Wednesday, 31 December 2025

My review of 18 Months of One Night Stands, by Dolores Dunbar

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18 Months of One Night Stands by Dorlores Dunbar My rating: 5 out of 5 stars Long ago in Far North Queensland, a tiny exotic girl named Dolo...
Saturday, 27 December 2025

My review of The Pursuit of Love, by Nancy Mitford

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The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford My rating:  4 out of 5 stars For some years this modern classic was on my 'to read' list, while...

My review of Marlene Dietrich, by Maria Riva

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Marlene Dietrich by Maria Riva My rating:  4 out of 5 stars I had to read this account of the woman seen through her daughter's eyes. I ...

My review of Women I've Undressed: A Memoir, by Orry-Kelly

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Women I've Undressed: A Memoir by Orry-Kelly My rating:  4 out of 5 stars Orry-Kelly was synonymous, in old Hollywood, with Oscar winnin...
Saturday, 20 December 2025

My review of The Blue Hour: A Life of Jean Rhys, by Lilian Pizzichini

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The Blue Hour: A Life of Jean Rhys by Lilian Pizzichini My rating:  4 out of 5 stars A thoughtful friend overseas bought and posted this boo...

My review of Life in a Cold Climate: Nancy Mitford, by Laura Thompson

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Life in a Cold Climate: Nancy Mitford by Laura Thompson My rating:  4 out of 5 stars I sought out this biography after reading Laura Thompso...

My review of Smile Please: An Unfinished Autobiography, by Jean Rhys

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Smile Please: An Unfinished Autobiography by Jean Rhys (Introduction by Diana Athill) My rating:  4 out of 5 stars Jean Rhys died aged 87 in...

My review of Theatre, by W. Somerset Maugham

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Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham My rating:  4 out of 5 stars After relishing  Of Human Bondage , penned 22 years before this and adapted into...

My review of Wait for Me! by Deborah Mitford

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Wait for Me! by Deborah Mitford My rating:  5 out of 5 stars For Mitford sisters' fans, Deborah is essential reading. The youngest, she ...

My review of Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown, by Anne Glenconner

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Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner My rating:  5 out of 5 stars Lady Glenconner's life...

My review of The Old Wives' Tale, by Arnold Bennett

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The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett My rating:  5 out of 5 stars First published in 1908, this is considered one of Bennett's fine...
Friday, 14 November 2025

My review of The House of Mitford, by Jonathan Guinness with Catherine Guinness

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The House of Mitford by Jonathan Guinness with Catherine Guinness My rating:  5 out of 5 stars After this sitting considerably far down my M...

My review of Honey Trap, by Anthony Summers and Steve Dorril

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Honey Trap by Anthony Summers and Stephen Dorril My rating:  4 out of 5 stars The Profumo affair – one of Cold War Britain’s most famous pol...

My review of The Sisters Who Would Be Queen, by Leanda de Lisle

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The Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle My rating:  4 out of 5 stars Leanda de Lisle undertook a bold and lofty endeavour penning ...

My review of Elizabeth's Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen, by Tracy Borman

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Elizabeth's Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen by Tracy Borman My rating:  3 out of 5 stars Some armchair crit...

My review of The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory

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The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory My rating:  4 out of 5 stars The 2008 movie, starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, made...