The First Princess of Wales - Book Review

  I know that I haven't done a book review in a long time, but I think that may be because I haven't read anything that really swept me away and stayed with me once I closed the pages (or turned off the ipad/kobo.) This weekend, I had the immense pleasure of finding something that was worth writing about. 

  I'll be honest, having a Kobo has been fantastic. So easy to maneuver, the version I have lights up and it is so lightweight to hold but not too lightweight that you forget it's with you. The biggest issue with a kobo is that if you want to read books they are generally going to cost you money. That's where the library came in. The Cambridge Public Libraries (or if you want to use their silly new name, Libraries Unlimited) allow you to download books online. It's free to use as long as you have a valid library card. I signed up for it awhile ago because I was reading like crazy on the ipad. Now that I have a kobo, I'm really glad to see that I can still get books from them. I signed on the other day and downloaded two historical romances, which as you may know, is my favourite genre to read. The one was your traditional, slightly predictable drama about the Scottish Highlands with lairds and lasses. It was good, but it didn't hit home to me as being something original. Something I would really recommend to someone who wants to read a historical romance. 

   That's where The First Princess of Wales comes in. 

   The novel written by Karen Harper takes place during the reign of the Plantagenet's in England during a very tumultuous time in British History. It's all based on true facts surrounding the very first Princess of Wales, Joan of Kent and her star crossed journey to marry Prince Edward, the Black Prince. 

  I don't think I'm giving anything away by telling you that above. I mean, the book is titled the First Princess of Wales so you have to know that it's coming at some point. What I found remarkable about the story was how much it twisted and pulled your heart in so many directions. You felt for our heroine the entire way through the novel and cringed when she made errors in judgement and cheered when something wonderful happens. You laugh along with her and she bumbles through court and turns from a free-spirited country girl into a lady. At times you want to punch out the king and queen for being, well, kings and queens and you want to shake the royal family so that they can see what you as the reader can see by going on the journey. 

  It was a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it even if it was a bit long and did have a large number of references to violet eyes and how beautiful everyone was. There was a certain amount of intrigue in the story that kept my mind moving through the pages and wanting to know what happens. I'm also incredibly happy that they stuck as close to the real version of events and didn't fluff over major events to keep the plot flowing. 

   There was a large amount of time devoted to describing the clothing and the fashion of the day which to mean seemed to show how much research Karen Harper put into the story. She didn't get all the historical facts right, but the clothing at least matched well.

  I did find after reading and digesting the book that there was an interesting correlation between the Joan of Kent and the current Princess of Wales, Camilla Parker-Bowles (or whatever her name is now that she's married to Charles.) Both women ended up married to the Prince of Wales after having been previously married and both women were looked at as potentially having relations with the prince before they were wed. 

  Needless to say, if you are looking for a long sweeping romance where you feel swept along and taken on a journey from England to France and back again, I do recommend this book. 

#26in2012 Recap (60 instead of 26!)

Here is the recap of books that I read in 2012:

60 - Calling the Shots - Christine D'Abo

59 - The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton - Catherine Alliott

58 - Hearts Aflame - Johanna Lindsey

57 - Corinthian - Georgette Heyer

56 - Perfect for You - Kate Perry

55 - Cypress Point - Diane Chamberlain

54 - When Snow Falls - Brenda Novak

53 - A Kind of Magic - Betty Neels

52 - Highland Honor - Hannah Howell

51 - Forbidden Fantasy - Cheryl Holt

50 - By His Majesty's Grace - Jennifer Blake

49 - Promises to Keep - Ann Tatlock

48 - Regency Delights - Patricia Rice

47 - Follow the stars Home - Luanne Rice

46 - Mastering the Marquess - Vanessa Kelly

45 - When His Kiss is Wicked - Kaitlin O'Riley

44 - The Naked Baron - Sally MacKenzie

43 - An Invitation to Sin - Jo Beverley

42 - The Angel of Blythe Hall - Darci Hannah

41 - The Delaney Christmas Carol - Iris Johansen

40 - Stonehenge - Bernard Cornwell

39 - Until Forever - Johanna Lindsey

38 - Man of my Dreams - Johanna Lindsey 

37 - Commitments - Barbara Delinsky

36 - Sugarplums and Scandal - Dana Cameron

35 - Days of Gold - Jude Deveraux

34 - The Last Templar - Raymond Khoury

33 - 50 Shades Free - E L James

32 - 50 Shades Darker - E L James

31 - Love the One Your With - Emily Giffin

30 - Just Breathe - Susan Wiggs

29 - 50 Shades of Gray - E L James

28 - Summer House - Nancy Thayer

27 - A Turn in the Road - Debbie Macomber

26 - Harvest Moon - Robyn Carr

25 - Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

24 - Charming the Prince - Teresa Medeiros

23 - An Angel for Christmas - Heather Graham

22 - Not My Daughter - Barbara Delinsky

21 - Call me Mrs. Miracle - Debbie Macomber

20 - Bring me Home for Christmas - Robyn Carr

19 - Highlander's Challenge - Jo Barrett

18 - A Good Yarn - Debbie Macomber

17 - Highland Champion - Hannah Howell

16 - WanderLust - Chris Dyer

15 - Mistress of His Heart - Deborah Hale

14 - The Duke's Dilemma - Margaret Moore

13 - Manhunting Masquerade - Joanne Rock

12 - Naughty is Nice - Tawny Weber

11 - Voyage of an Irish Warrior - Michelle Willingham

10 - His Stand in Bride - Michelle Styles

09 - Desert Prince, Bartered Bride - Marguerite Kaye

08 - Walk on the Wilde Side - Anne Marie Winston

07 - Daisy and the Duke - Janice Maynard

06 - Saving Grace - Julie Garwood

05 - Christmas at Tiffany's - Karen Swan

04 - Dirty Sexy Knitting - Christie Ridgway

03 - After America - John Birmingham

02 - The Border Vixen - Bertrice Small

01 - Last Night at Chateau Marmont - Laura Weisberger

Blowing #26in2012 out of the water

  I don't know how I did it.

