Mike Hartner - I, Angus

2. I, Angus by Mike Hartner (2016)

The Eternity Series Book 4
Length: 249 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 19 December 2016
Finished: 5 January 2017
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 8 October 2016

Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by. this author in the past.

Fourteen-year-old Angus Mackenzie had never really had any great ambition for his life. Growing up during a time when Scotland is being torn apart by dissension and civil strife, Angus is content to live his life quietly - taking care of himself and his family, and protecting them to the best of his ability. However, as war rages around him and he loses those he loves most, Angus grows increasingly more disillusioned by the state of his country. 

As a man of peace Angus has seen his share of death, and he is certain that the North has lost more men to the violence of war than it ever did to the ravages of Nature. Although he wants no part of such violence, it seems as if a peaceful existence and a loving family may not be a part the Grand Plan for Angus. Because the North needs a leader; someone who is able to build communities.

However, Angus Mackenzie must first undergo his own trials by fire. He must be tested, shaped and molded by his adversity. The person who emerges from this particular crucible will ultimately be a much stronger and much wiser man; someone who is held in the highest esteem and much beloved by those who know him. Angus Mackenzie will hit both highs and lows as he travels across the lands of England, Scotland and France, all before he meets the challenge of a new land.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I wasn't quite sure where the story would go from the previous book, as Angus Mackenzie wasn't actually a relative of Mary Crofter. However, I found that this book worked perfectly within the series; the plot was just as intriguing as the previous books and advanced the story along very well. I would give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Beth M. Caruso - One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America's First Witch Hanging

21. One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America's First Witch Hanging by Beth M. Caruso (2015)

Length: 345 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Started: 17 October 2016

Finished: 23 November 2016

Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 17 October 2016
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Beth M. Caruso is a new author for me.

Young Alice Ashbey was born into the Tinker family of Berkshire, England in 1615. As a distant cousin to the Tinkers, Alice soon came to see her cousins more as adopted brothers and sisters. Orphaned at the age of ten, she also soon discovers that she has inherited her mother's talent for intuitive insights. With the deaths of the patriarch of the Tinker family - as well as of the eldest son and namesake, Robert - within a few weeks of each other, the Tinkers find themselves at a heartrending crossroads.

Deciding to leave England for the promise of the New World, first one and then more members of the Tinker family begin to make plans to settle in America. Alice - now a lovely young woman of twenty - hopes to stay with the only family she has ever known and everyone that she dearly loves. Yet sadly, her wish is not to be, as she stubbornly remains unmarried and seemingly indifferent to all potential suitors. The frustrated matriarch of the Tinker family, Mary, subsequently secures a position for Alice as a housemaid and nanny with an affluent family who is also sailing to America.

So it was that in 1635, Alice Ashbey reluctantly set sail from her home in England for the colony of strict religious dissenters in the Massachusetts Bay. She had made such a treacherous journey filled with the hope that she would be reunited with the Tinker family again, after the family had resettled themselves. Despite her initial misgivings, Alice is astonished by her first sight of the rich American wilderness and its inhabitants. She subsequently begins to appreciate the beauty of her new home.

However, Alice's first impressions of the New England colonies are not all good. Eventually settling in Windsor, Connecticut, Alice soon learns to use her own healing abilities and strong intuition to help those around her. She even learns to open her heart to the possibilities of a love of her own. However, she also encounters the suspicions and blinding fears of Puritan leaders which inevitably collide and set the stage for America's very first witch hanging - her own - on May 26th, 1647.

Although it was this horrendous event as well as Alice's strong ties to her beloved family which eventually influenced Connecticut's Governor John Winthrop, Jr. to put a halt to any further witchcraft hangings in the New England settlement; such horror could never be truly eradicated even in much later years.

Paradoxically, forty-five after Alice's death - her strong familial bonds were again used to further enflame witchcraft hysteria. This time, the influential Puritan minister and prolific author Cotton Mather, used his knowledge of Alice's tragic story as the secret impetus behind the writing of his dangerous and destructive commentary in support of the Salem witch trials of 1692. Alice's strong family ties - as much as the painful memories of the tragedies which resulted in the accusation of witchcraft being leveled against her - served only as a cautionary tale for the righteous to always remain vigilant in their neverending battle against the minions of evil.

In my opinion, Alice Young was such an extraordinary young woman and her story was remarkably  poignant. Actually, while I knew all about the Salem witch trials in 1692, I had never actually heard of any previous trials before that time. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really realize that there were any other outbreaks of witchcraft hysteria before 1692, although I knew that the hysteria spread elsewhere around New England after that time.

