Laura Esquivel - Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, With Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

120. Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, With Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel (1989)
Length: 246 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 12 December 2014
Finished: 13 December 2014
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Laura Esquivel is a new author for me.

In turn-of-the-century Mexico, fifteen-year-old Josefita de la Garza - nicknamed Tita - lives on the family ranch with her mother Mama Elena, and her two older sisters - Rosaura and Gertrudis. According to family tradition, Tita - as the youngest daughter of an affluent rancher - must never marry but stay home and take care of her mother until she dies. For Tita, this family tradition is restricting and very old-fashioned - but as much as she hates it, Tita is still bound by that tradition. Instead, she turns all her pent-up desire toward cooking - expressing herself through the food that she prepares.

When Tita falls in love with her next door neighbor Pedro - and he with her - Tita's tyrannical mother steps in and invokes family tradition, denying Pedro's request for her youngest daughter's hand in marriage. Instead, Mama Elena offers Pedro the hand of her daughter Rosaura and, in order to stay close to Tita, Pedro accepts her offer. And so the story spans the next twenty-two years, detailing Tita and Pedro's unconsummated passion for each other; as well as their bittersweet and complicated romance.

I must say that I debated with myself whether or not to read this, but in the end I'm so glad that I chose to read it. Mareena had gotten the book for me as a 'just because' gift for July of 2012 - but having watched the 1992 movie with one of her friends a while ago - she wasn't too sure if I would actually want to read it. So, the book languished on my TBR pile for a little over two years.

I actually enjoyed this book very much. I found that the story was whimsical and almost fairytale-like in places. It was really quite captivating to me, and I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Colleen McCullough - The Ladies of Missalonghi

110. The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough (1987)
Length: 187 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 14 November 2014
Finished: 18 November 2014
Where did it come from? My friend Noeleen got married in March of 2011, but before the wedding she needed to purge some of her books in the process of merging two households.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 11 April 2010
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Colleen McCullough is a new author for me.

Several years into the twentieth century, in the tiny town of Byron nestled somewhere in the Australian Blue Mountains, a shy spinster, her widowed mother and her crippled aunt live in genteel poverty. For thirty-three-year-old Missy Wright, her mother Drusilla and aunt Octavia, life is difficult living as the poor relations of the Hurlingford family - the most prominent family in Byron. Despite the Wrights being allowed to live at Missalonghi - Drusilla's home through marriage - the women are actually victims of the Hurlingford inheritance policy which allows only the male members of the family to inherit all the wealth. In turn, the men heartlessly abuse and dominate the women in their care.

Plain, painfully thin and doomed to dress always in serviceable brown, Missy has limited funds and suffers from periodic bouts of ill health. Her only consolation is her frequent trips to the privately owned lending library in town, where she indulges in her only vice - reading Gothic romance novels. Missy seems resigned to her fate, facing a dreary future until a distant cousin, a divorcée, arrives from Sydney...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a delightful little story, with a totally unexpected ending, at least for me. I do have a copy of Colleen McCullough's epic saga The Thorn Birds hidden somewhere on my bookshelf, but have never read it. That particular admission probably comes as quite a surprise to many people, but it is the truth: "I have not ever read The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough!"

However, reading The Ladies of Missalonghi is my first foray into Ms. McCullough's work, and it was a relatively quick and easy read for me. Engaging and rather quirky, I give The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Bernhard Schlink - The Reader

107. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (2008)
(Originally Published as: Der Vorleser) (1995)
Length: 218 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 6 November 2014
Finished: 10 November 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Bernhard Schlink is a new author for me.

Walking home from school one day, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg becomes seriously ill. He is rescued by Hanna Schmitz, a woman twice his age. Hanna, a bus conductor, tends to Michael and then takes him back to his home. Over time, Michael and Hanna form a relationship, and she becomes his lover - then she inexplicably disappears from Michael's life.

When Michael next sees Hanna, he is a young law student, sitting in on a trial in which Hanna is a defendant. She is accused of a hideous crime, but inexplicably refuses to defend herself. As he watches her refuse to defend her innocence, Michael is at first perplexed by her actions. However, as the trial continues, he gradually realizes that Hanna may be guarding a secret which she considers more shameful than murder.

