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What have you read lately?
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Tanzanite wrote: "Robin - I'm sorry to hear that it was disappointing. I might still give it a try at some point. Ever since reading Nancy MacKenize's Queen of Camelot, I've hoped to find another really good book ab..."
I really liked Queen of Camelot as well. Might be a bit prettified and romantic for some but I like that on occasion.
Misfit wrote: "Tanzanite wrote: "Robin - I'm sorry to hear that it was disappointing. I might still give it a try at some point. Ever since reading Nancy MacKenize's Queen of Camelot, I've hoped to find another r..."
I've been trying to find a good book on Guinevere as well since reading that one. Any suggestions?
I just started A Hollow Crown The Story of Emma, Queen of Saxon England by Helen Hollick. Haven't read much but it looks good so far.
Elysium wrote: "I just started A Hollow Crown The Story of Emma, Queen of Saxon England by Helen Hollick. Haven't read much but it looks good so far."
I enjoyed that, but Harold the King is soooo much better.
The White Rose by Jan Westcott. About Elizabeth Woodville and thank God no Melusine or witches in sight.
Misfit wrote: "Elysium wrote: "I just started A Hollow Crown The Story of Emma, Queen of Saxon England by Helen Hollick. Haven't read much but it looks good so far."I enjoyed that, but Harold ..."
We read "A Hollow Crown" as a group read a few months ago. I liked it...had not read anything about that time period before. I am hoping to get my hands on "Harold the King" but its a bit pricey.
Misfit wrote: "The White Rose by Jan Westcott. About Elizabeth Woodville and thank God no Melusine or witches in sight."That's on my TBR pile. :)
Susan C wrote: "Nona wrote: "I'm excited I ordered TheRunning Vixen by Elizabeth Chadwick part of her Ravenstow triology and it should be here the week of Christmas!! "
Congratulations! Nona you were the one t..."
I reccomended them too. Yes, read Eleanor the Queen first( NL's title is vQueen in Waiting but I think the US publishers changed it I never know why!)
It wouldn't really be the end of the world if you read Lute Player first, but they are about her as the young and then the old queen respectively.
BTW, both are wonderful.
Misfit wrote: "The White Rose by Jan Westcott. About Elizabeth Woodville and thank God no Melusine or witches in sight."
Love Jan Westcott!!!!! She was the author that caught my imagination with this book on Elizabeth Woodville and "The Tower and the Dream" about Bess of Hardwick when I was about 12. I owe this author a great deal!
Susan C wrote: "Well now I'm stumped, should I get Eleanor The Queen or not? Opinions Please!!!
right now i think it's 2-1 no."
Well, I'm certainly late to the discussion (worked 12 days straight and finally have a day off), but I enjoyed Eleanor the Queen by Lofts and have read it twice.
Finished A Hollow Crown and really loved it. Hope to get Harold the King soon.
I just started Eleanor of Aquitaine By the Wrath of God, Queen of England by Alison Weir.
I am reading a biography of Jane Boleyn (my spell check wants to change Boleyn to Boolean!) Truthfully, it's not very good. It's more about Anne and Katherine Howard than Jane herself.
Kelly wrote: "I am reading a biography of Jane Boleyn (my spell check wants to change Boleyn to Boolean!) Truthfully, it's not very good. It's more about Anne and Katherine Howard than Jane herself. "
I really hated that book. And it gave the impression that George and Jane were happily married and Jane and Anne best friends...
Finished Katharine of Aragon The Wives of Henry VIII by Jean Plaidy and I'm almost done with The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir.
How were they? (Katherine of Aragon and Lady in the Tower - I think we know what you thought of the bio of Jane Boleyn!)
I liked them. I think the first part of Katherine of Aragon had little too much Juana and Ferdinand on it. Lady in the tower was really interesting. Didn't know there's so many different versions of George's scaffold speach!I started The King's Daughter by Sandra Worth. I don't know, I kinda hope it gets better...
Elysium wrote: "I liked them. I think the first part of Katherine of Aragon had little too much Juana and Ferdinand on it. Lady in the tower was really interesting. Didn't know there's so many different versions o..."
RE: The King's Daughter. IMHO it doesn't get better, just worse.
Elysium wrote: "Kelly wrote: "I am reading a biography of Jane Boleyn (my spell check wants to change Boleyn to Boolean!) Truthfully, it's not very good. It's more about Anne and Katherine Howard than Jane herself..."I know! I had such a problem with the fact that she is portrayed as a saint and never making mistakes.
Elysium wrote: "I liked them. I think the first part of Katherine of Aragon had little too much Juana and Ferdinand on it. Lady in the tower was really interesting. Didn't know there's so many different versions o..."
I'm almost finished with Weir's The Lady in the Tower and I thought the same thing about George's speech (and others). It got me to thinking though - with so many different versions of what George said (relayed by people who supposedly heard it or got it from someone who did), it's obvious people heard/remembered different things and/or had their own agenda in what they recounted. It makes you wonder how much of what was recorded in primary sources is really accurate.
I'm reading a book called Wordly Goods, by Lisa Jardine, a fascinating look at the Renaissance from the view of commerce, as contrasted to the usual perspectives of art, politics and religion. This is part of my research for a new novel I am writing set in Florence in 1478. LEW
That one sounds interesting - I've read Jardine's book about the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century, which was very interesting.
Finished The King's Daughter. It didn't really get any better. And I didn't like how Rickhard III, Henry VII and young Henry VIII were portrayed.
Just started Lady of the Roses A Novel of the Wars of the Roses by Sandra Worth. I hope this one is better.
Don't remember the last book I posted but I have read in the last month or so "O, Juliet" by Robin Maxwell, "The Boleyn Wife" by Brandy Purdy, "The Greatest Knight" by Elizabeth Chadwick, "Willoughby's Return" by Jane Odiwe, and "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent.About to start Michelle Moran's "The Heretic Queen."
Lady of the Roses was better than The King's Daughter but still not good. And The Rose of York Crown of Destiny was the worst of those. Guess I won't be reading her books anymore.
Now I'm reading The King's Pleasure A Novel of Katharine of Aragon by Norah Lofts. It's good but I liked The Concubine much more. But haven't read that much yet so we'll see...
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Books mentioned in this topic
Stealing Athena (other topics)Mistress of the Sun: A Novel (other topics)
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn (other topics)
The Josephine Bonaparte Collection: The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, and The Last Great Dance on Earth (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Naomi Novik (other topics)Sharon Kay Penman (other topics)
George R.R. Martin (other topics)
Steven Saylor (other topics)
Doris Kearns Goodwin (other topics)
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