Great Kindle Books

"A Day With Marie Antoinette by Hélène Delalex is a beautifully crafted, intimate look at the life and legend of Marie Antoinette as told through the objects, places and people that defined her story: the furniture, paintings, etchings, lavish rooms and gardens of Versailles where she spent most of her ultimately tragic life are highlighted in this concise, charming overview of Marie Antoinette." -VIVE LA QUEEN BLOG "Hélène Delalex follows the breathless and unsettling pace of change set by Marie Antoinette at Versailles, visiting the sumptuous palace interiors that are imbued with her memory, such as the Gilded Cabinet or the Cabinet de la Méridienne, and the Queen’s Hamlet, still so strongly marked by her presence and determination to break with the conventions of court life. Until that fateful day in October 1789, when she was forced to flee the palace of Versailles, which will always embody the ambivalences of her spirit." -WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY

“Corsets and Codpieces is an extremely expansive, often jolly book. Karen Bowman is the writer’s equivalent of a magpie, her beady eye alert for the offset of details and the weirdest of facts in her brisk romp through a millennium of fashion’s victims.” —New York Times Book Review Have you ever wondered why we wear the type of clothes we do? Packed with outlandish outfits, this exciting history of fashion trends reveals the flamboyant fashions adopted (and discarded) by our ancestors. In the days before cosmetic surgery, people used bum rolls and bombastic breeches to augment their figures, painted their faces with poisonous concoctions, and doused themselves with scent to cover body odor. Take a fresh look at history’s hidden fashion disasters and discover the stories behind historical garments: How removing a medieval woman’s headdress could reveal her as a harlot Why Tudor men traded in their oversized codpieces for corsets How crinoline caused a spate of shoplifting among Victori...

Praise for Gill Paul: ‘A cleverly crafted novel and an enthralling story… A triumph.’ DINAH JEFFERIES  ‘Gripping, romantic and evocative of its time.’ LULU TAYLOR It is 1912. Against all odds, the Titanic is sinking. As desperate hands emerge from the icy water, a few lucky row boats float in the darkness. On the boats are four survivors. Reg, a handsome young steward working in the first-class dining room; Annie, an Irishwoman travelling to America with her children; Juliet, a titled English lady who is pregnant and unmarried, and George, a troubled American millionaire. In the wake of the tragedy, each of these people must try to rebuild their lives. But how can life ever be the same again when you’ve heard over a thousand people dying in the water around you? Haunting, emotional and beautifully written, Women and Children First breathes fresh life into the most famous disaster of the 20th century. A gripping read from the bestselling author of  The Secret...

An engrossing biography of the longest-reigning female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt and the story of her audacious rise to power. Hatshepsut—the daughter of a general who usurped Egypt's throne—was expected to bear the sons who would legitimize the reign of her father’s family. Her failure to produce a male heir, however, paved the way for her improbable rule as a cross-dressing king. At just over twenty, Hatshepsut out-maneuvered the mother of Thutmose III, the infant king, for a seat on the throne, and ascended to the rank of pharaoh. Shrewdly operating the levers of power to emerge as Egypt's second female pharaoh, Hatshepsut was a master strategist, cloaking her political power plays in the veil of piety and sexual reinvention. She successfully negotiated a path from the royal nursery to the very pinnacle of authority, and her reign saw one of Ancient Egypt’s most prolific building periods. Constructing a rich narrative history using the artifacts that remain, ...

“Captivating . . . Sarah Addison Allen produces tantalizing fiction.”— The Roanoke Times “A dusting of magic, the aroma of sugary cakes swirling through the breeze, and a girl who unwittingly brings change to a town of misfits make for a sweet summer story filled with hope and forgiveness.”—Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt “Charming and entertaining . . . Don’t miss this spellbinding tale.”— Asheville Citizen Times “Allen clearly knows that all the fun is in the journey. . . . Sit back, open this book and join her.”—Greensboro News & Record   “An enjoyable read [with] doses of magical realism and romance.”—Associated Press “Easy to devour in one sitting.” — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“[Allison] Pataki successfully juggles numerous political and personal plot lines while maintaining her focus on a fascinating central character. Extensive notes reveal the author’s attention to detail and explain where the novel diverges from the historical record. . . . Readers of Pataki’s first book will want to know the rest of Sisi’s story, but this novel stands on its own for historical fiction fans.” — Library Journal   “ Sisi is a deeply moving book about a complex character.” — BookPage   “A satisfying saga of the late Habsburg period.” — Kirkus Reviews   “Pataki’s extensive historical research is evident as she deftly explores the complex life of a woman who was both loved and hated by those whom she ruled. . . . Pataki brings richness and relevance to the story of the woman who worked tirelessly to protect the face of an empire.” — Publishers Weekly “Allison Pataki simply stuns me with each new book. I savor each page. Sisi is her best yet!” —...

“ The Miniaturist is one of the year’s most hyped novels, and it’s easy to see why. Burton conjures every scent and crackle of Nella’s world. A-” (Entertainment Weekly) “The Miniaturist is that rarest of things - beautifully written, yet also a compelling page-turner. It’s haunting, magical, and full of surprises, the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading.” ( —S.J. Watson, author of Before I Go To Sleep ) ‘Utterly transporting...one of those rare debut novels that excels in every regard. The past is brought to life in potent, sensory detail: one feels steeped in it. Burton’s prose beguiles the reader...My first instinct on finishing this book was to immediately read it again.” ( Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites ) “Burton’s writing is expressive and descriptive. While her prose is rich, it does not overwhelm the story...This historical novel with its strong female characters will appeal to those who enjoy the haunting undercurrents of Carlos Ru...