Sam's Letters to Jennifer

Overall rating (out of 5 stars): ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

As a fan of another one of James Patterson's romance novels, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas, I had high hopes for this book. And it didn't disappoint. The quote on the cover from Bookreporter.com says it all. You will need a box of tissues, because tears will be shed. 

In this novel, Jennifer, a woman who is already dealing with the aftermath of one tragedy in her life, gets a phone call that will change her life. Her grandmother, who is her best friend, is in the hospital, and it doesn't look good. So Jennifer leaves her Chicago home and goes to her grandmother's house on the lake. She spends her days visiting her grandmother in the hospital, and her nights are spent at the house she spent her childhood summers in. She ends up running into a guy from her childhood, and they end up having the summer of their lives. 

There are some more challenges that face Jennifer through the summer. Her grandmother, Sam, has written her letters that tell the story of Sam's life, mostly her life after marrying Jennifer's grandfather. Jennifer learns secrets that she had no clue about, and it forces her to reevaluate things in her own life. She also learns that Brenden, her new summer love, has a secret of his own. 

This story was amazing. I read it in less than 24 hours because I could not put it down. It's well-written, and James Patterson knows how to pull at the heartstrings. I became invested in these characters, and I was rooting for them all. The relationship between Sam and Jennifer really got to me because it reminded me of my own relationship with my grandmother, who died 4 years ago. The pain that Jennifer felt when she found out her grandmother was in the hospital was the same pain I felt when I found out my grandmother had cancer. I also rooted for Jennifer and Brenden because they seemed like a great couple, and because Jennifer needed some happiness in her life. She had already gone through so much. And Brenden's secret threw me because I wasn't expecting it. 

If you love romances, and if you are a fan of James Patterson, read Sam's Letters to Jennifer. And also read Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. I've read that book several times, and it gets to me each time, as well. And I'm sure that when I reread Sam's Letters to Jennifer, it'll get to me again, too.

Palace Circle

Overall rating (out of 5 stars): ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I am in love with Rebecca Dean's work! This is the second book I've read that's been written by her, and I've given both of them 5 stars.

This particular book of hers is addictive. Palace Circle starts off as the story of a young American girl (named Delia) who marries an older British man (named Ivor), one who is in King George V's circle. And for those of you who aren't sure who that is, King George V was Queen Elizabeth's II grandfather. Anyway, while the story starts off like this, it evolves into so much more.

The novel is split into 5 parts, each one being in the perspective of a different character--Delia, her daughters Petra and Davina, and two important men in her daughters' lives, Darius and Jack. I didn't realize it was split into these different parts when I started reading it--the summary I read only ever mentioned Delia, so I thought the entire novel focused on her. However, I did enjoy that the novel focused on other characters as well. The entire novel covers a pretty big span of time--from before World War I until almost the end of World War II. It also takes place in two very different locations: London, England, and Cairo, Egypt. So I thought it was perfect that, given how much time the novel covers, that the younger generation has a voice in the novel, too.

I'm glad that I read The Shadow Queen before I read this one because Wallis Simpson gets mentioned in this novel, as well. She doesn't play a big role in the book, but she's there, and after reading The Shadow Queen, I know a little more about her than this particular novel goes into. Plus, Palace Circle goes later than The Shadow Queen did, so I felt like I got more of Wallis' life story, as well.

It's no secret that I love British history, but both of these books have gotten me interested in the 20th century British monarchs. Wallis Simpson's story fascinates me, and now that I've read this book as well, I want to know more about World War II from the European (okay, the British) perspective. All I've ever learned about was the American point of view, and we entered the war so much later than the rest of Europe. Reading Palace Circle helped me see just how the war started in Europe--and how it was almost won by the Axis powers. Once I realized that Germany almost won the war, I started thinking about how different life would have been; how different the world I live in now would have been. And I know it would have been drastically different.

I also loved learning a little bit about the Egyptian culture at this time. They had just gained their independence from Great Britain, and had their own monarch. However, British advisors were still in the country, and the monarch was heavily influenced by the British. That's why Delia and her family end up living in Cairo--Ivor becomes an advisor to the Egyptian king. However, we see from Darius, who is Egyptian, that a lot of Egyptians wanted Britain out of their country. They felt like Egypt didn't have true independence. And in this novel, you see how that attitude grows, especially during World War II. I felt like I got more of a history lesson reading this novel than I ever did in school.

