Kaseys Korner

Versailles

I can only describe this book as artistic. The "details" of Versailles are what's displayed on these panoramic style pages. Gorgeous photography of rooms, cabinet knobs, tapestries, wig boxes, paneling carvings, busts, etc., etc. You get the idea. Everything conveys the opulence and lavishness of the Palace. The extravagance borders on the obscene but I guess that's exactly what makes it the marvel it still is today.

If you're looking for a history on the construction of Versailles or want in depth information on the subject, this is not the book for you. This is coffee table format, exquisite photography with light reading below each photo to provide background or descriptions of what the reader is viewing. You feel reverence turning the pages, viewing the rooms and artifacts of the palace as if on a private tour.

You close the book understanding why the French coffers were emptied for this project. You also can't help but be blown away by the extraordinary craftsmanship and splendor of Versailles. It's incroyable! A truly grand and resplendent masterpiece and this book points out many details that might be overlooked on a real life tour.

Owning a copy comes at a pretty penny but that seems apropos considering the subject is Versailles!!!

 

 

Bringing Down the Duke

Hard to believe this is a debut novel! It reads like it was written by someone seasoned in the genre.
The historical fiction aspect centered around suffragettes in England was interesting and no doubt accurate. The chemistry between the formidable Duke and the undaunted Annabelle = perfection.
My favorite part: when he cornered her in the alcove at the Opera and said "enough, enough" then proceeded to kiss the hell out of her.  Oh yes! We romance lovers lap that up like cats with cream!

One book in and I'm certain Evie Dunmore is destined for historical romance fame. Wonderful engaging read and I definitely want more from this author. If you're a fan of the genre, check it out and if you're like me, you'll have a new favorite author to add to your list.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

Oh Eudora. You imperious, crotchety old lady.

I tried to love you.

I tried to even just like you.

You made it so difficult. Even when all the flashbacks to your younger self explained so much, I still couldn't find a lot of empathy. You got stuck in your life. You weren't dealt a great hand but there were chances at many different outcomes. You didn't grow, you didn't change, you stagnated. Then became bitter and resentful (thinking of how things went with your friend Sylvie here.)

I understand and appreciate the authors message about death and how our modern world approaches it. The book was just depressing and unrealistic. There's not an Army of Rose's & kindly neighbors to march in and save every lonely person (elderly or not.) The redeeming take away is when Eudora actually engaged in the World, it got larger and brighter and BETTER. Take note of that!

Now, to shake this misery off and get on with having a happy day!!!

 

 

The Social Graces

Easy read tho it seemed so frivolous in light of everything happening in the World today. Gilded age "soul food" if you're into that era. Between the pages, a true peek into pretention, extravagance and wealth so vast it's incomprehensible to the majority of readers.

It seemed an impossible task to make Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt compelling characters, they weren't especially likable. That they drove the upper crust of New York society in the late 1800's was unquestionable. But they weren't actually one iota nice, appreciative or sincerely altruistic despite the good fortune they both had to marry into this lap of unparalleled luxury. Every plan, thought & action was motivated by greed, social status, bloodlines, an antiquated protocol system, birthrights, etc., etc. Somehow Renee Rosen found a way to make you feel sorry for them tho (how was that even possible??!!?) and by books end, the very small world they inhabited and circulated in, felt infinitely less appealing. There was a glimmer of hope as they neared the end of their lives that they'd both evolved and questioned the purpose of what they'd wasted countless hours doing. It seemed they realized there was a much bigger picture to life than just one upping each other??

I did spend some time googling the characters to put faces to the names and visuals to the incredible mansions constructed during this era. I would love to visit Newport and tour some of the "cottages" mentioned!!!!

If ever there was a book to make you realize all the money in the world won't make you happy, this is it! Despite their privilege and opulent surroundings, none of the characters exhibited the gaiety we working class would expect them to feel. Even with the world "as their oyster," it's definitely not the carefree, cushy, fairytale one imagined it to be.

The Third Secret

Another great read by Steve Berry. I'm not Catholic so the political intrigue involving the Cardinals, the Pope, Pope "wannabe's," the Vatican, and all the centuries old traditions were really fascinating reading not to mention exploring the Secrets imparted by Our Lady of Fatima. The Blessed Virgin Mary apparitions correcting Church doctrine were truly revolutionary. The Church hasn't taken heed but I guess that takes place with the 112th Pope (according to the prophecies of Saint Malachy??) If I interpreted that right, the next Pope is that number!? After reading this book, I'll be paying even more attention to that election...

This is the 3rd book I've read by Berry (almost simultaneously) and I'm really getting the measure of his style. It works for me. Anyone, even without an interest in history, can't help but get sucked into the easy format of stories and actually learn something in the process. I'm breaking from him for now but I'll be back for another in the future!

 

The Alchemist

A deceptively simple book containing the most resounding message of life. Written in parable form about a boy, Santiago, who on the surface is searching for his "treasure." What Coelho really imparts thru Santiago, is a universal guide about achieving personal happiness.

It seems simple on the surface & basically can be reduced to "everyone has a purpose for being on the planet (their Personal Legend,) and once one recognizes that purpose and pursues it diligently, happiness follows." I liken that to the saying, "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."

As simple as that message is, it's a journey too easy to miss the mark on. Along the way, the path to finding our "Personal Legend" can be riddled with difficulties, detours and perils so great that we even lose sight of what we seek. Maybe that's why so many of us are lonely and dissatisfied with our lives. We miss those distractions for the lessons they are & give up or settle for something else altogether. The advantage the boy has is the simplicity of his life, not mired in the trappings of our modern success driven life ~ he has time to figure out his hearts desire thru reflection, observation (of the world around him) and time alone in contemplation. Those things are readily available to everyone but hard to tap into in our high tech, crazy busy world. Reading this book, makes you wonder that any of us find our purpose, because when do we give ourselves the solitude to even listen to the message of our heart??

