Best of the Best 2019 Part 3: New Book Alert

Best of the Best 2019 Part 3: New Book Alert

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Now we come to my most popular category, New Book Alert.

I am proud to say that this year, I have seen a tremendous explosion in new book reviews. Because there were so many, I am doing a Top 20 countdown rather than Top 10.

A tremendous clientele have wanted to see their books read and reviewed.  I hope that I have done my part to give these authors and their works the attention that they deserve.

I would like to extend a hearty thank you to all of the authors, publishers, websites, social media platforms, and literary groups that have brought these books to my attention. You are what makes this blog great.

If you have or know of a book that you would love for me to review in the next year, do not hesitate to contact me at

Email: juliesaraporter@gmail.com

Twitter: @JulieSaraPorte1

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Now without any further introduction, on with the countdown:

 

20. Meditations on Discipline and Failure: Stoic Exercises for Mental Fitness/A Life Worth Living: God, Death, and Stoicism by William Ferraiolo

Ferraiolo's books take a modern look on how Readers can implement the philosophy of Stoicism in our daily lives. Meditations on Discipline and Failure offers quick suggestions and witticisms that cover various topics such as death, acceptance, relationships, success, and failure.

A Life Worth Living is a more in-depth coverage on bigger concepts like the existence of God and acceptance of death. These books give us advice on what we can learn and do to make our existence on Earth worth while. We can do it with a reserve that acknowledges loss and failure and moves on.

19. Shadows of the Raven (Sons of Kings) by Millie Thom

This is the first of many historical fiction novels on this list and begins with a hard, dark, violent look. In Anglo-Saxon England, Eadulf, a young Mercian prince is kidnapped from his family and sold into slavery to Vikings. The book is mesmerizing as Eadulf adapts to their ways by taking on a more violent persona, worshipping the warrior-like Norse gods, and participating in village raids with his masters.

18. The Bipolar Addict: Drinks, Drugs, Delirium, and Why Sober is the New Cool by Connor Bezane

Bezane's memoir about drug addiction and mental illness succeeds as a personal story and a more external outlook at the drug crisis in general. Bezane writes about his addictions with drugs including heroin, meth, and opioids as well as struggles with bipolar disorder in a way that is both witty and moving. He then turns the focus to five other people who had similar struggles. This book explores the hardships of addiction and illness and shows that recovery is possible.

17. For the Love of Wolves by D.J. Swykert

The third book in Swykert’s series about animal lover, Maggie Elizabeth Harrington is the best. In old age, Maggie lives alone with her memories of friends and lovers who have long died or left. She feels a deep connection to a white wolf that she believes still roams the woods long after his death. The book is filled with beautiful descriptions and a strong deep connection to nature that transcends beyond life and death. It shows that for some people, their love for animals can be greater than their love for fellow humans.

16. Zodiac States by William Stalker

A sharp and funny satirical novel about an island which is separated into twelve states that represents the signs of the Zodiac. Five newcomers experience each area that is brilliantly characterized from the gun-toting Cancers, to the feminist Virgos, to the meditative Pisces, to the hippy Aquarius. Stalker uses this bizarre premise to send up everything from international dependency, politics, economics, gender roles, war, fashion, technology, personality testing and everything else in between.

15. Gumshoe Blues (The Peter Ord Yarns) by Paul D. Brazill

The Hard-boiled detective genre has never looked more Millennial. British detective, Peter Ord investigates several cases involving missing persons and dealing with the local toughs. Ord's first person narration is what makes this anthology as he mocks the dark sinister world around him with a dry cynicism and references to popular culture.

14. Shiri by D.S. Taylor

This is a strong emotional novel about a woman sold into slavery in Ancient Egypt and being forced to work in the household of a man posing as an Egyptian nobleman. There are some very tense situations involving physical and sexual abuse and some drama involving Shiri’s loved ones who are on the opposite side between the slave-master dynamic. But Shiri is a strong admirable lead as she maintains her strength and faith throughout her captivity.

13. Sapphire and Planet Zero by Christina Blake

This is the start of a hopefully great YA Science Fiction/Fantasy series. Sapphire, a typical middle schooler, discovers that she is descended from a race of alien beings called the squilan and that she must return to her family's home planet to save her native race from a sinister dark wizard. Blake creates a unique world with unique characters. The squilan race are brilliantly created with violet eyes, crystal running through their veins, and unusual abilities like telekinesis and controlling the elements.

