Poetry of Reading

Title: North and South Author: Elizabeth Gaskell Published: January 13th 1994 Publisher: Penguin Books Pages: 521

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Synopsis:

My Review:

He almost said to himself that he did not like her, before their conversation ended; he tried so to compensate himself for the mortified feeling, that while he looked upon her with an admiration he could not repress, she looked at him with proud indifference, taking him, he thought, for what, in his irritation, he told himself he was-a great rough fellow, with not a grace or a refinement about him.

Title: The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B Author: Sandra Gulland Published: August 3rd 1999 Publisher: Touchstone Pages: 448

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Synopsis:

He calls me Josephine. He says I'm an angel, a saint, his good lucky star. I know I'm no angel, but in truth I have begun to like this Josephine he sees. She is intelligent; she amuses; she is pleasing. She is grace and charm and heart. Unlike Rose; scared, haunted and needy. Unlike Rose with her sad life.

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.

✬✬✬✬ Very interesting, complex, thoughtful and somber novel, sadly, little known. Rasputin is a good writer, and the story is moving and even tragic.

✬✬✬ The characters were so well drawn, unique. The plot was good. I could not put it down. Then came part two, and the book became silly and dull. The characters began to let the reader down. It felt like the author got bored with the writing.

✬✬✬✬✬ This is an amazing story about pirates, a harem, a dwarf, an emperor, lots of eunuchs, jewels, gardens, religion, beauty, ambition, and poison. The language is beautiful. The story is sad but captivating. There were plenty of plot twists, unexpected alliances, and betrayal. I couldn’t put this book down.

✬✬✬ This story was a quick read and full of action, intrigue, and romance. It was good, but not great. The breathtaking setting and deep history of Siena kept the book interesting, but it wasn’t enough. It shows some back stories with gaps that seem a little too easy to fill in and made this book too predictable for me. This book has everything in it that should have made it great but didn’t leave a memorable impression.

✬✬✬ The book has a plot, interesting, vibrant characters, and lots of conflicts. But there was nothing that really sparkled, nothing that made me want to pick it up at the end of the day.

✬✬✬✬✬ The story is extremely well written; the characters were compelling, the historical references are well introduced into the story and never weigh the plot down, and the storyline was exciting - I couldn’t put it down. You will appreciate Orchid’s agonies, triumphs, tragedies, and heartaches. These characters will touch your heart, and you will think of them long after the book has ended.

✬✬✬✬ Everything about this book is wonderful - the details and facts of the story themselves are so interesting and all the more awesome because they are true, and they are told in a way that had me totally consumed.

✬✬✬✬ Impressive detail. The research for this book is formidable. It was more about the personal struggles of one family than about the details of the War of the Roses, however, there was just enough general history to allow readers to place the family events in time. As a whole, a great book.

✬✬✬✬ It was very well written and an entertaining read. I thought the characters were complex and real. The plot was good, and it was real, too. The writing was done well. The questions left in my mind were what really detracted from the book.

✬✬✬✬✬ I first read this book when I was a teenager and still consider it one of the best books I have ever read. The writing is beautiful, and the story is emotional. Jane is a very intelligent, strong woman, who trusts her own inner voice and decides for herself what is important to her, refusing to settle for less or to elevate love above her own sense of self-worth, which is impressive regarding her lack of status or outer beauty. This is a story that will stay with you for a long time.

✬✬✬ I liked this book but didn’t love it. It had moments. I found the characters hard to get close to. The writing seemed to lack the flow that keeps you reading when you’re not supposed to. Perhaps due to the different points of view in every chapter.

✬✬✬✬✬ There is a great story written on those pages, a story that everyone should read and savor. The parts about the Civil War are very realistic of the what they were. It is a brilliant novel, about love, perseverance, and a woman’s determined mind accompanied by a vague heart, in a story where she learns to grow and fight through hardships, as she matures and flourishes during the civil war.

✬✬✬✬✬ I loved Anchee Min’s previous novel Empress Orchid and The Last Empress continued the wonderful story. It swept me along by the story of Empress Ci Xi and the exquisite details of life in the Forbidden City. This is a refreshing perspective on a complicated and often misrepresented woman.

