Mini-Review Roundup

 

  Mini-Review Roundup

Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser

Honestly, this was kind of a letdown. It's not that there's anything wrong with it, but I guess my expectations were too high. I had the sense that this was THE Marie Antoinette book. Unfortunately for me, I've already read Juliet Grey's fiction series and Caroline Weber's non-fiction Queen of Fashion and I prefer both of those. 

To me, Juliet Grey's series has all of the historical facts of Antonia Fraser's offering (I imagine she used AF's book as a major source-- it feels very much like "copy, paste, add humanity"), but also all of the heart, soul, and caring for the "characters" that Antonia Fraser's book lacks. Juliet Grey's series made the people come alive. I felt for the people in ways that I just didn't when reading AF's book. 

But Juliet Grey's series is fiction, you may say. Of course I'm going to feel for the characters more there, you may say. This is an unfair comparison, you may say. Yes, yes, except Caroline Weber's non-fiction book absolutely captured my heart and emotions. I was sobbing when reading the final years of MA's life, I felt for her as she wiled away her youth to distract herself from her childless and passionless marriage. I was emotionally invested in it all. Antonia Fraser's book just lacked this connection for me, and even though by this point I know enough about the story to fill in all of the emotional bits, AF's writing was just too distant and too plodding and too surface to leap off the page even with this knowledge. 

It wasn't bad by any stretch. If I had read it first, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more. The facts are there. The writing isn't dry. The history is presented in a way that is easy to follow. It just...lacks the heart I want and have found elsewhere.

 

Victorian Fashion Accessories by Ariel Beaujot 

 

I picked this up on a whim because I was participating in a Victorian theme week and the conversation there sparked my interest in Victorian fashion. I enjoy seeing how fashion is influenced by and influences history (see Caroline Weber's excellent book Queen of Fashion) and Ariel Beaujot did a nice job explaining that interplay here. She focuses not on Victorian fashion overall, but on a few key items such as fans, umbrellas, gloves, etc. 

For those less interested in non-fiction and not terribly familiar with the Victorian era, this might be a little dry and disjointed. It did have that "dissertation" vibe to it. I also don't necessarily agree with all of her conclusions and I do question how factual some of her facts are (it's a little bit of a stretch to make the claims on, for example, umbrellas that she made). So, perhaps not for everyone. 

For me, I didn't mind these things. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I spent a lot of time looking up facts (that were true) and delving more deeply into the history through Internet searches. It was fun. It also taught me a lot of the "why" and the story behind a number of items that are antique store staples that I've seen a lot but didn't fully understand (like celluloid vanity sets). This was neat. It's a short read and one I considered well worth my time.

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

 

Well, this was...not what I was expecting. Did I like it? Yeah. I think. Yes. Mostly. 

I think this might have been, in part, a case of misplaced expectations. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it was not what I got. Here's what I would have told myself to expect if I could go back in time: 

The atmosphere is dreamy and hazy. The sense of place is palpable, but it's more about the heat and the vibe and the feel and the emotions than about feeling any particular historical sense of time and place. The mystery of what happened to the girls is at the center of everything, but this is not a detective story. You're not going to spend time gathering and putting together clues. This isn't about solving the mystery.

The event happens at the beginning, and then the rest of the story is more of a character study, exploring the impact and fallout of the event on the various characters. This almost reminded me of The Turn of the Screw in that you're in the position to observe the impact of events on the psyche of the characters, but you don't know for sure where the truth lies. Is that character losing their mind? Cool and calculating? Naturally bereaved? You don't know, you won't know. But the exploration and the questioning and the plausible pathways is captivating. 

Overall, yes, I think this is a good one. It has power and effect. It made me think and feel and wonder. It stayed with me. It's not what I would call an enjoyable read. It's not a happy book. I'm glad I read it.

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Mini-Review Roundup

  Mini-Review Roundup

Darkbeast by Morgan Keyes

Solid "nice." I enjoyed reading it, but I don't feel compelled to read the sequel. Chapters are short and it's easy to read quickly, even if the pacing of the plot isn't breakneck. There's also a little bit of the "glimpse into the past" which is a writing approach I usually find makes me want to read more and become more invested in finding out how the past and present connect, and that worked here too. 

The messages are sweet and the relationship between the characters is also sweet. There's just enough depth and nuance to both the characters and the plot to make this book stand out and stand on its own. It's also a sweet book. 

But, it's also kind of a downer book. The main character is likable and endearing, but she's also insecure, afraid, and kind of sad. This cast a bit of a shadow on my reading experience and leaves me with a vague feeling off glumness. So, I liked the book and I'm glad I read it, but I don't love the feeling it's left me with.

 

Poison in the Colony by Elisa Carbone 

 

I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. I almost decided to give it away unread, but finally figured I'd give it a shot since I can't find an e-book version. I ended up liking it so much I decided to keep my hardcover copy and added the companion book to my TBR. 

I was expecting a preachy book for kids that would be surface level and not terribly historical. Instead, I got a book with nuance and realistic history and a set of characters I enjoyed reading about. It even made me curious enough to do some light Internet research after I finished, which I always consider a good sign.

Chapters are very short so it was easy to zip through. The plot also moved at a brisk pace, even jumping ahead in time, but in a way that never felt gripping and fast but also kept things from dragging needlessly. There were scenes that stood out and felt real and I got a good sense of time and place. I wasn't sure at first about the supernatural element, but I thought it was done well. Even with those elements, this felt much more "straight historical" than "historical fantasy." Recommended.

The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz

 

Oh, I had such high hopes for this book but I did not like it. The writing seemed forced-funny, and I didn't find it funny. The characters felt forced-likable and I did not like them. The approach to storytelling with all of these random people telling bits and pieces of the story felt gimmicky and unnecessary. The plot felt overly long and pointless. The action scenes felt like something from a comic book, complete with forced "Kapow" moments to tell me what I should be feeling but the writing isn't evoking. I'm left feeling mildly irritated, unimpressed, and like I want to say, "I just spent my time for that??" 

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Mini-Review Roundup

 

  Mini-Review Roundup

Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan

Did I like this? Yes and no. 

The yes? I was engaged. I wanted to know what would happen next. I read through it pretty quickly as a result (this was definitely a "just one more chapter" kind of book for me). 

I love stories where you're unraveling past events and this book did a good job with that. The past (1930s) and further past (early 1900s) were well balanced and I didn't have a favorite. They felt different and "of their time." I was satisfied with the Big Reveal (though not astounded) and very happy with the ending. I also liked the time spent in the house and on the property (I love "house" books).

The no? The characters were all just okay. The whole book focuses on post-partum depression and the author did a truly excellent job conveying the impact something like this has on the individual and the family. That is a good thing (so a mark in the "yes"), but it was a hard thing to read about (so a mark in the "no").  All of the goods were solid goods, but none of them really wowed me. I decided not to keep my beautiful hardcover and I imagine in a few years I'll see the book and think, "What was that about again?" and shrug. It's good, I'm glad I read it, but it isn't The One for me.

