A Bookworm's Book Reviews

Bellewether – Susanna Kearsley

Title: Bellewether

Author: Susanna Kearsley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Charlotte, or Charley for short, has been called in as a curator for the Wilde House on Long Island. While doing research to restore the house, she learns of Lydia Wilde. Lydia is the daughter of an English merchant during the French and Indian War. Her father takes in two French commanders as prisoners. Lydia and one of the lieutenants, Jean-Phillipe de Sabran, become friends. But the French and English aren’t supposed to be friends. The more Charley learns about Lydia and Jean-Phillipe, the more she learns that they might not have had a happy ending. There’s also someone, or something, trying to help Charley figure out what really happened to Jean-Phillipe and Lydia. Can she really find out what happened to the pair? Or will their story be lost to history?

Rating: 4.0 – a different side of history

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I just had a hard time getting into it. Almost time I sat down to read it, I started getting sleepy. The pace of the story was also slow, which I think also made me a little sleepy. There was also a fair amount of plotting and scheming which I don’t love reading about. I did enjoy learning about this part of history. I feel like there aren’t a lot of books about the French and Indian War. It was interesting to learn that prisoners at this time were allowed to walk around town. There were too many people for the jails so they were house with locals. There were few people per town but there was so much more trust in prisoners. I didn’t love the romance. It wasn’t that well developed. Though the modern one was developed as well as the historical one. I usually like this author’s book. There’s also usually a stronger supernatural part in the book, but it wasn’t as present in this book. Overall, I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t get into it. I’m sure it’s a great book, just not the right fit for me. I’d still recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction.

Where Trees Touch the Sky – Karen Barnett

Title: Where Trees Touch the Sky

Author: Karen Barnett

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Marion Turner is a prominent member of the Save the Redwoods League in the 1920’s. She’s exploring a tract of land for the League when she meets Frank Duncan, the son of a timber baron. They hit it off despite their differences. Marion tries to convince Frank about the importance of the redwoods. Frank tries to help her while helping his father’s business. Can Frank find a way to do that? Or will their differences get the better of them?

June Turner has just started working at Redwood National Park in the 70’s. Marion is her great aunt. Her boss is hesitant about her because she uses a brace and crutches to walk, thanks to polio. Andy is hired on to make sure June can do her job well. If she can’t, he gets her job permanently. Andy is upfront with her about it and they find a way to work together. With the park’s 50th anniversary coming up, they work on making a film about the park. When the film starts to bring up some painful memories, will Andy and June’s friendship last? Or will their friendship fall apart?

Rating: 4.0 – a sweet and sappy historical fiction

Opinion: This was a great book. I really enjoyed the history. It was interesting learning about how Redwood National Park came to be. It’s easy to forget that the state and national parks were first private land and that the states had to buy the land first. It made me smile that the characters used period accurate slang and speech. 70’s slang always makes me smile. I liked the fact that not all of the relationships didn’t work out. They tried to work it out but their differences and ways of life force them apart. It kind of broke my heart but there were good reasons why the relationship didn’t work. The other relationship was sweet. They were able to work through their differences. I’m glad the relationships ended alright. Overall, this was a great book. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves sappy romantic historical fiction books.

The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides

Title: The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Genre: Thriller

Plot: Theo Bader is a criminal psychotherapist who’s recently started at The Grove, an asylum for criminals. The Grove’s star patient is Alicia Berenson. She’s been convicted of shooting her husband. But Alicia’s been completely silent ever since the murder. She won’t talk to anyone, not her lawyer or psychologists. Theo begs his superiors to let him work with Alicia. They agree only if he can find a way to make her talk. She’s known for her sudden outbursts and self harm tendencies. Alicia’s put up walls, too. Can Theo break through Alicia’s walls and see through her silence? Or will Alicia’s silence prevail? Can he also find out if she really killed her husband? Or will the killer strike again?

Rating; 4.0 – an interesting murder mystery

Opinion: This was an interesting book. There were lots of twists and turns. It kept me wanting to read more. Even though I figured out some important details, I still wanted to find out what happened at the end. Though the author did throw some good curve balls to try to divert suspicion but it never lasted long. It was a little more dark and creepy than I thought it would be. The author wrote some good slimy characters. There a few more noble characters, too. I wanted them to succeed and the slimy characters caught. I liked this book more than the other book I read by this author. It felt a lot less soap opera-y than the other book. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a creepy murder mystery.

