Long time no see, people. It’s the laziest blogger on the internet. But while I haven’t done much reviewing, trust me when I say I have been reading A LOT. And in fact, I think I have started to branch out a bit. While I used to read mostly contemporary YA and thrillers, now I barely reach for those genres. I guess I had an overdose. I do however have many other new subjects that I am interested in, so I decided to make a series of posts about these newfound interests
And first up we have: Tudor England! I am obsessed, okay? Like obsessed to the point where there isn’t a day when I don’t think about Anne Boleyn. And while my Anne obsession isn’t new, it started to seep into interest for many other Tudors: Elizabeth I, Jane Grey, Catherine Parr.
Some books I’ve recently read on the subject:
How To Be a Tudor by Ruth Goodman- You may know Ruth Goodman by the historical TV shows where she lives in a past time period as authentically as possible. She is also a very talented historian, interested mostly in domestic life. Therefore it comes as no surprise that her book of everyday Tudor-era life is an informative and accurate glimpse into the lives of regular people of the time. Really enjoyed this one, it’s full of interesting pieces of trivia to bother your friends with (…or maybe that’s just me?).
The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir- Another read written by a very informed historian. While Alison Weir has written nonfiction on the Tudor period, this is a work of fiction, that encompasses both intrigue and accuracy (for the most part). Just a small warning for people who dislike creative liberties in their history: There is one highly controversial event that happens in the novel that is not proven to be true. However in the afterword you can see that the author wrote it as a conscious choice. If you’ve read this book you probably know what I am talking about and I’d like to hear your opinion on the inclusion of this event.
Courtly Pleasures by Erin Kane Spock- In another post I will write all about my newfound interest in the romance genre, but I couldn’t help but include this novel on my Tudor list too. It is a love story set in queen Elizabeth’s court, between two courtiers, a husband and a wife in an arranged marriage who have only recently discovered that their relationship doesn’t have to be a duty to be fulfilled. While not my favorite romance novel, it’s still pretty swoonworthy.
Honorable mentions: The Royal Circle series by Katherine Longshore, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (not very accurate, but so full of intrigue), The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir, My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes (reading this one at the moment).
That’s it for now. Please share with me your favorite Tudor books and your favorite time in history to read about.
Pickle Books 