REVIEW - The Stolen Queen (eBOOK)

 The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

This is my third book by Fiona Davis who writes incredible historical fiction. This novel was based on the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had a dual timeline. 

Two women who are unlikely companions join forces to solve a theft at the museum during the Met Gala in 1978. It also brings in the other timeline of Egypt in 1936 during the waning of the Egyptian craze in the United States.   

I cannot wait to read what Fiona has planned next!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Fiona writes so beautifully and descriptively without being heavy-handed. I enjoy learning so much from her books even though they are historical fiction. But she writes her books with enjoyment in mind while providing education also.  

Character development: 5.0 stars

The two main characters are Charlotte (Egyptologist in 1936/Met curator in 1978) and Annie (assistant to Diana Vreeland at the Met). Their paths cross due to the Met Gala and a firestorm of chaos is unleashed.  

The secondary characters are Henry (Egyptologist/Charlotte's husband 1936), Leon (Egyptologist/Charlotte's nemesis 1936), Diana (Met Costume Institute/former magazine editor 1978), and Joyce (Annie's mother 1978). 

The tertiary characters are other Met employees, Egyptian citizens, and friends/family of Charlotte and Annie. 

Again, many characters in the storyline were not developed fully. They, however, were necessary for the detailed storylines. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

This was such an interesting storyline. The juxtaposition of Egypt in both timelines with the 1978 Met was beautifully done. It was woven together seamlessly.  

In 1936 Egypt, Charlotte was on an archaeological dig and made a great discovery that reappeared as a loan at the Met. Then the Met Gala happens and everything goes haywire with a theft, an assault, and a termination. Then this historical fiction novel takes off and keeps going! 

The main locations were New York, New York, and Egypt.

Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars

I was fortunate to see the King Tut exhibit in Los Angeles before it ended its tour at the Met in 1978. The artifacts were so moving and helped make a real connection to me and the storyline. The descriptions of the tombs, the mummification process, and the antiquities in the burial chambers were fascinating. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

So pretty!!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect.   

HIGHLY recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (eBOOK)

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

349 pages 

Dutton

Release date of 1/7/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Fiona Davis

My Goodreads review

Dutton

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024

Hi, everyone!

This is booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024! Notice that it is BOOKS, plural not singular. There is more to come in the next few paragraphs about this.  

There is a big change to booksbydorothea as Best Books of 2024 will no longer recognize only one book. Instead, seven books will be highlighted in the ebook and audiobook categories.

There will be one winner and six runners-up in each category to better showcase the fabulous books available. It will now be called the booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024.

Next year, I will include the best monthly audiobook and ebook (if available) in my monthly wrap-ups. Unfortunately, I didn’t do that for 2024.

Now for the exciting reveal of the Nominees (all books were 5-star reviews):

2^nd ANNUAL booksbydorothea BEST BOOKS NOMINEES OF 2024:

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (January) (ebook) LINK

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles (February) (ebook) LINK

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (March) (ebook) LINK

How To Read a Book by Monica Wood (April) (ebook) LINK

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarity (May) (ebook) LINK

The Friday Afternoon Club (June) (audiobook) LINK

The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman (July) (ebook) LINK

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (August) (ebook) LINK

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (September) (audiobook) LINK

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman (October - TIE) (ebook) LINK

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine (October - TIE) (ebook) LINK

The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L Warren (November – TIE) (ebook) LINK

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (November – TIE) (audiobook) LINK

On Living by Kerry Egan (December) (audiobook) LINK

Additional audiobook nominees not included on the original nominee list:

Connie by Connie Chung (October) (audiobook) LINK

Be Ready When The Luck Happens (October) (audiobook) LINK

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop (October) (audiobook) LINK

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino (October) (audiobook) LINK

It is now time for the FINALISTS: 

2^nd ANNUAL booksbydorothea BEST BOOKS OF 2024 FINALISTS:

EBOOKS

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles 

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer 

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn 

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman 

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine 

The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren 

AUDIOBOOKS

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates 

Connie by Connie Chung 

Be Ready When The Luck Happens by Ina Garten

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop 

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

On Living by Kelly Egan

NOW for the TWO big reveals - drumroll, please!! booksbydorothea Best Books of

2024 (ebook and audiobook) are:

2024 BEST EBOOK:

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (ebook)

This will not be another review of this beautiful, enlightening, intelligent book. However, this book left me gobsmacked (a new British term for me) for a very long time. It was emotional to discover what I thought happened after former enslaved people crossed the Mason-Dixon line was wrong. It was whitewashed!

