THE LADY OF THE RIVERS.

THE LADY OF THE RIVERS by PHILIPPA GREGORY.


Descended from Melusina, the river goddess, Jacquetta has always had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she meets his prisoner, Joan Of Arc, and sees her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft.


Married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, Jacquetta is introduced by him to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the Duke's squire, Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the Duke's death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young Henry V1, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.


The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lanchester court, though Jacquetta can sense the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of royal rivals. The king slides into a mysterious sleep; Margaret, his queen, turns to untrustworthy favourites for help; and Richard, Duke of York, threatens to overturn the whole kingdom for his rival dynasty of the House of York.


Jacquetta fights for her king, her queen, and for her daughter Elizabeth Woodville, a young woman for whom Jacquetta can sense an extraordinary future: a change of fortune, the throne of England, and the white rose of York.
....... Inner front cover.


First Sentence (Chapter 1): She sits, this odd trophy of war, as neat as an obedient child, on a small stool in the corner of her cell.


MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 117): The sempstress and the tailors will come at once to measure us up for our mourning clothes, the shoemaker will come to make black slippers for me. The glovemaker will produce dozens of pairs of black gloves for me to distribute to my household. They will order black cloth to swathe the way to the cathedral, and black capes for one hundred poor men who will be hired to follow the coffin.


MY THOUGHTS: The third book in the Cousin's War trilogy, the previous two being THE WHITE QUEEN and THE RED QUEEN (click on book title to see my reviews) I think this was actually my favourite. 


Telling the story of Jacquetta, mother to Elizabeth, The White Queen, it does feel a bit strange going back to the story pre-Elizabeth (I don't think its too much of a spoiler to say this ends where The White Queen begins) and it could be argued that perhaps this should have been the first book in the series but this did not in any way mar my enjoyment of the book nor its readability.


The story of a much less well known historical figure, The Lady Of The Rivers mixes romance, politics, danger and, to a lesser degree, witchcraft into a wonderfully well written novel that was obviously thoroughly researched but then I expect nothing less of Philippa Gregory.


Starting in France in the year 1430 the story begins with the imprisonment and subsequent execution of Joan of Arc as witnessed by Jacquetta, a strong woman though, as was customary of the times, one very much dominated by men, politics, and religious beliefs.


Widowed at the tender age of 19, Jacquetta we learn then went on to marry a man 'for love' causing quite a scandal. A 'daughter' of Melusina and believed to have certain powers that are considered nothing short of witchcraft, she is the close friend and confident of Queen Margaret who between the two of them prove a powerful combination.


An enthralling journey well travelled by the reader, I'm sure all fans of historical fiction that is based on actual people and events will love this book.


IF PURCHASED, WHERE?: Purchased with a book voucher given as a birthday present


KEEP IT OR NOT?: What a silly question, of course I'll be keeping this.

THE WOMEN OF THE COUSINS' WAR: THE DUCHESS, THE QUEEN AND THE KING'S MOTHER.

Read for the 'A position of Royalty' category.

THE WOMEN OF THE COUSINS' WAR: THE DUCHESS, THE QUEEN AND THE KING'S MOTHER by PHILIPPA GREGORY, DAVID BALDWIN and MICHAEL JONES.

SOURCE: A Christmas gift.

Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen (2009), Margaret Beaufort, The Red Queen (2010), and Jacquetta, Lady Rivers, The Rivers Woman (2011) are the subjects of the first three novels in Philippa Gregory's Cousins' War series, and of the three biographical essays in this book. Philippa Gregory and two historians, leading experts in their field who helped Philippa to research the novels, tell the extraordinary 'true' stories of the life of these women who until now have been largely forgotten by history, their background and times, highlighting questions which are raised in the fiction and illuminating the novels. With a foreword by Philippa Gregory - in which Philippa writes revealingly about the differences between history and fiction and examines the gaps in the historical record - and beautifully illustrated with rare portraits, The Women of the Cousins' War is an exciting new addition to the Philippa Gregory oeuvre.
..... Amazon product description

FIRST SENTENCE {Jacquetta of Luxembourg 1415/16-1472: Childhood  by Philippa Gregory}: Jacquetta of Luxembourg was born, perhaps in one of her family's chateaux in France, probably in the year 1416.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 253}: Margaret would now marry Edmund Tudor, and it was decided that the marriage would take place after two years, when she was twelve and her husband twenty-four.

