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CKD (37 KP) rated Before We Were Yours in Books
Dec 7, 2018
This book tells the stories of Rill Foss and Avery Stafford. Rill is a young girl growing up on the Mississippi River in 1939. Through an unfortunate series of events, she and her siblings are placed in the Tennessee Children's Home orphanage. Avery Stafford is a privileged young woman who has recently moved back to Aiken, SC to help her parents out. She stumbles across a mystery involving her grandmother on her paternal side which leads her to uncover Rill's story.
This book is based on actual events. The stories of Rill and Avery are fiction but some of the facts around the Tennessee Children's Home are factual. The kidnapping and eventual adoption of these "orphan" children was organized by Georgia Tann, Director. She had lots of influential people that looked the other way until she was eventually closed the center down after a state investigation into numerous instances of adoption fraud.
This book is based on actual events. The stories of Rill and Avery are fiction but some of the facts around the Tennessee Children's Home are factual. The kidnapping and eventual adoption of these "orphan" children was organized by Georgia Tann, Director. She had lots of influential people that looked the other way until she was eventually closed the center down after a state investigation into numerous instances of adoption fraud.
Non-fiction isn't usually my 'cup of tea', so I started this with an element of trepidation. I needn't have worried. It's like listening to a more experienced friend telling you what they've done with their life (it would be a long chat, obviously).
From Michelle Obama's poor start in life, via her mother and father's interventions (actually, more her mother's) in her education and the sacrifices they made to give her the best education they could afford, to meeting Barack, getting married, having children, supporting his political life, all the while working herself. And she enjoyed her work. She's a strong woman. She gives an insight to the difficulties for black men and women in daily life, at academic institutions, and in work - especially those which are white dominated (which appears to be the majority).
She just comes across as an extremely likeable person. It was a fascinating book, and I really enjoyed it.
From Michelle Obama's poor start in life, via her mother and father's interventions (actually, more her mother's) in her education and the sacrifices they made to give her the best education they could afford, to meeting Barack, getting married, having children, supporting his political life, all the while working herself. And she enjoyed her work. She's a strong woman. She gives an insight to the difficulties for black men and women in daily life, at academic institutions, and in work - especially those which are white dominated (which appears to be the majority).
She just comes across as an extremely likeable person. It was a fascinating book, and I really enjoyed it.
ClareR (5589 KP) rated The Whispering Muse in Books
Apr 15, 2024
I love Laura Purcell’s gothic novels, and The Whispering Muse is yet another chilling tale of paranormal occurrences - this time set in a London theatre.
Jenny is persuaded to work in the Mercury Theatre as a dresser to the leading lady - and to spy on her for the owners wife. Jenny has little choice but to do as she’s asked, and initially she just gets on with it. But soon she begins to actually like the woman she’s supposed to be spying on, which leaves her in a bit of a tricky predicament.
This was a really atmospheric, gloomy and unnerving read. If I’d been able to see the setting, I would have seen shadows in every corner. My skin was crawling just reading about it!
Laura Purcell has become an insta-buy author for me - historical fiction with a touch of threatening, unexplainable atmosphere would appear to be right up my street!
Jenny is persuaded to work in the Mercury Theatre as a dresser to the leading lady - and to spy on her for the owners wife. Jenny has little choice but to do as she’s asked, and initially she just gets on with it. But soon she begins to actually like the woman she’s supposed to be spying on, which leaves her in a bit of a tricky predicament.
This was a really atmospheric, gloomy and unnerving read. If I’d been able to see the setting, I would have seen shadows in every corner. My skin was crawling just reading about it!
Laura Purcell has become an insta-buy author for me - historical fiction with a touch of threatening, unexplainable atmosphere would appear to be right up my street!
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated Found In Time in Books
Sep 13, 2019
Found In Time is set in today world. You get follow a young man named Major JJ Jackson. He seem dedicated to his country. There are special secret mission he goes on,. Everything seem to be working out find and the team come back.
