Need a good historical romance. Other genres too. discussion
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Discussion of HR and other books. And recs.
HR-ML wrote: "HBW---Busy is understandable. Between errands and laundry, I'm watching
seas #2 of The Crown. It's accuracy?"
I haven't watched any of The Crown, but, from what I've heard, there's a kernel of truth in most things there, but much is exaggerated and accuracy at times is sacrificed to make the series more interesting or salacious.
Our daughter is into The Crown. I watched a few episodes with her last year. I have to admit it was a blast to see Gillian Anderson play Margaret Thatcher. I watched the first season and enjoyed it because it took place before I was born. But I lost interest when it moved into the 70s and 80s because I lived through those events. Whenever I watch any historical drama I assume there's some truth and a lot of fiction.
Not sure if I have the correct thread here or not. OLT,
I have just finished "Dissolution" and found it completely absorbing. I couldn't stop reading last night and was awake until after 3 am to finish it.
I did send the second book back within minutes of buying it because $6.99 is too much to waste if I didn't enjoy the first book.
I have read many of the reviews for the second book and I am unsure whether to buy it or not. There are quite a number of negative reviews and even some of the positive ones say it is not as good as the first one. I am wondering if I should skip the second and go straight to the third?
Have you reviewed all the books because I couldn't find one for either the first or second?
Vivienne, I'm at the beginning of the fourth Matthew Shardlake book, but I've been sidetracked by other reading. (For example, at the moment I'm reading Susanna Kearsley's latest that takes place in Scotland in the early 1700s.) I've enjoyed all three so far and actually feel it's better to read them in order because some actions in one book may have consequences in the next. But then, I collected the first six over a couple of years, buying them slowly when each was offered at $1.99, so I can afford to read them in order.
OLT wrote: "Vivienne, I'm at the beginning of the fourth Matthew Shardlake book, but I've been sidetracked by other reading. (For example, at the moment I'm reading Susanna Kearsley's latest that takes place i..."OLT,
You don't know how fortunate you are! If I log in to Amazon I cannot buy the Shardlake books at all; they are currently unavailable. I ticked "Follow C. J. Sansom" and two minutes later I received an email from Amazon thanking me and showing all the Shardlake books with a box under each with "shop now" so I clicked on Book 3, and lo and behold, was taken to the page and the same message "currently unavailable". Normally, if it is geographical the words "in your region" are added but in this case they aren't.
However, the same thing happened last week with another series and I asked a friend to check for me to see if they were available for her (she is American) and she wrote back to say she could buy them and she tried to buy the next book and "gift" it to me but was told that option was limited to the USA.
So it is regional and as we come within the Asis-Pacific region that means a good chunk of the world can't buy certain books.
I can't remember how I bought the first one (only a few weeks ago) but I had no problems. The strangest thing of all though is that I CAN buy them from my Kindle with no problems at all, so I have just bought the lot in case that avenue changes too. At $7 each ($6.99) that's a fair chunk of change but daughter gave me an Amazon gift voucher for my birthday last month and she will be pleased I have been able to use it to buy books I wouldn't have otherwise have considered buying because of the cost. I think the total for the seven books is $48.93.
Well, Vivienne, now I'm really hoping they all satisfy you. That is a big chunk of change for a series of books. I'm still waiting for the seventh of the series to be offered at a low price. It has been $12.99 since I started buying them. If it's the last the author intends to write in this series, I may never have closure.Danker has mentioned several times that the bargain prices at US Amazon are not available to her. There is a GR group here that lists bargain books available for Australia. Would NZ have those same books at a bargain price at the same time?
I just finished A Twist of Fate written by Kelley Armstrong who I consider to be in my top five favorites.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is set in early mid-Victorian times as a nice change from Regency.
Maureen wrote: "I just finished A Twist of Fate written by Kelley Armstrong who I consider to be in my top five favorites.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Th..."
I read the first book in this series. Is this a continuation?
Vivienne wrote: "OLT wrote: "Vivienne, I'm at the beginning of the fourth Matthew Shardlake book, but I've been sidetracked by other reading. (For example, at the moment I'm reading Susanna Kearsley's latest that t..."I hate that you are limited to buying books regionally. It hasn't always been that way.
