Readin' and Dreamin'

Obedience by Jacqueline Yallop

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

Obedience was short book, but still contained an intense, gripping story.

The story switches back and forth between Nazi occupied France during WWII and France in the present day. The story is also told from a few different perspectives, but the story is mostly about Sister Bernard. The book is about Bernard's short affair with a Nazi solider during the war, and the consequences it caused.

The present day story is of a 93 year old Bernard who, along with two other nuns, are being evacuated from an old rundown convent. We see she still struggles with what happened over sixty years ago.

Even with all the flashbacks to the war, I still felt like we didn't see everything, and this was on purpose, I suspect. After I finished the book, I didn't feel like I had a good grip on that part of the story. And with the present day story, some of the story lines almost felt unfinished, but not in a frustrating way. We are left to fill in the blanks.

A lot of the religious stuff flew over my head, but one of the things I got is that Sister Bernard felt god had been speaking to her, and then he stopped. She spent many a year trying to figure out why he stopped, what she had done, etc. I felt bad for her, but I'm not sure why I felt bad for her – because she thought god had been speaking to her or because she felt abandoned by him. Most of the people she came across in the story seemed to be doing the former.

A well told story, definitely. It was a fast read, but did not lack in quality.

The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

I've never read The Robber Bridegroom, which inspired this work. From what I've read via summary: The Robber Bridegroom lures three different maidens and 'devours' them, whatever that means. In Atwood's contemporary novel The Robber Bride, she introduces the character of Zenia, who purposely ruins the lives of three friends: Tony, Charis and Roz. Among other things, she tries (and sometimes succeeds) in taking their men.

The way the novel was told was interesting (and sometimes long-winded). We see through the eyes of Tony, Charis and Roz, but never through Zenia's. She remains a mystery until the end.

The novels starts out on the day the three friends see Zenia after years (and thinking that the woman is dead and cremated). We see that day through each of the three women's eyes, what they did leading up to, etc. Then, we find out each of the three women's history with Zenia, how she intertwined herself into each of their lives.

What was masterfully done, is that as the friends (separately) confront Zenia at the end, we still don't know about the woman. We don't know what she's said was true or what was made up. She's an enigma, a sociopath, a compulsive liar. There was absolutely nothing good about the woman.

The characters of Tony, Charis and Roz are interesting. They are all completely different people, but are united because of Zenia. Otherwise, they might never have been friends. They meet often for lunch, having formed a support group of sorts.

They are a bunch of side characters, but they're not as fleshed out. Basically, it's the story of four women. It's about relationships between women, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The Robber Bride is a fascinating portrayal of how one person can come into our lives and completely turn it upside down. It's a great character-driven story. At first, I didn't know if it was going to be worth it, but as I got into the women's backgrounds with Zenia, I became engrossed. I couldn't believe the character of Zenia. I hope I never come across a Zenia in my life.

Top Ten Favorite Historical M/M Romances

2012-01-24T00:20:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is a freebie, so for my subject I chose Top Ten Favorite Historical M/M Romances.

I know, I know, where the hell did this come from? I've been reading these for months, now, but have never reviewed them here on the blog. I've reviewed historical gay literature, but never the romances. I use these for enjoyment, and while I might write a few words on goodreads, I'd rather not feel obligated to write up a whole review.

This started as a "oh, this is interesting," to a full-blown obsession after I started getting sick of historical romances that feature heterosexual couples. It's nice to read a well-written romance without having to worry about gender roles and all that. Not to mention, they're great escapism. Now, onto the list!

Counterpoint by Ruth Sims - This book is more of a mix of romance and historical fiction, with a twist, of course.
One More Soldier by Marie Sexton - Ok, this one broke me. It's about an 18 year old man who has been drafted to Vietnam. During the span of two weeks, before he's shipped off, he's trying to live a whole life. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it. This is more of a novella.
Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen - This is such a well-written book. It takes place during 1919 New York, and is about two men: one who's trying to keep his shop afloat after the death of his family and the other who left his home in Kansas after being expelled from school for having a relationship with a male teacher. Both are WWI vets, and both are trying to overcome their own demons.
The Only Gold by Tamara Allen - I really love this author. This time she writes is 1880s New York. Johan has worked long and hard at his job at a bank, and is expecting a promotion, only to be passed over in favor of a newcomer: Reid. The two clash at first, but that doesn't last long. There's some great action towards the end, too.
If It Ain't Love by Tamara Allen - Have I mentioned I love this author? This is a great novella, and the best part about it is: it's free to download. I highly recommend it. Give it a try! Here's one place to download it.
The Gentleman and the Rogue by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon - These two have written five m/m romance together and I've read all except the latest. They write great stuff.
Mere Mortals by Erastes - Another great author in the genre. This was an interesting one: a typical gothic romance, except with a gay twist.
An Admirer by Megan Derr - Derr is a HUGE favorite, and I'm slowly making my way through her work. I love her stories because they all take place in a fantasy world where their is no discrimination for being gay. This is a novella about a plain young man going to University to become a mage, who discovers letters from a secret admirer in his post box. It's very sweet.
Bound by Deception by Ava March - Argh, I only had to pick one March book, so I picked this one, which is the first of a great trilogy. Contains some bdsm, which I'm not into with my romances, but it's really not bad in her books.
A Young Man in Paris by Sophia Deri-Brown - A short one, but it's such quality. About two young expatriates in Paris.

Mailbox Monday 01.23.12

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted this month by At Home With Books.

Love and war converge in this lush, epic story of a young woman’s struggle with life and love during and after the Second Empire (1860–1871), an era that was absinthe-soaked, fueled by railway money and prostitution, and transformed by cataclysmic social upheaval.

Eugénie R., born in France’s foie gras country, follows the man she loves to Paris, but soon finds herself marooned, pregnant, and penniless. She gives birth to a daughter she is forced to abandon and spends the next ten years fighting to get her back. An outcast, Eugénie takes to the streets, navigating her way up from ruin and charting the treacherous waters of sexual commerce. Along the way she falls in love with an artist, a woman, and a revolutionary. The capital, the gleaming center of art and civilization in Europe, is enjoying its final years of wanton prosperity before galloping headlong into the Franco-Prussian War. For Eugénie it is a conflicted landscape—grisly, evocative, and addictive. As the gates of the city close against the advancing army, Eugénie must make a decision between past and present—between the people she loves most.

The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R. is a testament to the power of love, friendship, and the art of self-creation.

Release date: March 27th.

It is 1923. Evangeline (Eva) English and her sister Lizzie are missionaries heading for the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar. Though Lizzie is on fire with her religious calling, Eva’s motives are not quite as noble, but with her green bicycle and a commission from a publisher to write A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar, she is ready for adventure.

In present day London, a young woman, Frieda, returns from a long trip abroad to find a man sleeping outside her front door. She gives him a blanket and a pillow, and in the morning finds the bedding neatly folded and an exquisite drawing of a bird with a long feathery tail, some delicate Arabic writing, and a boat made out of a flock of seagulls on her wall. Tayeb, in flight from his Yemeni homeland, befriends Frieda and, when she learns she has inherited the contents of an apartment belonging to a dead woman she has never heard of, they embark on an unexpected journey together.

Released date: May 22nd.

When former infantry officer Laurence Bartram arrives in the village of Easton Deadall, he is struck by the beauty of the place: a crumbling stately home; a centuries-old church; and a work-in-progress memorial to the village's soldiers, almost all of whom died in one heroic battle in 1916.

Now the Great War is over, and the rest of the country is newly alight with hope, but the village remains haunted by tragedy. As does the Easton family: in 1911, five-year-old Kitty Easton disappeared from her bed and has not been seen since; only her fragile mother still believes she is alive. While Laurence is a guest of the Eastons, a young maid in service vanishes--a sinster echo of Kitty's disappearance. And when an unknown woman's body is discovered at the entrance of an ancient underground labyrinth, Laurence is drawn into the shadows where family secrets fester, and more than one life may be at stake.

Sequel to The Return of Captain John Emmett. Release date: June 26th.

The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

Basically what we have here is the story of Sobran Jodeau who – as a young man – comes across a male angel named Xas one night in his family's vineyard. Starting the next year in 1809, they meet on the same day, at the same place, every year.

We see the relationship between Sobran and Xas grow, then change, all the while seeing the relationships Sobran has with the people in his life. But who cares about them. The relationship between Sobran and Xas is both beautiful and heartbreaking - the up and the downs. And the downs are dramatic; and the ups are beautiful. The writing is likewise. Such gorgeous descriptions and emotional dialogue.

And I knew the end would be sad. I'm telling you right now, be prepared if you ever set out to read this. Let me put this was: Xas, being an angel, never ages. Xas is always a beautiful young man. Sobran, however, being human, ages. So, think about that for a minute.

I don't know if I'm even making sense right now, but for such a short book, there was so much packed into it. I could have finished it in a day or two, but that wouldn't have been fair. I also think that would have been too much for me because it's such an emotional story. I prefer to have my heart wrung out slowly rather than all at once.

There's nothing for me to even compare this to, so I wouldn't know who to recommend this to. It's part historical fiction, part fantasy, part romance. It can't be classified. It was an incredibly unique, emotionally gripping story that should only be read by eyes that can appreciate it.

Mailbox Monday 01.16.12

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted this month by At Home With Books.

