Monday, November 27, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday!


Once again TTT is here, brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is 'Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR' and boy, do I have some good ones. Thanks to Amberley Publishing and their amazing/ridiculous sales, I keep finding books that I can't pass up. Seriously. It's like their Black Friday 30%-off-the-entire-site sale was just for me. My entire list is comprised of books from my most recent Amberley order. There are worse things to be addicted to.

Here are my picks, in no particular order:

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1. There are few atrocities that Henry VIII committed during his reign that were as cruel and vile as Margaret Pole's imprisonment and execution. I, however unfortunately, already know that story and am interested in her life and want to learn as much as I can about the one woman who frightened Henry so much, he had her murdered to be rid of her.

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2. I absolutely love any and everything having to do with King Arthur - insomuch as trying to determine whether he was actually a king who ruled, or nothing more than a mish-mash of several rulers, or pure fantasy. I think I enjoy the what-ifs the most, though in all likelihood he did not exist in the way we think of him today.

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3. I am so excited for this one. I love reading about the places that these fascinating people spent their time, and I can't wait for this one to arrive. I myself am trying to do something in a similar vein for Eleanor of Aquitaine, though you can imagine it is a bit trickier going back 900 years than 500.

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4. EEEEEK! Another one I can not wait for - that Bess of Hardwick sure was an instigator. This one won't actually be out until May, but it counts for my winter TBR because I have pre-ordered it.

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5. Another that I am not-so-patiently waiting for. The origins of the Tudor line never cease to amaze me. Just imagine, had Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois never had children, what would the UK look like today?

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6. Another one that I am EEEEKed about. I know very little about Anne, but plenty about her husband and brother-in-law. And I did not realize until now that she did in fact serve all six queens during Henry's reign. I'm quite interested in finding out more about her.

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7. A pattern is quickly developing, isn't it? Nearly every book on my winter TBR involves the Tudors somehow. This is yet another I have ordered and am waiting to get my hands on. Arbella's story is such a sad one, I am thankful every single day that I was not in any way, shape, or form connected to the royal family, regardless of which dynasty was in power. So much tragedy for so many.

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8. I was pretty much sold on this one the moment I read the phrase 'the Medieval Boudicca'. Plus, she's the daughter of my fave king (Alfred the Great). Heck yes, I'll take a copy ASAP.

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9. I almost bought this one so many times with Amberley's previous sales but am glad I waited for the 30% off. You can't really turn down hardcovers for that price, as long as you pretend that the £ is equal to the $. Which I never do.

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10. I truly love Scotland best of all the countries I have visited. I've really got quite a soft spot in my heart for Mary. She never stood a chance once she left France. She trusted the wrong people and in the end had nothing to lose as plots against Elizabeth began unfolding. Seeing as how she had been held prisoner for so long, it is easy to see why she would risk her life; one way or another, she was going to be free.

Let me know what you think of my Amberley-sponsored (joking) Winter TBR picks and I'll be sure to do the same for you.

Happy Reading!
Sarah

26 comments:

  1. These books look fascinating. I love books about the Tudors! :-) I hope you enjoy these books when you do get around to them.

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    1. Hey Chrissi - thank you! I do too, they were the first dynasty I really was interested in, before I discovered the Plantagenets. I am slowly making my way back to them and as you can see, there are so many great new books coming out!

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  2. I've haven't heard of any of these books, but they look interesting!

    Here’s my TTT!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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    1. Hey Ronyell, thanks for coming by. Most of these have only been published recently, and some are not out yet. If you get the chance to read any of them, let me know what you think!

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  3. Arthur and the Kings of Britain looks right up my alley. And Mary, Queen of scots as well possibly.

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    1. I am suuuuuper psyched for the Arthur one. You'll have to get it and then we can compare notes. Mary was quite the character and while she did make some really stupid decisions, not everything that went wrong was her fault. I have been lucky enough to visit Holyrood Palace, and it is amazing. We were not allowed to take pictures inside of course, but what a breathtaking place to be, walking the halls that she walked - and standing in the room where her secretary Rizzio was murdered was pretty chilling. If walls could talk!

