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Hidden Warrior


The line of Skala's ruling queens was established in accordance with prophecy. But now King Erius reigns, and he is ruthless in his determination to rid of Skala of any threat to his grip on power.

As the only living child of Erius's dead sister, Prince Tobin is second in line to the throne. But he is not what he seems. To protect him from the paranoid assassinations ordered by his uncle, Tobin's identity was disguised shortly after birth. But now, with the onset of puberty, Tobin has discovered his true self -- she is the rightful heir to the throne.

At court, Tobin and his loyal squire Ki form part of Crown Prince Korin's inner circle. Tobin is forced to live a lie, deceiving not only his potential enemies but also his closest friends. But soon the time will come when Skala will have need of her true Queen.

And as plague ravages the land, ancient enemies threaten war and the wizards who have traditionally protected Skala are mercilessly persecuted, it seems that day may be drawing near. Tobin must be ready to reveal her true identity and serve her country, whatever the personal cost.


Much time is spent setting up Tobin’s new situation, and the new characters that entails, so I thought that the first half of the book was rather slow. Not crawling slow, but slower than the first book. It wasn’t until the actual character of some of the characters starts to become apparent that the action starts to pick up.

On the plus side, Flewelling does an excellent job of showing Tobin’s growing anxiety over his gender identity, and the changes that he fears will start to show on the outside. He doesn’t want to be who he really is. But though he’s now barely a teenager, he’s starting to show the man (really, woman,) he will one day become.

And Brother! I’m very much looking forward to finding out his fate. It’s one of the many threads whose ends are yet to be resolved. The third book should be interesting!




TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton
67. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers
68. The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks
69. One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand by Pen Farthing
70. Hidden Warrior (Tamír Triad #2) by Lynn Flewelling




Goodreads 77-1 Goodreads 77-2
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One Dog at a Time


In a remote outpost of Now Zad, in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, Pen Farthing and his troop of young Royal Marines survive frequent engagements with the Taliban and forge links with the local community. Pen's tour of duty will change his life forever, but for entirely unexpected reasons ...

Appalled by the horrors of a local dog fight, he intervenes to free the victims. One of these dogs finds his way into the Marine compound - and into Pen's heart. Soon other strays are being drawn to the sanctuary provided by Pen's makeshift pound, including one young mum who crawls under the compound fence carrying her newborn pups to safety.

But as his tour of duty draws to an end, Pen cannot leave the dogs of Now Zad to their own fates. he begins hatching plans to help them escape to a better life.

This is Pen's gripping account of his time in Now Zad, the friends he made there and the remarkable journey they - and he - undertook. Above all, it is the story of one man's courage and humanity and his fight to make a difference in the most hostile and dangerous environment - one dog at a time.


I’ve read books before where a soldier fights to bring home a dog he adopted in Afghanistan, but never before have I read where a soldier decides to help as many stray dogs as he can. But here, you’re introduced to a soldier who decides to do just that.

It’s an uplifting tale, though not all stories end happily. it’s still a pleasure to be introduced to the many dogs whose lives Penn makes better. Obviously, the entire book can’t be about the dogs. Penn is a soldier, after all. But through it all, his compassion and concern for his charges come through.

Not a lot of good came from this war, but it’s nice to know that something did. For these animals, Farthing is a hero. For me, too.




TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton
67. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers
68. The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks
69. One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand by Pen Farthing




Goodreads 76-1 Goodreads 76-2


10. One Dog At a Time

Read a Book About Giving - One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand by Pen Farthing
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The Elves of Cintra


With his groundbreaking New York Times bestseller The Sword of Shannara and its acclaimed sequels, Terry Brooks brought a new audience to epic fantasy. Then he gave the genre a darkly compelling contemporary twist in his trilogy of the Word and the Void. Last year, in Armageddon’s Children, Brooks undertook the stunning chronicle that united two unique worlds. Now that story of clashing forces of darkness and light, of Shannara’s beginnings and the human race’s possible end, marches forward into an unforgettable second volume full of mystery, magic, and momentous events.

Across the ruined landscape that is America–hopelessly poisoned, plague-ridden, burned, and besieged by demon armies bent on exterminating all mortal life–two pilgrims have been summoned to serve the embattled cause of good. Logan Tom has journeyed to desolate Seattle to protect a ragged band of street urchins and the being known as “the gypsy morph,” who is both mortal and magical, and destined to save mankind unless he is destroyed. Likewise, Angel Perez has her own quest, one that will take her from the wreckage of Los Angeles to a distant, secret place untouched by the horrors of the nationwide blight–a place where the race of Elves has dwelled since before man existed. But close behind these lone Knights of the Word swarm the ravening forces of the Void.

