I have read most, if not all, of Philippa Gregory’s historical novels, so I was excited to receive “The Other Queen” as a Christmas gift. “The Other Queen” tells the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, particularly of the time when she was held against her will, under a type of house arrest, in England. Mary’s years with the Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick, are covered.
In some ways, this book was standard Gregory fare: the characters are well-developed and I felt I gleaned some insights into the difficult Elizabethan times in which this book was set. However, at the same time, I felt Gregory took more liberties with her characters than in other books. Queen Mary is seen as loving George Talbot, who is depicted as honorable to the point of being tormented by his sense of honor. His wife, Bess, is ambitious to a flaw. It is hard to imagine these as real-life characters as they seemed rather “created” to me. Additionally, at over 400 pages, this book didn’t move as quickly for me as Gregory’s other books.

Regardless, I did enjoy this book, and felt I learned a bit about Mary, Queen of Scots, a royal with whom I was not very familiar. I would give this book 3 1/2 Stars!

Moon Tiger (still reading it!)
Peony in Love by Lisa See (bookclub pick)
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
False Colours by Georgette Heyer (bookclub pick)

Coming soon — a review of Gregory’s “The Other Queen”

To my delight, I was selected to receive an advanced reader copy of Lisa See’s new novel: Shanghai Girls.  I look forward to reading and reviewing it!

I love Agatha Raisin. I came across this series of light British mysteries one day in the library. They are the perfect read for me for a snowy weekend. Agatha is quite a character – a bit of a cross between Miss Marple and Kinsey Millhone, while still being uniquely herself. I love mysteries – but I don’t like graphic violence. I also am bored by the “perfect” heroine who always seems to be a tough but beautiful cop, who is physically superb and about 32 years old. Agatha is a bit of a grump, middle aged, and at times accused of being “dowdy” (to her horror). She is intelligent, vain, a bit of a man chaser, and a chain smoker. Mysteries and murder seem to find her, and she always gets involved where she shouldn’t. I enjoy her adventures and hope that there are many more to come!
I give this series, which is still in active production, 4 Stars!

Currently, I’m reading:
“Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam” by M.C.Beaton (love this series!)
“Moon Tiger” by Penelope Lively (recommended by a friend)
“The September Society” by Charles Finch (historical mystery)
and “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller (prepping for an audition)

To prepare for an upcoming local audition, I recently read the play version of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Christopher Sergel. Having worked in a school that taught the novel, I feel I am familiar with it and have read it roughly 20 times. I was curious as to how the play would differ from the book, and/or be similar to the movie (1962 version starring Gregory Peck).

The play reads easily and seemed rather short to me (80 pages). The play is actually very similar to the movie in that it captures many of the same scenes and characters, while leaving out similar ones. Once again Scout and Jem are center stage, with Calpurnia their maid, Atticus their lawyer father, Miss Maudie, Miss Stephanie, the Ewells, the Radleys, Tom Robinson, and of course, the Truman Capote character of Dill.
Miss Maudie acts as narrator in the play, as opposed to Scout. The action moves quickly and is staged simply (for instance, the “mad dog” scene occurs with the dog being off in the wings and “seen” only by the actors). The message of the play stays the same, the courthouse scene is pivotal, and Boo Radley once again is the gentle recluse who saves the children.

Beyond the stage, I could imagine this play being used in class with readers for whom the original novel would be too challenging. It would be a great choice for working with adult literacy groups as well.
In my opinion, those truly seeking the essence of the novel should read the novel. And those who seek even more information on the novel’s characters and Harper Lee should read the fine book: “Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee” by Charles Shields.

I give this play 4 Stars — but I would give Miss Lee’s novel, of course, my coveted 5 Stars!!

I really enjoyed Lisa See’s “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, so I took “Dragon Bones” out of the library to read. This is a modern day mystery set in China. “Dragon Bones” is actually the third in a trilogy of books focusing on Lui Hulan, an inspector in China’s Ministry of Public Security, and her American lawyer husband, David Stark. A death at the Three Gorges dam site appears more than an accident, and soon Hulan and David find themselves embroiled in mystery and intrigue involving several people’s greedy quests for power, and the archaeological site which is linked to the dam area. Findings of great magnitude and the essence of Chinese culture and history come into play, while Hulan and David try to unravel the clues before more deaths occur.

This was the first of the Red Princess mysteries by Lisa See that I have read, and it was very readable given the fact that I had not read its predecessors. I found this novel to be a page turner. I was taken in by the mystery, but also by the insights into Chinese culture and modern day happenings. I look forward to reading the other novels in this series, along with some of See’s other historical fiction. I feel she does a wonderful job in creating and developing her characters. However, be warned – she does not shirk from writing detailed (sometimes gory) descriptions of victims!