Actually, I enjoyed this story very much. In my opinion, the time period was well-researched and the characters and story were sympathetically written. I was drawn into Ms. Caruso's writing from the first few pages and would certainly give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Jess Steven Hughes - The Wolf of Britannia Part I

11. The Wolf of Britannia Part I by Jess Steven Hughes (2015)
The Sign of the Eagle Trilogy Book 1
Length: 321 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 1 May 2016
Finished: 27 May 2016
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 26 April 2016
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Jess Steven Hughes is a new author for me.

Britain during the first century is a divided land - a fragmented and unsettled country populated by a myriad of warring Celtic tribes. Thus, it is also a land ripe for invasion from the military might of imperial Rome. Knowing that the Roman juggernaut would love nothing more than to subjugate Britain to the will of the Roman Empire, a young warrior prince must somehow unite his people.

The soon-to-be-legendary Prince Caractacus realizes that he must find a way to unite the southern tribes if they are all to survive. Imperial Rome is proving to be a cunning and strategic adversary; a dangerous enemy more threatening and powerful than either Caractacus or his people could possibly have imagined. Britain surely faces an epic battle for its very survival.

Standing beside the eminent Prince Caractacus is his wife, Rhian, a warrior princess who takes no prisoners. She is the first woman Caractacus has ever loved, and is also a force to be reckoned with in her own right. With her support and that of his other allies, Caractacus must outsmart Adminios - his traitorous older brother who is determined to take the throne. Adminios is aided in his devious plans by a conniving Roman diplomat and a tribal chieftain who is in the pockets of the Romans.

Caractacus' mission is a necessary one, but also incredibly difficult to fulfill. He must not only save his country from the pending onslaught of the Roman Empire, but also from a more insidious internal threat: his own people's treachery. As the various combatants begin to emerge from the shadows and prepare themselves for battle, Caractacus knows that he must succeed in his mission...or else die trying.

I have always enjoyed reading historical epics and The Wolf of Britainnia Part I by Jess Steven Hughes was no different. In my opinion, this story was well-developed and intriguing. At no point in the story did I feel like I was reading a dry, step-by-step historical account.

I found myself quickly immersed in the story and freely admit that I got lost in the plot. I really connected with many of the characters and I'm avidly waiting to find out what happens in the next installment of this trilogy. I give The Wolf of Britainnia Part I by Jess Steven Hughes an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Mike Hartner - I, Mary

35. I, Mary by Mike Hartner (2015)
The Eternity Series Book 3
Length: 255 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 16 October 2015
Finished: 29 October 2015
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 10 September 2015
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Mary Crofter has spent the majority of her life on the water. Since the age of two, she has felt the call of the sea, and has always had an affinity with the ocean that most people could never understand. Her first trip aboard a ship was when her parents, James and Rosalind Crofter, sailed from her birthplace of Kilwa in Tanzania to Portsmouth, England. This was shortly after Mary's first birthday in 1635.

At the age of twelve, Mary is finally allowed to realize her greatest dream in life - she becomes an honorary crew member on one of her father's trading ships. Mary is absolutely delighted to be given such a chance, but she still has her doubts. While she has been on several trips from Portsmouth to London and other ports as well, Mary knows that she still has a very long way to go before she is accepted entirely.

Despite having such an affinity with the water; and sailing with her parents, will Mary be able to survive on the water? Will people ever take her seriously as a sailor? Is a girl truly competent enough to sail with a crew of men? Mary only knows that she will never know the answers to these questions for certain unless she takes the plunge.

And yet, once she does, will Mary ever tire of the sailor's life? Will there ever come a time in her life when she will want to come off the ocean and eventually settle down? And if she does settle down, will the lure of the ocean ever prove strong enough to draw her back?

I must say that as with the previous two books in the series, I absolutely loved I, Mary by Mike Hartner. In my opinion, the plot  was well-developed and fast-paced; and I was drawn into the story right from the beginning. The characters were extremely likable, and I connected with them all rather quickly.

I'm not sure if there will be a sequel to this book, but I certainly hope so. I'm invested in each of these characters and the time period, and avidly want to know where the story will go from here. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Mike Hartner - I, James

53. I, James by Mike Hartner (2014)
The Eternity Series Book 2
Length: 235 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 30 October 2014
Finished: 5 November 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 6 October 2014
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have read and enjoyed I, Walter by this author in the past.

