European Royalty discussion
European Royalty Discussions
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What have you read lately?
Lauren wrote: "Just finished The Secret Bride In The Court of Henry VIII and I didn't care much for it. Next up is.. The Perfect Royal Mistress A Novel. I hope this one is better."Don't expect much on PRM. Not bad, but didn't knock my socks off either. Fluffy.
Elysium wrote: "I started The Concubine A Novel by Norah Lofts. I've liked it so far."I think you will love it- all Norah Loft novels are good, especially her historical ones, and The Concubine shows, I think, how the whole affair moved inevitably to its tragic close. I can't see Anne any other way than that which NL portrays her. Or Katherine of Aragon or any Queen actually !
Wow Barbara, thanks. I have several of her books on my WTBR shelves and didn't realize the gems I had. Thanks for the eye opener.
I really enjoyed Norah Lofts Houe on Old Vine series. Not royalty but it follows the lives and hardship of generations from the begining through several generations. Parts made me cry and then angry. It really gets your emotions involved.
I'm almost finished with The Last Queen now!LOVING it.
This is my first book by Gortner and my first about Juana. I can't wait to read more of both!
Hi Mandy, I read The Last Queen with a face to face book group and everyone really loved it. Juana was such an interesting person in such a complex time and so misunderstood or perhaps wrongly portrayed by historians.I believe Gortner's next book is due out Spring of 2010 and is about Catherine d'Medici.
Oooooh sounds good. I have a recently sprung interest in Catherine!
I swear I have a book by Gortner but I can't seem to find it right now. I know I wanted the Last Queen but maybe I only looked, refrained from buying. So unlike me.
Elysium wrote: "I started The Concubine A Novel by Norah Lofts. I've liked it so far."This is my favorite book about Anne (so far).
Susan C wrote: "Wow Barbara, thanks. I have several of her books on my WTBR shelves and didn't realize the gems I had. Thanks for the eye opener."How lovely, you have such a treat in store! Nona mentions the House Trilogy - also great, be sure to read them in order. Also the Eleanor of Aquitaine pair. Read Queen in Waiting ( called Eleanor the Queen in the US) first, then the Lute Player. Oh and of course the Knights Acre Trilogy .....
Barbara wrote: "Susan C wrote: "Wow Barbara, thanks. I have several of her books on my WTBR shelves and didn't realize the gems I had. Thanks for the eye opener."How lovely, you have such a treat in store! Nona ..."
Thanks Barbara, I have The Lute Player but I don't think the other one. I'll have to shop around for an inexpensive copy.
I need to take my own advice and have a tablet dedicated to GR recommendations only and use when I'm on reading threads.
I just finished The Last Queen, it was on of the best books I have read in a long time. Loved it!!
I have to buy it now. Everyone seems to love this book,how could I not. PS I found it on my shelves - Whew!!!
Tanzanite wrote: "Elysium wrote: "I started The Concubine A Novel by Norah Lofts. I've liked it so far."This is my favorite book about Anne (so far).
Haven't read her books before but I liked that one. Never read that Anne had step-mom before.
Not sure if this belong here but I'm reading King Arthur: Dragon's Child by M.K. Hume
I'm not an expert on Tudor history, but I seem to remember that some historians used to think Anne Boleyn had a stepmother. I think it's fairly well established now that she didn't, but maybe that was the prevailing theory at the time the book was written?I have the second of MK Hume's Arthur books lined up, but haven't started it yet. What do you think of Dragon's Child?
Carla wrote: "I'm not an expert on Tudor history, but I seem to remember that some historians used to think Anne Boleyn had a stepmother. I think it's fairly well established now that she didn't, but maybe that..."I think Eric Ives in his biography of Anne demolished the stepmother story, which I think originated with Agnes Strickland (though I could be wrong about that). A number of older historical novels, Jean Plaidy's among them, mistakenly depict Anne as having a stepmother. They were written, of course, long before Ives' biography was available.
Susan wrote: "I think Eric Ives in his biography of Anne demolished the stepmother story, which I think originated with Agnes Strickland (though I could be wrong about that, ..." I think you're right about that. I've heard the stepmother story attributed to Agnes Strickland.
Susan C wrote: "Thanks Barbara, I have The Lute Player but I don't think the other one. I'll have to shop around for an inexpensive copy. "
Eleanor the Queen is being reissued in the US in mid-April. This is one of Lofts books that I really didn't care for.
Carla wrote: "I have the second of MK Hume's Arthur books lined up, but haven't started it yet. What do you think of Dragon's Child?"It's ok. It's not bad but I'm not all hyper either.
I've wanted to get Eleanor the Queen but I've heard not good things about it. I have The King's Pleasure but haven't read it yet.
Well now I'm stumped, should I get Eleanor The Queen or not? Opinions Please!!!right now i think it's 2-1 no.
