3 Stars. The book was a little bit of a slog but that’s partly on me. I can only remember one scene from the movie and it’s a sad one. I don’t particularly like sad books so I kept avoiding it. The writing is also an odd mix of a lot of action buried under very dense sentence structure. I had to take my time […]
3 Stars. First of all, this is a disturbingly violent book. I didn’t have nightmares or anything but it is graphic. Horrific domestic abuse, very violent death, and a brief mention of rape. Sensitive readers should steer clear. That out of the way, there’s a lot of potential here. I really didn’t know who […]
3 Stars. When I realized this short story is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, I knew exactly which incident from Viv’s earlier life that I hope it addressed and that’s exactly what I got. Yay! It’s so strongly related to the book, that I really think it could have been edited a bit more and turned […]
3 Stars. I am a surprisingly big fan of Ms. Willig’s Pink Carnation series for someone who doesn’t consider herself a fan of romances. But the witty banter, intrigue, and Napoleonic settings sucked me right in. I inhaled that entire 12-book series and wished for more. The author’s newer books look more serious to me so I’ve […]
3 Stars. According to the introduction to this edition, Northanger Abbey is the earliest of Jane Austen’s published novels but the last to be published, and even then it was published posthumously. I could tell this was an early work of hers, because her sarcasm and social commentary is much more obvious and pointed than in the other […]
3 Stars. So, I have a problem with these “Girl” or “Woman” books that have been everywhere the past several years. Do we have a genre name for them yet? You know the ones. Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and on and on and on. I just can’t get into them. I loathe the characters. That’s exactly the point, but when I don’t like […]
3 Stars. This book was an obvious labor of love for Mr. Twitty and his passions shine through the pages. Unfortunately, I don’t particularly enjoy cooking or genealogy so the book fell a bit flat for me. I glanced through quite a few reviews on GoodReads before I decided to check this out and saw others frequently complaining […]
3 Stars. I read The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory years ago and enjoyed them both. I have some understanding of England’s history under Henry VIII though and I know pitifully little about the Wars of the Roses. That lack affected my enjoyment of The White Queen a bit. There’s a family tree at […]
3 Stars. I read one of Ms. Birds earlier books, Adventures in the Rocky Mountains, during my blogging break and quite enjoyed it. I could only admire a woman who, in Victorian times, not only traveled alone, but managed to summit Longs Peak in a dress. When I needed a travel book as part of the 20201 Nonfiction Challenge, Ms. […]
3 Stars. The Little Book of Hygge was pleasant enough, but as an introvert, I found very little new information here. I try to maintain a cozy, welcoming home and I’ve always preferred low lighting. I love candles (although not to the extent that Danes apparently do), sweets, comfort food, and Christmas. My list of close friends […]
3 Stars. While I did enjoy Ready Player Two, my expectations were so high from Ready Player One that it was almost guaranteed to be a bit of a letdown. I still loved all the ’80s Easter eggs that I identified but this older Wade isn’t quite as engaging. He’s still a major geek but his absolute resistance to listening to others’ […]