This journey becomes a rite of maturity as Sapphire learns to use her hidden powers and strength to fight her adversaries.

12. Confessions of A Bookseller by Shaun Bythell

Bythell's memoirs are a treat for anyone who makes a living by selling, writing, making, or reading books. Bythell recounts a year in which he ran the Book Shop in Wigtown, Scotland. He writes about eccentric customers, wacky co-workers, and his involvement in various activities including the Wigtown Festival, social media contests, and a shop where people can temporarily operate a book store. Bythell's reminisces are humorous, heartfelt, and fun.

11. The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

Hawkins’s book is a lovely charming novel about life in a sweet, magical, small town. Sara Dove is the town librarian of Dove Pond, South Carolina and she hears books talk to her-literally. Her efforts to rescue her fading town involve friends, family, and a business-like newcomer. This book is filled with charming little touches like flowers that change colors and sweet subplots of friendship and romance. This is the type of book that ends happily but it warms your heart when it does.

10. Unbalanced by Courtney Shepherd

This is a brilliant fantasy about four separated sisters who learn that they control the elements-Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The fantastic elements are intriguing as the sisters learn about the dangers that their abilities possess. What really stands out are the four protagonists. Little details such as their hobbies, interests, and locations make them individuals. However, it is when they work together that balances their powers and makes them a formidable team.

9. Crossing the Hall: Exposing an American Divide by Lori Wojtowicz

Wojtowicz’s book not only takes an unflinching look at racism in the American classrooms but asks some intentionally uncomfortable questions of the Reader. Wojtowicz writes about her time teaching Honors English and African-American Literature classes and how the student body differed in terms of racial demographics, economic disparity, and family structures. The book identifies several forms of racism that people can fall into. It also discusses the way people can recognize those forms and change their outlook and behaviors. Sometimes the greatest changes can come from within.

8. Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies I Told Myself by Erin Khar

Khar’s autobiography is an intense look at her struggles with opioid addiction and mental illness. Khar's troubled life before her addiction including divorce and sexual abuse is not glossed over and neither are the difficulties that she encountered during her recovery. This book gives us the full account of addiction and illness and how they affect that person before, during, and afterwards.

7. The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel by Jeanne Mackin

This is a stylish, glamorous, and savage historical fiction novel about the two noted fashion icons, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. A young widow works for Schiaparelli's fashion house and gets caught up in the rivalry between the two fashion titans. The book explores the differences between the duo in their styles, personalities, and politics and how they swept everyone along in their one on one war.

6. Glossolalia (Agents of the Nevermind) by Tantra Bensko

Glossolalia is a strange, bizarre, and unforgettable suspense novel set in an Alternate Universe United States where magic runs free. Two women and a young girl are caught up in the machinations of the Nevermind, a secret organization that runs the country. There are intense moments of mind control, psychic phenomena, drug therapy and other means that the Nevermind uses to control the populace. The plot brims with betrayal and odd connections as the protagonists discovers the unusual connection that they share.

5. Sand and Smoke (Dragon's Destiny) by Carl Cotas-Robles

This book transcends genres in bringing the Readers a combination Western-Steampunk Science Fiction-Fantasy. Al Hardin AKA The Silver Bandana and Maya Samoralt, a Dragonrider work together to stop a superweapon and bring down a corrupt government. Cotas-Robles brings this odd genre mixture to life by making them seem like a natural fit. In this world, cowboys and outlaws exist alongside sorcerers and dragons in an even almost anticlimactic way that accepts these circumstances. The best tropes of the genres combine to bring this brilliant novel to life.

4. Elizabeth Craven: Writer, Feminist, European by Julia Gasper

This biography tells the story of an overlooked but amazing woman who challenged 18th-early 19th century views of womanhood. Gasper brings Craven to life recounting her scandalous divorce, her travels through Europe and Asia, and her writing career which questioned the role of women in society. With this treatment, Elizabeth Craven deserves to be put in the spotlight and recognized for her contributions to Feminism.

3. L’Agent Double by Kit Sergeant

Sergeant has written a series of novels about female spies on the war front. This one is an exciting look at three women taking part in espionage during WWII: Mata Hari, Marthe Cnockeart, and Alouette Richer. The three are analyzed in their personalities and means of spying, making them memorable characters that are caught up in times that take tremendous courage and sacrifice.

