Quenby's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 27 Apr 2025 07:17:57 -0700 60 Quenby's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[A Scholar of Magics (A College of Magics, #2)]]> 1041257 American Samuel Lambert, sharpshooter, adventurer, late of the Wyoming plains and Kiowa Bob's Wild West Show, has been invited to Glasscastle University in England to contribute his phenomenally accurate shooting eye to the top secret Agincourt Project. The only dangers he expects to face are British snobbery, heavy dinners, and tea with the Provost's pretty wife. But when the Provost's stylish sister, Jane Brailsford, comes to town, things get much more exciting�.

This sparkling sequel to A College of Magics is a whirlwind of secret weapons, motor cars, mysterious assaults and abductions, thugs in bowler hats, and a mild-mannered don who is heir to a magical power greater than all of Glasscastle's.]]> 426 Caroline Stevermer 0765353466 Quenby 0 to-read 3.77 2004 A Scholar of Magics (A College of Magics, #2)
author: Caroline Stevermer
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2004
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/27
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]]> The Chthonic Cycle 217961413
Written in an effort to ward off existential dread, and to find new understandings and consolations for those similarly afflicted, The Chthonic Cycle is an eccentric and brilliantly curated tour through time, in which fascinating objects glint and spark and the transience of humanity flickers.

At the heart of Una Cruickshank’s debut are Earth’s interlocking cycles of death and reuse. The blood of a billion-year-old tree emerges from the sea as a drop of amber; 4,756,940 pieces of Lego float towards the Cornish Peninsula; a giant squid’s beak passes through a whale’s intestines into bottles of Chanel No. 5. The violence of colonisation underpins some of the transformations illuminated here, as we follow wave after wave of ruin and remaking.

This is a rare kind of writing, both galaxy-sweeping and microscopically specific. The Chthonic Cycle reminds us to be chastened and scared by our world � its mind-bending age, the insane complexity of its systems, the violent upheavals and mass extinctions � as well as to be awed.]]> 205 Una Cruickshank 1776922158 Quenby 0 to-read 4.45 2024 The Chthonic Cycle
author: Una Cruickshank
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[A College of Magics (A College of Magics, #1)]]> 382870
But Greenlaw is not just any school-as Faris and her new best friend Jane discover. At Greenlaw students major in . . . magic.

But it's not all fun and games. When Faris makes an enemy of classmate Menary of Aravill, life could get downright . . . deadly.]]> 480 Caroline Stevermer 0765342456 Quenby 0 to-read 3.70 1994 A College of Magics (A College of Magics, #1)
author: Caroline Stevermer
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1994
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/27
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]]> <![CDATA[No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson]]> 216247552 An incendiary, deeply reported exposé of Johnson & Johnson, one of America’s oldest and most trusted pharmaceutical companies—from award-winning investigative journalist Gardiner Harris

One day in 2004, Gardiner Harris, early for a flight, sat down at an airport bar and started talking to the woman on the bar stool beside him. She was a drug sales rep for Johnson & Johnson, and her horrific story about unethical sales practices and the devastating impact they’d had on her family fundamentally changed the nature of how Harris covered the company—and the entire pharmaceutical industry—for The New York Times. His subsequent investigations and ongoing research since that conversation led to new federal laws and ultimately to No More Tears, a blistering exposé of a trusted American institution and the largest healthcare conglomerate in the world.

Harris takes us light years away from the company’s image as the child-friendly “baby company� as he uncovers reams of evidence showing decades of deceitful and dangerous corporate practices that have threatened the lives of millions. He covers multiple disasters: lies and cover-ups regarding baby powder’s link to cancer; the surprising dangers of Tylenol; a criminal campaign to sell dangerous anti-psychotics to children; a popular drug for cancer patients that increases the risk of tumor growth. Deceptive marketing efforts that accelerated opioid addictions rival even those of the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma. All told, Johnson & Johnson's products have helped cause drug crises that have contributed to the deaths of as many as two million people and counting.

Filled with shocking, infuriating, but utterly necessary revelations, No More Tears is a landmark work of investigative journalism that lays bare the deeply rooted corruption behind the image of babies bathing with a smile.]]> 464 Gardiner Harris 059322986X Quenby 0 to-read 4.38 2025 No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson
author: Gardiner Harris
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism]]> 223436601 An explosive memoir charting one woman’s career at the heart of one of the most influential companies on the planet, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to Facebook, the decisions that have shaped world events in recent decades, and the people who made them.

From trips on private jets and encounters with world leaders to shocking accounts of misogyny and double standards behind the scenes, this searing memoir exposes both the personal and the political fallout when unfettered power and a rotten company culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative where a few people carelessly hold the world in their hands, this eye-opening memoir reveals what really goes on among the global elite.

Sarah Wynn-Williams tells the wrenching but fun story of Facebook, mapping its rise from stumbling encounters with juntas to Mark Zuckerberg’s reaction when he learned of Facebook’s role in Trump’s election. She experiences the challenges and humiliations of working motherhood within a pressure cooker of a workplace, all while Sheryl Sandberg urges her and others to “lean in.�

Careless People is a deeply personal account of why and how things have gone so horribly wrong in the past decade—told in a sharp, candid, and utterly disarming voice. A deep, unflinching look at the role that social media has assumed in our lives, Careless People reveals the truth about the leaders of Facebook: how the more power they grasp, the less responsible they become and the consequences this has for all of us.]]> 400 Sarah Wynn-Williams 1250391237 Quenby 0 currently-reading 4.30 2025 Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism
author: Sarah Wynn-Williams
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/23
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]]> The Secret Book Society 208954503 A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.

You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society�

London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.

Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands� untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.

As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.]]> Madeline Martin Quenby 0 to-read 4.57 2025 The Secret Book Society
author: Madeline Martin
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/23
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]]> The Beacon at Alexandria 146684 376 Gillian Bradshaw 1569470103 Quenby 0 to-read 4.28 1986 The Beacon at Alexandria
author: Gillian Bradshaw
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1986
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/23
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy]]> 19093574 "Masterful . . . [A] painstakingly researched, astonishingly erudite study…Tooze has added his name to the roll call of top-class scholars of Nazism."—Financial TimesAn extraordinary mythology has grown up around the Third Reich that hovers over political and moral debate even today. Adam Tooze's controversial book challenges the conventional economic interpretations of that period to explore how Hitler's surprisingly prescient vision--ultimately hindered by Germany's limited resources and his own racial ideology--was to create a German super-state to dominate Europe and compete with what he saw as America's overwhelming power in a soon-to- be globalized world. The Wages of Destruction is a chilling work of originality and tremendous scholarship that set off debate in Germany and will fundamentally change the way in which history views the Second World War.]]> 829 Adam Tooze 1101564954 Quenby 0 currently-reading 4.58 2007 The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy
author: Adam Tooze
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/22
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]]> Tuyo (Tuyo, #1) 55664038
Ryo's captor, a lord of the summer country, may be an enemy . . . but far worse enemies are moving, with the current war nothing but the opening moves in a hidden game Ryo barely glimpses, a game in which all his people may be merely pawns. Suddenly Ryo finds his convictions overturned and his loyalties uncertain. Should he support the man who holds him prisoner, the only man who may be able to defeat their greater enemy? And even if he does, can he persuade his people to do the same?]]> 412 Rachel Neumeier Quenby 0 to-read 4.36 2020 Tuyo (Tuyo, #1)
author: Rachel Neumeier
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Queen's Gambit (The Books of Imirillia #1)]]> 28601010
Eleanor, the young queen of Aemogen, is confronted with the greatest threat her country has ever faced: surrender Aemogen’s sovereignty to the treacherous Imirillion Empire or endure a devastating and impossible war. Now she must decide if she will forfeit her people’s liberty or fight.

When Wil Traveler, the disenchanted Imirillion soldier, wanders into her country, Eleanor takes the gamble of asking him to train her ill-prepared men for war, despite suspecting he may be a spy.

Battling questions of war and conquest, Eleanor fights to protect her people as Wil challenges her way of life, all the while keeping the secrets of his violent past a mystery.]]> 373 Beth Brower Quenby 0 currently-reading 4.35 2016 The Queen's Gambit (The Books of Imirillia #1)
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Bee Sting Cake (Greenwing & Dart, #2)]]> 36271613 310 Victoria Goddard 1988908000 Quenby 4 4.37 2018 Bee Sting Cake (Greenwing & Dart, #2)
author: Victoria Goddard
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2018
rating: 4
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date added: 2025/04/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Stargazy Pie (Greenwing & Dart #1)]]> 59513800 Good manners never are.

Jemis Greenwing returned from university with a broken heart, a bad cold, and no prospects beyond a problematic inheritance and a job at the local bookstore.

Ragnor Bella is a placid little market town on the road to nowhere, where Jemis� family affairs have always been the main source of gossip. Having missed his stepfather's funeral, he is determined to keep his head down.

Unfortunately for his reputation, though fortunately for several other people, he falls quickly under the temptation of resuming the friendship of Mr. Dart of Dartington, Squire-in-training and beloved local daredevil. Mr. Dart is delighted to have Jemis' company for what will be, he assures him, a very small adventure.

Jemis expected the cut direct. The secret societies, criminal gangs, and illegal cult to the old gods--to say nothing of the mermaid--come as a complete surprise.

Book One of Greenwing & Dart, fantasies of manners—and mischief.]]> 373 Victoria Goddard 0995027013 Quenby 4 3.95 2016 Stargazy Pie (Greenwing & Dart #1)
author: Victoria Goddard
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2016
rating: 4
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date added: 2025/04/10
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A bit of Alice in Wonderland for me. Lots of psychedelic level drama for incomprehensible reasons. However, I liked the main character Greenwing even though he often seemed befuddled. His heart was always in the right place. It’s set in a land where there has been a catastrophic disruption in magic that everyone is struggling to adjust to. That accounts for much of the confusion. I find it interesting that there are so many series that are based on a similar disruption in magic. I wonder what that says about our world?
]]> A Duke Never Tells 211003767 Bridgerton meets Evie Dunmore in a sparkling new regency romcom from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch, A Duke Never Tells, in which an heiress disguises herself as a maid in her fiance’s household to see if he really is too good to be true.

Before entering into a supremely-advantageous arranged marriage with James Clay, the new Duke of Earnhurst, clever, independent Lady Meg Pinwell has to see if he’s really the rake he’s rumored to be. But how is a well-bred young lady going to make sure he’s all that he seems? With the help of her Aunt Clara, they plan some discreet reconnaissance at the Duke’s country estate. Meg will pretend to be her aunt’s maid/companion to see the true state of affairs at Earnhurst Manor.

But Meg isn’t the only one pretending to be someone she isn’t. In order to escape Clara (who is surely a marriage hunter!), James has traded places with the excellent Riniken, the former Duke’s butler. Soon everyone is falling in love with the absolute wrong person! They say the course of true love never does run smooth� at Earnhurst, it’s running amuck!

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 368 Suzanne Enoch 1250331099 Quenby 4 3.89 2025 A Duke Never Tells
author: Suzanne Enoch
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 4
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date added: 2025/04/06
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My favorite is still Every Duke Has His Day but this was a nice escape.
]]> <![CDATA[When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle, #2)]]> 208944176 ASIN moved from less recent edition

The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger. To stay alive until the mammoths can save them, Chih must unwind the intricate, layered story of the tiger and her scholar lover—a woman of courage, intelligence, and beauty—and discover how truth can survive becoming history.]]> 98 Nghi Vo Quenby 0 to-read 4.30 2020 When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle, #2)
author: Nghi Vo
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/30
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]]> <![CDATA[The Masquerades of Spring (Rivers of London #0.2)]]> 202969855
Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young - fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad - as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps.

That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives, pursuing a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone - which will take Gussie from his warm bed, to the cold shores of Long Island, and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic, and madness haunt the shadows...]]> 165 Ben Aaronovitch 147322442X Quenby 0 to-read 4.15 2024 The Masquerades of Spring (Rivers of London #0.2)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Tuppeny Dreadfuls: Mr O'Malley and the Bossy Grave Robber: A Romantic Gaslamp Comedy]]> 65756395
Mr O'Malley and the Bossy Grave Robber

Mr Edwin O'Malley is a guard at an Edinburgh cemetery, paid to keep the grave robbers and body snatchers at bay. But when he finds a mysterious artifact during his night shift, it leads him to a dangerous and mysterious woman and an uncanny underworld that he never knew existed.

