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This Other Eden

February 21, 2023

other eden

In 1911 there was a small island off the coast of Maine comprised of a group of families who were the descendants of the island’s original 1792 settlers—an escaped slave, his Irish wife, and later, other refugees from society. The island is still there, but its inhabitants are long gone. Paul Harding’s novel, This Other Eden, is the elegiac recounting of their history, lives, ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, historical fiction, literary

Exit the Actress: A Novel

February 10, 2023

exit

I’m sticking with historical fiction this week. Monday was mythological history with Stone Blind but now I’ve got a real bit of history set in 17th century England.  Exit the Actress is by Priya Parmar and is the story of Ellen Gwynn, a poor commoner in 1600s London who goes on to become one of the world’s first celebrities and King Charles II’s longest lasting affair. Both ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 17th century, England, historical fiction

The Book of Everlasting Things

January 27, 2023

everlasting

The Book of Everlasting Things is a multigenerational debut spanning the globe from India to Europe. Initially set in Lahore, India in the 1930s and 40s the novel encompasses 70 years in the lives of one Hindu boy and one Muslim girl. Two children, who despite different backgrounds, grow into love only to have it, and their lives, shattered when Great Britain partitions part of ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: cultural, debut, historical fiction, India, religion, world war II

2022 Wrap-Up

January 5, 2023

2022

I started 2023 strong with The Light Pirate, a book I found riveting, but before I go full bore into the year, I need to wrap up 2022 as I read a lot more books (180 to be exact) and never reviewed some of them. I’m also going to do something I’ve never done before: recommend a book without a real review, just a sentence or two. Basically, you take my word for it that this is a ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: book clubs, historical fiction, literary, mini-reviews

Best Books of 2022

December 29, 2022

best books

  I’m going to cut to the chase: it was a challenging year for my reading. Not due to a lack of options, I just lost my reading mojo for a while. However, there were 8 books that broke through my broken brain and gave me all the pleasure I look for in my reading. If you got gift cards for Christmas, buying any of these will ensure book happiness. There’s no particular ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, favorite books, historical fiction, memoir

2022 Underrated Gems

December 26, 2022

gems

Nothing like waiting until the last week of the year to put out best-of lists. Today I want to share five gems that I adored that didn’t get as much love and attention as they deserve. Hopefully, you got gift cards and pick up at least one of these remarkable novels.   Title links go to my full review     This debut novel from a Native American author ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, favorite books, historical fiction, literary, mini-reviews

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