The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory was written in 2004. A novel that is a part of Gregory's Tudor Series.  I had read The Other Boleyn Girl a couple of years ago. You can read my review of that book HERE.  What I discovered while reading this book is that the order Gregory wrote the Tudor Series is not the chronological order of the books.  So - since I've already started reading them, this is a disappointment to me! Hmmm - maybe I should have done some research BEFORE I started the series!! (which I thought I had, but apparently not!)

To read chronologically:

• The Constant Princess (Katherine of Aragon)
• The Other Boleyn Girl (Mary and Anne Boleyn)
• The Wise Woman (A young girl forced out of her nunnery and into the real world during the reformation during Anne Boleyn's time of being queen)
• The Boleyn Inheritance (Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard)
• The Queen's Fool (A young Jewish girl's story of her service in the court of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I)
• The Virgin’s Lover (Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart)
• The Other Queen (Mary, Queen of Scots, George Talbot and Bess of Hardwick)

SYNOPSIS:

 At a time when  innocent people were being burned for heresy or strangled for witchcraft, Hannah, a young Jewish girl enters the Tudor court. Sworn into the service of a man getting ready to be charged with treason.  As a young girl with "the sight" Robert Dudley sends her as a Holy Fool to spy on Princess Mary Tudor, the forgotten heir to King Edward’s throne. To spy on the queen for the love of a traitor was the most dangerous choice of all.

Instead of the tyrant of popular legend - known as "Bloody Mary",  Gregory presents Queen Mary as wanting only the best for the kingdom – (those not possessing the Catholic Faith were hung or burned at the stake.)  A very misguided Queen trying to do what she believes is best - even though it was so very wrong.

 Gregory tells the story in fiction form of Princess Elizabeth waiting - often impatiently to take over the reign of her sister so she can end the killing and the torture. - Well, maybe that sounds too positive. She wasn't wanting to be Queen to end the killing. She just wanted to be Queen.

Hannah, caught in the lifelong enmity between the rival daughters of Henry VIII, torn between her infatuation with Dudley and duty to her family, thrilled by her own rare gifts, but scared of the unknown, she must find a safe way through dangerous times. Times in which she is both key witness and key player, when the wrong religion is a death sentence, science and magic are one, and true love can mean death.

As I mentioned in my review of The Other Boleyn Girl, many of Gregory's reviews are critical of the historical accuracy of her books. I don't really know enough about the times of Tudor - other than "popular" teachings for me to read her books critically. I read them because I think they are good fiction. I enjoy the stories that this author weaves through her research.

I enjoyed the book. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good novel and for anyone who enjoys good historical fiction.  She doesn't go into too much detail on the burnings and torturing so it's not a gory book. I had a hard time putting it down!

Fortunately for me - my wonderful husband gets just as involved in his reading - so he doesn't lose patience with me! - Nor I him!  :)

I highly recommend this book.

***** 

Reading in 2011

I remember going to Hastings one time with some "gift" money. I was shopping for books. Some new reading material that could be used for Book Club and just some good reading for me. I hit the jackpot. I purchased around five books. I hadn't read reviews, I just searched the shelves until I found some books I thought I would enjoy reading.

I love my Kindle and the convenience of it. But there is just something special about spending 2 to 3 hours browsing the shelves in a bookstore. - Of course, to do that, you need to have a wad of money in your pockets!

Let's see, the day I hit the jackpot, I purchased "Still Alice"  (review here)    "The Jane Austin Book Club"  (which I just discovered I never reviewed on my blog... go figure. I loved that book) anyway, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" (review here)  "American Wife" (I was SURE I had reviewed this one!!) and I believe  the last book was "The 19th Wife"  
(review here)  - or wait - No, it was "The Zookeeper's Wife" (review here)  ( I know it was another one with the word "wife" in the title!!)