2. Ashes by Sharon Gloger Friedman

The best historical novel of the year covers various topics like immigration rights, labor activism, women's suffrage, and Anti-Semitism. Miriam, a Russian Jewish immigrant, finds work to help support her impoverished family. Her work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is filled with details that describe the hardships of working in such a factory with long hours, inhuman regulations, and foremen that don't keep their hands and lecherous thoughts to themselves. The plot climaxes in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 which many organizations cited to make enormous changes in society.

1. The Unseen Blossom by Zlaikha Y. Samad and L'Mere Younossi

The best book from this year is a beautiful allegorical fantasy about Zuli,an Afghan princess and Lamar, a commoner that go on a magical journey to find a fig blossom. The book is filled with enchanting chapters in which Zuli and Lamar travel to lands where flowers sing, birds and fish talk, and magical creatures dispense wisdom that aids the two on their trip.

Above all, The Unseen Blossom is a strong allegory of self-actualization. Zuli and Lamar harness their knowledge, strengths, limitations, and abilities to move beyond their roles as princess and commoner and to bring great change to their world.

Honorable Mention: The Meadows (Legacy of Darkness) by London Clarke, 8 Seconds to Midnight (Commander John Hart) by John Leifer, A Prison in the Sun (Canary Islands Mysteries) by Isobel Blackthorn, Seance on a Summer's Night by Josh Lanyon, Corruption Behind Bars: Stories of Crime and Corruption in America's Prisons by Gary York, Stories We Never Told by Sonia Yeorg, The Lost Power (Van Ops) by Avanti Centrae, Ways to Go Beyond and Why They Work by Rupert Sheldrake, Magic Sleep by Cherie Smith, Saving Grace (Fox River Romance Book 4) by Jess B. Moore

Happy Reading!

New Book Alert: Elizabeth Craven: Writer, Feminist, European by Julia Gasper; Wonderful Feminist Biography of a Great Independent Woman Forgotten By History

                                                     
Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Baroness Craven, Later Princess Berkeley, Magravine of Brandenburg-Anspach by Ozias Humphrey




New Book Alert: Elizabeth Craven: Writer, Feminist, European by Julia Gasper; Wonderful Feminist Biography of a Great Independent Woman Forgotten By History




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: One of the things that I have enjoyed the most about being an Editor/Book Reviewer is learning about different historical people and events, many of which I was previously unfamiliar. I recently reviewed L’Agent Double, Kit Sergeant's novel which featured the infamous Mata Hari and two other female spies of WWI that were just as important but have been overlooked by much of history: Marthe Cnockeart and Alouette Richer.

I just reviewed Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly’s brilliant novel about Caroline Ferriday and the Ravensbruck Rabbits, a group of Polish women who had received dangerous experimental surgeries during the Holocaust.

For another website, I am reviewing a book about William Cooper, an activist who fought for the rights of Australia's First Nations People also known as the Aborigines.

Another interesting colorful figure I just learned about was Elizabeth Baroness Craven, Princess Berkeley Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1750-1828). Craven was an English noblewoman who had a scandalous and unhappy marriage that ended in divorce. However, she was also an accomplished poet, playwright, translator, travel writer and a forward thinking independent woman who championed women’s causes like education both at home and abroad.

Julia Gasper tells of Craven's fascinating life in her biography, Elizabeth Craven: Writer, Feminist, European. Gasper gives us a full picture of a woman who challenged society's restrictions by living according to her own terms and standards.

Gasper makes it clear from the first chapter that Craven was someone who had to be independent and willing to challenge the standards that she was under. She was born Elizabeth Berkeley, the sixth child and second only surviving daughter of Augustus, 4th Earl of Berkeley and his wife, Lady Berkeley. They were hoping for a second son, the “spare” to add to the “heir,” and could barely contain their disappointment. (A second son, George was born three years later.) In fact, when she was born, Elizabeth was so small and underweight that her mother considered suffocating her, except her great-aunt interfered.

Craven’s mother had no interest in her children particularly her younger daughter. She often neglected and ignored them. Because of this, Craven found maternal warmth in her godmother, great-aunt, and a governess, the warmth that she lacked from her mother. The lack of maternal feeling gave Craven the independence that she needed to survive on her own and challenge the standards held by the women of her mother's day.

