Review: The Princes of Ireland

I've just finished The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd, the first in a duology about the history of Ireland. The book starts in the 400s and continues through the early 1500s and the reign of Henry VIII in England. The next book, The Rebels of Ireland, picks up where this one let off.

This book follows Rutherfurd's traditional style, tracing one or more families through the history of a specific place, in this case Dublin. Think James Michener, if you're familiar with his writing. I personally find Rutherfurd a more readable author than Michener, but I think that's really personal opinion. 

As I mentioned, this book starts out in the 400s (AD) when Dublin as a city does not exist; at this point, it's Dubh Linn, which apparently means blackpool. The book starts with an era of clan chiefs and druidism, which I personally find fascinating. I've seen other Rutherfurd fans say this is the least favorite of theirs, but I personally didn't feel that way. (Although, to be fair, I've only read his Russia book, Russka, so far.) 

The book goes on to cover the era of Saint Patrick and the Christianization of Ireland, the coming of the Vikings, and the rule of Brian Boru. It then heads into the long colonization by England with a discussion of the Strongbow era, up to the time of Henry VIII. 

I personally feel the book does a good job of mixing history with story. Rutherfurd allows his characters to sometimes meet and interact with historical figures, and he also manages to weave background historical information throughout the story where needed. However, the primary focus is the characters, with each chapter following a new generation of the families in his tale. He generally finds a quick subtle way to make sure you know who the current characters ancestors were in previous chapters - he often makes use of a gold-rimmed drinking skull for one family, for example. Each chapter follows the loves and struggles of the families during a set period in history, with real historical events and people for a backdrop. He does include a family tree at the beginning to assist you. In the background,we see Dublin itself evolve almost like a character in and of itself, going from the name for a particular crossing to a genuine (and important!) city through the course of the book.

I personally found all of this enjoyable, right through from the mythology of the druids and the old Irish gods, up to the struggle with the English. In a way, I found the bit about Henry VIII particularly interesting - I've read alot about the Tudor period in England, and it was interesting to look at this whole other struggle that is often a footnote in other tales of Henry. To think that he was dealing with this while also trying to get his annulment from Catherine is amazing. 

(Incidentally, if you're interested in more about Henry's struggles with Catherine of Aragon, I can very happily recommend Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir, the first in a six book series on the wives of Henry VIII. I picked it up on a sort of a whim, and it set off my interest in English history in general and the Tudors specifically.) 

So, overall I definitely recommend this as a board look over the history of Ireland, and I do intend to read (and review) the second book in the duology at some point, though not right away. I also plan to seek out some fiction that looks at some of these specific periods in Irish history more closely; I've already got some by Morgan Llywelyn on my Kindle that will probably do nicely. (To digress yet again with another recommendation, if you like historical fiction about strong women, you'd love Grania, about female pirate Grace O'Malley during Elizabeth I's reign.)

While this took me a while to read, it was well worth the trip.

Review: The Killers of the Flower Moon

I just finished The Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, which I read for a book club. This book ticked all the boxes for me; it was engaging and kept me reading, I felt for the people involved, and I picked up several more books I want to read from the bibliography.

The subtitle for this book is The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, but it really has so much more than that. The Osage Native American tribe wound up on a chunk of land that was later discovered to be chock full of oil. Through some good lawyering, the Osage's mineral rights were well protected and they became one of the wealthiest populations in the country. (How did I not know any of this before?!?) Human nature being what it is, this naturally led to a lot of jealousy and abuse.... and a spate of murders. And, human nature continuing to be what it is, for various reasons the local investigations stalled and the fledgling FBI became involved. This book is the story of the murders and the FBI investigation.

Mollie Burkart, one of the prime targets of the Osage Reign of Terror,
and her sisters Anna and Minnie. Photo credit: David Grann, from The History Channel.

One of the things I found most fascinating (and saddening) was the discussion of the abuse of the Osage people at the hands of the local whites (and the government). While the Osage rights to the wealth from the new oil fields was protected, the local whites found a work-around; many of the Osage were declared incompetent and given guardians - white men - to "manage" their money for them. Not surprisingly, this led to rampant abuse.

William Hale, a major player
in the Osage Reign of Terror

In an effort to protect the Osage rights the "headrights" to the oil fields could not be sold (although the surface land could be, if I understand correctly), they could only be inherited. Unfortunately, as Grann details in his book, this led to a string of murders in attempts to gain control of the valuable headrights and the payments form them.

J. Edgar Hoover
From the Library of Congress

Grann dives into detail into all of this - and more - in his insightful and sensitive story of what has come to be known as the Osage Reign of Terror. He also discusses some of the beginnings of the FBI, reminding me that I have been meaning to read a biography of J. Edgar Hoover for a while now.

It's clear that Grann did a lot of research for this book, including talking to many victims' family members and digging into archives and original reports as much as possible, making for (it seems) a well documented book. Yet he also manages to write in a way that is really engaging and compelling; at times the book almost reads like a novel. In my opinion, this is narrative non-fiction at its best.