My only criticism of this book is the end. Mainly, that I didn't want to end. I want to know more about these characters. I want to find out what happens to Petra, Davina, Darius, and Jack. I want to know if the relationships I was pulling so hard for ever truly work out. I have so many unanswered questions. But, I guess that no matter where the novel ended, I would still have unanswered questions. The mark of a good story is one that leaves you wanting more.

If you enjoy British history, high society, romance, drama, war, and lots of secrets, then you should check out this novel. It was really hard for me to put down. In fact, I was almost late to work yesterday because I was almost finished with the last chapter and didn't want to put it down.

I Love Goodwill

And this is why--12 books on the list for $20! I was in heaven! However, I have now officially run out of bookshelves to put these books on....so it's time to get creative! I'm not going to let a little thing like running out of bookshelf space stop me from getting more books! :)

Okay, so I know this is a short update, but I promise that I'm still working on stuff behind the scenes. I've been working on my lists and such, and those are (slowly) getting updated. I am officially done with all of my schoolwork (as of 2am Thursday morning!), and after my presentation on Monday, I will officially be done with school until August! So I have plenty of free time coming up. I won't get much done tomorrow because I'm going to help my boyfriend move into his new place (in the rain, no less.....), but I'm hoping to be able to get a lot done with the blog on Sunday. And I'll get some reading done as well. I was going to try and finish Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean this weekend, but I'm not sure how that's going to work out. But I'll get it finished and a review done as soon as I can! 

Keep checking back--you never know what can change here. And don't forget to go like the Facebook page, and to tell your friends to like it, too. I'm up to 13 likes so far, so if I can get 17 more, I'll do my giveaway! 

Have a great weekend! And leave a comment and let me know what you're reading this weekend! I'm always interested to find new things to read! 

The Women of the Cousins' War

Overall rating (out of 5 stars): ★ ★ ★ ★

Book number 2 is finished!

This book, as you can see in the picture above, actually has three authors. Philippa Gregory, being a bestselling novelist, is the most famous of the three. However, I did learn something about Mrs. Gregory that I was not aware of. She, in fact, has her doctorate in history. So when she does her research for her historical novels, she really knows how to do her research! The other two authors of this book, David Baldwin and Michael Jones (who also has his doctorate) are both historians and writers as well, although they write mostly historically accurate books. Mr. Baldwin was also a professor of history at two British universities for many years. So this book is written by three very knowledgable individuals.

The books is about three women who, though history does not talk about them much (mainly because they are, well, women), did much to influence the Cousins' War (otherwise known as the War of the Roses) and the coming of the Tudor dynasty. The women are (in order that they are talked about in the book): Jacquetta of Luxembourg (the duchess); her daughter, Elizabeth Woodville (the Queen); and Margaret Beaufort (the King's mother). As a side note, Elizabeth Woodville's daughter, also named Elizabeth York, married Margaret Beaufort's son, Henry Tudor (who would become Henry VII)--and these two are Henry VIII's parents.

The book starts out with a 40 page introduction written by Philippa Gregory. She discusses the similarities between history and fiction, and what goes into writing a historical novel. I thought the idea was good, especially for people like me who view Mrs. Gregory as a fiction writer, but I believe the points could have been made in less than 40 pages. She also talks about how history has mostly been written by the victors, and then mostly by men. Women, especially in medieval times, did not have the political power they can have today. It was unheard of. And women who sought out this power were viewed as being "manly", and that meant something was wrong with them. She mentions this to help explain why there is not much information on the three women presented in this book. This was a necessary part of the introduction to me, especially for those who, unlike me, aren't history buffs, and don't necessarily understand why historians do have to make guesses, and sometimes, they have to make quite a few guesses!

