Lets fatten up our TBR list! Recomend a book chain

[happy]

I finished the biography of Sir Francis Drake I was reading - a little dry in spots, but I learned alot about him. I would recommend it - a touch under 4 stars, so I rounded up

[Juliew.]

I might be interested in that.I'll have to go have a look at it.

Just recently finished Anne Boleynby Hester W. Chapmanand I was really surprised with the amount of detail.Pretty sympathetic to Anne Boleyn for being first published in 1974.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

I see Fifty Shades of Lady Catherine Grey: The Sex Scandals that Shook the Tudor Court is on sale for kindle. For 99 cents, I may get it for a laugh.

Someone may need to talk me out of this!

[Patricia]

I would recommend the CJ Sansom books about a lawyer called Matthew Shardlake: Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation, Heartstone and the last one which has just come out, Lamentation. Although fictional, the Tudor legal background is well researched and it's fun to see just how lawyers worked in those days. Set under Cromwell's "rule".
Another fictional one is a spy thriller set under Edward VI's reign called the Tudor Secret by Christopher Gortner.

[Juliew.]

In the middle of Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen by:Anna Whitelock Good basic info on Mary I.Very well written too.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

The Miracle at St. Bruno's by Philippa Carr is currently $1.99 for kindle: worth a try?

[Dawn]

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "The Miracle at St. Bruno's by Philippa Carr is currently $1.99 for kindle: worth a try?"


It's an interesting book and the first in the series. Borderline Gothic, I think. I liked it (read it in high school/college) but parts of it can be difficult. Are you aware that Philippa Carr is also Jean Plaidy (as is Victoria Holt?)

[Mary]

Read the entire PC series years ago and adored them all! Some are slightly better than others, but that's each reader's preference.

[Hunter]

Let's see if this can be seen by you all. It's a Wolf Hall card from Jib Jab, made by one of the Anne Boleyn FB groups. (Aren't we history geeks the best?)

Season's Greetings everyone!

http://www.jibjab.com/view/56z0kkYhRU...

[happy]

I'm just starting Dan Jones' newest

[Kevin]

If it hasn't already been mentioned, I would like to add
God's Secret Agents: Queen Elizabeth's Forbidden Priests and the Hatching of the Gunpowder Plot by Alice Hogge. I wrote a chapter on Elizabeth for my own book and used this as one of the secondary sources. The book focuses on the Catholic reaction to Elizabeth and her consequential persecution of Jesuit missionaries.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

I can't imagine that many people in this group haven't already read it, but Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl is $1.99 at U.S. Amazon right now.

[happy]

I finished The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors. Pretty good look at the end of the Plantagenet era and the beginning of the Tudors.

Currently reading Chris Skidmore's


It covers much the same ground as Wars, but from a more Tudor viewpoint

[[deleted user]]

Both of those looks good. I just finished reading that is also during that time.

[Lesley]

Hi, I'd like to introduce you to my two books set in the late Tudor period - Witness and An Act of Treason. They are fast paced adventure stories which aim to give a real feel for ordinary life in the period.

This is, understandably, my favourite among the many 5* reviews Witness has received - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

This is an excellent example of how historical fiction should be written. Despite the huge amount of research the author has obviously undertaken, there are no expository passages in which the author delivers a lesson on historical facts and circumstances. There is no obtrusive name-dropping of historical persons and places which are not essential to the narrative. The characters and their story are always the focus; facts, dates and names from history are mentioned only when necessary to tell the story and draw the reader into that experience.

The protagonist is a likeable twelve-year-old boy, whose intense curiosity leads him into danger amid the seething political intrigue of Elizabethan England. His character is portrayed in depth and clarity, winning my immediate empathy. A few interesting adults playing important roles are also sketched distinctly.

Through the author’s flowing unpretentious prose the setting comes vividly alive; its smells and sounds, customs and cabals ooze naturally from the narration to immerse the reader in a fictional experience of the 16th Century.

