The White Queen - Phillippa Gregory

Synopsis for The White Queen:

"Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown."

Jenn: This book was interesting, because unlike her other books, there was enough fiction to it that at points I'm not sure what is and isn't fact. It was a good story and it's intriguing to read about the history of the royals of England, but the herione who starts out fairly sweet ends up being a bit power hungry at the end, which was a little sad - although probably true. There was a lot of magic woven through this book, since both the herione and her mother were accused of being witches at one point or another. The only problem I had was that it just kind of ended, which I hate. It's going to be a series, so there will be a sequel, but I hate when there's no real resolution until the next installment. But still, overall it was a good read.

The Constant Princess - Phillippa Gregory

Synopsis for The Constant Princess:

"As youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs and crusaders King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina, princess of Wales and of Spain, was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill her destiny as queen of England, where she finds true love with Arthur (after some initial sourness) as they plot the future of their kingdom together. Arthur dies young, however, leaving Catalina a widow and ineligible for the throne. Before his death, he extracts a promise from his wife to marry his younger brother Henry in order to become queen anyway, have children and rule as they had planned, a situation that can only be if Catalina denies that Arthur was ever her lover."

Jenn: I have to admit I have a fascination with the Tudor court and this book enlightened me on the original Queen to Henry - Katharine of Aragon. Her story is incredibly interesting and intensely heartbreaking. (The things women had to go through!) I have to admit that after reading about her, I can't help but think that Henry was an idiot. She was an amazing woman - especially knowing her later history during the whole Anne Boleyn time period. Like all of Phillippa Gregory's novels, there's a fair amount of speculation - which is why it's historical fiction - but her research comes through so that you can still tell what's fact and what's not. A great read, and one to start with if wanting to dive into that era.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Synopsis for Hunger Games


In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

Jenn: I am a HUGE fan of these books. It's so different but it's incredibly well written. As far as a distopian society goes, this one is one of the worst I've read. The things that the Capitol does - and it's reasoning behind them - is incredibly warped. The herione is strong and fairly logical, although she has her moments of weakness like all good heroines do. The Hunger Games, and it's sequel, Catching Fire, were fast paced without being confusing and dark without going too far. The plot twists always took me by surprise, but always fit with the story. It really made me think about society's obsession with reality television, and just exactly how far we would go for "exciting television". The third and final book comes out in August and I can hardly wait to see how it concludes. I will definitely be in line to buy it when it comes out!

*The Hunger Games trilogy consists The Hunger Games, Catching Fire - which are both available now - and Mockingjay - which will be released August 24, 2010.

The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

Synopsis for The Boleyn Inheritance:

"Three Women Who Share One Fate: The Boleyn Inheritance

Anne of Cleves

She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

Katherine Howard

She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

Jane Rochford

She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul."

Jenn: Reading this book just cemented my new obsession with Philippa Gregory. I really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, and this book picks up after Jane Seymour dies from complications in childbirth. The narrorators switch between the 3 women, which adds such depth to the story that it's a compelling read. You really get into these women's heads, seeing their motivations and all that preceeded their less than stellar circumstances. It's really well written and I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.

Update - The Host

Exciting news for fans of The Host! Stephenie Meyer has announced that The Host is being made into a movie! I'm very intrigued how it will turn out, but she has said that the man who directed Gattaca and wrote The Truman Show (one of my personal faves) will be writing the screenplay and directing, so it looks like it's off to a good start. I'm not sure when they will start filming or anything like that, but the fact that it's pretty much a sure thing is VERY exciting!!

If you want to read her announcement, and the link to the full story that Variety wrote, you can go to her website www.stepheniemeyer.com.