Tag: genre: historical fiction

• Book Review: “Outrun the Moon” by Stacey Lee

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on April 12, 2017

  Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

  Publisher: Putnam
  Published: May 2016
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780399175411
  Rating: ★★★★★

  San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

  On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

  Mercy Wong is eager to make something of herself and help her family out of Chinatown. In order to do so, she needs to attend St Clare’s School for Girls. Getting into the school is the first of many hurdles, and Mercy is nearly unprepared for what’s in store within the school’s walls. But when a disastrous earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying the city and setting it alight, Mercy and the other girls do their best to set up a temporary encampment at a nearby park and make the most of what they have. Mercy can’t sit by and watch the world burn — but what can she do to help ease the pain of her crumbling home?

  Once again, Stacey Lee steals my heart and shares another important story. Important in American history, important in Chinese-American culture, just all around important. She delivers it with such artistry and storytelling mastery. I’m blown away.

  Mercy is one fierce, independent, determined young woman. She wants to make something of herself so that she could also assist her family and help them out of poverty. The Wongs, like most Chinese-American families in Chinatown, would otherwise face the inevitable cycle of poverty just because of their race and location of their home. Mercy consults a businesswoman’s book to help her navigate the “white ghost” language, social structure, and business in a fair and structured way. No one could lawfully question her otherwise if she’s playing by their rules. But in order to do so, she needs to attend an all-white, very prosperous, all-girls school. The struggle is real, folks.

  Race is a common theme throughout the novel, and one that is demonstrated without pushing an agenda. This is how things were then — and it’s painful and honest and difficult to take in — and likely how things are still now. We can learn from our history, and Lee does an excellent job of saying such by showing us the conflicts, triggering the reader’s emotions and reactions. I, for one, wanted to punch the living daylights out of so many white characters; meanwhile, Mercy held her ground with strength and poise. I admired her.

  To end on a light note, I was touched by the affection between Mercy and Tom, another Chinese-American boy with aspirations to fly. They love one another, you can feel it in their interactions, and they set out for their goals with the other in mind to share in the dreams and success. Though this isn’t a romance per se, it’s beautiful.

  This book is about Mercy’s journey to achieve her dreams while fighting through adversity, and experiencing this journey with a close group of schoolgirls in the middle of a very traumatic moment in history. Open it and take the journey in another’s shoes. Find compassion. Be inspired.

  .

  This qualifies as book 6 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “The Miniaturist” by Jessie Burton

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on March 13, 2017

  The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

  Publisher: Ecco
  Published: July 2014
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780062306814
  Rating: ★★★★

  On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office–leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

  But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist–an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

  Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand–and fear–the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

  Nella arrives in Amsterdam eager to begin her new life as a wife to Johannes Brandt, an incredibly successful merchant and member of the VOC. While he seems kind, he’s rarely home and hardly notices her presence. Nella is left with her harsh and hypocritical sister-in-law, Marin, and the two unusual servants. Johannes knows Nella is struggling in her new role away from home, and presents her with a cabinet house in the exact replica of their home. Nella seeks out a miniaturist to fill this home, but what the miniaturist delivers is eerie, unexpected, and seems to send warnings to Nella of what’s to come.

  The synopsis suggests there’s a suspenseful mystery here (who is the miniaturist, and how does he/she seem to know what’s going on in the Brandt household?), and while there is an element of that, the story is more about morality and social justice, and a young woman’s bildungsroman in a time when few had roles outside of being a wife and mother. Amsterdam was the capital of commerce, and though the Bible is toted about as law, few people seem to follow its rules: be poor, give often, do not be proud, do not worship idols. But in a place that thrives on its riches from business and trade, it is difficult to be that pious Christian the reverend urges his flock, come fire or damnation.

  The Brandt household alone is a contradiction to society. We as readers are Nella, naive to the city and an observer in the family dynamics. We have Johannes, who is a good man, a great businessman, and a “poor” husband (rarely home and attending to his wife). There’s Marin, his pious sister who is as wicked sharp and she is contradictory, claiming sweets are poor for the soul yet hiding away candies in her small room. Otto, Johannes right-hand man and servant, a free black man in a city only familiar with slaves. Cornelia, at first judgmental and somewhat off-putting, but genuinely sweet and open, a confidant for Nella. Who are these people and what are their secrets? The secrets are…devastating for the family, and in turn alter the city’s business as well as the views of religion and morality.