As mentioned, this book really piqued my interest to dig deeper into some of these topics, and I added several books to my TBR list, including:

1. The World's Richest Indian: The Scandal Over Jackson Barnett's Oil Fortune
2. J. Edgar Hoover Goes to the Movies: The FBI & the Origins of Hollywood's Cold War
3. The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation
4. The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House & Tried to Steal the Country
5. Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America's First Private Eye
6. Deadly Times: The 1920 Bombing of the Los Angeles Times & America's Forgotten Decade of Terror
7. Hoover's FBI and the Fourth Estate: The Campaign to Control the Press & the Bureau's Image
8. Young J. Edgar: Hoover & the Red Scare

It also prompted me to bump the biography of Hoover that I already have on my Kindle up my list. 

Overall, I can safely say this is one of, if not the best, book I've read so far in 2019. 

Reviews: Chronicles of Narnia

I recently finished a re-read of a major fantasy classic: The Chronicles of Narnia. I seem to be taking on all some serious classics with my reviews lately. While the series by CS Lewis has always been popular, I think it's had a resurgence in recent years with a series of films, and it's generating buzz again now with the news last year that Netflix is going to make TV series! I'd been meaning to re-read the series as I had not read it since childhood, and now seemed like the time.

Maybe the biggest debate around this series is reading order. Publication order, or chronological order?

The original publication of the books is:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2. Prince Caspian
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4. The Silver Chair
5. The Horse and His Boy
6. The Magician's Nephew
7. The Last Battle 

Chronological order is:

1. The Magician's Nephew
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. The Horse and His boy
4. Prince Caspian
5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Last Battle

The cover of the boxed set
I remember from childhood

Apparently people have strong feelings on this issue. I recently commented on a Facebook threat about it and hooooboy. I personally come down on the side of chronological order, as I like to see events unfold in order and to know the "back story" as I go. However, ultimately, the choice is up to the reader. 

The second most common controversy (is it a controversy?) I see is the allegation that it's a Christian allegory. I remember hearing that as an adult who hadn't read the books in years and thinking "is it? Hmmm... maybe a little." Re-reading it as an adult, I'm reading to acknowledge that it clearly is - especially The Last Battle. However, are most kids going to notice that? Does it disqualify it from being a good book? I don't necessarily think so. You just may be ready to have a conversation about it with your children if it feels necessary/appropriate to your family. 

You might also want to be ready to have discussions about cultural sensitivity and racism, as this book was clearly written in a different time period and doesn't exactly live up to today's standards of political correctness; the Calormenes are a not very sensitive or flattering depiction of Middle Eastern peoples and cultures, and the last book actually uses the phrase "darkies." Again, does this disqualify it from being a good book? Does this mean you shouldn't let your kids read it? Ultimately this is up to each individual family. I write professionally on the issue of intellectual freedom, so I am never going to come down on the side of censoring, but I definitely think parents need to be prepared to talk about it. 

So, is it a good read? I think if you want to see the evolution of fantasy novels and hit all the classics, it has to be on the list. It continues to endure as a classic, and it continues to be popular. Lewis creates a great world, and in the genre of children being pulled into a new magical world, it's hard to beat the yearning it generates - who doesn't want to visit Narnia and meet Aslan? What kid doesn't want to believe he can save the world? Lewis is a master at capitalizing on this, too; he knows how to put his characters in mundane situations readers will recognize - being bullied, being bored at a stuffy relatives house - that make being pulled into Narnia all the more appealing. 

On the other hand, if you're just looking for great fantasy reads, rather than a trip through fantasy history, there are probably more richly developed and immersive worlds out there today, and ones that don't carry the cultural insensitivity this series does. Ultimately, it really depends on what you are looking for and how much the over-handed allegory will bug you.  

Review: To Read or Not to Read? Wheel of Time

Alright, so I am less than 1/3 of the way through this massive series, but as it will be quite a while before I finish the series, and I see a great deal of debate on whether to read the series, I thought I'd post a review of the first few books.  Naturally, since I have a lot of the series left to read, my opinion could change.

One major argument for it - it looks like the television series really is coming, so if you prefer to read the book first (like me), now's the time!

I am not sure I've ever seen a book series with as much debate on whether or not it is worth reading as this one, other than maybe Malazan Book of the Fallen, which is also on my "to read" list. Peopel seem to either love Wheel of Time or hate it; so far, I fall into the "love" category.

Let me address some of the common critiques I see. First, that its a "rip off" of Tolkein. There's definitely some legitimacy to this, at least in the first book. Young man meets mysterious stranger and magic caster, goes off on a great adventure with his companions, while being chased by evil minions of a scary bad guy we don't really see yet. Sound familiar? However, I found this was a lot less true as you go through the books, so if you can bear with it for the first book, I think this particular objection can be overcome.

The second major critique I see is that they're overly wordy and/or that they drag. This is really a personal preference thing, in my opinion. This is definitely in the epic fantasy sub-genre of fantasy, and they're not quick reads. However, I think most people know that going in - it's a long series. Personally, I've yet to feel like it dragged, although I don't think I've hit the books that are traditionally considered the "worst" in this aspect. They're definitely long and heavy on description, but I personally like and expect that in my epic fantasy. If you prefer a more direct, action-paced narrative, I'll admit this might not be the series for you.

