The Red Queen

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Published on: August 2010

Page Count: 400 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Reading Format: Hardcover review copy sent to me by the publisher.

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Giveaway: Simon & Schuster graciously provided me with a second hardcover review copy of The Red Queen for one of my lucky readers. For an entry, simply fill out the Google Form at the end of the review. Just for fun, tell me what color you would be if you were queen.  Entries are accepted until Tuesday, August 17 at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

Margaret Beaufort is a devout little girl. She spends as many hours in prayer as her mother and nurse will allow. She is fascinated with Joan of Arc and pictures herself one day running a monastary. That is never going to happen. As the daughter of deceased John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, she herself is in line for the throne. The House of Lancaster has very few heirs, so it is imperative that she marry and mother sons as soon as possible. She is married to Edmund Tudor at the early age of 12. Within a years’ time, her husband is killed defending the Lancasters, but he leaves her with a son in her belly. She is certain that her son will one day be the King of England because she believes that God spoke this to her as He spoke to Joan. She makes it her live’s mission and duty to see God’s will be done.

The Red Queen is the second novel in Philippa Gregory’s series about England’s 15th Century Plategents. The Red Queen is a good counterpart to The White Queen. It balances out Elizabeth Woodville’s story in more ways than one. It tells the Lancaster family’s story where the first told that of the York family. Margaret is devoutly Roman Catholic where Elizabeth was mystyical. Elizabeth was tentative about the future of her family while Margaret is rarely indecisive. She believes that God’s will is for her son to be the future King of England and, as it’s God’s will, she had no cause to ever doubt it. It also compliments the first novel by discussing her views of Elizabeth and whether she was a witch. You saw Margaret’s intentions behind the correspondence that gave Elizabeth hope. The two books fit together like puzzle pieces in that way.

There were two aspects of Lady Margaret’s character that stood out for me – her self-righteousness and her resentfulness. She is certain that God speaks to her as he did to Joan of Arc. Therefore, she believed she could not sin or be in the wrong. Over time, a supposed grace from God became her own personal infalibility. She may have felt that Elizabeth was deluded by her relationship to Melusina, but Margaret was no less misguided herself. She had to believe that she was special to God because the alternatives left her cold. Had she been born a boy, she would have herself been in line to the throne and her very existence would have been cherished and protected. As it was, she was just a bridge to the next generation of the House of Lancaster. Her ultimate destiny never concerned anyone but herself. Knowing that her family, most especially her mother, thought of her life as nothing more than a means to an end infuriated her. I think she was driven more by that resentment than anything else. The House of Lancaster got the son off of her that it wanted, but she created a sense of her own control where she had none through her special relationship with God.

I really enjoyed The Red Queen, especially after having read The White Queen. There were sections where Lady Margaret’s self-righteousness started to iritate me in similarly to Catherine of Aragon in The Constant Princess, but plotting and the scheming kept me interested.  I especially loved the  relationship between Margaret and her third husband, Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby.  All things considered, he was a perfect match for her.  The novel finished especially strong on the battlefield at Bosworth. I knew the outcome beforehand, but I still found myself holding my breath a little.  Although the next book in this series will feature Elizabeth Woodville’s mother, I’m looking forward to meeting Lady Margaret once again as “the mother-in-law.”  I am really enjoying this series and highly recommend The Red Queen.

Other Voices

You’ve heard what I’ve had to say.  Why not check out other bloggers?

Devourer of Books
My Fluttering Heart
Booking Mama

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

One of my fondest memories as a reader was listening to Philippa Gregory speak at the National Book Festival last year and then getting to meet her briefly.  That experience put me on a cloud from which it took a long  time to float down.  Getting the opportunity to read The White Queen before it was officially published was such a treat for me.  I wanted to take this treasure and squirrel myself away until I had finished it.  While I doubt that any other Gregory novel will eclipse The Other Boleyn Girl in this reader’s heart, I really enjoyed heading back further in England’s history with Philippa to the life of Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner whose eldest daughter by King Edward IV would one day become the mother of Henry VIII.

The story begins with Elizabeth Woodville, a young widow of the Cousins War, standing by the roadside waiting for the even younger man who claimed himself to be King Edward.  He fought for the House of York while Elizabeth’s family were from the House of Lancaster.  Although they were on opposite sides, Elizabeth was desperate to reclaim her husband’s property from his mother.  She needed it to raise her two young sons.  When Edward saw her along side the road, he was enchanted and, despite an encounter where she refused him by force, ordered that her husband’s property be returned to her.  Despite his intentions, he could not erase this most beautiful woman from his mind.  He, with the help of Elizabeth’s mother Jacquetta, arranged for them to be married in secret.  Once Edward was securely on the throne, his decision to marry for love instead of for political gain made enemies for Elizabeth and Edward.  Enemies that they never fully shook.  They had to fight for their place in England like they loved each other – fiercely.

