The Maiden's Court

Monday, February 9, 2015

Giveaway of Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran and Bangle Bracelets

Good morning dear readers! I have a very exciting giveaway opportunity for you today! Michelle Moran's new book to be exact, Rebel Queen, and a pair of gorgeous bangle bracelets she brought back from her travels in India to research the book! Awesome right?! I am dying to get my hands on my copy of this book which should be arriving soon!!!

But, before we jump into the giveaway details, a blurb about the book:

"When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the 1850s, it expects a quick and easy conquest. After all, India is not even a country, but a collection of kingdoms on the subcontinent. But when the British arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, expecting its queen to forfeit her crown, they are met with a surprise. Instead of surrendering, Queen Lakshmi raises two armies—one male, one female—and rides into battle like Joan of Arc. Although her soldiers are little match against superior British weaponry and training, Lakshmi fights against an empire determined to take away the land she loves.

Told from the perspective of Sita, one of the guards in Lakshmi's all-female army and the queen’s most trusted warrior, The Last Queen of Indiatraces the astonishing tale of a fearless ruler making her way in a world dominated by men. In the tradition of her bestselling novel Nefertiti, which Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, called “a heroic story with a very human heart,” Michelle Moran once again brings a time and place rarely explored in historical fiction to rich, vibrant life."

Now the giveaway details:

The giveaway is for one hardcover copy of Rebel Queen signed by the author and a pair of bangle bracelets from India. Note, the bangles are all different, so the ones the winner receives may not appear exactly as those pictured above, but they will all be beautiful and from India. Also, if you do not win the giveaway (or for some reason do not wish to enter this amazing giveaway!) Michelle is offering to provide signed bookplates for your book!

Entries for the giveaway are made through the Rafflecopter below - please review the complete giveaway policies under the "Policies" tab at the top of the page.

This will be a quick run giveaway and will run from February 9, 2015 to February 15, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck all!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Giveaway Winner Announcement

Good evening everyone - I hope you have had a wonderful weekend. We are gearing up for yet another round of snow starting tonight...yay...

I am posting tonight to share an announcement of the winner of the giveaway for a copy of Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen.

And that winner is...ANGELA H!!!

Congrats Angela! I hope you enjoy the book and thank you to everyone who entered!

An email has been sent to the winner and if I do not receive a response within the next 5 days a new winner will be selected.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I have a new giveaway going up...and you will like this one!

**Update** - As Angela has notified me that she has already won a copy of this book I have redrawn the winner and it is...Cynthia W.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Book Review: Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion by Alyson Richman, Jenna Blum, Sarah McCoy, Melanie Benjamin, Sarah Jio, Erika Robuck, Kristina McMorris, Amanda Hodgkinson, Pam Jenoff, and Karen White

Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion
Featuring stories by: Alyson Richman, Jenna Blum, Sarah McCoy,
Melanie Benjamin, Sarah Jio, Erika Robuck, Kristina McMorris,
Amanda Hodgkinson, Pam Jenoff, and Karen White
Paperback, 368 pages
Penguin Group
July 1, 2014
★★★★★

Genre: Short-Story Anthology

Source: Received as a gift from my 2014 Book Blogger Secret Santa

“A war bride awaits the arrival of her GI husband at the platform…

A Holocaust survivor works at the Oyster Bar, where a customer reminds him of his late mother…

A Hollywood hopeful anticipates her first screen test and a chance at stardom in the Kissing Room…

On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell.
Now, ten bestselling authors inspired by this iconic landmark have created their own stories, set just after the end of World War II, in a time of hope, uncertainty, change, and renewal….”

Of all of the authors presented in this collection, the only one that I had read any of their individual works was Pam Jenoff, who I really did enjoy. However, the authors included in this collection were not what drew me to this book. I was extremely intrigued by the concept of an anthology that actively strives to have a cohesive topic; in this case, a certain date after the end of the WWII in the Grand Central Terminal. I had recently read A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii by a collection of authors which was another anthology which revolved around the event of the destruction of Pompeii, and I was excited to see another take on this style of book.

One of the greatest strengths of this book is how the stories all cover different life situations as affected by the war. Among the characters encountered are: GI coming home from war to the life he left behind, a woman afraid of the return of her husband from the war, German and Jewish refugees from Europe, a female pilot, and a Lebensborn Program mother. I felt that I learned so many different aspects of life during and after the war that I had not known about before. These characters were so different from each other and so individualized. Some of their stories are just so heartbreaking, while others are so full of hope for a better life. They will definitely pull at your heartstrings and you might even shed a tear or two.

I LOVED how the iconic train station itself was so fleshed out that it was a character all of its own. There were areas of the stations featured that I never knew existed, like the Kissing Room, the Biltmore Hotel above, an a movie theatre as well as other iconic areas such as the Whispering Gallery and the Oyster Bar. Throughout the course of these stories you come away feeling like you have personally toured the station, even if you have never been there.

