Le Morte d' Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory adapted by Keith Baines

Title: Le Morte d' Arthur 
Author: Sir Thomas Malory, adapted by Keith Baines
Genre: Fiction


Synopsis: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table, first written in English by Sir Thomas Malory and published in 1485. This is a translation by Keith Baines into modern English. 

My Thoughts


I decided I wanted to read this book while I was reading The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett. The protagonist in the novel referred to it constantly as his inspiration for studying history and his obsession with the holy grail. With that kind of recommendation I figured I couldn't go wrong. Plus the idea of reading something written in the 15th century really appealed to me and my love of history.
Unfortunately, this book was not all I had hoped it would be. Sure, it is about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table but to the modern reader, it is not written in a way that captivates the mind or endears one to the characters. It is very much like: 'This knight goes off, he meets another knight, neither will say who they are, they joust, one is wounded. They then realize they are actually good friends who didn't recognize one another, they weep and embrace, they swear to never fight one another again.' 
That happens over and over again for 500 pages. It is boring, mistaken identity must have been such a hilarious joke at the time but it is tired in 2019. In addition, any time a woman is encountered she is either a damsel in distress, a paramour, or an evil sorcerous. This is a nice reminder that it was not ideal to be a woman in the middle ages. 
All in all, I am glad I can add it to the list of things I have read but it's not one I would recommend for pleasure reading. 

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The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

Title: The Summer Wives
Author: Beatriz Williams
Genre: Fiction

Other books I've read by this author: A Certain Age, The Wicked City

Synopsis: 18-year-old Miranda Schuyler is spending the summer of 1951 on Winthrop Island following her mother's wedding to Hugh Fischer. She spends the summer getting to know the island with her new step-sister Isobel, who was only a year ahead of her at school. Miranda learns quickly that there are some barriers between the locals who live on the island year-round and the 'Families' who are only there for the summer. After witnessing a young lobsterman, Joseph Vargas, save a fellow sailor from drowning nothing will be the same for Miranda that summer. 

My Thoughts

This book is full of mystery, scandal, love, and the divide between socioeconomic classes. Williams has a way of conveying raw emotions and making the reader feel every one of them. It is a classic beach read that I happened to read in the winter. If you are taking a trip over the holidays this would be a great book to take with you. 
I like that the novel skips around to different character perspectives and different time periods in different sections to give the reader a full view of the story. I also enjoy that it is a murder mystery but also a coming of age story culminating in a storyline where the teenaged protagonists return to the island as adults nearing 40.  The suspense will cause you to read for much longer than you intended or even realize. I looked at the clock after what seemed like 45 min of reading and it had actually been 2 hours! 

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Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

Title: Rich People Problems
Author: Kevin Kwan
Genre: Fiction

Other books I've read by this author: Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend

Synopsis: Nick Young's grandmother, Su Yi, is on her death bed and everyone is speculating about who will inherit the fabulous family home, Tyersall Park in Singapore. All her children and grandchildren arrive with their families to say goodbye and some try one last attempt to curry favor with Su Yi. What will happen to Tyersall Park? What did Su Yi leave in her will? What did she intend? 

My Thoughts

Another fun and exciting read from Kevin Kwan. The way he puts unexpected twists into the story is so unique. When you read a series by an author you begin to know how they work. In this novel, there were portions where the reader would think, 'this can't really be what the author wants me to believe is happening, he is never that predictable.' And then you keep reading for a while and then you start to believe that maybe that the predictable event is actually happening.
 Then BOOM! SURPRISE TWIST. 
I personally then become annoyed with myself for letting my guard down and believing that Kwan would really be that predictable. It is frustrating and also endearing at the same time. 
If you liked the first two, you will love this one. As the last novel in the series, it wraps up nicely. This series is just so fun.* 

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*Plus, I love the asterisk asides that give details into the rich Asian cultures portrayed in the books.



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House of Gold by Natasha Solomons

Title: The House of Gold
Author: Natasha Solomons
Genre: Historical Fiction


Synopsis: The Goldbaum family has banks across Europe and Greta, of the Austrian House of Goldbaum is engaged to marry her cousin Albert, of the English branch of the family, whom she hasn't met. Getting used to a new home, in a new country, with a new husband is challenging and then with the outbreak of World War I, she has to find the balance between her Austrian family and her new English one.

My Thoughts

Often times books that I read in this genre have characters who fit the stereotypes of the time period. They either follow all the rules to the t, or they are rebelling against the rules of society in a manner that is a little larger than life. 
This novel is a beautiful exception. The characters in this novel are amazingly and surprisingly human. Solomons expresses the inner-most feelings of her characters in a way that makes them incredibly relatable. Though they are mostly affluent Jewish men and women living 100 years ago their relationship dynamics are ordinary and feel so fresh. It is just so honest.
I really loved reading this book, I look forward to reading other novels by this author.

