Christmas Shopaholic may be the best Christmas book I've read in a long time. It might also be the best book in Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series I've read in a long time. On both counts, nothing could have surprised me more. What's Christmas Shopaholic about? This newest installment in the Shopaholic series stars our girl Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood). Becky is a loveably ditzy but well-meaning woman with a slight...
Even though The Merriest Magnolia sounds like a Christmas book, and the beautiful cover makes it look like a Christmas book… it’s not what I would call a true Christmas book. And, I really liked that about it. Hear me out, Countdown to Christmas fans: I love me a good seasonal read when December rolls around, but sometimes my beloved Debbie Macombers are a little too simple, too predictable, and too syrupy sweet for my taste. Author Michelle...
Clear your weekend, Tartlets. In fact, clear your week. Because Winter Solstice is a book you want to read slooooowly, savoring every word and turn of the page. I discovered this 2011 novel by Rosamunde Pilcher on a list of holiday reads from Modern Mrs Darcy. It was the most recommended book by her readers, and it didn’t take me long to figure out why. Winter Solstice starts off in a sleepy little English village of Bilby, then moves to a...
I was giddy with anticipation about The Book of Longings from the moment its publication date was announced, and I'm thrilled to report that author Sue Monk Kidd did not disappoint with her newest historical fiction novel. It's long been debated whether Jesus (yep, as in "Christ Superstar") had a female partner (hello, The Da Vinci Code), and Kidd's novel takes this controversial idea and runs with it, creating Ana, the spirited, devoted, and...
Let me start off by saying that Jerusalem Maiden is going to piss off the feminists among us. Author Talia Carner's main character, Esther, is a woman from an ultra-Orthodox sect of Judaism called Haredi...in the early 1900s. So, to say that Esther has limited freedom is putting it mildly. Reading Jerusalem Maiden was extremely eye-opening for me, in many ways. I love historical fiction, but I feel like the market is over-saturated with WW2...
If you've ever wondered what sex between Bill and Hillary Clinton may be like -- because, of course you have! -- well, wonder no further, readers. Just pick up a copy of Rodham. Images of Hill and Bill, albeit younger versions of them, in every sexual position imaginable now occupy more space in my brain than I once thought possible. Thanks for that, Curtis Sittenfeld. What's Rodham about? Despite the fact that I had to poke...
It's not often I yell out "Holy Crap!" while reading historical fiction. But that's exactly what I did smack in the middle of The Exiles. Let's just say the story took a very unexpected turn. Bravo, Christina Baker Kline, for such a bold move. I continually seek out historical fiction novels that doesn't revolve around WW2, and when I saw the ad for The Exiles -- a story about English female convicts and an Aboriginal girl set in 1840s...
I'm just going to jump right into it: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center is one of the best books I've read all year. My original interest in this book wasn't huge. Although I've watched parts of Backdraft and all of Ladder 49, I shy away from anything involving firefighters because I just can't handle the emotional devstation that follows most of their storylines. But, a Zumba buddy recommended Things You Save in a Fire to me, and...
Before I do anything else, I have to give a shout-out to to my blogger friend An Historian About Town, who recommended The Finishing Touches in one of her wonderful blog posts. The Historian and I share an affinity for British chick lit (which, I agree, is usually slightly superior to American chick lit), and this charming, sweet, and funny novel by Hester Browne did not disappoint! So, Historian, thanks for the rec! Consider us even for when I...
If I'd known that drinking tea in American Royals is considered unpatriotic, I might have avoided reading this one. Out of protest for my favorite beverage, of course. Naaaaawwww, jk! This book is awesome. I'm so glad I didn't know about the tea thing beforehand. Author Katherine McGee's version of America apparently never quite recovered from the slights of the British against the colonists, and the American Palace refuses to serve tea to its...