Interwoven into the historical story of Elizabeth and her unlikely marriage to the British monarch is the story of Melusina, a magical fish woman who agrees to become human for the love of a mortal man.  Jacquetta raised her children with stories of this woman she viewed as her kinswoman, her mystical mother.  Through her, she believes that the women of the Woodville family have access to Melusina’s magic and ability to see the future.  Jacquetta and Elizabeth are true to Melusina and throughout the novel there are scenes where they use their strength to attempt to alter events which women ordinarily did not have the ability to intervene.  Their tools were the water and the weather, fickle things that could just as easily turn against them when employed without great care.  Elizabeth, a stubborn woman of strong emotion who never quite learned her mother’s patience, didn’t always reason things through before calling on Melusina.  What Jacquetta and Elizabeth practiced was more a form of speeding up karma than conjuring black magic.  Nothing that they could do could truly protect them.  It simply gave them a sense of playing a part in a war and in a world so very far out of their control.

The White Queen hit just the right note for me.  The story was engaging and fast paced.  I liked all of the characters – most especially those who could not be trusted.  Elizabeth’s family was strong and I really enjoyed the relationship she had with her mother and her brother, Anthony.  Anthony stood out because his sense of chivalry, which seemed so counter to all of the manipulating and scheming that prevaded the political climate.  The mysticism may not appeal to every reader, but it worked well for me.  This dimension added weight to Elizabeth’s character, and made the threats of witchcraft more serious because she was far from careful.  There couldn’t be more fertile time period for Gregory to bring to life than the War of the Roses.  I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.  Philippa Gregory is in her element with these bold, bitchy woman and dashing, dastardly men from the Houses of York and Lancaster.  I’m loving every minute of it!

+++++

In honor of The White Queen, Philippa Gregory had her website redesigned.  I love it and wished she had done something similar to her Library section earlier.  It lists all of her novels in chronological order by century.  There is much to explore and I’ve only started reading through it.

In addition to that, they had Elizabeth Woodville on Twitter!   Her tweets are done, but you can go there and read them through from the beginning.  I had finished the novel before they started and reading each reminded me of Elizabeth and her story.  What a wonderful idea!

******

The White Queen is available in stores today!!  You can also buy this novel online by clicking here.

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Main Entry:

fic·tion

Pronunciation:

\?fik-sh?n\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English ficcioun, from Middle French fiction, from Latin fiction-, fictio act of fashioning, fiction, from fingere to shape, fashion, feign — more at dough

Date:

14th century

From Meriam-Webster Online Dictionary

My Friend Amy posted an interview with Robin Maxwell, the author of Signora Da Vinci (to be reviewed here later this week).  In this interview, Robin makes a point to discuss other authors and how they are not true to history and, in essence, dishonor the people they write about.  This is not a view peculiar to Robin Maxwell.  After reading The Other Boleyn Girl, I started to read more about the book, historical fiction in general, and Philippa Gregory.  There are many readers and reviewers who will pick apart a work of historical fiction as if it were purporting itself to be a biography or a text book.   Apparently historical fiction is not allowed to be fiction.

One of the most common complaints about historical fiction in general and certain of its authors in specific is that it misinforms the masses.  They feel that after reading such novels that contain inaccuracies that the average reader will walk away from book believing historical falsehoods.  Okay.  That may very well be true, but whose fault is that?  If I were to pick up a copy of The Monsters of Templeton and really believe that there are monsters in the lakes in New York, do we chastise Lauren Groff for spreading rumors that might start to destroy tourism or do we say “Jennifer may need to be institutionalized for a little while.  She seems to be losing it.”  I think it would be the padded room for me.

I read fiction to be entertained.  I read biographies to be educated.  When a work of historical fiction captures my imagination, it prompts me to read more about that figure, period, and time.  In every circumstance, I’ve discovered differences between the novels and what actually happened.  I find that interesting in and of itself. It doesn’t (or at least it doesn’t have to) lessen the experience of the novel. It gives insight to where the author is may have been thinking “What if Anne did X instead of Y?  How would that have impacted the story.”