  Though the last 50 pages were a bit lackluster (all the secrets are out), it still fell into the realm of a soap opera: you just can’t stop reading and having everything confirmed! The novel is entertaining, and is full of book club-worthy discussion topics, especially sexuality, gender roles, racism, marriage, and religion. I’d go into it here but then I really would spoil the novel…

  The Miniaturist was far more accessible of a read than I expected, and not as magical as I thought it would be. It was certainly suspenseful, sometimes downright creepy, but for a slow burn of a novel it was a very compelling read.

  .

  This qualifies as book 3 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “The Silver Gate” by Kristin Bailey

  Posted at 3:30 am by Laura, on March 2, 2017

  The Silver Gate by Kristin Bailey

  Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
  Published: January 2017
  Genre: middle grade, fantasy, historical
  ISBN: 9780062398574
  Rating: ★★★★

  In shepherd boy Elric’s tiny village, people think children like his younger sister, Wynn, are changelings-left by fairies and doomed to curse all around them. As a baby, Wynn was born with developmental delays, and according to the rules, she was supposed to be abandoned in the woods.

  Instead Elric’s mother saved his sister and hid her away for eleven years. They live in secret and fear of being discovered, yet their home is full of love, laughter, and singing. Wynn and Elric’s favorite song is about the Silver Gate, a beautiful fairy realm where all children are welcome.

  But when their long-absent father returns to sell Wynn to the Lord’s castle as a maid, Elric realizes that folk songs and fantasies can’t protect them from the outside world. They have to run away. Still Wynn believes there’s only one place they’ll ever be safe, and it lies beyond the Silver Gate.

  The road to freedom is long and treacherous. If they have any hope for survival, Elric and Wynn must learn to depend on each other above everything else-and discover the magic that always reveals itself when it seems like all is lost.

  When Elric discovers his father sold his sister Wynn to the Lord’s castle as a lowly maid after their mother’s death, Elric convinces Wynn to run away with him under the pretense of a game: to search for the Silver Fate, a place made up in the fairytales their mother told them. But as they continue their journey across the land in hopes of finding refuge in a convent or village, the siblings begin to realize just how difficult life can be on their own. But Wynn believes in the Silver Gate, she believes in the magic, and it’s up to Elric to open his eyes and see it too.

  “I will not expose this abbey to an unfit soul.” The abbess turned her hard glare back to Wynn, as if she could crush her with the power of her words. “We have taken a vow of poverty. What resources we have must be devoted to God and the good women who come here from noble families to pursue their devotion and study. We must not waste.”

  I was only 60 pages into this when the siblings’ relationship made me cry. It’s so beautiful, heartfelt, and strong. Elric is of course frustrated with his younger sister just like any older sibling would be — but he has such a deep love for her that it just ripped me apart. Add on another important layer to this story: Wynn has Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome. One in every 125,000 births have this. These individuals have learning disabilities and physical defects that mark them as “other.” Toss in this novel’s setting — Celtic in origin, Middle Ages — and society rejects these individuals as halfwits or changelings. So to see this sibling relationship, and feel it every step and struggle throughout their journey…oh gosh. Tears. Everywhere.

  “I can’t believe,” he admitted in a soft voice as he stroked his thumb over the surface of the stone. “If I believed in fairies, that would mean they switched you for another baby. It would mean you’re not my sister.”

  Wynn is the true hero of this story. She urges her brother and the reader to believe — mind, body, and soul — in the power of the imagination, in magic, in make-believe. She may not be able to build a fire, she doesn’t pack the right things, it’s hard for her to remember things if she doesn’t ruminate on them over and over, and she may not speak very well, but her mind and creativity is her saving refuge. Her insistence that the Silver Gate is more than the stuff of bedtime stories and folk songs shows just how powerful magic can be. What a beautiful, smart girl.

  And what a beautiful, smart, rich, heart-wrenching story of love, sacrifice, and imagination!

  This qualifies as book 3 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 1 Comment | Tagged books, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade

• Book Review: “The Bear and the Nightingale” by Katherine Arden

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on February 9, 2017

  The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

  Publisher: Del Rey
  Published: January 10
  Genre: adult fiction, historical fiction, fantasy
  ISBN: 9781101885932
  Rating: ★★★★

  At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

  After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

  And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

  As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

  Vasya is both treasured and scorned by her father, for her birth brought about her mother’s death. But her mother knew Vasya was meant for great things. When her father brings back a Moscow bride, fearful and deeply devout, the new stepmother disrupts the understood order of the household. The rituals, such a deep part of the village’s culture and way of life, are in place for a reason, and the arrival of an arrogant priest further drives the helpful beings away. A great evil looms in the forest in winter, and Vasya must summon the courage to defeat it before she, and her village, burns.

