Historical fiction and romance book reviews, literary musings, and bookish elegance.https://karenwasylowski.com/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-wind-in-the-willows-deserves-an-elegant-return/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-wind-in-the-willows-deserves-an-elegant-return/A beloved classic in a refreshed format has a particular sort of charm, half memory and half rediscovery.Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-silver-book-has-the-melancholy-confidence-of-a-literary-novel/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-silver-book-has-the-melancholy-confidence-of-a-literary-novel/Some novels do not plead for attention. They simply arrive with enough poise that curiosity follows them naturally.Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/mr-darcy-would-have-hated-chaos-but-he-would-have-read-this-too/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/mr-darcy-would-have-hated-chaos-but-he-would-have-read-this-too/Even a gentleman with excellent self-command might appreciate a book that teaches poise under modern disorder.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/what-stayed-with-me-about-holler-whispers/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/what-stayed-with-me-about-holler-whispers/What I liked here was how quickly the book stopped feeling like a standard courtroom puzzle.Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/mr-darcy-would-have-read-disrupt-with-impact/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/mr-darcy-would-have-read-disrupt-with-impact/I'll be honest: when a business book lands on my desk, my first thought is usually "who is this for and how quickly can I pass it along?" But Roger SpTue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/a-second-chance-by-asher-frend/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/a-second-chance-by-asher-frend/Some books teach you something about relationships you thought you already understood. A Second Chance is one of those. AsherSat, 21 Mar 2026 06:21:37 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/tell-me-everything-looks-like-a-novel-that-understands-adult-complication/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/tell-me-everything-looks-like-a-novel-that-understands-adult-complication/The best relationship novels do not confuse confession with clarity. They know people can say a great deal and still leave the central thing untouched.Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/miss-austen-knows-how-to-build-pressure-with-restraint/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/miss-austen-knows-how-to-build-pressure-with-restraint/A novel does not need noise to create tension. Sometimes restraint is the whole mechanism.Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-frozen-river-has-the-right-kind-of-historical-gravity/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-frozen-river-has-the-right-kind-of-historical-gravity/Some historical fiction works by scale. This kind works by pressure, detail, and a voice steady enough to carry both.Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-lonely-hearts-trivia-night-sounds-sharper-than-its-title-lets-on/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-lonely-hearts-trivia-night-sounds-sharper-than-its-title-lets-on/A novel can announce charm and still carry a little sting underneath. This one sounds clever enough to manage both.Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-book-of-more-delights-makes-room-for-attention/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-book-of-more-delights-makes-room-for-attention/Essay collections live or die by the quality of their noticing. This one seems to understand that delight is a discipline, not a mood.Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-hazelbourne-ladies-motorcycle-and-flying-club-has-more-spark-than-whimsy/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-hazelbourne-ladies-motorcycle-and-flying-club-has-more-spark-than-whimsy/Some historical novels arrive dressed as charm pieces, then quietly prove they have a steadier engine underneath.Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/old-tricks-new-treats-interview-part-10/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/old-tricks-new-treats-interview-part-10/OLD TRICKS, NEW TREATS is book three of the BAG OF TRICKS trilogy: a compilation of short stories about SanSun, 23 Nov 2025 22:07:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/align-your-business-with-the-real-you-connect-with-yourself-create-what-matters-most-and-define-your-success-by-jennifer-musser/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/align-your-business-with-the-real-you-connect-with-yourself-create-what-matters-most-and-define-your-success-by-jennifer-musser/Owning a business can quietly erode your mental health. Jennifer Musser gets real about that. In Align Your Business withThu, 03 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/here-lyeth-by-johanna-frank/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/here-lyeth-by-johanna-frank/Book Summary: In Here Lyeth, Lexxie, feeling angry and heartbroken, leaves her home after learning that her biological father lives inThu, 12 Dec 2024 10:18:23 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/universe-of-lost-messages-the-charismites-by-janet-stilson-2/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/universe-of-lost-messages-the-charismites-by-janet-stilson-2/Story Summary What if your child has special powers and can get people to do almost anything? What happens ifWed, 11 Dec 2024 06:25:32 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/universe-of-lost-messages-the-charismites-by-janet-stilson/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/universe-of-lost-messages-the-charismites-by-janet-stilson/Story