I completely understand those who love historical fiction and prefer that the known history inside be as accurate as possible.  I appreciate and respect those who want or need such authenticity in order to buy in to a novel.  The same is not always necessary for me.  Where I cannot agree is when they attempt to put authors of historical fiction in a tight, hermetically sealed box to protect the sanctity of history or the honor of its figures.  Let’s not take historical fiction so seriously.  I would dare say that those in the public eye are never more harshly treated or vilified than they are during their own generation.  The following generations have their own public  figures to skewer.  If their counterparts didn’t make them roll over in their graves, I sincerely doubt that a modern author will.

Fiction, whatever its genre, is fiction.  Those who read it and take it for actual, historical fact are lazy readers.  That is not the fault of the author.  While it might very well be true that people can come away from The Other Boleyn Girl with a less than spotless and honorable opinion of Anne Boleyn and believe she did things that she never did, they will at least be able to answer Jay Leno when he asks the man on the street “Who is Anne Boleyn?”  The rest is really of no consequence.  Such readers are not going to be the Anne Boleyn opinion setters of the future.

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

I had been awaiting the publication of The Other Queen since I finished reading The Virgin’s Lover in October of 2007.  As time progressed and got closer to its September 16th release, my anticipation kept growing.  Finding out that I would be seeing Philippa Gregory in person just a couple of short weeks added to my excitement.  When I finally held the book in my hands, it was a happy day indeed.  Although this novel did not displace The Other Boleyn Girl as my favorite of Gregory’s Tudor series, I enjoyed the time I spent with Mary, Queen of Scots, Lord Shrewsberry, and, most especially, Lady Bess of Hardwick.

When writing about Mary, Queen of Scots, Gregory chose to explore her first several years in British captivity.  In what at first seemed like a royal privilege bestowed upon them by Queen Elizabeth, the Lord Shrewsberry and his new wife, Lady Bess, were asked to house the Scots Queen the short time that she would be safeguarded in Great Britain.  What they found quite early on, however, was that holding court for the Queen of Scots was expensive and would quickly rely on them living beyond their means.  What they didn’t realize right away was all that this honor would cost them.

Lady Bess, the first in her kind in the way she accumulated wealth and managed the properties left to her by her husbands, was dreaming of the wealth and favor that would come with performing such a task.  She married her way up to the nobility and was proud of the way she orchestrated her life and was now able to make a place for her children.  She learned how to keep books and it had become her passion.  She took pride in knowing to the penny how much she was worth and what she had spent.  As I got to know her, it became apparent that when things were happening beyond her control that she had her own inner mantra about who she now is and how efficient she is as a landlord.  She is quite the Protestant, but when she’s under stress, all she needs are prayer beads to make this mantra into her own personal rosary.

For all their differences, Mary, Queen of Scots is much like Lady Bess.  She, too, handles stress by telling herself over and over who she is and what her station means.  When she is confident in what she is doing and the plans that are underway on the outside to free her and return her to her throne, her thoughts are fluid and she has a hard time containing her enthusiasm.  There is no need to remind herself that she is a queen of the royal blood.  She is prospering in that role.  When she is not, or when she feels defeated, her thoughts of freedom and who she is become excessive and obsessive.  It is then that she thinks of Bothwell.  When things become dark enough, she admits to what he did.  In her fear she reveals how vulnerable she is, which makes her no different from any other woman.

Philippa Gregory made a bold choice in choosing to tell Mary, Queen of Scots’ story of early imprisonment.  Despite the lack of physical action, it paid off for me.  I understood Mary and Bess both in their perceived triumphs and actual defeats.  I felt their impatience, resentment, and the immense weight of their boredom.  Whether it was intentional or not, Baron Burghley and Queen Elizabeth proved that all torture has to be physical to be effective.  If I were to change one thing about this novel, I might have chosen a different third voice.  Lord Shrewsberry’s last chapter didn’t work well for me.  I would have chosen someone from outside the house.  Thomas Howard or Queen Elizabeth would have added a third distinct layer to the story.

The Other Queen is a novel of internal drama.  As Mary, Queen of Scots is prisoner from start to finish, and her jailers could not be rid of her.  There was a constant battle between the Shrewberry’s and their other queen.  When Lady Bess is up, Mary is down.  When Mary is up, Lady Bess is down.  Lord Shrewsberry was beaten and battered by the storm erupting between the two women.  Still, this novel was not as compelling as The Other Boleyn Girl or The Boleyn Inheritance, but it kept my interest and my interest grew with the characters.  I look forward to reading more about Mary, Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick.

