This book is really two separate novels about the same time period in the same city. This is the only connection between the architects of The 1893 World‘s Fair and the serial killer H.H. Holmes. The book is well researched. The chapters on Holmes were intriguing. The chapters on The World‘s Fair were tedious but informative. I started out reading linearly, but eventually read it as two books. Anyone interested in Chicago history will love it.

This book delves into the complex relationships of women—both with other women and with men. The tale is told through 3 separate narrators who have a unique experience with a woman who steals their men, money, and self respect. It shows how each woman is able to overcome the devastating losses. It also shows how women are more powerful if we support one another. If you‘re feeling a little depressed by what‘s happening in the world, pick this up.

At the end of our lives, what is left to us but our memories? Doerr delves into this fascinating topic through six short stories of extraordinary people each asking the same question or enlightening us about memories in some way. After reading this, you‘ll see your life in everything and sometimes the lives that have gone before you. You‘ll learn to savor each moment more before those moments are lost to time. This is a must read!

This book is a bit disorganized and longish. Lady C tends to repeat a point several times making for a disjointed read. Having said that, Lady C also has all the dirt on the aristocracy. Those wanting a good gossip about the American Duchess and The Lost Prince will enjoy it. I read the updated version.

…And books to read before I sleep!

I‘m not sure about the accuracy of this story about Estée Lauder, and I don‘t think it matters. The fictional heroine, Gloria Dowaziac, is interesting enough to make up for any inaccuracies about Lauder. It‘s a good, quick read about the illusions we create to cover our sins, whether perceived or real, and finding our authentic selves. Enjoy!

Reading Vic Sizemore‘s novel about growing up in the mountains of West Virginia felt like a gut punch. Through various perspectives, he shows the experiences of characters grappling with Christianity, sexual abuse, identity, transsexualism, and homosexualism without preaching himself. He tells it like it is leaving the politics out. I recommend this book regardless of your feelings on any of these topics. It was hard to read but hard to put down.

If I could triple pick this, I would. The Push is a chilling tale about the darker sides of motherhood told by a third generation child of two unnatural mothers through a letter she writes to her husband. It is heartbreaking. I couldn‘t put it down. I wish I could say more, but it would spoil the best parts of the plot. You must read it!

I have loved this movie from the first time I saw Tristan (Brad Pitt) crying on a hill in the Montana wilderness. I have finally gotten around to reading the novella, and though somewhat different than the movie in style, the novella is just as good. It was a quick read, and like the movie, I didn‘t want it to end.

An honest and engrossing tale about a young boy growing up as a sex slave in a brothel in the Spanish city of New Carthage in the last years of pagan Rome. Every page leaves you feeling horrified at the boy‘s situation and hopeful that it will change. The story telling is captivating and the characters are vivid. The novel highlights both the best and the worst of humanity. Read it. You‘ll have a better understanding of humanity.

I‘ve seen the movie version over a dozen times but have never read the book. I found a copy on Open Library and dove in. I‘m glad I did. I had a sense of Holly‘s carefree nature from the movie but not her tragic bravery. She is a confounding character who you learn to love and admire while hating all at once. She naively places herself in the most impossible situations and rescues herself with aplomb. An excellent and fast read!

There are times when I feel uppity and swear Stephen King isn‘t that talented of a writer. Then I pick up a book like The Stand and am humbled by King‘s ability to tell a really great story. His characters are real. The settings are real. The emotions are real. I found myself wanting to stay up way past my bedtime to finish a few more pages. Was this the best choice to read during a pandemic? Yes. I think so. It puts it all into perspective.

If you have not read this, you absolutely MUST! It will offer you words of wisdom in a lighthearted way, give you a new perspective on life and regret, and offer you the hope you are looking for in these trying times. Haig is a brilliant writer who knows how to get to the heart of humans. Don‘t cheat yourself! Read this book!

Some parts of this novel I loved and others annoyed me. The banter between the brothers was annoying at times. The scene in the theater near the end was a bit hokey and unrealistic. However, the way he moved between past and present was flawless. He gave moving descriptions of The Holocaust and the effects it had on his characters. Jack‘s mother‘s story was equally moving. Conroy is gifted writer in need of an editor who can showcase his talents.

It took me awhile to appreciate Hemingway's style, especially after being submerged in Faulkner, but he's grown on me considerably through the years. A book of short stories, written in Hems tight style, is just what I needed these past few months of scattered thoughts and worry. The best short by far is The Snows if Kilimanjaro, but I think all his shorts are in this edition.