I absolutely loved this book. I was drawn into the plot very quickly; and by about two pages in, I was completely engrossed in the story. This was a translation from the original German, but it was a very well-written, understandable, and easy read for me. In my opinion, the story flowed along easily and I avidly wanted to know what happened next.  

This was an unusual book to begin with - and while I haven't seen the 2008 movie adaption starring Kate Winslett and Ralph Fiennes - I enjoyed the book very much. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%) 
 
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Bernhard Schlink - The Reader

107. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (1995)
Length: 218 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 6 November 2014
Finished: 10 November 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Bernhard Schlink is a new author for me.

Walking home from school one day, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg becomes seriously ill. He is rescued by Hanna Schmitz, a woman twice his age. Hanna, a bus conductor, tends to Michael and then takes him back to his home. Over time, Michael and Hanna form a relationship, and she becomes his lover - then she inexplicably disappears from Michael's life.

When Michael next sees Hanna, he is a young law student, sitting in on a trial in which Hanna is a defendant. She is accused of a hideous crime, but inexplicably refuses to defend herself. As he watches her refuse to defend her innocence, Michael is at first perplexed by her actions. However, as the trial continues, he gradually realizes that Hanna may be guarding a secret which she considers more shameful than murder.

I absolutely loved this book. I was drawn into the plot very quickly; and by about two pages in, I was completely engrossed in the story. This was a translation from the original German, but it was a very well-written, understandable, and easy read for me. In my opinion, the story flowed along easily and I avidly wanted to know what happened next.  

This was an unusual book to begin with - and while I haven't seen the 2008 movie adaption starring Kate Winslett and Ralph Fiennes - I enjoyed the book very much. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%) 
 
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Jetta Carleton - The Moonflower Vine: A Novel

98. The Moonflower Vine: A Novel by Jetta Carleton (1962)
Length: 318 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 7 October 2014
Finished: 10 October 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 November 2000
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Jetta Carleton is a new author for me.

In a novel which seems to be almost a radical departure for the subject that it covers, we meet the Soames family. They are a close-knit family who love and respect each other, and who have loyalty bred into their very bones. They also live in a time that seems to them to be a gift from God - in Missouri during the end of the nineteenth century and into the start of the twentieth century. It is a peaceful time that the Soames' live in, and they live life to its fullest; with a passion and delight which seems truly remarkable.

There are the parents, Matthew and Callie Soames, who had come to a Missouri farm as newlyweds. They leave the farm temporarily, and move to a nearby town where Matthew teaches for a time. The couple soon comes home again to their farm, to raise their family, and to live and love within their marriage. During their life together, Matthew and Callie alternately deceive each other, comfort each other, and even, in the end, come to understand each other.

There are the three daughters - Jessica, Leonie and Mary-Jo - who grow up loving their parents but wanting to escape from them. The women eventually do find their escape, each in her own way. And then there is the fourth daughter, Mathy, whose fate is the central family tragedy and whose life is the secret at the center of the novel. 

The Moonflower Vine is written with an honesty, strength, beauty and grace that is without a trace of false sentimentality. It portrays the struggles inherent to every human being, of coming to terms with one's true nature. But it is also a story of celebration, written about the quiet moments of joy - the moments of laughter, music, breakfast, weather and home - which are as much a part of life as violence and despair. 

This was Jetta Carleton's debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. In my opinion, this was a very interesting story, which accurately portrayed how hard life was in the nineteenth century and how difficult it was to make a living from the land. I give The Moonflower Vine: A Novel by Jetta Carleton an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)
        
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Robin Oliveira - My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel

67. My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin Oliveira (2010)
Length: 364 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 22 July 2014
Finished: 25 July 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Robin Oliveira is a new author for me.

Mary Sutter is a brilliant, headstrong midwife from Albany, New York, who has aspirations of becoming a surgeon. Determined to overcome the inherent prejudices against women in medicine - and eager to escape her recent heartbreak - Mary leaves home and travels to Washington, D. C. to help tend to the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of William Stipp and James Blevins - two surgeons who unwittingly fall in love with Mary's courage, will, and stubbornness in the face of suffering - and resisting her mother's desperate pleas for her to come home and assist with the birth of her twin sister's baby, Mary pursues her medical career in the desperately overwhelmed hospitals of Washington.

