The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

Amazon.com describes "The Red Queen" by Philippa Gregory as:

Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin Henry VI fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Her mother mocks her plans, revealing that Margaret will always be burdened with the reputation of her father, one of the most famously incompetent English commanders in France. But worst of all for Margaret is when she discovers that her mother is sending her to a loveless marriage in remote Wales.

Married to a man twice her age, quickly widowed, and a mother at only fourteen, Margaret is determined to turn her lonely life into a triumph. She sets her heart on putting her son on the throne of England regardless of the cost to herself, to England, and even to the little boy. Disregarding rival heirs and the overwhelming power of the York dynasty, she names him Henry, like the king; sends him into exile; and pledges him in marriage to her enemy Elizabeth of York’s daughter. As the political tides constantly move and shift, Margaret charts her own way through another loveless marriage, treacherous alliances, and secret plots. She feigns loyalty to the usurper Richard III and even carries his wife’s train at her coronation.

Widowed a second time, Margaret marries the ruthless, deceitful Thomas, Lord Stanley, and her fate stands on the knife edge of his will. Gambling her life that he will support her, she then masterminds one of the greatest rebellions of the time—all the while knowing that her son has grown to manhood, recruited an army, and now waits for his opportunity to win the greatest prize.

In a novel of conspiracy, passion, and cold hearted ambition, number one bestselling author Philippa Gregory has brought to life the story of a proud and determined woman who believes that she alone is destined, by her piety and lineage, to shape the course of history.  ~Amazon.com

This book was FANTASTIC!  Granted, I am a Tudor enthusiast and as such I have a devotion to the Grandmother of Henry VIII but still...this was a fast and furious read.  It was easy, engaging, enthralling, and delightful.  It is difficult to imagine the trials that this woman had and they started with her first marriage.  I thought it was interesting where Gregory ended the story and wished to find out more about her later years but I suppose most people are more interested in her beginnings.

Although listed as "Book Two" this book is actually number three in the series.  Currently I have not read the first one "The Lady of the Rivers" but will probably do so by year's end.  As a follow-up non-fiction book Gregory has written and released "The Women of the Cousin's War" discussing the three women she focused on in these three historical fictions.  I am sure that this will also be read by the end of the year. 

The ability to weave a tale from fact and embellish or fill-in-the-blanks is so masterfully done by Gregory that it creates in the reader a desire to know more.  Once you read one of her books, whether from this series or another, you will want to know more.  You will be sucked into the world she has created.  You will feel like you know the characters and can celebrate in their joys and mourn with their losses.  She helps us to understand an England of long ago, one that is not wholly understood in our modern world.  If you haven't read historical fiction I suggest you give her a try.  She is a master story-teller.  She is accessible in length, style, and word choice for those just starting down this road as well as for the seasoned traveler.  This book, "The Red Queen", will give you a new appreciation for a little known and little understood character in the Tudor Dynasty.

Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull

Fablehaven is a novel series written by Brandon Mull. Its name comes from the Fablehaven Fantasy Preserve, which it depicts within its pages. The Fantasy Preserve acts much like a nature preserve protecting the creatures of myth and legend from the outside world. It is a sanctuary protected by a contract of rules which each creature inside must abide by. The most common rules are focused upon "the law of the harvest" and "the law of retribution." The book mainly displays the latter, as the characters can often be found agitating the creatures within, thus allowing retribution to occur against them. If they physically harm a creature, the creature may physically retaliate. If they use magic, magic may be used against them. The Fablehaven books are published by Shadow Mountain, a division of Deseret Books, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Shadow Mountain children's publishing director Chris Schoebinger commissioned the series as a response to the popularity of Harry Potter books among Mormon youth.  -http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Fablehaven

I started reading the Fablehaven Series last year and finally finished.  It's kind of sad but the series feels complete if that makes sense.  I've read several fantasy series both created for adults and children and this is one that ranks at the top of the list for me.  The characters, both human and otherwise, were believable and had dimension.  They grew and developed just as real people would.  The problems they encountered remained in the fantasy realm but it felt as if it could happen.  If someone drove me to Fablehaven and said "Those stories were actually non-fiction" I wouldn't be surprised. 

