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Reviews

Reviews

by Elisabeth Egan - Fiction

Alice Pearse is a mostly happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor and a Zen commuter. When her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in --- and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up that promises to be the future of reading. She is proud of her new “balancing act” until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up, and her work takes an unexpected turn.

by Paula McLain - Fiction, Historical Fiction

Beryl Markham's unconventional upbringing transforms her into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships. Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart.

by Candace Bushnell - Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pandy "PJ" Wallis is a renowned writer whose novels about a young woman making her way in Manhattan have spawned a series of blockbuster films. After the success of the Monica books and movies, Pandy wants to attempt a historical novel based on her ancestor Lady Wallis. But Pandy's publishers and audience only want her to keep cranking out more Monica, as does her greedy husband. When her marriage crumbles and the boathouse of her family home in Connecticut goes up in flames, Pandy suddenly realizes she has an opportunity to reinvent herself.

by Naomi Novik - Fantasy, Fiction, Romance

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for 10 years. Agnieszka is afraid that the Dragon will take Kasia, her dearest friend in the world. But when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

by Jo Baker - Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Malin has always been different, and when her father dies, leaving her alone, her choice is clear: stay and remain an outsider forever, or leave in search of the mythical inheritance she is certain awaits her. Apprenticed to a series of strange and wonderful characters, Malin embarks on a grueling journey that crosses oceans and continents --- from the high seas to desert plains --- and leads to a discovery that she never could have expected.

by Judith Flanders - Fiction, Mystery

It’s just another day at the office for London book editor Samantha “Sam” Clair. Checking jacket copy for howlers, wondering how to break it to her star novelist that her latest effort is utterly unpublishable, lunch scheduled with gossipy author Kit Lowell, whose new book will dish the juicy dirt on a recent fashion industry scandal. Little does she know the trouble Kit’s book will cause before it even goes to print. Someone doesn't want Kit's manuscript published, and unless Sam can put the pieces together in time, they'll do anything to stop it.

by Imogen Robertson - Fiction, Historical Fiction

Maud Heighton came to Lafond's famous Academie to paint and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all of her courage to escape, but Paris is no place for a light purse. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling decadence of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving and dreading another cold Paris winter, Maud is hired by Christian Morel as a companion to his beautiful, young sister, Sylvie. As Maud is drawn further into the Morels' world of elegant luxury, their secrets become hers.

by George R. R. Martin, Elio M. Garcia, Jr., and Linda Antonsson - Fantasy, Fiction

This lavishly illustrated volume is a comprehensive history of the Seven Kingdoms, providing vividly constructed accounts of the epic battles, bitter rivalries and daring rebellions that lead to the events of A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO’s "Game of Thrones." In a collaboration that’s been years in the making, George R. R. Martin has teamed with the founders of the renowned fan site Westeros.org --- perhaps the only people who know this world almost as well as its visionary creator.

by Susan Vreeland - Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance

If you are crazy about French painting and picturesque villages, then Susan Vreeland’s latest novel should be right up your cobblestoned street. LISETTE’S LIST focuses on Post-Impressionists Cézanne and Pissarro, as seen through the eyes of a young, art-loving Parisian woman who has come with her husband to a new world: Provence.