The Muralist: A Novel | 
pickThis is a lovely novel about the powerful influence of art, history of WWII, and people working to impact change in belief systems. The story brings to life famous characters from this time period; Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Lee Krasnor. Pictured is one of my husband‘s oil paintings, A Girl of a Different Kind. The painting is available at www.poesoulstudio.com
Full review https://abookandadog.com
pickThis story is in a similar vein to The Art Forger: duel timeline, paintings, museums, female artist. But Is set now & WWII, rather than late 1800‘s. Another enjoyable read as you follow Dani trying to locate her long gone great aunt‘s paintings and history.
pickThis is my third book by Shapiro and lemme tell you, she is incredible. I had chills for a solid 100 pages at the end! She made the famous characters - Eleanor Roosevelt and artists Rothko, Pollock, & Krasner - jump off the page, to the point where I really felt the fictional protagonist must also be real!
Books about the Holocaust are always painful, but this one especially so bc it addressed President Roosevelt‘s unwillingness to help refugees.
I got an email from ThriftBooks the other day that I had a coupon for a free book. So I picked a book. Then I obviously wanted to get free shipping, so I added a few books to my cart. These are books 2 of 4 that have come in. 😊
#oops #bookhaul #needtostopbuyingbooks
pickSimply enchanting! I have never read a description of mania and paranoia so real, so understandable. The hearts shown of Krasner, Rothko, and Pollock made it all the more enjoyable. The novel raises a lot of questions concerning human rights and our moral obligations as people of earth; it would make a perfect book club read! Shapiro expertly and beautifully weaved the tapestry of Alizée's artistry, which made this impossible to put down!
We‘re back from vacation and a week pretty much off the grid. These are the books we brought home from our venture into the crazy bookstore on Sanibel. The tagged book for me, Clarence Darrow for hubby, and the third was a freebie the clerk threw in our bag. Not our usual reading, but who can turn down a free book?😄
pickI loved the Art Forger so I was excited to get this one a while back. And it did not disappoint, I was sucked right in and loved every page.
Never grocery shop hungry. At least my grocery store doesn‘t sell books.
#jubilantjuly day 7: Starts with M|N|O #art #themuralist #ninewomenonedress #theone
pickWow #audiobook of the day! What a great listen while I was out on my mail route. Loved the historical and art references in this novel. This is another winner by #BAShapiro.
Bandette & Chloe watching for deer 🦌 and squirrels, as we enjoy the weather during #LitsyPartyOfOne #dogsoflitsy
Enjoying reading in between running my errands today!! Drinking a pear, orange & kale smoothie in a long ago 'acquired' glass A&W Root Beer mug! #LitsyPartyOfOne
Yay! After a 6 hour delay in Houston due to storms in Dallas, we're finally boarding!
Had a great time in Houston! @Sara_Planz @BekahPat thanks for the restaurant & bookstore recs!
pickLoved, loved, loved this book. Shapiro did a great job of weaving together the real and the imagined to create a compelling narrative. Beautiful work. #LitsyReadingChallenge #LRC10 #MultiplePOVs
I am caught between wanting to read the whole book in a sitting and wanting the book to last forever. Love the two different time periods. Love the mixture of real historical figures with the fictional figures. I am hooked.
#seasonsreadings2016 #artrelatedbooks I'm currently reading this title and it is definitely art related! It alternates between 1940 and 2015. I love historical fiction that has real people as characters. This one includes Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Eleanor Roosevelt! (I also like that the red cover next to my green blanket looks festive and christmassy)
"For forward-thinking men, you're both being extremely bull-headed," Eleanor declared. "The world is flat. Bloodletting curses diseases. Women will never win the vote." She glared at each in turn. "Is this where you want to stand?"
pickI'm not usually taken with historical novels that imagine fictional people as part of huge events. "Alizee Benoit" influenced abstract expressionist painters as well as Eleanor Roosevelt's politics. :p. The writing could be workmanlike and the ending a little too convenient. But there's a deeper truth to this novel about the plight of the oppressed and the meaning of art. I certainly learned a bit about the latter. Protagonists were nuanced, too.
pickI'm a sucker for art history. Loved the alternating voices chapter by chapter and the feels in the end.
Home sick from work so I'm catching up on some new-ish books that have been on my TBR pile for too long.
This one seems to have it all - mystery, art, politics, history...In 1940's New York a young artist disappears. 70 years later, her great-niece pieces together the truth about her disappearance. I've also heard good things about the author's book The Art Forger but haven't read it.
pickI love historical fiction. This was a fun read and learned a little about abstract expressionism. The book is written with the now common switch each chapter follow 2 different characters and the two stories merge in the end.