  A fairy tale within a fairy tale: I don’t know how else to describe The Bear and the Nightingale. It’s a perfect winter read — enchanting, atmospheric, enthralling, and magical. Set in 14th-century Russia, a time when Christianity took hold in the cities but paganism and lore was the stronghold in the surrounding villages, Arden was able to capture the spirit and culture of Russia before the tzars. I love the liberties she took as well as all the information she provided about the time period within the novel and her author’s note. Such a rich and beautiful read.

  I was not prepared at first for the writing style and voice. In the beginning chapters I found it to be a little jarring — I wasn’t expecting magical realism or the fairy tale atmosphere. I purposely avoided all the reviews because I wanted this to be special. (It most certainly was.) Once I was in, I was hooked.

  (If you want to read reviews, go here! Publishers Weekly, NPR, Kirkus, Book Page, Library Journal)

  One of the things that really grabbed me was the examination of organized religion disrupting cultural traditions. I was familiar with this from Celtic history courses I took in undergrad. The creatures of the hearth and home, the yard, the forest, the water, the barn — they all work together to keep their people safe, but only if the people provide offerings. While Vasya can see them and honors them appropriately, Anna sees them and is frightened of “demons.” With the priest’s arrival, havoc and chaos is wrecked upon the village. The more people disbelieve in the Old Ways, the more the little creatures fade away.

  I don’t know where I’m going with that, but I would love to discuss this more with others! I wonder if the modern equivalent would be living with science and religion, fact versus fiction/fairy tale. Thoughts?

  Anyway, this really is a fairy tale above everything else. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Russian history and culture, vampires (huge role in this book!), fierce heroines, and the cultural elements and inspiration for Uprooted.

  This qualifies as book 2 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 5 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, review

• Book Review: “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir” by Jennifer Ryan (ARC)

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on February 1, 2017

  The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan

  Publisher: Crown
  Publishing Date: February 14
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781101906750
  Rating: ★★★★

  As England enters World War II’s dark early days, spirited music professor Primrose Trent, recently arrived to the village of Chilbury, emboldens the women of the town to defy the Vicar’s stuffy edict to shutter the church’s choir in the absence of men and instead ‘carry on singing’. Resurrecting themselves as “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir”, the women of this small village soon use their joint song to lift up themselves, and the community, as the war tears through their lives.

  Told through letters and journals, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir moves seamlessly from budding romances to village intrigues to heartbreaking matters of life and death. As we come to know the struggles of the charismatic members of this unforgettable outfit — a timid widow worried over her son at the front; the town beauty drawn to a rakish artist; her younger sister nursing an impossible crush and dabbling in politics she doesn’t understand; a young Jewish refugee hiding secrets about her family, and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past — we come to see how the strength each finds in the choir’s collective voice reverberates in her individual life.

  In turns funny, charming and heart-wrenching, this lovingly executed ensemble novel will charm and inspire, illuminating the true spirit of the women on the home front, in a village of indomitable spirit, at the dawn of a most terrible conflict.

  The women of Chilbury are saddened to hear their church choir’s been shut down by the Vicar, due to the lack of men. But when Primrose Trent, a music professor at the nearby university, comes to town, she forms the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and enlists them in a singing competition. Equally flustered and flattered, the women of Chilbury stand together as the war hits home, using music as a base and each other for comfort.

  But with a cautious smile, I realized that there are laws against singing, and I found my voice becoming louder, in defiance of this war.
  In defiance of my right to be heard.*

  Anyone who is a member of a church choir — or any organization that tends to involve just one sex with a variety of ages — would thoroughly enjoy this book. The dynamics of the choir mirrored so many of my own experiences with my church choir, I could not stop laughing. (One particular character, Mrs. B, is so contrary about everything, and then tells people she knew Y would happen because X, which she previously wholeheartedly disliked, was just so amazing.) The women support one another, encourage one another, and sometimes butt heads with one another, but it’s the music, and the emotion behind it, that brings them together every week. It empowers them. It gives them a voice — a voice in a time when women didn’t really have one.

  (Also, if you really love Doc Martin and village dynamics, you’ll find this to be a riot.)

