The Best and Worst of 2017 in Books

It is the best of times; it is the worst of times. And another year for reading books is gone. Once again this year I have read way too many books. As of when I’m writing this I have read 197 books according to my goodreads page. So yes, a lot of books were consumed …

Cozy Mysteries I’ve Read in 2017

The other day I was browsing through Reading Challenges for 2017 (a master list can be found here) and I came across this cozy mystery reading challenge. You can read it for yourself at the link, but basically it’s challenging yourself on how many cozy mysteries you can read in one year. While I’m not …

Movie Review: Murder on the Orient Express

This will not be my usual book review because I just saw a new movie out in theaters and had such strong opinions about it I just had to review it. Growing up, one of my favorite authors was Agatha Christie. And my second book that I read by her (after Death on the Nile) …

Top Resources for Researching a Historical Novel

Picture this. You have this great book idea. A romance set in 17th century France, and the dastardly villain of a count who’s threatening to replace the male lead as the new lead. You’ve got a great female protagonist. You’ve got a setting. And then you realize it…you know nothing about 17th century France. Where …

Book Review: The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson

I rarely read fantasy, mostly because that genre involves long series with countless characters that never seem to come to an end, and I prefer reading stand-alone books. But in this case, I could not simply stand by and not read this book for two reasons. First, I’m obsessed with the historical brilliance of automata, …

Books I’m Excited For in January, 2018

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy Release Date: Jan. 2, 2018 I don’t read tons of fantasy, but I do absolutely love fairytales. I have heard so many people say they love this book or are looking forward to it, and the concept does sound interesting so I figured I’ll …

Book Review: The Diplomat’s Daughter by Karin Tanabe

Have you ever picked up a book just for the setting, even if the plot sounds atrocious? Well, I have a few times and this book in one example. I happen to love stories set during the two World Wars, and especially those featuring Asian cultures in a meaningful way. So, while this is essentially …

Top Historically Accurate Films

Let’s face it: as much as I love watching historical TV and movies, it’s rare to find ones that are actually accurate to history. Whether the creators changed a little bit or a lot (I’m looking at you, Reign!), it’s almost impossible to find a show that is really close to reality. So today I …