This book would naturally appeal to juvenile readers, but equally to adults. That is a mark of great authorship. From my very wide reading I can assure you that Lesley Hale’s book stands out from the multitude of fiction works readily available today—not because of gimmicks or complicated plotting, but simply because of its outstanding writing and narration. My attention was gripped from page one and I felt satisfied at the end, yet compelled to read the next in the Matthew Reed series.

[Katharine]

I don't think this thread is meant for authors to talk about their own books, but I have actually read Lesley's first one so if the mods pull her post I would be happy to recommend Witness. It's well written and very well researched, if you like evocative fiction that brings the world of ordinary people in the Tudor period to life.

[happy]

I just finished



It's okay, but not great. Ms. Whitelock looks at Elizabeth's reign from a personal veiw point. A lot about her wardrobe, the various marriage options, potential assissination plots and as she aged the importance she placed on seeming eternally young.

I'll type up a more complete review as I get the time.

I would give it 3.25 stars.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

I'm currently reading Susan Doran's Elizabeth I and Her Circle, and so far it's very interesting. I'm still on the first section, which is "kin." (Both her Boleyn cousins, the "tribe of Dan," without royal claims, to whom she showed favor, and her relatives on Henry VIII's side, where relationships were far more complicated.)

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

Also reading a historical mystery with a Tudor setting, Sacred Treason. Set in 1563.

The historical part is done pretty well so far (author is actually Ian Mortimer; James Forrester is a pen name), and plot is moving along pretty briskly.

[Skye]

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "The Miracle at St. Bruno's by Philippa Carr is currently $1.99 for kindle: worth a try?"

YES

[Skye]

I have read The Daughters of England in its entirety, and I adored it.

[Skye]

Susanna;
Is there anyone willing to compile a list of the above>

[Skye]

Katharine wrote: "I don't think this thread is meant for authors to talk about their own books, but I have actually read Lesley's first one so if the mods pull her post I would be happy to recommend [book:Witness|20..."

Sounds good.

[Skye]

Kevin wrote: "If it hasn't already been mentioned, I would like to add
God's Secret Agents: Queen Elizabeth's Forbidden Priests and the Hatching of the Gunpowder Plot by Alice Hogge. I wrote a chapter on Elizab..."

Sounds interesting, Kevin

[Skye]

Dawn wrote: "Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "The Miracle at St. Bruno's by Philippa Carr is currently $1.99 for kindle: worth a try?"


It's an interesting book and the first in the series..."
I adored the series, and I also liked the series is written---epistolary-fashion.

[Skye]

Tammy wrote: "Both of those looks good. I just finished reading that is also during that time."

Tammy, I have this book and another one by Philippa Gregory---any good? Currenly, I am reading two novels, but not of the Tudor period.

[Skye]

I am currently reading my first Phillipa Gregory book...it's so-so; I strongly recommend the following list:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/4042...

[Mary]

Philippa Gregory is good when read as historical fiction. She writes well, but her historical aspect is suspect.

[Skye]

Thanks, Mary; you are right, so far---not much history ( but I didn't want a heavy historical account)....however, I have not read too many novels with the romantic aspect, in a long time.

[Lesley]

The Edge of Dark by Pamela Hartshorne is a timeslip novel, which is partly set in Tudor York. It was interesting and held my attention, and was well-written. Not brilliant literature, but a fine book to while away a few hours.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

Mixed results on Sacred Treason - the historical side was very good, but the plot was too twisty and convoluted.

[Louise]

The Tudor Housewife by Alison Sim is a book I am very fond of, it is full of interesting information about women's lives in Tudor England. Masters and Servants in Tudor England by the same author is also very interesting.

[Lesley]

Ooo, I've just got a book by Alison Sim - Food and Feast in Tudor England. I'm hoping to find it useful for my writing research.