In this stunning debut novel, Robin Oliveira has created in the character of Mary Sutter, a truly unforgettable heroine whose unwavering determination and startling vulnerability will resonate with readers everywhere. My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin Oliveira powerfully evokes the atmosphere of the period. Rich with historical detail - including marvelous depictions of such individuals as Abraham Lincoln, Dorothea Dix, General McClellan, and John Hay among others - as well as immersed in the tragedies and challenges of wartime, My Name is Mary Sutter is an exceptional novel.  

I must say that I found this to be an absolutely brilliant book. It really brought home to me not only the suffering and hopelessness of war, but also the immense courage and indomitable strength that human beings are capable of. This book resonated with me and I'm eagerly awaiting Ms. Oliveira's next book I Always Loved You, with baited breath. I give My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel an A+! - What a debut!

A+! - (96-100%)
     
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Philippa Gregory - The Boleyn Inheritance

65. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory (2006)
The Tudor Court Series Book 3
Length: 518 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 1 July 2014
Finished: 10 July 2014
Where did it come from? From Barnes and Noble
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 December 2011
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and had read and enjoyed The White Queen by the same author in the past.

The court of King Henry VIII was a court ruled by fear and abject horror at the time that the German princess, Anne of Cleves arrived to become the fourth wife of the King. Having escaped living life under the thumb of her abusive brother and cold, domineering mother, Anne arrived in England, relieved but hopeful in her marriage to Henry, that she would have a much better life.

Instead of the tall, majestic personage of King Henry VIII - an image which was continually fostered abroad - Anne of Cleves encountered a man for whom she could only feel intense pity and no small measure of revulsion. This was the infamous King Henry VIII - a man whose volatile temper was legendary at court and a man whom Anne of Cleves feared above all others. A King who would eventually come to despise her when she proved unable to conceive a son and heir. Anne of Cleves bore Henry's bitter recriminations, accusations and false witness with as much quiet grace as she could - finally agreeing to grant Henry a divorce.

Katherine Howard was a woman in love - but certainly not with the diseased old man who made her his queen and bedded her night after night. In desperation, and to avoid the constant threat of the axe, Katherine Howard turns for help to Jane Rochford - otherwise known as Jane Boleyn - the Boleyn wife whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. In an effort to save their lives, a dangerous and treasonous plan is concocted, but to no avail. Throughout Europe, the name Jane Rochford is synonymous with malice, jealousy and twisted lust - however, her ultimate Boleyn inheritance was a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

I absolutely loved this book. I've always been fascinated by the reign of Henry VIII, and especially the lives of his six wives. The setting of The Boleyn Inheritance really highlighted for me the fear that Henry's subjects lived with constantly and how tyrannical Henry's rule had become. I give this book an A+! Philippa Gregory is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Philippa Gregory - The White Queen

64. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (2009)
The Cousins' War Series Book 1
Length: 411 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 26 June 2014
Finished: 30 June 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 29 January 2010
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Philippa Gregory is a new author for me.

This first book in a stunning new series - The Cousins' War - chronicles the lives of women set during the Wars of the Roses. Elizabeth Woodville, a common woman who catches the eye of the newly crowned 19-year-old King Edward IV, marries him secretly and so ascends to the throne of England. As a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, Elizabeth fights tenaciously for the success of her family from her exalted position as the White Queen - from the House of York.

Yet, as brother turns on brother in the war for the throne of England, Elizabeth's two sons are caught in the middle - the central figures in a mystery that spans five centuries, and still manages to confound historians. The Princes in the Tower of London, whose ultimate fate after their disappearance in 1483, remains unclear to this day.

This was actually my favorite book of the month. The plot was just intellectually stimulating enough to keep my interest engaged until the very end. This is definitely an A+! book, and while it is the first book that I've read by this particular author it most certainly will not be my last.

A+! - (96-100%)    

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Charles Frazier - Cold Mountain: A Novel

48. Cold Mountain: A Novel by Charles Frazier (1997)
Length: 449 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 18 April 2014
Finished: 22 April 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have recently developed an interest in the American Civil War. Charles Frazier is also a new author for me.

