Yellow Sky Revolt (The Three Kingdoms Chronicles #1) by Baptiste Pinson Wu | BOOK REVIEW
A fantastic introduction to a brand new series. I have always thought historical fiction similar to these would be quite intimidating and almost always thought they were not accessible for someone like me. Not only did this book prove me wrong on both fronts, Baptiste also executed the story so well that I now need to know more about this piece of history. Any book that can have that kind of influence on me is just great. I am so looking forward to continuing on this journey with Liao Hua.
WARTIME WITH THE CORNISH GIRLS BY BETTY WALKER | BOOK REVIEW
Wartime With The Cornish Girls by Betty Walker is a heartwarming and uplifting historical fiction that centers around three women who come together through certain events in their lives. Germany is bombing London and during the 1940s a war is being fought even in the rural areas. Violet has lost her sister to one of the bombings and her brother-in-law is MIA. She does not want her nieces to be in danger and so she takes them to Cornwall to Violet's aunt's farm. Hazel is working at a secret military base in Porthcurno trying to keep her home together while her son is acting out because of the absence of…
BONES OF A SAINT BY GRANT FARLEY | BOOK REVIEW
Bones Of A Saint by Grant Farley is a young adult historical fiction. The book tells us the is a coming-of-age story of the 15-year-old RJ Armante set against the backdrop of late 70's Northern California. RJ has lived his whole life in the hometown of Arcangel. The Blackjacks have ruled the town for years and force younger kids to do petty offenses for the gang. RJ lives with his mother, many siblings, and his differently-abled brother in a trailer park. The young boy has always been in troubling situations and finds himself at the center of a dangerous situation that forces him to work for the Blackjacks. He is…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CONTEMPORARY, CULTURAL, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY
WILD WOMEN AND THE BLUES BY DENNY S. BRYCE | BOOK REVIEW
Wild Women And The Blues is a fantastic portrayal of African Americans during 1920s Chicago, at the height of the Jazz age in all of its vibrancy and splendor. The story is told in dual timelines spanning almost a hundred years. Denny S. Bryce has done a fantastic job of bringing both the contemporary and the historical setting together in the novel with brilliance. The book is a mix of historical fiction and contemporary fiction with the dual timelines splitting the two with alternating chapters taking us through the lives of Honoree and Sawyer. Bryce has captured the atmosphere of the 1920's time and paints vivid imagery of glamor, splendor,…
THE CONDUCTORS (MURDER AND MAGIC #1) BY NICOLE GLOVER | BOOK REVIEW
The Conductors by Nicole Glover is the first book in the series Murder And Magic. The story is about a couple who works as conductors on the Underground Railroad helping slaves escape to the North. After the Civil War Hetty and Benjy settle in Philadelphia solving murders and mysteries the white authorities refuse to look into. During one of the cases, they discover the body of one of their friends. The brutal nature of the murder and the violated body raises questions that make them doubt their friends in the elite circles of Black Philadelphia. Secrets and lies start to surface during the course of their investigation making them question…
THE SHADOW IN THE GLASS BY J.J.A.HARWOOD | BOOK REVIEW
The Shadow In The Glass is a dark, gothic retelling of Cinderella by J.J.A.Harwood. The story is set in Victorian England and takes us through the truly terrible times women had to face on a daily basis. The story takes place in Grandborough House where Mrs. Pembroke took in the recently orphaned Eleanor known as Ella. She is treated like a daughter and grew up with all the privileges that a child would get. Mrs. Pembroke passes away and Ella is forced to earn her keep by the housekeeper. Mr. Pembroke is an alcoholic and is drinking away the wealth and the riches that Mrs. Pembroke had managed wisely. As…
THE FOUR WINDS BY KRISTIN HANNAH | BOOK REVIEW
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is a historical, women's fiction that tells the story of a family's fight for survival during the Great Depression era and the Dust Bowl era. This story is set in Texas and we get to see how the drought and lack of rain damages and destroys the crops. On top of that dust storms ravaged the lands leaving more destruction behind. People in these states had to fight for their day-to-day survival against the war mother nature has waged. It's a family story, a woman's story that's going to burrow into your hearts and make you feel their fear, powerlessness, determination, and tenacity as…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CULTURAL, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY, WEST AFRICAN
KOLOLO HILL BY NEEMA SHAH | BOOK REVIEW
Kololo Hill by Neema Shah is the debut Asian Ugandan literature set in 1970's Uganda that will captivate you with its human story of love, loss, and desperation of families who were thrown out of their homes and country. This was such a familiar story, yet so different and important to be read in these times of division, hatred, and otherisms. It is very relevant to the times we live as conversations of race, inequality, oppression, power, and devastation are at the forefront of our lives. Overall, this is a story that sheds light on the expulsion of Asian Ugandans during Idi Amin's oppressive regime. This is a lesser-known history…
DAUGHTERS OF NIGHT BY LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON | BOOK REVIEW
Daughters Of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a dark historical murder/mystery/thriller set in 1780's England. I recently found out after reading the book, that this actually has characters from her previous book Blood & Sugar. We are following Caroline Corsham, a wealthy woman who is determined to find the identity of the murderer of Lady Lucy Loveless. Initially, upon discovering the brutally attacked woman, Caro realizes the Lady's attack was planned, and before she could get answers, Lucy dies in Caro's arms. The investigation gets picked up by Bow Street Runners and they stop s it when they realize the real identity of the woman who was murdered. The mystery…
A BEAUTIFUL SPY BY RACHEL HORE | BOOK REVIEW
Rachel Hore's A Beautiful Spy tells us the story of an ordinary young woman from Edgbaston, who changes her destiny by working as a spy for the British Government. Young Minnie is expected to get married, start a family, and live happily in the role of a house-wife. But she has other plans. She doesn't want to live an ordinary life, with no excitement. So when a friend offers the chance to be something more and work for a cause, she jumps at the opportunity. Minnie is recruited by MI5 as a spy to monitor the activities of the communists in London. She works with all of her heart and…
