Rebecca Hill
If you love Tudor history, than this book is for you!
Alison Plowden delves into the life of the ill-fated Jane Grey and her family. The not so subtle manipulation of a young woman who had no say in her future, and the tragic events which led to her her death are recounted here in detail.
From the beginning of her life, to her death and beyond, Plowden goes into the family history and the events which surrounded the short reign of the young woman, who had events turned out differently might have left a more favorable impression on history. Instead she has been condemned for taking a crown that was not hers, although the decision was not hers to make. The manipulation of a child king and the protector of the nation who saw more power for himself all lead to one thing - death.
A MUST READ!
Scrub is at his grandmothers house for the summer, but he also has to keep a secret... Grandma runs a vacation home for Aliens. While he attempts to help his grandmother and keep her business secret, he also begins to make friends with Amy. It is harder than he thought trying to keep his secret, and he almost ruins it, but he does his best.
His attempt to keep Grandma's secret about ruins everything, including his friendship with Amy.
Cute little story, and a quick read. My boys enjoyed it
Tom Sherbourne is newly arrived to the Janus Rock area, where he will be in charge of the lighthouse. But life has a lot more in store for him than he thought. As he works through his first year, he meets Isabel, who has determined that she is going to marry him. After their marriage and their first couple of years on the Island, Isabel is unable to carry a baby to term. When a boat washes up on their beach with a dead man and a baby, Isabel latches on, and refuses to let Tom report the incident. Against his better judgement, he allows her to keep the little girl, and buries the evidence. As they move through the years of raising Lucy, Tom continues to be haunted by the events and refuses to give up on his resolve to make things right. When they visit the mainland to have their child christened and meet her grandparents, they learn the truth about their daughter, and Tom is haunted even more.
As the events unfold and the years continue, Hannah continues to hold out hope that her daughter is alive somewhere, and the shocking truth sets everyone to talking. Tom is arrested and held, and Isabel refuses to talk to the police. Lucy demands to be taken back to her parents, and Hannah feels her grief opening anew...
This book was an amazing read! I simply could NOT put this book down. I recommend it highly
A very comprehensive view of Edward III....
For a man that started off his life amid political scandal from his father, which continued up into his teens, one would predict that Edward III would not have had such a brilliant reign, but he proved everyone wrong. Edward III took his own fate into his hands, and ousted Roger Mortimer from power, yet managed to protect his mother. Over his long reign, he managed to put England on the map in international power and bring about more of a revolution that anyone could have imagined. Within the military and political triumphs, he managed to make an entire national love him, and at the end revile him. His relationship with Alice Perrers is still one for speculation, and the amount of influence she had over the king was seen as criminal. For one who wanted to remove the stain of his fathers reign, at the end, he fell into the same hole.
I loved reading this book and the amount of information that Ian Mortimer is able to bring to the table and logically lay out, is astounding. I learned so much from this book, and can't wait to find more information!
What a book! This book is destined to take you on a crazy ride!
Rose is convinced her sister is shape-shifting, a mare, as her Oma calls it. As she explains what a mare is and what they are capable of, she becomes more and more convinced that her sister Sylvie is a mare. As the story unfolds, it follows Rose's daughter Amy and her friends, Piper and Margot as they try and uncover the mystery of Sylvie's disappearance, and the strange happenings on the grounds of the motel. Piper and Margot are called back into the story line after several years have passed and Amy is accused of murdering her entire family, save one, her daughter, who managed to escape through a window in her room. But the mystery is still there, and the 29th room is still quite undisovered. Does it exist or is it a myth? The mystery only deepens and there seems to be one person who can answer the questions, but she seems very reluctant to talk to anyone.
This story makes you pay attention as it flips between the past and the present. What a story you are in store for! This book will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire way through!
In America, we are completely dependent upon electronics. They run our cars, our phones, our houses, and more. But what if something came along and destroyed all that!? What if our enemies send an EMP our way? We would be completely lost!