While reading, I was constantly on the lookout for the intersection of characters from the other stories – and you do see them in passing. A man who plays the violin from the first story is commented on by a couple other characters, for instance. However, they do not actually engage with each other to a very great extent. I would have liked a little bit more in this manner – but I might just have been spoiled by the level of interaction in A Day of Fire.

My favorite story, was the last – “The Harvest Season”. It had some twists that I didn’t expect and I quickly connected to these characters. Their stories could have ended up a couple different ways and I really liked the result. Karen White will be an author I keep my eyes open for.

I was very impressed with the cohesiveness of this collection and enjoyed it very much. I would highly recommend this to any WWII history fan. I hope to see more of these types of collections in the future (I have heard of 2 others in the works).

You can visit the book’s website for additional information about the book.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

Friday, January 30, 2015

Book Review: Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen
Book 1 in the Lady Montfort Mystery series
ARC, e-book, 321 pages
Minotaur Books
January 6, 2015
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Historical Mystery

Source: Received from the publisher for review as part of HFVBT tour

“Lady Montfort has been planning her annual summer costume ball for months, and with scrupulous care. Pulling together the food, flowers and a thousand other details for one of the most significant social occasions of the year is her happily accepted responsibility. But when her husband’s degenerate nephew is found murdered, it's more than the ball that is ruined. In fact, Lady Montfort fears that the official police enquiry, driven by petty snobbery and class prejudice, is pointing towards her son as a potential suspect.

Taking matters into her own hands, the rather over-imaginative countess enlists the help of her pragmatic housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to investigate the case, track down the women that vanished the night of the murder, and clear her son’s name. As the two women search for a runaway housemaid and a headstrong young woman, they unearth the hidden lives of Lady Montfort’s close friends, servants and family and discover the identity of a murderer hiding in plain sight.

In this enchanting debut sure to appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, Tessa Arlen draws readers into a world exclusively enjoyed by the rich, privileged classes and suffered by the men and women who serve them. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is an elegant mystery filled with intriguing characters and fascinating descriptions of Edwardian life—a superb treat for those who love British novels.”

This novel is pitched as being appealing to those who love the TV show, Downton Abbey – I am sure I am the only person at this point who has never seen an episode of the show, so I can’t say anything to that factor. I can say, however, that it does speak to the fan of novels which feature the upstairs/downstairs motif – as it uses that technique extensively here.

I have been a long-time fan of contemporary mystery novels – James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series is one of my favorites – but for some reason, historical mysteries don’t tend to sit well with me. This is typically because the often leave the historical factor as mere background or setting and not fully integrate it into the novel. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman does quite well in the historical aspect – the pages just ooze the Edwardian time period – in terms of characterizations, events that are unfolding in the background, and the atmosphere of the time. Arlen also has the mystery element well in hand, as I never saw the murderer coming, although after the reveal you can see some hints along the way.

This was certainly a very different sort of upstairs/downstairs novel – as usually you don’t have a lot of lengthy interactions between the mistress of the house and her servants. In this novel, Lady Montfort teams up with her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to solve the murder mystery that takes place on her property. I really enjoyed this character dynamic. It made it interesting to see how they dealt with these breeches of etiquette and you have two different perspectives on the events transpiring.

I had an issue with two areas of this novel: pacing and caring about the deceased. I found the pace of the novel to be a little slow to unravel. It felt like a lot of waiting around in the household while a “real” investigator did his questioning of the household. We don’t see much of Teddy before he meets his maker and we learn most about him from discussions with various others. We are supposed to find him reviling – and I only halfway got there. I found that I didn’t really care that he had been killed, and because of that, I didn’t really care who had murdered him – this takes away from the mystery element to some extent.

I think that it could be an interesting series to have the interplay of Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson, but I think it might be difficult (or somewhat unbelievable) to think that they will encounter all that many mysteries that occur within their limited domestic sphere.

If you love to read about the Edwardian time period or an upstairs/downstairs novel, you will likely enjoy this one – all of those elements are well fleshed out. If you are a mystery fan, it might be hit or miss.

Isn't the cover absolutely stunning!?!

This is author Tessa Arlen’s debut novel. You can visit Arlen’s website or blog for additional information about the book.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

You can follow along with the rest of the tour by visiting the HFVBT site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #DishonorableGentlemanBlogTour.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Literary Conversations: Abridging Books

Welcome to the first of what I hope will be an engaging series of conversations throughout this year about all things books! I want to pick topics that are important to us as readers, bloggers, and otherwise reading aficionados (so if you have any creative ideas, let me know!).

The first topic is something that I was recently reminded about that frustrates me – and I would love to see where you stand on this topic: abridging books.

By definition, an abridgement is “a shortened or condensed form of book, speech, etc, that still retains the basic contents” (Dictionary.com).

To me, there is really no good reason to abridge a book. I know that it is frequently a technique used to make a lengthy book accessible to a reading population that will not read a long book. But to me, if the author intended it to be 500, 700, 1000+ pages, then that is what I want to read. I don’t just want to read what someone thought would be representative enough of the book. Then you start to get into someone else’s opinions etc. and not the true form of the book. I can handle a long book!