MY THOUGHTS: Having read the first four books in Philippa Gregory's The Cousins War series (I have the fifth, The White Princess, on my TBR pile) I was delighted to receive this 'facts behind the fiction' book which takes a look at the 'true' stories of The Duchess (Jacquetta of Luxembourg), The Queen (Elizabeth Woodville) and The King's Mother (Margaret Beaufort)

Beginning with what I felt was a slightly over-long and mundane introduction by Philippa Gregory its over to the perhaps best known of the authors for an essay on Jacquetta (THE LADY OF THE RIVERS) which in my opinion was the weakest (and least readable) of the three studies but then it could be argued that Ms Gregory had the most difficult task in that of the three women covered Jacquetta's story is the one with least sources of information. 

Of more interest to me was the 'paper' by David Baldwin on Elizabeth Woodville (THE WHITE QUEEN) which was followed by an even stronger and more analytical piece on Margaret Beaufort (THE RED QUEEN) by Michael Jones.

Overall, a concise and obviously well researched book with some wonderful illustrations. The Women Of The Cousins' War compliments the Cousins' War series beautifully by filling in some of the gaps. However, having read several books (both fictional and non-fictional) and watched several documentaries about these women (Elizabeth and Margaret in particular, Jacquetta less so) I felt that there was little new to be learnt in the reading of the book.

Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper. All original content on http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/ is created by the website owner, including but not limited to text, design, code, images, photographs and videos are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the website owner, whether copyrighted or not, and are protected by DMCA Protection Services using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 Chapter 512 (c)(3). Reproduction or re-publication of this content is prohibited without permission. In addition I would also urge that if you are reading this on any other page you contact the original blog owner/reviewer.

TODAY IT'S ALL ABOUT ........ MELUSINA.

It's been a while since I last did a Folklore, Myths and Legends post and as I've not long since finished reading THE LADY OF THE RIVERS by Philippa Gregory in which some of the 'descendants of Melusina/Melusine' features I thought now would be a perfect time.


A folklore character popular in Europe, Melusina is a spirit of of fresh water springs and rivers who is often depicted looking much like a mermaid (a woman with the bottom half of a fish) though as a 'nixie' she is also illustrated as having wings and/or two tails.

Melusine's secret discovered, from Le Roman de Mélusine. One of sixteen paintings by Guillebert de Mets circa 1410. 

Known by many as the Mermaid of Luxembourg, legend has it that Mesulina was the beautiful wife of Count Siegfried, the founder of the city, who loving his wife as he did agreed on marriage to the one request she made of him.


That request being that once a month on the first Wednesday (OR as some would argue once a week on a Saturday) she should be left to retire alone to her chambers, a cavern hewn into the rocks, where he was to leave her undisturbed so, as legend has it, she could take her weekly bath in complete privacy.


Anyway, all goes well until just like the proverbial curious cat Melusina's husband wonders what his wife is doing and peers through the keyhole into her chamber where he beholds his wife lying in the bath .............

with her fishtail hanging over the edge.

Now being a mermaid Melusina has a keen sixth sense which straight away alerts her to the fact that someone has seen her, that someone knows her secret, and thus she jumps out of the window into the river below never to be seen again though, of course, as all good legends go, some say that every once in a while a beautiful girl with a fishtail is seen to be swimming in that very river.


Not so say other legends. According to some, on being spied by her beloved, Melusina flies from the bathroom window whereupon she takes the form of a dragon with four clawed feet, bat-like wings and a monstrous head.

But what of other stories surrounding Melusina?

Well, according to Sir Walter Scott in his 1802/3 The Minstrelsy Of The Scottish Border ........

"The reader will find the fairy of Normandy or Bretagne adorned with all the splendour of Eastern description. The fairy Melusina, also, who married Guy de Lusignan, Count of Poitou, under condition that he should never attempt to intrude upon her privacy, was of this latter class. She bore the count many children, and erected for him a magnificent castle by her magical art. Their harmony was uninterrupted until the prying husband broke the conditions of their union, by concealing himself to behold his wife make use of her enchanted bath. Hardly had Melusina discovered the indiscreet intruder, than, transforming herself into a dragon, she departed with a loud yell of lamentation, and was never again visible to mortal eyes ; although, even in the days of Branatome, she was supposed to be the protectress of her descendants, and was heard wailing as she sailed upon the blast round the turrets of the castle of Lusignan the night before it was demolished."

And perhaps the most famous literary tale of them all?