This one was quite poetic and did a good job of illustrating what Marilyn's inner dialog and feelings might have been. I wish it were a bit more factual; however, Oats does warn the reader it won't be a piece of historical fiction. Oats does make the reader do a little sleuthing to figure out who Marilyn may have been thinking about or involved with during the story. If you're looking for a factual account of her life, this may not be for you.

My MIL gave this to me, and it's not something I'd normally read, so it took me a while to get into it. It wasn't bad once I did though. It was quite entertaining. My only complaint is that Brown kept repeating major plot points which ruined the immersion a little.

A easy, quick read that deals with some heavy topics relevant to what we hear on the news today. The difference between the news and the book is the main character‘s moral fortitude and positive attitude. I enjoyed being in her presence, and the book ended way too soon.

Had I been more familiar with the time period, I might have found this a bit better to read. It is a well-written account of Cleopatra from her perspective, which was interesting, but I found myself going on Google field trips to look up people, places, and incidents. I think that took away from the enjoyment of the book. If you‘re not compelled to Google everything then you may enjoy this book more.

An interesting book but a little repetitive and rambling. Morton does a good job of describing Diana‘s side of the story. However, I‘d like to read an objective account taking in both sides of the marriage and divorce of Charles and Diana. At times I found myself frustrated with her privileged attitude about her own suffering, but I cried at Britain‘s reaction to her death. She has definitely had an emotional impact worldwide—whether good or bad.

“Isolation becomes a circle: the lonelier you are, the more you pull away, until humans seem an alien race, with customs and a language you can‘t begin to understand.” - Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

Lots of great quotes and a lighthearted read. I‘m sorry for not having read this before now. I‘ve relied on the movie version which was a bit lazy especially when the book was better—as usual.

This was good first attempt by Bryn Turnbull. She chose an interesting character with a plethora of experiences both in America and Europe. The novel describes the affair Thelma Furness had with Prince Edward (David) and her involvement with her sister‘s, Gloria Vanderbilt‘s, custody trial.

I had just finished watching the movie and thought, “The book has to be better.” I checked it out from an online library and wasn‘t disappointed. It‘s a poetic, touching read that should make you weep at least twice. No movie can do this book justice. It must be read.

I‘ve spent the past six weeks submerged in the Plantagenets‘ world. Phillippa Gregory does an excellent job of bringing the Plantagenet women alive, allowing us to step back in time and experience events from their point of view. If you haven‘t tried any of her novels, and if you‘re a fan of historical fiction, you should check her out. I‘ll leave a link to her website below.

https://www.philippagregory.com/novels-reading-order

If you find the people of Kenya‘s Happy Valley during the 20s and 30s interesting, you won‘t be disappointed with Spicers‘ portrayal of Alice de Janze. The biography is well researched, and he logically connects her to the mysterious murder of her lover Joss Hay, the 22nd Earl of Erroll. A great, quick read!

This is a great story up to the last few chapters. Those are torture to get through. I‘m going to give it a thumbs up for everything but those chapters. The movie is wonderful though. If you haven‘t seen it, you should.

This essay appeared in my email, and I thought I‘d share it here for anyone who‘s interested. You can also sign up for The Library of America‘s weekly short story selection and read for free. I‘ve been a subscriber for several years and have discovered some wonderful writers.

http://storyoftheweek.loa.org/2020/06/the-souls-of-white-folk.html

I wanted to love this book since I love historical fiction, fashion, and the Titanic, but it had a tendency to drag on. I forced myself to move forward as I hate bailing on a novel. It did receive good reviews elsewhere, so maybe it was just me.

These are my two latest buys from Google Play. Both were on sale for $1.99. I look forward to reading and reviewing them when I‘m done with The Dress Maker by Kate Alcott.

This fast, fun, and easy read about Helen Gurley Brown is just what the doctor ordered to take my mind off the pandemic. Rosen does a spectacular job of weaving history and fiction together as a small-town, aspiring photographer takes us to 1965 New York, showing us how Helen turns Cosmo magazine into the sexy icon we know today. It's Sex and the City meets The Devil Wears Prada.

This book would've been interesting if I hadn't read it during a pandemic. The sisters are fascinating, and the author researched the subject well, but I was looking for an escape. A 600 page biography wasn't it for right now. I'll finish it at a later date.

This is one of my favorite movies though I‘d never read the book. I‘ve read a few other Highsmith novels and decided to give this one a try. It‘s a little different from the screenplay but not disappointingly so. It follows the adage “the book is always better than the movie.”

Being from Chicago, I‘d thought I‘d like this book a bit more than I did. Perhaps it‘s because I‘d read two Abbott books back-to-back that I found this one a bit dry. There are also a lot of characters to sift through and most of them could‘ve had a their own book. I‘d recommend reading it when you have time to fully research all the aspects of the Chicago crime syndicate and law enforcement.

