So it’s hard to categorize this novel, and in discussing the plot, or conceit, not only doesn’t explain anything much about the novel, but actually makes it seem much more banal than it really is. I tell AP Literature (and I would be fired for teaching this one….not really, but maybe), that irony and tone are absolutely the most important factors in understanding fiction. In this book, the tone is everything. The story is about a young Black woman from Philadelphia whose mother is Black […]
12th Century Boss Lady
Even as a self-proclaimed Anglophile, and British history major in college, I must admit that I did not know much about Eleanor of Aquitaine. I am very glad to have stumbled upon this completed three-part series by Elizabeth Chadwick. Chadwick is a new author to me, but I enjoyed her style of writing and great attention to historical detail. Historical fiction cannot be easy to write but is so wonderful to read when an author gets it right. The books begins when Aelinor (the actual […]
Diamonds and death
This is book six in the Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mysteries, which are the exploits of an American anatomist in 18th century London. I had read book two last year, and somehow didn’t realize this one was four books after that already. Still, I was able to pick up the threads of the series without too much effort again. It begins with a duel between Thomas and another man, over the affections of Lady Lydia Farrell, whom Thomas hopes to marry. She has been through some […]
A little Heart attack can be a good thing
My Heart by Corinna Luyken is getting a bit of press and is becoming a darling of the picture book world (I smell multiple awards and acknowledgments in its future). While I did not gush over it, I feel it is a solid 3.5 rating. This is mostly due to the content of the book. The theme is a bit mature and seems to be aimed mostly at adults. Also the stark (though lovely) artwork also makes it adult and almost abstract in nature. While […]