These Is My Words by Nancy E Turner

Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 1999 by ReganBooks,  384 pp.
Source: Library
Reason:  Book club
Review:  3/5 stars

Brief Summary:  Journal entries of Sarah Agnes Prine, a pioneer woman living the Arizona Territory from 1881-1901.

My Thoughts:  I had heard so many people just rave about this book so I was expecting to love it.  Unfortunately, I didn't love it.  It may have been that I read it at the wrong time.  I wasn't in the right state of mind for this particular novel.  I felt that Sarah and her Captain were just too perfect.  Lots of bad things happen to them and they sometimes get mad at each other but they always react perfectly.  Sarah, especially, seems to always do everything right.  I like a good, strong heroine but she was just too much so for me.  I think I read it at a time when I wasn't feeling particularly good about myself or my marriage (as that happens from time to time) and they just annoyed me.  Their relationship wasn't real to me--as real as a fictional relationship can be, I suppose.

Anyway, I know this is a much beloved book so I hope my bad attitude isn't offensive to anyone.  The book was interesting and I wasn't about to put it down.  I must say that I almost put it down at the very beginning because the grammar and spelling were terrible as this is supposed to be the journal of a young woman without much education.  Fortunately, she quickly learns and the "mistakes" are much fewer in number.

Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to most adults but there are a couple of parts that are a bit disturbing.  I have heard of some very selective readers being offended by these parts but most women I know who have read this book really liked it, despite these parts.  Many young adults may also enjoy this book.

See left side-bar for explanation

Ratings: 3.3.2  The 3's are because of the occurrences of rape and attempted rape.  There is some minor profanity as well.


Thanks for reading!

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Genre: Historical Fiction
Published:  1996, Ballantine Books
Source: Personal library
Review:  4/5 stars


Brief Summary:  The legend of a woman named Joan who, disguised as a man, allegedly became Pope in the ninth century is brought to life in this novel by Donna Cross.  As a very intelligent young woman she decides to dress as a boy in order to pursue her dream of learning and education that was completely denied to women during that time.  Her superior intellect, drive, and compassion give her many opportunities and eventually lead her to the highest spiritual position on earth.


My Thoughts:  This really is a fascinating book.  I don't know for sure what to think about the truth of whether this woman existed but it is definitely a good story.  I really enjoyed learning more about this time period.  The utter brutality and injustice toward women that was described made me so mad, the corruption and politics discussed were very interesting, and the love story is heartfelt.


We read this for book club and everyone enjoyed it.  It was fun to debate about whether or not she did exist and I think we agreed that where there's this much smoke there is probably fire. If you've read the book and the pages by the author at the back talking about her research you would have seen the picture of the chair.  For most of us that was the most convincing piece of evidence that something happened to make them use that chair and declare the nominee a man.  It was also quite funny. :)


Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to most people I know.  On the back of my copy there was a review that said, "Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama–love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets. Cross has written an engaging book."–Los Angeles Times Book Review.  That made me a little nervous about reading it but the sexual content ended up being fairly mild.  The violence was actually more offensive to me than the sexual content (but that's just my opinion).  


Ratings: 2.4.2  Includes sexual relations between an unmarried couple but is not explicit.  Violence includes child abuse, war type violence, sexual assault, and violent punishments.  Profanity was fairly minimal.


Thanks for reading!

Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer

Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: Originally 1955, this edition--July 2011
Source: Sourcebooks (publisher review request)
Review: 3.5/5 stars


Brief Summary: Lady Serena is reunited with her former suitor, whom she jilted several years ago, when her father names him, the Marquis of Rotherham, her guardian in his will. Both Serena and the Marquis are hot-tempered and obstinate so quarrels ensue. In true Georgette Heyer fashion, witty-dialogue abounds. The romantic plot thickens as Serena becomes reacquainted with the man she had once loved when she was much younger, who had been sent packing by her father because he was not a good match for her.
My Thoughts:  Georgette Heyer does not disappoint.  Even though Bath Tangle wasn't quite as charming as some of her other books, it still hits the spot when you're looking for that Regency Romance fix.  The plot is pretty predictable but it doesn't really matter.  Even though we know the destination, the journey is always fun.  The hero and heroine are unfortunately not often together in this book but when they are in the same room, the sparks fly with heated arguments and sparring of words that Heyer is famous for.
Recommendations: To all Austen and Regency fans.
Ratings: 1.1.2  Pretty clean read with a smattering of mild profanity.