Craven had a passionate nature that she inherited from her parents. Before he married, her father had an affair with a married woman that ended when her husband confronted her in public.
Craven's father died when she was five and her mother remarried a man who many thought was an opportunist. Lady Berkeley subsequently gave birth to two more daughters, but her second husband doubted that he fathered the younger of the two. Craven's sister and brothers also had relationships that were the causes of much gossip. These scandalous affairs foreshadowed into Craven's later life and unhappy marriage.


Elizabeth had a sound mind and body that came from strict learning and practice.
She was educated in French, Italian, dancing, drawing and playing the harp. She was educated by the standards of a young girl of her class, but she had a determination to learn more than what she had been given. She was a voracious reader with a passion for history and philosophy and a strong mind for business and finances which helped her aid her first and second husband in their expenditures. This education helped her learn and understand a world beyond her limited role as an English noblewoman.
She was also given cold baths and health food to toughen her up and keep her figure. When she grew, she participated in physical activity such as horseback and eating health foods. This strenuous physical regimen also played a large part of her adulthood when she observed other women's flaccid often weary nature and reasoned that it may have developed from increased dependence in their relationships.


Craven's marriage to William Craven already seemed like an attraction of opposites. She was from a wealthy noble family; he was a clergyman's son but the heir to a distant noble relative. She was educated and learned in many fields; he was described as “a plain and dull fellow whose education at Rugby and Oxford taught him very little.” She liked reading books, art, and music; he liked horse and dog racing, hunting, and reading newspapers. She was well-mannered, polite, and observant; he was uncouth, abrasive, and bad tempered. Their marriage was not going to last and it didn't.

The marriage resulted in the birth of 7 children but there were several incidents of physical and emotional abuse largely from William to Craven. There were also repeated accusations of infidelity from both sides. Finally after 13 years of marriage, she and William divorced. While the divorce gave her freedom and independence, it also cost Craven dearly. She gave up most of her homes and custody of all but one of her children.

She was bandied about and made the subject of gossip and rumor mongering such as that she had married another man or that she was really pregnant. Ironically, most of their closest friends and acquaintances preferred her because of her friendly outgoing nature, over William's brutish often intoxicated attitude.
Of course, once Craven did something about her unhappiness she was then derided. Her situation reflected the double standards many had at the time where they sympathized with a woman who was unhappily married but vilified her once she got out of the marriage.


Craven was a strong intellectual woman and like many intellectual women of her day, she hosted salons where she invited the best authors, philosophers, scientists and players during the Enlightenment Age. However, unlike many other women, Gasper revealed that Craven was not content to just invite them and be the hostess. She wanted to be one of the intellectuals. This idea of producing her own work and many of her views such as abolishing slavery and creating stronger women's rights put her at odds with her peers, particularly the bluestockings, the older educated sophisticated women of Craven's class.

Craven wrote many works and like many creative and talented people found inspiration in the world around her. Many of her works reflected her philosophical and political views and also provided commentary on her unhappy marriage.
She was the subject of various poems which recounted her witty and learned nature in contrast to William’s boorish dullness. Her first published works particularly the poem, “Lines Addressed to the Rev. Charles Jenner” were love letters to the lovers that she had during her marriage. One in particular was Rev. Charles Jenner, a minister and academic who wrote plays and comic verse. Their affair ended long before Craven's divorce happened but it was Jenner who encouraged Craven to publish her writing.

Craven also translated and wrote a number of plays, many of which questioned the role of women in society. One play, The Miniature Picture, seems like a typical mistaken identity romantic romp similar to Shakespeare's comedies like The Merchant of Venice or As You Like It. But buried inside is a conversation between a man and a woman disguised as a man who discuss marriage and divorce. The protagonist, played by Craven herself in the original performance, asks if the man prefers “marriage based on fear” and inquires if the man would prefer to hurt his wife to the point that she fears him rather than see the marriage end amicably. This was a subject important to Craven because of her own troubled marriage to William.
Another play that reflected her views was her translation of the Moliere play, The Statue Feast, about the notorious rake, Don Juan. Besides retelling the play, Craven added a prologue that discussed war in France. More importantly, she added an epilogue which invited the audience to imagine England being governed by a Parliamentary of women. While the suggestion was clearly made in a tongue-in-cheek manner (there would be “a tax on gossip and slander.”), this epilogue revealed that Craven wanted to break free from the constraints held by male-dominated restrictions and law.


