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Historical
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Rebecca, The Constant Reader
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Jun 08, 2013 10:25AM
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- 4 Stars'You think that no one sees you, and yet you want to be seen. You want people to know that there is more to you than mere bloodstock.I can help you,I can show that person,but only if you will let me see her.'
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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- 5 Stars'I shall save this Union because it merits saving. I shall save it to honor the men who built it with their blood and genius, and the future generations who deserve it's liberty. I shall give every miserable hour to the cause of victory and peace-but I shall be damned if I lay eyes on another Vampire'.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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- 4 Stars'She was locked in the keep for more than a week. First they walked her up and down, up and down between them, for a day and a night until she could no longer hobble, her feet all bloody and swollen. She would not confess. So they set about to prove she was a witch...'
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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A new crime/thriller coming out soon, pretty good and with plenty of unexpected twists. Set during WW2 so I guess it's historical.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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- 4 stars'Everyone knows that these wars have torn our country apart, have destroyed our prosperity, our friendliness between neighbours, our trust of strangers, the love between brothers, the safety of our roads, the affection for our king; and yet nothing seems to stop the battles.'
My review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Merivel: A Man of his Time - Rose Tremain"This was my first experience of the work of Rosé Tremain, which means that, though this book revisits characters first introduced in1989 in Restoration, it is the first time I have become acquainted with Merivel. I can categorically say that this had no impact at all on my enjoyment of this sequel, which is more than capable of standing up for itself.
When I began to read Merivel, I wondered if I would be able to get into it; the style, with its mimicking of 16th century writing, felt alien, and it took me a short while to feel comfortable with it. However, I realised after a while that I was not even noticing the style, but rather jus enjoying the story.
And what of the story? We meet Merivel, physician and courtier to King Charles II, in his late 50s, in a melancholy mood, reflecting on his follies and searching for meaning to his life. Merivel himself is an interesting mix of a character, summed up best as a man with many flaws, but aware of everyone of them. He has the typical trappings of the landed gentry, but also has moments of great compassion, and almost embarrassment, at the privileges he enjoys, sometimes at the expense of others.
Merivel has a knack of getting himself into situations, most of which are entertaining to read about, but are unlikely to happen. Where this book excels, in my opinion, is the emotions Merivel experiences, as he approaches later life and looks back over his achievements. These are emotions that anyone can relate to, and are a key reason why this is such a readable book.
Both entertaining and thought-provoking, this is a book I thoroughly recommend."
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- 4 stars'We may be of the same family but that is the very reason why we are not friends, for we are rivals for the throne. What quarrels are worse than family quarrels? We may all be cousins; but they are of the house of York and we are of the house of Lancaster. Never forget it.'
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
![Raevyn "Lucia" [I'm in it for the books] (raevynstar) | 62 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1374959527p1/18721584.jpg)
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- 4 stars'We stand hand-clasped, our faces quite blank, as if this were not a nightmare that tells me, as clearly as if it was written in letters of fire, what ending a girl may expect if she defies the rules of men. I am not only here to witness what happens to a heretic. I am here to witness what happens to a woman who thinks she knows more than men.'
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I've just read "Turtle in paradise" I thought it was great!
The Barbed Crownby William Dietrich -- 3 Stars
The narrative arc of The Barbed Crown, which covers roughly the year between Napoleon’s coronation as emperor and the battle of Trafalgar, encompasses a plot for which disbelief is not so much suspended as bludgeoned into abject submission. Nevertheless, a reader whose silliness tolerance is high can enjoy a rollicking adventure. The American hero, Ethan Gage, who touts himself as a loveable rogue, is a confidant of (among others) both Napoleon and Nelson, but is a cat’s-paw to behind-the-scenes manipulators like Talleyrand and Sir Sidney Smith. Gage’s fortunes change as quickly as his allegiances as he crisscrosses the map of Europe, managing to play a key role in both the coronation and Trafalgar. Dietrich clearly loves history, and uses Gage’s first-person narrative voice for his insightful musings (e.g. the many similarities between Nelson and Napoleon). The novel is fast-paced, well (if implausibly) plotted and rich in historical detail. If that combination works for you, you’ll enjoy this book.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I have read this year Wolf Hall & Bring Up The Bodies! I totally got hooked in each book! I found it absorbing not wanting to put it down! I am hoping for another book in the series please! The books had great depths of character & set many different scenarios & questions!5 ***** from me.
I also enjoyed The Kingmakers Daughter more than The White or Red Queen! 4 **** from me.
