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Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Sons, by Pearl S. Buck

Sons (The Good Earth Book 2)
by Pearl S. Buck, narrated by Adam Verner

This second book of The Good Earth trilogy picks up exactly where the first book, The Good Earth, left off. Wang Lung, the protagonist of the first story, is on his deathbed and his sons solemnly promise not to sell this precious land. But as time passes, the men who have barely known the sweat and blood that went into that land begin to sell it off piece by piece. Meanwhile, Wang "The Tiger" has become a rising warlord. In distant parts of China, a revolution is gaining force. The story takes place in a time of warlords between between Imperial China and WWII. It focuses most of its attention on Wang the Tiger and his slow rise to power, though it jumps over to Wang Lung's other sons frequently. 

Monday, December 28, 2015

Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer

Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer, narrated by Phyllida Nash
When Kitty's cantankerous care-taker insists that one of his own nephews marry Kitty for her to inherit his fortune, three of them rush to Kitty's home to propose. When she spurns those three, they patiently explain that she must marry one of them or else she will be left destitute. Kitty hatches a plan (which the reader is left only vaguely aware of) to free herself from these constraints - but it requires her to go to London for a few weeks. That's where her cousin Freddy comes in. He didn't propose - had no wish to propose - but only came because he was curious what this big summons from his uncle was about. In secret, Kitty convinces Freddy to propose marriage so that he could take her to London. Of course, she'll break it off when the few weeks are over....

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell

How to Train Your Dragon, Book 1
by Cressida Cowell
Narrated by David Tennant
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III isn't what you would call a Viking hero, He's small and scrawny, and prefers scholarly entertainment rather than ruffian ones. However, he is the son of the tribe leader, so he must be a hero. When, in an initiation-to-tribe trial he must find a baby dragon to train, he ends up with the smallest, toothlessest dragon he could imagine. But he must persevere in order to be accepted into his tribe. Little does the tribe know that danger lurks near.