My Favorite Books of 2021

Looking back at the year 2021, it has been a very hard year especially with the pandemic. Reading a good book is what helps me get through the most difficult times. While I did not read as much this year as I usually do, I still found some gems that a worth a re-read. These books drew me into the past and for a while whisked me away from the realities of 2021. This is the list of my favorite books of the year.

Boudica has always been one of my favorite historical figures of the year. I even wrote a history article which you can find here. I can say without a doubt that Melanie Karsak did justice to Boudica's early life. It was a gripping historical read with raw emotions! I look forward to the next books in the series to see how Queen Boudica is portrayed!

Queen Esther's story has always been one of my favorite book in the Bible. When my favorite Christian author writes one of my favorite stories, it becomes a sweet treat! I loved everything about The Star of Persia! The message of the novel was that God uses ordinary people to change history. This is an excellent message for the new year!

I never heard of Mary Emmons until I have read this book! Susan Holloway Scott gives justice to one of history's most forgotten women! The story was so moving that I can't count how many times I have cried over Mary's predicaments!

This biography is an oldie but still a goodie! Many Historians have solely focused on Catherine the Great and not on her predecessor Empress Elizabeth. However, Tamara Talbot Rice has given Empress Elizabeth the spotlight by focusing only on her. Indeed, this biography gives justice to an extraordinary ruler! This biography shows that without Empress Elizabeth, Catherine the Great would never have brought Russia to a Golden Age because it was Elizabeth who laid the foundations! I hope that in the future, there will more biographies written about this overlooked ruler!

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The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier: A Book Review

The Lost Sisterhood Author: Anne Fortier Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Thriller Publisher: Ballantine Books Release Date: 2014 Pages: 608 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: From the author of the New York Times bestseller Juliet comes a mesmerizing novel about a young scholar who risks her reputation—and her life—on a thrilling journey to prove that the legendary warrior women known as the Amazons actually existed. Oxford lecturer Diana Morgan is an expert on Greek mythology. Her obsession with the Amazons started in childhood when her eccentric grandmother claimed to be one herself—before vanishing without a trace. Diana’s colleagues shake their heads at her Amazon fixation. But then a mysterious, well-financed foundation makes Diana an offer she cannot refuse. Traveling to North Africa, Diana teams up with Nick Barran, an enigmatic Middle Eastern guide, and begins deciphering an u...

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: 1983 Pages: 256 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians. The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, order...

Guest Post by Elisa DeCarlo: From Corsets to Chemises: Fashion as Liberation

Today's guest writer is Elisa DeCarlo. Elisa DeCarlo has published two novels, Strong Spirits and The Devil You Say as well as The Abortionist's Daughter . Her work is also in a number of anthologies. Elisa has also written and performed a number of solo shows across the country. In 2013, the Exit Press will publish an anthology of her stage work. Elisa was born in Westchester, NY, and grew up there and in New York City. As an actress, she has performed in television, radio and film. In her guest post, Elisa DeCarlo talks women's fashion in the 1910s. Be sure to check out my review of The Abortionist's Daughter soon. Thank you, Mrs. DeCarlo. From Corsets to Chemises: Fashion As Liberation In The Abortionist’s Daughter , which is set in 1916, the evolution of the main character, Melanie Daniels, is not only shown by her thoughts actions, but also her clothes. Since I am an obsessed fashion buff, I had to write about the clothes! Queen Victoria ...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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