Now I know that frequently you can pick up a different edition of a book and get the whole unabridged story, however, this isn’t always the case with audiobooks. Many times the only edition available on Audible is the abridged version – and I absolutely refuse to read this shortened version, so I will usually have to put it further down my reading list for when I eventually get the chance to read it in paper.

According to the above graphic, at least with regard to audio book sales, abridged versions make up 30% of the sales.
Source: SlideShare

A perfect example that happened to me this week – Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara. The traditional version currently available on Amazon is 512 pages. The abridged version of the audio book available on Audible is 3 hours and 46 minutes in length. For comparison purposes, The Great Bridge by David McCullough, which is 562 pages in physical length (fairly similar length), is 27 hours and 29 minutes in unabridged audio book. My guess, a lot of Gods and Generals has been excised for the audiobook production – which makes me sad. Even though non-fiction tends to be read at a little slower pace than fiction, there really shouldn't be that much of a difference in length.

According to Goodreads, some of the most popularly shelved abridged books include: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1276 pages); Don Quixote by Cervantes (1072 pages); Moby Dick by Herman Melville (720 pages); War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1423 pages); and Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (1488 pages).

What do you think of abridged books? Do you read them? Have you read any of these above named lengthy books in either their complete or abridged formats? Or both? What did you think? Anyone have a different explanation for abridgement than what I addressed above?

Love to hear what you think!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Book Review: The Nutcracker Bride by Margaret Brownley

The Nutcracker Bride by Margaret Brownley
Book 2 in the 12 Brides of Christmas series
Kindle e-book, 51 pages
Shiloh Run Studios
October 13, 2014
★★★★☆

Genre: Christmas, Historical Romance, Christian Fiction, Western, Short Story/Novella

Source: Purchased from Amazon for Kindle

“While gathering walnuts, someone throws a bag of money into Lucy Langdon’s wagon. Now Chad Prescott, a Texas Ranger, is determined to recover the bag, but not before he is shot as a prowler. Waking up in a house full of German nutcrackers is rather disconcerting for this lawman, but not as troublesome as feeling his heart fall for the lovely Lucy.”

The Nutcracker Bride is the second book in the 12 Brides of Christmas series, but they are not connected to each other except in theme, so you can read them in any order you choose (me being me, I have to read them in order). This series of short story/novellas features the stories of love/courtship/marriage for one woman during the Christmas season. From what I have read so far (4 books) they appear to all be sent in the American western frontier in the late 1800s – a relatively new setting for me, and an entirely welcome change. As the description implies, they are historical romances and Christian fiction as well – however they all feature a different depth to the religion.

Lucy is a home baker who is known for the German delicacies that she makes and delivers to local friends, family, and customers. She is also taking care of her elderly grandfather in the home and all that entails. Oh, and she is also caring for the man who suddenly showed up on her property and whom she also shot out of fear. Seeing the interactions between Lucy and Chad develop from fear to care felt natural – considering it is a forced relationship and when you are with someone all the time a relationship can develop faster.

Chad Prescott was a very fun romantic hero. He certainly grew into the relationship faster than Lucy. He was also one that was a little hard to pin down – is he a good guy or bad guy? What is his mission? Will Lucy ever see him again? Lucy was a little more straightforward. She is caring for her grandfather and that is her sole mission at this point.

At the real heart of this story is the nutcrackers, as the title implies. I loved learning the old German tradition of the nutcrackers and how it was woven into the story plot, not just as a brief note in passing. It was also nice to see the interplay of old family traditions with Lucy’s Christian beliefs. It felt very, very natural.

Overall, I loved the characters and could certainly see myself enjoying them in a longer story arc.

Author Margaret Brownley also has written several other novels, including the following series: The Brides of Last Chance Ranch and The Rocky Creek Romance series, and stand-alone books: Courting Trouble, Then Came Spring, Head Over Heels, and High Button Shoes. You can visit Margaret’s website for additional information about her books. If you would like to know more about The Nutcracker Bride or the 12 Brides of Christmas series, follow the links.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon and B&N.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Book Review: My Days With Princess Grace of Monaco by Joan Dale

My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco by Joan and Grace Dale
ARC, e-book, 352 pages
IN-LIGHTENING
September 4, 2014
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Memoir

Source: Received for review from publisher via Netgalley

“Get to know the real Princess Grace, from the first years of her marriage to the last days of her life. "My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco: Our 25-Year Friendship, Beyond Grace Kelly" chronicles what it was like to be best friends with an iconic princess, with 70 never-before-seen personal photos, letters and diaries that give a behind-the-scenes look at Grace Kelly's life after she became Princess Grace. Gain rare insight into her final days through a detailed account of her last family vacation the month before her tragic death. This is also the true story of the historic events depicted in "Grace of Monaco," in which Grace Kelly was to return to Hollywood at a time when Prince Rainier almost lost his crown and country.”