What would you do if you had this technology and you wanted to keep your country safe? You get to meet some historial figures, and talk to them. How would you feel if you got stuck in a time you were not use to and had to say their and adapt?
If our enemy had found out about this technology what do you think would have happened if it could change the past or our future as we know it. This book put us in the fight to save an American President that his being attacked on American soil? What will this special team of 6 men and woman be able to depend the nation and President?
The plot is done well once you get to the adventures plus the action. It really is a thriller and science fiction with a historical fiction twist to it. Their is some violence in the book and some bad words said. The team is put in spots. There seem to be a mole or two in here. Find out by reading and how it ends. What would you do if you could travel back in time?
What would you do if you had this technology and you wanted to keep your country safe? You get to meet some historial figures, and talk to them. How would you feel if you got stuck in a time you were not use to and had to say their and adapt?
If our enemy had found out about this technology what do you think would have happened if it could change the past or our future as we know it. This book put us in the fight to save an American President that his being attacked on American soil? What will this special team of 6 men and woman be able to depend the nation and President?
The plot is done well once you get to the adventures plus the action. It really is a thriller and science fiction with a historical fiction twist to it. Their is some violence in the book and some bad words said. The team is put in spots. There seem to be a mole or two in here. Find out by reading and how it ends. What would you do if you could travel back in time?
ClareR (5589 KP) rated Young Elizabeth: Princess. Prisoner. Queen in Books
Jun 3, 2024
Young Elizabeth: Princess. Prisoner. Queen by Nicola Tallis is such an interesting non-fiction account of Elizabeth’s life: from her mother, Anne Boleyn meeting Henry VIII, to the day she succeeds to the throne. In those intervening years, Elizabeth is pronounced a bastard after the execution of her mother, is predated on by her stepmothers husband, is accused of trying to topple her sister Mary from the throne, is imprisoned in the Tower and other great houses - as long as she is out of Mary’s way. She is spied on and may well have really been involved in plots against her sister.
Elizabeth was far too clever to be caught, and that comes across really clearly. She was her parent’s daughter: clever, resilient and she knew the best people to have around her. These personality traits and the things that happened to her, formed the young woman and queen she would later be.
Nicola Tallis read through, and included, a lot of Elizabeth’s personal correspondence. It must have been exhausting for Elizabeth. She was constantly under suspicion of treason. She may well have been though, and she certainly didn’t conform wholeheartedly to Catholicism as Mary wanted her to.
This was such a fascinating read - and I’m notoriously picky with non-fiction. I often find it dry and hard to concentrate on, but not with Young Elizabeth. It was riveting, and held my attention from start to finish!
Elizabeth was far too clever to be caught, and that comes across really clearly. She was her parent’s daughter: clever, resilient and she knew the best people to have around her. These personality traits and the things that happened to her, formed the young woman and queen she would later be.
Nicola Tallis read through, and included, a lot of Elizabeth’s personal correspondence. It must have been exhausting for Elizabeth. She was constantly under suspicion of treason. She may well have been though, and she certainly didn’t conform wholeheartedly to Catholicism as Mary wanted her to.
This was such a fascinating read - and I’m notoriously picky with non-fiction. I often find it dry and hard to concentrate on, but not with Young Elizabeth. It was riveting, and held my attention from start to finish!
Marylegs (44 KP) rated Dark Aemilia (UK Edition) in Books
Aug 14, 2019
So I received Dark Aemilia from a Goodreads give away. All I can say is how lucky I was to receive such a good book, that otherwise I likely would not have taken a second glance at. This is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. Which at its core, is a love story, between Aemilia Bassano and William Shakespeare. How their love blossomed and through many external factors was pulled apart. The book is laid out in acts and scenes like a play and tells the story from Aemilia point of view. I enjoyed being submerged in the Tudor London at the end of Elizabeth I reign. This book completely grabbed me from the start and had I had more free time I am sure I would have read this book in a day or two.
