From crusaders to kings.

I'm a historical fiction nut.  You may say I'm crazy for crusaders. Frenzied for pharoahs.  Wiggy for warriors, lol!

My tea, and a good read awaits.

So when I went to the library yesterday I stumbled upon this while looking for Lahiri and Aslam (who aren't by the way, historical fiction authors per se but regardless) in the fiction section....(after a busy morning saving little frogs no bigger than my thumbnail from certain destruction on a main road with my girls, and several bike rides to train us for a long ride along the Waterfront Trail to Niagara Falls....but that's another story...)

I opened up the book I found and read the first paragraph...

Granada 1491

There was a scream, and then the loud roar of fire enveloping silken hangings, then a mounting crescendo of shouts of panic that spread and spread from one tent to another as the flames ran too, leaping from one silk standard to another, running up guy ropes and bursting through muslin doors.  Then the horses were neighing in terror and men shouting to calm them, but the terror in their own voices made it worse, until the whole plain was alight with a thousand raging blazes, and the night swirled with smoke and rang with shouts and screams.

From; The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory

Well that prompted me to want to read more! How exciting! I love suspense, and right now, I love to be entertained.  Regardless of my knowledge already of how things inevitably turn out for Katherine of Aragon.  Who wouldn't want to read a breathtaking and unguarded account of how a person from our histories may or may not have felt during the course of her exciting life.  I can't wait to see how this one ends.  Well I know how it ends but, you know what I mean! ;)

Did you know?? Catherine of Braganza (a Portuguese Infanta who married Charles I) brought HIGH TEA to England as well as the use of the fork.  No kidding. :) {Naturally I joked with Julian last night that he could thank my people for bringing him civility...lol!!!)

xo

Comments

[pam aries]

A loverly teacup! Richly decorated to suit a fine wealthy lady! he h ehe

[Paris Parfait]

Ha ha! I'm sure that went over well w/ J. I love reading and sometimes historical fiction is quite intriguing. Enjoy! Oh and the bike rides - such fun! xoxox

[Account Deleted]

oh, very good, that...

:-)

have you read ---->

The Birth of Venus: A Novel
by Sarah Dunant
?????

just try getting through the prologue
without reading into the first chapter...

just try ♥

[Stephanie]

I enjoy historic fiction, I love reading into what may have been...like the snippet of fact behind the Red Tent that lent to a full lush story.

This one sounds intriguing...

x..x
steph
p.s.
I may be taking a bike ride along the High Line canal in NY...more on that later :)

[Scarlet]

I could've guessed you came from royalty...look at that tea cup (and I bet it's chai in there). I love chai tea; it's good for the soul! :)

Btw, I would love to hear more about that bike ride to Niagara Falls. The falls remind me of my childhood, as we'd visit every year, rain or shine, sun or snow, and I had my most thrilling moment over the horseshoes falls (on a plane).

Anyway, the excerpt you shared sounds suspenseful. Even though you know how it ends, like the movie Titanic, you can still get caught up in the whole thing like you're reading it for the first time.

Enjoy it...and have a peaceful evening, Chiquitica!

[Christina]

Ohh..this book sounds divine! And that tea? Lovely.
xo

[gemma]

I just love those tiny little frogs you saved. I remember seeing lots of them when I was a girl. In fact I used to think it rained little frogs. Everytime a droplet fell a frog jumped up.
You & girls are heroines of this little non-fiction story.

[Maithri]

Bringing civility to the English ;) You crack me up...

Much love my friend,

M

[Sherry]

tea and historical fiction...no better combination in my book...

[elizabeth]

i think the constant princess was one of my favorites of her books. love historical fiction too. or historical non-fiction in general (when it involves things like crusaders or kings or pharoahs ..). when i was little, i think i read every book in the history section of our library about the incas or aztecs or egypt or england or europe .. so much fun. :)

[susanna's sketchbook]

What a great start to a story. That DOES sound like a good book, Gillian. Must write that one down...