This memoir is of Joan Dale’s life, but focusing on her time spent with and intimately knowing Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. Joan did not know Grace during her Hollywood glamour days, so if you are looking for that perspective, you will be disappointed. But if you are looking to know Grace the princess you will become deeply acquainted with her in this memoir. Joan often references how she was referenced as “unknown woman” in all of the photos that she appeared in with Princess Grace – she was always there, but entirely unknown. Joan’s husband was Prince Rainier’s closest advisor and accordingly they were frequently present with the Prince and Princess.

We get all of the details of the balls, dinners, and other fabulous events that they attended – including extensive explanations of what EVERYONE was wearing (it almost felt like an awards style episode at times). At the same time, we are treated to the intimate moments when the families were just alone by themselves.

Much of this book is comprised of and composed from letter from Joan Dale’s collection – there are letters to and from Grace, Joan’s parents, her husband, Prince Rainier, and others. It is a great writing strategy to include these intimate peeks into Joan’s life. Additionally, there was an extensive collection of personal photos from Joan Dale providing a visual peek into the Dale and Grimaldi lives.

While I found this book an enjoyable, lighter read, it wasn’t without its issues – which I feel like comes with the territory when the memoir is written by someone who isn’t actually a practicing author. There is A LOT of repetition. Mostly this is involved with the letters. Within the text Joan’s letters are transcribed, but then immediately following each letter the author explains the events that are introduced in the letter. However, the narrative tends to tell exactly the same thing as the letters just with a little more detail – it felt very repetitive. Additionally, while the memoir does focus on Joan’s life with Grace, there is a lot just about Joan’s life as well. While this makes sense, as it is Joan who is writing the book, those portions of the book are much less interesting to the reader – especially if someone is picking up the book to learn about Grace Kelly. Additionally, I frequently felt that Joan was defensively explaining her relationship with Grace – as in, she feels the need to make it clear that she was actually one of Grace’s closest friends. She goes to great lengths to make this point and it made it feel a little pushy.

I did learn a lot about the private side of Princess Grace and it was an enjoyable, light read, but it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping the book would be.

This book is the combined works of Joan Dale (friend of Grace Kelly’s) and her daughter, Grace Dale. Joan Dale passed away prior to the publication of the book. You can visit the book’s website for additional information about the book. There are some great videos and documents available on the site that round out the reading experience. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can also watch the book trailer below.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Two Sides to Every Story: Benedict Arnold

With this segment of Two Sides I’m taking the concept a little differently than in the past. Usually I present two opposing sides to an issue/question, but this time I want to present the two different sides of a single person.

Benedict Arnold is known primarily to most people as a traitor to the American cause during the American Revolutionary War. Many do not know more about him than that. Arnold is one of the most fascinating characters to me during this time period, because he is so much more complex than just a traitor and I think it is worth knowing about.

American Revolutionary War Hero

Henry Bryan Hall, Sr. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Benedict Arnold was a General on the side of the colonists during the American Revolution. He had many great moments during his wartime service and many of his successes were major contributors to the continuation of the War during its early years. Arnold acted valiantly during the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, an attack on Quebec, and the Battle of Valcour Island. Even when he lost the fight, he still succeeded in delaying British forward action. He had his leg broken during the Quebec initiative. Arnold’s best known battle accomplishment was at Saratoga. Going against orders, Arnold led an attack at Saratoga – which ultimately led to General Burgoyne surrendering and Arnold being shot in the same leg that was injured at Quebec. This effectively ended his military career, despite being named military commander of Philadelphia.

Traitor to the American Cause

Embed from Getty Images

Following Arnold’s injury, and rehabilitation, he was repeatedly passed over for promotions that he thought he should have been entitled to. Being upset with his leadership chain of command and his frequently being passed over for promotion, Arnold in 1778 agreed to work with British intelligencer John Andre, with the aid of his wife Peggy, to turn over West Point to the British. He succeeded in passing critical documents related to the defense of West Point to Andre, but fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your side) Andre was captured behind American lines with that damning information and Arnold’s gig was up. He fled to the British lines and joined their cause, but he was never really accepted there and did not find success.

Benedict Arnold’s life is divided into two distinct time periods, his heroic phase and his traitor phase. I think that it is important to view his actions in these two separate spheres. Without his successes at Saratoga, the French very likely would not have entered the war, as this battle was critical in their decision to support the Americans. And there would have been a greater chance of the American’s not winning the war. There is even an unnamed monument to Arnold at the Saratoga battlefield in the shape of his injured leg to commemorate his important successes there. But his disillusionment with his inability to have the successes he believed he deserved, and the careful promptings of his wife, led him to put his country behind his ambitions and turn his coat.

