New Books in Reading and Ruminations Land

Hi everyone! I am briefly peeking my head out to let you all know that yes, I am still alive. Nothing in the last month has gone according to plan, including my plan to get back on track with my reading and blogging. Between my brother’s wedding and my grandfather’s death and the sudden trip to Arizona it necessitated, it’s been hard to get a handle on much of anything not work-related.

I’ve talked several times about needing to schedule time to blog, but I hadn’t actually done so. Until now. I just sat down with my (Google) calendar and marked off an hour each day to work on writing blog posts and reviews. Now, this may not work. But I figure that I’ve said I want to try doing that, so I should actually try.

And so that this post actually does contain bookish content, I’ve acquired several new books over the last several weeks. I picked up quite a few at the Lake Havasu City Hastings, which had some pretty good prices, while I was in Arizona last week. I got:

• Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji
• The Forgery of Venus by Michael Gruber
• Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo
• In the Woods by Tana French
• The Likeness by Tana French
• Great Tales from English History by Robert Lacey

I’m definitely going through a phase where I’m starting to want history books more than fiction. I go through this phase a couple times a year, usually at the beginning and end of the year. Another recent purchase is Blood and Roses by Helen Castor, about a family in England during the Wars of the Roses, and my most recent Library Thing Early Reviewers book is The Lady Queen by Nancy Goldstone, about the reign of Joanna I. I’m very excited about digging in to some history books. One of the things I miss about school is digging in to the books and learning new things about history.

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think?

Review: The Tory Widow by Christine Blevins

On a bright May day, Anne Peabody receives an unexpected kiss from a stranger. Bringing news of the repeal of the Stamp Act, Jack Hampton, a member of the Sons of Liberty, abruptly sweeps Anne into his arms, kisses her- and then leaves her to the fate of an arranged marriage…

New York City, 1775

Anne, now the Widow Merrick, is struggling to survive in a city on the brink of war. In a time when Loyalists are tarred and feathered, Anne continues her late husband’s business, printing Tory propoganda, not because she believes in the cause but because she needs the money to survive. When her shop is ransacked by the Sons of Liberty, Anne once again comes face-to-face with Jack Hampton. But he is no longer the optimistic youth she remembers. Despite her better judgment, Anne finds herself drawn to both the ardent patriot and his rebel cause.

As shots ring out at Lexington and war erupts, Anne is faced with a life-altering decision: Sit back and watch her world be torn apart, or take a stand and fight for both her country’s independence and her own…

As a child, I read a fair amount of Revolution-themed historical fiction. It’s been a long time since I’ve read historical fiction centered specifically on the American Revolution, and reading The Tory Widow reminded me of all the things I love about historical fiction set in this era. Anne, Jack, and their friends were readable, likable characters, and the romance between Anne and Jack felt organic and real.

I was concerned that the inclusion of real historical figures would seem forced and contrived, but thankfully Blevins chose to focus more on her characters, and the historical figures are peripheral. However, there was just enough historical fact to make me want to spend some time reading non-fiction and history about the period, which for me is always a huge selling point for historical fiction.

Overall, I thought this was much better than Blevins’ debut novel, Midwife of the Blue Ridge, which I read last year and liked but didn’t love. I’m very glad I gave her a second chance, and I’d definitely recommend this book to fans of historical romance set during the Revolution.

Buy The Tory Widow on Amazon

(Summary taken from the back cover of the novel)

(I received this book free from LibraryThing as part of their early reviewers program earlier this year)

Sunday Salon: Read-a-thon Wrapup

Happy Sunday, fellow Saloners, from the perpetually absentee blogger. I’ve been a bad blogger recently, but I have been trying to refocus on reading and figuring out how I want to move forward with the blog.

I participated in the 24 hour read-a-thon yesterday. I got a late start, then took a couple hours off for the brunch my parents were hosting to celebrate my brother’s wedding Friday night. But I did get the chance to participate, and I finished three books: Baggage Claim by Tanya Michna, Five Minutes More by Darlene Ryan, and Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani. All three were very good, though I can’t really say that Five Minutes More was enjoyable, given the theme of suicide and its aftermath for the survivors.

