I wanted to give others the opportunity to participate in an upcoming Group Read we are having over at Goodreads for a popular author, Jean Plaidy aka Victoria Holt.

On December 26, 2013 we are scheduled to start reading The Courts of Love at the forum and anyone can join in. These are loosely formatted: there is not a formal reading schedule, simply pop in and share thoughts or lurk as you wish.

Published in the 1980's, there have been several issues of The Courts of Love since its original publication. You can take a look at some of the different covers here. The one that I will be reading from is pictured below:
 Synopsis from Goodreads:

When I look back over my long and tempestuous life, I can see that much of what happened to me—my triumphs and most of my misfortunes—was due to my passionate relationships with men. I was a woman who considered herself their equal—and in many ways their superior—but it seemed that I depended on them, while seeking to be the dominant partner—an attitude which could hardly be expected to bring about a harmonious existence.


Eleanor of Aquitaine was revered for her superior intellect, extraordinary courage, and fierce loyalty. She was equally famous for her turbulent relationships, which included marriages to the kings of both France and England.


As a child, Eleanor reveled in her beloved grandfather’s Courts of Love, where troubadours sang of romantic devotion and passion filled the air. In 1137, at the age of fifteen, Eleanor became Duchess of Aquitaine, the richest province in Europe. A union with Louis VII allowed her to ascend the French throne, yet he was a tepid and possessive man and no match for a young woman raised in the Courts of Love. When Eleanor met the magnetic Henry II, the first Plantagenet King of England, their stormy pairing set great change in motion—and produced many sons and daughters, two of whom would one day reign in their own right.


In this majestic and sweeping story, set against a backdrop of medieval politics, intrigue, and strife, Jean Plaidy weaves a tapestry of love, passion, betrayal, and heartbreak—and reveals the life of a most remarkable woman whose iron will and political savvy enabled her to hold her own against the most powerful men of her.



Feel free to join in the discussions over at Goodreads! Hope to see you there!
Here is the direct link to the thread of the group read: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/206333?group_id=53515

Jane Austen was ill with what some believe was Addison's disease and she succumbed before completing Sanditon. I normally would not want to read a novel that does not have an ending, but since it is Jane Austen, and since there are plenty of continuations that I could pick up to keep it going, I decided it would be a fun excursion from my review pile.

Laurel Ann at Austenprose is discussing Chapters 1 through 4 today. You can find a synopsis and musings and the discussion via that link. Instead of monopolizing their comment form, I wanted to add my thoughts to my own blog to complement my mini comments that I may leave there, and hope to encourage others to join in the discussion.

I was lucky enough to have a copy of Sanditon which is within a combined novels edition. I was dismayed, however, to find that Sanditon is not formatted at all like a normal book. There is not a single line break or a break for paragraph; no structure after one speaks. There are a lot of   ' and - within the text. It gives one the air of being rushed through the narration and the dialogue one after the other. I had no idea how attached I was to an edited book. Instead of writing out the surname, there were abbreviations.

There are also a lot of Capitalized Letters. Although I can understand some of the usage in the following:
- Beauty, Sweetness, Poverty and Dependance, do not want the imagination of a man to operate upon. With due exceptions - Woman feels for Woman very promptly and compassionately.

If I can concentrate and focus on the story without being distracted by the "unedited" things, I was quite amused at the story so far through the first 4 Chapters. Sanditon being a seaside resort and the amiable Mr Parker being quite vested in it was eager to share it with one and all along with the benefits of the sea air. He brings along Miss Charlotte to Sanditon whose family he met along the road. Ends Chapter 4.

The very thing of Austen are the subtle witty humorous ways where she pokes fun at others with the characters she writes of, and the overall effect leaves you with a smile. I found it adorable the way Mr Parker met the Heywoods after his carriage broke down, and those Heywoods with fourteen children.. my goodness.. never left their home but sure were eager to let their children leave.. reminds me of my own temperament. Of course there are a few more characters but the Parkers and Heywoods were the main attraction so far.

