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The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Vienna Nocturne: A Novel in Books
Oct 7, 2020
Anyone who loves classical music in general, and opera in particular, will have high hopes for a historical fiction book about the real woman who was Mozart's muse for the part of Suzanna in "Marriage of Figaro". So if you start reading it and it initially disappoints, keep going, because it certainly picks up nicely. You can read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2014/02/24/the-soprano-who-inspired-mozart/
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Based on a True Story in Books
Jul 27, 2017
A clever psychological thriller
How many books do you trust to be actually based on reality and are non fiction books completely factual? These are some of the questions that arise in this descriptive, slick psychological thriller. It follows the journey of a novelist with writer's block who seems to have been befriended by a woman who takes a lot of interest in her. The woman is enigmatic and secretive and who knows how much of her is real. It is written in the perspective of the writer and so it shows in detail how her mind unravels and is manipulated.
It leaves you pondering whether the protagonist actually imagined the entire thing?
It leaves you pondering whether the protagonist actually imagined the entire thing?
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Lady Clementine in Books
Oct 5, 2020
Some women prefer to stay behind the scenes to help the men they marry achieve greatness. Others put themselves at their husband's side, and sometimes even move to the center stage in their own right. You will find out which kind of woman Clementine Churchill was in the biographical, historical, women's fiction novel “Lady Clementine” by Marie Benedict, and my #bookreview of this recently released book on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/01/10/more-daring-than-darling/
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated A Stolen Life: A Memoir in Books
Oct 28, 2019
Emotional.
Jaycee Lee Duggard is a inspirational, brave and beautiful person and this book really sheds a light on what this poor woman went through. If you have read the story of her in the papers or watched documentaries, you should definitely read this. It's something I can't say I enjoyed for obvious reasons but I think it's written beautifully and more people should see why I think Jaycee is one of the strongest women I have ever experienced.
Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated The Familiars in Books
Mar 11, 2020
I do like a good historic fiction and this one intrigued me as I read the blurb. A pregnant woman who has previously had miscarriages meets a woman who is a midwife, but is also accused of being a witch. This is a story with an underlying theme (or not so underlying) of women striving for more but being trapped by a society run by men who are trying to keep women at a lower status and importance of themselves, while striving to continue to maintain authority and bloodlines. A story of one woman who uses the resources available to her and her intelligence to make situations favour her wants, needs and justices. The Familiars and the concept of The Familiars within the story deemed vague, unimportant and not pressed upon, I'm not entirely sure if their relevance, in comparison to these themes of strong women in a male dominated society of 1600s Britain. If you like Jessie Burton, you will love Stacey Halls! And you will love this!
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Fargo (1996) in Movies
Aug 9, 2017
Extremely dark, black comedy based on a true story
That scene woodchipper scene will haunt me for life.
Truth is definitely stranger than fiction. This extremely dark 'comedy' is now infamous in gallows humour. Without revealing everything, a woman is kidnapped by a psychotic conman and his slightly weedy partner for ransom. Her husband is in charge of gaining this ransom from his father-in-law, only for things to go very, very wrong.
It's a classic cult film, not for everyone. But if you loved 'In Bruges', this will be right up your street.
Truth is definitely stranger than fiction. This extremely dark 'comedy' is now infamous in gallows humour. Without revealing everything, a woman is kidnapped by a psychotic conman and his slightly weedy partner for ransom. Her husband is in charge of gaining this ransom from his father-in-law, only for things to go very, very wrong.
It's a classic cult film, not for everyone. But if you loved 'In Bruges', this will be right up your street.
Alice Walker recommended Mutant Message Down Under in Books (curated)
Mary Gordon recommended Pale Horse, Pale Rider in Books (curated)
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Becoming Bonnie in Books
Oct 5, 2020
Probably the most famous of criminal duos is Bonnie and Clyde. Their spree of murder and theft ended up with a shoot-out that ended their young lives in the spring of 1934. In her debut novel, Jenni Walsh attempts to paint a fictional portrait of the woman who made up half of this team, from the sketchy information available, and no small amount of innovative flights of fancy on Walsh's part. Read my review of this historical fiction novel in my review here.
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/05/31/constructing-a-criminal/
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/05/31/constructing-a-criminal/
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Ecstasy in Books
Oct 5, 2020
Most people may have heard of the names Gustav Mahler and Gustav Klimt, but the names Alma Mahler and Alma Maria Schindler probably mean nothing to you. Admittedly they didn’t to me either. However, with Mary Sharratt’s newest novel, I’m glad to have finally had the chance to learn something about one very interesting woman. If you read my review of this book on my blog here, you’ll find out where all these names, and more, come together in one historical fiction novel.
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2018/07/07/an-eve-or-a-lilith/
https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2018/07/07/an-eve-or-a-lilith/