Critically wounded and severely disillusioned by the fighting at Petersburg, Inman - a Confederate soldier - turns his back on the carnage of the battlefield and begins the treacherous journey to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and to Ada, the woman he loved before the war began. As he attempts to make his way across the mountains, through the devastated landscape of a disintegrating South, Inman comes into intimate and sometimes lethal contact with a variety of different people. Slaves and marauders, bounty hunters and witches - people who are both helpful and malign.

At the same time, the intrepid Ada struggles to revive her father's derelict farm. She had once lived a fairly affluent life - now her circumstances have been reduced to subsistence level by such a brutal war. Ada is learning to survive - and hoping to eventually thrive - in a world where all the old certainties have been irrevocably swept away.

As it masterfully interweaves both Inman's and Ada's stories, Cold Mountain: A Novel portrays an era and a landscape that is at once hugely powerful, majestically lovely, and keenly moving. 

In my opinion, this was an absolutely brilliant book - a new American classic. The story was evocative of a time that was incredibly harrowing and brutal for everyone - soldiers and survivors alike. It had a reality and a poignancy to it that I found extremely moving. Cold Mountain: A Novel captures the brutality of the Civil War perfectly - I give it a definite A+! This is a book which stands in a class all its own.   

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Elizabeth Wilhide - Ashenden: A Novel

28. Ashenden: A Novel by Elizabeth Wilhide (2012)
Length: 339 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 26 March 2014
Finished: 29 March 2014
Where did it come from? From Barnes and Noble
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 January 2014
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Elizabeth Wilhide is a new author for me. Technically, Mareena bought this for herself when we went to Barnes and Noble - although she said she also bought it for me since she knows how much I enjoy reading books about houses.  

When brother and sister Charlie and Ros learn that they have inherited their aunt's palatial English country house, they must decide whether to keep it or sell it. Ashenden has been in their family since the eighteenth century and is steeped in family history. As the siblings survey the effects of time on the estate's architectural treasures, a beguiling narrative spanning two and a half centuries unfolds.

We meet those who built the house, lived in it and loved it, worked in it, and those who would subvert it to their own ends. The walls of Ashenden echo with the lives of the architect who directs the building of the house in 1775; the wealthy and affluent Henderson family in their heyday; the maid who is tempted to solve her problems by stealing a trinket; the Jazz Age speculator who hosts a fabulous treasure hunt; the prisoners held there during World War II; and the young couple who lovingly restore it in the 1950's.

Each chapter is skillfully woven into the others so that the storylines of the upstairs and downstairs characters and their relatives and descendants intertwine to create a richly beautiful tapestry, full of humor, heart, and poignancy.

I absolutely loved this book. It was the type of story that I didn't want to end. I have always loved stories about houses and their histories; and this book was no exception. Elizabeth Wilhide is a new author for me and this is her debut novel, although she has written many, many books on interior design. I give this book an A+!      

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Mary Westmacott - The Rose and the Yew Tree

24. The Rose and the Yew Tree by Mary Westmacott (1947)
Length: 189 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 9 March 2014
Finished: 13 March 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and haven't read any books by Agatha Christie that she wrote under her pseudonym of Mary Westmacott. This book is actually one of Mareena's, but she let me borrow it since I was looking for something short and quick to read.

Everyone expected that Isabella Charteris - beautiful, aristocratic, and privileged - would marry her cousin Rupert when he returned from the War. After all, theirs would have been a most suitable marriage between the serene heiress of Castle St. Loo and her gallant knight. 

That was until the enigmatic John Gabriel entered Isabella's life. He was a decorated war hero and a vulgar opportunist. That he should appear in her life at all told Isabella everything she needed to know about the final chaos of war. 

For Isabella, the price of love meant abandoning a dream forever. For Gabriel, it would destroy the only chance ambition would ever offer. What drew them together was something deeper than love.

I must say - while I enjoyed reading this book for the most part - there was a certain implausibility to the plot that I couldn't quite understand. Even now, I can't put my finger on exactly what bothers me about the book. Perhaps the mystery was slightly more intricate than I was expecting for such a short book. Anyway, I give The Rose and the Yew Tree by Mary Westmacott a definite A!      