 

Prisoner of Time by Caroline B. Cooney 

 

This is definitely a book written in the 1990s. Thankfully I went into it with those expectations and so everything was fine. I was even pleasantly surprised. I also haven't read the previous books in the series and that wasn't a problem at all (though I probably got some spoilers for those earlier books, which I don't plan on reading). 

So what do I mean by "written in the 1990s?" It's short. A lot of things get wrapped up very quickly and the characters don't have a ton of depth or backstory. And that's fine. If I know to expect this, I actually am just fine with this easy-breezy approach. I got a quick story with characters that, even though they didn't have a ton of depth and nuance, were easy to understand and feel for. Some I felt annoyance, some hatred, some sympathy, and some liking. But I did feel for them. The male lead was no someone I liked very much, but the female lead was and I liked her character arc and romance.

The shortness of it all also meant that the author didn't so much paint a picture of the time and place but rather info-dumped and factoid-packed to give a sense of the setting. And, again, that works for me. There was a lot in there. This approach meant that while I might not have felt like I was living and breathing in the era, it did make me feel like I came away from the book with a good sense of history. I liked it.

Fanuilh by Daniel Hood

 

I liked it. I didn't love it. I could have almost loved it, but there were a few elements I was looking for that weren't there. Namely, I wanted the relationship between the main character and the dragon to be one of those warm fuzzy bonding friendships and it just never got there. It's not in the dragon's nature. Ok, fine. I accept that, but that would have been the key to making this book a Favorite and not just a solid like. 

Anyway, it is what it is, and what it is is a murder mystery set in a "medieval fantasy village." There's the usual cast of characters, and for the most part I liked them. The main character is likable and tropish (think Geralt in The Witcher but less growly), but I consider that a good thing. The mystery was paced well, and though I never found it gripping, I did find it an enjoyable stroll. I liked it enough that I plan on reading the next book, but I wasn't in love enough that I need to read the next book right now. This ends pretty well as a standalone anyway with a promise of "future adventures" but a completion to this current adventure.

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Mini-Review Roundup

 

 

  Mini-Review Roundup

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I am so blown away by how much I adore this book. I wasn't expecting to love it like this, but this was the kind of book that as soon as I finished reading it I wanted to turn back to the beginning and start reading it all over again. If I hadn't read a single book this year except this one, I would have counted that a win. I don't think I can do this book justice with a full review, so here are some highlights: 

 

The length: Yeah, this worried me and is a big reason why it took me so long to finally pick it up. I didn't need to worry. It's compulsively readable and I flew through it. I wish there were more pages and that it would never end. 

 

The characters: I loved them. I quoted them. I wanted to shake them and hug them and have them in my life. I laughed with them, raged with them, was gripped in terror with them, and cried with them. The character studies alone make this a book worth reading. The movie did an excellent job capturing them, but the book takes them and makes them even more fleshed out, nuanced, and amazing. I can't sing their praises enough.

 

The history: so well told. I was utterly gripped as the yankees were descending upon Atlanta, I felt the elation and glow of the early days of the war and the anger and frustration and despair of picking up the pieces of life after everything has been shattered. The historical value of the book is less in a play-by-play of events (though you do get a good feel for things) and more for capturing the feeling of life during that time and all of the terror, hopes, fears, despair, grit, adaptation, resolve, and soul searching of a time of massive change and disruption. It's a history of people, and regardless of what side of the war resonates with the reader, it's important to remember that there were people on both sides, and this book shines a light on that human element.

 

Catherine of Aragon by Giles Trimlett 

 

Catherine is one of history's characters who has endeared herself to me. I like her. I feel for her. I admire her. Giles Trimlett's linear narrative non-fiction account of Catherine's life is everything I could have hoped for. You know when you find a version that makes you feel like that's it, you're done, you'll never be able to find a version that tops this one? Yeah, that's what Giles Trimlett has done for me with Catherine of Aragon. 

What sets this book apart is how well Trimlett captures the emotion of Catherine's story. Her tenacity and fear during the lean years when Henry VII held her fate in limbo, the elation of her early years of marriage to Henry VIII, her love for her daughter, her fight with her husband over her marriage-- all of these events are told with all of the passion, emotion, and tension found in great fiction stories. That scene when Catherine testifies at the divorce trial, throwing herself at Henry's feet, delivering that astounding speech, and then walking out was an absolutely captivating, mic-drop moment. Yes, Catherine did these things, and yes, even the driest author can't take away the power of that moment, but Giles Trimlett captured every detail and emotion with the skill of a great storyteller. I knew exactly what was going to happen, and still I was enthralled. 

Giles Trimlett has written a book about Catherine's mother Isabella, and I'll read that for sure. I wish he had written more about some of my other favorite historical ladies. I can only imagine how Matilda or Eleanor of Aquitaine, Cleopatra, or Marie Antoinette's stories would unfold in his hands.

Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney

 

Well, it seems a little unfair to review this book after those two Special Shelf Spectaculars, so let's try to give Enter Three Witches a fair shake. 

 

Did I love this book? No. Did I enjoy it a whole lot? Yes. Chapters are moderate size, but there are a ton of little chapter breaks within the chapters and each section shifts focus between different characters. The story spins out at a nice pace and it's easy to follow whether or not you're familiar with Shakespeare's version. There's a sense of doom and dread and while none of the characters were super fleshed out, I ended up invested in each of their stories. There's even a nice sense of time and place.

 

I liked this a lot. It's a creative, engaging take on the tale and I'm glad I read it. I decided to keep my print copy.  

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Mini-Review Roundup

 

  Mini-Review Roundup

Eleanor of Aquitaine by Desmond Seward

I was hesitant about this author because I've heard his Richard III books are very biased (against Richard). But, I've been so tempted to try one of his books because he writes about so many subjects I enjoy reading. So, I picked up his book about Eleanor, and it is biased in the sense that you can definitely tell which people he likes and doesn't like, but thankfully in this case he likes Eleanor. 

Otherwise, this was a pretty straight forward linear account of Eleanor's life. Readable, engaging, and hits on all the high points without being boring for readers who are already familiar with Eleanor's story. Chapters are long enough to have substance but short enough to keep things moving at a pretty good pace and not feel bogged down or like I needed to set aside an hour plus just to read through one chapter. It wasn't a love, but it was enough of a strong like that I'm definitely going to pick up more of his books (just, maybe not his Ricardian books).

 

Love by the Morning Star by Laura L. Sullivan

 

Oopffh, this has been sitting on my shelves since 2015! I'm glad I finally read it, but since I also have an e-book version I didn't love it enough to keep the print version too. 

 

Basically, if you like Eva Ibbotson's The Countess Below Stairs then you'll probably at least enjoy this book as well. Though I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as Ibbotson's take, the gist of the story is pretty much the same: girl escaping WWII ends up as a servant in a British household and falls in love with the lord of the manor. Essentially. There are differences and I won't spoil them here, but if that type of plot is appealing then this might be worth seeking out. 