Will there be grave robbing? Yes, probably.
Will they fall in love? Ah... well that's another question entirely.
This is a Fantasy of Manners Gaslamp Novella. Inspired by the Gothic Penny Dreadfuls of the 1800’s, each one of these short Tuppeny Dreadful tales are all Spooky Gothic Ambiance, Dangerous Magic, Witty Comedy of Victorian Manners, with a Generous Dash of Romance.]]> 104 Lavinia Wren Quenby 0 to-read 4.48 Tuppeny Dreadfuls: Mr O'Malley and the Bossy Grave Robber: A Romantic Gaslamp Comedy
author: Lavinia Wren
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy, #1)]]> 62342354 No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.

On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful politician’s systematic attack on women’s rights, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.

But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.

From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.]]> 400 Mimi Matthews 0593639294 Quenby 0 to-read 4.45 2025 Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy, #1)
author: Mimi Matthews
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/27
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]]> The Social Contract 12651
These are the famous opening words of a treatise that has not ceased to stir vigorous debate since its first publication in 1762. Rejecting the view that anyone has a natural right to wield authority over others, Rousseau argues instead for a pact, or ‘social contract�, that should exist between all the citizens of a state and that should be the source of sovereign power. From this fundamental premise, he goes on to consider issues of liberty and law, freedom and justice, arriving at a view of society that has seemed to some a blueprint for totalitarianism, to others a declaration of democratic principles.]]> 168 Jean-Jacques Rousseau 0143037498 Quenby 0 to-read 3.80 1762 The Social Contract
author: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1762
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy]]> 46266188

Michael Lewis’s brilliant narrative of the Trump administration’s botched presidential transition takes us into the engine rooms of a government under attack by its leaders through willful ignorance and greed. The government manages a vast array of critical services that keep us safe and underpin our lives, from ensuring the safety of our food and medications and predicting extreme weather events to tracking and locating black- market uranium before the terrorists do. The Fifth Risk masterfully and vividly unspools the consequences of what happens when the people given control over our government have no idea how it works.]]> 255 Michael Lewis 0393357457 Quenby 0 to-read 4.09 2018 The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy
author: Michael Lewis
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
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]]> Grimm Curiosities 205967557 In Victorian England, a young woman inherits her father’s curiosity shop and all its ghostly secrets in a bewitching novel by the author of Salt & Broom.

It’s 1851 in old York. Lizzy Grimm struggles to save her late father’s charmingly creepy yet floundering antique shop, Grimm Curiosities. Then, during a particularly snowy December in this most haunted city in England, things turn…curiouser.

Lizzy meets Antony Carlisle, whose sister suffers from the same perplexing affliction as Lizzy’s mother—both stricken silent and unresponsive after speaking with ghosts. Working closely together to fathom what power has transformed their loved ones and why, Lizzy and Antony discover an important her father’s treasured set of rare books on ancient folktales, enchantments, and yuletide myths. Books that a persistent collector is awfully keen to purchase. Books Lizzy can’t bear to sell.

Every bewitching passage and illustration opens a doorway to something ancient and dangerously inviting. Keys to a mystery Lizzy and Antony are compelled to solve—even if doing so means unleashing one of this bright holiday’s darkest myths.]]> 297 Sharon Lynn Fisher 1662515707 Quenby 3 4.20 2024 Grimm Curiosities
author: Sharon Lynn Fisher
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
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]]> The Great Crash 1929 41591 206 John Kenneth Galbraith 0395859999 Quenby 5
It’s interesting that the views of the time were very much consistent with President Hoover. And we now have Hoover Institute members guiding fiscal policy. Hoover believed in focusing on the underlying value of the economy, and used tariffs to encourage US industries. It didn’t work out then. Interesting times ahead.]]> 3.93 1954 The Great Crash 1929
author: John Kenneth Galbraith
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1954
rating: 5
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date added: 2025/03/09
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Shades of the Big Short! So interesting to see how financial creativity led to a perilous leverage of financial risk that eventually came tumbling down. Also interesting to me was to come Galbraith’s analysis of the causes of the ensuing Great Depression. As an economics student at UCLA in the 90’s (very neoliberal) my professor basically assigned the whole thing to monetary policy which focused on underlying value rather than the need to expand credit. Galbraith agrees but doesn’t think it covers it. It’s safe to say that a strong economy requires trust. When there is a lack of trust, investment is reduced and money becomes scarce. In the 20’s there was terrific optimism and a greatly expanded stock market. There was also a deep respect and trust of financial institutions and leaders. Alas, they’re just folks who tend to focus on the business of today rather than considering the long term. So some people saw the problems but didn’t want to disrupt an apparent good thing. In those times, people created holding companies and trusts that invested in stocks, and then used their new stock to leverage investments. Much like the real estate debacle in the 21st century.

It’s interesting that the views of the time were very much consistent with President Hoover. And we now have Hoover Institute members guiding fiscal policy. Hoover believed in focusing on the underlying value of the economy, and used tariffs to encourage US industries. It didn’t work out then. Interesting times ahead.
]]> <![CDATA[Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy]]> 40538538
Americans once had a coherent and clear understanding of political tyranny, one crafted by Thomas Jefferson and updated for the industrial age by Louis Brandeis. A concentration of power, whether in the hands of a military dictator or a JP Morgan, was understood as autocratic and dangerous to individual liberty and democracy. This idea stretched back to the country’s founding. In the 1930s, people observed that the Great Depression was caused by financial concentration in the hands of a few whose misuse of their power induced a financial collapse. They drew on this tradition to craft the New Deal.

In Goliath , Matt Stoller explains how authoritarianism and populism have returned to American politics for the first time in eighty years, as the outcome of the 2016 election shook our faith in democratic institutions. It has brought to the fore dangerous forces that many modern Americans never even knew existed. Today’s bitter recriminations and panic represent more than just fear of the future, they reflect a basic confusion about what is happening and the historical backstory that brought us to this moment.

The true effects of populism, a shrinking middle class, and concentrated financial wealth are only just beginning to manifest themselves under the current administrations. The lessons of Stoller’s study will only grow more relevant as time passes. Building upon his viral article in The Atlantic , “How the Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul,� Stoller illustrates in rich detail how we arrived at this tenuous moment, and the steps we must take to create a new democracy.]]> 608 Matt Stoller 1501183087 Quenby 0 to-read 4.23 2019 Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy
author: Matt Stoller
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/08
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]]> <![CDATA[America in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era]]> 25597452
Sound familiar? These and other issues that characterize the early 21st century were also the hallmarks of the transformative periods known as the Gilded Age (1865-1900) and the Progressive Era (1900-1920). Before the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, America was a developing nation, with a largely agrarian economy and virtually no role in global affairs. Yet by 1900, within 35 years, the US had emerged as the world's greatest industrial power.

Explore these tumultuous times in America in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Over decades marked by economic, political, social, and technological upheavals, the US went from an agrarian, isolationist country to the world's greatest industrial power and a nascent geopolitical superpower. In a time rife with staggering excess, social unrest, and strident calls for reform, these and other remarkable events created the country that we know industrialization gave rise to a huge American middle class; voluminous waves of immigration added new material to the "melting pot" of US society; the phenomenon of big business led to the formation of labor unions and the adoption of consumer protections; electricity, cars, and other technologies forever changed the landscape of American life.

In taking the measure of six dramatically innovative decades, you'll investigate the economic, political, and social upheavals that marked these years, as well as the details of daily life and the cultural thinking of the times. In the process, you'll meet robber barons, industrialists, socialites, reformers, inventors, conservationists, women's suffragists, civil rights activists, and passionate progressives, who together forged a new United States.]]> Edward T. O'Donnell 168276558X Quenby 5 3.98 2015 America in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
author: Edward T. O'Donnell
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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date added: 2025/03/08
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A really interesting review of times that might feel familiar to us. The battle between the ideals of small government and individual freedom vs the ideals of the common good. It is well written and helps focus in on key people and events and how they affected our political outlook.
]]> <![CDATA[Citizen Reporters: S.S. McClure, Ida Tarbell, and the Magazine That Rewrote America]]> 45730581 One of the most influential magazines in American history, McClure’s drew over 400,000 readers and published the groundbreaking stories that defined the Gilded Age, including the investigation of Standard Oil that toppled the Rockefeller monopoly. Driving this revolutionary publication were two improbable newcomers united by single-minded ambition. S. S. McClure was an Irish immigrant, who, despite bouts of mania, overthrew his impoverished upbringing and bent the New York media world to his will. His steadying hand and star reporter was Ida Tarbell, a woman who defied gender expectations and became a notoriously fearless journalist. The scrappy, bold McClure's group—Tarbell, McClure, and their reporters Ray Stannard Baker and Lincoln Steffens—cemented investigative journalism’s crucial role in democracy. From reporting on labor unrest and lynching, to their exposés of municipal corruption, their reporting brought their readers face to face with a nation mired in dysfunction. They also introduced Americans to the voices of Willa Cather, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, Joseph Conrad, and many others. Tracing McClure’s from its meteoric rise to its spectacularly swift and dramatic combustion, Citizen Reporters is a thrillingly told, deeply researched biography of a powerhouse magazine that forever changed American life. It’s also a timely case study that demonstrates the crucial importance of journalists who are unafraid to speak truth to power.]]> 384 Stephanie Gorton 006279664X Quenby 0 to-read 4.12 2020 Citizen Reporters: S.S. McClure, Ida Tarbell, and the Magazine That Rewrote America
author: Stephanie Gorton
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/08
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]]> <![CDATA[Rough Music: Folk Customs, Transgression and Alternative Britain]]> 218664213 336 Liz Williams 1836390602 Quenby 0 to-read 4.00 Rough Music: Folk Customs, Transgression and Alternative Britain
author: Liz Williams
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.00
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rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/04
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The World Record Book of Racist Stories]]> 60568490 From theNew York Times bestselling authors of You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, comedian Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey, a new collection of hilarious, intergenerational anecdotes full of absurd detail about everyday experiences of racism.

Families may not always see eye to eye; we get on each other’s nerves, have different perspectives and lives—especially when we consider how we've grown up in different generations. But for the Ruffin family and many others, there has been one constant that connects them: racism hasn’t gone anywhere.

From her raucous musical numbers to turning upsetting news into laughs as the host of The Amber Ruffin Show or in herLate Night with Seth Meyerssegments, Amber is no stranger to finding the funny wherever she looks. With equal parts heart and humor, she and her sister Lacey Lamar shared some of the eye-opening and outrageous experiences Lacey had faced in Nebraska in their first book. Now, the dynamic duo makes it clear—Lacey isn’t the only one in the family with ridiculous encounters to share! Amber and Lacey have many more uproarious stories, both from their own lives and the entire Ruffin family.

Recounting the wildest tales of racism from their parents, their siblings, and Amber’s nieces and nephews, this intergenerational look at ludicrous (but all too believable) everyday racism as experienced across age, gender, and appearance will have you gasping with shock and laughter in turn. Validating for anyone who has first-hand experience, and revealing for anyone who doesn’t, Amber and Lacey’s next book helps us all find the absurdity in the pervasive frustrations of racism. Illuminating and packed with love and laughter, this is a must-read for just about everyone.]]> 217 Amber Ruffin 1538724553 Quenby 0 to-read 4.38 2022 The World Record Book of Racist Stories
author: Amber Ruffin
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Patriot: A Memoir 210943348
Alexei Navalny began writing Patriot shortly after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It is the full story of his life: his youth, his call to activism, his marriage and family, his commitment to challenging a world super-power determined to silence him, and his total conviction that change cannot be resisted—and will come.

In vivid, page-turning detail, including never-before-seen correspondence from prison, Navalny recounts, among other things, his political career, the many attempts on his life, and the lives of the people closest to him, and the relentless campaign he and his team waged against an increasingly dictatorial regime.

Written with the passion, wit, candor, and bravery for which he was justly acclaimed, Patriot is Navalny’s final letter to the world: a moving account of his last years spent in the most brutal prison on earth; a reminder of why the principles of individual freedom matter so deeply; and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life.

