Holiday Review

The Wine Lover's Daughter: a Memoir by Anne Fadiman
3.5 stars



So I enjoy books (obviously), authors Anne and Clifton Fadiman and wine so I should have loved this memoir but by the end I was sort of tired of hearing about Clifton's obsession and Anne's ambivalence with wine.  Clifton Fadiman was a famous book critic who wrote the New Lifetime Reading Plan which sits on my night stand.  Anne is also a well known author who writes books about reading.  Some chapters of this book were great but I skimmed through those which seemed as if they just listed every wine of quality.  Overall, if you are a wine connoisseur you might find this short memoir completely compelling.  If not, then plan to skip around to the more biographical parts.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

The Homes That Jane Built

Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley
4 stars



Jane Austen's novels are famous for their domesticity so it make sense to have a book dedicated to the author's own home life.  This book focuses on the houses that Jane and her sister Cassandra were delegated to during their life.  Starting at her father's rectory and ending in cramped quarters necessitated by their closeness to the hospital, this book is both biography and descriptions of the homes that shaped her fiction.  As a dedicated Austen fan, this is surprisingly my first biography that I have read of her life and it felt fairly comprehensive.  While centering on Jane, it also provided much insight into the domestic home life of the late eighteenth, early nineteenth centuries.  Overall, it was a fascinating read.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Traveling Through History

Invictus by Ryan Graudin
3.5 stars



I have read almost all of Ryan Graudin's books and I am always impressed with the complexity and inventiveness of her plots.  This time traveling, far in the future, science fiction novel is no different, however, I do think in this case the depth of characters suffers from plot overload. I still liked this young adult novel and will continue to read Graudin's novels to see what she comes up with next.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Colorful History of Video Games

The Comic Book Story of Video Games: The Incredible History of the Electronic Gaming Revolution
by Jonathan Hennessey with Art by Jack McGowan
4 stars



Although I am not much of a gamer now, I did come of age during the Nintendo NES generation and I have brothers who went through the ranks of Sega and PlayStation.  This started out pretty slow, with the history beginning before World War II and didn't really pick up until Atari hits the pages.   Then the art explodes with the graphics and evolution behind the modern video games.  The artwork is outstanding and is a very apt format for this information.  I received this through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Riveting Memoir

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie

4.5 stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this book at first.  Alexie is brutally honest about himself, his family (especially his mother) and life on the Reservation and it took me a few chapters to begin to feel comfortable with his writing.  Once I accepted the fact that a popular author was going to lay it all out there, I began to really admire the way he wrote about so many difficult episodes of his life.  This is a mix of narrative and prose and while the poetry wasn’t my personal favorite, I appreciated the way he dealt with his emotions in the format he felt most fitting.   I’ve read some of Alexie’s prior work but this makes me want to delved deeper into the rest.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Franklin Family

The Loyal Son: The War in Ben Franklin’s House by Daniel Mark Epstein

4 stars

I always find books on the American Revolution so difficult to read because everything moved so slowly then.  Diplomatic relations took months because letters arrived on ships crossing the Atlantic, or battle orders had to arrive by horse across mountain ranges.  Suffice to say, this book did indeed take me a while to read, however, the focus of this book on one very important family made it much more enjoyable.  The changing relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his son, William, and their opposing positions in the war made for fascinating reading.  It also brings to mind that families have always experienced strife in this country for being on opposite sides of the political spectrum.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Christmas Reading

A Lot Like Christmas: Stories  By Connie Willis

4 stars

Connie Willis is the author of one of my favorite books, The Doomsday Book, and I figured if anyone could write good short science fiction Christmas stories it would be her.  These stories are all a little bit strange, with plenty of humor and just enough Christmas joy to make them perfect holiday reads.  My favorite stories in the collection are “Miracle”, “Inn”, “Adaptation” and “deck.hall@boughs/holly”.  I also really enjoyed Willis’s commentary on Christmas at the beginning and end and her lists of holiday favorites.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Christmas:  A Biography by Judith Flanders
3.5 stars



This short book is packed with the minutiae of Christmas celebration, tradition and myth.  One aspect of Christmas that I found completely revelatory is the fact that even in the good ole days, they wished for a Christmas like the good ole days meaning that Christmas has never really been as good as you think it used to be.  Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I did find it a bit scattered and it could have been organized better as it jumped about in time and geographical at whip-lash speed.  It did force me to look at the Christmas holiday in a different light.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Holiday Romance Review

The Lady in Red by Kelly Bowen
4.5 stars

Kelly Bowen has become my favorite historical romance author and her books and story always have interesting, likable characters and intricate storylines.  This is only a novella but I was still invested in these characters by the end.  Both of these characters who are artists with difficulty practicing their craft.  One is held back by her gender and the other by his social status.  I will say that Kelly Bowen needs to write King’s book and soon because he is one side character in many of her books who deserves his own story.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

With This Christmas Ring by Manda Collins
3.5 stars

Merry and Alex were engaged five years ago, until Merry called off the engagement unexpectedly and immersed herself as her scholarly father’s apprentice.  Now they are thrown together as the well-being of an infant is on the line and they are forced to reconcile their past.  Set around the Christmas season, this book is a sweet novella for the holidays.  I’ve read several of this author’s historical romances and they are dependably fun to read.  There was quite a bit crammed into this short book so it at times seemed too rushed but it’s an enjoyable seasonal read.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna Grant
3.5 stars




Abby is struggling to get by, raising her teenage brothers on her own, when one of them gets arrested for stealing cattle.  Clayton has avoided going home to his family ranch because of all the pain of his past, at the ranch and as a Navy SEAL.  When he finally heads home to catch a cattle thief, he instead finds Abby and a hope for a new beginning.   This is a sweet story with likable characters.  Clayton portrays a bit of the generic, strong, do no wrong, protective type hero, but overall I really did enjoy this Christmas romance.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Evolving Literature

The Written World:  The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization
by Martin Puchner
5 stars



The history of literature and writing is one shaped by technology, civilization, religion and politics and I have never read it so entertainingly revealed as in this book.  Starting in Mesopotamia and working his way to the Potter universe, Puchner examines the changing form and function of literature through the ages.  Each chapter details a different geographical and historical location and how it relates to the time before and ahead of it.  Interspersed with informative pictures and brief personal travel anecdotes, this book is the definitive book on books for any book lover.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.