Showing posts with label Books Read in 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books Read in 2009. Show all posts

Monday, December 28, 2009

Her Mother's Daughter: A Novel of Queen Mary Tudor by Julianne Lee

 
Mary Tudor had a very hard life as a child.  First she was the object of her father's, King Henry VIII affection.  Then cast out as a illegitimate child with her mother Catherine of Aragon.  She went from Princess to Lady and was to be re-trained to accept her new rank and the new religion. 
When Henry married Jane, Mary was finally returned to the Castle and reunited with her father but still as a Lady not a princess.  Before his death, Henry VIII reinstated Mary as princess and was to be queen in the event that her half brother Edward VI died.  Edward carried forth the new religion at the bidding of his counsel and the practice of Catholicism was outlawed, even for Mary.
Mary defied this order however and was threatened by Edwards council.  The threats turned out empty and eventually, when the ailing Edward died, she became Queen Mary.  She vowed to return England to the old faith. 
Today, Queen Mary is often referred to as Bloody Mary because of all the burnings of so called heretics in her land.  Julianne Lee wrote this book in an attempt to humanize Mary and show her point of view.  She succeeded in this.  She brought Mary to life.  We got to see how hard her up bring was and her continued devotion to her faith even when her life was threatened for it. 
The opening of the story was some modern day children at a slumber party.  One of the kids is dared to stare into a mirror and repeat the words "bloody Mary".  This summons Mary and she recalls her life in flashback fashion.  Each chapter begins with her narration and the falls into third person narration.  This technique worked for me but I didn't care for the modern day slumber party scene.  It made me think of a "B" movie from the 10970's.  LOL!
Julianne Lee also focuses on Mary's devote religious beliefs which was important to the story but seemed to drag on a bit for me.  I got the point, now let's move on a bit.  That said, most of the parts of this novel were first rate.  Lee succeeds in bring Queen Mary Tudor to life and gains some of the reader's sympathy for her.
This is the first book by Julianne Lee that I have read but I am interested in reading more by her.

3.5/5
Thanks to Kaitlyn Kennedy of Penguin Books, USA for a copy of this book.
Also reviewed by:
The Burton Review

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:48 PM 13 comments  

Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Bear Portraits by Jill Greenburg



Jill Greenburg usually takes photographs of famous celebrities.  However, she agreed to do several shoots for an Animal Planet Campain and decided to publish some of the photos.  First she published Monkey Portraits and now, Bear Portraits.

The book includes potraits of black , Kodiak, brown, a Russian brown, and a Polar bear.  The bears that she worked with were trained, so she was able to work up close to them.

Many of the portraits look more like painting than photographs.  They look like Greenburg was painting with her camera.  The shots are breathtaking and Greenburg captured emotions of the bears that looked human.  This is a stunning book, which I am proud to display prominently on my coffee table.

5/5

Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Books for this book.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 4:04 AM 5 comments  

Labels: ,

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The Walking People by Mary Beth Keane




In the 1950'sJohanna and her sister, Greta lived with their parents, Lily and Big Tom and their brothers in Ballyroan, Ireland. It was a very quiet little town, as many people from the town had immigrated to America. They lead a simple life of farming and fishing salmon. Joanna and Greta went to school while their brothers farmed with Big Tom. The family didn't think that Greta would really amount to much, she was quite awkward and they called her a goose. She stuck to Joanna like glue and rarely left her side.

One day a gypsy woman and her son, Michael came to their home looking for a handout. Johanna was drawn to Michael right away, wondering what it was like to roam the country side and not live in any one place.

Then, Johanna and Greta's father was shot for poaching salmon and died. It left the family without much means to survive. All except for one of the brothers, Little Tom went to Australia. They found work and send what money they could back home to help the family. Joanna then got the idea that her and Greta should also find work and they did in a nearby town, lying about their ages. They worked in a bed and breakfast however, there were very few customers and they were finally let go.

