The Bookish Island: Historical

Showing posts with label Historical. Show all posts

10/23/2019

The Spice Box Letters by Eve Makis | Book Review #170

The Bookish Island's Book Review:

The Spice Box Letters by Eve Makis

Are there spoilers?

Maybe.

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Title: The Spice Box Letters

Author: Eve Makis

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Pages: 320

Published: 2015

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Adult

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Date Read: September 28, 2019

Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads

Katerina inherits a scented, wooden spice box after her grandmother Mariam dies. It contains letters and a diary, written in Armenian. As she pieces together her family story, Katerina learns that Mariam's childhood was shattered by the Armenian tragedy of 1915.

Mariam was exiled from her home in Turkey and separated from her beloved brother, Gabriel, her life marred by grief and the loss of her first love. Dissatisfied and restless, Katerina tries to find resolution in her own life as she completes Mariam's story – on a journey that takes her across Cyprus and then half a world away to New York.

Miracles, it seems, can happen – for those trapped by the past, and for Katerina herself.

The Rating:

My Review:

The Spice Box Letters was a book that got sent to me by the publishers YEARS ago and I never picked it up which always made me feel bad because deep down I thought I wouldn't like it but here I am totally kicking myself for not having read it earlier. Cause damn. It's so not what thought it would be. Every page was heart wrenching and sad and I totally wanted Katarina and her family to find each other and see that they weren't alone in all of what they went through cause they went through so much.

I think this is one of the first Historical Fiction that I actually really liked.

This book isn't scary or anything but the way the author wrote about these characters terrifying stories was so that my heart was racing during certain scenes. And my heart hurt for the suffering of Katrina's grandmother and her brother.
This was such a beautiful story about sacrifice, and family.

I am happy that I finally got to it. And I just so happen to have read it on a rainy day too.

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The Bookish Island

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11/11/2018

The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo | Book Review #125

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow by Alyssa Palombo

Are there spoilers?

No.
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Disclaimer:
This book was sent to me by the publishing company in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel
Author: Alyssa Palombo

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Pages: 416

Publisher: St. Martins Griffin

Published: 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling, Historical, Fiction

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Date Read: October 3 > October 14, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

When Ichabod Crane arrives in the spooky little village of Sleepy Hollow as the new schoolmaster, Katrina Van Tassel is instantly drawn to him. Through their shared love of books and music, they form a friendship that quickly develops into romance. Ichabod knows that as an itinerant schoolteacher of little social standing, he has nothing to offer the wealthy Katrina – unlike her childhood friend-turned-enemy, Brom Van Brunt, who is the suitor Katrina’s father favors.

But when romance gives way to passion, Ichabod and Katrina embark on a secret love affair, sneaking away into the woods after dark to be together – all while praying they do not catch sight of Sleepy Hollow’s legendary Headless Horseman. That is, until All Hallows’s Eve, when Ichabod suddenly disappears, leaving Katrina alone and in a perilous position.

Enlisting the help of her friend – and rumored witch – Charlotte Jansen, Katrina seeks the truth of Ichabod Crane’s disappearance, investigating the forest around Sleepy Hollow using unconventional – often magical – means. What they find forces Katrina to question everything she once knew, and to wonder if the Headless Horseman is perhaps more than just a story after all. In Alyssa Palombo's The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel nothing is as it seems, and love is a thing even death won't erase.

The Rating:

My Review:

I initially saw this book on Goodreads when they had it up for the giveaway and I quickly applied. And lucky enough I won an arc copy f this book. I just set it aside and in my head, I planed when in October I would read it because I wanted to be in the perfect mood. Since it sounded so good and I also wanted to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Knowing this story was an adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow I decided to read it before this. Though this story is its own completely different thing.

So the time came and I found Sleppy Hollow and read it. But I was slightly disappointed in it. Probably because I found it on Spotify and listened to it. I didn't completely let myself get immersed in it.

The romance part in this was strange to me but I liked it. I was so worried for Katrina (the main character) during the whole story and I wanted her to be cool and for the most part, she was but just not what I expected when I thought of Sleepy Hollow. There was also magic and tarot so I loved those scenes a bunch. Cause I have tarot cards. 😁

Still, the story was amazing on its own. It had fantasy and bits of spooks, and drama, love triangles, and all that good stuff. So even though I was originally going to give this story 4 stars I ended up changing my mind the more I thought about it all. Now I think I it's 5-star material.

Goodreads

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5/13/2018

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks | Book Review #103

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks

Are there spoilers?

I don't think there are any.

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This is one of the books I read after the passing of Hurricane Maria here in Puerto Rico. With no water, electricity or internet I took to reading my books. I decided to not do this for the books I've read on 2018. But it has been 8 months since Hurricane Maria. And I'm happy to announce that now we have water, and electricity.

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Title: How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks

Series: The Embraced #1

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Pages: 396

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Published: 20l7

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Historical

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Source: Goodreads Giveaway win.

Date Read: Oct. 16, 2017

Rating: ★★★★☆

Luciana grew up on the Isle of Moon, hidden away because of her magical powers. But when her father arrives, he offers her a choice: remain on the island or return with him and marry the Beast of Benwick in order to save their legacy—and her father's life.

Lord Leofric, the Beast of Benwick, has not been touched since he was a child. Born with the power to harness lightning, he is a danger to everyone he touches. When he meets his betrothed, he expects a loveless, lonely marriage...until he discovers she's vastly more powerful than he realized. But is she strong enough to withstand his touch?

If they can survive, their love will alter the future of the kingdom. But will their extraordinary powers cost them everything?

The Rating:

My Review:

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This is also one of the books I managed to read all in one day. And I loved the story. It just has the right mix of drama, romance, fantasy and steamy sex scenes. But despite this being the first book of this kind that I've read, I didn't mind it at all. It was beyond what I thought it would be like. Yes, there was a few clichés; insta-love, easy resolutions, etc... But I didn't mind that. In fact, I finished the book wanting there to be a sequel. And there is.

As for what I thought about, in regards to the character. Luciana our heroine wasn't always in distress, and she managed to not act like a baby for most of the book like I thought a character in this kind of book would act like. So I didn't hate her. Is she my favorite? No. But maybe her ghost/twin sister, Tatiana is. Not only did she help spy for her sister, but she had sass. And just the perfect amount.

There's also the world. The map at the beginning which is cool. Elves, dragons, curses, shapeshifters, and royalty along with magic and our male lead is a cursed weather controller who just so happens to be hot. What's not to love about all of that.