[Louise]

Lesley wrote: "Ooo, I've just got a book by Alison Sim - Food and Feast in Tudor England. I'm hoping to find it useful for my writing research."

that's a good one too. Her books are very interesting.

[Tiiu]

I like books that comment on the position of women or outsiders in Tudor society so I would recommend the novels of C.J. Sansom and S.J. Parris.

[Patricia]

I have just finished the Hollow Crown by Dan Jones The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors. This is not a Tudor book per se as it describes in detail what we have come to know as the War of The Roses, which culminated in the Battle of Bosworth when Henry Tudor (Henry VII) defeated Richard III. It is really the last 60 pages which cover Henry VII's accession and how he coped with founding a new dynasty. However it describes in a flowing dynamic narrative the mayhem of this 15th century civil war and how Henry would then become a serious claimant to the throne, which was not immediately obvious at the outset of the war. It also describes at the end what Henry VIII had inherited and how Elizabeth continued the symbolism of the Tudor Rose. We seem to overlook Henry VII a lot, and I thought this was good introduction to him and his dynasty. Would highly recommend it, gave it 5*

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

Has anyone read Susan Kay's Legacy? If so, how is it?

[Dawn]

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Has anyone read Susan Kay's Legacy? If so, how is it?"

It's one of my favorites. There's a little bit of supernatural in it, but I don't believe it gets in the way of the story. (I mention it only because some people don't care for that sort of thing) I think it's fairly well researched, covers all of Elizabeth's life, plus offers a couple interesting (to me) interpretations of events.

[Tiiu]

It is not generally available but all rated

[Louise]

I am reading How to be a Tudor by Ruth Goodman at the moment. It is very interesting, full of fascinating information about everyday life in Tudor times. Ruth Goodman has actually tried many of the things she describes in the book - clothes, food, sleeping and washing arrangements etc, so she has first hand experience to draw on.

[Arwen]

That sounds really interesting, Louise, thanks for mentioning that book I'll definitely try to get my hand on it! :)

[happy]

I just finished

Shakespeare and the Countess: The Battle that Gave Birth to the Globe

The title is a little bit of a misnomer - Shakespeare is a secondary figure at best. This is really a biography of Elizabeth Russell - self styled Dowager Countess of Bedford. Her second husband was the heir to the Earldom of Bedford and died at the same time as his father, so was never formally made the Earl.

Remarkable woman - very active is Puritan circles and the sister in law to William Cecil. Shakespeare first appears about 2/3rds of the way into the book, when the Countess decides she doesn't want his Blackfriers Theater in her neighborhood and has enough concections to have in closed down - forcing Shakespeare and his troop to find another venue. Decent enough read - 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

My more complete thoughts if anyone is interested

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Marian]

Misfit wrote: "Those are excellent and I'm ashamed to admit I'm old enough to have watched the first time they aired on public television."

Im old enough as well to remember there to,but,you have to admit,they were well done!

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

If we're referring to Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R, they were indeed well done! (I, too, am old enough to have been watching when they first aired. Though I was in elementary school.)

[Marian]

That series Susanna got an 8.5 rating on the IMDB board.Wasnt Keith Mitchell great as Henry?

[Marian]

And Elizabeth R got an 8.8..:)

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

Keith Mitchell was the best Henry I've ever seen. Glenda Jackson was fabulous.

[Haley]

I'm currently reading Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir. It's a biography of Elizabeth, and it covers her childhood, her short relationship with Richard III and her eventual marriage to Henry VII. Very detailed and an easy read for nonfiction.

[Christine]

Haley wrote: "I'm currently reading Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir. It's a biography of Elizabeth, and it covers her childhood, her short relationship with Richard III and her even..."

Haley is there anything new there that was not covered in Phillipa Gregory's book The White Princess? I don't particularly like reading the same things over and over. Thanks.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads, Mod #4]

Ms. Gregory's White Princess is a novel; Weir's Elizabeth of York is non-fiction.

Weir is a historian; Gregory is not. (Her Ph.D is in English.)