 

There is a levity that was both amusing and also, somewhat, out of place. It's hard to reconcile "zany hijinks" with "Jews fleeing Nazi Germany," but Sullivan makes it work and I went into it with those expectations (it's kind of her style). Everything falls into place too perfectly, but, again, if you can suspend disbelief and just enjoy this as a fun romp then it makes for a nice way to pass the time.

Faithful by Janet Fox

I spent some time knocking off books that had been on my TBR for near on a decade, and so I feel a sense of satisfaction having read this one just for that fact alone. That said, I did enjoy the book, but not enough to keep my print copy.

 

I loved the premise and even though the main character wasn't particularly likable, she's going through a lot and does change over time so even though she wasn't always the most pleasant person to be around, I felt for her. The premise is right up my ally and the execution was pretty good, too. I felt a pretty decent sense of place, particularly during certain scenes (that hot springs scene, so minor in the story, is seared in my mind now...no pun intended). The mystery about the main character's mother kept my interest and tugged at my heart. 

I would have liked this a whole lot more, but there were three characters that really rubbed me the wrong way. One is a potential love interest who is painted far too black and white. I thought there was a real opportunity with this character to explore things, but the hamfisted characterization made this a missed opportunity. One character was so unlikable as a person, and yet I got the sense I was supposed to give her a pass. I'm sorry, I don't. I don't think the main character was wrong about her and I didn't like the way it felt like I was being lectured by the author to be sympathetic toward this character. 

 

Finally, the love interest was okay, but then he'd start spouting off these anachronistic lectures at the main character whose only real sin was that she held the actual beliefs of her time and place (and was far more open minded than the love interest gave her credit for). Not only is this annoying, but it also made him a pretty awful love interest. Where is the mutual respect in this romance? I was disappointed in the main character for falling for a guy who treated her so poorly.

 

Had these characters been better, I probably would have adored this book. As it was, I can't help but feel like a modern author decided to write about the past, half so she could write about the past, and half so she could insert her modern viewpoints in to lecture the reader and the main character. Sorry, agree with the author or not, I don't like being lectured like this and I don't like my historical fiction infused with modern thoughts and approaches. 

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2020 Challenges Wrap Up

 

5 Challenges...how did I do?

The Re-Read Challenge
Goal: Re-read as many books as I want
Books read: 2
Goal achieved? Yes?

Previously I had been doing a lot of rereading for comfort or to revisit old favorites. This year I had a mission: read the books on my shelves and remove everything I don't want to carry up and down three flights of stairs when I move. That didn't leave much room for rereading. 

But, I also didn't feel the pull of rereading. If I had, I would have read them regardless of my goal to read books I own. I just didn't feel the pull. And, while I want to reread when I feel the urge, I think it's also equally okay not to force a reread I'm just not feeling at the moment.

 

Goodreads Reading Challenge
Goal: 50 books, then adjusted, and adjusted, up to 85
Books read: 85
Goal achieved? Yes!  

I set a modest goal of 50 books so I didn't feel pressured by quantity and because, I love it when my progress bar says "you're x books ahead!" rather than "you're x books behind" or even the mild "You're on track!" This was also an...anomalous year, to say the least, so I didn't want to feel any kind of pressure to read a certain number of books. Instead, I let myself read when I felt like I wanted to read, and not sweat it when I had months where my brain just could not focus on reading.

Historical Fiction Challenge
Goal: 15 books
Books read:  24 (bio-fic/non-fic)
Goal achieved? Yes! 

I love reading about history and I wanted to make sure I put some focus on the genre again since it's so easy for time to slip away when it comes to reading (i.e. "has it really been four years since I last read a book in that series??" Sound familiar? Sorry Patrick O'Brian...).

While I included historical fantasy and historical lite in the list, what I really wanted to make sure I read was biographical historical fiction and non-fiction. Basically, I wanted to learn about history. This year I also read a lot of disease books and I decided to lump them into this category since I like reading the books that focus on disease through a historical lens. I reveled in gory, horrifying plagues of Ebola, tuberculosis, yellow fever, and smallpox.

Over the last few years I've been steadily and unintentionally shifting from fiction to non-fiction, and this year continued that trend. I read 13 biographical non-fiction books (up from last year's 8) plus another 7 historical non-fiction books (disease, fashion, etc.). That's 20 non-fiction books! Incredible for me. My biographical fiction reading was a lot less than usual, clocking in at only 4 (down from the 6 I read last year, which was lower than the previous year). I'd like to read more biographical fiction next year, especially considering I own so many of them. 

I also read a whole slew of historical fiction that wasn't biographical, but was historical. Toward the middle through end of the year I really got into "westward-ho fiction" with several YA/MG books following fictional characters making their way in the rugged American west. I went to California, Montana, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, and all the states in between.

My biographical reading saw a mix of familiar and new faces. Marie Antoinette, Anne Boleyn, and Eleanor of Aquitaine made several appearances, including the long-hyped but ultimate letdown of Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette: The Journey. Less common, but increasingly more common ladies such as Catherine of Aragon, Catherine de Medici, and Matilda also showed up, each with a hit that made for standout reading experiences.

I finally knocked off Trevor Royale's The Wars of the Roses, but much like Antonia Fraser's offering, this one was more of a soulless letdown, though still worth reading. G. J. Meyer's Tudors was another historical overview that had been on my list for a while, but sadly it too could not hold a candle to my previously read Tudor by Leanda de Lisle. Other "just okays" but still glad I read them included the book on Caligula, She Wolves, and The Other Tudor Princess. I wanted to spend more time with the three Edwards this year, and I did through Thomas B. Costain's solidly Good The Three Edwards. Most surprising love? That award goes to the shockingly gripping Empire of the Summer Moon.

While much of 2020 saw a lot of familiar Tudors and Plantagenets, it also introduced me to a number of new-to-me or still very toe-dippy historical figures and events. I spent some time with James I's wife in The Danish Queen (didn't like her much), Minette, Charles II's sister (she's okay), and Consuelo Vanderbilt. The latter was a result of an accidental foray into her autobiography via an Edith Wharton-inspired Victorian/Edwardian binge, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also did a few inadvertent toe-dips into WWII and while I enjoy the era it still hasn't gripped me enough to go into a full dive.

Jean Plaidy and Carolyn Meyer were sadly absent this year, along with a second year of no Sharon Kay Penman, Susan Howatch, or Anne O'Brien. This was a surprisingly American-filled year with the cherry on top the long-feared but best loved Gone with the Wind. On the historical-lite front, I finally, finally read some Kate Morton books and I loved every one of them. All in all, I'm quite happy with how this year's historical reading went.

Keep the Books Off the Shelf Challenge
Goal: Read books I acquired in 2019
Books read: 29 read, 12 either read in previous years, DNF/On Hold or Currently Reading
Goal achieved? Yes! 

The point of this challenge was so that I wouldn't continually add to my backlog of unread books on my shelves. Yes, it's important to read though the books I already own, but I think it's equally important to read the new books I get so they too don't languish unread for years.

