Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where we randomly select a book from our Goodreads To Be Read list and tell the world about it. It’s hosted by Lauren’s Page Turners, so remember to link back to her page so that we can see what everyone wants to read.

The Queen of the Night
by Alexander Chee
561 pages
Published February 2016

From Goodreads: Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all.  As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.

Featuring a cast of characters drawn from history, The Queen of the Night follows Lilliet as she moves ever closer to the truth behind the mysterious opera and the role that could secure her reputation — or destroy her with the secrets it reveals.

I saw this book a while back on the New Releases shelf in one bookstore or another, and it looks fascinating. At 561 pages, it’s tough to find a time of year where I’ll be able to take on longer novels like this one. Perhaps this fall, before the holiday season sucks away all my free time.