Join along the rest of the discussion at Austenprose, it is a quick read.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Pub. Date: August 04, 2009
ISBN-13: 9781416596240
Fiction, 416pp
The Burton Review Rating: 4.5 stars

Barnes and Noble First Look Program Forum and Discussion for June

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
"Reminiscent of Keith Donohue's 'The Stolen Child', Erick Setiawan's richly atmospheric debut is a beautiful, engrossing fable of three generations of women in two families; their destructive jealousies, their loves and losses, their sacrifices and deeply rooted deceptions, and their triumphs. Of Bees and Mist is the tale of Meridia -- raised in a sepulchral house where ghosts dwell in mirrors, she spends her childhood feeling neglected and invisible. Every evening her father vanishes inside a blue mist without so much as an explanation, and her mother spends her days venomously beheading cauliflowers in the kitchen. At sixteen, desperate to escape, Meridia marries a tenderhearted young man and moves into his seemingly warm and charming family home. Little does she suspect that his parents are harboring secrets of their own. There is a grave hidden in the garden. There are two sisters groomed from birth to despise each other. And there is Eva, the formidable matriarch whose grievances swarm the air like an army of bees. In this haunting story, Setiawan takes Meridia on a tumultuous ride of hope and heartbreak as she struggles to keep her young family together and discovers long-kept secrets about her own past as well as the shocking truths about her husband's family.

Readers of magic-realist fiction will instantly be captivated by this richly evocative fairy tale. Of Bees and Mist takes place in a nameless town during a timeless era, where spirits and spells, witchcraft and demons, ghosts and clairvoyance -- both real and imagined -- are an everyday reality. Setiawan skillfully blends the real and the fantastical as he follows our heroine over a 30-year time span in which her love, courage, and sanity are tested to the limit."


Despite my initial resistance, the mysticism of the story captured my interest and pulled me into its magic. The story begins in a shroud of ghosts and unexplained extraordinary circumstances that made it difficult to understand the reality of what the author was trying to convey. Allegorical, metaphorical, symbolic, magical, ethereal.. I was so confused that I almost lost patience with it. I persevered, and as the coming of age story unfolded I was glad I did. I think this is one of those books that you would either really enjoy it, or just not get it, and therefore not like it all. You definitely need to shred the staunch disbeliever attitude and put on your imaginative and cognitive mask. Some readers may shrink away from a story which is so centered around paranormal things and meant to be read as a fable, which I was leaning towards, but the prose of this novel was so captivating that it was really a magical treat to behold.

The darkness of events of the main characters would chill you to the bone, but in a thrilling nature as you try to unwind the mysteries behind these haunting characters. This is a family saga of which two families are pitted against each other and how they attempt to come to terms with it. It addresses the relationships between a husband and a wife, mother and child, sister to sister, etc. Each family member is fraught with their own flaws and it is interesting to watch them develop throughout the story.

Meridia is a child of Ravenna and Gabriel, who are parents in no sense of the word. Ravenna is lost in a cloud of forgetfulness that she is barely a shadow of a mother to Meridia, and Gabriel seemingly could care less about anyone but himself as mists carry him from the house and back between the days. There are few words spoken, and Meridia is brought up by a nurse until she disappears suddenly. When Meridia goes to school and finally befriends Hannah, the reader is left to wonder if Hannah is even real. Meridia struggles to find the truth behind her existence, the reasoning behind the strangeness of her family and does not get very far with her conclusions as she itches for a way out of the madness of her house and family.


Finally Meridia marries and is thrown into another familial relationship with her in-laws that is not an opportunity for the better. Here we are introduced to the mother-in-law Eva, her incessant grating chatter which are bees pecking and flying about, and the father-in-law Elias who Meridia could not tell if he is someone to be trusted. Meridia finds even more fantastic stories in this house, and wonders if her husband could choose between his mother or his wife.

The magical elements create the symbolic tone, and their relationship to the realities of a modern day struggle between love, family members and the relationships which we create with each other. The women of the story seem to create a war with each other even as the men of the story try to throw their own weight around.

I enjoyed the unique storytelling behind this novel, and it was truly an imaginative debut novel that I could hardly find any fault with the authors imaginary process. Although the rough start almost had me fooled, I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in the nature of the family relationship with a surreal twist. This is a novel that can keep you engrossed for hours because of the complexity of the characters, and there is always some sort of mystery going on. The metaphors and symbolism intertwined with the magic forces make this a gratifying read.

Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Fawcett (printed August 28, 1990)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0449217795
ISBN-13: 978-0449217795
The Burton Review Rating: 4 stars
Plaidy Reading Group June 1, 2009
Plaidy Reading Challenge #6 Completed

Synopsis:
"Princess Caroline of Brunswick was twenty-six years old and people were saying that she would never have married... But a grand destiny was about to unfold for the lively Princess, as bride of England's handsome Prince of Wales, soon to be Regent and later King George IV of England. Unfortunately, although Caroline fell madly in love with her charming royal spouse, his own affections had been stolen years before by the beautiful Maria Fitzherbert- to whom, it was whispered, he was actually secretly married.
So, as a lonely, unsophisticated outsider in her husband's dissipated circle, Caroline determines to live her own life. Her reckless search for affection infuriates the King, shocks the court, delights the common people, and culminates in one of the most famous court cases in history- in which the Queen of England stands trial, charged with adultery."

This is an interesting story of the 'injured' Queen of England, better known as Caroline of Brunswick. The novel opens up to Caroline as a young woman still at home with her family in Germany and her stubbornness and zest for childish antics shine through early on. Plaidy does a good job with her historical information and makes the most of the story with the characterization of the zany Caroline, although there were a few slow parts probably not due to Plaidy's writing precisely; history took its time being played out as we follow Caroline from her first love to her marriage to the highly acclaimed eligible bachelor the Prince of Wales, having a baby and then the silly antics throughout the remainder of her life.

Caroline was ill treated when she left Germany to become the wife of George the Prince of Wales, she did not listen to others when she was given advice on how to look more attractive or how to act; she was instantly disliked by her betrothed; probably also due to the fact he had a wife before her that he had still loved. The Prince did not marry his first wife under the sanctioning eyes of the courts, therefore the courts and England did not find it necessary to uphold the marriage George had made previously to the one woman he seemed to love, Maria Fitzherbert (she was also a Catholic which they did not approve of). George married his first-cousin Caroline purely to attempt to pay off some debts, and it proved disastrous twofold since he did not get any more money to actually line his own pockets with.

There were a few other royal figures that I enjoyed the back stories on, such as the Old King George III and his mean-spirited wife Queen Charlotte. They had 15 children together and 13 who lived to maturity, which seems astounding and tragically comical that they all seemed not fit to inherit the crown, therefore all eyes rested on the eccentric Caroline and the flamboyant Prince of Wales.

I found it most interesting that Caroline did not attempt to clean herself up to make herself more appealing, she clearly did not outwardly care how others thought of her. Through the course of the marriage though, she enjoyed the companionship of many other people, as people who disliked the Prince naturally gravitated towards Caroline. She seemed to live comfortably throughout the estrangement and finally towards the end of the novel the old King George III dies and the Prince becomes the next King George, but he is in no way about to accept the eccentric Caroline as England's Queen. He had placed spies in Caroline's midst so that they can report on all infidelities and unbecoming conduct and attempts to publicly defame her during a trial as he finally wants a divorce from her. The novel doesn't specifically state if they get divorced, it was a trial seeking to prove her adulterous. I did enjoy reading the story overall but since it seemed a little slow in some parts I give it 4 stars for making the Georgian era readable and the interesting way a myriad of characters were all brought into the story. This was my introduction to the Georgian Era and if possible I think it would be better for readers to start new to them eras with the beginning of a series and not something towards the end. Yet this was an endearing read of a unique woman and most unlike most of Plaidy's other heroines, so don't miss this one. Her antics are preposterous and make you shake your head, but leaves you smiling at Caroline's devil-may-care attitude as well.


I also posted two of the different covers of this book. The first one is the one I have, and honestly could not even imagine at any point where that was Caroline, and the second cover seems to depict her in a more honest light. She was probably large, as George IV was also.

Plaidy mentions Maria Fitzherbert, George's first wife in the story, and focuses on her a few times just enough to make me want to pick up another Plaidy novel "Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill" which focuses on the devout Maria and probably should have been read before this one. And the old king George III seemed a little odd in this novel, which is another life story that I will look forward to when reading "The Third George".

