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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April's Reads Reviewed

April's Reads Mini-Review Roundup

Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim

This book is perfect. I love Elizabeth. She'd prefer to spend her days in her garden, alone, and I can definitely relate to that. This book is written in diary format with Elizabeth recounting the mundane daily activities of her life as a wealthy Englishwoman in Germany during the latter part of the 1800s. It's subtle, but my god this book is funny.

Much is left unsaid but the reader can still pick up on it, like Elizabeth's loving marriage (with her husband with gentle ribbing and good-natured fun referred to as The Man of Wrath) and her doting relationship with her charming children. Elizabeth is perfectly imperfect. I loved Arnim's The Enchanted April for the tranquil escapism and lovely characters, and all of that is here again but with a main character who is even more of a kindred spirit and definitely more humor.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

While I liked The House at Riverton a whole lot, The Secret Keeper is even better. It's another doorstop with fairly large chapters, but I flew through it despite all that. The mystery kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it figured out, some new bit of information changed things up again.

The historical part had me enthralled. It had a great sense of time and place. I loved two of the characters, but one of them I tried to like but couldn't fight off the creeping dread that I really didn't like them. That wasn't a bad thing at all though. Ah, and the romance was lovely. The modern story follows Laurel-- a hardened 66 year old cigarette smoking woman who, while not as developed, was still likable and I was caught up in her sleuthing. She wasn't the typical young lead with a romance, and while I love that trope, it was nice to have a different kind of character to follow.

Morton did a particularly fantastic job of keeping up the tension and mystery between the modern parts and the historical parts. It's hard to describe, but the way she scattered the clues kept me constantly on my toes and voraciously collecting the pieces from the past and present to try to weave together the mystery of the past. It was gripping, and the ending was worthy of the journey. 

The World According to Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers

This is another book that I read over time. Each chapter is about 1-3 pages and focuses on a story, life lesson, or thought from Fred Rogers. I felt like I was sitting on the set of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and chatting with Fred. He felt like a mentor. I learned so much about him, his show, and child psychology, which was unexpected but wonderful. Every time I'd open the book I'd get this sense of calm and love. The book has the subtitle of "Important Things to Remember" and that's very apt. I think I'll open it again from time to time and reread passages. They are important things to remind oneself of again.

The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim

This is the second book in the "Elizabeth" series, and everything I said about the first book is true for this second book. I think you could probably read this book without having read the first one, but why would you want to miss out?

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

I can't decide if I like this one more or The Secret Keeper. It's a tough call. For about the first quarter of the book I thought that this was good, but I was impatient because I felt like I had it all figured out already and that I was going to spent the next several hundred pages waiting for the main character to get there too. While I was right in guessing that aspect of the mystery, thankfully the main character figured it out about a quarter of the way through as well and then the rest of the book opened up even more mysteries that I happily paced along the main character in unraveling.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find there are short stories/fairy tales interspersed throughout. I think there are about five of them and each one is a fantastic story in its own right. All of the characters were fun to follow and I appreciated the romances a lot. There were a lot of bittersweet and sad events that tugged at my heart. The parts with Nell and young Cassandra reminded me of my own grandparents who have recently passed, and so that was personally bittersweet as well. The final, final discovery was a little disappointing, but all in all it was very well worth the read.

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March's Reads Reviewed

March's Reads Mini-Review Roundup

Echo the Copycat by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Calliope the Muse by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

These books are consistently good. I don't have much more to say about them than what I've already said. They're short enough to fit in quickly, but long enough to have substance. There's always a sweet element of humor and the characters are just straight up nice. These are feel-good books and I'm glad the new stories are still being published.




The House at Riverton by Kat Morton

First, let me get this out of my system: FINALLY!!! Ahem, okay, so I've had Kate Morton's books on my shelves for, oh, over eight years and I've never read them. Why you might ask, when these books seem so right up my alley? Well, because they're long and I had this impression in my head that they would fall into that "rewarding in the end but a slog to get through" category. Where I got that idea I don't know, but firmly set in my mind it was and so I longingly and shamefully looked at their beautiful spines for years.

Until January 2019, when I picked up The House at Riverton and got about 50 pages in before putting it down again. It seemed nice enough, but it just hadn't grabbed me. I vowed to pick it up again...someday.

That someday came just over a full year later when in March 2020 after tentatively toe-dipping back into reading I somehow decided NOW was the time. And it was.

