Bookreview: Forget Russia

Forget Russia 

written by L.Bordetsky-Williams 

"A fascinating Story"

"Your problem is you have a Russian soul," Anna's mother tells her. In 1980, Anna is a naïve UConn senior studying abroad in Moscow at the height of the Cold War-and a second-generation Russian Jew raised on a calamitous family history of abandonment, Czarist-era pogroms, and Soviet-style terror. As Anna dodges date rapists, KGB agents, and smooth-talking black marketeers while navigating an alien culture for the first time, she must come to terms with the aspects of the past that haunt her own life. With its intricate insight into the everyday rhythms of an almost forgotten way of life in Brezhnev's Soviet Union, Forget Russia is a disquieting multi-generational epic about coming of age, forgotten history, and the loss of innocence in all of its forms.

Review

Russia and its history always have fascinated me very much. That's why
I really wanted to read this novel. 

'Forget Russia' is written very fluently and has strong characters. It is nice to 
feel their emotions and the story - 

about how choices from the past have influences on your present -  

it will touch you very strongly! The book is written with lots of dialogues
that's why I give it a 4.5 rating on 5.

If you like stories about Russia and its history, don't hesitate to buy this book,
it's certainly worth to read. 

The Author

L. Bordetsky-Williams (aka Lisa Williams) grew up in New York City. She is also the author
of The Artist as Outsider in the Novels of Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolf
(Greenwood Press, 2000) and has been inspired by both of these towering authors. 

In 2005, she published a book of creative nonfiction, Letters to
Virginia Woolf (Hamilton Books). 

She is also a poet and has published three poetry chapbooks: 

Sky Studies (Finishing Line Press), 

The Eighth Phrase (Porkbelly Press), 

and In the Early Morning Calling (Finishing Line Press). 

She is a Professor of English and Literary Studies at  Ramapo College of New Jersey. 

She also has a site, check this link. 

BookSirens

I received an advanced copy for free by BookSirens and I'm leaving this
review voluntarily. So, thank you very much for giving me this
splendid opportunity. 

Source picture: Book Cover 

Bookreview: All Things Georgian

All Things Georgian 

written by Joanne Major and Sarah Murden

Summary

Take a romp through the long eighteenth-century in this collection of 25 short tales.

Marvel at the Queen’s Ass, gaze at the celestial heavens through the eyes of the past and be amazed by the equestrian feats of the Norwich Nymph. Journey to the debauched French court at Versailles, travel to Covent Garden and take your seat in a box at the theater and, afterwards, join the mile-high club in a new-fangled hot air balloon.

Meet actresses, whores and high-born ladies, politicians, inventors, royalty and criminals as we travel through the Georgian era in all its glorious and gruesome glory.

In roughly chronological order, covering the reign of the four Georges, 1714-1730 and set within the framework of the main events of the era, these tales are accompanied by over 100 stunning color illustrations.

Review

On Twitter, I already follow Joanne Major and Sarah Murden for years.
They are the creators of the wonderful blog: AllThingsGeorgian,
 which you can check on this link. 

I was very willing to read "All Things Georgian" and luckily the book was available
as eBook on the Kobo reader. 

As a royal history lover, I really enjoyed the book very much. It was written very
 fluently in clear chapters and chronological as well (which is important for me).

There were stories about known and less-known people. I also liked the old pictures
in the book from inter alia London. 

So, don't hesitate to buy and to read this excellent book! I give it a 5 star rating
because due to interesting people and subjects, the layout of the book and their

fantastic writing style. 

The Authors

Joanne Major and Sarah Murden are two genealogists and great historians.
You can read more of them on their blog (which is mentioned before). 

source picture: Book cover 

Bookreview: Spain: A history

Spain: A History

Written by Malveena McKendrick

An excellent history book of Spain

Summary

Out of the division and strife of the Middle Ages, Spain emerged from behind the massive Pyrenees to straddle the stage of European politics like some new colossus. Discoverer of a New World, it became the greatest power on earth and created a Golden Age of culture quite breathtaking in the quality of its achievement. Within 150 years, Spain was in a state of decay and fast being left behind by more progressive European nations.

Here, from award-winning historian Malveena McKendrick, is the dramatic story of the rise and fall of the Spanish empire

Review

Every year, I like to travel to Spain. This country has lots of sunshine, food, drinks and history as well. Unfortunately in 2020, we will not travel to this wonderful country. So, I decided to read a book about the Spanish history. I was happy that I made this splendid decision. Reading books about beautiful destinations is almost as good as traveling in my mind.

The writing style is nice and clear. It also is written very chronological which I really like in history books. The facts and the most important events are told in a pleasant way. 

Even though I know already much about the history of Spain, I still learned many things from this book: "Spain: A History". 

The Author

Malveena McKendrick is an amazing author and historian as well. She also wrote a book about Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. 

Conclusion

If you want to read more about the history of Spain, don't hesitate to buy this book or to read it on Kobo as I did. I give it a 5 star rating! 

1st. Picture: Book Cover 

2nd. Picture: taken in 2018 in the hinterland of the Costa Blanca in Spain