I finished The Last Queen and found the story very beautiful, although a very sad one. Something magical to me was how Mr. Gortner did a wonderful job detailing Spain's and Flander's landscaping. I also very much loved his endearing language which portraits well a Spanish Family--words such as "Mi Madrecita", "Mi Hija", "Pequeñita", etc. The unexpected twist towards the end of the story was making me choke in anger and feeling betrayed...I would not have imagined it in a thousand lives (being that I did not know much of Juana la Loca before this novel, neither of the King of Aragon) so it did took me by surprise. I also liked the Popular saying that he included: Del Arbol caido, todos hacen leña (from the fallen tree, all make wood)--Never has a saying fit so perfectly
I'm now back to When Christ and his Saints Slept by SKP and In the Company of a Courtesan.
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December 2009: What are you reading?
- 4ever Queen
- Reader
- Posts: 122
- Joined: July 2009
- Location: California
"A scar signifies past pain, a wound that did not heal as it ought. But it testifies, too, to survival" (Here Be Dragons)
http://www.sharonkaypenman.com/
http://everythingedward2.com/
http://www.sharonkaypenman.com/
http://everythingedward2.com/
[quote=""Kasthu""]This morning I started Tulip Fever, by Deborah Moggach.[/quote]
Oh I laughed aloud at the denouement of that one. A nice little gem of a novel!
Oh I laughed aloud at the denouement of that one. A nice little gem of a novel!
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard nI chasront
'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'
Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal
www.elizabethchadwick.com
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard nI chasront
'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'
Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal
www.elizabethchadwick.com
- SonjaMarie
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 5688
- Joined: August 2008
- Location: Vashon, WA
- Contact:
[quote=""Nefret""]The Sixth Wife by Suzannah Dunn
The Sixth Wife by Jean Plaidy
The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson[/quote]
Wow, all books on Parr, isn't that a bit confusing?
SM
The Sixth Wife by Jean Plaidy
The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson[/quote]
Wow, all books on Parr, isn't that a bit confusing?
SM
The Lady Jane Grey Internet Museum
My Booksfree Queue
Original Join Date: Mar 2006
Previous Amount of Posts: 2,517
Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
Full List Here: http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... p?p=114965
My Booksfree Queue
Original Join Date: Mar 2006
Previous Amount of Posts: 2,517
Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
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- SonjaMarie
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 5688
- Joined: August 2008
- Location: Vashon, WA
- Contact:
I try to avoid reading about the same period or people when I'm reading 4 to 6 books (or more).
SM
SM
The Lady Jane Grey Internet Museum
My Booksfree Queue
Original Join Date: Mar 2006
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Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
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- SonjaMarie
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 5688
- Joined: August 2008
- Location: Vashon, WA
- Contact:
I made the mistake once of reading "The Princes In the Tower" and "Queen Isabella" (both by Alison Weir) at the same time, and there were people with the same titles and names but they were not the same people, but it got confusing at times.
Edit: It wasn't "Prince" but her "The Wars of the Roses", but everything else still applies.
SM
Edit: It wasn't "Prince" but her "The Wars of the Roses", but everything else still applies.
SM
Last edited by SonjaMarie on Thu December 10th, 2009, 5:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Lady Jane Grey Internet Museum
My Booksfree Queue
Original Join Date: Mar 2006
Previous Amount of Posts: 2,517
Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
Full List Here: http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... p?p=114965
My Booksfree Queue
Original Join Date: Mar 2006
Previous Amount of Posts: 2,517
Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
Full List Here: http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... p?p=114965
- Nefret
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 2994
- Joined: February 2009
- Favourite HF book: Welsh Princes trilogy
- Preferred HF: The Middle Ages (England), New Kingdom Egypt, Medieval France
- Location: Temple of Isis
[quote=""SonjaMarie""]I made the mistake once of reading "The Princes In the Tower" and "Queen Isabella" (both by Alison Weir) at the same time, and there were people with the same titles and names but they were not the same people, but it got confusing at times.
SM[/quote]
Ah. See how that could be confusing.
After the I finish the Parr novels, I will go back to some non-fiction. I have one on the Spanish Armada that's calling to me.
(Then there's also my advanced copies.)
SM[/quote]
Ah. See how that could be confusing.
After the I finish the Parr novels, I will go back to some non-fiction. I have one on the Spanish Armada that's calling to me.
(Then there's also my advanced copies.)