“This book is a testament not only to Alexei’s life, but to his unwavering commitment to the fight against dictatorship—a fight he gave everything for, including his life. Through its pages, readers will come to know the man I loved deeply—a man of profound integrity and unyielding courage. Sharing his story will not only honor his memory but also inspire others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter.� —Yulia Navalnaya]]> 496 Alexei Navalny 0593320964 Quenby 5 comfort-reads, history
Even though we know that Navalny dies, this is a very uplifting book. It reminded me of Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandala. Navalny does what Mandela did when he was incarcerated: resist. It might be hard to believe but Russia’s prison system gives South Africa’s prison system during apartheid a good run for the money.

This is a beautiful and inspirational work. Everyone should read it.]]> 4.54 2024 Patriot: A Memoir
author: Alexei Navalny
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: comfort-reads, history
review:
An amazing man explains why he takes on Putin, a man that routinely murders people he doesn’t like. Wow. The audiobook is narrated by Matthew Goode, an actor I’ve always liked. He does a wonderful job.

Even though we know that Navalny dies, this is a very uplifting book. It reminded me of Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandala. Navalny does what Mandela did when he was incarcerated: resist. It might be hard to believe but Russia’s prison system gives South Africa’s prison system during apartheid a good run for the money.

This is a beautiful and inspirational work. Everyone should read it.
]]> <![CDATA[Everyday Life in Medieval London: From the Anglo-Saxons to the Tudors]]> 19152805 272 Toni Mount 144561541X Quenby 5 4.06 2014 Everyday Life in Medieval London: From the Anglo-Saxons to the Tudors
author: Toni Mount
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:
Listened on audio. Lots of interesting information with a dry wit, it’s a great way to relax.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7]]> 198055623 "The image of Pandora's Box being opened by my own hand flashed across my mind. A sobering and somewhat disappointing realisation when one understands they are their own worst enemy. "The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian's. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 313 Beth Brower Quenby 5 4.77 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.77
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Miracles of the Namiya General Store]]> 44287550
By acclaimed author Keigo Higashino, The Miracles of the Namiya General Store is a work that has touched the hearts of readers around the world.]]> 314 Keigo Higashino 1975382579 Quenby 0 to-read 4.40 2012 The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
author: Keigo Higashino
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Cat's People 215805897 A stray cat brings together five strangers over the course of one fateful summer in this heartwarming novel about love, found family, and the power of connection.

Núria, a single-by-choice barista with a resentment for the “crazy cat lady� label, is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of the neighborhood’s stray cats. On one of her volunteering days, she starts finding Post-It notes from a secret admirer at the spot where her favorite stray lives—a black cat named Cat. Like most cats, he is rather curious and sly, so of course he knows who the notes are from. Núria, however, is clueless.

Are the notes from Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit with a weakness for good coffee? Are they from Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half-sister? Are they from Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early mid-life crisis? Or are they from Bong, the grieving widower who owns her favorite bodega? When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers find themselves connected in their desire to care for him and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they've been searching for.]]> 304 Tanya Guerrero 059387384X Quenby 0 to-read 4.22 2025 Cat's People
author: Tanya Guerrero
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6]]> 63027990 There is bedlam, and there is delightful bedlam.
This afternoon touched on the second, much to my pleasure.

The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian’s. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 249 Beth Brower Quenby 5 4.79 2022 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.79
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5]]> 59058662 I took Treasure Island to church with me as a talisman.“What a lovely bible,� Mrs. Tribly said.“Isn’t it just?� I replied, hoping she would not ask me to read a favorite verse aloud.I do not believe the psalmist wrote,Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest,Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.Readers have compared Beth Brower's writing to Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, and Charlotte Bronte.]]> 265 Beth Brower Quenby 5 4.77 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.77
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4]]> 56553921
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]> 208 Beth Brower Quenby 5 4.75 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 3]]> 55138117 "It has been a day ordained by the fates, for how else could one explain the wholly cursed chain of events?" The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London Neighbourhood of St. Crispian's. But Emma's plan for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian's. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House. Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 229 Beth Brower Quenby 5 4.65 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 3
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.65
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2]]> 48677941
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.
]]> 162 Beth Brower Quenby 5 Volume 2 is just as good

Emma M. Lion is making good progress on her work as unexciting backdrop to her gorgeous cousin for the season. She’s also finding ways to make some income and expanding her very interesting circle of friends! ]]> 4.59 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.59
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:
Volume 2 is just as good

Emma M. Lion is making good progress on her work as unexciting backdrop to her gorgeous cousin for the season. She’s also finding ways to make some income and expanding her very interesting circle of friends!
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion #1]]> 223435737 “I’ve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.�The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House. Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P. G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 121 Beth Brower Quenby 5 Utterly delightful!

Emma is a typical abused orphan with a most fantastic house, inherited 3 years ago while she looked after an aging ‘aunt�. The house is located in a magical section of London and has its own ghost. Looking forward to the next episode!]]> 4.15 2019 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion #1
author: Beth Brower
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:
Utterly delightful!

Emma is a typical abused orphan with a most fantastic house, inherited 3 years ago while she looked after an aging ‘aunt�. The house is located in a magical section of London and has its own ghost. Looking forward to the next episode!
]]> <![CDATA[All Quiet on the Western Front]]> 355697
In 1914 a room full of German schoolboys, fresh-faced and idealistic, are goaded by their schoolmaster to troop off to the ‘glorious war�. With the fire and patriotism of youth they sign up. What follows is the moving story of a young ‘unknown soldier� experiencing the horror and disillusionment of life in the trenches.]]> 296 Erich Maria Remarque 0449213943 Quenby 0 to-read 4.04 1928 All Quiet on the Western Front
author: Erich Maria Remarque
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1928
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Song for the Basilisk 81070 320 Patricia A. McKillip 0441006787 Quenby 0 to-read 4.00 1998 Song for the Basilisk
author: Patricia A. McKillip
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Nazi Mind: Twelve Warnings from History]]> 59568627
Ultimately, he delves into the darkness to explain how and why these people were capable of committing the worst crime in the history of the world. Rees traces the rise and eventual fall of the Nazis through the lens of ‘twelve warnings� � from talk about ‘them� and ‘us� to the escalation of racism � whilst also highlighting signs to look out for in present day leaders.

Rees uses previously unpublished testimony from former Nazis and those who grew up in the Nazi system, and in-depth psychological insights including cutting edge work on obedience, authority and the brain. THE NAZI MIND is a revelatory new way of understanding how so many people committed the most appalling crime of the 20th century.]]> 464 Laurence Rees 1541702336 Quenby 0 to-read 4.24 The Nazi Mind: Twelve Warnings from History
author: Laurence Rees
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Resurrection 42641 562 Leo Tolstoy 0735102864 Quenby 0 to-read 4.15 1899 Resurrection
author: Leo Tolstoy
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1899
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back]]> 214175076 A provocative exploration about the architecture of power, the forces that stifle us from getting things done, and how we can restore confidence in democratically elected government—“the best book to date on the biggest political issue that nobody is talking about� (Matthew Yglesias)

America was once a country that did big things—we built the world’s greatest rail network, a vast electrical grid, interstate highways, abundant housing, the Social Security system, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and more. But today, even while facing a host of pressing challenges—a housing shortage, a climate crisis, a dilapidated infrastructure—we feel stuck, unable to move the needle. Why?

America is today the victim of a vetocracy that allows nearly anyone to stifle progress. While conservatives deserve some blame, progressives have overlooked an unlikely culprit: their own fears of “The Establishment.� A half-century ago, progressivism’s designs on getting stuff done were eclipsed by a desire to box in government. Reformers put speaking truth to power ahead of exercising that power for good. The ensuing gridlock has pummeled faith in public institutions of all sorts, stifled the movement’s ability to deliver on its promises, and, most perversely, opened the door for MAGA-style populism.

A century ago, Americans were similarly frustrated—and progressivism pointed the way out. The same can happen again. Marc J. Dunkelman vividly illustrates what progressives must do if they are going to break through today’s paralysis and restore, once again, confidence in democratically elected government. To get there, reformers will need to acknowledge where they’ve gone wrong. Progressivism’s success moving forward hinges on the movement’s willingness to rediscover its roots.]]> 416 Marc J. Dunkelman 154170021X Quenby 0 to-read 4.03 Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back
author: Marc J. Dunkelman
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman]]> 200285643 Hank is struggling to hold his family together when his mom doesn't come home.

When eleven-year-old Hank’s mom doesn’t come home, he takes care of his toddler sister, Boo, like he always does. But it’s been a week now. They are out of food and mom has never stayed away this long� Hank knows he needs help, so he and Boo seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact.

But asking for help has consequences. It means social workers, and a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he's been trying to keep secret. And if they can't find his mom soon, Hank and Boo may end up in different foster homes--he could lose everything.]]> 320 Gennifer Choldenko 1524718920 Quenby 0 to-read 4.50 2024 The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
author: Gennifer Choldenko
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Far Better Thing 217388276 I feared this was the best of times; I hoped it could not get any worse.

The fairies stole Sydney Carton as a child, and made him a mortal servant of the Faerie Realm. Now, he has a rare opportunity for revenge against the fae and Charles Darnay, the changeling left in his stead.

It will take magic and cunning—cold iron and Realm silver—to hide his intentions from humans and fae and bring his plans to fruition.

Shuttling between London and Paris during the Reign of Terror, generations of violence-begetting-violence lead him to a heartbreaking choice in the shadow of the guillotine.]]> 416 H.G. Parry 1250334187 Quenby 0 to-read 4.19 2025 A Far Better Thing
author: H.G. Parry
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ties that Divide (Q&Z Regency Mysteries Book 1)]]> 209731965


When her lady's maid, Lucy, is found dead in the notorious district of Whitechapel, Zoe refuses to accept the verdict of a tragic accident. Determined to uncover the truth, she enlists the help of Quinton Huxley, a man whose expertise lies in navigating the murky waters between legality and the underworld.



Alongside a cast of characters as diverse as they are mysterious—Zoe's stepfamily, a Bow Street runner, a resurrectionist, and a gangster among them—Zoe and Quinton unravel a tale of forbidden love, jealousy, and betrayal that threatens to consume her.



Your next obsession awaits. Uncover the mystery, challenge the past, and be part of Zoe's journey. This novel is perfect for fans of historical mysteries who love a strong female protagonist and a cast of characters that feel like family. Grab your copy of "The Ties that Divide" today!]]> 248 Sandra Preisler Quenby 0 4.38 The Ties that Divide (Q&Z Regency Mysteries Book 1)
author: Sandra Preisler
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:
DNF. Not bad just unpolished. A lot of very contemporary language was jarring. Good use of historical facts. The character of Zoe was not strong enough to hold my interest. Quinton is quite good but the description of attraction to Zoe was a bit cringy for me. Frankly I couldn’t really understand the attraction although it is clearly fated.
]]> <![CDATA[A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (The Lord Julian Mysteries #8)]]> 220366019
When further attempts to end Dalhousie’s existence put Julian himself in danger, Julian must choose between disorderly retreat and a steadfast pursuit of truth, though either choice might well cost him his honor or his life!]]> 291 Grace Burrowes 1962291189 Quenby 5 4.46 2025 A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (The Lord Julian Mysteries #8)
author: Grace Burrowes
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union]]> 127280144
In the tempestuous mid-19th century, as slavery consumed Congressional debate and America careened toward civil war and split apart–when the very future of the nation hung in the balance–Charles Sumner’s voice rang strongest, bravest, and most unwavering. Where others preached compromise and moderation, he denounced slavery’s evils to all who would listen and demanded that it be wiped out of existence. More than any other person of his era, he blazed the trail on the country’s long, uneven, and ongoing journey toward realizing its full promise to become a more perfect union.

Before and during the Civil War, at great personal sacrifice, Sumner was the conscience of the North and the most influential politician fighting for abolition. Throughout Reconstruction, no one championed the rights of emancipated people more than he did. Through the force of his words and his will, he moved America toward the twin goals of abolitionism and equal rights, which he fought for literally until the day he died. He laid the cornerstone arguments that civil rights advocates would build upon over the next century as the country strove to achieve equality among the races.