It's difficult to pick a favorite character because they all had traits that I could understand and connect with.  Each had to deal with problems that they had to sort out themselves but at the same time they depended on each other just as family and friends should.  They were confronted with difficult decisions and life altering experiences and they handled them in a believable fashion.  The preserve and its inhabitants was also extremely believable.  I could envision each species and felt that they were presented in a way that made sense.  It was nice that there wasn't any one character that was all-powerful although there were some that were very powerful.  It helped to show that although the way may be problematic or difficult nothing is impossible. 

When Gwen is older I plan on reading this series with her and talking about its implications.  I was a bit surprised that this series was commissioned in response to the success of Harry Potter but I would say that I enjoyed Fablehaven as much as I did Harry Potter.  Great read!

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

Praise for Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians: "Sanderson unexpectedly draws everything together in an extravagantly silly climax. Readers whose sense of humor runs toward the subversive will be instantly captivated. Like Lemony Snicket and superhero comics rolled into one (and then revved up on steroids), this nutty novel… is also sure to win passionate fans." -Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This is an excellent choice to read aloud to the whole family. It's funny, exciting, and briskly paced. Best of all, the message it gives young readers is that a person's flaws- being late, breaking things, etc.-can sometimes turn into useful talents." -Nancy Pearl, National Public Radio

"The conventional trappings of the middle-school fantasy get turned upside down in this zany novel… The adventures are engaging as well as silly. Readers who prefer fantasy with plenty of humor should enjoy entering Alcatraz's strange but amusing world." -School Library Journal

So I think I'm too old to read this book.  I love Brandon Sanderson but I was left a little disappointed when I read it.  I think it's fantastic for kids around ten years old because it has adventure, a fun character, an interesting plot, magic, etc but for older readers it left me wanting.  I guess my biggest issue was that I didn't like how the narrator (Alcatraz) kept interjecting his thoughts and disrupting the flow of the story.  Someone once compared it to Lemony Snicket and I didn't like those either so maybe it's just they writing style.  Not my favorite by a long shot.  I'll be honest, I'll probably buy the book because I'm a HUGE Sanderson fan but I'll only read it if my daughter wants me to read it to her at bed time.  I was honestly left very disappointed and would much rather concentrate my reading efforts (for both myself & my daughter) on something else. 

Foe by J.M Coetzee

''T HE Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner'' was published on April 25, 1719. The author of the book was Daniel Defoe or, to revert to his given name, Daniel Foe. In ''Foe'' J. M. Coetzee has written a superb novel by reconsidering the events of ''Robinson Crusoe'' and presenting them from a new point of view. He may have been impressed by Jean Rhys's conversion of ''Jane Eyre'' into ''Wide Sargasso Sea'' or by other experiments in displacing an official perspective."  ~The New York Times

This book threw me for a loop.  I read it several years ago and have not been able to get it out of my head since.  In my 'Book Lust' journal (a book that I used to keep a brief impression of books I read) it says:  "Really good.  I'm missing something and feel like I should read it again.  A 'heavy' read.  It was hard to get used to the writing but I will definitely read it again."  I tried (unsuccessfully) to have several of my friends read this book so that I could talk to them about it.  I'm unsure why they never finished (or perhaps started) it but I encourage you to read it.  Once you do please let me know what you think.  After revisiting my thoughts on this I think I may just re-read it...if someone else will too so that I can talk to them about it.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

"A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913.  She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book - a beautiful volume of fairy tales.  She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own.  On her twenty-first birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, "Nell" sets out to trace her real identity.  Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family.  But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell's death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled.  A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, The Forgotten Garden will take hold of your imagination and never let go."

