Articles written by Victoria Oldham

Fingersmith by Renowned Author Sarah Waters: A Female Oliver Twist Takes the Reader on a Fabulous Journey

Just released, Fire is the story of the last surviving human monster in the seven dells. This raises the question - what makes a person a monster - nature or nurture? more...

Sep 27, 2009

Category: Feminist Literature

Award winning author Sarah Waters has done what she does best--she's taken a moment in time and developed deep, intense characters you can care about and cheer for. more...

Sep 20, 2009

Women and Literature in New England This Fall: October in Provincetown is the Place to Be if You Love Women and Fun

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff Hits Home: An Intense Confluence of Life, Love, Religion and Self Examination

The annual Women's Week Festival is October 9-18, 2009. It is the 25th year, and literature, art, music, comedy and drama promise to make this an amazing trip for all. more...

Aug 14, 2009

Category: Entertainment Books

Set in the desert of Utah, this novel takes the reader through time: One story is set at the beginning of the Mormon movement, the other in a modern day Mormon compound. more...

Summer Reading is Time for New Reading: Get Out of Your Comfortable Reading Zone and Try Something New

Readers often get stuck in a rut. They read the same author, or maybe just the same genre, for months, maybe even years at a time. It is a great time to try something new more...

The Enchanting Tale of Guernica by Dave Boling: The Characters in a Small Village in Spain Defend Their Culture

'Tis the Season For a New, Fresh, Wealthy You: Whatever it is You Want to Achieve This Summer There's a Book For It

Guernica by Dave Boling is, arguably, one of the best novels to come out this year. It has amazing, distinctive characters and a culture many don't know much about. more...

May 31, 2009

Dan Brown's Women and Religion Diverge: Angels and Demons and The Davinci Code Have Different Female Roles.

The Self Help Market is always booming, but this time of year, when bathing suits come out, wallets start to empty, and change is in the air, there are books galore. more...

May 31, 2009

It's All About Lit in the City of Indulgence: The Saints and Sinners Festival in New Orleans Kicks Off May 14-17

The movie, Angels and Demons, based on the novel by the same name by Dan Brown, has just been released. It's a good time to look at Brown's themes of women and religion. more...

Apr 21, 2009

The Thrall's Tale by Judith Lindbergh: Fall Into History Where Violence is Respect and Love is Weakness

The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival is New Orleans' premier LGBTQ Lit Fest in the South. Listen to your favorite authors and raise money for AIDS charity NO/AIDS. more...

Apr 21, 2009

Category: Entertainment Books

Judith Lindbergh's The Thralls Tale (Bantam 2006) is historical fiction at its most unique. Lindbergh does a great job bringing the reader into the world of the Vikings. more...

Mar 31, 2009

The Middle of Somewhere by C. Henderson: A Fun, Romantic Tale of Breaking Down and Finding Love

Category: Feminist Literature

Clifford Henderson's debut novel, The Middle of Somewhere (Bold Strokes Books, Inc 2009) is a gentle, funny love story, full of colorful characters breaking boundaries. more...

Feb 24, 2009

A Review of Happiness by Will Ferguson: What Would Happen if the Entire World Achieved Genuine Happiness?

A New Year and Lots of Great New Books!: Start the Year Right by Reading the Newest Books by Great Authors.

This hilarious and often disturbingt book by Will Ferguson explores what would become of the world if a self help book actually worked. Chaos and frustration reign. more...

Jan 28, 2009

Sepulchre: A Journey Through Mysticism & Love: An Intricate Tale of French Past and Present, Love and Loss

2009 has begun with a treasure trove of new releases by popular and new authors. No matter what genre you like to dive into, you'll find plenty of great books to peruse. more...

Dec 22, 2008

Review: Calling the Dead by Ali Vali: A Thrilling Story About a Serial Killer in Post-Katrina New Orleans

In her sixth novel, (Orion 2007), Kate Mosse delivers an exciting, delicately woven tale of tarot, love and betrayal. In 1891 and 2007, two women search for answers. more...

Dec 14, 2008

Category: Entertainment Books

Calling the Dead (Bold Strokes Books 2008) is the beginning of a new series in Ali Vali's line-up. Set in post Hurricane Katrina New Orleans a serial killer wreaks havoc. more...

Nov 3, 2008

The York Lesbian Arts Festival, York England: This Yearly Event Attracts Women From Around the World.

Category: Feminist Literature

The York Lesbian Arts Festival, or YLAF, is now in its tenth year. Held at York Racecourse, it is a comfortable, intimate venue for women to talk books and art. more...

Sep 7, 2008

An Extrordinary Story: The Girls by Lori Lansens: A Brilliant Piece of Fiction About a Special Set of Twins.

The Crystal Skull by Manda Scott: A Twisting Adventure Through History and Religion to Apocalypse.

The Girls, Rose and Ruby Darlen are craniopagus twins; women attached at the head but no where else. This poignant story is written from their alternating points of view more...

