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What Are You Reading? April 2013

For discussions of historical fiction. Threads that do not relate to historical fiction should be started in the Chat forum or elsewhere on the forum, depending on the topic.
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emr
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 840
Joined: January 2009
Location: Castilla

Post by emr » Fri April 19th, 2013, 3:52 pm

Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery by James R. Benn. Billy is funny because he is not the brightest candle and he's too used to have his family fix his future for him. I hope he matures a little though...
"So many books, so little time."
— Frank Zappa

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Tanzanite
Bibliophile
Posts: 1963
Joined: August 2008
Location: Northern Virginia
Contact:

Post by Tanzanite » Fri April 19th, 2013, 7:56 pm

Have been offline for a few weeks due to a family emergency but managed to read a couple of OOP books:

The Spanish Tudor by Freda Long (Mary I) - I didn't think it was too bad.

The Loves of Lucrezia by Francesca Wright (Lucrezia Borgia) - written in the 50's it's OTT in its portrayal of Lucrezia's "sensual nature". Plus, you just have to love the cover:

Will be starting Sandra Byrd's new one, Roses Have Thorns (Elizabeth I), tomorrow
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annis
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4585
Joined: August 2008

Post by annis » Sat April 20th, 2013, 4:16 am

I did finish Davis' "Master & God", EC, was but less than impressed. I found it clunky, the banter laboured and the relationship between the hero & heroine unconvincing. Mind you, I found "Rebels & Traitors" tedious as well. I think Davis does better with a shorter, snappier format.
Last edited by annis on Sat April 20th, 2013, 5:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

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EC2
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3661
Joined: August 2008
Location: Nottingham UK
Contact:

Post by EC2 » Sat April 20th, 2013, 9:06 am

[quote=""annis""]I did finish Davis' "Master & God", EC, was but less than impressed. I found it clunky, the banter laboured and the relationship between the hero & heroine unconvincing. Mind you, I found "Rebels & Traitors" tedious as well. I think Davis does better with a shorter, snappier format.[/quote]

It was when I arrived at the chapter in the fly's viewpoint. I had a total WTF moment. I had been struggling for a while for the above reasons you state, but that finished me off. Had it been a fantasy novel or something in the Terry Pratchett line I'd have had no problem, but it was so weird to see in a straight historical. I do wonder to myself if Lyndsey Davis is a huge Pratchett fan and it influences some of her writing. The sense of humour is often very similar and there was a scene in one of her other books - I don't recall the title - where she has a scene with three women that could have come straight out of one of Pratchett's Discworld books featuring Nanny Ogg and co right down to the characterisation.
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I 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

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Misfit
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 9581
Joined: August 2008
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by Misfit » Sat April 20th, 2013, 2:00 pm

Just starting Moon-Dragon by Noel reeland Carter. Victorian era gothic.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

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Lisa
Bibliophile
Posts: 1153
Joined: August 2012
Favourite HF book: Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
Preferred HF: Any time period/location. Timeslip, usually prefer female POV. Also love Gothic melodrama.
Location: Northeast Scotland

Post by Lisa » Sat April 20th, 2013, 6:37 pm

Just started The First Princess of Wales by Karen Harper.

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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

Post by Nefret » Mon April 22nd, 2013, 6:13 pm

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick
Into battle we ride with Gods by our side
We are strong and not afraid to die
We have an urge to kill and our lust for blood has to be fulfilled
WE´LL FIGHT TILL THE END! And send our enemies straight to Hell!
- "Into Battle"
{Ensiferum}

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Brenna
Bibliophile
Posts: 1358
Joined: June 2010
Location: Delaware

Post by Brenna » Mon April 22nd, 2013, 10:18 pm

The Golden Prince by Rebecca Dean. Not sure how I feel about the author using real life people and putting them through a fictional relationship. Why not just tell the story she mentions in the author note instead?
Brenna

annis
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4585
Joined: August 2008

Post by annis » Tue April 23rd, 2013, 6:59 am

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars - funny, sad and touching, this is one of several excellent YA novels dealing with themes of illness and death. A couple of others which come to mind are Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls and Roddy Doyle's A Greyhound Girl.

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Vanessa
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4378
Joined: August 2008
Currently reading: The Farm at the Edge of the World by Sarah Vaughan
Interest in HF: The first historical novel I read was Katherine by Anya Seton and this sparked off my interest in this genre.
Favourite HF book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell!
Preferred HF: Any
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

Post by Vanessa » Tue April 23rd, 2013, 10:14 am

I've just started After Flodden by Rosemary Goring.
currently reading: My Books on Goodreads

Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind

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