The Great Abolitionist is the first major biography of Charles Sumner to be published in over 50 years. Acclaimed historian Stephen Puleo relates the story of one of the most influential non-presidents in American history with evocative and accessible prose, transporting readers back to an era when our leaders exhibited true courage and authenticity in the face of unprecedented challenges.]]> 464 Stephen Puleo 1250276276 Quenby 0 to-read 4.51 2024 The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union
author: Stephen Puleo
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking]]> 7932625 274 Jessica Mitford 1590173554 Quenby 0 to-read 4.02 1979 Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking
author: Jessica Mitford
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1979
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Heart Sufficient (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir, #4)]]> 201873623 386 Nichole Van 1949863190 Quenby 5 4.59 2024 A Heart Sufficient (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir, #4)
author: Nichole Van
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (The Lord Julian Mysteries Book 7)]]> 217037383
Lord Julian Caldicott is standing in for his ducal brother as manager of Yuletide merriment at the family seat. Alas for his lordship, nothing is going as planned. Cranky relatives arrive uninvited, family squabbles ensue, and Julian's annual case of the blue devils is worsening by the day.

Julian decides to combat the mayhem and melancholia by anonymously spreading good cheer. He arranges a series of discreet gifts--for the village church, for his nephew, for Caldicott Hall's retired housekeeper, and others--but every time he attempts to play secret Father Christmas, an unknown benefactor upstages him with gifts of equal generosity. Who is Julian's competitor for top elf honors and why are they determined to make this Julian's worst Christmas ever? Julian vows to find out!]]> 272 Grace Burrowes 1962291154 Quenby 4 4.51 2024 A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (The Lord Julian Mysteries Book 7)
author: Grace Burrowes
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
Auntie Grace is a warm and soothing way to spend a day.
]]> <![CDATA[Something Extraordinary (Something Fabulous, #3)]]> 212376261 From the author of Boyfriend Material comes the absurdist adventure of two friends determined to avoid marriage to unsuitable people as they race through Regency England to marry each other instead.

Sir Horley Comewithers isn’t particularly interested in getting married, especially when his match is a perfectly respectable young woman. Sir Horley is, after all, extravagantly gay. But he’s resigned to a fate there’s no point resisting—until a dear friend does it for him.

Arabella Tarleton has no interest in romance, but even she can see that Sir Horley’s nuptials are destined to end in a lifetime of misery. Well, not on her watch. And what are friends for, if not abducting you on your wedding night in an overdramatic attempt to save you from a terrible mistake?

Their journey to Gretna Green is a hodgepodge of colorful run-ins and near misses with questionable innkeepers, amateur highwaymen, overattentive writers, and scorned fiancées. Then again a bumpy road is better than an unhappy destination.

But when it comes to marriage, Belle and Sir Horley are about to discover that it’s not what you do or how you do it but the people who you choose to do it with that matter most.]]> 427 Alexis Hall 166250943X Quenby 5 Warning: extreme kindness 4.09 2024 Something Extraordinary (Something Fabulous, #3)
author: Alexis Hall
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
Warning: extreme kindness
]]> <![CDATA[Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action (Political Economy of Institutions and Decisions)]]> 1048424 Congratulations to Elinor Ostrom, Co-Winner of The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2009!

The governance of natural resources used by many individuals in common is an issue of increasing concern to policy analysts. Both state control and privatization of resources have been advocated, but neither the state nor the market have been uniformly successful in solving common pool resource problems. After critiquing the foundations of policy analysis as applied to natural resources, Elinor Ostrom here provides a unique body of empirical data to explore conditions under which common pool resource problems have been satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily solved. Dr. Ostrom first describes three models most frequently used as the foundation for recommending state or market solutions. She then outlines theoretical and empirical alternatives to these models in order to illustrate the diversity of possible solutions. In the following chapters she uses institutional analysis to examine different ways--both successful and unsuccessful--of governing the commons. In contrast to the proposition of the tragedy of the commons argument, common pool problems sometimes are solved by voluntary organizations rather than by a coercive state. Among the cases considered are communal tenure in meadows and forests, irrigation communities and other water rights, and fisheries.]]> 298 Elinor Ostrom 0521405998 Quenby 0 to-read 4.20 1990 Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action (Political Economy of Institutions and Decisions)
author: Elinor Ostrom
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Quenby 5 4.15 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character]]> 23351291 0 Richard P. Feynman 144818147X Quenby 0 to-read 4.34 1985 Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character
author: Richard P. Feynman
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ranleigh Question (Lady Althea Mystery #2)]]> 39744720 248 Lisa Boero Quenby 5 4.23 2018 The Ranleigh Question (Lady Althea Mystery #2)
author: Lisa Boero
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Richmond Thief (Lady Althea Mystery, 1)]]> 36228345
Enter Althea, lady scientist.

As the young widow of a country gentleman, Lady Althea Trent is introduced to the upper-class social scene as yet another pretty face. But her own scientific inquiries and an invitation to act as an agent of Bow Street with the enigmatic Duke of Norwich propel her into the hunt for the Richmond Thief. The theft of her host’s diamonds and two potential murders only harden Althea’s resolve to find answers to the thief’s identity.

Unfortunately, Althea’s dangerous entanglements with the law and the mysterious duke inexorably lead her to a darkened library—where the masked Richmond Thief awaits.

This is a new release of an edition originally published by Nerdy Girl Press.]]> 264 Lisa Boero 1662501927 Quenby 5 4.09 2017 The Richmond Thief (Lady Althea Mystery, 1)
author: Lisa Boero
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves:
review:

]]> Lady for a Season 218189958
But Edward is the heir to the Duke of Buckingham and when his father dies his family determine to marry him off to secure the title and the estate. Edward insists that Maggie stay by his side, so she must be passed off as a lady for one social season, during which time a marriage can be arranged.

When a midnight carriage comes for Maggie, is she ready for the makeover of a lifetime? Can she remember all the rules, keep the secrets of Atherton Park� and above all, avoid falling in love?

A delightful Regency romance, full of historical detail and emotional choices, as two downtrodden characters come to know their true worth and what they mean to each other. The Season has begun, the ton is gathered� and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Edward. Here is your invitation to the romance of the season, buy Lady for a Season today.]]> 320 Melissa Addey 1910940720 Quenby 5 A fabulous fairytale with real people

Surprised doesn’t cover it. I’ve read so many Regency romances. This is a story that addresses real problems of the time with real characters. Maggie and Edward are true heroes. Breathtaking!]]> 4.49 2024 Lady for a Season
author: Melissa Addey
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:
A fabulous fairytale with real people

Surprised doesn’t cover it. I’ve read so many Regency romances. This is a story that addresses real problems of the time with real characters. Maggie and Edward are true heroes. Breathtaking!
]]> An Angel for the Earl 1374007 217 Barbara Metzger 0449222152 Quenby 5 horrible-no-good-day-audios 3.94 1994 An Angel for the Earl
author: Barbara Metzger
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: horrible-no-good-day-audios
review:
Listened to the book read by Pippa Rathborne. Pippa is a bit old to narrate a young woman’s voice but she is so funny that it becomes an incomparable experience. This might be a favorite as it brought me to tears. Highly recommended.
]]> <![CDATA[The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods, #1)]]> 6492981
But it is more than the traitorous intrigues of villains that threaten Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle here, for a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge -- an act that will mark him as a tool of the miraculous . . . and trap him in a lethal maze of demonic paradox.]]> 512 Lois McMaster Bujold 0061793043 Quenby 5 4.39 2001 The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods, #1)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/08
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: fantasy-cool-men, comfort-reads, best-audio
review:
Listened to this again seeking comfort from the level of deception and greed being displayed today. The story follows a former soldier who encounters similar evils and steadfastly refuses to give in. A balm to the heart.
]]> Rubyfruit Jungle 165395 246 Rita Mae Brown 0553146963 Quenby 4 3.92 1973 Rubyfruit Jungle
author: Rita Mae Brown
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1973
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Single Thread of Moonlight - A Cinderella story of revenge and romance]]> 59123406
"Delicious fun" Observer

"A sparkling escapist romance" Daily Express

With shades of Pride and Prejudice and The Count of Monte Cristo, Laura Wood has penned a Cinderella story for the Bridgerton generation. Iris Grey's childhood was idyllic... until her father remarried. Iris's new stepmother and two stepsisters were cold-hearted schemers, and when her father dies in mysterious circumstances, Iris knows that something is wrong. Far too spirited to be forced into a life of servitude, she runs away to London.

When she crosses paths with handsome, clever and cold Nicholas Wynter, Iris realises that this is her moment for revenge. Together they plot the downfall of their enemies - but the pair begin to find they have more in common than a desire for justice.

Will their spark burn bright or will it be extinguished in the flames of their ambition?

A fabulously fresh retelling of Cinderella with a heroine who isn't afraid to take her destiny into her own hands Perfect for fans of Jane Austen Laura Wood is the author of A Sky Painted Gold and Under a Dancing Star

More priase for A Single Thread of Moonlight

"A Cinderella revenge story and a Bridgerton vibe... Sardonic dialogue, fabulous dresses, balls and society intrigue delicious fun." OBSERVER

"I adored this Victorian-set retelling of Cinderella, featuring an irrepressible heroine, a sardonic hero, beautiful dresses, intrigue and revenge. Be still, my heart!." Sarra Manning

"Laura Wood is the literary equivalent of lighting the fancy candle on a rainy afternoon" Ella Risbridger

"Swoon-worthy and brilliant with Bridgerton vibes" M.A. Kuzniar

"The perfect delicious read for anyone craving more Bridgerton" Lauren James

"A Cinderella retelling like you've never read before with a swoon-worthy romance"; BOOKSNEST

"A deliciously divine tale of loss, lies and love that completely swept me away" BOOKLOVERJO]]> 369 Laura Wood 0702311340 Quenby 3 4.31 2021 A Single Thread of Moonlight - A Cinderella story of revenge and romance
author: Laura Wood
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
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review:

]]> The Goldfinch 17333223
Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate.]]> 771 Donna Tartt 0316055433 Quenby 5 3.94 2013 The Goldfinch
author: Donna Tartt
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beth and the Mistaken Identity]]> 44795642 lady's maid who is mistaken for a lady!

Cast off and stranded at an inn in the way to London, she doesn't feel strong enough to dispute it. The handsomeMarquis of Wrexham mistakes her youthful appearance as that of a gently bred schoolgirl, whom he feels impelled to help. How did a good girl, proud of her position as lady's maid to Miss Sophy Ludgate, come to this?Easily --for as Beth reflects:'To obeyor not obeyMiss Sophy was bound to lead to this. For Miss Sophy was a devil.'

The marquis'ssister, Princess Emmeline (a widow of the ruler of a small European principality) further mistakes Beth's identity, believing her to beher former mistress, Sophy Ludgate. having once seen her on a shocking trip to Vauxhall Gardens, Beth denies it, but accepts theescort of brother and sister to London, where she hopes to seek employment.
Wrexham, lured into more gentleness by assuming Beth to be younger than she is, finds himself shocked to be feeling quite so close to a young lady who soon tells him she is nineteen. Could this protective feeling she aroused in him be more?
Once in London, there are reasons that the marquis and his sister will not release her, and she finds herself a guest in a great house - where she nevertheless finds the household in turmoil. Although terrified of being discovered, as a pretender, she finds herself poking her nose into matters that might not concern her. Her humour and goodness make a bond with her hosts, and this just increases her guilt.

Meanwhile,Sophy Ludgate is making mischief elsewhere.What else can she do that threatens Beth?

Will Beth be exposed? Will she manage to escape into the evil streets of London, where respectability seems like an unreachable goal for a maid who has no character from her mistress? And can she ever recover from her fatal attraction to a man so far above her that it is impossible to even consider it?

Despite her panic, Beth tries to be of use to the marquis and the princess, feeling closer to them each day, while knowing that her day of judgement is coming soon...

]]> 221 Alicia Cameron Quenby 5 4.31 2019 Beth and the Mistaken Identity
author: Alicia Cameron
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves:
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]]> Flight of the Wild Swan 138462577
Sweeping yet intimate, Flight of the Wild Swan tells the story of Florence Nightingale, a brilliant, trailblazing woman whose humanity has been obscured beneath the iconic weight of legend. From adolescence, Nightingale was determined to fulfill her life’s calling to serve the sick and suffering. Overcoming Victorian hierarchies, familial expectations, patriarchal resistance, and her own illness, she used her hard-won acclaim as a battlefield nurse to bring the profession out of its shadowy, disreputable status and elevate nursing to a skilled practice and compassionate art.

