In my A+ to F rating system I had 4 books rating my subjective A- (4.5). Highlighting the tagged because I‘m thrilled a challenge brought it to my attention!
5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F
pickI‘m not Catholic, but I grew up in an area that was VERY Catholic, so I was familiar with the basics of modern day Catholicism. What Agata goes through to avoid being used in the financial plans of her family, and the plotting of the church, is astounding. I enjoyed watching her grow even while cloistered, and learning the many reasons one might become a nun at that time. Well done, though the ending was a bit abrupt for me.
#nunlitquarterly
pickI‘m thrilled this book came to my attention through #NunLitQuarterly and soon become immersed in Agata‘s world. I‘ll never make my peace with the power the Catholic Church gives to families of wealth, nor the amount of young girls rehomed to convents - but gosh it makes for an interesting read. I believe this was my first translated novel of 2024! I was also intrigued with Agata‘s 1840 fascination with the P&P Bennet sisters.
pickI ended up enjoying our April #NunLitQuarterly pick quite a bit. Rich in historical detail. Lots of inner turmoil for our young heroine. A good deal of drama yet filled with quiet, reflective moments. I think it was meant to be a happy ending, but I was left feeling concerned about how things might play out—hopefully just lots of romance and reading.
rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, BookishShelly, kspenmoll, KathyWheeler, Centique, Aimeesue, Suet624, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, JamieArc, marleed, Kristin_Reads, Singout, PageShifter
1839, Messina, Italy. Immersed in this world this morning.#nunlit #porchlife
“she prayed and worked on a paperole that was meant to have a gleaming white consecrated host at its center.”
The art of paperole has been mentioned a few times. Had to go searching for some images. Found this beautiful example.
#NunLitQuarterly
rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, BookishShelly, kspenmoll, KathyWheeler, Centique, Aimeesue, Suet624, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, JamieArc, marleed, Kristin_Reads, Singout, PageShifter
“She opened the package—it was another novel, The Monk. The title made her smile…She leafed through it, as she always did. Every book has its own identity and characteristics, and Agata had a ritual that she followed in order to get to know and love a book…and only then did she pick up the paper knife. She put the little uneven tabs of paper that ripped off as she cut the pages into her mouth, as if they were communion wafers.”
#NunLitQuarterly
rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, BookishShelly, kspenmoll, KathyWheeler, Centique, Aimeesue, Suet624, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, JamieArc, marleed, Kristin_Reads, Singout, PageShifter
“The tender morning sunshine sifted down through the skylight, filling the room below and highlighting the pink marble of the Baroque staircase.”
I am loving our April #NunLit book so far.
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
pickJoanna was an amazing woman and was one of the only women to inherit her kingdom in her own right. She brought as much peace and prosperity as her horrible husbands would allow and her kingdom flourished into a power under her strong rule after her horrible husbands died.
The book gets deep into papel politics as Joanna played a surprisingly big role in the history of the Catholic Church.
3.5/5 fascinating but bogged in church politics
