Category: Books

Books, Reading

Special Feature: Oranges and Lemons (Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit #17) by Christopher Fowler

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Oranges and Lemons (Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit #17) by Christopher Fowler

I randomly stumbled onto this series a few years ago while I was browsing for books at a local used book store. I read the first couple of books and thought they were really fun and unique. A little Sherlock Holmes meets the modern era with detectives Bryan and May. But like so many long standing mystery series, the task of keeping up can feel overwhelming.

When I started the series it was already about 10 books in, and while I enjoyed the books, other books also caught my eye. Now flash forward a couple of years and the series is now publishing the 17th book! I am so pleased to see this series has stood the test of time and captured readers attentions as it did mine.

I have read a few of the other books published later but I do still want to go back and catch up in the series. This is a series that you can jump around in for the most part so if you are curious about the books then I would say just dive right in! I plan on reading this one later this year but for now, enjoy my special feature of the latest Bryant and May novel, Oranges and Lemons, out now!

Continue reading “Special Feature: Oranges and Lemons (Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit #17) by Christopher Fowler” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: A Deadly Fortune by Stacie Murphy

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Deadly Fortune by Stacie Murphy

This was a book I was really looking forward to. I loved The Alienist and this book was recommended for fans of that book so I was eager to check this one out. The Alienist was probably one of the more dark and twisted historical mysteries that I have ever read so putting that as a ‘recommended for fans of The Alienist’ was a pretty tall order.

This is also Stacie Murphy’s debut novel, so I wasn’t sure what to expect beyond something with occultist undertones that was a darker mystery. I was still coming off the Christmas/holiday reads hangover so something with a little more meat to the story was definitely in order.

The cover of this book is elegant and the premise sounded so promising. I was looking forward to seeing how this one unfolded and I was pleasantly surprised that it was a well written and engaging debut novel! If you love historical mysteries with a little more grit and some supernatural elements then this is an excellent option and one that you will want on your radar!

Continue reading “Review: A Deadly Fortune by Stacie Murphy” →
Books, Reading

Special Feature: Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson

This book had me at ‘do you want to read something funny?’. What kind of question is that even!? Yes of course I want to read something funny—especially right now I think we could all use a little humor. Which is exactly why I want to share this book with you guys today!

This book is technically a historical fiction novel and it’s one that isn’t set during WWII. Shocking right? So many historical fiction novels are written in that time period that something set in Reno of all places in the 1930s sounds positively unique! Add in the humor and some women’s fiction elements and you have a novel that sounds delightful!

This one is out now and would be a rather diverting read from the sound of it. So if you love humor, historical fiction, and women’s fiction maybe with a little western thrown in then this book is one you do not want to miss.

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Last Queen: Elizabeth II’s Seventy Year Battle to Save the House of Windsor by Clive Irving

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Last Queen: Elizabeth II’s Seventy Year Battle to Save the House of Windsor by Clive Irving

There has been a bright spot in the pandemic, I have finally had an excuse to get caught up on some of my favorite Netflix shows, one of which is The Crown. I absolutely love anything related to the monarchy and I was so excited to finally have some time to catch up on one of my favorite shows!

I have read a lot of fiction based on the Windsor monarchy, but I hadn’t read too many non fiction novels though. In general I am not a big non fiction reader but I have enjoyed some memoirs and other non fiction works, I mean I am a historian after all, which is one of the reasons this book caught my eye.

Today I am thrilled to be bringing you guys not only a little bit about this book, but a special excerpt written but the author as well all about Queen Elizabeth II. If you love The Crown and are looking for a more comprehensive history of the royals, then this might be a book you want to check out!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons

It’s a new year and this is my first official book review of 2021 and I must say, I was thrilled to start the year off with a bang when it came to my first read of the new year! I have read only one other book by this author and it was pretty good so I was looking forward to picking up another by her!

While I loved the cover (the little boy with a red coat is just so eye catching), I think it was the summary the truly sold me on this one as a potential read. Whenever a review pitch comes across my desk I always read each one and a catchy summary and book cover always help a book to stand out!

I liked the idea of an upper middle class setting and the idea of a wrongly accused son with a mama bear to protect him. I thought it would a relatable book for me as I have a son as well. I dove in during winter break and was eager to wrap up my first read of 2021.

Continue reading “Review: Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons” →