This year I decided  to track my books acquired both as a total and broken out between print and e-books. While I want to make sure to stay on top of both, I have a greater sense of urgency to read the print books so I don't end up carrying them around and cluttering up my home with a bunch of print books I don't actually want. So, to that end, of the 142 books I acquired in 2020, only 14 were print books (down from 33 last year, yay!) and 134 are e-books. I've read 29% of these books total, 21% of the print books, and 31% of the e-books. I read much more of the print books I acquired last year (65%!) so my achievements this year aren't quite as spectacular. I'd like to try to read a lot of them in 2021 so they don't sit unread for a long time. Not unreasonable considering there are only 11 of them (and one of those I'm halfway through). Still, all in all not bad. I enjoy this challenge and I'll sign up for it again in 2021.

Read My Own Books Challenge
Goal: Read books I acquired prior to 2018
Books read: 53 read
Goal achieved? Yes!

I set a rough target of reading or DNF-ing 12 books this year. Working out to roughly one book a month, I figured that was doable. Really, what I want to achieve with this challenge are two things: First, I want to determine whether or not I should continue lugging these books around with me. Second, I want to not let books sit unread for years on my shelves. 

Last year I read 27 books, but this year I read a whopping 53! Of the 53 books, 21 of them were e-books (40%, down from 63% last year) and 32 were print books (60%! up from 10 books and 37% last year!). In an effort to be proactive and not let books languish unread for years, 19 of them were books I got in 2019. In an effort to read books that have in fact been languishing for years, 34 have been sitting on my shelves unread for 2 or more years, with most of them acquired between 2012 and 2018 (2-8 years!). I didn't keep track of all of the books I gave away this year, but I went through a major purge and removed over 154 books that I did keep track of, and many more that I haven't (and many of those I didn't track on Goodreads, so they're not included in the numbers below).

I'm still playing around with how I want to track progress on this, and I think now I may try tracking both percentage of books read and number of books removed that year. This way if I either increase the percentage or remove books, either way I'm moving toward my goal. 

26% read of books acquired in 2020 (140) (104 to 100%)
41% read and 0 added of books acquired in 2019 (165), up 8% (97 to 100%)
34% read and 10 removed from 2018 (253), up 5% (167 to 100%)
33% read and 41 removed from 2017 (302), up 9% (202 to 100%)
47% read and 40 removed from 2016 (322), up 8% (171 to 100%)
39% read and 12 removed from 2015 (96), up 18% (58 to 100%)
49% read and 5 removed from 2014 (74), up 7% (38 to 100%)
54% read and 5 removed from 2013 (50), down 2% (23 to 100%)
67% read and 9 removed from 2012 (60), up 20% (20 to 100%)
89% read and 17 removed from 2010-2011 (129), up 11% (14 to 100%)
83% read and 1 removed from 2008-2009 (35), up 2% (6 to 100%)
87% read and 2 added from 2003-2007 (103), down 2% (13 to 100%)
100% read and 0 removed from 2002 and earlier (75), 0%

This year I also decided to break this up into print and e-books.

Print:

21% read of books acquired in 2020 (14) (11 to 100%)
67% read and 0 added from 2019 (30), up 0% (10 to 100%)
43% read and 0 added from 2018 (28), up 0% (16 to 100%)
44% read and 0 added from 2017 (45), down 0% (25 to 100%)
49% read and 0 removed from 2016 (49), up 0% (25 to 100%)
38% read and 0 removed from 2015 (39), up 0% (24 to 100%)
42% read and 0 removed from 2014 (69), up 0% (40 to 100%)
61% read and 0 added from 2013 (41), up 0% (16 to 100%)
66% read and 0 added from 2012 (44), up 0% (11 to 100%)
80% read and 0 removed from 2010-2011 (111), up 0% (22 to 100%)
91% read and 0 removed from 2008-2009 (33), up 0% (3 to 100%)
87% read and 0 added from 2003-2007 (97), down 0% (13 to 100%)
100% read and 0 removed from 2002 and earlier (65), 0%

E-Books:

27% read of books acquired in 2020 (132), up 0% (96 to 100%)
38% read and 0 added from 2019 (150), up 0% (93 to 100%)
33% read and 0 added from 2018 (239), up 0% (160 to 100%)
34% read and 0 added from 2017 (288), up 0% (190 to 100%)
48% read and 0 removed from 2016 (307), up 0% (160 to 100%)
19% read and 0 removed from 2015 (81), up 0% (66 to 100%)
52% read and 0 removed from 2014 (52), up 0% (25 to 100%)
77% read and 0 added from 2013 (39), up 0% (9 to 100%)
76% read and 0 added from 2012 (45), up 0% (11 to 100%)
93% read and 0 removed from 2010-2011 (108), up 0% (8 to 100%)
95% read and 0 removed from 2008-2009 (21), up 0% (1 to 100%)
93% read and 0 added from 2003-2007 (76), down 0% (5 to 100%)
100% read and 0 removed from 2002 and earlier (44), 0%

I realized last year that I need to track this differently because I have a lot of e-books that I don't feel the need to get rid of, but I also don't think the odds are high that I'll ever read them. These are throwing off my percentages, since the goal of tracking this is to not leave books I really do want to read unread. You know, the ones that when you see them on the shelf they're giving you the stink eye. THOSE are the books I want to track. Not so much the "digital library" of books I have but don't care if I read or not. So I also excluded all of the e-books I technically own but know I'm not going to read (why bother deleting them?). They are included in the totals above though (I'll remove them for next year).

I still have a lot of books I haven't read, but I think this is going to be a marathon not a sprint. I'll be signing up for this challenge in 2021 and I hope to continue making a dent.

Reflection

Most of my challenges didn't have a hard number goal, which I like. It allows me to provide focus to my reading without strictly holding myself to an actual number.

I continue to want to read historical fiction and non-fiction, and I love how this challenge helps focus my reading on that. I also like being able to see which eras and people I focus on or haven't focused on in a while. This is helping me expand the depth and breadth of my knowledge.  

In 2017 I really started to shift my reading to a more relaxed, read-what-I-want approach, and I've continued that approach in 2018 and 2019 and 2020 to the point where I don't think I'm trying anymore and it's my new way of being. I like that. It's funny how book blogging became an obligation and completely changed my approach to reading. I feel like I've found my way back home to reading as a hobby...and I've learned a lot through that journey about how I want to (and don't want to) approach hobbies.

I really wanted to focus this year on reading the books I own, and I definitely accomplished that. I also changed up the way I count the books I own and track my progress in terms of reading what I own. It's a work in progress, but I think I'm honing in on how I want to track this.

I also purged a ton of books I've been carrying around unread for so long by recognizing that a large part of me didn't actually want to read those books, which is why they were unread for so long. Shedding feelings of obligation, guilt, and "but what if it's The One" (when I know it won't be...and if it is, then I can always re-buy it in the future) was liberating and I feel much better for it. This combined with the books I read that I already owned means I focused a lot this year on going through owned pre-2020 books and that is really what I wanted to achieve this year. Mission accomplished. I have several empty shelves now, and I feel much better for that.