  How did I sit still for long enough to read as many books as I've read in 2012?

  My goal was 26 books in 2012 - or #26in2012. I beat that in the summer time and kept on going. I've read on the couch, in the bath, at bedtime. I've read on the treadmill and while cycling at the gym. I've brought paperback and hardcover books or my ipad in the car and to the park. I've read everywhere! For Christmas my husband purchased a Kobo for his "reading homesizzler" and since receiving it I've read 3 novels on the incredibly light reading machine.

  With only one full day left in the the year I am one book away from 60 books in 2012. 60. Wow. That's astounding. I'd love to start a new book, and I just might but I'm also thinking how nice it would be to round out my family tree with information that I have been able to gleam from our family books. That has become a really strong passion this year - finding out about my history and where I came from.

  No matter what happens in the next day, I know that I've had a successful year.

The Craziness that is November 2012

My life has been an absolute whirlwind lately and it doesn't look to be letting up any time soon. I have a to-do list that is several pages long, and that doesn't even count the one I have at work.

Everything has gotten so wild and it's only the beginning. In years gone by I've tried to get all my shopping done before November 15th so that I can beat the rush - get all that I need to get so that I can just chill out and enjoy the holidays.

Today is the day I book off in November that I use as my day to finish shopping - but I feel like I've only just begun. For the first time, I have no clue where to start and what to get. I also don't even have a good list to pass on for what I want.

Last year, after having lost my mom, I found that the holidays were something to look forward to. I looked towards the lights and the wonder and the joy of the holidays. This year I seem to be stuck behind the rest. I know it's only November 12th and most people won't start thinking about Christmas until at least December 1st, but I'm not most people. I'm usually organized and ready.

Yes, I did start shopping for the holidays back in August when we went to the states and checked out Bonner's Christmas Wonderland. It was wild and overwhelming. Looking back, it seems so fitting considering how I'm feeling now. Perhaps it was an indicator of things to come? Or perhaps it was showing me that sometimes your visions of how things should be, aren't always how they turn out.

The only Christmas related thing I can seem to focus on right now is the Ugly Sweater Society and the Santa Claus Parade this weekend. So excited to get the float together and to see the joy on our teams face as we get the sweaters on and the spirit up. Once that's done I can really focus on the rest of the fun of the holiday season.

The Last Templar - Book Review

This weekend I read another book bringing my total up to 34 for 2012. I'm amazed at how voracious my reading appetite is lately. It's not so much that I have a bunch of books to get through it's that nearly all my waking hours are consumed by getting back to the book and finishing it.

The book I most recently read is The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury and reading it I can completely understand how it made the New York Times Bestseller List.

Set in modern times with a glimpse back into the final days of the Knights Templar the book takes a strong look at the Templar Knights, Christianity as we know it and archaeology around the world. It's no secret that I love a book that has strong religious undercurrents, especially if the book involves relics of a long ago time and action packed scenes where everyone seems to be fighting to get the relic. In this case, the book talks about a lost Templar treasure, perhaps the most damning treasure the world has ever seen.

I read the book in rapt fascination. I was raised in a Christian household but by no means was my family religious. The bible and all the bible stories that were taught had always seemed to me as nice stories. They were trying to point us on a good moral path. I was never really comfortable with the opulence of the church and the more I learned and read, the more I never quite understood how the greed of so many in the church gave it so much more power over people.

My religious beliefs were always "We are all people under god." It has nothing do with our religion, our sexual orientation, the colour of our skin. We are all people. We all seem to worship one god, and I'm a strong believer that faith can heal wounds and bring us through times of sorrow. It's all about choices. It's all within us. This book brought that all back for me.

I was not shocked when reading the "About The Author" on the back of the book flap that Raymond Khoury was a screenwriter. The book was action packed, and I felt that I was right there with the characters, heart pumping, mind racing over all the possibilities and wondering how things were going to come around. I'm happy having done a little research to discover that they turned the book into a mini-series, something which I'd love to watch. I haven't felt this way about any of the books I've read recently, including 50 Shades which has rumors of a movie in the works. There is something about this book that I think will play very well on screen and I look forward to seeing if they can capture the intrigue and wonder that was brought to light on the pages of Mr. Khoury's novel.

Only one minor thing I noticed in the novel that I would've liked more of, but know that most male writers aren't so good at - description. The story was fast paced and quick moving, but there wasn't a lot of detailed description and knowing that Mr. Khoury is a screenwriter probably lends everything to that. In writing scripts you leave a lot of the description to your set design team.

It's a good book and I really do recommend it.