The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook depicts a time and place not often depicted in literature: post-WWII Germany--specifically, Hamburg in 1946. The Aftermath tells the story of a British officer, his wife, and their young son sharing a requisitioned home with a German man and his teenaged daughter. This situation proves ripe for drama and clashing relationships… Continue reading Review: The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook
Review: I Am Terezin by Richard D. Bank
I Am Terezin by Richard D. Bank is a memoir (of sorts) told from the point of view of the Czech fortress city-turned-concentration camp Terezin, or Theresienstadt as the Germans called it. If that sounds confusing to you, essentially the book is creative non-fiction written in the first person "by Terezin" through author Richard D. Bank.… Continue reading Review: I Am Terezin by Richard D. Bank
Review: Crossing the Horizon by Laurie Notaro
Crossing the Horizon: A Novel by Laurie Notaro is the true story of trailblazing women: Elsie Mackay, Ruth Elder, and Mabel Boll. After Charles Lindbergh's historic trans-Atlantic flight in 1927, the few and pioneering aviatrixes in the world sought to claim the title of "First woman to fly across the Atlantic." We all know Amelia Earhart's… Continue reading Review: Crossing the Horizon by Laurie Notaro
Review: Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown
Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown tells the true story of 17th century Mary Rowlandson, who survived a Nipmoc attack on the village of Lancaster, MA and was subsequently taken prisoner along with two of her children. After about three months, Rowlandson was ransomed back to the English. She then went on… Continue reading Review: Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown
Review: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is a YA novel detailing Philadelphia's 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic. Being in Philadelphia, I have heard about this particular epidemic...every time I walk past Washington Square Park I think about it, as well as the Revolutionary soldiers buried there. In the 18th Century, however, this space was called Potter's field.… Continue reading Review: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I first heard about The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood in a high school English class....at least I think it was, maybe it was undergrad? Anyway, the point is I have been meaning to read this book for a long time and for some reason never quite got around to it (I know, I know!)… Continue reading Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Review: The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
If you follow me on social media, you probably know that other than History, I'm very into everything Star Wars. And if you didn't know that - well now you do. I received Carrie Fisher's The Princess Diarist as a Christmas gift and I was eager to dive into it for any interesting tidbits of Carrie's… Continue reading Review: The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
2016 Media Consumption
At the beginning of 2016, I found out that every year, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh makes a list of everything he watched, read, and listened to that year. So, I decided to do the same...partly as an experiment to see if I could keep up with updating a list every day. Turns out I could! Mine… Continue reading 2016 Media Consumption
Review: Victoria: A Novel of a Young Queen by Daisy Goodwin
[Some spoilers below...but it's also history, so is it really a spoiler...?] Victoria: A Novel of a Young Queen by Daisy Goodwin is the companion novel to the new Victoria TV series (already out in the UK, out in the US in Jan). Daisy Goodwin also wrote the TV series, but I believe the first season extends… Continue reading Review: Victoria: A Novel of a Young Queen by Daisy Goodwin
Review: Catalyst – A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno
[Minor spoilers] Catalyst makes for a good set-up to Rouge One; I certainly feel like I will have the upper hand in understanding the chain of events in why things start out the way they do when I see the movie. The prose is middle grade in order to be commercial, I get that, but… Continue reading Review: Catalyst – A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno