Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 162

7 Books for Historical Fiction Lovers

I've been reading a lot of historical fiction lately and It happens to be one of my favorite genres to read. I've also been reading historical fiction for one of my reading challenges, so needless to say, I've been knee deep in the good old stuff. 

I've come up with a small list of 7 historical fiction books that everyone should read at least once.

Jane Eyreby 
Charlotte Brontë, Michael Mason (Editor)Orphaned as a child, Jane has felt an outcast her whole young life. Her courage is tested once again when she arrives at Thornfield Hall, where she has been hired by the brooding, proud Edward Rochester to care for his ward Adèle. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit. She falls in love. Hard.But there is a terrifying secret inside the gloomy, forbidding Thornfield Hall. Is Rochester hiding from Jane? Will Jane be left heartbroken and exiled once again?
Kidnapped(David Balfour #1)by 
Robert Louis StevensonTricked by the uncle who has stolen his inheritance, young David Balfour is kidnapped and bound for America. Or at least that was the plan, until the ship runs into trouble and David is rescued by Alan Breck Stewart, fugitive Jacobite and, by his own admission, a ‘bonny fighter’. Balfour, a canny lowlander, finds an echo of some wilder and more romantic self in the wilful and courageous Highland spirit of Alan Breck. A strange and difficult friendship is born, as their adventures begin.

Kidnapped has become a classic of historical romance the world over and is justly famous as a novel of travel and adventure in the Scottish landscape. Stevenson’s vivid descriptive powers were never better than in his account of remote places and dangerous action in the Highlands in the years after Culloden.

‘A cracking tale of low skulduggery and high adventure, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped has enthralled generations of readers since its first publication in 1886. A book for thrill-seekers of all ages, this romp through Jacobite Scotland is a true classic.’ Sunday Herald

‘A delicately balanced book, expertly controlled, sharply focused, and written with an affectionate irony. It is perhaps the finest of Stevenson’s novels.’ Jenni Calder
The Girl Who Fell fromthe Skyby 
Heidi W. Durrow This debut novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I. who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy. With her strict African American grandmother as her new guardian, Rachel moves to a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring mixed attention her way. Growing up in the 1980s, she learns to swallow her overwhelming grief and confronts her identity as a biracial young woman in a world that wants to see her as either black or white.In the tradition of Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, here is a portrait of a young girl - and society's ideas of race, class, and beauty.
Lord of the Fliesby 
William GoldingBefore The Hunger Games there was Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among both students and literary critics who compared it to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought and literature.

William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic.

" Lord of the Flies is one of my favorite books. That was a big influence on me as a teenager, I still read it every couple of years."
—Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games

"As exciting, relevant, and thought-provoking now as it was when Golding published it in 1954."
—Stephen King
Murder on the Orient Express(Hercule Poirot Mysteries #10)by 
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie’s most famous murder mystery, reissued with a striking cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer – in case he or she decides to strike again.
Slaughterhouse-Fiveby 
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time, Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world's great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most.

The Scotsman Who Saved Me(Seven Brides for Seven Scotsmen #1)by 
Hannah HowellA brutal attack on Emily Stanton’s family has left her for dead . . . until she is found in the woods by a handsome stranger with a thick brogue who vows to protect her. There’s only one problem: As a woman with a noble English background, she has no business keeping company with such a man.  
 
For Scotsman Iain MacEnroy, Emily’s high-tone accent is a bitter reminder of the oppressive regime he left behind. The last thing he needs is to be burdened by the needs of a beautiful, blue-eyed Englishwoman. But taking care of elegant, educated Emily begins to transform Iain in ways he never imagined. Could it be that the deep divisions from the old world no longer apply in the new—and that Iain and Emily can share a passion as lush and wild as the Scottish highlands themselves?

Weekly Menu #339 And The Book Of The Week

Monday! February is already half over. Can you believe it? This year is already flying by.
This weeks book is Divergent by Veronica Roth. I need to read a book set in Illinois for my reading around the country challenge, and I picked this one. Its been many years since I've read this story and I'm excited to dive into it again.Lets get on to the menu. Enjoy!
MENU
Monday- Black Bean and Quinoa Taco Bowl
Tuesday- Roasted Chicken and Broccoli
Wednesday- Beef Stroganoff
Thursday- Pulled Pork Carnitas
Friday-  Oktoberfest Bratwurst
Saturday-  Smothered Pepper Jack Burgers
Sunday- Leftovers Night

Sunday Confessions #31

Hello Sunday, welcome back. Are you as happy that its Sunday as I am? I just feel like the weeks are flowing into the next and I'm not able to rest like my body needs. We just need to get past these hard weeks. It will come. 
Lots has been happening on the blog in the past week and a lot of great stuff to come. Lets recap the week.
Sunday Confessions #30~Weekly Menu #338 And The Book Of The Week~Movie Review: The Irishman~Book Review: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo~5 Star Wars books in the Legends Timeline~Book Review: A discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Weekly Menu #339 And The Book Of The Week~For Historical Fiction Lovers~Book Review: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkoski~Book Review: Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMohan~Sunday Confessions #32


5 Books to read when you're soul searching @ Your Career Homecoming~Instant pot sloppy joe's @ Mama Needs Cake~2019 Top picks for Book Clubs @ Exploring Life Together 
 20/50 Books in my Read Around the Country challenge~13/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~Still 1/20 in my Scotland challenge. I'll get there.~31/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~33/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge
 There's been a lot happening on the blog. A lot of progress on my Star Wars and read around the country challenges. I'm hoping to finish the country challenge soon. 
What have you been reading this week? leave me a comment bellow. 

Book Review: A discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of WitchesBy: Deborah HarknessGenre: Urban FantasyPages: 579Release Date: February 2011Publisher: Viking PenguinRating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads:Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. 
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Review:This book was as good as I had hoped it would be. I became addicted to the show and knew I had to read the book. The show was true to the book, but the book gave me so much more depth and detail in the characters. I loved following the relationship between a vampire and a witch. It really painted a nice picture of what that might look like. I had to give it four stars though because I felt like it had too many similarities to twilight. I loved both and would recommend this read to anyone.

5 Star Wars books in the Legends Timeline

If you've been following me, then you know that I am working my way through the Star Wars Legends timeline. So far, I am up to 13 books out of 100 or so. Recently I read,  Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon. As far as I can tell, it is the first book in the timeline. Over the last few weeks I've pumped out five more books. 2-6 in the timeline. Here they are, enjoy!

Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories(Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith)by John Jackson Miller (Goodreads Author)Five thousand years ago. After a Jedi ambush, the Sith mining ship Omen lies wrecked on a remote, unknown planet. Its commander, Yaru Korsin, battles the bloodshed of a mutinous faction led by his own brother. Marooned and facing death, the Sith crew have no choice but to venture into their desolate surroundings. They face any number of brutal challenges - vicious predators, lethal plagues, tribal people who worship vengeful gods - and like true Sith warriors, counter them with the dark side of the force.
The struggles are just beginning for the proud, uncompromising Sith, driven as they are to rule at all costs. They will vanquish the primitive natives, and they will find a way back to their true destiny as rulers of the galaxy. But as their legacy grows over thousands of years, the Sith ultimately find themselves tested by the most dangerous threat of all: the enemy within. 
Review: This book was a small collection of stories about the Sith. I actually enjoyed reading this one. The Sith have always been a mystery to me. They showed up in Phantom Menace and I really didn't know anything other than they were dark style jedi'esk beings. Its nice to finally have a little 




Revan(Star Wars: The Old Republic (Chronological Order) #1)by Drew Karpyshyn (Goodreads Author) There's something out there: a juggernaut of evil bearing down to crush the Republic--
unless one lone Jedi, shunned and reviled, can stop it.

Hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, savior--the man called Revan has been all of these. He left Coruscant a Jedi, on a mission to defeat the Mandalorians. He returned a Sith disciple, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but the price of redemption was the loss of his memories. All that's left are nightmares--and deep, abiding fear. What happened beyond the Outer Rim that Revan can't quite remember or entirely forget? One thing he's certain of: Something dark is plotting to destroy the very existence of the Republic. With no idea how to identify the threat, let alone stop it, Revan may be doomed to fail. For he's never faced a more powerful and diabolic enemy. But only death can stop him from trying.
Review: Again, we are following the more dark side of the force with an adventure in sith land. I'm really enjoying reading about the Sith. It gives me more insight into the dark side of the force. 
Deceived(Star Wars: The Old Republic (Chronological Order) #2)by Paul S. Kemp (Goodreads Author) The second novel set in the Old Republic era and based on the massively multiplayer online game Star Wars®: The Old Republic™ ramps up the action and brings readers face-to-face for the first time with a Sith warrior to rival the most sinister of the Order’s Dark Lords—Darth Malgus, the mysterious, masked Sith of the wildly popular “Deceived” and “Hope” game trailers.
Malgus brought down the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in a brutal assault that shocked the galaxy. But if war crowned him the darkest of Sith heroes, peace would transform him into something far more heinous—something Malgus would never want to be, but cannot stop, any more than he can stop the rogue Jedi fast approaching.