Compiled in the 1300's and told as a 'spinning yarn' to entertain the ladies as they sat at their spinning wheels, The Tale Of Melusine was translated into German and then into English.

Telling the story of how during the times of the crusades King Elynas went hunting in the forest one day only to come across a beautiful lady named Pressyne who he fell madly in love with.

Persuaded to marry him, Pressyne  had one condition ....... (sound familiar?) that he must not enter her chamber when she bathed herself or her children of whom she went on to have three, triplets, Melusine, Melior, and Palatyne.

Anyway, to cut a long story, Melusine's father also breaks his promise and in revenge Pressyne flees the country taking her daughters with her where all is well until Melusine turns 15 whereupon .........

On learning of her fathers broken promise she and her sisters capture him and lock him, along with his riches, in a mountain.

For some reason or other their mother is very upset by this and, as punishment for their disrespect to their father, Melusine is condemned to spend the rest of her life ....... you know the rest of the story by now.

Or do you?

In a slight variation on the theme .......

Having forgiven her husband for spying on her in the bathtub, Melusine assumes the form of a dragon and flies off,  but only after he calls her a serpent in front of his court.

Going full-circle back to Philippa Gregory, as I mentioned several of the female characters in her Cousin's War trilogy (of which The Lady Of The Rivers is third) are said to be descendants of Melusina. You might be interested to know that this means they are gifted/cursed (take your pick) with several special powers, one of which is that they are foretold of a loved ones death when they hear the singing of Melusina.

Sources used: Wikipedia, Luxembourg Legends and Monstrous.Com

THE OTHER QUEEN.

THE OTHER QUEEN by PHILIPPA GREGORY.

Philippa Gregory's dazzling new novel looks at the captive years of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary, in flight from rebels in Scotland, has trusted her cousin Elizabeth I's promise of sanctuary, but she finds herself imprisoned as the enforced guest of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his dominant wife, Bess of Hardwick.

The newly married couple welcome the doomed queen, certain that serving as her hosts and jailors will bring them nothing but advantage in the competitive world of Tudor England. To their horror they find their home becomes the epicentre of intrigue against Elizabeth, and even their own loyalty comes under suspicion. If their marriage is threatened by George's hopeless admiration for the beautiful young queen, they will face ruin. But if his devotion to the Queen of England is compromised by his love for the Queen of Scots, he will face the gallows.

The English lords conspire with Spain, the Duke of Northumberland and the northern earls to free Mary from imprisonment, a plot that will be the greatest threat Elizabeth has ever faced. But then the great spy-master Cecil sets the trap to catch them all, setting the Scots queen on the road to her death at Fotheringhay.

- Inside Front Cover Blurb

Every woman should marry for her own advantage since her husband will represent her, as visible as her front door, for the rest of his life.

- First Sentence; 1568, Autumn, Chatsworth House, Derbyshire: Bess

If I were foolish like the common people I would think I see the touch of God. I would think I see a woman who is as beautiful as an angel, because she is an angel, an angel on earth, as simple as that.

- Memorable Moment; Page 59

SOURCE ... A gift from Mr T.

READ FOR A CHALLENGE? ... No.

MY THOUGHTS ... Alas a series that has proved to be both a hit and miss with me. This particular novel (book 15 if taken in chronological order and not in the order of publication) I'm sorry to say falling in the latter category as one of the least enjoyable books in what is generally known as the Plantagenet and Tudor series*.

Told from three view points, a tactic that had been put to good use by the author before in, if memory serves me right, book 9, 'The Other Boleyn Girl' - or was it book 10, 'The Boleyn Inheritance'? Or maybe it was both. Anyway ...

What I felt to be rashly used on this occasion when the view points changed so often (sometimes in as little as just over a page) it was difficult to keep up, the fact that the character's voices weren't distinct enough only compounding the problem.

Then there was the tedious repetitiveness; that like a dog with a bone Gregory worried over some points, hammering them home over and over again in a novel that, very much dialogue based, is almost totally without action. Not that this is necessarily a 'bad' thing, I just felt that on the whole the narrative was too monotone and lacking in passion and intrigue to carry a novel of  448 pages.

Lacking in depth, not allowed to develop, the characterisation also proved to be something of a disappointment; Mary herself proving to be the biggest letdown. 

