Happy New Year. May 2011 be filled with books. Really good books.
Go Away, Jane
Most of you already know that A Reader's Respite has an unhealthy obsession with Etsy, the online market place where artists and crafty-like peeps sell their wares.
But if you happen to be looking for literature-related goods on Etsy the cold, hard truth is that you're going to have to wade through about a million and a half pieces of Jane Austen-relatedjunk goods. Looking for a Jane Austen tampax holder? Odds are good you'll find it on Etsy.
Just thank your lucky stars that A Reader's Respite is here to separate the wheat from the chaff for you. Because there is good bookish-related stuff to be had for the serious literature fiend.....
Love Chaucer? CTunmasked's shop has gorgeous pendants featuring excerpts from The Canterbury Tales.
How 'bout Tolstoy? Pocketfullofposey makes these stunning engraved silver rings. This one reads: "There is no greatness where there is no goodness, simplicity and truth." *sigh*
For those of us who are card-carrying members of the Grammar Police, Artfulharvest provides us with an outlet for our frustration in the form of a bookbag.
Belong to a bookclub? Beaconbookmarks have the best bookmarks around. Perfect gifts.
So keep on shopping small, independent retailers. Trust us, you won't find this stuff at Walmart.
But if you happen to be looking for literature-related goods on Etsy the cold, hard truth is that you're going to have to wade through about a million and a half pieces of Jane Austen-related
randomly quote Jane Austen to me and I'll beat you. for reals.
Just thank your lucky stars that A Reader's Respite is here to separate the wheat from the chaff for you. Because there is good bookish-related stuff to be had for the serious literature fiend.....
Love Chaucer? CTunmasked's shop has gorgeous pendants featuring excerpts from The Canterbury Tales.
How 'bout Tolstoy? Pocketfullofposey makes these stunning engraved silver rings. This one reads: "There is no greatness where there is no goodness, simplicity and truth." *sigh*
For those of us who are card-carrying members of the Grammar Police, Artfulharvest provides us with an outlet for our frustration in the form of a bookbag.
Belong to a bookclub? Beaconbookmarks have the best bookmarks around. Perfect gifts.
So keep on shopping small, independent retailers. Trust us, you won't find this stuff at Walmart.
Historical Fiction, Modern Sensibilities
Cast of The Lion in Winter, starring Peter O'Toole as Henry II and Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine
Ho hum, you're probably thinking, yet another forgotten royal in medieval Europe, how original.
But Alys had quite a bit of scandal attached to her. When Alys was betrothed to young Richard at the tender age of eight, the custom of the time demanded that she be shipped over to England to be raised in the court of Richard's father, King Henry II, until she was of age to be wed. But by the age of fifteen or so, Alys and Richard had still not wed and rumor had it that Alys had become the mistress of her fiance's father, ol' Henry II, and had even born him a child.
As if that weren't scandalous enough, check this out: Alys was the daughter of French King Louis VII and his second wife. Lou's first wife was none other than the infamous Eleanor of Aquitaine, the woman who divorced him so she could marry, who else, but Henry II of England. That's right, Richard's father. So Alys was getting it on with not only her fiance's father, but the husband of her father's first wife.
Whew. You keeping up here?
So how does The Queen's Pawn measure up? As a historical novel, pretty darned well. Since very little is known about the Princess Alys, the author has a lot of latitude to work with here. She alternates chapters between Alys and Queen Eleanor, imagining a wholly plausible rivalry between the two. But it is the relationship between Alys and King Henry that takes center stage. Their passionate affair fairly smokes right off the pages.
And yet it must be remembered that young Alys was only fifteen or sixteen years old at this time. Lolita, anyone? Historically speaking, of course, women in medieval Europe were married much, much younger than today. (The infamous Lady Margaret Beaufort being the perfect example: she gave birth to Henry VII at the tender age of thirteen....good grief.) But in The Queen's Pawn, Alys is the aggressor and instigator, seducing the forty-ish Henry and fairly dragging him into the sack. Sometimes historical accuracy and modern sensibilities make for an uncomfortable read and A Reader's Respite salutes the author for not changing the ages of the characters just to make a more acceptable novel (and for the comprehensive author's note about this included).
If we had any quibble with the novel it was the habit various characters had of simply looking into someone's eyes and divining far too much information.
"I saw in his eyes that he wanted us to build our own alliance, a love born from our common loneliness." (page 76)
"I saw in his eyes that he had come back for Alais." (page 100)
"His eyes seemed to tell me......" (page 141)
Indeed, with so much information being beamed around the room by expression alone, it was a wonder any dialog at all was necessary.
But medieval telepathy aside, the novel kept us merrily entertained for two days and for that, hats off to the author. If you're in the mood for a good medieval soap opera, pick up a copy and enjoy.
Jennifer Donnelly Rocks Our World....
Yes, we know A Reader's Respite has been a tad scarce lately. But it is the holiday season and we all know what that means: every person in America feels compelled to jump on an airplane and fly somewhere. Which means that our day job is keeping us very, very busy. And no matter how many times we make the announcement, "We thank you for your business," well, it's a lie. A big one.
