September 2024 - Royal To The Bone

During the month of September we are going to be reading about Royalty. This doesn’t have to mean the British Royal family of today, you can read about any Royal, in any country, at any time, – so a Chinese Empress, Scandinavian Kings, Napoleon who had himself declared “Royal”, to the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt – all will fit.

Please let us know if you are going to be reading about the pomp and ceremony of royalty or perhaps about the downfall of majesty due to rebellion and revolution. Whatever you chose to read, I hope you enjoy it and if you want, please enter your choice to the Wiki which can be found here: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Reading_Through_Time_Challenge

I got a couple a little bit off the beaten track:

The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857 by William Dalrymple. I've read Dalrymple's most recent book, The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, and it was really quite good. He's quite an expert on India, one of my favorite subjects, and The Last Mughal has gotten quite good reviews.

Liliuokalani, Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen, written by the deposed Queen in an unsuccessful appeal to the United States to reverse the US-backed coup that deposed her and led to the annexation of Hawaii.

I think I will attempt to read The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Thornton. Been on my shelf for sometime.

the court of the lion its long but fascinating look at how one man can manage to force the downfall of a long established empire, Based on facts which surprised the daylights of of me.

I am planning on reading The Queen's Secret by Karen Harper. The Queen in the title is Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon whom we knew as the Queen Mum. This story is set during WW II.

Oh, I love this topic and I have so much to choose from! I have not yet decided, but it will probably be something about the British royals. I have so much fiction and non-fiction about them.

>2 CurrerBell: Hmmm, and y'know, I really should get around one of these lifetimes to Wolf Hall, which I've got sitting TBR and cataloged in a box where I can get to it pretty easily. I've also got The Mirror and the Light similarly available to me, though I don't have Bringing Up the Bodies. (I think I probably bought the first and third some time ago when I saw them in used book stores.) The main character himself of course wasn't royal, but there's plenty of royalty in there.

>7 CurrerBell: The main character himself of course wasn't royal, but there's plenty of royalty in there.

in spades!

>5 DeltaQueen50: I am assuming I know what the queen's secret may be as The Crown had an episode about the skeletons in the Bowes-Lyons cupboard. My library has this one so I definitely want to read it too.
Now I am wavering between this and The Last White Rose, which was my original choice.

So far I am planning to read Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow by Lucy Worsley, but I might change the plan if anything else come up.

>9 JayneCM: I have so many books that feature Royalty in one way or another that it was hard to make a choice but Karen Harper is an author that I have wanted to read more of so I decided this was the perfect opportunity. Whatever you decide to go with, I hope you enjoy your read.

I haveread so much of European royalty though out history that Im rather bored with. Id like to consider other places around the world with royalty, and at different times. Any suggestions?

Likely option for me:
Anne of Cleves / Elizabethe Norton

Also possible:
Mary Boleyn / Alison Weir

one of my fav brit authors is Norah Loft,magnificent writer of historic fiction Her book the kings pleasure is probably the best portrayal of Catherine of Aragon and her daughter Mary. Rather than the old bothersome lady, she is a complex character who is so badly treated but every inch a queen. Go to Lofts book page to see more royal history

I'll probably go in for the mystery classic The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey.

>12 cindydavid4: A few years back I read Empress by Shan Sa, about a Chinese empress of the Tang dynasty which I enjoyed.

another fav far pavilions a love story and a royal story in India about two princesses on a journey to meet their grooms, with a lesser man as a chaperone. Read it a couple of times, been meaning to read it again.

>12 cindydavid4: One book I want to read in the future is Four Reigns by Kukrit Pramoj which is set at the Royal Court in Thailand. I don't think that the Kings themselves are protagonists, but it is set there among the minor royals and reviews say that it portrays the importance of the monarchy in Thailand. So far, I have not read it, so I cannot vouch for anything. I wanted to mention it, though.

>17 cindydavid4: oh see that book would really appeal to me; getting away from the same old stories. I do remember reading a book that the "king and I" was based on, should check that out too. Thanks!

>19 cindydavid4: I only saw the movie, but I think that Chulalongkorn, the young prince in "The King and I", is one of the kings whose reigns are portrayed in Four Reigns!

