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Showing posts from August, 2013

Review: "Song of the River" by Sue Harrison

Synopsis:  Two ancient tribes on the verge of making peace become foes once more when a double murder jeopardizes a storyteller’s mission Eighty centuries ago, in the frozen land that is now Alaska, a clubfooted male child had been left to die, when a woman named K’os rescued him. Twenty years later and no longer a child, Chakliux occupies the revered role as his tribe’s storyteller. In the neighboring village of the Near River people, where Chakliux will attempt to make peace by wedding the shaman’s daughter, a double murder occurs that sends him on a harsh, enthralling journey in search of the truth about the tragic losses his people have suffered, and into the arms of a woman he was never meant to love. Song of the River is the first book of the Storyteller Trilogy, which also includes Cry of the Wind and Call Down the Stars. My Thoughts:  I have never read a work of historical fiction quite like Song of the River. It's set in 6000 BCE in Alaska which makes the bo

Review: "The Age of Desire" by Jennie Fields

S ynopsis:  For fans of The Paris Wife, a sparkling glimpse into the life of Edith Wharton and the scandalous love affair that threatened her closest friendship. They say that behind every great man is a great woman. Behind Edith Wharton, there was Anna Bahlmann—her governess turned literary secretary and confidante. At the age of forty-five, despite her growing fame, Edith remains unfulfilled in a lonely, sexless marriage. Against all the rules of Gilded Age society, she falls in love with Morton Fullerton, a dashing young journalist. But their scandalous affair threatens everything in Edith’s life—especially her abiding ties to Anna. At a moment of regained popularity for Wharton, Jennie Fields brilliantly interweaves Wharton’s real letters and diary entries with her fascinating, untold love story. Told through the points of view of both Edith and Anna, The Age of Desire transports readers to the golden days of Wharton’s turn-of-the century world and—like the recent

Guest Post by C.W. Gortner, "Mary and Elizabeth: Sisters and Rivals"

I am so excited to welcome C.W. Gortner, author of The Tudor Conspiracy, to the blog today! Mary and Elizabeth: Sisters and Rivals There is something fascinating, and disturbing, about family members who turn on one another. The Tudor dynasty is no exception. Though Henry VIII did not sire many children, considering how often he wed, history has perhaps no sisters more famous for their rivalry than his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth.  Born of the king’s marriages to his first and second wives, respectively, Mary and Elizabeth were both declared bastards in turn after Henry divorced Mary’s mother, Catherine of Aragon, and had Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn, beheaded. The rivalry between the two mothers, each determined to hold onto their crown and defend their child, set the stage for a legacy of mistrust between the daughters, who were as different in temperament as any sisters could be.    The eldest by seventeen years, Mary went from an adored childhoo

Stacking the Shelves (51)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews . I had to go out of town unexpectedly last weekend and wasn't able to get my weekly haul post up so this week's post is comprised of two weeks worth of books. From NetGalley: The Boleyn Deceit by Laura Andersen For Review (From Historical Fiction Virtual Tours): The Study of Murder by Susan McDuffie His Last Mistress by Andrea Zuvich Purchased (Kindle ebooks): The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry The Virgin Widow by Anne O'Brien   From the Library:   The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen Tarnish by Katherine Longshore Whew!  I have a lot of reading to do!  Have you read any of these books?  What books did you get this week?

Review: "The Tudor Conspiracy" by C.W. Gortner

Synopsis:  Hunted by a shadowy foe in Bloody Mary’s court, Brendan Prescott plunges into London’s treacherous underworld to unravel a dark conspiracy that could make Elizabeth queen—or send her to her death in C.W. Gortner's The Tudor Conspiracy England, 1553: Harsh winter encroaches upon the realm. Mary Tudor has become queen to popular acclaim and her enemies are imprisoned in the Tower. But when she’s betrothed to Philip, Catholic prince of Spain, putting her Protestant subjects in peril, rumors of a plot to depose her swirl around the one person whom many consider to be England’s heir and only hope—the queen’s half-sister, Princess Elizabeth. Haunted by his past, Brendan Prescott lives far from the intrigues of court. But his time of refuge comes to an end when his foe and mentor, the spymaster Cecil, brings him disquieting news that sends him on a dangerous mission. Elizabeth is held captive at court, the target of the Spanish ambassador, who seeks her de