In lush, lyrical detail, Melissa Pritchard reveals Nightingale as a rebel who wouldn’t relent—one whose extraordinary life offers a grand lesson in inspired will.]]> 380 Melissa Pritchard 1954276222 Quenby 5 history
You know who was whack a doodle? Her older sister who became nearly suicidal when Florence left. Let’s just say that in that time and place, women were very stressed and led Freud to possibly inaccurate conclusions.

Obviously, she was difficult. But only in pursuing her interests, which was helped along by a religious awakening at 17. She wasn’t trying to upend the social order but she could see places where she could help.

Great Britain was at the top of their imperialist game, which is where things start coming apart for them. The military was then a very top down, inflexible organization. Very self satisfied. Then came the Crimean War. More imperial politics. And look! People were literally starving in pesky Ireland, so tons of young men desperate for any kind of work! Obviously, it was only going to last a few months. The resulting catastrophic failures are well documented (e.g. the Charge of the Light Brigade). And wouldn’t you just know it? A bloody Irish dude started writing exposes.

And like a miracle, this absurd woman, Florence Nightingale (how perfect is that name!) appears after performing well regarded reforms at a London hospital for women. And she in turn, had this very Maid of Orleans calling from God though she never advertised the fact.

This is where I start believing in miracles because the situation was dire in the Crimean military hospitals, the English ones, as the French were more progressive.]]> 3.99 2024 Flight of the Wild Swan
author: Melissa Pritchard
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: history
review:
There is so much to say about Nightingale. She is fascinating. Beautiful and wealthy, she hobnobbed with the leaders of the day, several who fell in love with her despite her unfeminine interests in math and medicine. She was a classic difficult woman and she had the standard problems: Her family worried for her sanity and wanted her to produce a son to inherit. It’s not that she ignored her family’s desires, but when she was forced to, she became very despondent. Her father was a cool guy for the time and finally relented, allowing her to attend nursing school (gasp) in Germany. Needless to say, a nursing school in Great Britain was unthinkable!

You know who was whack a doodle? Her older sister who became nearly suicidal when Florence left. Let’s just say that in that time and place, women were very stressed and led Freud to possibly inaccurate conclusions.

Obviously, she was difficult. But only in pursuing her interests, which was helped along by a religious awakening at 17. She wasn’t trying to upend the social order but she could see places where she could help.

Great Britain was at the top of their imperialist game, which is where things start coming apart for them. The military was then a very top down, inflexible organization. Very self satisfied. Then came the Crimean War. More imperial politics. And look! People were literally starving in pesky Ireland, so tons of young men desperate for any kind of work! Obviously, it was only going to last a few months. The resulting catastrophic failures are well documented (e.g. the Charge of the Light Brigade). And wouldn’t you just know it? A bloody Irish dude started writing exposes.

And like a miracle, this absurd woman, Florence Nightingale (how perfect is that name!) appears after performing well regarded reforms at a London hospital for women. And she in turn, had this very Maid of Orleans calling from God though she never advertised the fact.

This is where I start believing in miracles because the situation was dire in the Crimean military hospitals, the English ones, as the French were more progressive.
]]> <![CDATA[The Royal Secret (Marwood and Lovett, #5)]]> 55506307 From the No.1 bestselling author ofThe Last ProtectorandThe Ashes of Londoncomes the next book in the phenomenally successful series following James Marwood and Cat Lovett during the time of King Charles II.



Over 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold!
A Times Best Paperback of 2022
Two young girls plot a murder by witchcraft. Soon afterwards a government clerk dies painfully in mysterious circumstances. His colleague James Marwood is asked to investigate � but the task brings unexpected dangers.


Meanwhile, architect Cat Hakesby is working for a merchant who lives on Slaughter Street, where the air smells of blood and a captive Barbary lion prowls the stables. Then a prestigious new commission arrives. Cat must design a Poultry House for the woman that the King loves most in all the world.


Unbeknownst to all, at the heart of this lies a royal secret so explosive that it could not only rip apart England but change the entire face of Europe…]]> 480 Andrew Taylor 0008325561 Quenby 4 4.08 2021 The Royal Secret (Marwood and Lovett, #5)
author: Andrew Taylor
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lord Ashley's Beautiful Alibi (Scarlett Affairs, #1)]]> 205651301 He pretended he was her lover. She became his alibi…and his only love.

Augustine Bolton lives amid the social whirl and treachery of the stylish court of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte. When Gus’s dearest friend, Amber, disappears, Gus must find her before the deputy chief of police finds Amber and carts her off to his bed—or to la Force.

But Gus’s means are few and her own duties as an agent in Amber’s network mean she is also suspect. Gus needs help.

Kane Whittington is just the man for the job.

He has worked for London merchant-cum-spymaster Scarlett Hawthorne for years and welcomes Scarlett’s call to build a large espionage network in Europe. His first task is to find the missing head of Scarlett's espionage network.

The best person to help him is the lady’s best friend whom he’s never met. But when he sets eyes on ravishing Augustine Bolton in Josephine’s salon, Kane recognizes the black-haired beauty as the one he kissed years ago on the road to Malmaison during a botched abduction of Bonaparte.

Kane must persuade the beautiful Gus to allow him to help her. He suggests the cover for their escapade is: They show the gossipy Parisian court they enjoy a mad love affair. Thus, Gus gains an ally—and Kane acquires an alibi.

But Gus’s ally is a darling man whose kindness thrills her. His alibi is a brave, beautiful woman he cannot give up. Can they find a way to fulfill their missions—and join together to claim their love for a lifetime?

Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!

Scarlett Affairs
Book 1 - Lord Ashley’s Beautiful Alibi

Book 2 - Lord Ramsey’s Red-headed Ruin

Book 3 - Lord Appleby’s Gorgeous Imposter

Book 4 - Lord Fournier’s Shameless Minx

Book 5 - Lord Carlisle’s Enticing Bait

Book 6 - Lord Halsey’s Tempestuous Minx

Book 7 - Sir Durham’s Disarming Asset

Book 8 - The Dowager’s Irresistible Rogue

Book 9 - His Highness’s Tender Trap

Book 10 - The Duke’s Tamed Hellion

Book 11 - The Marquis’s Dangerous Enchantress

Book 12 - The Smuggler’s Precious Cargo

Book 13 - The Baron’s Brazen Confidante

Book 14 - His Grace’s Guilty Pleasure

Book 15 - Lord Fox’s Rebellious Vixen

Book 16 - Scarlett’s Best Agent]]> 290 Cerise DeLand Quenby 5 4.31 2024 Lord Ashley's Beautiful Alibi (Scarlett Affairs, #1)
author: Cerise DeLand
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)]]> 208944365 ASIN moved from less recent edition

It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.

One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered.

But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.

They're going to need to ask it a lot.]]> 151 Becky Chambers Quenby 4 4.33 2021 A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)
author: Becky Chambers
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People]]> 150245732
It’s not always easy to tell when you’re dealing with a narcissist. One day they draw you in with their confidence and charisma, the next they gaslight you, wreck your self-confidence, and leave you wondering, What could I have done differently?

As Dr. Ramani Durvasula reveals in It's Not You , the answer absolutely nothing. Just as a tiger can’t change its stripes, a narcissist won’t stop manipulating and invalidating you. To heal in the aftermath of their abuse and protect yourself from future harm, you first have to accept that you are not to blame.

Deeply compassionate and revelatory, It’s Not You examines how narcissists hijack our wellbeing and offers a healing path forward. Drawing on more than 20 years of studying, teaching, and helping clients navigate the landscape of narcissism, Dr. Durvasula unpacks the oft-misunderstood personality, showing how to identify the telltale signs that you may be dealing with a narcissist and protect yourself from their toxic influence. Along the way, you’ll learn how to become gaslight resistant, chip away at the trauma bonds that keep us stuck in these cycles, grieve the losses, create realistic boundaries, learn the fine art of discernment, and recover your sense of self after years of invalidation.

Healing and thriving after or even during a narcissistic relationship can be challenging, but it is possible. It's Not You shows that the first step is to stop trying to change the narcissistic person, stop blaming yourself, and start giving yourself permission to foster your autonomy and sense of self outside of this relationship.]]> 362 Ramani Durvasula 0593492633 Quenby 5
What is so very helpful is the depth of the analysis which looks at types of narcissists and their nefarious ways. It’s always worth asking yourself if you engage in these behaviors. Are any of us safe? But the tools provided are so specific and useful that really everyone should read this. Absolutely outstanding.]]> 4.54 2024 It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People
author: Ramani Durvasula
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves:
review:
A really superb review of how manipulative, controlling and ‘narcissistic� people work, how we get involved and how to care for yourself. Narcissist is a word that isn’t comfortable because it’s not well defined. After all, aren’t we all a little bit narcissistic? But the focus of this book is on damaging behaviors that will feel familiar. When you come away from a conversation feeling confused and guilty, it’s worth taking a closer look. These days, bullying, dismissive behavior is quite common. Although women can be very toxic, an awful lot of this behavior comes from men trying to maintain a sense of superiority to women, imho. When you try to discuss something and you feel like you’ve been in a salad spinner, that’s a good time to examine your relationship.

What is so very helpful is the depth of the analysis which looks at types of narcissists and their nefarious ways. It’s always worth asking yourself if you engage in these behaviors. Are any of us safe? But the tools provided are so specific and useful that really everyone should read this. Absolutely outstanding.
]]> <![CDATA[The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain: The Immersive and Brilliant Historical Guide to Regency Britain]]> 51003607

This is the age of Jane Austen and the Romantic poets; the paintings of John Constable and the gardens of Humphry Repton; the sartorial elegance of Beau Brummell and the poetic licence of Lord Byron; Britain's military triumphs at Trafalgar and Waterloo; the threat of revolution and the Peterloo massacre. In the latest volume of his celebrated series of Time Traveller's Guides, Ian Mortimer turns to what is arguably the most-loved period in British history - the Regency, or Georgian England.

A time of exuberance, thrills, frills and unchecked bad behaviour, it was perhaps the last age of true freedom before the arrival of the stifling world of Victorian morality. At the same time, it was a period of transition that reflected unprecedented social, economic and political change. And like all periods in history, it was an age of many contradictions - where Beethoven's thundering Fifth Symphony could premier in the same year that saw Jane Austen craft the delicate sensitivities of Persuasion .

