Tag: books
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Book review: The Second Empress by Michelle Moran
The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon’s Court by Michelle Moran My rating: 4 of 5 stars Michelle Moran is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. She does impeccable research, and the historical characters come alive in her books. This book is no exception, even though it isn’t my favorite historical period. There has…
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Book review: The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu
The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu My rating: 4 of 5 stars A new author! And a new mystery series! (For me, anyway.) The setting for this series is in 1930s Singapore, when Singapore was a British colony. It’s a period and place in history that I know very little about, and I love…
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Book review: Beyond by Mercedes Lackey
Beyond by Mercedes Lackey My rating: 4 of 5 stars Prequels are difficult. Because the readers (assuming they have read the subsequent books) know how the book turns out, it’s difficult to build up suspense. And origin prequels are especially difficult because everything isn’t supposed to work quite as smoothly as in the subsequent series…
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Book review: Jane and the Man of the Cloth by Stephanie Barron
Jane and the Man of the Cloth by Stephanie Barron My rating: 3 of 5 stars I had read the first of this series a long time ago because it’s Jane Austen and a mystery, what is there not to like? But as I recall, the debut novel didn’t grab me, and as my TBR…
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Book review: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was really looking forward to reading this memoir, and it did not disappoint. Michelle Zauner isn’t perhaps the most likeable person, especially as she relates her childhood, but she is bluntly honest about herself, her relationship with her mother, and her…
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Book review: Cinderella Must Die by W.R. Gingell
Cinderella Must Die by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars A re-telling of the Cinderella fairy tale that turns everything you know on its head. In this version, the evil stepsisters are good, and Cinderella is bad. Now the stepsisters are accused of escaping from prison, killing Cinderella, and are on the run.…
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Book review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton My rating: 3 of 5 stars A lighthearted frothy fantasy/romance. The book ostensibly takes place during the Victorian period and has many of the components of a Regency romance (I use “Regency romance” broadly and not at all accurately when it comes to time periods). The…
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Book review: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Erik Larson is fast becoming one of my favorite non-fiction authors. Who else could take 2 years from World War II and turn it into compelling reading about Winston Churchill and…
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Book review: Death in the Off-Season by Francine Mathews
Death in the Off-Season by Francine Mathews My rating: 4 of 5 stars First in a mystery series. (Because, of course, why finish any of the many other series I’ve started? I am beginning to think I have commitment issues.)This was a fun and good read, with interesting characters and a well-constructed plot. It helps…
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Book review: Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter
Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter My rating: 4 of 5 stars I am generally not a fan of contemporary romances, preferring historical ones. I picked this one up because (i) it was a Christmas romance (and I am a sucker for those); (ii) it’s a novella so I knew I could get through…