Book Haul~Week!

This was a week that was...I was in a slow readers mode but had a very eclectic delivery of books that kept me going.  It's rainy and dreary here in Naples, FL, today, so I thought I would share with you my Weekly Haul to cheer us both up a little.

First, a sweet book on CD sent from my favorite place:  Macmillan Audio!!

Summary:

New York Times bestseller Jane Green delivers a riveting novel about two women whose lives intersect when a shocking secret is revealed From the author of Another Piece of My Heart comes Family Pictures, the gripping story of two women who live on opposite coasts but whose lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined. Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school. They're both in their forties and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like. They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected. But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart. As dark truths from the past reveal themselves, will these two women be able to learn to forgive, for the sake of their children, if not for themselves?

This is a CD Audio in 8 CDs.  I'm very much looking forward to listening to it!!

Summary:

 THE TITANIC HAS OFTEN BEEN CALLED "AN EXQUISITE MICROCOSM OF THE Edwardian era,” but until now, her story has not been presented as such. In Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage, historian Hugh Brewster seamlessly interweaves personal narratives of the lost liner’s most fascinating people with a haunting account of the fateful maiden crossing. Employing scrupulous research and featuring 100 rarely seen photographs, he accurately depicts the ship’s brief life and tragic denouement and presents compelling, memorable portraits of her most notable passengers: millionaires John Jacob Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim; President Taft's closest aide, Major Archibald Butt; writer Helen Churchill Candee; the artist Frank Millet; movie actress Dorothy Gibson; the celebrated couturiere Lady Duff Gordon; aristocrat Noelle, the Countess of Rothes; and a host of other travelers. Through them, we gain insight into the arts, politics, culture, and sexual mores of a world both distant and near to our own. And with them, we gather on the Titanic’s sloping deck on that cold, starlit night and observe their all-too-human reactions as the disaster unfolds. More than ever, we ask ourselves, “What would we have done?”

This one was sent by Broadway Paperbacks of New York.  It's about the Titanic's First-Class passengers and their worlds.  Should be very interesting...

Summary:

An award-winning writer re-imagines the life of Jesus, from the points of view of four people closest to him before his death.

This is the story of Yehoshuah, who wandered Roman-occupied Judea giving sermons and healing the sick. Now, a year after his death, four people tell their stories. His mother grieves, his friend Iehuda loses his faith, the High Priest of the Temple tries to keep the peace, and a rebel named Bar-Avo strives to bring that peace tumbling down.

It was a time of political power-play and brutal tyranny. Men and women took to the streets to protest. Dictators put them down with iron force. In the midst of it all, one inconsequential preacher died. And either something miraculous happened, or someone lied.

Viscerally powerful in its depictions of the period - massacres and riots, animal sacrifice and human betrayal - The Liars' Gospel makes the oldest story entirely new.

This is like no other book I've ever read, and I'm not sure about it... Sent by Little, Brown & Co., a publisher I really trust, I have to take a chance on it for that reason.  We'll see what I think once I get into it.

Summary:

CSI meets The Sixth Sense in this compelling horror/thriller that has already been optioned by the producers of The Dark Knight Returns!

Jonah Miller is a Reviver, able to temporarily revive the dead so they can say goodbye to their loved ones—or tell the police who killed them.

Jonah works in a department of forensics created specifically for Revivers, and he’s the best in the business. For every high-profile corpse pushing daisies, it’s Jonah’s job to find justice for them. But while reviving the victim of a brutal murder, he encounters a terrifying presence. Something is on the other side watching. Waiting. His superiors tell him it's only in his mind, a product of stress. Jonah isn't so certain.

Then Daniel Harker, the first journalist to bring revival to public attention, is murdered. Jonah finds himself getting dragged into the hunt for answers. Working with Harker's daughter Annabel, he becomes determined to find those responsible and bring them to justice. Soon they uncover long-hidden truths that call into doubt everything Jonah stands for, and reveal a sinister force that threatens us all.

Putting the paranormal in the police department, first-time author Seth Patrick blends genre lines with this edgy crime thriller. The first novel in the Reviver trilogy, Reviver is sure to appeal to fans of Dean Koontz and Justin Cronin.

All I can saw is "wow" to this one which I can't wait to start reading!!!  It's sent by St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books.  Doesn't it sound fabulous!?  I think this one will be a scorcher.


And finally,

Confessions of Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey:

Summary:

A novel for fans of Philippa Gregory and Michelle Moran, Confessions of Marie Antoinette blends rich historical detail with searing drama, bringing to life the first years of the French Revolution and the final days of the legendary French queen.

Versailles, 1789. As the burgeoning rebellion reaches the palace gates, Marie Antoinette finds her privileged and peaceful life swiftly upended by violence. Once her loyal subjects, the people of France now seek to overthrow the crown, placing the heirs of the Bourbon dynasty in mortal peril.

