Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: 400
Rating: ★★
Synopsis
Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford wants to travel the world, pursue a career, and marry for love. But in 1914, the stifling restrictions of aristocratic British society and her mother’s rigid expectations forbid Lily from following her heart. When war breaks out, the spirited young woman seizes her chance for independence. Defying her parents, she moves to London and eventually becomes an ambulance driver in the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps—an exciting and treacherous job that takes her close to the Western Front.
Assigned to a field hospital in France, Lily is reunited with Robert Fraser, her dear brother Edward’s best friend. The handsome Scottish surgeon has always encouraged Lily’s dreams. She doesn’t care that Robbie grew up in poverty—she yearns for their friendly affection to become something more. Lily is the most beautiful—and forbidden—woman Robbie has ever known. Fearful for her life, he’s determined to keep her safe, even if it means breaking her heart.
In a world divided by class, filled with uncertainty and death, can their hope for love survive. . . or will it become another casualty of this tragic war?
My Thoughts
So after I read The Accidental Empress, I was craving more historical fiction but nothing was jumping out at me. Somehow I stumbled upon this book and thought, WWI, Romance, Lords and Ladies...what could be so terrible?
Well, it was pretty bad. I usually like to read books I've heard of, or have some buzz behind them so when I saw this and hadn't had anything to go off of, I was a little nervous. I really liked the idea of the story, but it quickly got very cheesy. The story line is similar to Lady Sybil's in Downton Abbey...youngest daughter of an Earl runs off to join the war effort and falls in love with a middle class surgeon.
There's not much to say about this other than that. If you are looking for a quick (it took me less than 24 hours to read), easy, cheesy romance then I would definitely say that this is for you. I, however, will not be returning for the sequel. Nor will it have any lasting effect on me.
My Favorite Line
What kind of man had he been, to listen and sympathize and then walk away without a backward glance?
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Howard Books
Pages: 512
Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis
The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry.
Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg Court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead.
Thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world.
With Pataki’s rich period detail and cast of complex, bewitching characters, The Accidental Empress offers a captivating glimpse into one of history’s most intriguing royal families, shedding new light on the glittering Hapsburg Empire and its most mesmerizing, most beloved “Fairy Queen.”
My Thoughts
From the moment I first heard about this book I knew I had to read it. I really love anything historical fiction. I was especially interested because it was based on real people and real events.
Accidental Empress is about Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria. Initially, her sister, Helene, was arranged to marry the Emperor Franz Joseph. When Sisi and Helene go to meet the young Emperor, he is immediately taken by Sisi.
The story follows Sisi's life from meeting Franz Joseph up to their coronation as the King and Queen of Hungary. Even though the novel focused on Sisi, it did still discuss the changing times in the empire and the important artistic figures of the time.
The set up of this book was different from anything I had read before and really kept me from putting it down. Each chapter would begin with an excerpt from the Hungarian Coronation at the end of the book.
I really enjoyed learning more about these Habsburg rulers. I would only ever stop reading to look up more information about Franz Joseph, Sisi, and Count Andrássy. While it was fiction, a lot of the plot was driven by historical events or rumors.
Last year I read The American Heiress and I would definitely recommend that to anyone who enjoyed this book too!
My Favorite Line
I've won battles in Italy and Hungary. I'm the emperor, for God's sake. And yet you would conquer me with a smile.
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Riverbed Books
Pages: 336
Rating: ★★★
Synopsis
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?
My Thoughts
I originally was drawn to this book because it kept being compared to Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl". I loved "Gone Girl" and was looking for more thriller-type books, so I gave "The Girl on the Train" a shot.
While I see why people compare the two, for me both were very different. While they both feature a marriage that looks pretty on the outside and a missing wife, "Gone Girl" was far more thrilling and at some points, insane.
While it was certainly not "Gone Girl" level craziness, I did thoroughly enjoy "The Girl on the Train". The point of view shifts between three female characters that are all intertwined somehow. I always have such a hard time deciding if I like shifts in view point because right when you're getting into one side of the story there's a change.
None of these characters are even close to being likable. They are all drunks, cheats or extremely proud. Even though I secretly hated the characters, I was definitely interested in the story and how the characters would eventually develop. Without giving too much away, I would say that the plot twists definitely came with surprise and the story is well written and plotted to perfection.
My Favorite Line
"I feel as though he's really seen me. I imagine him smiling at me, and for some reason I feel afraid."
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 240
Rating: ★★★
Synopsis
Maya is in love with both her boyfriend and her boss. Sadie’s lover calls her as he drives to meet his wife at marriage counseling. Gwen pines for her roommate, a man who will hold her hand but then tells her that her palm is sweaty. And Sasha agrees to have a drink with her married lover’s wife and then immediately regrets it. These are the women of Single, Carefree, Mellow, and in these eleven sublime stories they are grappling with unwelcome houseguests, disastrous birthday parties, needy but loyal friends, and all manner of love, secrets, and betrayal.
In snappy, glittering prose that is both utterly hilarious and achingly poignant, Katherine Heiny chronicles the ways in which we are unfaithful to each other, both willfully and unwittingly. Maya, who appears in the title story and again in various states of love, forms the spine of this linked collection, and shows us through her moments of pleasure, loss, deceit, and kindness just how fickle the human heart can be.
My Thoughts
I have been really drawn to short stories and memoirs lately. They are so easy to read and they are easy to be able to put down and pick up when you're busy. I mostly chose this book because I thought it had a really pretty cover. Once I dove into it, I realized that the writing was equally as beautiful.
Heiny's writing is so beautiful that several times I had to stop and think about what she had just said and re-read it. Mostly, I enjoyed the way she described things that I myself had experienced but never knew how to describe.
The stories are mostly separate, except for three of the stories that follow the character Maya. All of the stories serve as an inside look into many different types of relationships; affairs, unhappy couples, solid marriages.
None of the stories were totally out of the box, but real life situations. The biggest draw at the end of the day though is Heiny's writing. She is wonderfully descriptive and really exposes all of the relationships in these stories.
For reference my favorite stories (in not order) were: The Dive Bar, Single, Carefree, Mellow, Dark Matter, Grendel's Mother.
My Favorite Line
...And she wishes, not for the first time, that life did not have to be a continuous series of eliminations, a constant narrowing of your options, a long series of choices in which you were always unhappy - that you couldn't choose two things at one time.
