Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien

October 18, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien
How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
Publisher: Eamon Dolan/Mariner Books
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Length: Full length (382 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Between the world wars, no sport was more popular, or more dangerous, than airplane racing. While male pilots were lauded as heroes, the few women who dared to fly were more often ridiculed—until a cadre of women pilots banded together to break through the entrenched prejudice.

Fly Girls weaves together the stories of five remarkable women: Florence Klingensmith, a high school dropout from Fargo, North Dakota; Ruth Elder, an Alabama divorcée; Amelia Earhart, the most famous, but not necessarily the most skilled; Ruth Nichols, who chafed at her blue blood family’s expectations; and Louise Thaden, the young mother of two who got her start selling coal in Wichita. Together, they fought for the chance to fly and race airplanes—and in 1936, one of them would triumph, beating the men in the toughest air race of them all.

Five women wanting to own the sky.

I’ve been on a bender reading historical non-fiction books. I’m in awe of the space program, but this book shows where things all began–flight. When I saw the name Amelia Earhart, I thought, okay, this is about her big flight. But it’s really not. It’s about the women who wanted to learn to fly and were part of the twenty-nine who originally got pilots licenses when it wasn’t considered something women should do. I loved the pioneering spirit of these women and the “never give up” attitude.

The writing flowed well, but there were times when I wasn’t sure who I was reading about. The lead-up to the reveal about which woman was being spotlighted in any given chapter was a tad long. At times it read a bit like a textbook, but I wanted to know about these women, so I kept going.

I’ve heard of Earhart, but have you ever heard of Ruth Nichols? Louise Thaden? Ruth Elder? They were giants in airplane racing. Yeah, racing. Never heard of them? You should. If you read Fly Girls, you will. If you’re a fan of flight and pioneers in flight, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Duchess in His Bed by Lorraine Heath

October 10, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Duchess in His Bed by Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (320 pgs)
Heat: Hot
Rated: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

For a duchess with practical desires, falling in love is an inconceivable part of her plan…

As owner of the Elysium Club which caters to women’s fantasies, Aiden Trewlove is accustomed to introducing adventurous ladies to sin and vice. But he is uncharacteristically intrigued by the mysterious beauty who visits his club one night, yearning to indulge in the forbidden—with him. Drawn to her indomitable spirit, he breaks his rule of never becoming personally involved with his clientele and is determined to fully awaken her desires.

A recent widow, Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing, has never known passion, not until Aiden’s slow, sensual seduction leads her on a journey of discovery and incredible pleasure. But her reasons for visiting the notorious club are not all that they seem.

As Selena’s motives become complicated by love, she finds herself with a most unexpected choice: forge ahead with a secret plan that could secure her future—or follow her heart which could prove ruinous.

Wow. This books kicks off in the most ugly way imaginable…far from what one imagines from the jacket; yet, it sets the scene for us to understand the duchess’ motivation.

The Duchess in His Bed seems like it should be a cheery and titillating story. After all, we’re given to understand that the most risque ‘ladies’ club and physical passion are absolutely central. And, though expectations are met in that regard, the real surprise is the Duchess herself. In fact, the depth and quality of all the characters keep this story riveting.

We meet Adien, as he meets the beautiful and previously, shall we say “undervalued”, Duchess of Lashing. Selena is not what she seems and she has some pretty specific goals, as well. Aiden thinks he knows those goals. He is confident in his assessment of women and what might bring them to his services. His surety is undoing.

Lena has a very specific desire but, almost immediately she discovers a conflict. And though she was prepared to pursue her own desires single-mindedly, suddenly, she trips over something like respect. Or is it more? The developing emotions stir the plot quite thoroughly!

Ms. Heath’s historical romance brings together incredibly realistic characters in an unusual and very unpredictable situation. We hardly know what to hope for, never mind expect, as the story charges forward.

Very worth reading; fun and intriguing.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Stone Soup by Heather Forest

October 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Stone Soup by Heather Forest
LittleFolk
Publisher: August House
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Two hungry travelers arrive at a village expecting to find a household that will share a bit of food, as has been the custom along their journey. To their surprise, villager after villager refuses to share, each one closing the door with a bang.

As they sit to rest beside a well, one of the travelers observes that if the townspeople have no food to share, they must be “in greater need than we are.” With that, the travelers demonstrate their special recipe for a magical soup, using a stone as a starter. All they need is a carrot, which a young girl volunteers. Not to be outdone, another villager contributes a potato, and the soup grows as others bring corn, celery, and other vegetables and seasonings.

