2013

✬✬✬ I truly loved the first half of the book, I couldn’t put it down. But sadly, this book simply did not deliver beyond. The story drifts and gets repetitive. The characters are engaging, but I expected a little more depth. I enjoyed the historical context, but the story left me looking for more.

✬✬✬✬ Classic Jane Austen writing, delightfully written, giving her characters’ faults and failures without making them stupid or weak. The book is not quite as smooth as the rest of her work but it is well worth a read for Austen fans.

✬✬✬✬ The book is slow reading for those expecting a fast-paced story. It is well written and historically accurate. Her vocabulary is remarkably varied, and the images she evokes with her prose are rather impressive.

✬✬✬✬✬ An outstanding book - wonderfully intertwined stories, set against the rich cultural background of India, with compelling characters during an interesting and formative period of history after independence - a truly exquisite piece of literature.

✬✬ The author did not stay true to any of the Biblical story- save for the basic plot line. One can have a little flexibility with the thoughts and emotions of an individual. But the refusal to include known events makes this entire novel ring false and hollow.

✬✬✬ This book started somewhat slow and took a while to develop. I think there were too many subplots going on. It felt there was a rush to tie up the ends towards the end of the novel.

✬✬✬✬ In Red Azalea, Anchee Min makes a vivid image of growing up in China at the height of Communist rule under Mao. Her life makes the reader think about their own fortunes or perhaps misfortunes. Red Azalea is a beautiful autobiography that creates a powerful sense of life in China during the country’s most tragic time.

✬✬✬✬✬ Full of twists and turns, this book shall kept you intrigued and the historical aspects of the book were magnificent. Well researched and well told.

✬✬✬✬ This delightful historical fiction set in Florence around 1500 is masterfully painted with words. The author’s gift for describing everything one would see, hear, smell or taste is remarkable. I felt like I was there! A delightful and fun tale sprinkled with humor and wit.

✬✬✬✬ An interesting study of man-woman relationships— melodramatic—but, for the times, a breakthrough indictment of the oppressive patriarchal system of England in the 1820-1840 period. A beautifully written book. Unfortunately, it didn’t grip me in the same way that Jane Eyre did.

✬✬✬✬✬ This was a very detailed and comprehensive biography. Jane Seymour: Henry VIII's True Love is a perfect read for those who want to know about this tragic queen!

✬✬✬✬ The stories of strength, courage, and endurance we as humans are capable of, are so often caused by others. This book is full of love and hope. Lina’s story is one that won’t be forgotten, which is as it should be.

✬✬✬ It was a good read. Marina is a great storyteller and her research is wonderful. The differences between cultures, the mystery, and the romance made it an entertaining and informative.

✬✬✬✬ The characterization in this novel is wonderful. David Eddings has put a lot of thought into the characters and how he wants to portray them to his readers. The dialog is wonderful and makes it move quickly even though the plot is predictable.

✬✬✬✬ Full of great characters, wise insights and life lessons. Though not as thrilling as Jane Eyre, it is more believable and engaged. It is simply told and beautiful.

✬✬✬ It was pretty good. Way too much introduction and angst until the actual meeting of the two main characters. Then suddenly everything got fast-tracked.

✬✬✬✬ It’s a good tale of love and war but a bit monotonously introspective. A sadly accurate yet moving commentary on aging.

✬✬✬✬ Isabel’s writing is always expressive and filled with sly references to characters foibles and faults. The central character is complex but hard to connect with. Her courage is exemplary yet as the matriarch of a country she fails in several key ways to inspire.

✬✬✬✬ While Gregory’s novel is more like “light” historical fiction, I like most of her books and this one was better than average. I love the tie-in between the early Tudor court and the cousin’s war. What I especially liked was her realistic portrayal of a king who has to live in constant terror for his life.

2016

✬✬✬ This is a light read. The book lacked depth or reflection that comes from sadness and a new love. The titled letters were so dry and foolish.  It just didn't hold my interest.

✬✬ I hate giving classics bad reviews. This book was not for me.  The plot is not that interesting, the writing style is torturous, the plot twists are predictable. It caught my interest a little in the end, but not enough to redeem the book.

✬✬ This book was on my shelf for a long, and when I finally took it my hopes were high. To be honest, I couldn’t really get to grips with this, it didn’t capture me; I found the development of the story long and tedious, the changes in point of view confusing.

✬✬✬✬ This was a good book—creatively written; both entertaining and informative. Dario Fo has created a real but flawed Lucrezia out of the information he offers. My suggestion is to get to this book with some knowledge with the fascinating life of Lucrezia Borgia and her murderous and corrupt family.

✬✬✬ The characters are okay, but sometimes too simplistic. Moggach could have used all the research she did in a better way, giving more develop to the novel and characters. However, the time period in The Netherlands provided an interesting backdrop. It’s no masterpiece, but it is enjoyable, entertaining, and mysterious.

✬✬✬✬ This book kept me interested and is well written. It is a pleasant read about a woman ahead of her time when the world, and the British empire, was changing. It slowed in the middle but so did the main character’s life.

✬✬✬✬✬ Excellent. A well-done account of a character we only saw glimpses of in the primary series. The smaller scope and humorous tone make them a lighter read. Not as dark as ASOIAF, but a fun and pleasurable visit back to Westeros.

✬✬✬✬✬ Although the book took definite liberties with the Biblical account of Esther, I loved this story! Joan brings the story to life, describing Esther’s feelings, Ahasuerus’ personality, and giving vivid character to the role of Haman. She has created an environment of the ancient world so well and into this setting she leads the reader on a magical journey from the duty to love, from reluctance to passion.

✬✬✬✬✬ Great length, easy to read but not too easy. The characters were real, and the storyline was intriguing. It is a perfect mix of history, humor, mystery, sadness, and hope.

✬✬✬ This was a well-written account of women on the home front during the second world war. I found it to be too sweet, too long and somewhat predictable.

✬✬✬ This was a story about a very broken young woman searching for herself and landed as a prostitute. The cultural references to Brunei and the Prince were fascinating, the book was not particularly well written. I never felt that close to the narrator or feel she was a likable character. The relationships with the other women in the harem looked silly; which is hard to believe given the circumstances.