Displaced to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the royal family is propelled into the heart of the Revolution. There, despite a few staunch allies, they are surrounded by cunning spies and vicious enemies. Yet despite the political and personal threats against her, Marie Antoinette remains, above all, a devoted wife and mother, standing steadfastly by her husband, Louis XVI, and protecting their young son and daughter. And though the queen secretly attempts to arrange her family’s rescue from the clutches of the rebels, she finds that they can neither outrun the dangers encircling them nor escape their shocking fate.

I'm not one to resist a novel about Marie Antoinette.  Published by Ballantine Books, this one will be reviewed in the summer...



So, what was in your mailbox in the last couple of weeks?  Did you go shopping for books?  Let us know in the comments below if you've read any new books you loved!!

I'm still hoping someone (my daughter...:] ) will send me a copy of Jodi Picoult's newest book.  Where is it, Jessica!!???

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow" by Juliet Grey

SUMMARY :  A captivating novel of rich spectacle and royal scandal, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow spans fifteen years in the fateful reign of Marie Antoinette, France’s most legendary and notorious queen.

Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty.

From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles—one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.

PARTICULARS OF THE BOOK :
Publisher:  Random House/Ballantine Books
Paperback Edition Pages:  427  Including Reader's Guide
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Author:  Juliet Grey
Discover more here:  http://www.becomingmarie.com


ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Juliet Grey is the author of Becoming Marie Antoinette. She has extensively researched European royalty and is a particular devotee of Marie Antoinette, as well as a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit. She and her husband divide their time between New York City and southern Vermont.            


     
THE BOOKISH DAME REVIEWS    

Lavish in details of Marie Antoinette's elegant court and beautiful attending ladies, this book will whet the appetites of those who love to gather every little crumb about their favorite French queen.  Juliet Grey knows how to tempt the mind's eye with descriptions of Antoinette's glorious hair confections, the glories of her petite little cottage and grounds with its sumptious silks and pastel colorings, and the fabulous games of cards and masquerades. I can never get enough of Marie Antoinette no matter how many times I read about her, but Grey's novel is unique in its storytelling which made it a wonderful read.

"Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow" isn't a fluffy book by any means.  Meaty in historic detail, it casts Marie in her rightful place as the first lady of the French monarchy in a time of social and political unrest in all of Europe and the World.   We are shown the slide rule of Marie's ascent into her political acumen and her steady decend in the minds of the peoples of Paris and France on whole.  A time when queens were meant to be decorative and "quiet," Marie was a show piece!

While she is beautiful and charming on the one hand,  her extravagance and world of material riches makes her the envy of all royalty; infuriating the politicals and the peoples, and making her the most hated of women.  Marie seems boggled by her state.  If there is one critique I have it would be that Ms Grey tends to often make Antoinette a bit light-headed about this problem.  The magnitude is recounted but not discussed by Marie and Louis directly which would have added another dimension, I thought.

From other writings and based on other biographical information, I think Antoinette attempted to be more active in affairs of state earlier on in her reign and more concerned than it seemed in this novel. She seems too simpering where Louis is concerned and with regard to Austria than I believe she was in fact.  But, I was pleased to see her grow in bravery of heart and mind as the novel progressed.  One of the things we can admire most about Marie Antoinette is that she was not only a creative and brilliant artist of self and surroundings, but she was a shrewd woman, and mother of her children and country.  Juliet Grey gave us all the variations of this gorgeous and talented woman.

I walked the halls and gardens with Marie Antoinette and her ladies in waiting as I read.  I saw the beautiful gowns and decorations and the delicious foods.  I could see Ben Franklin in his eccentricities at the lavish French monarchs' table!  And, I felt the fear the Queen must have had when she was railed at by the street peoples and rebel women in her own hallways!  How awful to have masked women spit out ugly lies in your face and have no protection from it!  I felt her vulnerabilities at failing to produce children through  no fault of her own.  And, I felt her eventual terror at being trapped by those who wished to harm her (The incident of the Necklace!) and her little family for being rulers of a kingdom in perilous times--times that they inherited.

This is a book historical fiction lovers will die to read!  It's not a light historical fiction, but one that will ignite your memory of the French Revolution and the young Queen who felt the brunt of the blame that really wasn't all hers.  It also will warm your heart as you're reminded of the unconditional love of Louis for his little queen and hers for her children and him.

Second in the series, those of us who read and loved "Becoming Marie Antoinette" will be hard put to wait for the third book in this one called "The Last October Sky," which is due out in 2013!


4 stars for a very good read               Deborah/TheBookishDame


This review is brought to you by:  Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

 

Please follow the full tour here:

http://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/2012/09/juliet-grey-on-tour-for-days-of.html

Marie Antoinette~Reflections,Interior Design,&Stitching

Dear Marie Antoinette is a female archetypal figure to me. She's not just a Queen of France and a wildly interesting woman of history on her own count. She epitomizes the lot of women...she is symbolic Woman. I can never get enough information about her.

