A Curious Beginning Review

A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery  by Deanna Raybourn

Genre:  Fiction

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Won from Lesa's Book Critiques

 https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/

Book Description:

In her thrilling new series, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, returns once more to Victorian England…and introduces intrepid adventuress Veronica Speedwell.

London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker—a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth. 

Review:

This was a wonderful read with a smart, education woman who isn't afraid to go after what she wants and lives life her way. When the Baron comes and takes her to a man's house and is told to stay with him to keep her safe, little does she know what's in store.

I like that Veronica is portrayed as a woman who's travelled on her own, has dalliances with men because it's healthy and fun and isn't your typical Victoria woman.

If you like historical novels and mysteries then this is the book for you. It's told from Veronica's point of view and has adventure, humor and is an all around good read.

Happy Reading!

Page

Reasons to Read before Bedtime

I came across this from https://www.bustle.com/p/9-reasons-why-you-should-read-before-bed-63326 and wanted to share with you.

9 Reasons Why You Should Read Before Bed

What does your typical bedtime routine look like? Do you snuggle under your recently washed sheets around 10:00 pm, a mug of warm milk in one hand and a Tolstoy novel in the other? Or do you flop into bed between one and five in the morning, eyes bloodshot, clutching your phone to your heart as you desperately scroll through photos of baby sloths? We all struggle to stick to a healthy bedtime routine. But if you can make it to bed with your favorite book, you might have a better night's sleep. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should read before bed.

Now I know what you're going to say, book-lovers: "Every time I read before bed, I end up staying up until dawn finishing my book! That can't be good for my skin and general temperament!" And no, medically speaking, it's not a great idea to read instead of sleeping. But if you can stick to just a chapter or three at bedtime, it could actually be good for your health.

So pry your phone out of your trembling hands about an hour before bed, and settle down with a good book (hot milk optional):

You’ll retain more

When you sleep, you brain dumps all of your short term memory goo into the long term memory goo-reserves (in a manner of speaking). That means that the things you read right before bed stick with you better in the long run. Read a book before drifting off, and you won't forget any minor plot points.

It’s screen-free time

We all know that we'll sleep better if we cut down on screens right before bed. And yet... most of us still fall asleep with our phones/laptops/video calculators pressed lovingly against our faces. But if you set aside bedtime for reading an analog, paper book, you get that rare screen-free time that your eyes desperately need.

It’s a calming ritual

If you have trouble getting to sleep, many doctors and bloggers will recommend a calming ritual to perform every night before bed. Reading is the perfect kind of ritual: it forces you to lie down and cut out the distractions, it's quiet, and it doesn't get boring because you're always reading something new.

You can’t skip it

Unless there is something terribly upsetting going on in your life right now, you go to sleep every single day. You can't skip bedtime more than once in a very great while without totally falling apart at the seams. So, if you make a habit out of reading before bed, you'll set aside time for reading every day, and end up reading more books than ever before.

You’ll de-stress

Reading is shown to reduce stress levels. And I don't know about you, but as soon as I get under the covers I immediately start ruminating on all of the things I have to do and all of the times I embarrassed myself in the third grade. Reading will ease some of your classic nighttime anxiety, so you can actually fall asleep instead of staring and the ceiling and worrying about honey bee deaths.

 

You’ll have better dreams

Do I have a very scientific source for this? Maybe not, but I've always found that whatever I read or watch right before bed heavily affects my dreams. So maybe steer clear of the Stephen King late at night, but feel free to read about exciting fantasy realms that you'd like to visit in your sleep.

You’ll be more focused

Not only does reading boost your concentration in general, reading before bed will help you concentrate more on whatever it is you're reading in the moment. You won't be battling ten thousand other distractions. You don't have to deal with other commuters. No one will (hopefully) stop you to ask what you're reading. Reading before bed is one of the few guaranteed moments of reading in peace.

You can read in privacy

It's a little easier to be emotionally open when you're reading in your own bed, and not at your work computer while your co-worker chews with their mouth open. You're free to laugh or ugly cry or Google word definitions to your heart's content when you're safe in your own bed.

It’ll help you sleep

It's true: reading before bed gives you a more restful night's sleep. Specifically, reading a book made of genuine paper (sorry, kindle-heads) will calm your brain and help you transition peacefully into dreamland without any glaring screens. So put aside that Netflix show based on a book, and pick up an actual book tonight before you hit the sack.

Happy Reading!

Page

If You Liked...

 

If You Like…Try These

This is a new feature that I'll do from time to time. I know a lot of us like a particular author or genre and this post will hopefully help you discover new authors.

This time I'm highlighting books to try if you're a fan of The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. This list is from https://www.popsugar.com/.

The Queen of the Tearling  by Erika Johansen

This page-turner is about a young woman thrust into a position of power, learning many lessons about trust as she battles a fearsome enemy.

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

While The Fortune Hunter focuses on 19th century Austrian aristocracy, the tale is so much more than that. A love affair between a poor man, an heiress, and a wife trapped in a loveless marriage, this tale will have you drawn in within minutes.

Everything Forbidden by Jess Michaels

Something of a historical Fifty Shades of Grey, this erotic novel focuses on a young British woman who enters into a 90-day contract with a notoriously sensual neighbor. You'll grip the edge of your seat as you read through Miranda's sexual awakening and are certain to feel disappointment as the novel comes to an end.

The Midnight Witch  by Paula Brackston

Edwardian era witches, forbidden love, and a battle of dark magic are just a few of the captivating aspects of this novel. Will protagonist Lilith choose love or loyalty? You won't be able to put this book down until you find out!

Veil of Time by Claire R. McDougall

Another time-traveling romance, this book explores a modern woman's experiences as she falls in love with a man in ancient Scotland. While it is similar in concept to Outlander, the novel differentiates itself by focusing on royals instead of rebels. You won't be able to get enough!

Bound to the Highlander by Kate Robbins

A story of honor, duty, and love, this novel takes place in the same Scottish highlands that captivate Outlander readers. You won't be able to put down the novel until you find out the fate of Aileana, the beautiful woman at the center of this tale.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

This novel follows the women in King Arthur's life, from his mother to his sister. Each woman has a unique journey, so you're in for multiple gripping love stories during this enchanting read.

The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott

A tale of scandal, murder, and romance, this novel is set in 19th century Massachusetts. You'll find yourself rooting for the protagonist as she boldly begins a new life for herself, encountering many interesting characters along the way.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

In this captivating tale, the expectations of British society are turned upside down by a forbidden romance with between a high-society lady and a man with a dark past.

Mrs. Poe  by Lynn Cullen

A wife, a mistress, and a world-famous author make up the scandalous triangle at the center of Lynn Cullen's historical novel. This gripping story about Edgar Allan Poe's scandalous affair will have your "telltale heart" beating out of your chest.

Brazen by Katherine Longshore

Following in the steps of The Other Boleyn Girl, this book focuses on scandal and romance during Henry VIII's reign. Forbidden love between a wife and her husband, treason in the king's court, and strange Tudor-era traditions will keep you hooked until the last page.

Longbourn by Jo Baker

Pride and Prejudice reimagined through the eyes of the servants, Longbourn features all the best of Jane Austen's romance from a reimagined perspective that will keep you hooked until the conclusion.

Scarlet  by A. C. Gaughen

While there have been many retellings of Robin Hood over the years, none of them have been quite this sexy. Scarlet focuses on a woman in Robin Hood's band of thieves, keeping up with the "merry men" and capturing their hearts along the way.

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergen

Featuring an American teenager transported back to medieval times, the first book in the River of Time series will have you plotting a way to get yourself stuck in 14th century Italy. There are tons of hot Italian guys, a few daring sword fights, and plenty of steamy romance to keep you hooked on these pages.

Hemlock by N.J. Layouni

When a heartbroken woman finds herself transported into ancient Scotland, romantic adventures ensue. If you liked Outlander, you'll love the similar plot of this fun romance.

Beautiful Wreck by Larissa Brown

This novel is unique in that it takes place in both the future and the past. From an unhappy future back to the days of the mighty Vikings, the story focuses on Ginn, a futuristic woman who falls for an ancient, unexpected hero. If you loved the time travel in Outlander, you'll adore this book!

Happy Reading!

Page

7 Reasons to Love Reading

I came across this article and wanted to share with you.

Happy Reading!

Page

7 Reasons to Love Reading, from AbeBooks

At AbeBooks, we believe there is something undeniably special about reading. And we don’t just love to read books. We love to talk about them. So over the past few weeks, we’ve asked our Facebook followers to answer a few questions: When did they fall in love with reading? Why? What is their favorite thing about books?
The responses we received were a treat to read. Some, like me, have loved reading since before they even knew how. Others came to appreciate the hobby later in life. I could relate to many of the memories shared. The adventure of having my first library card. The frustration of being continually told by my parents to "take a break" from reading and "go outside." The wonderful feeling of refreshment that I continue to experience each day that I spend reading a book (most recently C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle and Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford).
Whether we came to love reading at five or at fifty, the experience has become a significant and treasured part of many people's lives. Here are seven of the most common reasons why.