If mentioned once mentioned hundreds of time; I get it! The Queen of Scots was something of a beauty if the way her 'jailor', the Earl of Shrewsbury,  constantly fawned over her/she had men falling at her feet was to be believed. Surely there was more to her than just a pretty face??? I wanted to see more, much more, of the intelligent and feisty woman that Gregory let us all too briefly have glimpses of.

Another bone of contention for me was the inconsistency of the writing. Whilst there are numerous 'small' examples of this perhaps the most significant to me was the rape of Mary.

"'No,' I say as his weight comes down on me. It is what I always say to him. It is the word which means desire to me, to us. It is the word which means yes: 'No.'" 

Given that thinking was very different then; that the power a man had over a woman was absolute, that a woman may well not have thought of this as rape so much as a man's God given right. Goodness only knows its even within the realms of possibility that Mary did indeed think she was in love with Bothwell. 

It wasn't so much that my modern sensibilities were outraged (though of course they were), it wasn't even so much that Gregory kept hammering home that Mary was no ordinary woman but a queen. What got to me was this inconsistency. That whilst Gregory on several occasions had it that though saying 'no' Mary actually means 'yes' she later has Mary categorically state that she was raped.

Not one of her better books by any stretch of the imagination, its certainly one of the weaker (if not weakest) offerings in this particular series; without doubt this isn't Gregory at her finest. I'm now rethinking my two star 'It was OK' rating. Was there really so little I actually liked about this book? 

* Combining what are known as the 'Cousins War Series' and the 'Tudor Court Series', in chronological order as opposed to the order in which they were published, the 'Plantagenet and Tudor Novels Series' comprises ...

1. The Lady of the Rivers 
2. The White Queen
3. The Red Queen 
4. The Kingmaker's Daughter 
5. The White Princess 
6. The Constant Princess 
7. The King's Curse 
8. Three Sisters, Three Queens 
9. The Other Boleyn Girl 
10. The Boleyn Inheritance 
11. The Taming of the Queen 
12. The Queen's Fool 
13. The Virgin's Lover 
14. The Last Tudor 
15. The Other Queen

For a list of the author's book please click here. Her new novel Tidelands is available as of August 2019.

THE WHITE PRINCESS (COUSINS WAR #5).

Book five and the penultimate book read for this years What's In A Name? challenge: 'Book with a colour in the title' category.

THE WHITE PRINCESS by PHILIPPA GREGORY.

SOURCE: A Christmas present.

INNER FRONT COVER BLURB: Somewhere beyond the shores of England, a Pretender is mustering an army. He claims to be brother to the queen, and the true heir to the throne. But is he the lost boy sent into the unknown by his mother, the White Queen? Or a counterfeit prince - a low-born enemy to Henry Tudor and his York princess wife.

When Henry Tudor picked up the crown of England from the mud of Bosworth Field he knew he would have to marry the princess of the rival house - Elizabeth of York - in an effort to unify a country divided by war for nearly two decades.

But his bride was still in love with his enemy - and her mother and half of England still dreamed of a missing heir and a triumphant return for the House of York.

The new Queen Elizabeth has to decide if she can stand by a king whose support and courage are crumbling before her eyes. She has to choose between Tudor and York, between her new husband and the boy who claims to be her beloved lost brother: the rose of York come home at last.

FIRST SENTENCE {Sheriff Hutton Castle, Yorkshire, Autumn 1485}: I wish I could stop dreaming.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 123}: As they come down the curve of the stair I see first the booted feet of the leading man, then his deep scarlet leggings and then his bright scarlet tunic trimmed and quartered with gold lace: the uniform of the yeomen of the guard, Henry's newly created personal troop. Behind him comes another, and another; they have sent a corps of ten men to collect a pale and shaking little boy of eleven.0

MY THOUGHTS: An odd series in so much as to read it in the order of publication* is to read it in a different order to the chronological order. I personally felt that to read the story in chronological order would be easiest to follow.

The latest instalment in the Cousins War saga, The White Princess as told from the perspective of Elizabeth of York (daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville aka The White Queen) follows on from where The Kingmaker's Daughter left off.

As I've come to expect from Philippa Gregory a generally well researched novel though as she admits in her author notes the book is a 'fiction about a mystery - so two steps from any historically recorded fact'.

Given that two of the main female characters - Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort (aka The Red Queen) - have featured before (the former in 2009, the latter in 2010) whilst it was good to see them further fleshed out I feel as if a re-read of their stories might have proved beneficial.