I give this book 4 Stars!

“Soul Catcher” – a book club selection for me – tells the story of Augustus Cain as he seeks to track down two runaway slaves in accordance with the Fugitive Slave Act just prior to the Civil War. Cain is a man haunted by his past – marked by his determination to not be part of his family’s Southern plantation legacy and bearing the scars from his time spent in the Mexican-American War. He views his “profession” as honorable since he works within the law, though this foray to Boston to find the two runaways is due to his need to expunge a debt.

Cain travels with a motley crew – the vile and loathsome Preacher and the two Strofe brothers: Strofe and Little Strofe. They meet a cast of assorted characters along their journey. However, the book is really about Cain’s relationship with the runaway slave woman, Rosetta. Rosetta changes Cain – he goes from considering himself as honorable to rethinking all the ways he has been taught and indoctrinated since childhood. Somewhat predictably, their feelings for each other grow, until the final dramatic conclusion.

While I enjoyed this book, I did find it a little long. Cain’s journey to Boston was fairly quick, but he had countless adventures and trials to endure on the return trip. While I found that White did a good job portraying this time period, at times the character of Rosetta irritated me as she was almost unbelievably articulate in analyzing Cain’s inner feelings and motivations. In another time and place, she would have been an excellent analyst! I did like the character of Cain, however, and felt he was believable. I enjoyed the ending, which was not sappy or predictable.

 I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading novels of this time period. I give it 3 1/2 stars! I got mine from the library, but then won one from my bookclub giveaway!

A friend recently recommended “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield. It looked like a mystery (but not a crime novel), so I plunged right in. “The Thirteenth Tale” is a Gothic tale of mystery and intrigue. This story-within-a-story captivates and holds the reader. I personally had difficulty putting it down between chapters!

In the story, the protagonist, Margaret Lea, is chosen by a famous yet reclusive author, Vida Winter, to write her official biography. Margaret is an intellectual introvert – a woman who lives among her books and book characters (and appropriately resides within a bookstore). As Vida’s story begins to unfold, we are introduced to a cast of unforgettable characters. And as Vida reveals her life’s secrets, we begin to understand Margaret’s as well.

I truly enjoyed this book (which I got from the library). Yes, I did find that it included just about everything under the sun in terms of family mystery and drama, and yes, I did find the conclusion rather implausible – though clever. Setterfield lays out all the clues for you to figure it out for yourself if you so choose; she’s a bit of a modern day Agatha Christie.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Gothic mysteries, and to those who, like Margaret, truly love books.

I give this book 4 Stars!

One of my book clubs recently chose “Loving Frank” by Nancy Horan as its January selection. This is the story of Frank Lloyd Wright’s rather public affair with Martha “Mamah” Cheney shortly after the turn of the century. Horan has done extensive research in order to capture Mamah (pronounced “May-mah”) as her protagonist. The book covers their relationship from their first meeting (when Wright was employed to build a house for Mamah and her then husband, Edwin) to its tragic end.

To be honest, this was not a book that I would have chosen on my own to read. I doubted that 362 pages about two married people having an affair – no matter how well-known they were – could hold my attention or interest. However, this book was oddly fascinating. Mamah is portrayed as an intelligent, independent, unique woman, while Frank Lloyd Wright is portrayed as a self-centered, driven genius. I felt that I had come to know these people, and to be honest, I did not like them. Frank’s selfishness and lack of dealing with the realities of life made me irritated with him – though I recognize that genius often comes at such a price. He had no qualms about trying to leave his wife and the six children he had by her. Mamah, on the other hand, was portrayed as sympathetic and as the proverbial butterfly trapped in a bell jar. I would have had more sympathy for her, but I personally could not move past the fact that she chose to desert her two very young children (and a very normal, though somewhat boring, husband) in order to live openly with Wright. She is portrayed as aching for her children, however, leaving them was by her choice, and she made that choice more than once. Furthermore, she left it to her maiden sister to raise them with her former husband.

As I became intrigued with this story, I made the very big mistake of googling these characters to get more real information on them. What a mistake!! I discovered the ending of this tale before I reached it, and let me warn you – it is not pleasant. In fact, I finished this book at 10:00 pm one night and had trouble sleeping. The ending is not only tragic, but haunting and disturbing – made all the more terrible by the fact that it is true.

I would recommend this book to those who have an interest in FLW, in historical fiction with real characters, and/or those who like a love story. It is well-written and well-researched, and I found that it reads easily. I can’t say I loved it as it was too disturbing, but I can appreciate its merits, so I’m giving it: 4 Stars. I purchased my copy from Amazon.

Coming Soon: a review of “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield