Tudor Book Blog

Don’t forget! Today is the last day to enter the Tudor Book Blog Review competition! The winner will have their review posted here as well as receive a piece of jewelry from our new Everything Tudor Online Store (opening shortly)! The winner will be announced here Wed. March 3rd.

*Note: A few entries have asked if they can submit reviews they have already written/posted on a site. The answer is YES! Feel free! The only rule is that it has to be a review of a Tudor-related book (or Wars of the Roses). Entries must be in by Midnight March 1st!

Good luck!

I was perusing the BBC History Magazine website today and discovered that they have a lot of reviews of Tudor-related books. Here is a list of them with their links:

1) Elizabeth I: Fortune’s Bastard by Richard Rex. Here’s the link.

2) Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir. Here’s the link.

3) Six Wives of Henry VIII by David Loades. Here’s the link.

4) Mary Tudor: England’s First Queen by Anna Whitelock. Here’s the link.

5) The Road to Bosworth Field: A New History of the Wars of the Roses by Trevor Royle. Here’s the link.

6) Fires of Faith: Catholic England Under Mary Tudor by Eamon Duffy. Here’s the link.

7) Henry VIII by Derek Wilson. Here’s the link.

8 ) Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery by Eric Ives. Here’s the link.

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If you are a subscriber or are interested in this fascinating magazine, the March issue will have an article on Bosworth by Dr. Glenn Foard, and an article on Jane Grey by Leanda de Lisle (asking “why we are so keen to believe in an innocent, virginal victim”). Here’s the link.

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Here are a couple of items dealing with the Wars of the Roses:

1) Tell Me a Story has reviewed The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell. This novel follows Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII. The novel begins in Elizabeth’s childhood, through the death of her father Edward IV and ending briefly before her own death. The reviewer concludes that “if you like action and excitement you won’t find it in this story as its pace is quite slow but for anyone wanting to understand this time in English history it will prove an interesting and informative read.” Here’s the link to the review.

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Tanzanite’s Shelf and Stuff has posted some old book covers of novels dealing with Elizabeth of York and Henry VII. Most of these I hadn’t seen before, so you might want to check it out! Here’s the link.

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2) Pennyworth Books has reviewed The Lady of the Roses, focusing on Lady Isobel Ingoldesthorpe and Sir John Neville. The reviewer explains that “Sandra Worth has brought to life Sir John Neville, of whom no biography has yet to be found, but much is accounted to and admired for.”

Here’s the link to the full review. I don’t think I have heard of this one before, but it looks really interesting and one I am going to add to my “to-read” list.

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1) In the new book Death and the Virgin, author Chris Skidmor looks into the death of Amy Dudley, wife of Elizabeth I’s favorite Robert Dudley. Was she murdered to make way for the queen? Skidmor draws some interesting conclusions in his book and talks briefly about them on the BBC website. Here’s the link to the interview.

This book is being released tomorrow (Feb. 25th) in the UK!

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2) George Bernard, author of Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions, “believes that the queen could well have been guilty of some of the charges laid against her – or at the very least that her behaviour was such that it was reasonable for Henry to assume she had committed adultery.” Hum. Well this should be an interesting read as most historians do not believe these charges! This new book is due out in April in the UK. Can’t wait to read some of its reviews after its release!

Here’s the link to a new article out about it in the mean time.

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3) The Last Boleyn is a novel by Karen Harper. This novel follows Mary Boleyn, sister to Anne Boleyn. The reviewer gives a good synopsis of the book as well as compares it to The Other Boleyn Girl, another novel of Mary Boleyn. The reviewer states that “In contrast, this novel with that of Phillipa Gregory’s book “The Other Boleyn Girl” - which is also narrated from Mary’s point of view. I enjoyed both of these book tremendously, but I think that in some ways I prefer Karen Harper’s work. I think that Ms. Harper follows the history very closely and she also managed to  keep me turning the pages of this book late into the night.”

Here’s the link to the review.

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Jean Plaidy is one of my favorite fictional authors. Her novel The Rose Without A Thorn is about Katheryn Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife who, like her cousin Anne Boleyn, lost her head. In the review linked below, the author concludes that “As Jean Plaidy shows us in The Rose Without a Thorn, Katherine’s naivety and indiscretions can be understood if we take a look at the circumstances of her past, before catching Henry VIII’s attention.”

Here’s the link.

Sorry it has been quiet here lately. I am in the process of moving this week, so posts might be a little slow! But I did want to mention A Reader’s Respite book review and GIVE AWAY of The Virgin and the Crab by Robert Parry. The novel follows Elizabeth and John Dee from Edward’s reign until Elizabeth’s succession. These are extremely turbulent years in England, with Jane Grey’s nine days rule and Elizabeth’s dangerous position during Mary’s reign. It is a really fascinating read that follows both Dee and Elizabeth, as well as the evolution of their close friendship. You have until March 5th to enter the competition! All you have to do is leave a comment!

Here’s the link to the review and give away!

Speaking of The Virgin and the Crab, I have almost finished my review for it! I really loved this book and encourage everyone to try to win a copy or go get one somewhere! It is a fresh breath of air in the world of Tudor literature! I am also about half way through my second upcoming review The Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle. I’m really loving this one too! It has been extremely enjoyable to read about the Grey sisters after reading the Virgin and the Crab, which goes through Jane’s brief reign and shows her in a different light than many other fictional accounts have. For more detail, you will have to wait from my review!

For those who love Sho Time’s “The Tudors,” The Tudors Wiki is the place to be! It has everything you could ever want to know about the show, including season4 spoilers! The reason I’m mentioning it is because there have been two new pages recently added. The first is a Non-Fiction Shelf where Tudor book lovers can discuss their favorite non-fiction Tudor books. There is a similar Fiction page as well! Here’s the non-fiction shelf link, and here is the fiction shelf link.

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Since last Sunday was Valentine’s Day there has been a lot about love letters! Here are a few links to some good books containing love letters written by Tudor personalities (particularly Henry VIII).

The first is a short review from Publisher’s Weekly which reviews Love Letters from Great Women, including Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Here’s the link.

This book is companion to Love Letters from Great Men (obviously Henry VIII is included in this). Here’s the link to its review.

Speaking of these lovely love letters, Tudor Literature Place has written a nice review of Love Letters of Henry VIII. This short book includes letters written by Henry to Anne Boleyn, as well as a few written by her. Here’s the link to the full review.

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Moving on from love letters, Genre Go Round Reviews has written a nice review for The Heretic’s Wife, “a refreshing superb Tudor historical that focuses on the impact of the religious wars on the working class.” Henry VIII is in the background in this novel, which focuses on a brother and sister who become involved with English translations of religious works.

Here’s the link to the review.

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First off, Happy Love Day!

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As many of you probably know, Katheryn Howard was ill-fated 5th wife of King Henry VIII. On Feb. 13th, 1542 young Katheryn was led to the scaffold in the Tower of London, tried and convicted of adultery with several men. She was beheaded and buried in the chapel of St. Peter Ad Vincular where her cousin, Anne Boleyn (who also lost her head thanks to Henry VIII) was also buried. Immediately after her execution, her lady-in-waiting, Lady Jane Rochford, was also beheaded. She was convicted of treason for aiding the young Queen in her affairs. She was also buried in the chapel. What a great Valentines Day present….

To remember these two women, I am highlight some of the most popular book about them this week.

1) Catherine Howard: The Queen Whose Adulteries Made a Fool of Henry VIII by Lacey Baldwin Smith was published last year. According to the product description, this is a “biography of Henry VIII of England’s fifth wife, beheaded for playing Henry at his own game - adultery.” I haven’t read this particular one, but I have really enjoyed some of his other works. Here’s the amazon link.

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2) Johanna Denny has released a new biography of Katheryn titled Katherine Howard: A Tudor Consipracy in which she reveals “the true character of Katherine Howard, the young girl caught up in a maelstrom of ambition and conspiracy, which led to her execution for high treason while still only 17 years old.” She asks “Who was Katherine, the beautiful young aristocrat who became a bait to catch a king? Was she simply naive and innocent, a victim of her grasping family’s scheming? Or was she brazen and abandoned, recklessly indulging in dissolute games with lovers in contempt of her royal position? Joanna Denny’s enthralling new book once again plunges the reader into the heart of the ruthless intrigues of the Tudor court—and gives a sympathetic and poignant portrait of a girl tragically trapped and betrayed by her own family.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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3) The Rose Without A Thorn is Jean Plaidy’s fictional account of Katheryn Howard’s life. I really enjoyed most of this book (except for Katheryn’s queenship where the narrative seemed to just keep repeating itself over and over). However, the majority of the book was really good, especially Katheryn’s early life which doesn’t get much attention by anyone, historians and writers alike. Here’s the amazon link.

