Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett

Bennett’s fiction debut is an extraordinary, detailed account of the family of Sir Thomas More during the reign of Henry VIII. The narrator of the story is Meg Giggs, More’s foster child.

The book follows the life of Meg, a kind, generous young woman with a knack for the healing arts. The love of her life is a man named John Clements, former schoolmaster of the children in More’s household. Clements returns after an extended absence and asks Meg to be his bride. She is thrilled and accepts his proposal though she soon finds out that Clements has a past shrouded in mystery, and she may never know the whole truth about him.

Against the backdrop of daily life is the storm of religious controversy that begins to mount. The fighting between the Protestants and Catholics grows with Sir Thomas Moore caught between it all. The painter Hans Holbein also plays a major role in the story as he comes to paint a portrait of the More family. His keen observances into the life of the Mores’ are fascinating, and Bennett’s descriptions of his painting techniques are beautiful. Portrait of an Unknown Woman is a wonderful piece of historical fiction.

A New Goal

Another goal...I counted up the number of books I read in 2007 (41) and decided that in 2008 my goal is to read 50 books for my own pleasure. I did read a few more than 41 books last year, but I don't count the nonfiction ones that I read for reviews for LJXpress. I don't know why. I guess just because they are work related. I also have not been counting the books I read for school and research. So I guess I'm just mostly interested in recording the fiction and nonfiction that I have read by choice.

My Caldecott challenge is going well. I'm reading Abraham Lincoln now and will have it finished today. I have also figured out which books I am going to read to complete my Genre Challenge. I used Joyce Sarick's book for suggestions and also a few other RA guides that we have here at work. Later today I will post the Newbery's I have read over the years so I can start working them into my reading list.

I have a pile of books at home that I am longing to read. I have to postpone abit because I have a book to read for LJXpress that is due in two weeks, and I have another book to complete for my book discussion group. It's Ruth Rendell's Adam and Eve and Pinch Me. So far it is interesting with quirky characters. I think I know what's going to happen, but I'm hoping for a great twist at the end. The book jacket promised psychological suspense and malice, so we shall see.

I just finished Maeve Binchy's Evening Class for my book discussion title for March. It was appropraite to read in March because of St. Patrick's Day. I thought I would absolutely hate it and was dreading it because it is a huge book, but I really enjoyed it. I would read another one of Binchy's. Most of the people in my discussion group enjoyed it as well.

Royal Panoply: Brief Lives of the English Monarchs

Carolly Erickson, the author of several royal biographies and fictional accounts of historical figures, brings readers a brief introduction to each of the English rulers. Starting with William the Conqueror and ending with the present queen, Elizabeth II, Erickson devotes about ten pages to each monarch. She focuses on each monarch’s entire life, from birth to death providing engaging details and entertaining facts about each royal over 1000 years of Britain’s past.

A recommended read for those interested in English history but want the short version of it!

The Passion of Artemisia

The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland tells the story of Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi, a talented woman whose life has been full of disappointments and difficulties. Her early life consists of humiliation and betrayal. Her father eventually arranges her marriage to other painter. Artemisia thinks that she will finally be able to put her past behind her and start fresh, but her husband soon becomes jealous of Artemisia’s talent and is unforgiving of the fact that Artemisia was the first woman to be elected to the esteemed Academia dell’ Arte in Florence, before he becomes a member.

This novel abounds with detail of the Renaissance in Florence and contains beautiful descriptions of painting. It is a moving portrait of a woman who makes sacrifices but never looses sight of what she wants for her career, her daughter, and her dreams.

2008 Genre Challenge

I have mapped out what genres I need to read for 2008 to meet my goal of reading one of everything. Here are the genres I need:

Western
Adventure
Inspirational
Gentle Reads
Fantasy
Thriller
Suspense
Literary Fiction

I have also decided to start reading all of the Newbery and Caldecott winners. I have read a lot of the Newberry winners over the years since I was a teacher. I think that this should be a lot of fun. I can get through at least one Caldecott a week and hopefully one Newbery each month. I'll let you know how I do.

Right now I am reading a couple of books to review for the Historical Novel Society. The reviews should be out in the March issue of their magazine. The three books I have read so far for 2008 have all been excellent. I will definatley read more of Robin Maxwell. I loved The Secret Life of Bees. It reminded me a bit of To Kill a Mockingbird since it was a coming of age story set in the South.

Update on Genre Challenge

I can't believe that three months has gone by since I last posted. I am ashamed!! Well, I have been doing a lot of reading. September thru December was a whirlwind of reading books for reviews. I reviewed a few books for Library Journal Xpress and a few for the Historical Novel Society.

I have been trying to stick with my goal of reading different genres. Here is a quick update on how this has been going:

Children's book- Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Science Fiction- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2 Biographies- The Glass Castle and If I am Missing or Dead
Young Adult- Uprising
Romance(Regency)- The Viscount Who Loved Me
Classic- A Christmas Carol
Modern Classic- The House on Mango Street
Mystery- Plum Lovin'

All of the above books were good. At first I wasn't so sure about The Viscount Who Loved Me but after thinking about it, I did enjoy it. I had to reread Dickens' A Christmas Carol because of the season. What a great story. I finally can now say that I know what people are talking about when they say that Janet Evanovich is such a great author. I loved Plum Lovin' and have already reserved a copy of her new one, Plum Lucky that is due out soon. She has recruited a new fan!

I am going to do some better planning so that I read some different genres and don't double up on anything in 2008. Happy Reading!

The Color Purple

The Color Purple is the story of two African American sisters growing up in Georgia. Celie has not had an easy life- she is abused and taken advantage of by her father, and her two children are taken away. She is then forced to marry a man who abuses her as well. Her younger sister, Nettie, flees, and is able to escape the life that Celie must endure. Nettie promises to write to her sister, but Celie never hears from her.

As Celie gets older, she meets other black women and begins to build relationships with them. Her life takes on new meaning, and she begins to open up and find a power within herself that she didn’t know she had. The Color Purple is a story of survival, the story of a person who is up against seemingly insurmountable odds and perseveres. This powerful story won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 and should not be missed.

The movie The Color Purple starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey is a classic as well and should not be missed!