What Are You Reading? July 2013

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 5:55 pm

[quote=""Berengaria""]I'm speeding through The White Princessby Philippa Gregory. It is interesting to read about the gradual respect and love that grows between Elizabeth and Henry and the paranoia of the Tudors. It isn't the engrossing read that I found with The Summer Queen, but enjoyable all of the same. Now that Gregory has written about all of the main female players of the Wars of the Roses, I wonder what era she'll tackle next?[/quote]

I swore I was done with this series, but I couldn't resist. It's sitting on my hold shelf waiting for pickup.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 8:37 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]I swore I was done with this series, but I couldn't resist. It's sitting on my hold shelf waiting for pickup.[/quote]

I too have been tempted, but then imagine the book hitting the wall as soon as I encounter the phrase/obsession that's inevitably going to be repeated over and over for the rest of the novel, and manage to resist. I have liked PG's work in the past (TOBG, TBI), but with everything else she's involved in right now I'm not anticipating this one to be a masterpiece.

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 8:47 pm

I thought about trying to read that PG series again. And having a drinking game with that certain phrase.

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 9:14 pm

The last book of hers I've read and liked was TBI, avoided her since.

SM

princess · Post by **princess** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 9:34 pm

I'm struggling with The Falcons of Fire and Ice - really wanted to like it too seeing as I was so disappointed with Karen Maitland's previous book!!! This just seems to lack the atmosphere of Company of Liars and The Owl Killers. I kind of feel it's a bit contrived if that's the right word - we're talked through every action and thought of the characters and why they did it, even though its obvious why!!! I don't think it helps that I've just purchased The Poisoned Pilgrim on my Kindle - love The Hangman's Daughter Tales and can't wait to start it

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 9:43 pm

[quote=""SonjaMarie""]The last book of hers I've read and liked was TBI, avoided her since.

SM[/quote]

I got into her when I got into Tudor HF, but TBI ended up being the book I liked. I'm still curious though.

princess garnet · Post by **princess garnet** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 11:11 pm

I got The White Princess when it arrived in our new books shipment at the library and checked it out to myself. (No one had holds on it when I processed it)
Having read Jean Plaidy and Margaret C. Barnes, I'll read P.G.'s take.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 11:40 pm

I stopped reading PG's books with The Red Queen. Now some of you are making me think I should read the others in the series.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 11:48 pm

[quote=""princess""]I'm struggling with The Falcons of Fire and Ice - really wanted to like it too seeing as I was so disappointed with Karen Maitland's previous book!!! This just seems to lack the atmosphere of Company of Liars and The Owl Killers. I kind of feel it's a bit contrived if that's the right word - we're talked through every action and thought of the characters and why they did it, even though its obvious why!!! I don't think it helps that I've just purchased The Poisoned Pilgrim on my Kindle - love The Hangman's Daughter Tales and can't wait to start it

[/quote]

I'm reading The Poisoned Pilgrim right now, so I know how you feel. I very much like the characters in the series. I was in Bavaria last summer in Munich and Nuremberg and on the Nuremberg tour the guide showed us the hangman's house and spoke about the hangman culture. Of course that was before I read any of the books. I'm sure you know that Oliver Pötzsch is a descendant of Jakob Kuisl, the hangman in his books. Oliver Pötzsch is coming out with a new book in September called The Ludwig Conspiracy about crazy King Ludwig II of Bavaria. I've already pre-ordered it.

I read The Falcons of Fire earlier this year and this was my Goodreads mini-review: The exposition was too long for me, but there were a few Maitland surprises sprinkled in the latter part of the novel. I think this is my least favorite Maitland novel, but I enjoyed the Iceland part of the book. I had to change planes in Reykjavik going to and from Europe in 2011. Despite having only been in the airport, the plane ride over Iceland gave a breathtaking view of the volcanic landscape, so it was easy to picture the setting.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Fri July 26th, 2013, 8:19 am

I must admit that watching The White Queen on TV has perked up my interest in the books - I have all 4 on mount tbr and think it would be interesting to read them after seeing the show, which is a bit muddled and rushes through it all, but now I can picture the actors in the various roles it might make it a bit easier to know who's who (which is what made Game of Thrones so much easier to read!).

I have Karen Maitland's first 3 books and I have read Company of Liars, which was so good I almost don't want to read the others! But I have to say that Falcons doesn't appeal at all so I haven't bought that one.