“Book Group of One” goes back to December 2008. For a long time I reviewed every single book I read. I’ve decided now to blog only about the ones that delight me, and to focus on making the rest of the material more accessible. There are well over 550 reviews here, so dig around and see what you can find! You can search by author or title and I’m working on boosting the tags now. That should help you find what you’re looking for.
photo credit: Jim Anness
I write books as well as reading them. As Carol McD. Wallace, I have published 20 books. In the spring of 2012 Workman Publishing reissued To Marry an English Lord, which I wrote with Gail MacColl back in the late 1980s. “Downton Abbey” enthusiasm has brought it back to life. Other titles include social history, parenting, humor, and fiction.
The latest — due in stores in July 2016 — is my take on Ben-Hur. It’s the official tie-in for the MGM movie, and the fun part is that my great-great-grandfather Lew Wallace wrote the original novel on which all the films are based. I’ve updated his book for contemporary audiences and it was a lot of fun.
Want to reach me via email?
carol@carolwallacebooks.com will do the trick.
Book Group of One 
Carol….this is fantastic. All I will ever need in choosing my next book. xo
Thanks, dear!
Carol, wow, this is great. I signed on and will follow.
Wonderful blog. I’m enjoying your anglophile archives.
I’ve just finished rereading _The English Stories_ by Cynthia Flood, after reading a review at Buried in Print: http://www.buriedinprint.com/?p=2505 and I thought of you. Something to add to your anglophile list, though it is about Canadians in England.
Nathalie, I just put it on my Amazon Wish List. The Canadian angle sounds very intriguing — thanks!
OK, so where have been for the last two years. I didn’t know about your blog. Now I am all over it and will be an avid reader!
Thanks Carol for being on of the most interesting and delightful individuals in my life!
Lauren
Oh, sweetie! How nice! XXX
I’ve just found out about this blog and am a big fan already!
I was wondering if there’s a possibility that I could interview you? I’m a graduate student of Journalism & Near Eastern Studies at New York University and originally from the Netherlands (fascinated by your upcoming book on Vincent van Gogh!)
Hope to hear from you!
Merel, thanks for your kind words, and for subscribing! I’m a little hesitant about an interview: I’m desperately trying to produce a draft of my next novel before I get totally overwhelmed promoting “Leaving Van Gogh.” Maybe you could email me directly & tell me what you have in mind?
Email is
leavingvangogh@gmail.com
How interesting that you’re writing a book about Manet, he’s a favourite of mine, along with 1860s Paris. I read a rather bad book about Manet & Morisot last year (With Violets by Elizabeth Robards), so I’ll look forward to you doing a better job of it!
Thanks, Carolyn — “With Violets” is on my shelf but my intentions are different from Elizabeth Robards’. I must say, though, that I’m enjoying spending time with the eternally debonair Edouard M. A refreshing change from Vincent V.G. Have you ever seen the Degas drawings of Manet? To. Die. For.
Carol, I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I’ve done so both because I think you read a lot of interesting books and have great comments on them but also to promote your own book a bit. I hope you’ll accept it in the spirit it’s given and be happy since that’s my intention with it. 🙂 See my post about it here: http://christinarosendahl.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/thanks/
Thanks, Christina
Christina, this is incredibly cool and I really appreciate it. I’m flattered silly, in fact! I won’t have time to post about this until tomorrow, probably, but I’m already composing my post in my head! What a lovely surprise.
I found you from your husband’s comments in Daily Guideposts. I have been a life-long reader (my mom used to hide books when I came to visit so I would spend more time with her). I can tell that I am going to enjoy your choices, I get a lot of books from the library so I can sample a lot. I also enjoy going back to the classics from time to time–just recently revisited Jane Eyre. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m going to look for your books!
Oh, Gail, thanks for introducing yourself. I love the vignette of your mother hiding books; in our house we call this “the reading disease” and the big symptom is that when there is print in front of you, you can’t help getting sucked in. Mail order catalog, cereal box, Moby-Dick, Twilight, whatever. Keep me posted about what you like!
Tell your husband that I enjoyed his article about you in Guiideposts magazine. The next book I am going to read is (you guessed!!!) Leaving Van Gogh. I am so glad he told me about the book.
Oh, Mary Ann, bless your heart. I will tell Rick right now. He’s in the next room, working on, guess what, a Guideposts story while I’m at my desk putting together a slide show for a talk on “Leaving Van Gogh” that I’m doing tomorrow! Hope you enjoy the book, and thanks for letting me know!
Carol, I surprised a group at a dinner party over the weekend who were gushing all about Downton Abbey when I told them that the story was loosely based on your book “To Marry An English Lord”. They couldn’t believe it but my copy of Daily Guideposts changed all that. Now I no longer have possession of my book but many others are now fans of yours, just as I am, and anxious to read it and “Leaving Van Gogh”. Thanks for your historical reads!
Oh, how lovely, thank you! And so funny that it was “Daily Guideposts” that sealed the deal. He’ll be tickled.
Just wanted to tell you that “Should You Shut Your Eyes When You Kiss?” actually DID help me survive my teenage years, back in the ’80s. Glad to have found your blog!
Amy! This is a first! So glad that slender volume had some lasting and beneficial effect!
Pingback: The History Chicks Episode 62: A Conversation with Carol Wallace