In this cumulative retelling of an ancient and widely circulated legend, author Heather Forest shows us that when each person makes a small contribution, “the collective impact can be huge.” Susan Gaber’s paintings portray the optimism and timelessness of a story that celebrates teamwork and generosity. This story about community teaches readers the importance of sharing, generosity and vegetables!

Not everyone can turn a pot of plain water into a nourishing meal.

I thought the two main characters were clever men. The fact that they chose not to reveal anything about their backstories only made them more intriguing to me. It was easy to imagine a few of the places they might have first learned how to create stone soup and why it’s something that can only be done after you’ve made everyone irresistibly curious about what this meal is and why it’s a little magical.

The message of this retelling was heavy handed, and I’m saying that as someone who really enjoyed the traditional story it was based on. This sort of soup can only exist if its made with more than just physical ingredients. Spelling out what those things were wasn’t necessary. The plot itself made it very clear. As much as I liked seeing how the author approached this topic, I do think it would have been more effective if she’d allowed her audience to come to their own conclusions about the meaning of it.

With that being said, I did enjoy the multicultural take on this tale. The original version didn’t mention the ethnicities of any of the characters involved. Even if it had, I always find it interesting to see how a familiar plot might unfold if it’s transplanted from the culture that created it to an entirely new home altogether. Ms. Forest did a good job of showing how the same twists could happen anywhere.

Stone Soup should be read by anyone who enjoys retellings of famous legends

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Long Island by Drew Beckmeyer

October 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Long Island by Drew Beckmeyer
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Childrens, Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Short Story (64 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Some of us like the comfort of familiarity—staying close to the home we’ve always known, making a life, building a community. For some, the intimacy of the old routine is satisfaction itself. But the known is not for everyone. When our 5 protagonists get to wondering what’s on the other side of their island, they can’t stop until they find out. What follows is an epic journey of discovery, danger, imagination, and ultimately, bittersweet fulfillment. Is this sophisticated picture book about man versus earth? Man versus man? Or man versus self? Like our protagonists, every reader will find their own right answer in this haunting and deceptively simple modern fable.

Adventures can be found anywhere you roam.

This was one of those tales that can appeal to adults as much as it does for the age group it was originally written for. That’s something I always appreciate finding in a picture book. It’s just rare enough that it’s a real treat to read something that will mean one thing to an elementary-aged reader and quite another to an adult who looked at the same words.

There were barely any explanations at all about what was going on in this plot. I’m comfortable reading about nameless characters, but not knowing anything about them at all was tricky. They were described in such a way that it was impossible to know their ages, genders, or any other details that could round them out as individuals at all. The fact that this pattern repeated again with the plot only made it harder for me to get into it. While I appreciated the attempt to create something that anyone could relate to, I personally need at least a few concrete details in order to connect with the characters and become invested in what will happen next in the storyline.

With that being said, I did enjoy the questions the characters asked about whether it’s best to stick to the places you know or move on to seek adventure somewhere else. Not only will the answer to this be different for each person, what someone wants in one stage of life could easily flip a few years or decades later as their circumstances change and they yearn to reconnect with their roots or explore a new place. It was nice to see such an open-ended approach to what makes for a good life.

The Long Island should be read by anyone who enjoys coming to their own conclusions about the meaning of a story.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Great Dragon Warrior by Swee San Ng

October 7, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Great Dragon Warrior by Swee San Ng
Publisher: Epigram Books
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Short Story (33 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Basmi the dragon has always dreamt of becoming a great dragon warrior. Now it looks like his dream might come true, as a great dragon warrior is living in the cave right by him. Oh, the things he could learn from this great dragon warrior! But Basmi learns an unexpected lesson from this dragon warrior when he finally reveals himself.

Courage comes in many forms.

Basmi was a fantastic role model. Not only was he brave and kind, he was selfless as well. One of the most interesting things about him had to do with how these strengths of his were tied into his greatest weakness. I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover that weakness for themselves in order to avoid sharing spoilers, but it was refreshing to meet a picture book character who was so well rounded. He genuinely felt real to me.

There was so much adventure poured into these thirty-three pages. The pacing couldn’t have been written better. It kept me guessing what might happen next all the way through to the final scene. I adored the fact that Basmi and his friends kept so busy as they tried to help the great dragon warrior in his recovery.