How much do you know about Benedict Arnold? Do you think it is important to judge a person based on their last actions or based on their whole character? Can Arnold have some redeeming qualities despite being traitor? How do you feel about the issue of the unnamed monument to the man at the Saratoga Battlefield?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Book Review: The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki

The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki
ARC, e-book, 497 pages
Howard Books
February 11, 2014
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received for review via Netgalley

“Everyone knows Benedict Arnold—the infamous Revolutionary War General who betrayed America and fled to the British as history’s most notorious turncoat. Many know Arnold’s co-conspirator, Major John André, who was apprehended with Arnold’s documents in his boots and hanged at the orders of General George Washington. But few know of the integral third character in the plot; a charming and cunning young woman, who not only contributed to the betrayal but orchestrated it.
Socialite Peggy Shippen is half Benedict Arnold’s age when she seduces the war hero during his stint as Military Commander of Philadelphia. Blinded by his young bride’s beauty and wit, Arnold does not realize that she harbors a secret: loyalty to the British. Nor does he know that she hides a past romance with the handsome British spy John André. Peggy watches as her husband, crippled from battle wounds and in debt from years of service to the colonies, grows ever more disillusioned with his hero, Washington, and the American cause. Together with her former lover and her disaffected husband, Peggy hatches the plot to deliver West Point to the British and, in exchange, win fame and fortune for herself and Arnold.
Told from the perspective of Peggy’s maid, whose faith in the new nation inspires her to intervene in her mistress’s affairs even when it could cost her everything,The Traitor’s Wife brings these infamous figures to life, illuminating the sordid details and the love triangle that nearly destroyed the American fight for freedom.”

When reading historical fiction that is set during a war, my choice will always be the American Revolution. There is just something about the formation of a new country and that ensuing drama just pulls me in. Within that setting, one of the people that fascinates me most is Benedict Arnold. Although he is a traitor to the country, I find him quite to complex man who is intriguing to try to understand. With these things in mind, this novel screams at me to read it!

I very much appreciated seeing Peggy’s perspective regarding the betrayal in this novel – I actually dislike her very much, but that is a discussion for later and not at all related to how the character was written. The author did a great job at portraying Peggy Shippen Arnold as a frivolous, but calculating woman who is willing to do pretty much anything to get her own way. Benedict Arnold was not as fleshed out as I would have liked him to have been. He was present, but sort of whitewashed. The character that we learn the most about is Peggy’s maid, Clara, and she was refreshing and I enjoyed the portions of her novel about how she survived living with the Arnolds.

I struggled to love the style of the novel all the way through. There are portions of the novel that take place in the “present” time – which is the time immediately surrounding the betrayal – and then periods that sort of flash-back to the two years preceding when Peggy meets Arnold. Both sections worked on their own, but I found the transitions to be a little bit clunky and unnecessary as a storytelling device here.

Overall, this was a relatively strong debut novel, even if there are a few things that I would have liked tightened up a little bit. Peggy was a fascinating character and it was invigorating seeing this story told more from her perspective.

And can we discuss the cover for just a second? One of my favorites of releases in 2014! That alone would make me pick it up off of the shelf, even if it is still a headless woman. Gorgeous!

This is author Allison Pataki’s debut novel, with a sophomore release coming out in February. You can visit Allison’s website or blog for additional information about the book. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book (about halfway down the page)?

You can also watch the book trailer below.

Additionally, the author discusses The Traitor’s Wife in this video clip:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Books for School...or My New Obsession with WWI

You are likely to see a run on books about WWI appearing on this blog within the next several months - my mailbox has been very overwhelming in that department. Many of these books will make it into a review, but if not, I might do a feature on them just as a way to integrate my reading for school with the blog. It is relevant reading and it is A LOT of reading - so I might as well kill two birds with one stone! I have also settled on my research topic, in which I will be able to utilize a book I received for review last year as one of my sources/inspiration (if you are interested, that would be Wilson by A. Scott Berg). Pretty cool I think!

I'm about a month into the class so far and it has been quite fascinating so far. In my high school and undergraduate education I wasn't exposed to a lot of WWI history. To say I am learning a lot is an understatement.

Here are the books I have picked up for my class and research:

WWI by H.P. Willmott (which has pictures and battlefield guides)
Quest for Decisive Victory: From Stalemate to Blitzkrieg in Europe 1899-1940 by Rober M. Citino
The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek
Cataclysm: The First World War as Political Tragedy by David Stevenson
The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara W. Tuchman
The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War by Hew Strachan
Decisions for War: 1914-1917 by Richard F. Hamilton
The Arming of Europe and the Making of the First World War by David G. Herrmann
Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia, 1918-1920 by Clifford Kinvig
Woodrow Wilson and the World War by Charles Seymour
Why We Are at War: Messages to Congress by Woodrow Wilson
Wilson by A. Scott Berg
Trench: A History of Trench Warfare on the Western Front by Stephen Bull
The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary 1914-1918 by Holger H. Herwig
The First Air War: 1914-1918 by Lee Kennett
A World Undone by G.J. Meyer
The First World War by Hew Strachan
The Battle of the Frontiers: Ardennes 1914 by Terence Zuber

Whew! That's a lot! So far I have read The Arming of Europe and the Making of the First World War by David G. Herrmann, and working on Cataclysm: The First World War as Political Tragedy by David Stevenson and Decisions for War: 1914-1917 by Richard F. Hamilton.