Unfortunately as I havent ever read historical fiction before I dont really have any point of reference for comparison. But what I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed how realistic this book felt, but still was able to bring in completely fictitious elements of magic and witchcraft. Sam OReilly has managed to bring in these elements, which appealed to my love of fantasy, without being over the top. I particularly enjoyed the time when London was under the grips of the plague and thought it was just so well written and explained. At no point did I feel lost in descriptions, I was there, with Aemilia and that poor woman just couldnt catch a break.
There is mature content it is an adult story of love, so yes there is sex. I personally have no issue with this and believe it to be an integral addition to this story. It is done well and doesnt feel forced or overdone. I am struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this book, I will read it again and I would recommend it. I will now even consider reading other historical fiction that I had not thought I would enjoy.
Unfortunately as I havent ever read historical fiction before I dont really have any point of reference for comparison. But what I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed how realistic this book felt, but still was able to bring in completely fictitious elements of magic and witchcraft. Sam OReilly has managed to bring in these elements, which appealed to my love of fantasy, without being over the top. I particularly enjoyed the time when London was under the grips of the plague and thought it was just so well written and explained. At no point did I feel lost in descriptions, I was there, with Aemilia and that poor woman just couldnt catch a break.
There is mature content it is an adult story of love, so yes there is sex. I personally have no issue with this and believe it to be an integral addition to this story. It is done well and doesnt feel forced or overdone. I am struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this book, I will read it again and I would recommend it. I will now even consider reading other historical fiction that I had not thought I would enjoy.
AmyBee (4 KP) rated The Bell Jar in Books
Sep 5, 2018
I cannot believe I have only just read this for the first time! The Bell Jar is definitely deserving of it's status as a 'classic' in semi-autobiographical fiction. Plath really captures you with the stream-of-consciousness monologue of Esther Greenwood, a young woman who narrates her journey into insanity in the 1950's.
The Bell Jar is narrated in a similar vein to and is quite reminiscent of Virginia Woolf's novel 'Mrs Dalloway', although it has a decidedly more risqué tone as the narrator talks in great detail about subjects which would not have been deemed acceptable in the 1920's (such as losing her virginity!).
What particularly gripped me about this novel is that Esther's mental illness seems to sneak up on her and this is reflected in the novel, as it almost seems to take the reader by surprise that this seemingly normal young woman is falling deeper and deeper into her illness.
Mental health stigma is also clearly represented in the novel, as it almost seem is at points that Esther's illness is treated as a joke, and definitely not taken seriously by most. It's also interesting to read about the archaic means of treatment for mental health sufferers eg Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) AKA Electroshock therapy, and it's aftermath.
All in all, a very thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended for lovers of classic literature surrounding mental health issues.
The Bell Jar is narrated in a similar vein to and is quite reminiscent of Virginia Woolf's novel 'Mrs Dalloway', although it has a decidedly more risqué tone as the narrator talks in great detail about subjects which would not have been deemed acceptable in the 1920's (such as losing her virginity!).
What particularly gripped me about this novel is that Esther's mental illness seems to sneak up on her and this is reflected in the novel, as it almost seems to take the reader by surprise that this seemingly normal young woman is falling deeper and deeper into her illness.
Mental health stigma is also clearly represented in the novel, as it almost seem is at points that Esther's illness is treated as a joke, and definitely not taken seriously by most. It's also interesting to read about the archaic means of treatment for mental health sufferers eg Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) AKA Electroshock therapy, and it's aftermath.
All in all, a very thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended for lovers of classic literature surrounding mental health issues.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Hamnet in Books
Jan 10, 2021
Hamnet was the 1st book I read in 2020 that was named after the son, but, in reality, the entire book is about the mother.
Hamnet is the story of an little, unknown playwright's son, who died of the plague. Just kidding, the playwright is obviously Shakespeare, but he is never named. Which is fine with me, he wasn't the focus.
Nothing much is really known about Hamnet, the author did some extensive research, and created the series of events. I thought they were all plausible, and I always appreciate a heavily researched historical fiction novel.