The last few years I've noticed that I can look back over my reading and infer how I was doing emotionally during that time. This year I was able to keep track of this with all of the craziness of the year and this helped me feel more grounded and like I was in fact doing okay. Using my reading as a "symptom" gauge is actually pretty handy and I'll continue to do this. It's also almost like a scrapbook of my life: I can see things like "oh this is when I was moving" or "oh, this is when I was camping" and so on, so it's pretty neat in that way, too.

Other notable things about 2020:

• Continued my love and exploration of Edith Wharton's books
• Read and fell in love with Gone with the Wind
  
• Finally read some Kate Morton
• Read a lot of books that were sitting unread for a long time
• Really read a lot of historical books, especially, and surprisingly, with American settings
• Delved a lot into those "lady diary" books, which are enjoyable brain candy
  

Next up

I'm going to sign up for all of the same challenges again. Here are some hopes and goals:

The Re-Read Challenge: I'd like to really go with the flow with this one. If I re-read, then great. If I have another year like this where it doesn't really call to me, then that's fine too.

Goodreads Reading Challenge: I'm going to set the challenge at 50 for the first part of the year and then adjust. This is the best way to ensure I get that nice "You're X books ahead!" encouragement that works so well for me. Ultimately, I'd say I'd like to shoot for 72 books, which works out to an average of 6 books per month and seems to fit the rhythm of my life, but I think next year is going to have an unpredictable rhythm. I'm not going to set any goals of any particular authors read. I'm going to keep next year pretty free flowing. 

Historical Fiction Challenge: I want to read more historical bio fiction than I did this year. I enjoy them and I still have a lot of them that I own but haven't read yet (both print and e-book). I also picked up a bunch of historical fiction e-books, and so it would be nice to read through some of those. And, I picked up a few more print books (mostly non-fiction) and I'd like to make an effort to read them. I love that I'm reading more non-fiction, and I want to continue that. That's it. No other goals.

Keep the Books Off the Shelf Challenge: No real goals for this one. Just try to read the books I get, especially the print books.

Read My Own Books Challenge: I'd like to continue focusing on this a lot next year. I made a big dent this year and I'd like to keep it up next year. I didn't end up moving this year, but I may very well move next year and if not then then probably the year after that. So, I need to lighten my load and make sure that what I move is actually worth the effort. This matters to me, and so I want to do it.

General Reading Goals: Read what I want. Enjoy the time I spend with the books I'm reading. Read authors, books, and series I know make me happy.

General Blogging/Reviewing Goals: See if this new way of "reviewing" works for me. This November marks 10 years of blogging. Wow.




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2021 Re-Read Challenge

 

Challenge Basics: 

Name: The Re-Read Challenge
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Eligible Books: Books you've already read.

Why I'm Interested:  

Whether it's re-reading for comfort or to revisit old favorites, I want to make sure I enthusiastically dive into re-reading whenever I feel the urge. I didn't feel the urge much last year, but in case I do this year I want a place to list 'em out and feel okay.


Some books I'm considering:

My Special Shelf favorites, of course. Also, books I liked enough or am curious enough to re-listen to on audio.

Books Completed:

7. Twilight by Meg Cabot

6. Haunted by Meg Cabot

5. Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot

4. Reunion by Meg Cabot

3. Ninth Key by Meg Cabot

2. Shadowland by Meg Cabot

1. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

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2021 Historical Reading Challenge

 

  /15 books
Challenge Basics:  

Name: 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Hosts: The Intrepid Reader
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Eligible Books: YA and adult historical fiction books. I'm including non-fiction.
Levels: I am going to try for 15 books

Why I'm Interested:  

Historical Bio and Historical Non-Fiction: These are the weightier, meatier books that I want to make top priority. They go into detail about actual people and events and I'll learn the most from them. I've thrown in the non-fiction books onto this shelf, too. I've been toe-dipping into non-fiction, and I'd like to continue that toe-dip. I added a category last year for Historical Non-Fiction Other because I read a few books that were historical non-fic, but they weren't exactly a biography. I mostly just separated that out because it made sense in my head for what I'm looking to track, even though it doesn't make much sense as an actual category.

Historical Fantasy: These vary as far as actual historical learning goes. Some have a ton of historical detail, but most just use a historical setting. Some of my favorite books come from this shelf and I don't want to neglect them just because they're not heavy historical fiction.

Historical Lite: These are a lot like the books on my Historical Fantasy shelf, just without the fantasy elements. Usually they're mysteries or romances set with a historical backdrop of varying degrees of detail. They're often easy breezy, fun books and I want to make sure I read them as well.

Books Completed:

Historical Non-Fiction Bio:

9. The Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy

8. Coco Chanel by Susan Goldman Rubin

7. The White Ship by Charles Spencer

6. Margaret of Anjou by Jacob Abbott

5. Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott

4. Mistress of Hardwick by Alison Plowden
3. Tudor Women by Alison Plowden
2. Magna Carta by Dan Jones
1. Anne of Cleves by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Historical Non-Fiction, Other: 

 

5.

4. Pandora's Lab by Paul Offit
3. Fire Island by Jack Whitehouse
2. The Blizzard of '88
1. Asleep by Molly Caldwell Crosby

Historical Bio (fiction):

5. Where the Broken Heart Still Beats by Carolyn Meyer

4. The Beaufort Bride by Judith Arnopp
3. The Social Graces by Renee Rosen
2. By Royal Decree by Kate Emerson
1. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Historical Lite:

6. The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

5. A Trail of Broken Dreams

4. Footsteps in the Snow by Carol Matas
3. Codename Celene by Jim Eldridge
2. The Great Plague by Pamela Oldfield
1. All the Stars in the Sky by Megan McDonals

DNF:

9. England in the Age of Chivalry and Awful Diseases by Ed West

8. The Cholera Years by Charles Rosenberg

7. After Elizabeth by Leanda de Lisle

6. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

5. Rabid by Bill Wasik

4. The Lavender Garden by lucinda Riley

3. The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies

2. Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell

1. A Rose for Virtue by Norah Lofts

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2021 Keep the Books Off the Shelf Challenge

Challenge Basics: 

Name: Keep the Books Off the Shelf Challenge
Hosts: Me!
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Goal: 15 books
Eligible Books: Books you acquire in 2021

Why I'm Interested:  

I'm not sure if anyone is actually hosting a challenge like this, but it's a challenge I'm giving myself, again. Last year I read a ton off books I acquired in 2020, and rather than feel bad about neglecting my previously owned books, instead I felt like I was accomplishing something with every new book I acquired and read. And I was!

Every year I participate in the Read My Own Books Challenge where I try to read as many books I own as possible. Downside? Those challenges don't count books you acquire during the challenge year, and I think they should! Sure, I know the goal is to read all those books that have been languishing year after year, but what about preventative measures? I think those should be rewarded, too!

(I feel like a health insurance plan)

So, enter my challenge. I'm going to try to make a dent in the books I get in 2021 and therefore whittle down my mountain of books remaining unread on my shelves in 2022.

Some books I'm considering: 

As many books from my Own 2021 shelf as possible. At the end of the year I'll compare how many books I acquired to how many books I've read from that list to see how well I've done. I'd like to shoot for reading/DNF-ing at least 15 books.

