Stark Raving Bibliophile

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Conner MeNees

2011-06-14T21:06:00.004-04:00

Fabulous fabulous fabulous book! You really get to see into the life of Louisa May Alcott. The story is based on actual happenings (the summer in Walpole, her living in Boston alone) but the plot, the romance is fictional. Little Women has always been one of my favorite books, and in this book you can see the characters come alive just as in LW. Sometimes you just want to smack Louisa and other times your heart breaks for her.

We get to read about a man she falls in love with and contemplate that maybe this is what really happened to her and was the reason and character behind Jo's Laurie in Little Women.

If you loved reading her novel then you will definitely love reading about her.

Losing someone

2011-06-04T10:14:00.001-04:00

It saddens my heart to say that the beautiful woman who was the inspiration behind this blog passed away on May 25th. I was lucky enough to attend her services in Canada.

She wanted me to use the word "bibliophile" and when I said I wanted to start a reading blog she named it. She has been the reason I read so many of the books I have. I never would have discovered Jennifer Donnelly without her. Nor would I have read so many Phillipa Gregory novels.

She was my book partner and I will never forget her.

Breathe Easy now Bree, we miss you here in bookland.

To read about her services please visit my other blog post here.

Thank You

New York by Edward Rutherfurd

2011-06-03T10:06:00.003-04:00

Wow this book was amazing! And long. But well worth the time it took to read it. I could have read it much faster but For 4 months I was in school and also reading history textbooks so that really slowed down the personal readings.

The book is all about the history of New York city. It is quite amazing I tell you. It starts off with the founding of the colonies and ends in 2009. He touches upon September 11th as well and I could feel my heart racing as I recalled those events on that day.

The story follows the leading family, the Master's, from beginning to end. There are also other families woven in there as well, the O'Donnells, the Caruso's, etc. Everyone having a part in the history and working on a piece of it as well.

I truly enjoyed this book and would love to read it again in a few years.

Grad School

2011-04-03T21:32:00.000-04:00

This September I will be starting graduate school yay! So my "fun" book reading will come to an almost halt. I haven't done much reading so far this year as I am readinga ton for my one class I am taking (undergrad). But I have beenr eadinga few pages here and there in New York. It's a great book so far and I am looking forward to finishing it :)

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

2011-01-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

I LOVED this book! Its been a while since I have read anything about england in the 14-1500s and this was the perfect book to get me back in.

Elizabeth is the white queen. King Edward takes her, a common woman, to be his queen. This whole book takes place during the war of the roses, when England's two houses (York and Lancaster) are fighting for the throne. The York's remove the Lancaster King and then the Lancaster's try to get him back on the throne. All the while King Edward and Queen Elizabeth are beloved rulers of England.

During the turmoil of the houses fighting, family members are killed, some are called out as witches, and others are imprisoned. But through it all, Elizabeth's faith in her family and her right to be queen never wavers.

The most fascinating tid-bit I took from this book is that Elizabeth was the mother of Elizabeth Tudor, who was the mother of Henry VIII, the king with 6 wives. And the great grandmother to Queen Elizabeth I, England's most famous Queen, who ruled without a husband.

The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton

2011-01-19T22:39:00.001-05:00

I had read this book many many years ago and searched high and wide for it, never knowing that this book, the one on my "to-read" list, was THE book.

The Winthrop woman is Elizabeth Winthrop, niece and daughter-in-law to Massachusetts Bay Colony founder John Winthrop. This book tells her story. How she grew up; her first love; her first marriage; moving to the colonies with her family; her second marriage and her true love.

This book is the reason I am so obsessed with history. At least in my opinion it is. I remember reading this book a long time ago and being transfixed by her story, by the word she lived in. It was then that I knew I wanted to study history, even if I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

2010-11-04T19:40:00.000-04:00

This was a fabulous book. I was expecting it to be a bit more dramatic, but I realize that, at the time, it was and I have read quite a bit about this time period. Therefore, the atrocities she was writing about were not a surprise to me, per-say.

