Alice, I am reading Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye at the European Royalty group but I would like to start reading NL books. Which one do you recomemend??

Thanks Laura for responding. I was so lonesome last night! I read The Far Pavilions long ago and can hardly remember it only that I enjoyed it. Please get The Haunting of Gads Hall for February or if you have already read Jassy Barbara is leading a discussion on it right now.
It appears to me that European Royalty is discussing several books at once? It seems to work ok there so I guess we can do it here too.
Thanks for helping to keep the group going.

You wellcome Alice. At ER group we are discussing 2 books/month and for me it is hard to get the books on time since my bookshop takes 4-6 weeks to get the books I want. I think the best way is the group to nominate one book in advance ir order to arrange things. You may count on me ir order to help you.

Present! :-) I'm currently reading Peter Straub's Ghost Story, which is a common read in one of my other groups. Next on my list is The Haunting of Gad's Hall, for this group's February common read.

I'm here, I just haven't had anything to say. I've two NL books but they weren't her best and was trying to figure out what to try next. I've got The Haunting of Gad's Hall coming from the library so I can read it in February.

The other two I tried were Hester Roon and The Lute Player. No problems with the writing, just not too exciting story wise.

Thanks so much for posting. Glad you are here. Its good also to know that you will be joining us in The Haunting of Gad's Hall discussion. If I remember right Hester Roon was interesting to me because of the history and at the moment I cannot remember The Lute Player at all but I know I have read it.
I hope you will find The Haunting of Gad's Hall to be exciting. I find it to be very spooky and can get cold shivers down the back! I tend to have an overactive imagination tho.

Alice, thanks for your diligent work on the list I started, 1000 Books (Besides the Bible) Every Christian Should Read. Participation is what builds up a list and makes it really useful! As requested, that link (if I have the formatting right :-) is:
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com"/list/show/946.1000_Books_Besides_the_Bible_Every_Christian_Should_Read</a>

It looks like that link isn't going to be clickable, but you can find it by using the "Explore" feature to go to listopia.

Thanks for the tip to find it that way. A few email friends told me Christian books they have read that I can add. Some just will not join goodreads as they say they don't have the time. My friend Anne did do this one tho. I was so glad to see it.

Alice wrote: "Thanks so much for posting. Glad you are here. Its good also to know that you will be joining us in The Haunting of Gad's Hall discussion. If I remember right Hester Roon was interesting to me b..."

Alice, I like spooky looking forward to it. The Lute Player is about Richard I and Berengeria and a lot of it deals with his travels on crusade. I've yet to find any author that can make them interesting, although I suspect Penman will in her upcoming Lionheart.

Oh, I agree about the Crusades. Altho I have read about them that is not the period of time most interesing to me. Probably why I don't remember The Lute Player!
Let me know if Penman makes it exciting? I guess IMO Susan Howatch did the best job with the character of Richard. (Penmarric) But I do not recall if he is called Richard in her book. When I first read it I didn't even notice she was writing about a royal family but changed the names. Later I noticed that Mark was based on King John. Something called The Devil's Brood.

Alice wrote: "Oh, I agree about the Crusades. Altho I have read about them that is not the period of time most interesing to me. Probably why I don't remember The Lute Player!
Let me know if Penman makes it ..."

Now I am curious about Penmarric as I understood it was set in Cornwall and in a later period. Oh well, its out from the library so I'm starting it soon.

On Penmarric be sure to read the quotes at the front and all the extras as its explained it is about King John. Correct me if I am wrong but I think its the father of King John who hounded Robin Hood and was so wicked while his brother Richard was off on the Crusades.
page 212 gives some tips: The disparity of age between Henry and Eleanor was perhaps primarily responsible for their growing animosity; at forty-five she had passed the prime of her beauty, while he, eleven years her junior, was still in the full vigour of his lustful passions. - King John
W. L. Warren
and
Eleanor began to dislike her husband. Presumably he was now more blatantly unfaithful even than before.....
The Devil's Brood
Alfred Duggan
(I could have killed him, came to hate him more and more as the book went along but you will see what I mean)
page 178 - By this time little Henry was the eldest of an increasing family. His sister Matilda had been born in 1156. In 1157 another son was born in Beaumont Palace, Oxford, and christened Richard......The queen was kept busy, and must live in retirement for long periods every year. This gave Henry more scope for his adulteries....
The Devil's Brood,
Alfred Duggan

John was Richard's youngest brother - known as John Lackland, as King Henry didn't give any titles and lands to John. Prince John was left at home while Richard (the Lionheart) went off gallivanting on his dream crusade. Fighting on crusade was all Richard was really interested in. He kept on at John to send more funds over the years he was away. Richard married Berengaria of Spain, but never really spent any time with her.

