Review: The Order
The Order by Daniel Silva My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews
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Summertime...and the living is sweaty
He handed her a shovel and they began to dig, and as the afternoon wore on and the heat rose, so did tempers. The allure of treasure was one thing. The actual back-breaking work of digging in the hot sun, sweat pouring off her body and blisters rising on her hands was another. But she didn’t give up, and if the occasional raw word slipped out, it was only to be expected. She wiped her hand across her wet face, not caring she left dirt and sand in its wake. Thunder rumbled to the west and a breeze sprang up, whipping the tree branches. Sophia paused to let the cooler air flow across her. “We have to stop, it’s going to rain.” “We cannot stop yet, Jack, there is still daylight!” “Sophia, I am not going to stand here and get soaked—” His sentence was punctuated with the plop! of a large drop of water at his feet. A moment later one hit Sophia on the nose, and then in the next instant while she looked at Jack, the sky opened and the squall came down in torrents, soaking them where they st...
Review: Close Up
Close Up by Amanda Quick My rating: 4 of 5 stars A perfect choice for lounging in a hammock on a hot summer afternoon--mystery, romance, glamorous 1930s California, and the snappy writing and dialogue that's a hallmark of Amanda Quick. I gobbled it up and would recommend any of the Burning Cove books for a stay-at-home summer getaway. View all my reviews
Review: The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine
The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Review: A Murderous Relation
A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Happy #IndependenceDay!
Charley didn’t know anything about guns, but the sailors and Mr. Silas Stuart, the mate, seemed impressed with the speed of the “Cannies” at their stations. Naturally, they placed bets on whether the next shot would hit the barrel floating off the starboard bow. “They’re fast, but accuracy counts,” Stuart said. “Now, if you want to see real accuracy, watch the Americans. ‘Cousin Jonathan’ is so skinflint about outfitting ships I suspect the cost of each ball that doesn’t hit its mark is deducted from the sailors’ pay!” “Those Yankees cannot stand against our big Navy guns,” the cook said with a grin. --Sea Change (High Seas #1) The cook aboard the Lady Jane was wrong. The United States Navy was able to stand against the Royal Navy's guns in war, not once, but twice within 40 years. Each time, the young nation proved itself a force to be reckoned with. We normally would celebrate our hard-won independence this weekend as John Adams said we should: "It ought ...
Review: The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Byron Makes Love, and Britain Becomes Modern
The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Byron Makes Love, and Britain Becomes Modern by Robert Morrison My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Review: The Legacy and Other Stories: Four Regency Romance Novellas
The Legacy and Other Stories: Four Regency Romance Novellas by Edith Layton My rating: 3 of 5 stars A pleasant "palate cleanser" between much weightier books. One of the things I love about Regency era romance is how sometimes all I want is a story that will take me away for a few moments, not change my life. While Ms. Layton wrote Regency fiction that's now classic in the genre ( The Duke's Wager ) these were lighter little sweet and savory tidbits. View all my reviews
Review: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews
#Flag Day
“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 (High Seas, book 1) June 14 is Flag Day, the day the United States honors our nation's star spangled banner. If you've got a flag, fly it proudly!
Review: Caprice and Rondo
Caprice and Rondo by Dorothy Dunnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Review: The A.I. Who Loved Me
The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Review: To Lie with Lions
To Lie with Lions by Dorothy Dunnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews
Review: The Unicorn Hunt
The Unicorn Hunt by Dorothy Dunnett My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews