Historical Fictionistas discussion
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What are you reading in 2021?
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Abigail
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Apr 30, 2021 05:55PM
Reading Faro’s Daughter (sorry, html feature not available on the pared-down version of Goodreads I’m getting right now) by Georgette Heyer, set in 1795.
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Finished "D-Day Girls" by Sarah Rose. Fascinating Non-Fiction WWII espionage set in France & England. Rated 4 stars.
I was pleased to see Mary Anning added to the Little People BIG DREAMS series by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara. All kids love collecting things, so they'd enjoy seeing how this little girl grew up finding fossils and becoming famous.
4★ Link to my Mary Anning review, including several illustrations
I just enjoyed Trust, the third of Aussie author, journalist, and former foreign correspondent Chris Hammer's Martin Scarsden series. Sydney is at its corrupt, murderous worst.
4★ Link to my review of Trust
Everybody's Fool by Richard Russo is the long-awaited sequel to the popular Nobody's Fool. I'm happy to report that Sully and all were still at their stations in the White Horse and Hattie's when I left. (But you'll want to stay clear of the dog.)
4★ Link to my review of Everybody's Fool
Finished "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo. Rated 4 stars. Bittersweet historical fiction set in 1950's San Francisco. The main character is a Chinese-American teenager coming to terms with her blossoming lesbian sexuality during the height of the Red Scare. Highly recommend!
Just finished The Mystery of Mrs Christie by Marie Benedict (LOVED it). Now I’m reading Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. Loving it, as well!
I finished
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. An excellent (five stars) account of the watch maker who's chronometer worked accurately enough on board a ship at sea to determine longitude. This tale also recounts the vainglorious who attempted to prevent such development. Non-fiction.
Eric, "Longitude" sounds like a fascinating read. I noticed that author Bernard Cornwell rated it 5 stars!
Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Eric, "Longitude" sounds like a fascinating read. I noticed that author Bernard Cornwell rated it 5 stars!"It is also a quick read. Few pages and to the point. Better, there are science and morals to be learned.
I can see a market opening up for dog buttons! How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog is a fascinating look at author Christina Hunger's work with pre-lingual kids who need help communicating and how she adapted her techniques so her dog Stella can communicate. And boy, does Stella 'talk'! Terrific!
5★ Link to my review of How Stella Learned to Talk
It's almost beyond me how Aussie journalist Shannon Molloy survived his teens as a gay kid in a country town, but I'm glad he did! His memoir, Fourteen: My year of darkness, and the light that followed is sad and funny and worth a listen.
4★ Link to my review of Fourteen
Currently reading The Harrows of Spring. It's a near-future dystopian novel in which the United States' modern industrial economy has collapsed and people have gone back to an 18th-century lifestyle. I've read two of the other books in this series.
Jim wrote: "Finished reading
The Rising Tideby
Jeff ShaaraMy Review"
Your post reminded me that Shaara is a historical fiction author I've been wanting to read. So I'm planning to read Rise to Rebellion for this group's Summer TBR Challenge.
Abigail wrote: "Reading Faro’s Daughter (sorry, html feature not available on the pared-down version of Goodreads I’m getting right now) by Georgette Heyer, set in 1795."Hope you enjoy this Heyer romance. Not sure but I probably read this back in the 1960's. Mom owned a LOT of Heyer's novels and I read most of them. Time for a re-read :)
I am reading Her Last Flight
by Beatriz Williams. Loosely based on Ameila Earhart. Very well written and enjoyable.
The Last Reunion by Aussie Kayte Nunn is historical fiction with a war story (Burma), romance, and mystery (stolen works of art).
4★ Link to my review of The Last Reunion
Jim wrote: "Finished reading
The Rising Tideby
Jeff ShaaraI have read the 3 civil war books from him and is father. I really enjoyed them, and have been collecting his other books to read. Like Peggy I am going to put these books on my Summer TBR challenge, and hope I get to them
Finished Publish and Perish #4 Francis Bacon historical mystery set in late 16th century. Rated 4 stars.Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sara Ackerman. Historical fiction/romance set during WWII in Hawaii at the time of attack on Pearl Harbor. Interesting historical events although I didn't emotionally connect to the main characters, Eva and Clark. Rated 3 stars.
Blacktop Wasteland is where author S.A. Cosby's Beauregard 'Bug' Montage earned his reputation as a high-speed wheelman and risks everything for one last job. Promise. Yeah, right.
5★ Link to my review of Blacktop Wasteland
William Faulkner was a giant of American Literature (with a capital L!), and I just enjoyed his short story A Rose for Emily. It's about an elderly widow who gets more and more reclusive and peculiar.
4★ Link to my Rose for Emily review with a link to the story.
Another cute Story Without Words, Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words by Karl Beckstrand. I can imagine little kids making up dialogue and "telling the stories" themselves.