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The Romanov Empress by C.W. Gortner

Title: The Romanov Empress
Author: C.W. Gortner
Genre: Historical Fiction
Other books I've read by this author: Mademoiselle Chanel

Synopsis: A fictionalized account of the life of Tsarina Maria 'Minnie' Feodorovna from a young child to the fall of the Romanov autocracy. 

My Thoughts

I loved this novel, Gortner has such a way of conveying the complexities of marrying into and leading a royal family. I have not read much about the Romanovs and only knew of the gruesome end of the reigning Tsar Nicholas II and his family after they were overthrown.  Gortner uses Maria Feodorovna's perspective to highlight the difficulties of the Russian royal family and how her son's weakness led to the mistreatment of the people of Russia. I appreciate that Minnie doesn't just default to defending her son, but really wants him to do right by his people. She was so involved in providing aid to those in need, especially during the war with her work with the Red Cross that she saw the plight of the people up close. 
It was also interesting to really consider what it means to the spouse of the reigning King/Tsar when he passes away. This is discussed for both Minnie and her sister, Alix. Not only did they just lose their spouse, but then they also lose their home, jewels, and profession all in one fell swoop, replaced by the wife of their sons. 

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The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett

Title: The Lost Book of the Grail
Author: Charlie Lovett
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: "Arthur Prescott is happiest when surrounded by the ancient books and manuscripts of the Barchester Cathedral library. His one respite is his time spent nestled in the library, nurturing his secret obsession with the Holy Grail and researching his perennially unfinished guidebook to the medieval cathedral. [...]
   But when a beautiful young American named Bethany Davis arrives in Barchester charged with the task of digitizing the library’s manuscripts, Arthur’s tranquility is broken. Appalled by the threat modern technology poses to the library he loves, he sets out to thwart Bethany, only to find in her a kindred spirit with a similar love for knowledge and books—and a fellow Grail fanatic. 
   Bethany soon joins Arthur in a quest to find the lost Book of Ewolda, the ancient manuscript telling the story of the cathedral’s founder. And when the future of the cathedral itself is threatened, Arthur and Bethany’s search takes on grave importance, leading the pair to discover secrets about the cathedral, about the Grail, and about themselves." - From back cover

My Thoughts

When Lovett set out to write this book he must have thought, 'I'm going to write a book about everything Rachel loves.' Set in rural England a story with a protagonist who loves books, the legend of King Arthur, historical architecture, ancient traditions, and spending time in a library. Oh, and there is a secret held and guarded by only one person at a time that has been passed down for generations. There was no chance that I could possibly dislike this book.
It was seriously so good, that there is only one thing that I can say that stands out as not quite perfect; the fact that Arthur gives up the secret his grandfather asked him to keep for years to Bethany after he thinks she is a spy for a rich American looking for the grail. He simply trusts her after she says her feelings are hurt that he didn't trust her, lame and unrealistic. I get that the story had to move on but people don't just give up secrets held for 30+ years just like that.
Besides that, I love the flashbacks to different parts of the cathedral's history and the passing of the guardianship from one person to the next. It is a nice touch that each chapter begins with a description of the history of a part of the cathedral from the Barchester Guidebook that sets the scene for that chapter. The suspense and mystery, legend and lore make it so hard to not read it all in one sitting. 
I'm also seriously considering reading Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory after reading this novel. I've read The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle but that is a more modern adaptation (1903).

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The Forgotten History of America by Cormac O’Brien

Title: The Forgotten History of America
Author: Cormac O'Brien
Genre: Nonfiction


Synopsis: Little-known conflicts of lasting importance from the earliest colonists to the eve of the revolution.

My Thoughts
I had been looking to read something about pre-revolutionary America and as I was looking around my own library, lo-and-behold, I had this book just waiting on the shelf from a time when I bought it on clearance and then forgot about it completely. Most of the pre-revolutionary war history books are about Jamestown or Roanoke, which while super interesting, don't always provide a full picture of the Americas at the time. This book starts with the earliest recorded colonists, the Spanish, highlighting their encounters with native people and the founding of St. Augustine. I have officially added St. Augustine, Florida to my list of places to visit as the oldest continuously existing colonial city in the United States. 
This book also includes many battles that are not often included in American History, mostly between the colonists and the native people. I am not personally one for battle scenes, even in movies I find them boring and just want to get to the outcome, but these provide important context for the relationships between the many different groups fighting for land in the Americas at the time.
For most of the book, I felt that the author did well at staying neutral about what was happening at the time favoring neither the colonists or the native people, simply presenting events as they are recorded to have happened. There was one statement he made about the irony of European colonies all fighting one another for land that was stolen from the native people that I really loved, but naturally, after looking through it several times while writing this I could not find the exact quote.
There are some really excellent portraits, woodcuts, and engravings that illustrate the book and keep it from feeling totally overwhelming. I especially love the cover.





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