Constance

This book kept me captivated and wanting know more about Constance Wilde.  She seemed like the typical wallpaper wife of the Victorian era but after reading her biography, I have changed my mind and realized how strong and well educated this woman used to be.  Wilde seemed to have taken credit for many things she did for both of them, especially when it came to the arts, decoration and maybe, maybe a childrens’s story.  It could have been collaboration but knowing how artistic and creative Constance was, I tend to incline towards the fact that she was a pioneer and a leader of the arts and literature.

I recommend this to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the Wildes and their controversial and artistic lifestyle.

Constance was a true Renaissance woman who never flourished on her own but in the shadow of Oscar Wilde.

Athenais: The Life of Louis XIV's Mistress, the Real Queen Of France

An inside look into Athenais de Montespan's life with Louis XIV and her declined into obscurity in her later years.

Athenais was the "It" girl of the 17th century.  She had beauty, wit, charm and a great fashion sense. With her infinite ambition, she reached the highest position a female courtier was able to obtain - mistress to the king.  She became Louis's right hand and confidant for many years until her friend, Madame the Maintenon's influenced over the king, brushed her aside, forced her to retire and abandon Versailles for good.

This book is captivating and engaging.  If we do a search on books about Athenais, we will find that there aren't many biographies that depict her life. I would probably say this is one of the best and perhaps the only biography out there that describes in full detail Athenais's rise to power.

Love Slave

Not the type of story or book I like to read but if you are into modern romantic novels, then this book is for you.

Its about a young journalist who lives in NYC and deals with relationships, life and work.

Typical story for a single  post grad student. Not my cup of tea but if you are looking for a book that falls into this category, I believe the read will enjoy it. 


 (sent by the publisher through netgalley.com for review)

The Good Girls Revolt

Great book, great story and well written.

The Good Girls Revolt is based on a true story about a group of women in the early 1970s that took Newsweek to court for discrimination in the work place.
This is a real Mad Men situation that describes the constant sexual harassment these working girls had to put up with in the 60s and early 70s.  I actually thought that Mad Men had exaggerated this type of situation on the show but the fact is that this actually did happen back then.  Women were discriminated, harassed and were looked down for just being a woman and this book explains a real life situation that changed the working environment for the rest of the world...in some parts ;)

Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanguay

Queen of Vaudeville is a story of Eva Tanguay and her pioneering ways of becoming the first Vaudeville star of her times.  

She was unique in her own ways and would stop at nothing to gain notoriety by performing Broadway musicals in the most infamous and fun loving way.

Personally, I found this book a bit sluggish.  I was not enthralled with the style of writing and the tone of storytelling Mr. Erdman has approached this biography.   I suppose he could have made it interesting by capturing the audience’s attention the same way Eva did with her fans.  She kept them guessing but this book was predictable and repetitive.  

I am sure Eva had a fascinating life but Mr. Erdman did not do justice to her biography.

 (sent by the publisher through netgalley.com for review)

The Second Empress

The Second Empress

Michelle Moren did it again.  She created another master piece which focuses on the Napoleonic Era and the Second Empress of France.  After divorcing Josephine for not being able to provide him with an heir and her continuous infidelity, Napoleon embarks on a search to find the ideal match that could provide him with a successor to inherit the crown.

The story is based on three perspectives:  Marie Louise, Empress of France, Pauline Bonaparte who was Napoleon’s sister, and Pauline’s assistant – Paul Moreau.

The most intriguing character in the story I would have to say is Pauline.  We see her obsession with her brother and how she wishes to become the Empress of France by marrying her brother.

I enjoyed this book very much.  It’s a historic continuation of where I left off after reading Madame Tussaud. I do hope that Ms. Moran will continue writing historical novels because she has the ability to captivate you with her writing skills and her story telling.

 (sent by the publisher through netgalley.com for review)

Miss Buncle's Book

Incredibly hilarious and a page turner – I couldn’t put it down for two days. 

Miss Buncle’s Book is comedy at its best.  Miss Buncle decides to turn in her manuscript not knowing that it will turn into a best seller and the most despised book in her village. 

She decides to write about her neighbors but before they can figure out who wrote the book, she uses a roman a clef in order to disguise her real name.
The book causes drama and intrigue amongst the residents but they soon realized that not only are they being portrayed in the story as who they truly are but they soon start to live the events that have been illustrated in the book – Life imitating art.

(sent by the publisher through netgalley.com for review)