Set in Sicily in the early eighteenth century, The Silent Duchess is the story of Marianna Ucrìa, the daughter of an aristocratic family and the victim of a mysterious childhood trauma that has left her deaf and mute, trapped in a world of silence. Set apart from the world by her disability, Marianna searches for knowledge and fulfillment in a society where women face either forced marriages and endless childbearing or a life of renunciation within the walls of a convent. When she is just thirteen years old, Marianna is forced to marry her own aging uncle. Her status and wealth as a duchess cannot protect her from many of the horrors of that time: she witnesses her mother’s decline due to her addiction to opium and snuff and her father’s cruelly misguided religious piety as he participates in the hanging of a young boy. She watches helplessly as her four-year-old son dies of smallpox and her youngest daughter is married off at the age of twelve. It is not until the death of her “uncle-husband” that Marianna at last gains freedom from her life of subservience: she learns to manage her estates and to love a man as she had never loved her husband, and she also learns of the unspeakable events that led to her lifelong silence. In luminous language that conveys both the keen visual sight and the deep human insight possessed by her remarkable main character, Dacia Maraini captures the splendor and the corruption of Marianna’s world and the strength of her spirit. The Silent Duchess is the timeless story of one woman’s struggle to find her own voice after years of silence.

Bought.

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

This is the first book I've read about Catherine the Great – fiction or non. I watched a documentary about her some years back, but I can barely remember it. So, my knowledge of the woman is dismal.

The book is called The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great, but really, it's not. First off, Catherine, or Sophie as she's first called, doesn't appear until a ways into the book. And she doesn't become empress until, oh, 90% in. The book is really about a young Polish woman named Barbara, who is trained in spying for the Empress Elizabeth, and eventually becomes Catherine's friend.

Most of the book takes place during the reign of Empress Elizabeth, and I ended up learning more about her than Catherine. Not complaining, but the title of the book is a misrepresentation, I think.

I liked that the narrator of the book was a Polish woman. I haven't come across a lot of those in historical fiction. We never really got to know her, though. Even though we spend the entire book with her, we never got a look at her real emotions.

Nevertheless, the book was a great look into a time and people that so rarely get represented in this genre. Great Britain? France? Done and done. Russia was a refreshing change. And the drama and intrigue surrounding the imperial family was accurately represented. Cheese and rice, you never knew if you were being overheard or watched. Oh, and that secret hiding place you have for your letters and trinkets? Yeah, not so secret. I would have felt suffocated.

I was satisfied with the ending. And while some parts of the book seemed to drag on and on, I did like it. Recommended to historical fiction fans who want a change.

Mailbox Monday 01.09.12

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted this month by At Home With Books.

After a meteoric ascent on Broadway that began with Ziegfeld's 1910 Follies, Lillian Lorraine went on to become one of the most famous entertainers in America. Her passionately lived life made her a prime target for the tabloid gossip doyens of the day. This biography recounts the early West Coast life of this superstar as well as her coronation on Broadway, her work in silent film, and her sexual liaisons that helped her gain her notoriety. It also covers her eventual disappearance from public life, her alcoholism and her death, which went largely unnoticed. She was buried in 1955 in a pauper's grave. The book includes first-hand personal anecdotes and observations from recently discovered tapes, which were recorded by a confidant of Lorraine's.

Won from LibraryThing.

The Last Nude by Ellis Avery

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

I received a review copy of this novel from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinions.

The Last Nude is a beautiful novel that reads fast, but does not lack in quality.

Most of the novel is set in 1927 Paris told from the point-of-view of Rafaela Fano, and 17-year-old Italian American. While it was written in the first person, it sometimes felt like third person because Rafaela wasn't a reliable narrator. She choose what she does and does not see and convinces herself of things that are not true.

In 1927 Rafaela meets painter Tamara de Lempicka and agrees to pose for her. She inspires a number of Lempicka's paintings, but the most famous one is the first one she paints: Beautiful Rafaela. The Last Nude is what the author imagines the relationship between the painter and her muse was like.

Rafaela fashions herself in love with Tamara, but soon reality comes crashing down around her.

The second part of the story, which is only about the last 50 pages or so, is told from the point-of-view of an elderly Tamara, now living in Mexico in the 1970s. At this point in her life, Tamara is about as a reliable narrator as a 17-year-old Rafaela. So, I realize, we may not even be getting the whole story. There's still some mystery there.

I was incredibly engrossed in the story, thanks to the effortless prose and immersible story. Even some of the side characters were irresistible. Although, there were one or two who I would have liked to have known what happened to them.

A great between-the-wars story that had three main characters: Rafaela, Tamara, and Paris. Recommended.

My Reading Goals For 2012

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a good New Years. Mine was boring, but I'm ready to start a whole new year of reading!

Last year was not a good year for me as far as challenges went. I'm being more realistic this year and joined just three challenges that I have a good chance of finishing.

Historical Fiction Challenge 2012
Victorian Challenge 2012
War Through the Generations Challenge 2012

Some of the challenges I joined last year I knew I wouldn't finished, but I couldn't stop myself from joining. These three seem good, yes?

I'm also challenging myself to read 100 books using the nifty Reading Challenge thingy over at Goodreads. I did this last year as well, and went well over my goal. I hope to go over my goal again, but it's nice to have a solid number to shoot for.

2012 Reading Challenge

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This is also located over on my sidebar.

What about you guys? Did you set realistic reading goals for yourselves this year?

The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

Miss Lucy Derrick is a young woman in Regency England who is living with her uncle, who does not want her there. And trust me, she does not want to be there either, but she has no choice. While there, a particular ordinary day becomes extraordinary when a deranged young man arrives at her uncle's door, demanding Lucy's audience. He tells her not to marry the man she's engaged to, a Mr. Olsen, and then proceeds to collapse.

This sets off a series of events that changes Lucy's life forever, changes that she might not particularly want. She finds herself caught up in a dangerous predicament that involves more than just her.

Magical realism, done right, works well with historical fiction. We're still shown the sign of the times, while also witnessing some extraordinary events. The Twelfth Enchantment seamlessly weaves real historic events and people with magic.

The characters were well drawn out. All of them, besides Lucy, seemed to be not what they seemed. The true mystery was who was good and who was bad. And, in some cases, who was an actual person and who wasn't.

And Lucy was a strong character, yet flawed, which made her real. Sometimes she overestimated herself, sometimes she underestimated herself. In the end, she found who she really was.

2011 Challenge Wrap-Up

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

Ok, 2011 was not a good year for me with challenges. I completed a whole ONE challenge. Hopefully, 2012 will be better.

Victorian Literature Challenge 2011 I picked the level to read 5-9 books. I read two. Not a total waste, though. It got me to read two books I had been wanting to.

Georgette Heyer 2011 Reading Challenge I only had to read three Heyer books for this. This should have been easy, but I only read one book. Oye.

Italy in Books Reading Challenge 2011 I had to read 12 books for this, and I knew that wasn't getting done. I joined it, however, to motivate me to read more books (fiction and non) about Italy.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011 The only challenge I completed in 2011, but it wasn't really a challenge seeing as how historical fiction is my preferred genre. I went well over the set limit.

I thought I was safe only joining four challenges, but alas, I was a failure. I've only joined three challenges, so far, for 2012, and maybe that should be it.

The God in Flight by Laura Argiri

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-06:00

The God in Flight was melodramatic, sappy, exaggerated, disgustingly romantic, and overdone. And I loved every flippin' minute of it. I mean, really, it was your typically done gothic romance where the protagonists meet every obstacle but the kitchen sink before they can find happiness. It's the story of two damaged souls who try to find peace together only to find opposition from the outside world. The only difference of this gothic romance from the others is that The God in Flight is the story of two men instead of a man and a woman.

Most of the story takes place at Yale University in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Simion Satterwhite has escaped his abusive father and suffocating hometown to fulfill his dream of going to Yale. 30-year-old Greek-born Doriskos Klionarios was sent to Yale as an art professor by his English adoptive father after a scandal involving a student at Oxford. They eventually find themselves drawn together by feelings bigger than themselves.

Of course, this is scandalous, but they maintain a peaceful existence together in Doriskos' home for a while. Obviously, this doesn't last long, and everything hits the fan. Seriously, these two go through the ringer. The author showed no mercy and, I admit, I was scared of what would happen to the two by the end.

If you do not like dramatics and sappy love stories then I recommend steering clear of this. Reading through the reviews of the book, both good and bad, I knew it was the kind of book for me, and I was right. I took my time with it. I could have read it over the course of a few days, if I let myself. However, I took to only reading it at night, when everything was quiet, because I felt it was appropriate to the book. The God in Flight was an interesting experience, one I may want to partake of again.

Mailbox Monday 12.19.11

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted this month by Let Them Read Books.

It's the summer of 1927, and young Daphne du Maurier has traveled to Thornleigh Manor to attend the wedding of her good friend, Ellen, who is set to marry her beau, Teddy. Having met in the midst of the chaos and calamity of wartime, the lovers were brutally separated years before by family objections, but have since reunited. But when Teddy is found murdered just after the wedding, and Ellen is accused of the crime, Daphne and the dashing Major Browning must uncover the truth before all is lost.

Won.

