Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Final Countdown


It's been a great year of reading for me, and as I look back over a sampling of my completed books for 2009 (I began blogging in May so I have not included any books I read before then), I'm happy to say that most were enjoyable reads. (see sidebar labels: Read in 2009)

Thank you to all my visitors for your comments and book recommendations, and I'd like to also welcome a few new followers who have joined in the last few weeks. I know everyone's time is valuable and there are so many great blogs to visit and books to read, so I keep things pretty quick and simple here at Slice of Life.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2010




Royal Reviews is hosting the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for 2010, so I'm thrilled to take part in this event. I love historical fiction and am always eager to see what everyone is reading. I have the following titles on my list, but the challenge allows you to add or remove as needed:

l. Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman
2. The Sunne in Splendor - Sharon Kay Penman (completed 4/6/10)
3. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (completed 1/5/10)
4. The Founding by Cynthia Harrod Eagles (completed 3/8/10)
5. The Loves of Charles II - Jean Plaidy
6. The Queen's Dollmaker - Christine Trent (completed)
7. Murder Most Royal - Jean Plaidy (Completed 3/19/10)
8. Mistress Shakespeare - Karen Harper (completed 3/2/10)
9. The Secret Diaries of Anne Boleyn - Robin Maxwell
10.-15. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation Series (6 books) (completed 11/11/10)
16.-18. The Heaven Tree Trilogy (The Heaven Tree, The Green Branch, & The Scarlet Seed)- Edith Pargeter completed 2/26/10)
19. & 20. TBA

I'm leaving room for any new titles that may strike my fancy throughout the year, and if I get through 12 titles, I will have reached the "addicted" level.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell


From the publisher:

"When young Anne Boleyn is sent to the French court with her father and sister, Mary, she thinks she's in for an innocent adventure. But when the ambitious ambassador Thomas Boleyn leads them into the highly sophisticated and sexually permissive court of Francois I, Anne quickly learns that she and her sister are merely pawns for their father's own political purpose. Mary becomes mistress to the outrageous French king and is ultimately seduced into his dangerous world by the luxuries of the court. But Anne will have a different fate...

Anne is younger, more clever, and stronger-willed than her sister, and with the guidance of powerful allies and such unlikely friends as Leonardo da Vinci, she learns how to navigate the challenges, passions, and betrayals of the court. And as she grows into a beautiful woman, Anne undergoes her own awakening, each daring exploit taking her one step closer to the life that is her destiny."


My thoughts:

Robin Maxwell creates an interesting portrait of the much maligned Anne Boleyn. My background knowledge of Anne is limited to what most people know about the infamous second wife of King Henry VIII, but this account (embellished with literary liberties) introduces us to the future queen as a young and impressionable girl. Anne's early experiences at court began as an attendant to the pious French Queen Claude, and it was here that Anne encountered a host of individuals (ranging from laundry maids, artists, and the Kings of France and England) that would influence her religious and philosophical beliefs, views on women's independence, as well as her views of relationships and marriage. Anne found the decadence of the French court shocking and disturbing, and she suffered deeply as her sister, Mary, was forced into degrading situations with the people of the court of Francois I.

Described as darkly beautiful and intelligent, this fictional story paints a much more sympathetic picture of Anne Boleyn. She was clever, popular, hopeful for a future of happiness with a young love, and completely unaware of her true destiny in history. A very poignant tale when one knows there can be no happy ending for her.

Title: Mademoiselle Boleyn
Author: Robin Maxwell
New American Library
2007
355 pages
genre: historical fiction

Do you judge a book by its cover?

I walk into a bookstore.....thousands of books are on display, each one vying for my attention. Pick me! Pick me! My eyes move over the covers, scanning the titles but searching for that "something special" that speaks to me. Some covers are predominantly typography, so I walk past them....then, there it is! That exquisite cover that makes me walk over, pick up that book and run my hand over the cover, and turn it over to read the blurb.

Now I know enough from experience that an appealing cover does not guarantee a good read (and likewise, a plain cover can have a terrific story tucked inside), but it sure does get the book in my hands! Looking through the books that I added to my personal library this year, there are several books that I thought had fabulous cover art, and it appears that many 2010 releases will be even more stunning!

(Note: These books may not all have been released in 2009; they were added to my library in 2009). Here they are, in no particular order:


These new editions of Daphne du Maurier's classics are just gorgeous! I want to sail away with a pirate on that ship!



This is my favorite cover, but unfortunately, the artwork was better than the plot.




Simply stunning! More people remarked about this cover when I reviewed the book.





Say yes to the dress!




Vampire debutante meets Victoria's Secret...really cool cover!