The original printing dates for the books in the Georgian Saga series are:

QUEEN IN WAITING (Robert Hale, 1967)

THE PRINCESS OF CELLE (Robert Hale, 1967)

THE PRINCE AND THE QUAKERESS (Robert Hale, 1968)

CAROLINE, THE QUEEN (Robert Hale, 1968)

THE THIRD GEORGE (Robert Hale, 1969)

PERDITA'S PRINCE (Robert Hale, 1969)

SWEET LASS OF RICHMOND HILL (Robert Hale, 1970)

INDISCRETIONS OF THE QUEEN (Robert Hale, 1970)

THE REGENT'S DAUGHTER (Robert Hale, 1971)

GODDESS OF THE GREEN ROOM (Robert Hale, 1971)

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia the The Printed Page


Is is that time again!? Boy what a whirlwind of a week it's been.. maybe now it will get back to normal .. and I feel like absolute royal poo-poo and I am praying that we don't have swine flu bugs over here. (They have started closing schools in North TX!! including the entire Fort Worth School District!) I've been going to bed with a headache and a stomach ache and waking up with it too. Having kids in germ hell daycare does not help matters at all.

But enough of my woes.. on to Happy Happy Joy Joy Things = Books in my Mailbox!!!

From Sourcebooks to review for August:
Darcy and Anne by Judith Brocklehurst, ISBN 9781402224386, Austen Sequel, Pub. Date: 9/1/2009
He’s Like a Big Brother to her...Fitzwilliam Darcy never disliked his cousin Anne de Bourgh. He certainly never wanted to marry her, but when she shows up at Pemberley alone, of course he won’t send her back to her miserable life at Rosings
Without his Help, She’ll Never Get Away From her Mother…Anne has never had a chance to figure out what she wants for herself, until a fortuitous accident on the way to Pemberley separates Anne from her formidable mother. With her stalwart cousin Darcy and his lovely wife Elizabeth on her side, she begins to feel she might be able to spread her wings…But Lady Catherin’s pride and determination to find Anne a suitable husband threaten to overwhelm Anne's newfound freedom and budding sense of self. And without Darcy and Elizabeth’s help, Anne will never have a chance to find true love…

The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary, ISBN 9781402226700, Romantic Suspense, pb. 9/1/09
He’s a Charming Irish Rogue Who Never Met a Lock He Couldn’t Pick
Keirnan Fitzgerald is desperate to locate the missing Jewels of the Madonna. With danger at every corner and time running out, he must use whatever means possible to uncover the stolen jewels in time to save his sister’s life…
She’s Simply in Venice to Relax and Heal her Broken Heart
Samantha Lewis is shocked when a dashing stranger approaches her in a Venetian café pretending to know her. She’s ready for something new and exciting in her life, so she throws caution to the wind and accompanies the Irish charmer into his dangerous world of intrigue, theft and betrayal…
As the centuries-old story behind the jewels disappearance is revealed, Samantha must decide whether the man she’s so compellingly drawn to is her soul mate from a previous life, or if they are merely pawns in a relentless quest for a priceless treasure.

Highland Rebel by Judith James, ISBN 9781402224331, September 2009, Historical Romance (Medieval)
He’s Never Trusted Anyone
Amidst the political upheaval of Cromwell’s England , Ireland , and the Scottish Highlands , Jamie Sinclair’s wit, good looks, and military prowess have served him well. A notable rake and libertine, heir to lands and a title but without funds, he has been variously employed as soldier, diplomat, adventurer, and spy. Leading a troop of mercenaries in Scotland for King James, he impetuously marries a maid captured on the battlefield, saving her from a grim fate.
She’s Much More than he EVER Bargained For…
Raised in the Highlands , heiress to title, fortune and property, Catherine Drummond is far from the camp follower Jamie believes her to be. When her people effect her rescue, and he can’t now annul the marriage, off he goes to the Highlands to recapture his hellcat of a new wife...
In a world where family, creed, and princes cannot be trusted and faith fuels bigotry, intolerance, hatred, and war, Catherine and Jamie test the bounds of loyalty, friendship, and trust....

From Phenix&Phenix to review: "The Osiris Alliance" by Jack Ford "Chilling and original, The Osiris Alliance is a brilliant debut thriller from an insider whose knowledge of politics, terrorism, law, and forensics makes a deadly formula for suspense."

