Review: The Thistle and the Rose by Jean Plaidy

Title: The Thistle and the Rose
Author: Jean Plaidy
Publication Date: January 2004

Blurb: Princess Margaret Tudor is the greatest prize when her father, Henry VII, negotiates the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with neighboring Scotland. The betrothal is meant to end decades of bloody border wars, but it becomes a love match: To Margaret's surprise, she finds joy in her marriage to the dashing James IV of Scotland, a man sixteen years her senior. But the marriage, and the peace it brings to both nations, does not last. When King James is struck down by the armies of Henry VIII, Margaret - Princess of England, but Queen of Scotland - finds herself torn between loyalty to the land and family of her birth and to that of her baby son, now King of the Scots. She decides to remain in Scotland and carve out her own destiny, surviving a scandalous second marriage and battling with both her son and her brother to the very end. Like all the Tudors, Margaret's life would be one of turmoil and controversy, but through her descendants, England and Scotland would unite as one nation, under one rule, and find peace.

My Thoughts: Whenever I read about the Tudor family it’s usually about Henry, his wives and children or the Grey sisters, so this is the first book that I’ve read that has been solely about Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII. The story starts off when Margaret is 12 years old and is betrothed to King James IV of Scotland. I found this part very interesting, as it showed a little of Margaret’s relationship with Henry, her fears about marriage and all the festivities that went on because of it. Margaret falls in love with James as soon as she meets him, and theirs is a loving marriage, despite his many mistresses and illegitimate children. However, James dies young and Margaret is left a young widow, and mother to an infant king.

Like her brother, Margaret was ruled by passion and spontaneity which led to her next two marriages. She seemed to fall in love very quickly which caused great scandal and unhappiness for her. She spent the rest of her life trying to fight for control over her son and torn between her loyalty to England, her brother’s country and her home, and Scotland, her son’s country and the country she married into.

I love that Jean Plaidy writes about the more obscure and less written about characters in history. As I said before though, I haven’t read a lot about Margaret Tudor so I can’t say for sure how historically accurate it was. I did find it very interesting and entertaining though, although I find that I generally enjoy historical fiction by Allison Weir and Philippa Gregory just that little bit more. I think that those interested in history and the Tudor period will very much enjoy this book by Jean Plaidy.

Rating: ***

New to my 'to read pile'

I've got a few 'new' books that have been added to the top of my 'to read pile' in the past week so I thought I'd share them with you. I'm looking forward to digging into these, some young adult, some adult and some non fiction. I've bought a couple of them, won one of them through Good Reads and the rest I've gotten through my local public library.

Won:

Title:[Refuge]e

Author: Adnan Mahmutovic

Publication Date: October 2005

Blurb: Mahmutović's work does not wallow in self-pity, nor do his characters. Inside the plain cover holds stories and poetry that speak truths, those that may cause one to feel discomfort, pity, and anger, yet Mahmutović does not ask the reader to feel this way, does not use his words to soothe or affect some change, instead, he says, "[RUFUGE]E is not a comfort. It is not a real shelter [...] whatever you, the reader, immerse yourself in here, whatever you find here to lift you up as being, be my guest.

Bought:

Title: The Secret Bride: In The Court of Henry VIII

Author: Diane Haeger
Publication Date: 2008
Blurb: Mary Tudor, the headstrong younger sister of the ruthless King Henry VII, has always been her brother's favorite-but now she is also an important political bargaining chip. When she is promised to the elderly, ailing King Louis of France, a heartbroken Mary accepts her fate, but not before extracting a promise from her brother: When the old king dies, her next marriage shall be solely of her choosing. For Mary has a forbidden passion, and is determined, through her own cunning, courage, and boldness, to forge her own destiny. The Secret Bride is the triumphant tale of one extraordinary woman who meant to stay true to her heart and live her life just as her royal brother did-by her own rules...

Title: The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey
Author: Leanda De Lisle
Publication Date: September 2008
Blurb: Mary, Katherine, and Jane Grey–sisters whose mere existence nearly toppled a kingdom and altered a nation’s destiny–are the captivating subjects of Leanda de Lisle’s new book. The Sisters Who Would Be Queen breathes fresh life into these three young women, who were victimized in the notoriously vicious Tudor power struggle and whose heirs would otherwise probably be ruling England today.

 
 
 
Borrowed:

Title: House Rules: A Novel
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: March 2010
Blurb: House Rules is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder.

Title: Inner Circle (Private, Book 5)
Author: Kate Brian
Publication Date: August 2007

Blurb: Reed Brennan arrived at Easton Academy expecting to find an idyllic private school experience -- challenging classes, adorably preppy boys, and a chance to create a new life for herself. Instead, she discovered lies, deception, blackmail, and...murder. But, thankfully, the killers were caught and the nightmare is finally over. Now, with a new school year ahead of her, Reed steps back on Easton's ivy-covered campus ready to start over. So when the headmaster announces that billings is forbidden from holding their traditional, secretive initiation, Reed is relieved. She champions the new rules and the six new girls the administration has picked to live in Billings Hall: Constance, Missy, Lorna, Kiki, Astrid, and newcomer Sabine. But Reed's fellow Billings resident and new nemesis, Cheyenne Martin, believes the changes are a mockery of Billings history. Despite the new rules, Cheyenne vows to keep the old ways alive, no matter what -- or who -- stands in her way...

