Poetry of Reading

Title: The Grand Sophy  Author: Georgette Heyer Published: June 3rd 2004 Publisher: Arrow Pages: 328 ISBN: 0099465639

Synopsis:

Resourceful, adventurous and utterly indefatigable, Sophy is hardly the mild-mannered girl that the Rivenhalls expect when they agree to take her in. Kind-hearted Aunt Lizzy is shocked; stern Cousin Charles and his humorless fiancée Eugenia are disapproving.

With her inimitable mixture of exuberance and grace Sophy soon sets about endearing herself to her family, but finds herself increasingly drawn to her cousin. Can she really be falling in love with him, and he with her? And what of his betrothal to Eugenia?

“A man who would contract the mumps,” declared Cecilia, “would do anything!” Lady Ombersley saw nothing unreasonable in this pronouncement, nor was she surprised that his lordship’s un-romantic behavior had given Cecilia a distaste for him. She had herself been sadly disappointed, for she had thought him a man of sense, certainly not one to be succumbing to childish ailments at inopportune moments.

I’ve enjoyed almost every Georgette Heyer novels and Sophy is still my favorite. It has excellent pacing, compelling plot twists, and entertaining characters. The book has a lively and delightful dialogue for which Heyer is famous for.

What makes this novel work for me is not only the clever plotting and the many escapades that Heyer has Sophy pull, but also the magnificent way in which Heyer paints her characters. I notice that the secondary characters are often just as rich as the main players, and it holds true for this book, too.

The main character, Sophy, I think is a good role model. She is brave; she is capable and self-confident, fun and likable - she is almost irresistible. Sophy is a character you cannot help but fall in love with and admire!

Miss Eugenia Wraxton: Charles Rivenhall’s fiancée is the complete opposite. She is serious, devoted to the strictures of propriety, and a bit cold, something of a lady should look like given the time of the story.

I don’t want to give the plot away as you need to experience this novel for yourself, but I will say the word fascinating came to my mind often as I was reading along. It is full of history and wit and kept me hooked.

Title: The Fortune Hunter  Author: Daisy Goodwin Published: July 29th 2014 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pages: 473  ISBN: 1250043891

Synopsis:

In 1875, Sisi, the Empress of Austria is the woman that every man desires and every woman envies.

Beautiful, athletic and intelligent, Sisi has everything - except happiness. Bored with the stultifying etiquette of the Hapsburg Court and her dutiful but unexciting husband, Franz Joseph, Sisi comes to England to hunt. She comes looking for excitement and she finds it in the dashing form of Captain Bay Middleton, the only man in Europe who can outride her. Ten years younger than her and engaged to the rich and devoted Charlotte, Bay has everything to lose by falling for a woman who can never be his. But Bay and the Empress are as reckless as each other, and their mutual attraction is a force that cannot be denied.

Full of passion and drama, THE FORTUNE HUNTER tells the true story of a nineteenth century Queen of Hearts and a cavalry captain, and the struggle between love and duty.

My Review:

“Sisi knew that it was hopeless to live up to the fairy-tale princess with stars in her hair of the Winterhalter portrait, an image that sold everything from chocolates to liver salts in Vienna, but she found it impossible not to try. Beauty was her gift, her weapon and her power, and she dreaded its passing.”

I loved this story based loosely on historical fact and characters. The story is a fascinating peek into British society. Ms. Goodwin engages her readers in the time period and captures the elegance and magnificence of the Victorian era complete with a few chapters containing appearances of the Queen and her Court.



There were three main characters, Empress Elisabeth (“Sisi”), Bay Middleton, and Charlotte Baird. Charlotte Baird is a sweet, innocent heiress. Unusual for her time, she is very interested in photography. When Charlotte meets and photographs Bay Middleton, she becomes smitten. A handsome man with a reputation with the ladies. However, Charlotte in her mind does not see his reputation, lack of fortune or title as an obstacle as her brother and aunt does. The two are close to becoming engaged when Elizabeth, Empress of Austria arrives in England for the legendary hunt organized by Earl Spencer. The greatest horseman of England is presented to the Empress as her navigator, Bay Middleton, and while Charlotte keeps her time with a fascination for photography, Bay is preoccupied with Sisi. His desire for both women has him questioning himself. Who will Bay choose? Will, he chose the empress? Or will he choose the Heiress?

