The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter 1) by Sigrid Undset
Synopsis: Kristin Lavransdatter is a girl in 14th Century Norway, betrothed to one man but desperately in love with another.
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Adam and Eve and Pinch Me by Ruth Rendell
Synopsis: A con man, an obsessive-compulsive, and a closeted Member of Parliament become locked together by circumstance and lies.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Synopsis: Bored with her marriage to a dull country doctor, Emma Bovary spins fantasy into adultery and rampant overspending. Review: Ooh-la-la! What a great read! I must say I was surprised at how contemporary this novel felt. Written in 1857, Madame Bovary is a psychological tour-de-force. Emma’s story is about much more than adultery, and it’s far more than just a cautionary tale. When Flaubert said, “Who is Emma Bovary? I am Emma Bovary,” he was speaking for all of us. The book shows how…
A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine
Synopsis: When a true-crime writer comes to Faith Severn asking for corroboration of the details he’s unearthed about her murderess aunt, Faith’s reminiscences build a very different portrait of the family that has been both dear and alien to her over the years, casting new light on very old secrets. Review: I have read several books by Barbara Vine and her alter ego Ruth Rendell, and this is by far my favorite. She excels at characterization; none of her creations can be neatly encapsulated by…
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Synopsis: When a bookish woman is contracted to write the biography of a famous author known to lie about herself, she discovers shocking truths that lead her to reconcile with her own tragic past. Review: Steeped in the Brontes, DuMaurier, Wilkie Collins, and The Turn of the Screw, this book is at once a throwback to the 19th century and a thoroughly modern reinvention of the gothic story. Setterfield lovingly lifts generic tropes from these classic tales while weaving a story that is utterly hypnotizing…
Wish Upon a Star by Olivia Goldsmith
Synopsis: Claire is an unassuming secretary who’s never had an adventure. When a womanizing firm partner asks her to come with him to London, she surprises herself and everyone by saying yes – and really throws them all for a loop when she quits her job to stay.
Robin Hobb – 3 Trilogies, One Love
Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy and the follow up trilogy called The Tawny Man are medievalist fantasy fiction are among the best books I’ve ever read in any genre. I lost myself in these six books, missing my subway stop more than once. I would actually get excited when my alarm went off in the morning because I knew that soon, very soon, I’d be waiting for the train and could dive into the Six Duchies with abandon. The Farseer Trilogy follows the bildungsroman model, and…