A few years ago I read and loved Kate Quinn’s Mistress of Rome, but it had taken me some time to pick up this prequel. I really enjoyed the central love story in Mistress, so the larger and more scattered cast left me feeling less invested in Daughters. Daughters of Rome takes place during the Year of Four Emperors, around 69 AD. Our main characters are the “four Cornelias”; four young women from a very prominent patrician family. Cornelia Prima is well- and happily married […]
You’ve got to hide your love away
I’ve not seen Carol, the Cate Blanchett/Rooney Mara film adapatation of this novel, but I can see how beautifully this work would translate to film, especially in the hands of Blanchett. She is perfect for the role of Carol, a rather cool and collected wealthy suburbanite. Carol becomes the singular romantic focus of Therese, a very young aspiring NYC set designer, after a brief meeting in the toy department of the store where Therese works. The relationship between Therese and Carol develops slowly, until Therese […]
Where is my mind?
Look at me, trying new things! Based on a great review from ChainedVase http://cbr.bgwdesigns.com/2016/02/sci-fic-mystery-yes-please/, I went a bit outside of my rut and tried some sci-fi. What a great read! In Scalzi’s very creative and fleshed-out world a widespread virus has resulted in millions of people being struck with Haden’s Syndrome, named for the first lady who was one of the early public victims. Haden’s sufferers (called Hadens) are “locked in” to their bodies with full mental capacity and no voluntary nervous system. Due to years of […]
Cupcakes, Some False Advertising, and A Heap of Nonsense
I’m new to CBR this year, and you all seem to really like your romances. Outside of the classics and a few mainstreams, I have yet to get the genre to really speak to me. I’m pretty pragmatic by nature, so I’m not easily swept away. My dislike for romance makes me feel like there’s something wrong with me, not that there’s something wrong with romances. So I try and try again. So, here we are. Again. Someone (I’m sorry I can’t remember who), mentioned […]