Let's look at the portrait above as art historians. The portrait is painted as if writing us a love letter. Marie Antoinette is only 14 years old. The very first thing we notice is her eyes. The artist has left alot of "white space" around them to make sure they draw our attention. "The eyes are the windows of the soul." Her eyes say that she is sweet and innocent, but strong-minded and ready for the task at hand. The portrait is telling us this young girl has royal blood and great potential as a royal wife. That is; after all, her only value in her Time. The laurel of pearls that softly "crowns" her hair suggests this. She is intelligent as shown by her high forehead and slightly raised brow.

We see that she is pretty and healthy by her red, bowed lips, pink cheeks and fine bosom. The artist, again, has suggested that she is precocious, or will be wise beyond her years by her over all expression and her slightly powdered wig. But, then, he doesn't want to say she's too old...so we have the big, girlish blue silk bow at her neck and chest area. And, the use of the yellow silk dress which indicates royalty and youth, purity and lightheartedness. Aside from the laurel of faintly indicated pearls in her hair, she is wearing no jewelry or other ornamentation. All in all....a very sweet portrait of a young princess to be sent to a future husband for the bargaining!! Or bluntly stated, in a more contemporary way....look at the picture closely. She is shaped like a Queen Bee in her hive....ready to reproduce! She's slightly voluptuous with a beehive hair style.

One of the very first books I ever read was a biography of her. I was smitten from that first historical encounter. I was 8 years old. Marie Antoinette seemed to be a young, kind, sadly alone girl who was a princess, but never really was understood or loved by her people. I first imagined her in my mind all alone being driven across a cold and snowy country in a covered sled headed to a strange land. I could see her bundled up in white fur and blue velvet robes. She was sent away from her home, her mother and siblings. She wasn't sure who would take her in on the other side. She didn't know who would meet her. She didn't know if her future husband would like her. She had no idea what France was, who the French people were and what her home would be like. That was the long and short of it in my child's mind. I had alot to relate to in Marie Antoinette's life. I wanted to love her then...and I still do. I have, as I said, all of my life.

So, I've decided to devote some of my blog to the study of Marie Antoinette, portraits of her, and her domestic interiors. I'm going to focus on studies of her furnishings, the colors, and the fabrics and tapestries of her surroundings. We'll get to know what she personally liked. What colors she preferred and what designs expressed who she was. We'll be able to understand more about her..not only in her palaces, but in her favorite, little rustic village and cottages. Her preferences set the historical face of interior design...and we still live with her choices today.

Our houses tell more about us than we realize. I know....I've been studying and working with arts and fabrics and furnishings in one way or another since I was a baby! What we choose, how we envelope ourselves...it all tells a story. I want to unravel Marie Antoinette's.

This is fair warning! :) I hope I don't drive some of my stitching friends away!

How will this study connect with our stitching? I want to see and stitch with some of the "colors of Marie Antoinette." I will be choosing colors from threads that are available to us now, so I can have a visual, tangible color palette. I'm thinking of designing a spot or band sampler as I go along.

Here is a beginning example. This is a bedroom drapery and silk bed covering ensemble that was made for MA for Fountainbleu. She never used the room. What it tells us is her color and pattern preferences.

Since no one would dare give her a complete bedroom that would displease her, we can be assured these are some of her favorite colors. In this picture we see that she does not use the darkest or deepest shade of colors...she liked medium tone colors. She doesn't have any pastels here, either. The pastels were kept for her cottages.

I see these 3 main colors: Grass green, peony pink, and yellow. From these you take the different values or shades of each color. There would have been 2 more secondary colors to balance the palette.... The gold acts as a "yellow."

The Chinese image above her bed shows her evolving artistic interest in chinoiserie. Trade with China brought many beautiful china and silks to royals. Marie Antoinette collected Chinese porcelain vases, for instance. By the time she has this bedroom created for her, she is well into her role as the reigning Queen of France.

However, to begin at the beginning: in the portrait at the top, Marie Antoinette of Austria is 14 yrs old. She is one year away from leaving her mother and family to become the wife and Queen of the future King of France. All she knows is music, dance, singing, embroidery, playing with her sisters, opulence, servants, structure of her mother's hard Hapsburg rule, flowers and language studies. She is an obedient child. She is the youngest daughter, and very close to her older sister who dotes on her. Her mother is a daunting and powerful woman...a Hapsburg... Ruler of a Royal Dynasty of Royals...a Queen to be respected...a strong and mostly distant mother. Marie Antonia speaks German. French is not her mother-tongue, nor is she well-schooled in French manners or world history. She is shy and willing to obey.

Here she is a young Queen. More about this portrait later.