2014

✬✬✬✬ 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.

2017

✬✬ The false way it leads the reader on over a trauma in the heroine’s past, did not ring true to me. Nor did her deep mourning for her deceased husband harmonize with her flirtatious behavior. The middle of the book drags along. Not my cup of tea.

✬✬ Although I liked some stories, there were too many foreshadowings that were not resolved. One of my criticism is that the author drags out this very complicated story and then resolves everything in a quick finale! I found the back-and-forth chapters between the mother and Emma annoying. The writing was good, but the story could have been better developed.

✬✬✬ The beginning of this story held so much promise, but it turned up to be flat and the storytelling weak. I found the character development to be poor. The dialogue was unrealistic and several events described were almost unbelievable;  an enjoyable but hardly memorable read.

✬✬✬ This book is almost too detailed. There are so many details you can’t focus on the characters. Kate Morton is a lovely storyteller, although in this case, I think a little less might have served the story better. The twist in the plot was apparent about half-way through. All in all, it was an ok read.

✬✬ The novel did not intrigue me at all. It was too slow and dull and I had to force myself to finish it.

✬✬✬✬✬ A well written in a chronological order, beautifully illustrated book about Peter the Great. Highly recommend for anyone interested in Russian or world history. Left me wanting to learn more!

✬✬✬✬ The plot is one staple in romance— a forced marriage resulting in love, however things become more complicated due to political intrigue, the threat of  war, and the heroes’ own complex stories. I think the richly drawn, likable characters are one of the strengths of this book.

✬✬✬✬ The Girl On The Cliff is a perfect combination of romance and intrigue, with characters crafted enough they seem to jump from the page into real life. I enjoyed it.

✬✬✬✬✬ Another excellent book in Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series. Her writing is flawless and the development of her characters is exceptional. The characters are so real and so interesting. One of the best detective series.

✬✬✬✬ A good storyline and great action. The main characters and the supporting characters were so likable. The history is well defined and believable while not overwhelming the two main characters.

✬✬✬ This was an interesting read from an educational point of view, it was very informative culturally. It was however predictable, nevertheless; it was entertaining.

✬✬✬✬ The narrative style is so compelling and Kleypas has a way of getting you involved with the characters, especially Cam Rohan and the heroine, Amelia Hathaway. Overall, an entertaining read, but a few loose ends.

✬✬✬ The book was well written, and I wanted to like it, I really did. However, the actions of the main characters are inconsistent with the good people it supposes them to be. The first part of this book was OK, but the second half of the book fell apart for me. There are plus points here - good chemistry, funny banter, likable side characters.

✬✬✬ I wanted to like this book. It has all the elements of a fantastic novel—history, family secrets, nobility, plot twists. Sadly, the writing ruined it. The story is overwritten, and the dialogue is just dreadful.

✬✬ I really wanted to like this book and quite frankly I am surprised that I finished it. The characters are one dimensional and I could not empathize with any. The plot took forever to develop. I have to say towards the end, it intrigued me, but not enough.

✬✬✬✬✬ This is my favorite book in the Highland series. I love the way the author developed their feelings for one another so that the reader felt their emotions and deep affection. Love how easy it is to envision the descriptions and how realistic everything feels as you read. Exquisite!

✬✬ No character development, no resolution of the many, many loose ends, and no real depth to anything. Very disappointing read.

2018

✬✬✬✬ The Traitor’s Wife by Susan Higginbotham is a strong and pleasing read. From the moment you start you are captivated by the strength of its characters. The author’s descriptions are so telling you can imagine even the tiniest detail of every page. This is a book difficult to set down and one that is not easily forgotten.

✬✬ Thought the book started out great, but once they went to London, it got very slow, and tedious. Could hardly bring myself to finish it.

✬✬✬✬ Young Bess was a wonderful story, centering on a time in Elizabeth’s life when things still aren’t certain for her. Danger, doubt, and treachery are at every turn. The research that the author did for this book shines through in the writing.