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4) Two other fictional accounts of Katheryn’s life were released last year:

The first is titled The King’s Rose by Alisa Libby. It has gotten good reviews from critics and readers alike! The School Library Journal says, “Told in Catherine’s voice, the story gains real immediacy as she glories in the excitement and glamour of the court, but soon realizes that she is in great danger. Her love for young Thomas Culpepper overcomes her common sense, and their affair seals her doom. Period activities such as a bear-baiting contest are skillfully woven into the plot. The dowager Duchess and her accomplice, Lady Jane Rochford, are deliciously amoral in their relentless political scheming. One particularly effective scene has Catherine shocked at seeing a portrait of the youthful Henry and realizing how much he has deteriorated. While numerous sexual encounters are part of the political reality, they are subtly handled. A real treat for lovers of historical fiction.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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The second fictional work recently released about Katheryn is titled The Queen’s Mistake by Diane Haeger. This novel seems to have a more romantic view of Katheryn, with the product description stating, “Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart’s desire in favor of her family’s ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who sought to bring her down a most effective weapon-her own romantic past.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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5) And finally, another lady was executed the same day as Katheryn, Lady Jane Rochford, widow of George Boleyn and sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn. History has painted her as a treacherous figure who gave Cromwell the “evidence” to convict Anne and George of incest. Now, Julia Fox attempts to paint a new portrait of this woman in her work Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford. Fox attempts to show Jane as “faithful to the opportunistic Boleyn clan; she didn’t rush to slander her husband, but succumbed under Thomas Cromwell’s relentless interrogation, repeating an indiscretion by Anne about Henry’s sexual dysfunction. Moreover, Fox says, George’s execution was a financial blow to Jane—his royal perquisites of lands and offices were seized. Jane clawed her way back to a senior court position when she was ordered by Catherine Howard to pass messages to her lover, and Jane’s complicity, according to Fox, opened the door for historians to excoriate Jane for her sister-in-law’s death.” Despite this, Fox didn’t receive great reviews. It isn’t really her work, but the lack of evidence from the time period. She seems to have a very romanticized view of Jane, one she cannot support with hard historical evidence.

Here’s the amazon link.

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I was searching around online the other day and found a couple of books on Anne Boleyn I haven’t heard of before.

1) Memoirs of the Life of Anne Boleyn, Queen of Henry VIII by Elizabeth Benger was originally published in 1827! It is an early biography of Anne Boleyn. I think it would be quite interesting to compare it with newer works, such as Ives’ biography, or Starkey or Weir’s interpretations of Anne. Because the book is so old, you can read it on google books! Here’s the link, and here’s the amazon link.

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2) Anne Boleyn: A Chapter of English History by Paul Friedman was originally published in 1884! According to the author’s preface, he “does not profess to present a complete biography of Anne Boleyn, or an exhaustive history of her times. It contains merely a sketch of some events in the reign of Henry VIII with which the name of Anne Boleyn is intimately connected.” You can also read both volumes of this book online at archives.org. Here’s the link, and here’s the amazon link.

The Anne Boleyn Files has posted a lovely review on Eric Ives’ latest work, Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery. According to the review, “In his biography, Eric Ives attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Lady Jane Grey, to introduce us to the real Jane….” She gives a nice overview of the book, including a list of the illustrations and each part the book is divided into (with a short overview of it). It’s really detailed and worth a look!

Here’s the link.

I have been re-thinking the prize for the short story competition. I know how hard it can be to write a short story, especially one with an historical leaning (all that research!) so I would like to throw in another prize for the winner. I want to offer a piece of jewelry from the new store as well as a book. But which book? That is where you, my wonderful readers, come in. What book should I include in the giveaway? Leave a comment with your suggestion(s). It will be much appreciated!

March will be the 1 year anniversary of my site EverythingTudor (including The Tudor Book Blog) being online! To celebrate I am holding TWO giveaways!

The one year anniversary is coinciding with the launch of my new online store, the “Everything Tudor Store,” including my new line of Tudor-inspired clothing and jewelry titled Tudor Rose Designs. More on this to come! I am almost done designing this section of the site and will let you know when I finish and upload it (by the end of this month). When it is uploaded, you will see the many items the winners of my competitions can chose from, as well as jewelry you can purchase for yourself!

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The first giveaway is a review competition. To enter, pick-up your favorite Tudor-related book (fiction or non-fiction) and write a 1,000-1500 word review about it (you can go a bit over or under, I won’t penalize you! The word count is just to give you an idea of the length I’m looking for).

