It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and an Update

A weekly event hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. I'm so happy to be back participating in Sheila's meme regularly & I've been getting around to visit more blogs which has been such fun!

It has been a busy but good week; Bella had her vet visit today and it was so nice to get some good news; things are definitely looking up for her. Now we just have to wait for her immune system to kick back in and her hair to re-grow and that will mean "full recovery." If love cures all then our little puppy will be better in no time. I took this photo of Bella giving Cal "five" before having her antibiotics, she learnt "high five" in just a couple of days (isn't she clever!)

I've spent time with Alaine most days and we had a lovely afternoon on Saturday with DVD's and pizza, our boys chilled and Bella & Cindy (Alaine's new puppy) met for the first time.

Callum has played full games the last two soccer games, which is great for his confidence after a shaky start to the season with all our family dramas. His team are now placed 5th in the competition, mid season which is a great result considering most of them are 16 playing against 18 year olds (hopefully they can maintain that for the rest of the season.) In the photo below Cal is the one in the air heading the ball.

I participated in the Pump Up Your Book tour for The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by the delightful Christopher Gortner and posted my review:

THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI by C W Gortner - check it out and enter the International Giveaway to win your own signed copy of this brilliant book!

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Completed last week:

NEVER LET YOU GO by Erin Healy ~ 4 stars

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This Week's Reading List:

I'm not too sure what I'll feel like after Spirit Bound so if you've read any of these and want to recommend my next book, please feel free :-)

SPIRIT BOUND by Richelle Mead ~ audiobook (chapter 6)

CAPTIVATE by Carrie Jones

THE LIES WE TOLD by Diane Chamberlain

SAVING MAX by Antoinette van Heugten

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Reviews still to do:

THE HEALERS by Thomas Heric

BLOOD PROMISE by Richelle Mead

LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld

FORGET-HER-NOTS by Amy Brecount White

Hope everyone has a wonderful week ~ happy reading!!

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner - Review & Giveaway

Genre: Historical Fiction
Copyright: May 2010
Pages: 397
Book Source: Pump Up Your Book

Synopsis: The truth is, none of us are innocent. We all have sins to confess.

So reveals Catherine de Medici in this brilliantly imagined novel about one of history’s most powerful and controversial women. To some she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter into the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power.

The last legitimate descendant of the illustrious Medici line, Catherine suffers the expulsion of her family from her native Florence and narrowly escapes death at the hands of an enraged mob. While still a teenager, she is betrothed to Henri, son of François I of France, and sent from Italy to an unfamiliar realm where she is overshadowed and humiliated by her husband’s lifelong mistress. Ever resilient, Catherine strives to create a role for herself through her patronage of the famous clairvoyant Nostradamus and her own innate gift as a seer. But in her fortieth year, Catherine is widowed, left alone with six young children as regent of a kingdom torn apart by religious discord and the ambitions of a treacherous nobility.

Relying on her tenacity, wit, and uncanny gift for compromise, Catherine seizes power, intent on securing the throne for her sons. She allies herself with the enigmatic Protestant leader Coligny, with whom she shares an intimate secret, and implacably carves a path toward peace, unaware that her own dark fate looms before her—a fate that, if she is to save France, will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, her reputation, and the passion of her embattled heart.

From the fairy-tale châteaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.

Review:

Well firstly, I have a little confession of my own to make; I've looked forward to The Confessions of Catherine de Medici with much anticipation and yes I admit a certain degree of trepidation. C.W. Gortner's debut novel, The Last Queen was one of my favourite reads last year and my favourite historical novel of the year so I confess to an element of fear regarding his new novel ... would it be just as captivating, would it surpass my expectations? (phew, the pressure!) Well I'm ecstatic to tell you that my fears were completely unfounded, I loved The Confessions of Catherine de Medici. It is C.W. Gortner doing what he does best, combining meticulous research & historical accuracy with eloquence, emotion & excitement, to bring us a humanised take on the legend of Catherine de Medici.

Even though I've read a bit about this time frame in history and know of the French Wars of Religion, before reading this novel I knew little about Catherine apart from her part in the St Bartholomew's Day massacre where thousands of Heugenots (Protestants or so-called heretics) were slaughtered.

Catherine is forced into marriage to forge an alliance between Italy & France, wed at age 14 to Henri, the second son of King Francois I of France. Spanning the years 1527 to 1589 we hear in Catherine's voice of her personal & political travails, successes and sorrows, her strange 'bedfellows', her attempts to cultivate tolerance and peace between Catholic & Heugenot, her sacrifices for the good of France and her quest to safeguard the throne for her sons.