Jul 22, 2008

Category: Entertainment Books

Manda Scott uses the Mayan legend of the 13 crystal skulls to create a fantastic blend of historical and geological fact with suspense, thrills and strong characters. more...

Jun 15, 2008

Notes From an Exhibition: Patrick Gale's Novel About Family Dynamics and Religion is Fantastic

Category: Social Science Books

Notes From an Exhibition (Harper 2007) is a tightly written, emotional story about a family in crisis. Or, at least, individual crises as each person learns about life. more...

May 17, 2008

Hit by a Farm by Catherine Friend: Wittily Subtitled: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn

Category: Humorous Writing/Books

This hilarious look at the life of a farmer, told by a woman who follows her partner from the city to the farm, is both breathtakingly funny and poignant. more...

Mar 31, 2008

The Milk of Human Kindness: Lesbian Authors Write about Mothers and Daughters ed. Lori Lake

Category: Feminist Literature

A touching anthology of short stories about lesbians and their relationships as mothers and daughters who deal with sexuality as well as the vagaries of regular life. more...

Mar 30, 2008

Bret A. Johnston's Corpus Christi: Debut Novel of Short Stories About the Complexity of Human Nature

Corpus Christi, TX is the scene of a book of brilliant, interconnected short stories that examine the tumultuous nature of human relationships and emotions. more...

Philippa Gregory's The Wise Woman: A Tale About a Woman's Desire and Dark Ambition in Medieval England

Category: British/UK Fiction (general)

Philippa Gregory, perhaps best known for her books about royal personalities in England, has written a chilling novel based at the same time, but of a different nature. more...

Lyremouth Chronicles, Book Three: Jane Fletcher's The Empress and the Acolyte, The Third Book.

J. Fletcher's Lyremouth Chronicles: A Fantastic Fantasy of Women Learning to Love, Fight, and Triumph

In the third and most current of the Lyremouth Chronicles, Tevi and Jemeryl face their most difficult journey yet. To save humankind, they must outwit other sorcerers. more...

Feb 13, 2008

Anne Bronte's Second Novel: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a Story of Passion and Perserverance

Jane Fletcher's Lyremouth Chronicles begins with The Exile and the Sorcerer. In this novel we meet the heroine's of the story, Jemeryl and Tevi, sorceress and warrior. more...

Feb 10, 2008

Category: British/UK Fiction (general)

Anne Bronte is often forgotten in the shadow of her sisters. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the story of a woman determined to save her son from his drunkard father. more...

Feb 8, 2008

Beautiful Strangers, Ellen Dean: Tales of New Love, Betrayal, Sex, Diamonds and the Desire for Power.

Category: Modern British Fiction

In her debut novel, Ellen Dean tells the story of a group of high society women living in a world of betrayal, emotional blackmail, and, above all, the need for love. more...

Feb 5, 2008

Difficulties: Austen's Persuasion: Jane Austen's Persuasion Raises Issues of Love, Trust and Loyalty

Category: British/UK Fiction (general)

Persuasion, published after Austen's death in 1817, is a novel about the issues surrounding both persuading and being persuaded, as well as about social class dysfunction more...

Jan 28, 2008

Boudica, Historic Warrior Queen: Manda Scott Tells the Tale of the Celtic Warrior who Took on Rome

Category: Alternative History Fiction

In the first novel of the Boudica series, author Manda Scott relates the story of the fabled warrior queen of the Eceni tribe, located on the south-east coast of England. more...

Sep 27, 2009

The High Priest and the Idol by Jane Fletcher: The Fourth Book in the Lyremouth Chronicles Crosses Magic and Faith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Austen's Classic is Retold in a Creepy and Fun Fashion

Jane Fletcher's newest novel takes her familiar, well loved characters and pits them against zealots forcing them to step away from their ideals and confront their fears. more...

Sep 24, 2009

A Darker Domain by Val McDermid is Murky Ground: A New Novel From a Prolific Writer Deals With Old Murder, Politics

Jane Austen's original classic, Pride and Prejudice, was written in 1813. Nearly two hundred years later, Seth Grahame-Smith has taken Austen's novel and added in zombies more...

Aug 14, 2009

Category: Entertainment Books

Widely known for her crime fiction, McDermid takes on the Miners Strike in Scotland and combines it with a twenty five year old murder, making for a dizzying storyline. more...

Jul 22, 2009

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini: The Author of The Kite Runner Brings Another Brilliant World to Life

A Thousand Splendid Suns follows the lives of two extraordinary women living in Taliban controlled Afghanistan as they fight to live, finding comfort only in one another. more...

Blue Skies by Ali Vali is a Love Fest in the Air: Her Newest Book is a Tongue in Cheek Romance Mixed With Intrigue.

Perhaps known best for her Cain Casey series, author Ali Vali steps out with a lighthearted romance set amidst the homophobia of the USA military over North Korean soil. more...

A Review of Graceling by Kristin Cashore: A Killer Female Heroine Takes on Injustice and Male Domination

Trace, By Patricia Cornwell, is a Creepy Ride.: Eyes on Walls, Crematoriums and Old Vengence Make this a Quick Read

She is, quite literally, a killer. Katsa is the lead character in this suspenseful, intense novel about a land where people are born with talents that alienate them. more...