Being from the Midwest, I‘m always intrigued with its criminal history, especially stories about prohibition and bootleggers. Abbot‘s retelling of The Bootleg King, George Remus, was a well-researched work taken directly from court and legal documents along with news stories of the time. It starts off a little slow and dry but picks up in the middle. All in all, an interesting read.

I have traveled to many places in my books through the years. I wasn‘t looking forward to going to a swamp but went as I received this book as a gift. Delia Owens expertly describes the prejudices we have towards others and just as expertly unwraps those for us to examine. Read this and you‘ll want to hug someone who is different. It‘s a beautiful book.

Stunning. Horrible and beautiful at the same time. If you liked The Goldfinch, you‘ll love this as well. Tartt has the ability to see inside the souls of troubled young people like no other author of our time, and her tales are always compelling.

A great story about two notorious characters and a famous one. This novel takes you through the lives of Claude and Blanche Auzello, the manager of the Ritz Hotel in Paris and his Jewish wife, during World War II. Though little is known about their inner/emotional lives, Benjamin does a fine job of reimagining them for us. The novel is rich in history and accurate in events. An excellent and moving read!

This appeared to be all about fashion from the cover, but it‘s much more than that. It‘s a story about women‘s strength in the face of extreme adversity. It‘s about love and friendships that transcend wars and time embroidered on the tapestry of life through the generations. I enjoyed this one.

I was riveted with this one from the first chapter and read it in a day—something I rarely do. It has a perfect balance of history, intrigue, romance, and transformation. Gruen‘s talent for writing characters and plot kept my eyes trained on the page. Superb!

I‘m addicted to historical fiction and this one didn‘t disappoint. It‘s a fast, fun read offering a lot of insight into Alice Roosevelt Longworth‘s life as a Washington, D.C. socialite and political force. Thornton did her research and dishes up the dirt on this enigmatic woman who would have held an office of her own if times were different then. I sympathized with her heartbreaks and rejoiced in her victories. All in all—a great read!

I figured I'd read this before The Irishman comes out. I've always had a fascination with mob movies, but I've never read a mob confessional. I can't fathom, even after reading this, what kind of person could kill a dear friend in cold blood. With Sheeran's confession, Brandt has done an excellent job of illuminating the inner workings of The IBT and the mafia from the 30s to 90s. I couldn't put this one down.

I'm a fan of historical fiction, so it goes without saying that I loved this book. It's a nice introduction to Jennie Churchill and a few of the other million dollar princesses.

An easy, fast read but a bit of a downer at times. There are a few plot twist that make up for it though.

I just finished this book, and I have to say, “WOW!” I picked it up to see what all the hype is about not expecting to like it since it‘s not a genre I usually read. It blew my hair back. I‘m hooked on the series and already dreading what I‘ll read when I‘m done.

This is a series I return to from time to time. It‘s based on a powerful family of female witches spanning centuries. Each generation has a matriarch who inherits a dutiful ghost to do her bidding. It has romance, the supernatural, old houses, and New Orleans. It takes the reader on a journey from the West Coast to the South and around the world. A fabulous book series if you‘re looking for something intriguing and fun.

Does anyone else write notes on Post Its and stick them in their book?

The Talisman is a fun, easy read that I revisit from time to time. I find the plot compelling, the concept interesting, and the characters well crafted. He co-wrote it with Peter Straub, and the two writing styles blend well together. This is by far my favorite King novel.

I enjoyed learning about Stephen I‘s reign and Empress Matilda‘s quest for the crown. The book is well researched, and the characters bring this medieval period to life. There are a lot of characters which can be difficult to keep track of at times, and many of those characters have the same name, but she does try to differentiate, making it a bit easier. If you‘re interested in historical fiction about England, you‘ll enjoy this book.

If you like your philosophy with cotton candy, enjoy stories about immortality, and can‘t live without beets then this book is your ticket to the circus of life. It spans a 1000 years in which a condemned king meets a Greek god and travels the world with his true love. It‘s a story replete with sex, intrigue, and three perfumeries‘ attempts to find the perfect scent. It has a little something for everyone. Join King Alobar. You won‘t regret it.

It is cold and the first dusting of snow sits on the window sills. I'm wrapped in a blanket, thinking about soup and soft rolls, feeling a little sad at the loss of yet another summer. I grab the book from the table next to me -- A Moveable Feast. I‘ll spend the afternoon in Hemingway's chilly Paris. Later I'll have a little brandy to clear this phlegm from my chest. Then I'll toast all the great writers who've ever driven away my winter blues.