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Deborah (162 KP) rated The Mythology of Richard III in Books
Dec 21, 2018
As usual, Ashdown-Hill has given us a well-written and accessible book with an extensive index and bibliography and reasoning well backed up with factual evidence; I find his books are always worth reading an a refreshing change from a lot of the nonsense there is out there. In this particular book he looks at myths and legends, both old and rather worryingly modern, that surround one or our best known monarchs.
Early chapters deal with the mythology perpetuated by Tudor propagandists and blinkered 'traditionalists' despite lack of evidence in many cases and even explicit evidence to the contrary in others! He looks at how some stories, such as the 'body in the river' became perpetuated over time so that they eventually become accepted as 'truth' by the uninformed. Even I had taken rather at face value the story of the White/Blue Boar Inn, but as Ashdown-Hill points out, it would be much more logical for Richard III to have stayed at Leicester Castle, as he had on a previous occasion, and also there is no evidence that an inn with a boar in its name existed at all in Leicester at this time!
The latter part of the book deals with more modern myths and I was really rather saddened and disappointed that it was necessary to have to set the record straight on many aspect of the rediscovery of the king's grave. I completely understand Ashdown-Hill's need to do so. After reading his earlier book 'The Last Days of Richard III' I was thoroughly convinced by his well reasoned arguments and never for a moment did I seriously doubt that that is where Richard III's resting place was. I was almost ready to go and dig the car park up myself! Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, I did find all the arguments over a final resting place to be somewhat distasteful, with some people sinking very low in voicing their opinions. It is disheartening that a British University PR department is less interested in truth than in trying to keep all the kudos for itself and I hope that people will read this and know the truth. With all its apparent misinformation I doubt I will be bothering with the visitor centre in Leicester any more than I have bothered to visit the putative site of Bosworth.
Early chapters deal with the mythology perpetuated by Tudor propagandists and blinkered 'traditionalists' despite lack of evidence in many cases and even explicit evidence to the contrary in others! He looks at how some stories, such as the 'body in the river' became perpetuated over time so that they eventually become accepted as 'truth' by the uninformed. Even I had taken rather at face value the story of the White/Blue Boar Inn, but as Ashdown-Hill points out, it would be much more logical for Richard III to have stayed at Leicester Castle, as he had on a previous occasion, and also there is no evidence that an inn with a boar in its name existed at all in Leicester at this time!
The latter part of the book deals with more modern myths and I was really rather saddened and disappointed that it was necessary to have to set the record straight on many aspect of the rediscovery of the king's grave. I completely understand Ashdown-Hill's need to do so. After reading his earlier book 'The Last Days of Richard III' I was thoroughly convinced by his well reasoned arguments and never for a moment did I seriously doubt that that is where Richard III's resting place was. I was almost ready to go and dig the car park up myself! Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, I did find all the arguments over a final resting place to be somewhat distasteful, with some people sinking very low in voicing their opinions. It is disheartening that a British University PR department is less interested in truth than in trying to keep all the kudos for itself and I hope that people will read this and know the truth. With all its apparent misinformation I doubt I will be bothering with the visitor centre in Leicester any more than I have bothered to visit the putative site of Bosworth.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Rembrandt Secret in Books
Nov 25, 2019
The Rembrandt Secret is a thriller set in the closed and secretive art world. Set during a recession when many dealers and galleries are struggling, the gruesome murder of respected gallery owner Owen Ziegler threatens to reveal a secret that could rock the art world to its foundations.
As a thriller this book works really well; the secret itself (unsurprisingly involving the Dutch Old Master Rembrandt) is revealed fairly early on which means the book can concentrate on what it does best - instilling a sense of paranoia in both the hero (Owen's son Marshall) and the reader trying to work out who the murderer is.
The world of art is also a good choice for this kind of taut thriller; since everyone is trying to find that one previously unacknowledged masterpiece worth millions before their neighbour does nobody trusts anyone else. Marshill did not follow his father into the world of art and so is viewed with even more distrust.
A whole cast of eccentric characters appear, some of which could have a motive, most of them hiding some sort of underhand connection to the victim. As Marshal tries to make sense not only of his father's death but of the strange circles he moved in the secrets come to light one by one - and the body count rises. Someone is eliminating everyone who knows the Rembrandt Secret, including Marshall.
