Buddy Read in December for the Winter Palace

[Amy]

Nancy, I just read your review on fall Flurries and I loved it. I also like your new photo!

[Joanne]

NancyJ wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Funny you ask that because I wondered that for some time. But then he ended up with a lover. Were they just too young? Was it just because they really did not love one another? I kep..."

That is what I was going to say Nancy-kinda like the Pavlov's dogs-your mind association cannot get over what came before

[NancyJ]

Rachel wrote: "I know. Sometimes I do wonder how in the world historians can figure some of this out. When I dug into different aspects of this book there were a variety of different theories for so many things. ..."

I think they all agree that the old story about Catherine and the horse was false, and created long after her death. But it still survived for over 100 years tainting her reputation and detracting from her accomplishments. So I guess "fake news" has been around a long time.

Now it's so much easier to spy on people, and it's getting easier every day. People are telling their own secrets on social media and filling out personality tests that make it easier for people to manipulate them. I think it must be harder than ever to be a politician. Things that no one seemed to care about 10,20, or 30 years ago are suddenly scandals.

[NancyJ]

I was just thinking that real monarchies were nothing like fairy tales with everyone living happily ever after. But then I remembered that most fairy tales were pretty harsh. If you think of Sophie/Catherine as Snow White, and Elizabeth as the evil step mother...

[NancyJ]

Amy wrote: "Nancy, I just read your review on fall Flurries and I loved it. I also like your new photo!"

Thanks! I liked yours too.

I changed my rating twice already. I really wish we had a rating scale that offered more differentiation.

[Amy]

Love that allusion!

[[deleted user]]

NancyJ wrote: "I was just thinking that real monarchies were nothing like fairy tales with everyone living happily ever after. But then I remembered that most fairy tales were pretty harsh. If you think of Sophie..."

You are so right. Some fairy tales were brutal when you looked at the reality of it.

[Magdalena]

Finally finished last night. I've been busy so I probably won't be able to write my review and talk about some of my additional thoughts until tomorrow or the next day. But I will say quickly that I agree that the last section was definitely the most interesting although it still lacked some of the details I would have liked to hear about.