Top Ten Tuesday: Self-Published Books

 

This Top Ten Tuesday theme, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is all about self-published books. Now I admit I had no idea which authors or books I like were self published so I had to scour the net. I haven't read most of these but know some of the authors and/or they just looked interesting to me. 

I was also surprised to see some of the authors and books that were considered self published or published by Indie publishers. It is not something I know much about but I'm all for people being able to take charge of their own projects. Hopefully I can read some of these soon.

1. Liberty or Death by David Cook

The first in a trilogy, this book follows the fictional character of Major Lorn Mullone who is caught up in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. This is a unique subject to tackle and one I haven't seen in many books. I also love series books so this might need to go on my TBR list.

2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

A reimagining of Homer's The Illiad, it seems to have been a huge hit and looks to me like an ambitious premise to choose. Not sure I'd read it as I'm not a fan of this time period but I can appreciate the author's work. 

3. The Maid by Nita Prose

This one is on my TBR list because I hear they are making a movie about it. Described as a "Clue like, locked-room mystery" it looks like a tale of a  socially awkward, working class girl unwillingly caught up in a whodunit when one of the patrons at the wealthy hotel where she is employed mysteriously kicks the bucket.  

4. The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks

This is my kind of historical fiction. It is based on the real crime of the kidnapping of Charlie Lindbergh and the nanny who adores him in her quest to find out what has happened to him.

5. All the Broken Places by John Boyne

I'm not a big fan of WWII or Nazi Germany historical fiction but I know it is very popular. So I'm listing this book for others. It is a time shifting novel about a girl named Gretel and her pain at being the daughter of a commandant of the Reich during the war. Gretel has to reconcile her own guilt with protecting her lifelong secret shame. 

6. Empire of Ice and Stone by Buddy Levy

I love adventure based history books that read like novels. This looks like this type of story. During the year 1913, The ship, Karluk, while on an expedition in the Arctic Ocean is icebound and their expedition leader and some members of the crew decide to embark on a hunting trip. When there is no sign of their return after 10 days, their Captain, Bob Bartlett, along with a local Inuit man, attempt a treacherous 1,000 mile journey to find rescue for the remaining crew members. 

7. Homecoming by Kate Morton

An epic novel, Homecoming is the story of Jess, a journalist, and her grandmother, Nora and a long buried criminal case. Jess attempts to find out how her family is connected to a notorious unsolved murder case from 1959. 

8. Dead Wake by Erik Larson

The story of the luxury ocean liner, Lusitania, the ship that meets disaster in 1915 during the days of WWI. Erik Larson is always excellent at making history read like a novel.

9. A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley

Anytime I see Scotland and Jacobite I'm in! So I really need to try one of Kearsley's books. This one is about Jacobite exile, Mary Dundas and her journal and the woman who tries to crack the code three hundred years later. 

10. The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester

I'm not sure this book would hold my interest but it looks unique and I thought others who love history as much as I do would want to know about it. Winchester ponders how we became 50 unified states by exploring the men who played huge roles in shaping the country. Lewis and Clark, along with the creators of the railroad and national highways are featured in their quest to physically and geographically unite the nation into one. 

Balian d'Ibelin: Knight of Jerusalem (Jerusalem Trilogy Book One) by Helena P. Schrader

Publication Date: June 30, 2020 (new edition) 

Originally released in 2014

Length: 402 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't give 5 star ratings too often when I write a review. I think 4 says a book was great and even 3 means the book was good but not spectacular. So for me, 5 stars means I highly recommend it and found very little fault with it. This is one of those books and I can't want to read the next two in the series. It is also unique, a topic very rarely tackled, and so that makes it even more special for me. It is more a "one of a kind" type of book.

This story takes place between the years of 1171 and 1178 when Balian went from an insignificant youngest son to a member of the royal family in marriage to Queen Maria Comnena. His father, the former Count of Jaffa is deceased and his eldest brother Hugh also dies after a fall from his horse. Hugh prefers Balian to be the one to inherit Ibelin Castle and its lands but it is supposed to go to the middle brother, Baldwin, who is already Lord of Ramla. Baldwin is presented as a sour, disagreeable character who is not anxious to abide by Hugh's wishes. When Balian goes to King Almaric in Jerusalem to plead his case, Baldwin, or Barry, as he is called in the story, is not enthusiastic and is hopeful he will be rejected. 