When Daphne Duvallon left New Orleans in the middle of her own wedding and ran away to New York, she vowed never to return to the land of her ancestors. Now she has come back to the South, to Natchez, Mississippi, a city as mysterious and compelling as the ghostly voices that haunt Daphne's dreams. A hasty visit to play the harp at her brother's wedding becomes an unexpected rendezvous with destiny when she meets Simon Hopkins, a nationally renowned nature photographer with dark secrets of his own. For the first time in years Daphne knows what she wants--until shadows from another life that cannot forget or forgive threaten to silence the music in her life and destroy her only real chance for happiness.

From NetGalley. Release date: March 1st.

Put on trial by her slaveholder husband and convicted of madness by a Virginia judge, Iris Dunleavy is sent to Sanibel Asylum to be restored to a good wife. But Iris knows her husband is the true criminal; she is no lunatic, only guilty of violating Southern notions of property.

A pompous superintendent heads this asylum populated by wonderful characters, including his self-diagnosing twelve-year-old son, a woman who swallows anything in sight, and Ambrose Weller, a Confederate soldier whose memories terrorize him into wild fits that can only be calmed by the color blue, but whose gentleness and dark eyes beckon to Iris.

The institution calls itself modern, but Iris is skeptical of its methods, particularly the dreaded water treatment. In this isolated place, she finds love with Ambrose. But can she take him with her if she escapes? Will there be anything for them to make a life from, back home?

Blue Asylum is the rich, absorbing story of a spirited woman, a wounded soldier, their impossible love, and the call of freedom.

From NetGalley. Release date: April 10th.

Historical Fiction Challenge 2012

2011-12-17T00:08:00.000-06:00

Hosted over at Historical Tapestry.

Here's the rundown:

Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:
everyone can participate, even those who don't have a blog (you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish)
add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review)
any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,...)
During these following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:
Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
Struggling the Addiction: 10 books
Daring & Curious: 5 books
Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books

I'm going with Severe Bookaholism again this year.

My books:

Victorian Challenge 2012

2011-12-14T13:25:00.000-06:00

Hosted over at Laura's Reviews.

Here's the deal:

1. The Victorian Challenge 2012 will run from January 1st to December 31st, 2012. You can post a review before this date if you wish.

2. You can read a book, watch a movie, or listen to an audiobook, anything Victorian related that you would like. Reading, watching, or listening to a favorite Victorian related item again for the second, third, or more time is also allowed. You can also share items with other challenges.

3. The goal will be to read, watch, listen, to 2 to 6 (or beyond) anything Victorian items.

So, I tried a Victorian challenge in 2011 and failed miserably, so I'm trying again with a different one. I'm including the list I put up last year, as I hope to get to some of these eventually.

Possible candidates:

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Consuelo by George Sand
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
Washington Square by Henry James
The First Violin by Jessie Fothergill
Miss Marjoribanks by Margaret Oliphant

Mailbox Monday 12.12.11

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted this month by Let Them Read Books.

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

For almost a century, Imperial Russia has captivated the imagination— the ruthless execution of the royal family, the disputed survival of the heir: it’s a cinematic chaos that the masterful Dora Levy Mossanen unravels for her readers. Taking readers deep into tarnished grandeur, The Last Romanov follows Darya, a wise old beauty whose time spent with the Imperial family has haunted her entire life. When the murderous events unfold, Darya is plagued by the prophecy made by the Empress’s advisor, Rasputin. She must find the missing Tsarevich Alexis Romanov and restore the monarchy or risk losing her own life.

From NetGalley. Release date: April 1st.

In the 1890s, New York City was America’s financial, manufacturing, and entertainment capital, and also its preferred destination for sin, teeming with forty thousand prostitutes, glittery casinos, and all-night dives. Police captains took hefty bribes to see nothing while reformers writhed in frustration.

In Island of Vice, Richard Zacks paints a vivid portrait of the lewd underbelly of 1890s New York, and of Theodore Roosevelt, the puritanical, cocksure police commissioner resolved to clean it up. Writing with great wit and zest, Zacks explores how young Roosevelt goes head to head with Tammany Hall, takes midnight rambles with muckraker Jacob Riis, and tries to convince two million New Yorkers to enjoy wholesome family fun. When Roosevelt’s crackdown succeeds too well, even his supporters turn on him, and TR discovers that New York loves its sin more than its salvation.

With cameos by Stephen Crane, Mark Twain, and a horde of very angry cops, Island of Vice is an unforgettable snapshot of turn-of-the-century New York in all its seedy glory and a brilliant miniature of one of America’s most colorful presidents.

From publisher. Release date: March 13th.

And not a book, but I got my brand-new nook last week!

I've named it Brontë after the Brontë sisters!

Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

Shelley is a young widow who has been in mourning for her dead husband Max for three years. On one particular day, Shelley gets a knock on the door. On the other side is a man named Paolo, who informs her that Max is his grandfather... 32 year old Max. Wait, what? Is this a hoax or is something extraordinary going on? And that's not even the whole deal: Max is alive. Needless to say, Shelley loses consciousness for a few minutes. I mean, wouldn't you?

This meeting with Paolo sets her off on a trip to the other side of the world. On her way, she recounts to Paolo how she met Max five years ago on a tour of the continent, in which he was the tour guide. As the story progresses, a mystery is uncovered and love is tested.

This was such a wonderfully beautiful, unique story: part historical; part contemporary; part fantasy. I couldn't stop reading enough to just savor it. I was so swept up in the writing and the story – there was never a dull moment! Guh, I can't even take it. It's amazing I even got to sleep after I finished, the story was still buzzing around in my head. What an imagination this author has! I can't wait to read any of her future work.

Top Ten Tuesday 12.06.11

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Childhood Faves.

Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar - I was obsessed with this book. I remember reading it so much that the cover fell off. I still remember some of the stories even though it's been years. I plan on rereading it someday.
The Witches by Roald Dahl - I remember rereading this a few times. The whole story just enchanted me. I remember also loving the film.
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh - I loved this book so much that I made my own spy notebook and went around writing everything I saw and heard.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner - I remember wanting my own boxcar to live in!
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary - I actually remember the film more than the book, but I loved the story.
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey - This was a popular book in my family because the story takes place in Boston. My sister and I each had our own copy. I still have it!
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks - Another book whose film I remember more than the book. Again, I loved the story.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - Read this a few times as a kid, and always cried at the end.
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell - I vaguely recall the story, but I know that it cracked me up.
Freckle Juice by Jude Blume - Same as above, really.

Honorable mentions to the Nancy Drew, Goosebumps, Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High series!

Mailbox Monday 12.05.11

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted this month by Let Them Read Books.

While Rowena Cherwood did not go around boasting of it, she had a tidy legacy from her parents. Free to choose the life she wanted, and unwilling to live with her overbearing aunt, she accepted a position as Lady Bradwell’s companion.

A spinster of twenty-seven, Rowena gave little thought to marriage — until Lyn Bradwell, Lady Bradwell’s long absent son, returned to England. Their chemistry was immediate — and fiery.

Love was the last thing on Rowena’s mind — or Lyn’s. Lady Bradwell, impatient for her companion’s happiness and her son’s, wondered how long it would be before her companion and her son would open their eyes.

ebook won from LibraryThing.

In the turbulent years of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, three poets—Byron, Shelley, and Keats—come to prominence, famous and infamous, for their vivid personalities, and their glamorous, shocking, and sometimes tragic lives. In this electrifying novel, those lives are explored through the eyes of the women who knew and loved them—intensely, scandalously.

Four women from widely different backgrounds are linked by a sensational fate. Mary Shelley: the gifted daughter of gifted parents, for whom passion leads to exile, loss, and a unique fame. Lady Caroline Lamb: born to fabulous wealth and aristocratic position, who risks everything for the ultimate love affair. Fanny Brawne: her quiet, middle-class girlhood is transformed—and immortalized—by a disturbing encounter with genius. Augusta Leigh: the unassuming poor relation who finds herself flouting the greatest of all taboos.

With the originality, richness, and daring of the poets themselves, Passion presents the Romantic generation in a new and unforgettable light.

Early Christmas present from a friend.

The Lady of the Butterflies by Fiona Mountain

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to read Lady of the Butterflies for about a year and was afraid that I had built up the book too much in my head. When I finished reading, I realized that it was well worth the wait.

Lady of the Butterflies is about a woman who really existed: Eleanor Glanville, who was a Entomologist in the 17th century who studied butterflies. The book was part historical fiction, part romance, with Eleanor falling deeper and deeper in love with Richard Glanville, best friend of her husband Edmund.

Another relationship that this book focused on was Eleanor's friendship with James Petiver, who she corresponded with about the study of butterflies. Out of all the characters in this book, James was my favorite. I loved his passion for learning, he won my heart right away.

Of course, this being the 17th century, the term 'witch' was thrown about and anyone (especially a woman) who did anything out of the ordinary was labeled one. All it took was one person to start the rumor and it took off like wildfire. Unfortunately, this happened to Eleanor, all because of her love of butterflies and nature. It made me mad that a woman couldn't take up an interest without people thinking she's batty.

The book dragged in places, but I never lost interest. By the end, I was sobbing like a baby by a absolutely heartbreaking scene. I was content with the ending, which was both happy and heartbreaking.

Historical liberties were taken, such as the character of Richard - which from my brief research - who was abusive and out of his freakin' mind, but in the book he was a more romantic character who had bouts of a dark personality. That seemed to be the only thing that bothered me, but I managed to focus on this fictional version of Richard.

