The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer

Title: The President's Shadow
Author: Brad Meltzer
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: A young archivist for the National Archives in modern day Washington, Beecher White, is also a member of the secret spy network created by George Washington, the Culper Ring. He gets called in when something disturbing is found in the rose garden at the White House, much to the dismay of the president, who is not a fan of the Ring. Solving this mystery leads Beecher to learn more about the mysterious death of his father who died while at military training before Beecher was born.

My Thoughts

If you are into the t.v. show, Scandal, then you might just enjoy this novel. It has the office of the president, secret military operations, and a touch of romance. (I'm super into watching Scandal on Netflix right now)
I picked this book up because I loved the idea that the Culper Ring is still in existence in modern time. A secret spy ring started during the Revolutionary War and fighting to protect the presidency for over 200 years, that is pretty cool. I couldn't put it down because of the suspense of finding out what really happened to Beecher's father and the father's of his childhood friends.
There is also an escaped convict who tried to assassinate a president and a case of stolen identity.
I know it sounds like too much for one book, but it is done so well it keeps the reader wanting more. I found out that there is a sequel and I cannot wait to add it to my list of books to read!



Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Brad Meltzer, visit his website linked above.

An Irish Doctor in Peace and at War by Patrick Taylor

Title: An Irish Doctor in Peace and at War
Author: Patrick Taylor
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: The 10th book in the Irish Country Book Series, follows Dr. Fingal Flattery O'Reily and his life as an Irish country doctor in the 1960s in the town of Balleybuckleboo. This book also features flashback chapters detailing Fingal's time as a navy lieutenant doctor on the Warspite during WWII.

My Thoughts

First, I have to say that I finished this book yesterday, which was 1 year to the day since I began this blog! In that time I have read and reviewed 20 books (including this one) and I am so glad to have been able to share my thoughts on each of them with all of you!
Alright, back to reviewing this novel...
This is the 3rd Irish Country Book that I have read, one was reviewed on this blog and this one immediately follows it in the series. It is much as I expected it to be from reading the other two.
 I like that the books in this series are light and easy reads. The characters are quirky and amusing and small town life is always entertaining to read about. Taylor often touches on sensitive topics of the time period, but not in a way that makes the reader feel uncomfortable. 
It was interesting to also get some more background information about Dr. O'Reily's first wife, Deirdre, and what it was like to be at war, while your loved ones were back home.
This was also a perspective on WWII that I had not experienced before, the life of a reservist United Kingdom naval doctor on a ship at war.  It is cool to see that they worked to save many of the injured, even those who had been captured from their enemies.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Patrick Taylor, visit his website linked above.

June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Title: June
Author: Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: Cassie has just inherited a dilapidated mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio upon the passing of her grandmother, June, who raised her after Cassie's parents died in a car accident. While trying to figure out her life without family, Cassie learns that she has been named the sole heir to Hollywood movie star, Jack Montgomery's, fortune. She has no idea how he even knows her. His daughters come to St. Jude to stake their claim to the inheritance, and Cassie discovers that Jack had filmed a movie in St. Jude in the 1950s. 

My Thoughts

This one seriously had me intrigued from beginning to end, some nights I stayed up way too late because I could not wait to know what happened next. I am honestly sad that I will not get to visit St. Jude again tonight before bed.

The novel is written in such an interesting way. There are little nuances that really make it fun to read. The mansion in which Cassie (and 4 generations of her family before her) lives is personified as it sends her dreams and longs for the days when it was full of happy people. As someone who lives in a 1920's home, it is interesting to think about what a house may have 'seen' in almost 100 years. The story follows Cassie and her grandmother, June. There are flashback sequences provided by the dreams sent from the house to Cassie. The bulk of the story takes place in the month of June, jumping from 2015 to 1955. 

June is such a beautiful mystery where a granddaughter gets to learn about her grandmother's young life, discover the possibility that she might have more family than she thought, and help bring a small town back to life. It is also a story of true, loving friendship and the sacrifices friends make for one another. 

As soon as I closed the last page I was dying for someone to talk about the ending with! It is amazing when an author can make the reader believe one thing, and then one subtle revelation unveils an entirely new perspective. Beverly-Whittemore does this more than once throughout this novel, making the reader feel like Cassie, uncovering the truth one piece at a time.

If you love mystery, coming of age stories, love, friendship, beautiful old homes, or old Hollywood, this book is for you. I really, really enjoyed it.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, visit her website linked above.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Title: America's First Daughter
Author: Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: The story of Margaret "Patsy" Jefferson, daughter of Thomas Jefferson, and her relationship with her father told from her first person point of view. This novel is written by a historical fiction author and a non-fiction author who used letters to and from Patsy Jefferson to shed light on the untold story of America's first daughter.

