Book Review: The King's Curse

Author: Philippa Gregory
Title: The King's Curse
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: Sept 9, 2014
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: As an heir to the Plantagenets, Margaret is seen by the King’s mother, the Red Queen, as a rival to the Tudor claim to the throne. She is buried in marriage to a Tudor supporter—Sir Richard Pole, governor of Wales—and becomes guardian to Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon.

But Margaret’s destiny, as cousin to the White Princess, is not for a life in the shadows. Tragedy throws her into poverty, yet a royal death restores her to her place at young Henry VIII’s court where she becomes chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine. There she watches the dominance of the Spanish queen over her husband and her tragic decline.

Amid the rapid deterioration of the Tudor court, Margaret must choose whether her allegiance is to the increasingly tyrannical Henry VIII or to her beloved queen. Caught between the old and the new, Margaret must find her own way, concealing her knowledge that an old curse cast upon all the Tudors is slowly coming true...

Review: I've read several of Philippa Gregory's books in the past. I'm a bit fonder of the Tudor series as opposed to the Cousin's War series. She changed her writing style and I don't find it for the better. This book feels like a huge overlapping of The Constant Princess, as a lot of the book revolves around Katherine of Aragon, though the story is told from the point of view of Margaret Pole, one of the last of the Plantagenet line.

The problem with the first person in The King's Curse, is how flat Margaret's character is. She's just very bland, and from all that happens to her and her children throughout her life and the life of her Queen and Princess Mary.

The one thing I do take away from this book is how much sympathy I have for Katherine of Aragon and her daughter and what an absolute pig, Henry VIII was. There is no way that you can like this man at all, even though Gregory gives us some new insight as to why Henry acted as he did, of course that doesn't excuse his horrid behavior.

It took me nearly a month to read this book, which is highly unusual for me. I just found Margaret's story to be very bland, when there was so much drama surrounding her and her family. Margaret was a lady in waiting to Queen Katherine and then as a guardian to Princess Mary.

I did find myself wondering "what if" many times throughout this book, because Katherine seemed such a good woman, that if Henry would have stayed married to her, rather than following his urges, how things would have turned out. Of course, there would have been no Elizabeth I as a result and that would really have changed English history.

But one thing you can take away from this book, is how much of a tyrant Henry was and how his paranoia changed his children.

This definitely wasn't her best, but I found that books that involve Katherine of Aragon are not her best, I found The Constant Princess to be a bit lacking too. It doesn't see to be a fitting end to the Cousins' War series

Rating: 3 flowers

TLC Book Tours Book Review: The Mermaid Of Brooklyn

Author: Amy Shearn
Title: The Mermaid Of Brooklyn
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: April 2, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours & the publisher

Book Blurb: 

SOMETIMES ALL YOU NEED IN LIFE IS A FABULOUS PAIR OF SHOES—AND A LITTLE HELP FROM A MERMAID.

Formerly an up-and-coming magazine editor, Jenny Lipkin is now your average, stretched-too-thin Brooklyn mom, tackling the challenges of raising two children in a cramped Park Slope walk-up. All she really wants is to survive the sweltering New York summer with a shred of sanity intact. But when her husband, Harry, vanishes one evening, Jenny reaches her breaking point. And in a moment of despair, a split-second decision changes her life forever.

Pulled from the brink by an unexpected ally, Jenny is forced to rethink her ideas about success, motherhood, romance, and relationships. But confronting her inner demons is no easy task. . .

Review: The Mermaid Of Brooklyn is one of those books that you can't help but keep reading. It isn't because this is a fantastic work of fiction. In fact, the first part of the book is pretty darn depressing. When Harry up and leaves Jenny without a word, you can't help but hate him.

Why?

Because Jenny is so very inept. She's a harried and truth be told, not a very good mom, and probably not a very good wife either. There were times throughout the book that I really wanted to slap her simple and the fact that she disliked Juniper, her husband's dog didn't endear her to me much at all.

I don't like animal haters and Jenny felt like one, so we didn't get off to a good start.

Then she dies...or well she doesn't..because somehow a mermaid decides to inhabit her body, giving her a second chance at life.

Thanks to the mermaid, Jenny becomes a slightly better mom, a bit of a business women and possibly even a better person, except for the whole thing around "Cute Dad" Sam.