Thanks for reading!

Mr. Darcy's Secret by Jane Odiwe

Genre: Regency romance, Jane Austen sequel

Published: Feb. 1, 2011, 368 pp.

Source: Advanced Review Copy from Sourcebooks

Review: 3.5/5 stars

I've been impressed by the two books by Jane Odiwe that I've now read. She has a nice style that's Austenesque and I really appreciate that she conveys the love and passion between her characters without going behind closed bedroom doors. There's often too much sex in Austen sequels that I don't like.

That being said, the stories haven't been quite as compelling as I would like. Though I have enjoyed her books, Mr. Darcy's Secret and Willoughby's Return, I can't say that I've been blown away by them. They are fun, light reads though and are nice when you have a hankerin' for some Austen men. :) It seems like I have heard that Lydia Bennet's Story, also by Odiwe, is particularly good. I fear that I'm a little burnt out on this genre right now so I will try reading that one some time in the future.

In case you want to know a little about what happens in this book here's a short teaser:

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth arrive at Pemberley newly married and ready to begin their new life together. Elizabeth meets the Derbyshire high society and deals with their gossip and expectations. Mr. Darcy deals with the challenge of Georgianna's entering society and finding proper suitors. They both must learn what it means to be married and to trust one another.

Rating: 2.1.1 Pretty clean. Sexual content is only implied.

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

Genre: Historical fiction
Published: 2007, 320 pgs.
Source: Personal library
Book club selection

Review: 4/5 stars

Ellis is a small fictional town in Colorado that has some big changes coming to it as Sandra Dallas begins her novel Tallgrass. It's 1942 and after the devastation at Pearl Harbor the United States government is rounding up all Japanese Americans living on the west coast and relocating them to internment camps situated more inland. It's a dark time in American history and we see the darkness in some of the characters of this novel as well as the goodness and enlightenment of others. The story is told in the voice of 13-year-old Rennie and she describes how she is affected by the Tallgrass internment camp that is built near her family's farm on the outskirts of Ellis.

We read this book for book club last month and everyone really liked it. The characters are wonderful; you feel like you know them and one book club member said that she missed them when the book was over. That is high praise indeed.

If you're looking for a book to learn more about conditions in the internment camps then this isn't the book you'd want. The camp is definitely a major part of the story but it's more about how it affects the people on the outside rather than the inside.

Rating: 2.2.2 Tallgrass includes some mature themes but I didn't find anything offensive. There is some violence and a little barnyard language (if I remember right). Sex is an issue but is not described.

The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

Genre: Romance, historical fiction
Published: Originally 1928, re-edition Feb. 1, 2010, 325 pgs.
Source: Review copy from the publisher, Sourcebooks


Review: 4/5 stars

The Masqueraders is full of love and adventure. It has a slightly different setting than the other Heyer novels I've read as this one is set around 1750, just after the failed Jacobite rebellion. Brother and sister Robin and Prudence Tremaine were part of the rebellion just as they have been part of many schemes and adventures during their lives wandering all over Europe following their father. Now they are returning to London incognito, Robin playing the part of a lady and Prudence as her gentleman brother, while they wait for their father to come for them. High adventure ensues including mistaken identity, sword-fighting, duels, falling in love, highway robbery and more.

This is a fun book with interesting characters and lots of adventure. I knew very early on who would fall in love with whom but it was a fun ride getting to that conclusion. Georgette Heyer has yet to disappoint.

Rating: 1.2.1 Includes some violence but not graphic.

Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Genre: Historical fiction, romance

Published: 1 December 2009, 496 pgs.

ARC

Review: 3.5/5

Simonsen's Searching for Pemberley is not your typical Austen sequel. Set in England after World War II, Maggie is an American working in London when a sight-seeing trip to Derbyshire leads to a friendship with a couple who believe that Jane Austen based her novel, Pride and Prejudice, on real people. The story is multi-generational, includes a few different love stories, including Maggie's, and is a history lesson on both World Wars. I've read a few reviews that have called it a "leisurely" read and I think that is a perfect word for it. The story behind the people who were allegedly the inspiration for the Darcys, Bingley, and Bennets is slowly laid out as the main story about Maggie and the couple, named Jack and Beth Crowell, and their family, unfolds.

