Tag: historical
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The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore: Intriguing and Mysterious
Spirited Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele.…
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The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan: Absorbing and Compelling
In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake. Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a…
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A House Between Sea and Sky by Beth Cato: Magical and Cozy
Grieving Hollywood writer Fayette Wynne arrives in Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1926 to finish her latest project in peace. All alone, save for the preternatural sourdough starter her family has nurtured for years, Fayette is also resentful. The proven healing powers of the bread made with her starter were insufficient to save her beloved mother. For Fayette,…
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The Choral: Poignant and Powerful
I have a soft spot for historical films, add in music and singing, and this made The Choral one that I really wanted to see. With a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, I had hope that the film would be interesting. After watching it, I found the movie poignant and powerful, full of quirky characters…
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The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke: Compelling Historical
Innsbruck, 1485. Helena Scheuberin should be doing what every other young wife is doing: keeping house, supporting her husband, and bearing his children, but as an outspoken, strong woman, she sometimes has difficulty fitting in. Then she draws the unwanted attention of a malign priest who is just starting his campaign to root out “witches”…
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Hamnet: Breathtaking and Raw
I was excited about seeing Hamnet primarily because I love Shakespeare, both the tragedies and the comedies. This unique look at the origins of one of his greatest tragedies, Hamlet, was something I really wanted to see and coming out of the screening, I felt the film was breathtaking and raw, the performances some of…
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Nuremberg: Brilliant Performances
I’ve always been a student of history so most films that focus on history will be of interest to me but in particular, I wanted to see Nuremberg, not because it would be comfortable to watch but because the timing of the film with current events makes it feel necessary. Add that to a cast…
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Slashed Beauties by A. Rushby: Dark and Chilling
Seoul, present day. Antiques dealer Alys’s task is nearly complete. She has at last secured Elizabeth, the final anatomical Venus in a dangerously intertwined trio. Crafted in eighteenth-century London and modeled after real-life sex workers to entice male medical students to study female anatomy, these eerie wax figures, known as slashed beauties, carry unsavory lore.…
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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale: Touching Conclusion
Since watching the previous film, I’ve grown to truly love the Downton Abbey series. So when the chance to see these wonderful characters one more time arose, I was quick to go see the screening. While the storyline is fairly straightforward, I loved getting to see the familiar faces again. The storyline was intriguing and…
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Mother of Rome by Lauren J. A. Bear: Riveting Reimagining
The names Romulus and Remus may be immortalized in map and stone and chronicle, but their mother exists only as a preface to her sons’ journey, the princess turned oath-breaking priestess, condemned to death alongside her children. But she did not die; she survived. And so does her story. Beautiful, royal, rich: Rhea has it…