Uncle Tom shows amazing character and strength during his trials as a slave. From the beginning we see how well he handles being sold away from his family. Though it hurt him, he maintained a strong appearance for his family. I thought for sure he had hit "gold" when he was bought by the St Clair's. I was ecstatic when St Clair told Tom he would free him, and devastated when he passed away so suddenly. Even more so when his wife refused to free Tom and sold him instead to such a monster. The courage he showed on the farm in the face of such cruel treatment is something we can all learn from. He truly believed, with heart and soul, that the Lord would save him and take him home. Not the home that "we" would think, but the true home, the home of our Lord. In doing so he was reunited with his friend and companion, Eva.

Eva was a remarkable young woman (I use woman here because, although she was a child, she was extremely mature) who captured your heart in her very short time in the novel. I was truly sadden by her death yet comforted by the strength she showed. When the time comes for me to lay on my death bed, I hope to be as mature and as comforting as she was.

The ending surprised me quite a bit. There was a lot a story weaving that caught me off guard. Between characters finding out to be brother and sisters and mother and daughter, I was dumbfounded. However, it was a "happy" ending in a world where happy endings were rare for slaves. We got to see what hard lives those we enslaved lived, but we got to see what happened when we let them live as we did. It definitely was a powerful novel and one I am glad to have read.

North and South Trilogy by John Jakes

2010-09-13T21:05:00.000-04:00

These are one of my favorite sets of books to read. I re-read them because I had missed the characters. It's not often that you fall in love with so many characters in one book. To this day I am still captivated by Charles Main. My first run at these novels produced some very strong feelings towards him. I felt an unmistakable longing for him when the novels were finished. I might have even cried a bit. Although I was not as thunderstruck the second time around, I was still moved and impressed by him. And I do believe it is safe to say he was/is my favorite character in this series, and perhaps even of all time.

The novels start out meeting the Mains and the Hazards and how they settled where they did in the US. We follow George Hazard and Orry Main as they become life long best friends. They marry, have children and we see the bonds between the two families grow over time. However, as was common with families during the Civil War, their families were not without their issues.

George has two brothers - Billy and Stanley, and a sister - Virgilia. Orry has two sisters- Brett and Ashton, a brother- Cooper, and his cousin Charles. We are also introduced to these characters and learn to love/hate them as fiercely as their families do.

North and South deals with the build up to the war and the first shots fired on Fort Sumter. Love and War obviously deals with the war years. Heaven and Hell deals with reconstruction, the Indians and western expansion.

There are parts of these books that will leave you feeling depressed and mad at the author and there are other parts that will leave you so beyond happy you can't imagine ever being mad at John Jakes.

This is definitely a set of books to be had and read whenever you feel the need to delve into the Civil War era.

Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

2010-07-03T21:11:00.000-04:00

I am a huge fan of Gone with the Wind and just as huge of a fan of this book, the sequel. Alexandra does such a great job of capturing Scarlett and her personality.

Unlike GOTW, Scarlett takes place in mainly Charleston and Ireland. It is a great look into post war America and how the genteel society dealt with the changes. Also into Ireland and the turmoil that was plaguing the country at this time.

Scarlett is still the same belle of the ball as she was before, but this time, she succeeds in growing up. She is still hard headed and stubborn, but that is a trait that we as her loyal fans love about her. It is her determination that makes this book such a success. The ending brought tears to my eyes, even the second time.

Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

2010-03-02T08:27:00.000-05:00

I absolutely LOVED this book!

I was a little nervous at first because it is referencing the Bible and Christ and I hate having religion thrown in my face. But surprisingly it isn't like that. It is funny, insightful and makes you view Jesus as a human being. We see what he was like as a child and how he grew up to be the Messiah. Of course this is fiction and you need to remember that when you are reading it.

If you are ubber Christian and take the Bible VERY seriously then I do not recommend this book. However, if you are a believer and know the Bible but are open enough to have some fun with it, I would read it.