As the menacing thunder of war drums heralds the arrival of the demons and their brutal minions in Seattle, the young survivors who call themselves the Ghosts are forced to brave the dangerous world of gangs, mutants, and worse to escape the invasion. And Logan Tom must infiltrate a refugee compound to rescue Hawk, the leader of the street urchins, who has yet to learn the truth about who and what he is. Meanwhile, Angel Perez has joined an equally urgent mission: to find the Ellcrys, a fabled talisman crucial to protecting the Elven realm against an influx of unspeakable evil from the dread dimension known as the Forbidding. But Angel and her Elf allies must beware–for a demon spy, with a monstrous creature at its command, walks among them.

As the legions of darkness draw the noose tighter, and the time of confrontation draws near, those chosen to defend the soul of the world must draw their battle lines and prepare to fight with, and for, their lives. If they fail, humanity falls.


I did enjoy this book, just not as much as its prequel. I think because much of the action moves to the world of the elves, rather than to Hawk’s street family. Some of the book is focused on the kids, but it doesn’t seem to really move the plot forward; they have adventures, face danger, but at the end they’re basically in the place they started when it comes to the story.

The elves’ story is meatier, perhaps because the reader is introduced to what will become the main storyline in the coming books. We’ll basically leave the world of men behind.

Given that, I’m still looking forward to the last book in the trilogy. So far, it isn’t on the same level as the Word and the Void trilogy, but it’s close enough.




TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton
67. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers
68. The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks




Goodreads 75-1 Goodreads 75-2


11. The Elves of Cintra

Read by Holiday Light - The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks
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The Bear Who Found Christmas


Joey loved his teddy bear so hard and long and pure, so deeply and so truly and so powerfully that the bear began to grow a heart. A spirit heart, made of ghost instead of flesh and blood. It happens to toys sometimes. No one ever notices. When the Bear came alive in the haunted shopping mall, he was all that stood between life and death and Christmas. Alan Rodgers, has taken the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm and the Rev. Dodson, polished its edges here and there, added a pinch of this and a tablespoon of that, and had produced the almost-perfect successor to these 19th Century fables just as the 20th Century was drawing to a close.

This is a strange little story. Part Christmas tale, part horror, I don’t think it does either well. The story is too short to have any real meat to it. I never developed any feelings for the bear, much less his owner.

Strangely enough, part of the horror seems to be the boy’s parents. The father, though well meaning, works too much, so has little time with his son. The mother, who drinks too much, has little sympathy for her child. But Still Bear seems to be enough for her son, and the two of them will always have their love.




TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton
67. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers




Goodreads 74-1 Goodreads 74-2


3. The Bear Who Found Christmas

Read a Holiday Story - The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers




I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts
3. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
2. Candlenight by Phil Rickman


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Katherine


This classic romance novel tells the true story of the love affair that changed history—that of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family. Set in the vibrant 14th century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets—Edward III, the Black Prince, and Richard II—who ruled despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance, John of Gaunt, the king’s son, falls passionately in love with the already married Katherine. Their well-documented affair and love persist through decades of war, adultery, murder, loneliness, and redemption. This epic novel of conflict, cruelty, and untamable love has become a classic since its first publication in 1954.

There’s much to like about this book; the plot is complex, yet easy to follow. And it’s obvious that there was a lot of research, though some things have been found to be wrong. But that can be overlooked because of how interesting the main story is.

What I couldn’t overlook was how Katherine was portrayed. She’s too perfect in some areas; the most beautiful woman, almost spiritual in her continence, she awes everyone she meets. Yet she’s a lousy mother, as her attraction to John of Gaunt overwhelms everything; her marriage to someone else, her children by him, and any thought as to how her actions might affect anyone else.

It’s an interesting book, but ultimately a flawed one.




TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton




Goodreads 73


1. Katherine

Red or Green Cover - Katherine by Anya Seton




DECEMBER- That’s History. Read a historical fiction book or a book about a true historical event.

Katherine by Anya Seton

With the year ending, it's time to re-up!

2022 Monthly Motif

girlxoxo



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Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree


A classic picture book celebrating all the joy a Christmas tree can bring.