As if all of these other things weren’t enough, I was also thrilled by the plot twist that happened near the end. It was something I’d wondered about, but it was written in such a way that there was still plenty of room for an audience to come to other conclusions right up until the big reveal. All of the scenes connected to this twist were as well written as they were a pure joy to discover.

Yes, this was the sort of story that came with a message woven into it. I liked seeing how the narrator created references for the point they were trying to make. Ms. Ng did a wonderful job of pulling all of these hints together into a coherent storyline while still staying true to what the characters and setting were trying to do.

The Great Dragon Warrior was one of the best fables I’ve read in ages. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Songs of America by Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw

October 3, 2019 By 2 Comments


Songs of America by Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw
Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Non-Fiction, Historical, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (320 pgs)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Through all the years of strife and triumph, America has been shaped not just by our elected leaders and our formal politics but also by our music—by the lyrics, performers, and instrumentals that have helped to carry us through the dark days and to celebrate the bright ones.

From “The Star-Spangled Banner” to “Born in the U.S.A.,” Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw take readers on a moving and insightful journey through eras in American history and the songs and performers that inspired us. Meacham chronicles our history, exploring the stories behind the songs, and Tim McGraw reflects on them as an artist and performer. Their perspectives combine to create a unique view of the role music has played in uniting and shaping a nation.

Beginning with the battle hymns of the revolution, and taking us through songs from the defining events of the Civil War, the fight for women’s suffrage, the two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and into the twenty-first century, Meacham and McGraw explore the songs that defined generations, and the cultural and political climates that produced them. Readers will discover the power of music in the lives of figures such as Harriet Tubman, Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and will learn more about some of our most beloved musicians and performers, including Marian Anderson, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, and more.

Songs of America explores both famous songs and lesser-known ones, expanding our understanding of the scope of American music and lending deeper meaning to the historical context of such songs as “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” “God Bless America,” “Over There,” “We Shall Overcome,” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” As Quincy Jones says, Meacham and McGraw have “convened a concert in Songs of America,” one that reminds us of who we are, where we’ve been, and what we, at our best, can be.

Songs of protest, songs of freedom. Songs that made our lives.

I picked up this book for two reasons. I like the writings of Jon Meacham. I know, someone should tell the author that. He has a very humble way about him and his writing. I enjoy it. The writing flowed well and pulled me right into the collection of stories. The other reason I picked up this book has to be that it’s about music. Not just any music, but music of the United States. Meacham and McGraw (in little bubbles, versus the larger prose used by Meacham), don’t just touch on songs that are popular or songs that are positive. Oh, no. They touch on songs of all American peoples. There needed to be a larger section on the native peoples, but that’s my quibble.

The writing flowed well, as I said, and worked with the format used. It was like reading a collection of essays with songs added. I liked the variety and learned a few things. If you’re at all interested in protest music, then this might be the one for you. Pick it up.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

A Love For All Seasons by Edith Layton

October 2, 2019 By Leave a Comment


A Love For All Seasons: Five Love Stories Become One Great Romance by Edith Layton
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (171 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

A CAPTIVATING QUINTET

Felicia, a beautiful innocent faced with the passion of an irresistible rake. Adela, unable to forgive her husband for what he has done to her. Bronwen, forced to choose between a proper marriage and an impossible desire. Marjorie, an unpolished heiress who becomes the target of society’s most jaded gentleman. Rachel, a wife who finds that the marriage game is played with shocking rules in high society.

Five enchanting heroines in five dazzling tales, strung like jewels on a single narrative thread. Five new triumphs by the on and only Edith Layton.

This book is a package deal: get five adventurous love stories in one. The five little tales each have their own storyline, but the characters in each are connected to those in the others. When these ties are made throughout the book, the result is delightful. Having love stories decorated with the theme of seasons is a winner as well and is pulled off convincingly. The seasonal details mixed into the stories are perfect and add not only to the setting but the storylines as well.

In Spring’s Promise, young Felicia’s love disappointed her and proposed to another. How will her parents help her with this broken heart? There’s a mystery as to why Jeremy did this to her. Her reaction will make all the difference.

The language is flowery and helps to set the mood of the era. An interesting character comes onto the scene, and suspense is created. The innocent Felicia sees a piece of reality to open her eyes. She meets a man who makes her see the world differently and he her. The ending is charming.

