Review: Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas

Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the very first chapter, I was hooked. I was invested to find out how these two ladies existences intertwined because while I knew about Jackie, I had just briefly heard of Maria Callas.

This book features intimate scenes between the two couples, scenes where you could just imagine that these conversations really took place. While reading the chapters, there were times when I hated Jack Kennedy for his treatment of Jackie and Ari for his lack of loyalty to Maria, then I had moments where I thought the two women were plotting to get what (I thought) they wanted, security.

It is no secret to anyone that talks to me about books that Gill Paul is one of my favorite authors, that her writings speak to me and transport me back to another time, but this one had emotions about love and betrayal that I had not seen Ms. Paul give us in such a manner. To me, this book was perfection from the opening page until the very last sentence.

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Review: And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis by Stephanie Marie Thornton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I will start this by saying that I received this book as an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review, but I promise you that I was going to read this anyway because I read every book that Ms. Thornton writes. Stephanie Marie knows how to take events and people from the past and give them a fresh spin and she can tell a story in a way that sucks you in and won't let go until you finish.

We all kind of know of the story of Jackie and Jack, but this book will take you behind the glamour and glitz of what we saw on TV or read about in the history books. We get to experience life right there in Camelot from Jackie's viewpoint. We get a glimpse of how Jackie may have known of the affairs and how she handled them. There are very sweet moments that take place that let you see that the two of them did love each other, maybe for what the other person could do for them, but there was love of some sort.

Then you will experience November 22, 1963 right from Jackie's POV. I have read many books on this day and this scene is very much point by point of how it has been explained in other books. Jackie's actions are hard to read in both the fiction and non-fiction books, but in this one there is so much emotion that I teared up and I knew what was going to happen(also I was ecstatic to see Clint Hill make an appearance, I am in awe of him and love his books--read his book on the assassination).

I wanted to read this in one sitting because I felt like I really needed to know what was going to happen next. It was very hard to put this down and go to work. I advise you to read it when you have some time carved out because I really don't think you will want to stop until it is over. I cannot recommend this book enough...I would give it 5 plus stars on the emotion alone.


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Review: The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen

The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen by Robert Lacey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this so much more than I did the companion book to Victoria. This one helped the reader/watcher sort out the true to life to the fiction that the show portrayed, as well as mini-biographies of all the "characters". I don't believe you should read this unless you have watched Season 1 of The Crown.

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Review: Everybody's Doin' It: Sex, Music, and Dance in New York, 1840-1917

Everybody's Doin' It: Sex, Music, and Dance in New York, 1840-1917 by Dale Cockrell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was well researched, the problem that I had was it was hard for me to visualize the description of the dances, I think probably because I know nothing about dancing. You can tell that Mr. Cockrell is highly intelligent by reading his text, and sometimes that flowery vocabulary doesn't fit in with the vulgar talk of prostitution and dancing.

I do feel like I learned a little bit about the history of the dance and glad I read this one.

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Review: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just love Non-fiction books that grab you and keep your attention like a fiction book. This book read just like it was historical fiction, but it was not! Remind yourself that while you are reading the text, this all happened. I won't spoil too much for you, just know that President Garfield was elected to the office of President of the United States and served for only six and a half months. He was shot on July 2, 1881, and did not die until September 19, 1881...that is a long time to die from a bullet wound.

This was the first book penned by Ms. Millard that I have ever read, but it will not be the last.

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Review: Gatsby's Girl

Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to read this Caroline Preston because I have really enjoyed two of her other books lately. This one didn't have the ephemera that the first did, it was all story. Ginerva is a wealthy debutante kind of girl, whose parents are borderline snobbish. She is a little rebellion and gets in trouble with a boy, to make her more responsible her parents will ship her off to boarding school. Ginerva falls into her old ways of being a rebel rather quickly as this all-girl school. She will attend a party in St. Paul that will introduce her to a man that she will care about for the rest of her days, a budding would-be writer by the name of Scott Fitzgerald. Scott would display his affection for the drink from the first scene we have with him. He will also show us his wit and charm and we can just envision those good looks and flowery prose that he is known for. Scott is NOT the kind of man Ginerva's parents want her to wed or even hang around for that matter. We all know that Scott gets dumped in some way because we know he will be wed to Zelda until the end of his days, you just have to read the book to see why he and Ginerva were not together. Don't forget to remember that this is a fictionalized book based on real-life people.

I have read many books on the life of F Scott Fitzgerald and this is the first time I thought, I wonder if his life could have been different if he traveled a different path? Then I question, would he have been such a brilliant writer without the struggles and trials he faced?

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Review: Cilka's Journey: A Novel

Cilka's Journey: A Novel by Heather Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book made me cry a little. I have been reading a lot of books on WWII, mostly the German aspect, and thought I had a clear picture of the treatment of prisoners...this book showed me that I did not. While life was not kind to Cilka, you will like her. She is a strong, smart woman that has figured out how to survive. While you read the text you need to remember that she was trying to survive, that was her only goal. Her goal does shift when she finds someone to love as she would a close sister. Her goal is to save her new family. This character trait of Cilka and this part of the book was very moving for me.

The book travels back and forth between two prison camps, one in Auschwitz and the other is Siberia. You are going to have to read the book to see how/why she lands in Siberia and if she gets out. I will warn you, that this book was very hard for me to put down.

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