Hobbies and Crafts

I finished reading the Ghost Tree, I Liked it a lot although at times, because many of the characters were from real life, I had to stop and remind myself that it was not a non fiction book, it was a story woven around those characters. As usual for her books, very well researched and well written.

I am now reading The Moon Sister the next book in the series of the Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley. I have loved all the others, this one is over 700 pages long so a large book to hold.

Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen (2007)

This is a novel originally written on Danish.
It concerns homicide detective Carl Morck who is suffering from Survivors Syndrome. He escaped unscathed from an unprovoked shooting while one friend & colleague was killed & another paralysed from the neck down.

Although a brilliant detective, no one else will work with him. He is consigned to the basement to head a new cold case department helped only by Assad, a civilian Syrian with refugee status. There’s more to Assad than meets the eye. Hopefully later books will tell more of his history.

Carl’s first case is the disappearance of (f) Merete Lynggaard, an up & coming young politician, who vanished five years ago. Everyone says she's dead. Everyone says it's a waste of time. He thinks they're right.

The narrative switches between 2002 & 2007 with insights into her childhood.

This book was serialised on BBC4 with Danish subtitles. I got a bit lost while watching - May be the dramatisation had to be edited or I’d gone to put the kettle on. The book filled in the gaps.

No 2 in the series is waiting to be read!

My kindle and e-reader is loaded up with Highlander romance books besides Regency romance <3...oh don't you just <3 abit of romance :-D

Ruby, why not mention a few of your favourite authors? We’re all interested in something ‘new’ to look out for.

Although my preferences tend to lie with detective/murder-mystery style novels, the occasional well crafted historical romance can appeal.

Welcome to the thread Ruby. We would love to hear about the authors and books you enjoy.

My tastes are much like DetEcTive’s but a well-researched historical romance makes a change now and then. In fact, I think the book I am reading at the moment comes into that category. It’s “A Time of Singing” by Elizabeth Chadwick. It is fiction but based on a true story of Ida de Tosney, mistress of Henry 11, and Roger Bigod who later becomes her husband. I am about half way through so far and enjoying it very much.

Now reading Dirty Darlings by Catherine Chagra.

Catherine and her two sisters Cindy and Christa were the
darling daughters of Jimmy Chagra the biggest Pot Dealer
in the history of USA.

One of the Kingpins of Las Vegas Casinos of the 1970s.
But after he was arrested and his 100 Million Dollars had
disappeared they were left penniless at the mercy of Texas
Society that vilified them.

True story of how they survived although family and friends did not help them.

Started reading Blood Feud: Mary Queen of Scots
and the Earl of Moray by Steven Veerapen.

The Earl believed he should have been King of Scotland
but he was illegitimate.
It is said that the Earl was the first person assassinated
by a gun.

I eventually finished Alison Weir’s book “Queens of the Conquest”. I enjoyed it very much but I will have to re-read it several times to take it all in. It is so full of facts and dates and people that it is quite dense.

I have also just read another of her books called “Innocent Traitor”. This is fiction but based on fact and is much easier going - it’s a bit like Philippa Gregory in style. It’s the story of Lady Jane Grey from her birth to her death. Although I knew her story I don’t think it registered with me before how very young she was. She was only 16 when she was executed.

A good read and I will look out for other historical novels by this author

Started reading novels that retell Greek myths from the point of view of the female characters rather than the male. Am halfway through Madelaine Miller's Circe, and have also downloaded The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes. If l enjoy the latter, then l might try her latest, A Thousand Ships. Might also try The Silence of the Girls, by Pat Barker. Have been inspired by a friend, l have to admit.

They sound interesting Kucinta. More to add to my “to be read” list :-)

Anna of Kleve is the latest Alison Weir novel in the series on the 6 wives of HenryVlII. It can be quite interesting seeing what she does with the wives in her novels, as opposed to the non fiction book she wrote about all 6. With the fiction, they get a book each.

I've been reading the Stephen Fry autobiographies "Moab Is My Washpot" and "The Fry Chronicles". At first I thought I wasn't going to get on with them at all but I persevered and in the end I did enjoy reading of his life. He doesn't mince his words and the language is a bit near the knuckle sometimes so you need to read them with a broad, open mind. He seems to have been almost brutally honest when writing the books and comes across as an unpleasant child and teenager and says himself he was a liar, cheat and thief but he appears to have made good in the end. The writing style is very Stephen Fry - why use two words if you can use twenty?

I've also read a book written by John Simpson in, I think, 2000. It's called "A Mad World, My Masters" and is a sort of tour of the places he's been in his news gathering and reporting, the characters he has met and the dangerous, moving and funny situations he has encountered. Took me a while to get in to it but then I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

At the moment I'm reading 'The trials of five queens. Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Mary, Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, Caroline of Brunswick' by R.Storey Deans. It's on my kindle. I either buy, or borrow from the kindle library which is very useful as our public library closed and people have to travel quite a way to the nearest one. I've only just begun it, but it seems promising!!

That sounds an interesting one Pippyn. I might try and get that to see that author's views on Caroline of Brunswick. I didn't know much about her till a couple of years ago I picked up a book called Rebel Queen which is about Caroline. She's often shown as pretty shameless and awful and she was certainly no saint, but my book also shows that she was really badly treated. I'd be interested to see how a different author portrays her.

She was certainly a strange lady Vera, hygiene wasn't one of her strong points!! But you're right, she was treated shamefully, so it will be interesting to see what sort of slant is put on this account! I feel sorry for all these ladies but I think the one I feel for the most is Katherine of Aragon; being put aside so brutally after years of being a much loved and respected wife was truly shocking and very cruel. If only one of those boy babies had lived!!!

Having read Alison Weir’s books Katherine Swynford-The Story of John of Gaunt and his Scandalous Duchess and Elizabeth of York-The First Tudor Queen and thoroughly enjoying both I am now reading another of hers. I decided for book three I would read Alison Weir’s book Mary Queen of Scots and The Murder of Lord Darnley. Another non fiction book which looks not just at the murder but the political climate of the time.

Started reading Madeleine by Kate McCann but
Could not get into it.
Just about finished reading The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory,
how cruel and heartless Elizabeth1 was to her cousins
Lady Jane Grey, Lady Katherine and Lady Mary among others.
Have just purchased for my kindle Children of Nazis by Tania
Crasniaski and Molly Grogan. Am interested on how the children
coped if they did at all once they learnt what their fathers had done.

Elizabeth was extremely unkind bordering on cruel to both Katherine and Mary Grey, Jane of course was executed by her predecessor Mary 1st in 1554 after her tragic 9 days as Queen. I think Elizabeth was very insecure, as there were many who felt that her right to the throne was somewhat tenuous, and that both Mary of Scotland and the Grey sisters had a better claim.

Reading Children of Nazis first one was Gudrun Himmler the only
child who was not illegitimate.
She believes her father did no wrong and even though proof was shown
what he did she did not believe it.
A staunch supporter of him and she herself is of the same belief in what
Hitler had laid out for Germany.
She did not believe her father committed suicide and was killed by the Americans.

Next one is Edda Goring who was the only child of Hermann Goring by his second
wife Emmy Sonnemann who was a German actress.

Phillipa Gregory latest book out today "Tidelands"

For an introduction about it Amazon has a write up on it.