Now that my reading of Gregory’s Tudor series is complete, I would rank them in the following order:

1) The Other Boleyn Girl
2) The Boleyn Inheritance
3) The Queen’s Fool
4) The Other Queen
5) The Constant Princess
6) The Virgin’s Lover

*******

To buy this novel, click here.

My grandfather worked in tool and die.  When he retired, he had his machines in his shed.  One of the things he loved to make the most were cribbage and euchre boards.  He gave this lovely euchre board to me quite some time ago.  Although I’m not sure how to take that on a personal level , it really does represent the state of my blog as the month of September has drawn to a close and October is finally underway.  Grandpa will be 91 on the 15th, so happy early birthday from your favorite granddaughter in Virginia!

September really was quite a month.  I participated in two wonderful book tours, I read 11 books (!!!!), the Literate Housewives Book Club officially started (thanks to everyone who has signed up on the forum!), we all celebrated Book Blogger Appreciation Week, and I took a road trip to see one of my favorite authors, Philippa Gregory.  While this will be a month to remember, it has left me behind on my reviews and my comments.  Hopefully October will be a good catch up month.  With my birthday, the girls’ birthdays (Ally – 22nd, Emma – 23rd), our 11th anniversary, a visit from my parents and Uncle Ryan, and a business trip to Boston, it’s sure to be eventful if nothing else.

I read 11 books this month, but I only wrote 7 reviews (including The Seamstress that I owed from August).  That leaves me 5 reviews in the hole.  I’m hoping to have those all written and published by Monday.  Here’s how my reading broke down by category:

General Fiction

House and Home by Kathleen McCleary
Will I Ever Know by Charles Henry
First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader
The Torn Skirt by Rebecca Godfrey – review forthcoming

Historical Fiction

The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner
Immortal by Traci Slatton – review forthcoming

Young Adult Fiction

Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelly Hall – review forthcoming

Short Fiction

Months and Seasons by Christopher Meeks

Non-Fiction

One Can Make a Difference edited by Ingrid E. Newkirk
Good Person Guidebook by Richard Bayer, PhD – review forthcoming
Shrink Rap by Robin A. Altman – review forthcoming

Best Read of the Month:

Honorable Mentions:

this is spacesthis is space

I hope that you all had a happy and prosperous September and will be enjoying the changing of this colors in October.

We left our house just after 6am and drove to Vienna, VA, where we caught the Metro to The Smithsonian and walked out on the Mall.  It was so wonderful to be in the capitol.  It had been 12 years since I last was there.

“There’s a familiar sight.”  Danny said as we were walking toward the event.

“What?  The tents?”  I replied.

Danny pointed straight ahead.  “No, the Capitol.”

“Oh…”  Unlike in the past, I wasn’t paying any attention to the monuments and buildings.  I was looking for the Book Festival tents.

When we got there, we were a little after Neil Gaiman‘s talk began in the Children and Teens’ tent.  The crowd was so huge that we could barely hear what he was saying.  While I was trying to figure out what to do, Danny was trying to point out to me that Laura and Jenna Bush were about 50 yards from us signing books, but I wasn’t paying attention to him.  I was single-minded.  I now regret not taking peak at them when I had been so close.  Next time I’ll have to remind myself to try to absorb it all in.  Anyway, since Salman Rushdie and Philippa Gregory were speaking at the other end of the event, we decided to head in that direction in hopes of getting a good spot.  When I saw the Fiction and Mystery tent, it was starting to sink in to me that I was finally there.

Marisa de los Santos was speaking when we arrived and she was delightful.  She stood at the podium and was glowing.  I have not read Love Walked In or Belong to Me, but I certainly wish that I had now. She discussed her writing methods, how her characters develop, and her relationship as an author with poetry and novels.  Listening to her seemed like listening to a long lost friend.

After de los Santos, Salman Rushdie was scheduled to speak.  I was hoping to find a seat between authors, but no such luck.  Very few people who were seated moved.  I was able to move up to stand behind the last row of chairs.  As soon as Salman entered the tent, you could feel the air charge with electricity.  We were packed in the tent like sardines and, looking behind me, there were several rows of people lined up outside of the tent.  It took a few moments to get started because someone who kept shouting “Sit Down!” She finally  figuring out either that she was in the back of the standing room only section or went away.  There was a sign language interpreter for each of the authors, so everything was translated.  When people starting shhing this woman, it was hilarious.