The crusade failed and Richard started to return home. He was kidnapped (I can't remember by whom) and held for ransom for about 2 years. At first there was no word about who was holding him, but when the ransom demand came out, it was unpopular Prince John who had the task of raising the funds from an already stripped country to get Richard back. Poor old John was deeply unpopular as he was the one at the scene, demanding the money. Richard was seen as a hero, despite the fact that his crusade failed and it cost a fortune. Richard wasn't interested in being King of England - I think he spent perhaps one year in England in all the time he was king. He showed the same disinterest in his wife, so perhaps there was some truth to the rumours about him being gay.

As you might guess I actually preferred John to Richard. There were 5 brothers originally. The eldest, Henry, died as a toddler. The middle two (Geoffrey and can't remember) died too - can't remember how. So after Richard died, the crown went to John - the son the king ignored.

I also thing Eleanor was pretty damned good stuff too. She should have been a man - she would had the ambition and drive. Perhaps she would have been a good king.

Anyway, that's my rehash of their history as I remember it.

Well, in Penmarric Richard was gay which I have heard before and I preferred the youngest son too by the end. He actually turned out to be the best one by the end of the book.

It makes me hopping mad as he takes all her children away from her...GRRR! Penmarric of course deviates some from the true story but its a great read IMO.

One reason he went off to the Crusades was just so he could be around other men!

<Oh Misfit- The Lute Player and Hester Roon not interesting stories??!! The former about a unrequited love,and the tranformation of peoples lives (Beregaria for example, from spoiled princess to disregarded wife to semi abbess)set against the most transformative of periods
And Hester Roon, - illegitimacy, highwaymen, suicide, abuse, escape, crime, transportation, slavery , love an disillusion. And heroism .....not to mention a happy ending

Oh Barbara I do agree about Hester Roon.

Loreena McKennitt set an old poem about a Highwayman to music and it makes me think some of this. Have you heard it?

Cathy and her kitty, Misfit must love really exciting books...but I can't imagine what they could be??

I will begin reading Norah Lofts book 'The Concubine' a friend of mine recommended it. From what she said it looks to be promising, lets hope it delivers!

Barbara wrote: "<Oh Misfit- The Lute Player and Hester Roon not interesting stories??!! The former about a unrequited love,and the tranformation of peoples lives (Beregaria for example, from spoiled princess to di..."

Sorry guys :0

Berengeria, I just can't get excited about her, she borders on TSTL. Hester Roon I actually enjoyed the highwayman/escape bit in the first part of the book, but the second half just dragged on and on and I got lost.

Alice, I don't mind a slow paced book (I actually read quite a few of them at times), but perhaps these weren't the books for me at that time. I've had other books I've put aside and picked them up at another times and loved them to bits. Perception and what's going on in one's life can greatly affect my enjoyment of a particular book.

Alice wrote: "Well, in Penmarric Richard was gay which I have heard before and I preferred the youngest son too by the end. He actually turned out to be the best one by the end of the book.

It makes me h..."

This is interesting, getting a book that's going to be about something completely different than what I expected. An excellent book on Henry II and his relationships with his sons is Penman's Devil's Brood, and she's continuing the story with another tentatively called Lionheart.

PS, the entire Penman series that starts with the Civil War between Stephen and Maude and then continues with Henry and Eleanor is When Christ and His Saints Slept, Time and Chance and Devil's Brood. Penman's dialogue is excellent, especially in DB.

Thanks! I am sure I would like these after I read The Time Traveler's Wife with my red hat group, then The Host which I got from the library instead of spending more for another Stephenie Meyer book, The Last of the Wine, A Room with a View and just finishing The Maltese Falcon! So many books, so little time!
I am sure I will refer back here so I can try to order them from library.

Arci wrote: "I will begin reading Norah Lofts book 'The Concubine' a friend of mine recommended it. From what she said it looks to be promising, lets hope it delivers!" Good to hear from you Arci! I believe that book is about Anne Boleyn who is one of my favorites in English history. Please post what you think as you read it.

I've just started to read The Rabbi by Noah Gordon - one of my birthday pressies. While I read it I will also skim read the NL books that will be discussed.

That sounds like a very interesting book?

It's better than I thought - I'm already on p81 and I only started it yesterday. I've only read one of NG's books before, which was historically based. This one is about a rabbi and his family in New York in the 1960's. For me this isn't a time I like to read about normally, but I am enjoying it. NG is a good author.