Misfit wrote: Don't expect much on PRM. Not bad, but didn't knock my socks off either. Fluffy...."I couldn't finish it, so I started
The Concubine's Daughter A Novel and I like it so far.
Working on EC's The Greatest Knight now and waiting for my ARC of The Boleyn Wife to arrive. :)
I just bought the Greatest Knight, let me know what you think. Who's ARC?
I'm excited I ordered TheRunning Vixen by Elizabeth Chadwick part of her Ravenstow triology and it should be here the week of Christmas!!
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 to suggest the Concubine and the Lute Player by Lofts, what is your opinion of Eleanor the Queen? Do I need to read it before The Lute Player?
you don't have to but I think it would explain a few of the little things, but both stand alone so either way would be ok.Another good if you have not read them yet is The Kings Pleasure if I remember correctly it's on Anne Boleyn and if you don't mind reading about lesser known people and don't mind a good saga her House On Old Vine are great really well formed characters and the story gets more interesting as it goes.
Nona wrote: "you don't have to but I think it would explain a few of the little things, but both stand alone so either way would be ok.Another good if you have not read them yet is The Kings Pleasure if I..."
Thanks!!!!
Susan C wrote: "I just bought the Greatest Knight, let me know what you think. Who's ARC?"An ARC is an advanced reading copy. I got it in the mail today to read and review before it's release.
Elysium wrote: "Carla wrote: "I have the second of MK Hume's Arthur books lined up, but haven't started it yet. What do you think of Dragon's Child?"It's ok. It's not bad but I'm not all hyper either.
I've..."
Cheers - that's roughly how I felt about it.
Robin wrote: "Susan C wrote: "I just bought the Greatest Knight, let me know what you think. Who's ARC?"An ARC is an advanced reading copy. I got it in the mail today to read and review before it's release."
How do you get to do that?
Nona wrote: "you don't have to but I think it would explain a few of the little things, but both stand alone so either way would be ok.Another good if you have not read them yet is The Kings Pleasure if I..."
The King's Pleasure is about Katherine of Aragon; The Concubine is about Anne Boleyn.
I working on Child from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge. About Lucy Walter, mistress to Charles II and mother of the Duke of Monmouth.
Tanzanite wrote: "Nona wrote: "you don't have to but I think it would explain a few of the little things, but both stand alone so either way would be ok.Another good if you have not read them yet is The Kings ..."
I will be hosting a giveaway on my blog for Gardiner's "The Spanish Bride" about Catherine of Aragon. As soon as I get it posted I will post the link here.
Susan C wrote: "Robin wrote: "Susan C wrote: "I just bought the Greatest Knight, let me know what you think. Who's ARC?"An ARC is an advanced reading copy. I got it in the mail today to read and review befor..."
I've had a couple authors contact me via my book review blog asking if I would like to review their book.
I finished Lackey's "Gwenhwyfar" last week and finally got my review up on my blog. Let me just say it is a really different take on the story but there is still enough of the known legends mixed in (and I really mean mixed and about all of them are thrown in) that you recognize what you're reading about.I was pretty disappointed in it. Of course Harriet gave it 5 stars on Amazon...
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 about Guinevere. (by the way, I tried to leave a comment on your blog but for some reason every time I go to your actual blog I get a dozen new windows that say "blank page") and my computer locks up. I don't know if anyone else has had that problem but for some reason yours is the only blog that does that to me - weird.)
The Listopia List "Books Harriet Didn't Love So Much" ( http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/34... ) still cracks me up. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, some poor book only got 2 stars from Harriet!
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..."Hmm...that's weird. I'll see if anyone else has had any problems with that.
I gave it 2 stars...it wasn't HORRIBlE, it just didn't live up to what I was hoping it would be like.
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've had problems as well, although not quite the same. I've found blogs that have the comment on the blog page, instead of going to a new page to post comments to be very cumbersome. I've finally bailed out to find out later that my comment was posted five times. I tend to avoid them unless I really really have something to say.
Susanna wrote: "The Listopia List "Books Harriet Didn't Love So Much" ( http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/34... ) still cracks me up. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, some poor book on..."
Heee, I couldn't resist :p
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.
You couldn't resist, and I'm still giggling!
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.
European Royalty
Books mentioned in this topic
The Book of Royal Useless Information: A Funny and Irreverent Look at the British Royal Family Past and Present (other topics)Katherine (other topics)
Queen of the North (other topics)
Victoria and her daughters (other topics)
The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Noel Botham, Bruce Montague (other topics)Alison Weir (other topics)
Alison Weir (other topics)
Alison Weir (other topics)
Jean Plaidy (other topics)
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I had to wait a few days for the library to get The Last Queen in, which is what I wanted to read next, so instead I picked up one that's been sitting on my side table for a while. The Memory Keeper's Daughter. It's depressing. I've only been reading it for 2 days and should finish today, so at least it's a quick read. I can't wait to get back to HF!