The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou by Susan Higginbotham
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 2:34 PM
Title: The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou
Author: Susan Higginbotham
Published: January 28th 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 345
To cheek this book on amazon go to this link https://amzn.to/3etzZUG
Synopsis:
Margaret of Anjou, queen of England, cannot give up on her husband-even when he slips into insanity. And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son-even when England turns against them. This gripping tale of a queen forced to stand strong in the face of overwhelming odds is at its heart a tender tale of love.
My Review:
What would happen if this king suddenly went mad? What would his queen do? Would she make the same mistakes I did, or would she learn from mine?
Margaret of Anjou, born and raised in France until the age of 15 at which time she became the wife of King Henry VI, a union as a way to bring peace to the conflict between England and France. Henry and Margaret would grow to love each other and when Henry’s intermittent delicate mental state threatens his crown, it’s Margaret who fights the hardest to keep it. The book covers their lives from 1444 to 1482 when Margaret dies.
Margaret was one of the leading figures in what we called The War of the Roses, between Lancastrians and Yorkists. There was a long time hostility between Margaret and the Duke of York which led to the civil conflict to last for 30 years.
The Queen of Last Hopes gives a voice to one of the most maligned women in history. But, Margaret was so much more than what history and men branded her to be. She was a strong female figure, intelligent and cunning when dealing with plots, enemies and other issues considered to be outside the world of women.
I enjoyed getting to know Margaret through the book. Her firmness and courage when affronted with difficulty, and with an entire country against her, was inspiring and I will forever look at her in a different light. Higginbotham has given her real justice. Instead of being portrayed as ’’She wolf’’, she’s given an opportunity to tell her side of the story here and just be a little more human.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 5:11 AM
The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 9:24 AM
Title: The Pale Horseman
Author: Bernard Cornwell
Published: December 26th 2006
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Pages: 384
To cheek this book on amazon go to this link https://amzn.to/3hNqGRE
Synopsis:
The second installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit television series.
This is the exciting—yet little known—story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms.
At the end of The Last Kingdom, The Danes had been defeated at Cynuit, but the triumph of the English is not fated to last long. The Danish Vikings quickly invade and occupy three of England’s four kingdoms—and all that remains of the once proud country is a small piece of marshland, where Alfred and his family live with a few soldiers and retainers, including Uhtred, the dispossessed English nobleman who was raised by the Danes. Uhtred has always been a Dane at heart, and has always believed that given the chance, he would fight for the men who raised him and taught him the Viking ways. But when Iseult, a powerful sorceress, enters Uhtred’s life, he is forced to consider feelings he’s never confronted before—and Uhtred discovers, in his moment of greatest peril, a new-found loyalty and love for his native country and ruler.
My Review:
"There comes a moment in life when we see ourselves as others see us. I suppose that is part of growing up, and it is not always comfortable."
This is the second of the series but you can read it standing alone and it still makes a complete story because the events in this book are of vital importance in the life of Alfred The Great. In fact, these are the events that made him what he is. There is enough adventure, betrayal, oaths, and loyalty that was the seal of the people of that time and the constant struggle of the priests, bishops and church to gather riches and people to them while influencing the King and rulers!
It tells the story from the viewpoint of the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a dispossessed young nobleman who has lived among the Danes and is scornful of Alfred’s piety and caution. His actions at the critical battle of Cynuit in the previous novel should have made him a hero. Instead, his thunder has been stolen by Odda the Younger who claims the honor for himself.
Uhtred is a complex protagonist. He has many traits common to heroes in other books: strength, bravery, a vicious brand of loyalty, and a sense of justice that should make him easy to appreciate. You cannot help not to love him!
Cornwell does an awesome job again of blending fact and fiction in 9th century Great Britain, leading us around Cornwall to fatten our Viking purses, then running around Wessex with King Alfred to defeat the Danish hordes. We get a good picture of the motivations of all involved, and an understanding of the fighting customs. His portraits of swaggering, ignorant, grasping, petty nobles are swiftly drawn and piercing., Cornwell produces the smell of the era, the ignorance, the coarseness of life. His battle scenes are marvels: you can feel the fear, the raw courage, the brutality of combat.
