A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

by Athena // February 1, 2023 // No Comments

I keep trying to find regency romance novels that I like as much as Georgette Heyer’s and Jane Austen’s. While most of the books are fine, I don’t love them. This one was the same. This a queer regency romance... Continue reading →

Best of 2022 Books

by Athena // January 30, 2023 // No Comments

Without going into personal stuff details too much, 2022 was a more difficult year than I had anticipated. It’s been a rough time with COVID-19. I really hope that personally and globally, we all recover. On a book front, I... Continue reading →

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

by Athena // January 28, 2023 // No Comments

I picked this one up in a little library in Sydney. It’s by an Australian author and set in Melbourne. I knew from initial impressions and some light reading on good reads that it was a “domestic thriller” similar to... Continue reading →

The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

by Athena // January 26, 2023 // No Comments

John Wyndham was an English sci-fi author known for his works published in the mid-20th century. I read The Chrysalids by John Wyndham as assigned reading in middle school and remember it leaving an impression. It was helped by the... Continue reading →

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

by Athena // January 24, 2023 // No Comments

I packed this classic and another for my time abroad. I’m trying to read from my stash and in particular, classics. This one was a quick novella that I should have read it sooner. It was an hour and some... Continue reading →

A Suitable Boy by Virkram Seth

by Athena // January 16, 2023 // No Comments

This review is overdue. I am writing and finishing it now in another country but posting it after my holiday. This novel was the last novel I read in 2022 and one of the best. This is a true classic.... Continue reading →

October 2022 Books

by Athena // November 8, 2022 // No Comments

Dreams 1-2-3: Remember, Interpret, and Live Your Dreams by J.M. DeBord and The History of Last Night’s Dream: Discovering the Hidden Path to the Soul by Rodger Kamenetz I’ve been going through a personal dream project for the last couple... Continue reading →

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

by Athena // October 20, 2022 // No Comments

In 2009, I owned a copy of this book when I lived in London. As with a few other books I had there, I never got around to reading it due to my graduate studies. These books became casualties of... Continue reading →

September 2022 Books

by Athena // October 11, 2022 // No Comments

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo This was a lovely YA novel. It’s is a queer love story and very good historical fiction. I found the writing mature and well done. If the main protagonist was a... Continue reading →

August 2022 Books

by Athena // September 10, 2022 // No Comments

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim I loved this. It really helped relax me during a very bad weekend. I love the use of East Asian fairy tales and iconography. There was not enough of the dragon character. I liked... Continue reading →

July 2022 Books

by Athena // August 5, 2022 // No Comments

Roman Fever and Other Stories by Edith Wharton Enjoyed this little book of short stories by Wharton. I liked a lot of them had satire and darkly humorous ones. It was also largely dominated by female characters. Read June 20-July... Continue reading →

June 2022 Books

by Athena // July 13, 2022 // No Comments

Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee Lovely cover. I liked the premise of this novel. It’s historical young adult fiction with a person of colour protagonist who is not featured often in anglophone literature of this time period. It’s set in... Continue reading →

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