Archives by Tag 'Historical'
Review: ‘The House at Riverton’ by Kate Morton
As you might have guessed from the enormous delay between finishing this book and a review actually appearing here, I’ve been rather busy recently. What with emergency dentist appointments, being ill, making wedding invitations and all the familycommitments which inevitably accompany a slew of bank holidays, I’ve been rushing hither and yon with very little time for [...]
‘The Crimson Petal and the White’ by Michel Faber
I hate to seem prejudiced, but there are certain literary devices which I tend to find very off-putting in a book. The first is present tense narration: logically the action of the book can have taken place in the past or it could be going to take place in the future, but I’m always very aware [...]
‘Far to Go’ by Alison Pick
Historical novels are usually a staple part of my reading diet, but one that has been rather neglected so far this year in favour of trying new things and branching out into different, unexplored areas of literature. This certainly hasn’t been a deliberate decision and in fact I hadn’t realised that I was reading fewer [...]
‘April Lady’ by Georgette Heyer
Oh, Georgette Heyer, how I wanted to like you! How I wanted to find your writing delightful, engaging and witty and your stories compelling and absorbing. How I looked forward to returning to the world of Jane Austen’s novels through such a prolific author that I could stay in that world for months of reading [...]
‘Lady’s Maid’ by Margaret Forster
When I came up with the idea of using a random number generator to select one book for me every month, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was letting myself in for. I needn’t have worried about January’s choice though, as it seems to have been remarkably kind to me in my first month. by [...]
‘Flowers for Alys’ by Irene M. Redpath
So far, I haven’t had much luck with the books of which I’ve received free copies for review from Goodreads and LibraryThing. More often than not, I read the descriptions thinking “Oooh, what an interesting concept!” and eagerly click the request button but the books haven’t really lived up to my expectations when they’ve arrived. [...]
‘The Poisonwood Bible’ by Barbara Kingsolver
I’ll be honest: I don’t know very much about Africa other than that it is quite hot. Nor, for that matter, have I read many books set there other than those thrust upon me at university. I don’t actively dislike Africa as a setting for literature, I just tend to gravitate more towards Victorian and [...]
‘Baudolino’ by Umberto Eco
first came into my possession when I was helping a friend sort through some of his books at university when he moved from a large room into a much smaller one. When I unearthed this book, he expressed surprise that I hadn’t already read it and then insisted that I rehome it as naturally, being [...]
Review: ‘Child of the Phoenix’ by Barbara Erskine
Title: Author: Barbara Erskine Published: Harper Collins, 1994, pp. 1086. Originally published 1992 Genre: Historical fiction Blurb: In 1218 an extraordinary princess is born, whose mystical powers and unquenchable spirit will alter the course of history… Raised by her fiercely Welsh nurse to support the Celtic cause against the predatory English king, Princess Eleyne is [...]
Review: ‘The Lieutenant’s Lover’ by Harry Bingham
Title: The Lieutenant’s Lover Author: Harry Bingham Published: Harper, 2006, pp. 442. Originally published 2006 Blurb: Misha is an aristocratic young officer in the army when the Russian revolution sweeps away all his certainties. Tonya is a nurse from an impoverished family in St Petersburg. They should have been bitter enemies; and yet they fall [...]