Book Blogger Hop (16) + Follow Friday

It's finally the weekend, which means time for another hop! Hosted by the lovely Crazy-For-Books.

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite 'banned or frequently challenged' book?

I would definitely have to say my favorite 'banned or frequently challenged' book would be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I absolutely adore this novel; it's one of the greatest books ever written, in my opinion. To ban it is just a shame.

What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like to cast as your favorite characters?

I would really like to see L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack series up on the big screen. These books are just such a romp! Jacky, the heroine of the story (also London street urchin turned pirate), is so well written, and I think if Hollywood found the right lead, she would translate so well on the screen! For the younger Jacky, I'd like to see maybe a really nitty-gritty sans-cute Dakota Fanning, and I think as she ages, Emma Watson would be able to pull Jacky off. (Or maybe even Jenna Malone?? But she's a bit old.)

-To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
-(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
-(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - The Bookaholic
-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
-If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Friday!

Teaser Tuesdays (12)

Happy Tuesday everyone! This week's teasers come from Robert Hick's Widow of the South, a novel of the American Civil War.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"So many years had passed since I had first gone to sleep at Carnton. The house had collapsed into itself. Like me, I thought without surprise." (79)

--The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles

GENRE

Historical Fiction (618 pgs.)

SYNOPSIS

Publicly declared a bastard at the age of three, daughter of a disgraced and executed mother, last in the line of succession to the throne of England, Elizabeth I inherited an England ravaged by bloody religious conflict, at war with Spain and France, and badly in debt. When she died in 1603, after a forty-five year reign, her empire spanned two continents and was united under one church, victorious in war, and blessed with an overflowing treasury. What's more, her favorites--William Shakespeare, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Walter Raleigh--had made the Elizabethan era a cultural golden age still remembered today.

But for Elizabeth the woman, tragedy went hand in hand with triumph. Politics and scandal forced the passionate queen to reject her true love, Robert Dudley, and to execute his stepson, her much-adored Lord Essex. By turns imperious, brilliant, calculating, vain, and witty, this is the Elizabeth the world never knew. From the days of her brutal father, Henry VIII, to her final dying moments, Elizabeth tells her story in her own words.

MY REVIEW

Elizabeth I is quite possibly my favorite historical figure of English history. I adore and respect this powerful woman who brought the world to her feet in a time when women were extremely undervalued. If there was ever a school project to do on a famous historical person, I always chose Queen Elizabeth I.

Because she is such the famous Queen of England, there are many interpretations of her that exist today. Rosalind Miles did an excellent job of blending all of these different personas to create a person out of all of the history; a living, breathing human being.

The historical accuracy of this novel is very good. So good, in fact, that I found myself scrambling to keep track of all of the characters! I enjoyed the fact that Rosalind Miles managed to give the reader a great sense of historical presence without having to slap on paragraphs and paragraphs of lengthy description, which can really become too overwhelming at times.

Rosalind Miles succeeded in capturing the art of historical fiction: crafting a driving, engaging story out of pre-determined events. Some authors err on the side of history, and make their stories too textbooky; others err on the side of fiction, making their story too unbelievable. But Rosalind Miles managed to capture the best of both worlds.

I also enjoyed the fact that Miles was able to blend two distinct personas of Elizabeth I: the Queen, and the woman. Even though Elizabeth I is famed for her wise and powerful rule of England, history tends to turn a blind eye to the woman behind the Queen. Because like any other woman, or human for that matter, she would have had her faults. This novel was a refreshing reminder of the person that Elizabeth I truly was... and even she could not escape her biggest downfall: her own heart.

This novel, albeit a very hefty 600+ pages, was a journey; a journey with Queen Elizabeth I. It is truly a window into her mind, her heart, and her soul, and I am glad to have read it.

MY RATING

4.5****/*

Book #11 in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (22)

Greetings everyone, hope you are all doing well! Happy Monday!

Yes, I'm still plugging through I, Elizabeth. Even with voracious hours of reading, it doesn't seem like I'm making much progress. Have you ever had that happen? I guess I just have to remember that it's about the 600+ page journey, not the destination.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey in which we bloggers share what we have read in the past week, and what we're currently tearing through this week.

