Darlene's Digest

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Blitz by Daniel O'Malley My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

As the shadows lengthened, the men began gathering around the tables like wasps drawn to sweet fruit, cozying up to their women and trying to talk them out of some of the food before the feast officially began. Ma Ivey ruled her dirt yard like an empress, and wasn’t above slapping a reaching hand with a wooden spoon when they drew too close. Finally though, the last of the cane was put through the mill and the syrup cooked down, and as the night sky filled with stars the feast began to a chorus of tree frogs and crickets serenading the workers. They lined up before the platters of roast pig and venison, quails, turkey, and doves. Even a possum or two joined the potatoes in the smoldering coals. There was fish stew and slow-cooked turtle, gator tail and fresh bass, and plenty of home-brewed ale and scuppernong wine to wash it down. The ever present corn was there, too, as meal, mush, bread, pone, grits, and “roasenears,” cooked in the hot coals. Julia grinned to herself. There would be ...

The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multi-Racial Jewish Family by Laura Arnold Leibman My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

"Possum hangin’ in the tree, Raccoon on the ground; Raccoon say, you stingy rat, Shake them ’simmons down!” Julia paused in her singing and frowned down at the spoon stirring through the cake batter. “Possum hanging in the tree?” Where had that come from? “Goodness, I’m becoming countrified!” She chuckled, looking out the kitchen window at the activity in the yard. Rand was doing the morning chores in preparation for their trip to the Iveys’ farm. For a moment she watched him as she stirred, indulging herself in a fantasy that theirs was a normal marriage, two people on the Florida frontier, making a new life together. But it was as much a fantasy as singing raccoons. --SMUGGLER'S BRIDE If it's autumn in North Central Florida, it's persimmon time! They're starting to come into our farmers market and I snagged a few. These are still at the firm stage and may not make it to the cakes. I also like them sliced up over my breakfast cereal. However, the season is long e...

  ...when Captain Doyle returned there was a full report. A peace treaty had been negotiated restoring Great Britain and the United States to their antebellum status. “But what of the prisoners?” Charley asked Captain Doyle. “A Yankee trader from France bound for Charleston put into port a few days back. That is how we heard the news. The governor is not interested in having a gang of Americans roaming through Kingston, and asked if we would ‘host’ them for a while longer until they can ship out with their countrymen.” It was that simple. Men who two days earlier would have run each other through or blown each other to pieces, now were up on deck toasting each other’s countries with carefully rationed grog. Captain Doyle wisely put a limit on the amount of alcohol served, knowing that it wouldn’t take much to re-ignite the conflict on a smaller scale. “Captain Fletcher told me I do not understand men, Mr. Bryant,” Charley said in bemusement later that night. “I have to agree with h...

You Were Made to Be Mine by Julie Anne Long My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Sweetwater and the Witch by Jayne Castle My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement by Julian E. Zelizer My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Stand-In by Lily Chu My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

At the Quiet Edge by Victoria Helen Stone My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Woot! I'm finally going back to an in-person #Worldcon, and very much looking forward to seeing friends and fans once again at #Chicon8. I haven't visited Chicago since Chicon7 ten years ago, so it will be good to be back. I have my Program Participant Schedule, and these panels should be entertaining (and informative)! The (m) after my name means I'm moderating that panel. Look for me there, and say "Hi!" Thursday, September 1, 2022, 11:30 CDT Super Sex Darlene Marshall (m) she/her  Jeffe Kennedy she/her  Meg Elison she/they  Penelope Flynn She/Her Description: Do superheroes "bone," as a Tor.com post wondered? Certainly, but it's not shown a whole lot in TV or in film, no matter what the sexual orientation. Romance blooms, and the occasional film features a love scene, but the actual explorations of how sex would work between "super" characters—much less relationships—tends to take a back seat to violence, explosions, and origin stories. ...

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Remember Love by Mary Balogh My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Nightwork by Nora Roberts My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Judah Benjamin: Counselor to the Confederacy by James Traub My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Hidden Order of Intimacy: Reflections on the Book of Leviticus by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

  “You underestimate the will of the American people, Doctor,” he poked his finger in the air for emphasis. “When you push us, we push back. Hard. John Bull cannot bully America into surrendering now any more than you could 40 years ago. Have you already forgotten the lesson of Fort McHenry?” He rummaged in his desk and pulled out a tattered newspaper, much folded and creased. “My mother sent this to me with the letters, a newspaper from home. A Mr. Key wrote a poem about the battle, Doctor, titled ‘The Defence of Fort McHenry’. Look here–‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’. That’s America, Charley!" --- SEA CHANGE June 14 is #FlagDay, the day the United States honors our nation's star spangled banner.  If you've got a flag, fly it proudly!

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams My rating: 5 of 5 stars Outstanding thriller from an author whose romance novels (writing as Selina Montgomery) I've read, but this latest work branches out into the halls of power in Washington D.C., bringing Abrams' own experience as an attorney and politician into the work. A fast-paced novel of science and law with an all too frightening premise, it kept me up late as I watched characters race against the clock to solve the mystery. I know Ms. Abrams is a busy person, but I hope there are more novels like this in the works. View all my reviews

Darlene's Digest was picked as one of the 30 Best Historical Blogs and Websites at Feedspot , and I'm honored to be in such illustrious company. I've been writing this blog for ages, and while I don't blog every day, I enjoy having a site where I can share book reviews, some conversation about the joys of research, and snippets of life in North Central Florida. These past couple of years have been difficult for all of us, but I'm hanging in there, making up stories that I hope will make you smile. And don't forget my French editions from  J'ai Lu Pour Elle ! I don't know what I would have done without all my French readers around the world lifting my spirits and helping me to practice "un peu français" as I read reviews coming in from far off lands.  So merci beaucoup and thank you very much for hanging in there with me! It's greatly appreciated!  

When I was a child, #MemorialDay meant the end of school and the start of summer. Now it means so much more to me because I know people who died in service to our country, fighting to protect our nation. Take a moment today to reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day. Remember that the freedoms we enjoy this weekend, and all year long, to swim, to gather, to have outdoor concerts, to hike in the national parks, came at a cost. At the start of summer we should always recall those who gave their lives, the "last full measure of devotion" to keep us free.

Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Archangel's Sun by Nalini Singh My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Match by Harlan Coben My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Dark Horse by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Flying Cloud: The True Story of America's Most Famous Clipper Ship and the Woman Who Guided Her by David W. Shaw My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Runaway by Nick Petrie My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Florida's Negro War: Black Seminoles and the Second Seminole War 1835-1842 by Anthony E Dixon My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Longshadow by Olivia Atwater My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Filled with Fire and Light: Portraits and Legends from the Bible, Talmud, and Hasidic World by Elie Wiesel My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews