The Gilmore Guide to Books

Connecting Books and Readers One Review at a Time

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
  • Podcast
  • Policies
    • Review Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy

A Star Called Henry

December 11, 2017

star

  There may be a lot about the reality of historical Ireland that I don’t like (being a woman and all), but fictionally, male Irish authors are some of the most lyrically gifted I’ve ever read. My longtime favorite was William Trevor (The Story of Lucy Gault, Death in Summer) and then this fall I added John Boyne (The Heart’s Invisible Furies, The Boy in the Striped ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 20th century, childhood, historical fiction, Ireland, Viking

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

December 4, 2017

boy

  Bruno is nine years old and lives with his parents and his annoying sister in Berlin. His father is a very important man in the German army and after his boss, the Fury comes to visit, Bruno and his family have to leave Berlin and move to a new home. Bruno is understandably upset—their home is a marvel of hidden rooms, places to hide and an amazing bannister for sliding ... Read More...

11 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: childhood, historical fiction, literary, Nazis, WWII, young adult

We Were the Lucky Ones

November 20, 2017

lucky

According to Polish law, a person of Jewish heritage belongs not to Poland but to a Jewish nation. Just when I think I have read as much fiction about the Holocaust as I need to, when I’m sure there can’t be another permutation of the horror and struggle for survival, I’m proven wrong. This time it was the gentle nudging of my blogging friend, Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves, ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, debut, family saga, Nazis, Viking, WWII

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett

September 27, 2017

column

  In the eyes of the church, the Bible was the most dangerous of all banned books...Priests said that ordinary people were unable to rightly interpret God's word, and needed guidance. Protestants said the Bible opened men's eyes to the errors of the priesthood. A Column of Fire is the third book in Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series and he goes big in this final ... Read More...

3 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 16th century, England, family saga, France, historical fiction, religion, Viking

The Good People: A Novel

September 20, 2017

good

  She felt as though her soul was grinding itself into powder under the weight of her own unhappiness. Nóra and her husband, Martin, are raising their dead daughter’s son because his father can’t. Four-year-old Micheál has some kind of sickness that has taken away his ability to walk or talk, even though he used to do both as a toddler. Now, he squawks and shrieks, ... Read More...

1 Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 19th century, book clubs, historical fiction, Ireland, literary, Little Brown and Company

The Last Tudor

August 14, 2017

tudor

  Just when I think I know all I need to know about the Tudors, Philippa Gregory writes another riveting piece of historical fiction about the family. And when her latest, The Last Tudor, ends I’m still thinking there should be one more book to come. I began The Last Tudor thinking it would be about either Henry’s only son, Edward or his cousins Mary and Elizabeth. I ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 16th century, England, historical fiction, royalty

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • …
  • 52
  • Next Page »
  • Bluesky
  • Email
  • Goodreads
  • Instagram
  • Substack

Save time and subscribe via email

No time to keep checking for new reviews? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Bookshop

Currently Reading

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
by Emily Nagoski
The Dutch House
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

goodreads.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I’m an affiliate for Bookshop. If you click on a link that takes you to their site and make a purchase I’ll earn a small fee, which goes towards the costs of maintaining this site. Your support is appreciated. Thank you!

Archives

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2026

Copyright © 2026 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in