One Second After deals with the after affects of an EMP and its devastation upon a small town in North Carolina. Black Mountain is cut off completely after the EMP is detonated, and what results are medieval methods to keep the town running. As the food runs out, and people are starting to come toward their town in hopes of making it, the town is forced to undergo martial law, and to establish strict rules just to keep themselves from being completely wiped off the face of the planet. “Outsiders” are not allowed within the confines of the town, and the townspeople are completely united in their struggle to just stay alive.
John Matherson is a retired colonel from the United States Army living with his family in the mountains. After the initial shut down of communication, he knows what they are facing, and what could possibly happen. As the leaders of the town pull together to ensure survival for as many as they can, they are forced to face hard truths, and have to face some things that are rather uncomfortable for many to think about.
I loved this book! I was completely drawn in and it was hard to put down. That being said, it was not an easy read! I found myself crying over parts, frustrated over others, and downright scared to think that this could really happen here. The fact that not many would be able to defend themselves, or be able to survive off the land is something that hits to close to home. When the book described the children and their declining state, that hit even harder. The large amounts of death and the large numbers of those who dropped simply because of inadequate medical care and food was hard to stomach. We have become to entirely reliant on the “easy” that we have let so many of the facts of life that would keep us alive. How many of us can do something without having to google our way through the process? How many of us would be able to survive without running water or food from the grocery store?
I honestly think this is a book that everyone should read, and start thinking about what they would do in the event that something does happen? How many would survive longer than a week!?
Seriously, a classic that never gets old! Dracula is one of my top favorite books of all times, so reading it again was a treat!
Jonathan Harker sets off on a voyage, to deal with a client, and a long-distance transaction - but things are weird when he arrives. People look at him when he says where he is going, and many warn him off. Paying them no mind, he forges ahead, and soon, things start unfolding in England - where there is not much that he can do about it.
This gothic horror is the stone setting book of its day. This masterpiece cannot be outdone.
While the illustrations were a nice touch throughout this book, the introduction put me off a bit (seriously, we are all tired of hearing about politics, we just want good books to read). Ignore the introduction, and enjoy this classic as it was meant to be.
Thank you to Restless Books, Ingram Publishers, and Edelweiss for an advanced copy of this classic. This new version is coming 3 October 2023.
When you read the title, you think, “awesome, a book about a medieval woman! Maybe I can learn something new!” Instead, there is hardly anything known about Nest, what her life was like and what she herself was like. Instead, we see her from the lives of the men around her, which, while they are interesting, is not why I picked the book. I chose the book because of two reasons. 1) It is set in Wales, and they have such obscure history and fascinating history as well. 2) Royalty in Wales is not widely written about. But this dealt more with English history than Welsh history.
She was not a seductress, she was a woman who made the best of her situation. She was not a political force in and of herself. She had no power. She had nothing. Nest was completely dependent upon the men around her, and at their mercy. While she was a person, a living part of history, she is unknown. There was not as much
Sadly, there could be one book about almost all medieval women, and it would not take up more than 350 pages. We know basically nothing about most of the women, although there are obscure references throughout the annals of history, it is not what we are actually looking for.
I was disappointed with this book, but under the circumstances, I think it was as good as it could be.
Elizabeth of York is one of the shadow queens of the medieval world. We know more about her mother than we do about this queen. While Elizabeth Woodville was a power in her own right, Elizabeth of York was better known as the wife of Henry VII, the mother of Henry VIII, and the sister of the missing Princes in the Tower. As we move through her life from birth to death, we see a life overshadowed by grief, murder and mystery. Samantha Wilcoxson has written this novel, with the intent of fleshing out the queen that everyone loves, but so little is known.
Elizabeth of York is a enigma in and of herself. She was one of the more patient queens that England had, and one who bore with grace the social ineptness of her mother-in-law, who at every turn slighted her. She bore her husband several children, all the while managing to hold her head high, despite the political turmoil and constant upheaval within her walls. While she was at first slighted for marriage, through Lady Stanley's insistence, and the crown withheld from her until she bore her first child, she remembered the grace and mannerisms of which she was raised. She bore with unrelenting patience the grasping and suspicion that was radiating through the palace walls, while her husband tried to cement his hold on England. When she died after childbirth, England wept. They wept for the daughter of their beloved King Edward, and they wept for the queen who while she had no real power of her own, managed to spread cheer and goodwill wherever she went.
