Monday, September 28, 2015

ROYAL FICTION

The Taming of Queen, Philippa Gregory's latest novel, is the inspiration for this blog entry.  Many historical fiction fans are specifically fans of historical fiction involving royal families.  Philippa Gregory's newest book takes place in Henry VIII's court during the time of his marriage to his sixth and final wife Katherine Parr.


If you are a fan of royal fiction, then you may want to try some of the books listed here.  This is just a brief list as there are many more out there!

The Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
Katherine by Anya Seton
The October Horse by Colleen McCullough
The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
Elizabeth I by Margaret George
The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Second Empress by Michelle Moran
Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki
Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire
The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson
The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George
Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
Anastasia and Her Sisters by Carolyn Meyer

Picture from http://syndetics.com/index.php?isbn=9781476758794/lc.jpg&client=arrowheadlbs&type=rn12

Monday, September 21, 2015

JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL



Next month, we will be reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke for book club.  The story takes place in 19th century England and follows Mr. Norrell and his pupil Jonathan Strange.  Clarke's work was recently turned into a miniseries that received positive reviews.

You can place a hold on the book, or the miniseries, through RockCat or by calling the library at 608-882-2260.

If you enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, you may like some of these works as well.






The Prestige by Christopher Priest: Two you magicians clash during a séance, and from then on their lives become intertwined.  Both men try to outdo and expose the other.  This rivalry takes them to highs in their careers, but comes at a cost.

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates takes place in twentieth century Princeton, NJ.  A curse causes the disappearance of a young woman, and her brother sets out to find her. 

The Magician King by Lev Grossman follows Quentin and his friends who are now the kings and queens of Fillory.  Quentin and Julia set off an a ship to the outer edges of their kingdom.  However, their trip turns into an adventure when they are returned to Quentin's parents' home.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Behind the scenes at the circus is a fierce competition between two young magicians: Celia and Marco.  As they compete, the two fall in love.  Who will win, and how will everything play out?


The Quick by Lauren Owen tells the story of James Norbury, a poet in London.  As he navigates the world of high society, he finds love and happiness.  However, he vanishes without a trace.  His sister Charlotte sets out to find her brother, and her search leads her to a mysterious institution: The Aegolius Club.


Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson follows Daniel Waterhouse in his pursuit of knowledge from the greatest minds in Europe.


Picture from http://syndetics.com/index.php?isbn=1582344167/lc.jpg&client=arrowheadlbs&type=rn12


Monday, September 14, 2015

MARY POPPINS


Book to Movie Club meets on Thursday, September 24th, and our book for this month is Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers.  Growing up, Mary Poppins was a favorite movie of mine, but I never read the book until this year!

P.L. Travers was born in Australia as Helen Lyndon Goff.  She eventually moved to London where she wrote and published Mary Poppins.  The first book was published in 1934, and she continued to write more books about Mary.  For more information on P.L. Travers, you can visit http://www.biography.com/people/pl-travers-21358293#life-as-a-writer

Mary Poppins Series:
1.  Mary Poppins
2.  Mary Poppins Comes Back
3.  Mary Poppins Opens the Door
4.  Mary Poppins in the Park
5.  Mary Poppins From A to Z
6.  Mary Poppins in the Kitchen
7.  Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane
8.  Mary Poppins and the House Next Door

Already finished with Mary Poppins?  Give one of these books a try!

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Bed-Knob and Broomstick by Mary Norton
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty Bard MacDonald
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming


Picture from http://syndetics.com/index.php?isbn=9780544340473/lc.jpg&client=arrowheadlbs&type=rn12

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

BOOKS ABOUT WORLD WAR II

Our book club recently finished reading and discussing Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  Shortly after, I read another World War II work: Escape Into Danger by Sophia Orlovsky Williams.  There are so many different books on World War II, both fiction and nonfiction.  And, this blog entry will only touch on a very few.

Take a look at the list of some of the World War II materials that you can find in the Library.

World War II Fiction:
Th Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Ashes by Kathryn Lasky
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry


World War II Nonfiction:
Escape Into Danger: The True Story of a Kievan Girl in World War II by Sophia Orlovsky Williams
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
Night by Elie Wiesel
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel Brown
Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff

Movies:
Pearl Harbor
Schindler's List
The Pianist
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Unbroken

Picture from http://syndetics.com/index.php?isbn=9781442214682/lc.jpg&client=arrowheadlbs&type=rn12http://syndetics.com/index.php?isbn=9781442214682/lc.jpg&client=arrowheadlbs&type=rn12