Synopsis:

A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

Morton once again enthralls readers with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling.

My Review:

“My fingers positively itched to drift at length along their spines, to arrive at one whose lure I could not pass, to pluck it down, to inch it open, then to close my eyes and inhale the soul-sparking scent of old and literate dust.”

Kate Morton is becoming one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style and the Gothic mysteries she creates.


When a letter from 1941 arrives at its destination fifty years later, it has powerful effects for Edie Burchill, a young publisher in London. The story jumps between the present when Edie is learning more about what took place, and the past, the events as they are happening.

The Blythe’s are a literary family, each of the sisters, and Edie, Meredith, Lucy, and Rita were multidimensional characters. I enjoyed getting to know each one, each woman had a strength of her own, they were controlled by one man and his secrets, Raymond Blythe. He was the catalyst The Distant Hours.

This book has wonderful surprises and revelations that are delivered with gentleness and ease. Back and forth between the 1930s and the 1990s, and told from different characters’ perspectives, this is haunting and Gothic, through and through. The way the author goes back and forth with the dates and characters is also a refreshing touch. Her descriptions are so vivid that I feel like it has transported me to another time and place.

Summary:

Written skillfully, you won’t be able to take your hands off it and you’ll go looking for more pages even as the story ends. If you like Gothic novels with large estates, captivating scenery, and an intricate mystery, you’ll love The Distant Hours.

2015

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Being a great fan of historical fiction, I was caught up in the fast-paced storyline and enjoyed the historical detail of the times. I recommend this fascinating story. It has it all, love, betrayal, secrets...

2017

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This is an entirely brilliant book! From the Invasion of the Romans to the Glorious Revolution to the present day, Rutherford traces important historical events by following several London families throughout the ages. Though the stories are broken up chronologically, transitions flowed rather smoothly, and when engrossed in a chapter, the action and plot twists are so well arranged that it is hard to focus on doing anything else.

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It will not disappoint if you have been mesmerized by Dumas’ other work of fiction such as the Count of Monte Cristo with this extraordinary piece of storytelling. The setting of the story starts with the time of Queen Margot’s marriage, the occasion which prompts the murder of a large number of Huguenots, gathered in Paris for the wedding of their Henri in St. Bartholomew, across from the Louvre.

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Each sentence is a masterpiece. This book is not only beautifully written, but it is also extremely well researched and carefully documented to give a fascinating insight into the woman behind the legend.
A fascinating detective story that educates as it entertains. Goodwin combines an insider’s sense for the life of Turkish Istanbul with a marvelous sense for character development, intricate and surprising plotting, and a real gift for literary style. Absolutely amazing!

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"The World of Ice & Fire" is an absolutely rich and well-researched fantasy encyclopedia. If you're a fan of the universe Martin has crafted, you'll like this book. The art is just awesome. There are paintings of the Wall being constructed by Brandon the Builder, the children, and a bunch giants. Just awesome.

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Well, it is a delightful tale. The middle part’s a bit slow though. There may be a historical inaccuracy and characters far too modern for the time period. A great one by McNaught that you shouldn’t miss if you love medieval.



I enjoyed the female point of view and the book was rich in detail and character development. Sometimes too rich and as a result, it dragged in places. I love how Marion Zimmer Bradley changes the usual story around. I loved it!

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I liked the concept of this book, but the execution left much to be desired. The language, first of all, is filthy. I’m not turned off by “bad” language but it is just so over the top.

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A well-written novel about Russian history and how its people interact within it’s rich and interesting culture. Rutherfurd makes the story of Russia come alive.

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Engaging characters, interesting plot, evocative locale. I will definitely look into the author’s other books.

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Love Raymond E. Feist and his Rift War Series. It has likable characters and a superb storyline. Whether you are a fantasy reader or mystery reader, this book has it all. I recommend it.

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This was a hard book for me to get into. There was so much secrecy in both romances, with no valid reason for all the lies and deception, especially in the modern day romance. The Winter Sea is a good read, but the writing style doesn’t flow well.