Some background on me...I am a Roman Catholic. I am a believer in God and all that encompasses. However, I am not a church goer and do not feel that I need to in order to be "saved" when it is my time to die. I went to Catholic school, I have completed all the Sacraments available to me as of yet and I plan on dying a Catholic. I know the Bible and the references were not lost on me in this book.

After reading this I have found myself wanting to go back and re-read the Bible. At least parts of it anyhow. Especially since the last time I actually did it was close to 20 years ago!!!!

All in all I highly recommend this book and will most definitely be reading it again...probably after my foray into the Bible.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

2010-01-22T10:28:00.001-05:00

I must admit I was a little hesitant about this book when first suggested in my book club. Although I adore reading, sometimes coming out of my element can be disastrous. I was pleasantly surprised just how much I ended up liking it and how much I could relate to it.

The main character, Rob, is going through a break up with his girlfriend and in turn analyzes his past relationships, including childhood days. Even being a female I can relate to what he talks about. I found myself nodding in total agreement and laughing. He takes you on a walk through total hysteria, self reflection and embarrassment.

There are parts in the book where you will love Rob and parts where you want to shake him and call him all the four letter words you can think of. He is a great character though, because each and every one of us has a Rob somewhere down inside, whether we want to admit it or not.

This is a definitely a keeper book and in a few years I am sure I will read it again.

Been gone a while

2010-01-19T11:26:00.000-05:00

Wow it has been really long since I posted anything. I have been reading but not nearly as much as I should. With Christmas I was busy making presents for everyone (I crochet'd all my gifts) so I didn't have much time to read. But I just joined a book club in my online CF community so I will be reading at least one book a month. And some that are on my to read list which is nice.

So look for some reviews soon!

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew

2009-10-20T16:34:00.000-04:00

by Daniel Pool

This ended up being a very informative book. It gives the reader a whole bunch of valuable information about the time period of Austen, Dickens and Bronte. Everything from currency to clothing to social rituals. A much needed book for those who are ever perplexed by certain aspects of the books we love to read.

The Second Mrs. Darcy by Elizabeth Aston

2009-08-22T09:45:00.000-04:00

As you can see I am very happy with reading books by Mrs. Aston. She has a great way of bringing her characters to life while not traveling far from the Darcy’s. This was my third book in the Everything Austen Challenge.

Octavia Darcy was Mr. Darcy’s second wife – Christopher Darcy – a cousin of The Darcy’s. Upon his death she decides to head back to London to live with her step-family until her financial fate is deci

ded. In India she received some news of an unknown relative’s death and an inheritance that would solve all of her financial worries, for life.

Just when it seems her future is looking up, a snag in her hopes becomes known. We are revisited by the spiteful George Warren (From the Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy), who is out to make Octavia’s life miserable while increasing his fortune. Luckily she has a very important man on her side, Lord Rutherford. Though they met on some very unreasonable and not so nice terms, he helps her through this match with Warren.

Again, the ending was expected but the twists and turns made it well worth the read. I was very satisfied with this book and would love to make it part of my home collection.

The Darcy Connection by Elizabeth Aston

2009-08-22T09:29:00.000-04:00

This was my second book in the Everything Austen challenge. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth’s best friend marries a bishop and moves away. This book is about the two daughters that came from that marriage – Charlotte and Eliza.

Charlotte is invited to spend the season in London with her godmother, in hopes that she will find a suitable husband. Eliza is content to stay at her home, with her family, until an event happens that forces her

to accompany her sister to London.

As with most of the novels I have read my Mrs. Aston, the endings are very nearly the same but it’s the meat of the book that makes it so interesting. I knew what would happen but there are always some twists and turns that keep you guessing if it really WILL happen or if you will be left startled that something else did.

I was very happy with the ending if this book and looked forward to reading the next one on my list for this challenge.

Back

2009-08-12T06:24:00.000-04:00

I've been back for a few days and really need to get cracking on my reviews for you all.

This weekend I will get to them I promise!!!