I have a few more books that feature Asian and African royalty:

Njinga of Angola: Africa's Warrior Queen by Linda M. Heywood - nonfiction
Chaka by Thomas Mofolo - about the Zulu king, Chaka Zulu
The Diary of Sarah Forbes Bonetta - A Yoruba Princess from W. Africa becomes a protege of Queen Victoria
Nefertiti by Michelle Moran - Egyptian Queen

Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors - Takes place around 1177 in the Khmer Empire (Cambodia)
Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors - Takes place in the 1630 as the prince Shah Jahan is building the Taj Mahal
Shinju by Laura John Rowland - Historical mystery series taking place in 17th century Feudal Japan. Main character works for the Emperor.
The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton - a novel about the wives and daughters of Genghis Khan
Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran - Queen Lakshmi of the Kingdom of Jhansi in India defies the British

Please note: The Royal doesn't have to be the main character, as long as they are a character in the book - not just mentioned in passing.

I'll probably let the quarterly prompt inform my choices for this month. I'm hoping to finish The Complete Romances of Crétien de Troyes (translated by David Staines) - which features King Arthur in the poems and move onto The Death of King Arthur (by Sir Thomas Malory; translated by Peter Ackroyd).

>20 MissBrangwen: welll that was a BB stayed up way too late reading it! thanks

>21 DeltaQueen50: Great list! Temple of a Thousand Faces is on my WL already.

>23 cindydavid4: Yay! :-)

Really impressed with this book; I knew little of the countryaside from watching the king and I, but the story is well written enough to help the reader see, and the characters are well developed. I like the way he describes important events show much about the culture this was esp true when the girls were participating in the tonsure ceremony goodness what a production. yet I didnt find these descriptions excessive;they fit with the story just fine

I am pleasantly surprised by the compassion and good will in this royal family.at least at this juction of the book. they dont mistreat the children or each other tho there a one or two who really are anti social. I suspect this may change as the years go by but this book doesnt start out with abused children like so many did and Im enjoying learning about their world

I do wish however that non english words were explained either with an asterik, footnote or glossary,If I dont understand then I miss learning about the culture

this book is pushing to read more about this country its culture and history and what the interactions with nearby countries

not finished yet, Ill write a review when I am

For background on the Emile Zola Group Read (starting up in September with The Fortune of the Rougons), I've just ordered through ABE Shadow Emperor: A Biography of Napoleon III by Alan Schom, a Pulitzer-and National Book Award-winner (but controversial) for Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life.

Reading Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir about Lady Jane Grey.

>27 mnleona: Ooooh, hope you like it. It's been years, but I loved it (of course, I've loved reading about Lady Jane Grey since grade 10, when I wrote an essay on her for one of my classes).

I have stopped reading the reign; way too long and its turning into a soap opera wanted more history Im still giving it a 3 because it engaged me through quite a bit

I've started The Secret History(Donna Tartt) about Empress Theodora, Justinian's wife. Earlier this year I read a non-fiction history written by Procopious that supposedly was a tell-all, published after his death. It was not complimentary at all and made Theodora seem like a mad-woman. I'm enjoying this work of fiction a bit more, as Theodora is a poor decision maker, but not insane. However, which is it--mad power hungry woman or a person who can't predict the consequences of her actions? May have to do some more research to find out!

>30 Tess_W: I read The Secret History (by Donna Tarrt last year but I don’t recall it being about the Empress Theodora. It’s about college kids who end up in a situation that initially draws them together but ultimately drives them apart… Maybe you have another similarly titled book in mind?

I'm just about halfway through The Shadow Emperor, Alan Strauss-Schom's biography of Napoleon III. (His biography of Napoleon I was a Pulitzer and National Book Award nominee, though I mistakenly called it a winner in another post; and the Napoleon I biography was a bit controversial as I understand it). I'll assume that Louis-Napoleon is sufficiently "royal" for this month's read. I got hold of this book just a week or two ago in prep for the Emile Zola Group Read. The Shadow Emperor is pretty decent so far, though I'd call it "serviceable" rather than masterpiece-quality; but it gives a decent enough background of the Rougon-Macquart era, which is what I got it for.

>31 Tanya-dogearedcopy: You are so correct, read too many with similar names. I'm actually reading The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Thornton. It's about Theodora, I promise!

Someone passed on some of the Queen investigates books to me so I'll be reading The Windsor Knot.

>22 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I will probably have to do the same thing, since I'm already overbooked for this month. I'm currently reading The Once and Future King for the quarterly challenge, and it may have to do for this one as well.

Earlier this year, I read The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir, which also fits.

sorry double post

I completed The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Thornton. Earlier this year I had read a non-fiction of Theodora and Justinian written by historian Procopious. It was the one that was not published until after his death because of the scandalous material it contained. When I ran across this novel, I thought I would get a different perspective. What this novel did was give context to some of the material contained in Procopious' account. Thornton's account tells the story of Theodora from the time she was an actress and a prostitute until her death. It was obvious that she and Justinian loved each other greatly. Thornton's narrative was both informative and immersive. I did some additional research after reading this novel and it would appear the novel is probably more accurate the Procopious' account. The author had an afterward where she explained what characters were real and which were a combination of several historical figures. The author has written several other novels in the same vein and I will be seeking out the one about the women of Genghis Khan.