Still, an enjoyable enough read but perhaps not quite as strong a story as the previous books in the series. A tad too long - at times it really felt as if two dozen words where used when a dozen would have sufficed - with a tendency to be repetitive. I feel as if the author went over the top in striving to get across certain aspects of the story - aspects generally involving Henry, his anxieties, his suspicions, his seemingly all consuming paranoia.

An author readers seem to love or hate/can take or leave. What can I say? A long-standing fan of her work I'm eagerly anticipating reading The King's Curse (my choice for the 'Book with an ING in the title' category of What's In A Name? 2015) and what I'm led to believe will be the seventh book in the series (The Last Rose).

~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Publication order (Chronological order in brackets)
#1 The White Queen (#3)
#2 The Red Queen (#2)
#3 The Lady Of The Rivers (#1)
#4 The Kingmaker's Daughter (#4)
#5 The White Princess (#5)
#6 The King's Curse (#6)

THE KING'S CURSE.

The sixth and final book read for this years 'What's In A Name?' challenge:  A book with  the word 'Ing' in the title. I'll be posting my Wrap-Up post soon but in the meantime would lie to thank Charlie over at The Worm Hole for being such a good host.



THE KING'S CURSE by PHILIPPA GREGORY.

INNER FRONT COVER BLURB: As an heir to the Plantagenet's, 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 queen (The White Princess), is not for a life in the shadows. Tragedy throws her into poverty and only 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 ...

FIRST SENTENCE {Westminster Palace, London, 29 November 1499 }: In the moment of waking I am innocent, my conscience clear of any wrongdoing.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 90}: But I know in my heart that if God fails to call this little boy to a lifetime of holy service then I will have put my bright, loving boy in a wordless prison for life.

SOURCE: A Book People purchase.

MY THOUGHTS: A big fan of Philippa Gregory - she is my favourite author when it comes down to historical fiction - I have however had mixed thoughts about The Cousin's War books.

On the whole an enjoyable series, well researched as you'd expect from this author BUT after a good start I'm afraid I found the last two books, The Kingmaker's Daughter and The White Princess, a bit of a let down.

Back on form with this the sixth book. As entertaining as it is educational for lets not forget that whilst based in fact as the author herself admits there is a certain amount of poetic licence and imagination involved. I know I've said it before with both The Red Queen and The Lady Of The Rivers but for me The King's Curse really has been the strongest and most gripping book in the series .... so far. (I had heard rumours of a seventh book, The Last Rose, but I could be wrong.)

Largely chronicling life at the court of Henry VIII, perhaps the most famous and definitely the most notorious of English monarchs, this is the story of the last Princess of the House of York Margaret Pole/Plantagenet and what a story it is.

Spanning some forty years and the deaths of no less than four queens. The witness to the rise of an increasingly tyrannical King, this is the tale of a woman who, a potential rival to the Tudor destiny, is 'hidden in wedlock' for her own safety, a woman who finds herself both in and then out of favour with a court ruled over by a regent determined to break away from Rome.

A character I changed my mind about a hundred times, my emotions varying from a real dislike for to total empathy for and, ultimately, a great sorrow for. Whilst Margaret Pole may not have been a typical woman of her time - even as a privileged member of society she was more privileged than most - this book spells out loudly and clearly the perils of women whether it be in childbirth or as pawns, their fate in the hands of their husbands and their fathers before that or, as in this case, at the whim of a increasingly paranoid (mad?) king.  

TIDELANDS.

ISBN  978-1471172724

TIDELANDS by PHILIPPA GREGORY.

Midsummer’s Eve, 1648, and England is in the grip of civil war between renegade King and rebellious Parliament. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even to the remote Tidelands – the marshy landscape of the south coast.  

Alinor, a descendant of wise women, crushed by poverty and superstition, waits in the graveyard under the full moon for a ghost who will declare her free from her abusive husband.  Instead she meets James, a young man on the run, and shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marsh, not knowing that she is leading disaster into the heart of her life.

Suspected of possessing dark secrets in superstitious times, Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her out from her neighbours. This is the time of witch-mania, and Alinor, a woman without a husband, skilled with herbs, suddenly enriched, arouses envy in her rivals and fear among the villagers, who are ready to take lethal action into their own hands.

- Inner Front Cover

The church was grey against a paler sky, the bell tower dark against the darker clouds.