Very satisfying historical fiction book about a very strong and intelligent woman.

War Through the Generations Challenge 2012

2011-11-28T19:08:00.000-06:00

Hosted over at the War Through the Generations blog.

Here's the rundown:

War Through the Generation’s 2012 reading challenge will be World War I. The challenge will run from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012.

Rules:

This year you have options when reading your fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. with the WWI as the primary or secondary theme.

Books can take place before, during, or after the war, so long as the conflicts that led to the war or the war itself are important to the story. Books from other challenges count so long as they meet the above criteria.

Dip: Read 1-3 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.

Wade: Read 4-10 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.

Swim: Read 11 or more books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.

Additionally, we’ve decided that since there are so many great movies out there about WWI, you can substitute or add a movie or two to your list this year and have it count toward your totals.

I picked the first level Dip, but I hope to read more than three books. This is my first year doing this challenge! The subject of WWI peeked my interests.

Possible candidates:

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
Regeneration by Pat Barker
The Beauty and the Sorrow by Peter Englund
The Boy I Love by Marion Husband
A Woman's Experience in the Great War by Louise Mack
William, an Englishman by Cicely Hamilton
Oh, That I Had Wings by Sarah Pawley
The War Workers by E.M. Delafield

Mailbox Monday 11.28.11

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted this month by Marcia's Mailbox.

One summer night in 1808, Sobran Jodeau sets out to drown his love sorrows in his family's vineyard when he stumbles on an angel. Once he gets over his shock, Sobran decides that Xas, the male angel, is his guardian sent to counsel him on everything from marriage to wine production. But Xas turns out to be a far more mysterious character. Compelling and erotic, The Vintner's Luck explores a decidedly unorthodox love story as Sobran eventually comes to love and be loved by both Xas and the young Countess de Valday, his friend and employer at the neighboring chateau.

Bought.

While England Sleeps by David Leavitt

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, when I finish a book, I loved it so much that I have to write a review right away, However, sometimes, a book affects me so, that I need a few days to decompress. This is the latter.

While England Sleeps takes place in 1930s Europe. It's told from the point of view of Brian Botsford, an upper class amateur writer, and tells of the relationship he has with Edward Phelan, a working class boy and Communist.

That's all you're getting out of me as far as a summary, because this a book one needs to experience with only the vaguest of preconceived notions. Because nothing can prepare you for getting your heart ripped out and stomped on. Ok, I'm being over dramatic, but when I finished and closed the book, that's what I felt happened to me.

Oh, the author is a cruel person for doing this to me, I thought. I couldn't stop sobbing at one point. I get it, though. While England Sleeps is incredibly realistic and those are stories that get me emotional – the ones that could quite possibly have happened.

In the days following my finishing this book, I found the story popping back into my head at random times. I've had to tell myself not to get all choked up again. Cripes, I have to keep telling myself that this damn book was fiction.

I checked this book out from the library, but now I have to buy my own copy, so I can randomly open it and torture myself at odd times.

Damn this book.

Top Ten Tuesday 11.22.11

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Authors I Want At My Thanksgiving Dinner.

So, it didn't say we couldn't include dead authors, so I'm having at it. Mostly because the majority of my list will probably be dead folks.

Oscar Wilde - Wit, thy name is Oscar. Guaranteed not to be a dull party with Mr. Wilde at attendance.
Natalie Clifford Barney - The woman hosted a salon in Paris for 60 years, for Bob's sake!
Virginia Woolf
J.K. Rowling - Can't leave out Queen Rowling!
Anne Brontë - Ok, so I made myself only pick one Brontë, and I picked Anne. Charlotte and Emily might make me feel a bit intimated, not to mention Emily would be rather gloomy. I imagine Anne would be much more lively and talkative.
Margaret Atwood
Christina Rossetti
E.M. Forster
Sylvia Plath
Angela Carter

The ones without descriptions all have the same reason: they'd make for good conversation. And that's what I want.

Mailbox Monday 11.21.11

2011-11-21T00:25:00.001-06:00

Hosted this month by Marcia's Mailbox.

Paris, 1927. In the heady years before the crash, financiers drape their mistresses in Chanel, while expatriates flock to the avant-garde bookshop Shakespeare and Company. One day in July, a young American named Rafaela Fano gets into the car of a coolly dazzling stranger, the Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka.

Struggling to halt a downward slide toward prostitution, Rafaela agrees to model for the artist, a dispossessed Saint Petersburg aristocrat with a murky past. The two become lovers, and Rafaela inspires Tamara's most iconic Jazz Age images, among them her most accomplished—and coveted—works of art. A season as the painter's muse teaches Rafaela some hard lessons: Tamara is a cocktail of raw hunger and glittering artifice. And all the while, their romantic idyll is threatened by history's darkening tide.

Inspired by real events in de Lempicka's history, The Last Nude is a tour de force of historical imagination. Avery gives the reader a tantalizing window into a lost Paris, an age already vanishing as the inexorable forces of history close in on two tangled lives. Spellbinding and provocative, The Last Nude is a novel about genius and craft, love and desire, regret, and, most of all, hope that can transcend time and circumstance.

From publisher via Shelf Awareness. Release date: January 5th.

Precocious, ethereal Simion Satterwhite arrives at Yale University in 1878 at age 16, eager to escape his West Virginia fundamentalist upbringing. He meets 31-year-old art professor Doriskos Klionarios, who was sold in infancy by his Greek prostitute mother to a British lord. Together they embark on an emotionally reckless courtship, made all the more difficult by social bigotry and human jealousy.

Bought.

Check out my interview over at It's All in the Details!

2011-11-17T13:45:00.001-06:00

Jenny Q interviewed me for her blog It's All in the Details, a blog whose target is to help historical fiction writers. She's been interviewing historical fiction readers, and here are my answers to her questions: http://historicaleditorial.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-reviewer-spotlight-christy-b.html

It's my first interview, actually, so I'm a bit excited! :)

Hotel de Dream by Edmund White

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hotel de Dream is a fictional novel about real life author Stephen Crane. Told during his last days, Crane starts dictating a story he's always wanted to tell: The Painted Boy. Based on an actual painted boy he met a few years earlier, it's the story of a boy and a married man who's obsessed with him.

The story is told from Crane's point-of-view as he lay dying, sometimes reflecting back to the time when he knew the boy; it is also told from the point-of-view of Crane's 'sort of' wife Cora. And then, of course, we get to read the story that Crane dictates to Cora. So, Hotel de Dream is a story within a story, and I loved that.

The ending blew me away. Or, I should say, both endings blew me away. If you know what happened to Crane, then you can probably figure this isn't a happy book. However, it wasn't Crane's death that made it sad, it's what happened after, to his story. I almost felt sick when I read it.

Of course, The Painted Boy was never a real story, but it felt like it was. It was more compelling than the 'real' story.

Hotel de Dream is a fantastic piece of historical fiction that I just stumbled across. I never heard of it before, but once I read the synopsis, I knew I absolutely had to read it. It was beautifully written, and while it felt a bit stuffy at some points, I knew it was worth it. And it was.

Top Ten Tuesday 11.15.11

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I've Never Read.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination, Second Edition by Sandra M. Gilbert, Susan Gubar
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen
Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
Gilded Youth by Kate Cambor
Love, Janis by Laura Joplin
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
His Excellency by Joseph J. Ellis
The Star Wars Trilogy by George Lucas

I will eventually get to all these. I will. I will. Oye.

Fortune's Son by Emery Lee

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

If I recall from The Highest Stakes, Philip Drake was a bit of a bastard, but I remember feeling sorry for him. Fortune's Son tells his story, which immediately intrigued me.

The book starts in 1751, but quickly segways back 12 years, where we stay for the first two parts of the book. At 20 years old, Drake is an experienced card player who catches the eye of Susannah, Lady Messinhman, eight years his senior and a widow. She expresses interest in learning to play cards, a reason she keeps to herself.

The chemistry between the two was immediate, and I greatly enjoyed the back and forth between them. Their romance, however, is littered with problems, and the two find themselves separated. We then find ourselves around the time The Highest Stakes left off.

I enjoyed the writing style immensely; I zipped through the book in two days. It was a fast-moving, gripping read that I had a hard time putting down. When you open the book, you are immediately immersed in Georgian England. The research put into the story was clear. My head was spinning with the descriptions of the card games. I would be a failure with the cards, I'm sure of it.

While this could be a stand alone book, I recommend reading The Highest Stakes first, so you get the background, especially with Drake's character. I look forward to the next book!

The Tigress of Forli by Elizabeth Lev

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

A readable biography about a truly fascinating woman.

Caterina Sforza was the illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan and Lucrezia Landriani. As was usual of illegitimate children of the time, Caterina grew up in her father's home, raised by her stepmother Bona of Savoy.

I could be here all day telling you all the amazing – and sometimes ruthless – things Caterina did. She was married three times and gave birth to nine children. In 1484, while seven months pregnant, Caterina occupied the fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo after Pope Sixtus IV (her husband's uncle) died. She did this in order to guarantee safety and security to her family.

I admire how Caterina often stuck to her guns, even with a couple of ungrateful children, and then having the Borgias breathing down her neck – it was around this time that she gained the nickname Il Tigre. And after a tumultuous life, including being imprisoned, Caterina was able to have some peace with her children and experimenting with her hobby of alchemy. However, it didn't last long. She contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 46.