By far Craven's most important feminist work occurred after her divorce. This was Letters from a Peeress of England to Her Eldest Son. Written as a series of letters to her son, William, Craven described her unhappy marriage and protested the legal status of wives under English law. It blatantly attacked the view that women should be under complete control of her husband. Craven warned her son to look at his wife as an equal and not as property. This was a strong and bold statement for that day.
It is a shame that Lady Elizabeth Craven is not as well known as other early feminists such as Mary Wollstonecraft or Sojourner Truth. Letters from a Peeress of England, could be considered a landmark feminist work along the lines of Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Abigail Adam’s “Remember the Ladies” letter, or Truth's “And Arn't I a Woman?” speech.


After her divorce, Craven traveled and acquired a reputation as a travel writer. Most of the book is spent describing Craven's travels and are brilliantly recaptured with all of the sites, experiences, and friendships and romances Craven made. When Craven and her son, Keppel visited Genoa, Italy they saw first-hand the cruelty of slavery. While Craven protested the practice in theory, her time in Genoa allowed her to be up close to the people suffering under the rule of heartless masters. She became more vocal in her hatred for the practice.

Many of Craven's travels allowed her to observe the treatment of women in other countries and they did not always leave a favorable impression on her. She was impressed by Catherine the Great 's leadership in Russia, particularly how she opened doors to education for all women. She also found the Empress to be a gracious and welcoming host.
However, Craven's writing also engaged in some English snobbery. She originally thought that the Russian feudal system was no better than slavery.
But she thought that the peasants were better cared for and healthier than slaves so she reasoned that they must have been treated well. Knowing that the Russian monarchy ended over one hundred years later and much of it caused by the cruel treatment that landowners held over the peasants, Craven's words would make many Readers cringe. However, it also served to remind us that even though Craven was a woman who was ahead of her time in many ways, she was also a woman of her time. Many of her opinions often were colored by her own life and experiences and observations of what she saw in front of her.

Another moment that illustrated this was Craven's visit to a Turkish bath house in Greece. Craven engaged in body shaming by describing the women as fat and said that the sight “would have put (her) in an ill-humor with (her) sex in a bath for ages.”
Her opinion was incredibly vain and modern Readers would consider it insensitive and abusive. However, Craven was not ashamed strictly because of their appearance. What upset her was the treatment of women that caused their appearance. She realized that these women lived a passive, captive existence under their husbands, lovers, fathers and so on. This existence did not allow the women much of a chance to go outside and engage in physical activity.


Craven moved to Germany where she eventually married the Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach. However, she still remained outspoken about issues that were important to her. She tried to start a school for girls but backed down over objections from the public. She fostered and eventually adopted two girls who were distant relatives.
She also composed her travel experiences into a book, A Journey Through the Crimea to Constantinople and wrote more plays,one of which Nourjad, had a Turkish setting inspired by her visit. Another play, La Philosophe Moderne was a satire of the French Revolution.

After her marriage to the Margrave, Craven and the Margrave returned to England where she hosted and performed in plays.
Craven also got involved in the unhappy marriage between Prince George of Wales, the future King George IV, and his wife, Princess Caroline who he was accused of treating horribly. George married Caroline under protest only so his debts could be paid and continued to abuse, shun, and flaunt other lovers in front of her.
Craven recognized the pattern of her own troubled first marriage and defended Caroline in public. Craven even wrote a play called The Princess of Georgia: An Opera in Two Acts which has the theme of marriage for duty vs. love and took a stance in defending the real-life princess on whom the story was based.


Later in life, Craven traveled again and wrote her memoirs, which of course were considered scandalous because they frankly discussed her extramarital affairs. She spent her remaining days in declining health and being cared for by her youngest son, Keppel.
Lady Elizabeth Craven managed to survive the gossip about her pastand even gained a second life in the process.

Lady Elizabeth Craven, Writer, Feminist, European is a wonderful book about an amazing woman. Hopefully, this book will bring Craven's story out to the public and she will be looked at as one of the most prominent Feminists of her day.