There is a similar point I have seen brought up that I have to say is totally correct - there can be some repetitive elements. I can remember reading a review that said that if Nynaeve tugged her braid one more time.... And I must admit, that particular sentence can get annoying. There is also a lot of smoothing of clothes. But to me, while it might be mildly annoying, this is a pretty small complaint.

I've also seen complaints that the characters are boring and one-dimensional. This particular critique I (mostly) disagree with. The characters often do fit fantasy tropes to some extent, but not to such an extent as to ruin the books. There are some cliches that are genuinely annoying - everyone is in love, the men don't understand the women, the women try to control the men, etc. etc. Again, though, I don't feel this ruins the books.

While some of these get more noticeable as the books go on - particularly the gender stereotypes - I also think the characters develop and become more interesting, which out weighs that irritation. It also seems like it's going to avoid some fantasy stereotypes, although it's hard to tell this early on. For example, I don't think Rand - the main character (as much as anyone is the main character) is going to be an all-"white" goody-goody character. That, for me, would be the one thing that would really bring the series down for me, and it doesn't seem like that is going to be the case. 

The primary positive, to me, is the world building. There are so many different cities and peoples, and some really great lore. It's dribbled out slowly, but it's worth reading just for that in my opinion. In the fourth, when we finally see more of the Aiel, it really starts to hit it's stride in this area. They have a pretty fascinating history.

Overall, I am really enjoying it and it will likely go into my pile of things I may even re-read some day. I think it's certainly worth giving a chance - you can always quit if you hate it. However, unless you really hate it, I do think it's worth reading at least through the second one; I think they pick up a lot after the first one. If you enjoy it, you're in for a rare treat!

I'll post another review after a few more books. 

Review: The Conqueror's Wife

Stephanie Thornton does it again, at least for me. I think The Conqueror's Wife was one of her earlier books, but I just got to it, and it's as good as the others. I'll admit it took me a little while to get into it, but once I did I couldn't put it down.

It's Thornton's story of Alexander the Great, but as with her Tiger Queens it is told from the perspectives of others in his life, particularly the women. Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, which is a narrative approach I love.

Stateira, one of Alexander's wives

All the women around Alexander are strong women in their own way, which in a way feels a little cliched - I doubt they were all badass women, but it makes for a great story. And while they're all (or mostly all) strong, they each have their own approach to life, from his wives Roxana and Stateira, his mother Olympia, his sister Thessolonike, or his sister-in-law the amateur engineer Drypetis, you'll definitely have opinions on these women.

However, my favorite character was Hephaestion, Alexander's best friend and second-in-command (and possibly lover). Without giving any spoilers away, Hephaestion is a great foil for Alexander, and their relationship is really touching. It's also the first time I can recall her using a male narrator, so that was an interesting change of pace as well.

Roxana and Olympias were an interesting contrast to Drypetis and Thessalonike. Roxana and Olympias were clearly the more ruthless half of the coin, while Drypetis and Thessalonike manage to be strong but still show compassion and love.

Alexander and Hephaestion
by Andrea Camassei
17th Century

As usual, this also really peaked my interest in this area of the world and this time period. I'm glad I've already got some other books on my Kindle, and even more on my TBR, that will satisfy that interest. Thornton herself recommends Mary Renault, so I might have to try something by her soon.

It also really piqued my interest in Persian history and culture; I've not ever encountered it before, and it seemed really interesting. While she doesn't get too deeply into the culture, the bits she does touch on - the Gods and the burial rights - definitely was intriguing.

Overall, this definitely confirmed my opinion that Thornton is one of the greats in women's historical fiction, and I hope she continues to write for a long time to come.

Review: Darwin's Ghosts

I finished Darwin's Ghosts by Rebecca Stott last weekend, but I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to review it! Stott's book originally caught my attention in a New York Times review, and a librarian it seemed like something I had to read. I was hoping it would give me some ideas on new approaches to talking to my students about plagiarism, and I think it did.

I loved that Stott addresses right off the bat whether or not Darwin intended to ignore his predecessors - it sounds like he did not. According to Stott, he was intimidated by trying to give credit to all of his predecessors; a feeling most students would identify with, I think. She also discusses his struggle to do so in later editions of his work.

Charles Darwin

Overall this was an interesting look at the evolution of the theory of evolution (see what I did there?), discussing each of Darwin's predecessors in turn. It gave mini biographies of some really interesting thinkers, but it also showed how theories gradually led to a full theory of evolution and how each theorist gradually added to our understanding of the history of species. 

Stott starts with Aristotle and his proteges and their collection of various species. It was really amazing to think about Aristotle prowling around taking fish from fisherman and asking them about their observations of sea creatures. 

Perhaps my favorite chapter was the one on Jahiz, which discusses the "House of Wisdom" and the Golden Age of Baghdad under the Abbasid Empire. I knew that there was a segment of history where the Middle East was far ahead of Europe in terms of culture and science, but I didn't know much about it beyond that, and this chapter really made me want to read more about this period. 

The House of Wisdom during the Islamic Golden Age. In the Public Domain, from Wikimedia Commons.