This biography of the great Caterina Sforza was, as I said, very readable. It wasn't stuffy at all, and the pages just flew by. Anyone interested in the Italian Renaissance and fierce historical women shouldn't be disappointed.

Top Ten Tuesday 11.01.11

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Books I Had VERY Strong Emotions About.

While England Sleeps by David Leavitt - IMMENSE IMMENSE TEARS. I can't even tell you, I was sobbing after finishing this. And I still get teary eyed when I think of the story. Heartbreaking.
The Charioteer by Mary Renault - Ok, before I read the above book, this is the book that made me the most emotional. The sadness didn't hit me until after I put the book down and went to sleep, but the tears soon came.
Marianne by Susanna Kearsley - I felt just immense happiness after reading this. I'm not a huge fan of a happily ever after, but I loved it here.
Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer - I hated this book with a fiery passion. I would have chucked it across the room if I wasn't reading it on my ereader.
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy - I'm surprised I finished this. I guess because it was a short book. I soon passed it on to my sister, because I hated it so much I didn't even want it in my presence any longer.
Maurice by E.M. Forster - Another book that filled me with happiness after I finished.
Charlotte and Emily (A Taste of Sorrow) by Jude Morgan - I felt a deep sense of melancholy after reading this. Even though though there were some happy times, there always seemed to be a wave of darkness hovering over every scene. I took my time with this one.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde - Laughed my butt off. Hilarious.
THE ENTIRE HARRY POTTER SERIES - No explanation necessary.

That's all I have. I can't think of ten.

Mailbox Monday 10.31.11

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hosted this month by Savvy Verse & Wit.

The ninth installment of the Pink Carnation series.

As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, English operative Augustus Whittlesby gets wind of a top secret device, to be demonstrated over the course of a house party at Malmaison. The catch? The only way in is to join forces with that annoying American socialite, Emma Morris Delagardie, who has been commissioned to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. Even so, it should leave plenty of alone time with Augustus’ colleague (and goddess), Jane Wooliston, who has been tapped to play the heroine. Or so Augustus tells himself. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing seems to go quite as scripted… especially Emma.

From Jenny!

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

A decent fiction novel about Joan of Arc (known here as Jehanne d'Arc). The writing flowed easily, and the descriptions were quite nice.

I liked the way 'the voices' that Joan heard were handled. It was conveyed that Joan was not off her rocker, and indeed heard what she thought were voices telling her to take up an army and take back her country. Despite the religious themes, the story wasn't preachy, which I appreciated.

Morbid as it may sound, my favorite part was the end. Thankfully, it doesn't show Joan going to her execution, which I was afraid of because I didn't think I could handle it. What I liked was how Joan handled her interrogators and it was there – not on the battlefield – where she showed her true strength. The injustice she faced was just infuriating and I was amazed at how she kept her cool.

A truly inspiring woman, Joan was. And The Maid is a good historical fiction novel for someone looking for a book about her.

Mailbox Monday 10.24.11

2011-10-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hosted this month by Savvy Verse & Wit.

Set in contemporary and World War II France, this is the story of Sister Bernard: her forbidden love, her uncertain faith, and her guilt- ridden past.

A once -bustling convent in the South of France is closing, leaving behind three elderly nuns. Forced, for the first time, to confront the community that she betrayed decades ago, Sister Bernard relives her life during the war.

At thirty, Sister Bernard can hear the voice of God-strident, furious, and personal. When a young Nazi soldier, a member of the German occupying forces, asks her to meet him in the church in secret one evening, she agrees. And so begins the horrifying and passionate love affair that will deafen the heavens and define her life, tempting her into duplicity. Obedience is a powerful exploration of one woman's struggle to reconcile her aching need to be loved with her fear of God's wrath.

From NetGalley. Release date: January 31st.

Fenway 1912 by Glenn Stout

2011-10-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

So, the 2011 Red Sox season landed on a bad note, to put it mildly. I wrote this review way back in May, and I don't want to change the wording. I like it just the way it is.

Fenway 1912 was a really great, concise history of Fenway Park's first year – both the park and the players who called it home.

It's no secret that I'm a huge Red Sox fan. So, when this book came up for review, I couldn't snatch it up fast enough. Learning about the history of a ball park I love so much was something I hadn't thought about before, but I'm glad I decided to. It makes me look at Fenway in a completely different way.

One of the things I was surprised to find out was the Fenway of today is not the same Fenway that rose from the ground in 1911. If you were to find a time machine and go back in time to the construction of Fenway, you would think you were in a completely different ballpark. However, it was the way it was originally constructed that has made Fenway last so long. The original construction made it possible to add on to the park as time went on.

While Fenway 1912 talks about the history of the park itself, it also talks about the players that played on the 1912 Red Sox. I knew baseball was a different thing back then, but I had no idea how much. The whole 'teamwork' schpeel barely existed. It was amazing that the 1912 Sox didn't kill each other – although, they did get into a few scuffles behind the scenes. Learning about the characters of the team, and the amazing games they played really made the book read fast in some places.

One of the others things I was surprised about, was the way that Fenway and the Sox of 1912 have in common with the Fenway and Sox of today. Namely: the way the ballpark both helps and hurts the Sox. Fenway giveth, Fenway taketh away. Also: never count the Sox out. The gave isn't 'ovah' until the last out is recorded.

The fact that the Sox won the Series in 1912 was pretty amazing. They had it all but lost, but somehow found a way to fight and win. Much like the Sox of today.

Fenway's been around for 100 years and most Sox fans have either already been at least once, or dream of one day going. I've been to Fenway once: September 10, 2007. I was up in the cramped and uncomfortable grandstands in left field with an obstructed view of the pitcher's mound. I wouldn't have traded it for the world. As I walked up to my seat, and caught my first glance at the Fenway grass, I got a bit choked up, I have to admit.

You haven't seen Fenway, if you haven't seen it in person.

Some comments I'm adding right now:

Next year will be a big year for the Sox. There will be tons of ways the team will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of its beloved ballpark. However, there will be lots of changes: a new GM, and new manager, and who knows who will be leaving the team during the offseason. I'd like to think the Sox will start off Fenway's 100th year with a fresh start. Forget 2011, this is a new era.

Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

2011-10-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

I enjoyed this collection of short stories more than I anticipated. It had everything, really – continuations; spin-offs; stories about Jane; stories inspired by Jane; even a couple stories where Jane's ghost was involved.

I really liked the majority of the stories, so I'm not going to list every single story I liked, but here were some of the standouts, for me:

The opening story Jane Austen's Nightmare by Syrie James was a great story to open with. It involved Jane having a dream in which her characters let her know what they think of how she wrote them. This was a very clever idea. I found that the characters who complained made some good points.

Jane Austen, Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! by Janet Mullany takes place in 1964 at a high school where Beatlemania is in full force. Teacher Julie is stuck watching three girls at after school detention. However, she finds herself discussing Sense and Sensibility with them, replacing the heroes of the book with the members of the Beatles. This event leads her make an important life decision.

When Only a Darcy Will Do by Beth Pattillo was a sweet story, I thought. Elizabeth has created a Jane Austen tour in London to bring in extra cash, she's even gone all out in Regency garb. Soon, Mr. Darcy shows up. At least, that's what he's calling himself, and he too is decked out in Regency garb. I was tickled at how he maintained his identity, and found the ending to be very nice.

A Night at Northanger by Lauren Willig is about a woman named Cate who is involved in a ghost hunting show. This particular haunted house is none other than Northanger Abbey, and Cate comes across her very own ghost.

And, of course, there were others that I loved. This was also a good opportunity to read authors I've heard about, but have not explored their work yet.

Every Austen fan will find something they will love in Jane Austen Made Me Do It.

Top Ten Tuesday 10.11.11

2011-10-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Possession by A.S. Byatt
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
The Charioteer by Mary Renault
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Devil in Music by Kate Ross

I always get super jealous when I see someone starting to read one of the above for the first time. I think, "Oh, lucky devils!"

Mailbox Monday 10.10.11

2011-10-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hosted this month by Savvy Verse & Wit.

Her name is Barbara—in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she’s allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world’s most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listen—and to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophie’s destiny at court is to marry the Empress’s nephew, but she has other, loftier, more dangerous ambitions, and she proves to be more guileful than she first appears.

What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophie’s confidante—and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power.

With dazzling details and intense drama, Eva Stachniak depicts Varvara’s secret alliance with Catherine as the princess grows into a legend—through an enforced marriage, illicit seductions, and, at last, the shocking coup to assume the throne of all of Russia.

From NetGalley. Release date: January 10th.

His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm

2011-10-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

I very much enjoyed this novel that takes place in 16th century Italy. Inspired more by Robert Browning's poem than actual history, His Last Duchess tells the story of Lucrezia de' Medici, daughter of Cosimo I de' Medici and the ill-fated first wife of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Modena and Ferrara.

Seeing as how Lucrezia was 16 at the time of her death, we see her as a very spirited young woman. Her death has always been clouded in mystery, so I was interested in how Kimm was going to end her life in this novel. While I pretty much guessed the end (a lucky guess, I think), I found it to be very clever. And while it's most likely not what happened, I was still was satisfied with it. I'd like to think that's what happened.

