Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker
by Jennifer Chiaverini -- I must be on a historical novel kick lately.
This book is about the formerly enslaved woman Elizabeth Keckley who
paid for her emancipation - and her son's - by her lovely work as a
seamstress. Later she made dresses for several prominent women among
them Mrs. Abraham Lincoln!
An Appetite for Violets
by Martine Bailey -- I saw this book while looking for a Jo Baker book
in the library. It's the story of an under cook named Biddy Leigh. Biddy
being short for Obedience...her dad liked odd names. The book begins
with the master's new bride arriving, and later the mistress selects
Biddy to accompany her to various cities in England, France, and Italy.
There Biddy finds out why she was chosen, and it becomes much more
interesting during that part of the book so I won't spoil it. At first I
wasn't sure if I liked this book as it took some time for me to get
interested, but it turned out pretty good so I'm glad I stuck with it.
Paper Roses
by Amanda Cabot -- first in the Texas Dreams series; Sarah and her
little sister Thea leave Philadelphia to make a new home in Texas. There
they live in a town made of German and French settlers. Pretty good
story.
Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot -- second in the Texas Dreams series; Sarah's fiancé's former inlaws travel from Boston to take part in Clay's wedding, but a stagecoach robbery upends those plans. Patience settles in Ladreville, Texas, and faces challenges connected to this trip from the East to Texas.
Tomorrow's Garden by Amanda Cabot -- final book in the Texas Dreams series; Harriet and her five siblings travel to Ladreville in order for Harriet to become the new school teacher. This book also continues the story of Texas Ranger Lawrence Wood who was introduced in book 2 of this series.
This Dark Road to Mercy
by Wiley Cash -- Easter and Ruby are taken from foster care by their
father, and they begin a road trip where the girls and their father are
hiding from Pruitt who was hired to track them down. A pretty good
book.
A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
-- I found this "1997 Newberry Honor Book" at a free little library,
and enjoyed reading the story of Nhamo, a young lady from an unknown
village in Mozambique, as she makes her way by boat to Zimbabwe in order
to escape a bad marriage. This was a fascinating tale of adventure and
at times I felt I was with her on the island as she watched the baboons
or prepared her next meal.
I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend
by Cora Harrison -- a story about Jane's family and the pupils who
stayed at her house as told through a journal by her best friend and
cousin, Jenny Cooper ; cute story
Miss Match by
Erynn Mangum -- My mom read this so I decided to read it before
returning it to the library. It's a Lauren Holbrook novel, and Lauren is
a pretty silly girl. But the story was rather lighthearted and an easy
read so I finished it.
Kissing Shakespeare
by Pamela Mingle -- I read another book by this author which I liked so
I decided to get this one. It's YA unlike the other. It starts off
with Miranda in a present day community play and soon she is forced by
Stephen to go back to Shakespeare's time where Stephen is from. Miranda, now taking the role
of Stephen's sister Olivia, is playing the biggest role of her life -
and she's trying to save Shakespeare from becoming a Jesuit so the world can have his literary works!
The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen
by Lindsay Ashford -- A novel written as if Jane's former friend Miss
Anne Sharp were recalling her life experiences with Jane and the Austen
family. A very interesting way to learn more about this intriguing
author and her family.
The Last Runaway
by Tracy Chevalier -- I really liked this book! It was a good way to
learn more about the Underground Railroad and Ohio. I like the character
of Belle a lot. I am going to look for more books from this author.
The Lover's Knot
by Clare O'Donohue -- A Someday Quilts Mystery -- I was looking for a
small book to carry around easily while out with the kids and later at
the beach. Not the most exciting or interesting book I've ever read,
but good enough. After her fiancé asks to postpone their wedding, Nell
visits her grandmother and gets involved with the quilt club and the
people in Archers Rest. Eventually, she tries to solve a murder!
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr -- I was reading this book more in the car to and from
the beach as it was too big to read on the beach or out by the pool. I
was amazed that I was reading two books that had (minor) characters
named Susanne. What are the odds? I'd seen this book mentioned many
times, and finally reserved a copy at the library and read it. A pretty
good story switching from a blind French girl to a terribly smart,
small German boy - and how eventually their paths crossed near the end
of World War II.
Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg -- a preteen talks about life with her military dad, about moving, losing her mother, dealing with friends
Sick of Shadows
by Marion Chesney -- this "Edwardian Murder Mystery" introduced me to
Lady Rose Summer and a rather funny cast of characters. This was a
light, amusing read.
Girl With A Pearl Earring
by Tracy Chevalier -- a lovely novel about Griet, maid to the Johannes
Vermeer family; this made me look up some of his fascinating paintings; I
enjoyed this story
The House Girl by
Tara Conklin -- a novel involving a modern-day reparations case, and a
lawyer, Lina Sparrow, unraveling the story of an enslaved girl,
Josephine, who may have been the true artist behind paintings attributed
to Lu Anne Bell, Josephine's mistress. A good read, and an NPR story if you are interested.--------------------------
Twenty years ago, Princess Diana died - wow!