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'Her hair was as vibrant as ever, shimmering in the flame of the candlelight, and her eyes were still that remarkable shade of summer blue. Four years. He thought he had forgotten her. He was mistaken.'
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
GIVEAWAY OF AWARD-WINNING HISTORICAL ADVENTURE AND COMING-OF-AGE TALE set in the Florida Jungle in 1914. http://bit.ly/The-River-Way-Giveaway
Hi, I'm the author of "The River Way Home: The Adventures of the Cowboy, the Indian, & the Amazon Queen” which was recently named best 2013 Florida Adult Fiction and Best 2013 Florida YA Book by the Florida Authors and Publishers Association.
The Tampa Bay Library Consortium says, “…this lovely story is about Queenie, a young black girl, and her two young male friends, a Seminole Indian and a Florida cracker who get lost on a trip to Lake Okeechobee and have to find their way back. High ratings from the librarian judges in two categories!"
The giveaway ends November 13. Please enter. We'd love to have you review it.
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'Susanna's stomach did a little flip-flop. It was the eyes.Though the lines at the corners seemed less pronounced, and the hard edge of pain was no longer there, they were his eyes, a strange colour that must be hazel but looked amber. Was it really him?'
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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'Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out, like the rain.'
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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'She could not have said what drew her attention, only that it was drawn, almost as if she were compelled to look at him. He was dressed somberly, in a black coat and trousers, black shoes. His hair was cut short. Deep auburn, it was burnished by the silver-yellow rays of the setting sun filtered through the darkening clouds, giving him the look of a fallen angel.'
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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'I follow her up the long aisle of the cathedral, the dazzling stained-glass window making a carpet of colour beneath my feet,as if I were walking over the sun in splendour. It strikes me it is the second time that my mother has presented me to a Queen of England. The first time I saw the most beautiful woman I have ever known. This time:the most ferocious.'
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Andrew Swansong I have just discovered and slowly bonding with
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'I may live in the royal palace, and sleep in one of the best rooms, I may be served with courtesy though without the bended knee that people must show to the royal family. But I live here quietly, without a court, without the usual crowd of flatters, friends and petitioners, without sight of the king:a princess without a crown, a betrothed without a bridegroom, a bride with no date for her wedding.'
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I stumbled upon this group not very long ago and decided to ask for reviews of my Japanese Historical. Only one person responded, but that's OKAY, because WOW! She gave it a terrific review, and she obviously put a lot of thought into it! Melly, THANK YOU for taking the time to read and review THE EARTHQUAKE DOLL! And I want to thank the Group, too, because I'm going to browse some more and see what y'all are doing - it looks like a lot of fun. I'll post some reviews of my own, too! Here's Melly's review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
by Zack Love
I gave it 5 stars -- compelling and beautifully written
“If, one day, I am able to find the fortitude to stare January 18, 2012 directly in the face, and then hand it to you as I see it, then you will know that I somehow began to emerge from this black hole reborn, with a renewed spirit.”
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished The Owl Killers
Loved it but so glad I wasn't alive in the Dark Ages....
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Adventures of JoJo Smith by Tony Leslie DuxburyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Check out the complete review at
The Adventures of JoJo Smith
This is the story of a normal regular guy who gets transported to the medieval period due to an error by a Gandalf look alike. Now he cannot come back because the Gandalf guy knows only the summons spell and not the go-back spell.
Poor Jojo Smith is stuck in the medieval era and all he can do is try to adjust to the surrounding till Gandalf comes up with the go-back spell.
View all my reviews
Just finished The Gallows Curse
my review is here - loved it!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I very much enjoyed reading 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens, and have posted my review here...A far, far better historical thriller
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...’ begins Charles Dickens’ thrilling novel set in England and France during the turbulent years of the French Revolution. It tells the story of the return from London to Paris in 1792 of Charles Darnay...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've been reading a lot of historical fiction recently and was really impressed with James Faro's novel The Assiduous Quest of Tobias Hopkins. Here's my review: I'm a firm believer that historical fiction should be well researched and written so that the reader is able to imagine living in that particular era. This genre requires a great deal of background research and this author has certainly done his homework.I really did imagine that I was there, walking the streets of Port Royal, on the deck of Tobias Hopkin's ship or spending time in the Spar and Halyard Inn. This is without doubt, due to the skilful writing of this author. I wanted Captain Tobias Hopkins to succeed in his quest, because I liked him and understood him.
Reading this novel is like being shown a glimpse into the past, painting a picture of how life would have really been for everyday men and women, people who we can believe in and identify with.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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