Category: New! (Page 5 of 12)

These are the newest books I’ve recommended.

‘MEET ME IN MONACO’

September 8, 2019 /

I want to recommend new historical fiction about an American actress who married the Prince of Monaco. It was delightful:

Meet Me in Monaco: A Novel of Grace Kelly’s Royal Wedding by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Grace Kelly is attending the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 when she first meets Prince Rainer of Monaco. This story covers their awkward first meeting and builds to the royal wedding that captured the world’s attention while intertwining a secondary story about “normal” people who meet because of Kelly’s visit to Cannes.

‘THE GOWN’ – FOR FANS OF “THE CROWN”

August 11, 2019 /

I have read so much WWII historical fiction it’s nice to come across more post-WWII historical fiction. Recently I have read a couple of novels set during this time period in New York but just yesterday I finished The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson. I want to thank Aunt Jean for the recommendation; her book club was reading it!

As the title suggests, this book is set in 1947 as Great Britain anticipates the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth) to Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten.

‘CITY OF GIRLS’

July 25, 2019 /

I recently picked the perfect vacation read! It was: City of Girls: A Novel by Elizabeth Gilbert.

What makes the perfect vacation read? For me, it is a book that passes the time during travel but still tempts me to pick it up when I could just as easily sit and watch the waves roll in. Also, I need some substance; my perfect “beach reads” are not mindless.

This new book by the author of Eat, Pray, Love is set during 1940s New York, in the theatre district. This was especially fun for me since I just read another book with similar setting.

Vivian is 19 and has recently been kicked out of college. Not knowing what to do, her affluent parents send her to New York to stay with her aunt who runs a midtown theater. Vivian quickly gets another kind of education.

‘HIGH ACHIEVER’ – THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF ONE ADDICT’S DOUBLE LIFE

July 23, 2019 /

I spent the last couple of days (this was a very quick read) plowing through a memoir by Tiffany Jenkins: High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life

Through lies and ingenuity, Jenkins managed to stay high on opioids for several years while living with a sheriff’s deputy, but her desperate acts result in her withdrawing on the floor of the county jail, surrounded by her boyfriend’s friends. And this is where the memoir begins! The following pages detail her journey from a secret junkie to an extremely unpopular inmate to, finally, a life of sobriety.

‘THE CHELSEA GIRLS’

July 13, 2019 /

I requested early access to The Chelsea Girls: A Novel by Fiona Davis because I loved this author’s previous book, The Dollhouse. Thank you, NetGalley!

This new work of historical fiction is set in 1950’s New York. The Chelsea Hotel is a haven for artists, actors, and creative types. Hazel (an aspiring playwright) and Maxine (an aspiring actress) live there after returning from a USO tour in Italy where they entertained soldiers towards the end of WWII. While Hazel pens a play inspired by their time in Italy and Maxine (now a big star) takes the leading role, the novel moves into McCarthyism and its quest to find communist infiltration in the “arts” and the effects, immediate and longer-lasting, of these investigations.

“Screenwriters became typists to earn a buck. Brilliant actors sold shoes to make a living.”

‘THE UNHONEYMOONERS’

May 22, 2019 /

When I put together my seasonal reading lists I try to include some variety beyond the historical fiction I tend to gravitate towards. (Most recently these books have had a heiress in an fancy dress on the cover but before that it was WWII fiction.)

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren with its cheery cover looked like a lighter, fun read and was getting a lot of buzz so I decided to give it a try.

‘WHEN WE LEFT CUBA’

April 26, 2019 /

I’ve been so excited to tell you about this book I just read: When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton.

This book is a sequel to one I read and loved last year: Next Year in Havana.

This work of historical fiction is told from the perspective of Beatriz Perez, who fled Cuba with her family when Fidel took power (their exile is covered in the first book).

“It’s been nearly a year since we left Cuba for what was supposed to be a few months away until the world realized what Fidel Castro had done to our island, and American has welcomed us into her loving embrace – almost.”

Now living in Miami, the rest of her family is trying their best to assimilate, but Beatrice yearns for her homeland and decides to risk everything to save it.

‘THE ONE’ – A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER SOON TO BE ON NETFLIX

April 22, 2019 /

I am writing today about another book that I managed to read in a little more than 24 hours:

The One by John Marrs

The book’s premise: A DNA test has been developed to match you with your perfect romantic partner. A reader follows five separate stories as characters meet and fall for their “matches” received from the test.

‘LOST ROSES’ BY MARTHA HALL KELLY

April 10, 2019 /

The book I just finished, Lost Roses: A Novel, is getting a lot of attention as the prequel to Lilac Girls, both by Martha Hall Kelly. Thanks to NetGalley I got access to this book in advance, and I’m ready to tell you more about it.

I liked this book though I had a couple of issues with it. Perhaps my expectations going in were a bit off, so I hope to help out with that in this post (for your future enjoyment). I do think it’s worth reading!

‘AMERICAN DUCHESS’

April 4, 2019 /

I’m excited to write my first recommendation since publishing my spring reading list for:

American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt by Karen Harper.

An intriguing story, this work of historical fiction was a lighter read until the last sections. It tells the story (from first person perspective) of Vanderbilt heiress Consuelo who was forced by her mother Alva to marry the Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo’s character, as it is written here, is likeable and she navigates her circumstances admirably, becoming a champion for the underprivileged.

I had already read and enjoyed a prequel to this book though it was by a different author: A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts. which focuses on Alva but follows Consuelo’s marriage from afar.

Category: New! (Page 5 of 12)

‘MEET ME IN MONACO’

‘THE GOWN’ – FOR FANS OF “THE CROWN”

‘CITY OF GIRLS’

‘HIGH ACHIEVER’ – THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF ONE ADDICT’S DOUBLE LIFE

‘THE CHELSEA GIRLS’

‘THE UNHONEYMOONERS’

‘WHEN WE LEFT CUBA’

‘THE ONE’ – A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER SOON TO BE ON NETFLIX

‘LOST ROSES’ BY MARTHA HALL KELLY

‘AMERICAN DUCHESS’

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