  What makes this unique is the way the story is told, and how much time it covers. It’s a WWII novel set in England focusing on a group of women (like Guernsey Literary), but it’s primarily focused on a village outside of Dover during the spring and summer months of 1940 (history buffs, you know that’s when Dover was attacked and Nazis began bombing England). It’s epistolary, though not entirely through letters (like Letters from Skye). There are primarily five perspectives, with up to eight occasionally, with three journal writers and two letter writers. You experience the war through five very different women of varying ages, who are themselves experiencing the war five different ways.

  Two women in particular, Mrs Tilling and Venetia, had the most growth as characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed their stories. Mrs Tilling is a middle-aged woman whose husband died a few years previous and whose son heads off to war at the start of the novel. She feels voiceless, purposeless, and alone, even though she’s constantly providing medical aid as a nurse and midwife to the village and nearby city. Venetia is a spoiled aristocrat who just wants to have fun with men, and she can be quite a pill and very shallow at the beginning. But stick with her. She has quite the arc!

  An enjoyable, refreshing read on an “old hat” topic in historical fiction. I loved how the author was able to fictionalize a particular aspect of that war (outside of women societies and music): the encouragement of the government for people to write letters and write in journals to document their everyday lives. Sometimes these were published in the papers so there was more than the war news covering the pages!

  Sit back, relax, and laugh and cry and enjoy this good read.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Crown for review!

  *quote taken from uncorrected proof

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review

• Mini Review

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on January 27, 2017

  The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman

  Publisher: Scribner
  Published: July 2012
  Genre: historical fiction
  Rating: ★★★★
  Summary: Tom Sherbourne takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast of Australia. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

  Mini Review: I adored this book, most especially for its moral complexity. As many people have already read and raved over it, and many more have seen the film, I’ll keep this brief. Even though I stand by “each woman is a little off her rocker,” it still doesn’t solve the moral, emotional, judicial, and psychological issue at hand. Is the baby better off with the mother it knows, or the mother who birthed her? Are the mothers well within her rights to claim the child as her own? Are they even in the right mental state? It is impossible to know, especially with the evidence presented in this book, what is “right” or “wrong,” and even with the issue resolved, Stedman leaves threads of the story hanging in just the right way to make you continue to wonder.

  Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

  Publisher: Roc
  Published: October 2009
  Genre: fantasy
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: Anluan has been crippled since childhood, part of a curse that has besieged his family and his home of Whistling Tor. But when the young scribe Caitrin is retained to sort through family documents, she brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows. But to truly free Anluan’s burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life-and their love…

  Mini Review: This was going to be the most perfect read ever, just based on this formula alone: Marillier + Beauty and the Beast + ancient Ireland. But it didn’t quite live up to my own expectations. While I didn’t fall in love with it, Marillier continues to astound me with her storytelling and world-building abilities. She has a way of utilizing the bare bones of a familiar fairy tale and making it entirely her own. She doesn’t rely on all the aspects we’re familiar with — just the important ones. Her characters are singular and developed, and the setting and atmosphere enchanting.

  .

  This qualifies as book 1 of 9 in the Flights of Fantasy / Gabaldon-and-Marillier challenge.

  This qualifies as book 1 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Flights of Fantasy, Reviews 2017 | 5 Comments | Tagged books, flights of fantasy, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, mini review, review

• Book Review: “A Constellation of Vital Phenomena” by Anthony Marra

  Posted at 5:45 am by Laura, on November 17, 2016

  A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

  Publisher: Hogarth
  Published: February 2014
  Genre: literary fiction, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780770436421
  Rating: ★★★.5

  In a small rural village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the woods as Russian soldiers abduct her father in the middle of the night and then set fire to her home. When their lifelong neighbor Akhmed finds Havaa hiding in the forest with a strange blue suitcase, he makes a decision that will forever change their lives. He will seek refuge at the abandoned hospital where the sole remaining doctor, Sonja Rabina, treats the wounded.

  For Sonja, the arrival of Akhmed and Havaa is an unwelcome surprise. Weary and overburdened, she has no desire to take on additional risk and responsibility. But over the course of five extraordinary days, Sonja’s world will shift on its axis and reveal the intricate pattern of connections that weaves together the pasts of these three unlikely companions and unexpectedly decides their fate.