My Thoughts

This was a novel I saw at Books-a-Million and after reading the back cover I just had to have it. I even paid full price for it, unheard of!! 
The book starts out with Patsy clearing out the house of her father, Thomas Jefferson, following his death. Thomas Jefferson was a great writer of letters and she went through all of them.
To begin each chapter, an excerpt of a letter between characters is presented to set tone for the chapter. The letters are also dated in order to let the reader comprehend the passing of time. This is super important because the novel begins in a flash back to when Patsy is 8 and ends when she is in her 70s.

 I didn't know a whole lot about Thomas Jefferson's life and it is really cool to learn about it through the perspective of his eldest daughter.  The novel highlights the imperitive role Jefferson played in helping to begin the French Revolution, his ever continuing improvements to Montecello, and his relationship with one of his slaves, Sally. The reader also gains insights into Patsy's French education, love life, marriage, and motherhood.
This novel is amazingly well done. The research done is impeccable and the way that fiction is used to fill in what is lost to history is seemless. There were many nights when I had to force myself to close the book in order to get enough sleep for the next day. 
If you have an interest in America's Founding Fathers, the importance of the contributions of women to history and American government, or a good love story, give this book a read.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the authors, visit the websites linked above.

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes

Title: Belgravia
Author: Julian Fellowes
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis:
On the evening of 15 June 1915, the great and the good of British society have gathered in Brussels at what is to become one of the most tragic parties in history - the Duchess of Richmond's ball. For this is the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, and many of the handsome young men attending the ball will find themselves, the very next day, on the battlefield.
For Sophia Trenchard, the young and beautiful daughter of Wellington's chief supplier, this night will change everything. But it is only twenty-five years later, when the upwardly mobile Trenchards move into the fashionable new area of Belgravia, that the true repercussions of that moment will be felt. For in this new world, where the aristocracy rub shoulders with the emerging nouveau riche, there are those who would prefer the secrets of the past to remain buried...  (Amazon.com)

My Thoughts

Two words: Julian. Fellowes.

You may know of my great love for Downton Abbey from past posts, so when this came up as a suggested book on Pinterest, I just had to have it. It is another book that I received as a gift this past Christmas, and it is awesome.

Belgravia had everything I expected in a book from Fellowes. There are likable, inherently human characters who the reader can relate with. There is an intriguing storyline that is just believable enough to pull the reader in. The suspense starts from the very beginning and slowly, new pieces of information are released to the reader, all the way to the very end. I seriously had trouble putting it down (which is troublesome, since I read before bed, I stayed up later than I had intended after forcing myself to place the bookmark and close it.)

It was also refreshing not to know what was coming next, there were some twists I really didn't expect. This story is also one that while slightly familiar, has a unique storyline that hasn't been told in this way before. I just had to know how it would end!

If you loved Downton Abbey, or anything set in the Edwardian Era, this is a book for you. If you like a good love story or family drama, this is a book for you.
If you are a human who likes to read fiction, this is a book for you.
Seriously, read it.



Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Julian Fellowes, visit his website linked above.

The Witch of Lime Street: Seance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World by David Jaher

Title: The Witch of Lime Street
Author: David Jaher
Genre: Nonfiction

Synopsis: Follow Houdini, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Dr. & Mrs. Crandon from the early 1920's to 1930 as the Spiritualist movement is tested by Scientific American.

My Thoughts

As you may notice from my other posts, I am not usually one for reading nonfiction for pleasure. After reading the back cover on this book I knew I had to give this one a shot. I am fascinated with the 1920s and I was really interested in reading more about the Spiritualist movement that was raging at the time. 
This book reads much more like fiction than I had expected. The author writes history like a story, keeping the reader engaged and in suspense. The first third of the book moves very quickly with lots of different information given about the key players in the story. Getting to read about that Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle outside of what they are most famous for was really interesting.

The middle of the book was a little bit slow. A lot of redundant information given about seances and Scientific American tests with Margery, left me wanting to skip to the end. The end of the book picked back up and made memories of the slow middle fade quickly. I was sad when I got to the last page, it had left me wanting more.

I would recommend this book to anyone, even avid fiction readers, who are interested in the 1920s.


Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from David Jaher, visit her website linked above.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Death Sits Down to Dinner by Tessa Arlen

Title: Death Sits Down to Dinner
Author: Tessa Arlen
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: An important guest is murdered at Hermione Kingsley's birthday party for Winston Churchill. Lady Montfort and her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, work to solve the mystery as insiders who can get more information than the police.

My Thoughts
This book was on a list of books to read if you are missing Downton Abbey. As an avid Downton fan I added this book to my Christmas list, and let me just say it does not disappoint.
This is apparently the second in a series of mysteries written by Arlen, but it does not require that the reader have read the previous novel to follow the story easily. This book is a suspenseful mystery but it also has endearing characters that you would expect from a novel set in Edwardian England. The author provides the perfect balance of background information, suspense, relatable  characters, and rich English society. There are many possible suspects each with their own reasons for wanting the victim dead but there are twists that keep the reader guessing until the very end.
I enjoyed this book so much that I cannot wait to get my hands on the first novel in the series and for the one that Arlen is releasing in March!

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Tessa Arlen, visit her website linked above.