MIA for a bit

2009-07-28T20:36:00.001-04:00

I will be away for about two weeks. Just wanted to give my few followers a heads up. There are four books stashed in my suitcase that I plan on reading while away! Only 2 of which are on my original challenges list, and the other two will get added to both.

When I return there will be many reviews to read so be prepared!! And happy reading to you all!

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

2009-07-25T11:32:00.000-04:00

This was my first book in the Civil War Challenge (remember I modified it since I started it 6 months behind schedule). I have mixed feelings about the book as of now. I certainly enjoyed reading about the American solider in battle and what he feels and thinks, but at the same time I had a hard time really getting into it.

Henry joins up with the Union army and sets off to war. He begins as a boy wanting to see battle and trying to figure out how he will act in the midst of fighting. He ends as a man, a veteran of war, who is aware of his faults and shortcomings, but who has found courage.

It was a good book and I will probably read it again, if only to grasp more of what I may have missed the first time around. And being that it was short (only 189 pages), it won't take long.

All in all I give this book 4 pens.

The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Ashton

2009-07-12T20:39:00.000-04:00

This was my first book in the Everything Austen Challenge. It was a great book! I had previously read Elizabeth Ashton's book "Mr. Darcy's Daughters" and loved it. Though I found that one to be a bit difficult to get into, this one hooked me with page one. I had found Alethea to be rather vibrant and appealing in the first novel and was eager to read all about her in a book dedicated entirely to herself.

Alethea Darcy, or Mrs. Napier as she is now known in the novel, is fleeing from a very brutal and unhealthy marriage. She travels through Europe disguised as a gentleman with her maid, Figgins, disguised as a man-servant. She encounters one Titus Manningtree who is both annoyingly charming and annoyingly angry with the world. He immediately recognizes Alethea for who she really is but does not give her away. Alethea solicits the help of her sister Georgina but is dismissed and told to go back to her husband as a good wife does. She decides to head to Venice to seek help from Camilla.

All along the way to Venice, Alethea and Figgins have some wonderful adventures that only men could have the pleasure of enjoying in 17th century Europe. Alethea tastes the freedom that being a man allows and falls in love with it.

My favorite quote from the book is when Lady Hermione is speaking with Alethea towards the end... "Life doesn't turn out as we expect it to. When we come out into the world, our futures seem as smooth and unmarred as virgin snow. It is an illusion, of course, and soon we weave a web of mistakes and failures as much as achievements and triumphs, and become used to walking on broken pavements rather than on paths of gold. It is what makes life so interesting; one quickly learns that one never knows what is going to happen next".

The book has a very happy and very interesting ending. One that I was not expecting...or at least not entirely. I had a feeling it would happen I just wasn't sure how the author was going to get us to that point. I was very happy with the book and would read it again in a heart beat!

Murder of a Medici Princess by Caroline P. Murphy

2009-07-06T15:41:00.000-04:00

I was excited for this book until I saw that it was a bibliography. I am not a fan of them but decided I would give it a go. At first it was great reading; I was intrigued and excited to learn about Isabella Medici. However, as the book wore on it became less about her and more about her male relatives. Mainly her husband Paolo Giordano Orsini and her eldest brother Francesco Medici.

There were a few facts that I was fascinated to learn about. For one, her heritage and how she was related to certain people such as Catherine De Medici who was married to Henri II of France. I also found it interesting that Elizabeth Tudor was a possible bride for Francesco until it was discovered that she was partial to the "new" religion. Imagine a Tudor-Medici union! WOW! Two great families united would have set history on an entirely different course.

Reading about Florence was also a pleasure for me. I have been to Florence and found the city beautiful and full of history. It was fabulous to read about certain buildings and areas and be able to picture them in your head. It also made me understand a few more things about the city that I was unaware of before. I made sure to visit anything remotely related to the Medici name while I was there but this book let me realize what it was that I actually saw.