✬✬✬ It is a quick read and interesting as it deals more with details from a lady-in-waiting’s perspective and it detailed all the ambitions of different women at court. My biggest problem was the main character, Nan Bassett. She didn’t seem so much “strong and independent,” rather self-absorbed and immature instead. I couldn’t bring myself to like her much, which made it difficult to finish the book.

✬✬✬✬✬ The Duke's Perfect Wife is a sensual, gorgeous story that was captivating from the first page to the very last.

✬✬ I had great difficulty in remembering this book, to write a review - and that seems to sum up how unmemorable it was for me, although I read it recently. I was not won over by the heroine. Ambitious but sloppy both in the history and in the writing.

✬✬  At the first, the book was going well and then the second half seemed way too rushed. Also seems like the heroine and hero never learn to communicate with each other - but yet by the end they trust one another.

✬✬✬✬✬ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is by far one of the best books ever. It has an excellent story you won’t want to take your eyes off. Roald Dahl creates a world of smells, sounds, and even tastes as he leads you through a candy-maker Willy Wonka’s delicious world of sweets. It’s not entirely a story unlike all others, but it is a trip into a world of childhood delights.

✬✬ This book disappointed me — the waste of language, the lack of any real sense, the tedious characters, the historical errors.

✬✬✬ The pace of the book drags, and overall I found it very predictable. Dialogue not good either. Had a hard time finishing the book, just did not hold my interest.

✬✬✬✬ It was a superb read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I have always loved reading about Henry VIII and this story was a different point of view about court life. Great characters and settings. It was well written and very enjoyable.

✬✬✬✬ Such a charming and captivating tale with waves of emotion. Funny, fast-paced, scheming, and with a witty, conniving characters. I could see the scenes painted, and could relate nearly every character to someone I knew. There is a few moments that stumble, but I loved it anyway.

✬✬ “No Will But His” was unpleasant. The book massacres the character of Katherine Howard. The reader walks away from the novel with an impression of Kathryn as an empty-headed girl who can’t keep her legs closed. Such a disaster.

✬✬✬✬ George brings Mary to life; her character becomes human instead of a name in a history book. It also reads fast, and despite its length. Although George’s main players are well developed, her two-dimensional supporting cast can make it a burden to remember who is who, and what role they play in the story.

✬✬ I forced myself to get through it, but only because I hate leaving books unfinished, even the terrible ones. I always hope that the story will surprise me. This one did not; it was just bad from the first page to last. The plot was ridiculously predictable and tedious.

✬✬✬ Richard the Lionheart is the historical figure of focus. This book holds true to the genre with jousting, taking up arms, and using women as pawns to power. This book is a well-written, and the author has done her research. Still, I had a difficult time connecting to this book. I think part of the problem was that there were a lot of key characters so it was difficult to connect with any of them.

✬✬✬✬✬ The writing flows easily; the characters are developed well, and the historical Scottish setting is researched nicely. I felt like it transported me and immersed  back to Scotland in 1305.

✬✬✬✬ This is a book told from Henry’s viewpoint. From the beginning, I was captivated and drawn into King Henry’s world. The author makes Henry come alive as a human being with many of the same feelings as the rest of us and not a monster that is the common portrayal of him. The author does a fabulous job recreating the events of the time and the powerful people surrounding the King which shaped him. The treatment of the six wives are great, except for Anne Boleyn. I was unhappy with the Anne Boleyn’s story; the book concludes that she was an evil, adulterous witch and carries on, it was disappointing.

✬✬ The characters were annoying and the writing style beyond annoying. I thought I was reading a romance novel with some mystery in it but the book was missing one thing - the actual romance.

✬✬✬✬ I enjoyed “A Lady by Midnight” enormously! It was entertaining, with several surprise twists, enough to keep me wanting more!

✬✬✬ This is not the most well-written book I’ve ever read and, it drags, the language seems redundant, but overall, the story is interesting enough.

✬✬✬ I found The Muse to be a little tedious. I thought the characters lacked depth and felt like I was just reading through to get to the end.