A Reader's Respite is, in fact, not very grateful for long airport security lines, overcrowded and delayed airplanes, and people creating their own little Tent City in the airport next to our gate. Go home, please. Go home and stay at home and be merry around your own hearth and tree. Read a book.
In fact, here are two books that might spark your interest. Jennifer Donnelly is perhaps best known for her historical fiction series, The Tea Rose Trilogy. But did you know she also writes young adult historical fiction? And she writes it very well.
Her most recent publication is a young adult novel called Revolution. The story vacillates between present day and the days leading up to the French Revolution. When troubled teen Andi Alpers finds herself unwillingly whisked off to Paris with her father to sort out her angst-ridden life (you know it's fiction right there, when someone is unwillingly whisked off to Paris....), she unexpectedly uncovers an old diary written by a girl, Alexandrine, who is caught up in the Revolution of 1789.
Donnelly does an excellent job of bringing the Revolution to life, both for Andi and the reader. It doesn't ever lose it's YA feel, however, although teens are likely to appreciate Donnelly's understanding of their angst. Moments of humor in present-day Andi's life take the edge off of the tenseness of Alexandrine's diary and as the novel reaches it's climax, the lines between present day and the past become increasingly blurred.
We enjoyed Revolution enough to take note that Donnelly had written an earlier YA historical fiction novel, A Northern Light and of course, A Reader's Respite couldn't resist buying a copy. While we merely enjoyed Revolution, we were blown away with A Northern Light, a novel which made the American Library Association's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults list.
Donnelly took the 1906 murder of Grace Brown in the Adirondack Mountains (a case that inspired Theodore Dreiser's classic An American Tragedy) and created full, rich historical fiction with some of the most beautiful characters to grace the pages of a YA novel.
Grace's mysterious death provides the backbone for a plethora of fictional characters who leap to life. Young Mattie, who desires nothing more than leaving this small northern town to pursue a college eduction (something that rural young women simply do not do in 1906). Her family, her neighbors and friends are painted so vividly by Donnelly that at times it sweeps your breath away. Mattie's choices - or seemingly lack thereof - are heartbreaking and oh, so real.
Unexpectedly, it is the death of young Grace that leads Mattie to the answers she needs and ultimately, will change her entire life.
Both novels are good reads and well worth your time, but in the end we recommend that you buy a copy of Revolution for your favorite teen and buy the copy of A Northern Light for yourself.
Happy reading. And stay away from airports.
A Reader's Respite is, in fact, not very grateful for long airport security lines, overcrowded and delayed airplanes, and people creating their own little Tent City in the airport next to our gate. Go home, please. Go home and stay at home and be merry around your own hearth and tree. Read a book.
In fact, here are two books that might spark your interest. Jennifer Donnelly is perhaps best known for her historical fiction series, The Tea Rose Trilogy. But did you know she also writes young adult historical fiction? And she writes it very well.
Her most recent publication is a young adult novel called Revolution. The story vacillates between present day and the days leading up to the French Revolution. When troubled teen Andi Alpers finds herself unwillingly whisked off to Paris with her father to sort out her angst-ridden life (you know it's fiction right there, when someone is unwillingly whisked off to Paris....), she unexpectedly uncovers an old diary written by a girl, Alexandrine, who is caught up in the Revolution of 1789.
Donnelly does an excellent job of bringing the Revolution to life, both for Andi and the reader. It doesn't ever lose it's YA feel, however, although teens are likely to appreciate Donnelly's understanding of their angst. Moments of humor in present-day Andi's life take the edge off of the tenseness of Alexandrine's diary and as the novel reaches it's climax, the lines between present day and the past become increasingly blurred.
We enjoyed Revolution enough to take note that Donnelly had written an earlier YA historical fiction novel, A Northern Light and of course, A Reader's Respite couldn't resist buying a copy. While we merely enjoyed Revolution, we were blown away with A Northern Light, a novel which made the American Library Association's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults list.
Donnelly took the 1906 murder of Grace Brown in the Adirondack Mountains (a case that inspired Theodore Dreiser's classic An American Tragedy) and created full, rich historical fiction with some of the most beautiful characters to grace the pages of a YA novel.
Grace's mysterious death provides the backbone for a plethora of fictional characters who leap to life. Young Mattie, who desires nothing more than leaving this small northern town to pursue a college eduction (something that rural young women simply do not do in 1906). Her family, her neighbors and friends are painted so vividly by Donnelly that at times it sweeps your breath away. Mattie's choices - or seemingly lack thereof - are heartbreaking and oh, so real.
Unexpectedly, it is the death of young Grace that leads Mattie to the answers she needs and ultimately, will change her entire life.
Both novels are good reads and well worth your time, but in the end we recommend that you buy a copy of Revolution for your favorite teen and buy the copy of A Northern Light for yourself.
Happy reading. And stay away from airports.
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