Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Hello! I love the fact that FBR members read a wide variety of genres. Here's a spot to read Historical Fiction books.

General Rules
- Buddy Reads for Historical Fiction Books
- Anyone can set up a BR and use the thread for a HF book.
- Spoilers should be used to keep key points hidden until others are ready to read it & comment.

Potential Buddy Reads List:
- Lymond Chronicles series by Dorthea Dunnett
- Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
- Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Books by Bernard Cornwall
- The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye
- Kristin Lavransdatter series by Sigrid Undset
- Welsh Prince Trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman
- Henry II/Eleanor of Aquitaine Trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman
- Richard Duology by Sharon Kay Penman
- Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman
- Justin de Quincy series by Sharon Kay Penman (Medieval Mystery)
-

Old EC BR (view spoiler)[Veronica & I are going to start with The Game of Kings #1 (the Lymond Chronicles) by Dorothy Dunnett on March 1st, 2021.

Feel free to join us! =)

Story Blurb:

In this first book in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford of Lymond, traitor, murderer, nobleman, returns to Scotland to redeem his reputation and save his home.

It is 1547 and Scotland has been humiliated by an English invasion and is threatened by machinations elsewhere beyond its borders, but it is still free. Paradoxically, her freedom may depend on a man who stands accused of treason. He is Francis Crawford of Lymond, a scapgrace nobleman of crooked felicities and murderous talents, posessed of a scholar's erudition and a tongue as wicked as a rapier. In The Game of Kings, this extraordinary antihero returns to the country that has outlawed him to redeem his reputations even at the risk of his life.

(hide spoiler)]

the next Veronica Speedwell should be out in March, too, I bet... altho "our" Veronica fell behind on the series after we BR'd the first couple, I think...

#6 An Unexpected Peril comes out March 2nd...

Looking through the series and friend ratings, I'm starting to think my memory is faulty... did we BR this, or did plans fall through, or what?... I could have sworn I BR'd more than one of these with someone...

Good lord, is that series already up to six??? I can try to catch up though probably not by March 2nd. But I can try!

You know what I need? I need to be that person that just won that 1 billion dollar lottery. That way I can just buy all the books I want and have all the time in the world to read them because I wouldn't have to work.

Veronica wrote: "You know what I need? I need to be that person that just won that 1 billion dollar lottery. That way I can just buy all the books I want and have all the time in the world to read them because I wo..."

stock market is where it's at... first Tesla stock went crazy last year... then Gamestop this week/month... gamblers messing with Big Business short sellers made thousands/millions...

I don't understand the stock market and figuring it out is too much like home work. Plus, have I mentioned that math is my nemesis? I just want to pick random numbers and have them magically turn into gold. ;-)

And be proud of me, Iain, I started the second Veronica Speedwell book. Woo hoo, progress!

Veronica wrote: "I don't understand the stock market and figuring it out is too much like home work. Plus, have I mentioned that math is my nemesis? I just want to pick random numbers and have them magically turn i..."

It's insane... I ignored on my days off, since I don't have a stake in it (I really should), and things just got like 10x crazier...

a month ago Gamestop stocks were $18... then Mevin and Capitol Investment Groups shorted 150% of the market share (bet on the stocks plummeting in price), and Wallstreet Bets counterbet that it wouldn't by buying a ton of stocks... this started causing the stock prices to skyrocket, since the hedge funds have a limited time to buy back the fake stocks they sold (the stock market is complicated)...

a week ago, Gamestop stocks were $90... and Wall Street started getting angry at these regular people "manipulating the market"...

2 days ago, Gamestop stocks were over $150... yesterday they hit $450... last night pressure was put on Discord and the server they chat on was shut down for hate speech... the subreddit went private to clean house of bots and bad actors trying to get the reddit in trouble...

This morning, Gamestop stocks were all over the place... brokerage apps that most people use to buy and sell stocks, and are either partially owned by the hedge funds or have close ties to them, started blocking people from being able to buy Gamestop stocks and other stocks, and started forcefully selling stocks for accounts with margins (a bunch of apps give you a line of credit instead of waiting for you bank to transfer money in)...

It's been a real shitshow really... there's been bipartisan outrage from Republicans and Democrats and celebrities and all sorts... a bunch of class action lawsuits... talk of SEC and Senate investigations... and this is just stuff from the past 8hrs...

