The Indigo Girl is historical fiction based on real life agriculturist, Eliza Lucas, who figured out how to grow and extract dye from indigo plants on her plantation in South Carolina, which eventually brought great wealth to the territory. It’s an intriguing story and an interesting read. Continue reading
Book Review: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Around the World in Eighty Days is Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale. I was thoroughly entertained as I read about Phileas Fogg and his servant, Passepartout, attempting to win a high stakes bet. Continue reading
Book Review: Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen
Harry’s Trees is a treasure of a novel about overcoming grief and figuring out how to keep moving forward. It’s so good I’ve added it to my top 10 favorite books list (which exists only in my head). Continue reading
Book Review: Beach Read by Emily Henry
Beach Read is a smart romance that would, indeed, be a great book to read during your summer vacation. Continue reading
Book Review: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Cutting for Stone is an elegantly written novel that is both a family epic and a tribute to the art of medicine and surgery. Continue reading
Book Review: The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
The Only Woman in the Room is an historical fiction novel about the legendary actress, Hedy Lamarr, who was much more than a beautiful face – she also invented a torpedo guidance system. Lamarr’s story is fascinating, but I’m not quite sure this novel did it complete justice. Continue reading
Book Review: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Infidel is Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s 2006 memoir and tells of her remarkable journey from impoverished Somalia to the Dutch parliament. It’s also about her intellectual and spiritual journey, as her mind was broadened by Western ideas and she began to question the Muslim faith that is so deeply ingrained in Somali culture. Continue reading
Book Review: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
In The Good Lord Bird, we get an inside (although fictional) view of abolitionist John Brown’s violent crusade against slavery in the Kansas Territory and subsequent raid on Harper’s Ferry in the years leading up to the American Civil War. It’s told from the perspective of Henry, who was a ten-year-old slave when he was liberated by Brown and then rode with his “army” for four years, including to Harper’s Ferry. Continue reading
Book Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the story of Addie, who has lived 300 years because she sold her soul to the devil in exchange for freedom and more time. An unexpected part of the deal is that no one, not even her parents, remember Addie, leaving her to grapple with the curse of not being able to leave her mark on the world. Continue reading
15 Novels Set During the American Civil War
Novels set during the American Civil War can be educational as well haunting and tragic. It’s a compelling mix of qualities that, in the right authors’ hands, can produce satisfying stories that are hard forget. Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 