Books Completed:

 

17. Coco Chanel by Susan Goldman Rubin

16. The White Ship by Charles Spencer

15. The Rescuers by Margery Sharp

14. Don't Look Behind You by Peter Allison

13. Evil Thing by Serena Valentino

12. Whatever You Do, Don't Run by Peter Allison

11. Spindrift by Phyllis A. Whitney

10. Margaret of Anjou by Jacob Abbott

9. Mistress of Hardwick by Alison Plowden

8. Pandora's Lab by Paul Offit

7. Outer Banks Tales to Remember by Charles Harry Whedbee

6. Tudor Women by Alison Plowden

5. The Beaufort Bride by Judith Arnopp

4. The Social Graces by Renee Rosen

3. The Varleigh Medallion by Sylvia Thorpe

2. Fire Island by Jack Whitehouse

1. The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

Books DNF'ed: 

8. England in the Age of Chivalry and Awful Diseases by Ed West

7. How to Walk a Puma by Peter Allison

6. Panic in Level 4 by Richard Preston

5. The Cholera Years by Charles Rosenberg

4. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

3. The Girl who Married a Lion by Alexander McCall Smith

2. After Elizabeth by Leanda de Lisle

1. Shadows on the Nile by Kate Furnivall

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2021 Read My Own Books Challenge

 

/12 books

How do you make a progress bar? 

Challenge Basics: 
Name: Read My Own Damn Books Challenge
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Eligible Books: Books you own prior to 2020.
Levels: I'm going to try to read and/or DNF and get rid of 12 books I own.

Why I'm Interested:  

Odds are looking fairly high that I will have another move in store for 2021, and I'm feeling old and achy and like schlepping "just okay" heavy boxes of books up and down three flights of stairs is not something I want to do anymore. So, I don't want to keep a bunch of unread print books on my shelves anymore. It's time to cull the herd.

And as for e-books? Well, I had so many books on my TBR that I didn't read when I was loving those genres and now I'm just not as interested in them anymore. So, I'd like to try to read as many of the books that have been languishing on my list that I'm still interested in reading so I don't miss the boat on them too.

Some books I'm considering: 

Anything on my Own-Unread shelf that I acquired prior to 2021.

At the start of 2021, here's where I stand as far as what books I own and what percentage of them I've read:
 

 

Books Completed:

31. Where the Broken Heart Still Beats by Carolyn Meyer (2020)

30. The Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy (2020)

29. Horus and the Curse of Everlasting Regret by Hannah Voskuil (2018)

28. The Touchstone by Edith Wharton (2020)

27. The Odd Sisters by Serena Valentino (2019)

26. Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino (2017)

25. The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (2017)

24. Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories (2017)

23. The Beast Within by Serena Valentino (2018)

22. Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott (2016)

21. The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas (2018)

20. The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James (2017)

19. An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James (2017)

18. A Trail of Broken Dreams by Barbara Haworth-Attard (2020)

17. Ghost on Black Mountain (2017)

16. Footsteps in the Snow by Carol Matas (2020)

15. The Blizzard of '88 by Mary Cable (2020)

14. Magna Carta by Dan Jones (2015)

13. Codename Celine by Jim Eldridge (2020)

12. In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan (2016)

11. Madame de Treymes by Edith Wharton (2020)

10. Miss Cayley's Adventures by Grant Allen (2019)

9. A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr (2020)

8. The Night of the Solstice by L.J. Smith (2016)

7. The Great Plague by Pamela Oldfield (2020)

6. Asleep by Molly Caldwell Crosby (2020)

5. Anne of Cleves by Sarah-Beth Watkins (2020)

4. By Royal Decree by Kate Emerson (2014)
3. All the Stars in the Sky by Megan McDonald (2020)
2. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (2020)
1. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (2018)


Books DNF'ed:

8. A Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (2020)

7. Rabid by Bill Wasik (2020)

6. The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley (2013)

5. The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies (2017)

4. The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine (2018)
3. Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase (2017)
2. Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell (2015)
1. A Rose for Virtue by Norah Lofts (2014)

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Mini-Review Roundup

Mini-Review Roundup

The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming by J. Anderson Coats

I read and loved The Wicked and the Just, and so I was expecting something similar here. I both did and didn't get it, but I'm very happy overall. In TW&TJ, things were brutal. I appreciated that level of in-your-face brutality that drove home the situation and made it feel palpable. This book is much more middle grade and so it wasn't nearly as brutal.

Instead, what this evoked was Little House on the Prairie, and I mean that in a good way. It had adventure and the excitement of traveling into the untamed unknown. It had the warmth of family, friendship, dreams, and belonging. It had the hardscrabble disappointments and learning how to live in a new environment. It had scenery and a sense of place. It had so many things I love and I'm so glad I read it.

 

The Three Edwards by Thomas B. Costain

I loved the first book in this series, put down the second one (I'll finish it, it's just... Henry III is annoying) and so I thought I'd jump ahead to this book and learn more about one of my favorite kings (Edward I), one of my least favorite kings but exciting time periods (Edward II), and a king I know little about (Edward III). I got about as much as I was expecting: A fun and engaging narrative from an author I like a whole lot.

The Edward I part was fun, but left me wanting as it focused far more on William Wallace and the Scottish squabbles and not nearly as much as I wanted on Edward the man and his family. That's to be expected, but ever since reading (and absolutely loving) Cashelmara I've been pining for another book that focuses on the people.

The Edward II part was also to be expected. Solid. The Edward III part was interesting and gave me a lot more insight into The Black Prince, who has always been this figure of legend and not much substance to me. Joan the Fair Maid of Kent, John of Gaunt, and Alice Perrers all made appearances, naturally, and they all took on a little more shading and depth than my cursory knowledge up to this point. It also, of course, gave more insight into Edward III himself, though he still feels more shadowy. I almost feel like I know the other players more. Perhaps I'll try to find a historical fiction book that puts some personality into his character.

The Provincial Lady in America by E. M. Delafield

I still wasn't sure if I was going to continue with this series right away, but it tugged at my mind and I decided to continue on with the third book. It was...mostly as good as the first two. This one felt a little disjointed. The first part of the book was the same pattern as the first two books and I enjoyed it. Then she finally went to America and I lost steam. The new group of characters didn't grab me the way the old bunch did and I couldn't help but feel like her whirling adventure around the US was a distraction from what I really wanted to read, which was her life with her family, friends, and foes in England. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't nearly as into it as I was previously and it was easy to put the series down after this book. I still want to read the final book, but I don't feel the need to do so any time soon.

The Lady of the Lakes by Josi S. Kilpack
 

I absolutely adore Kilpack's book A Heart Revealed. I keep reading her other books in the Proper Romance series hoping to hit gold again, but every other book I've read has been just okay. This one included. I did not really like the main character and the story with his love interests was predictable and tortured in the execution. I mean, it wasn't bad and I think if a reader clicks with Walter then they'll enjoy it more than I did. It wasn't badly written, but I really disliked Walter and Mina and their parts were so long and so predictable. I did like Charlotte, but even her charm couldn't balance out the Walter and Mina parts enough to save this one for me. I own a print copy of this book, but I'll be passing it on.  