The review should include:

1) Author and title of the book being reviewed as well as the name of the reviewer (you! Only your first name and last initial will be posted with your review) complete with e-mail address (this will not be posted). If you have a book blog/website, feel free to add it (and it will be posted)!

2) A short synopsis

3) Why you loved it!

4) E-mail your review as an attachment to everythingtudor “at” yahoo.com (replace the “at” with an @). Title the e-mail as Tudor Review Competition.

The winner of this giveaway will receive their choice of a piece of jewelry from the new store free of charge (don’t worry, there are men and women’s jewelry to chose from)! The winner will be announced March 5th!  (the date of my first post…nostalgic sigh).

(Sorry, the competition is only open to US residence. You are more than welcome to submit a review if you live overseas. I will be happy to post it on the site, but it will not be counted for the win).

*I will be using Random.org to choose the winner. Entries must be in by Sunday, March 1st.

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The second competition is for you budding authors out there. Submit a short story you have written that is somehow related to the Tudors/Wars of the Roses (same time period, time travel, ghost story, anything you want!). Here are the rules:

1) Must include your name and e-mail address (and website if you have one). Also, include if you would like your story posted. No copyright infringement! You will be given full credit for your work.

2) Must be Tudor/Wars of the Roses related (that doesn’t mean it has to be about a Tudor monarch, just related in some way to the time period).

3) Must be under 7500 words (it can be a bit over, but please not too much!)

4) Must be ORIGINAL work. Please, no plagiarism. That is just wrong.

5) All stories must be in by March 25th to be considered in the competition.

6) E-mail your story as an attachment to everythingtudor “at” yahoo.com (replace the “at” with an @). Title the e-mail as Tudor Short Story Competition.

All short stories, with your permission, will be posted on the site. The winner’s will appear in a separate post on the Tudor Book Blog as well as receive their choice of a piece of jewelry from the new store free of charge (as said before, there are men and women’s jewelry to chose from) as well as a book voted on by our readers! I will not be using Random.org for this competition, but will read your stories myself.

The winner will be announced March 30th!

(Sorry, the competition is only open to US residence. If you live overseas, feel free to enter your story to be posted, but it will not be considered in the competition).

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I will post reminders along the way. Now get busy writing and send your submissions in! Good Luck!

Here are a few Upcoming Releases:

The Tudors: The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty by G.J. Meyer is being released this month! On Feb. 15th it will be available in the UK (here’s the amazon uk link) and on Feb. 23rd it will be available in the US (here’s the amazon us link). I’m hoping to get my hands on this one soon and hopefully review it!

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Linda Porter’s biography of Catherine Parr, titled Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr, comes out in March. Here’s the amazon.uk link.

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The next part of David Starkey’s biography of Henry VIII, titled Model of a Tyrant, is being released in the UK in October. Sadly I’m not sure when it will be released in the US! Here’s the amazon.uk link.

The product description states: “How and why did Henry VIII turn from a glamorous Renaissance prince into this country’s greatest tyrant? David Starkey’s magisterial concluding biography, published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne, tells this remarkable, bloodthirsty story. When Henry VIII came to throne in 1509, he had already distinguished himself as a scholar, musician and athlete. So how did this glamorous young Renaissance prince become this country’s greatest tyrant? Desperate to cement his claim to the throne, Henry quickly became frustrated by the lack of a male heir from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. His impatience increased after he became infatuated with the beautiful Anne Boleyn. When Anne refused to become his mistress, a desperate Henry was forced to take action that would set the course of British history for the next 500 years. In a move that would have fateful consequences for all involved, Henry ordered his lifelong friend Thomas More to implement religious changes that would allow him to remarry. The resulting establishment of the Church of England catapulted Henry to the height of his personal power and led to More’s death.Catherine was dismissed, Anne was ushered in, and so began the bloody cycle of marriage, divorce and execution for Henry is still remembered today. And yet behind this brutal history was a man traumatised by bitter divorce. David Starkey’s magisterial concluding biography of this most complex of British kings, published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne, tells the bloodstained story of his remarkable shift from humanist prince to all-powerful despot during one of the most vivid and significant periods of British history.

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Amazon.com graciously informed me today that Tudor Court Culture ed. by Thomas Betteridge and Anna Riehl will be available Feb. 28th in the US. This is “an interdisciplinary volume that examines the cultural history of the court and its possible interpretations from the early 1500s to the end of the reign of Elizabeth I. The history of Tudor court culture during the sixteenth century is a movement of the court beyond its physical confines out into the country so that courtliness becomes more a state of mind, a way of behaving, a language, and a symbol. The first part of this collection investigates issues in relation to the court of Henry VIII: the ongoing negotiation of the discrepancies between the ideal and the real, desired and granted, imagined and perceived. The second part explores the changing conditions of the court and assesses the extent of the centrifugal influence of the court culture during the reign of Elizabeth I.” It looks really interesting! I think I would really enjoy reading this. Here’s the amazon link for more info.

