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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Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder | Book Review #153

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

Are there spoilers?

I don't believe there are any.
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Title: Girl Runner

Author: Carrie Snyder

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Pages: 288

Published: 2015

Publisher:  HarperCollins 

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Sports, Canada

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Date Read: Feb 6, 2019

Rating: ★★★★☆

Girl Runner is the story of Aganetha Smart, a former Olympic athlete who was famous in the 1920s, but now, at age 104, lives in a nursing home, alone and forgotten by history. For Aganetha, a competitive and ambitious woman, her life remains present and unfinished in her mind.

When her quiet life is disturbed by the unexpected arrival of two young strangers, Aganetha begins to reflect on her childhood in rural Ontario and her struggles to make an independent life for herself in the city.

Without revealing who they are, or what they may want from her, the visitors take Aganetha on an outing from the nursing home. As ready as ever for adventure, Aganetha's memories are stirred when the pair return her to the family farm where she was raised. The devastation of WWI and the Spanish flu epidemic, the optimism of the 1920s and the sacrifices of the 1930s play out in Aganetha's mind, as she wrestles with the confusion and displacement of the present.

Part historical page-turner, part contemporary mystery, Girl Runner is an engaging and endearing story about family, ambition, athletics and the dedicated pursuit of one's passions. It is also, ultimately, about a woman who follows the singular, heart-breaking and inspiring course of her life until the very end.

The Rating:

My Review:

Girl Runner was a book I've been holding back on. It's probably one of the books I've had since the beginning of this blog's journey. And I didn't really want to read it. Not because I didn't like what it could be but because I wasn't feeling it.
With one of the challenges for Reading Women being to read a book about a female athlete. I knew that this book would be exactly what I needed.

Aganetha's story had a lot of interesting twists that intertwined with the past and present. As a runner who was an Olympic gold medalist. In a fictional type of biography.
And Aganetha dealt with a lot of things from members of her family not approving of her dream to be a runner, to figuring out her sexuality and dealing with some relationships she later had. And later as a 100+ year old her life wasn't all that easy.
I mean, she just saw the world differently. She was a fearless human being. A runner, and a  baseball player in a time where there weren't a lot of women who did that. Especially without being shut down by men or the rest of the world.

The characters were like an interesting cast of people from different places and circumstances. From her family at her childhood farm to the other athletes who became her friends.

I found myself liking Aganetha and the story she told. How simple and unique she was and how much her dreams mattered to her and the work she put in. I liked her for that. But I also liked how she dealt with her struggles and not being able to do certain things no matter how much she wanted to. I found myself hating the people who hurt her and cheering her on when she was happy.
And I think that with my history with historical fiction books it was refrehing to read. Because unlike some historical fiction books I've read before I actually liked and enjoyed reading this one.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving | Book Review #130

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Are there spoilers?

This is a classic so I don't believe that a spoiler warning matters here.
But no, there aren't any spoilers.

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Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Author: Washington Irving

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Genre: Classics, Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Mystery, Gothic, Historical Fiction

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Date Read: October 28, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Sleepy Hollow is a strange little place...some say bewitched. Some talk of its haunted valleys and streams, the ghostly woman in white, eerie midnight shrieks and howls, but most of all they talk of the Headless Horseman. A huge, shadowy soldier who rides headless through the night, terrifying unlucky travellers.

Schoolteacher Ichabod Crane is fascinated by these stories....Until late one night, walking home through Wiley's swamp, he finds that maybe they're not just stories.

What is that dark, menacing figure riding behind him on a horse? And what does it have in its hands?

And why wasn't schoolteacher Crane ever seen in Sleepy Hollow again? 

The Rating:

My Review:

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was a book I had been wanting to read since forever ago. Probably because of the movie that I saw when I was a kid and barely remember. And then the tv show, Sleepy Hollow came out and I remember that used to want to read the original story. But it was when I got the opportunity to be able to read The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo that I knew I had to finally sit myself down and finally read this story of a headless horseman and Ichabod Crane.

But I was truly disappointed to find out that although the story was short (which I like) it was also not that spooky. It didn't deliver on the spooks for me so I was sad when I finished reading it and nothing thrilling happened. 

