So Many Books, So Little Time

From Goodreads:  From her earliest days, Margaret Tudor knows she will not have the luxury of choosing a husband. Her duty is to gain alliances for England. Barely out of girlhood, Margaret is married by proxy to James IV and travels to Edinburgh to become Queen of Scotland. Despite her doubts, Margaret falls under the spell of her adopted home. But while Jamie is an affectionate husband, he is not a faithful one. And nothing can guarantee Margaret’s safety when Jamie leads an army against her own brother, Henry VIII. In the wake of loss she falls prey to an ambitious earl and brings Scotland to the brink of anarchy. Beset by betrayal and secret alliances, Margaret has one aim—to preserve the crown of Scotland for her son, no matter what the cost… My Thoughts:  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I have never read anything about Margaret Tudor before so I was really surprised by what an interesting life she led.  I am...

Synopsis :   In the tradition of Arianna Franklin and C. J. Sansom comes Samuel Thomas’s remarkable debut, The Midwife’s Tale. It is 1644, and Parliament’s armies have risen against the King and laid siege to the city of York. Even as the city suffers at the rebels’ hands, midwife Bridget Hodgson becomes embroiled in a different sort of rebellion. One of Bridget’s friends, Esther Cooper, has been convicted of murdering her husband and sentenced to be burnt alive. Convinced that her friend is innocent, Bridget sets out to find the real killer. Bridget joins forces with Martha Hawkins, a servant who’s far more skilled with a knife than any respectable woman ought to be. To save Esther from the stake, they must dodge rebel artillery, confront a murderous figure from Martha’s past, and capture a brutal killer who will stop at nothing to cover his tracks. The investigation takes Bridget and Martha from the homes of the city’s most powerful families to the alle...

From Goodreads:  A tale of love in an era of war and blood feuds. Francia, 778: Alda has never forgotten Ganelon's. vow of vengeance when she married his rival, Hruodland. Yet the jilted suitor's malice is nothing compared to Alda's premonition of disaster for her beloved, battle-scarred husband. Although the army invading Hispania is the largest ever and King Charles has never lost a war, Alda cannot shake her anxiety. Determined to keep Hruodland from harm, even if it exposes her to danger, Alda gives him a charmed dragon amulet. Is its magic enough to keep Alda's worst fears from coming true. and protect her from Ganelon? Inspired by legend and painstakingly researched, The Cross and the Dragon is a story of tenderness, sacrifice, lies, and revenge in the early years of Charlemagne's reign, told by a fresh, new voice in historical fiction. My Thoughts:  I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this ...

From Goodreads:  This riveting war story introduces us to beautiful Kate Zweig, the English widow of a German surgeon, and Claus Murphy, an exiled American with German roots—two lovers with complicated loyalties. In 1918, Kate and her husband,Horst, are taken for spies by Russian soldiers and forced to flee their field hospital on the eastern front, barely escaping with their lives. Years later, in London during the Nazis’ V-1 reign of terror, Claus spends his days making propaganda films and his nights as a British spy, worn down by the war and his own many secrets. When Claus meets the intriguing Kate Zweig, he finds himself powerfully drawn to her—even after evidence surfaces that she might not be exactly who she seems. As the war hurtles to a violent end, Claus must define where his own loyalties lie, whether he can make a difference in the war—and what might be gained by taking a leap of faith with Kate. My Thoughts:  I think I bought this book at a lib...

From Goodreads:  Wanted: One young woman to take care of four-year-old boy. Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and selfless--bordering on masochistic. Must relish sixteen-hour shifts with a deliberately nap-deprived preschooler. Must love getting thrown up on, literally and figuratively, by everyone in his family. Must enjoy the delicious anticipation of ridiculously erratic pay. Mostly, must love being treated like fungus found growing out of employers Hermès bag. Those who take it personally need not apply. Who wouldn't want this job? Struggling to graduate from NYU and afford her microscopic studio apartment, Nanny takes a position caring for the only son of the wealthy X family. She rapidly learns the insane amount of juggling involved to ensure that a Park Avenue wife who doesn't work, cook, clean, or raise her own child has a smooth day.  When the Xs' marriage begins to disintegrate, Nanny ends up involved way beyond the bounds of human decency or good ...