- First Sentence

'One child we had: a daughter as beautiful as a faerie-born child. What did I  know? Only that they had foisted a changeling on me from the moment that I first saw her. Then came Rob - look at him! He could read as soon as he could walk, though I can't spell my name. He knew the herbs as soon as he toddled into her garden. Used to name them by smell. Who smells leaves but a faerie child? They're not my children. Nobody could ever have thought that they were my children! Look at them!'

- Memorable Moment {Page 146}

MY THOUGHTS ...  A mix of romance (a slow burner, for the first hundred or so pages I worried that this was going to be one of those historical romances), political intrigue (in sharp contrast to the rest of the story there's a sub-plot involving parliament and a plot to rescue King Charles, a story line I personally found tedious despite the masterful picture it painted of the conflict between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, the old religion and the new) and accusations of witchcraft. Set not in the Royal Court as were her most recent books but the marshy Sealsea Island, its main character, Alinor, not royalty but a 'mere' woman; a midwife and herbalist who in many ways put me in mind of Jacquetta in the author's The Lady Of The Rivers (see my review here) except ... 

Set in the midst of a civil war, an army of Puritans led by Oliver Cromwell has dethroned King Charles and, unlike Jacquetta, Alinor is not of noble lineage nor sadly is she as feisty. 

OK, I get it, a beautiful woman, her skills as a herbalist and mid-wife already raising suspicions of witchcraft (for goodness sake her cottage smells sweet unlike the hovels of her neighbours which smell of excrement and body odour and if this isn't proof I don't know what is), Alinor can't be seen as being too empowered but, as wet as the tidelands she inhabits, endlessly agreeable, there just wasn't any oomph about her what so ever and, oh my goodness, for a woman intent on staying out of trouble she made one bad decision after another that were guaranteed to get her into exactly that.

And yet ...

A master at bringing her characters to life; no matter how drab Alinor may have been, from her bringing a baby into the world to seeing an old woman depart it, the story never veered very far from her work; work which I found hugely interesting, the insight into the use of the various herbs fascinating. 

And its not just her characters either. The sights, sounds, smells, the very way of being are palpable. 

A slow burner; a book of what felt like two halves. The first half, meh! I hate to say it but I found it a bit, well, if not exactly boring, dreary at times. The second half however, the second half saw the characters fleshed out, the pace pick up, the intensity and danger increase until I found myself utterly engaged by the turn of events.

SUMMED UP IN A SENTENCE ... A quite different reading experience for those familiar only with her Tudor series; with historical figures mere bit players, Tidelands sees a welcome return to the author's earliest books such as the Wideacre trilogy which have common folk at the heart of them.

A 2012 ACCOUNT OF ALL THE BOOKS READ.

Having participated in the 100+ Reading Challenge last year (see my wrap post by clicking HERE) I thought it might be fun to list all of the books I've read this year, making special mentions of those that I have enjoyed most/least as well as my favourite/least favourite authors etc, etc, etc.

January.

1. THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRAKENSTEIN by Peter Ackroyd.
2. AUGUST HEAT by Andrea Camilleri. *
3. INNOCENT TRAITOR by Alison Weir.
4. BEYOND THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES: A GIANT PROBLEM by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. *
5. THE DAUGHTER OF TIME by Josephine Tey.
6. MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER by Shirley Hughes.
7. MORE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER STORIES by Shirley Hughes. (Click on above link for review)
8. MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER AND BAD HARRY by Shirley Hughes. (Click on the link for My Naughty Little Sister)
9. MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER'S FRIENDS by Shirley Hughes. (Click on the link for My Naughty Little Sister)       
10. WHEN MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER WAS GOOD by Shirley Hughes. (Click on the link for My Naughty Little Sister)
11. THE LOST PHROPHECIES by The Medieval Murderers.
12. THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE by Edward Marston. *

February.

1. THE JUDGEMENT OF THE MUMMY by Christian Jacq.
2. THE PATRIOT PARADOX by William Esmont.
3. NO RESERVATIONS by Fiona O'Brien.
4. PREY by Michael Crichton.
5. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS by Lewis Carroll. *
6. THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.
7. THE GARGOYLE by Andrew Davidson.
8. THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE by Audrey Neffenegger.
9. NIGHT SONG OF THE LAST TRAM (A GLASGOW CHILDHOOD) by Robert Douglas.
10. DARK DESTINY by Christine Feehan.
11. SLEEP PALE SISTER by Joanne Harris.
12. THE HOUSE OF SILK: THE NEW SHERLOCK HOMES NOVEL by Anthony Horowitz.