Carol wrote: "Maureen wrote: "I just finished A Twist of Fate written by Kelley Armstrong who I consider to be in my top five favorites.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
[bookcover:A Twist of Fat..."
Carol, I'm reading that one too. It is a continuation. Maureen wrote a good review describing the relationships. I like the time-traversing cat.
OLT wrote: "Well, Vivienne, now I'm really hoping they all satisfy you. That is a big chunk of change for a series of books. I'm still waiting for the seventh of the series to be offered at a low price. It has..."OLT,
Yes, it certainly is a big chunk of change and there is no way I would spend that amount of money on Kindle books normally. I do feel that I am "justified" as the Kindle voucher was a gift so that I could get books I want, but won't buy because of the cost. I can't get the rest of the series I wanted so I am grateful that you introduced me to this one.
I can access Amazon.au but it means transferring my account from here to Australia, and still wouldn't be able to buy certain books, or get them as cheaply as the USA because Australia is in the same Asia-Pacific region.
HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "Vivienne wrote: "OLT wrote: "Vivienne, I'm at the beginning of the fourth Matthew Shardlake book, but I've been sidetracked by other reading. (For example, at the moment I'm reading Susanna Kearsle..."HBW2020,
I didn't know that regional restrictions are new, because ever since I joined Amazon.com in (I think) 2012, there have been books not available to me, and no price drops such as you can get. I have been able to buy some books more cheaply over the years but not on the scale you can.
One thing I am very grateful for now is the number of free books available that have been converted by volunteers. When they first began many of the conversions were terrible but they soon improved and the majority of them are now excellent.
I'm in a reading slump right now. My preference is to re-read old favorites.
Vivienne wrote: "HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "Vivienne wrote: "OLT wrote: "Vivienne, I'm at the beginning of the fourth Matthew Shardlake book, but I've been sidetracked by other reading. (For example, at the moment I..."I remember when it became more of a problem to buy ebooks in other regions, but not the year. It may have been a few years before 2012.
HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "I'm in a reading slump right now. My preference is to re-read old favorites."Are you a Susanna Kearsley fan? Her latest that takes place during the years before the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland is just out. I bought it even though the price is higher than I like to pay for books. The Vanished Days
OLT wrote: "HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "I'm in a reading slump right now. My preference is to re-read old favorites."Are you a Susanna Kearsley fan? Her latest that takes place during the years before the Jaco..."
I don't think I've ever read anything by her. One day .... right now I am so swamped, that is part of the reason I am reading old favorites. It's easier to re-read than to read new material.
OLT, I have just started reading book 3 in the Shardlake series. Many thanks for putting me on to this series. I hope the high standard keeps up for the whole series, although I have noticed several modern expressions have slipped through the editing, also Sansom uses names for some things/conditions/illness that weren't known in the 16th century. Not many, but enough that shows he either slipped up in his research or perhaps used "narrative/historical licence".
Vivienne wrote: "OLT, I have just started reading book 3 in the Shardlake series. Many thanks for putting me on to this series. I hope the high standard keeps up for the whole series, although I have noticed seve..."
I'm glad you are enjoying the series, Vivienne. And you have a sharper eye (and mind) than I. Those anachronisms just slipped past me. I have read so many inferior historicals that if a character from hundreds of years ago doesn't whip his mobile phone out or say things like "you gotta be kidding me" I just stay in the story.
OLT wrote: "Vivienne wrote: "OLT, I have just started reading book 3 in the Shardlake series. Many thanks for putting me on to this series. I hope the high standard keeps up for the whole series, although I ..."
Anachronisms bother me too although they have to be obvious before I notice them.
OLT and HBW2020, "I'm sorry for your loss" is one of the most common (and one that Sansom has used) and that is a 21st century phrase. At least, I never heard anyone use that expression until the last couple of decades. We used different ways of expressing our condolences.
So far none of Sansom's characters has said "you gotta be kidding me" but I'll keep a look out for it :)
Language fascinates me and if I come across a word that is unfamiliar I look it up, not only for the meaning but also its root, and that is how I find words used in the 16th century that didn't exist until later, and conversely, words that I thought were later often turn out to have been in use for centuries, albeit sometimes in a different way or spelling.