Philippa Gregory also wrote the section on Jacquetta. Out of the three women in the book, the least is known about Jacquetta. I thought that Mrs. Gregory handled writing this section with great care, and that it painted as good of a portrait of Jacquetta as can be done with the limited information available. I read another review of this book where that writer criticized Mrs. Gregory for using the words "maybe" and "probably" a lot, but I don't think that writer had a valid argument. She uses those words because there is not a lot of information available, and therefore there are a lot of things that she can't say happened for certain (and she certainly cannot claim that any of the feelings she suggested Jacquetta might have to certain events were certain, either). Out of the three women in the book, Jacquetta is my favorite, and if you read the book, you'll see why.

David Baldwin wrote the section on Elizabeth Woodville, and like with Philippa Gregory, I thought he did it very well. There is more information known about Elizabeth  than about her mother, mainly because Elizabeth does end becoming queen (she married King Edward IV). However, since she was a woman, there still isn't a wealth of information known about her. And there is a lot of mystery surrounding this woman, especially when it comes to what happened to her two sons. If you've ever heard of the Princes in the Tower, those were Elizabeth's and Edward's sons who were taken by their uncle (Richard III), and they were never heard from again. This section does address the Princes in the Tower, and Mr. Baldwin gives a couple of different scenarios as to what could have happened to them.

The last section, which was about Margaret Beaufort, was written by Michael Jones. Out of the three women, the most is known about Margaret, and I believe she sort of designed it that way. Margaret was born into British nobility, and she spent her life working to make sure she had political advantage, especially when it came to making sure her son, Henry Tudor, was taken care of. And once Henry had defeated Richard III and became King Henry VII, Margaret made sure she still had political influence. I believe Mr. Jones did a wonderful job of capturing the heart of Margaret, and he talked a lot about the events in her life that probably influenced her to become this way. He also didn't stick to the traditional convention of painting Margaret as a saint, while the other two ladies were painted as witches; he pointed out Margaret's flaws, and he talked about things that she did that made her less "saint-like." It was a very real painting of Margaret  to me, and I appreciated Mrs. Jones' efforts.

Overall, if you've read any of Philippa Gregory's books, especially Lady of the Rivers, which focuses on Jacquetta, The White Queen, which focuses on Elizabeth, or The Red Queen, which focuses on Margaret, then you need to read this book. It will bring a lot of the events that occur in the novel into perspective, and it will paint a more detailed picture of these ladies. Also, if you are a fan of this time period of British history (or of the Tudor period), or if you just want to learn more, then you also should read this book. The copy I read was a library book, but I may go out and buy my own copy so I can refer to it next time I read her books!

Giveaway Time!

Happy Tuesday!

Part of the reason why I started this blog was so I could keep track of all the books I want to read. But the biggest reason I started this was so that I could hopefully bring to others the same excitement that reading has given to me. Whether you're like me and have been a lifelong avid reader, or you're just getting into reading, I want everyone to experience the same joy and sense of adventure I have whenever I read a book.

Part of how I want to instill that feeling is by doing giveaways! Right now, I'm not sure how often they'll be. I'd like for them to be every month, but we'll see how it goes starting out. :)

This first giveaway is going to be a random drawing, but you do have to do something if you want the chance to win. Go like my Facebook page, and tell your friends to like the page, too! Once I get 30 likes on the page, I'll do a drawing, and the winner will receive a copy of the first book I read from my list, The Shadow Queen by Rebecca Dean. It's such a fantastic book (read my last entry for my review), and you definitely don't want to miss out on the opportunity to own it!

So get to liking, and pass the word along to your friends!

The Shadow Queen

Overall Rating (out of 5 stars): ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

So I finished my first book on the list!! Yay!!

I'll start with the summary, which I'm taking directly from the back of the book:

"Born into a poor Southern family but taken in by rich relatives, Wallis Simpson was raised as a socialite. Between family conflicts and debutante balls, she and her friends dream of their future husbands, and like millions of girls worldwide, fantasize about Prince Edward, the heir to the British throne who would someday be king. In this novel, beloved author Rebecca Dean imagines the early life of Wallis Simpson, her triumphs and heartbreaks, and the making of the twice-divorced, nearly destitute woman who captured a king's heart and changed the course of history. Set against a background of high society, royal circles, and diplomatic intrigue, The Shadow Queen features one of the most fascinating and controversial women of the twentieth century."

