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This meaty tale of Vatican intrigue and conspiracy (set during the middle years of John Paul II‘s pontificate) kept me up late turning pages and Googling all the pseudonyms to figure out who‘s who. A supposed basis in fact amps up the suspense. Fans of Dan Brown thrillers might enjoy this (though its theological perspective is different). I love books that plausibly deliver on insider knowledge of secretive or otherwise closed groups.

I usually really enjoy James Patterson, but not this time. It was just so unbelievable, and nothing moved forward.

Honour and Shame from no condition rise...act well thy part there all the honour lies💞💞🙂

#haunted #poison @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
I literally thought of one my fav perfume 🤣🤣🤣

Having not had full access to the library over the last year, I have done more #spiritualreading than normal, which I can post now it is Lent. This was an interesting book by Pope JPII based on questions from a journalist for a television interview he was not able fit into his schedule.

Read in 2020. Robert Harris is becoming a favorite of mine. I've read three of his novels now. Each is completely different from the other. I would rate them in this order: 1) Pompeii, 2) Conclave, 3) The Fear Index.

This was a really satisfying read. I was looking for a fast-paced book with a compelling plot, and this delivered. I actually rooted for the main character. My only issue was the female main character whom I'm still not sure was meant to be annoying or just a proper foil for her male counterpart. But whether you like her or not, she doesn't take much from the experience of enjoying the story. Would still highly recommend this book.

⭐: 4.5

The bestselling novel in the US for 1963 is the story of a pope who rises from Soviet persecution to the Holy See, where he confronts various issues that were hot-button topics in 1963. It's a perfectly okay example of a genre I dislike, thick with abstractions and platitudes trying to sound profound. Fortunately, it's pretty short for a bestseller.

Great children‘s question and answer book from pope fransis.

I found I can‘t compare the value of TPD to a biography of a contemporary woman, the Tigress of Forli. There‘s less ferocity in Murphy‘s writing and in Felice‘s personality, but I think the authors of each were perfectly suited to understand their subjects. Felice, like Murphy‘s writing, was calmer, more steady, and more detail-oriented. Murphy saved Felice, an extraordinary woman in any age, from historical obscurity.