So, are you well versed in WWI? Have you read any of these books? Any recommendations for further reading on Woodrow Wilson and the entry of the USA into WWI?

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Book Review: The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory

The King’s Curse by Philippa Gregory
Book 6 in The Cousin’s War Series
Unabridged, 24 hr. 11 min.
Simon & Schuster Audio
Bianca Amato (Narrator)
September 9, 2014
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received the download from the publisher for review

“Regarded as yet another threat to the volatile King Henry VII's claim to the throne, Margaret Pole, cousin to Elizabeth of York (known as the White Princess) and daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, is married off to a steady and kind Lancaster supporter - Sir Richard Pole. For his loyalty, Sir Richard is entrusted with the governorship of Wales, but Margaret's contented daily life is changed forever with the arrival of Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon. Margaret soon becomes a trusted advisor and friend to the honeymooning couple, hiding her own royal connections in service to the Tudors.
After the sudden death of Prince Arthur, Katherine leaves for London a widow, and fulfills her deathbed promise to her husband by marrying his brother, Henry VIII. Margaret's world is turned upside down by the surprising summons to court, where she becomes the chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine. But this charmed life of the wealthiest and "holiest" woman in England lasts only until the rise of Anne Boleyn, and the dramatic deterioration of the Tudor court. Margaret has to choose whether her allegiance is to the increasingly tyrannical king, or to her beloved queen; to the religion she loves or the theology which serves the new masters. Caught between the old world and the new, Margaret Pole has to find her own way as she carries the knowledge of an old curse on all the Tudors.”

This is actually the first book in The Cousin’s War series that I have read, although I do own the majority of them. I can tell you that you do not need to have read the other books in this series to enjoy this book, it reads as a stand-alone book with references to people who are featured in the other entries in this series.

I have read many other Gregory novels in the past and the style here is no different than that of her Tudor series. In this installment we are treated to Margaret Pole and the issues facing her family at the hands of Henry VII and ultimately Henry VIII. Some of the events that unfold in this book will feel a little repetitive if you have read The Constant Princess, also by Philippa Gregory. Margaret Pole is young Katherine of Aragon’s lady and she is embroiled in the whole “did they or didn’t they” scandal that surrounds Katherine and Prince Arthur’s marriage, but this time seen from a slightly different view.

I ultimately liked the Pole family featured in this novel – I found them to be likable and their story interesting and engaging (Gregory is fairly sympathetic to the York family). There always seems to be one bad egg in every family, and the Pole family has one of those too. I felt bad for all of the things that this family had to go through at the hands of the King of England. It had to be quite an unsettling time to live through, full of uncertainty. As the book is being told in the first person the end is very interesting, and I think very well done, for how Margaret’s story ends.

Overall this was a good read with just a few small places where the story slowed down.

Oh, and the curse? We are beat over the head with what that is all about. Subtlety is not her strong point.

★★★★ ½☆

Bianca Amato is a prolific historical fiction narrator. She narrates all of The Cousin’s War series and a few of the Tudor novels, as well as other books by Tasha Alexander, Celia Rees, Karen Essex and others. She has won Audiofile awards for her narrations of Gregory’s novels. And all of these awards are deserved because the narration of this book was a hit. Amato’s narration helped to gloss over some of those areas when the writing was spotty.

Author Philippa Gregory also has written the following books in The Cousin’s War series: The White Queen, The Red Queen, The Kingmaker’s Daughter, The Lady of the Rivers, and The White Princess. You can visit Gregory’s website for additional information about the book.

My reviews of other books by this author:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

New Book Alert & Giveaway: Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen
Lady Montfort Mystery Book 1
Hardcover, e-book, 320 pages
Minotaur Books
ISBN-10: 1250052491
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Genre: Historical Mystery

Book Blurb:

Lady Montfort has been planning her annual summer costume ball for months, and with scrupulous care. Pulling together the food, flowers and a thousand other details for one of the most significant social occasions of the year is her happily accepted responsibility. But when her husband’s degenerate nephew is found murdered, it’s more than the ball that is ruined. In fact, Lady Montfort fears that the official police enquiry, driven by petty snobbery and class prejudice, is pointing towards her son as a potential suspect.
Taking matters into her own hands, the rather over-imaginative countess enlists the help of her pragmatic housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to investigate the case, track down the women that vanished the night of the murder, and clear her son’s name. As the two women search for a runaway housemaid and a headstrong young woman, they unearth the hidden lives of Lady Montfort’s close friends, servants and family and discover the identity of a murderer hiding in plain sight.
In this enchanting debut sure to appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, Tessa Arlen draws readers into a world exclusively enjoyed by the rich, privileged classes and suffered by the men and women who serve them. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is an elegant mystery filled with intriguing characters and fascinating descriptions of Edwardian life—a superb treat for those who love British novels.