Throughout history many have found it easier to believe the stories that vilify & condemn rather than challenge prejudices but this is a portrayal that shows a very human and believable side to Catherine, it doesn't randomly justify her actions but shines a light of understanding on many of her choices, right or wrong.

"It was the price of privilege, of our roles as royal women. Before comfort, before hopes and dreams, our countries must come first."

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici was almost impossible to put down, I found myself immersed in the rich tapestry of history, intrigue and emotion. When a novel takes you on a journey, a journey you want to prolong & savour, when you finish with a sigh because the journey is at an end, when you feel sated with knowledge but inspired to learn more, then I believe the author has done his job brilliantly.

Bravo Christopher, your novels have earned a place on my bookshelf with other favoured historical fiction writers; Dorothy Dunnett, Michelle Moran, Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon Penman.

Christopher is currently working on The Princess Isabella, a historical novel about Isabella of Castile and The Tudor Secret, the first book in his new Tudor suspense series, The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles to be published January 2011.

You can find out more about C.W. Gortner & his work by visiting his website and blog Historical Boys. While you're there be sure to check out the Q & A about this book.

Thank you to C.W. Gortner & Cheryl of Pump Up Your Book for my copy of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and for allowing me to participate in the tour.

Click on the title to see my review of C.W. Gortner's first book The Last Queen.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

I am thrilled to be able to offer readers a chance to win a copy of The Confessions Of Catherine de Medici thanks to the generosity of C.W. Gortner. Christopher will personalise the UK copy of his novel and post to the winner. Open internationally - woohoo!!

HOW TO ENTER:

Competition is only open to followers of this blog. (so if you're not a follower & you'd like to enter just click on the follow button on the right hand side of my blog - easy peasy)

Leave a comment with an email address to be entered in the giveaway

+ 2 comment on C.W. Gortner's fascinating guest post and let me know.

+ 2 post this giveaway on your blog, sidebar, twitter etc & leave me a link

Competition ends Friday July 9th and winner will be announced on this blog. Good luck to all!

A Passion for the Arts: The Secret Side of Catherine de Medici - Guest Post by C W Gortner

  http://www.aboutfacts.net/

History has painted Catherine de Medici as a perennial black widow who wreaked havoc on France, a reptilian being without glamour. We forget that in fact she was once a pretty girl— thin, with the Medici’s slightly protuberant eyes and thick auburn hair. Though never described as a beauty, she had spirit. More importantly, she was a product of the Italian Renaissance, a well-educated princess who brought with her to France the seeds of a cultural heritage that continues to flourish today.

An avid patron of the arts, Catherine re-modeled the Louvre to house her collection and protect the paintings acquired by her father-in-law, Francois I, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Catherine also had a keen eye for portraiture—a direct reflection of her Renaissance upbringing, in which the individual assumed center stage. During her time as regent, artists created astonishing images of the most important people of the court, including Catherine’s own children, allowing us centuries later to bask in their near-photographic likenesses.

7 of Catherine & Henri's 10 children

Source: wikipedia.org

Architecture was another lifelong passion of Catherine’s; her chateau at Chenonceau is one of the most beautiful palaces in France. Another of her projects is the impressive tomb she had built for herself and her husband in the Abbey of St Denis, though sadly it sits empty since the plunder of the Revolution.

Perhaps most fascinating are the smaller contributions she made: Catherine is believed to have imported the first artichokes to France, as well as the first example of the modernized side-saddle. She was also the first documented user of female undergarments in France — which, if true, indicates that before she arrived, the ladies went commando under their gowns. It makes one wonder just how Catherine went about introducing the benefits of underpants to her companions!

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. To find out more about The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, as well as special features about me and my work, please visit: http://www.cwgortner.com/

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Thanks so much for the informative guest post Christopher, as always it is an absolute pleasure to have you visit my blog. Your new novel and your blog post inspired me to do some extra reading about Catherine & her pivotal role in this period in history & the introduction of undergarments for women :-)

Tomorrow, don't miss my review of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and an awesome international giveaway thanks to C W Gortner!!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly event hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week.

Love and best wishes to Alaine for her surgery today, we are all hoping she has a speedy recovery so she can return quickly to participating in all the things she loves.

Heartfelt thanks once again to everyone including our little Bella in their prayers. She is holding her own and seems to have recovered a little of her mischieviousness, although the same can not be said of her hair. Poor darling gets very cold and she's not exactly Bella Beautiful at the moment but we love her just the same. Vet visit again tomorrow so I'll keep you all updated.