As I was reading through this book, I was struck by several thoughts. The first of which was, how in the world could this woman bear to be shoved aside so rudely, and how in the world did she bear the constant heartache that was handed to her?
I was drawn into the book, and found it almost impossible to put down. You know you have a great read when the author of the book can create so many conflicting emotions within you. I went from happy, to sad, to anger, back to happy and then back through the round of emotions all over again. I found the way her husband treated her to be less than what she deserved most of the time, and wished that he had banished his mother long before he married Elizabeth. I feel that had she been given a true chance of being queen, she would have made one of the most extraordinary queens England would have ever had. She had such a wonderful loving heart and wanted the best for anyone, servant or highborn alike.
While I was reading about the disappearances of princes from the tower and Elizabeth's determination to discover what had happened to them, I was struck by the fact that she had waited so long for answers, so long to allow time to pass before looking for them, as if almost to allow for those who were waiting for her to make a wrong move to ease on their suspicion of her. Her mother could never quit her scheming, even it was to be detrimental for her daughters. Talk about a dysfunctional family! But with the mysteries and deaths surrounding them, it was no wonder they were so determined to have answers at any cost! I wanted Henry to push his mother to the side and make her leave, but she was a powerhouse of her own, and determined to hold one of the highest places at court. How much different life would have been for everyone if Richard III had actually executed her for the treason she had been convicted of! Elizabeth could have shined as the queen she was meant to be.
This was a great read, and one that I would recommend out to anyone!! Now to buy an actual copy so that I can get it signed by the author!
Being a wizard can be difficult, but add detective on top of it, you have a recipe for disaster and hilarity! Follow Harry Dresden on his journey to find the mysterious Victor Sells, try and keep a police LT happy with his consulting and not get torn apart by demons.
I loved this read! I had so much fun reading through this book again, and getting reacquainted with all the characters!! I cannot wait to reread the other books in the series now!
Recommend this book for adults only, as there are some rather risky scenes for younger readers.
What a great read! Any fan of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this book! Holmes and his wife are travelling, and on the ship they run across a motley crew of characaters. From a spy, to a blackmailer, to a child who loves to misplace his items. A mystery starts to build that will take the intellect of Holmes and Mary Russell together to solve it.
I could not put this read down! I loved every page of the book! I felt as though I had actually travelled through Japan with Sherlock Holmes and his wife. What fun!
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
Chris Kyle,Scott McEwen,+1 more
American Sniper is the story of a man who put his life on the line time and time again for the benefit of his country. He felt it was his duty to America, and it left him at odds with his wife.
As the book progresses, you quickly learn to like Chris Kyle. I never met the man myself, but I am deeply moved by his story, and his patriotism. He felt that country was above family, and that was somethign that was hard for his wife to understand. He put his life on the line time and time again for the betterment of America, and felt that he could and should do more. He states in his book that it is not the ones you save, but the ones you lose that mean the most to you, that stay with you.
He sacrificed so much to do what he felt should be done, and is very black and white when it comes to what he thinks about anything and anyone. He tells you as it is, and he prefers to lay it out in the open, so that there is no misunderstanding.
As the book goes into detail and in each chapter, there is a segment from his wife, and I wish that I had bought a copy of the book without her details in it. By the time I was halfway through the book, I found myself skipping over her segments, until I had finished the other, and then I would go back and read hers. I was aggravated, and felt as though her thoughts and such put military wives in a really bad light. I felt that all she did was complain about her husbands choice of career, being home alone, etc. It is nothing that no other military wife has not been through, but for some reason, her wording and her actions really angered me. I found myself disliking her more and more as the book continued. Maybe it is because I would never give my husband the ultimatum that she did, or maybe because I felt as though she was not really honest with him either. There was no uplifting, side to her stories. I felt myself being drug down by her descriptions, and wish that she had found someone that could have talked to her and let her know that military life is hard, it stinks, but its worth it!
