-
Review: Pierre and Luce by Romain Rolland (a short story)
On the war torn streets of Paris 1918, two lovers meet by chance on a subway. Pierre is a modern day ‘Hamlet’….depressed, hopeless, and disillusioned by the world in which he lives–in his reality, he is an 18 year old middle class boy who has just received his conscription papers. But when he sees Luce on the subway, she is his ray of hope–a promise of a better life than the one destine to be his future. But does she see him? Does she know? Does she feel it too? Why would a girl so full of hope and life look twice at him? Before he can make his introduction,…
-
Review: The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
Do you find yourself wasting countless hours a day, day dreaming of the Edwardian era? Do you suddenly find yourself longing for a corset, button up boots, and an ostrich plum hat? You my friend are in good company and clearly suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawals. If like me, you are looking for literary tale to satisfy your need…then look no further than Kate Alcott’s novel, The Dressmaker. The Dressmaker is a Cinderella-ish tale reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada set against the backdrop of the Titanic disaster. Tess Collins spontaneously quits her job with the hope of gaining last minute employment on the Titanic the day it is to set sail.…
-
Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
How do you escape the reality of your mundane existence? Do you come home from work and sit mindlessly in front of the telly? Do you listen to music on your iPod? Watch the latest flick at the movie theater? Surf the internet for hours searching for the perfect picture of a white sandy beach (my personal fav!). Or do you get lost in the inky lines of your favorite book? Whatever your day dream is, it should be magical….a place where anything is possible….a place where dreams merge with reality….a place like The Night Circus. Erin Morgenstern’s novel, The Night Circus, is a mysterious anomaly–a story that is fragile and…
-
The Lit Bitch has entered the 2012 Downton Abbey Reading Challenge (A Project Downton Post)
Challenge #6 has been entered! I know I said no more reading challenges but this one was a must do, especially with my work on Project Downton, I could not pass up the opportunity to find more great books for my list! Here are the challenge details, the Downton Abbey Reading Challenge 2012 is being hosted by Reading Extensively who is quickly becoming one of my fav book bloggers . As I have noted in my other reading challenge posts, I have a special page/section devoted to my entries which will have lists of books I plan on reading. As per usual I’ll post my reviews throughout the year and add the buttons on my sidebars.…
-
Review: The Temptation of the Night Jasmine (Pink Carnation #5) by Lauren Willig
The exotic scent of night blooming jasmine fills the pages of Lauren Willig’s latest Pink Carnation series installment, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. Robert, the entailed Duke of Dovedale, has returned to England after being abroad in India for 12 years. Though it’s not his nostalgia that draws him home….it’s revenge. There is one debutant that threatens to derail Robert’s revenge….his distant, twice removed ‘cousin’ Charlotte. Charlotte is the granddaughter of the Dowager Duchess of Dovedale–think Maggie Smith from Downton Abbey :). The Duchess rules her family and relations with an iron fist–a duchess to the core. She is strong, ruthless, and stubborn to a fault….Charlotte on the other…
-
Review: A Love by Any Measure by Killian McRae
True love knows no boundaries….true love doesn’t love based on wealth, class, title, or circumstance…..the heart simply wants what it wants: its other half. The only thing that can come between the heart and its desire, is the brain. In Killian McRae’s latest historical romance novel, A Love by Any Measure, the heart and the brain go head to head–will true love win out? August Grayson is an English lord–rich, powerful, titled, and handsome. But in Ireland 1865 he’s called the enemy. Maeve O’Connor is a tenet on Lord Grayson’s land struggling to keep a roof over her and her father’s head. Maeve has nothing but her good looks and good…
-
Review: Ivy and Intrigue (A Very Selwick Christmas) by Lauren Willig
After finishing the latest installment of Lauren Willig’s flowery spy series (The Pink Carnation series), I couldn’t resist eking out a little more frivolous adventure by reading this short story/novella: Ivy and Intrigue (A Very Selwick Christmas). Since this is more of a short story, my review will not be as lengthy. I found the novella available for free online through Willig’s website, however I found that reading 100 or so pages on my computer was not ideal so I splurged and spent $0.99 to get it on my iPad through Amazon :). Amy Balcourt has just married the dashing, Lord Richard Selwick (AKA, the flowery spy better known as the…
-
Review: The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4) by Lauren Willig
Dapper, dark, mysterious, and mature: Lauren Willig’s latest flowery spy novel, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose was the ‘changeling’ in the series. Each book follows the usual pattern of ‘romance’ between a dashing international man of mystery (typically of peerage) and a virginal debutant. The Crimson Rose is principally the same as the other books, but the love story between Lord Vaughn and Mary Alsworthy is more of an intimate, mature, intellectual love not like the previous books that are more of a fairytale romance….Vaughn and Mary for me were more like Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara. I was actually surprised that the love story was more intellectual in nature….based…
-
Review: Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James was literally DOA for me. It really tears me up when I have to write and unfavorable review, but I do have to call them like I see them, it’s only fair to my reads, fans, and authors. For me, Death Comes to Pemberley was a flatline. I really wanted to like it but I just could never really get into it which makes me very sad. With every page that I read I was hoping it would improve but I found it confusing at times and the characters flat. James begins with giving the ‘ridiculous short version’ recap of the original Jane…
-
Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig
Letty Alsworthy has an appalling nasty habit of being whisked way by seemingly innocent carriages! What was it about her that made everyone within grabbing distance want to and act upon the sudden urge to toss her an anything with wheels, one would be abductor in particular–Lord Geoffrey Pinchingdale Snipe. In Lauren Willig’s latest Pink Carnation romantic spy thriller series, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, Letty Alsworthy finds herself in a precarious situation…her sister Mary is secretly engaged to Lord Pinchingdale and plotting to elope with him. Letty discovers the plot moments before Mary literally flies out the window right along with her reputation….Letty manages to get to Lord Pinchingdale’s…