I liked all the books I purchased that day, as I said I felt as if I had hit the jackpot!! However, I have not had that much luck since.  :(  

It seems as if it has been f.o.r.e.v.e.r. since I have read a really good book. I've read some good ones. Just not any REALLY good ones. I read 2 about BTK (true crime books that were based here in Wichita) but lets face it, If I hadn't just moved to Wichita, I probably wouldn't have liked them. 

I've read Evanovich and Grisham - which were both very good - but nothing unusual in their story lines. 

I've read a Christmas book and I've tried reading a couple of other books that I didn't even finish... Which is very unusual for me.

So, I have got to get serious about my book search. I need to read some quality books with interesting story lines.

I want to pick up reviewing books and to do that, I'm just going to have to find something worth reading! So....

For 2012, I hope to give you some reviews to help you choose some good reading material. 

Happy Reading, Friends.

Trading Christmas by Debbie Maccomber

I enjoy reading a Christmas book during this wonderful season. I got a free one on my Kindle, it was a two for one - "Trading Christmas" and "The Forgetful Bride". I read the first one. I'm not really a fan of "romance." - (However, I do enjoy Rosamund Pilcher!) -

I do think Debbie Maccomber must be a very nice person. I've read a few of  her books before and I always have the feeling I could be friends with her.

It was a fast read, it was an okay book. Do you remember the stories "Good Housekeeping" used to have in each issue? My mom always subscribed to Good Housekeeping and I really enjoyed the stories. This book reminded me of a Good Housekeeping story!

Trading Christmas is about a lady and a man that trade houses for the holidays. - And no, they don't fall in love with each other!! It was light reading, it was a feel good story and so if you want a book that leaves you relaxed and feeling good - this one is a great one.

So, for romance fans - a good read.

The rest of you, probably not!

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

*****

I have collected Evanovich books since I first read One For the Money. I don't really enjoy the other books she writes but the Stephanie Plum books make me laugh out loud.

Stephanie works for her cousin that owns a bail bonds office. She became a bounty hunter when she got laid off from the lingerie factory and needed rent money. Her side kick is Lula - a "large" woman!!

Explosive Eighteen is much like the first 17 books. Lots of innuendos, lots of "keystone kop" activity, lots of fried chicken - shooting and tasering. But more importantly Lots of Laughs!

There was one thing missing from this book. Stephanie didn't blow up a car!

For more information about Janet Evanovich, I have blogged about her before. You can check that blog out HERE.

The Litigators by John Grisham

*****

Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved watching TV shows about lawyers. I remember as a young girl, when Perry Mason would come on I would get my small suitcase - which became a rather dignified briefcase! mounds of paper, a card table and would become a lawyer while helping him with his case. I'm not sure he would have ever won without me in Oklahoma helping him along. 

So, when John Grisham started publishing his books about lawyers, I was hooked. I scoff at critics who say if you've read one Grisham - you've read them all.  NOT SO. Each case is individual, each case is important! And I enjoy a world where the good guy always wins! - another proof of "fiction".

November, Grisham came out with his 25+ book, The Litigators. Several of his books aren't about lawyers - I've enjoyed those, too, but my favorites are the ones where Grisham weaves a case and I get to watch the lawyers battle it out.

The Litigators did not disappoint me. David Zinc quickly became one of my favorite Grisham characters. -  The good guy winning.

David, a young but already burned-out attorney, walks away from his fast-track career at a fancy downtown firm, goes on a serious bender, and finds himself literally at the doorstep of Finley and Figg. 

Finley and Figg, Attorneys of Law, often refer to themselves as “a boutique law firm.” Boutique, as in chic, selective, and prosperous. They are, of course, none of these things. What they are is a two-bit operation always in search of their big break, ambulance chasers who’ve been in the trenches much too long making way too little. Their specialties, so to speak, are quickie divorces and DUIs, with the occasional jackpot of an actual car wreck thrown in. 

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a typical Grisham novel but if you enjoy reading about lawyers as much as I do - it's a winner!