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Disappointing. The story jumped all over the place, the characters are poorly developed and pretty horrible.

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This book was cute. It was fun and different. Overall, an enjoyable story, but one that didn’t make much of an impact on me. I doubt I would ever give it a second thought.
The plot was bland, and I didn’t care about the characters very much. I doubt I will try her again.

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I did not find the characters well developed, and I thought the plot was discontinuous. I found myself interested in what happened to the characters as the story progressed. But in the end, I ended up thinking it was ok.

2018

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The first part of the book is too slow, and the second it rushes through facts. The actual writing isn’t all that impressive as the author does a lot of “telling” and leaves little to the reader’s construction. Wouldn’t say life-changing, but rather entertaining.

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I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down honestly. The book made me laugh and cry. It dragged a little here and there but was a very good book and I highly recommend it!

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An absorbingly written fictional story that still gives a historically accurate portrayal of Lady Jane Grey. It was informative and heart-wrenching. Recommended for historical lovers, especially those with a strong adoration of all things Tudor.

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I’d recommend reading The Accidental Empress, part one of Empress Elisabeth’s life. I found it to be the better book of the two although Sisi: Empress on Her Own is far from bad. Allison Pataki has done her research, and it’s very well written! Captivating to the last page!

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Darkness at Sethanon continues Feist’s fantastic Riftwar series. This book, however, is one of my personal favorites in the series. It is compelling, gripping, and it keeps you wanting more. This story is an epic tale. I would recommend it to anyone who is into medieval times and fantasy.

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This book offers no surprises, nothing interesting, nothing to keep me wanting to read. There didn’t seem to be much progression in the storyline. The characters felt selfish and shallow. The writing is fine; it was just boring for me.

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I thought it would be more in-depth, but, none-the-less it was an easy read, with some humor added in. The book was entertaining as all of Ms. Quinn’s novels.

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The Tudor Bride is a nice sequel to the Agincourt Bride. There is some interesting history to be learned, and the side story about Mette and Catherine's relationship, while fictional, adds depth to the book. Definitely a worthwhile read.

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Although the King's Buccaneer had some of Feist's usual magic and conflict, I found that half way through it was hard to keep on reading. It still deserves four stars though, not his best work, but still a good novel.

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This book continues Feist’s talent for creating real, interesting characters. Jimmy the Hand is still one of my favorite fictional character of all time. If you like fantasy, you’ll love Silverthorn.

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Lord Cameron’s story is the third in the Mackenzies and McBrides series. I enjoyed the first two books, and this one was good as well.

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This is a well-written and interesting work of historical fiction, revolving around two women who wielded a great deal of influence in early thirteenth century England and France. Jean Plaidy doesn't disappoint, she perfectly captured a time that was anything but simple, yet fascinating all the same.

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The book was well written and fast-paced. I thought the character development was weak. A little predictable but, I would read the sequel.

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The first half of the book was very interesting. And then the second half, well, nothing really happens and the book drags and get really boring. All in all, it’s a nice story to end the series.

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You can’t go wrong with Elizabeth Hoyt. Her characters are endearing. The writing style sublime. You genuinely care what happens! I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical romance!

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I liked this book overall. The first half was a kind of slow and seemed to repeat itself, but the second half was faster and was much better at getting to the point. Glad I kept with it to the end.

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I felt the novel was a little drawn out and slow. Especially in the beginning. When the revolution was in full swing, it was just a lot of death and despair. But, Moran makes it readable. Her research is something to marvel at. I would still recommend this book to historical fiction lovers and to anyone who enjoys French History.

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Didn't love it, didn't hate it. The characters are rather flat and there are massive gaps in a plausible storyline. There is almost no narrative development.

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This book was good but, too wordy. It caught my eye enough to read the sequel which I enjoyed better. The descriptions of the lifestyle during the time period were excellent, which was the best part of the book.

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I had a hard time just getting through the first few chapters. The plot had promise but the characters, though grounded in history just were not drawn by the author so I even cared for them.

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The author’s descriptions of the characters are so well-done, and while one may judge too harshly some of their actions, compassion for their plights should be the over-riding emotion. This was a moving experience, not just because of the book, but because of the author.