The book goes on to discuss Leonardo da Vinci, then Trembley and his discovery of the regenerative powers of the polyp (what we learned about in 7th grade biology as the hydra). She again leaves Europe to discuss Benoit de Maillet in Cairo in the early 1700s. I also loved this chapter, which discusses the realization by Maillet and others that parts of the Earth that are now land used to be underwater and the intellectual quest to figure out how that could be. 

Alfred Wallace

Stott then returns to Europe to discuss the Hotel of Philosophers in Paris, with greats such as Diderot and d'Holbach and the creation of the Encyclopedia. She devotes an entire chapter to Erasmus Darwin (Charles' grandfather!), then returns to Paris and the Jardin des Plantes. She also has a chapter devoted to Robert Grant, who knew Charles Darwin, and his fascination with the sea sponge. She wraps up with discussions of Robert Chambers and his Edinburgh Journal, with a final chapter devoted to Alfred Wallace, who arguably reached the same conclusions regarding sexual selection as Darwin before Darwin's theories were made public. (As a side note, I love that she also discusses at length Wallace's research companion, Ali.) 

One of my other favorite parts of this book was the discussion of the intellectual freedom of most of the predecessors of Darwin. She discusses in depth how difficult and dangerous it was for many of these great thinkers to make their theories and their work public; some had to use pseudonyms, others risked imprisonment for speaking out. Intellectual freedom is an area I am really interested in and passionate about, so I loved that she devoted a good chunk of the book to addressing it. 

Overall a really fascinating, intellectual stimulating read - I definitely recommend. 

Review: Condemn Me Not: Accused of Witchcraft

I plowed right through Heather Moore's Condemn Me Not: Accused of Witchcraft, her fictional re-telling of the story of her ancestor, Susannah North Martin's, trial and execution in Salem during the witch trials.

I love that the protagonist is her ancestor; it adds another level to the novel for me. She even includes a list of ancestors at the front of the book. I also liked that this was a quick read; I finished it in two days.

The romance element of it was sweet. I don't usually read romances, and likely would not have picked this up had I realized how heavy the romance element of it was. However, despite being a little cliched, there was something sweet and endearing about the romance in this story. I also didn't mind the swapping back and forth between past and "present" 1692, which is usually not my favorite narrative element. So, overall I am glad I picked it up even though now I realize it is not something I would ordinarily have read. It was an interesting look at the witch trials and captures the horror of them without being particularly dark, which is impressive.

However, it lacked some of what I look for in historical fiction. Most importantly, it really lacked a lot of historical detail. The scenes were lacking in detail, and it really didn't contain much detail about life or society at the time, which is something I look for and expect in historical fiction. I would have gladly read a book twice as long if it had been more immersive. In particular I really would have liked more detail about the charges against her and her trial. I understand that the focus was to be her life, but the fact that she was accused witch is central to the book and, other than focusing on her time in prison, was really glossed over in my opinion. Overall, I felt the lack of detail on the trial and the historical time period was a disservice to the story and a real missed opportunity.

Susannah North Martin's memorial.
Photo by Tim Bouwer on Flickr. 

I was also disappointed to see her reference list at the end. While a strong reference list certainly isn't a requirement in historical fiction and probably doesn't matter to most readers, the research behind a story based on real life does matter to me. She clearly did rely on archival research, but the rest of her sources lead a lot to be desired; most of her sources other than the archival materials are blogs and Wikipedia. I definitely would have preferred to see some higher-level sources. I do love that she used archival materials and family resources, though!

Overall I am not sorry that I read it, but it was not to the level of depth and immersion that I personally seek in my historical fiction. However, it was a quick weekend read and, despite the serious subject matter, was a sweet love story and a nice tribute to the author's ancestor. While it was lacking in detail, it did give the reader some idea of the horror of what happened and what the accused witches must have faced. I would give it a solid 3/5 stars.

Review: The Vatican Princess

I finally picked up my first novel on the Borgias. I knew once I did this would become another era I would want to read more about... and I was right. I decided to start with CW Gortner's The Vatican Princess, historical fiction about Lucrezia Borgia.

Lucrezia was the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI. As I imagine most readers already know, the Borgias have quite the reputation - including Lucrezia. If you're not familiar with the Borgias, let's just say they had a reputation for murdering anyone who got in their way, and rumors of incest were also a contemporary issue for the family.

Lucrezia Borgia

While this is definitely historical fiction, Gortner takes a step back from what he refers to as the Lucrezia of legend and to take a look at what, if any, responsibility she personally bore for her families machinations. He argues in the afterward, which is very worth reading, that she was largely a victim of her family's reputation, and that she was likely a pawn of her families ambitions - like most girls in her era. However, this does not make her uninteresting - far from it.

As Gortner himself points out, so much of the information we have on the Borgias is based on rumor and accounts by their enemies, so it's probably impossible to truly write a historically accurate novel about them. However, it seems like he endeavored to do so, within the confines of the information we have available. He clearly tried not to give in to the temptation to use all the lurid rumors we have about Lucrezia and her family. While he does embrace some of the rumors, he leaves out others, and he makes very clear in his afterward which bits are entirely based on rumor.

