Tudor History Lovers discussion

Well, it's been a long time since we had a group read, but due to popular demand, I'm going to take nominations. Once we get enough, I'll open a poll, and then in December we can read the winner. I figure that gives everyone who wants to enough time to find a copy, right?

So, nominate a book about the Tudors/Tudor England that you'd like to read!

ETA: Two nominations each, please. Or the field could be really crowded.

How about 'Murder most royal - Jean Plaidy'

Or 'The Thistle and the Rose- Jean Plaidy'

Jean Plaidy should certainly be widely available at libraries, that's for sure.

Margaret George? kinda heavy reads, but amazing none the less.

How about 2 nominations each?

I'll nominate 2 myself:

The Boleyn King, by Laura Andersen
and
The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers, by Margaret George

Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty

or

Pale Rose of England

I like any of the suggestions, to be honest.
I'm excited to get this going.

Mary Boleyn: The True Story of Henry VIII's Favourite Mistress or Murder Most Royal

Please no Jean Plaidy - sure the books are okay but I feel they focus too much on romance and are more romantic historical fiction rather than actual historical fiction. Having said that, I vote for anything by Robin Maxwell. Margaret George is great but her books are MASSIVE which may turn off a lot of folks.

How about something by Norah Lofts like "The Concubine" or "The King's Pleasure".

I love that there are things suggested that I didn't even know existed.

No Jean Plaidy - to much romance. Other than that I am open to most anything.

The Secret Bride...this is a good series :)

Dangerous Inheritance - Alison Weir. New release.

I liked Robin Maxwell but I've already read it so I don't want to read something I've already read. But I also loved by Alison Weirbut I've read that as well. I think I'd take anything but my TBR is really huge right now. That I have a set list of books to read before I consider any new suggestions. I want to get through Barbara KyleThornleigh series and some others before I get to anything else.

For fiction, either or . For nonfiction, or

How about Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions or Jane Seymour

I love any one of those. I also loved The Mistresses of Henry VIII

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is meant to be packed with great Tudor insight.

I wouldn't mind reading The Boleyn King or The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers. Basically, I second Susanna :). I'll read almost anything to be honest--I think this will be fun!

My two suggestions for our next book:

Threads: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn, by Nell Gavin
or
The Sisters of Henry VIII by Maria Perry

but will be delighted to read any already suggested.

I'm with you. I have read many of these, have not heard of some of them (added them to the TBR list) BUT am open to pretty much any of them. Jean Plaidy not so much. :)

I'm so excited about this! Everything that has been suggested sounds good to me. I've read some of them, but most are on my to-read list.

Carla wrote: "Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is meant to be packed with great Tudor insight."

I really enjoyed it, but that is not an easy, straight-forward read. Worth reading, though.

I'm excited to read anything!

The Boleyn King This book intrigued me from the moment I saw it in an airport bookstore. I finally downloaded it, but haven't read it yet.

My second nomination is for The Six Wives of Henry VIII another book that I've wanted to read for awhile now

Celestem wrote: "I'm excited to read anything!" Me too! Thanks for bringing the group read back!

Well, I've never run a group read, but it seemed like it was a really long time since we'd done one, and like people wanted it pretty badly, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Wow all of these books sound good and I I'd honestly be more than happy to read any of them. I haven't even heard of some of these!

Romance in Jean Plaidy? There's almost no sex in her novels and very little romance.

Hello: I agreed with every one please not Jean Plaidy!!! To much romance.
I will read any material with a lot if intrigue all around historical facts..please if you post the name of the book, I will be ready for the reading.

Susan wrote: "Romance in Jean Plaidy? There's almost no sex in her novels and very little romance."

No kidding. I've been very baffled by all the comments, then nominating authors like Diane Haeger and Robin Maxwell. I always read Plaidy when I want "just the facts, ma'am" - I don't consider her stories fanciful/romantic in the slightest. If they're "romantic," it's in the old-fashioned sense of the word. Nowhere near as smutty as most popular HF authors today. (JMO of course.)

I nominate Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England (non-fic) and The Fifth Queen (fiction).

Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) wrote: "Susan wrote: "Romance in Jean Plaidy? There's almost no sex in her novels and very little romance."

No kidding. I've been very baffled by all the comments, then nominating authors like Diane Haege..."

I think it depends on which Plaidy novels you read. I think she's one of the best historical fiction authors out there for the facts, but certain novels are a little more heavy on the romance. Maybe not so much of her Plaidy novels but definitely her Philippa Carr novels.

If that's not what everyone meant, sorry! I'm just speaking for myself then :)

Eleanor Hibbert kept her genres pretty well separated under her different pseudonyms, so that's what's confusing me. The Holt and Carr books are very different from Plaidy. I've had to give up on several of the Plaidy ones when I'm not in a dry fact/minimal dramatic flair mood. So seeing "romance" slapped on those books made me go "bwuh?"

I've got tons of Tudor bodice rippers (REAL vintage bodice rippers) in the TBR. Y'all are lucky I didn't nominate them. ;D

Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) wrote: "Eleanor Hibbert kept her genres pretty well separated under her different pseudonyms, so that's what's confusing me. The Holt and Carr books are very different from Plaidy. I've had to give up on s..."

Understandable, Karla :) I tend to refer to all of Hibbert's books under "Plaidy" which probably isn't the best thing to do!

Ah, you have to love a great bodice ripper, though ;)

Jean Plaidy isn't really my favorite either. Romance is perhaps the wrong word here, her novels aren't really filled with sex, but there is a romantic haze if you will surrounding her story telling that I don't really enjoy. Someone nominated The Concubine by Norah Lofts, and honestly, it is one of the very few books that I haven't been able to get through. I'm all down for a group read though, if it gets picked, I'll try it again and maybe the discussion will make it a better book. I nominate Plain Jane. I've been meaning to pick it up for awhile!

So... who decides and when?

I nominate Firedrake's Eye by Patricia Finney or Unicorn's Blood by the same author.

http://www.amazon.com/Firedrakes-Eye-...

I think I'm going to open the poll now. We've got what looks like a good selection of choices.

Poll is up! Lots of choices!

ETA: Link here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/9...

Oh dear! So many fabulous choices! Do we only get one vote? :-)

Yeah, it was a tough choice for me, too. One vote only, alas!

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Well, it's been a long time since we had a group read, but due to popular demand, I'm going to take nominations. Once we get enough, I'll open a poll, and then in December we can read the winner. ..."

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

I'm afraid Nominations are closed - the poll is open, though. https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/9...

ooooh, how about the Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory!!!

I'm afraid nominations are closed; you can go vote, though! (See above for link.) I believe there is a Gregory in the running, though not, I believe, that one.

Polls closed! The winner was:

Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England, by Thomas Penn.

I missed the poll! But it's ok but I wanted to read this one a lot hurray! When does the group read start?