I agree with you two that too many anachronisms, especially egregious ones, are very annoying. Sometimes I am surprised to find that one I thought was inappropriate to the times really did exist, but maybe not in the context the writer used it. I just found an example of "I'm sorry for your loss" in a book by John Reynolds published in 1679. But it was the loss of a collection, not a dear loved one. https://books.google.com/books?id=2Nc...
Mod
There was a late US newspaper columnist who spoke about grammar & word usage. I'm blanking on his name.
HR-ML wrote: "Vivienne---There was a late US newspaper columnist who spoke about grammar & word usage. I'm blanking on his name."
HR-ML,
We used to have one in our daily newspaper too: his column was in the big Saturday edition. I cut out and kept many of them for years but had a good clear-cut and got rid of them.
OLT wrote: "I agree with you two that too many anachronisms, especially egregious ones, are very annoying. Sometimes I am surprised to find that one I thought was inappropriate to the times really did exist, b..."OLT,
Even in that context though, it is over a century later. Good sleuthing.
Book 3, ch 8: "the straw that broke the camel's back"
First attested mention: "The last Dictate of the Judgement, concerning the Good or Bad, that may follow on any Action, is not properly the whole Cause, but the last Part of it, and yet may be said to produce the Effect necessarily, in such Manner as the last Feather may be said to break a Horses Back, when there were so many laid on before as there want but that one to do it"
Thomas Hobbs, "Of Liberty and Necessity", in Hobb's Tripos, 1684, p. 281
Thomas Fuller's "Gnomologia: Adages and Proverbs, Wise Sentences, And Witty Sayings" first published in 1732. (Apparently Benjamin Franklin was a fan, at least of some of the sayings).
A word in ch 10 that didn't exist before the 17th century.
What can I say? Things catch my eye and I have to check.
Vivienne, do you happen to know how long the expressions "Me too" and "Me either/Me neither" have been around? (And is the "me too" possibly a translation from French "moi aussi"?) I've always found the expressions jarring when placed in historical romances set in the early 1800s. Even Mary Balogh, a well-known Welsh HR author, uses those expressions in her Regency romances.
Well, OLT, You sent me on a merry chase there. Some words are very old but being used in conjunction with others can result in a phrase that is not as old and much harder to trace. I have spent several hours chasing the phrases to find the etymology of both the words and then the phrases. We have some very old dictionaries in our bookcases and they were a great help with the separate words but not quite so much when the words were put together.
ME: moi - from Middle French moy, from Old French mei, moi, mi, from Latin mē, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)me-
TOO: aussi - from Old French ausi, from Latin aliud sic (“another thing thus”).
ME TOO: you are correct about the French translation, and “Moi aussi” is still correct grammar, and “Je aussi” laughable. This construction worked its way into English over time.
Merriam-Webster - “me" began to replace "I" sometime around the 16th century largely because of the pressure of word order.
William Shakespeare (Taming of the Shrew, Act I Scene I)
Hortensia: From all such devils, good Lord deliver us!
Gremio: And me too, good Lord!
If it's good enough for William does that make it good enough for Mary Balogh??
NEITHER: First recorded in 1150–1200; "not one nor the other," Middle English neither, naither, nether, from Old English nawþer, contraction of nahwæþer, literally "not of two,"
ME NEITHER: is an informal or colloquial abbreviation of “nor I” and has been in common use since at least the late 19th century. Understood to have originated in America. [abbreviation??]
The earliest known example is from the 6 Feb. 1882, issue of the Marion (OH) Daily Star: “‘When I get out I’m not going to tamper with any more proverbs,’ remarked No. 2. ‘Me neither,’ responded No. 1.”
ME EITHER: almost exclusively a relatively modern American expression regarded as incorrect.
So it looks as though the first phrase only would be in use in Regency England, although that could be in doubt in HRs as the educated would likely have used grammatically correct English.
Hope that's helpful, even though it's probably more of an information dump than you were expecting. Sorry about that; I tend to get a bit carried away :)
PS. I never say "me too", opting for "I do too", although it depends on what has been said.