  When Akhmed finds his neighbor’s daughter, Havaa, hiding in the woods with a bright blue suitcase, her takes it upon himself to see to her freedom and care. They hike to an abandoned hospital, where an overworked ethnic Russian, Sonja, treats the sick, dying, and wounded. Sonja, however, has a difficult time welcoming the two into her life. But across five seemingly ordinary days, Akhmed, Havaa, and Sonja’s lives become irrevocably interconnected, past and present coming together in one pivotal moment.

  What a remarkable novel.

  Marra’s writing was accessible and commercial while still powerfully beautiful and literary. The characters — varied as they were and with drastically different life experiences from our own — were easy to relate to. It’s easy to find at least one character to follow closely and eagerly anticipate their next chapter. The focus on the characters and the human story was appreciated, as the book highlights a tumultuous political moment in recent Chechen history. Marra could’ve easily bogged down a reader with facts and figures.

  That said, I wish there would’ve been a bit more information at the beginning of the novel to “set the stage” more, as I wasn’t aware of the struggles between Chechnya and Russia (granted, at the time this was happening, I was a child/selfish teenager).

  Compelling read, emotional, shocking, heartfelt, and powerful. An experience to read. Best to go in not knowing too much about this one!

  This qualifies as book 12 of 10 library books in 2016.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: historical fiction, review

• Book Review: “The Gilded Cage” by Lucinda Gray

  Posted at 12:37 pm by Laura, on September 16, 2016

  The Gilded Cage by Lucinda Gray

  Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
  Published: August 2016
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction, gothic
  ISBN: 9781627791816
  Rating: ★★★.75

  After growing up on a farm in Virginia, Walthingham Hall in England seems like another world to sixteen-year-old Katherine Randolph. Her new life, filled with the splendor of upper-class England in the 1820s, is shattered when her brother mysteriously drowns. Katherine is expected to observe the mourning customs and get on with her life, but she can’t accept that her brother’s death was an accident.

  A bitter poacher prowls the estate, and strange visitors threaten the occupants of the house. There’s a rumor, too, that a wild animal stalks the woods of Walthingham. Can Katherine retain her sanity long enough to find out the truth? Or will her brother’s killer claim her life, too?

  Katherine Randolph knows how to shoot, ride horses, and help out her guardians around the Virginia farm with her brother. But becoming an heiress and a lady in English society? Much harder than it looks. Just when things begin to look up after a ball held in her new home, Walthingham Hall, tragedy strikes Katherine in every respect. Her brother is murdered, her most trusted servant is shot, her dog is mangled, and something — or someone — is lurking around the estate. But no one believes Katherine’s accusations, and rumors of a Beast sound insanely plausible…

  I was entertained more so than impressed, and that is perfectly fine. The book did its job! Gothic cliches abound in this one, particularly the romantic Gothic, and I ate it up with a spoon.

  One of the biggest things I noticed about this book was the number of stark contrasts and dualities (hey, Gothic!). This begins in 1820s Virginia, and Katherine is a born and bred American girl. To travel to 1820s England, and reprise the role of an English heiress, is vastly different from what she’s used to. 1820s America and 1820s England are two very different realities and societies, class distinction aside. When Katherine arrived in England, she makes the brilliant observation that she belongs with the servants — not because she doesn’t feel like an heiress, but because she has the life skills and sensibilities most suited to the working class. Her identity lies with them, not in propriety, manners, and dull dinner parties.

  One of the biggest tropes in the romantic Gothic is a series of suitors or love interests, even just passing fancies. Oh, Katherine. She has many. Only one is the stronghold throughout, but my gosh. The events of this book take place across two weeks (roughly), so this was a bit of an eyeroll. (I still loved it though. I’m a sucker for anything Gothic, even its cliches.)

  What really kept me on the edge of my seat and nearly bumping this to four stars was the last 75 pages. The twist made me bite my nails in anticipation. Because it was thrown in here — no worries, the twist made sense! — I found it unexpected and wondered constantly what would happen next.

  In short, I loved the cliches, albeit predictable, and found the mystery to be chilling and spooky. The writing was absolutely lovely to sink into. If you’re looking for a book to devour some autumn night, this is the one.

  This book qualifies as book 9 of 10 library books in 2016. 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Ghostly Echoes” by William Ritter (ARC)

  Posted at 5:20 am by Laura, on August 19, 2016

  Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter 

  Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
  Publishing Date: August 23
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical fiction, gothic
  ISBN: 9781616205799
  Rating: ★★★★

  Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

  Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

  Jenny and Abigail are working on a decade-old murder case that, after recent events, is more urgent than ever to solve. The hitch? It’s Jenny’s case on her death, and she is having trouble accessing her memories. Just as Jackaby is about to call off their efforts, another gruesome, eerily familiar murder hits New Fiddleham. Abigail, Jenny, and Jackaby race against time, science, and mythology to solve the two seemingly-intertwined cases before it’s too late.