In Philadelphia, there were enslavers allowed with their enslaved people even though Pennsylvania was a “free state”. There were loopholes in the state law that permitted enslavers to travel to Philadelphia with specific enslaved people for up to six months. So it was just a game of switching enslaved people to the South before the six months were up to ensure that they had their “rotating" enslaved staff.  

Overall, this historical novel is about free Black people, escaped enslaved people, and enslaved people trying to make a life in a city that was not welcoming to Blacks, period.

Read this book – I cannot recommend it more! It was one of my first reads of 2024 and I have thought about it ever since.

 

2024 BEST AUDIOBOOK:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

Again, this will not be a rehashing of my first review. However, note that this book is a sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea. I read both books as audiobooks. 

But this audiobook was something special and brilliant! The audiobook was narrated by Daniel Henning who is superb and brings life to each character and narrated the prequel. I recommend reading the prequel first before this book.

The incredible characters include children who are a gnome, a wyvern, a green blob, a werewolf-Pomeranian, a sprite, and a yeti! The adults are a phoenix, a sprite, and "some naughty and some nice" humans!

The biggest takeaway from this book is that everyone is important in their unique style and way – even magical creatures. I love that the story includes chosen families, LGBT+ and BIPOC characters, and that good triumphs over evil!

Listen to this book (and the prequel) – I cannot emphasize how good the story highlighted by the narration is! This book is pure joy!

 

FINAL NOTES

The original review for each nominee is the LINK next to the title and author under NOMINEES. Click on the specific book link to get to that book review! 

Congratulations to the nominees, finalists, and winners!! These are all fantastic books that I highly recommend!! 

My final booksbydorothea blog post will be the Annual Wrap-up for 2024 which will be posted shortly. 

Thank you so much for joining me on this wonderful journey of reading and listening to great books in 2024! Please join me again in 2025!

Happy reading and Happy Holidays,

Dorothea 💜

 

 

REVIEW - Let Us March On (eARC/eBOOK)

 

Let Us March On by Shara Moon (eARC/eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

This is the first book by Sharon Moon that I have read and her first historical fiction novel. I can see many more historical fiction novels in her future. 

The novel is based on a husband and wife who worked for FDR at the White House before his first inauguration until he died in 1945. The wife seemingly gains the trust of FDR and begins sharing letters that she receives from Black Americans (called Negro during this time and in this novel). Slowly, but surely some change begins and then WWII breaks out. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Alcohol abuse, lynching discussions, physical and verbal violence

 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

Shana writes really well. 

But at times, current language usage slipped in the dialogue. Additionally, everyone spoke perfect English which would not be the case for undereducated staff. It made it ring less true to me.

 

Character development: 3.5 stars

The main characters are FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mac (FDR's valet), and Lizzie (FDR's maid). 

The secondary characters are the many staff members, primarily Black, who worked in the White House. 

The tertiary characters were political advisors and politicians. 

Again, many characters in the storyline were not developed fully. They, however, were necessary for the detailed storyline. 

My real issue was that the relationship between Mac and Lizzie was not deeply detailed. Lizzie was who the novel was about, not FDR. It felt as if it was heavy on FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt instead of Max and Lizzie. 

 

Storyline:  4.0 stars

Mac serendipitously gets a job working for FDR as a valet when he was in Georgia as Governor of New York. Then Mac and Lizzie got jobs at the White House after his first inauguration and worked there until FDR's death. 

Since this is a work of fiction, it is unclear what is fact versus fiction. An Author's Note would have been helpful for reference citations and to elaborate on the fictional part of this novel. 

Did Lizzie do all of what is written in this novel? I don't know, but I will research Mac and Lizzie.  

The main locations were Atlanta/Hot Springs, Georgia; Hyde Park, New York; and Washington DC.   

 

Memorable/Informative: 4.5 stars

I was clueless about how difficult Black Americans, especially men, had it in all parts of the county. I had believed, incorrectly, that lynchings only occurred in the South. Our country was a mess until the Civil Rights Act, but it is backpedaling to the 1950s again. 

 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Lovely!!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Good choice!  

 

DEFINITE recommend

 

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (eARC/ebook)

Let Us March On by Shara Moon

384 pages 

William Morrow

FUTURE release date of 2/4/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Shara Moon

My Goodreads review

William Morrow

NetGalley

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eBOOK is...

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (eBOOK)

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Queens of Crime (eARC/eBOOK)

 The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (eARC/eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

This is my first eARC/eBOOK of 2025! This historical fiction mystery book was a great first ARC to start the year!

Two women Founding Members of the Detection Club in London persuaded three other women mystery writers to join. These five writers also form a subgroup called the Queens of Crime. The writers initially decided to solve the murder of a young English nurse in France, as a lark, but then the "detective work" becomes more real and they want to find the murderer for the victim. 

This was my fourth book by Marie Benedict and it was another really good one! The Queens of Crime could become a series - I would love it!

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

Marie always writes lovely prose, descriptive language, and a twist. I loved how the author wrote about post-WWI London, a time rarely written about at all in historical fiction novels. 

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main characters are Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. Apparently, all five were real-life mystery writers (I only knew of Agatha Christie).  

The secondary characters are May (the victim), Celia (the victim's friend), Mac (Dorothy's husband and a newspaper journalist), and Ivy (Dorothy's cousin). 

The tertiary characters are French residents, French police, Boulogne, and the suspects. 

Again, many characters in the storyline were not developed fully. They, however, were necessary for the detailed storyline. 

Storyline:  4.5 stars

The Queens of Crime decides to try and solve the murder of May in Boulougne-sur-Mer, France after playing a "closed room" game at their first meeting. The writers travel to the crime scene, retrace May and Celia's footsteps, and then discover many clues the French police missed or chose to ignore. It gets more mysterious and interesting as the murderer becomes known.

The "detective work" takes place in March/April 1931 with the ending set in December 1931. The five mystery writers solved this crime without resources other than their wit and puzzle-solving skill sets which the police were unable to do so. It shows that women need to be involved in crimes involving women. 

The main locations were London, England, Boulougne-sur-Mer, France, and other locales in England.  

Memorable/Informative: 4.5 stars

It was awesome that these five mystery writers joined the Detection Club and formed the Queens of Crime. I love women empowerment stories especially historical characters that I knew nothing about. 

Unfortunately, I do not know how closely this novel varies from the real-life facts that it is fictionalized on. There wasn't an Author's Note so there were no source materials. With most historical fiction, there is a thorough explanation to wrap up the story in a nice bow. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Lovely!!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Great choice!  

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (eARC/ebook)

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

320 pages 

St. Martin's Press

FUTURE release date of 2/11/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Marie Benedict

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next (eARC/eBOOK) is...

 Let Us March On by Shara Moon (eARC/eBOOK)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Girl on the Balcony (audiobook)

The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

I had heard of Olivia Hussey due to her work in Romeo and Juliet but had never seen it. When she, unfortunately, passed away recently, I checked to see if she had an autobiography or memoir. She did so I decided to learn more about her and her life by checking it out from the library.

For some reason, this book just didn't do it for me. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. After her breakthrough role, Olivia lived a charmed life but grew up too quickly without adult supervision. She lived a wild life of partying but didn't seem really happy. Her life finally settled down somewhat when she met and married Dino Martin. 