>35 atozgrl: Now that the October theme of Adultery has been posted, I think that The Once and Future King actually fits better there. I'll see if I can find another book to read on royalty for this month, but I'm sure I won't actually be able to get to it before October, since the hold I had on Demon Copperhead for my RL book club came in a month early, and because of all the holds on that book I will have to read it now, instead of in October, as planned.

I do have a copy of The Princes in the Tower and also Wolf Hall, which would both work, but they're both long books and I don't know if I can fit one that long into October. We will see.

if you cant get to the book, check out the 6 part series from PBS, with Mark Rykance and Daniel Lewis. Excellent adaptation of the book, and I hear both of them will be in the new adaptation of Mantels last book.

>40 cindydavid4: Yes, I did see that series when it aired, and I thought it was excellent!

just rewatched it on streaming, and it still holds up. my sis and I were very fortunate to see the same cast portray the story on broadway. The play covered two nights andit was probably the most amazing theater experience weve ever had!

I finished The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (1951). Often considered one of the best mysteries of all time, it is set in a hospital where Inspector Grant has been laid up with a broken leg. Bored with staring at the ceiling, he becomes intrigued by a portrait of Richard III given to him by a friend and sets out on a quest to discover the true facts behind the murder of the Princes in the Tower.

This is a page-turning historical mystery read. Assisting the Inspector is a young American researcher who does all the running and researching, and together they discuss the who, what, how and whys of the case. I can't say I always followed their arguments, nor was familiar with many of the names thrown out. But was interesting to me was the examination of how the truth of "history", whether in children's history schoolbooks or in respected classic works, can be distorted by perspective, myth and time.

Oh I loved that book! have since read some of her other books, but I think this is my fav (might be due to the fact that one of my fav historic fiction authors was the late Sharon Kay Penman who wrote quite a lot about Richard III) And Im not a big fan of mysteries

>43 kac522: Have been reading up on Richard III and this one will be put on top of my WL!

>45 Tess_W: Remember that it was written in 1951 before a lot of recent research. Also, apparently Tey based some of Inspector Grant's conclusions on one particular work from 1906, Richard III by Sir Clements Markham. It's still a fun ride, with a lot of clever dialogue.

>46 kac522: I've read some of the recent research. I would like to read this because I like the subject AND a friend of mine loves Tey--who I've never read before.

I have finished a non-fiction biography for this: Königin Caroline Mathilde von Dänemark who had an affair with her husband's doctor, Friedrich Struensee (so it would also work for next month's topic). The author has much sympathy for the queen's lot, married off at fifteen to a man who soon descended into lunacy. It also feels much like local history to me, because so many of the aristocrats running the country in the king's name hail from Schleswig-Holstein.
But I do wish the author had paid more attention to her spelling and grammar.

>32 CurrerBell: Just finished The Shadow Emperor, a biography of Napoleon III by Alan Strauss-Schom 3½***. Serviceable, but not great – though in fairness perhaps I was looking more for a history of the Second Empire than a biography of Louis Napoleon himself, something that would give me a bit of background for the Emile Zola group read that's being organized. As such, it served its purpose.

Well, I guess we can consider an emperor to be "royal." Louis Napoleon and his Empress Eugenie were at least treated rather royally by Queen Victoria (though Prince Albert was rather hostile at least toward the emperor himself).

Starting in on For the Throne by Hannah Whitten, a YA fantasy. It's the sequel to For the Wolf. I've had For the Throne around for ages and this topic gives me an excuse to finish up the duology and claim a ROOT, where I'm getting behind on reaching my goal for the year.

By my count, I've already read 13 books this year that involved royalty. But for THIS month, I am currently reading Poison, Your Grace which is a mystery involving Elizabeth Tudor (before she became Queen). And I have a hold at the library on To Die For about Anne Boleyn.

?
I just left a post - sort of. didmd go through the first time. then disappeared the second. then appeared without most of the words. now its gone and so is your post.

Finished Hannah Whitten's For the Throne 3***, second in a duology. Sort of a dark Gothic romantasy, and I've certainly read better fantasy books, but the first book (For the Wolf 3***) was decent enough and I wanted to find out how the thing ended. There's plenty of royalty in here, kings and queens and that sort of stuff, so I guess it qualifies for this month's theme.

