Dear Susan/KC, Love this look at your bookshelf! Meissner has been a favorite author of mine ever since I read The Shape of Mercy. Such hard history but she does those dual timelines so well. And I’ll intrigued about anything GWTW related! You have a wonderful way with words and would make a fine reviewer if you aren’t that already. Thanks for this glimpse of both books. There are quite a few lurkers here who don’t comment but who I know will enjoy your posting as much as I do. Happy reading!

(1) Marigolds also used a dual-timeline of the September 1911 New York Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the twin towers in New York with a common thread of a scarf. The things I found myself criticizing about her characters and their motivations made so much more sense at the end of the story and it picked up speed with some plot twists when tying it all together in the end. It was a powerful “love conquers” with a hint of etherial faith. (though I was still wanting to find descriptions in words that made me go awe like you do – like your lake winking its blue eye, etc.)

(2) Stardust told a story of the making of Gone with the Wind from the viewpoint of a budding writer in Hollywood privy to being on the set itself. I wanted to believe what she wrote was true, so I didn’t do a lot of back research. And, because I have worked for some pretty influential people (like her Carole Lombard), I knew how easy it would have been for the fictional main character to make quick friends with Ms. Lombard and the Mr., a criticism others had of the book. It wasn’t a full resolve at the end in the sense of a fairy tale, but I could see her build a true love between characters. Plus, I read a bio of the author and felt she very well could have had first-hand information via her husband of these particular people.

Impressive list, Lisa! That’s the beauty of sharing these. I always get ideas and am sure others who read this do too. I’m doing a Shirer study (Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed) right now and it’s so good. Am going to look up these others, all but Goldsmith, one of my literary heroes from my college studies of that era. He is so fun to quote in books. And I’m peppering this Scottish novel of mine with plenty of them. Happy reading!

You, too, dear Savanna!

I noticed the image! 🙂 Great job! And you were easy to teach. 🙂

Have a blessed day, my friend!

Truly, nothing quite like historicals for escaping into the past and learning something too! This is my test post, Savanna, trying to capture that journal image like you showed me. So pleased it worked! THANK YOU for being such a wonderful instructor! And happy reading!

I so understand budgeting and books. Another thing is shelf space. That’s a big thing these e-readers have in their favor. And that Kindle shelf of mine looks so pretty 🙂 on my iPad. Trouble is, I always prefer a hard copy! You’re own Romanov reading sounds fascinating. I can only read a little at a time on Russia before bed usually. What a wonderful author name! Memorable. Have a good haircut. I’m debating doing that soon myself:) Bless you, my friend.

I’ve been slowly reading Simon Sebag Montefiore’s The Romanovs for several months. It’s quite good. I highly recommend it.

I’m off work today, and going to get a haircut in about three hours, so I’ve been scrolling through my kindle trying to decide what novel to start. So far, I’ve not decided.