Summary What if your child has special powers and can get people to do almost anything? What happens ifTue, 10 Dec 2024 06:13:10 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/champagne-widows-by-rebecca-rosenberg/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/champagne-widows-by-rebecca-rosenberg/Sparkling Courage: Love, Loss, and the First Champagne Queen's Daring Legacy France, 1800s. Young widow Barbe-Nicole Clicquot possesses an extraordinaryMon, 09 Dec 2024 04:42:19 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/bones-of-the-apostle-by-john-amos/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/bones-of-the-apostle-by-john-amos/Story Summary: “Thomas, I’m bored. We need some excitement.” Back from their harrowing mission in the desert to recover aSun, 08 Dec 2024 07:43:42 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-case-of-the-stolen-goddess-by-john-amos/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-case-of-the-stolen-goddess-by-john-amos/Story Summary: Flinders smiled. “Once more into the breach, my friend.” Now famous after their previous quest to find Cleopatra’sFri, 06 Dec 2024 09:04:58 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/prioritize-us-unlock-lasting-love-with-one-simple-proven-test-by-nick-brancato/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/prioritize-us-unlock-lasting-love-with-one-simple-proven-test-by-nick-brancato/Summary: What if the real reasons behind our arguments were hidden all along? The answer could change everything—starting today. IntroducingThu, 05 Dec 2024 12:39:18 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/thought-choice-power-charting-the-course-of-liberty-in-modern-society-by-plebeius/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/thought-choice-power-charting-the-course-of-liberty-in-modern-society-by-plebeius/Summary: Thought Choice Power: Charting the Course of Liberty in Modern Society by Plebeius is a thought-provoking exploration of governance,Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:10:16 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/apricot-marmalade-and-the-edmondson-transmittal-by-lon-orey/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/apricot-marmalade-and-the-edmondson-transmittal-by-lon-orey/Summary: The war was not going well. The surprisingly effective Tet Offensive in late January 1968 had humbled and embarrassedTue, 03 Dec 2024 13:14:43 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/tangles-a-cold-war-love-story-and-mystery-by-by-kay-smith-blum/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/tangles-a-cold-war-love-story-and-mystery-by-by-kay-smith-blum/Summary: “In a well-crafted debut, Smith-Blum provides the reader a ringside seat to the birth of the nuclear age…a beautifullySun, 01 Dec 2024 13:00:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/pentagons-and-pentagrams-an-illustrated-history/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/pentagons-and-pentagrams-an-illustrated-history/From the iconic Chrysler logo to the art of M.C. Escher to its appearance in many countries’ flags, the five-sidedFri, 29 Nov 2024 19:34:51 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/good-soup-52-colorful-recipes-for-year-round-comfort-soups-and-stews-cookbook/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/good-soup-52-colorful-recipes-for-year-round-comfort-soups-and-stews-cookbook/Soup was once the preface to a main course. Now, soup has become popular as an entire meal. The fifty-twoThu, 28 Nov 2024 18:10:18 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/cyberjutsu-cybersecurity-for-the-modern-ninja/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/cyberjutsu-cybersecurity-for-the-modern-ninja/In the contemporary, globalized world, the issue of cybersecurity is more important than ever in relation to both peace andWed, 27 Nov 2024 16:57:06 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/yours-mine-ours/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/yours-mine-ours/Yours, Mine, and Ours: Estate Planning for People in Blended or Stepfamilies, written by L. Paul Hood, Jr., is aTue, 26 Nov 2024 17:55:47 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/woman-of-interest-a-memoir/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/woman-of-interest-a-memoir/There is a children’s book wherein a baby bird searches for his mother in all the wrong places. This bookMon, 25 Nov 2024 16:25:17 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-language-of-tattoos-130-symbols-and-what-they-mean/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-language-of-tattoos-130-symbols-and-what-they-mean/The art of tattooing has been in existence for hundreds of years, being an easy way for individuals in allFri, 22 Nov 2024 15:06:50 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/noodles-rice-and-everything-spice-a-thai-comic-cookbook/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/noodles-rice-and-everything-spice-a-thai-comic-cookbook/Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice is a delightful read for readers of all ages. It takes us on a captivatingThu, 21 Nov 2024 14:14:55 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/world-of-reading-spidey-and-his-amazing-friends-super-hero-hiccups/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/world-of-reading-spidey-and-his-amazing-friends-super-hero-hiccups/Spiderman, or Spidey, is trying to catch the bad guys but is having some trouble in Spidey and His AmazingWed, 20 Nov 2024 13:13:50 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-pinchers-and-the-dog-chase/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-pinchers-and-the-dog-chase/The