Recent Reads {The Boleyn Inheritance}

The Boleyn Inheritance  by Philippa Gregory - In her follow-up to The Other Boleyn Girl, Gregory tells the stories of Henry VIII's lesser known wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. The story is told using three voices - Anne's, Katherine's, and Jane Boleyn's. The characters of the three women are so different, and their viewpoints of the events are often in sharp contrast. Relatively little is known about Anne of Cleves, but she is remarkable in that she was the only wife of Henry VIII to survive him. (His last wife, Katherine Parr, also survived him, but apparently only because death claimed Henry before the headsman came for her!) Anne is often thought of as fat and unattractive, but this is mainly because it is what Henry VIII himself said of her in his attempt to get rid of her. Other accounts, and portraits show her quite differently.  Katherine Howard was extremely young - just 14 years old! - when the aging, sick king took a fancy to her, and her reputation was that of an empty-headed flirt.  She is characterized her as a silly, vain, teenage girl; being exploited by her powerful family and without the sense or the power to do anything about it.  Poor Katherine, whatever her sins, was not quite 17 when she was beheaded.  Jane was sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn, and it was she who gave the evidence that sent Anne and her brother George to the executioner. She is another character not well-known to most people, but historical records show her to be a jealous and self-serving woman, and quite likely she was not quite sane. Throughout the narratives of these three characters, the increasing tyranny and madness of the aging King Henry is obvious, and highlights the uncertainty of living in a court where a cruel, changeable, and paranoid ruler claims to know exclusively the will of God, and where even thoughts can be considered treason. Another fascinating read.

By the same author: The White Queen, The Red Queen, The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl

Recent Reads{Bespelling Jane Austen}

Before I do anything else... I am not recommending this book - in fact, I'd recommend avoiding it.



Bespelling Jane Austen by Mary Balogh, Colleen Gleason, Susan Krinard, Janet Mullany - My second negative review in as many posts!  But in this case, I am going with a firm two thumbs DOWN rating on it.  This was actually a collection of four novellas in which modern day authors base a paranormal story on an Austen classic. I thoroughly enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and I do like a good vampire story, but I was not at all impressed with this anthology. I'm not familiar with any of these authors, and after having read a sampling of their work, I don't plan to become so in the future. Balogh does a tolerable job of giving a reincarnation spin to "Persuasion" but it certainly could have worked at least as well without as much detail in the 'love' scenes, if you know what I mean... But that was only the beginning - there was worse to come. Gleason took Northanger Abbey as her inspiration for a vampire story. I was unimpressed by the characters and writing, but at least it was clean. Krinard presents another version of the 'Mr Darcy is a vampire' theory, but sets her Pride and Prejudice based story in modern day New York City. This is probably the best story of the set, but does involve some crudity as well. Mullany's version of Emma starts off with some promise (for about 3 pages) - she sets the story in a modern-day Washington DC in which paranormal creatures are quite... normal. It's humorous and quirky, and might be a good story except for the crudely graphic bodice-ripper scenes and coarse language. My recommendation would be to skip this book altogether, even if, like me, you are an Austen spin-off and vampire novel fan. This was a couple hours of my life I'll never get back - good story ideas ruined by foul language and the horrible mistake of equating se* and romance.  Jane Austen would be offended, I'm very sure.  I certainly was.

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Recent Reads {The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare}

The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare by Arliss Ryan - Up front I should say that if all the comments I make about the Recent Reads seem to be favorable, it's because all the books are my choice, and generally if I don't care for it at all during the first chapter or two, I won't finish it. In other words, I wind up only commenting here on the books that I enjoyed! This book was on display at the library quite some time ago and the description intrigued me. Unfortunately, I didn't always find that it lived up to my expectations, and I considered dropping it a few times so it's a little different from other books I've discussed here. However, I did finish it, and although it won't earn a top rating from me, it wasn't a complete disappointment or waste of time.

Considering his importance in Literature, surprisingly little is known about William Shakespeare, and far less is known about his family - particularly his wife Anne. In this novel, Ryan writes from Anne's point of view, as a memoir of sorts of her life with William. So the premise is very intriguing, especially as the memoir reveals that Anne wrote or co-wrote approximately half of the plays attributed to her husband. Over the years, many theories have been advanced by people who are unwilling to accept that all the sonnets and plays came from Shakespeare's own hand as to who the true author may have been and why they would not have taken credit for them. Personally, I hadn't heard of any theories suggesting that Anne had any part in the writing, but I guess that's been proposed. I doubt it's very likely, but it's plausible. My very unlearned opinion is that Shakespeare was, in fact, the author. At any rate, the Anne Shakespeare of this work of fiction doesn't paint her husband in a very flattering light, and since she claims authorship of most of the best (and my personal favorite) Shakespearean plays, that may have affected my attitude toward the book. In the end, I rather felt that if I was reading the personal memoirs of the person that wrote Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, that the memoirs should make for beautiful, expressive, and attention-grabbing reading, even if interspersed with the mundane of life. But in my opinion, this book was spotty - moments of interest but certainly didn't keep me turning pages, and I was never emotionally invested in it at all.