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Now for some reviews:

The Heretic’s Wife by Brenda Rickman Vantrease has been reviewed by the NY Times this week. Here’s what they say:

“The Heretic’s Wife Brenda Rickman Vantrease. St. Martin’s, $25.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-312-38699-3
Tudor England is a dangerous place to harbor Lutheran sympathies, yet brave souls like John Gough and his sister Kate smuggle protestant bibles into the country and translate them into English for the common man. When Gough is arrested, he recants, but Kate continues on with the mission, falling in love with translator John Frith, who takes her with him into exile in Antwerp. Meanwhile in England, Henry VIII is drifting slowly away from the Catholic faith under the influence of his mistress Anne Boleyn, while Thomas More becomes more and more obsessed with burning heretics and keeping England in the bosom of the church. No one with protestant beliefs is safe, including Kate and her husband, who may pay the ultimate price for their heresy. This is a strong historical, showing another side of the tempestuous Tudor times. Boleyn and Henry VIII, often the focus of these stories, are sideline figures, and the common folk who truly suffered under the intolerance of the regime take center stage while the saintly More is given shockingly brutal treatment. Tudor fans will be pleased and excited by this fresh approach. (Apr.)”

Here’s the link to the post.

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Here is a nice review for Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl. It’s from stevereads blog and really detailed with some nice excerpts from the novel. He states that “Despite the cavils of historical critics, there’s a good deal of accurate research at the back of this book. But its main delight comes in it quick exchanges of dialogue…” Here’s the link. It’s a really good read!

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The Novel Duchess at Tudor Literature Place has written up a nice review for The King’s Rose, Alisa Libby’s first novel focusing on Katheryn Howard. She says that “There were a lot of private thoughts and emotions conveyed in this book. I can see why it was written for the young adult audience, because Katherine was only a teenager, and a lot of her thought processes and experiences with sexuality and being taken advantage of are themes that a lot of young women can relate to.” Here’s the link to the full review.

I mentioned this over at the News Board, but wanted to make sure to mention it here as well: The National Gallery in London is holding an amazing exhibit focused on Jane Grey in artwork. To read more about the Jane Grey Exhibit, go here. Also, here’s the link to the exhibit page on the National Portrait Gallery’s site.

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I have found a nice summery of the historical mystery Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, in which an investigators looks into the murder of The Princes in the Tower. Here’s the link.

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Lady Gwyn has written a review for Kate Emerson’s latest novel in her series Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens. She seems to have enjoyed the first book in the series, but not so much this one. Lady Gwyn explains that “The main character, Anne Bassett, annoyed me throughout with her constant assessment of the men around her as marriage material: are they wealthy? do they have land? do they have a title? I understand that women of a certain social rank during this period did look for that in a man but she was so arrogant about it that it really made me dislike her.” Here’s the link to the full review. Warning! It contains spoilers!

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Here’s the link to a nice post about Antonia Fraser and her book The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I personally adore this book (and any other books written by her!). The post features a brief view of the book, as well as some information on other non-fictions books by Fraser.

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Brandy Purdy’s novel Vengeance is Mine has been reviewed over at the At Home With and Good Book and the Cat Blog. The reviewer didn’t give it a very good review, only earning 2/5 stars. The reviewer says that “If you’re looking for a very fictional take on Anne and Henry and don’t care about historical accuracy this might suit as a quick and easy read, but on the other hand this book isn’t going to provide you with anything new on the matter either.” Here’s the link to the full review.

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I ran across an article about the famous French writer Michel de Montaigne .I didn’t know this, but he was born the same year as Elizabeth I. It is a quick read which compares Montaigne with Elizabeth as well as offers the theory that Shakespeare may have even based the character Hamlet on Montaigne.
Here’s the link to the full article.

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The History Faculty has put together a short reading list for Tudor books. They cover topics from general Tudor history to specific monarchs. It’s interesting to look through the lists and read the short blurp on each book. Here’s the link.

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Here is a review for The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir. This novel follows the young Elizabeth up until her accession to the throne.