Christmas is here and Mr. Willowby's tree has arrived. There's just one big problem: The tree is too tall for his parlor. He cuts off the top so it will fit, and soon the top of that tree is passed along again and again to bring holiday cheer to all the animals in the forest.

Kids will love watching the tree move from home to home, and families will appreciate the subtle message of conservation and recycling, as the tree top spreads joy to so many of the forest dwellers.

This heartwarming story is the perfect way to start your yuletide season, and a warm addition to your family's festive holiday traditions.


This was one of my younger brother’s favorite books. My parents had enrolled him in the Weekly Reader Children’s Book Club and this was one of the books sent to him. It would become one that I read to him (he was four,) dozens of times. It would become one of my favorites, too.

"Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree
Came by special delivery."


It’s lost none of its charm. It’s very much a book about giving, even if that giving is inadvertent. As a smaller and smaller tree top is given to one family after the other; to Mr. Willowby’s maid, then to his gardener, on to a passing bear, to a fox, a rabbit, and finally to a mouse whose house just happens to be in one of Mr. Willowby’s wall. No matter the size of their tree, all find joy in it.

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

"Oh, wasn’t it grand to have a tree–
Exactly like Mr. Willowby’s?"


I think anyone who reads the book will find joy, too.





TBR Book Links 1-60 )

61. The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick
62. Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz
63. Angel Fire East (The Word & The Void #3) by Terry Brooks
64.The Winter Killing by Frances Irwin
65. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry




Goodreads 72


6. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

Read a Holiday Picture Book - Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry
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First Friends


In the bestselling tradition of The Presidents Club and Presidential Courage, White House history as told through the stories of the best friends and closest confidants of American presidents.

Here are the riveting histories of myriad presidential friendships, among them:

Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed: They shared a bed for four years during which Speed saved his friend from a crippling depression. Two decades later the friends worked together to save the Union.

Harry Truman and Eddie Jacobson: When Truman wavered on whether to recognize the state of Israel in 1948, his lifelong friend and former business partner intervened at just the right moment with just the right words to steer the president’s decision.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Daisy Suckley: Unassuming and overlooked during her lifetime, Daisy Suckley was in reality FDR’s most trusted, constant confidant, the respite for a lonely and overworked President navigating the Great Depression and World War II

John Kennedy and David Ormsby-Gore: They met as young men in pre-war London and began a conversation over the meaning of leadership. A generation later the Cuban Missile Crisis would put their ideas to test as Ormsby-Gore became the president’s unofficial, but most valued foreign policy advisor.
These and other friendships—including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Franklin Pierce and Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Bill Clinton and Vernon Jordan—populate this fresh and provocative exploration of a series of seminal presidential friendships.

Publishing history teems with books by and about Presidents, First Ladies, First Pets, and even First Chefs. Now former Clinton aide Gary Ginsberg breaks new literary ground on Pennsylvania Avenue and provides fresh insights into the lives of the men who held the most powerful political office in the world by looking at the friends on whom they relied.

First Friends is an engaging, serendipitous look into the lives of Commanders-in-Chief and how their presidencies were shaped by those they held most dear.


An interesting, though sometimes simplistic look at the best friends of some presidents. I didn’t feel that there was much depth to some of the writer’s take on some of these friendships. Still, I enjoyed learning some new things. Such as:

Jefferson and Madison
I didn’t realize that these two were such good friends. All I ever read about was Jefferson’s relationship with Adams, and Adams’ last words: Thomas Jefferson still survives (he didn’t; he had died five hours earlier.)

Pierce and Hawthorne
As the author noted, Nathaniel Hawthorn is the only First Friend to be better known that the man he befriended. Which is probably for the best, since Pierce was a terrible president, his actions moving the country closer to war. His friendship with Hawthorne was interesting, though ultimately, tragic.

Lincoln and Speed
Though they met later in life (Lincoln was in his thirties,) their friendship was deep, Lincoln looking at Speed as his best friend, even his soulmate. Which, along with them sharing a room, later gave rise to the rumor that there was more between them. But rumor is all it is. Nothing has even been found to substantiate it.

Wilson and House
I’m not sure if what these two men had was truly a friendship, since it basically only encompassed the years Wilson was in the White House. For House, the friendship seemed more as a stepping stone to power. Wilson, on the other hand, was too cold, rigid, and unforgiving to do the work a friendship often entails.