Balian succeeds in making a name for himself in his service to the young Prince Baldwin IV who is just ten years old and suffering from the terrible affliction of leprosy. Teaching Baldwin to ride without his hands and befriending the lonely boy, Balian develops a close bond with him while also becoming smitten with his beautiful stepmother, Queen Maria, lonely wife of King Almaric. After King Almaric's death, Balian becomes even more valued by Baldwin and Maria as they often lean on him for support. 

Balian eventually rises to become Constable of Ascalon. During this period he comes into contact with the famous warrior, Salah al-Din and has to defend his territory and protect the helpless refugees fleeing the Muslim advance. Through courage, diplomacy, and luck Balian triumphs in the Battle of Montgisard and saves his people from the forces of Salah al-Din. 

Schrader tells the story of Balian while adding some fictional characters for depth and color. His various stable boys and assistants are given backstories and a slave woman tells her gripping story in order to help reveal the fate of those kidnapped by the Muslim forces. Throughout the novel we meet real life figures such as Reynald de Chatillon, Agnes of Courtenay (mother of King Baldwin), and Aimery de Lusignan of the famous de Lusignan family. 

Schrader's grasp of this time period is impressive. Only Sharon Penman's The Land Beyond the Sea holds a candle to it. I was drawn into the story the way I am with the best historical fiction.....authentic details, historical accuracy, along with romance and well depicted battles. I admit the battle scenes can sometimes bore me but she does a good job of not spending too long in one place and dragging it out too much. It is clear she has spent a lot of time researching and visiting her subject and I learned things I haven't found in other novels set during the time period. While I have read that there is not a lot of historical evidence detailing Balian's life, and I'm sure she had to create a lot of the story from her own mind, from what I can gather the novel is as accurate as possible given the scant information. 

Her books have won several historical fiction awards and she has others set during this time. The Balian story is part of a trilogy and I will definitely be reading the other two.

 

Can't Wait Wednesday: A Cold Highland Wind (Lady Emily Mysteries Book 17) by Tasha Alexander

This week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, features a book set in one of my favorite locations....the Scottish Highlands. I have been waiting for this book to have a description and it finally does! It doesn't come out until this October but I know it will be one to look for. 

October 3, 2023

Historical Fiction

Book description courtesy of NetGalley

In this new installment of Tasha Alexander’s acclaimed Lady Emily series set in the wild Scottish highlands, an ancient story of witchcraft may hold the key to solving a murder centuries later.

Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons eagerly embark on a family vacation at Cairnfarn Castle, the Scottish estate of their dear friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. But a high-spirited celebration at the beginning of their stay comes to a grisly end when the duke’s gamekeeper is found murdered on the banks of the loch. Handsome Angus Sinclair had a host of enemies: the fiancée he abandoned in Edinburgh, the young woman who had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and the rough farmer who saw him as a rival for her affections. But what is meaning of the curious runic stone left on Sinclair’s forehead?

Scotland, 1676. Lady MacAllister, wife of the Laird of Cairnfarn Castle, suddenly finds herself widowed and thrown out of her home. Her sole companion is a Moorish slave girl who helps her secretly spirit out her most prized possessions from the castle: her strange books. Her neighbors are wary of a woman living on her own, and when a poppet—a doll used to cast spells—and a daisy wheel are found in her isolated cottage, Lady MacAllister is accused of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death.

Hundreds of years later, Lady Emily searches for the link between Lady MacAllister’s harrowing witchcraft trial and the brutal death of Sinclair. She must follow a trail of hidden motives, an illicit affair, and a mysterious stranger to reveal the dark side of a seemingly idyllic Highland village.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books for people who liked......

 

Books For People Who Liked......

I thought I'd list ten different "if you liked authors." I have so many I just wanted to get them all in! 

1. If you like Sharon Kay Penman you'll love.....Helena P. Schrader. I have recently discovered Schrader's historical novels focusing mainly on the Crusader period. She is historically accurate, like Penman, and engaging with dialogue and authentic details. 