I really loved the majority of the book, minus the section that I highlighted above. I guess as a soldier and military spouse I see it different. The sense of humor that is placed within the book really gives you an idea of the man that was and the enigma that he was.
All in all a good read.. highly recommended, but with the noted that there is violence and language throughout the book! No weak stomached person should open the cover.
Rachel Watson has lost control of her life. She is drinking heavily, has gone through a divorce, and now has lost her job. She has continued to play the part of working to keep her land lady from figuring out what is going on, but she just rides the train to and from the place she used to work. She watches people from the window of the train she is on, and imagines what their lives must have been like. She pretends not to see what her old home looks like now, but she cant let it go.
Then it happens, a quick glimpse of something that she was not supposed to see, then a missing person report. She goes to the police, and from there cannot seem to stop entangling herself into the investigation. She begins looking for ways to stay involved, even contacting the husband of the woman who is missing, pretending to be a friend. But things are not always what they appear to be...
This book was one that I was not sure I was going to like or not. It had a rather slow start, but then it draws you in and you have hard time putting it down. I was trying to find a way to stop reading it, but I ended up finishing it within several hours of reading. There were several twists and turns within the book and one huge crash that I did not see coming.
Ever find yourself wishing for a Happily Ever After? What if, what we thought of fantastic stories are more than that!?
Conner and Alex are off on a fantastic journey, and they are trying to find their way back home. Now if they could only work through the land of stories without being killed or kidnapped.... but that seems to be the least of their worries. With all the twists and turns within the book, you will find this a hard one to put down until you finish the last page!
Some of the writing in the book seems to NOT be for kids, but with a few word changes for the purpose of reading it aloud to my children, it is very much an enjoyable read!
Margaret of Anjou was a headstrong woman - one that was placed with a weak husband. Had Henry V been of stronger stamina, she might never have risen to the level of hate that England placed around her. She tore the country apart with her favorites, and through the conflict that arose, we got the War of the Roses.
Through her life she was determined to make the best of her situation, and through her folly she managed to almost destroy the country. She was ruthless in her ideals and was determined to keep her throne no matter the cost.
Jean Plaidy has done a masterful job of weaving the story together, giving you a sympathetic view into the life of Margaret. She rose from nothing to attain a great height, only to lose it all again.
This view point of the Wars of the Roses is quite different from that than is normally set forth. Told from the viewpoint of the royalist party, it gives the Neville family the smell of traitors and paints them in a more negative light. I absolutely loved reading through this book. It was awesome to be able to try and view the battles from different sides as well as the emotions that must have played forth.
Margaret of Anjou is not a popular queen through most of England, but her husband, Henry, is the King and the people are honor bound to him. There comes a time though when the king suffers from an illness and falls into a sort of slumber, but cannot seem to be aroused for anything. Though this time, his wife gives birth to the only child that they will have, and also is determined to save the country from what she sees as a threat coming from some of the noble families. As Margaret fights to protect her home and her crown, she begins to take more authority on her own, and for a times rules through her husband. Her will is strong and she is determined that it will not be broken. But at what cost will her attempts come to!?
To break the Neville family is more than she bargained for, and Margaret is forced to look outside of England for the army that she will need to force these families back into the places that she feels they should be.
Jess and Leslie are an unlikely pair to become friends, but they do, and around their friendship, they build a magical kingdom. Their kingdom is hidden from everyone, and only open to them. Jess struggles with his family. Leslie's family is running away from the rat-race that they were involved in.
This is a sweet story of friendships and how the most unlikely of people can become friends. This is a cute story that kids of all ages will love! It is sad, but it portrays the true meaning of friendship and love.
Super cute and adorable read!!
Chester and Harold are determined to solve the mystery of the strange howling that is plaguing Chateau Bow-Wow. Left there while their humans are on vacation, Chester is convinced that the howling is that of a werewolf. But there seems to be something bigger at play, and when animals start disappearing, it is only a matter of time! Can they solve the mystery before something else happens or another animal disappears!?
