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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
This is my third Fiona Davis and I was pretty excited about it because I love the New York Public Library. She basically writes historical fictions that are centered around buildings (and she knows how to pick 'em because I love the Barbizon, Dakota, Grand Central Terminal, and Chelsea Hotel as well). This was a good mystery that kept me guessing. I was invested in both timelines. Overall a good read.
3.75⭐️
I really liked that the story kept me wondering about how the books were being stolen and who was behind it. My first book by Fiona Davis ans look forward to reading more.
I really liked that the story kept me wondering about how the books were being stolen and who was behind it. My first book by Fiona Davis ans look forward to reading more.
I absolutely loved this book!! It has a dual POV from 1913 to 1993. There are mentions of wonderful books and famous authors. It takes place in a library, which is amazing! This book had it all, romance, mystery, loss, and intrigue. It touches on the oppression of women in the early 1900s and it made me mad so many times! The main character in the 1914 timeline went above and beyond to overcome this oppression. It was a testament to how far women have come. I think the main characters were wonderful and I enjoyed the character development. I underlined soo many things from this book that just resonated with me.
I highly recommend this book! If you like:
- Family dynamics
- Women's rights
- Books
- Mystery
- Historical fiction
I highly recommend this book! If you like:
- Family dynamics
- Women's rights
- Books
- Mystery
- Historical fiction
emotional
mysterious
I could not put this one down. Probably helps that it's dedicated to librarians and about a librarian, specifically, a special collections librarian. With that said, this review is definitely biased.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Intriguing story and well-written, but unnecessarily lewd, which was quire off-putting.
This book was just what I never knew I wanted. Books about books are always up my alley and this one takes place in a library as well. Bonus! The use of the library and references to historical literature were a huge plus.
Davis's writing is lovely. It felt natural, yet highly imbued with detail and historical content. The dual timeline was fun and well-woven. It kept things interesting. There were slight moments when I did get my timelines and characters confused, but things generally straightened out fairly quickly due to Davis's knack for including context detail that immediately clued me in to the time period.
The characters were fun and I particularly enjoyed seeing Laura's character development throughout the narrative arc. I love reading books with strong female characters and both Laura and Sadie felt like they traveled the path to being stronger from start to end. It was a good progression that felt natural and rewarding.
I LOVED the setting and the time periods used. I have a fascination with the early 20th century and this narrative brought in so much of the historical content, especially focusing on the budding feminist movement of the area.
The tension throughout the plot was fairly well handled. It didn't feel over-the-top, but there was clear pressure on the characters that came through the narrative. The big mysteries of the plot were well-hidden with decently intriguing reveals. There were pieces that were predictable, but not in an overly irritating way.
The romantic elements in both timelines were somewhat awkward, with Laura's feeling a bit too obvious and Sadie's feeling somewhat forced. I didn't seriously mind either, but I do think the story could have been perfectly fine had they not been parts of the plot. For me they just detracted from the story and the intrigue.
Ah, the ending. It was very well handled. I admittedly left the story wanting more, but mostly in a good way. This is typically a sign for me that the author has done the perfect job wrapping things up while letting the reader envision beyond the ending. The big questions were answered and there really weren't any loose ends. I just liked the characters and particularly enjoyed the setting...I wanted to move right in to this book.
Davis's writing is lovely. It felt natural, yet highly imbued with detail and historical content. The dual timeline was fun and well-woven. It kept things interesting. There were slight moments when I did get my timelines and characters confused, but things generally straightened out fairly quickly due to Davis's knack for including context detail that immediately clued me in to the time period.
The characters were fun and I particularly enjoyed seeing Laura's character development throughout the narrative arc. I love reading books with strong female characters and both Laura and Sadie felt like they traveled the path to being stronger from start to end. It was a good progression that felt natural and rewarding.
I LOVED the setting and the time periods used. I have a fascination with the early 20th century and this narrative brought in so much of the historical content, especially focusing on the budding feminist movement of the area.
The tension throughout the plot was fairly well handled. It didn't feel over-the-top, but there was clear pressure on the characters that came through the narrative. The big mysteries of the plot were well-hidden with decently intriguing reveals. There were pieces that were predictable, but not in an overly irritating way.
The romantic elements in both timelines were somewhat awkward, with Laura's feeling a bit too obvious and Sadie's feeling somewhat forced. I didn't seriously mind either, but I do think the story could have been perfectly fine had they not been parts of the plot. For me they just detracted from the story and the intrigue.
Ah, the ending. It was very well handled. I admittedly left the story wanting more, but mostly in a good way. This is typically a sign for me that the author has done the perfect job wrapping things up while letting the reader envision beyond the ending. The big questions were answered and there really weren't any loose ends. I just liked the characters and particularly enjoyed the setting...I wanted to move right in to this book.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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The Lions of Fifth Avenue has been on my radar for a long time, and I recently read The Magnolia Palace by #FionaDavis and enjoyed it so much I knew I had to move this book higher on my TBR pile. It was worth reading, although it wasn’t as fantastic as I’d hoped.
Normally, I like dual timelines if they’re done well, and for the most part, I find that the case with The Lions of Fifth Avenue. The 1914 storyline was well-researched and portrayed what it must have been like to be a feminist in a time when women were struggling to earn the right to vote. I really enjoyed the portrayal of Laura Lyons and her ambitions to make something of herself beyond wife and mother. I felt her pain when she was rejected by the Columbia School of Journalism over her thesis, simply because she expressed her opinion, while male students could do so without repercussions.
There’s a mystery in both timelines involving rare books going missing from New York Public Library, which is the setting for both timelines. The mystery of what happened to the books kept me reading, even though I thought the 1993 timeline was rather weak compared to the 1914 one. The solution to the mysteries of the missing books was a little predictable, but still enjoyable to read.
The Lions of Fifth Avenue has been on my radar for a long time, and I recently read The Magnolia Palace by #FionaDavis and enjoyed it so much I knew I had to move this book higher on my TBR pile. It was worth reading, although it wasn’t as fantastic as I’d hoped.
Normally, I like dual timelines if they’re done well, and for the most part, I find that the case with The Lions of Fifth Avenue. The 1914 storyline was well-researched and portrayed what it must have been like to be a feminist in a time when women were struggling to earn the right to vote. I really enjoyed the portrayal of Laura Lyons and her ambitions to make something of herself beyond wife and mother. I felt her pain when she was rejected by the Columbia School of Journalism over her thesis, simply because she expressed her opinion, while male students could do so without repercussions.
There’s a mystery in both timelines involving rare books going missing from New York Public Library, which is the setting for both timelines. The mystery of what happened to the books kept me reading, even though I thought the 1993 timeline was rather weak compared to the 1914 one. The solution to the mysteries of the missing books was a little predictable, but still enjoyable to read.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes