Tag: Monthly update

Compared with previous months, January started relatively slowly on the reading front  with eleven books finished.  However, there were still plenty of fantastic books to choose from.

You can keep up to date with my reading in 2019 here and find a complete list of all the books I read in 2018 here, with links to my reviews.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

Click on the book title for the book description on Goodreads.

---

First up is Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton.  Set in 18^th century Spitalfields, it weaves together the stories of two women – Esther Thorel, the wife of a Huguenot silk-weaver, and Sara Kemp, newly arrived in London.  I thought it was a really impressive debut, full of fascinating detail about the period plus the cover is simply gorgeous.  Read my full review here.

My next choice is another historical novel, and another impressive debut – A River in the Trees by Jacqueline O’Mahoney.  Set in Ireland, partly in 1919 and partly in the present day, it reveals the turbulent experiences of two women – Hannah and Ellen – whose stories subtly mirror each other in some respects and contrast in others.  Read my full review here.

The Secret by Katharine Johnson also involves multiple timelines but this time the setting is the Tuscan village of Santa Zita.  It’s an intriguing story of secrets and betrayal that I described as ‘an absorbing combination of historical fiction and mystery’.  You can read my full review here.

Next the eagerly anticipated (certainly by me) third book in Rory Clements’ ‘Tom Wilde’ series, Nemesis.  Set in the early years of the Second World War, Tom Wilde is once again involved in international conspiracy and comes up against a particularly chilling adversary.  It’s a thrill-a-minute read. Find my full review here.

Finally, there’s Eagle & Crane by Suzanne Rindell.  I absolutely loved this story of two daredevil aerial stuntmen that combines mystery, action and romance whilst exploring more serious themes including a dark aspect of World War Two American history.  Read my full review here.

It looks like the year has started the same way it finished, with some great historical fiction from some of my favourite publishers.  Even more exciting is that all but one were new-to-me authors and two of those were debut novelists.

A two week holiday meant I managed to get through 15 books in February.  However, it did mean I had a LOT of reviews to write when I got back.  That might be why I made it back into the UK 100 Most Popular Reviewers on Goodreads – but, I suspect, only for one week.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

While January was an embarrassment of riches with multiple 5 star reads, February was full of good books but only a few outstanding ones.  Click on the book title to read my full review.  You can find a complete list of all the books I’ve read so far this year here, with links to my reviews.

---

The Secret Life of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg

A fascinating fictional account of the passionate but tempestuous marriage of Charmian and Jack London that explores the tension in their relationship when Charmian finds herself drawn to the daring Harry Houdini.

Caligula by Simon Turney

Eschewing the more lurid myths commonly associated with Caligula, the author sets out to explore the events that transformed a loving brother and intelligent young man into a cruel tyrant.  The atmosphere of intrigue in the Imperial household is brilliantly evoked.

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

This was an impressive debut that I loved for its cast of colourful, largely female, characters, its exquisite period detail conjuring up all the sights, sounds and smells of 18th century London and its engaging story line that had just a touch of the bawdy.  Apart from anything else, how could you resist that gorgeous cover?

The Optickal Illusion by Rachel Halliburton

Another great debut in which the author takes a real life scandal that enveloped the art world of London in the 1790s and fashions it into an intriguing story of artistic rivalry and deception, and a debate about the position of women in society.  The frequent changes in timeline left it just short of perfect for me.

Brother by David Chariandy

A complete change of genre and subject matter for my final choice.  It’s the emotional story of brothers, Michael and Francis, the bright, ambitious sons of Trinidadian immigrants to Canada.  Powerfully dramatizing the immigrant experience, it tells a story of hope thwarted by tragedy.

What were your favourite reads last month?