From Goodreads:  ...A Clash of Kings transports us into a magnificent, forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and wartime. It is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors. Audacious, inventive, brilliantly imagined, A Clash of Kings is a novel of dazzling beauty and boundless enchantment—a tale of pure excitement you will never forget. My Thoughts:  I finished A Game of Thrones over the summer and finally picked u...

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This past week my local library closed up for a couple of weeks so that they can move to a temporary location.  They kept asking people to come 'help' them move by checking out items so I decided to do just that.  I checked out several DVDs, some baby related books and the books below.  All are books that have been on my TBR list for a long time so it would be nice if I could get to them.  Sorry for the bad picture quality.  My house is really dark so it's hard to get a good picture. From the Library: Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire (This is the 3rd time I've checked this out!) The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule What books did you pick up this week?  

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish . This week's topic:  Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2013 I don't have 10 bookish goals so I am splitting this up into bookish and non-bookish goals. Bookish Goals:   1.) Read 75 books in 2013 -This is a low goal for me but considering that life will be changing dramatically in June, I don't want to set my number too high. 2.) Read books that I own -Last year I didn't read very many books that I own.  This year I plan to make at least every other book I read, one that I already own.  There are so many books on my shelf that I want to read that I just keep putting off in favor of a library book. 3.) Purge book shelves again- This will be easier once I make a dent in my TBR pile of books.  I own a lot of books I bought on a whim that I don't necessarily want to keep forever.  Once I have read them, I plan to get rid of them. 4.) Buy fewer physical books- Until I am...

  From Goodreads:  1415. The Battle of Agincourt is over, and the young princess Katherine de Valois is the prize to be offered to Henry V of England. The innocent Katherine is smitten with Henry, but soon understands that her sole purpose is to produce an heir to unite England and France. When Henry leaves her a widow at the age of 21, Katherine is forced to resign herself to a quiet life as the Dowager Queen; her duty is to raise her son, the young King of England, and little more. But Katherine is still young and passionate. Many desire her, and her hand in marriage is worth a kingdom. Setting aside those driven by ambition, Katherine falls in love with her servant Owen Tudor, and glimpses the happiness that love can bring. But their enemies are circling, all battling for power and determined to prevent their marriage. Katherine will have to fight to control her own destiny… In this compelling and beautifully written book, Anne O’Brien tells the story of the innocent yo...

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews . This week I only picked up one book which after last week, is completely fine with me!  It was only 99 cents so I couldn't resist! Purchased Ebooks: The Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick What books did you pick up this week?

From Goodreads:  Mary Beth Latham is first and foremost a mother, whose three teenaged children come first, before her career as a landscape gardener, or even her life as the wife of a doctor. Caring for her family and preserving their everyday life is paramount. And so, when one of her sons, Max, becomes depressed, Mary Beth becomes focused on him, and is blindsided by a shocking act of violence. What happens afterwards is a testament to the power of a woman’s love and determination, and to the invisible line of hope and healing that connects one human being with another. Ultimately, in the hands of Anna Quindlen’s mesmerizing prose, Every Last One is a novel about facing every last one of the the things we fear most, about finding ways to navigate a road we never intended to travel, to live a life we never dreamed we’d have to live but must be brave enough to try. My Thoughts:  After reading the synopsis of this book, I was very interested in reading it.  I think ...

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish .   This week's topic:  Top Ten Books I Resolve to Read in 2013   Happy New Year everyone!!!  There are a lot of books that I really need to get to this year but here are the ones at the top of my list. 1.) 11/22/63 by Stephen King -I got this for Christmas last year and I still haven't read it!  I must get to it! 2.) Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks - Another book I got at Christmas last year.  I'm such a slacker. 3.) Children of Liberty by Paullina Simons - This is a prequel to The Bronze Horseman and it comes out in February. I can't wait to read this! 4.) A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin - I really miss the whole Stark gang and want to make some progress on the series this year. 5.) The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien - I loved The Fellowship of the Ring and hope I will like this one as much. 6.) City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - I am not super excited t...