This may be a hefty book (almost 500 pages) and the chapters aren't super short, but I sped through it. I didn't really like any of the characters and the plot wasn't what I'd call fast, but this is the kind of book that has a deceptive slow burn where it feels like not a whole lot is happening but I feel utterly gripped anyway. Then in the final quarter all of the threads started coming together, building and building toward the absolutely face-smacking conclusion. And then that final piece of the puzzle...ah, what a punch in the gut. It's weird to say that a gut-punch is a good thing, but in this book it made me do the mental equivalent of sitting down suddenly in shock with my jaw dropped to the floor. I loved it!

How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh

I started reading this book years ago, picking away at it a little at a time. It's a short book with tiny chapters-- each only about a minute or so to read. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of love and mindfulness and I read it slowly because I wanted to let each lesson sink in. Not every chapter was profound or mattered to me right now, but every few chapters were. Those were the chapters that made me pause, think, and sometimes change my approach. I love the simple, approachable way this book is written.

Sanctuary by Edith Wharton

My dabbling in Edith Wharton's short novels/novellas continued and for the next foray I chose Sanctuary. This one felt a lot shorter than Bunner Sisters with the characters reading more like sketches. The first half of the story follows Kate, a young woman soon to be married to a man who has recently come into a fortune. Shortly before their wedding, Kate discovers something about her husband that irrevocably changes their relationship. The situation unravels with Wharton presenting a thought-provoking moral dilemma that left me mulling over the possibilities and wondering "What would I do?" Had the story ended here, it would have been an interesting short story.

But, of course, it didn't end there. The choice Kate ultimately made (which I thought was absurd) guaranteed that Wharton had to write the second party of the story. This is that part that left me lukewarm. The bones of the story are good. The writing and characterization is strong in the way I've come to expect from Wharton. The dilemma mirroring the dilemma in the first half was interesting and kept up a "What will he do?" tension, thickened by what the reader, but not the character, knows happened in part I. A dozen conversations could be sparked by this story and I would happily chat for hours over the different angles of the story (nature versus nurture, morality, so on). While I appreciated the short length, it might have been nice to have the second part fleshed out a little more, and maybe even told from Dick's point of view.

And yet...I couldn't shake an icky feeling throughout the whole second half. Kate's relationship with her son felt...wrong. I can't say more without spoiling things, but it's this relationship that leaves me slightly unsettled with the story, even though I loved everything else.

Okay, almost everything else. Kate is so righteously annoying. But, I don't read Edith Wharton books for her lovable characters.

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The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray

Cover Reveal & Author Interview

ABOUT THE BOOK

An epic saga from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy in three of humanity's darkest hours.

Most castles are protected by powerful men. This one by women...

A founding mother...

1774. Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband's political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must choose to renounce the complicated man she loves, or risk her life for a legacy that will inspire generations to come.

A daring visionary...

1914. Glittering New York socialite Beatrice Astor Chanler is a force of nature, daunted by nothing--not her humble beginnings, her crumbling marriage, or the outbreak of war. But after witnessing the devastation in France and delivering war-relief over dangerous seas, Beatrice takes on the challenge of a lifetime: convincing America to fight for what's right.

A reluctant resistor...

1940. French school-teacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone has an orphan's self-reliance and wants nothing to do with war. But as the realities of Nazi occupation transform her life in the isolated castle where she came of age, she makes a discovery that calls into question who she is, and more importantly, who she is willing to become.

Intricately woven and beautifully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we find from standing together in honor of those who came before us.

Pre-order: https://bit.ly/3iLkURa
Add to your Goodreads shelf: https://bit.ly/320tkya
Sign up for Stephanie’s newsletter: https://www.stephaniedray.com/fun/newsletter/

 
Q&A WITH STEPHANIE DRAY

 

What made you fall in love with Adrienne Lafayette and why do you think readers will fall for her as you did?

Thanks to a popular musical, the Marquis de Lafayette is known to a new generation as "America's Favorite Fighting Frenchman"--and there's good reason for that. He's easily the most lovable of our Founding Fathers, and his wife, whom he called his dear heart, is just as lovable if not more so. Adrienne was our French Founding Mother, so right up my alley as a heroine, but at first I worried she was too sweet, devoted, and forgiving. In short, too gentle for a novel. Little did I realize that more than any other historical heroine I've ever written, Adrienne fought and sacrificed for her principles, courageously threw herself into danger, confronted tyrants, and endured trials that would have broken lesser mortals. She truly humbles me, and when I talk about the Lafayette legacy, I think of it as every bit as much hers as it is his.

How long did it take you to write this book? Did the story evolve as you researched, or did you always know you wanted to take on the lives of these particular women?