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Mini-Review Roundup

Mini-Review Roundup

How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh

I liked these books. They're short reads and each chapter is about a page or two long. So, they're super easy to read. I read them in the background, so to speak, where I might pick it up, read a chapter or two, and put it down again for a few days. I return to it when I want a moment of peace, rest, or to re-find my composure. For that, they're nice. Not every chapter is profound and sometimes they don't really stick, but often enough they do and they give me something to ponder or something that causes me to stop and pause or shift my mindset.

 

She Wolves: The Notorious Queens of Medieval England by Elizabeth Norton

Elizabeth Norton has long been on my TBR bu this is the first book of hers I've read. It won't be my last, but...I'm not rushing out to read more of her books either. The pros? When she got into the groove, her writing was easy and enjoyable to read. I got into it. I liked reading about the queens I knew just as much as reading about the queens I didn't know, which tells me that her narrative style was accessible and provided enough information that I was entertained even if I was already familiar and enough information that I could follow along even if I'd never read about the queen before. That's all good and why I would read another one of her books.

Now, the downsides? First minor quibble: typos. A few times Henry VI was used when it should have been Henry V, or vice versa or similar. Not a big deal if you know the history, but super confusing if you don't.

More importantly, there was too much repetition and telling and not enough showing. The "thesis" of this book is essentially that history blames strong women and unfairly judges them for actions that are justifiable and wouldn't have been considered wrong if a man had done them. Okay. A little annoying, but fine. I could have gotten on board with this had the author focused on giving examples of what the women did and let me come to my own conclusions that they were 1) badass, 2) justified, and 3) wrongly maligned (which I would have determined on my own had she made a strong case in the examples for 1 and 2).

Instead, the author glossed over the examples so I could only sort of come to these conclusions on my own and she used more page time just repeating the tired thesis. The chapters fell into a similar pattern of: State thesis, give brief overview of queen's life that somewhat demonstrates her strength and how her actions were justified, and then repeat thesis...a few more times. Had these repetitive "telling" parts been removed, it would have been a solid, if not amazing, book.

The Provincial Lady Goes Further by E. M. Delafield

I wasn't sure if I was going to continue with this series right away, but it tugged at my mind and I decided to pick up the second book. It was just as good as the first. Same quirky style, same funny and relatable situations, and the characters continued to grow on me. Not much else to say except if you liked the first book, then definitely pick up the second. 

Please Don't Eat the Daisies by Jean Kerr
 

I stumbled on this through Goodreads while looking up Shirley Jackson's Life Among the Savages (below). It was reviewed well and only 142 pages so I figured, why not? And started reading it right then and there. It was...okay. It was worth reading to the end, I guess, since it was so short. There were some funny parts. I didn't really like the narrator though, and the whole thing had a mean edge to it that I think was supposed to be funny but didn't appeal to me. The humor sometimes hit the mark exactly, but more often than not I felt like I was supposed to find it funnier and wittier than I actually did. 

Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson

While quite a departure from the Shirley Jackson I'm familiar with, I may even like this side of her writing more. At least, it hit the spot. This is another one of those "humor through commenting on mundane life" types of books, but unlike Please Don't Eat the Daisies, this one felt nice and relatable. I didn't feel like the author was sneering at me, rather, I felt like we could sit across a worn kitchen table together sipping sub-par coffee and splitting a chocolate bar. It was a quick read and ended nicely, so while I don't need to read the sequel right away, I'd like to pick it up soon.

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June's Reads Reviewed- Part 1

June's Reads Mini-Review Roundup

The Danish Queen by Lynda M. Andrews

This was a quick read about a time and people I don't know much about, and so for those reasons I enjoyed this book a lot. I'm sure much was skipped over, but that's okay. I got the highlights, and I got them in a way that I could follow along with events without feeling lost while also forming attachments with the characters.

Well, maybe "feelings" is more accurate than attachments. I learned that I don't like Anne of Holstein very much. She came across as stubborn and silly, and while I sympathized with her plight regarding her children, I don't love the way she went about handling that situation. I  also don't love all the ways she undermined and went against her husband and the story didn't give me any justification to make me get on board with Anne (nor did a few hours of internet research after finishing the book). I did discover a newfound respect for James I that I hadn't appreciated before. In my reading prior to this book, James I has always been a name waiting in the wings, a peripheral shadow to Elizabeth I's story. In this book, he came alive and his struggles in Scotland and then in England made me feel for him.

While I wasn't blown away, I enjoyed this book enough to want to check out more of Lynda M. Andrews' books. Another bonus? While she wrote James's dialogue phonetically and usually I hate that, the author actually pulled it off pretty well.

 

Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield

I've been enjoying the diary-style book lately because they tend to be quick, easy reads that make me nod along in kindred spiritedness. So, I looked for more of this type and came across the Provincial Lady series. It did not disappoint. Super short chapters and a relatively low overall page count made reading a breeze. The Provincial Lady is always somewhat stressed, which makes this not quite the relaxing escape Elizabeth von Armin's diary books provide, but the very mundane nature of her escapades and annoyances makes for a charming read. I definitely don't blissfully wish I was her and I'm not noting down Words of Wisdom, but the Provincial Lady seems like just the kind of lady I'd enjoy getting a coffee with and kvetching about mutual acquaintances and irksome social gatherings.

Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts

Let's get the not-so-good out of the way first: the author gives Anne a likely 6th finger. I know, it's not a big deal, but for some reason this always annoys me. Okay, moving on. Everything else was wonderful. I'm not bothered by the author's references to a "whiff" of the witchy and supernatural surrounding Anne and Elizabeth Woodville. Okay, so maybe this isn't exactly serious, but I find it a fun twist to indulge in mentally (like "believing" in ghosts for the sake of enjoying a good ghost story...while not actually believing in ghosts).

The Wars of the Roses by Trevor Royle
 

I've owned this book for about five years, so I'm glad I finally read it. It starts all the way back with Richard II, which was on one hand nice because I'm less familiar with Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V, but on the other hand less nice because when I read Wars of the Roses books it's because I want the drama and flair of Margaret of Anjou, Margaret Beaufort, Edward IV, Richard III, Elizabeth Woodville, Warwick the Kingmaker, and the treacherous Duke of Clarence. So, I "slogged" through about 250 pages of history I wasn't particularly interested in reading about.

On the bright side, it wasn't actually a slog. I enjoyed the way Trevor Royle covered the Richard II - Henry V years and I found myself caught up in the narrative. The writing was easy to read, though on the drier side of things. Not because the content was boring or went on tangents, but mostly because it lacked heart. It was easy to pick up and read a chapter, and then just as easy to put the book down for a few days.

Disappointingly, when I finally did get to Henry VI, the whole pageant of characters fell flat. This was one of those history books with a male-focus, which is fine except I felt robbed of getting to read about Margaret of Anjou, Margaret Beaufort, and Elizabeth Woodville. They're such dynamic characters in history and here they were covered, but largely skimmed over and with no sense of drama, passion, or excitement. While more time was spent on the men, even they suffered from this soulless approach.