In my Goodreads review I said:

I don't even know what I was expecting from the source of everything Sleepy Hollow. Maybe I expected a dark and exciting read but instead got -not that. 
But I'm still glad I read this because now I can, not only, say I read it but I can now read any adaptation.

And I still feel that way after months of having read it. I am glad. Glad that I read another classic. Because to me reading a well know/beloved classic means I've not only accomplished something that no one in my family has done (that I know of) but that I read a book I wouldn't have been able to read 5 years ago before I started this blog and reading journey. I used to get so mad because I wouldn't understand anything, the language or what was going on, and would just give up. Now I know for certain that me from 5 years ago would be so proud that I read this classic Along with so many others.

But I should mention that in regards to The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel I did write a review down for that book. So please make sure to check that out. It was such a good book to read during October.

The Spell Book of Katrina Van Tassell Review

Goodreads    

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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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The Bookish Island
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She Be Damned by M. J. Tjia | Book Review #111

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
She Be Damned by M. J. Tjia

Are there spoilers?

No.

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Disclaimer:This book was sent to me from the publishing company through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: She Be Damned

Author: M. J. Tjia

Series: Heloise Chansey Mysteries #1

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Pages: 288

Publisher: Legend Times Group

Published: 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction

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Date Read: June 28, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

London, 1863: prostitutes in the Waterloo area are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When another girl goes missing, fears grow that the killer may have claimed their latest victim.
The police are at a loss and so it falls to courtesan and professional detective, Heloise Chancey, to investigate.
With the assistance of her trusty Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen, Heloise inches closer to the truth. But when Amah is implicated in the brutal plot, Heloise must reconsider who she can trust, before the killer strikes again.
Tjia brings us a pacey and exciting murder mystery set in Victorian London. This historical crime thriller sees a young female detective work with the police to evade a violent killer.

The Rating:

My Review:

I managed to read this book in one day. And I can say it really took me for a ride.

This book contains a series of very dark and adult themes. Like mutilation and the such (I'm not going to say more since I don't want to spoil it) and racism and sexism. Mostly because it was set in 1863's London.

It opened up with a strong prologue. Immediately telling you what to expect for the rest of the book. 

The murders that occurred in this book reminded me of Jack the Ripper.

I have to admit that the mystery was fantastic, gruesome, but good. I didn't know who the suspect was at all.

Heloise is such an interesting character in my opinion. I don't think I've read any other character like her.
She doesn't take no shit from no one. And isn't afraid to use her skills to her advantage.

I was reminded of Phryne from Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery with this book. Not that I have read the books so I don't know if they are similar to the show but Phryne from the show is similar to Heloise.
Not only are Heloise and Phryne similarly strong, independent women who just happen to surround themselves with people who are willing to protect and care deeply for them. They both wanted to escape the evils of their pasts and achieve the slightest slivers of happiness and peace wherever they could find it.

Goodreads    |    Book Depository

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The Bookish Island
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Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva | Book Review #83

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

Are there spoilers?

No.
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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 read this one on September.
? days after.

Title - Mr. Dickens and His Carol
By - Samantha Silva
Publication - October 31st 2017 by Flatiron Books      

Copy - Paperback, 288 pages

Genre - Historical Fiction, Christmas, Holiday, Fiction

Shakespeare in Love meets A Christmas Carol in this transporting debut novel set during the whirlwind period in which Dickens wrote his beloved classic, as he embarks on a Scrooge-like journey of his own.

For Charles Dickens, each Christmas has been better than the last. His novels are literary blockbusters, and he is famous on the streets of London, where avid fans sneak up on him to snip off pieces of his hair. He and his wife have five happy children, a sixth on the way, and a home filled with every comfort they could imagine. But when Dickens’ newest book is a flop, the glorious life he has built for himself threatens to collapse around him. His publishers offer an ultimatum: either he writes a Christmas book in a month, or they will call in his debts, and he could lose everything. Grudgingly, he accepts, but with relatives hounding him for loans, his wife and children planning an excessively lavish holiday party, and jealous critics going in for the kill, he is hardly feeling the Christmas spirit.

