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Welcome to Hasty Book List, where I document and review the books I read. Hope you have a nice stay!
Welcome to Hasty Book List, where I document and review the books I read. Hope you have a nice stay!
All in Historical Fiction
After reading The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis, I requested an early copy of her upcoming novel, The Address which is scheduled for release on August 1, 2017. There were a lot of parallels between The Dollhouse and The Address, they both:
If you're a frequent reader of Hasty Book List, you've probably figured out by now that my favorite genre is historical fiction. But perhaps you didn't know that I have a PhD in Fashion History and I wrote my dissertation on WWII war brides. So I'm particularly fond of WWII novels, and this one did not disappoint!
Bootleggers - love triangles - haunted buildings - New York City. The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams has everything you'd hope for in a historical fiction book. The story follows two women: Ella from 1998 and Gin from 1924. Both women lived in the same apartment, decades apart. When Ella moves in to her new apartment after she caught her husband cheating on her, she finds a box of buttons that once belonged to Gin. Both stories are strong enough to stand on their own, but are woven together in small ways throughout the book. It is important to note that this book is the first in a series and you won't be satisfied reading just this book - there are lots of loose ends left open for future books to resolve.
The Dollhouse is a fictional account of the historic Barbizon Hotel for Women. The Barbizon (sometimes referred to as The Dollhouse) was built in in 1927 by architects Palmer H. Ogden and Everett F. Mergatroyd. For most of its existence, the building served as a hotel for women only. Some of the notable women who lived here include Sylvia Plath (who wrote the semi-autobiography, The Bell Jar, about her time at the Barbizon), Lauren Bacall, Joan Crawford, Candace Bergen, Grace Kelly, Ali MacGraw, and more.
I am so exited about my review of “A Piece of the World” by Christina Baker Kline! This book is about Christina Olson, the women in the painting by Andrew Wyeth entitled Christina’s World (currently on display The Museum of Modern Art - if you’re in NYC please go see this painting for me!) I was only vaguely aware of Andrew Wyeth through his more notable works, but I had never heard of Christina Olson. I loved hearing the story of her life and her relationship with Andrew Wyeth, I’m certain you’ll enjoy it too.
I found this novel by Amor Towles on a list of "unputdownable" books compiled by Modern Mrs. Darcy - and this book was definitely unputdownable. It is about a young secretary on Wall Street trying to navigate life, love and NYC in 1938. Also, who can resist the glamorous 1930s fashion on the cover? 😉 It is a beautifully written book, so I'm excited to read the author's most recent novel, A Gentleman in Moscow.
