Book Reviews / C ReviewsBiography / England / European history / family relationships / Historical / Historical Biography / medieval / non-fiction / women4 Comments
In 1254 the teenage heir to the English throne married a Spanish bride, the sister of the king of Castile, in Burgos, and their marriage of thirty-six years proved to be one of the great royal romances of the Middle Ages. Edward I of England and Leonor of Castile had ... more >
B Reviews / Book ReviewsEngland / family relationships / Historical fiction / medieval / Mistress of the Art of Death / murder mystery / murder-investigation4 Comments
England. 1191. After the death of her friend and patron, King Henry II, Adelia Aguilar, England’s vaunted Mistress of the Art of Death, is living comfortably in retirement and training her daughter, Allie, to carry on her craft—sharing the practical knowledge of anatomy, forensics, and sleuthing that catches murderers. Allie ... more >
Book Reviews / DNF Reviews12th century / architecture / clergy / Historical / medieval / saga / Violence15 Comments
Trigger warning: Content warnings: Dear Ken Follett, I started reading this, your historical saga set in twelfth-century England, because a friend of mine has been mentioning it for years as her favorite book by one of her favorite authors. The book had some good qualities but eventually I had to ... more >
B- Reviews / Book Reviews14th century / aristocrats / class differences / death / disease / England / Historical fiction / language / LGBTQIA characters / medieval / plague / working class2 Comments
Three journeys. One road. England, 1348. A gentlewoman flees an odious arranged marriage, a Scots proctor sets out for Avignon, and a young plowman in search of freedom is on his way to volunteer with a company of archers. All come together on the road to Calais. Coming in their ... more >
A Review Category / A Reviews / A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Need A Rec! / Reading Lists / Recommended Reads / Top Ten Lists#ownvoices / arranged-marriage / autistic character / autobiography / bookseller / Canada / Cancer / cartoons / cats / class differences / Contemporary / death / enemies to lovers / England / epistolary / family relationships / First-Person / France / friends-to-lovers / Historical / Humor / immigrant fiction / mathematics / medieval / New York City / non-fiction / pilot / POC / POC author / PTSD / servant romance / Vietnam / Wales / War / Military / Womens-Fiction / World War I / World War II9 Comments
This year I didn’t have as many A reads as I did last year but these B+ books are strong ones that almost made it. My list ranges from historical to contemporary, has fiction and non-fiction, and even a picture book of cats. In kinda, sorta chronological order in which ... more >
A- Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readscats / England / Historical / medieval / midwife / orphan / YA / YA classic7 Comments
The girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the sharp-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat—who renames herself Alyce—gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something from life: “A full belly, a ... more >