Kay_L

Review of advance copy received from Netgalley.

When I read the synopsis of Plant Lady by Minyoung Kang, I was intrigued and looking forward to a humorous quirky read with a little horticulture on the side. While the seed for an entertaining read was there it never really bloomed into full grown novel. I needed more details of everything like Yoohee's back story, how she started her garden of men, her interactions with the women who needed aspects of their lives pruned, the actual planting & composting of "weeds".

The book read like a first draft that needed sunshine, watering & lots of fertilizer for it to really mature into a full-fledged novel.

As an avid reader of both nonfiction history and historical fiction, I've read many well-researched books set in Tudor England, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to read an alternate history/fantasy centered on the Tudors. What intrigued me most was knowing from the start that this would not be a traditional Tudor story. And while Henry Tudor is prominent in the title, the novel is really an entertaining revisionist story about the women in his life who wanted him dead.

What worked for me most was the author's willingness to fully embrace the fantasy elements while re-imagining these historical women in ways that felt fresh and engaging. The rumor that Anne Boleyn was a witch is woven directly into the story, and her powers are used not only for revenge but also for good. I also appreciated that Anne was allowed to recognize her own faults and grow as a character.

The portrayal of Catherine of Aragon ("Lina") was another strength. She is often written as cold, aloof, or rigidly religious, but here she is shown as strong while also caring, generous, and forgiving. The story avoids reducing her Catholic faith to intolerance, which made her characterization feel more nuanced. I also appreciated the author's inclusion of same-sex relationships as something natural and historically plausible, rather than treated as modern invention.

The depictions of Anne of Cleves and Catherine Parr were highlights for me as well. Their roles in this version of the story were compelling, and I especially liked the broader theme that a woman's value is not tied solely to bearing children. Some reviewers have criticized the book for being "full of feminist views," but that was actually part of what made it appealing to me. It gives today's readers a chance to see these women in a positive, feminist light, rather than solely through historical narratives so often shaped by male writers. As a historical fantasy, it isn't trying to replicate the social attitudes or events of the period exactly, and I enjoyed that contemporary perspective.
There were, however, a few things that held it back for me. At times, the pacing dragged, and I found myself wanting more dramatic action and stronger visual details. In several scenes, the book relied too much on telling readers what to feel instead of letting the story create that emotional response on its own.

I was also uncomfortable with the references to the relationship between Catherine Howard ("Kat") and Francis Dereham without acknowledging the significant age difference between them—she was in her early teens, while he was in his thirties. This could have been an effective opportunity to address how young girls have historically been groomed, exploited, and abused, especially in contrast with the similarly troubling age gap between Kat and Henry VIII.

Spoiler:
The introduction of the character Gisa felt abrupt and somewhat contrived. I wanted more explanation about who she was, why she mattered, and how she fit into the larger story. I was also a little disappointed by the ending. I had been looking forward to seeing the future of Lina and Anne, along with Kat, Anna, and Marguerite, and the good they might go on to accomplish together.

Thank you to BookBrowse for the advanced copy of Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J.A.Bear!

While mythology has been a topic that I read often since my youth (oh so many years ago) this feminist was frustrated with how the women, even the goddesses were treated. Those books, mostly written by males frequently glorified masculine strength, intellectual pursuits, and divine favor while marginalizing or punishing females, reflecting ancient Greek misogyny. To my delight talented women authors have begun to write the myths from the female perspective. giving a more accurate depiction-in my opinion- of the thoughts, feelings and motivations of the wives, mothers, daughters, goddesses and victims of the male egos of ancient tales. Lauren J.A. Bear has created superb interpretation of the goddess Aphrodite in her new book Aphrodite in Pieces.

Bear follows the version of the Aphrodite who emerged parent-less from the sea to become the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Bear lets Aphrodite’s own voice tell her stories of the joyful and destructive nature of love, of the politics of Mount Olympus and her part in the Trojan War. The extension of Aphrodite’s life through the ages is a bonus to this enjoyable telling of the legend of a complicated personality.

When I was a child, I loved listening to the stories my great-aunt would tell about life during the 1930's depression. While my family did not experience the drastic conditions of the drought like those in Kansas, Oklahoma & Colorado - life on a farm NE Missouri was still hard work and a struggle to make ends meet.

Catherine Matthias's book for middle school readers – When the Sky Turned to Dust – felt like I was listening to my great-aunt again. The Dolan family's life felt as real as those of my family's. Matthias' words authentically show the Dolan's struggles, successes, joys and heart ache with candor and genuineness. A reader will easily be able to imagine themselves or their forebearers living through this calamitous time in our country's history.

Thank you to BookBrowse for the ARC of this book.