Despite this, the book has all the drama you'd expect from a book about the Borgias. I think it's right on the border of being so dramatic as to be unbelievable, but I think he manages to pull it off. It definitely keeps you reading and on the edge of your seat and wanting to read more, especially in the second half of the book.

He also does a great job of reminding us that for much of the time period covered by the book Lucrezia was really quite young. I think he implies, successfully, that even if she was a brilliant manipulator, she was still largely at the mercies of her father's and brothers' ambitions and reminding us to look at her actions - and the rumors about her - through that light.

He definitely peaked my interest on the Borgias and Lucrezia herself. I definitely plan to read more novels about them - I've got a few by Sarah Dunant on my list, as well as The Family by Mario Puzo (yes, the guy that wrote The Godfather). I'd also like to read a biography about Lucrezia to help sort out fact from fiction and to flesh out the information Gortner gives in his afterward - I've got my eye on one by Sarah Bradford.

Overall, while I think The Romanov Empress was better, this novel confirmed my impression that Gortner is an author I want to see more of, and also confirmed that the Borgias are a family I want to read more about. They're a guilty pleasure of the first magnitude - you know that a lot of what you read about them is rumor and probably not true, but damn they are interesting.

Favorite Historical Fiction Authors

Something I see readers ask for on a regular basis is lists of new authors to try, so I thought I would compile a list of my favorite historical fiction authors and suggest places to start.

James Michener

It is hard to have a list like this that does not include Michener, widely regarded as a giant in historical epics. Michener is also prolific, with a significant body of work. To date, I have read The Source, a history of the Jewish people and The Covenant, a history of south Africa. I am also really interested in his books on Alaska, Hawaii, Texas, and Spain.

Michener is thorough - his books generally start far back in the history of a country, sometimes before recorded history. His books read almost like short stories, with each chapter focused on a new generation and the history of his chosen region. Like John Jakes (discussed below), he brings in real historical figures while also setting his characters in the middle of real historical events to give the reader a feeling for what real, every day people might have experienced.

I personally find Michener's writing style a bit off putting and they sometimes make his books feel longer than they already are, and I dislike the short story feeling of some of his chapters, but overall I think the breadth of what he accomplishes in his books and the incredible insight he offers into specific regions or countries outweighs the negatives. I'll keep reading.

Bernard Cornwell

Cornwell is probably most famous for his Saxon Chronicles, on which the Netflix show The Last Kingdom is based.  I haven't tackled that series yet, although it is definitely on my list. However, I have read his Arthur trilogy, which starts with The Winter King, and I am in the process of reading of reading his Grail series, which starts with The Archer's Tale.

I have enjoyed everything I have ready by him so far, but particularly his Arthur series, and I personally recommend starting there. This is his take on the Arthur legend, and it's definitely different from some other approaches to the story. For one thing, Arthur isn't a king.

I also really enjoy the sense of realism brought to the story - I have seen others say that no one does battle scenes like Cornwell, and I find it hard to argue with. There is a grittiness to his battle scenes, and he doesn't shy away from the "icky" details from lice to wounds to exhaustion.

He also includes a touch of fantasy in the Arthur series that I really enjoyed - Merlin is here in all of his glory, and the druids add just a touch of magic that I really felt added a lot to the story, without detracting from the focus on the battle for Britain.

John Jakes

You can see my full review of Jakes' Kent family chronicles here. I have also read Jakes' North and South trilogy in the past, and plan to re-read it at some point.

Jakes focuses on historical fiction set in the United States, and also likes to write family sagas. The Kent family chronicles follows one family from the 1770s through to the 1890s, while North and South focuses on two families through the Civil War, including the lead up and the aftermath.

Jakes is masterful at covering the nuances of a historical moment, including the politics, without being dry. In addition, because of his focus on a family, his series have the feeling of major historical sagas.

Stephanie Thornton

I am not sure I can rave about Thornton's books enough, to be honest. To date I have read Daughter of the Gods and Tiger Queens, and I plan to read The Conqueror's Wife very soon. I will also probably buy her American Princess as soon as it comes out, which is not something I usually do.

On her website (I love it when authors have websites!), Thornton says she has been "obsessed with infamous women from history" since she was 12, and it shows. She also says her first two novels "reimagine the lives of two of history's forgotten women" - Theordora and Hatshepsut. I would argue that Tiger Queens does this as well. She really got me interested in digging out historical fiction on strong women throughout history, and that is now one of my favorite areas in which to read.

I cannot recommend her books more, especially if you're interested in women from history!

Elizabeth Chadwick

Chadwick is fairly prolific, but so far I have only read her trilogy on Eleanor of Aquitaine, starting with The Summer Queen, which I can wholeheartedly recommend. I next plan to tackle her William Marshal series.

In her Eleanor series Chadwick covers the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a ruler in her own right but also a wife to two kings and mother to three more. If that isn't enough to draw you in, it also features William Marshal, one of the more famous European knights. It features court intrigues, romance, and a tough woman who isn't afraid to stand up for herself and her family. It also takes you all over, from the crusades in Jerusalem to England and France.

