Safe to say that April stayed more true to form than March, in that we had A LOT of rain, which is fine because now we have flowers everywhere. My reading was not quite so productive. I did have a 5 star winner with The Takedown, but beyond that I was stuck with hit or miss books. Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith: One of those novels ... Read More...
The Confessions of Young Nero
Who hasn’t heard some version of the phrase “Nero fiddled while Rome burned”? It’s long been the standard epitaph for any ruler so decadent and foolish that they were more interested in entertaining and enriching themselves than running a country. Hhhhmmm. Current similarities aside, Margaret George decides to investigate the life of Emperor Nero to see what, if any, of ... Read More...
Farewell, Dorothy Parker
Have you ever played the history game where you can choose points in history you’d like to visit? For me, the era of the Algonquin Round Table in Manhattan is one such time. Men of great wit and intelligence drinking cocktails and being dominated by one of the greatest wits of all: Dorothy Parker. Given that choice, finding Ellen Meister’s novel, Farewell, Dorothy Parker was ... Read More...
The Great Pearl Heist
I’m not usually a fan of true crime but if we’re talking about the theft of one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry in history, count me in. Molly Caldwell Crosby’s The Great Pearl Heist takes place in London in 1912, a time of great change in the world of crime. It was only in the late 1800s that New Scotland Yard had created a department of detectives, designed to solve ... Read More...
The Rhythm of Memory
Octavio met his beloved wife, Salomé, when she was 17, attending a convent school. He wooed her relentlessly despite her family’s objections to his low status and lack of any real means of supporting her. They marry anyway and with his good looks and charisma Octavio goes on to become one of the most well-known movie stars in Chile. Their life is blessed with three beautiful ... Read More...