Who wouldn't want to curl up with this book by a roaring fire with a cup of tea?





Could be a Vogue cover it's so lovely!





I love, love, love all the new editions of Georgette Heyers classics!


Can't wait to see what's in store for 2010!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See



From the publisher:
"In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or "old same," in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she has written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They both endure the agony of footbinding and together reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart."

My thoughts:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan absolutely took my breath away. Words such as enlightening, powerful, haunting, and heartbreaking come to mind as I search for ways to describe Lisa See's novel of life's journey for two young girls in 19th century China.

With our modern views of equality, self-worth, motherhood and parenting, and relationships with men, it was very difficult to read about the treatment of females in a Confucian society and their inevitable destinies.(There was a saying, "Marrying a daughter is like throwing out water.") As Lily, the narrator, states,

"Whether you are rich or poor, emporer or slave, the domestic sphere is
for women and the outside sphere is for men. Women should not pass beyond
the inner chambers in their thoughts or in their actions...When a girl,
obey your father; when a wife, obey your husband; when a widow, obey your
son." (p. 24)


In order to have any hope of a marriage, young girls at the tender age of six or seven years of age, began the agonizing and tortuous process of footbinding. While I had a vague knowledge of footbinding and the associated pain, I was completely unprepared for the true process and the concept of "mother love."

"A true lady lets no ugliness into her life....Only through pain will you
have beauty. Only through suffering will you find peace. I wrap, I bind,
you will have the reward." (p. 50)


It was enlightening to me to learn that girls with unbound feet, or "big footed" as they were called, were viewed with contempt and destined for pitiful futures. Small, delicate feet (only a few centimeters long!) that had been bound were called beautiful "golden lilies" and were proof of a young girl's personal discipline and the ability to bear pain during future childbirth (with the hopes of producing the highly prized sons); it was also proof of her obedience to her family, and, most importantly to men, considered to be very sensual.

In order to rise above the long, excruciating days of footbinding and obedience, the females, who remained secluded in chambers, spent their days singing, chanting, telling stories, and embroidering beautiful images and nu shu. I found the concept of the secret language of nu shu to be fascinating. Girls would embroider fabrics or use ink on fans with nu shu, a written language known only to women as a way to secretly communicate with each other. It is through one of these fans that the reader is introduced to Snow Flower, a lovely young girl from another village. Traditionally, girls are paired with a laotong, as a partner for friendship and guidance. As I learned through the journey of Snow Flower and Lily, a laotong's relationship was deeply emotional and spiritual and as committed as any marriage between a husband and wife.

Beautifully written with prose that is as lovely as a delicate silk fan, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a memorable tale that I highly recommend. Book clubs will find a wealth of topics to discuss and debate here, as well. I am looking forward to reading more of Lisa See's beautiful prose in Peony in Love.

Title: Snow flower and the Secret Fan
Author: Lisa See
Publisher: Random House
269 pages
genre: fiction

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Musee' Conti Historical Wax Museum







This past weekend found us strolling through the Musee' Conti Historical Wax Museum in the French Quarter for, of all things, a wedding reception. I've attended weddings on steamboats, River Road plantations, the French Quarter, and a variety of other interesting venues, but this was the most unique and unusual experience.

Waiters greeted guests in period costumes with trays of champagne and invited us to visit the exhibits which tell the story of the history of New Orleans. Moving among the wax displays of French and Spanish explorers, vodoo queens, lords and ladies, pirates and scoundrels, I couldn't help but experience the odd feeling of being displaced in time. (Guess I have time travel on my mind a bit too much!) It really appealed to my love of history and all things in the past.

After that, it was back to the 21st century as we moved upstairs for dinner and dancing. A seriously fun evening!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Preview of The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn


Deanna Raybourn is one of my favorite new author discoveries this year, and I'm very glad to learn that her latest novel (alas, unrelated to the Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane sagas) will be available in March 2010. With its setting in the forests of Transylvania, it sounds like another gothic winner from Raybourn.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir


from the publisher:

"Henry VIII is perhaps England's most infamous monarch, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. He was married to six distinctly different women, and in this richly detailed and meticulously researched history, these remarkable, often misunderstood queens come to life once again: Katherine of Aragon, stubborn and devoutly Catholic; Anne Boleyn, proud and fiercely ambitious; Jane Seymour, deceptively strong-willed; Anne of Cleves, unappealing and uncomplaining; Katherine Howard, young and foolish; and finally, Katherine Parr, brave, practical, and intelligent. Their full histories and personalities emerge at last, giving voices to the six extraordinary women who left their distinctive marks on the English throne and thereby changed the course of British history."

my thoughts:

I selected this collective biography of the wives of Henry VIII in order to brush up on my knowledge of Tudor history. One of my reading goals for 2010 is to explore the historical fiction series of the Tudor wives by Jean Plaidy, so I wanted a scholarly source to use as a reference book. I never intended to read it cover to cover, but once I settled in with the saga of Katherine of Aragon, it began to read like a novel and I couldn't put it down.

