Category: Literary Criticism

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

Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Richard Mayhew has no idea what awaits him in London on the eve of his going away party in Scotland. His friends pitch in to get him a going away gift, a white umbrella with a map of the London Underground.

He can’t help but stare at the umbrella with an eerie omen of impending disaster….little does he know how right he is.

For three years, Richard’s life is more or less normal. He works in business and he is engaged, but he still can’t help but feel disenchanted. One night, Richard’s life changes drastically….he encounters a girl bleeding on the streets of London.

With his decision to help her, Richard is propelled into a dark, gothic urban fantasy set in the Underground–better known as London Below.

London Below is an alternate reality–a strange world of Underground railways, tunnels, and sewers, which is home to a host of eccentric and unique characters. Continue reading “Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman” →

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Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

by The Lit Bitch10 Comments on Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Abnegation. Amity. Candor. Dauntless. Erudite.

Where faction do you belong to?

On Choosing Day Beatrice (Tris) Prior must decide but first she undergoes an aptitude test to see which faction she will most likely gravitate toward….then she must choose to define her identity for the rest of her life based on that information.

Born into the Abnegation faction, she is supposed to be selfless and think only of others….but she feels like a square peg in Abnegation. Hoping the test will shed some light on her conundrum, the worst happens—her aptitude test is inconclusive.

She is Divergent.

Being Divergent is dangerous….if anyone find out, her life will be in imminent danger. She is a threat to the delicate balance of the five factions. Faced with this new information, Tris must choose her destiny….and she chooses bravery. She is Dauntless. Continue reading “Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth” →

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

Review: The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

by The Lib Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

What is a “weekend” you ask?… Like you I’m having Downton Abbey withdrawls, so I turned to Nancy Mitford to give me a fix.

Nancy was one of the famous Mitford sisters, members of an aristocratic and eccentric English family who became quite famous for their exploits.

There is a very interesting biography about them that I plan to tackle at some point by Mary S. Lovell called The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family. Nancy Mitford bases many of her fictional characters and stories off of her infamous family.

The book I picked up is called The Pursuit of Love (for all of you cover whores out there it is worth reading for the cover alone). I had read a few reviews about the book before reading it myself, and everyone commented on how funny it was. My hopes were high. It wasn’t what I was expecting, however this short book really grew on me. Continue reading “Review: The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) by Jacqueline Winspear

by The Lit Bitch9 Comments on Review: Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) by Jacqueline Winspear

War changes everything.

In 1910, the world is a different place. England is still at peace, the aristocracy rules Britain’s social scene, and the life of Maisie Dobbs changes forever. At thirteen, young Maisie goes to work as a maid in the London household of Lady Rowan Compton, a wealthy suffragette and philanthropist.

Though she is poor, Maisie is rich in intelligence. One night, Lady Rowan finds Maisie reading in her library and not just reading but teaching herself Latin and philosophy. Recognizing that Maisie has an aptitude to do something useful with her life, Lady Rowan begins sponsoring private tutoring under her friend Dr. Maurice Blanche.

Before she knows it, Maisie is taking the entrance exams for Cambridge. When she is accepted, Maisie can hardly wait to share her joy with her family and friends (other servants in the house) but she is met with jealousy and criticism. Continue reading “Review: Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) by Jacqueline Winspear” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: A Stranger in Mayfair (Charles Lenox Mysteries #4) by Charles Finch

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: A Stranger in Mayfair (Charles Lenox Mysteries #4) by Charles Finch

Charles Lenox’s is the quintessential armchair detective. Being a highborn well funded gentleman has it’s perks and one of them is being allowed eccentricities. For Lenox, his ‘eccentricity’ is….wait for it….a J-O-B!

Being a detective is something most of Lenox’s friends frown upon, he frequently finds himself on the source of a good many jokes and though he is well liked, his profession isn’t deemed proper by his social circle. This fact is beginning to wear on Lenox though, after all he is an Oxford chappie and well liked in London society and with his older brother holding a seat in Parliament….Lenox longs to be truly respected.

In the last Lenox novel, The Fleet Street Murders, Lenox was elected to Parliament– politics being a long admired profession and a role Lenox hoped to fill for many years.

Though many of his dreams are coming true, so much in his life has changed since the first novel in this charming series! In the latest book by Charles Finch, A Stranger in Mayfair, finds our beloved detective retuning to London after his marriage to his life long friend Lady Jane. Parliament will be in session in a few weeks, he has taken on an equally eccentric apprentice (Lord Dallington), and now a footman of a fellow MP has put Lenox square between two jobs he loves most…..politics and crime solving. Continue reading “Review: A Stranger in Mayfair (Charles Lenox Mysteries #4) by Charles Finch” →