Literally the Best Reviews: Her Last Flight

 Her Last Flight - Beatriz Williams

William Morrow Publishing

400 Pages

I want to start off by saying that this book propelled itself into one of my favorite books of 2020, if not THE favorite of the year. Obviously I love historical fiction, and Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams very aptly fits that description. This was a book where I ignored everyone around me in order to keep reading. This was such an amazing book. 

Literally the Best Reviews: The Second Midnight

The Second Midnight - Andrew Taylor

Harper Collins

400 Pages

I must have been in an historical fiction mood when I visited the Lockport Public Library way back in late February or early March when I was last able to stroll among the stacks. I picked up The Second Midnight by Andrew Taylor the same day I picked up The Rabbit Girls. Not only are both historical fiction novels, but they both deal with events that took place in Europe during World War II.

Literally the Best Reviews: The Rabbit Girls

The Rabbit Girls - Anna Ellory

Lake Union Publishing

396 Pages

Historical fiction is somewhat a hit or miss with me when I read them. The best ones grab my attention and force me to procrastinate doing other things around the house until I finish the book. Such is the case with The Rabbit Girls by Anna Ellory. And this book delves into two distinct, yet connected, pieces of European history and includes a modern struggle. It’s all rolled into a narrative that kept me reading it in just one sitting.

Book Reviews Reloaded: Twain's End

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on January 19, 2016. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

Twain’s End -- Lynn Cullen

Gallery Books

352 pages

Arguably one of America’s greatest writers, Mark Twain has had plenty written about him, even a century after his death. This includes the mammoth three-volume autobiography just recently completed. Even through decades of controversy, our infatuation with Twain and his legacy continues to grow. With Twain’s End, Lynn Cullen attempts to give us a quick glimpse into the final years of Samuel Clemens and his alter ego, Twain.

Literally the Best Reviews: The Abolitionist's Daughter

The Abolitionist’s Daughter - Diane C. McPhail

A John Scognamiglio Book

336 Pages

When it comes to historical fiction, it always seems very hit or miss with me. I either love them or hate them. I find a lot of times that the newer the publication the more revisionist it becomes, with more and more personal politics blurring the historical aspect of the novel. The Abolitionist’s Daughter by Diane C. McPhail walks that line very closely, dangerously leaning into the revisionist aspect of historical novels in several places. However, overall this is a pretty good book in most places.

Book Reviews Reloaded: The Wife the Maid & The Mistress

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on October 6, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

The Wife The Maid & The Mistress - Ariel Lawhon

Anchor Publishing

320 Pages

Each year, the Lockport Public Library hosts a program titled, “One Book -- One Community.” This program chooses a book for the patrons of the local libraries to read, and then follows up with a lecture and book signing by the author.  This year’s selection is The Wife, The Maid, & The Mistress by Ariel Lawhon.

Literally the Best Reviews: The Hellfire Club

The Hellfire Club -- Jake Tapper

Little, Brown and Company

352 Pages

I’ve watched Jake Tapper as far back as his ABC days before he was hired by CNN. In those early days, it seemed like he used to smile a lot more. After reading The Hellfire Club, he should be smiling a whole lot more. Tapper’s debut novel had me consulting with various historical resources to keep abreast of the various pieces of this historical romp through 1950s Washington, DC.

Literally the Best Reviews: Eagle & Crane

Eagle & Crane -- Suzanne Rindell

GP Putnams Sons

448 Pages

A couple of months ago, Howie Balaban wrote a book review (HERE) on this book. At the time of publication, I had this book on my shelf, borrowed from the library. It looked interesting, but I just hadn’t gotten to it yet. After reading Howie’s review, I knew I had to move this book to the top of the list. Did it live up to the hype that Howie gave it?

Thinking Out Loud on the Homefront: Historical Fiction at Its Best

When one is reading a novel, there are a few things that can happen. You can enjoy every word, and look forward to turning every page to find out what happens next. You can also find yourself battling to stay awake long enough to simply get through a story that had so much potential but wound up a disappointment, at least in your mind. In the past two weeks I've read one of each of these kinds of books, and it is the more enjoyable of the two that will be discussed here: Eagle & Crane by Suzanne Rindell.

Book Reviews Reloaded: A Cry From the Dust

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on February 10, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

A Cry From the Dust -- Carrie Stuart Parks
Thomas Nelson Publishing
384 Pages

Most of the time when I finish reading a book, I don’t write the review immediately. I generally give it a couple of days to let the ideas percolate just a bit before I commit words to paper. With my latest completed novel, I couldn’t wait to write the review.  A Cry From the Dust by Carrie Stuart Parks grabbed my attention like no other book that I’ve read in the last six months. Part of it could be its historical fiction. (I like history.)

Literally the Best Reviews: Carnegie's Maid

Carnegie’s Maid -- Marie Benedict

Sourcebooks Landmark

288 Pages

Marie Benedict previously wrote The Other Einstein, which I thought was really well done. It was a “what-if” in the life of Albert Einstein, based upon his first wife and her influence on his life. Benedict came to the Lockport Library to speak about her book in October 2017. Her take on what could have happened in a person’s life intrigued me, so when I saw that she had a new book out, I had to read it.

Book Reviews Reloaded: I Am Abraham

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on October 28, 2014. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

I Am Abraham Jerome Charyn

Liveright Publishing

480 Pages

I Am Abraham by Jerome Charyn is another piece of historical fiction from the Lockport Public Library that I just read. It may be the historian in me, but I really like to read books from this genre, though they need to be well done.  Fortunately, this one is.

Marie Benedict Packs the Lockport Library

The Wheeler Room at the Lockport Library was filled to capacity and the overflow crowd spilled into the atrium as author, Marie Benedict, stopped in for a visit. This year’s “One Book, One Community” author talk featured The Other Einstein, a book that took a deeper look into the life of Mileva Maric, the first wife of physicist, Albert Einstein. Judging by the crowd Tuesday evening, Benedict’s book was very popular among readers in the NIOGA system.

Literally the Best Reviews: Brooklyn

Brooklyn -- Colm Toibin

Scribner Publishers

262 Pages

It is very rare that I watch a movie before reading a book, if there’s a book available. It’s even rarer that I like the movie better than I like the book. Generally, the movie glosses over certain aspects while the book dives deep into the plots and characters. This book breaks the mold and the movie ends up far deeper than the book.