The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

I've had this on my shelf for months -- a friend lent it to me a wicked long time ago. Set in the time of King Arthur, it is told from the perspective of the women (Morgan le Fay, Guinevere etc.). It has a Red Tent feel with more science fiction/fantasy. It's honkin' huge so it might take me a while ...

UPDATE: While well written and very imaginative, I was only able to get through the first section of this one. I don't know -- it just kept putting me to sleep! Carrie C., let me know if you want me to send it back to you or if I can hold onto it for a little longer and see if I can pick it up again during a summer vacation!

The Boelyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

March book club book. Multiple narrators and historical fiction = my kind of book! Told alternately by Jane Boleyn (Anne's sister-in-law who was instrumental in her demise), Anne of Cleves (Henry's 4th, reportedly homely, wife), and Katherine (Henry's 5th, reportedly stupid, wife). The characterizations are FABULOUS. There are three distinct voices and a great story to follow. I thought some of Katherine's "entries" were a little repetetive, but then again, she's only 14 and admittedly not the brightest bulb, so maybe that was intentional. One thing about Philippa Gregory's novels is that I get a very good picture of the women and the differences between them (even the more minor characters), but I can't tell at all who's who in the men -- there are several advisors and uncles and courtiers that could all be the same person. Even so, this one gets:

4 bookmarks!
Approved!

Goodnight Nobody - Jennifer Weiner

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

February book club book -- success! We actually talked about this book a LOT this month (we usually spend about 5-7 minutes on the book). This is Jennifer Weiner's foray into writing a murder mystery and it's pretty good. It has her wit and vivid characters and the plot moved forward pretty quickly. It's set in a Connecticut suburb with a gaggle of super moms -- one of our book clubbers used to live in a similar culdesac in Texas so she entertained us with some hysterical stories -- and one of them gets stabbed. The main character then tries to crack the case during daycare hours.

4 bookmarks
Approved

Paint it Black - Janet Fitch

Paint it Black by Janet Fitch

This was the January book club book. It was suggested because it is the second book by the author of White Oleander that some people liked lot. It's the story of a down on her luck model who drinks too much and smokes too much and works several jobs to support her depressed socialite turned artist boyfriend who just ends up killing himself. In a word: horrible. Well OK, that's not fair. It was actually really well written and I got really int certain parts (yes, convinced myself that I was the character [again] and almost stopped on the way to work to grab some ciggies and voddy). There were just too many things that annoyed me about the character and the story that I won't even go into them. Most everyone in the book club hated it, too (save one). We decided we need to read a book that isn't about suicide soon ...

2 bookmarks
Not so much.

Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

OK I have a problem. I rip through these so fast -- I have to read something else even though I have two more on my bookshelf.

This one jumps ahead 20 years (in the present so we're in the 1960s) and then back again (to the 1770s). These are the kind of books that I will read again -- kind of like Harry Potter and The Davinci Code.

4.5 bookmarks!
APPROVED!

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

Dradonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Second book in what will be a 7 book series. Poured through this one -- it moved the setting from Scotland in the 1740s to France which I didn't love as much, but the characters are so great and there is so much action. Love it.

4.5 bookmarks
APPROVED!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - by Lisa See

I'm back to the blog! (Hopefully!!)

I just finished this book, which was given to me as a Christmas present by my mother. At first, it was presented as a book about foot binding. However, that turned out only to be part of the story. This book is about women's lives in nineteenth century China, and I think all of you historical fiction fans will enjoy it. There are two women at its center, and it details the roles of women and men at this time. The footbinding part was a little difficult to get through, but it's only a few pages near the beginning, so stick it out.

Man did this book make me thankful that life is not like that for women anymore. I don't have to break my feet in order to shrink them to merely a few centimeters or stay in one room sewing all day. ANd my worth is not measured by how many sons I give birth to. Phew.

I say 4 bookmarks on this one!

Can't seem to make this put the image in for some reason...