Weir's fascinating and meticulous research is based on biographies, letters, diaries, archives of diplomatic papers, church documents, as well as a host of other sources and presents a balanced view of each of the women who captured the King's attention. As Weir states in her introduction,

"What were they really like, those six wives? Because of the nature of the source
material for the reign, nearly all of which has a political or religious bias,
a writer could come up with very different assessments of each of them,
all of which might be equally valid. But this would be abdicating some of the
responsibilities of an historian, whose function is to piece together the
surviving evidence and arrive at a workable conclusion. What follows are the
conclusions I have reached after many years of research into the subject,
conclusions that, on the weight of the evidence, must be as realistic as
anything can be after a lapse of 450 years."
(p. 2)

Weir weaves an interesting tapestry of the life and times for royal women during this period, giving vivid descriptions of fashions, customs, education, entertainment, arranged marriages, dowries, and royal customs; the glittering pagentry and privilege of being a royal wife is contrasted with the harsh reality: the absolute necessity of producing a male heir to continue the dynasty. The political and religious ramifications of this fact makes Henry VIII's reign so unique in history.

Perhaps as important as producing a male heir, in the midst of plagues, wars, political intrigues, church politics, and the hardships of childbearing and affairs of the king, the royal wife was expected to set a high moral standard for court and become "a model of wifely dignity and virtue."

The Six Wives of Henry VIII is a fascinating exploration of one of English history's most intriguing monarchs and the women who captured his heart.

Title: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Author: Alison Weir
Publisher: Grove Press
genre: biography; nonfiction
1991
643 pages

Friday, December 18, 2009

From my home to yours....


Just taking a little time to make sure that in the hustle and bustle of the next few days, I don't want to forget to thank all of you who visit my blog. Thank you for your kind comments, your interest in my little slice of life, and for the great book recommendations I come away with after visiting your blogs.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and joy, peace, and all good things in the new year!

The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason


Book #1 in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles

from the publisher:

"Beneath the glitter of dazzling nineteenth-century London Society lurks a bloodthirsty evil....

Vampires have always lived among them, quietly attacking unsuspecting debutantes and dandified lords as well as hackney drivers and Bond Street milliners. If not for the Vampire slayers of the Gardella family, these immortal creatures would have long ago taken over the world.

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her duty. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make a choice between obligation and love...."


My thoughts:

I'm always on the lookout for an interesting twist on the Regency/Victorian-era novel, and The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason has a unique combination of vampires, Regency-era romance, and magic.

The heroine, Victoria, is not your typical debutant; naturally, she's beautiful and refined by day and the perfect match for the handsome Marquess of Rockley; by night, she's ruthless and trained in martial arts -- the vampire huntress (or Venator, as she is called). She willingly accepts her destiny as the next generation of Venators...until she realizes that living a double life has become too difficult and dangerous for the one man she truly comes to love. Lilith, the Queen of the Vampires, desires an ancient magic book that is in Victoria's possession, and she will stop at nothing to gain the book and the powerful spells contained therein. A surprising and unexpected ending left me speechless.

A quick, fun read with promise, I hope, to develop further in the series the mysterious character of Maximilian, master vampire executioner, and Sebastian, the proprietor of the Silver Chalice, and their relationship/partnership with Victoria.

Title: The Rest Falls Away: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles
Author: Collee Gleason
Publisher:Penguin Group
347 pages
genre: paranormal romance

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Preview of Angel Time by Anne Rice



The first book I have selected for the Time Travel 2010 Challenge will be Angel Time by Anne Rice. Angel Time: Songs of the Seraphim is described as a metaphysical thriller that begins in the present day with a contract killer, Toby O'Dare, on assignment to claim another life; in his nightmarish world of killing, he meets a mysterious stranger, a seraph, who offers him an opportunity to save rather than destroy a life. O'Dare is carried back through time to 13th century England on a journey of danger, suspense, and an opportunity for redemption.

************


Interestingly, I have noticed that whenever I post about an Anne Rice book, those posts have generated the most comments, interest, and blog visits. This has prompted me to think about hosting a few Anne Rice reading events in 2010. We all have so many new books on our TBR shelf that I know we do not have the time to reread entire favorite novels; however, it might be fun to do a few mini-reads of a chapter or two from an old Anne Rice classic, reread some famous passages, and discuss her writing.

