iraliasbookshelf

[iraliasbookshelf]

George R.R. Martin’s Prequel “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” and Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy=Good Reading!

I was beyond excited when I saw my local library had the prequel installment in the Game of Thrones series that is one of the most recent books Mr. Martin has published. The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes readers back a century prior to A Game of Thrones which is Book 1 of the Fire and Ice Series. The book does a good job of keeping the reader’s attention as Ser Duncan The Tall and his squire, Egg, go to tournaments, encounter danger and make plans to travel through the Seven Kingdoms. The illustrations were amazing and I’m interested to see how far Mr. Martin goes with telling more stories about this pair. He adds a note to the end of the book, letting his readers know that there is more to come :)

I’m a huge fan of Ken Follett’s books although they are massive and hard to carry around (unless you can find them in paperback!) I read the Book 1 of the Century Trilogy, Fall of Giants, set during WWI. The characters are vivid and interconnected giving the reader plenty of drama and entertainment while learning about the historical players surrounding the war’s events. I just started Book 2: Winter of the World and it picks up with characters, families, and plot twists right where Book 1 left off. I highly recommend this book for historical fiction fans of all ages. 

[iraliasbookshelf]

Two authors I'm loving right now: Fannie Flagg and Ariana Franklin

These two authors couldn’t come from more opposite ends of the spectrum: Fannie Flagg, writer of lighthearted yet slightly dramatic fiction (author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe) and Ariana Franklin, medieval murder mystery historical fiction.

I read Fried Green Tomatoes because I saw the movie as a child. I enjoyed the last book I read by Ms. Flagg, The All Girls Filling Station’s Last Reunion. Tying in real World War II female aviators with a hint of Midwestern and Southern flair, this book talks about identity, family, and polka. Quick and entertaining read!

The mystery series written by Ariana Franklin is great! I happened to see one of her books on a shelf, read the jacket and decided to give it a try. Based in the reign of Henry II, the main character Adelia is the equivalent of a forensics expert…medieval style. The plots, characters and writing are superb.

As usual I’ve read the books out of order but they each can stand on their own. I’ve book 4, A Murderous Procession and Mistress of the Art of Death, book 1 (in that order). Right now I’m reading A Serpent’s Tale (book 2). Honestly The Game of Thrones series is the only thing I’ve read in order…if I hadn’t that would have been confusion to the max.

Check out these authors! Great reads and interesting storylines.

[iraliasbookshelf]

Getting excited for the next Game of Thrones book!!

I just read the excerpt posted for The Winds of Winter and I can't wait for what's coming next! George R.R.Martin ended the last book with several cliffhangers so I'll be waiting (impatiently) for the next installment. #yourfanscantwait #weneedanswers #toomanycliffhangers

[iraliasbookshelf]

Dolls of all Shades

Reading the article about the "Queens of Africa" dolls was interesting. I wish there were more dolls like this when I was a child, although did have at least one Cabbage Patch kid with cocoa skin. It seems that "loving the skin we are in" has taken on new levels and this product is giving little girls in Africa and abroad the opportunity to feel beautiful and empowered. See the link below for more information on the creation,production, and purchasing of these dolls.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2931846/Nigerian-doll-created-man-couldn-t-black-toy-niece-popular-country-s-outselling-BARBIE.html

[iraliasbookshelf]

Bible Devotionals by email

For those who read Christian devotionals a few that I have emailed me to and that I would highly recommend are: "Girlfriends in God" "NIV Devotions for Women" "Encouragement for Today" which you can subscribe to through the Biblegateway website. I also receive email devotionals from: "Peace Be With U" "RBC Ministries" and "Joel Osteen Ministries" The devotionals help me with my personal bible study time and adds perspective to some of the things I may be dealing with. Enjoy!

[iraliasbookshelf]

Roman Mystery Series: Roma Sub Rosa...Rocks

Author Steven Saylor has written a series of books set in ancient Rome revolving around the crimes and mysteries solved by Gordianus the Finder. Although I started the series out of order, the books are easy to read, engaging, and quirky. I plan to work back (or bounce around as needed, based on my library's availability) to read the books in order. If not, it won't spoil the twists and turns each novel brings. I started with The House of the Vestals which is a collection of short stories versus a full length novel. I enjoyed it though and the reappearance of characters made it feel less disjointed. I highly recommend this series for light summer reading.

[iraliasbookshelf]

Forums for historical fiction writers of color?

