The weight of the body was much heavier than Temperance Prower expected. Tied at his hands and feet and hung upside down on a long pole – like a buck after it’s been felled – the women panted as they marched through the darkening woods. Temperance and the others took turns in twos carrying the … More Hathorne’s Sacrifice
Elizabeth Kostova is an author of place. When I read The Historian, which I highly recommend to any fan of history, travel, and a dash of the supernatural, I was besotted with Eastern Europe. Her vivid descriptions of the intersection between East and West in places like Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest and her journey into … More The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova
Hermione Granger tapped her toe and shifted the books in her arm. It was 9 o’clock already by her watch, yet, the Monomouthshire Public Library’s little green door stood stubbornly shut. At ten years old, the bushy-haired, buck-toothed, brown-skinned girl was the youngest of the three people waiting to get inside. From behind her, Hermione heard … More Hermione Granger and the Public Library
Siegal wrote The Anatomy Lesson as if this were a thesis her university wouldn’t let her defend. The book is titled after Rembrant’s work, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, painted in 1632; the main character of the book is the corpse being dissected in the painting. Compelling idea, to have the criminal in the painting … More Book Review: The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal
Cornelia Funke’s stand-alone adventure, The Thief Lord, is a lovely read for all ages. Set in Venice, a group of orphans and runaways tries to fend for themselves with the help of their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord. Though Funke’s story relies on some familiar juvenile fiction motifs – namely, orphans – she delves deeper into … More The Thief Lord
Eleanor Abbot looked down at the pile of steaming mush in front of her and wiped damp hair out of her eyes. Ichabod – the black cat – glared at her from across the table. “I know it’s bad, Ichabod,” Eleanor groaned and collapsed onto a nearby chair, “you don’t need to look at me like that.” The … More The White Cape
Ronnie can hear the spokes on her bike whistling as she breezes past canal Zwanenburgwal. A fine mist hangs over the city, and the cold bites at her bare hands. With one hand on her handlebars, she breathes hot air onto the other. When she switches hands to warm the other, her wheels makes a … More Rembrandt’s Bed
While World War fiction is at the top of my Least Favorite Genres list, in the last three months I’ve read two novels that fall into the category. I feel the genre is completely oversaturated and therefore an abundance of World War fiction recycles many similar themes and tropes. I become numb to the actual history … More Book Review: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Tracy Chevalier writes historic fiction that isn’t laughably romanticized nor suspiciously unbelievable. Like her more popular novels, The Lady and the Unicorn and The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Burning Bright uses the backdoor approach to historical fiction. Instead of being with the king in his chambers amidst the turmoil of European revolution, we’re in a crowded … More Book Review: Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
Keira’s stomach flipped as her feet slid a few inches, her arms splayed out for balance.
“Thanks,” she grumbled to the fellow student who stopped to help pick up the scattered contents of her black portfolio. The person, or possibly monster, it was hard to tell under the bundle of winter clothes, nodded and continued on their hunched trek. … More Show Me Everything
The Ohioan 