Each week, as I continue to read through my books, I will be adding their reviews below.

Feel free to enjoy!

Week of July 3-9, 2017

Let’s start with the dud of the book I read.

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

While the book started off quite well, it then became quite cumbersome with little action as it went along. I kept trying to get through it and give it a shot, but I eventually decided it wasn’t worth my time and effort. I rarely give up on books, but I just couldn’t do it.

If you don’t mind detailed prose and a story about Paris in the post-napoleon era, then you may love this book! But it just wasn’t for me.

 

I give it 1.5 out of 5 thumbs up.

 

This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe

To be completely honest, I actually read this the week before, but we’ll include it here anyways.

I loved this memoir! Sometimes memoirs can seem a little sporadic or not terribly interesting (or at least missing a common theme or point), but I loved Gabourey’s! She was honest, forthright, compassionate, but also witty and self-deprecating when needed.

If you’re interested in a quick non-fiction read, I highly recommend this memoir!

I give it 5 out of 5 thumbs up!

 

An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney

This was a book that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It starts off with the protagonist awaiting trial in Fleet Prison for shooting her husband. But as she recounts the events that led her there, the tale is completely different than anything I had expected.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced and heartwarming historical fiction read, this book is for you!

I give it 4.5 out of 5 thumbs up!

 

Week of July 17-23, 2016

A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock

Thankfully, this book turned my mood around from the awful book I finished with last week. It did so with the drama and intrigue that followed one woman’s decision to investigate (what she believes to be) the murder of her father.

It occurs in the early to mid-1800’s – just as the world is starting to become industrialized. I loved the perspective of her as a young woman caught between the worlds of the old and the new.

If you’re in the mood for a quick read with lots of drama and a touch of Victorian England, then this is definitely the book for you.

I give it 4.5 out 5 thumbs up.

A Family Affair: A Novel by Caro Peacock

Lastly, I decided to follow up the last book with the third in the series (having unwittingly already read the second book some time ago).

This one was even more curious and caused me more mental twists and turns than the previous one.

I always try to outwit the author and attempt to determine the villain/murderer whenever I read a mystery. Sometimes I can do it, and sometimes I cannot.

In this one,  I was definitely taken by surprise. I ended up blazing through the end of the book because I was so surprised by where it took me.

Needless to say, this also earned the book a 5 out 5 thumbs up.

 

Week of July 10-16, 2016

Needless to say, I was on a reading SPPPREEEEE this past week. I managed to enjoy 4 different books and am feeling the effects (lack of sleep, etc)

Here are my reviews:

The Hourglass Factory: A Novel by Lucy Ribchester

This book was surprisingly good. I say that because it was not what I expected it to be, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It takes place during the women’s suffrage movement in England, a time about which I was somewhat unfamiliar. However, it intrigued me and it kept me up late into the night until I had finished it. It even sent me on some googling/wikipediaing about many of the historical events mentioned – which you KNOW is always a good thing.

I also loved that it kept you guessing as to who was good and who wasn’t throughout the story.

In my opinion, a truly good book not only leaves you with satisfaction at the ending, but also a bit of disquietude. It resolves most of the problems, but leaves you just a bit on edge, always wanting more.

This book absolutely did that and I give it 5 out of 5 thumbs up.

 

The Accidental Empress: A Novel by Allison Pataki

Another book that I read and loved was again about a time in history that I didn’t know much about. This book tells the story of the Duchess of Bavaria, Elisabeth (Sisi) who basically stumbles into becoming the Empress of the Hapsburg Empire.

Not only did it make me want to travel to Austria and Hungary, it detailed information about the court and the political battles that eventually led to the First World War.

As a history nerd, this was all endlessly fascinating and gave me a new perspective that I hadn’t thought about before of that time.

Not to mention some drama and intrigue, like any good novel.

I found out that this book has a sequel as well, and I cannot wait to read that!

All  in all, I give it 5 out of 5 thumbs up.

 

The Traitor’s Wife: A Novel by Kathleen Kent

Funnily enough, I read this book by accident. As you can see on the cover of The Accidental Empress, it mentions that the author also wrote a book called The Traitor’s Wife.

I saw this book on my bookshelf and completely overlooked the author, and focused only on the title. Since I had enjoyed The Accidental Empress so much, I decided to read this book.

As you can see, they are not by the same author, though this book does share the title of Ms. Pataki’s other book.

Luckily for me though, I still enjoyed reading this story. For the third time, it clued me into a time period that I wasn’t as familiar with. Though I have read some on the “Glorious Revolution,” the rise and fall of Oliver Cromwell, and the return of King Charles the II, I hadn’t read it from the perspective of the American colonies at the time.

This book offered that viewpoint, and I really enjoyed hearing about the time period, and the historical background that led up to what occurs in the book.

While it didn’t blow me away in the same manner as the other books I had read so far, it was still pretty great.

Therefore, I am giving it a 4.5 out of 5 thumbs up.

 

Tyringham Park: A Novel by Rosemary McLoughlin

In case you thought I love every book I read, don’t worry – this review will prove you wrong.

The only thing I enjoyed about this book was the time period it was set in (the early 1900’s) and the fact that there is some interaction with Australia by the main characters.

Other than that, the book just dragged me from one bad thing to another in terms of the lead character’s choices and mistakes. Not only her, but the rest of her family too. It showcased much of the worst in people and how there can be negative ramifications from each person’s individual decisions.

As the real world is depressing enough, I don’t need a book to make me even more bummed out.

Therefore, I am giving this book a 1.5 out of 5 thumbs up.