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2023 Reading Challenge

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Janet Wertman has read 15 of 48 books.

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Janet Ambrosi Wertman

Goodreads Author

Born

in New York, The United States

Website

https://janetwertman.com

Twitter

janetwertman

Genre

Historical Fiction, Nonfiction

Influences

James Clavell, Mario Puzo

Member Since

May 2014

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Janet Ambrosi Wertman grew up within walking distance of three bookstores and a library on Manhattan’s Upper West Side – and she visited all of them regularly. Her grandfather was an antiquarian bookdealer who taught her that there would always be a market for quirky, interesting books. He was the one who persuaded Janet’s parents to send her to the French school where she was taught to aspire to long (grammatically correct) sentences as the hallmark of a skillful writer. She lived that lesson until she got to Barnard College. Short sentences were the rule there. She complied. She reached a happy medium when she got to law school – complicated sentences alternating with short ones in a happy mix.

Janet spent fifteen years as a corporate law Janet Ambrosi Wertman grew up within walking distance of three bookstores and a library on Manhattan’s Upper West Side – and she visited all of them regularly. Her grandfather was an antiquarian bookdealer who taught her that there would always be a market for quirky, interesting books. He was the one who persuaded Janet’s parents to send her to the French school where she was taught to aspire to long (grammatically correct) sentences as the hallmark of a skillful writer. She lived that lesson until she got to Barnard College. Short sentences were the rule there. She complied. She reached a happy medium when she got to law school – complicated sentences alternating with short ones in a happy mix.

Janet spent fifteen years as a corporate lawyer in New York, she even got to do a little writing on the side (she co-authored The Executive Compensation Answer Book, which was published by Panel Publishers back in 1991). But when her first and second children were born, she decided to change her lifestyle. She and her husband transformed their lives in 1997, moving to Los Angeles and changing careers. Janet became a grantwriter (and will tell anyone who will listen that the grants she’s written have resulted in more than $38 million for the amazing non-profits she is proud to represent) and took up writing fiction.

There was never any question about the topic of the fiction: Janet has harbored a passion for the Tudor Kings and Queens since her parents let her stay up late to watch the televised Masterpiece Theatre series (both The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R) when she was *cough* eight years old. One of the highlights of Janet’s youth was being allowed to visit the Pierpont Morgan Library on a day when it was closed to the public and examine books from Queen Elizabeth’s personal library and actual letters that the young Princess Elizabeth (technically Lady Elizabeth…) had written.

With the Seymour Saga complete, Janet is deep into writing the first book of her next trilogy, which takes up where the Seymours left off to illustrate the life of Elizabeth I. And because you can never have too much Tudors in your life, Janet also attends book club meetings and participates in panels and discussions through History Talks!, a group of historical novelists from Southern California hosted by libraries around the state. ...more

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Janet Ambrosi Wertman’s books

Average rating: 4.25 · 927 ratings · 148 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	Jane the Quene (The Seymour Saga #1) 4.15 avg rating — 569 ratings — published 2016 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Boy King (The Seymour Saga, #3) 4.39 avg rating — 189 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Path to Somerset (The Seymour Saga #2) 4.44 avg rating — 166 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Six Marriages of Henry VIII : Part One: His Wives by Jules d'Argis, Janet Ambrosi Wertman (Goodreads Author) (Translator), Janet Wertman (Translator) liked it 3.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1878 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Executive Compensation Answer Book by Janet Ambrosi Wertman (Goodreads Author), V.P. Kuraitis 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Janet Ambrosi Wertman's Blog

March 25, 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh and Virginia

Sir Walter Raleigh c1585, by Nicholas Hilliard (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date, Sir Walter Raleigh was given a patent to colonize Virginia. This would be the very first attempt to colonize the new world….and it would not go well: the first settlers arrived at Roanoke Island, off the coast of Virginia, and stayed there about a year before leaving, then a second group arrived in 1

Series by Janet Ambrosi Wertman

The Seymour Saga (3 books)
by

Janet Ambrosi Wertman (Goodreads Author)

4.25 avg rating — 923 ratings

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Janet Wertman rated a book really liked it Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Really enjoyed this. Didn’t buy it (buy in the sense of believe) but loved it anyway.
Mar 25, 2023 09:54PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman rated a book it was ok Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ugh. I am a permanent fan of the author’s, but not every book will hit it out of the park….I did not like the main characters, even when they did the right things (and ps that was not often enough). Loved the daughter, appreciated the husbands, but t ...more
Mar 13, 2023 01:25PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman rated a book really liked it Revelation (Matthew Shardlake, #4) by C.J. Sansom	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
It’s always good to find a nice, dependable series. Admittedly I like the historical side better than the mystery side but it was still a great read overall.
Mar 12, 2023 09:43AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Revelation by C.J. Sansom. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Revelation by C.J. Sansom <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman rated a book it was amazing An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain by Diane Ackerman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dense? Yep. Somewhat random? Yep. I don’t care. Admittedly, you have to be in the right mood to take this on, but I was. I have been a rabid fan of Ackerman’s since A Natural History of the Senses and will give her a pass on lots of stuff.
Mar 09, 2023 07:43AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of An Alchemy of Mind by Diane Ackerman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — An Alchemy of Mind by Diane Ackerman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman rated a book liked it Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I adore Paris, admire Jackie….so I really expected this would be amazing. Unfortunately, I did not like the author’s voice or the communist plot angle so the book just fell flat. Sigh.
Feb 28, 2023 07:55AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman rated a book really liked it Elizabeth Tudor: Portrait of a Queen by Lacey Baldwin Smith	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wonderful book. Smith offers incredible insights. I do wish she had gone as deep/gotten as detailed as she did with Henry.
Feb 26, 2023 02:29PM · 2 likes · like · see review
Janet Wertman rated a book it was amazing Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Loved it - this is one of those books that sticks with you, with well done descriptions and a strong story. Admittedly, I didn’t really like Sadie or Sam - or, rather, I wove in and out of liking them - but I understood and felt for them. And I’m not ...more
Feb 25, 2023 07:13AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman rated a book really liked it A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Extraordinary book. I appreciated the author’s decision to center the book around a specific family/person - it really brought all the detail back to an ongoing story. Lots more about war and battle than is usually my taste but that was the age….
Feb 20, 2023 07:20AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Distant Mirror by Barbara W. Tuchman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Distant Mirror by Barbara W. Tuchman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman wants to read A Heart Purloined by Lisa M. Lane (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 16, 2023 07:26PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Heart Purloined by Lisa M. Lane. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Heart Purloined by Lisa M. Lane <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Wertman rated a book really liked it Do Let's Have Another Drink!: The Dry Wit and Fizzy Life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother by Gareth Russell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Fun read - light and easy. I’m off now to have a drink-poo…
Feb 04, 2023 08:17AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Do Let's Have Another Drink! by Gareth Russell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Do Let's Have Another Drink! by Gareth Russell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Janet's books…

Quotes by Janet Ambrosi Wertman (?)

“We hated the cruise. Our cabin was deep in the bowels of the ship, the nautical equivalent of nosebleed seats.”
― Janet Ambrosi Wertman

1 likes

Polls

What book about the Tudors or Tudor England would you like for the group to read in June 2016?

Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen: A Novel by Alison Weir

10 votes, 16.1%

Charles Brandon: The King's Man by Sarah Bryson

9 votes, 14.5%

Legacy by Susan Kay

9 votes, 14.5%

Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery by Eric Ives

7 votes, 11.3%

Dark Aemilia: A Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady by Sally O'Reilly

5 votes, 8.1%

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

5 votes, 8.1%

Jane the Quene by Janet Ambrosi Wertman

4 votes, 6.5%

The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor: Elizabeth I, Thomas Seymour, and the Making of a Virgin Queen by Elizabeth Norton

3 votes, 4.8%

Catherine Howard: The Queen Whose Adulteries Made a Fool of Henry VIII by Lacey Baldwin Smith

3 votes, 4.8%

The Jesuit Letter by Dean Hamilton

2 votes, 3.2%

Je Anne Boleyn: Struck with the Dart of Love by Sandra Vasoli

1 vote, 1.6%

The Marriage Game: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth I by Alison Weir

1 vote, 1.6%

The Colours of Our Petals by Aled Davies

1 vote, 1.6%

The Spanish Bride by Laurien Gardner

1 vote, 1.6%

The Virgin's Daughter by Laura Andersen

1 vote, 1.6%

The Queen's Caprice by Marjorie Bowen

0 votes, 0.0%

62 total votes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Tudor History Lovers: Nominations Open - Group Read for September 2016	12	59	Aug 09, 2016 10:40AM

Janet’s Quotes

“Ce privilege d'etre partout chez soi n'apppartient qu'aux rois, aux filles et aux voleurs”
― Honoré de Balzac

0 likes

“We hated the cruise. Our cabin was deep in the bowels of the ship, the nautical equivalent of nosebleed seats.”
― Janet Ambrosi Wertman

1 likes

“I take inspiration where I can, and devour it in one piece like I'm starving. Not because I think it's something fleeting that will never return but because I think the best inspiration is the kind that makes you feel urgent. Like you're racing against yourself to get a story on the page while you still remember what that magic feels like.”
― Roshani Chokshi, The Star-Touched Queen

14 likes