Summer’s Fruit introduces us to Adela and Euan. He comes back from war with a new title and his new very pregnant wife. His reaction to her size hurts her, and their troubles begin. The internal conflicts experienced by both tug a reader into their personal pain. Unfortunately, they have a misunderstanding that builds to epic levels. The author does well showing their feelings. Too bad the couple didn’t speak honestly earlier though. This story is about learning to love again (the same person). Because it’s nicely tied into the first story, it gives the reader a great glance into the lives of the earlier couple.

In Autumn Leaves readers get a peek into the lives of Bronwen and Miss Mayhew, governesses. Bronwen reads a fairytale to the children under her care that holds parallels to what is happening in her life. She has an old friend from her past, the handsome Nick, that she runs into in the park. There are dashes of humor that inspire smiles. Nick is now living in a different world then Bronwen. Should she dare hope anyway? And what about Miss Mayhew? The author does some clever maneuvering to give these ladies their happy endings.

Snow Broth is the winter story of Marjorie, who makes new friends in an interesting and unexpected way. She falls for one in the group then discovers he’s engaged to another of her new friends. She is a young lady with old-fashioned morals, from the country, and is intrigued with her city friends, until they do something to offend her sense of right and wrong. Marjorie, due to her morality, fights her feelings for Beau, a promised man. The ending of this tale offers a surprise, and the tender emotions are written by the hand of an expert.

A Love for All Seasons is a great way to tie up the loose ends while adding new insights into the love of an established couple. There is a wonderful tie-in to the other stories and characters in this last story, and readers get treated to another point-of-view, seeing incidents they saw before but through another’s eyes. All in all, this is a novel well worth the read, a fun and fast-paced book.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit: An Indian Folk Tale by Charlotte Guillain

October 2, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Foolish, Timid Rabbit: An Indian Folk Tale (Folk Tales From Around the World) by Charlotte Guillain
Publisher: Raintree
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (24 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This book tells the story of the Foolish, Timid Rabbit, a traditional Indian folk tale. In it, the animals learn that you should always remember to think for yourself before you believe a rumor or follow a crowd.

Sometimes fear is contagious.

Rujul was such a relatable character to me because of how difficult it was for him to ignore the scary things his mind came up with. I had a great deal of empathy for him, especially once I realized that he didn’t necessarily know yet just how much he was over reacting. That can be an easy thing to do for both rabbits and people alike.

As much as I enjoyed the beginning and middle, the ending didn’t quite make sense to me. Rujul the rabbit was the character who kicked off the series of events that make this story happen. I was surprised to see how he reacted to meeting a more sensible character after he stirred up a panic in the forest. There were certain developments in his personality that had been hinted at but then never followed through on. It would have been nice to have some closure in that area.

The message of this book was short and to the point. That’s exactly what should happen with this age group, so I was glad that the narrator cut to the chase and made sure her readers knew that Rujul needed to be kindly reminded that his fears about what could happen weren’t predictions. He knew just as little or as much about what the future holds as anyone else in the world.

I’d recommend The Foolish, Timid Rabbit: An Indian Folk Tale to anyone who has ever assumed their most anxious thoughts are also the ones most likely to come true.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Radium Girls by Claudia Clark

October 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Radium Girls by Claudia Clark
Women and Industrial Health Reform, 1910-1935
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Length: Full Length (304 pgs)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In the early twentieth century, a group of women workers hired to apply luminous paint to watch faces and instrument dials found themselves among the first victims of radium poisoning. Claudia Clark’s book tells the compelling story of these women, who at first had no idea that the tedious task of dialpainting was any different from the other factory jobs available to them. But after repeated exposure to the radium-laced paint, they began to develop mysterious, often fatal illnesses that they traced to conditions in the workplace. Their fight to have their symptoms recognized as an industrial disease represents an important chapter in the history of modern health and labor policy. Clark’s account emphasizes the social and political factors that influenced the responses of the workers, managers, government officials, medical specialists, and legal authorities involved in the case. She enriches the story by exploring contemporary disputes over workplace control, government intervention, and industry-backed medical research. Finally, in appraising the dialpainters’ campaign to secure compensation and prevention of further incidents–efforts launched with the help of the reform-minded, middle-class women of the Consumers’ League–Clark is able to evaluate the achievements and shortcomings of the industrial health movement as a whole.

Whatever happened to the Radium Girls? Read this book and find out.

I’ve been interested in the world of the radium girls for quite a while. I found this book and knew I had to read it. The information in this book is all there. The author digs deep to make the reader feel like he or she is right in the world of the girls. The good, the bad, the really bad…you’re there. For a story that has such a terrible ending, this book certainly captures all of the details.

The thing is, this book reads like a textbook. If it’s supposed to be one, then fabulous. If it’s not, then it can get a bit tedious. The writing is reminiscent of a textbook, which might not appeal to many readers. Then again, if you’re doing a paper about the radium girls, then this is exactly the book needed.

If you’re interested in learning about the radium girls, then try this book. It might be the one you’re looking for.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Heiress Gone Wild by Laura Lee Guhrke

September 30, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Heiress Gone Wild: Dear Lady Truelove by Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (304 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Dear Lady Truelove,

My ward is driving me crazy. I have to marry her off and get her out of my life. There’s just one problem…

When Jonathan Deverill promised a dying friend he’d be guardian to the man’s daughter, he envisioned a girl in pigtails and pinafores, a child he could leave behind in some finishing school. Problem is, his ward is actually a fully-grown, defiant beauty whose longing for romance threatens to make his guardianship a living hell.

New York heiress Marjorie McGann wants a London season and a titled husband who can help her spend the Yankee millions she’s inherited, and she thinks her new British guardian is the perfect person to help her find him. But Jonathan has no intention of letting his friend’s fortune be squandered. Under his watchful, protective eye, Marjorie finds romance hard to come by . . . until one fateful night when her own guardian’s devastating kisses makes her wonder if the greatest romance of all might be right in front of her.

This is a perfect story for romance fans that enjoy the chase, the gradual build-up of yearning and desire, of watching a hero and heroine deal with the pitfalls and frustrations of navigating society’s rules and propriety, and relish the explosion of passion when it becomes impossible to resist. Jonathan and Marjorie’s initial meeting was tame which led the hero into a complacent frame of mind. Imagine his shock when he discovers that the heroine is a woman with her own opinions, goals and dreams, and has the gumption to make things happen. Plans go awry for both of them and the challenge they face is figuring out what they really want out of life, and what they’re willing to do to make it happen. The journey is fascinating.

Marjorie’s character starts out like fresh taffy, easy to pull and stretch, is moldable yet sweet. Once she figures things out, she ends up being a woman who knows her own mind and goes after what she wants. Jonathan is a man torn between duty and desire, old dreams and an uncertain future. What does he really want? His trying to figure it out is why I liked him. Life is like that – throws curve-balls at plans and all a person can do is stand there, twisting in the breeze with no true path until something seems ‘right’. What he chooses as ‘right’ ends up being his downfall and his saving grace. I didn’t expect it to work out like that but I am glad it did. It contributed to a nice wrap-up for their happy ever after. The author chose the right scenario for her characters and I liked the circular nod to their interesting beginnings.

The most profound and pivotal moment was when Marjorie realized that she won’t settle for what’s expected. She had a ton of examples of that life starting with Lady Stansbury, the epitome of proper. The author did such a great job of detailing the acceptable activities for a lady, I groaned when everyone else did at the mention of her name. Marjorie’s “Aha!” moment was precipitated by her interaction with her old friend, Jenna. That whole scene painted a crystal clear picture of her future if she let it. What follows can be called a classic coalesced romantic HEA – satisfying and complete.

My pace of reading was moderate at best. The author is a master at description to set a scene, with details that painted clear pictures for a reader so that the tone, emotion and environment could come alive. I’m not patient with that type of writing so I was chomping at the bit to get to the good stuff – when Jonathan finally acknowledged to himself that he couldn’t deny himself any longer, that he had to have her, and Marjorie would finally be awakened to the joys of being a woman in all its glory. Finally! It was worth waiting for. I enjoyed watching Marjorie grow as a person and as a woman and I was so happy to see Jonathan finally getting everything he ever dreamed of – even though his dream changed a bit, for the better.

Heiress Gone Wild follows the traditional style for historical romance. It’s a well written character driven story with secondary characters that contribute significant assistance to both the hero and heroine when they need it most. I especially liked Jonathan’s sisters. Oh, and their husbands too. I can easily recommend this book to historical romance fans. This novel is delightful and I am happy I read it.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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