing and these stories are among my favorites! I would love to sit down with him over coffee the next time I'm home and just listen to him talk... about anything.
He has 'that way' - that sweet southern way, I miss so much. He takes me home.
Every time I read something from him, I get back a piece of myself that I've lost with so many moves. This book sits right along side my Paul 'Bear' Bryant coke bottle, autographed picture of Nick Saban and Alabama shaped pottery (a gift from my mother) - as it should, where my heart is.
God bless you, Mr Bragg and Roll Tide!
| 0 |
I loved this book.
My grandparents worked in a cotton mill in rural Alabama and this story just hit home. Everything was so true and to read this and be a part of it was amazing.
I love how Rick Bragg captures the South. He's the reason I still subscribe to Southern Living magazine waaaaaaaay up here in Pittsburgh! I can read his writing and not be quite so homesick.
| 0 |
This was an interesting/sad/funny and unexpected little book.
Learned a lot at the very end. Worth the time :)
| 0 |
** spoiler alert **
This will be an incredibly difficult review for me to write. Everyone who knows me, is all to aware of the fact that I am a huge Outlander fan. That may be a mild understatement, given the fact that I have read the series numerous times, had an Outlander-themed going-away party, and was given the books about John, just to read the preview of A Breath of Snow and Ashes.
All of that being said, I was disappointed in An Echo in the Bone. I thought this would be the last book in the series, not that I was looking forward to the series ending, I just didn't know how much more they could do.
I felt as though the story lacked a real direction and the gratuitous sex was a little bothersome, honestly. I know Jamie and Claire will always be in love, but the rawness of the sex at this point in their relationship really put me off. It didn't even seem like their characters.
I had to reread the original Outlander to wrap my head back around my love for the story and the characters.
There will obviously be another book...the ending, if that's what you call it, just dropped off. I hate the thought of leaving a child in an underground tunnel, but that's where he is.
There will be more time travel and it will be exciting to see how it all plays out, however, I think it's getting a little out of hand.
Granted, there is a huge sci-fi element to the story in the first place, but it never had that feel. Now, I don't know what to feel.
I have to tell you to read the book if you follow the series, but I know you won't curl up and read it in a day while totally absorbed in the plot like the first few.
Did Diane have help on this?
Don't get me wrong, I love Diane, the series and the characters. I cannot imagine how difficult her job is having to quelch the thirst of all of the Outlander followers. I do hope the next book finally ties it all up, and puts everyone to rest, or if not that, takes Jamie and Claire to another level.
| 0 |
This book was so sweet, I did not want it to end!
| 0 |
Pretty good book, light read, fairly predictable.
| 0 |
I loved this book and couldn't wait to get to the sequel, Now Face to Face. I enjoyed them both. Big books, but easy reading and a good story.
| 0 |
I really enjoyed this book, on so many levels.
It gave such great insight into so much of the human experience for both male and female, young and old, good and bad.
Excellent!
| 0 |
** spoiler alert **
I did like this book. I was left a little confused as to Walter's motives and not what Kitty's real feelings were toward him. I don't think she loved him, but I think she thought she could have/should have.
Charlie optimizes every man in that situation. I felt for Kitty, looking for something she had all along and not knowing it until it was too late. Only to discover that she was chasing a monster or a dream in her in mind that turned into a nightmare.
A sequel would be appropriate. I want to know the father of the baby and if Kitty can be happy and has really learned her lesson.
| 0 |
Strange little story and tragic, good read.
| 0 |
** spoiler alert **
This was a great story of a mother and daughter, their memories, secrets and survival.
I haven't read any other book that dealt with the German perspective during WWII, and this was very enlightening.
Although the book did not tie up in a neat little package in the end, it did answer all of the questions.
I felt a little cheated that Anna was not vindicated to her late husband, Jack, and that he died without understanding all that tormented her and why she could not love him completely.
It would have been nice if Trudy were to hear from her mother how in love her parents were. I think she had more healing to do and Anna is the only one who can help her with that. I guess I was a little bothered that Anna, being such a strong mother when Trudy was small, just abandoned her emotionally.
Overall, a good book, with alot to discuss.
| 0 |
The story was interesting, however, I felt the author's run on sentences and writing style took so much away from the story. I found that by the time I finally finished the paragraph, I had lost what the author was trying to say. Also, the author jumps around quite a bit in the beginning. This is fine for the first chapter - as kind of an introduction, yet she continues jumping in the second chapter. I would love to edit this book!
| 0 |
** spoiler alert **
I love this book!!!!
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it during the first several chapters, however, the story really drew me in.
Philip's character was so refreshing; he didn't mess up. He truly represented good and fought evil all around him. God blessed him so much in his life and made sure that His purpose was served. It was wonderful to see the 'good vs evil' story played out this way (especially at this point in history) - incorporating so much history, architectural as well as actual history and so many side stories thrown in, yet they all weaved together so nicely.
I loved it and I can't wait to read the sequel!
| 0 |
This was an easy, light read - not at all what I thought it would be.
It was very predictable and I felt as though I knew exactly what the author was going to write before he wrote it.
I've been on a Ken Follet kick lateley, but this was a let down.
However, I did learn something about the Clipper. An interesting plane pre-war.
| 0 |
A friend thought I might like this book and she (Mary) was right. It was very light and I really enjoyed Author's take on what happened during the making of this historic piece. I have a tapestry of the lady and unicorn (the one where she is taking the necklace out of the box - touch, I think) and I've always loved it.
The story is light and moves along quickly.
| 0 |
I really enjoyed this book. It was kind of obvious what was going on before the author told you, but the stories were wonderful and it gave great insight into the struggles of the lower class during that time in China.
It wasn't depressing, just real.
Again, if someone told me about the plot before I read it, I would not have, but I'm glad I did.
| 0 |
This is the sequel to, 'Through a Glass Darkly'. I enjoyed it as sequels go, however, I think there needs to be one more book. There are a few characters I would like to have closure on.
| 0 |
I read this book at least once a year. It is my all-time favorite!
| 0 |
** spoiler alert **
I picked this one up a little late, not thinking I would enjoy it as much as I did.
The voices that the author gives to each girl is what made this so endearing to me. After a few words in each chapter, you knew what girl was speaking to you and it was so wonderful.
I was not crazy about the last quarter or so of the book. I felt it was rushed and not as thought out as the previous 3/4 of the book.
| 0 |
I loved it. I know there are many versions of her diary and story, and I hope to read them all, however, this one was wonderful.
| 0 |
Same as with The Red Tent; I love how this is a true story with a few embellishments.
It was written so well and everything came through easily.
Enjoyed the sequel, but not as much as this one.
| 0 |
I loved it! My grandmother read it,after I went on and on about it and told my mother to 'get me in church!' (She is 86 years old.)
I loved everything about it. The way it was written; how she took this from the bilbe and made all of the people come so alive. I borrowed it to read, then bought my own to have when I finished it.
| 0 |
I enjoyed being taken away and I love the storyline! Obviously, it would never happen...but I love the characters and the writing.
| 0 |
This true story highlights the painful and dangerous journey undertaken by refugees to save their lives. You will never forget Gulwali.
| 0 |
Having just visited Dove Cottage, the Wordsworth home in Grasmere, England, I devoured this account of Dorothy Wordsworth based on the author's interpretation of Dorothy's journals, letters and writings. Well-researched and thoughtfully presented, it made Wordsworth, Dorothy and Samuel Coleridge come alive for me. Wilson also offers context by comparing the close sibling relationship and the questions that arise about its nature with literary relationships in Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Jane Austen's works.
| 0 |
Interesting account of the relationship between Melville and Hawthorne and how they influenced each others' writing.
| 0 |
A beautifully written book that creates a window into the plight of women in Afghanistan in the not so distant past and even today in some areas. Parallel stories of a young girl and her great-great grandmother are gripping and come together in a satisfying way.
| 0 |
Terrific read!
| 0 |
Love this book! My new favorite.
| 0 |
I listened to this book on audio tape and loved hearing the voices of the girls. I was blindsided by the author and thought I must have heard wrong at one point in the story. It's a story of a special friendship during a horrific time in history, lone I won't soon forget.
| 0 |
Riveting, Authentic and Necessary
A novel. A documentary. Deborah Wiles has again nailed this new genre that both fills our need for story and documents the history that we own and cannot afford to forget. Through characters we care about who live this history, the author documents Freedom Summer in 1964 Mississippi for middle graders who need to know and for older readers to never forget.
