sophronisba's reviews
2469 reviews

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo

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adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

I remember reading about the Crafts when I was in elementary or middle school and I'd always been curious about their story so the first half of this book was a real treat and I was genuinely riveted by the story of their escape. Once they were finally safe, however, I found that the book dragged just a bit. But it's very much worth your time, both for the epic tale of their journey to freedom and for the horrifyingly cold-blooded approach that so many people took to the Fugitive Slave Act.
Four Squares by Bobby Finger

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There are things here I could quibble with -- an email that is nearly as long and implausible as Darcy's letter in Pride & Prejudice, a surprise encounter with the past that's a bitt too coincidental -- but never mind all that. I really loved this book and the characters in it.
The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of History at Hampton Court by Gareth Russell

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informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

Hampton Court Palace has seen some things. Think of this book as a whirlwind tour of the history of the British monarchy, with stops at some of the most interesting moments -- Catherine Howard in disgrace, Charles I coming to terms with the disastrous end of his reign, George II striking George III. It may seem like review if you've read a lot about this history, but Russell is an engaging writer (check out his bio of Catherine Howard) and I found a lot to hold my attention.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

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emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm not sure I'm going to remember this book six months from now and I'm not sold on the plausibility of the ending but on the other hand every single time I put this book down it was with great reluctance and I could not wait to get back to it, and I stayed up late to finish it. It was pretty gripping in the moment, is what I'm saying, even if I am skeptical of its staying power. 
A Life of One's Own: Nine Women Writers Begin Again by Joanna Biggs

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

Precis of the lives of nine women writers (including the author herself). It may feel familiar if you've done much reading about these particular authors, which is perhaps why I enjoyed the Toni Morrison chapter most of all.
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Raybourn takes some big swings with the resolution of the mystery and although I can't call it plausible, exactly, the resolution does feel earned. Do I think Veronica Speedwell is a touch too reminiscent of Elizabeth Peters's famous protagonist Amelia Peabody? Yes, but she does begin to feel more distinct as the book goes on, and I enjoyed her company anyway.
The Tigress of Forlì: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici by Elizabeth Lev

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adventurous dark informative fast-paced

3.5

This is an interesting book but I wish the author had taken more time situating Caterina in the context of women's lives in Renaissance Italy. Instead this is mostly focused on her eventful life, which is fine and interesting but leaves the reader asking, "Yes, but what of it?" (The epilogue in which her grandson is revealed to be the first grand duke of Tuscany is an attempt to remedy this but doesn't really work.)
Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend

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dark informative slow-paced

3.5

This is pitched as a "new history" but what it boils down to is the now-familiar account of Europeans exploiting and destroying an indigenous people. What I really wanted to read was an account of Aztec culture as they would have described and experienced it; in other words, I was hoping for a social history, not a political/military one.
George I by Ragnhild Hatton

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informative medium-paced

4.0

I think this is the only full-length biography of George I, so my expectations for a life full of incident were low, but Hatton does a good job of making his subject seem interesting and real as well as explaining the impacts of his reign. The writing doesn't exactly sing but it's reasonably accessible and very informative.
The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade

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emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This won the First Novel prize in 2021 and you can definitely see why. It's very engaging, filled with rootable (even if frustrating) characters. The characters have real problems and there are a couple of heart-stopping moments -- even if you realize that nothing _truly_ terrible is going to happen because it isn't really that kind of book. The ending is redemptive but still clear-eyed and realistic  (with the possible exception of one character introduced near the end, who accommodates herself a little too quickly to a surprise twist in her own life).