A Party for Winston, the second book in the series to be released in January 2016.

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

About the Author:

TESSA ARLEN, the daughter of a British diplomat, had lived in or visited her parents in Singapore, Cairo, Berlin, the Persian Gulf, Beijing, Delhi and Warsaw by the time she was sixteen. She came to the U.S. in 1980 and worked as an H.R. recruiter for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Olympic Games, where she interviewed her future husband for a job. DEATH OF A DISHONORABLE GENTLEMAN is Tessa’s first novel. She lives in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

For more information please visit Tessa Arlen’s website. Read Tessa Arlen’s blog at Redoubtable Edwardians. You can also connect with her onFacebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Subscribe to Tessa Arlen’s Newsletter.

Praise for Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman:

“Tessa Arlen has a worthy debut with Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman. With a deliciously gruesome murder and an unlikely pair of sleuths, this is a treat for fans of Downton Abbey who will want to devour it with a nice steaming pot of Earl Grey.” —New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn

“In her debut novel, Tessa Arlen weaves an evocative tale of the passions, loyalties and ambitions that divide and unite two classes, upstairs and downstairs, in a stately home. She instantly transports the reader to Edwardian England.”—Christine Trent, author of Stolen Remains

“A dash of noblesse oblige sparkles between the upstairs/downstairs world of Lady Montfort and her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, as they work together to unmask the identity of a killer at large on the Montfort’s country estate. As sharp as a Nancy Mitford novel, Tessa Arlen’s sophisticated Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman deserves its place among the Great and the Good of classic mystery.”—Lyndsy Spence, founder of The Mitford Society and author of The Mitford Girls’ Guide to Life.

“Thoroughly enchanting. Arlen’s debut will appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, with its vivid descriptions, firm grip on the intricacies of the time period, and skilled portrayal of the often complicated relationship between upstairs and downstairs.” —Anna Lee Huber, author of the Lady Darby mystery series

You can follow along with the rest of the tour by visiting the HFVBT site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #DishonorableGentlemanBlogTour

My review will be posting up in a couple short weeks, but I wanted the chance to offer up my giveaway sooner, rather than later. I have one paperback copy of Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman up for grabs to one resident of the United States.

The Short Rules:

– Must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household. Entries are made through Rafflecopter below.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

Full rules related to all giveaways featured on this site can be found in the Rafflecopter widget or under the policies tab of this site.

Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 2, 2015

Happy New Year! - Goals for 2015

What would a New Year be without some sort of goals/resolutions/etc.? I'm not really making any resolutions in my personal life - they never tend to be accomplished, so why make them? But, that being said, I would like to make some goals for The Maiden's Court in 2015.

So I set 5 goals for this year. Let me elaborate.

I have dabbled with expanding my Facebook and Twitter presence this year. I have it set to auto-post every time something is posted to the blog, but I like the personal element too. This year was mostly me sharing book and history related articles that I found while browsing the web. And that is something I intend to continue doing in 2015. But I find that there is more interest in posts where I share photos of books, share discussion thoughts, etc., so I'm going to try to do some more of that.
One of the things I enjoy discussing on Facebook and other sites is random book/literary related topics. So, I'm going to start a once a month post series where the topic is something of reading/blogging interest and hope to spur some discussion amongst bloggers/readers to learn what people like. I'm excited about this new possibility.
I did get a chance to read many more of my own books this year than in prior years. This has been something I have been hoping to do for awhile now. While I still intend to accept review books, I'm just going to be a little bit more selective with the books I accept to review so that I don't have so many reviewing commitments I can't read my own books.
I used to be better at my cross posting of my reviews. It sort of tailed off this year with how busy I was. I intend to get caught back up with the cross posting I am behind on and then try to create a method to stay on top of it with new reviews.
This is the one that I am most passionate about - I have done so few of my signature posts this year. But I'm determined to write them on a more regular basis in 2015 because this was something that I loved about how it was something different that I did on my blog, that I didn't see on other blogs. Stay tuned for more Two Sides, Caught on Tape, and Weekend Cooking (historically related) posts in the new year!

Thanks for hanging in with me and I look forward to sharing 2015 with you all!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

2014 - A Year In Review

2014 has been one crazy year and I'm glad to be done with it and moving into a new year. In my personal life my husband graduated from veterinary school, we got married, he started a new job, we moved, and I started back up at school. With some of these BIG things, the blog did take a little bit of a back seat during much of 2014. Hopefully I will be able to reverse that in 2015. Tomorrow I will be sharing my goals for 2015.

Here are some book stats for 2014.