Isabella as a person also intrigued me. She maintained her independence even though she was married to a prince from Rome, continuing to live in Florence, in a home her father (The Grand Duke Cosimo) gave to her. She was able to live her life the way she pleased, and raise her two children the way she chose. It is unknown, however, if her two children are from Paolo or her long time lover Troilo (Paolo's cousin). She was definitely a daddy’s girl and could be considered spoiled.

As you can see the beginning of the book delighted me. However, after her father’s death, my interest began to waver. There was a lot of talk about battles and wars and diplomacy. The book needs these particulars in order to allow the reader to understand the world in which Isabella lived in, but they did not keep my attention. I struggled to finish and skipped over many parts that did not catch my eye.

Towards the end it picks back up as the deaths of Isabella and her best friend, and sister in law, Leonora are discussed. Both were murdered (hence the title of the book), though the exact details are not known.

All in all it was a fairly good book and I give it 3 pens.

100 books read

2009-07-03T12:43:00.000-04:00

BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?

Instructions:
Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen -X
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien -X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - (on my list)
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling -
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee -X
6 The Bible- X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - X
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell - X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - X

Total: 7

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott - X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy -
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller -
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare -
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien -
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger -
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger-
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

Total: 1

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell -X
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald - X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams -
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky -
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck -X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll- X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame-X

Total: 5

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy -
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens-
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis -
34 Emma-Jane Austen - X
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen -X
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis -
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini -
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden -
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - X

Total: 3

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell -
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving-
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery- X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood -
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding - X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan- (on my list)

Total: 3

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel-
52 Dune - Frank Herbert-
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons-
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen-X
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens -X
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley -
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon-
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -

Total: 2

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck -X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov-
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold -
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas-
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac -
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding-
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville -X

Total: 2

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens-X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker-
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce-
76 The Inferno – Dante - X
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray- (on my list)

Total: 3

80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens - X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell-
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker-
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro-
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -X
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom -
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

Total: 3

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad -
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery -
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams-
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas -
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare -X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl -X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo-

Total: 2

Total: 31

I have some reading to do!!!!!

Fantastic sites to check out

2009-07-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

I was browsing the internet today at lunch and I stumbled (well I guess not really since I was LOOKING for fun sites) upon these sites that I think are worthwhile to check out.

Books Toolbox

Fantastic Fiction

Library Thing

What Should I Read Next

Authorstrack

Historical Novels

Enjoy!

Challenges

2009-06-29T20:16:00.000-04:00

I decided to take on a few challenges to end out the 2009 year. Luckily one begins on July 1st so I won't miss it but the other began on January 1st so I am little far behind. However, I had already decided to read a few Civil War novels so I won't be struggling to look for any. I added the buttons to the side that link to the challenge blogs.

Let's start with the Everything Austen Challenge.

This runs from July 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009.

You must choose 6 Austen themed things to finish by the date. Austen themed means movies based on her novels (Pride and Prejudice) or books written by her or that are sequels of her novels. Again, luckily I have 3 books to read on my list already.

So the 6 books I am choosing to read are:

The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
The Darcy Connection by Elizabeth Aston
Mr Darcy Presents His Bride by Helen Halstead
Mr Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll
The Darcys and The Bingleys by Marsha Altman
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James

The second challenge I have opted for is the American Civil War Challenge!

Again you must read 12 books in the given time period. This one is from January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009. So I am 6 months behind. Since I am starting 6 months behind I am modifying this and only reading 6. Sure it isn't the exact challenge but it works for now. Reading through the list of possible books made me laugh. Quite a few of them I have read on my own or for research I did for my Civil War paper in College. I will not use them, nor will I re-read any of the ones I have already read.