Alfonso was a very dark and disturbing man, and I was very much troubled every time I had to see things from his point of view. I very scared for Lucrezia, and knew doom was coming once she fell in love with a young painter.

I loved the side characters and am happy to see that Kimm's next book tells the continuing story of one of them. I'm looking forward to it.

Folks who love fiction about Renaissance Italy should be intrigued by this book. It had lovely prose and was full of romance and suspense.

Top Ten Tuesday 10.04.11

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Book Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open.

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
Affinity by Sarah Waters
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
The Devil in Music by Kate Ross
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
The Villa Triste by Lucretia Grindle
The Charioteer by Mary Renault
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Sins of the Mother by Tara Hyland
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

It's hard to explain why without giving away spoilers and/or being repetitive. So, I will just say that these all stuck with me.

The Villa Triste by Lucretia Grindle

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Villa Triste was a fabulous piece of fiction that I'm glad I came across. I enjoyed the book immensely and was gripped the entire time.

The story opens in 1943 Florence. Two sisters: Caterina and Isabella. Their lives – along with all of Italy – are about to be turned upside down. As Italy backs out of the war and severs its alliance with Germany, most of the country immediately becomes occupied by the Nazis. Isabella and their brother Enrico join The Resistance, and soon Isabella has no choice but to help.

After this part, the only way that we find out what has happened to Caterina, Isabella, and their family and comrades is through Caterina's diary, which is found among the possessions of a old man in present day Florence.

An old man is found murdered, and senior policeman Pallioti is summoned by the mayor to take the case. This isn't just any old man – he was one of the Partisans during the war, a hero. Pallioti swipes Caterina's diary from evidence and finds himself immersed in the brave stories of the Partisans and tries to find a connection between the dead man and the names in the diary.

The story just ran so smoothly. As we switched between present day and the diary entries, little bits were uncovered that helped solve mysteries from the past and the mystery of the present. I was just astonished to learn about the members of the Partisans, what they did, how much they risked their lives. Most of them probably didn't know what they were doing, but they knew that had to do something, had to do the right thing.

And it made me sad about the lost futures, those who ended up being executed by the Nazis. And then there were the moments that made me angry, reading about the traitors. I was just feeling all kinds of emotions while reading this. And as the story wore on and bit by bit was uncovered, I thought I was starting to get a clear view of what happened, and by the end, I only got a few things right. Some things I was not even close about.

I got so attached to the characters and what happened to them, hoping that they ended up safe. Some of them did, but some of them didn't. This was the reality. 200,000 Italians were involved in the resistance movement and over 47,000 were killed. Other stats:

Approximately 21,200 Italian partisans wounded or disabled
Approximately 15,000 Italian civilians killed in retaliations
Approximately 40,000 former Italian soldiers died in concentration camps

And sadly, before reading this book, I knew none of this. I highly suggest reading this book, and when you're done, doing a bit a research about the period of time and the folks who lived and died for what they believed in.

Top Ten Tuesday 09.27.11

2011-09-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Books I Want to Reread.

Whenever I finish an awesome book, my first thought is, "I'm definitely rereading that someday." Problem is, there are so many new books that I want to read, I barely find myself rereading favorites. Well, here are ten I hope to get back to one day - a couple of them I've just read recently, but already want to dive back in!

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Villette by Charlotte Brontë
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
The Charioteer by Mary Renault
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Bells by Richard Harvell

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2011-09-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

A unique, magical story surrounding a mysterious circus that only opens at night, and two competitors, playing a game neither one of them knows the rules of. Things get complicated when the two players start falling in love.

That, my friends, is just a basic summary of what this book is about. I cannot even begin to completely summarize. The story takes place over thirty years, and we're thrown around from one year to the next. We're met with a large group of interesting characters whose stories are all intertwined.

The two players are Celia and Marco, both trained since they were young children for the competition. I honestly loved them both and couldn't decide who I wanted to win. They were both intelligent, strong, selfless characters, and I was endeared to them both.

I didn't know what I was getting into when I started this. I had been avoiding the hype, but the premise intrigued me, so I just dove in. I got lost into the world very easily – the deeper I got, the more I started forgetting the real world. I love stories of magic and I love historical fiction, and this was a rich mix of the two.

The plot is so intricate and the descriptions of the circus are realistically spot-on. I could almost smell the caramel corn.

I can't even say who'd I recommend this to, because it may not be their cup of tea. However, I would at least try it. You never know, you may be surprised.

Links of interest:

Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a year and a half since I read my last Heyer, and I had almost forgotten how delightful her books were.

In Faro's Daughter, Max Ravenscar has been enlisted by his aunt to defer his cousin's attention from a young lady from a gaming house, who she believes is a fortune hunter. Deborah Grantham is a young lady who is trying to help her aunt and herself rise up in society and away from the gaming house that her aunt owns.

Deborah has no intention of marrying Ravenscar's young cousin, but Ravenscar unaware of this, offers to buy her off, to which she sees as an insult. She vows to torture him at every possible moment, by making him believe that she fully intends to marry his cousin. Of course, these small bits of annoyances soon escalate. Hilarity ensues, and it wouldn't be a Heyer novel without some big misunderstandings.

Faro's Daughter had one particularly hilarious scene, which I won't spoil for those of you who haven't read it, but the dialogue had me cracking up. This was another delightful, hilarious Heyer romance.

Mailbox Monday 09.19.11

2011-09-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hosted this month by Amused By Books.

A beautiful thief has stolen the heart of the one man in London whose secrets are as dangerous as her own . . .

Shrewd and wily, pickpocket Temperance Smith needs no man’s favor to survive on London’s unforgiving streets—even when she’s caught red-handed by an officer of the hated dragoons.

On leave from India to find a proper bride in London, Captain Miles Trevelyan is easy prey for a seasoned pickpocket like Temperance. But when the dazzling thief steals first his wallet, then his heart, his pursuit throws them into a deadly world of treason and betrayal that will force them to question everything they know about love, loyalty, and desire. For there can be no middle ground for these two stormy-tempered Scorpios entangled in the star-crossed romance that threatens to destroy them both.

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

2011-09-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Guh, I loved this book. I've pretty much prepared that I will be flailing whenever I finish a Susanna Kearsley novel in the future. And the sad thing is, I've to wait awhile to flail again, because I've pretty much finished all of her books. Blah.

The Rose Garden was a different type of time-slip novel than the ones I've read previously. Eva travels to Cornwall to spread her sister's ashes where they spent their summer as kids. Staying with old friends, in the house that her sister and her used to stay in every summer, Eva starts hearing voices and seeing things. Eva thinks she's losing it, even when she finds herself in a different time – 300 years in the past. Soon, she realizes she's completely sane and has found a way to travel back and forth through time, only she can't control it.

The difference is: when Eva goes back to 1715, she's still herself, still dressed in her modern clothing. She'll just be walking along a road or hallway and POOF she's back in time. There is no sign that she's gone back, only when she notices that things are different does she realized what happened. When she comes back to the present day, no one has missed her, because no time has gone by for them. However, when she goes back, days have gone by for those folks. Eva doesn't understand it, but goes with the flow, until all she desires is to stay in the past with Daniel Butler, a Jacobite who lived in Cornwall in 1715.

This book had some serious twists, which I'm coming to expect from Susanna Kearsley. I did not see anything coming. I had a few guesses ahead of time, but none turned out to be right.

I was torn between taking my time and savoring the story or just devouring it. I chose the latter. I loved it; I never wanted it to end, but I wanted to know what happened. Completely engrossing, gorgeous, strong story this was and I just loved it.

Mailbox Monday 09.12.11

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hosted this month by Amused By Books.

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.

Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into Empress of Russia by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity as a young woman, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers and, when she reached the throne, attempted to use their principles to guide her rule of the vast and backward Russian empire. She knew or corresponded with the preeminent historical figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, and, surprisingly, the American naval hero, John Paul Jones.

Reaching the throne fired by Enlightenment philosophy and determined to become the embodiment of the “benevolent despot” idealized by Montesquieu, she found herself always contending with the deeply ingrained realities of Russian life, including serfdom. She persevered, and for thirty-four years the government, foreign policy, cultural development, and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars, and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution that swept across Europe. Her reputation depended entirely on the perspective of the speaker. She was praised by Voltaire as the equal of the greatest of classical philosophers; she was condemned by her enemies, mostly foreign, as “the Messalina of the north.”

From the publisher. Release date: November 8th.

Maurice by E.M. Forster

2011-09-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't call this a review post, mainly because I doubt I'd be able to write a suitable one. However, I couldn't just let it pass without writing something about the book that will most likely end up being one of my all time favorites.

Written in the 1910s, but not released until 1971, after the author's death, Maurice is an Edwardian story about love, class, and finding oneself. The title character is a young man who comes to understand that he is homosexual. We see him through two relationships: first with his schoolmate Clive, who unfortunately goes into the closet and breaks Maurice's heart; second, with Alec, a games keeper who works on Clive's estate.

The novel was just beautifully written. Some chapters, such as Maurice and Clive's breakup, and the cricket match, were masterpieces.

I mean, really, the themes are the same in a lot of romantic-type novels, but of course it's different in this case. The thing that struck me the most was the fact that two gay men could have a happily ever after. That's it. No consequences, no nothing. Just a beautiful, romantic ending. And that was wonderful.