Unlike de los Santos, Salman was interviewed.  Marie Arana, the editor in chief of the Washington Post’s  Book Review led the discussion.  We found out that Friday had been the 20th anniversary of the publication of The Satanic Verses and everyone cheered.  He discussed his time under the fatwa set down by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and how over time he became able to be in public without fear of his life.  The discussion then turned to The Enchantress of Florentine, which couldn’t sound more symbolic and beautiful.  TBR edition number three of the day.  The discussion wrapped up with very long question from the audience and then Salman was thanked with a huge round of applause.  He was intelligent and witty.  It was a great experience getting to listen to him.

There was a change in the audience between Rushdie and Philippa Gregory – enough so that I got a seat in the second to last row.  It was like sitting in a book club because there was instant discussion all around about Philippa and her work. Even in the muggy atmosphere, I got goosebumps when Philippa walked on stage.

She gave a wonderful speech.  She discussed writing The Other Queen and looking at history knowing that it was written by men who held prejudices about who and what a woman was.  She gave a little incite into her life as a writer.  While she joked about her husband living with someone she thinks is the greatest living author of British historical fiction, her husband’s take on her profession keeps her humble.  For him, it’s just something to keep her occupied during the British football season.  She read a couple of sections from The Other Queen and it was a treat to hear her read.  She answered several questions about The Other Boleyn Girl, what it really meant to be the historical consultant for her recent motion picture, and The Other Queen.  One of my favorite questions was about how royal women lived with the weight of producing an heir on their heads.  Did they ever resort to swapping a newborn princess for a commoner’s son?  With the exception of the rumors about Mary of Modena, Queen Consort of James II, it wasn’t believed that this happened.  Then she noted that even today that there is a modern prince who may have cause to question his paternity.  The lively way in which she answered that question was delightful.

As soon as Philippa’s talk was over, Danny and I headed over to the book signing pavilions.  I had mapped out our book signing schedule for the afternoon.  First Neil Gaiman, then Philippa Gregory, then Salman Rushdie, and finally James McBride.  My plans and the reality of the situation were vastly different.  There was the line leading up to Neil Gaiman and then SEVEN feeder lines!  There was already a huge line for Salman Rushdie and it was two hours before he was scheduled to get there.  Long story short, I decided that I was really there for Philippa Gregory first and Neil Gaiman second.  In order to get both autographs, we decided to have Danny wait in Gaiman’s line while I waited in Philippa’s.  I might not get a picture with her, but I was on a mission for Jena, Alyce and Jill.  In the end, it didn’t even work out to get Neil Gaiman’s autograph (I am SO sorry, Jena!).  The lines were just too long.  If you want more than one author’s signature, you almost have to make a choice between listening to the talk and waiting in line.

I waited in Philippa’s line for about an hour and 45 minutes, but it was a pleasure.  I met Karrie, a lobbyist for Second Harvest Food Bank/Feeding America, which is a wonderful non-profit organization that is located across the country.  If you are looking for a charity that helps people in your area, Feeding America is a wonderful organization.  Karrie and I had a wonderful time getting to know each other.  She wanted both Philippa’s autograph and Cokie Roberts’.  She picked Philippa’s because it’s more likely that she can attend another book signing for Cokie Roberts than getting to meet Philippa again.  Karrie is a wonderful person and getting to know her made the time fly.  There was some concern that we wouldn’t even get to Philippa, but we got through within the first half hour.  Since Danny didn’t make it through Neil’s line, he waited with us so that I could get Alyce’s book autographed.  With the one book per person limit, that was it (sorry, Jill!).

I wanted to ask her what her opinion was of the rape scene in movie but, as I recall, I pretty much gushed about how much I’ve enjoyed her novels and how they’ve shaped my reading habits.  She thanked me and agreed to take a picture with me:

She is holding my copy of the book and I am in heaven!  What is most funny about this picture is that I made sure to get my hair colored and cut on Thursday so that it would look nice in the picture.  Since it was so muggy, I’m dripping in sweat.  Oh well…  what’s that they say about pride coming before the fall?   Despite my hair, I will treasure this picture for the rest of my life.  Thank you, Philippa for being so gracious!

After Danny got Alyce’s book signed, we waited for Karrie to come back down the line.  Are we happy campers or what?

The National Book Festival was an incredible experience that I will never forget.  Danny and I got to spend the day together in a huge crowd of book lovers.  It was extremely organized for such a huge event.  The volunteers kept those of us waiting in line for book signings aware of what was going on, had the books ready for the authors so that the lines ran smoothly.  They also regularly walked up and down the lines with the bottled water donated by Target.  Assuming this continues on into the next administration, I will be making plans to attend again next year and in the years to come.  There is plenty of activities for children and it would be a great way to help foster the love of reading in my daughter’s lives.