2. If you like Diana Gabaldon you'll love.....Amanda Scott. These books don't have the depth and range of Gabaldon but because there are so many set in the Highlands, she got me through my droughtlander periods when I was waiting on the next Outlander book. They are historical, romantic, and unique. Very enjoyable and have that Scottish feel you are seeking.

3. If you like Anne Perry you'll love....Victoria Thompson. Both authors have engaging mysteries set during the Victorian era.  I have only read one Victoria Thompson novel but it reminded me of Perry in a lot of ways. 

4. If you like Rhys Bowen you'll love....Verity Bright. These cozy mysteries are witty, historical, and just make you feel great. They have interesting, female lead characters and are quick reads so you can work them easily into your busy schedule.

5. If you like Ken Follett you'll love....John Jakes. I thought these two authors had a very similar style when I read them back to back. Lots of accurate history combined with gritty male characters going through tough times. 

6. If you like Alison Weir you'll love...Christina Croft. Both of these ladies have excellent non-fiction accounts of royalty. Yes, different time periods to be sure but lots of details I hadn't found in other books.

7. If you like Lauraine Snelling you'll love....Michael Phillips and Judith Pella. Both are fabulous Christian, historical fiction authors with stories set in the past. I really need to do a re-read of their books and review some.

8. If you like Lauren Willig you'll love....Sarah Lark. These authors write  long, epic type books set in romantic places with lead female characters. 

9. If you like Bernard Cornwell you'll love....Ben Kane. He is a fairly new author I've tried to promote on my website. He has mostly male historical characters as well as fictional ones set in time periods with lots of battles and political intrigue. 

10. If you like Antonia Fraser you'll love....Carolly Erickson. These ladies write amazing biographies of mostly royalty and almost exclusively women. They are solid in research and have an entertaining, narrative style. 

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie: A Miss Marple Mystery (Read Christie 2023 March Selection)

Publication Date: July 1942

Length:  240 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

If you are reading this then you probably already noticed my rating is only 3 stars. This was an interesting dilemma for me because I actually enjoyed the book but as I'll explain later it just didn't involve enough intrigue to warrant a high rating. Also, we will address the fact that this is a "Miss Marple mystery".....but is it really? False advertising here if you ask me!

Siblings Jerry and Joanna have moved to the town of Lymstock temporarily to allow Jerry to recuperate from injuries sustained in a war time plane crash. He is told by his doctor to find a nice, quiet place where nothing ever happens and he thinks he has until he begins to see there is a dark spirit hanging over the town with anonymous letters being delivered to various townspeople. They are letters designed to insinuate nasty gossip that may or may not be true. Apparently this has been going on for awhile and although distressing, it is not taken too terribly seriously until one woman commits suicide, despondent over the information contained in one. 

Jerry and Joanna are motivated by curiosity and duty to find out who is writing these letters and why. Becoming attached to the adult, yet childlike, daughter of the suicide victim, they both feel responsible for Megan and want to know how her mother was driven to take her own life. As they continue to watch things unfold around them things take an even more sinister turn.

This book had a lot of great things going for it. The main characters were witty and seemed to be a bit world wise compared to the villagers, but were kind and interested in their lives. When the letters begin, it is fun to see things through Jerry's eyes as he tries to make sense of what is happening without giving in to drama and hysteria. His sister Joanna is a bit more flighty and materialistic but we see her change and begin to mature throughout the story. I liked the dynamic between the siblings and the warmth they had for each other when it counted. 

As for the mystery part, it is a bit on the weak side, although I'm learning with Christie that patience is key and she really likes to develop the story through lots of dialogue and things are never what they seem in the beginning. There wasn't really a whole lot to it other than the letters, the suicide, and the reasons behind them, but when the clues come together I admit it was really unexpected and had little nuances that were cleverly woven in. Where it really fell flat for me was the Miss Marple part. She enters into the story only in the last 50 pages or so and does very little. I think that was the point here and it was supposed to seem that she looks around and quickly deduces the answer but I didn't like it. You walk away feeling strongly that this is Jerry's story, not Jane's. Still, it was a satisfying ending. 

Not my favorite of Christie's books but honestly I kind of liked Jerry and Joanna and would like to read another book with them in it. It was kind of sad to reach the ending and know they were just two of many minor characters in one book.