1. Reading dares you to grow.
Before you can read, you must learn how. You must push yourself to interact with meaningless lines and squiggles until they transform into stories, characters and ideas. And once you master picture books, you move forward to children's novels. Novels without pictures. Classic literature. Books in foreign languages. Reading is an exercise in perseverance, in which you constantly challenge yourself to achieve more than you did with your last book.

2. Reading allows you to experience multiple realities.
We all have a uniquely valuable role in life. But many of us, even if satisfied with that role, often wonder what it would be like to live in a different place, work at a different job, or even be a completely different person. For brief moments of time, books release us from the constraints of our own reality. They take us beyond our world and into someone else’s real or imaginary one. They satisfy the curiosity of the elusive "What if?".

3. Reading challenges your perspective.
When you experience life through the eyes of another, you encounter diverse angles on life's most common situations. Talented authors will naturally inspire empathy for their characters, and empathizing with viewpoints different from your own can feel uncomfortable. Extremely uncomfortable. While reading doesn't mean that you'll agree with different perspectives, it does offer you the opportunity to understand them.

4. Reading helps you remember.
Reading isn't only about discovering the new. It's also a vehicle for reflection. Many bibliophiles can trace their love of reading back to a cherished memory, such as being read to by a parent or discovering the first book they ever loved (Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Seuss or Enid Blyton, anyone?). Re-reading those favorite books, or reading about familiar places, times and people helps us recall the details of our own lives. It reminds us who we are, where we are and how we came here.

5. Reading helps you forget.
Chronic escapism is by no means a healthy habit, but neither is dwelling on stressful life circumstances one hundred percent of the time. In short doses, allowing your mind to focus on things other than your challenges can be highly beneficial and even necessary. Reading, like exercise, offers a safe, healthy and productive replacement for negative thinking. It gives your mind a safe place to rest until you regain the strength you need to overcome your obstacles.
Can Books Heal? Learn about Bibliotherapy

6. Reading means you don't have to be alone.
During your life, you will experience numerous transitions. Changing schools, jobs or cities may require you to replace old relationships with new ones, and sometimes successful adjustments are harder or take longer than expected. Whether it's through the comfort of a favorite book or through an emotional connection to relatable characters, books provide a stable source of companionship during the times that you feel the only person you can count on is yourself.

7. Reading brings life.
If you're a book lover, chances are that you've experienced reading to be a rejuvenating activity that renews your energy and elevates your mood. Numerous book lovers have testified that reading gives them purpose, helps them persevere through difficulty and unlocks parts of themselves they didn't even know existed. For all of the reasons in this article and more, reading makes us feel optimistically, breathlessly, tenaciously alive.

How about you? Share with us: Why do you love to read?
--Katie Yakovleva, AbeBooks.com editor

On the Reading Table

WHAT’S ON MY READING TABLE

I haven't done one of these in awhile, so here's what I'm reading at the moment. Maybe your TBR list will become longer. What are you reading?

The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own  by Joshua Becker

Don’t Settle for More

Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing.

While excess consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, fancier technology, and cluttered homes, it never brings happiness. Rather, it results in a desire for more. It redirects our greatest passions to things that can never fulfill. And it distracts us from the very life we wish we were living.

Live a better life with less.

In The More of Less, Joshua Becker, helps you….

•          recognize the life-giving benefits of owning less
•          realize how all the stuff you own is keeping you from pursuing your dreams
•          craft a personal, practical approach to decluttering your home and life
•          experience the joys of generosity
•          learn why the best part of minimalism isn’t a clean house, it’s a full life

The beauty of minimalism isn’t in what it takes away. It’s in what it gives.

Make Room in Your Life for What You Really Want

“Maybe you don’t need to own all this stuff.” After a casual conversation with his neighbor on Memorial Day 2008, Joshua Becker realized he needed a change. He was spending far too much time organizing possessions, cleaning up messes, and looking for more to buy.

So Joshua and his wife decided to remove the nonessential possessions from their home and life. Eventually, they sold, donated, or discarded over 60 percent of what they owned. In exchange, they found a life of more freedom, more contentment, more generosity, and more opportunity to pursue the things that mattered most.

The More of Less delivers an empowering plan for living more by owning less. With practical suggestions and encouragement to personalize your own minimalist style, Joshua Becker shows you why minimizing possessions is the best way to maximize life.

Are you ready for less cleaning, less anxiety, and less stress in your life? Simplicity isn’t as complicated as you think.

Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy  by Deborah K, Heisz

An eye-opening shift of perspective on the secret of authentic happiness: how surprisingly simple, everyday acts lead to lifelong joy and fulfillment, from the experts at Live Happy magazine.

We are all increasingly hungry for soul-deep happiness. All over the globe, from the hallways of Harvard, where the university’s most popular course is a class on positive psychology, to the United Nations’ resolution naming March 20th the International Day of Happiness, the question of how to be authentically happy concerns millions of lives today.

But what if the secret of lasting happiness is actually . . . simple? Now, in Live Happy, the editors of Live Happy magazine, the first lifestyle publication dedicated to the timeless quest to achieve authentic happiness, reveal that true happiness is all about the big impact of small acts of everyday happiness.

Organized around the key components of a happy life, from gratitude to attitude and play to purpose, Live Happy brings together illuminating real-life happiness stories, eye-opening examinations on the science of happiness, and simple and inspiring everyday “happy acts” to empower readers to achieve big happiness breakthroughs.

Authentic happiness is within reach—and Live Happy shows readers how they can manifest it not only in their own lives but also make a positive and lasting difference in the world.

Patriot Threat by Steve Berry

The history of America's income-tax law can be found in the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. But someone has unearthed a secret that calls that law into question. Now it's up to Cotton Malone to learn the truth. . .

Once a member of an elite intelligence division within the Justice Department, Malone is now a retired bookshop owner in Denmark. But when his former boss, Stephanie Nelle, asks him to track a rogue North Korean who may have acquired some top secret Treasury Department files-the kind that could bring the United States to its knees-Malone is vaulted into a harrowing twenty-four-hour chase that begins on the canals in Venice and ends in the remote highlands of Croatia.

A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn

London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker—a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth. 

That's what's on my reading table, what's on yours?

Happy Reading!

Page

The Story You Need to Tell Review

The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss  by Sandra Marinella, MA, MEd

Genre:  Non-fiction

Publisher: New World Library

Source: Sent from publisher for review

Book Description:

A practical and inspiring guide to transformational personal storytelling, The Story You Need to Tell is the product of Sandra Marinella’s pioneering work with veterans and cancer patients, her years of teaching writing, and her research into its profound healing properties. Riveting true stories illustrate Marinella’s methods for understanding, telling, and editing personal stories in ways that foster resilience and renewal. She also shares her own experience of using journaling and expressive writing to navigate challenges including breast cancer and postpartum depression. Each of the techniques, prompts, and exercises she presents helps us “to unravel the knot inside and to make sense of loss.”

Review:

This is a different kind of self-help book, it's a way to heal yourself by writing. The author uses her own health battle to help you heal and find your voice. She writes from experience and shares that with all potential writers, even if it's just for you and not publication.

 She offers writing prompts to help you find your writing voice and to start to heal from whatever is troubling you. I found it helpful because I've never been a big journal writer, but this book helped me rethink how I want to tell my story and heal from losses that I've suffered.

If you're struggling to feel better about yourself and heal then I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Monique at New World Library for introducing this book to me.

Happy Reading!

Page

Bohemian Gospel Review

Bohemian Gospel  by Dana Chamblee Carpenter

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Publisher: Pegasus Books

Source: Library

Book Description:

Set against the historical reign of the Golden and Iron King, Bohemian Gospel is the remarkable tale of a bold and unusual girl on a quest to uncover her past and define her destiny.

Thirteenth-century Bohemia is a dangerous place for a girl, especially one as odd as Mouse, born with unnatural senses and an uncanny intellect. Some call her a witch. Others call her an angel. Even Mouse doesn’t know who―or what―she is. But she means to find out.

When young King Ottakar shows up at the Abbey wounded by a traitor's arrow, Mouse breaks church law to save him and then agrees to accompany him back to Prague as his personal healer. Caught in the undertow of court politics at the castle, Ottakar and Mouse find themselves drawn to each other as they work to uncover the threat against him and to unravel the mystery of her past. But when Mouse's unusual gifts give rise to a violence and strength that surprise everyone―especially herself―she is forced to ask herself: Will she be prepared for the future that awaits her?

A heart-thumping, highly original tale in the vein of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, Bohemian Gospel heralds the arrival of a fresh new voice for historical fiction.

Review:

If you're a fan of historical novels with a little fantasy thrown in, then this is the book for you. I loved how Mouse evolves over time and struggles to understand who she is and why she doesn't know her lineage.

Raised in an abbey for most of her young life and having a gift that she doesn't understand, Mouse struggles to fit in, even though she knows the Church doesn't want her.

I love how once Mouse leaves the Abbey to become the King's healer and how they slowly fall in love. Once at court, she has to learn how to overcome the whispers and looks she gets when she is with the King.

Mouse evolves over time and becomes a fierce, independent woman who risks everything for a little happiness.

Happy Reading!

Page