Increasingly frazzled and filled with self-doubt, Dickens seeks solace and inspiration in London itself, his great palace of thinking. And on one of his long walks, in a once-beloved square, he meets a young woman in a purple cloak, who might be just the muse he needs. Eleanor Lovejoy and her young son, Timothy, propel Dickens on a Scrooge-like journey through his Christmases past and present—but with time running out, will he find the perfect new story to save him?

In prose laced with humor, sumptuous Victorian detail, and charming winks to A Christmas Carol, Samantha Silva breathes new life into an adored classic. Perfect for fans of Dickens, for readers of immersive historical fiction, and for anyone looking for a dose of Christmas cheer, Mr. Dickens and His Carol is destined to become a perennial holiday favorite.

The Rating:

My Review:

The Cover:

Although they say never judge a book by it's cover I believe the cover should represent what the book is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.

It's such a nice cover. I'd totally display it on my shelves around the holidays. Mostly because it's so pretty and because I'd be my only Christmas-y book. 😜

The Story:

The fictional story of the author of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens around the time he write that famous story. 


Overall:

I enjoyed reading this book so much. Specially since I had just gotten it the day I read it from the mail and was lucky to have my own copy of A Christmas Carol unread. 
I read that first which didn't take long and then read Mr Dickens and His Carol. 
I was happy I got the opportunity to read this book despite it not being in December, and perfect for the holidays, but i was happy regardless. 

Totally recommend you read this book whether it's around the holidays or not. 

Get a copy at:
Barnes&Noble  | Amazon

Or get it here using my affiliate link. Please:
Book Depository

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Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman | Book Review

Book Review:
Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman

Spoilers?

Maybe some.

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Disclaimer:
This book was sent to me from NetGalley.com and the publishing company in exchange for an honest review.

Title - Retribution Rails 
By - Erin Bowman
Publication - November 7th, 2017 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Genre - Young Adult, Western, Thriller, Fiction, Historical

REDEMPTION IS NEVER FREE
When Reece Murphy is forcibly dragged into the Rose Riders gang because of a mysterious gold coin in his possession, he vows to find the man who gave him the piece and turn him over to the gang in exchange for freedom. Never does he expect a lead to come from an aspiring female journalist. But when Reece's path crosses with Charlotte Vaughn after a botched train robbery and she mentions a promising rumor about a gunslinger from Prescott, it becomes apparent that she will be his ticket to freedom—or a noose. As the two manipulate each other for their own ends, past secrets are unearthed, reviving a decade-old quest for revenge that may be impossible to settle.

In this thrilling companion to Vengeance Road, dangerous alliances are formed, old friends meet new enemies, and the West is wilder than ever. 

The Rating :

My Review:

My review in a gif. Which equals 5 stars.

via GIPHY

I want to say that this was sent to me for review from publisher and that, as all my reviews, this one is full of my honest opinions.

The Cover:

Although they say never judge a book by it's cover I believe the cover should represent what the book is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.

This cover is everything!
The cover artist has achieved perfection in the form of the cover. Now all I need is to own the first one and the second one in hardcover to have next to each other on my shelves. 

From what I can tell the cover consists of shades of brown, gold and a blue color tat borders on purple. And I love those colors together. The cacti are pretty and the rails. 


The Story:
This is not a sequel to the previous book Vengeance Road. It's actually a companion to that story and even features the two main characters from VR. 
RR has a female protagonist (Charlotte) that dreams of becoming a journalist while having to deal with her evil uncle who wants her and her mother's fortune. And a guy who rides with the Rose Riders gang (Reece) against his will. Together with Kate and Jesse they get involved and try to get along despite their original dislike.


Relationships:
There were more than one couples and relationships in this book but I will only talk about one of them.


Kate x Jesse
Again I believe that these two are amazing.
They have stayed together since the end of VR and now Kate is pregnant and will soon deliver. 
Their story was a tough one and the fact that they are still together just makes me so happy. 

