Month: November 2020

#NovellaNovember – Torday’s Fantastical Tale – #ShortStorySunday

Book Review for “Theo: A Novella” by Paul Torday. Summary: “John Elliott is the recently appointed vicar of St Joseph's - a dilapidated church with a congregation of sixteen and a leaky roof. Having entered the Church more by default than through any great calling, he struggles to inject some life into his ailing parish. … Continue reading #NovellaNovember – Torday’s Fantastical Tale – #ShortStorySunday →

Sadly Selfish Relationships

Book Review for “The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal” by Bryn Turnbull. Summary: “In the summer of 1926, when Thelma Morgan marries Viscount Duke Furness after a whirlwind romance, she’s immersed in a gilded world of extraordinary wealth and privilege. For Thelma, the daughter of an American diplomat, her … Continue reading Sadly Selfish Relationships →

Special #Thanksgiving #ThrowbackThursday from The Chocolate Lady.

A special Throwback Thursday for Thanksgiving? Why not? Well, happy Thanksgiving for all who celebrate it (I don't anymore, because I no longer live in the US, but it was a holiday I loved, growing up). Now, as my regular readers know, I don't usually post in the middle of the month, and I just … Continue reading Special #Thanksgiving #ThrowbackThursday from The Chocolate Lady. →

TCL Gets the Sunshine Blogger Award!

Thank you to Amber @ The Literary Phoenix who nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award after she posted her THIRD nomination answers. Apparently, there are rules to this one, and they are: Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their page so others can see how amazing they are, too! (Done, … Continue reading TCL Gets the Sunshine Blogger Award! →

Stories to Moan About

Book Review for “Fresh Complaint: Stories” by Jeffrey Eugenides. Summary: “From the bitingly reproductive antics of 'Baster' to the moving tale of a young traveler’s search for enlightenment in 'Air Mail', to the title story - the intensely topical account of a high school student whose wish to escape the strictures of her immigrant Indian … Continue reading Stories to Moan About →

Tempest Trials

Book Review for “The Arctic Fury” by Greer Macallister. Summary: “In early 1853, experienced California Trail guide Virginia Reeve is summoned to Boston by a mysterious benefactor who offers her a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: lead a party of 12 women into the wild, hazardous Arctic to search for the lost Franklin Expedition. It’s an extraordinary request, … Continue reading Tempest Trials →

Smiles and a Funny Face.

Book Review for “Adele: A Novel” by Nicola Cassidy. Summary: "1905: Eight-year-old Adele Austerlitz moves from her humble home in Omaha, Nebraska, with her five-year-old brother Fred, to New York to begin training at a professional stage academy. They undertake a gruelling schedule of rehearsals and touring, setting the foundations of what will be the … Continue reading Smiles and a Funny Face. →

TCL’s Bookish Snob Tag.

Oh look, I was tagged again! Well, how about that? The blogger who tagged me is Hundreds&Thousands of Books, apparently because she likes the concept of my blog (but I haven't figured out her name, I'm afraid)! No matter... thank you all the same, my dear! That was very sweet of you, and it is … Continue reading TCL’s Bookish Snob Tag. →

In Their Own Skins.

Book Review for “Quicksand & Passing” by Nella Larsen. Summary: “Quicksand, written in 1928, is an autobiographical novel about Helga Crane, a mixed-race woman caught between fulfilling her desires and gaining respectability in her middle-class neighborhood. Written a year later, Passing tells the story of two childhood friends, Clare and Irene, both light-skinned enough to … Continue reading In Their Own Skins. →

TCL’s Countdown Questions #36: Jenni L. Walsh!

An Alternative Author Interview: TCL's Countdown Questions. This week I’m featuring author Jenni L. Walsh! When I heard that book "Becoming Bonnie" (link to my review) by Jenni L. Walsh was about the woman who later became the female part of the crime duo of Bonnie and Clyde, I knew I had to read it. … Continue reading TCL’s Countdown Questions #36: Jenni L. Walsh! →