Once more, Ian Mortimer takes us on a thrilling journey to the past, revealing what people ate, drank and wore; where they shopped and how they amused themselves; what they believed in and what they were afraid of. Conveying the sights, sounds and smells of the Regency period, this is history at its most exciting, physical, visceral - the past not as something to be studied but as lived experience.]]> 432 Ian Mortimer 1847924565 Quenby 5 4.25 2022 The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain: The Immersive and Brilliant Historical Guide to Regency Britain
author: Ian Mortimer
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves:
review:
This is the second Time Travelers Guide by Mortimer and it is just as engaging. I’ve often wondered why the Regency period in England resonates with me so much. The short answer is that a lot happened in that era, despite the really appalling leadership by the Prince Regent. Social change and technology breakthroughs abound. As stagnant as the hugely hierarchical social structure was, so much was changing! The author is an engaging author and narrator. A bit long but highly recommended.
]]> <![CDATA[Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter]]> 60900229 The essential introduction to the Middle Ages by the bestselling author of The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval EnglandWe tend to think of the Middle Ages as a dark, backward and unchanging time characterised by violence, ignorance and superstition. By contrast we believe progress arose from science and technological innovation, and that inventions of recent centuries created the modern world.We couldn't be more wrong. As Ian Mortimer shows in this fascinating book, people's horizons - their knowledge, experience and understanding of the world - expanded dramatically. Life was utterly transformed between 1000 and 1600, marking the transition from a warrior-led society to that of Shakespeare.Just as The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England revealed what it was like to live in the fourteenth century, Medieval Horizons provides the perfect primer to the era as a whole. It outlines the enormous cultural changes that took place - from literacy to living standards, inequality and even the developing sense of self - thereby correcting misconceptions and presenting the period as a revolutionary age of fundamental importance in the development of the Western world.Praise for Ian 'The endlessly inventive Ian Mortimer is the most remarkable medieval historian of our time' - The Times]]> 246 Ian Mortimer 1847927440 Quenby 5 3.96 2023 Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter
author: Ian Mortimer
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:
Mortimer is a good narrator of his book on Medieval England, and I really enjoyed his historical approach of examining how different events broadened the views of people from that time. Since there are famously few documents from that period, Mortimer examines the behaviors of people as different events occurred. It really is a great way to view history. Fascinating!
]]> <![CDATA[Thus Was Adonis Murdered (Hilary Tamar, #1)]]> 234327
But poor, romantic Julia - how could she possibly have guessed that the ravishing fellow Art Lover for whom she conceived a fatal passion was himself an employee of the Inland Revenue? Or that her hard-won night of passion with him would end in murder--with her inscribed copy of the current Finance Act subsequently discovered just a few feet away from the corpse...]]> 314 Sarah Caudwell Quenby 4 3.89 1981 Thus Was Adonis Murdered (Hilary Tamar, #1)
author: Sarah Caudwell
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1981
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:
Listened to this on audio. Hilarious, especially the first half which mainly concerns the hapless Julia as she tries to have fun in Venice. Of course, once she’s locked up for murdering ‘Adonis�, the focus is on her fellow lawyers in chambers who try to help her. They are pretty funny too, especially if you enjoy pompous Oxbridge snarkiness.
]]> <![CDATA[Look Before You Leap (Miss Prentice's Protegees, #2)]]> 217387682 The second hilarious and heartwarming novel in the Miss Pretence’s Protégées Regency romp of a series

Nine years ago, Lord Guy Harrowby, Viscount of Wennington, was publicly humiliated when a reckless romantic gesture went very wrong. Despite that, his mother held tight to the promise he made her then: that she would have a house full of grandchildren by his thirtieth birthday. Still single, embittered, and swiftly approaching that milestone birthday, there’s not a grandchild in sight. His heart now lies with his land and work is his life. In desperation, his mother decides that if he refuses to venture back into society to find her future daughter-in-law, the only solution is to bring society to him via a weeklong houseparty so that she can find one for him. The first Guy knows about her plan is when her hand-picked gaggle of debutantes arrive at his estate, all competing to be his wife.

After failing miserably as a governess, Lottie Travers isn’t proving to be any better at being a lady’s companion. As the only girl in an all-male household growing up, she’s developed several bad habits she can’t shake and keep getting her dismissed. Even after years of Miss Prentice’s teachings, Lottie still climbs a tree better than she embroiders, and still cannot seem to curb the desire to gallop astride a horse in breeches whenever an opportunity arises. But with the family farm in trouble, and her father now in dire need of her wages to keep it afloat, she’s determined to conquer her wildness once and for all and concentrate on her career.

Even with his home full of eligible women, there is only one that catches Guy’s eye, as much as he tries to deny it. And succeeding in her new role is easier said than done for Lottie when the Wennington Estate is filled with horses and she can’t help but feel a spark around the grumpy Lord. By the end of the week, will the two of them remain stuck in their ways, or will they learn that they may just be the perfect match?]]> 320 Virginia Heath 1250896096 Quenby 0 to-read 4.19 Look Before You Leap (Miss Prentice's Protegees, #2)
author: Virginia Heath
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sibyl in Her Grave (Hilary Tamar, #4)]]> 234318
“Sarah Caudwell is one of my very favorite mystery writers.”—A. J. Finn, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

Julia Larwood’s Aunt Regina needs help. She and two friends pooled their modest resources and invested in equities. Now the tax man demands his due, but they’ve already spent the money. How can they dig themselves out of the tax hole? Even more to the Can the sin of capital gains trigger corporeal loss?

That's a question for the sibyl, psychic counselor Isabella del Comino, who has offended Aunt Regina and her friends by moving into the rectory, plowing under a cherished garden, and establishing an aviary of ravens. When Isabella is found dead, all clues point to death by fiscal misadventure.

So Julia calls in an old friend and Oxford fellow, Professor Hilary Tamar, to follow a money trail that connects Aunt Regina to what appears to be capital fraud—and capital crime. The two women couldn't have a better champion than the erudite Hilary. Once again Sarah Caudwell sweeps us into the scene of the crime, leaving us to ponder the greatest mystery of Hilary themself.

Don’t miss any of Sarah Caudwell’s riveting Hilary Tamar
THUS WAS ADONIS MURDERED •THE SHORTEST WAY TO HADES •THE SIRENS SANG OF MURDER •THE SIBYL IN HER GRAVE]]> 356 Sarah Caudwell 0440234824 Quenby 0 to-read 3.99 2000 The Sibyl in Her Grave (Hilary Tamar, #4)
author: Sarah Caudwell
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mansfield Park 45032 488 Jane Austen Quenby 4 3.86 1814 Mansfield Park
author: Jane Austen
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1814
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Salty Guardian (The Fenestra Inc. Universe Book 1)]]> 207856692 Working for Heaven, but salty as Hell.

Someone up there is messing with you.
And it’s not your guardian angel, because they outsource their responsibilities to humans called Cosmic Signers, and it’s their job to send cosmic signs to their charges to help steer them towards their true calling.
But sometimes human charges come along like Charlie Bailey, who are so thick-skulled and dimwitted that they can’t perceive the signs sent to them, even when they have wished and prayed for them (we are all like Charlie). Sometimes Cosmic Signers like Sam Singleton, get audited over their thick-skulled and dimwitted human charges—punished for their charges inability to follow signs.
A failed audit means a one way ticket to the purifying flames of Purgatory.
Cosmic Signers like Sam resort to desperate measures to avoid such a fate.
People like you and Charlie, are the reason your salty cosmic guardian drinks.
Yes, someone up there is messing with you, but they do it with love. They work for the Department of Cosmic Signs, and they are trying to save both your ass, and their own.

Experience the first novel in the Fenestra Inc. Universe, a setting of magical realism about all the cosmic and supernatural worlds and beings that overlap our own reality. Humorous and thought-provoking, award-winning author Eli Gardner delivers endearing characters and charming, cozy settings. Good for people who want witty, heart-warming, unique and entertaining reads.]]> 199 Eli Gardner Quenby 5 it’s a sign that everything will be okay

It turns out that there are human guardians recruited especially by God to send signs to people who are rolling disasters. It’s a tough job and it makes people salty. They also smoke and drink.

I don’t believe in a big guy upstairs but I do believe in signs. I found this author in a time of despair. It was fun to read and very heartwarming. So there you go!]]> 4.64 The Salty Guardian (The Fenestra Inc. Universe Book 1)
author: Eli Gardner
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.64
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/26
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
review:
it’s a sign that everything will be okay

It turns out that there are human guardians recruited especially by God to send signs to people who are rolling disasters. It’s a tough job and it makes people salty. They also smoke and drink.

I don’t believe in a big guy upstairs but I do believe in signs. I found this author in a time of despair. It was fun to read and very heartwarming. So there you go!
]]> <![CDATA[How to Summon a Fairy Godmother (Fairies and Familiars, #1)]]> 212987707 If a fairy godmother can get one sisterintoa marriage, getting anotheroutof one should beeasy�

Lady Theodosia Balfour has certainly gotten the short end of the stick—her stepsister, the newly crowned Princess Beatrice, is telling everyone in polite society that Theo, her sister, and their motherareevil, wicked, and horrid people who treated her like a slave. Though Theo knows this isn't exactly true, it seems her life is thoroughly ruined by the rumor. With the Balfour family estate on the verge of bankruptcy, Theo's only path forward is a forced betrothal to the Duke of Snowbell, a foul-tempered geezer who wishes only to use her as a brood mare for spare heirs.

Desperate for help, Theo clings to the only thing that might save her: the rumor of a fairy godmother, one that supposedly helped her stepsister secure a prince.After discovering a way to summon a fairy in Beatrice's old room, Theo thinks her prayers have been answered. But the fairy she meets isn't at all what she imagined. Drop-dead gorgeous, incredibly cunning, and slightly devious, Cecily of the Ash Fairies is much more interested in gathering powerful favors and smoking her pipe than providing charitable magic for humans in a bind.

Before she receives magical assistance, Cecilysets Theo tothree tasks, seemingly to prove that Theo is a selfless and kind person. Helping her along the way are Cecily's familiars, the flirty human-turned-mockingbird Phineas and the aloof Kasra, a fox shapeshifterwho should not be as handsome as he is for someone with such cutting remarks. As Theo works on her tasks, she shockinglyfinds kinship with the magical creatures she's helping, and starts to wonder if a continued life among her human peers is what she really wants after all.

From debut author Laura J. Mayo comes a hilarious new spin on the Cinderella tale!]]> 386 Laura J. Mayo 0316580716 Quenby 3
It’s fun to see Theo fight like hell as she struggles to complete 3 tasks set by the fairy. It’s fortunate that Theo is so suspicious because everyone lies. She’s extremely good at set downs.

My only real problem with the story is that it was so contradictory. Theo is assigned tasks to teach her to be a good person. Being good isn’t so straightforward as one would expect. That was reasonable, but at the end I couldn’t make out what the point was other than being ruthless with occasional thoughtfulness. It’s well written and I’m interested to see where the author goes with this.]]> 4.23 2024 How to Summon a Fairy Godmother (Fairies and Familiars, #1)
author: Laura J. Mayo
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves:
review:
Great premise. It turns out that fairy godmothers are really just fairies. The significance of that is that nothing is free. So Theo, the much unloved second stepsister is being forced to marry a horrible old duke. In desperation, she finds a spell for calling a fairy godmother, the one that her sister Beatrice apparently used for a Cinderella experience.

It’s fun to see Theo fight like hell as she struggles to complete 3 tasks set by the fairy. It’s fortunate that Theo is so suspicious because everyone lies. She’s extremely good at set downs.

My only real problem with the story is that it was so contradictory. Theo is assigned tasks to teach her to be a good person. Being good isn’t so straightforward as one would expect. That was reasonable, but at the end I couldn’t make out what the point was other than being ruthless with occasional thoughtfulness. It’s well written and I’m interested to see where the author goes with this.
]]> <![CDATA[1,000 Nights : Death's Love Letter to Afghanistan]]> 60670525 "This novel deserves the praise that Hosseini’s gets, if not more. It is THAT good." -Sarah Asermily, authorWinner of 2022 American Fiction Awards-- Visionary Fiction CategoryWinner of an Honorable Mention at the L.A. Book FestivalMeet Death, and the girl who makes a deal with her.Half war story, half fairytale, 1000 Nights follows Afghan-American translator Sergeant Zee West as she conducts patrols in Afghanistan. An IED blast separates her from her unit, and she is taken hostage by a man with plans to ransom her to the Taliban for a small fortune. Her desperate journey begins as she attempts to humanize herself to her captor and dissuade him from his agenda. She begins to tell him a story she has penned about a girl who makes a deal with Death and must accomplish 5 seemingly impossible tasks, battling dark genies along the way. Each task represents a sense that binds one to life-- touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste. Yet, every night, Zee intentionally shares only 1 chapter, leaving her captor curious for more, delaying her fate one night at a time.In this homage to �1001 Nights� (Arabian Nights), Zee is at the mercy of her own story, and the willingness of her captor to open his heart to her words. It is based loosely on things seen by the author in her own 1000 night stay in Afghanistan. It was written to show the world the beautiful and often overlooked side to that country and her people.25% of book sales donated to a rotating list of non-profits]]> 246 Eli Gardner Quenby 0 to-read 4.64 1,000 Nights : Death's Love Letter to Afghanistan
author: Eli Gardner
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.64
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tough Guide to Fantasyland]]> 47510
Imagine that all fantasy novels—the ones featuring dragons, knights, wizards, and magic—are set in the same place. That place is called Fantasyland. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland is your travel guide, a handbook to everything you might Evil, the Dark Lord, Stew, Boots (but not Socks), and what passes for Economics and Ecology. Both a hilarious send-up of the cliches of the genre and an indispensable guide for writers, The Tough Guide to Fantasyland has been nearly impossible to find for years. Now this cult classic is back, and readers can experience Diana Wynne Jones at her very incisive, funny, and wildly imaginative. This is the definitive edition of The Tough Guide, featuring a new map, an entirely new design, and additional material written for it by Diana Wynne Jones. World Fantasy Award Finalist A Hugo Award Finalist (Nonfiction)]]> 234 Diana Wynne Jones 0142407224 Quenby 5 3.94 1996 The Tough Guide to Fantasyland
author: Diana Wynne Jones
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)]]> 208841368 Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic-and Emily's knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
]]> 368 Heather Fawcett 0356519198 Quenby 0 to-read 4.14 2025 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Marin's Promise (Borderland Ladies, #1)]]> 44173536 Lady Marin Barrington, eldest of the Earl of Werrick's five daughters, is a born protector. Not only has she taken on the role of mistress of the castle and caregiver to her sisters upon their mother's death, she also acts in her father’s stead while he is serving the king abroad. Dedicated and resolute, failure is never an option for her. So, when a reiver forces his way into the castle, Marin won’t surrender easily and takes it upon herself to kill the usurper. Except plans go awry when passions are awoken and matters get complicated.