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Mollie Hardwick - Upstairs, Downstairs III: The Years of Change

107. Upstairs, Downstairs III: The Years of Change by Mollie Hardwick (1974)
The Upstairs, Downstairs Series Book 3
Length: 239 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 14 November 2013
Finished: 17 November 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 July 2001
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Mollie Hardwick is a new author for me.

Shockwaves are felt at 165 Eaton Place as the aristocratic Bellamys' experience dangerous love, tragic loss, and shocking new liberties. From 1912 to 1914, the very foundations of the Bellamy family's splendid London mansion in Belgravia seemed to tremble when beautiful Lady Marjorie Bellamy embarked on a tragic ocean voyage...When dashing James Bellamy talked of marriage to a divorcee...When the distinguished Mr. Robert Bellamy was almost expelled from Parliament, and fell into the sensual clutches of a ravishing once-married woman...When an inexperienced servant witnessed the wrong gentleman emerging from a lady's bedchamber, and told the wrong person about it...

England was being swept along in the winds of change - and in the eye of such a perilous hurricane, the Bellamys must decide whether to move with the times, or try to preserve their sacred traditions.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I used to watch 'Upstairs, Downstairs' faithfully when it was on television in the 1970's, and reading The Years of Change by Mollie Hardwick brought me right back into that time period again. It was a pleasure for me to revisit these characters. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)   
  
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Amy Greene - Bloodroot

73. Bloodroot by Amy Greene (2010)
Length: 365 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 31 July 2013
Finished: 3 August 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2013
Why do I have it? I like modern historical fiction and Amy Greene is a new author for me. 

Myra Lamb, a wild young girl with haunting blue eyes and a mysterious, almost fey-like disposition, grows up on remote Bloodroot Mountain raised by her grandmother Byrdie. Named for a flower whose blood-red sap possesses the power to heal or to poison; Bloodroot Mountain is part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range in Tennessee.

Byrdie Lamb is fiercely protective of her granddaughter and passes down to her "the touch" that bewitches people and animals alike. However, she can not protect Myra from living her life and falling in love. This novel centers around an incendiary romance which consumes everyone in its path: from Myra's childhood friend Doug - who is secretly in love with Myra, but is destined never to have her - to the twins Myra is forced to abandon, but who never forget their mother's deep and abiding love for them.

John Odom is the man who captures Myra Lamb's heart. He is the man who tries to tame her; and he is the man who ultimately meets with shocking, violent disaster. Against the backdrop of a beautiful but often unforgiving country, these lives come together - only to be torn apart - as a dark, riveting mystery unfolds. 

I absolutely fell in love with this book! Amy Greene is such a fantastic writer whose characters come vividly alive and capture the reader's heart and mind. I give Bloodroot by Amy Greene a definite A+! I'm eagerly awaiting the chance to read her next book Long Man at some point in the future.

A+! - (96-100%)
  
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Giovanni Arpino - A Crime of Honor

69. A Crime of Honor by Giovanni Arpino (1963)
Length: 150 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 22 July 2013
Finished: 23 July 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 30 October 2001
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Giovanni Arpino is a new author for me. 

Gaetano Castiglia was a distinguished Italian doctor, the son of a wealthy land owner - the very soul of respectability. In his late thirties, Gaetano chose as his bride a girl of seventeen - Sabina - a beautiful peasant girl. Ever the true gentleman, he refused to give her up simply because public opinion was against the match. Even over his own mother's bitter objections, he planned to train Sabina, make her a lady and then marry her. All was proceeding according to Gaetano's intentions...until he discovered something that shocked him to the very core. 

This was an extremely intriguing book for me to read. Giovanni Arpino is a new author for me, and A Crime of Honor is a translation from the Italian. In my opinion, this book superbly showcased the changing social mores of Italian society during the time between the World Wars. I give this book an A!  

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Norah Lofts - A Rose For Virtue: The Very Private Life of Hortense, Stepdaughter of Napoleon I, Mother of Napoleon III

56. A Rose For Virtue: The Very Private Life of Hortense, Stepdaughter of Napoleon I, Mother of Napoleon III by Norah Lofts (1971)
Length: 278 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 25 June 2013
Finished: 28 June 2013
Where did it come from? I bought a hardcover copy of this book from a Library Book Sale in January of 2001 and then I acquired a paperback copy of this book from Paperback Swap in March of 2009.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 January 2001 as a hardcover; Since 28 March 2009 as a paperback.
Why do I have it? I like Norah Lofts as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Hortense Beauharnais finds herself rubbing shoulders with royalty when her mother remarries to become the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. As Napoleon struggles for power on the battlefields of Europe, so Hortense navigates her way through the French court - a precarious chessboard world where the motivations are jealousy and greed and the prizes are the thrones of conquered countries.

