Book - The Queen's Dollmaker - Christine Trent

The Queen's Dollmaker
Christine Trent
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Product Description:
On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil--as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris. After a fire destroys her home and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London. But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France herself, cherishes. When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home. . .

Amid the violence and unrest, Claudette befriends the Queen, who bears no resemblance to the figurehead rapidly becoming the scapegoat of the Revolution. But when Claudette herself is lured into a web of deadly political intrigue, it becomes clear that friendship with France's most despised woman has grim consequences. Now, overshadowed by the specter of Madame Guillotine, the Queen's dollmaker will face the ultimate test.

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This was an enjoyable read. Claudette's hardships felt real, but the emotions felt a bit forced. Perhaps I found Claudette too forgiving? There were some parts where I felt there could be a little more elaboration. Like, why she came to such and such a conclusion, what her path of thought was...

By the middle part of the book, it focused too much on the queen's story, making it feel like reading a different book altogether. Detailing how the queen spent her days, what she did with the King... I mean, the initial part of having a few chapters focusing on Claudette, and then a chapter on the queen was good pacing, but by the end it was like a few chapters of the queen and then only a snippet on Claudette, the supposed heroine of the book.

Overall it was a good read. I might read other books by Trent if the topic so interests me, but not because I particularly like her... if you get my drift...?
 

Book - A Dog Named Slugger - Leigh Brill

A Dog Named Slugger
Leigh Brill
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Product Description
The true life story of a dog who changed everything for one woman. For the first time in my life, I didn't need to pretend, I didn't need to be tough: I only needed to be honest. "I have cerebral palsy. I walk funny and my balance is bad. I fall a lot. My hands shake, too. That means I'm not so good at carrying things. And if I drop stuff, sometimes it's hard to just bend down and get it." I waited anxiously for the interviewer's response. She smiled. "It sounds like a service dog could be great for you." So began Leigh Brill's journey toward independence and confidence, all thanks to a trained companion dog named Slugger. The struggling college student and the Labrador with a "a coat like sunshine" and a tail that never stopped wagging became an instant team. Together, they transformed a challenge into a triumph. Together, they inspired and educated everyone they met. Now, Leigh honors her friend with the story of their life, together.

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I bought this book simply for the Dog factor. I was expecting this to be a normal non-fiction book, which, yes, this was a normal non-fiction book... but... I didn't quite like it. It felt a bit too childish for a non-fiction book. I didn't really like it when Brill recounted conversations. "Hi! This is Slugger!" All those recounted conversations started almost always with the mandatory "Hi!" which... I didn't really like...

But with that aside, this was a fun book. I've read quite a few dog books, and this is the first on working or service dogs. I am still mighty amazed at dogs that behave so well (I keep thinking back on my own dogs that while they are relatively well-behaved, they don't really know any tricks. At all.)

Quote of the book I liked best:

"A service dog is a dog."