A MAN WHO MUST SUCCEED NO MATTER THE COST...
Bran Douglas's sister is going to be hanged, unless he agrees to take Werrick Castle. Ever a pawn in a rich man's game, Bran has no choice but to force his way into Werrick on behalf of the Scottish Middle March Warden. He quickly discovers getting into the castle is the easy part. Dealing with its mistress, however, will take every ounce of cunning and determination he can muster, especially when she turns his blood to fire.

A PROMISE THAT CHANGES IT ALL...
In a game where desperation and love dictate the lives of many, a simple promise can change the tide of favor and open the door to pleasure and danger alike.]]> 326 Madeline Martin Quenby 0 to-read 4.24 2019 Marin's Promise (Borderland Ladies, #1)
author: Madeline Martin
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Francine and the Winter's Gift]]> 48755744 Francine is a ‘heroine you will never forget�.

At only twenty, Francine has been working for ten years. From the meanest streets that Victorian London possessed, she travelled Europe learning how to survive and even prosper.

Now back in London, in the new Edwardian era, she runs an agency saving young ladies from false suitors. With the help of her friends, ex-governess Miss Philpott, her footman fiancé Gilbert, and the feisty, tiny, ex-kitchen maid Tilly, Francine changes all the lives she touches. In an age where all power and money exists in the hands of men, Francine has refused to accept this for herself and her friends, and leads the path to a more independent life. It is, she says, mainly a change in thinking.
One man, government minister Sir Hugo Portas comes to Francine's office in a fury. She deals with him with her customary aplomb, but might she be brought to accept his help when an old enemy threatens her business and her even her life?
Sir Hugo, for his part, is plummeted into a household where the maid is as important as the mistress, Music Hall stars rub shoulders with 'little people' and he is treated with more contempt than respect. It is not what he is used to. But there is something so fascinating about Francine Lestrange�

What readers say:

“How is it possible that a character from 1900 has helped me plan my own life?�
“I loved Francine, absolutely adored her…�
“I have done nothing but think about her since I read this a couple of days ago�
“Julie Klassen fans will love her…�
“This was so unique…�
“Please let this spirited woman live on. You are a great storyteller…�
“It is amazing that so much can be said about a woman's power and self-sufficiency…�
“This needs to be the start of a series. Get busy, Alicia Cameron! I want to see Francine helping lots of women using her courage, compassion, planning and ingenuity!�
“Sassy, clever plotting and believable characters a great fun read.�
“I am totally in love with Francine…�

]]> 88 Alicia Cameron Quenby 5 4.32 Francine and the Winter's Gift
author: Alicia Cameron
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:
This is the second book featuring Francine Lestrange, a self invented woman in Edwardian London. Again, Francine continues gallantly to make a life for herself by helping others. Born in the slums, Francine encountered a dying academic who taught her to read and speak. From there, she continued to acquire social and language skills that gave her the ability to seize opportunities. Is it easy? No. Is it dangerous to be an independent woman in a controlling society? Definitely. In fact, Francine keeps a sachet of poison in her reticule just in case. Nerves of steel at the tender age of 20. Now she faces another big challenge: love with a fascinating and powerful man nearly twice her age. Others might view his very serious interest as a godsend for he offers to marry her. But she knows from personal experience how easy any life can be destroyed. Warm, charming and thought provoking.
]]> Black Girl Power 208433144
Black girl power is�

Bringing your favorite stuffed animal to your first real sleepover. . .
Escaping an eerie dollhouse that’s got you trapped inside. . .
Making new friends one magical baked good at a time. . .
Finding the courage to dance to the beat of your own drum. . .

And more! From 15 legendary Black women authors comes a dazzling collection of stories and poems about the power we find in the everyday and the beauty of Black girlhood.

Contributors include: Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Dhonielle Clayton, Natasha Diaz, Sharon M. Draper, Sharon Flake, Leah Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Janae Marks, Tolá Okogwu, Karen Strong, Renée Watson, and Ibi Zoboi]]> 320 Leah Johnson 1368098967 Quenby 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Black Girl Power
author: Leah Johnson
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Francine and the Art of Transformation]]> 42872163 'A character that will inspire you., and that you will NEVER forget'
In 1900s London, Francine is a ladies' maid, cast off without a character. But she is anything but a victim. Francine has a mission, to help other women survive their prescribed fates, and when she meets another cast-off, poor starving governess Miss Philpott, she transforms her into an independent woman. If she finds romance, so much the better...
]]> 85 Alicia Cameron Quenby 5 comfort-reads 4.34 Francine and the Art of Transformation
author: Alicia Cameron
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.34
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: comfort-reads
review:
A wonderful story of a woman in Edwardian London taking control of her life and helping others to do the same. We do not need to accept the status quo!
]]> <![CDATA[The Shortest Way to Hades (Hilary Tamar, #2)]]> 234319
Die first, pay later.

It seemed the perfect way to avoid three million in taxes on a five-million-pound change the trust arrangement. Everyone in the family agreed to support the heiress, the ravishing raven-haired Camilla Galloway, in her court petition—except dreary Cousin Deirdre, who suddenly demanded a small fortune for her signature.

Then Deirdre had a terrible accident. That was when the young London barristers handling the trust—Cantrip, Selena, Timothy, Ragwort, and Julia—summoned their Oxford friend Professor Hilary Tamar to Lincoln’s Inn. Julia thinks it’s murder. Hilary demurs. Why didn’t the heiress die? But when the accidents escalate and they learn of the naked lunch at Uncle Rupert’s, Hilary the Scholar embarks on the most perilous quest of the truth.]]> 314 Sarah Caudwell 0440212332 Quenby 0 to-read 3.97 1984 The Shortest Way to Hades (Hilary Tamar, #2)
author: Sarah Caudwell
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1984
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sirens Sang of Murder (Hilary Tamar, #3)]]> 972116 277 Sarah Caudwell 0440207452 Quenby 0 to-read 3.96 1989 The Sirens Sang of Murder (Hilary Tamar, #3)
author: Sarah Caudwell
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[By His Grace and Favor (Lord Dere’s Dependents #1)]]> 214250842
Tutor Gerard Weatherill faces struggles of his own. Determined to shoulder his way into respectable society, he cannot let anyone draw too close, lest his own secrets be discovered. And clearly the person he must avoid above all others is the observant Miss Barstow. Observant, mischievous, marvelous Miss Barstow. But if he keeps her at arm’s length, will he lose something worth far more than his sterling reputation?

˥♥�By His Grace and Favor is a clean and wholesome traditional Regency romance, first in the Lord Dere’s Dependents series. Each book can be read as a standalone or in order.]]> 331 Christina Dudley Quenby 0 4.27 By His Grace and Favor (Lord Dere’s Dependents #1)
author: Christina Dudley
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves:
review:
DNF. I have no patience for idiots.
]]> <![CDATA[A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (The Lord Julian Mysteries #6)]]> 212973234 He's cheated death...

Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned by his estranged mother to search for old love letters she has misplaced. Julian soon realizes the letters along with other items of sentimental value have been stolen. The thief is preying on wealthy women, purloining mementos both dear and scandalous. If the missing items become public, many reputations will be ruined, including the duchess's.

...but dishonor might yet defeat him.

Julian embarks on the investigation despite having no clues, too many suspects, and his distant and difficult mama at the center of the whole intrigue. In the midst of these frustrations, Julian's ducal brother takes ship for France, adding more duties to his lordship's already full plate. Before Julian can bring the culprit behind the thefts to justice, he must first come to terms with old betrayals that could yield new and deadly fruit.]]> 288 Grace Burrowes 196229112X Quenby 5 4.47 2024 A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (The Lord Julian Mysteries #6)
author: Grace Burrowes
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves:
review:
Is there anything more life affirming than a Grace Burrowes book? This has a great plot and I really liked how the romance played this time even though it’s still on hold. What a gift.
]]> <![CDATA[Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of it]]> 58468792 "I am the fiery life of divine substance, I blaze above the beauty of the fields, I shine in the waters, I burn in sun, moon and stars" - Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - 1179)

The middle ages are seen as a bloodthirsty time of Vikings, saints and kings: a patriarchal society which oppressed and excluded women. But when we dig a little deeper into the truth, we can see that the 'dark' ages were anything but.

Oxford and BBC historian Janina Ramirez has uncovered countless influential women's names struck out of historical records, with the word FEMINA annotated beside them. As gatekeepers of the past ordered books to be burnt, artworks to be destroyed, and new versions of myths, legends and historical documents to be produced, our view of history has been manipulated.

Only now, through a careful examination of the artefacts, writings and possessions they left behind, are the influential and multifaceted lives of women emerging. Femina goes beyond the official records to uncover the true impact of women like Jadwiga, the only female King in Europe, Margery Kempe, who exploited her image and story to ensure her notoriety, and the Loftus Princess, whose existence gives us clues about the beginnings of Christianity in England. See the medieval world with fresh eyes and discover why these remarkable women were removed from our collective memories.]]> 464 Janina Ramírez 0753558254 Quenby 0 to-read 4.06 2022 Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of it
author: Janina Ramírez
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Lark's Release: A Regency Cozy (Verity Lark Mysteries Book 4)]]> 215151617
And then of course there are the shooting lessons she has promised to give to the Duchess of Kesgrave. Verity has spent three months cruelly mocking the former spinster for her investigative pretensions, and now she is obligated to teach the woman how to fire a deadly weapon.

It is madness!

Thank goodness she stumbles onto a forged antiquities ring when she visits the British Museum with Hardwicke. Finally—something benign to focus her brain on.

Alas, when a murderer strikes close to home, threatening every member of her household, Verity realizes just how grossly she misunderstood the situation. Far from harmless, the counterfeit scheme is in deadly earnest, and now she must figure out the identity of a ruthless enemy who doesn’t care whom he hurts in his quest to eliminate her.

Welcome to the fourth installment of the Verity Lark Mysteries, where secrets run deep, and every move could be her last.

]]> 351 Lynn Messina 1942218958 Quenby 0 to-read 4.55 A Lark's Release: A Regency Cozy (Verity Lark Mysteries Book 4)
author: Lynn Messina
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.55
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens]]> 152034931 A rollicking historyof England's earliest kings and queens, a story ofnarcissists, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars,and more, fromaward-winning British actor and comedian David Mitchell

Think you know the kings and queens of England? Think again.

In Unruly , David Mitchell explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects� destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear to us today in their portraits.

Taking us right back to King Arthur ( he didn’t exist), Mitchell tells the founding story of post-Roman England right up to the reign of Elizabeth I ( she dies), as the monarchy began to lose its power. It’s a tale of bizarre and curious ascensions, inadequate self-control, and at least one total Cnut, as the English evolved from having their crops stolen by the thug with the largest armed gang to bowing and paying taxes to a divinely anointed King.

How this happened, who it happened to, and why the hell it matters are all questions Mitchell answers with brilliance, wit, and the full erudition of a man who once studied history—and is damned if he’ll let it off the hook for the mess it’s made of everything.

