Category Archives: Book Reviews

Read Like a Writer Book Club Recap: The Aspern Papers by Henry James

Hello dear readers! This is the recap of our second meeting. Our next meeting will be July 19, 2022. If you would like an invite, please contact me at readerlybooks[at]gmail[dot]com. Happy Reading! Background Published in 1888, Novella, later edited by James and reissued. Genre:  Realistic Fiction at the time; today it would be classic orContinue reading “Read Like a Writer Book Club Recap: The Aspern Papers by Henry James”

Throwback Thursday: Dead Wake by Erik Larson

This review was originally written in 2015 In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am a big fan of Erik Larson.  In the Garden of Beasts kept me up late at night, The Devil in the White City creeped me out, Thunderstruck left me, well, thunderstruck.  With great anticipation I opened my e-galley (Thank you Crown!) andContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Dead Wake by Erik Larson”

Throwback Thursday; My Year with Eleanor by Noelle Hancock

This book originally came out in 2011 and it was one of the many that I read on my Kindle back when everyone thought print was DEAD.  Well, as the saying goes, rumors of the death of print were greatly exaggerated and it is still with us!  Usually Throwback Thursday features a book review thatContinue reading “Throwback Thursday; My Year with Eleanor by Noelle Hancock”

Read Like a Writer Book Club Recap; The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier

For February, we read The Anomaly. If you are interested in joining us for the next meeting, in April, please send Robin an email at readerlybooks[at]gmail.com Background:  This book was on several “best of” lists for 2021, including the New York Times.  Here is a sampling of reviews and the publisher’s page: Penguin Random HouseContinue reading “Read Like a Writer Book Club Recap; The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier”

A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde

Howler Alert! I discovered Wilde’s series by accident when I was doing some checking on Austen Fan Fiction for the JASNA Bibliography.  What a fabulous pseudonym!  I mostly enjoyed this entry in the Cozy Mystery genre and found it delightful, except for one ENORMOUS Howler.   If you are a fan of historical mysteries, femaleContinue reading “A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde”

Review of Lucy Foley’s  The Paris Apartment

Full disclosure, I received an eGalley of this book prior to publication in exchange for a review. Lucy Foley has a talent for a certain kind of Thriller.  She collects a group of entitled, mostly unlikeable characters in an isolated location, makes sure there are plenty of secrets nobody wants revealed, empowers an unreliable narratorContinue reading “Review of Lucy Foley’s  The Paris Apartment”

Reflection on the Chawton House Reading Group, women in history and Mary Eleanor Bowes…

When Covid started and my in-person book clubs and groups started canceling, I went looking for something inspiring.  What I found was the Chawton House Reading Group.  For the uninitiated, Chawton House is the home of not only Jane Austen’s brother and in the same village as Jane Austen’s House Museum, but it is alsoContinue reading “Reflection on the Chawton House Reading Group, women in history and Mary Eleanor Bowes…”

Throwback Thursday AND Austenalia…First Impressions by Charlie Lovett

This review was originally written in 2014 Jane Austen fans are in for a treat in this literary mystery cum romance modeled on the beloved novels of Jane Austen. One nice twist is the addition of the parallel storyline about Jane Austen’s fictitious relationship with an older clergyman who helps encourage her writing aspirations.  ManyContinue reading “Throwback Thursday AND Austenalia…First Impressions by Charlie Lovett”