Title: Legacy (Private, Book 6)
Author: Kate Brian
Publication Date: February 2008
Blurb: The price of power...After Cheyenne Martin's death, everyone at Easton Academy is struggling to recover from yet another tragedy--especially the girls of Billings Hall. With Cheyenne gone, they need to elect a new leader. And who better than Reed Brennan, the ultimate Billings Girls? As the new Billings president, Reed suddenly has access to power she never imagined. Gossip is reported to her immediately, she has first dibs on everything from dining tables to dorm rooms, and Billings's most powerful alumnae are at her beck and call. So when Easton's students discover they're the only prep school on the East Coast not invited to this year's all-inclusive Legacy party, everyone turns to Reed to get them back on the list. Reed is the most powerful girl at Easton. She revels in her newfound status, but knows better than anyone that the Bilings leaders have a tainted legacy: Ariana was institutionalized, Noelle was expelled, and Cheyenne just died. History has a way of repeating itself at Easton, and now that Reed has everything she's ever wanted, she has everything to lose.

Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: November 2004
Blurb: The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life.

Wish List

The following are some books, which haven't been released yet, that I've added to my ever growing wish list. I know they're a little random, but I do like different genres and I do read both young adult and adult fiction.

Claire de Lune
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella

The Wedding Planner
For the King's Favor
The Red Queen: A Novel

Review: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Last Song
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Release date: 2009

Blurb: Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller's life was turned upside down when her parents divorced and her father moved to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains alienated from her parents, particularly her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she and her brother spent the summer with him. Resentful and rebellious, Ronnie rejects her father's attempts to reach out to her and threatens to return to New York before the summer's end. But soon Ronnie meets Will, the last person she'd thought she'd ever be attracted to, and finds herself falling for him, opening herself up to the greatest happiness - and pain - that she has ever known. In the tradition of his beloved novel 'A Walk to Remember', Nicholas Sparks brings us a deeply moving story of a young girl's first encounter with heartbreak - and love.

My Thoughts: I went into The Last Song expecting it to be a light read, something more entertaining than deep. And it was entertaining, but there was so much more to it than that. The book was also very touching, very deep and a great coming of age story.

Ronnie Miller is horrified and angry to find that her mother has decided that she and her younger brother, Jonah, will be spending the summer with their father in Wrightsville Beach. Ronnie hasn't spoken to her father for the past three years since he left her mother, and, after her arrival spends as much time as possible away from the house, trying to stay away from her father and his incessant piano playing. Because of this she meets the interesting but dark Blaze, the dangerous Marcus and Will, someone she never thought she could fall in love with, but does. As the story moves along Ronnie becomes a much more likeable character (I found her a little childish at first) and you can see her growing and accepting her father.

I found it interesting that, even though Ronnie is the main character, the chapters changed from her point of view to that of her father and Will. I find in some books this is hard to follow, especially if there are too many people included, but The Last Song was very easy to follow, as each character stood on their own, with their own distinct personalities.

Like all of Nicholas Sparks' other books this also has a twist at the end, which results in some very sad and touching moments. A piece of advice, make sure that you have some tissues with you while you read the last few chapters of the book!

I definitely recommend this book, although I'm sure girls will get more pleasure out of it than the guys. It's a wonderful coming of age story, and includes topics like family, illness and love.
Rating: 4/5

Tomorrow, when the war began movie

I've just found out recently that the book Tomorrow, When the War Began
by John Marsden is to be made into a movie! Filming hasn't started yet, as the movie has just been anounced but apparently Caitlin Stasey (Rachel from Neighbours) is to play Ellie, and Lincoln Lewis (Geoff from Home and Away) are set to play Ellie and Kevin.

You can find the IMDB entry here where they have a little bit of info about the movie and also a forum for questions/comments and news. You can also see some of the cast listed here although most of them aren't listed on IMDB yet so I'm not sure if it's the final list.

For those who don't know Tomorrow, When the War Began follows the journey of Ellie and a group of seven others who band together to fight when Australia is invaded by an unknown enemy. Renowned screenwriter Stuart Beattie, whose credits include Australia and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, will write and direct.

A Reading Meme

I found this meme at Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff a Historical Fiction blog that I read and thought I'd give it a go. It's part of the 2009 Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Give it a go if you like.

We encourage you to be creative with this!
Please choose one or two questions to answer or try to answer all the questions in five words or less.
Or choose a picture to answer a question!
Brevity is the goal of today!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Sometimes. I like picking at things so rice crackers etc.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
No I hate marking books. I won't even write my name in it. I just feel like it ruins them and will niggle at me everytime I read it.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?
I'm terrible with this, I dog ear my books and occassionally leave it lying flat open. I've tried to use bookmarks in the past but I just lose them or forget to use them.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both, but mostly fiction.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
I prefer hard copies, but I've taken up walking and have tried a couple of audio books which I've found quite good.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I can put the book down at any point, I have to read to the top of the next page though.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No

What are you currently reading?
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

What is the last book you bought?
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I only read one at a time.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
I love curling up in bed at night and reading before I go to sleep, but I can and do read in other places and at other times.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I don't mind, either is fine.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
My newest and favourite books go on the top shelf and then I work down from there.