FDR and Suckley
Daisy Suckley may have been what was at the time called an old maid, (regardless what some think, it seems that, not only did she not have a sexual relationship with FDR, but probably wasn’t intimate with anyone,) she would lead a fascinating and thoroughly interesting life. All because of her friendship with FDR. It does happen from time to time, that two people mesh so thoroughly that a deep and abiding friendship is inevitable. That seems to be the case with these two. And their story is both interesting and moving. Together, they made history.

Truman and Jacobson
I was surprised to learn that Truman had a best friend. I don’t know a lot about the man, but what little I’ve read he didn’t appear to be very likable.

Kennedy and Ormsby-Gore
The type of person we have as a best friend can say a lot about the type of person we are. Jack Kennedy’s best friend seemed to have been as extraordinary as he was.

Nixon and Rebozo
It’s odd that such a well-known friendship should be so little known. Nixon, the loner, and Bebe, the extrovert. It shouldn’t have worked, but somehow it did.

Clinton and Jordon
Because of all the scandals that surrounded Clinton, some real, some created by enemies, Jordon would pay for being Clinton’s best friend. Yet, though it all, he stuck it out and stayed squarely by Clinton side.






Goodreads 71


4. First Friends

Read a book recommended to you - First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (And Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents by Gary Ginsberg, Wayne Coffey
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This Fragile Earth


Not long from now, in a recognizable yet changed London, Signy and Matthew lead a dull, difficult life. They’ve only really stayed together for the sake of their six year old son, Jed. But they’re surviving, just about. Until the day the technology that runs their world stops working. Unable to use their phones, pay for anything, even open the smart door to their flat, Matthew assumes that this is just a momentary glitch in the computers that now run the world.

But then the electricity and gas are cut off. Even the water stops running. And the pollination drones – vital to the world, ever since the bees all died – are behaving oddly. People are going missing. Soldiers are on the streets. London is no longer safe.

A shocking incident sends Signy and Jed on the run, desperate to flee London and escape to the small village where Signy grew up. Determined to protect her son, Signy will do almost anything to survive as the world falls apart around them. But she has no idea what is waiting for them outside the city.



I wish I could have given this book a higher rating, but there was too many times when the plot was disjointed, jumping from one time to another, as if the narrator, Signy, had no real idea as to what was going on. She makes the oddest choices, and doesn’t learn from her mistakes. I mean, how many times can you be surprised by people out to do you harm?

Worse, is the techno-jargon she and her six year old son speak to each other. He’s supposed to be a genius, but often he doesn’t speak at all like a six-year old would. Worse, is that it all turns out to be for nothing. I’m not sure what the writer was trying to get across.

The idea is a good one; I like post-apocalyptic stories. But I think it was handled clumsily here. There were good parts, but far too many bad ones.



Goodreads 70


14. This Fragile Earth

Read a Book about Families - This Fragile Earth by Susannah Wise
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The Winter Killing


Ralph’s look was Edmund of Rutland, the second son of the Duke of York. Serving him, Ralph could look forward to a prosperous future, but Edmund was more than lord and master, he was Ralph’s dearest friend. that friendship meant more to him even than his love for the proud and beautiful Elizabeth Mortimer.

They lived in exciting and dangerous times, when the rival houses of York and Lancaster were vying with one another for control of the country, and no one could tell who might next wear the crown. If he had lived, Edmund might have become king of England, as did two of his brothers.

But Edmund of Rutland was only seventeen when he was killed at the Battle of Wakefield and his severed head hung high over the gates of York city. And for Ralph, the world seemed to have come to an end.


Though there isn’t a real look at Edmund, the book focusing more on his squire, Ralph, the book still held my interest. It’s a quick look at the times, and how the war between the two sides of the Plantagenet family would change so many lives.

The book’s cover notwithstanding, there isn’t a great amount of gore, the story focusing more on people, the battle of Wakefield being an exception.

Though the book seems to be written more for young adults, I found it entertaining enough.