Thanks, Vivienne. That was not at all too much of an information dump. It's all so very interesting. I had found a few of those bits of info but you found more and put it all together so well. Yes, that "me too" has been around for a while, but most of the contexts have it a "me" used in the appropriate objective case. Even in that Shakespeare quote. I'd like to know if it was used long ago in the same ungrammatical sense that people nowadays do: "I'd like to see that new movie." "Me too."And all the hits I get nowadays about the #Me too movement aren't helping my limited abilities in research.
Mod
Victorian Christian romance. The immature MCs married each other. They took in 3 sweet orphan bros ages 2 to 5. MCs and 2 boys went to a free show for kids w/ slight of hand, magic etc. There were nrly 2K kids there. After the show the master of ceremonies had first come first serve prizes. Kids were trampled to death. Letting 137 kids die seemed contrived. The author wanted to talk faith, forgiveness and grieving. But this seemed gross and jarring to me. Many 5 starred GR reviews: so I was in the minority.
Wouldn't buy this author again, even if she taught me to garden or she let me borrow her classic T-bird car (if she had one).
OLT wrote: "Thanks, Vivienne. That was not at all too much of an information dump. It's all so very interesting. I had found a few of those bits of info but you found more and put it all together so well. Yes,..."OLT,
Thanks for your kind words. How many people know (or care) anything about subjective/objective. Is English grammar still being taught in schools? "Me too" and "Me neither/either" are fragments that will show the correct case to use if they are turned into sentences. Example: "I love that song" (Me too) "Me love it too". Ugh!
I, too, found the Internet clogged with the hashtag,so I was very grateful for our home library. Hubs brought some wonderful old dictionaries come encyclopaedias with him when he immigrated here.
As you know Elizabethan language is different from the English we speak today and wasn't standardised in spelling or grammar, so I suspect that a lot of what Shakespeare, Marlow and other playwrights wrote wouldn't pass the grammarians of the 19th and 20th centuries. I haven't included the 21st century because grammar and spelling are regressing.
My sisters and I were brought up with our mother correcting our grammar, and we attended the same schools, but they laugh at me now and say that no-one talks like that any more. And therein lies the problem. If those who know better don't speak properly, English will devolve to the lowest common denominator.
HR-ML wrote: "A Misplaced Beauty DNF. Victorian Christian romance. The immature MCs married each other. They took in 3 sweet orphan bros ages 2 to 5. MCs and 2 boys went to a free show for kids ..."
HR-ML,
I fully agree with you about children being trampled to death is gross and cruel. There are many ways to write a story about forgiveness, faith and grief without having to resort to such a revolting device.
So you have a hankering for a classic T-bird; I wonder what it would cost to buy one in tiptop condition? Do owners of classic cars ever sell them (let alone give them away)?
PS. It should be "sleight" of hand.
HR-ML wrote: "A Misplaced Beauty DNF. Victorian Christian romance. The immature MCs married each other. They took in 3 sweet orphan bros ages 2 to 5. MCs and 2 boys went to a free show for kids ..."
HR-ML, sounds like you *really* didn't like her book lol.
Vivienne and OLT, I thoroughly enjoyed the language discussion.
Mod
They have classic car shows from time to time. I'm sure I could not afford a classic car. My late FIL had a classic MG, which only took leaded gas.
HBW----
On book reviews, I tell 'em as I see 'em. Author may have been better served writing non-fiction? The 2 sweet boys had to see kids trampled to death in that book. The youngest bro stayed home. A good aspect about the book- the MCs adopted the 3 bros.
Don't know if this is the correct thread for this, but a heads-up to all of you who enjoyed the the first season of Sanditon. Season 2 is set to premiere on PBS Masterpiece on March 20 next year. Just so you know, the heroine's love interest in Season 1 will not figure in the series anymore.
OLT wrote: "Don't know if this is the correct thread for this, but a heads-up to all of you who enjoyed the the first season of Sanditon. Season 2 is set to premiere on PBS Masterpiece on March 20 next year. J..."I've been waiting on it and Victoria and The Crown.