March.

1. TURNING ANGEL by Greg Iles. *
2. PROPERTY by Valerie Martin.
3. GODIVA by Nerys Jones.
4. THIS IS NOT FORGIVENESS by Celia Rees.
5. NETHERWOOD by Jane Sanderson. 
6. LYRICS ALLEY by Leila Aboulela. **
7. THE TIGER'S WIFE by Tea Obreht.
8. VALLEY OF BONES by Michael Gruber.
9. KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR by Carrie Vaughn.
10. KITTY TAKES A HOLIDAY by Carrie Vaughn. (Click on above link for review)
11. BOND GIRL by Erin Duffy. **
12. TOOTH AND NAIL by Ian Rankin. ** 

April.

1. BITTER CHOCOLATE by Lesley Lokko.
2. HOLLOW EARTH by John and Carole E Barrowman.
3. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL by Deborah Moggach.
4. I'LL BE THERE by Holly Goldberg Sloan. **
5. THE LIEUTENANT by Kate Grenville.
6. DARK MATTER: A GHOST STORY by Michelle Paver.
7. THE LADY OF THE RIVERS by Philippa Gregory.
8. KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET by Carrie Vaughn.
9. WHERE THE WEAVER BIRDS FLY by John Ellwood Nicholson. ** 

May.

1. NORTHWEST CORNER by John Burnham Schwartz. **
2. THE LAST VICTIM by Christopher Rudy with George Davis. **
3. THURSDAYS IN THE PARK by Hilary Boyd.
4. STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS by Maggie Bennett.
5. THE GERMAN BOY by Patricia Wastvedt.
6. AS MEAT LOVES SALT by Maria McCann.
7. ONE DAY by David Nicholls.
8. BECOMING MADAME MAO by Anchee Min.
9. MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs.
10. CHELSEA WIVES by Anna-Lou Weatherly.
11. THE DESCENDANTS by Kaui Hart Hemmings. 

June.

1. DEAR JOHN by Nicholas Sparks.
2. A NAME IN BLOOD by Matt Rees.
3. JUST ONE MORE DAY by Susan Lewis.
4. CHANGELING by Philippa Gregory.
5. PLAIN TRUTH by Jodi Picoult. *
6. DEADLOCKED by Charlaine Harris.
7. BREAKING THE DEVIL'S HEART by H.A. Goodman. **
8. BREATHLESS by Anne Sward. **
9. THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes.
10. DREAM ANGUS by Alexander McCall Smith. 

July.

1. HEARTSTONE by C.J. Sansom.
2. FRIENDS, LOVERS, CHOCOLATE by Alexander McCall Smith.
3. BUILD A BUSINESS FROM YOUR KITCHEN TABLE by Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker. **
4. BLOOD RITES by S.J. Rozan. **
5. THE REDEEMER by Jo Nesbo.
6. A SEA OF TROUBLES by Donna Leon.
7. BLOOD FROM A STONE by Donna Leon (Click on above link for review)
8. THE INCIDENT by Kenneth Macleod. **
9. WE WILL NOT FIGHT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WORLD WAR ONE'S CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS by Will Ellsworth-Jones. 

August.

1. CRAZY LIFE OF A WRITING MOM by EC Stilson. **
2. THE 5 MOONS OF TIIANA by Paul T Harry. **
3. THE CASE OF THE GOOD-LOOKING CORPSE by Caroline Lawrence.
4. THE MISSING ROSE by Serdar Ozkan.
5. NOAH'S COMPASS by Anne Tyler.
6. THE COOK by Wayne Macauley.**
7. THE BOOK LOVER'S TALE by Ivo Stourton. **
8. THE OWL KILLERS by Karen Maitland.
9. JUST ELLA by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
10. THE NIGHTINGALE GIRLS by Donna Douglas. **
11. HOMELAND by Clare Francis. 

September.

1. BLUEEYEDBOY by Joanne Harris.
2. SPIRIT OF LOST ANGELS by Liza Perrat. **
3. CLICK: AN ONLINE LOVE STORY by Lisa Booker. **
4. 12-21 by Dustin Thomason. **
5. THE HAUNTING by Alan Titchmarsh.
6. MIDWINTER by John Buchan.
7. DEAREST ROSE by Rowan Coleman. **
8. CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NOVEL by Molly D Campbell. **
9. THE MERDE FACTOR by Stephen Clarke. **
10. GREEN EGGS AND HAM by Dr Seuss. ***
11. THE ADVENTURES OF NANA BARB: LOST IN TIME by John Auckland. **
12. A PARACHUTE IN THE LIME TREE by Annemarie Neary. ** 

October.

