Book 42

Book 42 was The Other Boleyn Girl, by Phillippa Gregory. This reread was inspired by the fact a movie has just come out based on the book. I enjoy the story greatly, since I have always had a lot of interest in Queen Elizabeth I, and this was about her mother and aunt.

The novel focuses on Mary Boleyn, who was King Henry the VIII's mistress prior to Anne Boleyn marrying him. The book takes a look at the machinations that went on by the Boleyn family to get Henry's attention and favor to the betterment of their family. The book is a quick read, and you feel for Mary throughout the whole story-she just wants to be left with her children, but is used as a pawn by almost everyone in the ever ending game of thrones.

The Other Boleyn Girl

Philippa Gregory

1/21/41

Book 37 & 39

Number 37 and 39 (in reading order) are a duology-Through a Glass Darkly and Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen. The books are about Barbara, and her early life, from a young unmarried women to a widow during the mid 1700 in England.

These books are moderately trashy-well researched in terms of the history, but Barbara's life itself is full of scandal and tragedy. The story is engrossing, and Barbara herself is a great character-full of life and spirit, she tries so hard to not hurt anyone and life her life with honor, but doesn't always meet her own expectations. 

Through a Glass Darkly and Now Face to Face

Karleen Koen

na/16/38

Books 31-35

Books 31-35 are the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. The books are: Outlander, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes (I always skip the second book, Dragonfly in Amber, since I don't like it as much as the rest). Basic plot-Claire, a young women in post WWII England accidentally travels back in time to 1740s Scotland, where she mets and marries the love of her life, Jamie. The rest of the books deal with Claire and Jamie's trails and travails.

These books are seriously dense-they are roughly 800 pages a pop, and a lot of info and events are crammed into them. They are also notoriously difficult to categorize, as they are partially romance novel, partly historical fiction, part alternate history and part Sci Fi/Fantasy. Overall, it's a solid series-they are hits and misses here and there, mainly with unnecessary subplots. The books can also be a bit tiring-our heroine has many adventures, and after a while it's just too much to take in. The book excels in wonderful settings and fully realized characters-you can see Claire and Jamie's growth as characters quite clearly, and others develop believably as well. It's just there are so many!

Outlander, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross & 

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Diana Gabaldon

na/13/35

 

Book 17

Book 17 was the Tea Rose, by Jennifer Donnelly. It's a romance novel with pretensions, meaning it's got an actually plot that isn't all romance and there isn't a cute ending.

The basic plot is girl grows up in Victorian White Chapel, London. Through various schemes ends up with her own company and gets together with true love after much struggle and hardship. After rereading this, I realized what I didn't really like about it the first time-it's just too much. The character has run ins with Jack the Ripper, Nellie Bly and other historical figures of the late Victorian era. I really like the parts about the main character (Fiona) making her way in the world, but the drops ins were too much. It just never felt believable, although Fiona and other characters were likable. 

The Tea Rose

Jennifer Donnelly

1/17/17

Book 11

Sorry I was gone so long, but it was my birthday, and then I watched Arrested Development on DVD, and so on. But I have finished 3 more books!

Book 11 is Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. It's a historical novel, telling the story of a girl named Judith and her coming of age during WWII. It's one of my "comfort" books-I have read it many times, and I can slip into it anytime I want and just relax and be at home with a familiar story and charaters that are like friends.

One of the main things I love about the book is that it takes place mostly in Cornwall, England, a place I have always wanted to visit. This book just makes me want to go there more-the descriptions in this book are top notch, very vivid. 

This is probably very close to a top ten book for me. Why? Evocative descriptions, a historical setting, and a main character I can relate to and like.

Coming Home

Rosamunde Pilcher

1/11/11

Book 4

So, book four for the year was also by Anne Bishop, book 2 in her Tir Alainn series, Shadow and Light. The series is not as good as her Black Jewels books-it doesn't  flow very well. Too many characters, and some unneeded story lines detract from the overall effect. Still, I like them (I have no taste in books, which will become very apparent very soon), even if I feel they could be better.

Read: 

Shadows and Light

Anne Bishop

(finished 1/4/07) 1/4/4

Books 1, 2 and 3.

I got off to an excellent start this year, and completed two book New Year's day and one today. I reread the Black Jewels Trilogy, by Anne Bishop. It is one of my favorite series of novels, and is surprisingly fun and funny for books with some pretty dark subject matter (child abuse, sexual abuse, rape). It's what I refer to as "middle" fantasy-not really an epic, but not a light novel by any means. They are quick reads, which I always appreciate, and don't have a standard happy ending.

Read: 

Daughter of the Blood 1/1/08 Book 1 for the month/year

Heir to the Shadows 1/1/08 Book 2 for the day/month/year

Queen of the Darkness 1/2/08 1(d)/3(m)/3(y)