If you plan on reading this, or if you've already read it, I highly suggest watching the 1987 Merchant Ivory film (psst, it's on youtube). I watched it the day after I finished the novel and it just completed the experience for me. Some scenes, such as the ending, became even more beautiful with the visual. And, if I may get superficial for a moment, it's got a very nice-looking, young Rupert Graves. That's a bonus.

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

2011-09-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

Another great medieval read from Elizabeth Chadwick. Lady of the English revolves around the lives of Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I and her stepmother Adeliza of Louvain. Both different women, but both strong women.

Matilda is driven to secure the crown for herself and her heirs, and spends years fighting her cousin Stephen after her father's death. Adeliza, now remarried to William d'Albini, supports her stepdaughter's fight even while her husband is devoted to Stephen.

Matilda was a fierce woman who was way ahead of her time. I felt her annoyance over the double standard women had to face. This passage explains it perfectly:

They saw her as a member of the weaker sex, too soft to rule; yet when she showed a hard face and acted in a stern manner, they muttered that she was going against nature. Whatever she did, she was damned, and it led her to think damn them all too.

She was frustrated, yet intelligent, and knew that the crown for herself was lost. She then shifted her focus to her son Henry, building up support for him to be the next King.

Adeliza was a different woman, but no less strong. She was kind and patient. I loved that even though she loved her husband, her support for Matilda never wavered. Her devotion to family was strong, and Matilda was her family, too. Extremely loyal, Adeliza was also hindered by her gender. Even though she was once Queen, she had no say in anything.

There were a few small battles, but not much action. This was a story of people. And other than Matilda and Adeliza, I also loved Brian Fitzcount. He wasn't much of a fighter, and preferred to use the written word, but was a staunch supporter of Matilda. His story wasn't a very happy one, and he deserved better. Such was life.

Lady of the English was another great bout of storytelling. I learned about two really fantastic women I didn't know much about. Highly recommended.

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

2011-08-31T00:00:00.001-05:00

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

A very entertaining book full of romance, action, suspense and mystery.

Lord and Lady Smythe are both spies, but neither knows the other one is! Once Napoleon is captured, their services are no longer needed and they both reluctantly go back to 'normal' life. Problem is, the two are practically strangers, even after being married for a few years.

The two discover the secret identity of the other after being summoned by the prime minister to help discover who murdered his half-brother. The reward? Whoever finds the murderer gets to go back to spying full time, something the both of them want... desperately. Do they two work together or against each other?

Through the course of the investigation, the two get to know each other, in more ways than one. The dialogue was hilarious and witty, as the two argued over whose method to use. The two have very different strategies when it comes to investigations, and the two must learn to trust the other.

Lady Smythe was quite the awesome character, if I do say so myself. She needed no protecting, and no one could order her around, not even her husband. In fact, at one point, she practically laughed in his face when he 'ordered' her to do something. Of course, what impressed me the most was how skilled she was in fighting and wielding a knife. This was no simpering miss!

I would guess that this will be a series by the way the book ended. I sure hope so, this book was a lot of fun!

The King's Courtesan by Judith James

2011-08-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

Due to his impending marriage, Charles II marries off his mistress Hope Matthews to Captain Robert Nichols, unless the Captain would like to lose his home and land. Neither have a choice and are wed the day they meet.

Robert is your typical hero haunted by events of his past, while Hope has had not such an easy life before becoming mistress to the king. Both are stuck in this limbo relationship: a farce marriage. Legally bound, but not really belonging to each other.

I really like Libertine's Kiss, which comes before The King's Courtesan, which is why I picked this up. I liked it just as much as Libertine's Kiss, and de Veres and Elizabeth even pop up every now and again, and they are delightful.

The relationship between Robert and Hope was intriguing and was a different scenario that I've never encountered before. Their set-up was complicated. At first, all they did was argue, mostly due to Hope being hurt that Charles deceived her into marrying, but they eventually find a common ground and grow to like each other all with the possibility that Hope could be summoned back to court hanging over their heads.

I definitely recommend both this and the Libertine's Kiss if you're tired of regencies and are looking for something different. The unique storyline and time period had my attention from the beginning. It was a fast read that I finished in a day. I look forward to the next book.

Top Ten Tuesday 08.23.11

2011-08-23T00:58:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Books You Loved But Never Wrote a Review For.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. There have been books that have been reviewed to death, reviewed so much that there's really no point in you reviewing it, because pretty much everything to be said has been said. This book was one of them.
Villette by Charlotte Brontë. My favorite of her novels. I read this before I started reviewing books, so if I wanted to review it, I'd have to reread it. And I probably will one day.
Orlando by Virginia Woolf. Loved it so much, could not find words to describe.
Cheri and The Last of Cheri by Colette. Same as above.
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter. It's hard to review a book of short stories, so I just didn't. Not to mention, it was a bit intimidating just thinking about reviewing this.
In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield. Same as above.
Middlemarch by George Eliot. The thought of reviewing this gave me hives.

Couldn't think of ten! Oh, well.

Mailbox Monday 08.22.11

2011-08-22T00:00:00.006-05:00

Hosted this month by Life in the Thumb.

“My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” If you just heaved a contented sigh at Mr. Darcy’s heartfelt words, then you, dear reader, are in good company. Here is a delightful collection of never-before-published stories inspired by Jane Austen—her novels, her life, her wit, her world.

In Lauren Willig’s “A Night at Northanger,” a young woman who doesn’t believe in ghosts meets a familiar specter at the infamous abbey; Jane Odiwe’s “Waiting” captures the exquisite uncertainty of Persuasion’s Wentworth and Anne as they await her family’s approval of their betrothal; Adriana Trigiani’s “Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane” imagines a modern-day Austen giving her niece advice upon her engagement; in Diana Birchall’s “Jane Austen’s Cat,” our beloved Jane tells her nieces “cat tales” based on her novels; Laurie Viera Rigler’s “Intolerable Stupidity” finds Mr. Darcy bringing charges against all the writers ofPride and Prejudice sequels, spin-offs, and retellings; in Janet Mullany’s “Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” a teacher at an all-girls school invokes the Beatles to help her students understand Sense and Sensibility; and in Jo Beverley’s “Jane and the Mistletoe Kiss,” a widow doesn’t believe she’ll have a second chance at love . . . until a Miss Austen suggests otherwise.

Regency or contemporary, romantic or fantastical, each of these marvelous stories reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’s most cherished authors.

Release date: October 11th.

The Time In Between is a word-of-mouth phenomenon that catapulted María Dueñas, a debut author, to the top of Spain’s bestseller lists.

This sweeping novel, which combines the storytelling power of The Shadow of the Wind with the irresistible romance of Casablanca, moves at an unstoppable pace. Suddenly left abandoned and penniless in Algiers by her lover, Sira Quiroga forges a new identity. Against all odds she becomes the most sought-after couture designer for the socialite wives of German Nazi officers. But she is soon embroiled in a dangerous political conspiracy as she passes information to the British Secret Service through a code stitched into the hems of her dresses.

Release date: November 8th.

Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

2011-08-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from Galley Grab for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

Wildflower Hill is a gorgeous novel, told from the perspective of two women from two different times. The book rotates between the story of Beattie Blaxland in the 1930s and her granddaughter Emma in the present time.

Emma is a successful ballerina in London, whose career ends after an unfortunate injury. Returning home to Australia, she finds that her grandmother left her a home in her will. The home is called Wildflower Hill. Emma goes up to Wildflower Hill, expecting to clean it out and sell it, but while going through her grandmother's things, she finds out the secrets her grandmother had been keeping about her past.

In 1929, Beattie was both pregnant and unwed. Unfortunately, the father of her child is married, but they run off together to Australia, but life doesn't get any easier for Beattie. Beattie was met with roadblock after roadblock and tried to bust through each as best she could. However, no matter her strength, she just couldn't get through some obstacles. This only made her stronger. Still, Beattie tries to make her own life, obtaining Wildflower Hill. There she finds herself; there she finds love.

I was completely consumed in both the stories of Beattie and Emma – the struggles of both strong women. The book was beautifully written and flowed seamlessly. The transition between the two stories was masterfully done. Each ended and then started again perfectly.

I gobbled this book up in two days. I just couldn't stop reading. Anyone looking for a good story that tugs on your heartstrings would surely love Wildflower Hill.

Top Ten Tuesday 08.16.11

2011-08-16T14:01:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is a freebie!

So, we get to make up a top ten of anything we want. I'm choosing to do my Top Ten Authors I Keep Meaning to Read. These are authors I really want to read, but I haven't yet gotten to their work!

Anne Sexton
W. Somerset Maugham
Vita Sackville-West
Dorothy Parker
Alexandre Dumas
Victor Hugo
Charles Dickens
Doris Lessing
Elizabeth Von Arnim
Henry James

Someday!

Mailbox Monday 08.15.11

2011-08-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

Hosted this month by Life in the Thumb.

Love is the ultimate gamble…

Seasoned gambler Philip Drake knows every trick and uses most of them. After years of infamy, he’s ready to accept the mantle of respectability with his earldom— until a devastating racing loss and the threat of debtors’ prison force Philip right back into his gaming ways…

Susannah, Lady Messingham, is a woman with a past who refuses to belong to any man again. But Philip’s skill catches her eye and she persuades him to teach her how to win at the tables. Their new partnership turns into an exhilarating high-stakes game that entangles them in terrifying risk and unimaginable rewards…

Immerse yourself in the risky side of Georgian England with a pair of lovers who aren’t afraid to risk it all on a toss of the dice…

From Sourcebooks. Release date: November 1st.

Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware

2011-08-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

A pretty good time-slip novel. It was slow going at first, and I wasn't sure it was going to hold my interest the whole way through, but after 100 or so pages, it finally started to get good.

The current day story is of Corlis McCullough, a native Californian and television reporter living in New Orleans. There she meets up with King Duvallon, who was a classmate of hers at UCLA, and who she loathes more than life itself. But, of course, feelings change. The current day story was focused not only on the relationship of Corris and King, but on a race to preserve old 19th century buildings which are threatened to be turned into dust.

In the midst of all this, Corlis finds herself having 'visions', if you were, of New Orleans in the late 1830s, early 1840s. There she sees her ancestor and namesake, but also the ancestors of practically all the people she's come across in New Orleans. The way that Corlis sees these events happening in the 19th century was a bit more believable than The Cottage by the Sea. I won't give it away, but it's interesting.

The story of the past I found very heartbreaking. I know virtually nothing about the history of New Orleans – being a 'Yankee' and all – so it was nice to learn about a new place and time period, and I felt that Ware captured it very well.

One of the reasons why I was so engrossed with both the current day story and the story of the past was that the two were so connected. The trials and tribulations of the current folk were solved with a little help from their ancestors.

I look forward to reading the sequel A Light on the Veranda.

Sins of the Mother by Tara Hyland

2011-08-10T00:00:00.013-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from Galley Grab for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

Sins of the Mother is a story of a mother and a daughter, spanning three decades and two continents.

In 1946, sixteen year old Franny Healy finds herself pregnant and ditched by her boyfriend in Country Cork, Ireland. She had no intention of being married off to a local boy, which is what her mother plans to do to her, so in the middle of the night, Franny sneaks out and heads to London. After finding a place to stay, and having her daughter Cara, Franny makes strides to accomplish her dream of becoming a famous Hollywood actress.

Through some well-timed luck, Franny finds herself on her way to Hollywood, but leaves her daughter with her estranged mother, hoping to send for her in a few months, but things don't quite end up that way. Franny ends up being a famous film actress known as Frances Fitzgerald and keeps her daughter a secret.

The first half of the book switches back and forth between Franny and Cara, showing each one's point of view of being apart from the other. After her mother's move to Hollywood, Cara only sees her one more time, for a week two years later.

The second half of the book is showing through the eyes of Cara, and boy, does she get put through the wringer. After her grandmother dies, she's sent to an orphanage run by a sadistic Mother Superior, and eventually escapes. She then ends up in an abusive relationship with a boy from her childhood.

One day Cara takes a hold of her life, and starts a respectable career, and then sets out about information about her mother, and why she abandoned her.

Sins of the Mother didn't have just one, but two strong heroines. Neither one of them are perfect, but with strength and determination, they're both able to pull themselves from whatever situation they're in and will themselves to something better.

The last part of the book blew me away, what twists! We're shown flashbacks of the years Franny was married, and we see that things weren't as they were the first time we saw them. I got unexpectedly emotional at one point, after getting one huge shock.

I love surprising twist endings, they're the ones I remember the most. I found the end completely satisfying and ended up loving the book more than I planned on.

NOTE: This is published in the UK as Fallen Angels.

Top Ten Tuesday 08.09.11

2011-08-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Underrated Books.

The Bells by Richard Harvell - A gorgeous book set in 18th century Switzerland and Vienna.
The Julian Kestrel mystery series by Kate Ross - Four books set in 1820 featuring an amateur dandy detective.
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley - A beautiful time-slip novel. Historical setting: 17th century.
The Observations by Jane Harris - A mystery set in 1860s Scotland. Featuring a unique maid named Bessy.
Indiscretion by Jude Morgan - An absolutely hilarious regency with one of the funniest heroes.
The Villa Triste by Lucretia Grindle - Set in Italy during the Nazi occupation and present day. Tells the story of two sisters involvement during the Resistance.
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell - I feel this gets overshadowed a lot by North and South. Personally, I think this is a better book.
Under the Poppy by Kathe Koja - A unique historical fiction book set in 1870s Brussels. A hard book to describe.
Captivity by Deborah Noyes - A book about the infamous Fox sisters. Set in 1840s and 50s New York.
Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty - Probably my favorite historical romance. Set in 1804 Austria and featuring a tortured musician.

Mailbox Monday 08.08.11

2011-08-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hosted this month by Life in the Thumb.

This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette.

Why must it be me? I wondered. When I am so clearly inadequate to my destiny?

Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon.

Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must changeeverything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen.

Filled with smart history, treacherous rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, Becoming Marie Antoinette will utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike.

From publisher.

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

2011-08-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

A thrilling conclusion to a epic trilogy. Although, I certainly wouldn't mind if this series kept going. There were a few characters I'd like to see more of, such as Fiona and Joe's daughter Katie, but I digress.

The Tea Rose was Fiona and Joe's story; and The Winter Rose was Sid and India's story; The Wild Rose was Seamie and Willa's story. And their story is just as complicated and full of ups and downs as their predecessors.

I liked Willa. I liked how adventurous she was, and how intelligent she was. However, she was the weakest of the three heroines of the trilogy, but I suppose I can give her a break because compared to the other two, she's been through the ringer. India still remains my favorite heroine. Seamie bugged me a bit, but not to the point of irritation. By the end of the story, I loved him like I did before.

Everyone from the previous two books were back for The Wild Rose, with their stories continuing. Fiona is still kicking butt and taking names, this time fighting for women's suffrage. And her daughter Katie is a pistol. Fifteen years old at the start of the book, and already with her own radical newspaper, fighting for the rights of women and workers.

Just like the the previous installments, The Wild Rose was full of tragedy. I could pretty much mark which characters were doomed from the beginning and I braced myself for their demise. There were a few characters whose stories tugged at my heart strings. And their was one character whose story I didn't even see coming!

I've been waiting more than two years – since I finished The Winter Rose – for this book, and I was not disappointed. I can say that I am honestly pleased with the way this epic series came to a close.

Catriona by Jeanette Baker

2011-07-27T00:00:00.004-05:00

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

Catriona is the story of Kate Sutherland, a young woman who is having 'visions' of a woman from five centuries earlier, a woman named Catriona. When Kate's mother dies, she travels to Scotland to spread her ashes, only to come face to face with the past – literally.

Catriona was a decent enough historical romance novel, but unfortunately, it never grabbed me. I felt that certain parts moved way too fast for me. So fast that the scene was over before I really grasped what happened. The modern romance between Kate and a man name Niall also moved wicked fast to the point where I wasn't buying it.

One thing happened at the beginning of the story that bugged me, and I never let it go through to the end. I won't give it away, but at the beginning of the story Kate received some rather life altering news, the kind of news that would send anyone's life into a tailspin. The way Kate received it was like she went to the grocery story and someone told her they were out of bagels!

The historical part of the story was filled with a lot of Scottish history, set around the time of the James IV of Scotland. And that's really all I got out of this novel – I learned some stuff about Scotland I didn't know before.

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this or what, but I wish I enjoyed it more. Folks who like historic romances set in Scotland will most likely dig this.

Readin' and Dreamin'

Obedience by Jacqueline Yallop

The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood

Top Ten Favorite Historical M/M Romances

Mailbox Monday 01.23.12

The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox

Mailbox Monday 01.16.12

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

Mailbox Monday 01.09.12

The Last Nude by Ellis Avery

My Reading Goals For 2012

2012 Reading Challenge

The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011

2011 Challenge Wrap-Up

The God in Flight by Laura Argiri

Mailbox Monday 12.19.11

Historical Fiction Challenge 2012

Victorian Challenge 2012

Mailbox Monday 12.12.11

Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto

Top Ten Tuesday 12.06.11

Mailbox Monday 12.05.11

The Lady of the Butterflies by Fiona Mountain

War Through the Generations Challenge 2012

Mailbox Monday 11.28.11

While England Sleeps by David Leavitt

Top Ten Tuesday 11.22.11

Mailbox Monday 11.21.11

Check out my interview over at It's All in the Details!

Hotel de Dream by Edmund White

Top Ten Tuesday 11.15.11

Fortune's Son by Emery Lee

The Tigress of Forli by Elizabeth Lev

Top Ten Tuesday 11.01.11

Mailbox Monday 10.31.11

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

Mailbox Monday 10.24.11

Fenway 1912 by Glenn Stout

Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Top Ten Tuesday 10.11.11

Mailbox Monday 10.10.11

His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm

Top Ten Tuesday 10.04.11

The Villa Triste by Lucretia Grindle

Top Ten Tuesday 09.27.11

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer

Mailbox Monday 09.19.11

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Mailbox Monday 09.12.11

Maurice by E.M. Forster

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

The King's Courtesan by Judith James

Top Ten Tuesday 08.23.11

Mailbox Monday 08.22.11

Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

Top Ten Tuesday 08.16.11

Mailbox Monday 08.15.11

Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware

Sins of the Mother by Tara Hyland

Top Ten Tuesday 08.09.11

Mailbox Monday 08.08.11

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

Catriona by Jeanette Baker