Historical Fictionistas discussion

Hi all. This month I'm starting things a little bit earlier, (and might start starting them earlier still, but we can discuss that later) to give us a few more days to nominate and vote.

Please nominate the book you'd like to read in February with the group. Please be sure to LINK to the book using the "add book/author" link above the comment box, and make sure to list the author, as well as a brief reason why you chose to nominate it. (I'm not looking for a thesis, just a little info... "I really wanted to read something about Marie Antoinette." is perfectly fine. LOL)

We will take nominations until January 31st, and then we'll open things up for voting. :)

Thanks!

I vote we read something about Anastasia. She is my favorite princess.

Do you have a book in mind?

How about The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. There are three reasons for nominating this book:

1. I have heard wonderful things about it
2. I have it on my TBR, and it fills tasks on three different challenges.
3. It is only 361 pages (I need a break from the massive tomes!)

The Red Tent is really good, Lyn. But I was even more impressed by Wisdom's Daughter: A Novel of Solomon and Sheba by India Edghill which is what I would like to nominate.

I don't have a Anastasia book in mind. I would vote for the Help. I have that on my library list. My library says they don't have it though. i would be interested in reading something on the Plantagnets. I have The White Queen. I haven't read it yet. If anyone else has any suggestions on that.

I'd like to nominateCleopatra's Daughterby Michelle Moran. I have read both Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen by here and both were excellent and easy to read.

People of the Bookby Geraldine Brooks

I read Years of Wonders and loved the book. This is my second book by Geraldine Brooks and if it is only near to as good, it will be great.

Umberto Ecothe name of the rose
Sorry I could not find a link...

Patrik wrote: "Umberto Ecothe name of the rose
Sorry I could not find a link..."

For years I want to read that book but thought it was a complete different genre. Thankfully my friend informed me about it and now I want to read it even more because i know it is a different kind of book than a thought!!!!

I suggest Alice I Have Been: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin. It's an interesting tale of the life of Alice Liddell, the woman who Charles Dodgeson, better known as Lewis Carroll, based Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass on.

I nominate The Lost Mother, because I have been wanting to read some books set during the Depression and I love Mary McGarry Morris. I hadn't heard of this book of hers until I was researching stuff to pad out my Challenge list last night. It sounds pretty good.

I nominate Katherine by Anya Seton.

Its on my to-read list for Feb already and I've heard nothing but good things about this author. Also its got a little romance, perfect for Valentines Day :)

Oh good, if Allison ever sends me the copy she promised me way back in 19-aught-8 (*ahem*) then I'd be able to read it. :P

Im not going ot Nom, cos i think i want to read one of the ones nommed allready

mine mine!!!!:-)

tweety, you even want to read mine!

Somebody nominated this last month and I was intrigued enough to find a copy:

Aztec by Gary Jennings

So yes, I'll nominate it now.

OK, I'm going to add my nomination of Atonement by Ian McEwan and create the poll.

Noms closed peeps! :D

OK, it was a close poll, but Katherine won out by a single vote!

We'll be starting on the 15th! Everyone get your copy! :D

yay! I already own this one.

I've already read it! It's really good though and I think everyone will enjoy it.

I might see if I can get this one from the library... unless Allison wants to send it to me like she said she would like... a decade ago. :P

What a great book - can't wait to discuss!

OMG, I looked at the cover for this book which is different than mine and I have thius EXACT picture on my wall in my bedroom.

Anya Seton is one of my favorite authors, and Katherine rates right up there in my all time top 20 historical fiction books. Great choice!

Jane

i read another by her and it was just ok. green something or other

Jayme wrote: "OMG, I looked at the cover for this book which is different than mine and I have thius EXACT picture on my wall in my bedroom."

I picked this one because I liked it better than the other covers. LOL :)

I never knew the reference of the picture. :) I will bhe able to start this on the 15th.

Jon was it Green Darkness? I have that one too but haven't read it yet.

oh yes that was it, it was allright but i wasnt jumping up and down over it

I just read the intro by Phillipa Gregory. She says Anya Seton was a big influence on her. The only other Anya Seton book I have read is Dragonwyck, which I thought was a little simplistic, but was apparently supposed to be that way. It was one of those big creepy house books where a young innocent girl goes and falls in love with a mysterious older man who may or may not be a psychopath.

Everyone raves about Katherine, so I'm curious to see how it compares. Can't wait to start tomorrow!

Hi, first post here! Stepping out of the Lurkers' Lounge...

I have had Katherine on my shelf for about 5 years. I think it's high time I read it.

I had it on my shelf for about two I think.

Oh gosh, I loved "Green Darkness" It's one of my top five favorites of all time!

Oj I offically started reading the book. I am on page 5.

Hi, Gaijinmama. Welcome out of the land of the lurkers! This is my first group read. Though I have yet to actually start.

Toni wrote: "Hi, Gaijinmama. Welcome out of the land of the lurkers! This is my first group read. Though I have yet to actually start. "
Thanks Toni...I am not so good at group reads. I mean, I LOVE talking about books but I tend to read at my own pace and am easily distracted...you know, real life and all that. Of course, I'd get a heck of a lot more reading done if I'd shut down the darned computer and...you know...READ!

real life is vastly overrated. I am now on page 20. Katherine just reached Windsor. Is it my imagination or is the pace in this book on the slow side? I read 4 pages in like half an hour and that was half an hour on uninterrupted reading.

I am now up to 30pp

I am on page 34, and Katherine hasn't been at court for no more than a week and Sir Hugh Swynford already wants to marry her? You would think he get to know her a little first.

I am now on page 83, and Katherine has been married to Synford for a week. They are taking a tour of his manors in Lincolnshire.

I just finished the second chapter and I'm think I'm just distracted by the language. I'm snickering at all the "tasty wench" and "dry gullets" instead of paying attention to the story.

I also decided that a young Julia Roberts should have played Katherine in a movie from the description of her.

i am in the middle of chapter 6 and the pace is still slow but I am plowing through it. It gets better when she arrives at Windsor Castle. Plus the chapters feel so long.

I keep thinking of Christina Hendricks as Katherine as I'm reading...probably because of the chin cleft and red hair, lol.

She is a looker isn't she?

I had to go look Hendricks up, but yeah, she would work, too. I think I've only seen her on Mad Men.

Just finished Chapter 5. SO GOOD! I wonder if that really happened that way. Swoon.

The writing is very cinematic. You really get a sense of what these different places looked like and smelled like. It's all very vivid. It's nice that the main character is seeing this all for the first time, kind of like the reader is. There are no preconceptions, so we're just riding the wave along with Katherine.

so you got to the part where Katherine was just married, Toni. I am at chapter 8.

I am on p119. Does anyone else think Lady Nichola Swynford is whacked?