There’s no escape for the imagination like a good historical romance novel… and our library has plenty! They are great for light vacation reads in the summer, so now is a good time to check these out. Here are some great reads to get started in the romance genre. Julia Quinn has started a new […]
This first work of fiction by historian Francis Spufford just has this aura of a great novel about it. It’s called Golden Hill and it’s set in New York City in 1746, back when New York was still a small colonial town. And nobody could have created this setting better than Mr. Spufford has. I’m not […]
British author Caro Peacock started a new historical mystery series back in 2008. And you should read it, and get to know her delightful creation, Liberty Lane, who is not a detective but is motivated by an indomitable sense of justice. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment in the series, A Foreign Affair, and look forward […]
Here it is: a historical mystery series launch in which the story does not take place in Victorian England! I know, I could hardly believe it either. Rosemary Simpson’s mystery novel, What the Dead Leave Behind, is set in New York City during the Gilded Age. Specifically, in 1888. But stating the year is not nearly as […]
Allison Pataki has written two breathtakingly beautiful historical novels featuring Empress Elisabeth (known as Sisi) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of the 19th century. The first book, called The Accidental Empress, begins with Sisi as a young girl in Bavaria, riding horses, picking wildflowers in the fields, and sharing every moment with her quiet […]
I’ve been slacking on our monthly book club round-ups, but, in reality, that’s good for you. It means this post is a two-for-one and is full of great reading recommendations! In February we ventured into the past with historical fiction and in March we read several “winning” sports books. Check them out below and at your […]
I have nothing but praise for authors who set historical fiction in times and places that aren’t especially well-known. Because, you know, history is happening all the time, not just during wartime or significant political change or the discovery of new inventions. I’ve got to love a historical fiction novel that gives me insight into […]
Welcome to the Victorian era in England! Meet Veronica Speedwell, lepidopterist and world traveler! Today’s definition: a lepidopterist is “a person who studies and collects butterflies and moths.” Veronica Speedwell, however, has nothing in common with the organisms she pursues with such scientific fervor. In fact, I can’t think of anyone less deserving of the moniker […]
Here on the blog the other Matchmakers and I share what we are reading, watching, or listening to quite frequently, but we don’t often hear from our other staff members all over the library system. Now, we will be sharing interviews from other staff members so that you the reader can see what we’re reading/watching/listening […]
It’s been another happy year of reading for me, and this year I don’t feel like making a list. I would rather write short book chats about clusters of books that I’ve read. This year, my Best of 2016 will include 2oth-century classics, historical mystery, and fantasy. Away we go! Twentieth-Century Classics: This winter, I […]