That is the description on the back of the book.  When first given this book by my friend Harmony I wasn't sure at all if it was something I'd be into but since we are going to visit her next month I knew I had to read it so I could return the book.  I read this particular book in 1.5 days (it's 549 pages).  Not only did it capture my attention and keep me interested it kept me guessing.  Every time I turned around I thought I knew what would happen and then something would emerge in the story line and make my theory change. 

At first it was difficult keeping track of the various characters in the various times but eventually I straightened it out in my head and looked forward to what each of them had to say.  Nell, the 'little girl lost', was the crotchety old woman with a past.  You think you understand her and then you realize you don't.  Cassandra, the devoted granddaughter, has had some things happen that she is trying to overcome but she doesn't realize the healing process of the journey until much later.  Eliza and Rose are polar opposites.  You think you know how they are connected and in a sense you do but then suddenly you don't.  You find yourself connecting emotionally with each of the characters, mourning with them, loving them, being their cheerleader, and then in the end missing them when the story is complete.  The Forgotten Garden really does spin such an amazing tale that you want the end to be different although you know how it ends in the first pages.  It's sad but you are given a sense of hope.  Not only for the characters but for yourself.  This book inspires its readers to learn about the hidden story behind each and every one of us. 

Not all of us will have characters in our family tree as colorful, adventurous or courageous as those in this novel but you never know.  Perhaps you have an Eliza, a Rose, or even a Nell.  Perhaps your ancestors were slave owners or pirates, royalty or czars, paupers or gold diggers.  I think now it's time we each take a lesson and search our own personal histories for the 'novels' that created us.  I'm grateful to Harmony for passing this book my way, although she will get her copy back I will soon have my very own copy that I can re-read again and again.  I highly doubt that the story will lose its fascination or grip with another reading.  In fact, I think that it will continue to inspire and encourage me to keep going.  To look at everyone I meet as a person with a past much more interesting than what appears on thier cover.

Obsession, Passion, Hobby...Does it really matter what we call it?

Lastnight in a Nyquil stupor I realized the secret to blogging.  You must blog about something that you really care about.  Some people blog about their family (yep, I am one of those) and others blog about scrapbooking, hunting, movies, finances, church, and a plethora of other topics.  When I think about my personal obsession two things come to mind: Elizabeth I & books.  I figure I can incorporate the first while addressing the other so here it is.  If you know me, and even if you don't you will soon enough, you'll realize that I love books.  During a recent move I believe we had more boxes of books than another single other item.  I was proud of myself when I let go of a small box of books but couldn't bring myself to let go of more. 

I wasn't always connected with books.  In fact I didn't discover the allure of words until I was in 7th grade where I was placed in a remedial reading class.  I'm sure there were a lot of things we did but what I reemmber most was choosing a book from the tall bookshelf and reading it.  I would then report back to the teacher what I had read.  I don't remember her name but I do remember that since that time I have never been able to put a book down.  My husband commented once to friends that in the time that he has known me (10 years) he has never seen me without a book.  I'm constantly reading.  I don't limit myself to one genre, instead I find it much more exciting and fulfilling to one day pick up a science fiction book and then when I'm done pick up historical fiction or cultural non-fiction.  I find that my personal viewpoints and interests are adjusted, expanded, deepened and explored through whatever I might be reading at the time.  If a book doesn't interest me I put it down and try to read it later.  If after several failed attempts at reading I will give it to someone who will appreciate it more.

It will surprise some of you to know that I do not intend my first book blog to be about my favorite author, Brandon Sanderson, but someone I recently discovered through the recommendation of a good friend.  Each week I plan to write about a book, author, article, or whatever strikes my fancy...as long as it's something I read.  So this little thing, this hobby...or obsession as others would put it...this passion of mine is here for you to read.  Perhaps there are fellow bibliomaniacs or bibliophiles out there who can point me in the direction of more good books to read.  If you are a budding bookworm just breaking through your own cocoon have no fear, you are in very good company. 

I would love your comments, book/author recommendations, histories, etc.  I'm excited to have you join me on this varied and wonderful journey.