So here are the 6 books I am going to read:

Battly Cry of Freedom by James McPherson
Memoirs of a Soldier, Spy and Nurse by Sarah Emma Edmond
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
My Dearest Cecilia: A Novel of the Southern Belle Who Stole General Sherman’s Heart by Diane Haeger
Faded Coat of Blue by Owen Parry
Shadows of Glory by Owen Parry

Annette Vallon: A novel of the French Revolution by James Tipton

2009-06-26T22:23:00.001-04:00

This book left me in tears. I knew very little about the French Revolution before reading it; mainly what was taught in high school and briefly in college. I admit I was a little hesitant to read it considering I knew next to nothing, but I am thankful I did. There are no twists and turns that leave you waiting for more. There is only the hope that nothing bad happens to the heroine, Annette Vallon. And of course wanting to know how the relationship between her and the poet William Wordsworth plays out. I was drawn into their love and hoped that he would return to France unscathed and stay forever. The people Annette saved during the Revolution and the lives she touched are inspiring. She is a true hero in every meaning of the word.

I’m not a huge fan of books written in the first person since you can only get one perspective, but the author did a fantastic job with this. Though you don’t get to see inside anyone else’s head, you can feel their thoughts through his words. I will be looking for more books by him and hoping they all read as easily as this one did.

I enjoyed this book tremendously and was very sad to see it end.

The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

2009-06-19T09:07:00.001-04:00

It's hard to say it and very rare but I do believe the sequel was better than the first! Although I was able to put the book down each night (reluctantly of course), it still captivated me to no end. You will fall in love with the new heroine and find yourself rooting for her as much as Fiona in The Tea Rose.

Winter Rose has a new heroine, India Jones, a doctor. Instead of taking up residence in the upper class neighborhoods of London, she heads to Whitechapel to help the poor. There she meets Sid Malone - the notorious crime lord. They end up falling in love even though India is engaged to the up and coming political "star" Freddie Lytton. Events change the paths for all three characters and we watch as their dreams are chattered one by one. Do not despair for this book has a very happy ending...it's the road that gets there that is the meat of this book and well worth the wait.

Fiona, Joe and Seamie are large parts of the book too. They have not been forgotten and will grab your heart as well.

I highly recommend this book as well and urge you to read The Tea Rose first. While you could figure out things on your own, it will make much more sense if they are read in order.

The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

2009-06-19T08:56:00.001-04:00

This was an amazing book about a woman named Fiona Finnegan who grew up in the poor neighborhood of Whitechapel in East London. The story takes place as the notorious Jack the Ripper is running rampant on the streets of London. By the age of 18 Fiona loses most of the people she loved. When she unexpectedly comes into some money she makes her way to America, with her youngest brother, Seamie, where they begin a new life. In America we follow her as she becomes one of the wealthiest tea merchants in the world. As events unfold, she finds herself back in London facing ghosts from the past that she believed were gone forever.

This book is definitely rated among the top 10 books I have EVER read! I went through 500 pages in one night because I refused to put it down. I needed to find out if Joe and Fiona ended up together again. And….the end made me cry…that’s all I will say. It was so unexpected and amazing I almost laughed. Actually I did laugh a pure happy, excited laugh. It also was a great set up for the sequel, The Winter Rose. I HIGHLY recommend reading this book to anyone that loves historical fiction or a fabulous story line. My mom HATES history and she devoured this book in less than a week.

Introduction

2009-06-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

After much consideration and a revelation by a fellow bibliophile I decided to start this blog. I must give her credit for the name, Stark Raving Bibliophile. So thank you Bree for helping me pick a name that will hopefully draw readers in!

For each post I will give a brief summary but will not include the ending. What kind of book reviewer would I be if I told you the end?!?!

Feel free to tell me what you thought of the book. But remember, these are all OPINIONS so degrading and disrespectful insults to me or any of my commentors will NOT be tolerated. I look forward to some facinating discussions and healthy debates.

Later today I will be adding a list to the side with books I am looking forward to reading. Do not hesitate to make suggestions about books that you loved and think I might like. I am up for a good challenge but please avoid suggesting anything sci-fi, supernatural, or those cheesy romance paperbacks. I prefer historical fiction with some other good stories thrown into the mix.

So on that note I would like to welcome you all to my reading blog and hope that you find something intriguing to take away with you.