Perhaps that's a better, more serious approach to history? I don't know, but I do know that I'm the type of reader who likes my history in technicolor. So, overall, okay and a good overview of the time that goes into enough depth that this isn't a skim, but it lacks heart.

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May's Reads Reviewed

May's Reads Mini-Review Roundup

The Forgotten Room by White, Willims, and Willig

I had such high hopes for this book, but ultimately it was just okay. Probably forgettable. Nothing was wrong, but it failed to grab me and make me invested. I didn't feel strongly in any way when reading this. It was just...pleasant. Nice enough to keep reading. Easy enough to put down.

The characters were all okay. The "mystery" wasn't much of a mystery but the story was nice enough to follow along with. The thwarted and achieved romances were all mildly emotive, but more like in a shrugging kind of way-- sure, that thwarted romance was sad *shrug* sure, that achieved romance was nice *shrug*.

The three different authors writing three different time periods about three different but mildly related character sets was done seamlessly, so that's good. It's a good vacation book when you don't want to get so invested that you don't pay attention to your vacation setting, but not so bad that you wish you had brought an alternative with you. Just...nice. Overall though, after reading Kate Morton and loving Karen White's Tradd Street books, I was hoping for more.

Since I own a pretty paperback copy, I now have the dilemma of "do I keep it?" If I didn't already own it, I would feel no need to buy a copy. Since I already do own it, I'm torn between "sure, keep it, it's pretty and was good enough" and "I'm never going to reread this and do I really want to use shelf space and moving boxes for it?" But...I already have it....ugh.

 

Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

I have a hit-and-miss history with Julie Berry. I loved The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place but I was pretty meh on The Amaranth Enchantment. This book falls more on the meh side of things.

The thing is, Julie Berry has this tongue in cheek style that can often veer into zany and weird. That worked for Prickwillow because the whole book felt like satire of a genre. Amaranth and Secondhand Charm don't have that satirical edge--they're straight MG/YA fantasy, and so the zany just comes across eye-rollingly weird.

The characters are also pretty thin and hard to feel much about, which again works for satire, but not so much here. Finally, it felt like the audience age was off. In some cases this felt MG or on the younger side of YA (think the sweetness of a Jessica Day George book) and in other places it felt like it had an edge or darkness that made it seem older. This clashed and made for an unsettled feeling. The charms also felt like they were thrown in and not very well fleshed out, which, yes, that's another thing I didn't like about Amaranth-- it felt like too many things were thrown into the mix but it was jumbled and unfinished (but that worked in Prickwillow).  Another meh.

Peace of Mind by Thich Nhat Hanh

I've been making my way slowly though this author's books and I think this may be my favorite so far. The others are more short paragraphs or a page that focuses on an idea and gives you something to think about. I love them. This one is similar, but different. The book takes you on a sequential journey and helps you build a pathway toward a calmer and more present state of being. The author's voice came through a little more in this way, like you're having a conversation over time rather than getting different pieces of advice. Both are good approaches and I like both types of his books, but this one seems like it had a stronger impact. The sequential, building approach pulled my focus back more effectively and this book felt like a refuge and a motivator. I think I'll reread it.

Fast and Loose by Edith Wharton

I'm still making my way through Edith Wharton's novellas and it's such a pleasure. They're so easy to read, but I find they stay with me long after they're over and call to me (I foresee rereads in my future). She's so good at creating vivid characters and intriguing, thought-provoking situations. In some ways I almost prefer her novellas because they let her shine a spotlight on these things and let the reader sit with them for just enough time to really focus on them, but not find them tiresome (which is a fine line, because her characters can be easily intriguing but just as easily tiresome).

Fast and Loose had shades of Francis Hodgson Burnett's The Making of a Marchioness in that it felt like a cross between the manners and romantic entanglements of Jane Austen and the Gothic drama of Emily Bronte, but shorter and more lighthearted and fun like Burnett's. But, it's also Wharton, so there's still some heft underneath the fluff and you can easily spend a lazy afternoon musing over the different angles of the situation and what you might do if you were to find yourself in such an entanglement.

Whispers in the Sand by Barbara Erskine

This is the review I wish my past-self had read, as it would have saved me a whole lot of time and irritation:

Skip it. Trust me. I know the storyline is right up your alley: Egypt, dual era, mystery, yes, yes, I know. I know Egypt especially is calling to you and you want to spend some time with the romance and adventure of Victorian Egypt. I also know you think you're prepared for the hefty page count because you read The Ghost Tree last year and while you didn't love it, ultimately you thought it was a pleasant enough read and you loved the super short chapters. I know the first chapter seems like it's well-written. I know.

But you won't get any of that here. The chapters are long and the writing takes a serious dive after that reader-bait opening.

What you will get are awful characters. Every character is a trope pulled from the 1990s, including the painful love triangle where the main character is never quite sure which potential love interest is the misunderstood good guy and which is a villain (and both do awful things). The main character is at turns weak, bitchy, flighty, irrational, naive, and straight up stupid. The historical sections were better, and while those characters were easier to like, they were also insipid.

At nearly 500 pages with these characters, it's a wonder I didn't quit. But, I didn't like the characters much in The Ghost Tree so I thought I'd keep going...until I started to realize that this book is one big rinse-and-repeat, and by that point I was so far in that I wanted to just see it through to the end hoping that would at least make it all worthwhile. The historical story does advance, albeit in a slow and not particularly interesting way, but the modern portions are just the same contrived situation done over and over again without any plot advancement.

But the final "toss the book across the room" moment came at the end when the conclusion of the historical portion petered out to a disappointing end and the modern day portion stopped right in the middle of a scene. Now, granted, the scene probably would have been the same old shtick, but ending it this way made me feel like I was stuck in some Sisyphean hell doomed to repeatedly follow these loathsome characters through this contrived and, really, boring situation. Save yourself. Read something else.

Dark Eminence: Catherine De Medici and Her Children by Marguerite Vance

In closing out a rather hit-and-miss month, I'm relieved to say that this was a solid hit. Many people will disagree. This is the most fictiony non-fiction book I've ever read. Talk about author bias! And the writing shifts from non-fiction to straight up fiction storytelling (and romantic, blousy writing at that) from paragraph to paragraph. But I loved it.

Catherine is portrayed as her infamous bad self with all the dirt presented as fact, but it's done in such a way that I couldn't help but like and admire her anyway. Kind of like Megan Follows' interpretation in the equally ridiculous but fun TV show Reign. Really, pretty much everyone gets this treatment (Francis, Mary, Elizabeth, etc.). (Actually, for fans of Reign looking to learn a little more about the characters, this would be a fantastic book to start with).

I think the best way to approach this book is to imagine you're watching a gossipy docu-drama with colorful reenactments and salacious commentary from legit historians who aren't above a sleepover party approach to learning about history. It's non-fiction...but it ain't gospel, and it comes with a bucket of buttery popcorn and tooth-curling cotton candy. I wish I could get my hands on more of her books.

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