"The Rabbi" is about a family man who feels strongly about his wife, children and religion. He was already a rabbi when he met his wife - she was a minister's daughter. She fell in love and converted to Judaism to marry him. The story starts in the 1960's when they are middle-aged and going through a crisis. Then it goes back to the 1920's when the rabbi was just a boy. It seems that the story flits from present day to the ongoing story of boy growing up.

I was not able to focus today much on reading as guess I was in diabetic stupor or gluten ....whatever! I am looking at The Host which is not about vampires but seems to be Sci-Fi ..maybe aliens? A "soul" gets implanted into a "dead" human. I am also supposed to read The Time Traveler's Wife for my red hat book discussion group. Not sure which one I will go with yet.


I probably should get a little more Gad's Hall on here tho for those who are unable to find copies.

My husband has a 3 am flight so should I even go to bed?

"The eldest, Henry, died as a toddler. The middle two (Geoffrey and can't remember) died too - can't remember how. So after Richard died, the crown went to John - the son the king ignored."

Oops, missed this comment yesterday. The eldest son, young Henry (Hal)lived to adulthood and was actually crowned King during his father's lifetime, which certainly added to the disputes for land and power between Henry II and his sons. He did die rather young, and interestingly took suddenly ill after pillaging several monasteries for their wealth.

One of Hal's retainers/knights was William Marshal, the only man known to have unhorsed Richard the Lionheart. Eventually became the Earl of Pembroke and Regent of England during Henry III's minority. Fascinating, honorable man - see The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick.

Geoffrey died young as well, but he had married and had one son, Arthur. By rule of primogenitor Arthur should have been named King after Richard's death (being the son of the elder son), but Arthur was a child and John was an adult and John ended up King. Arthur died a very mysterious death BTW and many suspect the always deliciously evil King John.

OK, back to topic. Gad's Hall is ready for pickup at the library but nothing else is going to get read until Penmarric is finished. I'm loving it.

Misfit, what does TSTL stand for, back in your Message #20? Sorry --a lot of times I don't pick up on abbreviations, even if they ought to be obvious! :-)

Werner wrote: "Misfit, what does TSTL stand for, back in your Message #20? Sorry --a lot of times I don't pick up on abbreviations, even if they ought to be obvious! :-)"

Werner, an abbreviation most frequently used in the romance forums. TSTL = too stupid to live. Usually in reference to a very irritating herione :)

Cathy, glad you are loving Penmarric. I have read it at least 7 times. Also, thanks for explaining TSTL as I didn't know that meant Too Stupid to Live either and there are certainly many romance heroines who fit into that category. In some cases it might be too maschoistic to live. Wish I could spell that word but you know what I mean.

Alice yes indeed I know the Loreena McKennit version of The Highwayman. I loved the poem at school too, I remember, Bess 's heroism etc. I also remember hating the 'blood-red spurs' then,and now , images of animal cruelty or pain upset me riduculously, always have.
Heres a link to the poem - needs to be read aloud of course!

Misfit, thank you for correcting me. The firstborn son who died as a toddler was William, Henry was the second born. I'd also forgotten about Arthur - easily done! Eleanor was certainly a busy lady. Ten children by two different kings.

You mentioned Elizabeth Chadwick - I like her, but can't remember which books of hers I have. Not the ones you mentioned anyway. I have a few Sharon Penman books and love her stuff. Here Be Dragons is one of my favourites.

I agree with you about Berengaria - I found her incredibly annoying, but did feel a bit sorry for her. The Lute Player is not one of NL's most exciting books. I enjoyed it more the 2nd time I read it as I knew more of the background then.

Barbara wrote: "Alice yes indeed I know the Loreena McKennit version of The Highwayman. I loved the poem at school too, I remember, Bess 's heroism etc. I also remember hating the 'blood-red spurs' then,and now ,..."

Mom used to read this poem to me from our Childcraft book and I always loved it. "The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor...." I was so thrilled that she set it to music. I first heard one of her songs when we were browsing in a second hand book store in Albuquerque and had to immediately go buy it at Hastings. I think I sent you a link to one of them on Facebook?

I used to be also very sensitive to animal cruelty but now that I am much older I have gotten less sensitive. I witnessed dreadful things in Japan and also if you live in San Antonio TX ...well, its shocking. When I lived in Suffolk I never saw anything bad and could take my dogs with me about anywhere which you can't do here. Here in the mountains things are much better. Most people here really love dogs and cats too. When I read Black Beauty long ago I was terribly upset, were you also?

Somehow Joy on her Glens Falls group closes topics and starts new ones but I have no idea how she does it. Anyone know?
Probably time to close this one.