The Review of The Last Kingdom you can find here
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 7:05 AM
The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 2:19 PM
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| Title: The One-in-a-Million Boy Author: Monica Wood Published: April 5th 2016 Publisher: Headline Review Pages: 416 To cheek this book on amazon go to this link |
Synopsis:
The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don't they teach you anything at school?
So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who's been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed, Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she's confessing secrets she has kept hidden for decades.
One Saturday, the boy doesn't show up. Ona starts to think he's not so special after all, but then his father arrives on her doorstep, determined to finish his son's good deed. The boy's mother is not so far behind. Ona is set to discover that the world can surprise us at any age, and that sometimes sharing a loss is the only way to find ourselves again.
My Review:
You know, one meets so many people, the years pass and pass, but there are certain times, certain people— . . . They take up room. So much room. I was married to Howard for twenty-eight years and yet he made only a piddling dent in my memory. A little nick. But certain others, they move in and make themselves at home and start flapping their arms in the story you make of your life. They have a wingspan.
This was one of my favorite books, for the plot, the writing, and the brilliant way in which Monica Wood builds established characters and has them tell their stories, with all the heartbreaks and mistakes that people make. The One-in-a-Million Boy, will melt your heart and leave its mark.
The book explores the life of a father, Quinn, struggling with the death of his young son with whom he had never made a bond with. His wife, Belle, who battles daily in mourning for the boy, and 104-year-old Ona, who befriended their somewhat OCD child after it had assigned him to help her once a week for the Boy Scouts. Ona becomes a tie to the boy for both grieving parents when Quinn fulfills his son’s commitment to helping Ona around the house.
It moves back and forth between the present lives of these three and the past interactions of “the boy” with Ona, but also with his father. The death of the boy brings his father and mother into Ona’s life, and slowly, progressively they too find a way to reconcile what was and their predispositions about what was with what really is.
This novel is not so much about a young boy who has died, but, a story about those that he leaves behind and the positive impression he left on the lives he touched. A book about friendship. The author illuminates just how remarkable every close friendship can be; how they can develop and shine under the most unusual circumstances, between the most unlikely candidates; but mostly, how they can change the course of lives, adding purpose and meaning. The book is also about grief and guilt and how in some circumstances these two can drive people toward rewards and accomplishments.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 6:50 AM
Memory Lane Books
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 1:37 PM
2013
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| ✬✬✬ The plot was good, but the storyline bogged down a bit. It was intriguing, easy to read and had some interesting facts. |
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| ✬✬ Bower writes well, however her characters are unsympathetic and her storytelling meandering. I expected this to be about the house of Borgia, but instead it was a wannabe love story based on a rather unlikeable main character. As it is, I feel disappointed. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Ms. Chadwick’s writing draws you in from the first page and takes you through the years with a remarkable ability to tell a tale and keep it moving. I was caught up in the love story, the action, and the detail of this novel. This book is a magnificent delight to devour. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ A complex story that draws you in with vivid and poetic description. Haunting imagery and emotional recollections stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page. Even though it is fiction, it is fully researched. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Not only is this a great story filled with mystery and romance, but it is also very descriptive of places, times and events -real and unreal. Barbara's descriptions are so vivid you can almost see what she is describing. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Speed’s profound knowledge illuminates the novel, taking you into a world rich with Indian culture, religion, and tradition, it made me feel like I was there experiencing it. The characters were real and balanced, totally believable. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This was a well written and mesmerizing book. I could hardly put it down most of the time. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This was an epic read. I was drawn into the story from the first page. The characters were developed and interesting. There were constant moral dilemmas that were handled in several ways. It surprised me at every chapter, especially the ending. The setting was vivid and authentic. |
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| ✬✬✬ A lovely story, if not too long, but full of interesting facts about life in Japan in the late 1800s. My biggest criticism is that it is not written in a style befitting this period in history. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ It is an intriguing historical work of fiction that highlights four decades in the inner court of Suleyman the Great during the first half of the sixteenth century. The tale crafts a sweeping, vivid look at the mores of the harem and to an extent the royal court the intrigue, treachery, and strange bedfellow politics, but places none of this on the bigger stage of significant events. |
