Books
-
Review: Midnight in St. Petersburg by Vanora Bennett
One woman and two suitors at the twilight of the Russian empire. This love story follows three very unlikely main characters, a Jewish girl running away from Jew hating South Russia, an Englishman working at famous Faberge shop and a radical Jew wanting to fight to live equally with the people of Russia. This story starts in Sept 1911, pre-revolutionary Russia. Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia’s capital city. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. Inna begins to feel at home in this very bohemian family but the fires of revolution are strong and…
-
Review: Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4) by Morgan Rhodes
This book was one of the first books I’ve put on pre-order in a long time! I was originally only lukewarm with this series after the first book, but then things started getting really interesting in the following books! So needless to say I was greatly anticipating the release of this novel! The last time we were in Mytica, a lot of things were up in the air. Cleo and Magnus are in Limeros trying to figure out what to do now that Magnus has basically committed treason to save Cleo. Felix and Jonas have parted ways and Felix is back working for the King of Blood while Jonas is fighting to…
-
Review: The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
Kristin Chapman agrees to let her husband, Richard, host his brother’s bachelor party. Like most women, she knows what goes on at bachelor’s parties and expects a certain amount of salacious activity. What she does not expect is this: excessive drunkenness, her husband sharing a dangerously intimate moment in the guest room, and two women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night. In the aftermath, Kristin and Richard’s life rapidly spirals into nightmare. Their home is now a crime scene, Richard is on leave from his job, and Kristin is unsure if she can forgive her husband for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in…
-
Review: The Journey of the Penguin by Emiliano Ponzi
Many of you know that I’ve been a huge supporter of Penguin Books….Penguin always has great classic editions and their cover designs are some of my absolute favorites! So when this fun little picture book about THE penguin at Penguin Books came across for review, I had to check it out! Here is a little bit about the book: A lonely Antarctic penguin, dreaming of adventure, sets off on a long swim north. Arriving at last in London in 1935, he encounters the chance of a lifetime: auditions are on to find the face of a brand new publishing house. The penguin wins, of course, and so begins an adventure…
-
Review: Daughter of Sand and Stone by Libbie Hawker
I love reading about women in antiquity…..especially about women that I don’t know much about. So when this book about Zenobia came across my nightstand for review, I was intrigued. Especially because I know virtually nothing about Zenobia…..I even had to Google her so I could at least put a name to the ‘face’ in antiquity. Zenobia, the proud daughter of a Syrian sheikh, refuses to marry against her will. She won’t submit to a lifetime of subservience. When her father dies, she sets out on her own, pursuing the power she believes to be her birthright, dreaming of the Roman Empire’s downfall and her ascendance to the throne. Defying…
-
Review: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
Every year I plan on reading at least one sort of holiday book for the season. Some years are better than others, I would like to read more but it’s always hard to work them into my review schedule but this year, it worked out for me to read a couple of holiday books! The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus was written by the same guy who wrote The Wizard of Oz! I had no idea that he wrote other works let alone holiday books so this was a real treat for me to read this holiday season. This short, quick read is perfect for children and adults alike.Baum chronicles…
-
Book Blast: THE EDGE OF LOST by Kristina McMorris
The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris Publication Date: November 24, 2015 Kensington Books Trade Paperback, 340 pages Genre: Historical Fiction From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes an ambitious and heartrending story of immigrants, deception, and second chances. On a cold night in October 1937, searchlights cut through the darkness around Alcatraz. A prison guard’s only daughter—one of the youngest civilians who lives on the island—has gone missing. Tending the warden’s greenhouse, convicted bank robber Tommy Capello waits anxiously. Only he knows the truth about the little girl’s whereabouts, and that both of their lives depend on the search’s outcome. Almost two decades earlier and…
-
Review: The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller
On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts in a most gruesome way…..someone took a hatchet to their skulls. And the prime suspect, their daughter Lizzie Borden. The story quickly became the ‘story of the century’. There was no concrete evidence, but rather a lot of circumstantial evidence against Lizzie…..but enough that she was arrested for the crimes. The trial that took place was front page news and was labeled ‘sensational’ by the press. But what was even more sensational was that Lizzie was found not guilty. This book follows the murder, trial, and aftermath of one of histories most shocking…
-
Spotlight Feature: The Violinist of Venice: A Story of Vivaldi by Alyssa Palombo
Out now just in time for the holidays come THE VIOLINIST OF VENICE by Alyssa Palombo. This book would be the perfect gift for the music lover, romance reader, or historical fiction aficionado on your list. This book is a fictional account of 18th century Venetian composer, Vivaldi, and his secret mistress, is at its core, a story of passion. Passion for art, passion for love, and what happens when the two collide. I have this one to review next month and I have to tell you…..I can hardly wait! It sounds so well written and engaging. Not to mention I am in serious cover lust! With rich historical settings,…
-
Review: Médicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois by Sophie Perinot
Catherine de Medicis is one of my most favorite queens in history. I’ve read a lot of books on her…..I mean how could you not admire her in some ways? She was about as cutthroat and unapologetic as they come which I kind of admire in some of history’s most famous queens. Her name is notorious so when this book came across my nightstand for review, I jumped on it. While it is not about Catherine herself necessarily, it’s about the Medicis so that was enough for me! Plus I don’t know much about her children, just about her, so I was really interested in reading this one. Princess Margot…