Backlist Fiction/Nonfiction Mini-Reviews: The Tudor Edition

The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo (2013)

In The Creation of Anne Boleyn, Susan Bordo takes a look at both primary sources and more contemporary fictional accounts to reconstruct the life of Anne Boleyn and investigate why we think about her the way we do.

It was interesting to learn how few sources remain from Anne's time, as apparently Henry tried to completely erase all traces of her after the execution.  A lot of what we "know" about Anne comes from letters written by the Spanish ambassador at the time, and as he hated Anne, the source isn't terrible reliable.  I also never realized how many books and movies have been written and made about Anne over the years - I only really know about more recent ones, so that was enlightening.  She has had quite the appeal for a long time!

I felt like the author wasn't the most objective in her writing sometimes - she pretty much bashes both Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir (both favorite Tudor-era historical fiction authors of mine, and also nonfiction for Weir).  And she seemed pretty obsessed with Natalie Dormer's portrayal of Anne in the TV show The Tudors - now, I love that show, but it's not perfect by any means!  Overall, the book was a sometimes intriguing look at the truth and myths surrounding Anne Boleyn.  3 stars

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All by Various Authors (2018)

Seven YA authors tell the story of Henry VIII and his six wives.  I'm a huge Tudor fan, so I'll read pretty much anything related to this era.  When I came across this collection of short stories, I was intrigued! I liked that a different author tackled each wife; it gave them all a unique voice.  I also enjoyed that there was a chapter for Henry after each short story, with his thoughts on each woman or his justification for doing what he did to them.

As someone who has read extensively, both fiction and nonfiction, on these historical figures, this book didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.  Since each story was only about 50 pages, they really just hit the highlights of each wife's time with Henry.  It was definitely geared more towards a YA audience, and while I appreciate that the authors did some research, sometimes it felt like the characters were regurgitating facts directly from the sources.

Anne Boleyn, for me, is the most intriguing of Henry's wives, yet I didn't particularly care for her story in this collection.  She seemed very watered down; kind of a mean girl but also kind of innocent at the same time.  I actually enjoyed the stories about Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Katheryn Parr the best, as I probably know less about them than the first three wives.  Anne of Cleves' story was particularly interesting, told in flashbacks as she is near the end of her life, visited by the ghosts of her past.  3.5 stars

Can't-Wait Wednesday: One Night at the Lake

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

One Night at the Lake
Bethany Chase
Expected publication date: June 18, 2019

A tragedy on a hot summer night at a lake house forever alters the lives of two best friends—and the man they both love. But the truth isn’t as simple as it appears in this intricate novel of love, friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness in the tradition of Miranda Beverly-Whittemore’s Bittersweet.

Leah Tessaro has been waiting for this moment for a long time: Her boyfriend, Ollie, is taking her to his family’s home on Seneca Lake for a week of lazy summer bliss, boating, and barbeque. The couple has been together for four years, and Leah is convinced that Ollie is finally going to pop the question. And Leah can’t wait to share the joyous news with her best friend, June Kang, who is joining them on their getaway, and whose presence will make everything feel more real.

Seven years later, the moment June has been dreading has finally arrived: Her fiancé, Ollie, is taking her to his family’s lake house. But this is not an ordinary visit to an ordinary place; it is a house haunted by June’s long-buried memories of her lost friend, Leah—and the connection that appears to remain between Leah and the man for whom June’s love is as deep as her sense of foreboding.

Alternating between the two women’s vibrant voices, One Night at the Lake is a gripping novel that explores a complex tangle of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal, all driving toward one question: What exactly happened to Leah on that hot summer night? - from Goodreads

I read Bethany Chase's previous books last year and really enjoyed them, so I was glad to see she finally had another one coming out!

Top Ten Tuesday: A Decade of Favorites

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our favorite books of the last 10 years.  It was so hard to narrow it down to one book for each year, but here goes!

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

Try It, You Might Like It #9: Cookbooks

"Try it, you might like it" - it's what someone says when they present you with some food you've never had before or your mom wants you to try on some clothes she picked out for you.  I'm using it here on the blog as inspiration to choose books in genres I don't normally read; to branch out from my reading comfort zones; and to maybe find some new favorites!  I haven't done this feature in over a year (!), but one of my goals this year was to bring it back, so here we go!

Much to my mother's dismay, I am a pretty terrible cook.  She is a wonderful cook and baker, but no matter how many times she's tried to teach me, I've just never gotten the hang of cooking.  I have a few tried-and-true recipes, but luckily, I snagged a husband that is not only an awesome cook, but who actually enjoys the process.  However, there's still a part of me that longs to be a boss in the kitchen, so I picked up Chrissy Teigen's Cravings: Hungry for More to check out some recipes.

I picked Chrissy's cookbook because, well, it's Chrissy.  She's fun and funny, and I find it so refreshing that she's a model who doesn't hide the fact that she loves to eat.  This is her second cookbook and it promised quick recipes with fewer ingredients (ostensibly for busy parents, but also good for people who have little confidence in the kitchen!).

There are about 100 recipes in this book, and they run the gamut - breakfast dishes, salads, soups, dinners, Thai-inspired recipes, some desserts, even a section called "Potatoes & Their Friends"! I liked the large variety, but there were some I skipped over automatically (anything with fish, really, as my husband is allergic to shellfish and doesn't particularly like the types of fish he can eat).  Although the recipes occasionally called for cookware we don't own, I thought most of the methods were pretty do-able.  The ingredients weren't too outrageous, as well - a pet peeve of mine is recipes that call for expensive or hard-to-find ingredients, especially where you have to buy a ton just for a small amount in the recipe.  The blurb promised quick dishes, but I found that A LOT of them took more than 40 minutes, and there were some that would take a couple hours!  That's not practical for me.

I enjoyed reading Chrissy's little blurbs at the beginning of each recipe, either with her feelings towards the dish or some memory associated with it or the inspiration behind it, and I've definitely copied a couple recipes that I would love to try in the future.  I don't think I'll be reading more cookbooks any time soon, though, especially considering I have an entire Pinterest board of recipes I've saved and have yet to try!

Do you like to cook?  Do you have any go-to cookbooks?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Time After Time

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Time After Time
Lisa Grunwald
Expected publication date: June 11, 2019

A magical love story, inspired by the legend of a woman who vanished from Grand Central Terminal, sweeps readers from the 1920s to World War II and beyond, in the spirit of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, an aspiring artist and fiercely independent, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

Delving into Grand Central Terminal’s rich past, Lisa Grunwald crafts a masterful historical novel about a love affair that defies age, class, place, and even time. - from Goodreads

I love time travel stories, especially ones that involve romance, and the iconic location of Grand Central Terminal sounds perfect!

Down The TBR Hole #2

Time for another round of Down the TBR Hole!  This is a feature created by Lost in a Story.  So how does it work?

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

The Gilded Wolves by Roshni Chokshi

When I first heard about this book, I was super-excited for it.  Since then, I've seen a lot of great reviews, but I'm just not really into fantasy right now at all and the whole synopsis is confusing me.  Pass!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkin Reid

I don't even need to think twice about this one, definitely keeping it!  It's TJR!

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett

This is the third book in a historical fiction series I've been enjoying about a cathedral in England.  I read the first book in college, so this is a long time coming!  Even though this book is close to 1000 pages and I'm not sure when I'll get to it, I'm keeping this one!

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

This book tells the love story between C.S. Lewis (author of the Narnia series) and his wife, Joy.  The love story interests me, although part of me is worried that there will be a lot of religious talk in the book.  Keeping - for now.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

A husband and wife look to add some spice to their somewhat-boring lives by planning murders - this just sounds too fun to get rid of!  Keeping this one!

Have you read any of these?

 

Review: When You Read This

When You Read This
Mary Adkins
Published February 5, 2019

For fans of Maria Semple and Rainbow Rowell, a comedy-drama for the digital age: an epistolary debut novel about the ties that bind and break our hearts.

Iris Massey is gone. But she’s left something behind.

For four years, Iris Massey worked side by side with PR maven Smith Simonyi, helping clients perfect their brands. But Iris has died, taken by terminal illness at only thirty-three. Adrift without his friend and colleague, Smith is surprised to discover that in her last six months, Iris created a blog filled with sharp and often funny musings on the end of a life not quite fulfilled. She also made one final request: for Smith to get her posts published as a book. With the help of his charmingly eager, if overbearingly forthright, new intern Carl, Smith tackles the task of fulfilling Iris’s last wish.

Before he can do so, though, he must get the approval of Iris’ big sister Jade, an haute cuisine chef who’s been knocked sideways by her loss. Each carrying their own baggage, Smith and Jade end up on a collision course with their own unresolved pasts and with each other.

Told in a series of e-mails, blog posts, online therapy submissions, text messages, legal correspondence, home-rental bookings, and other snippets of our virtual lives, When You Read This is a deft, captivating romantic comedy—funny, tragic, surprising, and bittersweet—that candidly reveals how we find new beginnings after loss. - from Goodreads

This book wasn't what I expected, and it bummed me out! I've read and enjoyed books before that feature characters suffering from terminal illnesses (and they can be quite uplifting, ironically), but unfortunately, When You Read This was full of unlikable characters and a depressing tone.  The blurb states it's a romantic comedy, but I got neither of those things.

Smith, Iris' colleague, and Jade, Iris' sister, are the two major players in the story.  After Smith's intern, Carl, finds a print-out of Iris' blog in her old desk with a note asking Smith to get it published after her death, Smith begins reaching out to different publishing avenues while also trying to get Jade on board.  Smith seems like a nice guy, I guess, but he's also got some major personal issues and can be quite unethical in his professional life.  Jade came across cold, rude, and hypocritical - she randomly decides to honor Iris' dream of opening a bakery, something she never even knew Iris wanted until after she died, yet she is so against publishing the blog entries, which Iris expressly stated her desire for.  I thought the "romance" (and I put this in quotes because it hardly came through) between Smith and Jade felt forced, and there were more sparks between Iris and the man she was dating just before she passed away.

At the risk of sounding callous, I also didn't really understand Iris' motivation in wanting to get the blog published.  I appreciate that she wanted to express herself, but to me the posts were kind of confusing/didn't have a clear message/didn't say anything profound.  I don't know, maybe I just didn't get it, but I don't feel like I got to know Iris that well.

There were a couple things I liked.  I enjoyed the epistolary nature of the story - the blog posts, emails, texts.  It's a very modern and creative way of telling a story.  It lets different avenues inform us about the characters, but at the same time, it can feel too surface-y.  Even though I hated Carl the intern, he was also the only character that made me almost laugh, simply because he was so obnoxious and unprofessional. The book was also a super-quick read; I flew through it in just a few hours on a rainy Sunday.  Overall, though, I just didn't feel good reading this book.

2.5 stars