Beautiful Ugly – Alice Feeney

Title: Beautiful Ugly

Author: Alice Feeney

Genre: Thriller

Plot: Grady Green is an up and coming English author. He calls his wife, Abby, on her way home from work about his newest book. Their call is interrupted when Abby sees someone lying in the road. She goes to check on the person then is never heard from again. After a year of no news, Grady is still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Abby’s gone. His publisher gives him a suggestion. She’s knows this cabin for rent on the remote island of Amberly off the coast of Scotland. As a last ditch effort to write another book, Grady agrees. At first, he adjusts to life on a remote island. The people there seem welcoming, though a bit odd. The longer he stays on the island, the more it seems to be messing with his head. He starts to see strange things around the cottage. Then Grady keeps thinking he sees his lost wife. Could it really be his wife? Or someone playing tricks on him? Or is there something more sinister at work?

Rating: 3.7 – an interesting thriller with some good twists

Opinion: This was an interesting book. The twists and turns kept me wanting to read. I thought the characters were well written. They had good motivations were pretty clear by the end of the book. Though the book wasn’t as spooky as I thought it would be. I don’t know why but the ending felt a little like a cop out. The main characters were given an impossible choice but still paid an enormous cost. It left me with a unsatisfied feeling when I was finished. I was thinking ‘was that really necessary?’ when I finished. Maybe that was the point. Overall this was a good book. I recommend it for anyone who loves thrillers.

The White Lady – Jaqueline Winspear

Title: The White Lady

Author: Jaqueline Winspear

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Elinor de Witt grew up in Belgium in the early 1900’s. When WW1 breaks out and Germany occupies Belgium, a lady named Isabel asks Elinor, her sister, and mother for help with the Belgium Resistance Movement. Isabel asks the de Witt women to discreetly gather information about the train schedules. The three de Witt take the job after much deliberation. They emigrate to London after an incident while gathering information. Then when WW2 breaks out, Elinor is asked to help with English reconnaissance due to her knack for languages. When a mission goes south, Elinor is sent home on leave. After the war, she searches for the truth. Will Eleanor find what she’s searching for? Or will her efforts be in vain?

Rating: 3.5 – a different side of both World Wars

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed learning about a different side of history. You don’t always hear about the important part that women played in the resistance movements and in the war besides being a nurse. The time times in the middle of the chapters took me a little to get used to. It was a bit jarring at first. It took me a little bit to get attached to the characters because of this. The characters were well written though. It makes it easier to understand what some soldiers went through and how hard it can be for them to adjust to civilian life. Overall, I ended up enjoying this book. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction books.

Secrets of the Nile 2 – Isabel Ibáñez

This is second book in the duology. Book 1 is What the River Knows

Title: Book 2 – Where the Library Hides

Author: Isabel Ibáñez

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Plot: Inez is determined to defy her Tío Ricardo and stay in Egypt to find her mother and bring her to justice. Her safest bet is to marry Witford, ‘Wit,’ Hayes. Then comes the first betrayal after Isadora reveals a shocking truth. Inez convinces Wit and Isadora to work together with Inez to find her mother and what Cleopatra was hiding. But what are they going to do when it feels like Inez’s mother always seems two steps ahead? Can they find what Cleopatra hid? Or will Inez’s mother get there before and destroy everything?

Rating: 4.0 – a good conclusion to an interesting series

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed reading about historical archaeology. The history was fascinating. It was interesting to learn about England and France controlled Egypt in the Victorian Era. Though part of me is still skeptical that Cleopatra was really interested in alchemy. I enjoyed the mystery of the story. There were plenty of twists and turns. It kept me wondering who would find the treasure and who would end up on top. It felt a bit over dramatic at times. But it’s probably because it’s geared more towards a slightly younger audience. Overall, this was a good book. It was a very well written book and a great neatly finished of a duology. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves historical fiction fantasy.

The Teller of Small Fortunes – Julie Leong

Title: The Teller of Small Fortunes

Author: Julie Leong

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: Tao is a traveling fortune teller. She’s been traveling alone across Eshteria for the past couple years. It’s lonely but it’s better than a life she didn’t want before. After leaving a small town, a reformed thief and soldier join her on her travels. After visiting a costal town, an apprentice baker joins the party. The odd party continues to travel around the country, they learn of the powers of friendship and found family. When Tao’s past starts to catch up to the group, is their friendship strong enough to save the day? Or will the obstacles be too strong?