Just about everyone in this novel is dysfunctional. Harry has disappeared before this, as he has a gambling problem, Jenny's friend Laura is recording interviews with random people at a diner late nights when she can't sleep, and then there's Sam, who is married but in a less then perfect relationship. (And yeah, things happen with Cute Dad Sam)

Most of the time I was reading this, (and I read it in one day) I was thinking, I'm so glad I don't know Jenny.

You know from the start that Harry is going to come back, but I was so surprised that after all that had happened that she takes him back and because both of them had gone through changes that things would be just fine?

WTF!

The best character by far in the story is voice of the mermaid that is inhabiting Jenny's body. You get a little glimpse of what her life was like before she became a rusalka.

This book was definitely different and unexpected. Not a happy go lucky romp or even fantasy oriented as you might think with the title...its just really "Real" with a touch of something different.

Rating:  4 flowers

About Amy Shearn

Amy Shearn is the author of How Far Is the Ocean from Here. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota’s MFA program. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, The Millions, Poets & Writers, The L Magazine, Opium, and Five Chapters, and she writes for Oprah.com and RedbookMag.com. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children. Connect with Amy at her website, Facebook or Twitter @amyshearn.

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Darkness All Around

Author: Doug Magee
Title: Darkness All Around
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: June 19, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours and the Publisher
Book Blurb: When there’s DARKNESS ALL AROUND . . . some memories are best forgotten Within the span of one harrowing week, Risa’s alcoholic husband, Sean, disappears, and her best friend, Carol, is brutally murdered. Eleven years later, Risa has seemingly put her life back together again, comforted by the love of her new husband, who is a local politician, and the knowledge that Carol’s killer has been convicted. But then just as suddenly as he had disappeared, Sean resurfaces— sober, plagued by horrific recollections of Carol’s murder, and convinced he was the real killer. Sean’s startling claim buzzes through their small Pennsylvania community, and Risa is left to wonder if the man she still loves actually committed the grisly murder. Her growing belief in his innocence sends her on a treacherous search for the truth: a search that reveals ugly secrets that her new husband and the town’s law enforcement community are hiding. Part murder mystery, part love story, Darkness All Around is a gripping exploration of the depths of the criminal mind, the fine line between the truth and a lie, and the bravery of the human heart.

Review: Darkness All Around is a different kind of mystery. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting, but the read was definitely a pleasant surprise. What was different in this story is the relationship aspect. Most of the books in this genre that I've read seldom focus on the people involved. This isn't the case here, and that really almost takes away the whodunit from the story, especially as the whodunit is a case that's been closed for years.

I was drawn to the story because it is set in Pennsylvania. I'm from the state, so that's always a draw for me, but what kept me turning the pages were the characters. I loved Risa. You could tell there were some cracks in the marriage as the story starts out. Her politician husband is not easily likable to the reader.

So to say the outcome was a surprise would be a lie, however Doug's writing is engaging because he creates characters that you can relate to. I could almost see the newscasts about Alan's run for office and Kevin's drive for football glory.

The small town of Braden really comes alive too. No surprise that everyone knows everyone's business. Anyone that lives in a small town can tell you that.

It is the mystery that is a little bit ho hum, because the end of the prologue pretty much tells you who the killer is. I won't say what character said it..but "Maybe she deserved to die." isn't the typical remark from an innocent bystander.

Sean is the real focal point of the story. You want to dislike him for the way he was; a not so good father, a violent drunk etc. But you can see a turnaround in him. You know he wasn't perfect but you like him anyway. You know that there's no way he could have played a part in killing Carol, even though things in his memory are telling him otherwise.

If the outcome weren't so predictable this would have been a perfect read, but it still was a great one and one that I would recommend to anyone that likes a little mystery in their life. I'd also recommend it to fan's of women's fiction, because Risa was such a strong character.

Rating:  4 flowers

Many thanks to TLC Book Tours  for letting me host this spot. Check out the other reviews and stops on the tour!

Tuesday, June 19th:  Crime Fiction Lover
Thursday, June 21st:  You’ve GOTTA read this!
Monday, June 25th:  Bewitched Bookworms
Tuesday, June 26th:  Life in Review
Wednesday, June 27th:  House of Crime and Mystery
Thursday, June 28th:  Inside of a Dog
Monday, July 2nd:  Mockingbird Hill Cottage
Tuesday, July 3rd:  Reviews by Lola
Thursday, July 5th:  Chaotic Compendiums
Monday, July 9th:  Man of La Book
Tuesday, July 10th:  Wordsmithonia
Thursday, July 12th:  Well Read Wife
Monday, July 16th:  A Chick Who Reads
Tuesday, July 17th:  Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, July 18th:  Reviews by Elizabeth A. White
Thursday, July 19th:  Drey’s Library
TBD:  Murder by Type
TBD:  Raging Bibliomania

Book Review: The Constant Princess

Author:Philippa Gregory
Title: The Constant Princess
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: Aug 28, 2006
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England."
Thus, bestselling author Philippa Gregory introduces one of her most unforgettable heroines: Katherine of Aragon. Known to history as the Queen who was pushed off her throne by Anne Boleyn, here is a Katherine the world has forgotten: the enchanting princess that all England loved. First married to Henry VIII's older brother, Arthur, Katherine's passion turns their arranged marriage into a love match; but when Arthur dies, the merciless English court and her ambitious parents -- the crusading King and Queen of Spain -- have to find a new role for the widow. Ultimately, it is Katherine herself who takes control of her own life by telling the most audacious lie in English history, leading her to the very pinnacle of power in England.
Set in the rich beauty of Moorish Spain and the glamour of the Tudor court, The Constant Princess presents a woman whose constancy helps her endure betrayal, poverty, and despair, until the inevitable moment when she steps into the role she has prepared for all her life: Henry VIII's Queen, Regent, and commander of the English army in their greatest victory against Scotland.

Review: I love the Tudor period in English history. I'm slowly working my way through Gregory's books about the wives of Henry VIII. The Constant Princess is about Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

Having read several of Gregory's books, I think I'm catching on to a pattern. She likes history, but she obviously doesn't like the historical people she's writing about. In this book, it is very hard to like Catherine, she comes across as really arrogant, and the lie she tells so that she can rightfully become Queen of England.

I know this is historical fiction but she did play fast and loose with history when it came to Arthur's death by the "sweating sickness." I've read many places that Catherine had the same disease. This isn't even touched on in this book. Instead Gregory gives us a flowery romantic deathbed request from Prince Arthur. I found this a little hard to take.

I also found her treatment of Henry to be a little nasty...ok a lot nasty. Most accounts show they had a good marriage, even if Henry wasn't faithful. (That is until those Boleyns entered the picture)

Gregory's writing seemed a bit erratic, as well. She skipped over years of Catherine's life, and ended the book rather abruptly. I'm not sure if that was because Catherine was part of "The Other Boleyn Girl" or because she just didn't want to go on with her story.

There was so much of Queen Catherine's life that was left out. Heck, she didn't even write about the birth of Princess Mary.

I have to say, I was a little disappointed in this book, mostly because of her portrayal of Catherine and her tampering with history. If you can get past that, it is a good read, but sadly it bugged me to much.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: The Queen's Fool

Author:Phillipa Gregory
Title: The Queen's Fool
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: February 3, 2004
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.

It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.

Teeming with vibrant period detail and peopled by characters seamlessly woven into the sweeping tapestry of history, The Queen's Fool is another rich and emotionally resonant gem from this wonderful storyteller.

Review: Phillipa Gregory is one of my go to's when it comes to historical fiction. I'm slowly working my way through the Tudor saga, albeit out of order. The Queen's Fool spans two monarchies, the reign of King Edward and the reign of Queen Mary, aka Bloody Mary.

The main players in this saga are a young Jewish girl, Hannah, who has to keep her faith hidden, Queen Mary and Robert Dudley. (You know, Dudley...the next Queen's favorite). I had a very hard time warming up to Hannah. There was something about her I just couldn't like. I'm not sure if it was the casual way she left her father and her betrothed, or her crush on Robert Dudley.

She became the King's fool when Dudley came into her father's shop and she saw an angel walking behind him. That moment sets the scene for the next several years of her life, which are spent as a Holy Fool for King  and then to the Catholic Queen Mary.

There's a lot I loved about this book and a lot that I didn't.