They ran into Michael every once in awhile and then one day, he showed up on their doorstep again. He was fascinated by the family and wondered what it would be like to live in a house. Lilly let him stay and he pitched in with chores and farming with Little Tom.

Johanna started sneaking out at night to visit Michael in the barn , where he slept. She wanted to convince him to go to America with her. She told Greta of the plan and she wanted to go too. Lily didn't know about it until Greta spilled the beans by purposely leaving a letter out from a family friend in America. Lily decided that it would be a good idea for both her girls to go with Michael to America and work for awhile. They could send some money home and eventually move back home to Ballyroan.

It was now the 1960's and Johanna, Greta, and Michael end up in New York. It is quite disconcerting at first, coming from such a small town with few people to the hustle and bustle of a big city. Also, soon after they arrive, Joanna discovers that she is pregnant from the nights she spent with Michael on the ship.

The Walking People is Mary Beth Keane's first novel. Though not perfect, I really enjoyed it. She wrote in beautiful prose about the people and landscape of Ballroan, Ireland. The character development was very strong and rang true for me. She effortlessly transitioned the story to America and captured the heart of 1960's New York. There is a lot more to the story but I don' want to risk giving away spoilers. I recommend this to historical fiction fans and lovers of the immigrant experience.

4/5

Also reviewed by:


If I missed your review, please leave the link in the comments.

I think Mary Beth Keane qualifys for Woman on Wednesdays (WOW).  Want to know about other excellent female authors or do you have any to share?  Go to West of Mars' Rocks 'n Reads every Wednesday and look for Susan's WOW post.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 7 comments  

Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick




Rachel, a young prostitute enjoys the peace and beauty of the city garden in Arles. She falls asleep there and when she awakes, she finds a man sketching her. He turns out to be none other than Vincent Van Gogh. After their first encounter, Vincent visits Rachel at her brothel, 1, Rue du Bout d'Arles. He comes with a bouquet of wild flowers in hopes of convincing Rachel to let him paint her. This is the start of their romantic relationship.

As Rachel's love for Vincent deepens, her friend from 1, Rue du Bout d'Arles, Francois warns her not to get pulled in. She questions Vincent's love for Rachel and worries that Rachel is being set up for disappointment and possible ruin. Yes ruin, Rachel could be thrown out of the brothel and it's protection and be out on the street.

Vincent does seem to love Rachel however , he is supported financially by his brother Theo and does not think that he or his family would approve of the relationship. As Rachel and Vincent's love deepens Vincent all of a sudden goes mad. He comes to the brothel to give Rachel "a gift", part of his ear that he cut off. Vincent ends up going into a hospital, where Rachel isn't able to see him very often. From then on he gets better for awhile and then relapse often. Eventually the mental illness Vincent suffers forces him to leave town to get better treatment. Will Rachel and Vincent's love endure this separation? Read the book and find out.

Sheramy Bundrick writes in first person narrative with Rachel being the narrator. I loved how Bundrick takes Rachel, a little known person and writes an entire book about her. Her beautiful prose describes Van Gogh's paintings so well that I could picture them in my head.

Bundrick weaves a good tale of romance between Rachel and Vincent but after awhile I found the relationship monotonous. Rachel seemed to have a lot of freedom to come and go from the brothel. She went where and when she wanted to go and I question how realistic this is. Some of the women in the brothel are written as either really good or really bad, hardly any in-between which, also seems unrealistic to me. I also would have liked to have had more of 1889 Aries to bring more of the historical into it.

Once Vincent's first bought with illness comes, I found that the book picked up and I especially enjoyed the last few chapters. If you love historical romance, you will probably enjoy this book.

3.5/5

Thanks to Sheramy Bundrick for sending me this book. Sheramy did a guest post back in August on my blog, here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:52 PM 6 comments  

Labels: , ,

Monday, October 19, 2009

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran



Have you ever wondered what happened to Cleopatra's children after her after her death? Michelle Moran tells us in her new engrossing novel.

