I'm on another book reading kick, which I very much enjoy.
Since I borrow most of my books from the library for my Kindle [can't see paying that much for books that don't 'really' exist] it's been a bit of a reading frenzy to complete them all before they are due.
Be ready for a bunch of reviews in the future :)!
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"Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic
comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel
about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find
herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.
Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.
On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love."
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.
Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.
On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love."
I could not put this book down, it was so incredibly good. I bought it when we took a random trip to Barnes and Noble and I'm so glad I did. I almost put it back for a different book, but thankfully I didn't.
I have a confession to make first, though. I am a Titanicaholic. 100% true.
I have been entranced by the Titanic and the people on her since I first learned the story in school. I would buy books about the Titanic at book fairs and checked out ever so many from the library. I even asked for books for my birthday. I wrote multiple papers on the subject and even wrote my ten page, honors anthropology paper on how the Gilded Era and the Titanic. hashtagnerdalert
Anyway, back to the book. I immediately feel in love with the main character and thoroughly admired her spunk. I find that it's always easy to cheer a character on to a better life, even while you witness them stumble. I found myself questioning what I would do in her place and if I would be strong and brave or a pushover.
I highly recommend this book and plan to read more by Kate Alcott
I have been entranced by the Titanic and the people on her since I first learned the story in school. I would buy books about the Titanic at book fairs and checked out ever so many from the library. I even asked for books for my birthday. I wrote multiple papers on the subject and even wrote my ten page, honors anthropology paper on how the Gilded Era and the Titanic. hashtagnerdalert
Anyway, back to the book. I immediately feel in love with the main character and thoroughly admired her spunk. I find that it's always easy to cheer a character on to a better life, even while you witness them stumble. I found myself questioning what I would do in her place and if I would be strong and brave or a pushover.
I highly recommend this book and plan to read more by Kate Alcott
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"In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage-clothing
shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend’s attempts at commitment, Iris
Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never
knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital—where she has been
locked away for more than sixty-one years.
Iris’s grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’s face.
Esme has been labeled harmless—sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit?
A gothic, intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox will haunt you long past its final page."
Iris’s grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’s face.
Esme has been labeled harmless—sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit?
A gothic, intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox will haunt you long past its final page."
This book....was just weird, weird, weird.
STRANGE WEIRD! Completely different than what I expected in the least. I almost just put it down because I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The author kept going back and forth between characters in the first and third person and sometimes it was with jumbled thoughts which didn't make sense until later in different chapters.
I started to figure things out in the middle, and then was able to kind of guess what was happening right before it happened. Which isn't always fun, but for this book it was helpful.
I was kind of sad after reading it, because it touched on the conditions of asylums and how horrible healthcare was back in the day. Some of the things patients endured makes me shiver.
So, in summary, this isn't a book I would really recommend, unless you enjoy books that are kind of...strange.
Have you read any good books lately?!!? If so, what are they?!
STRANGE WEIRD! Completely different than what I expected in the least. I almost just put it down because I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The author kept going back and forth between characters in the first and third person and sometimes it was with jumbled thoughts which didn't make sense until later in different chapters.
I started to figure things out in the middle, and then was able to kind of guess what was happening right before it happened. Which isn't always fun, but for this book it was helpful.
I was kind of sad after reading it, because it touched on the conditions of asylums and how horrible healthcare was back in the day. Some of the things patients endured makes me shiver.
So, in summary, this isn't a book I would really recommend, unless you enjoy books that are kind of...strange.
Have you read any good books lately?!!? If so, what are they?!
I've loved Titanic-related things, too! I remember buying a computer game that was about being on the Titanic and trying to solve crimes and other things that were happening on the boat. I dont think I ever beat the game tho haha.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like an interesting read! I think I'll shy away from the second one tho :)
Ive always been a Titanic related things fan too. Its just one of those strange things I think
ReplyDeleteI need to get back into reading!
ReplyDeleteLove the book reviews, always nice to have someone's opinion when picking up a new book, rather than trying to desipher the good vs. bad on Amazon Reviews.
ReplyDeleteI get all my books at the library too. I will have to check the first one out.
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