“The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown is a predictable adventure. Twists and turns that make you scratch your head but still hold your interest enough to want see where it all ends. And as in his previous book, “The Da Vinci Code,” there’s enough intriguing details to investigate further once you put the book down.
What did you think? Leave us a comment and let us know!
--Alana F.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
More Historical Intrigue
What began as just another Showtime series soon became my obsession.
Life in Tudor England and especially the court of Henry VIII caught my attention not only for the main character Jonathan Ryes Myers but also the subject line that followed.
I knew it would be a fictional tale with liberties taken in the plot but soon it proved to be an interesting adaptation of this time in history.
Because of this Showtime series I found myself reading books, some fiction others nonfiction, in an attempt to sort out the true facts from the surreal; what follows are a list of books I found myself reading in a futile attempt to unravel the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
By: Alison Weir
The author uses many public records and personal letters of the early 1500's to offer a comprehensive version of the tempestuous private and public lives of Henry VIII and his six wives.
In Triumph's Wake: Royal Mothers, Tragic Daughters, and the Price They Paid for Glory
By: Julia P. Gelardi
Historian Gelardi focuses on the fates of three pairs of royal mothers and daughters: Isabella of Castile and Catherine of Aragon, Maria Theresa and Marie Antoinette, and Queen Victoria and Empress Frederick.
The Constant Princess
By: Philippa Gregory
As youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill her destiny as queen of England but things do not turn out as planned, in this dramatization it shows how Catalina uses her faith, her cunning and her utter belief in destiny to reclaim her rightful title after the death of Price Arthur.
Mademoiselle Boleyn
By: Robin Maxwell
A look at the future queen of England before Henry VIII comes into her life.
Anne Boleyn; A new Life of England’s Tragic Queen
By: Denny, Joanna
For a change of pace read about the true life and tragedy associated with the life of Anne Boleyn.
The Other Boleyn Girl
Starring: Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson
DVD 2008
This is a tale of two sisters competing for the same king. This movie version uses some historical but mostly fictional details to weave an interesting and entertaining story.
The Last Wife of Henry VIII
By Carolly Erickson
In this first-person account of the life of Catherine Parr, who survived marriage to the dangerous and mercurial Henry Tudor, is arguably his most interesting bride. Cultured, well-educated and beautiful, "Cat" catches Henry's eye as a young girl and benefits and suffers from his favor all her life but in the end, gets everything she wants.
The Children of Henry VIII
By: Alison Weir
The tragedy of four accidental rivals to a throne, three of them children by different mothers of a much married king does not lose any of its drama by frequent retelling. Along with the royal siblings the doomed Lady Jane Grey is included.
Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey
By: Alison Weir
Lady Jane Grey (1537–1554), whose ascension to the English throne was briefly and unluckily. Jane's parents groomed her from infancy to be the perfect consort for Henry's son, Prince Edward. When Edward dies, Lord and Lady Dorset maneuver the throne for their 16-year-old daughter. Using multiple narrators, Weir weaves a conspiratorial web with Jane caught at the center.
The Lady Elizabeth
By Alison Weir
The tale chronicles the life of Elizabeth I from her early childhood to her coronation, through the final years of her father, Henry VIII, and the brief reigns of her siblings, Edward VI and Queen Mary.
The Mistresses of Henry VIII
By: Kelly Hart
This is a behind the scenes look at the many other women in King Henry VIII’s life.
I find myself anxiously awaiting the start of season four of Showtime’s “The Tudors” and reading, not only about the wives and children, but the many other fascinating people during this time period.
--Lois
Life in Tudor England and especially the court of Henry VIII caught my attention not only for the main character Jonathan Ryes Myers but also the subject line that followed.
I knew it would be a fictional tale with liberties taken in the plot but soon it proved to be an interesting adaptation of this time in history.
Because of this Showtime series I found myself reading books, some fiction others nonfiction, in an attempt to sort out the true facts from the surreal; what follows are a list of books I found myself reading in a futile attempt to unravel the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
By: Alison Weir
The author uses many public records and personal letters of the early 1500's to offer a comprehensive version of the tempestuous private and public lives of Henry VIII and his six wives.
In Triumph's Wake: Royal Mothers, Tragic Daughters, and the Price They Paid for Glory
By: Julia P. Gelardi
Historian Gelardi focuses on the fates of three pairs of royal mothers and daughters: Isabella of Castile and Catherine of Aragon, Maria Theresa and Marie Antoinette, and Queen Victoria and Empress Frederick.
The Constant Princess
By: Philippa Gregory
As youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill her destiny as queen of England but things do not turn out as planned, in this dramatization it shows how Catalina uses her faith, her cunning and her utter belief in destiny to reclaim her rightful title after the death of Price Arthur.
Mademoiselle Boleyn
By: Robin Maxwell
A look at the future queen of England before Henry VIII comes into her life.
Anne Boleyn; A new Life of England’s Tragic Queen
By: Denny, Joanna
For a change of pace read about the true life and tragedy associated with the life of Anne Boleyn.
The Other Boleyn Girl
Starring: Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson
DVD 2008
This is a tale of two sisters competing for the same king. This movie version uses some historical but mostly fictional details to weave an interesting and entertaining story.
The Last Wife of Henry VIII
By Carolly Erickson
In this first-person account of the life of Catherine Parr, who survived marriage to the dangerous and mercurial Henry Tudor, is arguably his most interesting bride. Cultured, well-educated and beautiful, "Cat" catches Henry's eye as a young girl and benefits and suffers from his favor all her life but in the end, gets everything she wants.
The Children of Henry VIII
By: Alison Weir
The tragedy of four accidental rivals to a throne, three of them children by different mothers of a much married king does not lose any of its drama by frequent retelling. Along with the royal siblings the doomed Lady Jane Grey is included.
Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey
By: Alison Weir
Lady Jane Grey (1537–1554), whose ascension to the English throne was briefly and unluckily. Jane's parents groomed her from infancy to be the perfect consort for Henry's son, Prince Edward. When Edward dies, Lord and Lady Dorset maneuver the throne for their 16-year-old daughter. Using multiple narrators, Weir weaves a conspiratorial web with Jane caught at the center.
The Lady Elizabeth
By Alison Weir
The tale chronicles the life of Elizabeth I from her early childhood to her coronation, through the final years of her father, Henry VIII, and the brief reigns of her siblings, Edward VI and Queen Mary.
The Mistresses of Henry VIII
By: Kelly Hart
This is a behind the scenes look at the many other women in King Henry VIII’s life.
I find myself anxiously awaiting the start of season four of Showtime’s “The Tudors” and reading, not only about the wives and children, but the many other fascinating people during this time period.
--Lois
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)