The Duchess by Amanda Foreman
Fascinating biography on Georgiana Spencer/Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire (the same Duchess played by Kiera Knightley in the 2008 movie based off this biography) which covers her private life, public life, affairs, gambling addiction and debts, trend-setting fashions, and political endeavours while strictly dealing in facts. I can easily see how Hollywood changed pieces of Georgiana's life to suit their dramatized view. The biography gives the reader more than just an acquaintance with the subject, it gives the reader a portrait of the entire time period's social and political events as well as redefines the traditional view that women had no say in their lives and were completely controlled by their husbands. Georgiana Spencer/Cavendish was a major political player, trend-setter, author, and is one of the people responsible for England's definitive bi-partisanship.
I never read non-fiction since I get enough of sort of thing by reading text books and scientific papers but I grabbed a copy of this book at a Friends of the Library sale this past summer for shits and giggles (I've been interested in the time period ever since watching the 6 hour version of Pride and Prejudice and Emma as a child). Considering this was a book I only read while on the train it took me a bit of time to get through it, especially since it isn't a short book to begin with, but in the end I thoroughly enjoyed my venture into non-fiction.
January 12, 2012
January 8, 2012
The Book of Spells by Kate Brian
The Book of Spells by Kate Brian
The Book of Spells is (apparently) the prequel to the Private series also set in Connecticut at the elite Billings School for girls. Taking place in 1915 a group of girls find a map which leads to a trunk of spell books. With power comes tragedy as the girls attempt to cover up a fatal accident involving one of the coven members. Although the book is set during World War I there is absolutely no mention of world events and almost the entire book takes place on the Billings and adjoining Easton campuses. The over all story is standard YA fare; a love triangle, boy crazy girls, harmless magics that progress to destruction, and a curse upon the coven. Well written and entertaining (for fluff) the book ends with the only unanswered question of who ends up with whom.
Of course the author follows the Harry Potter method of magic in which the girls see instant results from the spells they cast, something practically unheard of in the real practice of witchcraft. Of all the witch novels I've read only those by Alice Hoffman consistently demonstrate how magic actually works in real life.
The Book of Spells is (apparently) the prequel to the Private series also set in Connecticut at the elite Billings School for girls. Taking place in 1915 a group of girls find a map which leads to a trunk of spell books. With power comes tragedy as the girls attempt to cover up a fatal accident involving one of the coven members. Although the book is set during World War I there is absolutely no mention of world events and almost the entire book takes place on the Billings and adjoining Easton campuses. The over all story is standard YA fare; a love triangle, boy crazy girls, harmless magics that progress to destruction, and a curse upon the coven. Well written and entertaining (for fluff) the book ends with the only unanswered question of who ends up with whom.
Of course the author follows the Harry Potter method of magic in which the girls see instant results from the spells they cast, something practically unheard of in the real practice of witchcraft. Of all the witch novels I've read only those by Alice Hoffman consistently demonstrate how magic actually works in real life.
January 6, 2012
The Flappers: Vixen
The Flappers: Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Set in Chicago during the 1920's Vixen follows three young women as they navigate the thrilling speakeasy scene following Prohabition. The general set up of this novel is similar to another young adult novel, Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen, in that there are three girls one of which is a singer, another is a star-crossed lover, one is already a flapper, a semi-abusive fiancee, and of course both are set during the 20's. Luckily, for me that is, one book is set in New York and the other in Chicago. Carla, Loraine, and Gloria all have very different story-lines which are packed with social and physical danger as they get entangled with gangsters and socialites. While the book initially comes off as a simple teenage rebellion to straight-laced upper-crust white society the plot progresses to some rather unexpected events taking place before ending with the promise for a fabulous second book.
Set in Chicago during the 1920's Vixen follows three young women as they navigate the thrilling speakeasy scene following Prohabition. The general set up of this novel is similar to another young adult novel, Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen, in that there are three girls one of which is a singer, another is a star-crossed lover, one is already a flapper, a semi-abusive fiancee, and of course both are set during the 20's. Luckily, for me that is, one book is set in New York and the other in Chicago. Carla, Loraine, and Gloria all have very different story-lines which are packed with social and physical danger as they get entangled with gangsters and socialites. While the book initially comes off as a simple teenage rebellion to straight-laced upper-crust white society the plot progresses to some rather unexpected events taking place before ending with the promise for a fabulous second book.
January 4, 2012
A slightly skewed Humboldt: A book review of Robyn Carr's Virgin River
Virgin River by Robyn Carr
A contemporary romance set in Humboldt County, CA in the fictional town of Virgin River. Although not all of the details are correct, especially the geography since there are towns closer than Eureka to Highway 36 (the location of Virgin River based off of descriptions), it is a well written if slightly Rancher flavored novel that helped me get over a brutal case of homesickness.
Humboldt is internationally known for its marijuana exports (some of it is actually legal within the state, although not federally) less known by outsiders is that the social and political climate is split between (to make things simple I'll stereotype) the very liberal pot smoking community and the very conservative rancher/timber community (the meth addicts are generally too tweeked out to have a political voice). This split causes a fair amount of tension and drama which Robyn Carr does a decent job of showing.
The plot of the novel is pretty straightforward (woman moves to new town, falls in love with a local, climactic drama, marriage, and baby) but having the marijuana aspect adds some twists (however there is a significant difference between potheads and tweekers that the author fails to notice fully). Despite the skewed depiction of the social and political climate, the descriptions of Virgin River, both the town and the river (the Van Duzen), and the rest of the countryside are accurate which made reading this book worthwhile for me.
A contemporary romance set in Humboldt County, CA in the fictional town of Virgin River. Although not all of the details are correct, especially the geography since there are towns closer than Eureka to Highway 36 (the location of Virgin River based off of descriptions), it is a well written if slightly Rancher flavored novel that helped me get over a brutal case of homesickness.
Humboldt is internationally known for its marijuana exports (some of it is actually legal within the state, although not federally) less known by outsiders is that the social and political climate is split between (to make things simple I'll stereotype) the very liberal pot smoking community and the very conservative rancher/timber community (the meth addicts are generally too tweeked out to have a political voice). This split causes a fair amount of tension and drama which Robyn Carr does a decent job of showing.
The plot of the novel is pretty straightforward (woman moves to new town, falls in love with a local, climactic drama, marriage, and baby) but having the marijuana aspect adds some twists (however there is a significant difference between potheads and tweekers that the author fails to notice fully). Despite the skewed depiction of the social and political climate, the descriptions of Virgin River, both the town and the river (the Van Duzen), and the rest of the countryside are accurate which made reading this book worthwhile for me.
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