This was my second reading and I think it was even more powerful the 2nd time around. It's a hopeful book ~ even if we've gotten off track, we can get ourselves back on track just by taking note of the signs around us and following our gut. I loved the message that we're all connected to the Soul of the World too.

My only complaint is I wish there weren't really a "treasure" at the end. I wanted the treasure to be something intangible, like love or going back to being a Shepherd because that was what was so fulfilling. After such a marvelous message, bringing it all back to a monetary objective seemed to defeat the purpose???? Am I the only one who felt this way???

 

 

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini must have expunged the words "sugar coat" from his vocabulary. He sure doesn't try to "pretty up" any of the lives of his characters so as to make them more palatable for the reader. This is the second book I've read by him and his writing and conveyance of events is often times so real it makes for some uncomfortable moments reading. I was literally cringing at the treatment of women in Afghanistan and how much power men still have over their lives. The things Mariam and Laila endured at the hands of their husband are unfathomable to me. Several times I didn't think they would survive him.  Hosseini is either very intuitive, sensitive, observant or has some major female role models and/or influential women in his life?? Otherwise I don't know how a man writes a novel centered around the lives of women in the way he's done.

That a lot of the events which transpire in the story take place under Taliban rule is especially troubling considering they're about to take over Kabul again. I just can't imagine living under those repressive conditions or having to go backwards after experiencing education & freedom.
My favorite character in the book is Mariam. Even at the end, she touched my heart in a way books rarely do. It's another beautifully sad but tragically poignant story that remains so relevant today. As an American, I was thinking 20 years was a long time for our service men and women to be in Afghanistan but now, I wonder just how awful life is going to be for the women when we're gone.  Their future seems perilous at best.

An emotional and moving book that I hope lands on the top of everyones "read" pile. It's not easy subject matter but it's 100% worth the time.

PS As a lover of historical artifacts it was heartbreaking to read about the Taliban blowing up those centuries old Buddhas of Bamiyan. The human race has created some astonishing works of art but also probably destroyed just as many. These were incredible statues ~ such a huge loss for the World.

The Romanov Prophecy

I was literally glued to this book. I'm kind of a Romanov fan girl so the subject matter was right up my alley. It's always been my opinion that when the Bolsheviks made that ill fated decision to eliminate the entire Imperial family, they elevated the Romanovs' status in history. If they'd executed ONLY the Tsar (many leaders are executed, exiled, assassinated, etc.,) and not the Tsarina and all the children, it would have been headlining and memorable but not created the lasting fascination with the family that it did. It's the sympathetic view toward their horrific fate that made us want to hope at least one member survived. Well, that and the fact that two of the childrens remains were not with the rest of the family when they were finally located and exhumed.

Although they were eventually discovered, this book feeds into the theory that two of the Imperial children survived. The characters and the storyline of 'The Romanov Prophecy' worked so much better for me than those in 'The Amber Room.' It's fast paced, believable and feeds into the hypothetical restoration of a Romanov to the throne of Russia. The latter a real idea still floated today among Monarchists. Everything I've read indicates Nicholas II (the last Tsar) was not a benevolent and particularly effective Tsar but because of the way he was killed, history has softened the opinion many of us hold of him.

I think Berry did a compelling job pulling together so many threads of the history surrounding the collapse of the 300 year reign of this Dynasty. It includes (as it has to) Rasputin ~ that repulsive (to me) yet transfixing character that undeniably contributed to the events that unfolded.

Captivating, detailed, well researched fiction. I'm definitely reading more books by Mr. Berry. He's my summer 2021 obsession.

The Amber Room

I couldn't believe this was a 400+ page novel ~ it read like so much less.

First time reading a Steve Berry novel. I'm moving immediately to a second. I can't say it's because the characters were that compelling (in fact I didn't particularly like most of them) but rather the history of the Amber Room (which seemed to be well researched) and the mystery of what happened to it kept me enthralled. It's fascinating fodder for the imagination to ponder the current whereabouts of all the exquisite art treasures the Nazi's looted during WWII. The author noted that media coverage about the Amber Room wasn't as comprehensive in the United States as it was in Europe and he's right about that, I'd never heard or read anything about it.

I like to call this kind of book "educational fiction" but I guess historical fiction works too. It was a learning experience cloaked in a readable format. Great beach type read. Focus on the real life mystery and the plausible whereabouts of this treasure that the author presents more than the flawed characters and it will be an entertaining and enjoyable book.

Silent in the Sanctuary

Anyone looking for a fast paced thriller should forego this series. BUT if you are a fan of the Victorian era, Deanna Raybourn excels at building a detailed mystery and a slow burning chemistry between her main characters. Nothing too violent but intuitively solved and a little reminiscent of Agatha Christie.

Lady Julia Grey's family features largely in this novel as well as her families estate which happens to be an old monastery. The house and family members are equally interesting components of the story.

If you like a crime set up fairly innocuously and a light old-fashioned read, maybe try the series. It could get tedious tho if you're anxious for action ~ 500 pages and the murder doesn't occur until halfway thru!! No problem for me but I get into the clothes they're wearing and constantly changing, the outings to the village and Romany camp, etc., etc. It's a quirk and I cop to it. I believe the novels could be read out of sequence, the mysteries are independent of each other but some of the nuances of the (very light, almost inconsequential) romance might be lost on the reader at midstream.