As usual, I am reading as much as possible. I still find it relaxing, and I love getting lost in another world for a few minutes or hours.
The Darlings– Cristina Alger
I had had this book on my “To-Read” list on GoodReads for quite some time. It just continually felt like something was missing, like no character was truly developed, no storyline was actually fleshed out. I paid $3.5 for this- I wouldn’t recommend paying anymore.
Sovereign Ladies: Sex, Sacrifice, and Power– Maureen Walker
This covers all female sovereigns of England since Mary I. It is an academic book, I appreciated all of the sources and citing. It was incredibly interesting, but there was not equal time on all sovereigns. I would have loved to have more on Mary (of William and Mary) and Anne, than the dumping on Elizabeth I and Victoria that we got. Still, if you aren’t picky about your monarchs it is definitely worth the read!
Nicholas II: the Last of the Tsars– Marc Ferro
I was really hoping for biography along the lines of Robert Massie, but those appear to be difficult to find. This biography of Nicholas would be wonderful for anyone learning about the tail-end of Tsarist Russia- he spends the majority of the book covering the political situation and not Nicholas. Chock of full of basic info, though!
Christmas at the Beach Cafe– Lucy Diamond
This is a wonderfully sweet novella about Evie’s community coming together in the spirit of Christmas! I love chick-lit, I love Christmas, it was the perfect choice for me! It’s short enough to read in one sitting, but long enough to still provide character and plot development. Five stars!
Court Lady and Country Wife– Lita-Rose Betcherman
For some reason, I have been incredibly interested in the Stuart period, and as a result of many hours of scrolling through GoodReads, I spotted this! It started off well, I was incredibly engaged and excited to read it. By about the quarter-way mark, I lost interest fast. So-and-so did this Ireland, Lucy paid for this with credit, what’s-his-name did this in London. Stylistically, this book left a lot to be desired. Topic wise, the sisters were really just a window into the period- meaning it wasn’t truly a biography. (My biggest reading pet peeve is when non-fiction authors do not clearly state what they will be doing. Harumph.)
Royal Harlot– Susan Halloway Scott
Given my aforementioned interest in the Stuart period, and a strong liking for historical fiction, my ears perked up as soon as I found this book. Barbara Villiers is one of the most famous royal mistresses in history, and Halloway Scott does a fantastic job of avoiding the villain trope. Barbara is a human being, with a heart and feelings and flaws, just like the rest of us. This was an easy read, and a lovely change!
What have you been reading lately??
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!