After I retire I plan on binge-watching old movies. First up is Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth. It's been so long that I have watched *anything* that I'll have to get used to it. Right now the only entertaining thing I do when sitting is to read a book. When I can fit it in.
Thanks for the Sanditon heads up, OLT. I did enjoy the first season, but was angry at the ending. Now they can make it up to me. lol
Roberta2 wrote: "Thanks for the Sanditon heads up, OLT. I did enjoy the first season, but was angry at the ending. Now they can make it up to me. lol"The actors who played Sidney and James Stringer, both possible love interests for Charlotte in Season 1, won't be back for the second season. Will they come up with someone appropriately "heroic" for her?
I'm assuming this is the right thread for all books, not restricted to HRs?OLT,
I have just started Book 5 in the *Shardlake* series. Not sure where to go after this series: everything will seem tame in comparison. I have already re-reread my all other mediæval series, apart from one, so it will probably be that. I have thirteen of the (so far) seventeen in the series. The fourteenth doesn't appeal and the following are two of the top reviews for that one. Try the fifteenth?
Why are five-star reviews, or any reviews for that matter, allowed when the reviewer hasn't even read the book?
* 5 stars - Can't wait to read
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
One of my favorite authors*
*5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
These books keep getting better and better!*
Is the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters one of those you have read already? I'm assuming so. That's another series with books I pick up slowly when on sale, but I like Shardlake a tad better than Cadfael, for some reason. Sharon Penman also has a 4-book mystery series, featuring fictional Justin de Quincy, a man working for Elinor of Aquitaine. There will never be more in that series, since the author passed away last year. (Or was it this year? Time has become so confusing to me.)
As to your complaint about reviews, I second it. Every once in a while, there'll be a useful one. I look for the ones that have at least two paragraphs, hoping they will give more insight.
My library has The Widow and will probably get the other one. I'm using my library and hoopla more and more. I think libraries are very necessary and are being endangered, Amazon's policies are one factor. SUPPORT YOU LOCAL LIBRARY!!!
I was wondering where you all buy your books from. And how much you pay. Do you have a limit to what price you will pay for a book.
Shaz, I try as much as possible to get my books from the library. Over the 20 years we have lived here I have saved thousands and thousands of dollars as I average one book fully read each week and 2-3 books borrowed each week for research. This week I took out a cookbook as well as a book on alternative medicine called Do you Believe in Magic. On this latter type, I usually read the intro, first chapter, and last two chapters which provide enough information to either want to read more or feel content that I get the gist of it. I subscribe to audible which is $15.99 per month and usually have 4-5 credits on hand when I am desperate to purchase something. I also take advantage of the special deals on audible and kindle. There are a lot of books I can get that way for as little as $2.99.
Mod
I buy books on Kindle. Hard for me to spend beyond $7.99 on a Kindle book
(try to get on sale). I get paperbacks from thrift stores, used book stores and
library sales. And prefer Better World Books or Half Price Books (the latter
is on-line).
Friends on this thread have recommended Open Library which
is free (select books avail) & signing up for ARC books (advanced
copies of books you do reviews on).
Sorry if any repeat info. Am watching my book budget. Have
Kindle Unlimited which (IMO) has a mix of good and so so books.
I buy my books from second hand shops. (Thrift) for £1, book market stalls, for between £1 to £3 . Or ebay, never pay more than £4 for a book. I also get e books from apple book store. Get a lot of free one's from apple.
I resent that I cannot lend my ebooks to someone else. I can understand putting a limit on how many times I can do it. Anyway, hoopladigital.com has both ebooks and audio books to borrow, if you library uses them. Some libraries use OverDrive.com. If you go to their sites, you can find out it your library uses their services. I think they are used in countries other than the USA, but I'm not sure which ones.
Mod
I don't know if our library uses OverDrive? My Kindle is from 2012
& most likely not compatible. I could borrow hubs' : his is a 2016 (?)
Paperwhite?
OverDrive is on Kindle. Hoopla is on Kindle Fires, IPad,s Samsung tablet, and most smart phones.
Need a good historical romance. Other genres too.
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Busy is understandable. Between errands and laundry, I'm watching
seas #2 of The Crown. It's accuracy?