I loved this novel first because it's a story every bit as great as To Kill a Mockingbird. Secondly, it illuminated for me a time when I was too caught up in my own personal life decisions to be a part of this revolution that swept the south and changed our society. Thank you, Deborah Wiles for writing this book and the Sixties Trilogy.
| 0 |
I loved everything about this book - Lara's character, the detailed setting of pre-Revolutionary Russia, and the relationship between Lara and Zar, her beloved Borzoi. This was my first introduction to this noble dog breed. At first, I was taken aback by the Borzois' purpose in this setting - to kill wolves. But then I remembered Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" and the need to protect a village from raiding wolves.
Annemarie O'Brien skillfully spins a tale that both captivates the reader with suspenseful action and enfolds the reader in the snowy beauty of a Russian hamlet. The story is anchored by O'Brien's impeccable research and lyrical language. She not only deftly places the reader in Imperial Russia, she immerses us in Russian culture by weaving snippets of Pushkin's poetry into the story.
I recommend Lara's Gift to readers of all ages who love heartfelt dog stories, tales of other cultures and stories of strong girls who are true to themselves.
| 0 |
Amazing historical fiction. A window into the American Revolution from a well-educated slave's point of view.
| 0 |
A riveting story.
| 0 |
My long-time favorite...
| 0 |
It was a decent overview of the French Protestant from a more English (language) point of view (the majority of references were not French). There was little comparisson to other Protestant movements taking place which is appropriate for the work. However, such a contrast may have better highlighted the peculiarities that were the French reformation. Like many other works on the subject, it was treated from a largely political context. I personally would like to see something describing what the internal inactions that typified and energized the mouvement. Finally, it ended on a rather abrupt note leaving the reader with little closure.
| 0 |
Exciting historical account of a "minor" event that changed the course of history... One statement that I take issue with however is the author's editorial note on page 54 that "men of religion do not, as a rule, make great men of science." It is a well recorded fact that many of history's great scientists were not only men of religion but Christians. Therefore such a statement by the author must be one of deliberate ignorance : to record an historical account one must do much research but here it is nothing but an idel and unfounded remark.
| 0 |
An insider's eye opening account of life under Saddam's regime and what happened to the weapons of mass destruction.
| 0 |
Interesting perspective on the cultural and political history of Paris...from the historian's personal areas of fascination.
| 0 |
Inspirational and encouraging as one sees God's faithfulness throughout the troubled life of this man of God.
| 0 |
Indespensable lessons on faith and a view at the providential hand of God in the life a this man of faith and action!
| 0 |
The premise of the author's teaching on history was unique and relevant. Price gave pertinent facts strung together with clear logic. This is a great work of an observation of France's history without interpretation. However halfway through the work it became more or less a political history and he seemed to deviate from his original design. Nevertheless it is a book I will recommend to others for a accurate, clear and concise view of history.
| 0 |
Throughly enjoyed.
| 0 |
Really enjoyed her discussion on foreign policy goals impact on domestic issues. A very thought provoking book on the Cold War and Civil Rights movement in the US.
| 0 |
Very instrumental in my own research!
| 0 |
Amazing, beautiful, touching! I've read Jenny's blog for years now and find her honesty and compassion wonderful. In addition, she's hilarious and I laughed out loud throughout the book.
| 0 |
Great read! I loved learning the history of the battle at Franklin during the Civil War in this perspective. Although fiction, much research was done to bring the history to life.
| 0 |
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