I don't know much about Wallis Simpson, other than the fact that she was the reason why Edward abdicated the throne, making way for the present Queen Elizabeth's father, George, to become king. Had it not been for Wallis Simpson, the British monarchy would be very different today, as we wouldn't have Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Prince Charles, or even Princes William and Harry. Edward would have been king, and any children that he would have had would have been the heirs to throne. So, Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American woman, really did change the course of history.

While I could go on about the British monarchy, and the irony of the fact that Edward was not allowed to marry a divorcee because the Church of England would not allow it (this is the same church that Henry VIII founded so that he could divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, but I digress), I won't. I'll turn my attention to the book and give you my review of it.

Despite my lack of knowledge about Wallis Simpson, and even my lack of knowledge about the British monarchy at that time, this book has earned a place among my favorite books. As Rebecca Dean points out in her author's note at the end of the book, much is not known about Wallis Simpson, so much of the book is fiction. However, the author fills in the holes beautifully; I had to keep reminding myself that certain things may or may not have actually happened to Wallis! Wallis was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and, in the book, this is regarded as being the South. Being as that I'm from Georgia, I have a hard time viewing Maryland as the South, even though it is below the Mason-Dixon line. However, I did catch myself reading the dialogue in a Southern accent.

This book brought Baltimore society life of the early 1900s to life in a way I've never experienced before. I felt like I was right there with Wallis, going through every up and down she went through, and experiencing all of the places she went and the people she met. World War I does play a part in the book, but Rebecca Dean keeps true to the fact that, for most of the war, America wasn't involved, and didn't want to become involved, and therefore, there is a detachment from that topic, as I imagine there really would have been during that time in this country. She also focused quite a bit on Wallis' first marriage to Earl Winfield Spencer, Jr., who was a U.S. Navy aviator. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that her first husband was an alcoholic, and the author beautifully captured how a wife would feel under those circumstances, as well as the views on divorce at the time. I feel like the reactions Wallis met with in the novel in regards to her first divorce were the ones she faced in real life.

The book ends in 1931, not long after Wallis met Prince Edward for the first time. At the novel's end, Wallis is still married to her second husband, Ernest Simpson, but it is clear that she and Edward are falling for each other. They were both looking for things they did not have--Edward wanted someone who would understand the immense pressure he was under as heir to the British throne, and Wallis wanted someone who would love her fiercely despite her personal issues. And knowing how the story ends in real-life, I believe they both got what they wanted.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of British history, or to anyone who is a fan of romances. Despite Wallis Simpson being known as Edward's wife and the reason why he abdicated the throne, this book doesn't focus on that. This book focuses on Wallis, and though it is fiction, it gives the reader more of an understanding about her. And it has also sparked an interest in her for me, and I plan to do more research into the woman who changed history.

Some News and Another Update

If you've liked my Facebook page, then you'll have already seen the updates I'm about to tell you about. If you haven't liked my Facebook page...well, what are you waiting for? :p

The update is that I've categorized some more books (and finally got something other than historical fiction categorized), and I've also got a Pinterest page for the blog. You can find that here, or you can click on the link over on the right hand side of the page. Follow me on Pinterest and Facebook to stay completely updated with the going-ons in the literary world.

Speaking of the literary world, here's the news I mentioned. As you know, Philippa Gregory is my favorite author. Her books about the Tudors and the Cousins' War are amazing, and the more I read them, the more I'm convinced that I was born in the wrong time period. :p Well, she has a new book coming out this year (in the fall....so far away!), called The White Princess. It's going to be about Elizabeth of York, who marries Henry Tudor (Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty), and the early years of her marriage. I have been waiting for this book for awhile now, and this morning, this is what I saw on my Facebook newsfeed:

Source: https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficialFanPage

These are the cover images for the book! Aren't they beautiful?? These just got me even more excited about the book! And then, about an hour later, Philippa Gregory made me very, very happy when she released the first chapter of the book to be read online! Needless to say, I read it, and I'm already hooked! This is going to be another amazing book by an amazing author. I might have to reread her Cousins' War series (The Lady of the Rivers, The Red Queen, The White Queen, and The Kingmaker's Daughter) before this new one comes out. And if you want to read the first chapter of The White Princess, just click here!