Category: books
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Book review: The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson My rating: 4 of 5 stars A friend gave this book to my husband, but I borrowed it (temporarily, of course) because it looked so interesting. There are generally two types of history books–a narrative history or an agenda-driven history.…
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Book review: The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh
The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries written by Dorothy Sayers. Jill Paton Walsh has continued the series ably although without as much of the quirky spark as the original series. This particular book is fascinating in that it starts with a…
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Book review: Deadly Engagement by Lucinda Brant
Deadly Engagement by Lucinda Brant My rating: 4 of 5 stars In this current period of “social distancing,” it’s best to have large amounts of reading material on hand. (Not that my to-be-read pile has done anything but grow over the years.) Enter a Georgian historical mystery series!This is the first in a series featuring…
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Book review: How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a wake-up call for all parents who are prone to worry, stress, and over-protect their children, which is to say, the majority of us. The author…
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Book review: Fire in the Blood by W.R. Gingell
Fire in the Blood by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the second of a trilogy (the first book being “Twelve Days a Faery.” Both books are standalone in the sense of despite the fact that there is an overarching narrative arc for the trilogy, the stories stand on their…
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Book review: Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis and Bing West
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’m not typically a fan of military books on leadership as I often find that the traits that make for strong and capable leaders in the military don’t always translate to the private sector. This book is an exception to…
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Book review: Twelve Days of Faery by W.R. Gingell
Twelve Days of Faery by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an original take on a traditional fairy tale plot where unfortunate accidents happen to a prince’s girlfriends/fiancees, and the king has offered a reward to whomever breaks the curse. I enjoyed the first person narrative of the king, who is…
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Book review: The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the first in a historical mystery series. The protagonist is a veteran of the Napoleonic wars and has returned to England with no money, no prospects, and PTSD. This is no light-hearted and frothy mystery but, rather, a gritty…
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Book review: Blackfoot by W.R. Gingell
Blackfoot by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the second book of the Two Monarchies Sequence. (“Masque,” which I reviewed earlier, was the first book written but is the last book in the series.) “Blackfoot” starts essentially right where “Spindle” left off, although the actual story starts several years later. The…
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Book review: Spindle by W.R. Gingell
Spindle by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale but to say that is like saying that Shake Shack is just another burger joint. This re-telling of Sleeping Beauty is original, intricate and complex. The magic (or, more accurately, the magics) are complicated…