I only finished one book this week but it was a bloody brilliant one so come back on Thursday to see my review of The Confessions of Catherine De Medici as part of C W Gortner's Pump Up Your Book tour.

I did get another review posted this week. Click on the title if you'd like to see my thoughts on:

THE MIDWIFE'S TALE  - 4.5 stars, a very moving story.

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Completed last week:

THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI by C W Gortner ~ 5 stars and a favourite this year!

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This Week's Reading List:

NEVER LET YOU GO by Erin Healy ~ page 45

SPIRIT BOUND by Richelle Mead ~ audiobook (chapter 3)

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Reviews still to do:

THE HEALERS by Thomas Heric

BLOOD PROMISE by Richelle Mead

LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld

FORGET-HER-NOTS by Amy Brecount White

Hope everyone has a wonderful week ~ happy reading!!

The Midwife's Tale by Gretchen Moran Laskas

Genre: Historical Fiction
Copyright: 2003
Pages: 243
Book Source: Library borrow

“I come from a long line of midwives,” narrates Elizabeth Whitely. “I was expected to follow Mama, follow Granny, follow Great-granny. In the end, I didn’t disappoint them. Or perhaps I did. After all, there were no more midwives after me.”

For generations, the women in Elizabeth’s family have brought life to Kettle Valley, West Virginia, heeding a destiny to tend its women with herbals, experience, and wisdom. But Elizabeth, who has comforted so many, has lost her heart to the one man who cannot reciprocate, even when she moves into his home to share his bed and raise his child.

Then Lauren Denniker, Elizabeth’s adopted daughter, begins to display a miraculous gift--just as Elizabeth learns that she herself is unable to have a child. How Elizabeth comes to free herself from a loveless relationship, grapple with Lauren’s astonishing abilities, and come to terms with her own emptiness is the compelling heart of this remarkable tale. Incorporating the spirited mountain mythology of prewar Appalachia, Gretchen Laskas has crafted a story as true to our time as its own, and a cast of characters as poignant as they are entirely original.

Review:
This book came highly recommended by Alaine Queen of Happy Endings and I'm so glad I picked it up. The Midwife's Tale is a beautifully written debut novel. Poignant, raw and sometimes shocking, it portrays with honesty and emotion the realities of life in rural Virginia in the early 1900's. Narrated by Elizabeth, a midwife like her mother and grandmother before her, we experience heartache, love and hardships alongside this strong, compassionate character.

Descriptive birthings, timeworn herbal remedies, sage advice and complex relationships are woven together to create a very moving account. The author doesn't shy away from some of the grimmer aspects of midwifery, such as unwanted babies and newborn deaths, and while I'm sure it's time-true, be warned it does make for bleak reading.

Fear of a dry birth ate its way through my belly. My herbals were useless. I had given her blueberry root and hardhack. I'd forced bitter summer cohosh straight down her throat. Now there was nothing to do but wait. (page 34)

As much as I had once loved this man, I would have loved his baby more. That Alvin thought my love for him greater than my want for a child was strange knowledge, but like a spring tonic, I swallowed it and was made stronger. (page 145)

I loved sharing the wide spectrum of emotions that Elizabeth experiences in her relationships; with her mother, grandmother, her friend Ivy, and the men in her life. With much of her life shadowed in sorrow, it's truly heartwarming when Elizabeth eventually finds love and happiness.

As a lover of stories centred around midwifery or healing The Midwife's Tale certainly ticked all the boxes for me.

Visit the author's website to find out more.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly event hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week.

I haven't participated in the Monday meme for a few weeks as I've been struggling to deal with our puppy's illness and life in general. If you want an update visit my post When You Fall Off The The End Of The Earth. Heartfelt thanks to everyone including little Bella in their prayers.

I have begun reading again and I also managed a review last week which was a bit of a milestone for me.

Click on the title to see my review of NEED by Carrie Jones ~ 4.5 stars definitely recommend it.

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Completed in the last few weeks:

THE HEALERS by Thomas Heric - this was a real surprise, horrifying and intriguing at the same time!

BLOOD PROMISE by Richelle Mead - really enjoyable, looking forward to Spirit Bound

LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld - good, havent read anything like it before.

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This Week's Reading List:

THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI by C W Gortner ~ page 45

NEVER LET YOU GO by Erin Healy ~ page 25

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Reviews still to do:

FORGET-HER-NOTS by Amy Brecount White

THE MIDWIFE'S TALE by Gretchen Moran Laskas

and of course the 3 books finished above :-)

I promised yesterday to show a few more scrapbook layouts so here they are. The first one I've just recently finished, is Callum age 14 (2 years ago) and the next one I did at the srapbook camp Alaine and I went to a month ago. It's a scraplift from somewhere (sorry, can't remember.) The photos were taken on a family holiday to Fiji 5 years ago.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week ~ happy reading!!