I was always interested in Lafayette--an interest that grew as Laura Kamoie and I co-authored America's First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton. I think I had the germ of the idea for a Lafayette novel at least seven years ago, but I had other projects in the way. And I was always in search of an angle that would be fresh and unique. That came to me when I discovered that Lafayette's castle in Auvergne, which had been purchased and renovated by Americans, served to shelter Jewish children from the Nazis. Knowing how deeply the Lafayettes both felt about religious freedom, I knew this would have pleased them, and it touched me. I was then determined to know which Americans had purchased the chateau, and when I found out, yet another glorious chapter in the Lafayette legacy was born. That's when the story took shape for me about one special place on this earth where, generation after generation, faith has been kept with principles of liberty and humanity. I find that very inspirational, now more than ever.

The book is centered around Lafayette’s castle, the Château de Chavaniac, and the pivotal role it played during three of history’s darkest hours—the French Revolution and both World Wars. If you could have dinner with any three people (dead or alive) at Chavaniac, who would you choose and why?

Believe it or not, this is actually a difficult choice because so many incredible men and women passed through those doors. I'd have to start with the Lafayettes--though I hope they would not serve me pigeons, which were a favorite at their wedding banquet. To join us for dinner, I'd choose the colorful stage-star of the Belle Epoque, Beatrice Chanler, because she was a force of nature without whom Chavaniac might not still be standing. Actress, artist, philanthropist, decorated war-relief worker and so-called Queen of the Social Register, she was as mysterious as she was wonderful, and even after all the startling discoveries I made researching her larger-than-life existence, I have a million questions about the early life she tried so hard to hide. I can't wait for readers to meet her!

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February's Reads Reviewed

February's Reads Mini-Review Roundup

The Time-Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile by Bianca Turetsky

For purely aesthetic reasons, these books are a joy to read. Illustrations are peppered throughout, the pages are thick, and there are additional flourishes for the chapter headings and page decorations. I usually prefer e-books, but when I read this series, I make sure to read the print versions. I also love that the chapters are super short. I fly through these books.

But, what about the actual story? Well, it's okay. The main character is nice enough and even though she exudes a miasma of blah with a tinge of dreary, I do actually like her. I love all of the historical settings of these books, and the Cleopatra book had the unexpected but wonderful pit stop to the film setting of Elizabeth Taylor's movie Cleopatra, which was like a mini-bonus destination. All good things.

Also good, is that the books are sprinkled with good historical tidbits, including fashion bits from the times, which is what I really love. I do feel like you can actual learn from these books. But....they're also much less meaty than I would have liked. The Titanic book spent more time really digging into the history and spending time there, but the Marie Antoinette book was more like an overnight visit instead of a week-long vacation, and the Cleopatra book was more like a day trip. I wanted more.

The series kind of petered out, which is a shame because I love the concept, love the presentation, loved the zany old-lady sidekicks, and loved the unexpected heft of the first book. I really wish the author had put in the depth of the first book into the next two and I wish she had continued on writing the series. Had she done that, this would have been one of my favorite auto-buy series, but instead it just kind of trickled away into nothing. Very sad.

Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton

I've been on a real Edith Wharton kick lately and she's rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are beautifully but accessibly written, describe an era I love (turn of the 20th century), feature memorable characters that are likable despite their flaw, and stories that pull me in and stay vividly in my mind long after they're over.

But, ah, they are often gut-punchy and sad and The Bunner Sisters is no exception. This is not a happy book. Things just go from bad to worse and at the end when you think the final nail has been hammered into the coffin and you're done and lying on the ground beaten and you've cried mercy and you've been left alone to catalogue your cuts and bruises...Edith turns around and gives you one final kick in the stomach for good measure.

I know that doesn't sound appealing at all, and I am not the kind of reader that likes depressing books. I'm actually the kind of reader that runs screaming from depressing books. But there's something about Edith Wharton that just makes me like her books in spite of this.

It does also help that The Bunner Sisters is a quick read. It's one of Wharton's over 100 pages but under 200 pages books (though in some printings they're under 100 pages), and I'm really enjoying working my way through them (she has a lot). I'm not sure if you'd call them novellas or novels and I think depending on the definition you use and who you talk to they're both. I think of a novella as around 60-80 or so pages, but Wikipedia has a bunch of examples of novellas that I'd personally consider short novels so what do I know? Whatever you classify it, Edith Wharton is really good at writing evocative, immersive stories in a short amount of pages.

Thoughts...

I was sick for a lot of February and stressing a lot watching the spread of the virus and wondering what was going to happen. This, unsurprisingly, took a toll on my reading and I only managed to get through two books in February. But, the books I did read were both enjoyable in their own way, and both check "goal" boxes as being series/authors that I enjoy, a book I own, historical fiction, and a "classic" author.

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