Her name is Aryn Leneer—and the lone Knight that Malgus cut down in the fierce battle for the Jedi Temple was her Master. And now she’s going to find out what happened to him, even if it means breaking every rule in the book.  
Review: Another wonderful story on the darker side of the force. 

Red Harvest(Star Wars Legends Universe)by Joe Schreiber The era of the Old Republic is a dark and dangerous time, as Jedi Knights valiantly battle the Sith Lords and their ruthless armies. But the Sith have disturbing plans—and none more so than the fulfillment of Darth Scabrous’s fanatical dream, which is about to become nightmarish reality.
Unlike those other Jedi sidelined to the Agricultural Corps—young Jedi whose abilities have not proved up to snuff—Hestizo Trace possesses one extraordinary Force talent: a gift with plants. Suddenly her quiet existence among greenhouse and garden specimens is violently destroyed by the arrival of an emissary from Darth Scabrous. For the rare black orchid that she has nurtured and bonded with is the final ingredient in an ancient Sith formula that promises to grant Darth Scabrous his greatest desire.

But at the heart of the formula is a never-before-seen virus that’s worse than fatal—it doesn’t just kill, it transforms. Now the rotting, ravenous dead are rising, driven by a bloodthirsty hunger for all things living—and commanded by a Sith Master with an insatiable lust for power and the ultimate prize: immortality . . . no matter the cost.
Review: So, there is a lot of controversy surrounding this book. It's not your typical scifi Star Wars story.... It's a space zombie story. I know what you are thinking, "This is not Star Wars!"  And I have to say, you are probably right, but I was really entertained by this story. You have to keep an open mind, and also, forget the line about the main character having a certain set of skills. That who monologue was totally taken out of the "Taken" movie. If you are looking for an entertaining read, try this one.
 Fatal Alliance
(Star Wars: The Old Republic (Publication Order) #1)by Sean Williams (Goodreads Author) BioWare and LucasArts—creators of the hugely popular Star Wars:® Knights of the Old Republic® video game—have combined their storytelling talents and cutting-edge technology for an innovative new massively multiplayer online role-playing game that allows players to create their own personal Star Wars adventure 3,500 years before the rise of Darth Vader. Now #1 New York Times bestselling author Sean Williams brings the world of the game to life in his latest novel, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance.
Tassaa Bareesh, a matriarch in the Hutt crime cartel, is holding an auction that’s drawing attention from across the galaxy. Representatives of both the Republic and the Sith Empire are present, along with a Jedi Padawan sent to investigate, a disenfranchised trooper drummed out of the Republic’s elite  Blackstar Squad, and a mysterious Mandalorian with a private agenda. But the Republic’s envoy is not what he seems, the Empire’s delegate is a ruthless Sith apprentice, the Jedi Padawan is determined to do the right thing and terrified that he can’t, the trooper hopes to redeem her reputation, and the Mandalorian is somehow managing to keep one step ahead of everyone.
                                               
None of these guests—invited or uninvited—have any intention of participating in the auction. Instead they plan to steal the prize, which is locked inside an impregnable vault: two burned chunks of an exploded star cruiser, one of which may hold the key to the wealth of an entire world.

But the truth about the treasure is dangerous and deadly. And in the end, Sith and Jedi, Republic and Empire, must do something they’ve never done before, something that all the agents of good and evil could never make them do: join together to stop a powerful threat that could destroy the galaxy. 
Review: Guys... I really hated this one... I couldn't even finish it. I made it to 33%. I think there was a Mandalorian in it, which I'm super into right now, but frankly, I couldn't tell you much more. I just wasn't interested in it. Moving on!

Book Review: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Title: ninth HouseBy: Leigh BardugoGenre: FantasyPages: 459Release Date: October 8th, 2019Publisher:  Flatiron BooksRating: ★★★☆☆
Summary from Goodreads:Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
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Review: To tell you the truth, I don't remember what I read inside these covers. That's probably not a good thing. Apparently, it was lack luster and unmemorable. Did anyone else have a good experience with this book?

Movie Review: The Irishman

Title: The IrishmanGenre: Historical ThrillerRelease Date: November 27th, 2019My Rating: ★★★★☆IMDB Rating: 8/10Cast:  Summary from IMDB: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran is a man with a lot on his mind. The former labor union high official and hitman, learned to kill serving in Italy during the Second World War. He now looks back on his life and the hits that defined his mob career, maintaining connections with the Bufalino crime family. In particular, the part he claims to have played in the disappearance of his life-long friend, Jimmy Hoffa, the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who mysteriously vanished in late July 1975 at the age of 62.
IMDB Trailer
Review: I would first like to say that this was the longest movie I have ever watched. Good grief, 3:29 hours. With that being said, I really enjoyed it. The movie is based on true events. Robert DeNiro is amazing in his roll and the story is so deep and bone chilling. Just to think that these things actually happened, makes me shudder. You really need to watch this movie. I know you will be wondering "what happened to Jimmy Hoffa," Like I am.

Weekly Menu #338 And The Book Of The Week

Monday! Welcome back. I've been on a huge reading kick lately and I have to admit that I've already read over 30 books since the beginning of the year. I think I might have a problem. How many books have you read?

This weeks read is Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. One of my coworkers talked me into watching Silence of the lambs, but I never actually did. Its hard to watch something like that with the kids around, so I decided to read the book. Turns out, Silence of the Lambs is book two in the series, so I have to read book one first. Hence, Red Dragon.

Well, lets get on with this weeks menu. Enjoy!




MENU 
Monday- Caramel Chicken and Rice
Tuesday- Mongolian Beef and Broccoli
Wednesday- Taco Soup
Thursday- Tortellini in Pink Sauce
Friday- Caramelized Onion Pork Chops
Saturday- Black Bean and Quinoa Taco Bowl
SundayFamily Dinner- Chicken and Cheddar Biscuits

Sunday Confessions #30

Welcome back to Sunday. I guess we have survived another week, although I don't know how much surviving we are doing. It's been a rough one, but glad that its over and that we can start over tomorrow.
Let's get on with the recap of the week.

Sunday Confessions #29~Weekly Menu #337 And The Book Of The Week~January 2020 Wrap Up~Book Review: Where The Crawdads Sing by Della Owens~Movie Review: The Red Sea Diving Resort~Book Review: Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day

Weekly Menu #338 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo~Book Review: A discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness~Sunday Confessions #31



If you are a fan of historical fiction, then check out these 26 ridiculously good historical fiction books @ Bookbub~15 Types of blog posts you need to grow your blog @ Full Circle Digital 

Well, there have been a lot of wonderful things around the blogosphere and I'm excited to see what will come next week.

Book Review: Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day

Title: Embrace Your WeirdBy: Felicia DayGenre: NonfictionPages: 272Release Date: October 1st, 2019Publisher: Gallery BooksRating: ★★★★☆
Summary from Goodreads: An instant New York Times bestseller

In Embrace Your Weird, New York Times bestselling author, producer, actress, TV writer, and award-winning web series creator, Felicia Day takes you on a journey to find, rekindle, or expand your creative passions.

Including Felicia’s personal stories and hard-won wisdom, Embrace Your Weird offers:

—Entertaining and revelatory exercises that empower you to be fearless, so you can rediscover the things that bring you joy, and crack your imagination wide open

—Unique techniques to vanquish enemies of creativity like: anxiety, fear, procrastination, perfectionism, criticism, and jealousy

—Tips to cultivate a creative community

—Space to explore and get your neurons firing

Whether you enjoy writing, baking, painting, podcasting, playing music, or have yet to uncover your favorite creative outlet, Embrace Your Weird will help you unlock the power of self-expression. Get motivated. Get creative. Get weird.
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Review:I grew up weird and still to this day consider myself to be weird, but only in the best way. I'm more of a free spirit that doesn't care what people think. This book was a wonderfully fun read that brought to light how weirdness can be perfectly normal.