I was giddy with anticipation about The Book of Longings from the moment its publication date was announced. And, I'm thrilled to report that author Sue Monk Kidd did not disappoint with her newest novel. What's The Book of Longings about? It's long been debated whether Jesus (yep, as in "Christ Superstar") had a female partner. (Hello, The Da Vinci Code.) The Book of Longings takes this controversial idea and runs with...
Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner is going to piss off the feminists among us. Apart from that, though, this is a really good book! What's Jerusalem Maiden about? The main character in Jerusalem Maiden is Esther, an early 1900s woman from an ultra-Orthodox sect of Judaism called Haredi. So, to say that Esther has limited freedom is putting it mildly. Esther exemplifies all that a "Jerusalem Maiden" goes through in order to...
It's not often I yell out "Holy Crap!" while reading historical fiction. But that's exactly what I did smack in the middle of The Exiles. Let's just say the story took a very unexpected turn. Bravo, Christina Baker Kline, for such a bold move. What's The Exiles about? The Exiles follows three resourceful young women. There’s Evangeline and Hazel, the English prisoners, and Mathinna, a native inhabitant of Australia. Each...
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James gave me mixed feelings. I'd been eagerly anticipating this one for months, especially after seeing SO much love for it from readers and other book bloggers. I was so excited when it came in from my local library just before they closed down because of COVID-19. I was quarantined, but I figured, Hey, I got THE book I was waiting for, so NBD. Ehhh, not quite. What's The Sun Down Motel...
Here's a fun fact: I've had this Quick Look Books list of Historical Fiction recommendations planned for, oh,...over a year? Something like that. I've been meaning to post it. Really, I have. Just...something always got in the way. However, since the last few weeks have been pretty history-defining, I figured now's the time to debut this particular book list. To remind us of what people have faced, fought against, and, against all odds, overcome...
It's like the main character of The Invited has never seen a scary movie. Or, knows nothing about Lorraine and Ed Warren's Occult Museum. Or, seen an episode of -- or even a commercial for -- the Haunted Collector. Okay, okay. I realize many of you are scratching your heads right about now. I'm aware that I have a niche knowledge of all things supernatural thanks to my life-long obsession with the paranormal. But, still. I think we can all...
The Silent Companions is a damn good ghost story. Except, it’s not a ghost story. The house in which the main characters live is most decidedly haunted, but not by ghosts, per se. The things that go bump in the night are far less sinister at first glance, which makes their effect upon the story that much creepier. However, calling this a “bewitched wooden figurine story” just doesn’t carry quite the same weight. ...
Well, I’ve done it. I’ve finally read the Goodreads Readers’ Choice Best Fantasy book of 2018: Circe, by Madeline Miller. And, it only took me until halfway through 2019 to post my book review of it. I usually don’t read fantasy, which is a bit ironic considering that the novel I’ve written is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy. But, I love stories based on religion and mythology, particularly ones that create backstories for...
Well, we made it to summer, everyone! If you’re like me, you're dreaming about what vacations you want to take. Warm weather always makes me think about jet-setting somewhere exotic -- or, really, to anywhere that’s different from what I see 24/7 in my daily routine. The past few years have yielded a lot more daycations than vacations for me, though, so I’ve been getting my vicarious vacation fix through books. Which brings me to this...
Welcome back to Ballybucklebo! *dances, throws four-leaf clovers in the air, and speaks with a laughably awful Irish accent* I mean, that’s pretty much what I do whenever Patrick Taylor releases a new book in the Irish Country Doctor series. I’ve been reading this series since day one, and, as you'll recall, several previous installments have made it into my Quick Look Books recommendations. The latest novel, An Irish Country Cottage, is set...