4★ LInk to my review of Polar Bear Bowler with enough of the pictures to get the idea of the story.
A Summoner had a pretty free rein in 14th century England. He could decide you were guilty of something and summon you to court - unless of course you bribed him. And he never paid for anything. Who would dare charge him? In The Summoner's Sins, author Keith Moray continues his series, which is pretty gruesome.
3★ Link to my review of The Summoner's Sins
I am reading A Wicked Conceit
by Anna Lee Huber. Love this series. This one pulled me right in. I recommend starting from book 1 though. Set in 1832 Edinburgh.
Kathryn wrote: "Finished Philippa Gregory's War of the Roses and Tudor series, and now I'm on her Wideacre series"I read the first of the Wideacre series and it was quite the wild racey ride!! A little more than I prefer but I can see how she evolved in her writing from it.
Finished Rattle His Bones #8 Daisy Dalrymple by Carola Dunn. Historical mystery series set in 1920's England. Rated 3 stars. I read this series when I want an easy read :)
Chris wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Finished Philippa Gregory's War of the Roses and Tudor series, and now I'm on her Wideacre series"I read the first of the Wideacre series and it was quite the wild ra..." Yes, the first one was VERY racey. I literally gasped aloud at some of the stuff Beatrice did.
I just enjoyed NZ/Aussie author Jacqueline Bublitz's new mystery, narrated by a murdered girl, that should stir up some good book club conversations, Before You Knew My Name.
3.5~4★ Link to my review of Before You Knew My Name
Somehow or another, I ended up reading 5 books at the same time LOL.Just finished Murder In Stratford: As Told By Anne Hathaway Shakespeare for another group challenge and a digital ARC of A Sitting in St. James for work. Also have Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II going as my car audio book, with The Saturday Night Ghost Club as my physical "don't get caught without a book" car book. My main read, if you can consider it as such is Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which is doing double duty as a Bingo Challenge book and a book I need to read for work.
Maybe I should just concentrate on one (maybe two) at a time.
Cheryl A wrote: "Somehow or another, I ended up reading 5 books at the same time LOL.Just finished Murder In Stratford: As Told By Anne Hathaway Shakespeare for another group challenge and a digital..."
Wow, Cheryl! Don't think I've ever read more then 2 at the same time :)
Last Night at the Telegraph Club has been my favorite read this year.
Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Cheryl A wrote: "Somehow or another, I ended up reading 5 books at the same time LOL.Just finished Murder In Stratford: As Told By Anne Hathaway Shakespeare for another group challe..."
I certainly didn't plan it that way! I'm really enjoying Last Night at the Telegraph Club as well. Lily is such a wonderfully developed character!
Cheryl A wrote: "Somehow or another, I ended up reading 5 books at the same time LOL.Just finished Murder In Stratford: As Told By Anne Hathaway Shakespeare for another group challenge and a digital..."
Forgot to post in my reply: Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II looks intriguing! Looking forward to your thoughts once finished as have been drawn to WWII books.
I am reading The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II
by Madeline Martin. Set in 1939 London. Good so far. My first book with this author.
Alice wrote: "I am reading The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II
by Madeline Martin. Set in 1939 London. G..."Have added this to my TBR list! There is a photo of British citizens browsing through books in a bombed out bookstore or library posted in the non-fiction The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson.
Bluffton – Matt Phalen – 4****
Subtitle: My Summers With Buster Keaton. This graphic novel explores the early 20th century era of Vaudeville, and one particular summer resort that catered to many of the era’s Vaudeville stars – including the Keaton family and their talented son, Buster. It’s a wonderful way to introduce young readers to this by-gone era.
My full review HERE
Valentine is a debut by Elizabeth Wetmore about the dangers for all the women in the West Texas oil country where men are men and women are there to serve.
3.5★ Link to my review of Valentine
Aussie author Paul Starr has used his own experiences as inspiration for Prior Regrets. Does Mark Prior, a young backpacker from England have regrets two decades after his stay in Israel?
3★ Link to my review of Prior Regrets
Caddie Woodlawn’s Family – Carol Ryrie Brink – 3.5***
This sequel to the popular Caddie Woodlawn book was originally titled “Magical Melons.” Set in the late 1800s, in Western Wisconsin, the books chronicle life in the Woodlawn family, primarily from the perspective of Caddie, who is almost 13 in this episode. She and her five siblings have great fun in and around their farm and the land surrounding it. Like the “Little House on the Prairie” series, these books provide a reasonable look at life in those pioneer days, though stories involving the native Indian population make me cringe.
My full review HERE
Finished Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig. Historical fiction based on real events during WWI. Rated 4 stars.
This children's book (yes, children's book) introduces kids to drag queen RuPaul! It's a new one in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, who has produced countless inspirational biographies that even grown-ups can learn from.
4★ Link to my review of RuPaul with several illustrations to entertain you.
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