Top 10 Historical Hidden Gems

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is Ten Hidden Gem Books in X Genre. Since I read so much historical fiction, I decided to list some underrated historical books you might not have heard of. Covers go to Goodreads. 1. The Janna...

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The good, the bad, and the ugly: Gladiatrix (Gladiatrix #1) by Russell Whitfield

Genderbent Spartacus with lesbians. The good It's about female gladiators! Hell to the yeah! Scheming Romans  The book assumes the reader knows stuff about ancient Rome, because you'd hardly read it if you didn't (thank you, author, for treating us as the knowledgeable people we are) LGBTQ...

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5 Things I Loved About Goddess by Kelly Gardiner

If this swashbuckling heroine doesn't define awesome, I don't know what does. Hi everyone! This is my first review in a long time because I'm finally back. I read this book a month or two back, and I loved it so much I had to take notes so I could share the awesomeness with you all. So without...

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9 Things I Disliked About Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison

Pretty language doesn't make a book unproblematic. I didn't hate everything about this book, but it's so problematic I can't rate it any higher than 1 star. I don't recommend it to anyone. Don't read it. Here's why. (Warning: This review is extremely spoilery so that I can explain my distaste.)   First,...

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Review: Pompeii by Robert Harris

The punny quotes on the outside and inside covers killed me. Summary A sweltering week in late August. Where better to enjoy the last days of summer than on the beautiful Bay of Naples? But even as Rome's richest citizens relax in their villas around Pompeii and Herculaneum, there are ominous...

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A New Favourite: Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace

Jane Austen meets JRR Tolkien I watched the 2016 BBC mini-series a few months ago, which made me want to read the book. In case you don't know, the book is a monster, and it took me exactly 2 months to read. I read the ebook, not the physical book pictured, for this reason. War and Peace...

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Mini review: Love in the Land of Midas by Kapka Kassabova

Clickbait summary: Not as corny or romantic as the blurb makes it appear. Actual summary A love story that crosses generations and continents, from post-war Europe to the present day. The legends of the Greek myths are diffused with the complicated history of the Balkans in a story...

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The good, the bad, and the ugly: Bring Down the Sun by Judith Tarr

Clickbait summary: Horny priestess marries King of Macedonia, has magic. The good About a historically intriguing woman, Olympias (Alexander the Great's mother)  The setting! (Ancient Greece, 4th Century BCE) Main character has a clear goal she is determined to reach (but she reaches...

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The good, the bad, and the ugly: Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers

Finished reading on: 20 April 2016 Clickbait summary: Misandrist in Medieval Brittany joins cult that kills men, falls in love with man. The Good The red dress on the cover  The weapons (main character Ismae is an assassin, so she's got a couple) Medieval setting and all it entails...

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Curses & Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Finished reading on: 16 February 2016 I'm experimenting with review styles, so let's see how this goes. Tell me what you think of this format. The good Gorgeous cover Great for young Classics nerds and fans of Spartacus (and therefore me) – Gladiators! Roman women! Pompeii! Satisfied my...

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Top Ten Historical Settings I Love

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Historical Settings You Love/Top Ten Historical Settings You'd Love To See or Top Ten Futuristic Books You Love/Ten Futuristic Societies I'd Love To Read in Books. I adore historical fiction,...

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Top Ten Books That Would be on My Syllabus if I Taught Historical Fiction 101

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught X 101 (examples: YA fantasy 101, feminist literature 101, magic in YA 101, classic YA lit 101, world-building 101). 1. Burial...

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