Rating: 3.5 – a fun fantasy adventure

Opinion: This was a fun book. It read like a D&D campaign. The magic in the book is well built. The rules for magic are clear and straightforward. Though I thought the book would go into the other types of magic more. I tend to like books with multiple types of magic. But I understand why the author didn’t go too deep into the other types of magic. The characters are well written. I liked how each character had a unique personality. The two things I didn’t love was that the end felt a little anticlimactic. There also wasn’t a ton of build up towards the ending like I’m used to for books. Though the book does wrap up everything nicely in the end. I did like how the author wove in the themes of immigrants and family into the book. Overall, this is a very nice adventure fantasy book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants an easy read fantasy adventure.

Iron Lake – William Kent Krueger

Title: Iron Lake

Author: William Kent Krueger

Genre: Mystery

Plot: Corcoran ‘Cork’ O’Conner is down on his luck with marriage issues and being separated from his kids. When a prominent judge Aurora Minnesota is found dead and a local teenager goes missing, Cork goes looking for answers. His mixed Native American and Irish heritage means he has some leverage in both community in Aurora. The more Cork digs into this mystery, the closer to home the mystery hits. Can Cork figure out why the judge died? Can he help find the missing teen? Can he figure out who’s behind it all? Or will the mystery get the better of him?

Rating: 4.0 – a good mystery that blends Native American mythology and a old fashioned cop mystery

Opinion: This was a great book. I enjoyed how the story wove the legend of the Windigo into the mystery. I liked that main character didn’t dismiss the Windigo legend while investigating the disappearance and death. He takes it into consideration while asking questioning the Native Americans involved in the case. The white people in the story ask Cork for help because he has Native heritage and knows about their history and culture. I liked how realistic the characters behaved in the story. They reacted to stressful situations more like a normal person would. It was interesting to watch the characters react to the climax of the story. The mystery of the story kept me interested the whole time, though a little predictable. I still really enjoyed the book. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves murder mysteries.

Book of Temeraire 1 – Naomi Novik

Book 2 and 3 are Throne of Jade and Black Powder War

Title: Book 1 – His Majesty’s Dragon

Author: Naomi Novik

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Plot: Captain Laurence is in charge of a British ship during the Napoleonic Wars. After he and his men took a French ship captive, they find a dragon egg on board. The ship’s doctor says it’s due to hatch soon. They hurry to the nearest port with a dragon hatchery. On the way, the dragon hatches. It responds only to Captain Laurence. He names the dragon, Temeraire. This means he must give up his life as a Navy Captain and become an aviator. But life is hard and Captain Laurence must adjust quickly. He and Temeraire must learn quicker than most because Napoleon is on the march. Can the pair learn in time? Can they keep up with the people who’ve had a lifetime of training? Or will they be left behind?

Rating: 4.3 – a fun mix of historical fiction and fantasy

Opinion: This was a great book. The world building was well done. I liked how not all of the dragons were the same. Each dragon had different abilities and sizes and distinguishable attributes. They talked about dragons who were used for breeding purposes. I’d be curious to see if the author goes into other more details in the other books in the series. Some of the characters blurred together a little so it took me a little bit to remember who was who. There were a few characters introduced at the same time. So that didn’t help. I did like that the main characters really cared for their dragons. There was a special bond between the humans and dragons. I also liked learning about the history of the Napoleonic Wars. I haven’t read much about that so it was nice to learn about it from an interesting point of view. Overall, this was a really good book. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves a historical fiction fantasy combo.

Once a Queen – Sarah Arthur

Title: Once a Queen

Author: Sarah Arthur

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Plot: Eva Joyce is a teenager who gets to spend the summer at her grandmother’s English manor. It’s a very sudden invite from her grandmother as Eva’s never talked to her or received a letter or card. Her mother hardly talks about her mom either. During the day, Eva’s free to wander the manor and starts to befriend the staff that work there. Freddie is the only kid her age there so they become fast friends. He wants to tell her about the manor’s past but the adults say it’s not his business. Eva’s mom and grandmother won’t say anything either. So Eva has to do figure out everything. There seems to be a connection to a mysterious other world but what is it? Can Eva find the answers? Or will the adults keep hiding the answers?

Rating: 3.7 – a fun Narnia style book

Opinion: This was an interesting book. It kept me interested but I felt like it was for people younger than me. There were parts where it felt like the characters were blocked at every turn and there was nothing for them to do. It was a little annoying that the characters wouldn’t share information that could’ve made the story move along better. I did enjoy the Narnia like aspects of the story and liked how the author made it her own. Overall, this was an interesting story. I highly recommend it to younger readers who enjoy fantasy.