The review gives a good synopsis of the book, as well as compares it to Weir’s first novel Innocent Traitor. The reviewer concludes that “Innocent Traitor was good, but the dogmatic, slightly priggish Lady Jane Grey isn’t as interesting of a character as the brilliant and vivacious Elizabeth. Weir also stays with Elizabeth’s point of view, which gives the book a more unified feel than the shifting narration of Innocent Traitor.

Here’s the link to the full review.

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Speaking of the young Elizabeth, Kimberly Eve has written up  a nice review for The Queen’s Governess by Karen Harper. At one point she states that because the novel is “written from the female perspective, the author keeps the relationships between King Henry VIII and his men of the privy council i.e. Thomas Cromwell, Chapuys, and Cardinal Wolsey, quite interesting by cutting the sometimes dullish politics of the sixteenth century with the varied daliances and romances of these men! Making for a sometimes saucy read as well.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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Robin Maxwell, author of several historical fiction books including The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, Virgin: Prelude to the Throne, and my personal favorite Mademoiselle Boleyn, has written an interesting article about her journey through writing in the internet world. Here, Maxwell explains, “I’ve gone from the ponderous national “on the ground” book tour to a virtual book tour; from newspaper features to a Facebook fan page; from an author photo in a press kit to an author video on YouTube; from print advertising to an iPhone app.”

It’s a really interesting read as Maxwell goes from her first book The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn to her latest O, Juliet.

Here’s the link to her article.

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Speaking of Robin Maxwell, Enchanted by Josephine has written up a nice review for Virgin: Prelude to the Throne. According to the review, “Virgin, is a must read for all Elizabethan fans and historians who feel there is a missing link in Elizabeth’s life.  Robin Maxwell has helped put the pieces together for me and now Elizabeth appears as a whole new different person. Her depth in character, her choices in life, her destiny and her ruling have roots from a far deeper place. I understand her so much better.”

She is also offering a giveaway of Maxwell’s latest work O, Juliet! Here’s the link.

Before I get into some of the new reviews I have found, here is “Eight Questions for Robin Maxwell”, an interview with the author of several novels including Virgin: Prelude to the Throne, The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, and Mademoiselle Boleyn. In the interview she discusses what drew her to write historical fiction, how she conducts her research, and a bit about her latest novel O, Juliette. Here’s the link to the full interview.

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Now for some reviews:

The first I want to share is a really interesting review for The Marlow-Shakespeare Connection: A New Study of the Authorship Question by Samuel L. Blumenfeld. This book discusses the theory that Marlow was actually the “Shakespeare.” Blumenfeld uses a text written in Greene’s Groatsworth of Wit which states that “’there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Iohannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit the only Shake-scene in a countrey’” (B.H. Blackwell, Oxford, 1919, pp. 72-73).
Stratfordians have seized upon this reference in Greene’s text as clear evidence that the “‘upstart Crow,’” a term referring to one who borrows his/her ideas from others, is Shakespeare. For them, this is confirmed by the similarities between the words “’Shake-scene’” and “’Shakespeare.’” It’s a great review and offers some really interesting ideas. Here’s the link to the review, and the amazon UK link for the book.

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Word Wenches (love the name!) has written up a nice post on Karen Harper and her new novel The Queen’s Governess. This review does contain some spoilers about the end of the book, so beware!

Here’s the link.

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Quick write-up of Alison Weir’s The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Here’s the link.

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Speaking of Weir, The Book Experiment and Books and Authors have written up short articles on Alison Weir’s latest work The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn. I know I have posted a lot on this book lately, but I am a huge Anne Boleyn fan and find myself really enjoying Weir’s books!

Here’s the link to The Book Experiment write-up. And here’s the link to the Books and Authors write-up.

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Speaking of The Lady in the Tower, I recently won a book giveaway at Anna’s Book Blog for this book! Yay! I’m super excited to read it and review it for the site! Here’s the link to Anna’s Book Blog. It’s a great site for reviews, giveaways, and upcoming book news.

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I have found a new review for Jane Boleyn: The Infamous Lady Rochford by Julia Fox. The review explains that “According to Fox, royal historians needing to spin history to favor both the queens and the king used Jane as a scapegoat, recasting her as a manipulating woman who designed both Anne Boleyn’s and Catherine Howard’s falls. Using original sources, Fox found no condemnation of Jane in her lifetime.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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Here are two new Philippa Gregory Reviews: The first is from Livin’ the Dream and is of The Boleyn Inheritance and the second is for The White Queen.

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In other book news, Catherine Parr by Elizabeth Norton was released yesterday (Jan. 31)!