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.

Welcome to 2012!

We are welcoming in a new year and already I have read five texts, three books and one play.  I do not really have a reading goal this year but I'm sure I will.  I would like to read at least one classic and am thinking about Anna Karenina or something like that.  If you have suggestions on what I should read I would love your suggestions. 

I've been introduced to a new author, Heather Frost, who wrote a really fun read called "Seers".  A friend of mine let me borrow her book and I read it in almost one setting.  This is her first published work and I see a lot of potential in her.  I am excited to read the rest of the trilogy (as it is released) and see what else she comes up with.

Another friend let me borrow "The Graveyard Book" (Newberry Medal Award) by Neil Gaiman who is the author of "Stardust" and "Coraline".  It was a fresh and fun idea and read.  I think this may get me to read more of his works.  I've always loved the movie "Stardust" so am excited to have actually read something by its author.

Years ago I was given a book of poems by Carol Lynn Pearson and recently we were given several non-fiction works by her.  I loved her as a poet and love her as a playwright and non-fiction writer.  She is extremely talented at taking a very controversial and emotional topic and giving it a face that we can all relate to and love.  I was touched by the love she has and had for her gay husband and the struggles they went through.  Throughout the memoir she showed the reality of the issue, her struggle with religious aspects and the love she felt for him, and produced a candid and touching memoir about him and their struggle.  "Facing East" is about the struggle a father and mother have after the suicide of their gay son.  There are only three actors present in the entire work but it is touching and helps open our eyes to the issue at hand.

I finally re-read "Twilight" by Stefanie Meyer just for fun.  It's fun to periodically revisit old friends and stories.  Throughout the year I will probably incorporate the entire series into my reading this year.  Please share with me your old favorites and new.  I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting authors!

The Tudors by G.J. Meyer

Starred Review. Arguably the most famous rulers in world history, Tudor monarchs Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I were, according to journalist and author Meyer (A World Undone), cold and ruthless egotis[ts] whose self-created myths have prevailed over reality in our historical memory of them. Henry VII, the first Tudor, was a competent ruler who filled the royal treasury with gold, avoided war, and shrewdly consolidated his power by stripping away the nobility's autonomy. By contrast, Henry VIII's determination to enforce his religious change on his people led to a reign of terror, and his squandering of his riches contributed to the monarchy's later collapse under Charles I. His children fared little better, from the fervently evangelical boy-king Edward VI to the fanatically Catholic Mary, England's first woman ruler, who burned 300 of her subjects for heresy. Elizabeth is portrayed as selfish to the point of childishness, aspiring only to preserve her life and her rule. History buffs will savor Meyer's cheeky, nuanced, and authoritative perspective on an entire dynasty, and his study brims with enriching background discussions, ranging from class structure and the medieval Catholic Church to the Tudor connection to Spanish royalty. 4-color inserts, 1 map. (Mar.)
~Publisher's Weekly

Although this book is intended for those new to the Tudors I wouldn't discount it if you've already been enmeshed in their lives.  Included in the book are all of the Tudors, starting from Henry VII all the way to Elizabeth I.  Not only does Meyer talk about each reign but he includes a variety of additional information in the "Background" section at the "end" of each chapter. These backgrounds are, in fact, small chapters by themselves that provide readers with the information needed to understand more about what they just read.  This was a great book but very dense, it took me quite some time to read it. 

I originally went into this book thinking it was going to be a novel, as did my husband who bought it for me.  I'm am extremely glad that it was nonfiction though.  It gave me more information about another obsession I have and rekindled a long dormant fire.  Meyer's tone was academic yet inviting and I rarely got bored, although the beginning was a bit slow but that was probably because I was expecting something else. 

Would I recommend this?  Yes, definitely.  It may be a bit much if you don't like British history - or history in general - but if you like romance, scandal, history, war, life, death, and tyrannical kings and queens then this book is for you.  It's not an overnight read but it is definitely worth the reading.

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. 

Being Adopted: The Life-Long Search for Self by David M. Brodzinsky, M. Schechter, and R. Henig

Like Passages, this  groundbreaking book uses the poignant, powerful voices of  adoptees and adoptive parents to explore the  experience of adoption and its lifelong effects. A major  work, filled with astute analysis and moving  truths.  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92304.Being_Adopted


I was so surprised when I found this at my local library but immediately decided to check it out.  This is a great and informative piece of non-fiction that anyone who is involved in adoption should read.  This book addresses each phase of life step-by-step and shows not only how biological children react but also the reactions of adopted children.  If you are interested in learning what your child may go through between birth and death (assuming they die of old age) then this book is for you.  


My daughter is adopted and so this was extremely important for me to read.  Although the book barely addresses transracial adoption I was given a lot of very good insights into what she will probably experience.  I feel a bit more prepared as she enters school and the questions and personal dilemmas she may face crop up.  The only thing I would have liked would be more information on how kids adopted by parents outside their race face life and what additional identity issues they may go through.


This really was quite interesting and I would highly recommend it to pretty much anyone.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo is Alexandre Dumas's riveting tale of romantic rivalries, struggles for power, daring escapes, clever disguises, buried treasure, and solemn promises. What more could an adventurous reader desire? Dumas's hero Edmond Dantes is a man on a mission, tasked with delivering a letter whose contents he does not know, but whose impact, when discovered by the wrong man, could be deadly. Thrown into a dangerous chain of events, Dantes must face his fate alone, forced to rely on his wits, courage, and a strong dose of good luck as he seeks justice against those whose greed and wickedness nearly cost him his life. ~http://www.dailylit.com/books/count-of-monte-cristo

Honestly, how can you go wrong with this book.  It has got to be one of the best books I've ever read.  Before reading it my favorite 'classic' was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen but this book quickly and solidly has taken the top spot.  It is impossible to compare the book and the movie though so if you've seen the movie and feel like that's enough let me just say "No...it's not."  While the movie is quite good the ending is very different.  The movie appeals to the feel-good-ending movie industry while the book takes a real look at what could and would truly happen.  I don't dare say more though because I desperately want you to read this book. 

When purchasing or checking out this book you may look at it and hesitate because it is so thick but I read it in two sittings.  One was a lay-over at the airport going to my destination and the other was on the plane coming back.  Dumas sucks you into Dantes' life and troubles.  You feel for him and want him to achieve his revenge and make those who hurt him suffer.  In many ways I think we each wish we could exact this kind of justice upon someone who has done us wrong.  Some of us lack the money, others it's the lack of imagination, and yet others don't feel revenge is the best route.  Rarely does revenge make us feel better at the sight of another's downfall but for some reason it truly works in this book.  I definitely need to re-read this book.  It is a classic among classics.