Although I know next to nothing about how the art world works (and I am assuming the portrayal is broadly accurate) it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. The plot is not filled with action by any means but instead is driven by the characters, every conversation feeling like the participants are carefully navigating their way thought it trying to gain advantage from the other. I did guess the 'who' in the whodunnit around half way through but it was more of an educated guess than anything concrete so was still fairly suprised when I was proved correct.
There is a lot of conversation about art which didn't interest me much but did add flavour and texture to the book, but it did get a little frustrating sometimes when it didn't have any bearing on moving the plot forward.
Overall I enjoyed this a lot and if I see another of Connor's books I will pick it up and no doubt enjoy reading that too.
As a thriller this book works really well; the secret itself (unsurprisingly involving the Dutch Old Master Rembrandt) is revealed fairly early on which means the book can concentrate on what it does best - instilling a sense of paranoia in both the hero (Owen's son Marshall) and the reader trying to work out who the murderer is.
The world of art is also a good choice for this kind of taut thriller; since everyone is trying to find that one previously unacknowledged masterpiece worth millions before their neighbour does nobody trusts anyone else. Marshill did not follow his father into the world of art and so is viewed with even more distrust.
A whole cast of eccentric characters appear, some of which could have a motive, most of them hiding some sort of underhand connection to the victim. As Marshal tries to make sense not only of his father's death but of the strange circles he moved in the secrets come to light one by one - and the body count rises. Someone is eliminating everyone who knows the Rembrandt Secret, including Marshall.
Although I know next to nothing about how the art world works (and I am assuming the portrayal is broadly accurate) it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. The plot is not filled with action by any means but instead is driven by the characters, every conversation feeling like the participants are carefully navigating their way thought it trying to gain advantage from the other. I did guess the 'who' in the whodunnit around half way through but it was more of an educated guess than anything concrete so was still fairly suprised when I was proved correct.
There is a lot of conversation about art which didn't interest me much but did add flavour and texture to the book, but it did get a little frustrating sometimes when it didn't have any bearing on moving the plot forward.
Overall I enjoyed this a lot and if I see another of Connor's books I will pick it up and no doubt enjoy reading that too.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Sea of Lost Girls in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Tessa has started her life over at Haywood, an elite boarding school in coastal Maine. She teaches English there and is married to a well-respected fellow professor, Harmon. Her seventeen-year-old son, Rudy, while troubled in the past, seems to be doing well. This is much in part to his girlfriend, Lila Zeller, a smart and focused teen. But then Tessa gets an early morning text from Rudy, asking her to pick him up. He and Lila had a fight, and Tessa finds him wet and shivering. Later that morning they receive the devastating news that Lila's dead body was found on the beach, not far from where Tessa picked Rudy up. Soon there are whispers of murder surrounding Lila's death, and both Tessa's husband and son find themselves under investigation. And the more she delves into Haywood's past, the more she realizes she isn't the only one keeping secrets.
"When we landed here in this pretty harbor town with its sailboats and white clapboard houses I'd thought we'd come to a place where we'd always be safe. But Rudy has always had a nose for darkness."
I love Carol Goodman's books, and I'm always into a good boarding school book, so picking up this one was a no-brainer. She doesn't disappoint. This is a quick, captivating story that keeps you guessing the entire time. While Tessa isn't always the most likeable character, I was certainly invested in her story.
Goodman deftly weaves two storylines together--the present, featuring Tessa's family and Lila's death and the past, which revolves around the titular lost girls, whom tie back to Haywood in its earlier days. We also learn more about Tessa's past and her long-hidden secrets, many of which also link into Haywood itself. Somehow all of this works together. It's a mysterious, sometimes dark story, and one that keeps you wondering. I changed my mind several times about who could have harmed Lila. I love a book that keeps me on my toes. I also enjoyed the story of the lost girls and the school's eerie stories.
Goodman is a master storyteller, and this book flies by. She brings in links such as "The Crucible," which the Haywood students are performing, and ties to the #metoo movement. They all augment this strong story about the power of lies and hidden secrets. The parallels between the past and present are expertly woven together. 4 stars.