Twins, Selene and Alexander were taken to Rome by Octavian after he took over Egypt. Rather than turning them into slaves, like he has with most of his other conquests, he takes them to his sister, Octavia's house. Where they receive a warm welcome by Octavia and her son, Marcellus. They are treated much like Marcellus and even go to school and activities with him and his betrothed, Octavian's daughter, Julia.

Rome is quite different than Egypt and it takes some time for the twins to adapt to the Roman way of life. Sometimes beautiful but equally brutal. Alexander loves to have fun and so does Marcellus. They enjoy carefree days of placing bets on chariot races and attending the theatre. While Selene cares more about architecture, learning, and dreaming of the day she can return to Egypt.

On their 15th birthday, the twins know things are about to change for them. They are to find out who Octavian has chosen for them to marry. Will he be cruel and make bad matches for them or will they find happiness?

Michelle Moran writes a sweeping novel of some of the beauty and severe brutality of Rome. It is apparent to me that she spent a lot of time researching for this book. She writes about famous Roman trials in the corrupt justice system and slavery, the Pantheon and other architectural wonders. Throughout the story she stays true to Rome. This is a book not to be missed by historical fiction fans!

5/5

Also reviewed by:


Thanks to Michelle Moran for sending me book.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:43 PM 12 comments  

Labels: , , ,

Friday, September 25, 2009

The Tudor Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York by Margaret Campbell Barnes



Elizabeth is daughter of Edward IV and niece to Richard III. When her father dies, it is her brother who is to take the crown. However, Richard III decides that the only one suitable to be King is himself. He sends both of Elizabeth's brothers to the tower to be held. Richard has his coronation and all of a sudden Elizabeth's brothers go missing and are presumed dead.

Many think that Richard III ordered their disposal . Now Elisabeth is the only living descendent to Edward IV and should be the rightful Queen. Elizabeth is horrified when Richard III proposes marriage to her. Not only is she convinced that he murdered her brothers but he is her uncle, after all!
There is much plotting and it is decided that she must marry Henry Tudor and that he must fight Richard III for the crown. The first attempt fails but eventually Richard III is killed and Henry Tudor becomes Henry VII. However, he doesn't hold up his end of the bargain to marry Elizabeth and give her a coronation to become queen of England. Eventually, due to public and private pressure he makes good and marries Elisabeth. However, he does not make her queen until after she has their first son.
The marriage itself, is loveless. Elizabeth has romantic notions that they would grow to love each other and have a passionate one. Henry doesn't seem to know what romance is and seems incapable of love. He couples with her only to produce heirs. Poor Elizabeth longs for more out of life.
This book was first published in 1953. Sourcebooks has re-published it and it is due out in the United States on October 1, 2009. I'm glad they did. Barnes has a way with words and I love some of her descriptions of the time and place. I must admit, that there are a few places that I would nod off to sleep while reading it. Some of the time that Elizabeth interacted with her mother seemed boring to me. It took me a good 50 pages to finally get drawn into the story.
That said, I am glad I stuck with it. I learned more about the period and really enjoyed it, once it got going. If you like historical fiction and are interested in this important period in English history, you will enjoy this book.
4/5

Posted by Teddy Rose at 4:55 AM 10 comments  

Labels: , , ,

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad




Norman Ollestad grew up on the beaches of Topanga Beach in California. His father, also Norman, or Senior Ollestad, taught him how to surf and ski at a very young age and expected him to excel in both. Much to Norman's horror, his father would take him off trail downhill skiing the were quite dangerous. No matter how many time he pleaded with his father not to take him on the treacherous hills and the largest waves, his father made him do it. Norman didn't have much choice and he did like making his father proud.


The memoir is told in alternating chapters, one chapter about his life growing up in a broken family and his adventures with his dad and then a chapter about the horrific plane crash he was in with his father and his father's girl friend Sandra.


Norman's parents divorced when he was quite young and he lived with his mom and her boyfriend, Nick. Nick was an alcoholic and was physically and mentally abusive to both Norman and his mother. His mother usually chose Nick over the well being of her son, despite his abuse.


Norman really wanted to be a "normal" kid, with normal parents. He didn't get to play with other kids very often because his father brought him all over to either practice or compete in sports. He was glad to be away from Nick during those times but also terrified of what hill or wave his father would make him concur next.


This book read very much like a novel. Norman Ollestad has a great talent for writing and I had trouble putting this book down. I do question how true some of his memories are. Many sounded exaggerated to me. I'm not convinced that Ollestad did this intentionally but maybe his memories of the events were bigger than the actual events. After all, he was only 11 years old when he was in the plane crash.


If you like memoirs or even adventure fiction, you are sure to enjoy this compelling book!


4.5/5


Also reviewed at:


At Home With Books
Bookfoolery and Babble
A Bookworm's World
Thoughts of Joy


Posted by Teddy Rose at 3:23 PM 17 comments  

Labels: , ,

Monday, September 7, 2009

Dragon House by John Shors


Iris Rhodes is a successful writer in Chicago. She has been trying to heal old wounds between her father and herself, as he lies dying in a hospital. Her father is a Vietnam vet and has been trying to fight his demons by working on a very important project. He is opening up a center for street children in Vietnam. It is one way he feels he can contribute to Vietnam's healing. Right before her father dies, Iris has made the decision to go to Vietnam to see her dad's project through to completion.


Iris decides to enlist the help of her childhood friend, Noah. He is a wounded veteran of the Iraq war and his leg has been amputated. Noah is finding it difficult to come to terms with what has happened to him and others in Iraq. His stump causes him a lot of pain, especially when his artificial leg is attached. He has turned to alcohol and pain medication to numb the pain and memories. Iris is hoping that the trip will help him come to terms with himself.


Qui is grandmother and caregiver to Tam, a beautiful little girl who is dying of Leukemia because Qui couldn't get the money to see a doctor. She finally does get the money but, the cancer has spread into the bones and there is no way to cure it. Qui carries Tam back and forth from their little shanty to the market everyday, where they sell books to scrounge up enough money to eat. Qui often goes without eating and gives Tam all the food, since there is so little.


The story also follows two street children. A little girl, Mai and her friend, a little boy, Minh. An opium addict, Loc cut off one of Minh hands to keep him "loyal". Minh plays Connect Four with tourists for a dollar a game. Mai and him must pay Loc $5.00 per day or pay the consequences. Often that means that they don't get to eat. They sleep together in a basket under a bridge. They want to escape the life that they are living.


Once Iris and Noah arrive at the Center, they meet a young woman, Thien. Thien has been helping Iris's father with the Center. The three of them quickly make friends and get to work. Noah works on making a playground for the kids to play. He hauls around heavy dirt and boards, which cause his stump great pain. He drinks while he works. Both Iris and Noah find inspiration from the poor Vietnamese people, which has profound effect.


Eventually the center is near completion and the first people to live there are Qui and Tam. I'm not going to say anymore due to spoilers. My keyboard is locked on that.


I was so excited when I received an email from John Shors asking if I would review his new book! He has also written two other books, Beneath a Marble Sky and Beside a Burning Sea. Both are historical fiction. I haven't read Beside a Burning Sea yet but I cannot recommend Beneath a Marble Sky highly enough! It is a must for historical fiction fans. I couldn't wait to read his new book.


This book is a departure from his other two books, as it is not historical fiction. It is however, a present day story that packs a punch! John Shors does a excellent job tying all of the stories of the different characters together. He weaves the story together like a beautiful tapestry. He makes a point about what life is like for the millions of street children living in Vietnam. He pulls at your heart strings and is not very subtle. I even felt a bit manipulated but the story works. There is a little something for everyone in this book, a budding romance, drama, and suspense. I recommend this book.


4/5


Mr. Shors is donating part of the proceeds of this novel to Blue Dragon Children's Fund. They work with street children in Vietnam and hope to open a center, like the one in the book.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:58 PM 9 comments  

Labels: , ,

Older Posts Home

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)