In truth, the focus of the novel is on Anne Hathaway, called Agnes in this novel. It's possible her true name was Agnes, rather than Anne. Now, I had a slight problem with the character of Agnes in general. This was the major negative in the book for me, I feel as though the woman in the woods, is she or isn't she a witch situation is getting overplayed way too much. Now, I see it as the equivalent as the manic pixie dream girl. I understand this woman of the woods trope is to empower the female characters, but it's just too familiar at this point.
I feel mostly that every book I read is predictable, when you read over 100 books a year, it's hard not to predict the ending. Is it necessarily a bad thing? Of course it's not, but that coupled with the manic pixie woman of the woods is why I can't rate this higher than good.
I have to add that one of my favorite parts, that was probably really unnecessary, was the journey of the plague-carrying flea. I thought it was amusing, and kind of odd.
I can definitely see why this book was up for prizes, and I'm sure to the casual reader, it was better than good.
Hamnet is the story of an little, unknown playwright's son, who died of the plague. Just kidding, the playwright is obviously Shakespeare, but he is never named. Which is fine with me, he wasn't the focus.
Nothing much is really known about Hamnet, the author did some extensive research, and created the series of events. I thought they were all plausible, and I always appreciate a heavily researched historical fiction novel.
In truth, the focus of the novel is on Anne Hathaway, called Agnes in this novel. It's possible her true name was Agnes, rather than Anne. Now, I had a slight problem with the character of Agnes in general. This was the major negative in the book for me, I feel as though the woman in the woods, is she or isn't she a witch situation is getting overplayed way too much. Now, I see it as the equivalent as the manic pixie dream girl. I understand this woman of the woods trope is to empower the female characters, but it's just too familiar at this point.
I feel mostly that every book I read is predictable, when you read over 100 books a year, it's hard not to predict the ending. Is it necessarily a bad thing? Of course it's not, but that coupled with the manic pixie woman of the woods is why I can't rate this higher than good.
I have to add that one of my favorite parts, that was probably really unnecessary, was the journey of the plague-carrying flea. I thought it was amusing, and kind of odd.
I can definitely see why this book was up for prizes, and I'm sure to the casual reader, it was better than good.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Tides of Possibility in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[Tides of Possibility] is a anthology of science fiction short stories. I really enjoyed most of the stories and a few I would hope to see full length novels expanding on the stories.
A few of note:[The Color of Silence] by [Mandy Broughton] about compassion. [The Woman Who Wanted to Play Havisham] by [Haralambi Markov] which message seems to be, be careful what you wish for. [Imaginary Numbers] by [Corinn Heathers] which I would really love to see expanded to a novel with more a back story.
[Teachable Moments] by [Brandon Crilly] seemed to be my favorite though. Perhaps I am biased as a teacher and the title is a term we are not allowed to have in the classroom anymore thanks to the testing culture. The idea of a former teacher doing what is best for young people and by doing that he teaches them the biggest lesson of life.
I will be looking for more works from some of these authors. I could have done without the poetry though.
A few of note:[The Color of Silence] by [Mandy Broughton] about compassion. [The Woman Who Wanted to Play Havisham] by [Haralambi Markov] which message seems to be, be careful what you wish for. [Imaginary Numbers] by [Corinn Heathers] which I would really love to see expanded to a novel with more a back story.
[Teachable Moments] by [Brandon Crilly] seemed to be my favorite though. Perhaps I am biased as a teacher and the title is a term we are not allowed to have in the classroom anymore thanks to the testing culture. The idea of a former teacher doing what is best for young people and by doing that he teaches them the biggest lesson of life.
I will be looking for more works from some of these authors. I could have done without the poetry though.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Fantasy (Includes: Leopard People, #0.5; Midnight, #0.5) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The fantasy theme was heavy with all four of the stories in the book. The first story is The Widow's Auction by Sabrina Jeffries. In this novella, a young widow is convinced that it is in her favor to auction off one night with her in return for a large sum of money that she can use to benefit her work with a all-boys' school. Of course, she secretly just wants to know what it's like to actually enjoy the bedtime act. In the realm of make-believe, this was quite the enjoyable mix of lust and romance with no negative consequences.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.