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| ✬✬✬ Some interesting bits, and it was an easy read, it was just very predictable. I read it because there was so much hype over this book, I guess I just thought it was OK. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Well written, well researched, readable and detailed. The author does her best to show Georgiana, and all her facets not just those that shine. By the end of the book, you felt like you had become acquainted with The Duchess. Besides the wonderful insight Foreman provides on Georgian’s life, the book is also an excellent source of 18th century British political and social observation. A wonderful, informative read! |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This is a story, full of magic and heartbreak, joy and sadness, and the trial and error of growing up. There's something for everyone here, with mystery, romance, and action-adventure. If you love historical stories or those based on myths, you won't go wrong with ITHAKA. |
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| ✬✬✬ This is a story, I didn’t like the ending; the characterization leaves something to be desired, and the writing didn’t make me think. It left me with a vague sense of indigestion |
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| ✬✬✬✬ A different take on the Romanov princess, but interesting. We see her in a different landscape. A beautiful love story. A fast moving but not enough to get lost. Enjoyed this book. |
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| ✬✬✬ In addition to telling the story of Mary Anning, this book also offers insight into the study of paleontology and geology. It also has quite a bit to say about English society in the early 1800s. Very enjoyable and readable. |
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| ✬✬✬ I thought the overall story was interesting but it got a little boring at times. Too little action and fairly predictable. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This is a highly readable novel, proving mountains of information and excellent insights into three cultures: French, Indian and Turkish. A lesson in history and a beautiful story of personal challenges, despair and hardships. |
2014
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ A wonderful read. It is full of details and personal diaries mostly about the four Romanov girls. There is plenty of other information and stories about the tsar, his wife, and little Alexy, but this one focuses on the much-forgotten girls. They were dynamic, young, beautiful girls each with very different personalities and talent. |
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| ✬✬ I can't believe the same Nora Roberts that I've been reading for years even wrote this book. Seriously did not enjoy it at all. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ The storyline was interesting, romantic, with a touch of drama thrown in. So much better than the first book. |
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| ✬✬✬ Lighthearted, but the characters are well developed so that it keeps you engaged. An easy read. |
2015
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| ✬✬✬✬ Wonderful and fantastical book. Takes a while to get into it, and the same name for all the male in the household for generations can be confusing, but otherwise, an excellent read. |
2016
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| ✬✬ I could not get into this story. The characters were self-absorbed, vapid, and not likable. I saw them as petty and foolish. Nothing with the story made it easy for me to read and forget about enjoying it. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Interesting story about how we react when life gets hard and one has to make difficult choices! An easy read, kept me engaged the whole way and was well written! |
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| ✬✬✬✬ I enjoyed this book very much. Really good. A story of betrayal and family loyalties. Unexpected ending. Had a real twist. |
2017
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ An amazing story woven into the fabric of the time period. Historical facts and characters are so real you feel as though they’ve actually stepped out of the pages of history. I love Monica McCarty’s books. Her love and appreciation of Scottish history are clear throughout her novels. |
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| ✬✬✬ This was a love story! Even though the ending was predictable, it was still an entertaining read. |
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| ✬✬ The beginning felt disorganized, as there are many perspective swaps through this book, but once I had it figured out, I didn’t struggle so much. There were slow parts, and parts that made my blood boil. The villains are numerous but one-facet, and the ending offers a tidy wrap to the happily ever-after but leaves other gaps. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ This is a very rich, and in-depth novel. I loved seeing how the story unfolded for everyone involved. The complicated events in the young life of Harry Clifton unfold as each person in his life tells their side of his story. The richness of history, connected with amazing character development, made it a brilliant read. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Well written, fast-paced, have realistic characters and hit an emotional chord. This book is an outstanding installment in the Will Trent series that simply should not be missed. I feel myself being pulled in to Will Trent’s story in an incredibly powerful way. |
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| ✬✬ I was expecting more about Adolf Hitler and his origins and where all the evil came from, but so much of it was on his parents, grandparents, and others. We learn a bit about Adolf — but frankly; the book was not worth reading. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ I enjoyed the main characters and the twisting storyline as it jumps from plot-to-plot and character-to-character. There is romance, financial intrigue, and police procedural elements all mixed into an enjoyable book. |
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| ✬✬ I think it’s an interesting book. It’s just very dark, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. It was also slow, with a little story/resolution to make up for you dragging yourself through the pain-filled pages. |
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| ✬✬✬ The book constantly went from the present to the past. Because of a complicated plot, it was difficult for me to keep track of the characters. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Slaughter has developed her characters so well that it is a joy to continue to read about them. The depth to these characters make them so real to the reader, and I love getting drawn back into their story. Amazing book in series. |
