Book Discussion: The French Lesson by Hallie Rubenhold

This novel popped up when I was doing an Amazon search for Hallie Rubenhold, because I thoroughly enjoyed her historical account of the Scandalous Lady W. (See my earlier post on that book here.) If you are looking for a fun summer read to keep you company in your beach chair or on your couch,Continue reading “Book Discussion: The French Lesson by Hallie Rubenhold”

Guilty Pleasure: Mine: a Novel of Obsession by J. L. Butler

I received an ARC of this last year at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference.  Full disclosure–this is definitely a fun beach/vacation read, not serious literature. Having said that, though, there is a lot to recommend it if you are in the right mood.   Francine Day is a divorce attorney in London and herContinue reading “Guilty Pleasure: Mine: a Novel of Obsession by J. L. Butler”

Book Discussion: Lady Worsley’s Whim by Hallie Rubenhold

This book was recommended to me by a fellow Janeite and it is wonderful if you love history, scandal, and thinking about how the choices we make matter.  Seymour Dorothy Worsley (nee Fleming) was married at 17 to Sir Richard Worsley in 1775. In the decades preceding the beginning of the eighteenth century, life amongContinue reading “Book Discussion: Lady Worsley’s Whim by Hallie Rubenhold”

Book Discussion: Dracula, My Love by Syrie James

As fan fiction goes, Syrie James’s is some of the best.  I first read her Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen a few years back, and she also wrote The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen.  I lost track of her after that, so I was delighted to find a paperback copy of Dracula, My Love atContinue reading “Book Discussion: Dracula, My Love by Syrie James”

Book Discussion: Educated: a memoir by Tara Westover

My book club met this week and we had read Educated.  Although I found the book interesting and Westover an engaging writer, certain aspects of the book were disappointing.  First, it bears more than a passing resemblance to The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This is not a reason not to read it, of course,Continue reading “Book Discussion: Educated: a memoir by Tara Westover”