Despite attempts to retain her individuality, Hortense soon finds herself married to Napoleon's younger brother Louis - who is later crowned King of Holland. However, Hortense's heart belongs to Charles de Flahaut, a gallant young officer. Unwilling to cross her stepfather, Hortense must bide her time and wait and see whether time will take her to her lover.

I absolutely loved this book! It seems to be almost a forgone conclusion with me that I'll really enjoy any book written by Norah Lofts, I know, but that's just the way it has to be, I guess! :) In my opinion, she really captures the nuances of any particular historical period that she writes about.

Also, I find that the historical people who she writes about truly come alive - at least for me. I truly began to care for the characters as actual people, and not just as dry, historical symbols from a bygone era. I will certainly give this book an A+! and I definitely look forward to reading - or rereading - more books by this author in the future.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Rivers Siddons - Heartbreak Hotel

18. Heartbreak Hotel by Anne Rivers Siddons (1976)
Length: 309 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 28 February 2013
Finished: 4 March 2013
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 29 November 2012
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Albama, 1956: While Elvis Presley was singing about love, one young woman was learning all about life. Everyone loves Maggie Deloach, one of the most popular girls on campus with everything going for her: an impeccable lineage; picture-perfect looks; the best sorority, and the handsomest fraternity boy's pin on her sweater. The ultimate Southern belle, Maggie knows what the rules are and is willing to play by them. No surprises are waiting in her future - but neither are any disappointments.

Then, amid the stifling heat of a single Alabama summer, everything changes. There are rumors of a racial revolution brewing, one that surely should not touch Maggie's protected world...yet somehow does. There is growing sexual awareness that she knows should shock her...yet does not. There is a single act of defiance and courage that will forever alter the way others think of her...and how Maggie thinks of herself.

I must say, that while Heartbreak Hotel by Anne Rivers Siddons picked up slightly towards the end of the book, it wasn't the best book by one of my favorite authors - Anne Rivers Siddons - that I've ever read. Maybe it has something to do with this being her debut novel, but I found Heartbreak Hotel to be somewhat over-written and over-worked, full of adjectives and convoluted sentences that ultimately made reading this book rather difficult for me. To me, this book was somewhat disappointing, as I know what this author is capable of.

I will certainly read more from Anne Rivers Siddons in the future, as she appears to have really hit her stride as an author with her later books, however I had to give this debut novel a B+! 

B+! - (89-94%) 

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Norah Lofts - Nethergate

16. Nethergate by Norah Lofts (1973)
Length: 278 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 16 February 2013
Finished: 21 February 2013
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 7 April 2009
Why do I have it? I like Norah Lofts as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

To Isabella de Sevigny, an aristocratic refugee fleeing the French Reign of Terror, her cousin Rosaleen's magnificent English country estate promised sanctuary. But Nethergate soon became a prison to the high-spirited young woman. For its mistress, the cold-blooded and beautiful Lady Rosaleen, treated Isabella like a servant. When Isabella was seduced by Lady Rosaleen's son and discovered she was to have a child, Rosaleen devised a cunning and vicious plot to get rid of her. In her own way, and in her own time, Isabella eventually took her revenge.

I had actually read this book before many, many years ago - maybe about a decade ago. I had absolutely forgotten the plot of this book, even though I vaguely remembered reading it so long ago. So, it was, in a sense, it was like reading an entirely new book for me. This was perhaps not one of Norah Lofts' best books in my opinion, but I still give Nethergate by Norah Lofts an A+! and found it to be very good!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Anne Rivers Siddons - Downtown

3. Downtown by Anne Rivers Siddons (1994)
Length: 500 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 2 January 2013
Finished: 10 January 2013
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 24 December 2012
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

The year is 1966, a time of innocence, possibility, and freedom. And for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, the country, and one woman making her way in a changing world, nothing will ever be the same. 