"When we landed here in this pretty harbor town with its sailboats and white clapboard houses I'd thought we'd come to a place where we'd always be safe. But Rudy has always had a nose for darkness."
I love Carol Goodman's books, and I'm always into a good boarding school book, so picking up this one was a no-brainer. She doesn't disappoint. This is a quick, captivating story that keeps you guessing the entire time. While Tessa isn't always the most likeable character, I was certainly invested in her story.
Goodman deftly weaves two storylines together--the present, featuring Tessa's family and Lila's death and the past, which revolves around the titular lost girls, whom tie back to Haywood in its earlier days. We also learn more about Tessa's past and her long-hidden secrets, many of which also link into Haywood itself. Somehow all of this works together. It's a mysterious, sometimes dark story, and one that keeps you wondering. I changed my mind several times about who could have harmed Lila. I love a book that keeps me on my toes. I also enjoyed the story of the lost girls and the school's eerie stories.
Goodman is a master storyteller, and this book flies by. She brings in links such as "The Crucible," which the Haywood students are performing, and ties to the #metoo movement. They all augment this strong story about the power of lies and hidden secrets. The parallels between the past and present are expertly woven together. 4 stars.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated American Dirt in Books
Apr 9, 2020
So I put this book on hold at the library before it exploded into controversy and then it was the last book I was allowed to check out before our library closed down due to the pandemic. I can't tell if it was a great book to read in a pandemic (people with lives even worse on a daily basis) or if it just made my anxiety even worse! At this point, I'm just going to give a short review and try not to dip into the whole uproar over the book, but I do encourage you to read up on it and to read some #ownvoices authors, as well.
Lydia Perez lives in Acapulco with her husband, a journalist, and their eight-year-old son, Luca. She runs a bookstore, and one day someone comes in and buys several books that Lydia stocks solely because they are her favorites, not because she expects them to sell. They strike up a friendship and Javier returns frequently to her bookstore. It's only later that Lydia realizes that he is the leader of the newest, powerful drug cartel in town--the one that is ruining Acapulco. And the same jefe about whom her husband is writing an explosive journalistic profile. Once it's published, Lydia and Luca must flee Acapulco, becoming migrants overnight. They are heading to the United States, the one place Javier can't hurt them. But can they survive the dangerous journey?
This is an eye-opening and sad book. It's certainly heart-rendering and gives you such empathy for what Lydia and Luca must go through. For me, it was Luca who made this book. He is an endearing and indomitable character, and I loved him dearly. Cummins is a strong writer, and her characters certainly do come to life. I did find the story a little slow; it took it a while to really get going. It was also incredibly stressful--no surprise there--so I was on edge the entire time I was reading. However, I found myself rooting for Lydia and Luca as if they were true, actual people and for that, I applaud Cummins, no matter her motivations for writing this book. There's also so much about this story that broke my heart and it made me even further aware of so many deplorable things. The world is a terrible and scary place.
Lydia Perez lives in Acapulco with her husband, a journalist, and their eight-year-old son, Luca. She runs a bookstore, and one day someone comes in and buys several books that Lydia stocks solely because they are her favorites, not because she expects them to sell. They strike up a friendship and Javier returns frequently to her bookstore. It's only later that Lydia realizes that he is the leader of the newest, powerful drug cartel in town--the one that is ruining Acapulco. And the same jefe about whom her husband is writing an explosive journalistic profile. Once it's published, Lydia and Luca must flee Acapulco, becoming migrants overnight. They are heading to the United States, the one place Javier can't hurt them. But can they survive the dangerous journey?
This is an eye-opening and sad book. It's certainly heart-rendering and gives you such empathy for what Lydia and Luca must go through. For me, it was Luca who made this book. He is an endearing and indomitable character, and I loved him dearly. Cummins is a strong writer, and her characters certainly do come to life. I did find the story a little slow; it took it a while to really get going. It was also incredibly stressful--no surprise there--so I was on edge the entire time I was reading. However, I found myself rooting for Lydia and Luca as if they were true, actual people and for that, I applaud Cummins, no matter her motivations for writing this book. There's also so much about this story that broke my heart and it made me even further aware of so many deplorable things. The world is a terrible and scary place.
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