Review: The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

Vonze: 4 out of 5

Book Summary: (Goodreads) "STARTLING NEWS

When they learned that Sir Waldo Hawkridge was coming, the village gentry were thrown into a flurry. The famed sportsman himself! Heir to an uncounted fortune, and a leader of London society! The local youths idolized "the Nonesuch"; the fathers disapproved; and the mothers and daughters saw him as the most eligible--and elusive--man in the kingdom.

But one person remained calm. When she became a governess, Ancilla Trent had put away romance, and at first she could only be amused at the fuss over Sir Waldo. But when he ignored the well-born beauties of the district, a shocking question began to form: could the celebrated gentleman be courting her?"

My Thoughts: For years, I repeatedly read that Georgette Heyer is a good author to check out after Jane Austen. Heyer sat on my to-read list, unread, until this year.

The Nonesuch started a little slow and I felt bombarded with characters. However, once the plot thickened, I really enjoyed Heyer’s wit. The author’s ability to create an immersive community and sense of humor did remind me of Jane Austen. Overall, it’s a sweet read for Regency fans. I wasn’t crazy about the name Waldo. I kept picturing “Where’s Waldo” in my mind, placing the hero in a red, striped shirt.

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Review: The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney

Vonze: 3 out of 5

My thoughts: I love learning about fascinating female historical figures. That's why I was drawn to "The Woman Who Would Be King".

Before picking this up, I would have considered myself a light intermediate of Ancient Egyptian history. Since childhood, I've watched a lot of documentaries, visited museums with mummies, and even seen King Tut's artifacts.

However, this book informed me about aspects of Ancient Egyptian culture, I guess, I missed all those years. That said, the information wasn't what I was looking for when I picked this book. I wanted to be inspired by Hatshepsut. But there's not enough real information about her to be inspired. Instead I learned about incest marriages required by religion, regardless of age. Explicit worship of statues. I felt graphic information was dwelt on too much.

Beforehand, I somehow assumed that the book would focus on Hatshepsut from the moment she became king and tell me what we do know about her. I felt that the book would be inspiring and heavy on the girlpower. However, it mostly feels like a book of speculation, because it focuses on covering the possibilities. Another reviewer stated it would work better as historical fiction. I agree.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

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