The Life She Wished to Live: a Biography of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Author of the Yearling
by Ann McCutchan
by Ann McCutchan
4 stars
Marjorie Kinnan Rowlings is the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning The Yearling. That book and her others are mostly based in the northern Florida scrub and swamps in which she made her home. Her life and work was centered around her adopted home and much of this book discusses her time there. She was an entertaining correspondent and this biography relies heavily on her letters to family, friends, other authors and especially her editor, the renowned, Max Perkins of Scribner. This is a comprehensive biography that does a good job of grappling with the more unsavory parts of her personality, fueled by a reliance on alcohol, as well as her evolving yet still problematic, depictions of her Black neighbors and employees. It's been a long time since I have read her seminal novel, but I still really enjoyed this extensive glimpse of her life. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Killer of the Princes in the Tower: A New Suspect Revealed by M.J. Trow
Publication Date - April 30, 2021
3.5 stars
This book takes a forensic look at the mysterious disappearance of the two child princes (Edward V and Richard) from the Tower of London in the fifteenth century. The history is fascinating and the author does a good job of laying out all of the facts. The case against the murderers being Richard III or Henry VII is also convincing and believable and my favorite part of the book is when all of the possible suspects are described and then eliminated. I'm not sure that there is a convincing case presented against the person the author believes is responsible and it felt a bit like a huge stretch, but we'll never really know so it is possible, I guess. Overall this is a fun look at an extremely cold case. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All You Need is Ears: the Inside Personal Story of the Genius Who Created the Beatles
by George Martin
3 stars
I have read most that has been written about the Beatles, so it is surprising that I did not know about this autobiography written by Sir George Martin himself. My reading experience of this book was definitely uneven. The chapters concerning his work with the Beatles were fascinating, and an perspective of the Beatles that I have not read. Those chapters alternate, though, with extremely technical writing about the creation of records in the 1960's, his negotiation of contracts and his work with other artists. I have a feeling that there is an audience that would find this information interesting, but alas, I probably am not that audience. I definitely don't regret reading it, if only for the new Beatles insight, but this may not be for everyone. I received a digital ARC of this reprint from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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