As a devoted admirer of Mary Stuart, I hold historical fiction about Mary’s life to high standards. I am pleased to say that The Tower by Flora Carr met — and exceeded — those expectations. Read my full book review here:
April was a big month for me in terms of reading because this was the month I discovered the magic of Emily Henry’s books. I read three of her books this month, including her newest release, Funny Story. Besides these highly emotional contemporary romances, I enjoyed a variety of historical fiction and even dabbled into psychology non-fiction in the form of Toxic Positivity by Whitney Goodman. So, here’s what I thought of everything I read in April!
Maria follows the story of Maria von Trapp, the protagonist famously played by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. I was aware that I knew little of Maria or the von Trapps when I began the book, but I was shocked by the depth of the woman’s character, brought to life by Michelle Moran in her latest novel. Read my full book review here!
February was a varied month for me when it comes to what I read. Starting out strong with the new Crescent City book and closing it out with a less-than-stellar ACOTAR audiobook production, the books in between spanned genres and interests. I didn’t finish one book, but it was so boring it’s not worth mentioning here. Overall, I would recommend all of the books listed below for your TBR!
It was naive of me to think compiling my list of the best books of 2023 would be easy! This list started as a top ten list, then a top ten standalone book list plus a list of series, and ultimately to 14 individual books and 11 series. When I say series, these range from huge multi-volume stories like Throne of Glass to a handful of two-volume duologies.
I’m going to be honest here: I did not realize how many books I read in November until I sat down to write blurbs about each for this blog post. Between Spotify adding a huge library of audiobooks and getting my local library card for Libby, I’ve been devouring audiobooks, along with my ever-growing TBR pile. Top of the list for me is, unsurprisingly, Iron Flame, which was released earlier in the month.
For fans of historical fiction and Celtic mythology, The Gael Song Series by Shauna Lawless is the perfect mix of both. When I say I read these books in a matter of days, I am not exaggerating. Both novels are compelling and engrossing, leading the reader through a myriad of history and mythology that will leave you wanting to know more!
While I had fallen behind in terms of pace for my annual reading goal (100 books this year), I think I’ve gained good ground throughout July. All of the books I read this month can be considered historical fiction — some more than others. From 1960s America with Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus to ancient Egypt with Neferura by Malayna Evans, the books I read this month follow strong female protagonists in a variety of time periods. Read on for my July in books!
Cleeton has crafted a robust and thought provoking book series, The Cuba Saga, which largely follows the fictional wealthy Cuban Perez family. Looking both backwards and forward in the Perez family timeline, this book series touches on a number of major Cuban historical events, and discusses the nuances of the social consequences of revolution, regime change, and relocation to the United States.
This month, my reading was heavy on the historical fiction — just the way I like it! From mythological retellings of Medusa’s sad tale to sapphic Victorian vampires, the books I read in June really ran the gamut, timeline wise. Read on for everything I read in June — I hope it helps fill up your TBR list!
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