March 7, 2019

REVIEW: Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell

JennieA- Reviews / Recommended Reads19th Century British literature / classic literature / fallen woman8 Comments

I was first turned onto Gaskell’s work not in print but by the miniseries version of North and South, which I love. I also watched and adored the PBS adaption of Cranford, a very different kind of story. I eventually read both books and liked them each quite well. Still, ... more >

February 28, 2019

REVIEW: Midsummer Moon by Laura Kinsale

JennieB+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsabsent-minded heroines / Dukes / historical romance / inventors13 Comments

I *think* this might be the third book Laura Kinsale published. The Hidden Heart was first, in 1986, and both Uncertain Magic and Midsummer Moon are listed as 1987 releases (that’s a lot of books in two years!). I didn’t start reading romance in earnest until around 1992, and I ... more >

January 24, 2019

REVIEW: Game On by Kelly Jamieson

JennieB- Reviews / Book ReviewsChicago Aces / Contemporary romance / hockey / Series8 Comments

Dear Ms. Jamieson: This is the ninth book in the Aces Hockey series and the fourth that I’ve read. It starts with a premise that I don’t love. Cam Brickley sees Olivia Lockwood in a bar and ends up in a bet with his teammates: he’ll date her for two ... more >

January 14, 2019

Jennie’s Best of 2018

JennieBook Reviews / Recommended ReadsAlternative Reality/Horror / Best of 2018 / Essays / Fantasy/Fairytale / historical romance / Reading lists / Recommended Reads10 Comments

  This is a short list because I decided to confine myself to A category books only. Usually I’ll include at least B+s, but looking at my log this past year I really do think these five represent the best of what I read in 2018.   Bed of Flowers ... more >

December 21, 2018

Reading List by Jennie for October through November

JennieBook Reviews / Reading Listsclassic fiction / contemporary fiction / Dystopian fiction / horror / non-fiction / Reading lists / True Crime4 Comments

I’ve been doing these round-ups every three months, but I realized this round of mini-reviews are longish, so I decided to just do October and November. Also reviewed (with Janine, Sirius and Jayne): Spinning Silver. The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder and an Unlikely Investigator by Joakim ... more >

November 16, 2018

REVIEW: Big Stick by Kelly Jamieson

JennieB+ Reviews / Book ReviewsChicago Aces Hockey Series / hockey / Series / single motherhood3 Comments

Dear Ms. Jamieson: This is book number seven in the Aces Hockey series. For some reason I didn’t start reading the series until book five; I still need to go back and read the first four (plus book 1.5, a novella). I’ve talked before in previous reviews about how it’s ... more >