Charlotte x Reece
These two did not get along. Like at each other's throats. And I loved that the transition from total hate and disgust turned into friendship and trust as so nicely done. I almost didn't even notice it until the end where I was like "but didn't you guys want to kill each other".


Settings:
 Its a western so you can expect deserts, cacti, horses, saloons, and trains. And I loved it. Nearly every place in this story was amazingly described without going too into detail. It gave me e good image of what was going on and I loved that.
I think I love the train scenes, and the scenes where they are on horseback. I can totally see great panning shots if it were a movie.


Overall:
Much like Vengeance Road, I loved reading Retribution Rails. 

I read it quickly. And I loved every page of it. Yeah, it was slow for the first 200 pages but not in a bad way. Through out we learned about the characters, their pasts, and watched them grow, in a way. It was perfect.

Reece was an amazing character that you hate at first till you understand whats behind his actions. And even though I found Charlotte annoying at first I loved her as a character and was happy she grew from what happened to her. 

via GIPHY

Having Kate and Jesse in the story was perfect. They were just great in RR. And seeing that they were still together 10 years later made me feel all warm inside. And with the description of an older Jesse I kept picturing a young Clint Eastwood. 
I especially loved reading just how smart they were in having two houses and having not shown off their gold, their fortune. And Kate being a bad ass even when she was 9 months pregnant, holding a rifle and her colts was amazing. 

And as I read the last pages I felt a sense of accomplishment. Like an "I saw these people grow up" feeling. Almost like if they were stories a grandparent tells you and your happy at the end.

Get a copy at:
Barnes&Noble  |  Amazon US  |  Signed Copy

Or get it here using my affiliate link. Please:
Book Depository

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Midnight in St Petersburg by Venora Bennett | Book Review

Book Review:
Midnight in St Petersburg by Venora Bennett

I have been reading this book for too long and just couldn't make myself read more of it faster till now.

Title - Midnight in St Petersburg
Author - Venora Bennett
Publication - January 19th 2016 by Thomas Dunne Books Format - ARC, 384 pages Genre - Russian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Adult
Source - given to me by st martins press in exchange for honest review

St. Petersburg, 1911: Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia's capital city. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. She feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head. She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive and devoted to revolution; Horace Wallick, an Englishman who makes precious Faberge creations, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many others, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin. As the rebellion descends into anarchy and bloodshed, a commission to repair a priceless Stradivarius violin offers Inna a means of escape. But which man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late? A magical and passionate story steeped in history and intrigue, Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel of music, politics, and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

My Review:

I've had this book for months now and since I've been reading a few pages at a time. Till around a few months back I hit a wall and wasn't reading much of anything. Today I finished reading it and I can now understand why it was that it took me so long. I didn't like it. 
I just couldn't relate to any of the characters and yeah I know it was a different time but that doesn't justify the thoughts I have on the characters. I didn't like any of them.

Book Talk | Midnight in St. Petersburg by Vanora Bennett

Midnight in St. Petersburg by Vanora Bennett

Midnight in St. Petersburg by Vanora Bennett

St. Petersburg, 1911: Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia's capital city. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. She feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head. She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive and devoted to revolution; Horace Wallick, an Englishman who makes precious Faberge creations, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many others, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin.
As the rebellion descends into anarchy and bloodshed, a commission to repair a priceless Stradivarius violin offers Inna a means of escape. But which man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late? A magical and passionate story steeped in history and intrigue, Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel of music, politics, and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

Thoughts:

I had been given the opportunity to read and review the book The Violinist of Venice which I did review. So when I was sent an email asking me if I wanted to read another historical fiction book I had a strong feeling that I had to say yes and read and review it. Sadly I had a terrible experience when I was reading The Violinist of Venice and it wasn't a bad book it was just too big for me and it was the kind of book where you had to use your brain a lot to not get lost and confused so I got a bunch of headaches and high blood pressure at times. 

Now I have to read Midnight in St. Petersburg and I have a bit of trauma. Like I got this book a while back and I have only read 22 pages and its 371 pages long.

I may one day finish this book and go and write a review and post it but for now, I'll just do a book talk because it really is such an interesting book. It's about love, survival in revolutionary Russia.

Link to Goodreads

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