TBR Book Links 1-60 )

61. The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick
62. Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz
63. Angel Fire East (The Word & The Void #3) by Terry Brooks
64.The Winter Killing by Frances Irwin




Goodreads 69


9. The Winter Killing

Read a Book set in Winter - The Winter Killing by Frances Irwin
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Angel Fire East


Angel Fire East marks the close of Terry Brooks's Word and Void trilogy, which began with 1997's Running with the Demon. In this book, the story returns to Nest's native Hopewell, where once again Nest and John must face off against the Void. This time, the demon is the ancient Findo Gask, along with his sidekicks: a giant albino demon, a shapeless ur'droch who lives only to kill, and a self-destructive psycho named Penny Dreadful.
The story begins when John Ross shows up at Nest Freemark's door with a young boy. He reveals that the boy, who he calls Little John, is actually a gypsy morph, a creature born of wild magic and capable of enormous deeds, for good or evil. Both sides have approximately one month to unravel Little John's secrets and recruit him for their cause. Because after one month, the magic that holds him together will tear him apart, and his powers will be lost forever.


Returning to two of his greatest characters, John Ross and Nest Freemark, Brooks builds the mystery of the gypsy morph, and its affect on John and Nest, to its surprising, though inevitable, conclusion. It was a conclusion I knew was coming, but I’ll miss John and Nest.

Though this trilogy, along with the Genesis of Shannara trilogy which follows, are part of the history of the whole Shannara universe, I find them more satisfying. Perhaps because they’re still in our world, the characters, and the situations, are easier to accept. The books seem more science fiction than fantasy, though that changes as the series goes on.

Given all that, the three Word and the Void books can be read as a standalone series, Angel Fire East being the satisfying and great ending.




TBR Book Links 1-60 )

61. The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick
62. Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz
63. Angel Fire East (The Word & The Void #3) by Terry Brooks


Goodreads 68


7. Angel Fire East

Read Wrapped in a Blanket (again, how I usually read) - Angel Fire East (The Word & The Void #3) by Terry Brooks
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Divided Soul


Drawing from interviews conducted before Marvin Gaye's death, acclaimed music writer David Ritz has created a full-scale portrait of the brilliant but tormented artist. With a cast of characters that includes Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder, this intimate biography is a definitive and enduring look at the man who embodied the very essence of the word soul.


I remember the day I heard that Marvin Gaye had been shot, by his own father, no less. I couldn’t imagine the circumstances that would bring about such a tragic event. Of course, at the time I only knew of Gaye’s music, not his history. If what’s in this book is true, I certainly know it now.

The book goes into depth regarding all of Gaye’s life, from his childhood to his death. Unfortunately, the author gets carried away when it comes to his use of adjectives, especially when he sets himself up as arbiter of Gaye’s mental health. Gaye may have had emotional problems, but much of what the author writes is written in such purple prose that it’s hard to know if it’s true or hyperbole. Especially when it comes to sex, which it comes to a lot.

There are other books about Gaye; mostly by other family members. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t one by a writer who could be objective regarding its subject, one that could take a step back when writing about Marvin Gaye. This one certainly doesn’t.





TBR Book Links 1-60 )

61. The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick
62. Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz


Goodreads 67


12. Divided Soul

12. Read in your pajamas - Divided Soul by David Ritz
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The Winter Crown


It is the winter of 1154 and Eleanor, Queen of England, is biding her time. While her husband King Henry II battles for land across the channel, Eleanor fulfils her duty as acting ruler and bearer of royal children. But she wants to be more than this - if only Henry would let her.

Instead, Henry belittles and excludes her, falling for a young mistress and leaving Eleanor side-lined and angry. And as her sons become young men, frustrated at Henry's hoarding of power, Eleanor is forced into a rebellion of devastating consequences. She knows how much Henry needs her, but does Henry know himself?

Overflowing with scandal, politics, sex, triumphs and tragedies, The Winter Crown is the much-awaited new novel in this trilogy and a rich, compelling story in its own right.


Well, she did it; Chadwick made me like Eleanor (or Alienor, as she is called in the book.) I was reluctant to read the book because I had always sided with Henry. No more. Chadwick did this by giving good reasons for the things that Alienor did, especially against Henry, and for their split, which had her standing with their sons when they rebelled. It may be fiction, but it made a lot of sense.

Chadwick has a way of bringing life to her characters, especially women, and Alienor is filled with life. No matter the circumstances, maturity now allows her to push through. She's tough, but no saint. She does what she has to do in order to survive.

I know enough about the era for it to be obvious that Chadwick rarely, if ever, veers from established history. Alienor had a long and eventful life, but I think how this book ended, and the next one must pick up, are circumstances which are probably the worse she ever had to handle. I look forward to reading that last book in the trilogy.