I have a couple other books I'm thinking of if I can get them in before month's end – The Death of King Arthur: a New Verse Translation (trans Simon Armitage), a translation of the anonymously authored Alliterative Morte Arthur (circa 1400), which will also fit this quarter's RTT read; and Liliuokalani's Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen.

I might also give a reread to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions, a 5*****-read that I finished two-and-a-half years ago, a retelling of the Mahabharata from the view of Panchaali, the polyandrous wife of the five Pandavas brothers.

I read a lot of fiction and non-fiction about royals, though almost none about recent ones, it's nearly always Medieval or Tudor. So meeting this month's theme was effortless to me and these two were books I had in mind to read naturally.

Harold Harefoot - Mark Craster-Chambers

This short work covers the little that is known about King Harold I Harefoot, a son of the much more famous King Canute. The author makes a good and fairly persuasive attempt to resurrect in part his reputation from the very negative and self justificatory historical narrative dictated by his stepmother Queen Emma, in her Encomium. That said, like his other work on Eadred, I found the writing style a bit frivolous in places and there was again a large number of typos for such a short work.

The King's Mother: Lady Elfrida: England's First Queen - M J Porter

This is the first of a trilogy of novels about the queenship of this Saxon lady who is most famous as the alleged murderer in 978 of her step son King Edward (the Martyr) in favour of her son, Ethelred (the future Unready), though this author considers her innocent of this charge. The subtitle derives from the fact that as the third wife of King Edgar she was the first consort to be crowned, alongside her husband at his belated coronation.

The action of this novel begins shortly after Ethelred becomes king and she is one of the members of the Regency Council (the author has written an earlier trilogy of novels about Elfrida which it would have been better to have read beforehand). But the boy king grows up fast and declares himself fit to rule but, at least in Elfrida's eyes, falls under the sway of evil counsellors. The action of this novel ends in 984 when the king banishes his mother from court.

While well researched, and despite my fascination with the Anglo Saxon period, I didn't enjoy this novel that much, partly as I thought the writing was fairly average, though probably more due to the numerous typos and errors in the text. In particular, and this really irritates me, the author, or perhaps a typesetter, has no understanding of the correct use of apostrophes. This infuriated me and reduced my enjoyment of the story a fair bit. Not sure I will read the rest of the trilogy, or the author's other works.

>53 john257hopper: We must have a lot of the same tastes in literature--I have Harold Harefoot, an odd little book and never ran across anybody else who had ever heard of it or read it. I love MJ Porter! Sorry your book did not meet expectations!

>54 Tess_W: Sounds like it!

To be honest, it really was mostly the typos and poor grammar that was most of my dissatisfaction. Without that, I am sure I would read more of her novels. I may do so, even so, as I love this period.

>51 EGBERTINA: Ive had days like that

>54 Tess_W: I decided to give M J Porter a second chance. I downloaded a sample of the first book in the previous trilogy The First Queen of England and it seems free of the typos and punctuation howlers of The King's Mother.

>57 john257hopper: I've started her Ealdorman: The Earls of Mercia Book 1 and am liking it. I have put it aside for the bright and shiny Zola's, for the moment. I also have The Custard Corpses (1940's mystery) that got a great review from my friend.

Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII's Discarded Bride / Elizabeth Norton
3.5 stars

Anne of Cleves was Henry VIII’s fourth wife. She outlived him and all his other wives, though she was only 41-years old when she died. She was only his wife for about 6 months before he divorced her (or found a way out of the marriage, anyway); he never liked her while they were married (though they got along well afterward). She was well taken care of while he was still alive (though this did not necessarily continue after he died, at least until Mary became queen).

There is not as much written about Anne of Cleves as some (all?) of Henry’s other wives, though I believe I have read one other that focused on only her. I like Anne, and she was well-liked by the people of England while she was there. It is sad to read that although she was well-taken care of and Anne put on a brave public face that she was ok with everything after they were apart, she really did consider herself to still be his wife after he put her aside for the young Katherine Howard. Lots of interesting little tidbits about Anne in this book. Also a great section of pictures, some of seen before and some I haven’t.

I decided to count Auf der Suche nach König Artus by Jürgen Wolf for September, too, since I had overcommitted so much. I was not really happy with that since I have so many other interesting royal reads and do not really think of King Arthur as a royal topic, but it turned out that this book was a fitting read nonetheless. One focus of it is how the figure and story of Arthur was used by dynasties in Europe to strengthen their claims and power. This mainly was the case with British royals, but also Royal families in France and Germany. There are especially strong ties with the Tudors (see Arthur, Henry VIII's older brother!).

Although this was a reread, I had forgotten about all of that and found it so fascinating.