I wanted to love this book by the author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. I didn’t love it, a problem I’m having with a lot of books this year. I expected the book to be different from Major Pettigrew, so that wasn’t the problem. I was disappointed with the lack of character development and the … Continue reading
This is a strange, complicated story, involving time and mind-reading and intricate clockwork. Pulley’s debut novel is artfully written and most importantly, the characters are well-drawn – except where they’re meant to be mysterious. I will say I struggled a bit with the last third of the book, so I can’t call it a five-star … Continue reading
When I’m reading a novel about a historical figure, I want the book to be factual enough that I get a good sense of who the person was. I also want it to have an interesting story. And finally, if I admire the person, I don’t want it to be a story that makes me … Continue reading
If you’re interested in detailed historical fiction about Scotland, this is a great book. The Spider and the Stone tells the story of the years between 1296 and 1330, known as the Scottish Wars for Independence. You’ve heard of William Wallace if you’ve seen the movie Braveheart, although there were a number of historical inaccuracies … Continue reading
This was the last book I finished in 2013, and it was a great way to close the year! I was struggling halfway through A.M. Homes, May We Be Forgiven, and needed something light, and Sweetness was on my shelf. To be honest, I’d put off reading this book in the fear it would be … Continue reading
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice is Laurie R. King’s take on Sherlock Holmes towards the end of his career. In this first book of a series, Holmes meet fifteen-year-old Mary Russell, an independent girl who is as clever and observant as he is. As the title suggests, he begins tutoring her in the ways of detective work, … Continue reading
I was excited about this book, because I’ve been looking for a good historical mystery to sink my teeth into for a while. I love the Monk series by Anne Perry, and I used to like C.S. Harris’ Sebastian series, but it’s gotten a little repetitive and less historical. The other books that get recommended … Continue reading
I’ve had kind of a mental block about writing this review, which is strange. I often wake up with a review in my head and putting it on paper is easy. I think it’s because I liked this book, but I suspect it’s a great book and I’m not sure I gave it that level … Continue reading
Life After Life is one of those books that’s hard to review. It’s a challenging read and it’s got glowing critical reviews. I’m a big fan of Kate Atkinson, so I expected to like it, and I did. Be warned though, it’s quite a departure from her other books. This is a book that combines … Continue reading
Author David Wesley Hill sent me his novel, At Drake’s Command, with a request for review. I love historical fiction, but I’ve never read the works of C.S. Forester (the Horatio Hornblower series) and Patrick O’Brian (Jack Aubrey) because I’ve been told the books are too nautically-detailed for me to enjoy them. Still, I enjoyed … Continue reading
I’m mixed about The Secret Keeper. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. On the other hand, books of this genre just feel a little “overdone” to me. And by genre I guess I mean historical-melodrama-mystery type novel. Kate Morton is certainly a good writer, and she gave us a twisty-turny story that … Continue reading
Small Island is a book about Jamaicans during World War II who dream of seeing the larger world and move to London. It’s also a book about black men and women were treated at this time, and about how racial prejudice in England, the U.S. and the Caribbean differed. And it’s also a book about … Continue reading