TBR Book Links 1-60 )

61. The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick


Goodreads 66


16. The Winter Crown

16. Read a book with your pet(s - which I always do) - The Winter Crown by Elizabeth Chadwick
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Newton's Fire


A breathtaking thriller which weaves history and religion with action, adventure and apocalypse…

Luke Hayward is adrift. Blacklisted out of academia, he is in no position to refuse when a client asks for his expert help in recovering some lost Isaac Newton papers.

But a chance discovery in a dusty attic plunges Luke into a race to uncover the truth behind some seemingly random scribblings - a race which pits Luke against a fundamentalist madman with dangerously powerful friends.

Luke discovers connections between Oxford, London and the Old City of Jerusalem in a breathless chase to uncover a secret hidden in the eccentric ramblings of a mathematical genius; a secret that, in the wrong hands, could be used to spark the holy war to end all holy wars…


I’ve enjoyed several of Adams’ books and this was no exception. Luke’s attempt to find the truth is a convoluted one, twists and turns at every, well, turn. It actually took me a bit to get the characters straight, but that didn’t subtract from my enjoyment. Luke, especially, was likable. As was Rachel, the woman who would join him in his quest to stop the cabal of religious madmen. Those madmen would be the part of the story I would find hard to swallow.

Maybe that’s the blindness that overcomes people who believe in something, whatever the reality is. The characters are supposed to be learned men, steeped in, not just the bible, but the history of what came to be known as the Holy Land. Problem is, most of the stories that their reasons are based on, archaeologists have debunked. It was hard to see the men as, not just misguided, but deliberately blind. Unfortunately, it’s pretty plain, taking our own recent history, that people like this do exist.


MADE IT TO THE TOP OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO!


TBR Book Links 1-55 )

56. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
57. The Haunting of Hill House (Stephen King Horror Library) by Shirley Jackson
58. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
59. Candlelight by Phil Rickman
60. Newton's Fire by Will Adams


Goodreads 65




NOVEMBER- IN THE LIBRARY WITH THE CANDLESTICK: Read a mystery- cozy, detective, spies, true crime, whodunnit, or the like.

Newton’s Fire by Will Adams
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Billy Summers


Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He’s a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he’ll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out. But first there is one last hit. Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done. So what could possibly go wrong?

How about everything.


More than a mystery, more of a character study. Billy Summers is a hit man who only kills “bad men.” But does that make Billy a good man? That’s the conundrum he tries to solve when he’s forced to explore his past, and how it led him onto the path he now follows.

Where does that path lead? And who is Billy Summers, really? It isn’t just Billy who’s faced with these questions. So are the readers.

I could have done with a few less characters, especially those that so little time was given to. Yes, they added to Billy’s journey, but not by much, and the words could have been given over to those characters who had more to do with Billy’s journey. Chief amount those are Alice and Bucky, who, unfortunately, don’t show up until well into the story.

Which was my only problem with the book, why I only really liked it, rather than loved it. I felt the build up was too slow. Maybe more action, and less study?

Still, I did really enjoy reading the book. Not as much as some of his horror story, but good enough. King sans horror might be your cup of tea, so this might be the book for you, though a certain hotel does make a cameo.



Goodreads 64
gilda_elise: (Default)
Candlenight 2


A supernatural thriller exploring the darker side of rural life in a remote Welsh mountain village, where primal fears and ancient longings haunt the present day

Corpse-candles. Phantom funerals. The bird of death. It was insidious . . .

For Bethan, the schoolteacher, the old superstitions woven into the social fabric of her West Wales village are primitive and distasteful, which is why she's pleased to welcome the sophisticated newcomers: London journalist Giles Freeman and his wife Claire. Surely they'll let in some fresh air. But the Freemans are keen to absorb this different culture, a whole new way of life, rejecting the advice of an old colleague who warns them of a hard and bitter land where they've always danced on the edge of the abyss. They soon learn that this community hides an ancient, bloody, and pagan secret—one that will haunt them forever.


Part supernatural tale, part mystery, the book draws the reader in with its intricate plot and well rounded characters. Based on Welsh myths, the story follows Giles and Claire as they settle into their new lives in the remote village of Y Groes. But soon tragedy befalls and it’s up to Bethan and Berry Morelli, an American journalist and Giles’ friend, to discover the truth behind the village and its insular population.

The reader never knows who’s going to live and who’s going to die, which adds to the suspense. Rickman is one of my favorite horror writers, but it was still a surprise to learn that this was his first book.