I recommend just on the power of how interesting Eleanor is in her own right, but Chadwick is also a great story teller, and I plan to read more of her.

Edward Rutherfurd 

Rutherfurd reminds me very much of Michener, although I prefer his writing style. Like Michener, Rutherfurd picks a city or country to focus his epics on, often following a family through history. Also like Michener, his chapters can feel somewhat like short stories, which I dislike, but I find his books easier to read. So far I have read Russka, a history of Russia, and I am currently reading The Prices of Ireland, the first in a duology on the history of Dublin.

Rutherfurd really brings a region to life, and like Michener and Jakes, he brings real life historical figures and events into contact with his characters. He also starts far back in history; his book on Dublin starts with the time of the druids and pre-Christianity.

I definitely recommend giving Rutherfurd a try if you like historical epics or enjoy James Michener, and I plan to read his books on London, New York and Paris in the semi-near future.

Jean Auel 

As with Michener, I feel this list would be remiss if it did not mention Jean Auel. Her Clan of the Cave Bear series is very well known, and I feel at least the first book is worth reading, especially if you have an interest in pre-history.

The first book, Clan of the Cave Bear, follows a young homo sapien girl wandering alone, until she is adopted by a clan of Neanderthals. Her story shows the clash between the two species, as well as the differences between the two. It is a fascinating look at what life may have been like for early humans.

However, I also think there are very valid criticisms of the series as a whole. For one thing, I agree that the series ran on longer than it needed to and that it ran on; while I enjoy the descriptions of the world and the plant and animal life, Auel can go overboard. Some of the books don't really move the plot along much. I also agree with some who point out that the main character, Ayla, is a bit of a super woman and that it can be hard to suspend belief - no one person invented sewing and domesticating animals, for example. However, I find that to only be a minor point.

The first book can also easily be read as a stand alone, or you can read the first two or three and stop. The first is definitely a marvelous book, I am just not sure the rest lived up to it.

CW Gortner

Gortner is a newer discovery for me, but I definitely plan to read more. So far I have read his Romanov Empress, a story of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, and I am currently reading The Vatican Princess, a story of Lucrezia Borgia. While I am not sure I am going to like the Borgia novel as much as I loved the Romanov one, it's still enjoyable and makes me anxious to continue reading some of his other novels.

Like Thronton, he seems to focus on significant female figures from history. His other novels include books on Isabella of Castile, Juana of Castile, Cocoa Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, and Catherine de Medici. I love the range of eras he covers, and he creates interesting characters that are enjoyable to read about. He helps shed light on interesting periods of history from a perspective that is often neglected - that of women.

Steven Saylor

Saylor is also an author I recommend frequently. Interesting, to my knowledge he has primarily focused on one period - ancient Rome. I have read his "big picture" series on Roma, which starts with Roma. In the vein of Michener or Rutherfurd, this series follows the history of Roma, with each "chapter" focusing on a different ruler or era, following two families through history.

I think his more famous series is his Roma Sub Rosa series, which follows Gordianus the Finder on a series of epic adventures. I haven't read this one yet, but it is on my list of series to dig into soon. You have two choices to start with here. You can start with The Seven Wonders of his Ancient World series, which seems be a sort of prequel series for the primary Gordianus series. If you want to skip right to the primary series, you'd start with Roman Blood. The series follows Gordianus as he solves mysteries in ancient Rome, often bringing him into contact with major historical events.

Alison Weir

Weir brought my back to historical fiction after a long hiatus. I recommend starting where I started, with Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen. This is the first in her Six Tudor Queens series, with each book focusing on a different wife of King Henry VIII. Each book follows the life of one of his queens from her perspective. The first three, covering Katehrine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour have been published, with the fourth expected in May of this year. There also some novellas available as part of the series for a deeper dive.

While the events sometimes overlap, particularly in the first two books, I don't find this detracts from them at all - in fact, I found it fascinating to read about the same events from two extremely different perspectives. Naturally, Katherine and Anne have very different perspectives on the events that to Henry's break with Rome and creation of the Church of England.

The other thing I like about Weir is that she writes fiction and non-fiction, often about the same people. I frequently read biographies after I read fictional accounts in order to get the "real story," and she makes that easy to do. For example, she has non-fiction books on Anne and Mary Boleyn that shed a lot of light on Anne's life and her relationship with Henry. However, since she has both fiction and non-fiction, you need to be a little more aware of what you're buying, unless you want to read both! I personally find her non-fiction pretty interesting, so I recommend it as well if you enjoy biographies.

She has also written about Eleanor of Aquitaine, the "nine-days queen" Jane Grey, and much about Elizabeth I - I recommend starting here. For the most part she seems to try to stay true to history, although she does take a significant departure in her novels on Elizabeth - I won't spoil it for you, though. She usually writes a clear afterward in which she explains where she has taken liberties with history.

Overall, highly recommend her novels if you're interested in the Tudor period or historical women in general.