After an airless childhood in Savannah, Maureen 'Smoky' O'Donnell arrives in Atlanta, a naive young woman, dazzled and chastened by this hectic young city on the rise. Even though Smoky has to literally earn her wings as a female reporter on the staff of the male-dominated magazine, she gains membership into an intimate family of dedicated staff members headed by Matt Comfort, a flamboyant and charismatic editor who is known everywhere in the city. Her new job as a writer with the city's Downtown magazine introduces her to many unforgettable people and propels her into the center of momentous events that will irrevocably alter her heart, her career, and her world.

More than any of her previous novels, Downtown mirrors the facts of Anne Rivers Siddons' own life. She got her start as a writer for Atlanta magazine - one of America's first city magazines. Atlanta magazine was founded by Jim Townsend - a revered mentor to an entire generation of writers. The magazine was just coming to life during the exciting decade of the '60s, when Atlanta was emerging as a political center for the civil rights movement and redefining itself as the metropolis of the future. Downtown captures the energy of the city at this amazing turning point in history.

While I did enjoy this book very much, I found that it started off sort of slow for me. Although, it picked up immensely about halfway through the story and I was really drawn into the plot. However, to be totally honest, I thought that the book was about 100 to 150 pages longer than it needed to be. Overall though, Downtown was really good and I give it an A!   

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Mary Higgins Clark - Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington

2. Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington by Mary Higgins Clark (2002)
(Originally Published as: Aspire to the Heavens) (1968)
Length: 254 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 1 January 2013
Finished: 2 January 2013
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 12 December 2012
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Mary Higgins Clark as an author.

As one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, not too much is known about the private life of George and Martha Washington. In Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington, Mary Higgins Clark relies on extensive biographical and historical research to bring George Washington and his life and marriage fully into focus for readers. Dispelling the widespread belief that although George Washington married the wealthy widow Martha Dandridge Custis, his one true love was his best friend's wife, Sally Carey Fairfax, Mary Higgins Clark describes the marriage between George and Martha as one full of tenderness and passion - a bond between two people who shared their lives - even the bitter hardship of a winter in Valley Forge - in every way.

For a debut novel, I really thought this book was excellent. I love reading people's biographies and become really immersed in the time periods that are portrayed. I think it was truly a harsh time for both George and Martha Washington as well as for the country as a whole. I give this book an A+! 

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Maeve Binchy - Echoes

106. Echoes by Maeve Binchy (1985)
Length: 494 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 4 December 2012
Finished: 11 December 2012
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2008
Why do I have it? I love Maeve Binchy as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Clare and David - divided as children by a rigid social code that branded her as shanty Irish and he as gentry class...brought together as adults by a passion that couldn't be denied. It was a desire that knew no class, no barriers, only the urgent hunger of two people destined to love and ready to defy any convention used by a world determined to keep them apart.

Even at fifteen, David Power knew eleven-year-old Clare O'Brien's dearest wish, to win a school prize. But it was years before Dr. Power's cherished only son recognized in the huckster's daughter his own heart's desire. Here in Castlebay, perched precariously on the seaside cliffs, the lines between them were clearly drawn. 

Clare's only hope is to leave the town where time stopped, propelled by scholarships to Dublin, fueled by her own drive and brilliance, far from the insular, gossipy world of Castlebay and those held in its thrall...Angela O'Hara - beautiful, insolated, a teacher trapped in the convent school, who risks everything to help Clare escape...Gerry Doyle, the town charmer who finds in Clare the woman he vows to have at any price...Caroline Nolan, the beautiful, rich outsider who comes to plunder.

For Clare, that was before the wild freedom of Dublin, and love. And David. Before fate drove them back to Castlebay, and the past. 

I truly enjoyed this book, as I usually do with any book by Maeve Binchy that I read. Reading Maeve Binchy's books, even rereading some of them, as this particular book Echoes was for me, is almost like returning to familiar places and visiting old but very familiar friends. I read Echoes for the first time maybe a decade to fifteen years ago and enjoyed this book then as well. I give this book an A+! and have placed it on my keeper bookshelf to enjoy again at some point in the very near future! 

A+! - (96-100%)
   
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight