52 in 2009

[lumineaux]

28.  Mistress to the Monarchy by Alison Weir  - a biography of Katherine Swynford, the mistress and later wife of John of Gaunt. The book has the strengths and weaknesses of popular history.  There's a lot of "may haves" and "must haves" because there is so little evidence about what Katherine Swynford actually did.  The footnotes are often better reading than the text.

I did like the several times she made arguments based on heraldic evidence, such as  that the fact that Thomas Chaucer chose to display his mother's family arms on his tomb did not mean he was a bastard, as some have suggested.  (Thomas Chaucer was related to Katherine Swynford on this mother's side.  That's why he gets mentioned.)

29.  The Clerk's Tale by Margaret Frazer
30.  The Reeve's Tale by Margaret Frazer
31. The Hunter's Tale by Margaret Frazer

All re-reads of one of my favorite mystery series, featuring Dame Frevisse, mystery-solving nun.  When I finally sit myself down and actually write historical mysteries featuring the Sisterhood of St. Walburga, Dame Frevisse will be as much my inspiration as Brother Cadfael.

32.  Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin - the third in the "Mistress of the Art of Death" series, featuring our heroine's investigation of two skeletons found on the Isle of Glastonbury.  Are they the legendary Arthur and Guinevere?  Although I find an awful lot of anachronism in this particular series, I love it anyway.  Forensics + mystery + history = happy Alys reading.

More than halfway there.  Should I stop counting books that I re-read and count only new books?

Comments

[lissa510.livejournal.com]

re-reading counts....i'm still at like 12 books ::sigh::