It's kinda taken over the internet, and I got sucked in, trying to read up on what's going on... as you can tell by this long timeline... before today I just skimmed a bit of the headlines at work for the past 2 weeks... today I went down the rabbithole...

Veronica wrote: "And be proud of me, Iain, I started the second Veronica Speedwell book. Woo hoo, progress!"

Great to here this, tho :D

I've read 2 of the Divine Cities books recently, and loved them... been reading a bunch of mystery series, and slowly working through the lovecraftian Laundry Files series... and just started Nathaniel Cade a few minutes ago:

Blood Oath

Hey, friends! I hope I would be able to join in our reads here and there, but I have been very tired and having hard time concentrating, because I started a very hard cycle of radiation and chemo... Turned out I have cancer of the throat and tongue, quite advanced, and the treatment is a bear! I am reading a bit, but nothing like a usually do. I hope you all are doing well and I hope soon we will continue as before, reading like crazy ❤️! You are always on my mind, because this place is my favorite sanctuary. Thank you for being my book friends and family ❤️!!!

Choko wrote: "Hey, friends! I hope I would be able to join in our reads here and there, but I have been very tired and having hard time concentrating, because I started a very hard cycle of radiation and chemo....."

Sorry to hear. Get well soon!... we're all here...

Oh Choko, I'm so sorry to hear that... :( Fingers crossed for you, I hope everything goes as well as can be... we'll be here for you. <3

Thank you, guys! I will be back ❤️

Choko wrote: "Hey, friends! I hope I would be able to join in our reads here and there, but I have been very tired and having hard time concentrating, because I started a very hard cycle of radiation and chemo....."

Choko, that royally sucks. You have all my prayers, positive thoughts, good energy...whatever you need...coming your way. Big hugs!

Choko wrote: "Hey, friends! I hope I would be able to join in our reads here and there, but I have been very tired and having hard time concentrating, because I started a very hard cycle of radiation and chemo....."

Oh Choko I am sorry. Praying for you!!!

Choko wrote: "Hey, friends! I hope I would be able to join in our reads here and there, but I have been very tired and having hard time concentrating, because I started a very hard cycle of radiation and chemo....."

Sending you lots of love & hugs! I hope it all works out and you come out stronger at the end.

You have been missed! Take care and come back when you want to chat. =)

❤️❤️❤️

I'm halfway through A Perilous Undertaking. Just what is Stoker's problem with his family? We've now met three of his brothers, which I think is all, and frankly I like all of them. I'm interested in seeing more of them. Was the history of Stoker's hostility towards them explained in the first book? I don't recall anything specific. They all seem fine to me and willing to reach out to Stoker. His continued animosity is frankly starting to annoy me.

Veronica wrote: "I'm halfway through A Perilous Undertaking. Just what is Stoker's problem with his family? We've now met three of his brothers, which I think is all, and frankly I like all of them. I'm interested ..."

My memory is hazy... from what little I remember, I think Stoker was married, and it ended badly, and he closed himself off emotionally?

I vaguely remember liking his family, too... and I think Veronica Speedwell likes them all?

It seems to be more than just emotionally closing himself off as a reaction to the ending of his marriage. He didn't even attend his father's funeral by the sounds of it. Since you're up to date with the series I guess the Stoker family relations aren't mended.

Yeah, Ms Speedwell (feels weird to type my own name, lol), has liked them all. She even pointed out in this one that Stoker's oldest brother, the new Viscount Templeton-Vane, had extended an olive branch but Stoker's hearing none of it.

Veronica wrote: "It seems to be more than just emotionally closing himself off as a reaction to the ending of his marriage. He didn't even attend his father's funeral by the sounds of it. Since you're up to date wi..."

It's honestly been awhile since I read the early books... and I barely remembered that I read the last book last year, at all...

The main thing I remember about the series is the predilection for phalluses in books 2-3ish...

So, I've started this one. The main character is constantly speaking through obscure literary references so I don't always know what in the heck he's saying, lol. I feel a translator is in order, lol. This one's going to be a challenge. BUT, I feel weirdly compelled to see this one through.

So far, Lymond (the MC) seems more of an ass than anything else (view spoiler)[(setting a building on fire while it's full of women, including his own mother!) (hide spoiler)] but I'm sure there's a story there.

