Tag: historical fiction
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Book review: Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran
Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have really enjoyed all of Michelle Moran’s books that I have read, but this one is one of my favorites. Of course, it helps that I love reading about ancient Egypt. This book is about Cleopatra’s daughter, Selene, and what befell her after…
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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: Cleopatra’s Heir by Gillian Bradshaw
Cleopatra’s Heir by Gillian Bradshaw My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve enjoyed Gillian Bradshaw’s historical fiction for many many years. This book has an interesting premise: if Cleopatra and Julius Caesar’s son survived after Cleopatra’s defeat and death, what might have happened to him? Would he have tried to take his throne back? Would…
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Book review: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles My rating: 5 of 5 stars Jim recommended this book to me a while back, and he never recommends fiction. His recommendation was well-merited. This is a simply amazing book. The plot involves a Russian aristocrat who is sentenced to house arrest at a Moscow hotel. But the…
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Book review: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have to admit I was unenthusiastic about reading this book, as it was an assigned book for our son’s 11th grade English class. (Assigned reading is about as appealing to me now as it was when I was in high school.)…
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Book review: Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman
Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sharon Penman is one of my favorite authors (she ranks up there with Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien) and certainly my favorite author of historical fiction. Devil’s Brood describes the internecine warfare and deteriorating family relationships of the sons of Henry II and…
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Book review: Everything Under the Heavens by Dana Stabenow
Everything Under the Heavens by Dana Stabenow My rating: 3 of 5 stars I bought this book because it is uncommon to find English language historical fiction books about China. This book takes place in 14th century China, at the end of the reign of Kublai Khan (the grandson of Genghis Khan). The main character…
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Book review: Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell
Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the 3rd book in the Saxon series (I know–I am way behind), and this one is my favorite so far. (Which is not to say that I disliked the other ones.) But by book #3, Uhtred’s personality is well-established as…
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Book review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller My rating: 4 of 5 stars When I first realized a few pages into this book that Achilles was going to be the hero of this particular novel, I did a mental eye-roll (I may have even done a physical eye roll). Achilles has never struck me as…
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Book review: The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye
The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have long been a fan of M. M. Kaye’s books and had an opportunity to re-read this one, as it recently became available in e-book form. I had forgotten how beautiful a book it is. The author’s experience living in India gives…