A funny book that takes history seriously, Unruly is for anyone who has ever wondered how the monarchy came to be—and who is to blame.]]> 433 David Mitchell 0593728491 Quenby 4 history 4.13 2023 Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens
author: David Mitchell
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: history
review:
A fun, irreverent take on a large swath of English royal history. I got lost during the war of the Roses, just too many names and complex connections. I’m pretty sure I learned something. It is interesting to look at this record of government ups and downs and to contemplate the impacts. We see patches of land move back and forth between various kings. It’s clear that the objective was always power in the way that billionaires jockey to be number one. The people were never the objective, merely an audience desperately hoping not to get caught in the crossfire. The author makes the story entertaining but it’s still a bit grim.
]]> <![CDATA[The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door]]> 207567816 From the author of The Magician's Daughter comes The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, a mythic, magical tale full of secret scholarship, faerie curses, and the deadliest spells of all—the ones that friends cast on each other.

All they needed to break the world was a door, and someone to open it.

Camford, 1920. Gilded and glittering, England's secret magical academy is no place for Clover, a commoner with neither connections nor magical blood. She tells herself she has fought her way there only to find a cure for her brother Matthew, one of the few survivors of a faerie attack on the battlefields of WWI which left the doors to faerie country sealed, the study of its magic banned, and its victims cursed.

But when Clover catches the eye of golden boy Alden Lennox-Fontaine and his friends, doors that were previously closed to her are flung wide open, and she soon finds herself enmeshed in the seductive world of the country's magical aristocrats. The summer she spends in Alden’s orbit leaves a fateful mark: months of joyous friendship and mutual study come crashing down when experiments go awry, and old secrets are unearthed.

Years later, when the faerie seals break, Clover knows it’s because of what they did. And she knows that she must seek the help of people she once called friends—and now doesn’t quite know what to call—if there’s any hope of saving the world as they know it.]]> 464 H.G. Parry 0316383902 Quenby 0 to-read 4.16 2024 The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door
author: H.G. Parry
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Love Letters From a Duke (Bachelor Chronicles, #3)]]> 551507

By rights, Thatcher should immediately set this presumptuous chit straight and tell her he has no intention of following through with a betrothal his grandfather—the previous duke—arranged. But he’s quickly smitten by Felicity’s delightful determination, her irrepressible charm…and her breathtaking beauty. Yes, she’d wed him in an instant were his true identity revealed—but Thatcher’s vowed to marry only for love. So begins his deception and his conquest of this uncommon woman who doesn’t believe in romance, but is about to find her heart and passions set aflame by the unlikely servant she’s sworn to resist.

]]> 353 Elizabeth Boyle 0060784032 Quenby 5 3.96 2007 Love Letters From a Duke (Bachelor Chronicles, #3)
author: Elizabeth Boyle
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves:
review:
Completely over the top plot rescued by remarkable characters and the ability to surprise all the way to the end. Plus it’s just endearing.
]]> <![CDATA[Petteril's Christmas (Lord Petteril Mysteries #7)]]> 220145422 A merry Christmas for the Petterils?

Piers wants to make their first Christmas together special, and so it proves to be - just not quite in the way he planned.

His eccentric Great Aunt Prudence summons him to London with the news that she is dying and that one of her servants is stealing from her. Only one of these claims turns out to be true, though both require investigating.

Inevitably, Lord and Lady Petteril’s presence in Town does not remain a secret for long, and April faces the humiliating discourtesy of those who despise her. Worse, a figure from her past rears his ugly head and brings back memories she would rather keep buried. When he is murdered, the past has to be faced before the future � and Great Aunt Prudence’s notorious Christmas pudding � can be enjoyed.
]]> 162 Mary Lancaster 1910245372 Quenby 0 to-read 4.61 2024 Petteril's Christmas (Lord Petteril Mysteries #7)
author: Mary Lancaster
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Notorious (Corrupting The Innocent #1)]]> 198234960 Some Men Make A Habit Of Ruining Reputations
Rumours abound about the rakish Viscount Rochford, a man who’s left a trail of wailing hearts in his wake. With a reputation for jilting society women, the ton can scarcely believe he is ready to settle down and wed.
Neither can Miss Penelope Stratton. With her enviable looks and sizable dowry, this shy country girl finds herself with an impressive list of suitors. Yet against all her better judgement, she is drawn to the one man least suited to matrimony; a notorious man with a scandalous past.
She wants to believe the Viscount is ready for redemption, but how little she knows about his past or the lengths he’s been to, in order to protect his legacy.
Will she choose an offer of security and respectability, or risk everything on a man she cannot trust? Is it her money he’s after or a carnal desire that drives him? If she offers her heart on a platter... it is surely bound for the knife.

What to Expect
“A sparkling new take on the age old trope of the virgin and the rake reformed by love. Designed for those who love steamy Regency Romance or Victorian with a bit of love triangle thrown in.
Penelope is a believable heroine for the period; bright and principled but still young and inexperienced. Rochford is the kind of rake we love to hate. Cocksure and self-centred in the beginning; he has no doubt about his ability to win the heart and take the innocence of the sweet, young debutante. He never expects to lose his heart as well.
Notorious is an impressive first historical romance novel from a talented new English author; full of witty banter, a fabulous twist, and just the right amount of spice.�

From The Author
Reader My heroes are not white knights. They all have a dark energy about them� all the better to watch them come around ;)]]> 212 Katherine Harlow Quenby 3 3.96 Notorious (Corrupting The Innocent #1)
author: Katherine Harlow
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/11
date added: 2024/10/11
shelves:
review:

]]> Beartown (Beartown, #1) 33413128
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.]]> 432 Fredrik Backman Quenby 5 4.27 2016 Beartown (Beartown, #1)
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves:
review:

]]> How Not to Chaperon a Lady 57534336 His childhood nemesis�

…is the woman he can’t resist!

Chaperoning Charity Brookes while she’s on a singing tour should be easy for Griffith Philpot—he’s spent his whole life sparring with her over her flighty ways! But as he discovers that she’s much more than the impetuous girl he thought he knew, a passion ignites between them� Sharing a steamy kiss leaves him torn—he’s supposed to be responsible for guarding her virtue!

From Harlequin Historical:Your romantic escape to the past.

The Talk of the Beau Monde

Book 1: The Viscount's Unconventional Lady
Book 2: The Marquess Next Door
Book 3: How Not to Chaperon a Lady]]> 211 Virginia Heath 036971122X Quenby 2
Merged review:

DNF.]]> 4.05 How Not to Chaperon a Lady
author: Virginia Heath
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/05/03
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
DNF.

Merged review:

DNF.
]]> <![CDATA[The Lady Knows Best (Goode's Guide to Misconduct, #1)]]> 62925798 In her print debut, award-winning author Susanna Craig launches a new Regency historical romance series, based around the daring ladies� magazine, Mrs. Goode’s Magazine for Misses, Being a Guide to Improve Conduct and Promote Wisdom among Young Persons of the Fair Sex—also known as Goode’s Guide to Misconduct—and the witty, clever, often rebellious heroines behind it, including a controversial new advice columnist. A modern twist on the genre, will appeal to fans of Ella Quinn, Sabrina Jeffries, and those who love faster-paced, innovative historical romance featuring strong women.

Serving as the advice columnist, ‘Miss Busy B.�, for an often-subversive ladies� magazine is the perfect outlet for Daphne Burke’s outspoken nature. But when she advises a young lady of the ton, to break off her engagement to a notorious rake, the consequences take Daphne beyond the page and into her real life.

Miles, Viscount Deveraux, sometimes known as ‘that devil Deveraux�, needs a respectable bride by the end of the Season, and he’s bet a fortune that he can get one. Now, his fiancée has not only changed her mind—but done it publicly, in a letter to London’s most infamous magazine. With the stakes high and time short, it seems reasonable to him that the columnist responsible should come to his rescue and marry him instead.

Fortunately for Miles, Daphne is eager to escape the pressures of the London marriage mart. She agrees to a courtship. But at the end of two weeks, she intends to turn him down in a big, splashy, scandal that will ruin her reputation and set her free. There’s just one shocking wrinkle: Who knew being ruined by a rake could be so much fun?

]]> 384 Susanna Craig 142015480X Quenby 4 3.93 2023 The Lady Knows Best (Goode's Guide to Misconduct, #1)
author: Susanna Craig
name: Quenby
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars. Better than expected considering the outrageous plot line. A young lady writes an advice column and suffers the consequences. She becomes engaged to a rake (shudder) through blackmail. What could go wrong? Nevertheless, it’s a lovely and very enjoyable romance.
]]> <![CDATA[Fledglings (The Phoenix Feather #1)]]> 58866060 This four-volume feel-good pandemic project has earned praise from lovers of The Goblin EmperorIn the grand tradition of martial arts fantasies, The Phoenix Feather begins twenty-five yearsafter a pair of lovers ran for their lives from an angry prince and washed up on an island where they adopted new identities—and found themselves blessed by an omen promising great things, a single golden phoenix feather.Their eldest child, a natural martial artist like his father, seems destined for those great things. The second son, an artist and a dreamer, has no desire for greatness—he wants to be left alone to paint. And the youngest, a daughter, used to wearing her brothers� castoffs and trotting at their heels, is the least promising, always scamping her studies in favor of sword lessons and play.All three vowed to keep their parents� dangerous secret. But in this first volume, Fledglings, the family learns that sometimes children must follow their own paths . .]]> 324 Sherwood Smith 1611389704 Quenby 4
Merged review:

Very similar in style to Tribute. I love the way she tells a story.]]> 4.42 Fledglings (The Phoenix Feather #1)
author: Sherwood Smith
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/31
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:
Very similar in style to Tribute. I love the way she tells a story.

Merged review:

Very similar in style to Tribute. I love the way she tells a story.
]]> <![CDATA[The Dead Betray None (Viscount Ware Mystery #1)]]> 61738110
1811 England seethes with discontent. A self-indulgent prince regent sits on the throne of a country at war with France, on the brink of war with America, and facing growing rebellion at home.

Lucien, Viscount Ware, recently home after four years on the Continent as a spy for England, finds life in the haute ton tedious. He secretly agrees to handle a few delicate matters for the Crown's private spy unit at Whitehall. A housebreaking at a country houseparty seems a strange assignment until he discovers that a French cipher, the key to Napoleon's war codes, was among the stolen items. As he follows its trail to London's notorious rookeries and into its glittering ballrooms, he faces a growing threat of treachery from more than one direction.
Lady Anne Ashburn missed her London season while caring for her invalid mother in the north country. A new nurse allows her to visit relatives, where she becomes embroiled in a blackmail plot. To avoid a terrible scandal, she goes to London to face down the scoundrel threatening her family.

The night of the elegant Christmastide Ball, Lucien finds Lady Anne standing over a corpse. What happens after that—the risks they take, the intrusion of a notorious crime lord, society gossip, and good intentions gone awry—sends them spiraling into danger and potential disaster for England’s war effort.

An ever twisting plot sure to keep you turning the pages.]]> 302 J.L. Buck 1942078919 Quenby 4 4.50 2022 The Dead Betray None (Viscount Ware Mystery #1)
author: J.L. Buck
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/26
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:

]]> The Lady's Last Mistake 206343832 The Lady’s Last Mistake is a standalone companion novel to the Bow Street Duchess Mystery series, where Cassie Sinclair and Grant Thornton first meet. The Lady’s Last Mistake can be enjoyed on its own, however reading the series first is highly recommended. The Bow Street Duchess Mystery series is now complete and available on Kindle Unlimited for binge reading!]]> 360 Cara Devlin Quenby 0 4.44 The Lady's Last Mistake
author: Cara Devlin
name: Quenby
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves:
review:
DNF. I always love characters who care for others and do what they can to help. So, I enjoyed time spent with Cassie and Grant. Up to a point. After cruising through the first half of the book, I really got frustrated with Cassie. Yes, she’s only 23 but seriously she apparently has no imagination. Every setback is a complete surprise, and every piece of advice is ignored without thought. It’s one thing to be determined and brave, and it’s something else to be foolhardy. She is completely caught up in her own drama with little apparent ability to understand others. Oh! I didn’t think of that! But she never takes the time to think or evaluate. But when she starts getting happy about her ability to drive Grant up a wall, that was it for me. I don’t find that behavior to be attractive in the least. I completely lost interest in her.
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