After finding the Facebook page for the Historical Fiction Writers Co-op I began to wonder if there was a forum for historical fiction writers of color? There are several out there even if they are categorized more so for their specific ethnic backgrounds in terms of category (ie African American literature or Asian American literature). If anyone knows of a group forum or collective, I would be interested to find more information. Not that writers need to be separated in this way but there are authors whose characters and subject matter tends to focus on communities of color (authors like Amy Tan and James McBride).

[iraliasbookshelf]

Resource for Historical Fiction Writers

I recently found a great Facebook page to follow for readaholics like me:) It's the Historical Fiction Authors Co-op where authors post new works, promotional material and links to their upcoming projects. I found several new authors whose work I'd like to read...such as: M.J. Rose Patricia Bracewell Ben Kane Sherry Jones Lynn Cullen (just finished her book, Mrs. Poe-quite an interesting book!) Adrienne McDonnell Lauren Willig Heather Webb One of my favorite authors, Michelle Moran, is affiliated with the group. Heading to the library soon to see what these authors have to offer!

[iraliasbookshelf]

Game of Thrones...

Is one of the BEST series I've ever read. I'm on book 2 and I love it. #thatisall

[iraliasbookshelf]

Crocheting!

I've been getting excited about crocheting! I recently opened my first Etsy store: CrochetingBostonian. I'm happy to say I've completed a few items since January but there are tons more items that I want to try. Some websites and free email subscriptions have been providing me a ton of great patterns such as: Well known yarn suppliers Lion Yarn Red Heart Yarn Websites like: Yarnspirations Annie's Crochet and Craft The Yarn Box I get daily emails with patterns sent to me. Annie's offers books, supplies, online tutorials, knitting patterns, plastic canvas kits, and tons more. However the majority of the items require purchasing. Lion Yarn, Red Heart, Yarnspirations, and the Yarn Box all offer free patterns. I hope to expand my repetoire and knowledge of crocheting soon! I also want to learn to knit properly and make some plastic canvas items. I keep seeing great projects for clothing and accessories. Hands, don't fail me now! Time to buckle down and create!

[iraliasbookshelf]

Great handmade jewelry for a reasonable price: Indie.go

A friend recently introduced me to Indie.go, a jewelry website that features handmade necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets. The prices range from $10-$12 for items. Some are made with beads and other pieces feature semi-precious stones. Check out Indie.go on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/boho.indie.go

[iraliasbookshelf]

I'm back!

I've been on a hiatus but I've read several great historical fiction books! Reviews coming soon for: The White Princess-Phillipa Gregory The Twelve Tribes of Hattie-Ayana Mattis The Serpent and the Pearl-Kate Quinn Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague & Caleb's Crossing- Geraldine Brooks A Rescue for a Queen & Queen of Ambition ( Ursula Blanchard Mysteries Series)-Fiona Buckley Home-Toni Morrison The Spymistress-Jennifer Chiaverini My thoughts to come soon! In the meantime, pick these books up!

[iraliasbookshelf]

Junot Diaz does it again! A brief review of This is How You Lose Her.

I enjoyed This Is How you Lose Her. Reminiscent of Drown, Junot Diaz through short stories explores the romantic relationships and personal losses of the protagonist Yunior. The majority of characters are fully developed, especially Yunior's many love conquests. The relationship between Yunior and his brother is tragic yet at times comical. It was a fast read and I was interested to see how each relationship Yunior encounters, changes, matures, and or stagnates him. Overall it was a great read, although I took issue with the use of the "N" word. It grated on me quite a bit. Other than that, the book was well written and entertaining.

[iraliasbookshelf]

Reading about warriors in the winter: Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan

Hello all! Its been a while since I've been on here. Lack of electricity due to the hurricane and general school/internship duties have gotten in the way but I'm back to share what I've been reading.

I do hope that you all are recovering from the hurricane and know that my prayers go out to all who have been effected. When possible I hope we all take time out to support one another during this time (locally, nationally, etc). Donations can be given at many local churches, shelters, and nonprofits. In my area the Barrow Mansion (10am to 6pm) in Jersey City has been collecting donations, creating baskets/packages, and offering other services. Its going to take a long time for people to recover so let's continue our efforts to support communities that were affected.