So, dust off those old, tattered paperbacks and "come into my parlor"....let's revisit The Myth and Magic of Anne Rice in 2010.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Time Travel Reading Challenge 2010



I'm very excited to join in the Time Travel Reading Challenge in 2010 hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. I have always been immediately drawn to any book which manipulates the concept of time and already have several titles that come to mind that I have read in the past and enjoyed.

Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Timeline by Michael Chrichton
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Green Darkness by Anya Seton
The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier
Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson
Beyond the Highland mist (entire series) by Karen Marie Moning

The rules of the challenge are simple enough: decide for yourself how many time-travel themed books you want to read, and read them in 2010. Definitely doable! I'll decide at a later date the titles I will select for this challenge. Are you in?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Looking Back/Looking Forward


I never thought much about blogging until this past May when, on a whim, I decided to try my hand at setting up a blog. It was strictly experimental while I was creating a LibraryThing page, and I have to say the experience has been so worthwhile. It absolutely amazes me that other people have found their way to Slice of Life and are kind enough to visit often and leave a comment (love that!) I've learned so much from other bloggers and have enjoyed getting a peek at other book lovers' bookshelves. My TBR pile just keeps on growing, but that's all good! I've got some great titles to help ring in the new year.

As I look back over the past few months, a few books, authors, and websites stand out as my favorites for 2009:

FAVORITE NEW AUTHORS : Three "new to me" authors that I have enjoyed discovering are Syrie James (The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte), Deanna Raybourn (Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor), and Tasha Alexander (And Only to Deceive, A Poisoned Season, A Fatal Waltz, Tears of Pearls). Alexander and Raybourn both focus on the Victorian era with mystery and light romance elements to spice things up. I'm super excited about the release of Dracula, My Love by Syrie James in 2010; the story will be a reinterpretation of Bram Stoker's Dracula and will be told from the viewpoint of Mina Harker, the heroine of Dracula. Sounds intriguing! Deanna Raybourn is also scheduled to release a new novel in 2010 that is not a Lady Julia/Nicholas Brisbane storyline titled, The Dead Travel Fast.


FAVORITE NOVELS READ THIS YEAR: First place favorite goes to Karleen Koen's Through A Glass Darkly (a sophisticated melodrama of passion, greed, and power); The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James comes in at second place (writing with vintage charm and elegance). Third runner-up goes to The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (a literary treasure).









MOST ANTICIPATED NOVEL FOR 2009: My year-in-review would not be complete without mentioning the latest addition to the Outlander series. It's always thrilling to have a new Diana Gabaldon book in my hands, so Echo in the Bone wins as the most highly prized and anticipated novel for me this year. I admit that it was not all I hoped it would be, and Gabaldon seems to be much more enthralled with the character of Lord John than I am. Lord John's place of prominence in this story frustrated me (I want more Jamie and Claire, the heart of the story), but when all is said and done, an Outlander book is a rare treat so I'm happy to have it, knowing it will be at least two or more long years before the concluding book will be published.



READING CHALLENGES: Since I'm new to this whole blogging/challenge thing, I took it easy and participated in the Everything Austin Challenge which was a terrific idea. For 2010, I'm anticipating the All About the Brontes Challenge and devoting more time to exploring Jean Plaidy's classic historical fiction novels. (Was I the only one in the world who didn't know that Jean Plaidy was Victoria Holt? How did I not know this?! I devoured all of VH novels years ago and loved her!)

How about you? What books and authors were your favorite discoveries this year?

Monday, December 7, 2009

The House of the Mayfair Witches


This past weekend, my husband and I attended a Christmas concert in the Garden District. Since we were a few minutes early, I suggested we drive around and enjoy all the beautiful holiday lights and decorations that are beginning to be displayed on some of the antebellum mansions in the area.

While we were driving around, I decided to look for the "The Mayfair Mansion" from The Witching Hour on the corner of First Street and Chestnut. (I just recently completed a reread of the book so it is fresh in my mind.) 1239 First Street is actually one of the former homes of Anne Rice and is the inspiration for the house in The Witching Hour. Here it is! It is an exquisite home and a private residence, very unlike the decaying fictional version of the Mayfair witches. Landscaping sheilded the side area of the home near the courtyard/pool area, so I couldn't get too close to take pictures of the side porch where a comatose Deirdre spent her days, nor can you see the dormer windows on the side where Antha fell to her death or the pool where Michael was found. But this is the house where the powerful witches Mary Beth, Julien, and Carlotta lived, and where Jazz Baby Stella threw wild parties and danced the Charleston before she, too, came to a tragic end. The new owners have also changed the color of the house, as it was a violet-gray color when Anne Rice lived there, and the book describes the house as violet.

from The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (p. 5)

"The doctor had never been inside an antebellum mansion until that spring in New Orleans. And the old house really did have white fluted columns on the front...Greek Revival style they call it -- a long violet-gray town house on a dark shady corner in the Garden District, it's front gate guarded it seemed by two enormous oaks. The iron lace railings were made in a rose pattern and much festooned with vines; purple wisteria, the yellow Virginia creeper and bougainvillea of a dark, incandescent pink....

