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bmyurs's reviews
289 reviews
Elizabeth of York, the Last White Rose by Alison Weir
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Finally finished this beast of a book! Plot moved along much faster than the other two. Excited to see where book 4 goes.
The Queen by Andrew Morton
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book! In full disclosure, I read this book one week following the queen's passing, and that monumental event likely had an impact on my perspective of the book.
This book is perfect for anyone who has become a fan of the Crown. It's a rich, but also quick biography on the Queen, with an equal balance of her time as a monarch and as a mother/grandmother. Andrew spends some time documenting side stories with those in her family (Margaret, Charles, etc.) but doesn't let it distract from the main plot of the story. The writing and background is easy to approach for those who don't know much about the Queen; it's still a good read too if you're well read on her life. I do hope prior to publication that they put in either a forward or an epilogue on her death and legacy on the monarchy. I think with its publication date, it will be expected from readers.
This book is perfect for anyone who has become a fan of the Crown. It's a rich, but also quick biography on the Queen, with an equal balance of her time as a monarch and as a mother/grandmother. Andrew spends some time documenting side stories with those in her family (Margaret, Charles, etc.) but doesn't let it distract from the main plot of the story. The writing and background is easy to approach for those who don't know much about the Queen; it's still a good read too if you're well read on her life. I do hope prior to publication that they put in either a forward or an epilogue on her death and legacy on the monarchy. I think with its publication date, it will be expected from readers.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book. I loved the Daevabad trilogy when I read it last year, and was so excited to see a short compilation of stories to round out the characters and say goodbye to their world. If you have not read the trilogy, be sure to do that first before reading this book as it 1) contains spoilers for the books and 2) would not make much sense with the background.
Jumping into the first story, I was brought back to Nahari, Ali, Dara and all the other characters immediately. I did have to go back and reference the original stories a bit just to remember all the storylines, but that was only because I finished the final book a year and a half ago.
Favorite part of the book was the beginning and ending. SA Chakraborty starts off the book with a beautiful forward on why she went back to these stories, for something comforting during the early days of the pandemic. Towards the end of the book, there is an alternate ending to the Empire of Gold- I can see why it was ultimately cut from the series, but it's still great to read and think about how things might have ended. My favorite part of this book though is the final story- a epilogue of sorts. I won't give away what happens, but I will say that it gave me the satisfaction in the storyline of two characters that I was missing at the end of the trilogy. It was a perfect ending to this compilation.
Jumping into the first story, I was brought back to Nahari, Ali, Dara and all the other characters immediately. I did have to go back and reference the original stories a bit just to remember all the storylines, but that was only because I finished the final book a year and a half ago.
Favorite part of the book was the beginning and ending. SA Chakraborty starts off the book with a beautiful forward on why she went back to these stories, for something comforting during the early days of the pandemic. Towards the end of the book, there is an alternate ending to the Empire of Gold- I can see why it was ultimately cut from the series, but it's still great to read and think about how things might have ended. My favorite part of this book though is the final story- a epilogue of sorts. I won't give away what happens, but I will say that it gave me the satisfaction in the storyline of two characters that I was missing at the end of the trilogy. It was a perfect ending to this compilation.
The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor, the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Didn’t think I would finish this book shortly after the Queen’s passing, but it made for an interesting prism to view the material from. One of my favorite biographers of the royal family.
The Maid by Nita Prose
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Adorable summer read- got through it pretty quickly and enjoyed it!
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Real Bridgerton Court by Catherine Curzon
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book!
The hook for this book was a comparison to the Queen Charlotte in the Bridgeton series, which of course caught my eye. I'm glad it did as I overall enjoyed this book and would give it 3.75 stars. It's perfect for someone who is interested in Charlotte as a person (and her extended family), but doesn't want to get bogged down into the political details occurring at this time, and don't want a monograph that's 700+ pages long.
Ironically, I actually read this ARC while on vacation in London, and traveled to many of the locations listed in this book (Buckingham Palace, Windsor, Kew Gardens, Westminster). It added some additional excitement to reading this book, so much that I would recommend to those who are visiting England.
Pros: This is a very approachable book for someone wanting to learn more about Queen Charlotte, British royal history, or 18th century England. Charlotte's life was long, and leads to many plot lines that are interesting, including how her children turned on her when they were grown. I especially enjoyed how Curzon focused on the changing of her relationship with her husband, which lead to many triumphs for their family, but also many heartaches as he spun into a mental health crisis.
Cons: I think the writing could have been a bit more flowing and not so choppy. It was very focused on "X happened, then Y happened, and this is how the person felt." More focus on human feelings and the connections between these events would have helped. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the subject and would look to pick up more reading by Catherine Curzon.
The hook for this book was a comparison to the Queen Charlotte in the Bridgeton series, which of course caught my eye. I'm glad it did as I overall enjoyed this book and would give it 3.75 stars. It's perfect for someone who is interested in Charlotte as a person (and her extended family), but doesn't want to get bogged down into the political details occurring at this time, and don't want a monograph that's 700+ pages long.
Ironically, I actually read this ARC while on vacation in London, and traveled to many of the locations listed in this book (Buckingham Palace, Windsor, Kew Gardens, Westminster). It added some additional excitement to reading this book, so much that I would recommend to those who are visiting England.
Pros: This is a very approachable book for someone wanting to learn more about Queen Charlotte, British royal history, or 18th century England. Charlotte's life was long, and leads to many plot lines that are interesting, including how her children turned on her when they were grown. I especially enjoyed how Curzon focused on the changing of her relationship with her husband, which lead to many triumphs for their family, but also many heartaches as he spun into a mental health crisis.
Cons: I think the writing could have been a bit more flowing and not so choppy. It was very focused on "X happened, then Y happened, and this is how the person felt." More focus on human feelings and the connections between these events would have helped. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the subject and would look to pick up more reading by Catherine Curzon.