Morgan Llywelyn

Llywelyn writes a great deal on the history of Ireland. While I have only read one of her books to date, which may make it a stretch to call her a favorite, I intend to read a lot more. I started with Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas, a book about pirate Grace O'Malley. (If you're interested in this topic, I also plan to read The Wild Irish by Robin Maxwell, which focuses on O'Malley's confrontation with Queen Elizabeth I.)

Grania is a fascinating look at a really interesting woman, and I thought Llywelyn did a great job of bringing her to life.

She really peaked my interest in Irish history, and I plan to dig into her series on the Irish Rebellion, which starts with 1916, soon. She also has a series on the druids of Ireland, which starts with Druids. She also has books focusing on other major figures in Irish history like Brian Boru.

Conn Iggulden

Iggulden has several historical fiction series, including series about Genghis Khan, ancient Rome, and The War of the Roses. Interestingly, he also has a fantasy series out called The Empire of Salt, although it sadly doesn't seem to be available in Kindle format (to my endless sadness).

To date, I have only read his Genghis Khan series, which starts with Birth of an Empire (which tends to be pretty cheap on Amazon - it's $0.99 right now). I also plan to read his other series, although fair warning - I have heard he takes some liberties with historical fact in the Roman series, although not having read it yet myself I cannot verify.

I really am enjoying the Genghis series (I have the last two left to read). It's a really interesting look at Genghis and his family, starting in his younger years when he and his mother and siblings are abandoned by his tribe and following his rise to power. There is plenty of action here, but also family drama and politics to contend with. It's an interesting look at not only why he was successful, but at how his people managed to conquer as they did, but also the shortcomings of his ruling style. Definitely recommend.

Philippa Gregory

Last but not least, I felt I had to include Philippa Gregory. She is such a giant in the field of Tudor history that, given my fascination with that era, I couldn't leave her off. I do enjoy her books - they're definitely guilty pleasure reads. However, because she takes a little more liberty with the historical facts than I prefer, I am usually slightly reluctant to recommend her or recommend her with a strong caveat. You're probably familiar with her work, even if you don't know it; her book The Other Boleyn Girl was the basis of the a major motion picture staring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana. Her novels were also the inspiration for The White Queen and The White Princess television series about Elizabeth of York.

There are several orders in which you can read her novels, but I recommend following the order set by Goodreads, which combines her Tudor and Plantagenet series into one longer series. This order starts with The Lady of the Rivers, which covers the life of Jacquetta Woodville, Lady Rivers, the matriarch of the Rivers family and mother of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV. Elizabeth's story follows, naturally enough, in the second book, The White Queen.

The series follows the family through the War of the Roses and continues on into the Tudor era. As with Weir's books, there is some overlap in events from book to book - for example, The White Queen and The Red Queen in part cover the same period of events. However, as with Weir's books, the perspectives are so different as to make this an asset rather than a downside. The Red Queen is told from the perspective of Margaret Beaufort, arch-enemy of the Woodvilles and mother of Henry Tudor. Naturally, Elizabeth and Margaret have different views of the events as they unfold.

While she does stretch the facts, most historical fiction does. She usually does include an afterward touching on where she stretches the truth, although it is not always as detailed or thorough as those of many other authors. I just keep in mind that not everything she writes can be taken as gospel truth, and plan to read biographies or at least do some research on the actual historical figures.

But for sheer readability and guilty pleasure status, it's hard to beat her. Her books have it all - sex, intrigue, battles and high emotion. There's a reason she is incredibly popular.

Series Review: Kent Family Chronicles

I recently finished the Kent Family Chronicles series by John Jakes. The series follows the Kent family from its beginnings in 1770s Europe through to the 1890s in the United States.

The first book, The Bastard, begins with the founder of the family, Philippe Charboneau and a family dispute that leads him to seek a new life in the English colonies prior to the Revolutionary War, changing his name to Philip Kent at the same time. The Rebels follows the fate of the new Kent family through the Revolutionary War from the mid to late 1770s. The Seekers covers the period from the mid 1790s to the early 1810s, including the aftermath of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The Furies kicks off at the Battle of the Alamo, following the family through the mid 1850s and the lead up to the Civil War. The Titans primarily covers the family's fate during the Civil War. The Warriors follows the Civil War to its finish. The Lawless addresses the years immediately following the Civil War, including the aftermath of the war on the Kent family. The final book, The Americans, follows the family through to the 1890s and attempts to wrap up the family saga.

John Jakes.
Image from Amazon.com

One of the things I love about this series, which I wholeheartedly recommend, is that it touches on a lot of lesser known historical events, such as the Chicago Fire and the Johnstown flood, often placing the protagonists in the middle of the events. He also finds a plausible way to bring in major characters from history, including presidents. He also writes in a way that lets you guess what historical figure you are about to "meet," dropping hints to help you out, which is fun. He also brings in lesser known historical figures, not just well known ones. He also does a great way of keeping you apprised of the political situation in the country without getting bogged down in an overwhelming amount of detail.

He also does a good job of having some morally gray characters - not all of the Kents are squeaky clean. However, they are definitely gray - there's little in the way of true "bad actors" in the Kent family. Similarly, the book does get a bit repetitive in the sense that every generation has some moral quandary they must grapple with. In many cases it makes sense - for example grappling with slavery in the lead up to the Civil War. However, having everyone grapple with major moral issues is a little far-fetched.