I quite enjoyed this book. I have to admit that it was pretty slow going at first and it was probably about page 100 before I started to really like it. Sometimes there seemed to be too many characters to keep track of and I'd come across someone's name and think, who is that? I enjoyed the journal entries written by Elizabeth Garrison and the letters written by William Lacey who were supposedly the real Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. However, that part of novel was not extensive and the story mainly dealt with Maggie, her love interests and the Crowells. I thought their story was interesting and I really liked the information about the wars and conditions in England during and after the war. I learned quite a bit from that and I appreciated the obvious research that Simonsen had put into writing the book.

Overall this was a pretty good story with interesting characters. I didn't really like the direction it went with the morality/religion/pre-marital sex issues that were brought up so I wouldn't recommend this book for teenagers. It definitely has adult themes.

Rating: 3.1.3 This book contains many sexual situations but not explicit and graphic. Also contains plenty of barnyard language (I didn't think it was excessive, though).

The Tudor Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Category: Historical Fiction
Published: Originally 1971, Re-published 1 Oct. 2009, 336 pages

Review: 4/5

The Tudor Rose had a bit of a slow start for me. I don't know if that was the books fault or my own because I just wasn't in the mood for it. In the end, however, I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel about Elizabeth of York. I visited London when I was a senior in high school and I vaguely remember the tour guide in the Tower of London pointing out a room where two young princes had been imprisoned to allow someone else to take the throne. That story is in this book. It also gives a lot of history that leads up to the other two Margaret Campbell Barnes books that I've read, Brief Gaudy Hour and My Lady of Cleves. This is fascinating history. I wonder how accurate it all is but it sure lends credence to the adage, "Truth is stranger than fiction." I don't think the story and writing always flows really well and at times I got confused about people and places but I still really enjoyed this book in the end. All of Margaret Campbell Barnes' books have been that way for me--a little hard to get into but in the end, worth the read.

Rating: 2.2.1 Contains some talk about sex in general and has a little bit of the violence associated with battles and war.

The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Category: Historical Fiction

Published: Orginally 1971, republished Oct. 1, 2009, 336 pgs.

I haven't quite finished this book yet but since I received it is an ARC and it has recently been released, I wanted to tell you about it. The Tudor Rose is about Elizabeth of York, the daughter of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville. As I have read these books by Margaret Campbell Barnes I have been amazed at the immorality, greed, conniving, and deceipt that went on in the English monarchy back then. It helps me appreciate again the amazing democracy we live in today.

This book has been really interesting so far and I definitely want to finish it. I wouldn't say that it is compelling because I have had a hard time getting through it but it is a great way to get a history lesson. I'll let you know my final thoughts about it when I've finished.

Brief Gaudy Hour by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Rating: 2.2.2

Category: Romance, historical fiction

Published: 1949, 378 pages

Review:

I received Brief Gaudy Hour as a review book from Sourcebooks a while ago and it took me a long time to read it. If it hadn't been a review book I may have abandoned it. I'm not sure exactly why I couldn't get into it at first. It's written well, and although I don't know a lot about the Tudor time period, I understand that Margaret Campbell Barnes was a meticulous researcher, so I could be pretty certain of the validity of this account of Anne Boleyn. I think my problem with the book initially was that I didn't really care for Anne Boleyn and I certainly didn't like Henry Tudor (King Henry VIII). Anne Boleyn was too ambitious and conniving and I didn't like her for much of the book. King Henry was a completely immoral, arrogant jerk in my opinion and it was okay for him to be that way because he was King. That drove me crazy. You are probably wondering, why 4 stars? Well, since it was a review book and I had to finish it, I did, and in the end I liked it a lot. I came to appreciate Anne Boleyn in the end and was moved to tears by her horrible fate. Even though I knew how the story would end, it was still quite suspenseful in parts. I would recommend this book if the Tudor time period interests you or if you want to learn more about it. I haven't read any of Phillippa Gregory's novels but if you have read those and like them I would say that you should definitely read Brief Gaudy Hour .