When You Fall Off The End Of The Earth

When you fall off the end of the earth ... it takes a while to find your way back. I've been MIA and I'm not going to make rash promises to make up for it but I do ask once again for your understanding. Most people who follow my blog posts and especially those who I've established firm friendships with across the miles have been supportive despite my "blog deficits" and, while my reading and blogging is sporadic I'm not willing to give up on it just yet.

So an update from our world ~

Most of you know about the new addition in our family, little puppy Bella. Well Bella has had a very rough month, sending us all into a tailspin. Her immune system has not developed and she came down with Demodectic Mange and secondary bacterial infections. At her last vet visit we were told that things were not looking good for her, that she appeared to be in the 3% of animals that don't respond to the course of injections and that in the next week or so we may have to make the dreadful decision to say goodbye. The boys and I have been heartbroken, it seems so unfair that the little puppy we rescued from the RSPCA, who brought much needed joy to our family is now going through this. In the last day or two Bella seems to have improved a little so while we don't want to get our hopes up, I am praying that this may be the turning point for her and the vet visit on Tuesday is more positive. Please say a prayer for Bella.

When things don't seem to be going our way I usually find the strength to hold on but this time I've struggled to keep my head above the water. Ongoing difficulties with the man I now won't dignify with the title husband, and a stalled property settlement have just added to the strain. I am slowly returning to reading and have scrapbooked with my friend Alaine so I do have some nice layouts to share with you. Some are from the scrapbook camp we went to almost a month ago.

These two layouts of Bella were inspired by Nancy @ Scrap This

This one is a scraplift from Alaine.

 I loved it so much I wanted my own copy!

Alaine and I swapped layouts we had begun at camp. Alaine scrapped the photo above of mum taken with the grandkids 4 or 5 years ago. I absolutely love it, I think it was scraplifted from a magazine layout.

I did the layout below of Alaine, it's an Iggydodie scraplift. Can't wait to do my own photo of this one.

This layout is from a class at the Daisy Chain scrapbook retreat.

I've enjoyed posting today and hope to participate in Sheila's Monday Meme since I have actually finished some books and done a review (yay me.) I'll share some more scrapbook layouts tomorrow!

Need by Carrie Jones

Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: Need book 1
Copyright: 2008
Pages: 306
Book Source: Allen & Unwin Australia

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you"d have to fear.

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of Need and while not a lot seemed to happen in the first half of the book there was an undercurrent of suspense that compelled me to keep turning the pages. I would suggest abandoning any pre-conceived ideas you may have of pixies before picking up the book because the pixies of Need aren't cute Disney pixies; (no tinkerbell in these woods) they're evil, they have teeth and they bite!

Need has a bit of something for everyone; emotion, fantasy, suspense, humour, mystery, and romance but the winner for me is the character development and there's a whole lot more to some of these characters than meets the eye. I found Zara extremely likeable and her struggle to deal with the recent death of her stepfather felt honest and real. Her unusual coping strategy of naming and definining phobias to control her fears appealed to me in a weirdly interesting kind of way. I adored Zara's new found friends, Issie and Devyn, and Zara's Grandma, Betty and the mysterious and moody Nick. The romance is sweet and definitely suitable for the younger teen (only kissing) but not without appeal for the more mature reader.

Nick laughs. Dimples crinkle up the skin near his lips. I will not look at his lips. How can he never have used those? That's a crime against humanity right there. (page 101)

I put my hand against his skin. It is warm. It's always been warm. He smells so good, like woods and safety. I swallow my fear and move forward, and my lips meet his, angel-light, a tiny promise. His lips move beneath mine. His hands move to my shoulders and my mouth feels like it will burst with happiness. (page 181)

Need fell just a little short of a 5 star read for me, due in part to the slower build in the first half of the story but also for the bizarre use of "forks" in the ending. Don't panic it's not a spoiler but I just couldn't help thinking, come on ... forks??

All in all, the original, multi-faceted plot and well developed characters made Need a winner for me and I can't wait to continue on with the story in Captivate.

Check out Carrie Jones's website for lots of cool info about the author and her work. The pixies of Need have their very own website too, you can visit it here.

Thanks to Jess from Allen & Unwin for my copy of Need :-)

We Have A Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the CSN giveaway for a $60 Gift Voucher.

The lucky winner is Alexia561

have fun shopping :-)