TBR Book Links 1-55 )

56. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
57. The Haunting of Hill House (Stephen King Horror Library) by Shirley Jackson
58. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
59. Candlelight by Phil Rickman




Goodreads 63


6. Candlenight

Features a Witch or Wizard - Candlenight by Phil Rickman




I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
2. Candlenight by Phil Rickman


gilda_elise: (Default)
The Haunting of Hill House


Four seekers have come to Hill House, a scary old abandoned mansion: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar who had been looking for an honestly haunted house all his life; Theodora, a lovely and lighthearted girl there mostly on a lark; Luke, the adventurous future heir of Hill House; and Eleanor, a strange and lonely woman well acquainted with poltergeists and other psychic phenomena. At first their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable noises and slamming doors. But Hill House is gathering up powers and will soon choose one of them to make its own.
The Haunting Of Hill House is full of horror and mystification and a wit that mixes laughter with chills. Its publication in 1959 confirmed Shirley Jackson as a master at portraying the secret vagaries of the mind, and as a brilliant stylist capable of interjecting the conventions of horror with a psychological complexity not encountered since Henry James. "It is the character of Eleanor and Shirley Jackson's depiction of it that elevates The Haunting Of Hill House into the ranks of the great supernatural novels," Stephen King writes in the introduction to this exclusive Stephen King Horror Library edition. "Indeed, it seems to me that it and James's The Turn Of The Screw are the only two great novels of the supernatural in the last hundred years.”



“Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked thee, walked alone.”

So begins, and ends, the story of Hill House, and no more frightening words have been written. They give the reader a template of what is to come. What is real and what is imagination is always in question; is Eleanor crazy or being controlled by the house? Is Hill House evil or merely a scapegoat of its damaged occupiers? The answers depend on the reader.

And for the reader’s further enjoyment, there is an absolutely wonderful movie that’s just about as good as the book. Not the truly terrible 1999 remake, but the beautifully filmed 1963 version.




TBR Book Links 1-55 )

56. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
57. The Haunting of Hill House (Stephen King Horror Library) by Shirley Jackson


Goodreads 61

5. Haunting of Hill House

Free But Halloweeny - The Haunting of Hill House (Stephen King Horror Library) by Shirley Jackson




I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon




gilda_elise: (Default)
Frankenstein


Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.


The idea of the story is still relevant, especially when it comes to the question of tampering with Nature. Unfortunately, it seemed to take forever for those questions to actually be addressed.

Age has changed my feelings about the book. Where once I saw Victor Frankenstein as a romantic hero, this time around I I thought he was an idiot.

Worse, he manages to come up with the same excuse for every mistake he makes. He was blinded: by ambition, by sorrow, by…whatever. He doesn’t notice how ugly the monster is until it comes to life? That’s hard to imagine. Even harder to swallow, is him thinking that the monster is planning on killing him when he proclaims that “I will be with you on your wedding night.” For the story to move forward, it seemed as if Shelley had to constantly find excuses for Victor’s action. And he manages to fall into a faint and become deathly ill for long periods whenever things get rough.

I realize that writing styles were very different at the time, but I found too much wrong with the book to give it a pass.





The Rest of the Mount TBR 2021 Book Links

TBR Book Links 1-55 )


56. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley


Goodreads 60


7. Frankenstein

Classic Horror - Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley





I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector


*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
gilda_elise: (Default)
The Listener


1934. Businesses went under by the hundreds, debt and foreclosures boomed, and breadlines grew in many American cities.

In the midst of this misery, some folks explored unscrupulous ways to make money. Angel-faced John Partlow and carnival huckster Ginger LaFrance are among the worst of this lot. Joining together they leave their small time confidence scams behind to attempt an elaborate kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in New Orleans.

In a different part of town, Curtis Mayhew, a young black man who works as a redcap for the Union Railroad Station, has a reputation for mending quarrels and misunderstandings among his friends. What those friends don't know is that Curtis has a special talent for listening... and he can sometimes hear things that aren't spoken aloud.

One day, Curtis Mayhew's special talent allows him to overhear a child's cry for help (THIS MAN IN THE CAR HE'S GOT A GUN), which draws him into the dangerous world of Partlow and LaFrance.

This gritty depression-era crime thriller is a complex tale enriched by powerfully observed social commentary and hints of the supernatural, and it represents Robert McCammon writing at the very top of his game.


