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I Was Anastasia: A Novel

March 28, 2018

anastasia

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon achieves quite a feat—taking a subject about which there is no longer any mystery and making it mysterious. Thanks to DNA testing, it is now known that Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia died with the rest of her family in the summer of 1918, slaughtered by the Communists in the basement of a house in the town of Ekaterinburg. But, for ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 20th century, Doubleday, historical fiction, mystery, Russia

White Houses

March 7, 2018

white

Lenora Hickok was a formidable woman for her time. In fact, she’d probably still be considered a formidable woman. From a childhood of deprivation and abuse she went on to become a renowned reporter, which in the 1930s, was a huge achievement in and of itself. In 1928 she interviewed Eleanor Roosevelt for Life magazine, went on to cover Eleanor’s part in her husband’s 1932 ... Read More...

11 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1940s, historical fiction, Random House, women

Song of a Captive Bird

February 19, 2018

song

Remember its flight, for the bird is mortal.  -Forugh Farrokhzhad I was looking forward to learning about a time and culture, far away from my own, but I never thought I’d be so thoroughly seduced by Jasmin Darznik’s debut novel, Song of a Captive Bird. It is a fictionalized account of Forugh Farrokhzhad, the first woman in Iran to defy her country’s cultural bias and ... Read More...

1 Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: Ballantine, book clubs, cultural, debut, historical fiction, Iran, literary, women

January Reading Wrap-Up

January 31, 2018

january

  It may be a new year, but my 2018 reading is starting off much like 2017—disappointing new releases and powerhouse backlist books. I bought Sarah’s Reading Tracker so am hoping to be able to quantify my reading missteps and make better choices. Until then, here’s what worked and didn’t work in January.   I’m able and willing to read novels with multiple ... Read More...

12 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: historical fiction, lists, mini-reviews, mystery, Viking

The English Wife by Lauren Willig

January 17, 2018

english

At a time when much of my reading seems centered on dystopia, trauma, or pathos it’s welcome to read a novel that is simply enjoyable. No hard thinking or difficult emotions to process, just a well-constructed story that you can settle into. It isn’t as easy as it sounds because often this kind of book can be badly written or just written without enough thought and so has gaps ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: historical fiction, mystery, St. Martin's Press

December Reading Wrap-Up

December 28, 2017

december

  So ends December and 2017! It was not an easy year. Initially, books didn’t even help but eventually reading became my escape again (to the tune of 183 books read). 2017 ended strong with November providing me with some of my favorite books of all time. December was a bit more hit or miss, with what I read below. You can check out my favorites for the year here and ... Read More...

11 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: debut, historical fiction, lists, mini-reviews, mystery, thriller

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