The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul by Eleanor Herman Non-fiction books about chemistry, especially where chemistry and sociology intersect, are one of my fun go-to reads (or listens, in this case.) I was kind of hoping it would be like The Poisoner’s Handbook, which was like …
Tag: mystery
Dec 05
Book Review: Affairs of Steak
Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy This is a pretty good cozy mystery, though not quite as good as Buffalo West Wing. It’s got the familiar trope of the protagonist finding a couple of bodies in an unlikely place during an early scene. The rest of the book has her revealing clues one by one, …
Jun 11
Book Review: The Luminaries
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton This book takes place in New Zealand during the gold rush of the mid nineteenth century, a time and place I know almost nothing about. It begins when a young man stumbles to shore, frightened by a horrifying spectre he has seen on the ship. He picks the first hotel …
Apr 23
Book Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray This book had a few rough patches and a few bursts of brilliance that evened each other out. I liked this book overall, especially for the surprising feminist undertones, but it had a rough start. It starts out in India, on the day of Gemma’s 16th birthday, …
May 15
Book Review: Rebecca
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Sometimes when I want a palette-cleanser from some tepid books, I look through “classics I’ve never read” hoping I’ll find a gem. This is regarded as one of the best books of a greatly-admired author and I figured it would be worth a listen. It was. The first thing I …