Recent Reads {The Prophet}

The Prophet by Francine Rivers - This is the fourth in Rivers' Sons of Encouragement series. Although it took me a long time to finish it, it certainly wasn't because I didn't enjoy the book! As with the previous books in the series, it is a slim volume and easy to read, with plenty of convenient places for a bookmark when I needed to set it aside. I had several other books I was working on while I was reading this one, so I took it in very small pieces. I also found that I often wanted to take some time to ponder what I'd read before going on. The Prophet is the story of the Old Testament prophet Amos, a shepherd from Judah, called by God to speak to the people of Israel. Rivers does a wonderful job of giving context and probable background to the prophecies Amos delivered, and her telling of the story makes it all much more real and immediate, and Amos becomes a real man who struggles to understand, to trust, and to obey. 

Recent Reads {The Christmas Journey}

The Christmas Journey by Donna VanLiere - Donna VanLiere is the author of The Christmas Shoes, for which I will forgive her, since I so enjoyed this little book retelling the story of Mary and Joseph and their journey to Bethlehem. (I admit I have not read the shoes book, only suffered through the song, which I cannot stand at all, so perhaps I am judging the book harshly!) At any rate, The Christmas Journey literally takes only minutes to read, but VanLiere's simple yet evocative description of the journey to Bethlehem and birth of Jesus is truly compelling, showing Mary and Joseph as very ordinary human beings. I hope to remember to reread this book next Christmas season.

Recent Reads {These Three Remain}

These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan - This third in the series picks up Mr Darcy’s story (his side of Pride and Prejudice) with his planned trip to Rosings to visit Lady Catherine de Bourgh, where he chances to meet again with Elizabeth Bennet. Austen fans know that this is where he offers his first proposal to Elizabeth only to be turned down flat. Aidan imagines Darcy’s reactions to the embarrassing set-down and the course his life takes until he again meets Elizabeth, this time at Pemberley. While the second novel in this series took a rather odd twist, this one is more in keeping with Austen’s style, in my opinion, and does an admirable job of acquainting us with Darcy’s thoughts and views during his encounters with Elizabeth, his response to her criticisms, how he is able to track down Wickham and Lydia, and his second attempt at courting Elizabeth. Very enjoyable read!

By the same author:  An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire

Recent Reads {Dark Road to Darjeeling}

Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn - This is the fourth Lady Julia Grey novel, and having finished it (in December), I am already impatient for Raybourn to complete the fifth!  Julia and Brisbane have married and are nearing the end of their wedding trip when Julia's sister Portia tracks them down begging their help.  Their dear friend Jane, who is expecting her first child, has been widowed, and it's suspected that her husband was murdered.  The Brisbanes travel to the foothills of the Himalayas and work to uncover the secrets and scandals of the residents in order to solve the murder.  There are many twists and turns in the plot, and Julia and Brisbane not only have to face dangers and threats around them, but their own relationship and trust is tested as Julia tries to establish herself as a partner in the investigation, often against Brisbane's wishes.  I love Raybourn's witty and unusual characters and their adventures.  Her books are hard to put down, and I am always a bit sorry to reach the end.  Especially so with this one, as I will have a wait before the next installment in this series will be available! 

And did I mention that Deanna Raybourn has become one of my favorite authors?  8-) 

By the same author:  Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor  are the previous Lady Julia Grey novels.  Also - The Dead Travel Fast

Recent Reads {The Other Boleyn Girl}

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - Anne Boleyn is the best-known of the wives of Henry VIII of England, and most of us know at least a little of her story and that Henry VIII was notorious for his many wives and mistresses, and that being out of his favour was a very dangerous thing.  However, few people know that Anne Boleyn's younger sister Mary was his mistress first, or anything about her.  In this novel, Philippa Gergory tells Mary Boleyn's story.  The story, while fictional, is based on extensive research into what is known about Mary, but Gregory gives these historical characters believable personalities and motives, so that I sometimes needed to remind myself that I wasn't reading a history, but a novel based on historical events.  I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the other Gregory novels I've read so far, but it was still quite good.

By the same author:  The Constant Princess,  The White Queen, The Red Queen