Category: Literary Criticism

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Review: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon (Audible Edition)

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon (Audible Edition)

I read my first Jennifer McMahon book when I was on vacation a few years ago. The Winter People was so good and I immediately went out and bought more of her books! She has such a unique voice and I love the gothic/creepy vibe so much and I love that she is from Vermont and sets all of her books there. I can feel her pride and love for Vermont in all the books I have read by her.

When I saw this book was coming out, I couldn’t wait. It sounded eerie and I loved that mysterious cover so much. I haven’t listened to any of her books before so I thought this would be a great book to start with. My book club even picked it as our May read and we were all super excited to read and discuss it.

For me personally, I don’t think this book was as strong as some of her others but overall it was a haunting ghost story with a creepy connection to the past. I also loved the narrators. The historic narrator wasn’t my favorite at first (she was really wispy) but within a few chapters I started to really enjoy her soothing voice, but the modern narrator was great!

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

Review: Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra

Little Women was the first time I saw myself in a book character. Jo March was me idol as a child. I especially loved the Winona Ryder film version of this classic and always felt like Jo March was so me and whenever I envision Jo March, I think of Winona Ryder. Jo March will forever be one of my favorite classic characters and one I strongly identify with where as Amy will forever be the girl who stole Laurie from her! Amy is my least favorite March sister.

I haven’t read Virginia Kantra’s modern reimagined book Meg and Jo yet but it was high up on my TBR list. When this next book on Beth and Amy came up for review, I had to jump at it even if Amy isn’t my favorite. I was eager to see a modern take on such a classic story and see how those timeless characters were portrayed in a modern setting.

For me, books like this can go either way. Classic characters in a modern setting don’t always work for some reason. I think a lot of readers have nostalgia connected to those characters and seeing them in a world that isn’t their norm, makes it hard to connect with them. But I was open to trying this one and seeing where it took me.

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Review: A Betting Woman: A Novel of Madame Moustache by Jenni L. Walsh

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: A Betting Woman: A Novel of Madame Moustache by Jenni L. Walsh

Over the years I have started to work with more exclusively with larger publishing houses but I still have a special spot in my heart for smaller publishers and their great authors who maybe don’t get the same recognition that some of the larger houses do. When I can, I do try to read books from smaller publishers especially when they look really good!

When I was approached to review A Betting Woman, I liked the premise of the book. I love that it was based on a real person and that it focused on the life of a women who was making her own way in the gambling world during the gold rush. I wrote a paper in college on the gold rush and how it brought settlers west and created a lot of boom towns so it’s a time period that is interesting to me and often not explored in traditional historical fiction.

If you are a historical fiction fan but are looking for something a little off the beaten path then I think this would be a good option for you. This one has a distinct American West vibe that is fun and fresh so if it sounds like something you are craving then you need to snag yourself a copy!

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Re-Share Review: Before the Crown by Flora Harding

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Re-Share Review: Before the Crown by Flora Harding

Last year I read this book and thought it was a great fictionalized account of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip’s romance. I read it quickly and thought it had charm, historical detail, and was perfect for fans of The Crown. Now it’s officially out in the US and I am so excited to share my original review with you guys today!

Now that Prince Phillip has passed away, I think it’s also a special time to read this book and appreciate the man that he once was and enjoy the love story between himself and Elizabeth. This book promised to shed some light on the romance between Phillip and Elizabeth and I was absolutely here for it!

Not only is this cover absolutely breathtaking, but the story sounded excellent as well. But in all honesty, it was the cover that captured my attention and made me want to read this one!Thanks to shows like The Crown, royals and Queen Elizabeth have been getting a lot of attention and focus. In The Crown though we don’t get too much background on the early years of Princess Elizabeth so that’s why this one excited me so much.

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Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

If you have followed my blog for a while you will know that I love mysteries. I went through a big mystery/thriller phase a while back and then took a break and read more historical fiction/romance but lately I’ve been reading more thrillers and I was super excited to see this book from Mary Kubica in my review queue.

One of my favorite shows on ID Discovery Channel was Disappeared and all I could think of when I was watching the show was, people just don’t disappear, someone knows something. And when I saw that this was practically the tagline for this book, I was super excited to read it! I haven’t read anything by Kubica before but I certainly know the name so I couldn’t wait to dive into this one.

If you are a thriller/mystery reader you will most likely have this one on your radar. Kubica has written some well loved and popular thrillers many of which have been best sellers so I felt confident that this book would be solid with a seasoned writer like Kubica. If you are looking for a fast paced read this spring, look no further! This one was excellent!

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