In case you wanted to know how Jim Butcher writes descriptions of female characters: I came across that image/meme/whatever about halfway through this book and it was pretty much the most accurate thing I've ever seen. I absolutely can't stand the way Butcher writes women. I'm curious if he matures somewhat in how he writes and characterizes women as the series continues to progress? I'm still not sure I'm a Harry Dresden/Jim Butcher fan...BUT out of all of the books I've read (ok, it's only been three), this one has been the best one so far. The plot felt a little bit more cohesive and Harry didn't whine as much. Audiobook seems to be the way to go for me on this series...James Marsters does an excellent job portraying Dresden. Ok, I'll be honest -- I will probably only "read" these via audiobook because James Marsters reads it. Rating:
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Sometimes I wish a historical and/or regency romance would be just that -- a historical and/or regency romance. I don't understand why authors insist on imposing modern day sensibilities on a historical era. Suffice to say -- the anachronisms are strong with this one! In fact...anachronisms might just be "a thing" with Maya Rodale. Sure, her books are entertaining and that's a good thing. But if it bothers you to read about modern women in historical eras then this book (and the other two of Rodale's books that I've read) may throw you out of the story. And...I shudder to think of how many of her readers consume this book and others and think this is historical fact embedded within the historical fiction. I think this is one of the ways "alternate history" gets spread...be it intentional or unintentional. Here's a VERY spoilery example (seriously -- super spoilery so don't read this next paragraph if you don't want to read about the big plot point): [*steps up to soapbox* Our heroine, Lady Amelia, reveals that she is pregnant out of wedlock...to which EVERYONE in her family reacts calmly, without making a scene, and urging her to do what's best for her. Even the imposing dowager duchess who Rodale has set up as the "Etiquette Police" for this series...the dowager duchess who is so concerned about her charges making good matches with good ton...the dowager duchess who has spent the entire book trying to reform Lady Amelia...the dowager duchess who responds this way to the news of Amelia's pregnancy: "Sometimes, a family comes to you when it's time, not when you planned it. And it may seem like a disaster but it isn't. It's just...right." No scene...no disappointment...no panic...just calming reassurance that it's ok to have a child out of wedlock. Um...that SO would not have happened during this time period. Lady Amelia most likely wouldn't have been given a choice in the matter and would have been shuffled off to a country estate to "take the air" for an unnamed illness for 9 months and then return to society miraculously healed and to probably live her life as a spinster relation. The idea that the family calmly accepts her pregnancy is a mark of modern culture...not the mark of historical English aristocratic culture. *steps off soapbox*] Did I enjoy the book? Yeah, I guess. I do like that Rodale puts an actual plot into her books as that element is sometimes hard to find It's always hard to find good regency romances that aren't full of "Insta-Lust" and this author is definitely is strong on the "Insta-Lust" (at least from what I've read so far). I am always on the search for authors that focus on the "love" rather than the "lust"...but that's getting fewer and farther between apparently. Rating:
On this day in 1993 (July 9th) the remains of 5 Romanov family members were identified. Next year, on July 17, 2018, it will be the centennial of their deaths. I find the day that their identities were restored to be a fitting and haunting day to finish such a poignant history. The fate of the Romanov family is well known. It was popularized with my generation through the cartoon feature film Anastasia -- holding out the hope that one of the ill-fated Romanov daughters survived. While this has sadly proven to be a false hope, the remaining mystery of what happened to the Romanovs during their horrifying final minutes is an engrossing one. That said (and maybe this is a bit of a spoiler so proceed accordingly), Helen Rappaport does not focus on how the Romanov daughters died. In fact, there is no detail pertaining to their deaths at all. Rappaport focuses on how they lived. It was wonderful to see how the Romanov girls interacted with their siblings and their parents as they functioned within what seemed to be a very healthy family life. It was sobering to realize that these were girls who had hopes and dreams and envisioned a future for themselves. And it was bittersweet to read about their joys, sorrows, and plans...all the while knowing what was in store for them. On a technical aside, I "read" the audiobook narrated by Xe Sands -- she was fabulous. Rating: |
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