Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff

I've been able to find covers for some of my recent Weekly Wishlist postings so I thought I would share them with you. Please keep in mind though that things can always change and as I recently found out after ordering a book online, the cover you get may not be the one pictured.

US release September 1, 2009. UK release November 2009.

The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen. Based on thetrue but little-known story of Sofonisba Anguissola,the first renowned female portraitist of the Renaissance.After a scandal in Michelangelo’s workshop, Sofonisbaflees Italy and joins the Spanish court of King Felipe II to be alady-in-waiting to his young bride. Sofonisba befriends thequeen, only to become embroiled in a love triangle involvingthe queen, the king, and the king’s illegitimate half brother,Don Juan. The Creation of Eve combines art, romance, and historyfrom the golden age in Spain in a story that asks the question:Can you ever truly know another person’s heart?

US and UK release March 23, 2010

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. Yes, you read that right. According to Amazon, this will be released in the US on September 8, 2009. So far, this is the only one of the trilogy that I see is being released, but it's my favorite of the three. It is also listed on the Amazon UK site with a September 2009 release date, but says it is "currently unavailable".

The Queen's Lover by Vanora Bennett. There is no summary for this one yet, but the description for her last book, Blood Royal (about Katherine Valois) says that it is the first in a series of books about queens. US and UK release March 16, 2010.

Here's what is new in stores this week:

Here Was a Man by Norah Lofts. Fiction about Sir Walter Raleigh and Elizabeth I. US release July 14, 2009. Released earlier this year in the UK.

Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant. Fiction set in 16th century Italy. US release July 14, 2009. Released in the UK June 25, 2009.

Claudius by Douglas Jackson. Fiction set in England in 43 AD. UK release July 16, 2009.

In every book that I have read about the Norman conquest in 1066, the focus has been either on King Harold of Britain or William of Normandy with the story mostly from their point of view and the author clearly sympathetic towards their subject. In The Golden Warrior (written in 1949), Hope Muntz presents a more balanced story of the two men whose actions nearly 1000 years ago would dramatically change the course of European history.

"The Kingdom of the English belongs to God; after Edward, He shall provide a King according to His pleasure." So said St. Peter in a dream of Bishop Brihtwold (William of Malmesbury). This prophecy would form the basis for the competing claims of William and Harold as each looked for a sign from God that he was the chosen one.

I had a hard time writing up what I thought of this book. Written in a style that I found somewhat difficult to get used to, the story alternates between what is going in Britain and in Normandy. You will not find grand descriptions of medieval life nor side stories not directly related to developing the plot towards its eventual conclusion. The other people involved in both men's lives - Tostig, Edith Swan-Neck, Matilda, Aldyth and Bishop Odo - are included in the story but only minimally where necessary. There is not a lot of historical context either – the reader is assumed to know something of Britain’s history at the time. It is a story about two men – who probably could have been friends but who were on opposite sides of ambition. Each thought their cause was right and believed that God would reward them with victory.

The introduction to the book describes its style as that of the great epics – straightforward renditions largely lacking in emotion or sentiment. I think that is a pretty accurate assessment as it brought to mind The Odyssey or The Illiad. And even though I can’t really say that those are among my favorite books that I have ever read, I do have a certain level of appreciation for them. I think that’s how I feel about The Golden Warrior. There is no editorializing, no contemplating “what ifs” and no speculation as to what might have been.

Muntz indicates in a brief note that where legends were useful to the story and did not conflict with the known historical record, she utilized them. The style in which it is written seems to have tried to imitate the way people would have talked then, with some slight "modernization". As a result, the sentence structure is often odd and somewhat awkward to read, making it hard to get through sometimes.

I can't say that I disliked the book; it's just different. And although I think The Golden Warrior is a good rendition of the saga between these two men, it may not be for everyone due to the way in which it is written.

Rating: Good

In case anyone didn't know, Plaidy's Plantagenet Series has been slowly being reissued in the UK. The final three volumes will be published in October. I posted the new covers on my Book Covers Blog - here is the link: http://tanzanitesbookcovers.blogspot.com/2009/07/final-plaidy-plantagenet-covers.html. The Book Depository has free shipping worldwide and you can pre-order them there.

I will probably start doing some cross posting between the two blogs regarding new book covers - many of them are so pretty and I think it's easier to get excited about a book once you can see what it's going to look like! I'll admit it - I'm a cover slut (maybe I'll make that the name of a new feature!).

So here today I present to you an Unread Books Challenge. Give me the list or take a picture of all the books you have stacked on your bedside table, hidden under the bed or standing in your shelf – the books you have not read, but keep meaning to. The books that begin to weigh on your mind. The books that make you cover your ears in conversation and say, ‘No! Don’t give me another book to read! I can’t finish the ones I have!’


According to my "to read" shelf on Goodreads, I have 201 unread books. Since I only list books on Goodreads (and Library Thing) that I either actually own or have already read (including library books and ones that I have read and gotten rid of) that means I own 201 books that I have not read yet. Yikes! Here are some pictures of my bookcases:



















These are my unread fiction books. I apologize for the books on the bottom shelf looking like they are in jail, but because of the narrow gallery (it's barely wide enough for the folding chair that I use to reach the top shelfs), I had to take the pictures from the other side of the stairway.

Seven years after the battle between King Arthur and his son Mordred, Britain is once again thrown into turmoil as its young king, Constantine lies dead and the petty kings fight amongst themselves for power. In the middle of it all is Constantine’s widow, Isolde – the daughter of Mordred and his step-mother, Gwynefar. As the granddaughter of Morgan, Isolde has knowledge of healing and has some ability of “sight” and many believe her to be a sorceress, a belief Isolde sometimes uses to her advantage.

For several years Isolde has shut off her abilities and locked her past behind a curtain of memories. As she tries to make sense of her husband’s death, she soon begins to “see” bits and pieces. Enough to make her realize that Constantine has been murdered by the man who has just been made high king as well as her new husband – Lord Marche. She also learns that Marche has made a deal with the Saxons. But how can she prove it and who will listen to her?

Knowing that there are few around her that she can trust, Isolde finds an unexpected ally in a young prisoner, Trystan, and his companions. As Isolde struggles to find the proof that she needs, she learns along the way that things are not always as they seem and that she has been betrayed in ways that she could not have imagined and finds old friends where she would have least expected them.

Isolde is feisty, smart, resourceful and yet somewhat naive, confined to the powerless role of a woman of her time. With her father and husband both dead, she is virtually alone and at the mercy of the men jockeying for power around her. Trystan is quiet, mysterious and brooding. He and Isolde form an uneasy friendship at first which gradually grows into one of trust as they both prove -to each other and to themselves - what they are made of. However, anyone looking for romance between the two will be disappointed - maybe that will come later.

The middle of the book drags a little bit as Isolde and Trystan go through the seemingly inevitable escape and recapture scenario a few times. The story picks up at the end though as the secrets of their lives unravel and others give credence to Isolde's warnings about the Saxons. Throughout the story, voices from Isolde’s past come to her and help her put the pieces together. But it is sometimes difficult to tell whose voice she is hearing and some of the messages seem to lack context.

Overall, an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to reading Elliott’s second book, The Dark Moon of Avalon which will be released next spring.

Rating: Very Good

My thanks to Simon and Schuster/Touchstone Books for sending me the book.