Books and Book Reviews

Yes, I Bought The Red Queen the First Day It Came Out

In fact, I went shopping for Philippa Gregory’s latest novel so early in the morning that Barnes and Noble barely had its display ready! What can I say–I’m a Wars of the Roses novel junkie. First, despite its title, The Red Queen is not about Margaret of Anjou, but about Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, …

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The Captive Queen by Alison Weir

Having read the reviews of this novel about this year’s “It” girl in historical fiction, Eleanor of Aquitaine, I fully expected to hate this book. Instead, I found myself rather liking it. The Captive Queen follows Eleanor from her marriage to Henry II to his death, with an epilogue that breezes through Eleanor’s last years. …

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Waiting for Fall: Books I’m Craving

One of the worst things about summer, aside from the heat and the humidity, is having to wait until publishers bring out their fall books. Here are some of the ones that I’m awaiting eagerly: Elizabeth’s Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen by Tracy Borman (already published in the UK; September …

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In Which We Review a Paper Doll Book for the First Time

A couple of weeks ago on e-Bay, I came across a book called Infamous Women Paper Dolls, featuring, among other women, Margaret of Anjou. Naturally, I had to see a copy, and it arrived in my mailbox today. Infamous Women was published in 1994 by Bellerophon Books, which has produced a number of other books …

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Ten Rules for Depicting Margaret of Anjou in Historical Fiction

Although this very blogger has propagated ten rules for writing fiction about Richard III (which, I am pleased to say, continue to be followed), and Kathryn has provided us with her excellent rules for writing about Edward II and Isabella, no one seems to have provided guidance for depicting Margaret of Anjou in historical fiction. …

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English History in One Syllable

Four years ago at a flea market, I found an 1898 book entitled History of England in Words of One Syllable, which was part of an entire series entitled “Burt’s One Syllable Histories.” And except for proper nouns (which are broken up syllabically), the author, Mrs. Helen W. Pierson, accomplishes her task according to her …

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Search Terms, Favorites, and Happy New Year!

This will probably be my last post for 2009, so I wanted to start off with some search terms: queen isabella s what happened with piracy She gave it up after deciding that the eyepatch was just too unbecoming, darling. cases of siblings mistakenly marryingPractice moderation on New Year’s Eve, folks, or this could be …

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Book Review: The Taste of Sorrow by Jude Morgan

Some time ago, I read The King’s Touch by Jude Morgan (about James, Duke of Monmouth) and loved it, so I’m surprised it took me so long to read Morgan’s latest novel, The Taste of Sorrow. The Taste of Sorrow tells a familiar story, that of the Bronte sisters’ childhood, rise to fame, and premature …

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