Tag: Non Fiction

Books, Giveaway, Reading

Giveaway: BLACK DIAMONDS by Catherine Bailey

by The Lit Bitch8 Comments on Giveaway: BLACK DIAMONDS by Catherine Bailey

Are you going through Downton Abbey withdrawals?

I don’t know about you  but I know I am! If you are longing for more history and mystery from this exciting era in English history this book is going to be exactly what you are looking for!

Thanks to the publisher, I am ecstatic to be able to offer a copy of Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey for your enjoyment!

Giveaway runs 2/19/15 to 2/26/15

Winners will be announced 2/27/15.

(how to enter)

On this blog you must leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway.  Your comment MUST include your email so I can contact you….if you do not enter an email in the comments your entry will be void. Winners will be notified by email the day after the giveaway closes and have five days to respond, it not another winner will be chosen. 

(GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US/CANADA ONLY AND NO PO BOX)

Make sure you note if you have done the following for more chances to win: Tweet about the giveaway (+1), share on Facebook (+1), like The Lit Bitch on Facebook (+1), follow The Lit Bitch on Twitter (+1), subscribe to The Lit Bitch’s blog (+1). Tweet/RT about the giveaway (+1). Share about the giveaway (+1).

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

Review: Black Diamonds: The Downfall of an Aristocratic Dynasty and the Fifty Years That Changed England by Catherine Bailey

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Black Diamonds: The Downfall of an Aristocratic Dynasty and the Fifty Years That Changed England by Catherine Bailey

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Catherine Bailey chronicles the rise and fall of the Fitzwilliam coal mining dynasty in Yorkshire England.

The Fitzwilliam family was at one time, one of the wealthiest families in all of England.

So how does this extensive fortune and massive house end up on the real estate market in 2014 in need of mass repairs?

Well that’s what Bailey decides to find out. What follows is this outstanding narrative about the rise and fall of this aristocratic family, a fortune worth 3 billion pounds by today’s standards, and a family full of salacious scandal, family feuds, and dark secrets.

This book was scandalous and I loved it! I am a huge fan of Bailey’s first biography, The Secret Rooms which I read last year. I love reading about the British aristocracy and royals, because again, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.

Continue reading “Review: Black Diamonds: The Downfall of an Aristocratic Dynasty and the Fifty Years That Changed England by Catherine Bailey” →

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

Review: Inglorious Royal Marriages: A Demi-Millennium of Unholy Mismatrimony by Leslie Carroll

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Inglorious Royal Marriages: A Demi-Millennium of Unholy Mismatrimony by Leslie Carroll

Don’t we all wish we could be a fly on the wall of a royal marriage. There is something about royalty, romance, and marriage that lures us in and doesn’t let go.

With Leslie Carroll’s new book we get all the juice from some of history’s most notorious marriages!

Let’s just put it this way…..everything that could go wrong in these marriages, often did! And how could they not when marriages were often arranged for political gain and purpose, rather than love and affection.

I won’t go into too much detail as far as background info on the book based on the way it is structured. It’s pretty straight forward and a collections of short stories.

Carroll’s novel spans some 500 years covering stories that some readers will know well and introducing us to others we might not otherwise have known.

Continue reading “Review: Inglorious Royal Marriages: A Demi-Millennium of Unholy Mismatrimony by Leslie Carroll” →

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

Review: The Poetic World of Emily Brontë: Poems from the Author of Wuthering Heights by Laura Inman

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Poetic World of Emily Brontë: Poems from the Author of Wuthering Heights by Laura Inman

Wuthering Heights is one of my all time favorite novels. The windy moors, tragic love story, and romantic writing style are second to none in my book.

Though Wuthering Heights was Emily Bronte’s only novel, she was an avid poetry writer.

I am note a huge poetry fan, I never seem to get out of it what I everyone else does, so therefore I just haven’t read a lot of it.

However, when The Poetic World of Emily Bronte came across my desk for review, I paused.

I haven’t read a lot of the Bronte sisters’ poetry, shockingly, and I thought this book would be a convenient way of rectifying that situation.

In Laura Inman’s book, The Poetic World of Emily Bronte, she explores in detail, several distinct themes in her poetry: nature, mutability, love, death, and captivity and freedom.

Continue reading “Review: The Poetic World of Emily Brontë: Poems from the Author of Wuthering Heights by Laura Inman” →

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

Review: Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire by James Lowder

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire by James Lowder

After recently re-reading A Game of Thrones, I couldn’t help but crave more of the epic story!

I’ve read all the books at least once and after this recent re-read I’ve been scouring the discussion forums for more theories and insight into A Song of Ice and Fire.

So needless to say, reading this book was a no brainer. I’ve read a lot of reviews about this anthology, and most people say that you can find better material online in the discussion groups for free.

While there is a plethora of material online, a lot of it isn’t structured or supported by research which was what I was looking for….something a little more organized.

This novel had a broad selection of essays about A Song of Ice and Fire and Westeros. Some were interesting and thought provoking while others left me wanting.

Continue reading “Review: Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire by James Lowder” →