More juvenile fiction...

When we attended AASL and TLA, we picked up dozens of advance reading copies...and that's what all of these are except for The Black Book of Secrets (but it was a freebie, too!)

The Calder Game is the third book in the series by Blue Balliett. Fast reading-- Great opportunities for introducing kids to art, pentominoes, mazes, mobiles!

Written from the point of view of Monna Elizabeth or Mona Lisa as the youngest Medici son called her---Napoli is known for her historical novels that are quick immersions into specific time periods. Great coming of age novel as the young Elizabeth falls in love, experiences heartache, and sees political changes in Florence. Loved the way Napoli weaves in how the famous portrait came to be painted!

F. E. Higgins is a new author for me....and I love his books! Kids will eat this up....very fast paced...lots of tension and excitement....dark and dreary at times, but never in a plodding, hopeless way.

Update on reading....

I'm having a real love/hate relationship with the main character of this book!! At times I really dislike her and think she is incredibly stupid!! Then something happens and I think she is going to turn her life around and live sensibly and make good choices....but she just can't seem to help herself so far because she is so wildly crazy about Lord Carlton!

So...I tend to get caught up in specific time periods or genres....after having finished 2,046 pages with the Alice, the Duchess of Tamworth and family during the English Restoration Period...now I'm in a 976 page magnum opus about Amber St. Clare set in London just as Charles II returns to the throne in 1660....still in the Restoration period and featuring most of the same historical figures.

Charles II had been exiled and wandering around in France, Spain, and Italy for the past 10 years while Oliver Cromwell ruled. There was religious division between Catholics, Protestants, and Puritans. People were moving to America. Novels became popular.

Charles II married Catherine of Braganza (Portugal) [she is credited with introducing the custom of drinking tea] and they had no children together (she had at least 2 miscarriages). Charles did have his mistresses tho---Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Castlemaine, Louise, Duchess of Portsmouth, Moll Davis, a singer and actress, Lucy Walter, a Welchwoman who was the motherof his first child, and Nell Gwynn who really had the "rags-to-riches" story. Nell started out as a common orange seller and eventually became an actress which led to her becoming the King's favorite mistress! Charles II had 14-17 children with 15+ mistresses!!

After I finish this book, I'm going to read Speaks the Nightbird and Queen of Bedlam, both by Robert McCammon, set in America from 1699-1703 ....then I'm on to some Gilded Age mysteries and putting the Restoration Period to "rest" (pun intended! lol).

An English family saga...

If you want to immerse yourself in a family saga that has love, betrayal, court intrigue, wantoness, death, twists and turns galore---all steeped in historical happings of the late 1600's in England and France---this series if for you!

These books are 500-700+ pages in length, so it has literally taken me over a month to get through them (been busy time--no time to read except at bedtime for a bit). I feel like I've had quite the escape with these books!

Innocence in Oklahoma...

I know we all tease when one of us picks up an "airport" read, but I have to admit that "The Innocent Man" (John Grisham's non-fiction based on the murder trials in Ada, Oklahoma) has been a page-turning, horrifying account of what these men went through due to outrageous trial mistakes.
11 years in prison!! 11 years!!
Its amazing that this was happening in my backyard in good 'ole Ada from the time I was two until I graduated high school. Nuts.
I recommend it-- not flowery at all, just giving the facts, and yet I can't put it down. (Be prepared to get very angry...)

Duchess: a novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott

I got this book for a steal at Half-Price Books for a dollar!! It was very interesting following the life of Sarah and John Churchill the great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother of Winston Churchill.

She lived during the late 1600's and into the 1700's and was a great friend to Queen Anne.

She (and her husband) have an interesting story because they were both "common-born" and through nothing but sheer will and wit they work their way up out of the caste system (he was a soldier and she started by being a Lady of the Bedchamber). They eventually become the Duke & Duchess of Marlbourough. Very interesting historical reading, I liked her character and how she was constantly working for her family and 'for England'.

Also, can ya'll make posts now? Has anyone tried? Maybe I need to submit a complaint or something to Blogger??