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  4. I see why you have having trouble trying to figure out what to read next...you have so many wonderful possibilities! Enjoy.

    https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/11/books-im-desperately-trying-to-read.html

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    1. Thank you Deb! It is certainly a wonderful trouble to have, isn't it? Being surrounded by books can never be too awful. And bonus, when the world is too much, we can build forts out of our books and live inside them for a while :)

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  5. ooh ooh. nice! We can't seem to get enough of that era!

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    1. I love it! I am pretty partial to England in general from the earliest people up through about 1603. Though I love to read about Mary QoS, I start losing interest when James comes to the throne and unites the two kingdoms.

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  6. Oh, and meant to say that I visited Blackness Castle in Scotland and had that little 'Mary Queen of Scots' thrill when I went through that ancient door! Great list. Thanks!

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    1. I hope you find something you will enjoy on my list! Have you ever been to Holyrood Palace? My mom and I visited Scotland in 2009 and visited Holyrood, Edinburgh Castle, and Stirling. Holyrood is beautiful but Stirling is my most favorite castle in the whole world. If you ever get the chance to see those as well, definitely add them to your Mary tour!

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  7. WOW I love this list! I'll be back to read more on these.
    Lisa @ https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-books-on-my-winter-tbr/

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    1. YES! I love hearing from people that they are interested in books that I share - sometimes being a non-fiction reader gets a little lonely, haha. I have tons more Tudor recommendations if you are ever in need!

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  8. I don't know the story about Margaret Pole (or I've forgotten, high school was a long time ago...) but this has me intrigued!

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thanks!

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    1. No worries, allow me to briefly (re)introduce you! She was the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence. He was Edward IV and Richard III's brother - also making her first cousin to Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII's mother. As she was one of the last surviving Plantagenets, she had a tumultuous relationship with Henry VIII and eventually she was imprisoned in the Tower for two and a half years, sentenced to death as a traitor. Henry finally decided to have the sentence carried out on May 27th, 1541 when Margaret was 67 years old. I personally call it cold-blooded murder, as accounts of the execution basically say that the executioner hacked her shoulders, neck, and head to pieces. Henry did a lot of terrible things, but this one is by far one of the worst, in my opinion.

      I am very much looking forward to learning more about her life, because all I really know is what I have shared here. If you read the book as well, let me know what you think!

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  9. Have you read any of Philippa Gregory's book? She has a lot based in this time period. I haven't read any of these, but I'll have to check them out.

    www.flimsylion.com

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    1. Hey Nikki, thanks for coming by. I love the Tudor period, there are so many absolutely riveting people to learn about.

      Truthfully, I am not a fan of Philippa Gregory. I feel that some of the liberties she takes with the lives of real people go way too far - such as with The Other Boleyn Girl. But, I know a lot of people enjoy them, so there is definitely a market!

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  10. I hope you get a chance to read all these! I also bought way too many books on Black Friday. At least they were cheap, right?

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. Thank you AJ. I am trying to be patient since they are coming from the UK, and some are not even published yet, but I am super excited about this order.

      Hooray for books that are monetarily cheap, but very rich in content. Thanks for coming by!

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  11. Love your list! Now I'm interested in the Tudors; royalty is so fun! :D

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    1. Thank you Maggie! I have plenty of other recommendations about the Tudors if you find yourself in need of more books. And then I can also recommend books about the dynasty before them, the Plantagenets. And before them, the Normans. And before them, the Anglo-Saxons...I could go on a while :) Glad you found some books of interest!

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  12. There are a few on that list that very much interest me! Yes to the 'In the Footsteps Of' book and Mary...I love castles and palaces. Also want to read Margaret Pole and Anne Seymour!

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    1. Right?? So many great books. I would definitely recommend subscribing to Amberley's newsletter, it is how I always find out about the sales. Since August they have had three big sales, two for 25% everything and this Black Friday one for 30% of every book. That one is the reason I was able to get a few of the hardcovers, the currency difference was still enough to justify it!

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Thanks for visiting my little book nook. I love talking books so leave a comment and let's chat!