Born on September 21, 1613, James Luis Juan Crofter was the second son of English merchant seaman turned ruler of the Iberian Empire, Walter Crofter and his wife, Maria, Princess of Castile. For the next eleven years, young James lived a privileged life as a much-favored prince near the port of San Sabastian on the west coast of Spain. Then on his eleventh birthday, in the year 1624, James is unceremoniously ripped from his family.

Kidnapped and sold into slavery by a ruthless man, who just happens to be his father's estranged brother, James is subsequently shipped off to a tobacco plantation in Africa. For the next five years, James toiled away in enforced servitude, and the prince became a veritable pauper - a stranger living in a strange land. He dreamed of the day when he would be free and be able to return to his loving family. 

As James quietly plots and plans for the day that he will eventually escape; he prepares himself for life beyond the plantation. James secretly promises himself that he will return someday to ensure freedom for the other slaves - people whom James considers to be honorary members of his much missed and longed for family. The question that continually haunts James' thoughts is: Is it possible that nature is stronger than nurture? And even if it is, will James still be able to find the happiness that he so richly desires?

I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot was as engaging as I, Walter and I found myself hoping that James would be able to find his family very soon, and overcome the many obstacles that were in his way. The characters and plot were well-developed, and I could sympathize with so many of the characters. I also hoped that others would receive appropriate justice or punishment. 

I would give I, James by Mike Hartner an A! This is the second book in The Eternity Series, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, which I think will focus on the life of James' daughter, Mary Crofter.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Brandon Daily - A Murder Country: A Novel

50. A Murder Country: A Novel by Brandon Daily (2014)
Length: 192 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 4 September 2014
Finished: 5 October 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Brandon Daily for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 June 2013
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Brandon Daily is a new author for me.

As the late eighteenth century slowly draws to a close, and ushers in the start of the nineteenth century brimming with a belief in progress and hopeful of the possibility of a bright brand new world, many small towns in the Appalachian backwoods still dwell in a violent and harsh reality. For three men touched by such violence - Josiah Fuller, William Corvin and a person known only as 'The Rider' - there is nothing else in the world beyond bloodshed and brutality, where exacting punishment for innocent blood spilled and violence is the ultimate law of the land.

When seventeen-year-old Josiah Fuller returns home to find his parents hanged and mutilated and the family house burned to the ground, he sets off to find the man responsible for their murders and is determined to avenge their deaths. His journey takes him through new towns and stretches of wilderness he has never seen before. He meets people who show him the realities of living in a violent world, forcing Josiah to decide what is most important to him: vengeance or grace.

Years after running away as a young boy, William Corvin returns home with his new bride to take up the reigns of the family's coal mining operation. Though he is haunted by violent memories of his past, he sets out to live a peaceful life and hopes to raise his family there someday. However, William's dreams of peace are shattered, and his hopes of living a life of happiness and contentment are threatened when a shocking act of violence causes him to revert back to the man he once was. 

After being visited by an angel in a dream many years earlier, the Rider has become a man with violence in his blood; a man to be truly feared by those who cross his path. The Rider believes himself to be appointed by God to collect the souls of sinners - an instrument of God's divine justice. He travels around on his horse, killing whoever he feels is deserving of God's wrath and vengeance.

These three men travel alone along their own individual paths, their stories intersecting with one another, each man continually searching for an understanding of the violent world in which they live and their own actions within that world. This novel examines the power and fragility of belief and conviction within humanity; showing how one small, seemingly insignificant act often leads to consequences that reach far beyond anyone's imagining.

I must say that while I certainly enjoyed this book very much; it is definitely not a story for the faint of heart. I found it to be a very well-written and descriptive story; with a violence and a grittiness that was evocative of the 'western genre' - in my opinion at least. I give A Murder Country: A Novel by Brandon Daily an A! It was an intriguing debut novel, and I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for more from this author in the future.

A! - (90-95%)
        
May you read well and often

Mike Hartner - I, Walter

31. I, Walter by Mike Hartner (2013)
The Eternity Series Book 1
Length: 221 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Started: 2 September 2013
Finished: 5 September 2013
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 10 July 2013
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Mike Hartner is a new author for me.

Walter Crofter was born into a family of London shopkeepers in 1588. He never truly felt like he belonged within his own family - so by age eleven, Walter had run away and somehow found his way on to a British ship. For the next eight years, Walter sailed around the world and rose quickly through the ranks of the Merchant Navy.

