It has been a while since I posted here, or was able to write anything. I was ill on and off from December through to the start of April, but finally managed to get myself sorted out with a visit to the doctor and a sort-of diagnosis in the form of the fact that my… Continue reading Reading Diary: February – May 2022
Tag: Historical fiction
Reading Diary: January 2022
Recently I’ve been exploring the role and function of book blogging and how I want to fit into it. For a while I’ve just reviewed each book I read individually, and I think for me that format was getting a little stale, and I wasn’t sure how appealing it actually was to readers - especially… Continue reading Reading Diary: January 2022
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My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (1951)
2003 Virago paperback I first read this in 2014, which seems like a lifetime ago, and decided to re-read it earlier this year when I was fed up with everything I had on my bookshelves. At some point I put it aside, and I left it for so long, I'm not sure why, that I… Continue reading My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (1951)
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Catching up on reviews…
I don't often do multiple reviews in one post, but, as I mentioned here, I am a bit behind with reviews, including a couple of books I read several months ago, so this time around it's easier to put a few together in one post. Let me know what you think! Little by Edward Carey… Continue reading Catching up on reviews…
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The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock continues the trend of historical novels that are filled with rich detail, the glamour and grunge of the city, and a vivid cast of characters. This novel also brings in a slightly fantastical element with the mermaid, which I think makes it a bit more original than some other novels… Continue reading The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick
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House of Glass by Susan Fletcher (2018)
I loved Susan Fletcher's last novel, Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew, so I was very happy to accept a review copy of House of Glass, which was published at the start of November. It's another historical drama, this time centering on a woman named Clara Waterfield, who is employed to create… Continue reading House of Glass by Susan Fletcher (2018)
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Emma by Jane Austen (1816)
I still have two more Jane Austen novels to read but I have wanted to read Emma for the longest, and wanted to read it the most, if that makes sense. Ever since I learned that one of my favourite films, Clueless, was loosely based on it, Emma has loomed large on my TBR. After… Continue reading Emma by Jane Austen (1816)
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Her Hidden Life by V.S. Alexander (2018)
I bought this novel on a whim in the supermarket (something I hardly ever do) because I was just in the mood to buy a book. It happens. Almost all of the novels on sale were sensational crime, romances, or what was once called 'chick lit' and this was the only one that appealed to… Continue reading Her Hidden Life by V.S. Alexander (2018)
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Re-reading: Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada (1947)
I first read Alone in Berlin in 2011 just after I'd left university. I'd read a lot of books about the Second World War for a course at university, and my further reading (and time on Twitter) led me to this novel. It was only translated into English in 2009, so in 2011 it was… Continue reading Re-reading: Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada (1947)
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The Women of the Castle by Jessica Shattuck (2017)
[A side note: in the US, the title is The Women in the Castle.] I’ve always been interested in the literature of the Second World War, ever since a course on the Literatures of Genocide at university. I’ve read history books, personal accounts, and novels such as Alone in Berlin and City of Women; so,… Continue reading The Women of the Castle by Jessica Shattuck (2017)
These Little Words 