In spite of electricity I was still reading (by flashlight). Nothing gets in the way of an avid reader not even lack of light! I finished reading Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith (great Biblical fiction) which was equally as good as all of her previous novels. This book outlines the story of Abram (to be Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) on the journey out of their home to Canaan and the promise of the birth of their son.

The Emperor series has been a pleasure to read! Conn Iggulden goes into detail about the personal relationships between Julius Caesar and his family, friends, acquaintances and enemies. He takes on multiple perspectives of characters with clear language and leaves you wanting to read more each chapter. I read books 1 and 2 in the series Emperor: The Gates of Rome and Emperor: The Death of Kings. I've also started reading his series focused on Genghis Khan. I'm reading book 1, Genghis: Birth of an Empire. It took longer for me to get into it then the Emperor books but progressively picks up.

World Without End is equally as interesting and full of plot twists as Pillars of the Earth. The only drawback (besides its 1014 pages in length) is the fact that the book is heavy so I can't carry it around all that easily. My focus has been captured by the Conn Iggulden series so World Without End may take me longer to complete.

I plan to continue reading the Conn Iggulden series (Emperor and Genghis) and I'm looking for more historical fiction to devour. I hope everyone is staying safe and taking care in this winter weather.

[iraliasbookshelf]

I'm back! (and still reading:-)

It has been quite the hiatus folks! School starting (I'm in my last year...yes!), internship, and nannying have taken a bite out of my schedule. But I have been reading all along and I have books to share!

I recently read The Kingmaker's Daughter, The Lady of the Rivers, and The Virgin's Lover by Phillipa Gregory. All of the books were great! She is consistent in her writing and although the novels are different points in the timeline of the Tudor ascension, still hold a reader's attention from beginning to end. The Kingmaker's Daughter discusses the Neville family who are rivals of the Woodville's who come to power on the throne prior to the Tudors taking over. The Lady of the Rivers discusses the childhood and then marriage of Jacquetta Rivers, the mother of one of the queens of England. The Virgin's Lover covers the love affair between Queen Elizabeth and Sir Robert Dudley. I've never read the books in order but it doesn't make a difference. Each one can stand on it's own and most of us know the fate of King Henry VIII's wives. I highly recommend the entire series of books to anyone who loves British royalty.

I also finally conquered Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! The novel is 983 pages long! It took me 3 weeks to read it but it was well worth it! Follett describes the 30 plus year building of a cathedral in Kingsbridge, England. His character are all interwoven with horrible villians and humane heroes throughout the plot. It was a great book with a lot of research done. I am about to endeavor to read the sequel, World Without End that takes places two hundred years later with different characters. The book is equally as long and I'm hoping just as well written.

Moving forward in history I read A Thread of Grace by Maria Doria Russell. This book was fantastic! It takes place during World War II in Italy and describes the brave acts of many Italians who hid Jews escaping Eastern Europe. The novel took five years of research to write with interviews of actual survivors and other first hand documents. Russell does a great job of interweaving story lines, creating fallible heroes, and depicting the extraordinary acts of everyday people. I couldn't put this book down and I'm trying to get a hold of more of her novels. 

On deck for readng (because I never read just one thing at a time):

Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith (great Biblical fiction)

Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden

World Without End by Ken Follett

[iraliasbookshelf]

One more reason Jewelmint rocks...

This probably only has significance for my Sorors, but Jewelmint carries Calla Lily Earrings that are super nice:

http://www.jewelmint.com/jewelry/calla-lilly-earrings

and currently they are on sale for $9!

Just thought I'd share! This website was such a great find:)

[iraliasbookshelf]

Review of: Thy Neighbor by Norah Vincent and Queen of Shadows by Edith Felber

I just finished reading Thy Neighbor by Norah Vincent and Queen of Shadows by Edith Felber. Although I was thoroughly impressed by Norah Vincent's Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey into Manhood and Back Again. It was a powerful read, looking at what men do when no one else is around. However, her work of fiction, though well written, tended to be overly verbose in many places and bit dramatic. Its a depressing story as well. Out of loyalty to the author, and general intrigue about the ending, I kept reading but I would say her nonfiction is what I prefer. 

Queen of Shadows was a great read. Ms. Felber creates the atmosphere in the court of King Edward II of England and all of the intrigue surrounding his love affairs with men and misuse of power. She focuses on his wife, Queen Isabella of France and her struggles to regain power in the kingdom with the help of one of her husband's enemy's Robert Mortimer and her handmaiden Gwenith. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading her other novels, written under her pen name Edith Layton.