Overall, I read 916 pages over 520 minutes, which is a pretty good clip. If I’d been able to focus more throughout the day, I would have been very pleased. As it is, I am pleased with what I managed to read.

Today, I’m hoping to finish Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and if I have a chance, get back to The Woman in White. Hope those of you who participated in the read-a-thon got plenty of sleep, and I hope you all enjoy what’s left of your Sunday!

Read-a-thon Update #6

I’m still awake, but I haven’t done much reading at all the last few hours. With two hours left to go, though, I really do want to finish the read-a-thon and finish a fourth book. It’ll be cutting it kind of close: at my fastest earlier in the read-a-thon, I was averaging two pages a minute, and with 12o minutes of read-a-thon left, I will have to push myself to read 278 pages (I’m currently 10 pages into Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict). If it comes as close as I hope it will, I will claim four books completed during the read-a-thon. But if I have more than, say, 50 pages left, I will just count this one separately.

Good luck to those still pushing onward!

Read-a-thon Update #5

I just finished the third book, Viola in Reel Life, which was light and the perfect choice to follow Five Minutes More, which was much more thought-provoking and resonant.

I also spent a bit of time over the last few hours doing some things not really related to the read-a-thon (I spent more time on Facebook this evening than I have in months). I think I’m mostly over that, and I should be set for the next five and a half hours.

Really quickly, I want to thank those of you who have dropped by and left comments and cheered me on. They are much appreciated, and I’m feeling pretty good about my prospects for finishing on a strong note.

Up next: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

Pages read so far: 846

Time spent reading: 480 minutes

Books completed: 3

Read-a-thon Update #4

About 20 minutes and 40 pages into Viola in Reel Life, I decided my cat had the right idea and turned off the light for a nap. I slept for just over an hour and had a very unusual dream involving Paul Reiser, Hugh Grant singing Good King Wenceslas as he did in Love Actually, and I think the Weasley twins. I’ve no idea what led to any of it, and I don’t usually remember anything from my dreams, but I remembered random parts of this one.

Now, I’ve shaken it off, and it’s time to go back to reading. With that nap, I actually should be good to power through the rest of the read-a-thon. It’s only 9 and a half more hours.

Pages read so far: 564

Time spent reading: 340 minutes

Books completed: 2

Read-a-thon Update #3

Just finished my second book of the day: Five Minutes More by Darlene Ryan. It was a really fast read, but it was pretty depressing. Books with themes of suicide (and being one of the ones left behind) resonate with me because of my own experiences, so this one will probably stay with me for awhile.

My next book is going to be Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani.

Pages read so far: 524

Time spent reading: 320 minutes

Books completed: 2

Read-a-thon Update #2

I just finished my first book of the Read-a-thon: Baggage Claim by Tanya Michna. Overall, it was very easy to read, and an interesting story about the different ways women can empower each other.

With the exception of my grandparents, who have been here since Tuesday, all the guests are gone, and I can focus on the read-a-thon again, hopefully for the rest of the event. Up next: Five Minutes More by Darlene Ryan.

Pages read so far: 312

Time spent reading: 215 minutes

Read-a-thon Update #1

I’m just over 100 pages into Baggage Claim, and it’s going well so far. I took a break for a shower before people start arriving for the brunch, but I’m pleased that I was able to squeeze in an hour and a half of reading before that. Now I’m showered, and I have time before guests start arriving, but I have a feeling my reading may be sporadic for a few hours. I’ll try to pop in a bit, though, and I am definitely going to try to get around to the blogs to do some cheerleading.

Pages read so far: 107

Time spent reading: 85 minutes

24 Hour Read-a-thon

I’m starting the read-a-thon a bit late today. My brother got married last night, so waking up at 5 am was pretty much impossible. And my presence here will probably be a bit sporadic throughout the day, as family is still in town, and we’re supposed to be hosting brunch here in just over two hours.

But I am starting now, and I am starting off with Tanya Michna’s Baggage Claim.

Good luck to all read-a-thon participants!