Always he paused at the largest tree that had lifted the iron fence with its bulbous roots. He could not have gotten his arms around the trunk of it. It reached all the way from the pavement to the house itself, twisted limbs clawing at the shuttered windows beyond the banisters, leaves enmeshed with the flowering vines."
******
Really cool -- I told my husband I would freak out, though, if I saw "the Man" standing on the steps! (Lucky for me, Lasher was no where to be seen!)

Friday, December 4, 2009

All About the Brontes 2010 Challenge



I was very excited to learn about this new reading challenge for 2010 at Laura's Reviews! Having previously mentioned on my blog about my love of the novel, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (even going so far as selecting the name Jane for my daughter's middle name and Rochester for my dog!), it should come as no surprise that I jumped on this challenge as soon as I learned of it. Like the Everything Austen challenge, it brings renewed interest to the original writings of all the Brontes, including Bronte-inspired books and movies. Click here to find all the details of the All About the Brontes 2010 reading challenge at Laura's Reviews.

For this challenge, I am using two books already in my TBR bookshelf, and I will add to my list as I find new titles to include. (Unfortunately, I already completed The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James this year, so it won't count, but it was very good and recommended for this challenge.)

Jane Eyre's Daughter by Elizabeth Newark
Book description: In this sequel to Jane Eyre, young Janet Rochester is consigned to Highcrest Manor and the guardianship of the strict Colonel Dent while her parents journey to the West Indies. As Janet struggles to make a life for herself, guided by the ideals of her parents, she finds herself caught up in the mysteries of Highcrest.

Why is the east wing forbidden to her? What lies behind locked gates? And what is the source of the voices she hears in the night? Can she trust the enigmatic Roderick Landless, or should she transfer her allegiance to the suave and charming Sir Hugo Calendar?

Whether riding her mare on the Yorkshire moors, holding her own with Colonel Dent, or waltzing at her first ball, Janet is strong, sympathetic, and courageous....after all, she is her mother's daughter...

*********************************

Charlotte Bronte: A Writer's Life by Rebecca Fraser (a biography written by a former President of the Bronte Society)

*********************************

Two movies in my collection that I will view again are both Masterpiece Theatre productions of Jane Eyre (2006) and Wuthering Heights (2008). Both are excellent productions that are highly recommended; gloomy, gothic settings at their best!

FYI - If you visit the Bronte Blog and scroll down the right side bar, there are lists of e-texts on all the Bronte novels and many books about the Brontes. This would be a good place to explore if you're interested in this challenge.

Here's to great reading in 2010!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Everything Austen Challenge --Completed




Finished up the Everything Austen Challenge for 2009 by viewing, once again, the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle A&E/BBC faithful adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Several months ago, after signing up for the challenge, I found this 10th anniversary collector's edition in a great sale display so I scooped it up. Not only is it my favorite P&P adaptation with a very spirited and lovely Elizabeth and a handsome and aloof Colin Firth as Darcy, this dvd set includes an interesting companion book and dvd with details of the production from concept to broadcast: from Regency-era fashion, history, furnishings, manor homes, dancing and music, food, actor selections, etc. --I love behind-the-scenes peeks into the making of a great movie.

In summary, I completed the following six selections for the Everything Austen Challenge:

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James (my absolute favorite of all the Austen-inspired writings I completed).

Ransome's Honor by Kaye Dacus

Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels by Deirdre Le Faye

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (cannot recommend at all).

I viewed the A&E/BBC production of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle


My thanks go to Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word for hosting this terrific and worthwhile challenge!

Favorite Period Dramas

Mount TBR

Joanne's to-read book montage

On a Highland Shore
A Light on the Veranda
Entwined
The Queen's Vow: A Novel Of Isabella Of Castile
The Edwardians
Maisie Dobbs
Howards End
Lady's Maid
Instruments Of Darkness
When Maidens Mourn
Where Shadows Dance
What Remains of Heaven
Where Serpents Sleep
Why Mermaids Sing
When Gods Die
Shadowfever
Before Ever After
The Sugar Queen
Garden Spells
After the Night


Joanne's favorite books »
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