2019 reading challenge: Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading challenge - 2018:

topic: NOVEL ABOUT A REAL PERSON

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a novel of the two women surrounding one of the biggest identity mysteries of the 20th century. Anastasia Romanov, Grand Duchess of Russia, and Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess and last surviving heir of Czar Nicholas.

What I found interesting about this book is the way the story unfolds. It is told alternating between the POV of Anastasia and Anna. Not unusual, but Anastasia story is told from beginning to end, where Anna's is told in reverse. I kinda liked that unique way of telling. Though as I did this book in audio format, sometimes I had to rewind to catch dates, especially for Anna - this would have been easier in print format. But I greatly enjoyed the two readers - the one for Anna's chapters sounded a lot like Dame Judi Dench and that alone made me smile.

There was nothing earth shattering or groundbreaking in this telling. Not when science has told us what happened to the Romanov family or who Anna Anderson was. But I found I liked it for what it was and I might try out other books by the author.



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Glad Game 2019: June 14-16

June 14:

* water goal achieved

* car that works and no longer having fears of not going.

* got my nails done. We tried a new ombre style. Need to live with it to see if I like it or not.

* my set up for the event went quickly.

June 15:

* water goal doubled.

* maintained a low-key event presence. Enjoyed having the ability to hide when things got "too peoplely"

* some interesting conversations with His Highness.

* dinner with Baron P and Baroness J.

June 16:

* once it stopped raining, was able to add the new exterior bling to Phasma.

* worked on scroll mock-up for Pax.

* ordered in dinner as I still did not have the wherewithall to make food. Really need to cook up meals soon.

* low energy day with lots of critter snuggles. Though I suspect part of it was the blanket I was under. At one point Grimmy crawled into my fuuzy jacket (that I was wearing) and tried to shove his head down the sleeve.