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Showing posts from July, 2018

The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo: A Book Review

The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England’s Most Notorious Queen Author: Susan Bordo Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Mariner Books Release Date: 2013 Pages: 374 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: Part biography, part cultural history, The Creation of Anne Boleyn is a fascinating reconstruction of Anne’s life and an illuminating look at her afterlife in the popular imagination. Why is Anne so compelling? Why has she inspired such extreme reactions? What did she really look like? Was she the flaxen-haired martyr of Romantic paintings or the raven-haired seductress of twenty-first-century portrayals? (Answer: neither.) And perhaps the most provocative questions concern Anne’s death more than her life. How could Henry order the execution of a once beloved wife? Drawing on scholarship and critical analysis, Bordo probes the complexities of one of history’s most infamous relationships.      Bordo also shows how generations of polemicists, biographers, n

Ruth by H. B. Moore: A Book Review

Ruth Author: H. B. Moore Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction Publisher: Covenant Communications Release Date: 2017 Pages: 232 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Master storyteller and best-selling author H.B. Moore brings to life the biblical account of Ruth as never before in this vivid retelling of her courageous and faithful life.      Following the death of Ruth’s husband, she finds herself at a crossroads. Rather than return to her family and hometown, the young widow makes a remarkable decision: she will remain with her mother-in-law, Naomi, as her caretaker and companion.      Together, the two widows boldly leave behind the lives they knew in the land of Moab and make their way to Bethlehem, arriving downtrodden and destitute. Though Ruth works day and night to provide for Naomi, it is ultimately through the kindness and generosity of Boaz that the two women find respite from their trials. As Ruth comes to know

Fatal Throne by M. T. Anderson, Jennifer Donnelly, Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill, Deborah Hopkinson, Linda Sue Park, Lisa Ann Sandell: A Book Review

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All Authors: M. T. Anderson, Jennifer Donnelly, Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill, Deborah Hopkinson, Linda Sue Park, Lisa Ann Sandell Genre: YA, Historical Fiction Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Release Date: May 1, 2018 Pages: 388 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Perfect for anyone fascinated by the Royal Wedding, Netflix's The Crown , or Wolf Hall , this is a pitch-perfect reimagining of the romance and tragedy of Henry VIII and his six wives, told from multiple points of view by some of your favorite authors.      If you were one of King Henry VIII's six wives, who would you be? Would you be Anne Boleyn, who literally lost her head? Would you be the subject of rumor and scandal like Catherine Howard? Or would you get away and survive like Anna of Cleves?      Meet them and Henry's other queens--each bound for divorce or death--in this epic and thrilling novel that reads like f

Judah's Wife by Angela Hunt: A Book Review

Judah's Wife (The Silent Years Book #2): A Novel of the Maccabees Author: Angela Hunt Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Biblical Fiction Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Release Date: 2018 Pages: 386 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Seeking peace and safety after a hard childhood, Leah marries Judah, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life Leah believes she can rest easily. But the land is ruled by Antiochus IV, descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals, and when he issues a decree that all Jews are to conform to Syrian laws upon pain of death, devout Jews risk everything to follow the law of Moses.      Judah's father resists the decree, igniting a war that will cost him his life. But before dying, he commands his son to pick up his sword and continue the fight--or bear responsibility for the obliteration of the land of Judah. Leah, who wants nothing but peace, struggles with her husband&

Unraveling Darkness (Scout #2) by Alex Liddell: A Book Review

Unraveling Darkness (Scout #2) Author: Alex Liddell Genre: YA, Fantasy Publisher: Danger Bearing Press Release Date: May 18 2018 Pages: 218 Source: Kindle Unlimited Synopsis: Kali’s kingdom is imprisoned—and she may hold the key.       In one breathless moment, royal scout Kali’s world has turned on its head. Bishop Bahir has deposed the king and seized the palace—with Kali’s sister trapped inside. Now on the run, Kali, Trace, and the future king of Dansil have only one place to go for help: Everett. An enemy kingdom of which Trace is the presumed-dead heir.      As Trace reclaims his identity—one that may leave no room for a Dansil spy—Kali faces her own growing magic, which may be their only hope of stopping Bahir.      With shattering secrets, daunting new powers, and uncertain allegiances, Kali must walk a deadly tightrope to protect her kingdom—and her heart.       UNRAVELING DARKNESS , by Amazon bestselling author Alex Lidell, is the final novel in the Scout series

Blog Tour: Tracing Shadows (Scout #1) by Alex Liddell: A Book Review

Author: Alex Lidell Narrator: Hayden Daviau Length: 6 hours and 21 minutes Serie: Scout Series, Book 1 Publisher: Danger Bearing Press Released: May 21, 2018 Genre: YA Fantasy To protect the throne, 17-year-old spy Kali must play a male guardsman trainee by day and royal lady by night. Orphaned and trained on a spymaster’s remote estate, Kali is a scout who works alone in the shadows. But when a terror group threatens the Dansil throne, the king forces Kali to accept a mission at the palace or forfeit her sister’s life. Suddenly thrust into the light, Kali must infiltrate high society as the royal Lady Lianna while penetrating the servant ranks as Kal, a male guardsman trainee. It doesn’t help that Trace, the harsh and enigmatic captain of the king’s guard, is soon assigned as both Lady Lianna’s palace escort and Kal’s commanding officer. As Kali edges closer to the truth behind the violent group’s identity, she uncovers dangerous secrets that co

Blog Tour: The Romanov Empress by C. W. Gortner: A Book Review

The Romanov Empress by C.W. Gortner Publication Date: July 10, 2018 Ballantine Books Hardcover; 448 pages Genre: Historical Fiction Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.   Synopsis: Even from behind the throne, a woman can rule.      Narrated by the mother of Russia’s last tsar, this vivid, historically authentic novel brings to life the courageous story of Maria Feodorovna, one of Imperial Russia’s most compelling women, who witnessed the splendor and tragic downfall of the Romanovs as she fought to save her dynasty in the final years of its long reign.      Barely nineteen, Minnie knows that her station in life as a Danish princess is to leave her family and enter into a royal marriage—as her older sister Alix has done, moving to England to wed Queen Victoria’s eldest son. The winds of fortune bring Minnie to Russia, where she marries the Romanov heir and becomes empress o

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn Author: Alison Weir Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Ballantine Books Release Date: 2010 Pages: 464 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Nearly five hundred years after her violent death, Anne Boleyn, second wife to Henry VIII, remains one of the world's most fascinating, controversial, and tragic heroines. Now acclaimed historian and bestselling author Alison Weir has drawn on myriad sources from the Tudor era to give us the first book that examines, in unprecedented depth, the gripping, dark, and chilling story of Anne Boleyn's final days.      The tempestuous love affair between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn scandalized Christendom and altered forever the religious landscape of England. Anne's ascent from private gentlewoman to queen was astonishing, but equally compelling was her shockingly swift downfall. Charged with high treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London in May 1536, Anne met her te

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman: A Book Review

Tess of the Road Author: Rachel Hartman Genre: Ya, Fantasy Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Release Date: 2018 Pages: 538 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess is none of these things. Tess is. . . different. She speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can't seem to keep out of trouble. Then Tess goes too far. What she's done is so disgraceful, she can't even allow herself to think of it. Unfortunately, the past cannot be ignored. So Tess's family decide the only path for her is a nunnery.       But on the day she is to join the nuns, Tess chooses a different path for herself. She cuts her hair, pulls on her boots, and sets out on a journey. She's not running away, she's running towards something. What that something is, she doesn't know. Tess just knows that the