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

Review: Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

Like many people, I’ve seen the preview for the upcoming film Crazy Rich Asians and let’s be honest, it looks really good–at least I think so anyway. It’s definitely on my summer movie list at any rate.

I was thrilled to see that the movie was also based on a book and I was super excited to read it. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to buy it but I put it on my library queue and waiting a surprising number of weeks to get it—seems like everyone else had the same idea as me.

When it came in I rushed to pick it up because clearly it was a popular book and I was excited to read it and find out what it was all about!

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

Continue reading “Review: Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan” →

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Cover Reveal: The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Cover Reveal: The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau

The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau

Publication: Fall 2018
Endeavour Quill

Genre: Historical Fiction

What would you do to possess the most coveted color in the world? The year is 1758, and a headstrong woman artist, 24-year-old Genevieve Planche, is caught up in a high-stakes race to discover the ultimate color, one that threatens to become as deadly as it is lucrative. When Genevieve’s mission is complicated by her falling in love with the chemist behind the formula, she discovers the world of blue is filled with ruthless men and women and how high the stakes really are. The story sweeps readers from the worlds of the silk-weaving refugees of London’s Spitalfields and the luxury-obsessed drawing rooms of Grosvenor Square to the porcelain factory of Derby and, finally, magnificent Sevres Porcelain in the shadow of Versailles. And running through it all: the dangerous allure of the color blue.

“Bilyeau’s sumptuous tale of mystery and intrigue transports the reader into the heart of the 18th century porcelain trade—where the price of beauty was death”’ E.M. Powell, author of the Stanton & Barling medieval mystery series.

Add to your Goodreads here! 

Continue reading “Cover Reveal: The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau” →

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

Review: Something In The Water by Catherine Steadman

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Something In The Water by Catherine Steadman

When this book came across my desk for review, the first thing that caught my eye was that the author was also an actress, most notably an actress in Downton Abbey.

I’m always intrigued by people with dual talents. Being an actress is difficult enough but then you add author in the mix and it seems almost impossible so when I see things like this that aren’t memoirs or autobiographies etc, I am always curious to see how the author’s talents translate from big screen to pages.

SOMETHING IN THE WATER stood out besides the fact that Steadman is an actress though…..it’s set in Bora Bora. I was instantly intrigued. It’s an island paradise. A place most certainly on my bucket list and for many people, a trip of a lifetime. Having a thriller set in paradise sounds delectable and like something I would want to read!  Continue reading “Review: Something In The Water by Catherine Steadman” →

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

Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

This book was everywhere last year. It was first published in June of 2017 and it’s been every where ever since. All over my social media, on all my friends ‘to read’ or ‘favorite’ shelfs, and at my local library as a librarian favorite.

It sounded like something that would be right up my alley, but for some reason it just didn’t scream ‘read me’ even though I had it sitting in my Kindle library for months. Part of me was worried about the hype and another part of me just wasn’t into reading a war time friendship story as I prefer war time romances generally.

However, this last month on the #historicalfix chat on Twitter, this was the featured book and there was a Q & A with Kate Quinn and after following along with the chat I was curious and eager to check this book out after all this time.

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption. Continue reading “Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn” →

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

Review: The Fleur de Sel Murders: A Brittany Mystery (Kommissar Dupin #3) by Jean-Luc Bannalec

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Fleur de Sel Murders: A Brittany Mystery (Kommissar Dupin #3) by Jean-Luc Bannalec

I am always open to reading quirky books. Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional story telling with traditional themes and relatable stories but I also tend to gravitate toward strange or unusual books that are off the beaten path.

Sometimes that works out and other times it doesn’t. It’s 50/50 for me….either weird works or it doesn’t. This mystery series sounded quirky. I debated about reviewing it but ultimately decided on picking it up.

How does one make the ‘sea salt industry’ look glamorous and intriguing to the average reader? Even with a mystery? I was up for the challenge and dug right in.

The old salt farmers have always said that the violet scent of the Fleur de Sel at harvest time on the salt marshes of the Guérande Peninsula has been known to cause hallucinations. Commissaire Dupin also starts to believe this when he’s attacked out of the blue in the salt works. Continue reading “Review: The Fleur de Sel Murders: A Brittany Mystery (Kommissar Dupin #3) by Jean-Luc Bannalec” →