  This is quite possibly the most heart-pounding book in the series yet. Jenny takes the center stage in this novel, just as Abigail did the last. Her case connects to multiple murders thanks to the Moriarty figure from the previous books. And, since she’s ghost and has not passed on to the other side, the characters are thrust into a different kind of mythology: the after life (complete with Charon and everything!).

  My favorite part about this book is that it also relies heavily on science, revolution, and the industrial age. When Jenny was alive, her fiance was an inventor, a creator, a fascinated scientist eager to thrust New Fiddleham into the new age. He was recruited and befriended by like-minded individuals, all who met their untimely deaths as well. Fantasy and science collide, and a touch of insanity drives Abigail, Jackaby, and Jenny to the brink.

  I’m eager for the fourth book, which will no doubt cover Jackaby’s personal and mysterious history. Once again, Ritter delivers an excellent installment to a series, one that links the previous mysteries to the current one, with the current mystery adding a whole new layer to what will be a promising and explosive conclusion. I am so happy I fell in love with this Whovian, Sherlockian, genre-bending series! It’s so unique and thrilling to read.

  Thank you, Algonquin, for providing this book at BEA for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “My Lady Jane” by Hand, Ashton, & Meadows

  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on August 4, 2016

  My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brody Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Published: June 2016
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062391742
  Rating: ★★★

  Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

  Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

  Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It’s all very undignified.

  The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it’s off with their heads?

  Edward, King of England, is sixteen, dying, and just wants to be kissed, not sign a document stating who would take over the kingdom once he’s gone. But if anyone should rule it, of course it should be his cousin Jane! Jane, though, just wants to read books, not rule the country or be married off to a strange noble, Gifford, who acts quite suspiciously. Gifford has a reason to be odd: during the day, he turns into a horse! These three unfortunate souls are roped into a conspiracy for the throne, and for the destruction of Eðians (humans who transform into animals) for pure Verity (regular human) rule.

  Do you recall from your history lessons the jumbled mess that was the English monarchy after Edward, son of Henry VIII? A brief recap: Lady Jane Dudley (nee Grey) was queen for nine days, then beheaded, then Mary (daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon, also known as Bloody Mary) became queen, who later died and the crown went to Elizabeth (daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn). And what was the next hot topic in that time for these half-siblings and their reign? Religion. Will England be Protestant or Catholic?

  Well, turn religion into magical abilities! Will England live in a “pure” Verity state, purging all Eðians, or will it live in tolerance? While that’s the serious question at stake here, this book is chock-full of hilarity.

  I cannot tell you more than this, because about halfway through the book each character’s alternate history becomes even more alternate – a true deviation – and all sorts of fun adventures ensue. We encounter a Robin Hood-like band of characters, and one particularly “foxy” lady I’m just dying to have her own book. There are all sorts of pop culture references (Game of Thrones, The Princess Bride, Monty Python, and Shakespeare come to mind immediately) that add to the hilariousness of the book as well!

  But why three stars? I’m sure if I read this faster, if there were more hours in the day, if I wasn’t slammed with work, if I wasn’t bitten by summer’s tendency to lounge around, I would’ve given this a higher rating. It took me almost four weeks to read this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it every time I opened it up and read each chapter. But I personally drew out this long book, making the whole experience even longer. For that, and only that, I had to knock it down a star. A re-read (and a fast one!) is most certainly in order for this book!

  Can’t wait to see what these ladies create next!

  .

  This qualifies as book 6 of 5 of the “Flights of Fantasy” Challenge, hosted by Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books and Rachel @ Hello, Chelly.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, flights of fantasy, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

• Search the Blog

  Search for:

• Currently Reading

  

• Book Review Rating Key

  ★★★ — It’s good
  ★★★★ — It’s great
  ★★★★★ — OMG LOVE!!!

• Recent Posts

  • MSWL for 2026
  • Favorite Reads of 2025
  • Deal Announcement: Nina Moreno, YA Romance
  • Deal Announcement: Sharon Choe, YA Fantasy
  • Deal Announcement: Hanna R. Neier, MG Historical/Contemporary