I’ve been a McCammon fan for years, and he’s rarely let me down. And while I prefer his horror stories, this one didn’t disappoint. There’s a small amount of the supernatural, but the story is basically a crime drama, where the life of a young black man is forever changed when he’s drawn into a kidnapping scheme. For he shares a gift with one of the kidnapping victims, the ability to “hear” and speak to others of their kind.

I loved both characters: Curtis, who is willing to do whatever he can in order to save a young girl who he has never met, and the girl, Nilla, who must find the strength to save not just herself, but her younger brother.

There are some scenes which may disturb some readers. But if you can get past that, you’re in for a treat.




TBR Book Links 1-50 )

51. The City Where We Once Lived by Eric Barnes
52. The Cleanup by John Skipp & Craig Spector
53. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
54. Gad’s Hall (Gad’s Hall #1) by Norah Lofts
55. The Listener by Robert R. McCammon




Goodreads 59


8. The Listener

Crime Thriller - The Listener by Robert McCammon





I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover - Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon








OCTOBER - LURKING IN THE SHADOWS: Read a book that has a gray, black, and/or white cover OR a book that shows a shadow on the cover.

The Listener by Robert McCammon

gilda_elise: (Default)
Gad's Hall


When a house comes up for sale at a ridiculously low price there has to be a catch. Doesn’t there? Some sort of legal problem. More prosaically, rising damp or subsidence. But Gad’s Hall had none of these problems; it was modernized and in good condition. Mr. Thorley, the vendor, had his reasons for the sale and the price so Jill and Bob Spender were happy to make the purchase.

What Mr. Thorley did not—could not—know was that there was an unseen occupant in Gad’s Hall which had already caused darkness and death and was poised to do so again…



There’s only a hint of the supernatural in the story; perhaps most was being left for the sequel. But there is that hint, mostly in the set-up of the story set in the present. A beautiful house is sold for a ridiculously low price (a sure hint of bad things to come,) and soon some in the family are picking up feelings of dread.

But then the story veers into the past, where the beginnings of that darkness, which is beginning to reach out in the present, has its start.

I did have trouble differentiating between the four sisters from Mr. Thorley’s family in the past. It took awhile for their four personalities to coalesce, as the story as a whole is a bit slow. The stronger character was their mother, Isobel, who inadvertently aids the horror that will follow the family into the present.

Good, but not one of Lofts’ best.




TBR Book Links 1-50 )

51. The City Where We Once Lived by Eric Barnes
52. The Cleanup by John Skipp & Craig Spector
53. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
54. Gad’s Hall (Gad’s Hall #1) by Norah Lofts




Goodreads 58


2. Gad's Hall

Features Ghost or Haunted House - Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts




I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover - Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon




gilda_elise: (Default)
Pet Sematary


Can Stephen King scare even himself?

Has the author of Carrie, The Shining, Cujo, and Christine ever conceived a story so horrifying that he was for a time unwilling to finish writing it? Yes. This is it.

Set in a small town in Maine to which a young doctor, Louis Creed, and his family have moved from Chicago, Pet Sematary begins with a visit to a graveyard where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. But behind the "pet sematary," there is another burial ground, one that lures people to it with seductive promises . . . and ungodly temptations.

As the story unfolds, so does a nightmare of the supernatural, one so relentless you won't want . . . at moments . . . to continue reading . . . but will be unable to stop.

You do it because it gets hold of you, says the nice old man with the secret. You make up reasons . . . they seem like good reasons . . . but mostly you do it because once you've been up there, it's your place, and you belong to it . . .up in the Pet Sematary--and beyond.


Yes, the story is scary, but apparently I wasn’t as scared as the author. I think because the idea of something being irresistible has always been on my “can’t go with that” list. Like stories that involve the devil. You know that the protagonist is going to lose.

As the story goes along, the reader is given plenty of clues that that’s going to be the case here. The power behind the Pet Sematary is strong, and getting stronger. Too strong for Louis Creed. But King can’t seem to write a bad story, or even a mediocre one. So, yes, I did enjoy the story, just not as much as I’ve enjoyed some of his other books.

Lastly, I hate open ended stories. Either finish the story, all ends tied up, or write a sequel.





TBR Book Links 1-50 )

51. The City Where We Once Lived by Eric Barnes
52. The Cleanup by John Skipp & Craig Spector
53. Pet Sematary by Stephen King




Goodreads 57


3. Pet Sematary

Black Cat on the Cover - Pet Sematary by Stephen King





I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover - Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon




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