A Tree, A Book, and A Breeze

  Carved in Ebony Jasmine L. Holmes Bethany House Publishers This book wasn't quite what I expected, although now that I'm taking a better look at the title, I'm realizing I should have guessed that. Rather than being straight-up biographical (as I thought) this mixes biography and memoir. Some of the book was a little repetitive (although, granted, there isn't a whole lot of information to work with for a few of the women) and I would have loved it if it had included at least a few pictures. I think the chapter I enjoyed the most was on Charlotte Forten Grimke; I recognized the last name, and then she was described as a "folklorist" (among many other things!) and then it turns out that she collected folklore from South Carolina's sea islands! All of the ladies included led interesting lives, but I think she's the one I'd most love to have a conversation with. I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for...

  Shadows of Swanford Abbey Julie Klassen Bethany House Publishers In pursuit of an author who could help get her brother published, Rebecca Lane stays at Swanford Abbey, a grand hotel rumored to be haunted. It is there she encounters Sir Frederick--the man who broke her heart. When a mysterious death occurs, Rebecca is one of the suspects, and Frederick is torn between his feelings for her and his search for the truth. I enjoyed this one just as much as I have Julie Klassen's other books. This one had a well-developed mystery that reminded me of Charles Dickens (which makes sense, since in the afterward she mentions one of his characters as a particular inspiration.) I especially enjoyed the setting and while this book was lighter on the romance than a lot of the author's other books, I really did love the characters together. In fact, this one had a pretty distinctive cast of characters altogether, and after watching Death on the Nile the other night, I couldn't hel...