Loves:

1. It was nice to see Queen Mary portrayed in a sympathetic fashion. I liked that there was a reasoning for her actions as her reign went on.

2. I liked getting a glimpse of the lives of some other major players in the Tudor era, like Dudley and John Dee.

3. I also liked that it was told from a different religious perspective. You had the Spanish Inquisition which Hannah and her family were fleeing to the issues of Catholicism and The Church Of England.

Things I didn't like so much:

1. The portrayal of the young Princess Elizabeth. I think Gregory doesn't like Queen Bess. She pretty much portrayed her as a scheming slut from the moment the book starts.

2. Hannah's relationship with Daniel. Does she or doesn't she want to be his wife. Their whole love just seems so off, like it had to be written so that she wouldn't change the course of history too much.

3. You never really figure out which Queen she favors. You get the impression she really loves Queen Mary, but at some times she leans toward Princess Elizabeth, and the way the characters are written, I think it would be terribly hard to serve them both.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: A Little Bit Wicked #18

Author: Kristin Chenoweth w/Joni Rodgers
Title: A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love & Faith in Stages
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: March 5, 2009
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: You might know her as a Tony Award-winning Broadway star, who originated the role of Galinda the Good Witch in the smash musical Wicked and won a Tony for 1999's You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Or you may recognize her from her starring roles on TV—The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, Sesame Street...oh, and her Huge Hit Sitcom Kristin on NBC. (Huge hit. L.A. breast-implant huge. Ask either of the people who watched it.) Or maybe you saw her sexy spread in FHM magazine? Or her appearance on Pat Robertson's The 700 Club? Kristin is a wonderful collection of contradictions—but everyone who's ever met her remembers her as the little girl with the big voice. At four foot eleven, Kristin Chenoweth is an immense talent in a petite but powerful package.
In this lively, laugh-out-loud book, Kristin shares her journey from Oklahoma beauty queen to Broadway leading lady, reflecting on how faith and family have kept her grounded in the dysfunctional rodeo of show biz. The daughter of an engineer and a nurse, Kristin was singing in front of thousands at Baptist conventions by age twelve and winning beauty pageants by age twenty-two. (Well, actually she was second runner-up almost every freaking time. But, hey, she's not bitter.) On her way to a career as a professional opera singer, she stopped in New York to visit a friend and went on a whim to an audition. Through a combination of talent, hard work, and (she's quick to add) the grace of God, Kristin took Broadway by storm. But of course, into every storm, the occasional drizzle of disaster must fall.

Filled with wit, wisdom, and backstage insight, A Little Bit Wicked is long on love and short on sleep; it's essential reading for Kristin's legions of fans and an uplifting story for anyone seeking motivation to follow his or her dreams—over the rainbow and beyond

Review: When I saw Cheno's mini-memoir (hey, it really isn't an autobiography, and its only about 240 some pages) on the shelf at my YMCA's lending library, I had to pick it up. I like to read celebrity books, because usually they are funny, even when they are trying to be serious.

But then there's Cheno. She's just so darn CUTE! I'm pretty sure if you look cute up in the dictionary these days, Kristin's picture is right there. She has the added bonus of being super funny and a super fantastic singer. But none of that really has anything to do with the book, yet it does.

Every aspect of Kristin's bubbly personality comes through these pages. It is easy to see why she has a legion of fans. She's just so fun. She's also nice. There's not a nasty word said about anyone in this book, and like most people, she's had some tough times, careerwise, and yet she doesn't bash anyone. She really makes light of a lot of things. She takes the bad things in a spiritual way. You learn from the tough times you go though, and maybe she's right.

So if you are looking for scathing commentary about people on Broadway or TV, you aren't going to find that here. You will find a lot of things to laugh at, especially some of the things she learned from her vocal teacher. Singing from your Hoo Hoo being one of them. That was so funny it inspired Ellen Degeneres to do a musical number, with Cheno....

This is the kind of book you can devour in a few hours. If you are in a bad mood, it will lift it. Plus it gives you faith that all celebrities aren't egotistical idiots, and Kristin is obviously one of the nice ones.  It's definitely worth reading, even if you only know a little bit about the lady.

Rating: 5 flowers

Watch:  Sing From Your Hoo Hoo