Review: "Gracianna" by Trini Amador

Synopsis:  The gripping story of Gracianna --a French-Basque girl forced to make impossible decisions after being recruited into the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris. Gracianna is inspired by true events in the life of Trini Amador's great-grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga. As an adult, Amador was haunted by the vivid memory of finding a loaded German Luger tucked away in a nightstand while wandering his great-grandmother's home in Southern California. He was only four years old at the time, but the memory remained and he knew he had to explore the story behind the gun. Decades later, Amador would delve into the remarkable odyssey of his Gracianna 's past, a road that led him to an incredible surprise. In Gracianna , Amador weaves fact and fiction to tell his great-grandmother's story. Gracianna bravely sets off to Paris in the early 1940s--on her way to America, she hopes--but is soon swept into the escalation of the war and the Nazi occupat

Quick Review: "Surrender to Sultry" by Macy Beckett

From Goodreads:  Leah McMahon is back in Sultry Springs, Texas to help her dad recover from surgery. But there’s a new sheriff in town and he’s none other than Colton Bea, the wild-as-weeds boy who stole her heart a decade earlier. Colt’s a changed man, and the feelings between these high school sweethearts are stronger than ever. But Leah’s got a secret so devastating that he may never forgive her. Can she find a way to earn absolution and build a future with the sultry man she’s loved half her life? My Thoughts:  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I absolutely love this trilogy and the final book is no exception.  Though I enjoyed all three books, this Surrender to Sultry may be my favorite of the three.   Surrender to Sultry is Colt's story and I have to say that even though Colt was kind of a punk in the last book, I still thought he was an awesome character.  He's turned over a new leaf in this book and is so darn lovabl

Mailbox Monday (1)

 I'm trying something new this week and decided to link up with Mailbox Monday.  This is a traveling meme and is being hosted by Penelope at The Reading Fever for the month of August. I received several books this week and I can't wait to dive into them! For Review (from Historical Fiction Virtual Tours) The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle Song of the River by Susan Harrison   Purchased (Kindle ebook):   Six Days in Leningrad by Paullina Simons I am so stoked for this book!  I had to download the Kindle app on my phone because that was the only way I could read it! What books did you get this week?  Leave me a link in the comments so I can check out your haul!

June/July Wrap Up

  (Thought I should throw in a pic of the little missy!) Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's August already.  July was kind of a blur!  Even though I have been a little busy with Miss Julia and moving to a new house this month, I was able to get a good amount of reading done (thank you nook app!).  I read 7 books in July and finished another that I wasn't able to finish in June (I was little busy there towards the end of the month and only read 4 books in June).  I have read 63 books so far this year so I am right on track to hit my goal of 75 books and will probably surpass it.  I am participating in some great blog tours in the coming months so I have a lot of great books to look forward to reading! Here is what I read in June: 1.) Astor Place Vintage by Stephanie Lehmann 2.) The Prodigal Son by Anna Belfrage 3.) A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin 3.) Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke Here is what I read in July: 1.) A Feast for Crows by George

Review: "The House at Riverton" by Kate Morton

From Goodreads:  Summer 1924 On the eve of a glittering society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again. Winter 1999 Grace Bradley, ninety-eight, one-time housemaid of Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet's suicide. Ghosts awaken and old memories - long consigned to the dark reaches of Grace's mind - begin to sneak back through the cracks. A shocking secret threatens to emerge, something history has forgotten but Grace never could. My Thoughts:  I love Kate Morton's books so I was really excited to pick this one up.  Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed in this one.  While the story had a lot of potential, it was slow moving and I found it hard to connect with the characters.  It looks like this is her first book and I must say that her writing and story-telling abilities have imp