March Books

Thank goodness for Audible, or I would've completely failed at reading this month!  It was a very busy March, and I had things going on every weekend.  So I really just didn't have much time to sit down and actually read a book.

Alas, here's what I did "read" in March:

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really loved this book! I think it might be tied with FanGirl for my favorite Rainbow Rowell book.

I also listened to this one on Audible. I was thrilled that the narrator from FanGirl and Landline was back to read Eleanor's sections of the book. I liked that this book had a male narrator for Park's sections of the book.

I honestly don't have anything specific that I liked or disliked about the story. I just really enjoyed the book! Really deep, I know. But that's how it is. :)



Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I can't say that I loved this book, but I did like it. Tarnish is the story of Anne Boleyn before she becomes fully entangled with King Henry VIII.

I have read book after book on Henry VIII English court, many of them by Philippa Gregory, and I've read many others about Anne Boleyn. I felt like this one didn't quite "fit" with what I feel I've learned about her through other authors. Of course, this is historical FICTION, and a lot of what is presented in the books I've read is speculation. I think that overall, the other books I've read by different authors have paralleled each other more.

Since I listened to this book on Audible, I can say that I did enjoy the narrator.

Book Review: Gilt

I am working my way through my summer reading list (AND running out of time to do it!).  After The Poisonwood Bible, I read Gilt by Katherine Longshore. 

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads.com:
In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--and love comes at the highest price of all. When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com. 

In previous posts, I have shared how much I love historical fiction centered around the court of King Henry VIII.  This story is told from Katherine (Kitty) Tylney's point-of-view.  She is a figure mentioned in testimony about Catherine (Cat) Howard.  Longshore takes this character and creates her to be a close friend of the king's 5th wife.  I enjoyed Longshore's writing style, and I loved Kitty's loyalty.  If you love reading about this time period in England and/or historical fiction, this is book is a must!