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| ✬✬ With too much violence for a romance novel, at least for my tastes, and an unappealing heroine, by the novel’s end it left me with a feeling of exhaustion rather than exhilaration. Not my cup of tea. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This was a very enjoyable, tender romance novel - nothing serious mind. But if you are looking for a believable escape that leaves you feeling warm and gentle then pick this up. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This was a beautiful story that made me cry, it made me think; it made me appreciate life, and I will never be the same because I read it. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This book was informative and touching to read, and I suggest anyone to take a look at it, it will open your eyes to another world on our planet. |
2018
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Edenbrooke was one of my favorite books. This novella is such a great addition. I love hearing Philip's side of the story. It makes me love him even more. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This was a nice trip back down Wallflower Lane. It was great reading about how the Wallflowers were doing and I enjoyed the romance between Hannah and Rafe. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Sarah Dunant is an excellent author; her research and writing style make “In the Name of the Family” a book that readers who value true historical fiction will enjoy. |
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| ✬✬✬ The book is full of drama and is a fast-paced, thus making reading easy. But some events were too far-fetched for me. I know this is fiction, but I like historical fiction to be as believable as possible. Not sorry that I read it, and I will read the others for sure. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ A most enjoyable story based on the relationship between Antonio Vivaldi and his favorite violinist and protégé, Anna Maria, a resident of the foundling home for girls for which Vivaldi wrote some of his most famous and inspired music. Enough history to provide a real learning experience for the reader. This book also contains a beautiful story of how our lives are a collection of our deeds, misdeeds, and our sorrows. A great read. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Enoch has created another entertaining regency tale with a delightful set of protagonists I enjoyed. While it held no surprises as to the outcome, her engaging dialogs, fresh and vibrant writing style, and likable characters made this experience a real pleasure. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This was a truly enjoyable book. Humorous, clever, with a fun mystery. |
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| ✬✬ I found the storyline to be largely unbelievable, and it takes a lot for me to say because they’re romance novels. It was boring, not historically suitable and long. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ The story is above average, but not a five star. It was redundant, and the dialogue was stiff and dull, but the emotions behind it were real. The story was full of real-life hits-and-misses of missed opportunities, miscommunications, unspoken feelings, and words spoken in haste. I loved the happy ending. Predictable, but sweet. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Strong lead characters, a humor, a period piece, some depth to the characters, no heavy angst nor misunderstandings, easy to read, follow and palate romance. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ As with all his novels, it was a well written, thoroughly researched book. Great history of culture. Significant insight into the great detail that the Mongols put into warfare and tactics. |
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| ✬✬ The first part was intense I was definitely sitting on the edge of my seat but that's not enough because everything else was ridiculous. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ The story revolves around a delightful main character, and gives a glimpse into what happened in Russia during the 1920s-1950s.... but in a kind of romanticized way, everything taking place, as it does, in the gracious old Hotel. The pace is slow in the beginning but as one eases into the confinement of the hotel, life opens out in beautiful and unexpected ways. I enjoyed it immensely. |
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| ✬✬ This isn’t a favorite of mine and I usually enjoy her writing. But this felt incomplete, often very repetitive, not well planned out or developed, and sadly a bit boring. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ This book upholds the wonderful writing style of the author, Christina Dodd. Touching beautiful well written, humorous, everything all rolled into one. |
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| ✬✬ The story itself was a good, quick read, and the storyline was somewhat interesting, but it just dragged and dragged and it left me disappointed. |
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| ✬✬ I have absolutely loved every Highland Guard story, but not this one. I didn't like any of the characters. |
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| ✬✬✬ An interesting fictionalized version of a little-known Spanish expedition. I love this genre; I love history, exploration, and conquest, but I found this book very slow moving. It seemed never-ending and then, poof; it was tied up neatly and quickly. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ The story is about love, tragedy, and secrets - for both the family and the staff - and told by the last remaining member of staff who at the age of 98, weaves the threads of the past and present together. I won't give away any more about the story, suffice to say I enjoyed this novel very much. |
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| ✬✬✬ King’s Mistress is okay fiction. Alice is sympathetic, it’s easy to get caught up in her story, and if you want to escape to another place and time, this book can be a door. |
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| ✬✬ This book had an interesting premise, however, the writing and plotline were rather flat for me. |
