As promised, here is my book list & mini-reviews for April. Enjoy…
First up is Georgette Heyer’s Regency World by Jennifer Kloester.
Like many, I am thoroughly obsessed with the Regency era in England (hello Jane Austen!) and having read several of Georgette Heyer’s novels, this was quite the treat. It really provides a wonderful look into the upper-class life, the sort of look that I love best, since it covers the day-to-day intricacies that would’ve been taken for granted as common knowledge to those who belonged to that class and time.
After that I read Alias Olympia by Eunice Lipton.
This book had been sitting on my shelf for what seemed like ages, and then all of a sudden it caught my eye and off I went. It wasn’t wholly what I was expecting, since it truly did seem to be more about the author and her search for herself within her search for information on the life of the notorious model who served as inspiration for Manet. I liked it well enough, though I’m not sure if I would consider it one to reread.
Then I read Legacy by Susan Kay.
The spine is much more interesting then the blank cover!
The life of Elizabeth I is quite the fascinating one, and this novel’s take on it was a compelling one. I enjoyed how the author would give first person thoughts from various characters, though in a sometimes random, wandering sort of way. I have always been drawn to Elizabeth’s earlier life and rule, more then to her Gloriana years, so for me the first 2/3 of the book were the best.
Lastly I read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
Okay, so we all know I adore Tudor History, and the women of that time specifically, however all of the talk I’d been hearing about the books, the play, and the mini-series did pique my interest. Once PBS started showing Wolf Hall I got sucked in and I simply had to read this and see how Mantel managed to get inside the head, heart, and soul of Thomas Cromwell. I have to say that I am now actually enamored of this man, who is so usually portrayed as a hard-ass villain, cold, calculating, almost soulless. Yet, He was one of Henry VIII’s most loyal supporters, a self-made man who could, and most importantly would, get done what needed to be done. Almost immediately after his questionable execution, Henry was bemoaning his loss. While this book (and Bring Up the Bodies & the last, yet to be published book in the trilogy) are works of fiction, they are masterful ones and they breathe a complex life and human understanding into Cromwell (Mark Rylance‘s performance in Wolf Hall is equally exquisite and only adds to the depth achieved here). I can’t wait to get my hands on Bring Up the Bodies!
I’m so happy to finally be caught up on my reading list for this year so far. I’m already well into my first May book and I am thrilled that by doing these posts my reading has been a lot more consistent. Please check out my January, February, and March lists here, here, and here. What have you been reading?
Namaste ~ Ella
*If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see me posting my books as I read them! Also feel free to check out my Bibliophile Bliss board on Pinterest for more book goodness!
Lawhimsy 