TRIGGER ALERT: Alcohol abuse, drug usage, sexual assault, and some foul language 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

Writing: 3.0 stars

Olivia writes very choppily in bursts which is very odd to me as her son, Alexander Martin, a writer helped her with this book. She also left chapters hanging with a question and had no real transitions. It was very different from any other autobiography than what I had read. Was that the point? But it didn't work for me. 

Narration: 3.5 stars

It was fine, but rather bland narration by Carol Monda, Normally, I choose to read memoirs or autobiographies narrated by the author. It gives more emotion and character to the audiobook. So it was disappointing not to be narrated by Olivia who is a professional actress. 

Character Arc: 4.0 stars

The audiobook is primarily chronological with some flashbacks to fully explain important parts of the story. This is my preferred choice for memoirs and autobiographies. 

But it was annoying that she would "foretell" the future at times and reveal a secret or tragedy that was discussed a few paragraphs later. 

Memorable:  3.0 stars

Olivia had a typical celebrity actress life with many advantages, opportunities, and privileges. At times, it felt as if she really didn't appreciate what she had and who she had in her life. She squandered many opportunities for real love by allowing her and her partner's professional careers to come first. 

She also did not have any strong adult figures to protect her. Olivia was unfairly used by Franco Zefferilli in Romeo and Juliet as a sexual being as a child. She needed an advocate to ensure that she was treated appropriately. This lack of role models also created a naive young woman who found herself in dangerous situations with dangerous people which was not her fault. It is just terribly sad. 

Entertaining:   3.0 stars

This book was not so much entertaining as informative about her life. 

It also dragged when she spent about 1/4 of the book discussing her spiritual guru, her spiritual journey, and India. This didn't interest me at all. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous.     

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect.  

Recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey

Blackstone Audiobooks

9 hours, 51 minutes

Release date of 7/31/2018

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Olivia Hussey

My Goodreads review

Blackstone Audiobooks

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

2024 Year-End Recap

Hello, everyone!

The Holidays quickly snuck up on my family since Thanksgiving was so late this year so this is a short recap of a few booksbydorothea December 2024 posts. Since many of you limit your social media time during the holidays (like me), these two final posts may have been missed. 

First up is the booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024! I have updated it with an ebook and an audiobook Best Books for 2024! There were 18 nominees with seven finalists in each category and two winners. You can find out more about the booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024 HERE. 

The other end-of-year post is the booksbydorothea 2024 Annual Book Blog Wrap-up. This includes statistics, monthly recap links, a glossary, and a book rating detail. The booksbydorothea 2024 Annual Book Blog Wrap-up can be found HERE.

Any feedback on the booksbydorothea blog itself would be so appreciated. Also, if you have any book recommendations I would love that! Shout out to my dear friend, Jennifer, for recommending On Living by Kerry Egan (audiobook) which was a nominee and finalist for 2024!

Thank you for all of your support in 2024! See you in 2025!

Happy reading and Happy New Year! 

Dorothea 💜

Amazon First Reads - January 2025

Hi, everyone!!

As a reminder, if you have an Amazon Prime membership, you get a FREE monthly Kindle book! The program is called Amazon First Reads!! You can find out more about the program HERE. 

My Amazon First Reads email arrived this evening. Score, there are two free Kindle books this month!! This month neither of my book selections is a short story or about WWII which is a positive change for me!

My free Amazon First Reads are:

Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance

There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev

Have you selected your two Kindle books? Also, don't forget to "buy" AND download the FREE books from Amazon! 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Goodreads 2025 Reading Challenge

 

Hi, everyone!

Initially, my Goodreads 2025 Reading Challenge was going to be 100 books. But instead, I increased to 101!  It is a big number, but I will do my best to meet this challenge while having a lot of fun reading great books and audiobooks!. 

To set your Goodreads 2025 Reading Challenge:

• Log in, if necessary.
• Go to the Main/Home page on the Goodreads page. 
• Click on the 2025 Reading Challenge in the middle left of the Main/Home Page.
• You will be prompted to enter your 2025 goal! 
• Good luck!

Happy reading! 

Dorothea 💜