[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars A fresh contribution to the discussion surrounding the Shakespearean authorship question. A must have.
NetGalley, Erika Brantschen Berclaz

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? Well, I'm not, but I must admit I've always found her books such as Mrs Dalloway and To The Lighthouse very difficult (I got on better with Orlando, perhaps because of the Tilda Swinton film). Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed this summary of her life and that of the Bloomsbury set which mainly focuses on the 1920s. The group were basically a bunch of well-to-do clever dicks who spent all their time writing and publishing each other's books and poems, throwing parties for each other, painting portraits of or having affairs with each other in the years between the wars. Virginia, when not depressed, would typically write a stream of consciousness book, with the cover illustrated by her sister, the artist, Vanessa Bell, then write a letter to E.M Forster, who would be in India getting material for his next book, before rounding off her day by trying and failing to read James Joyce's Ulysses, and then renewing her affair with.. Read more
NetGalley, Chris Hallam

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars A true must have and pack guide for exploring the beautifully haunting and gorgeous landscape that is Scotland, in particular Edinburgh. I've always wanted to travel there and reading this companion makes me visualize like I'm already there. The descriptions and photographs are stunning and I know don't do seeing them in person justice. But for now, this is the closest I'll get to Scotland and I'm alright with that. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to travel and wants to scout out Edinburgh as a destination to visit!
NetGalley, Megan Beech

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars This is a new and really successful approach to examining both true crimes and their influence on literature. The accounts of the crimes themselves are fascinating but it is the linked analysis of how they informed Christie’s work which really sets this book apart. It’s nicely written - not at all dense or overdone, but to the point and pithy. Some of the cases covered are very well known and even these bear re-examination with this new perspective.
NetGalley, Louise Gray

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Absolutely fascinating. I was unaware of Ellen Ternan and the allegation that she was Dickens’ mistress. In the spirit of Gradgrind, the author bases his views on facts and draws a different conclusion. I feel confident that the author’s career as a research scientist leaves him well equipped to gather facts, apply analytical skills and form a different and more challenging view. His insight is forensic in detail and I believe his reappraisal is worthy of consideration. He gives a brief overview of Dickens and I was interested to note that current views about the relationship with Ellen are based on two rather dated and skewed biographies. Both concluded she was his mistress, but facts to support that are thin. Ruck looks at Ellen’s life in earlier years and draws on resources already in the public domain. These include letters, literary references, other biographies, contemporaneous records and more. There's a comprehensive index and a number of interesting.. Read more
NetGalley, Anita Wallas