I borrowed the ebook from the library. I'm going to start this tomorrow. =D

Let's see how much time I can cram in to read a book vs listening. I've managed to put hiking back into my day, but it's a bit of a challenge because the weather is warming up and a TON of people are going out. It's kind of nuts.

Also, why are people so rude? The path is 2.5 feet across and two people are taking up all the space or it's a gang of people flooding the whole path. Half of them aren't wearing masks. It's annoying.

I love hiking but hardly ever get to do it. I'm glad to hear you're back at it, Soo, even if there are rude people. Life never seems to run out of those, unfortunately. :-/

I look forward to hearing your initial thoughts on the book. Did you know there are at least two companion books for this series? Sort of reference books for all the references Lymond makes, lol.

Okay, I'm only through the end of Part 1, Chapter 4. It's slow going because I keep having to double back to re-read some several most passages. Plus every man seems to be named Richard, Tom, or John.

Anyhoo, I'm confused about the motivations for two of the characters: Will Scott and Christian. (view spoiler)[Will came back from university apparently full of the study of ethics so why go off and join a man that the rest of the country regards a a traitor? Never mind that he was willing to kill a man- who had done nothing to him - with his arrow just because Lymond told him to. As for Christian, why did she hide him and then help him sneak away? And why is she continuing to meet him and giving him information when she doesn't even know who he is? So what if he's Scottish? The story has already told us of other Scottish nobles who have either gone over to England's side or who play both sides of the conflict? (hide spoiler)] I just don't get it.

I love the gif! Inspector Gadget. Man, I don't know the last time I watched that.

I will report thoughts later tonight. Going to try and get a chapter or two in tonight. =)

I'm back to 6-7m hikes but need to work on time. I'm fairly out of shape & slowly regaining muscles/stamina, etc. When I'm looking around more, I'm slower but that works for me until I get more fit. Massaging & salt baths are my pals right now. LOL

But the views & feeling "woo I did that" are totally worth the body aches. lol

Those long hikes sound heavenly! I'll have to live vicariously through you. :-)

My library loan expired & I have to wait for it to come back. I'm #2 on hold.

Selfcare (mostly feet & legs) have taken over my life right now. Spending a lot of time massaging, stretching, pounding, cold compress, hot salt soaks and tiger balm mix for my poor limbs.

Have you made it far in the book? Sorry for being late on reading and sharing.

Okay, the aftermath of 7-10 mile hikes sounds less appealing, lol. Shorter hikes for me. :-)

Don't worry about being late. I'm only reading maybe a chapter a day - though I didn't get any reading done this weekend. This is my "all month read". I'm sure you'll still finish before me, lol.

I'm somewhere near the beginning of chapter 7 and it's reading a bit easier now that I've acclimated to the writing style. Lymond is really the only one who's always making obscure references. I'm not sure what the history is between him and his family yet but I quite like his mother (Sybilla) and his older brother (Richard).

I'm still unclear on what's driving the choices of Will Scott and Christian Stewart.

I got my ebook renewed! Woo! I'll catch up and post.

You'll catch up and pass me up, you mean, haha. :-)

LOL - We haven't used this thread in a while.

*coughs*

Middlemarch - I started this today. It'll be my in between books read. I got it on KU Read & Listen. Not sure if it's still on KU Read & Listen, but it might be!

Haha, no, we haven't. But I haven't been around much in general. Fixing that this year! I did end up finishing the Lymond book and then immediately turned around and listened to the audiobook. I don't think it's a book that will suit everyone's tastes, particularly because Lymond has a way of speaking that just befuddles everyone, but I ended up actually liking it a lot. I'm actually planning a third read through so that I can refresh my memory on who's who and move on to the second book.

I have Middlemarch as well. I'll try to get started on that soon. I have a goal to get to at least one classic this year. :-)

I don't think I read Lymond.

List the other classics you are thinking about reading. I may join! Last year, it was nice to throw in more historical fiction. Some were better than others.

Genghis: Birth of an Empire was one of the Audible sales and I got that. It's a light spin of history. I was going to zoom into the next book via purchase. Then I listened to the author's notes at the end and I lost my zoom. Hahaha! Still, not a bad rendition. I'll resume the series at some point.

My historical reading is still just limited to mysteries and steampunky stuff, mainly...

Veronica Speedwell (1 behind?)
Sebastian St. Cyr (caught up)
Her Royal Spyness (1 behind)
Thomas Pitt (paused around #10)
Gaslight Murders (paused around #10 when narrator changed)
Lady Sherlock (caught up)

A few I'm probably forgetting...

I am totally in for Lymond! DD is an awesome author!

Choko wrote: "I am totally in for Lymond! DD is an awesome author!"

Choko have you read them all? I'd love to have someone to discuss them with if the rest of the series is anything like the first book. I had so many questions and observations while I was reading it but I don't know anyone who's ever read it.

Soo wrote: "List the other classics you are thinking about reading. I may join! Last year, it was nice to throw in more historical fiction. Some were better than others."

I didn't have anything specific in mind. I do own several books by Anthony Trollope that I picked up at a Half Price Bookstore once that I haven't read. I also own, but haven't read, Little Dorrit by Dickens, and Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

But I'm open to whatever.

V, I have not read any of them, but I have read 3 of the House of Niccolo. I stopped when I started treatments, but I would love to come back to this author. She is not for every taste though, that is for sure. But I love her meticulous historical research that goes into her stories, and she is a master of weaving true history with fictional characters...

Huzzah for libraries!

I'm in line for the ebook for Lymond #1. That may take a 2-4 weeks.

In line for Little Dorrit. Probably get it in 2-3 weeks.

Wives & Daughters is available now, but I'm gonna try to get Middlemarch done. Which, I keep turning off because the narrator is fast @ 2.5x and she's still fast at 2.15x. Need to drop the speed to 2x, get used to her narration and then I can speed back to normal to me speeds.

I've been wanting to reread Lymond book #1 since I'm guessing I understood about 10% of it 🥴 and I want to reread it before continuing the series.

I have the 2 companion books that try to explain all the references that you need a degree in Classics to comprehend... I'll request the book at the library see how long the wait is

I loved Middlemarch and Wives and Daughters.

Timelord Iain wrote: "My historical reading is still just limited to mysteries and steampunky stuff, mainly...

Veronica Speedwell (1 behind?)
Sebastian St. Cyr (caught up)
Her Royal Spyness (1 behind)
Thomas Pitt (paus..."

You know I adore a good historical mystery. I've read all of these (though not caught up on any of them) except for Thomas Pitt and Lady Sherlock.

Have you ever read any of the Saxon Tales series by Bernard Cornwell? Lots of Vikings and battles...and a pretty good Netflix adaptation from what I've heard. I read up through book four and was enjoying them. I just suck at actually finishing series.

Yay for Lymond! Sounds like we have some takers to give it a go.

@Laura, I have the first volume of the companion books. Need to get volume two. And with several of us reading it we can help each other understand, lol.

For those who haven't read the first book, The Game of Kings, at least once, you don't really need the companion books. They're more like mini-encyclopedias telling who the actual historical figures in the story are, historical places, the artists/philosophers that Lymond refers to. But you can google all that! You don't really need to know what Lymond is saying when he starts talking like that. Personally, I think he does it just to keep people off balance but it's usually a main reason why people who don't like the book say they don't like it. I have heard though that he doesn't keep that up for the whole series, so that's good.

And I will say that all the female characters are pretty great.

@Choko, House of Niccolo is definitely on my list after I get through Lymond.

@Soo, yay for your library! The audiobook is pretty good too, just saying. I'll probably go that route for my reread...or at least a mix of that and the physical book.

You know me. I'll probably cave and get the audiobook for convenience. Heh

I've read all the Cornwell Saxon Stories. Loved them! Viking, Medieval, violent, conniving historical fiction is my favourite!

I just read the Last Kingdom by Cornwall. Okay setup. Plan to continue. The library has a lot of Cornwall books. =)

I bought Sharpe's Tiger. Should read that sometime this year. Also have Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead, Taj Mahal: A Love Affair at the Heart of the Moghul Empire (Audible Plus), Kristin Lavransdatter, and The Far Pavilions (probably a re-read for me but if I read it, it was a long time ago haha).

Sharpe's Tiger and Sharpe's Eagle are the only ones I've read from that series. I couldn't decide if I was going to read them in publication or chronological order. I think I decided on publication order, hence Sharpe's Eagle, but didn't get back to them.

I've read the first 2 Lavransdatter and liked them but got a bit fatigued. Maybe audio would have been better.

I'd be interested in Far Pavilions if I can find it at the library.

Has anyone ever read any of Sharon Kay Penman's books?