A Year of Reading 2017 (part 2)

Last Tuesday I posted twenty novels read during 2017. Below are another nineteen read in the second half of the year. Some excellent possibilities to consider. Links are to articles or blog posts based on these books.

I use the following rating approachLR = light, enjoyable read; GR = good, several caveats; ER = excellent, few caveats; OR = outstanding; DNF = did not finish; NF = Non-Fiction; NMT = not my type.

Title Author Comment
Jul Crazy Rich Asians Kevin Kwan LR Love and devious manoeuvrings in an Asian setting
The Alice Network (interview with author) Kate Quinn OR A highly recommended read with strong voices and an absorbing plot
No Shred of Evidence Charles Todd ER Low key mystery with an intriguing post WWI detective
Hillbilly Elegy J.D. Vance NF Excellent read – an attempt to understand what’s happening in America
Aug A Tangled Mercy Joy Jordan-Lake ER Dual timeline: a novel of yesterday’s atrocities and today’s ongoing racial travesties
Paris Time Capsule Ella Carey LR Recommended by a Lake Union editor; good premise, simple writing, quick read
The House By the Lake Ella Carey LR Also recommended by LU editor; not as effective as Paris Time Capsule
Sep The Virgin Queen’s Daughter Ella Mary Chase ER Who knew there was a rumour about Elizabeth I having a daughter? Thoroughly enjoyed the novel.
March Geraldine Brooks ER The story of the absent father from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women

Brooks’ writing is wonderful.

Winter Garden Kristin Hannah ER The siege of Leningrad told by a woman who survives. Creatively told.
Oct The North Water Ian McGuire GR Book club read. 19th century whaling expedition goes wrong. Far too many gruesome passages.
The Perfect Summer (review on the blog) Juliet Nicolson NF A second reading – 1911 England on the verge of great change
Manhattan Beach Jennifer Egan ER Audio book – intriguing story set mainly during WWII; too many voices
Day After Night Anita Diamant GR Refugee camp in post-WWII Israel; disappointing
America’s First Daughter (interview with Stephanie Dray) Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie OR Wonderful story about Patsy Jefferson and her father Thomas Jefferson
Nov The Private Lives of Old Hong Kong Susanna Hoe NF For research purposes; an intriguing look at European women living in Hong Kong from 1841 to 1941
Letters to the Lost Iona Grey ER Dual timeline linking WWII and present day and lost letters between lovers
One Lavender Ribbon Heather Burch LR Heart-warming romance set in Florida’s Gulf coast
Dec Purple Swamp Hen Penelope Lively ER Short stories are not normally my thing but Lively is an excellent writer.

Wishing you a wonderful year of reading ahead.

FOR MORE ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION follow A WRITER OF HISTORY (either through WordPress or by using the widget on the left sidebar)

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, TIME AND REGRET was published by Lake Union. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, NookKoboGoogle Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.

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12 Responses

  1. Just finished America’s First Daughter and I would agree with you, it was outstanding! The writing was wonderful and it was so interesting to learn about her life with him.

  2. Wow? Look at all the books I missed last year. I did get to Hillbilly Elegy and some of the others are on my want to read list. I had a very long drive for Christmas so I listened to A Brewer’s Tale. Loved it. Great research on brewing and the times of Henry the IV. So many books. So little time. thanks for the suggestions.

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