Pincher family is up to no good again, and their dog seems to be the source of the dramaTue, 19 Nov 2024 18:28:35 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/storm-dawn-of-a-goddess-marvel/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/storm-dawn-of-a-goddess-marvel/Storm: Dawn of a Goddess follows the story of Ororo, a young woman born with striking white hair and icyMon, 18 Nov 2024 18:28:23 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/how-magicians-think-misdirection-deception-and-why-magic-matters/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/how-magicians-think-misdirection-deception-and-why-magic-matters/If you want to know how magicians' tricks are done, this isn't the book for you. Magicians, after all, don'tFri, 15 Nov 2024 12:36:21 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/nancy-and-sluggos-guide-to-life/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/nancy-and-sluggos-guide-to-life/Nancy and Sluggo’s Guide to Life by Ernie Bushmiller is not just any old self-help book. It is a comicThu, 14 Nov 2024 11:37:47 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/immortality-bytes-digital-minds-dont-get-hungry/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/immortality-bytes-digital-minds-dont-get-hungry/In Immortality Bytes, Daniel Lawrence Abrams takes readers on a wild journey into what is known as “20NF” or twenty-near-future.Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:46:41 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/i-did-something-bad/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/i-did-something-bad/Freelance journalist Khin has just been assigned a celebrity profile for Vogue on actor Tyler Tun. Following him on theTue, 12 Nov 2024 10:18:31 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/mademoiselle-le-sleuth/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/mademoiselle-le-sleuth/Mademoiselle le Sleuth is the story you're looking for if you want a fun mystery with quirky characters. I lovedMon, 11 Nov 2024 18:01:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/tell-me-everything-a-novel/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/tell-me-everything-a-novel/In this fifth book of the Amgash series, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout returns to the town of Crosby, Maine,Fri, 08 Nov 2024 17:30:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/in-the-mad-mountains-stories-inspired-by-h-p-lovecraft/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/in-the-mad-mountains-stories-inspired-by-h-p-lovecraft/For those living underground, or maybe in a mountain range of Antarctica, H.P. Lovecraft has been one of the mostThu, 07 Nov 2024 15:35:03 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/brave-an-old-testament-historical-biblical-fiction-about-king-davids-wives-ahinoam-and-abigail-king-davids-brides/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/brave-an-old-testament-historical-biblical-fiction-about-king-davids-wives-ahinoam-and-abigail-king-davids-brides/Most people are probably familiar with the Biblical story of King David, or at least the basic elements of it.Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:46:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/frankenstein/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/frankenstein/Victor Frankenstein has spent years devoted to the study of the sciences, and he is obsessed with the idea ofTue, 05 Nov 2024 21:06:09 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/how-do-you-look-like-you/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/how-do-you-look-like-you/How Do You Look Like You is a book that goes into the many reasons that make up humans andMon, 04 Nov 2024 11:04:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-one-week-writing-workshop-7-days-to-spark-boost-or-revive-your-novel-by-karin-adams/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-one-week-writing-workshop-7-days-to-spark-boost-or-revive-your-novel-by-karin-adams/About the book: You've always wanted to write a novel and have been nurturing a great idea. Perhaps you’ve madeSat, 02 Nov 2024 05:13:25 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-lonely-hearts-trivia-night-a-novel/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-lonely-hearts-trivia-night-a-novel/The Lonely Hearts Trivia Night is a book about five individuals who each have their reason for joining a pubTue, 29 Oct 2024 09:10:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/heaven-can-wait-and-other-stories/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/heaven-can-wait-and-other-stories/I was drawn to this book because of the title, and also to the promise that it would touch onMon, 28 Oct 2024 09:45:00 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-book-of-more-delights-essays/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/the-book-of-more-delights-essays/You do not need to have read poet Ross Gay’s first best-selling collection of delights in order to thoroughly enjoySat, 26 Oct 2024 05:12:11 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/my-chicano-heart/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/my-chicano-heart/A once-promising writer lives a life of anonymity in a small rural town, only to be found by an unlikelyThu, 24 Oct 2024 17:30:21 GMThttps://karenwasylowski.com/posts/how-america-works-and-why-it-doesnt-by-william-cooper/https://karenwasylowski.com/posts/how-america-works-and-why-it-doesnt-by-william-cooper/Book Summary: Americans in the twenty-first century are becoming increasingly untethered from both reality and the essential principles and traditionsTue, 16 Jul 2024 07:21:47 GMT