You know you're reading too much historical fiction when...

A Reader's Respite was perusing one of our favorite blogs this morning and saw a review for a historical fiction novel entitled "Her Mother's Daughter."

Funny, without even looking at the review (and we'd never heard of this book before), we immediately knew based on the title alone that this book had to be about Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII.

Upon closer inspection, sure enough, we were right.

Does this mean we are reading too much historical fiction when we can figure out the subject just by an elusive title?

Decide for yourself....how many can you guess based on the following titles? (No fair Googling!)

  1. The Fifth Queen
  2. The Last Queen
  3. The Conqueror
  4. The Last Empress
  5. Devil's Brood
  6. The Sixth Wife
  7. The Heretic Queen
  8. Royal Road to Fotheringhay
  9. Young Bess
  10. The Heart of a Queen


If you can guess the subject of these novels based on the title alone, you are a world-class historical fiction junkie.


If you know the subject of these novels because you've already read the book, well then, it might be time to do some branching out with new genres. :)



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17 comments:

  1. JennersDecember 8, 2009 at 12:05 PM

    Well, I defnitely don't read too much historical fiction ... and this might be why!!!

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  2. UnknownDecember 8, 2009 at 12:55 PM

    The Fifth Queen is poor Katherine Howard, wife to Henry VIII; The Last Queen is about Juana the Mad; The Conqueror is about William of Normandy; Devil's Brood is about the sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine; The Sixth Wife is about Catherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII; The Heretic Queen is about Nefertari; Royal Road is about Mary Queen of Scots; Young Bess is about Elizabeth's younger years. Must confess I'm not sure about The Last Empress or The Heart of a Queen!!

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  3. Passages to the PastDecember 8, 2009 at 12:58 PM

    Here I go:

    The Fifth Queen: Katherine Howard
    The Last Queen: Juana of Castille
    The Conqueror: William of Normandy
    Devil's Brood: children of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine
    The Sixth Wife: Katherine Parr
    The Heretic Queen: Nefertari
    Royal Road: Mary, Queen of Scots
    Young Bess: Elizabeth I
    Heart of a Queen: have no idea!

    How'd I do?

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  4. AlyceDecember 8, 2009 at 1:08 PM

    I only knew three, so I guess I have some more reading to do!

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  5. MicheleDecember 8, 2009 at 1:43 PM

    LOL, okay that last one is a bit tough. Elizabeth I made a speech to her troops at Tilsbury saying something along the lines of "I may have the weak and feeble body of a woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king"....I always just assumed that last novel "Heart of a Queen" was a play on that. But maybe I'm wrong. :)

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  6. MisfitDecember 8, 2009 at 2:42 PM

    I think Amy and Robin are way ahead of me, but then I've not read much Plaidy like those two.

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  7. rhapsodyinbooksDecember 8, 2009 at 3:54 PM

    Actually it looks to me like most of those books are about chess.

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  8. Literate HousewifeDecember 8, 2009 at 4:04 PM

    Okay, I have read most of those books already, so I'm exempt from your little quiz - it sure did highlight my historical fiction problem, er... prowess. Thanks again for the laugh. I sure needed it today.

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  9. Sandy NawrotDecember 8, 2009 at 5:26 PM

    I am a historical fiction imbecile. I've not read any, and I didn't know any of the answers. Perhaps this is an untapped source of delight and excitement.

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  10. MicheleDecember 8, 2009 at 8:40 PM

    Rhapsodyinbooks - okay, it took me a sec to get that, hahahahaha.

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  11. RowanDecember 9, 2009 at 2:30 AM

    I guess that Devil's Brood might be about the Plantagenets (I think Richard I. and his brothers?). :)
    The Conqueror is very likely to be about William the Conqueror.
    Those are the only ones I can guess, as they are likely to cover my very special interest. :)

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  12. Beth FDecember 9, 2009 at 4:13 AM

    I got a little more than half. Fun.

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  13. Lucy December 9, 2009 at 6:48 AM

    I love this post! My answers are same as Amy's..as for the heart of a Queen- that's a really really old one on Elizabeth.

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  14. Jen - devourer of booksDecember 9, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    Okay, the *real* way I know I read too much historical fiction is that I had to Google "The Sixth Queen" to remember whether or not I'd read it.

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  15. VeensDecember 9, 2009 at 11:05 PM

    God! I have to read a LOT MORE!

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  16. Dawn @ sheIsTooFondOfBooksDecember 12, 2009 at 11:51 AM

    Apparently I don't read enough historical fiction (and is that bookcase in your house??!)

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  17. MicheleDecember 13, 2009 at 10:12 AM

    Dawn - LOL, good lordy, no! Thankfullly my shelves are divided in to fiction and non, then alphabetical by author's last name. OCD, don't you know? :P

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Fire away!

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