Now at the age of 67, Walter looks back over a life lived during a period of turmoil - where politics and royal favor could turn deadly, shifting at a whim. With a family background such as his, can an honest boy stay true to himself and his principles?

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It was such an engaging plot, and the characters fairly jumped off the page at me. I give this book an A+! and am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, which will focus on the life of James Crofter, Walter's son.

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Ann McGovern - Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest

25. Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest by Ann McGovern (1968)
Length: 128 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started/Finished: 12 November 2011
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 15 December 2010
Why do I have it? I've always had an interest in the Robin Hood legend.

I know that this is a children's book but I truly enjoy all tellings of the Robin Hood story. This book was full of adventure and even though it was written in 1968, it still held my attention and was riveting. I give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

James Harvey - Grayton Beach Affair

10. Grayton Beach Affair by James Harvey (2011)
Length: 328 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 12 March 2011
Finished: 22 March 2011
Where did it come from? Many thanks to James Harvey for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 3 January 2011
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and James Harvey is a new author for me.

Christian Wolfe speaks perfect English. That is why the German-born man is strong-armed into rescuing a German POW from an American beach after he returns to Berlin during World War II. Christian is drawn into a covert mission against his will but meets troubled, beautiful Maggie Neal during that time. For two days, at Grayton Beach, Maggie and Christian begin an affair.

Those two days are remembered forever in their hearts as the war rages on and Christian goes back to Europe. Will destiny prevail for Maggie and Christian? The Grayton Beach Affair lasted two days, but the reprecussions could last longer.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was an interesting mix of thrills and romance. I give it an A!


A! - (90-95%)


May you read well and often

Katharine A. Russell - Deed So

9. Deed So by Katharine A. Russell (2010)
Length: 438 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 2 March 2011
Finished: 12 March 2011
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Tracee at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 18 November 2010
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Katharine A. Russell is a new author for me.

Agnes Hayden Bashford - Haddie - is struggling with many things is the 1962 town of Wicomico Corners; entering high school, her budding crush on her best friend, Gideon, and waitressing at church suppers. She has big plans to escape Wicomico Corners and make something of herself in the wide world. Then, she witnesses the murder of a black teenager and the resulting court case exposes the racial tensions that Haddie couldn't even begin to contemplate could exist in her tiny town.

I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were very well written and the setting was believeable for the time period. I give this story an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Kieran Kramer - When Harry Met Molly

24. When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer (2010)
The Impossible Bachelors Series Book 1
Length: 411 pages
Genre: Historical Romance
Started: 2 November 2010
Finished: 9 November 2010
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Tracee at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 9 October 2010
Why do I have it? I like historical romance and Kieran Kramer is a new author for me

Lady Mary Fairbanks - Molly to her friends - is in trouble. She had planned to elope to Gretna Green with her father's archeological partner, Cedric. Cedric is somewhat unromantic, lackluster...but she digresses...anyway, Cedric is currently rocketing down the road in a coach and four with a lightskirt...not his "intended" new bride leaving her in the somewhat dubious company of her childhood foe Lord Harry Traemore.

Lord Harry Traemore is somewhat shocked to discover the delectable Fiona on her way to Gretna Green with a stranger. Not that Harry wanted to marry Fiona, of course, but he needed a mistress to enter The Most Delectable Companion Contest that he must win each year to avoid marriage by Royal Decree. Now he's stuck with Molly Fairbanks - the most annoying, stubborn...but he digresses. The point is, he needs a mistress, and he needs one now...but can a false mistress, in other words Molly, help him when he thinks no one can?

I truly enjoyed this book and give it an A+! I look forward to more books in the series.

A+! - (96-100%)


May you read well and often

Nicholas Sparks - The Notebook

24. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (1996)
The Calhoun Family Series Book 1
Length: 239 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 5 December 2008
Finished: 11 December 2008
Where did it come from? From Walmart
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 January 2008
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Nicholas Sparks is a new author for me


For my #1 challenge (Reader's Choice), I read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Thirty-one year old Noah Calhoun comes back to North Carolina from World War II haunted by memories of a girl he had lost fourteen years earlier. Allie Nelson is twenty-nine and about to marry a wealthy lawyer, but before she marries she is determined to find the boy who stole her heart so long ago.

Allie and Noah have a deep and abiding love for one another. Surely such a love can turn tragedy into triumph and outlast even life itself. I give this romance an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often