Joanna of Naples had one of the most interesting reigns of the Medieval world, however, most of the world does not remember her for the prosperity and calm that she brought to her realm. She is mainly remembered for the trial that she underwent for the murder of her husband. Although she was cleared of this murder, the stain hung on her character through the centuries. Most people look past what she was able to accomplish for the Kingdom of Naples, and focus on the one issue, but she was much more than that.
Happiness was never meant to be for Joanna. She was raised by her grandparents after the death of her parents. She became the heir of her grandfather, much to consternation of the nobles and the disappointment of the kingdom of Hungary. Throughout her entire reign, and especially after the death of her husband, of Hungarian origin, the threats became more apparent and proved watching.
Joanna was a huge patron of the arts, and she deeply cared for the welfare of the people living within her kingdom. Under her rule, the poorer people were taken care of. Hospitals were built, food was available, and the people were able to regain the prosperity which had been abundant under her grandfathers rule.
This book was a great read and brought to the forefront a lot of the history on Joanna that we do not normally hear. I would recommend this read out.
This books keeps you riveted from the first page to the last. It was so hard to put down and walk away!!
Nell has the bottom of her world knocked out when she discovers that her family isn't really hers. She embarks on a lifelong mission of finding out who she is and where she comes from. All she has for clues is a small suitcase and very vague memories of being on a ship, and someone telling her she had to hide and not move. But of course things do not always turn out as we hope, and so the mystery passes to Nell's granddaughter Cassandra. Cassandra at first is leery of the mystery that has been left to her, and yet, intrigued at the same time. She begins to follow the trail that her grandmother had made, and makes some shocking discoveries of her own. Who was the authoress and how does she figure into the story? Where does the English manor come into play, and what tragedies are waiting behind the brambles in the garden to be discovered?
I really enjoyed this book. I grabbed it for our book club read this month, and was not disappointed with the book at all. Kate Morton has weaved a tale that leaves readers begging for more.
Coming from a historians perspective, this was a very interesting book. Grahame-Smith takes Abraham Lincoln on a very different journey from the one we read about in history books, and puts a different perspective on his life, one that was not of his own making. He twists the fabrics of history to paint a different story and add a element that makes history more interesting to those that do not normally enjoy it.
While I enjoyed parts of the book, there were a few things that I found quite dark, as some of the descriptions were rather vivid, and not something that is easily erased from memory, but Grahame-Smith did his homework well, and was able to correctly weave the parts of Lincolns life that were true in with the fiction that he wove around it.
I would recommend this book to higher ages, as some of those that are younger might have a more difficult time with some of the scenarios painted throughout but an interesting read none the less.
Anne Neville is one of the shadow queens of England. While we have glimpses of her through records, not enough remains to paint a clear picture of her. What we do know is through the lives of her husbands and father. Traitor, Princess, Wife, Widow, Wife, Mother, Queen. Anne Neville packed quite a bit of living into a short lifespan. She was only 28 years old when she died, but she lived more than most people do today in 80 years.
Through the brief glimpses that we are given, Michael Hicks attempts to paint a picture of this lady of the shadows, but I found myself disappointed. He seemed more interested in making a villain of Richard III than trying to glean out more information on Anne Neville, even painting her as complicit in some of what he called “Richard's schemes” but also Anne herself using Richard to gain what she wanted.
I have been wanting to read this book, but I was completely disappointed with the entire read. I felt that to much of the author's personal bias went into writing this book, therefore the waters were muddy even before anyone tries to pick history apart and paint a more thorough picture.
I would not really recommend out this read. While some personal bias is fine, everyone has it, this author goes above and beyond, making the read completely un-enjoyable.
Karana is a young Indian girl stranded alone on her anscestral island. As the years go on and the ship does not come back, she must learn to survive on her own.
Her story is one of survival and courage. She must defend herself against the wild dogs roaming on the island, and somehow keep hope that the ship will return for her. She faces both trials and joys as she searches for food and shelter.
This story was such a sweet read, and one that all kids will enjoy!