1. WHITE DOVES AT MORNING by James Lee Burke.
2. EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN by Liz Kesler.
3. ME, SUZY P by Karen Saunders. **
4. DEATH AT LE FENICE by Donna Leon.
5. DEATH IN A STRANGE COUNTRY by Donna Leon (Click on above link for review)
6. POLTERGEEKS by Sean Cummings.
7. WITCH BABY AND ME AFTER DARK by Debi Gliori.
8. THE KINGMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Philippa Gregory.
9. THE GREAT MAGICIAN by Christian Jacq.
10. GREY WALKER by Kat Richardson.
11. AMONG OTHERS by Jo Walton. **
12. HYPOTHERMIA by Arnaldur Indridason.
13. SIGN OF THE CROSS by Chris Kuzneski.
14. BIBLE GIRL AND THE BAD BOY by EC Stilson. 

November.

1. THE GLORY AND THE SHAME by Harry Bowling.
2. SHAKESPEARE'S LANDLORD by Charlaine Harris.
3. SHAKESPEARE'S CHAMPION by Charlaine Harris.(Click on above link for review)
4. OTHER PEOPLE'S DAUGHTERS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE GOVERNESS by Ruth Brandon.
5. A FALCON FLIES by Wilbur Smith.
6. THE KEEPER OF DAWN by J.B. Hickman. **
7. THE CHARM BRACELET by Melissa Hill. *
8. A LAWMAN'S CHRISTMAS by Linda Lael Miller. *
9. A RHINESTONE BUTTON by Gail Anderson Dargatz.
10. THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY by Jostein Gaarder. *
11. THE EARTH HUMS IN B FLAT by Mari Strachan.
12. MADAME DOUBTFIRE by Anne Fine. 

December.

1. DRESSED FOR DEATH by Donna Leon.
2. A VENETIAN RECKONING by Donna Leon (Click on above link for review).
3. SHAKESPEARE'S CHRISTMAS by Charlaine Harris.
4. SWALLOWING GRANDMA by Kate Long.
5. THE GIRL IN THE PAINTED CARAVAN: MEMORIES OF A ROMANY CHILDHOOD by Eva Petulengro.
6. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS by Dr Seuss. *
7. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Clement C Moore with illustrations by Lis Toft * (Click on above link for review) 
8. ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS by David Oxtoby * (Click on link for How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
9. THE BEAUTIFUL TRUTH by Belinda Seaward. 

My favourite book(s): So original, I loved The Gargoyle. Largely about a late 18th century coal mining community, I had a very personal reason for enjoying Netherwood as much as I did. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children: Possibly my favourite book this year. A brilliant read, I loved The Owl Killers. Designed for much younger readers, as a nostalgic read Me, Suzy P brought back so many memories of my teenage self.

My least favourite book(s): Repetitive in the extreme just about sums up Dark Destiny. Northwest Corner: Not at all to my taste

Best loved character(s): Sherlock Holmes as written by Anthony Horowitz, such a great psychological insight.

Best villain(s): A fictional account of a real life individual, Richie Rich made a great villain in Heartstone.

Book(s) I was most disappointed by: The Judgement Of The Mummy -  not up to the authors normal high standard. Changeling - An ok read, probably more enjoyable to those who haven't read any of Philippa Gregory's  adult historical novels.

Book(s) that most surprised me: The House Of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel, much more gritty and contemporary than I expected. Dark Matter: A Ghost Story, Wonderfully atmospheric. Not my usual type of read, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed The 5 Moons Of Tiiana.

Best series: The 'Kitty' Series.

Author(s) I'd like to read more of: Andrew Davidson. Jane Sanderson. John and Carole E Barrowman. Paul T Harry.

Most nostalgic read(s): Donna Leon's books which were set in and around Venice reminded me of our holiday there.

Favourite cover(s):

* A book challenge read.

** Reviewed for magazine/publisher/author.
*** Not my usual review, this was a one-off written for Banned Book Week.

SO ......

That's 133 books, 42,786 pages read in 2012: 379 books, 127,707 pages since I started blogging in April 2009.