The Ruby Ring review

The Ruby Ring
Diane Haeger
2005
Rating: Good

The Ruby Ring begins in 1520 Rome, a city in mourning for their beloved Raphael Sanzio. Raphael, a mastro painter was well loved in Rome and now lays in state in the Pantheon. Meanwhile a young woman, Margherita Luti seeks refuge in a nearby convent. She, who was born a bakers daughter in a humble neighbourhood on the Tiber, is now an outcast with many powerful enemies. Margherita was Raphael's beloved, his mistress and his model for many of his Madonna paintings. Theirs was a true and lasting love, but now that Raphael is gone the convent is Margherita's only hope for a safe and peaceful life. The Mother Superior finally agrees to allow Margherita to stay, despite her reputation, but with one catch. She must give up the ruby ring she wears, which was given to her by Raphael and the ring that she wore in Raphael's scandalous 'wedding portrait'. As Margherita makes her choice she thinks back over the years she spent with Raphael, and their love.

Despite the slow start, The Ruby Ring is a beautiful love story about two people, from vastly different backgrounds, who were truly and deeply in love. I loved reading about Raphael's passion and the sumptuous era which included characters like Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo, Pope Leo X and more! As I mentioned earlier though, the book did start off slowly and felt like it took a while to read, in comparison to other books. The writing got a little dull in places and the couple a bit over the top in their romance, but it was interesting and enjoyable to read about Rome at that time and the powerful figures who surrounded them.

New to my 'to read pile'

Ah, third time lucky for this post! I've seen quite a few posts around called In my Mailbox where people blog about what books they've received in the mail. I wanted to do a similar thing, but because most of my books don't come in the mail I'm going to post about which books are on my to read pile. These are books that I've either bought or borrowed from my public library.

Bought:
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The first in a stunning new series, The Cousins War, is set amid the tumult and intrigue of The War of the Roses. Internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings this family drama to colourful life through its women, beginning with the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen The White Queen tells the story of a common woman who ascends to royalty by virtue of her beauty, a woman who rises to the demands of her position and fights tenaciously for the success of her family, a woman whose two sons become the central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the Princes in the Tower whose fate remains unknown to this day. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores the most famous unsolved mystery, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

Borrowed:
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom. From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

Magic Flutes by Eva Ibbotson
Spring, 1922 Tessa is a beautiful, tiny, dark-eyed princess - who's given up her duties to follow her heart, working for nothing backstage at the Viennese opera. No one there knows who she really is, or that a fairytale castle is missing its princess, and Tessa is determined to keep it that way. But secret lives can be complicated. When a wealthy, handsome Englishman discovers this bewitching urchin backstage,Tessa's two lives collide - and in escaping her inheritance, she finds her destiny...

River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Razo has never been anything but ordinary. He's not very fast, or tall, or strong, so when he's invited to join an elite mission escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern's great enemy, he's sure it's only out of pity. But when they arrive in the strange southern country, it is Razo who finds the first dead body. As they try to learn more from the Tirans about the ever increasing murders, Razo is the only Bayern soldier able to befriend both the high and low born, including the beautiful Lady Dasha. And as Razo finds allies among the Tirans, he realizes that it may be up to him to get the Bayern army safely home again.

The Star of Kazan by Eba Ibbotson
In this award-winning novel, set in pre-World War I Vienna, a young servant girl learns that she is actually an aristocrat whose true home is an ancient castle. There, Annika discovers that all is not as it seems in the lives of her newfound family.

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
In this fable-like novel Veronika decides to kill herself when faced with all that is wrong with the world and how powerless she feels to change anything. Although she survives her initial suicide attempt, she is committed to a mental hospital where she begins to wrestle with the meaning of mental illness and whether forced drugging should be inflicted on patients who don't fit into the narrow definition of "normal." The strength and tragedy of Veronika's fictional story was instrumental in passing new government regulations in Brazil that have made it more difficult to have a person involuntarily committed. Like any great storyteller, Coelho has used the realm of fiction to magically infiltrate and alter the realm of reality.

Wish List

I'm constantly finding new release books that I would love to read. I've been in a young adult mood so most of the books I've chosen to show here are in that category. The following are a few that I've found recently.

Cleopatra's Daughter
Michelle Moran
September 15, 2009











Her Fearful Symmetry
Audrey Niffenegger
September 29, 2009











The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII
Diane Haeger
October 6, 2009











Once a Witch
Carolyn MacCullough
August 26, 2009











The Cupcake Queen
Heather Hepler
September 17, 2009











Sphinx's Princess
Esther Friesner
September 22, 2009











The Tear Collector
Patrick Jones
September 01, 2009