The winner, as determined by The Randomizer, is:

Jill at Fizzy Thoughts!!!!!!

Congratulations, Jill!!!!  I hope that I can get your book signed and that you, Alyce and I will absolutely love this novel.

Please head over here.  I’ve added the number of prizes.

_____________

Next week will be a busy week here at The Literate Housewife Review:

• I’ll be hosting the award for Book Blog Readers.  I announced this contest earlier this week.  Be sure to check this out and send me your entry before it’s too late!  I’ve gotten a huge response.  It’s going to be so difficult to narrow it down to 10!
• I’ll be hosting some awards ceremonies for the following wonderful categories:  Community Builder, Author, Historical, and Fantasy.  I’ll be posting more about this later on tonight.
• Visiting all of the other blogs and participating in the contests.  I am so excited about the whole thing and wish I could take the week off of work.

Still, that just doesn’t seem like quite enough.  I need to do one more thing, I just can’t help myself.  As my readers know, I’m a huge Philippa Gregory fan.  I’m anxiously awaiting the publication of The Other Queen on Tuesday the 16th.

On the 27th, my husband is taking me to DC to meet her in person (!!!!!) at the National Book Festival.  With Book Blogger Appreciation Week to top it all off, this is so my month!  So, to bring two of my passions together, I’m going to host a Philippa Gregory Scavenger Hunt beginning Sunday, September 15.  Here are the details:

Between now and midnight EST on Sunday, I will be adding a graphic of my favorite historical fiction author in 10 places on my blog.  The first person to email me and correctly identify each place I’ve added her photo will win.  If no one correctly identifies all of the posts by 5pm EST on Tuesday, September 16, the winner will be the person who has sent me an email with the most correct locations.  If there is a tie, I’ll use Randomizer to select the winner.  So, even if you can’t find all of her pictures, submit your entry!

So, what might you get for prowling around my blog looking for Philippa?  How about a copy of The Other Queen?  I won’t be able to send you the book until the 29th, though.  I hope you don’t mind.  You see, unless disaster strikes and I can’t make it to DC, I will be bringing this copy of the book with me to have it signed to you by Philippa!  What do you think?  You’re coming back on Sunday, aren’t you?

It was like Christmas morning when I discovered that she will be taking part in the 2008 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, September 27.  D.C. is still five hours away. With gas prices the way they are, my joy started to dim until I noticed all of the other authors who will be there: Neil Gaiman, Salmon Rushdie, Geraldine Brooks, and Marisa de los Santos just to name a few. It’s sounds like such a wonderful event and I’m sad that I’ve not heard about it before this year.  I hope that this is one thing that will continue on after President Bush leaves office.

I have asked my husband to take me there and he agreed so long as our yard sale isn’t held that weekend.  Uh, it most definitely won’t!  I’m not sure what we’ll do as far as driving there.  Neil Gaiman is appearing in the Teens & Children Pavilion at 11:45.  We’d have to leave pretty early in the morning to get there in time for that.  We may drive to Alexandria and get a hotel the night before and then take the train into the city.  Is there anyone else out there who is planning on attending?  Let’s make plans to get together!  It’s going to be a great day!

The Other Queen

obvious choice

I won’t be reading any reviews of the book beforehand. While I don’t have patience for many other things, I have no problem avoiding reviews of books and movies beforehand. In fact, I haven’t even read anything else about Mary, Queen of Scots because I want my “first time” to be with Philippa. All that I will be bringing to this story is my deep respect and admiration for Gregory and my love for the Tudors. I know that this will end in tragedy, but that is where Gregory works her best magic. I cannot wait.

In some respects, my waiting has come to an end. This morning I pre-ordered my copy of the novel. September 16 is still 40 days away counting today, but knowing that there is a copy with my name written on it (but not, unfortunately, by Philippa Gregory herself), gives me some peace. I know that the moment it see that package on the front porch I will jump out of the car, run up to it, and hug it to my chest. When I have time alone (the girls tend to be all over me when I’m opening a box) – most probably locked in the bathroom – I will open the box and just look at it. I’ll run my fingers over the title and the author’s name and then pick it up. I’ll look at the back cover and run my hands over it. I’ll open the book and read the inside flaps. Finally, I’ll open the book somewhere in the middle, move my nose in close and breathe the book in. Sigh…

Until then, I will continue to eagerly anticipate what I hope will be my best reading experience of the year, not unlike Mary on the cover.