May 31, 2009

The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs: A Fascinating Look at Living the Bible at its Most Literal Word

The 13th book in the Scarpetta series takes the reader back to Virginia. Super cop Marino is by her side as always as they search for the creepy killer of a young girl. more...

May 24, 2009

Category: Social Science Books

Author AJ Jacobs decides to live life according to the bible-literally. He takes it in it's black and white form, attempting to live the entire bible in his daily life. more...

Apr 21, 2009

Literature in the Lush Welsh Countryside: Come Celebrate the Arts, Literature and Film at the Hay Festival!

Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey: The Second Book of the Second Trilogy is Just as Amazing as the Rest

The Guardian Hay Festival in Wales is one of the most reknowned, interesting and just plain fun festivals in the UK. Read, Listen, and Laugh with the Best in the Business more...

Mar 31, 2009

Review: The Sistine Heresy by Justine Saracen: A Fun, Sexy Romp in a Turbulent Time of Religion and Politics

The sequel to Kushiel's Scion, Kushiel's Justice is the continuing saga of Imriel de la Courcel, foster son of Phedre no Montreve and true son of the traitor Melisande. more...

Feb 24, 2009

The 3rd Annual Lesbian Book Festival, California: March 5-8, 2009 Brings Authors and Fans Together in the Desert

In her latest release, Justine Saracen's Sistine Heresy (Bold Strokes Books, 2009) draws out the beautiful story of Adrianna Borgia and Michelangelo. more...

Feb 24, 2009

Review: Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey: The Second Trilogy Begins the Journey of Imriel, Son of Darkness

The Third Annual Lesbian Book Festival in Palm Springs, promises to be the best yet, with top lesbian authors reading their work around the pool. What could be better? more...

Jan 9, 2009

A Literary Christmas-Gifts That Give Back: Stuck With What to Buy This Christmas? How About a Book?

As Jacqueline Carey's newest book in the Kushiel series is set to come out in June, 2009, it is a good time to revisit the path of Imriel no' Montreve de la Courcel. more...

Dec 14, 2008

Review: The Other Queen by Phillippa Gregory: Dark Tale of the History of the Queen of Scots Makes Readers Shiver

Every year it's the same problem. What to get Dad, Mum, brother James or Sister Nicky. Why not find them a good book they can sink into in front of a post Christmas fire? more...

Nov 3, 2008

Provincetown: Lovely Seaside Literature and Art: October is the End of the Season, but the Beginning of Women's Week.

Philippa Gregory re-envisions the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. In The Other Queen (Harper Collins, 2008 ISBN 978-1416549123) a dark history lesson is told. more...

Nov 3, 2008

Category: Feminist Literature

Every year Provincetown, MA hosts Women's Week. This week long festival includes artists, photographers, authors, comediennes and musicians, and thousands of women. more...

Aug 22, 2008

Join in with The Forever Story: A Novel Online Story Idea and TalkTalk Raises Money for Autism

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: A Gripping Novel about the Search for Spiritual Understanding

"For the first nineteen years of his life, Johnny Razor wasn't Johnny Razor at all. He was Malcolm Weatherly, and he was born in Mile End Underground station on the night more...

Jun 28, 2008

Nefertiti by Author Michelle Moran: The Story of the Queen of Egypt from an Entirely New Point of View

Eat, Pray, Love (Bloomsbury 2006) by Elizabeth Gilbert is a journal of one woman's journey through India, Indonesia and Italy as she searches for transcendence. more...

May 25, 2008

When We Were Bad by C. Mendelson: A Phenomonal Story About a Family Falling Apart and Coming Together

In this epic retelling, Moran brings to life the lives and fortunes of Nefertiti and her family, as well as the political and religious chaos in Egypt during her lifetime more...

May 17, 2008

Leap of Faith by Queen Noor: The American Queen of Jordan Writes about Her Life in an Arab World.

This novel about a Jewish family whose characters face crisis after crisis has an underlying depth that captures stereotypes, hypocrisy and the need to be true to oneself more...

Mar 30, 2008

Category: Political Science Books

The compelling and eye opening story of the American woman who married King Hussein and became Queen of Jordan, learning first hand about cultural and political relations more...

Feb 27, 2008

The Powerful Lady Anne Clifford: Long Before the Women's Rights Movement, She Fought for Her Rights

Category: UK/Irish History (general)

Lady Anne Clifford, denied her lands and freedom for most of her life, pursued her rightful inheritance at age 60, leaving behind a long and rich legacy. more...

Carly's Sound by Author Ali Vali: A Heart Breaking Journey of Loving After Losing Someone to Cancer.

Category: Romance Fiction (general)

In Ali Vali's novel Carly's Sound, the reader goes on a romantic ride laced with sadness and triumph. Her witty prose makes the reader laugh, even through the tears. more...

The Traitor and the Chalice: Jane Fletcher's Second Book in the Lyremouth Series has Depth