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 Well-Behaved Woman

October 17, 2018

behaved

The Vanderbilt family is one of the great success stories in American history. Author Therese Fowler picks up the line with the third generation in her novel, A Well-Behaved Woman. The woman in question is Alva Smith—a 21-year-old with a perfect pedigree, but no money. Teetering, in fact, on the edge of outright poverty, until her dear friend Consuelo (a Cuban sugar heiress), ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 19th century, historical fiction, Manhattan, St. Martin's Press, wealth, women

How Hard Can It Be?

June 11, 2018

hard

You know how sometimes you see a trailer for a movie and it is fantastic, then you go see the movie and realize all the best bits were in the trailer? The cover for How Hard Can It Be? is like that. Every woman I know who’s seen it has laughed out loud, but does that mean that what lies behind the cover is any good?  It’s the modern-day story of Kate Reddy, who after an absence ... Read More...

13 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, humor, marriage, midlife, St. Martin's Press

April Reading Recap

April 30, 2018

april

Don't faint, but I'm not going to complain about my reading this month! Nope. Suffice it to say, April was a month of more highs than lows. It was also one for the record books. I read more non-fiction this month than I have all year. Thanks to super recommendations from bloggers I trust and the Seattle Public Library’s Peak Picks program  (every branch has limited copies of ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, cookbook, historical fiction, lists, mini-reviews, social issues

Where’s an Editor When You Need One?: Mini-Reviews

April 6, 2018

editor

  We’ve all read novels by authors who have a way with words, know how to shape a sentence, generate tension…all the good stuff, right? But what about when that good stuff keeps going and going until what felt like a perfect balance turns into words and plot piling on unchecked? I’m left either annoyed or crushed under the weight of too much verbiage. It’s at that point ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1950s, Blue Rider Press, childhood, contemporary life, fantasy, historical fiction, Italy, marriage, mini-reviews, political intrigue, St. Martin's Press

The Coincidence Makers

March 5, 2018

coincidence

  He always loved this warm sensation, which nearly permeated the bone, during the minute preceding the execution of a mission. It was the sensation that came from knowing he was about to reach out a finger and nudge the planet, or the heavens. The knowledge that he would be diverting things from their regular and familiar path, things that until a second ago were ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, fantasy, life, St. Martin's Press

The Great Alone

February 16, 2018

great

  Well, this is a little bit awkward. I’m one of the hordes of readers who raved about Hannah’s last book, The Nightingale, and yet I have to report that with only 80 pages left (out of over 400) I abandoned her latest, The Great Alone. I had simply gone as far with the novel as I was able to go and despite being in the midst of some high drama I didn’t care what happened ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: coming-of-age, mental health, social issues, St. Martin's Press, teen years

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • …
  • 13
  • 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