Currently Reading
I finally edited my My Bookshelf- Currently Reading page. I’ve been bad about keeping it up-to-date and will try to do a better job of it in the future.
At the moment, I’m reading The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick. The novel is historical fiction set in early medieval England at the supposed time of the actual, true-to-life King Arthur. You can read my review of it next Monday, March 2nd. An interview with the author will be posted the following week of March 9th.
Recently, I just finished reading An Involuntary King by Nan Hawthorne, another historical fiction novel, this one set in Anglo-Saxon medieval England. I posted my review a few weeks back.
After finishing The Kingmaking, I plan to start on The Traitor’s Wife by Susan Higginbotham. Yet another medieval historical fiction novel, this one during the reign of King Edward II of England.
What are you currently reading?
Filed under: Historical Fiction on February 25th, 2009
I just finished reading Celia Hayes’ Adelsverein: The Gathering, German immigrantss in Texas in the 1840s. I read it for the book discussion group I facilitate, Let’s Read Historiccal Novels, to which you are all cordially invited.. See http://histnov.blogspot.com . I found the novel as neat a bit of storytelling as I have read with compelling events and well drawn and credible characters.. the first of trilogy. I am ready Jean Plaidy’s Follies of the King and am having to force myself to finish.. it’s awful.. downright insulting.
Glad you liked An Involuntary King.. my reviews have all been positive. I am very proud. I have a book trailer for it now… on YouTube and Facebook.
Let’s see: Fighting for the Cross: Crusading tot he Holy Land (Housely) and Crusades: A Reader. I’ve also just started into Communities of Violence: Persecution of Minorities in the Middle Ages. It’s an interesting counterpoint to Moore’s Formation of a Persecuting Society, which I just finished, and loved, though he’s a bit “ham-handed,” even though I think it’s a very important book. Next up are Cultures of Power: Lordship, Status, and Process in Twelfth-Century Europe, and/or Worlds of Difference: European Discourses of Toleration by Nederman. And only three are for my current coursework…
I am currently reading Moon Called by Patricia Briggs - urban fantasy about werewolves, vampires etc.
Also reading Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach - set in 17th century Amsterdam, although so far I don’t think that the setting really matters in terms of the storyline.
Um, let’s see… Not counting work, I think the list is: Roman Chester: City of the Eagles, by David Mason; Mistress of the Sun, by Sandra Gulland; and The Science of Middle Earth, by Henry Gee.
I finished re-reading The Kingmaking recently, and my review is due to be posted on 3 March, the day after yours. Will be interested to see what you think of it!
Nan, thanks for the invite to the historical novels reading group. I’ll check it out!
Raven, I’m not familiar with any of those. The Cultures of Power sounds interesting. I’ll have to look into that one. Do you have any suggestions for non-fiction on the topics of Crime and Punishment in medieval England, or Feudalism in medieval Europe?
Marg, what’s Tulip Fever about? Also, not sure how much you’re into vampire stuff, but did you ever watch the show Forever Knight? It came on maybe ten years ago for one or two seasons. I run across very few people who remember that show, but I liked it a lot. Was sorry to see it go off the air.
Carla, I’m always interested to see what you’re reading. You have some good suggestions, many I’ve never heard of before. I’ll be looking for your review on March 3rd. I haven’t read too many of the other reviews yet. I don’t want anything to influence my opinion before I finish.
I am reading “Crown in Candlelight” by Rosemary Hawley Jarman and loving it. The writing is a little thick and dense, but read slowly much of the description passages are quite poetic. Plus Owen Tudor and Queen Catherine always make a good story.
I haven’t heard of Crown in Candleight. I’ll have to check it out.