Last Week I Read

I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles

Currently I'm Reading

I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles

Book Blogger Hop (15) + Follow Friday

It's finally the weekend, which means time for another hop! Hosted by the lovely Crazy-For-Books.

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

This week's question from Lori:

Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?

Oh my goodness. If authors stopped writing historical fiction, I would definitely take up writing it for myself, I love it that much. But as a back-up, I would probably start reading the classics and maybe some fantasy?? That's the closest genre to historical fiction I can think of.

Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story?If so, which one??

Oh man, talk about bringing out my dark side! Hmmm... I definitely think I would have wanted Cesare and Sancha of Aragon to have ended up together at the end of The Borgia Bride. They shared such undeniable passion between them! But Cesare's I-seek-world-domination-at-any-cost & if-you-don't-get-out-of-my-way-I'll-kill-you attitude got the better of them. I guess I've just got a bad case of bad boy syndrome... I kept thinking if they ended up together, Sancha could have kept his rage at bay. But I guess it was just too good to be true...

-To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
-(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
-(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - Jennie Elyse & Caught in the Pages
-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
-If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Friday!

Unexpected Endings: The Bad Medicine of the Literary World

Hello everyone! I thought today I would mix it up a little bit. Instead of a review or a haul or something of that nature, I thought I would share what's on my mind this week concerning all things literary. Just to keep you all on your toes.

So. This week had me thinking about unexpected endings. You know, when you're reading a book and the ending is completely the opposite from what you had planned out in your head.

I've found that nowadays, I see more and more authors going out of their way to make the endings to their story unexpected, for originality's sake. Just looking at my library now, I can spot quite a few examples of the unexpected ending. For me, this can be a good or bad thing.

Enter bad medicine. I thought this would fit the description of the unexpected ending perfectly. For instance, you read a book you absolutely love and the ending totally bashes your expectations. You rage, you fume, you throw your book at a wall (oops). But after you settle down and think about it, you realize that your unexpected ending was actually the right one. You realize that the ending was fresh and original, and it keeps you on your "literary" toes. Just like bad medicine. You hate the taste of that awful medicine; you gag, you cough, but in the end, it does you good.

But there is a darker side to this tale ladies and gents. There is the time when authors purposely change their ending to make it seem "unique." They'll kill off a main character for no apparent reason, or throw a huge setback in to avoid the cliched "happy ever after." That's when I have a problem.

Anywho, that's what's been turning the cogs upstairs. Your thoughts?

Book Haul: Borders

Alright, so I lied. I've been to my local Border's twice since my tragic post a few weeks ago ("what is probably my last time at Border's"... yeah right! I'll probably be there the last day until they kick me out). I just couldn't pass up the deals... at my store they're up to 70% off fiction. I made out of there like a bandit! 5 books for $20! Yes, $20! Really, I felt like I was stealing.

Anyways, here's my fantasticly-cheap haul. Enjoy!

Dearest Cousin Jane by Jill Pitkeathley

Drawing on historical fact, Jill Pitkeathley paints a luminous portrait of Jane Austen's free-spirited and seductive cousin, Countess Eliza de Feuillide - from her flirtatious younger years to her great influence on one of the world's favourite authors. Speculated to have been born from a love affair between her mother and the great Warren Hastings, founder of the East India Company and the British Raj, Eliza was a precocious young woman and well-known flirt. Educated in England and France, she went on to marry a French count, Jean de Feuillide, and bear one son with him, who died before reaching adulthood. She later suffered the loss of her husband when Madame la Guillotine claimed him during the early days of the French Revolution. Eliza was close to the Austen family throughout her days, and flirted with both of Jane's brothers profusely, encouraging both men to propose to her upon the death of her husband. She eventually accepted Jane's favourite brother Henry, bringing glamour and excitement on her visits to the Austen's country parsonage in England. With chapters in the voices of Jane, Jane's sister Cassandra, and other family members including Jane's love-sick brothers, Pitkeathley reveals Countess Eliza's influence on one of the world's best loved novelists - and that it is indeed high time her story is told.

Charlotte and Emily: A Novel of the Brontës by Jude Morgan

From an obscure country parsonage came the most extraordinary family of the nineteenth century. The Brontë sisters created a world in which we still live - the intense, passionate world of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights; and the phenomenon of this strange explosion of genius remains as baffling now as it was to their Victorian contemporaries. In this panoramic novel we see with new insight the members of a uniquely close-knit family whose tight bonds are the instruments of both triumph and tragedy. Emily, the solitary who turns from the world to the greater temptations of the imagination: Anne, gentle and loyal, under whose quietude lies the harshest perception of the stifling life forced upon her: Branwell, the mercurial and self-destructive brother, meant to be king, unable to be a prince: and the brilliant, uncompromising, tormented Charlotte, longing for both love and independence, who establishes the family's name and learns its price.

O, Juliet by Robin Maxwell

Before Juliet Capelletti lie two futures: a traditionally loveless marriage to her father's business partner, or the fulfillment of her poetic dreams, inspired by the great Dante. Unlike her beloved friend Lucrezia, who looks forward to her arranged marriage, Juliet has a wild, romantic imagination that knows not the bounds of her great family's stalwart keep.
The latter path is hers for the taking when Juliet meets Romeo Monticecco, a soulful young man seeking peace between their warring families. A dreamer himself, Romeo is unstoppable, once he determines to capture the heart of the remarkable woman foretold in his stars. The breathless intrigue that ensues is the stuff of beloved legend. But those familiar with Shakespeare's muse know only half the story...

Ransom My Heart by Meg Cabot

He's a tall, handsome knight with a secret. She's an adventurous beauty with more than a few secrets of her own. Finnula needs money for her sister's dowry, and fast. Hugo Fitzstephen, returning home to England from the Crusades with saddlebags of jewels, has money, and lots of it. What could be simpler than to kidnap him and hold him for ransom?

Well, for starters, Finnula could make the terrible mistake of falling in love with her hostage.

Queen Defiant by Anne O'Brien

Orphaned at a young age, Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, seeks a strong husband to keep her hold on the vast lands that have made her the most powerful heiress in Europe. But her arranged marriage to Louis VII, King of France, is made disastrous by Louis's weakness of will and fanatical devotion to the Church. Eleanor defies her husband by risking her life on an adventurous Crusade, and even challenges the Pope himself. And in young, brilliant, mercurial Henry d'Anjou, she finds her soul mate-the one man who is audacious enough to claim her for his own and make her Queen of England.

Teaser Tuesdays (11)

Happy Tuesday everyone! This week's teasers come from Rosalind Miles' I, Elizabeth, the epic story of Queen Elizabeth I as told from her own perspective.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"A bliss so bright it seared like a flame passed through me. I saw my past and future becoming one that hour, and all my present moments stretching out into eternity. I saw my father and my mother, and I yearned for her that instant as I had never yearned in all my life." (279)

--I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (21)

Greetings everyone, hope you are all doing well! Happy Monday, and for those of you in the US, Happy Labor Day!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey in which we bloggers share what we have read in the past week, and what we're currently tearing through this week.

Last Week I Read

The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis (Check out my review here!)

Currently I'm Reading

I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles

Book Blogger Hop (14) + Follow Friday

It's finally the weekend, which means time for another hop! Hosted by the lovely Crazy-For-Books.

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

This week's question:

What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)

Hmmm... I think the things I am most looking forward to would be me turning 18 (yay!) in October, and the start of the holiday season, especially Halloween. Over the years, Halloween has become my all-time favorite holiday. I just love the darkness and the macabre sense of it, and even the "ghostly romance" side of it, if there is such a thing.

I absolutely love the holiday season because I get to unpack my party-planning self! I don't know... to me, there's something so exciting about planning Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, and I always look forward to trying something new every year.

Thoughts?

Q: If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? Why and to what?

Oh, this is a toughy. Well, I think my #1 revised ending would be Twilight. (SPOILERS AHEAD) I absolutely abhorred the ending Stephenie Meyer wrote. I mean it really ticked me off. The whole Bella getting pregnant thing was just too weird and unbelievable. It really took away from Edward & Bella's story.

I just remembered another one. Anna Godbersen's Splendor, part of The Luxe series. (ONCE AGAIN, SPOILERS AHEAD) I really, really wish Diana had ended up with Henry, and not run away from him to Europe. She could at least have taken him with her, and they make a new name for themselves in a different country. I just thought her leaving Henry wasn't true to Diana's strong character.

-To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
-(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
-(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - Jennie Elyse & Caught in the Pages
-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
-If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Friday!