What Are You Reading? May 2013

annis · Post by **annis** » Fri May 31st, 2013, 8:44 am

Posted by Vanessa

I didn't know the sequel was out! I liked Wulfgar in The Bone Thief, I thought he was quite a sweetie! I might look it out from the library.

I've just finished Traitor's Pit and enjoyed it very much. This one is set around the attempt by King Alfred's nephew Aethelwold to depose his cousin Edward as king of Wessex after his uncle's death (Aethelwold's Revolt also features in Bernard Cornwell's Death of Kings).

The scene having already been set in Bone Thief, the pace has picked up here and there are twists and turns galore in store for good-hearted Wuffa. His faith in God remains undaunted, but his faith in mankind is frequently tried by those he should be able to trust. There are plenty of devious and/or engaging characters and the author has a fluid and evocative style which convincingly brings to life England at the beginning of the 10th century. (For more on Wulgar's world see the author's website). I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, which I see going from strength to strength.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sat June 1st, 2013, 11:25 am

[quote=""Susan""]Mary, Queen of France by Jean Plaidy, haven't read a Plaidy book in years and years. I don't think I ever read this one.[/quote]

I don't know if I can finish this one. I found myself skimming way too much last night, maybe because it was Friday and I was tired. I'll give it another try today, but in a couple of days Susanna Kearsley's Firebird is going to be calling to me.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat June 1st, 2013, 12:59 pm

[quote=""Susan""]I don't know if I can finish this one. I found myself skimming way too much last night, maybe because it was Friday and I was tired. I'll give it another try today, but in a couple of days Susanna Kearsley's Firebird is going to be calling to me.[/quote]

I know most folks adore Plaidy, but every one I have tried has been pretty dry.

Almost done with the new Deanna Raybourn book, then I have a stack of library books glaring at me, plus a group read starting at the PBS boards.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sat June 1st, 2013, 4:36 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]I know most folks adore Plaidy, but every one I have tried has been pretty dry.

Almost done with the new Deanna Raybourn book, then I have a stack of library books glaring at me, plus a group read starting at the PBS boards.[/quote]

I read a bunch of Plaidy books about 35 years ago around the time I was getting interested in royal history and didn't know that much. That was just before I started reading NF royal history books nearly exclusively, which I did for years. I was thinking about the Plaidy book I am currently reading and I think it is missing the descriptive details of the time period that we see in the books of Sharon Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick.

The other day I got the novella prequel to Raybourn's new book. The novella is free for the Kindle. I'll give the Plaidy book one more try later and if it still doesn't work, I'll read the Raybourn novella.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun June 2nd, 2013, 10:41 am

I enjoyed the Plaidy Tudor books when I was about 15 but having tried to read others I've had less success. Her medieval ones are pretty dire IMO. I remember reading King of the Wood by Valerie Anand alongside Plaidy's take on William Rufus. Both books covered the same subject but what a difference in the writing. Anand's book brought the past to life like a delicious 3 course meal. Jean Plaidy's version was more like a dried out cream-cracker. I haven't read anything by her since. I would say the Tudors is where she shone.

Now Reading Tom Harper's The Orpheus Descent.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun June 2nd, 2013, 12:22 pm

[quote=""EC2""]I enjoyed the Plaidy Tudor books when I was about 15 but having tried to read others I've had less success. Her medieval ones are pretty dire IMO. I remember reading King of the Wood by Valerie Anand alongside Plaidy's take on William Rufus. Both books covered the same subject but what a difference in the writing. Anand's book brought the past to life like a delicious 3 course meal. Jean Plaidy's version was more like a dried out cream-cracker. I haven't read anything by her since. I would say the Tudors is where she shone.[/quote]

I read a bit more last night and there was no sense of the time period. Perhaps I will give one more chapter a try, but my reading material for today is about 60 7th grade research paper rough drafts.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun June 2nd, 2013, 1:19 pm

My Kindle must be psychic. I usually sit in a chair in my bedroom and read for a short while before I start school work on Sundays. It makes me feel better about the school work I must do. I was about 22% done with Mary, Queen of France last night. When I turned my Kindle on this morning, it was at 88% done. I think I fell asleep reading last night and must have pressed the screen and advanced the pages before I woke up and turned the Kindle off. I took the 88% done as a message that I should not finish the book, so I read a chapter of Far in the Wilds, the prequel novella to Deanna Raybourn's new novel.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun June 2nd, 2013, 1:46 pm

[quote=""Susan""]My Kindle must be psychic. I usually sit in a chair in my bedroom and read for a short while before I start school work on Sundays. It makes me feel better about the school work I must do. I was about 22% done with Mary, Queen of France last night. When I turned my Kindle on this morning, it was at 88% done. I think I fell asleep reading last night and must have pressed the screen and advanced the pages before I woke up and turned the Kindle off. I took the 88% done as a message that I should not finish the book, so I read a chapter of Far in the Wilds, the prequel novella to Deanna Raybourn's new novel.[/quote]

That prequel was a good idea, and worth the short time it takes to read it for some background on Ryder. I just finished A Spear of Summer Grass yesterday. Liked it a lot. Also finished off The Shadow Prince by Terence Morgan. A what-if novel about Perkin Warbeck. That's some interesting *theory* there.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun June 2nd, 2013, 2:47 pm

[QUOTE=Misfit;111150]That prequel was a good idea, and worth the short time it takes to read it for some background on Ryder. I just finished A Spear of Summer Grass yesterday. Liked it a lot.QUOTE]

I'll most likely will finish the prequel today even with reading seemingly endless research papers on endangered animals. For some reason, middle school kids take to that topic and then consider the animals their own. I think I will read A Spear of Summer Grass next followed by Kearsley's Firebird.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun June 2nd, 2013, 2:54 pm

[quote=""Susan""]

Misfit;111150 wrote:That prequel was a good idea, and worth the short time it takes to read it for some background on Ryder. I just finished A Spear of Summer Grass yesterday. Liked it a lot.QUOTE]

I'll most likely will finish the prequel today even with reading seemingly endless research papers on endangered animals. For some reason, middle school kids take to that topic and then consider the animals their own. I think I will read A Spear of Summer Grass next followed by Kearsley's Firebird.

The African setting is so well done, especially the wildlife.