However, the outcomes are just varied enough to keep them from being totally predictable, and the backdrop of interesting historical events keeps them worth reading all the way through. The characters are also different enough to make each book feel unique; they have different careers, different experiences, different opinions.

Overall, this series is well worth the read in my opinion. The links to the individuals book are available above, or you can buy the whole series here. If you enjoy historical fiction in the United States, or family sagas, this is sure to be worth your time.

How do I Find Books & Book Deals?

As you can probably guess, I buy a lot of books. So how do I choose my books? And how do I get book deals?

Disclaimer: I don't mean for this post to sound like an Amazon advertisement; I use Amazon extensively because I am a Kindle reader.

Adding books to "Want to Read" on Goodreads

How do I track what I want to read?

First, I keep a long running list of books I am interested in. This list has everything from upcoming books by authors I know I like, books by authors I would like to try, and books suggested by others (people I know, blog posts by others, Facebook posts by others).

I do this in two places; Goodreads and Amazon's Wish List. The Goodreads list is the more discerning of the two - this is where I place books I for sure want to read and might actually buy at full price (maybe, some day...), and I use it to keep them in order - the top 15 or so are ones I want to buy/read "soon."

To order my books in my Goodreads list, I simply go to "My Books" and then click "Want to Read" on the left-hand side of the screen. From there, you can re-order your books by using the arrows to move a book up and down in the list or by typing in the number of the place you'd like the book to appear on your list.

I use the Amazon list as a catchall for anything that grabs my interest and that I would be willing to grab when the prices is right. If you're telling me about something and I say "that's interesting!" and grab my phone, I am probably looking for a book to add to my Amazon Wish List.

Ordering your "Want to Read" list in Goodreads

In Amazon, I simply add books to my "Wish List" as they catch my attention. You can do this by clicking "add to list" from any Amazon page. If you prefer Kindle - and/or want to keep an eye out for good Kindle deals - make sure you're looking at the Kindle version of the book before you do this.

How do I pick books to read? 

So how do I find books to add to these lists? For one, I track authors that I enjoy. I do this by following them on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub so I can passively get notifications by email. I also follow them on Facebook if they use it, and may periodically check the websites of authors I particularly want to follow. On Amazon and Goodreads you can do this right from an author's page, and on Bookbub you can do this by searching the Discover Authors page.

Add to list on Amazon

I also get new book ideas from following book related Facebook groups, particularly those related to genres I really enjoy. Particular ones I suggest are Historical Fiction Book Lovers, Epic Fantasy Fanatics, and Fantasy-Faction Fantasy Book Discussion. You can find these types of groups pretty easily by searching Google or Facebook, or asking around. Groups like this are also a great place to ask for specific recommendations on things you are interested in.

In addition, any time I stumble across a topic I am interested in (for example, if I am watching a documentary and I hear about a person I would like to read a biography about, or perhaps I read a novel and want to read a biography on the subject of the novel) I either ask in a discussion group or do a quick Google search - something like "best books on Marilyn Monroe" or "best novels about Queen Elizabeth" or "biography of Winston Churchill." You can usually come up with great suggestions this way. I also search for "best of" lists when I am new to a genre or want more in a genre, such as grimdark fantasy or historical fiction on WWII (Bookriot is great for this, such as their list of 20 Grimdark books, as is Unbound Worlds' lists).

I do also usually do a quick vetting of a book before adding it to my list; I look at the length of the book, the number of stars on Amazon or Goodreads, and in the case of non-fiction I look at the author biography to see if I can trust the reliability of the book/author. In some cases I may also take a look at some reviews, especially if I am contemplating paying full price for a book. 

How do I find deals on books? 

Sorting Amazon lists by price

I use two primary methods for this - Bookbub and Amazon. If you use the Discover Author feature in Bookbub, you will get emails when books by your authors go on sale. There are many other services that will send you recommendations by genre (which Bookbub also does), but I find that subscribing to too many just makes for a clogged inbox, and I prefer to get recommendations targeted to things I already know I want to read, like specific authors. 

I also use my Amazon Wish List to find deals. I periodically go to my wish list and sort by price, sorting by lowest price first. This brings the cheapest books - including any new deals - to the top of your list. The other nice thing about this is that it doesn't clog your email, and you can check it as often (or as rarely) as you'd like. The downside is that you have to remember to do it to get the deals. Amazon does deals all the time, so it isn't uncommon to find deals this way, and they're often very cheap - $.99 or $1.99, and they can extend to best sellers - I recently got Madeline Miller's Circe for $4.99 this way and I have gotten other best sellers for even less. 

What if I don't want to pay for books at all? 

As a librarian, I think I'd be remiss not to put in a plug for your local library here! Even if your local library is small, many libraries now offer an inter-library loan service where they can borrow books from other libraries for you, giving you a much wider selection to choose from. 

In addition, for those of you in New York, the New York Public Library allows any New York State resident to apply for a library card, not just New York City residents. Having a library card then gives access to their extensive e-book library (among other things). You can apply for a library card here.