I’m happy to say that I’m over my recent reading slump, so much so that I’ve been too busy reading books to blog about them. I figure I’d better start before my recall abilities fade moreso than they already have …

The first book I picked up after My Year of Meats was Kate Horsley’s The Changeling of Finnistuath. Her other novel, Confessions of a Pagan Nun, is one of my favorite books for its lyrical storytelling. So, I’ve had Changeling on my wishlist for a few years now, and finally found a copy through my library. It’s the story of Grey, who is born into a medieval Irish peasant family. Her mother, in a fateful moment, decides to raise her fourth child as a boy, in order to escape the father’s wrath at having just another girl to add to their burden. Grey matures into a young adult, a boy as tough as any others in the village, one who wants to be a warrior when he grows up. Ultimately, Grey learns the truth about her gender, and battles her conflicting emotions as she comes to terms with her new identity. Horsley captures the essence of that time, as the Irish suffer under the hands of the English, and the terror faced by both rich and poor as plague sweeps through the land. Grey’s story is fascinating, and the superb storytelling ability of the author makes for a grand reading experience, a worthy successor to her prior novel.

Next up was The Kitchen Boy, a novel about the last days of the Romanov family. When I was in my teens, I had quite a fascination with all things Russian, including the doomed Romanovs. I read the various conspiracy books about the possible survival of one or another of the children, most famously Anastasia. However, besides Edward Rutherford’s excellent saga Russka, I haven’t read much in the way of fiction about this most unique country and its people. When I saw mention of The Kitchen Boy on Heather’s blog, I knew I had to read it. It certainly makes for compelling reading, I would imagine particularly by those not familiar with the events of the last days of the Imperial Family. I found myself getting caught up in the story, wishing there could be a happier ending to their sad fates, but knowing it all ended in that Siberian basement room. Alexander had me enthralled right up to the last few pages, when the story moves forward to present day, and then unfortunately I found the proposed scenario lacking in credibility, not just for the twist he puts on the old theories, but the actions and thoughts of the characters themselves. I just didn’t find their behavior plausible, and so in the end, I was disappointed. Still, it’s an above average read and one that kept me entertained for a vast majority of it, so it wasn’t a complete loss and I’m glad I read it.