European Royalty discussion

***WHATEVER YOU WANT THAT DEALS WITH ROYALTY***

***ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY, ANY TIME PERIOD, FICTION OR NON-FICTION***


I'm sorry this is so late! I have a lot going on right now, especially at work.

The theme this month is WHATEVER YOU WANT THAT DEALS WITH ROYALTY (any European country, any time period, fiction or non-fiction). I realize this is lazy on my part, but I just need to get this thread up! :) I'll try to come up with a fun topic next month.

Since this group has read SO MANY books together, I'm only going to exclude the last two years of books that this group has read from being nominated (so books we read together more than two years ago are now okay). A list of every book this group has read together in the last two years is at the end of this post (alphabetically by author, then by title if we've read more than one book by that author), so please try not to nominate a book from this list.

Please try to check amazon or some other site to make sure the book is easily available - the last thing we want is to nominate some great book that no one can get! If you nominate more than one book, only the first book listed will make it into the voting poll (so save additional books for the next months!). Also, if the book doesn't fit the theme, I won't add it to this month's voting poll, but I will carry it over to the next theme that it does fit under if you would like.

Feel free to nominate one book of your choice in this thread until January 21st, 9pm Eastern (kind of a quick turn around here).

At around that time, I'll make a voting poll and list all the nominated books in it, and people can vote in the poll until the poll closes (set to last through January 24th). Discussion will start on February 15th.

Happy Nominating!



BOOKS WE HAVE READ AS A GROUP IN THE LAST TWO YEARS (PLEASE DON'T NOMINATE):

Christina, Queen of Sweden: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric by Veronica Buckley

The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick

Three Maids for a Crown: A Novel of the Grey Sisters by Ella March Chase

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

A Venetian Affair: A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century by Andrea Di Robilant

The 19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff

To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Christy English

Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser

Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller

From Splendor to Revolution: The Romanov Women, 1847-1928 by Julia P. Gelardi

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner

Gone with the Windsors by Laurie Graham

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics by Eleanor Herman

The Traitor’s Wife by Susan Higginbotham

The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis

The Devil's Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Jeanne Kalogridis

Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert Massie

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran

Harriet and Isabella by Patricia O’Brien

Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman

When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman

The Queen's Secret by Jean Plaidy

Victoria Victorious: The Story of Queen Victoria by Jean Plaidy

Sarum: The Novel of England by Edward Rutherfurd

Avalon: A Novel by Anya Seton

Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir

Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir

Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor

Don't worry about a topic, I think sometimes it's good to just have one be open to whatever - it gives people more freedom of choice. Not that I dislike having more specific topics, just that every once and a while it's good to leave it open to anything.

I'll nominate this one, it's the same book, just different titles and covers:



The Time of Singing / For the King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick

I'd like to nominate Legacy by Susan Kay.

How about His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kim or perhaps The Forest by Edward Rutherford

The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

I wanted to say Here Be Dragons, but since it's on the list I'll say The Last Wife of Henry VIII is also on my to-read shelf.

I found a book that I wanted to nominate and then saw it doesn't come out until june :-(

I would like to nominate Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland by Susan Fraser King.

I detect a bit of an unintentional 'Last...' theme occuring above :)

Sue wrote: "I detect a bit of an unintentional 'Last...' theme occuring above :)"

Lol, didn't even notice until you said that! :)

The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers, by Margaret George.

I nominate: A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith

(Edit: won't delete it but, oops I see I have missed the deadline, too bad :( )

Kirsten wrote: "I nominate: A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith

(Edit: won't delete it but, oops I see I have missed the deadline, too bad :( )"

Don't worry about it! I've been missing a ton of them here lately (and sadly they are my own deadlines!). :) As long as you get it in before I close the thread, you're good.

Nominating is closed! Time to vote!