It Happened

I finished the books I mentioned in my last post, The Gifts of Imperfection and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.  I may have had quotes to share, but it was a long while ago that I finished them, so I don't remember what the quotes were.

 

I've also read Pilgrims: A Lake Wobegon Romance (fun read, I liked a lot of the humor) and Greygallows (an oldie but goodie Barbara Michaels book that I've read before at least once and just picked up as a quick read while in VT).  And I read Bloom again, because Tana asked to borrow it and I wanted a refresher in case maybe we wanted to chat about it... and because it's a quick, lovely read.

 

The most recent book I finished was Let's Pretend This Never Happened.  Mom bought and read it and gave it to Karen and Karen passed it on.  Because it's HILARIOUS.  Slightly offensive, yes.  But also super funny.

 

When I was in Vermont, Tana and I were talking about books and making suggestions and she said I had to read East of Eden.  I said it was funny she said that, because it was already on my nightstand.  So, that's what's next.

 

Anyone else?  (Nice to hear from Aunt Cindy!)

The Tudors Series

I don't know that that is the "right' label, but I just finished the entire series of books by Phillipa Gregory.
The books were not written in order of the women's lives, so I did not read them in order. I read what turned out to be the last one first, and then the third one second. Then, I realized there was a whole series, so I began with the 'first' woman and ended with the last. You will see what I mean....


Last spring, I found  "The Constant Princess". A book about Catherine of Arragon. What a cool chick! I had no idea that she was Isabella and Ferdinand's daughter. (Go figure.) Then, I had my 'aha' moment. So,  I skipped "the Other Boleyn Girl" as I read it awhile ago.  I moved onto "The Boleyn Inheritance" which covered Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard, as well as Jane Boleyn. That book only slightly mentions Catherine Parr. But, it ends with the death of Henry VIII. There were some lusty women back then.

"The Queen's Fool" begins with Elizabeth as a young girl living with her living stepmother and  her second husband. The book includes the rise of Mary, and the imprisonment of Robert Dudley and Elizabeth. The tale turns back and forth through the eyes of a 'holy fool' that serves both women. It was interesting to read the varied looks of these two historic figures.

"The Virgin's Lover" was by far the most captivating. I have heard of the likelihood of Robert Dudley and Elizabeth's affair. However, I had never heard of Amy Dudley. (She appears briefly in "The Queen's Fool".) The players in this book are all familiar, except those that Lady Dudley is involved with. There is much 'talk' of her heart ache and desire to win her husband back. She is a simple person, born and raised in the country. Her demise ends the relationship between Elizabeth and Dudley. Its turn of events has me at the library tonight, borrowing an older biography of Elizabeth.
Just wanted to share!
Oops! I forget to add that the last book in chronological order for the lives of these ladies is "The Other Queen" . I read that years ago as well.