BOOKS READ: 45

BOOKS REVIEWED: 35 (+9 that I will be reviewing that didn’t get reviewed in 2014)

PAGES READ: 10,447

HOURS LISTENED: 286.89

TYPE (some may overlap)

Hardcover: 0
Paperback: 9
ARC: 30
Audio: 14
E-Book: 22
My Personal Collection: 15

GENRE (may overlap)

Historical Fiction: 32
Young Adult: 2
Contemporary Fiction: 0
Romance: 6
Non-fiction: 10
Memoir: 1
Mystery: 0
Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi: 4
Western: 6

SETTING (may overlap)

England: 8
France: 5
Italy: 3
Scotland: 1
America: 17
Ancient Egypt: 1
Fantasy: 1
Middle East/Africa: 2
Japan: 1
Russia: 1

MALE/FEMALE AUTHOR RATIO: 13/34

FIRST LADY READS/PRESIDENT READS: 0/4

AUTHORS MOST READ:

Stephanie Thornton (2)

Favorite books of 2014(in no particular order):

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein
The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland
Somerset by Leila Meacham
Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Madame Picasso by Anne Girard
A Day of Fire by Stephanie Dray, Ben Kane, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Kate Quinn, & Vicky Alvear Shecter

Most anticipated of 2015:(in no particular order)

Enchantress of Paris by Marci Jefferson
A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor
Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn
Mistress Firebrand by Donna Thorland
Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini

This year has been a little different than last year's reading. Not only is this the least number of books I have read (I did have a lot going on), but the types of books I have read did change. I read a lot more on my e-reader - I bought a new Kindle Paperwhite about half-way through the year which I love reading on so much more than my old school original version Kindle. I also expanded my genre horizons this year and explored the romance and western genre - mostly with short-stories so far this year, but I purchased many novel length books too. I'm excited to work these into my reading schedule in the coming year(s). I also managed to fit in the reading of several of my own books, which were not just on audio, but actual books. I cut back a little bit on my reviewing commitments, ever so slightly, so I could free up some time on my personally owned books.

I enjoyed the survey questions from The Perpetual Page Turner that I used in my year-end review last year, so I wanted to explore them again for 2014.

Book you read in 2014 that you recommended to people most in 2014?

A Day of Fire by Stephanie Dray, Ben Kane, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Kate Quinn, & Vicky Alvear Shecter for sure! The story told was great, but what really makes me talk about it is the way it is a deeply intertwined short story collection – which I haven’t experienced before. It was so awesome being able to see various authors within the genre being able to come together and write one cohesive story broken into several parts. I hope to find more of these style books in the future.

Best series you discovered in 2014? 

I didn’t really discover any on-going series this year, but I did discover the 12 Brides of Christmas series this year. It was 12 short stories that were released leading up to Christmas 2014 each set in the burgeoning American West. I read about half of the stories prior to Christmas; I don’t know if I’m going to finish the series here in the near future or wait until next Christmas.

Favorite new-to-me author discovered in 2014? 

I would have to pick Diana Gabaldon. I have known about this author for a while, have had Outlander on my shelf for several years, and even met the author a few years ago. It just took this long to actually pick up the book and read it – and now I am hooked!

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

Always a tough question to answer – I will have to give my top 3.

1) Somerset by Leila Meacham – her covers are always gorgeous!

2) Queen of Bedlam by Laura Purcell – I love the silhouette of the woman.

3) The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland – Dress! Fabric! Texture! Movement!

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

Pretty much answered above – Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I have heard people rave about this book and call me crazy for having not read it for years.

Favorite Book You Read in 2014 from an author you’ve read previously?

It would have to be Daughter of the Gods by Stephanie Thornton…or would it be The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland? Such tough choices!

Best 2014 debut you read? 

Madame Picasso by Anne Girard – which is a little bit of a strange answer, since Anne Girard is a pen name for author Diane Haeger, who has published many books, but Madame Picasso is her first book under this name. For a true 2014 debut, I would choose The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki, which was her first published novel and it was released in 2014.

What have you learned about your reading in 2014? Stay tuned tomorrow for what to expect in 2015 for The Maiden's Court.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Giveaway Winners of The Tiger Queens

Good morning everyone, the last post (most likely) of 2014! And it's a giveaway winner announcement!

I know it's a little late in coming, the Christmas events just came up on me a little too fast and the blog was pushed a little to the back burner.

And here are the two winners:

Kimberly Sue!!
Mary Lewis!!

Congrats ladies! I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did. Emails have been sent out already for mailing information. If the mailing information is not received within 5 days a new winner(s) will be selected.

About Me

Heather, 30, USA. Hi everyone! I started my blog, The Maiden's Court, in May 2009 as a creative outlet for my reading and it has completely taken me to new places. I love sharing my reading and the things that I learn.

On my blog you will find my honest reviews of historical fiction books, historical movie reviews, and interesting historical content among other things. If you would like to know more about me, check out the About Me. Feel free to contact me at any time - best way is to use the contact form at the bottom of the Review Policy page or email me at dolleygurl[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Attention Authors, Publishers, Blog Tour Organizers! I would love to hear from you if you have a book that you would like for me to consider for review. Check out my review policy and then contact me with the pitch.