From ShelfAwareness: "The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers" by Angie Fox Publisher: Love Spell (April 28, 2009) ISBN-10: 0505527707 Vegas, Demonslayers, romance, humor.. should be a fun weekend read

From the Awesome Arleigh of Historical-Fiction.com & Royal-Intrigue, the Jean Plaidy Reading Group pick:
Indiscretions of the Queen (1970) by Jean Plaidy, book 8 in the Georgian Saga. You can participate in the Reading group also, this one will be discussed 6/1/09.
It was necessary for the Prince of Wales to marry and the choice fell on Caroline of Brunswick. Caroline wanted to marry a Major in her father's army and her unpredictable behaviour had already resulted in scandals about her private life. Arriving in England she found her bridegroom's mistress waiting to undermine her position and to spy on her, the Prince determined to hate her, and her new family, with the exception of the half-crazy King, hostile to her.

And finally, from Paperbackswap:
Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle (Tristan and Isolde Novels, Book 1) Rosalind Miles ISBN-10: 1400047862Book Type: Paperback
In the golden time of Arthur and Guenevere, the Island of the West shines like an emerald in the sea—one of the last strongholds of Goddess-worship and Mother-right. Isolde is the only daughter and heiress of Ireland’s great ruling queen, a lady as passionate in battle as she is in love. La Belle Isolde, like her mother, is famed for her beauty, but she is a healer instead of a warrior, “of all surgeons, the best among the isles.” A natural peacemaker, Isolde is struggling to save Ireland from a war waged by her dangerously reckless mother. The Queen is influenced by her lover, Sir Marhaus, who urges her to invade neighboring Cornwall and claim it for her own, a foolhardy move Isolde is determined to prevent. But she is unable to stop them. King Mark of Cornwall sends forth his own champion to do battle with the Irish—Sir Tristan of Lyonesse—a young, untested knight with a mysterious past. A member of the Round Table, Tristan has returned to the land of his birth after many years in exile, only to face Ireland’s fiercest champion in combat. When he lies victorious but near death on the field of battle, Tristan knows that his only hope of survival lies to the West. He must be taken to Ireland to be healed, but he must go in disguise—for if the Queen finds out who killed her beloved, he will follow Marhaus into the spirit world. His men smuggle him into the Queen’s fort at Dubh Lein, and beg the princess to save him.From this first meeting of star-crossed lovers, an epic story unfolds. Isolde’s skill and beauty impress Tristan’s uncle, King Mark of Cornwall, and—knowing nothing of her love for Tristan—he decides to make her his queen, a match her mother encourages as a way to bind their lands under one rule. Tristan and Isolde find themselves caught in the crosscurrents of fate, as Isolde is forced to marry a man she does not love. Taking pity on her daughter, the Queen gives her an elixir that will create in her a passion for King Mark and ensure that their love will last until death. But on the voyage to Ireland, Tristan and Isolde drink the love potion by accident, sealing their already perilous love forever.So begins the first book of the Tristan and Isolde trilogy, another stunning example of the storyteller’s craft from Rosalind Miles, author of the beloved and bestselling Guenevere trilogy.

At least a bit more manageable pile of books.. and I am looking forward to reading these! What was in YOUR mailbox this week?

St. Thomas's Eve or Kings' Confidante by Jean Plaidy

Friday Fill-In is hosted by Janet





1. Join me in reveling in the fact that it is FRIDAY! The ReadAThon is Tomorrow! (Although I'm not officially participating but I'll be cheering you lucky ones on..)
2. Put a little comic relief in your day!
3. Happiness is coming home after a long day at work to a doorstep littered with packages of books.
4. Dazed (the obvious word to go with) and confused.
5. I'm waiting for the mail-lady to leave a nasty note regarding all the books lately.
6.A new ARC is hard to resist.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading St. Thomas's Eve, tomorrow my plans include finishing St. Thomas's Eve and Sunday, I want tostart a NEW book, probably "The Girl She Used to Be" by David Cristofano !

I am about halfway through with St. Thomas's Eve by Jean Plaidy (re-released as Kings' Confidante this year) and if you have read it go on over to Royal Intrigue to participate in the discussion about it around May 1st.

Even if you don't want to participate this time around, we are going to discuss a new one each month and we'd love for you to stop by.

Have a Great Weekend, and let me know if you're participating in the Read A Thon so I could check in on you!