3.5 stars. I’m a little picky when it comes to romances, but I had such a good time with The Wedding Date that I was in the mood for another. Very happy to report that my second attempt at a Sarah MacLean was successful! Lillian Hargrove, orphaned at a young age, grew up pretty sheltered. When she falls in love with an unscrupulous, but talented rake, she allows herself to be painted nude. Said rake promises Lily that it’s just for him and that they’ll […]
The facts are in evidence, but the truth is never told
His Bloody Project, nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2016, is one of those great books that makes you wonder if it’s a true story, a fictionalised account, or just completely made up by the author. After reading the first bit, I actually went to read some reviews (which I never do in advance) to find out for sure. Graeme Mcrae Burnet’s main character—who’s “project” is the subject of the book—is Roderick John Mcrae, or Roddy as he’s called, so it seems entirely plausible that the […]
Old Money, Twelfth Night and Murder
Though I’ve read the entirety of the Pink Carnation series, this was my first time trying any of Willig’s other work, and while her voice was recognizable, it had a very different feel. While the Pink Carnation series certainly deals with dark subject matters (espionage, war, murder, and secret societies), especially the first few novels in the series were very light hearted. As a result, I was surprised by how much darker and more serious this one felt in comparison. While at her brother Bay’s […]
Decent Historical Fiction Novel Bogged Down by a Horrible Narrator
This one is a bit frustrating because there were certainly things I liked about this novel, other things where I liked the concept more than the execution, and then the parts that just made this a difficult read to get through – which actually is rather closely related to the concept that could have worked with a slightly different execution. Having finally been swept up in the Hamilton craze, the Hamilton bio still feels rather daunting so I decided to start with this historical fiction […]
History is Storytelling
“And in my village we have a saying about separated sisters. They are like a woman and her reflection, doomed to stay on opposite sides of the pond.” I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has managed to stuff so much history, trauma, heartbreak, love, hardship, and resilience into so few pages. At just 300 pages, Yaa Gyasi manages to weave a rich web of connecting stories, spanning hundreds of years in history over 7 generations. We begin with two sisters, Effia and […]
Rather bored, more like.
Rotherweird is a strange town. Cut off from the rest of England during the reign of Elizabeth I, the outside world has barely encroached on the town since then. Populated almost entirely by borderline genius eccentrics, outsiders aren’t really encouraged except for in exceptional circumstances – like the disappearance of one of the town’s teachers, prompting them to seek a replacement. On getting the job of history teacher, Jonah Oblong arrives in Rotherweird and, stranger still, is given to understand that actual history is very […]
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