Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc, 72 pages

I picked this up because Edward Gorey had illustrated it. A totally irreverent read, that was lots of fun.

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo, 362 pages

A young girl and her father are approached about the possibility of her marriage to the son of the wealthiest family in town. The only problem is that he's dead. This event starts off a journey filled with spirits, ancient grudges, possessions and love.

Victorian Murderesses by Mary S. Hartman, 318 pages

I was very excited to read this nonfiction look at thirteen French and English women who committed murder. The only problem is that the book read more like the author's thesis than a book. It was way too dry to be truly enjoyable, and serves best as a research tool. By the end I was really having to push myself to finish the book.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn, 264 pages

Rebecca was telling me about this book that she'd heard about. It sounded really intriguing so I borrowed it from her after she was done. This was huge disappointment. It alternates between two stories, one girl in a asylum in current day and one in Victorian time, both committed after trying to commit suicide. The storyline based in Victorian time was a good read, I could have completely done without the modern day time.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Kabbalah by Lawrence Kushner, 194 pages

A Readers Without Borders book club book. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it a lot more than I did.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen, 295 pages

The latest Lady Georgie book has her traveling to America with her mother. Caught up in the bright lights of Hollywood, murder soon follows.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Cat Person by Seo Kim, 144 pages

This was a very difficult to follow graphic novel/comic collection. There were a few that were funny, but most just left me scratching my head and thinking "huh?"

Runaways: Parental Guidance, 152 pages

I'm totally addicted to this teen graphic novel series.

Runaways: Live Fast, 152 pages

The worst thing about this series is now waiting for the next book. Basically the plot follows some kids who discovered that their parents were supervillains and now the kids want to make up for their parents evil doings.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The Heir Apparent by Jane Ridley, 726 pages

As a fan of anything historical and English, this was one the caught my attention. What little I knew of Edward the II consisted of him being a gadfly prince with an eye for the ladies. This was a wonderful resource, delving into his life from beginning to end, with a fresh look at this often overlooked royal figure. While this isn't a book for the faint of heart, I'm glad I picked it up, and I have a new appreciation for King Edward II.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Minding the Manor by Mollie Moran, 353 pages

I'd seen this checked out by a patron, and as a fan of Downton Abbey and anything English, historical, and/or nonfiction, this fit all those categories. She went to work in the early 1930s as a kitchen maid, aka, scullery maid, which was pretty much the lowest of the low on the servant caste system. She worked her way up to cook in just a decade, and her book reflects an interesting viewpoint of a changing system. Mollie's zest for life comes through, and this is a well written book, featuring tips each chapter, including quotes from the Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. I finished this book wanting to set and have a cup of tea with this very feisty woman. This is a must read for anyone interested in this time period.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Runaways: Escape to New York, 168 pages

This has been an outstanding series. While I'm not usually a fan of Marvel, this has been well-done and a lot of fun to read. I do recommend starting from the beginning though.

Terminal City by Linda Fairstein, 597 pages

I've read all of the Alex Cooper mysteries. These are not for the light of heart readers. I'm not a big of a fan of the later books as the early  ones, but I think that's more my changing tastes than the books themselves. Set in New York City, these give an indepth look at some of New York's most famous (and least known) landmarks.

Monday, September 8, 2014

The Destruction of the Books by Mel Odom, 381 pages

This is the sequel to The Rover, it takes place a few decades later, and it feels like a book is missing. Very much Lord of the Rings though, with a book emphasis.

Friday, September 5, 2014

We Hear the Dead by Dianne K. Salerni, 425 pages

The title of this book grabbed my attention and I had to check it out after reading the description. The Fox sisters were famous in the years before the Civil War as mediums who spoke to the dead, basically starting the spiritualism movement. This book follows the sisters Maggie and Kate from their early days, playing a joke on a cousin, to their rise as mediums who consorted with some of the highest echelons of society. This teen fiction book is more historical fiction than fact, but by doing so the author has brought this period of history alive. I especially enjoyed how the story jumped between the two sisters' viewpoints, though at times I had to double check which sister was telling the story at the moment.

Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder by Catriona McPherson, 287 pages

I love this Scottish based  mystery series set after WWI. It's perfect for any Anglophile who loves mysteries.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux, 335 pages

Another zombie book. This was slightly disjointed and not one of the better zombie books I've read.

After the Fall by Victoria Roberts, 184 pages

A rich and quirky family loses all of its money, and the next morning they wake up with all of their belongings in Central Park. This was quirky and odd, and entertaining. I felt like it was closer to a New Yorker-ish graphic novel than a novel.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

A Wilder Rose by Susan Wittig Albert, 455 pages

A fictionalized look at the story behind The Little House on the Prairie books, and the mother/daughter relationship between Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane who was the driving force behind the books. As a fan of the books, this was a really interesting look at the often strained relationship between the two women.

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast, 228 pages

A very powerful graphic novel memoir about dealing with your elderly parents becoming feeble and incapacitated, and dealing with their death. Funny, sad, and very moving.