February Spring

What an interesting month! A new Grandchild, my birthday, new beginnings all around. The weather has been so mild the mountain passes are more accessible than usual. I love it! I spent the month reading about my favorite subjects...history and religion.

1) Agincourt-Bernard Cornwell. LOVED IT! My 2nd favorite battle of all time written in novel form by a masterful writer. Too often historical fiction lacks the grit that I look for. Cornwell writes from a mans point of view and I like that. The battle scenes were well done and the story line leading up to the October 1415 battle flows nicely.It's written through the life of an archer-Nicholas Hook. I've always admired the longbows the English employed to give a good whooping to the French. I totally recommend it if your a battle or history nerd and of course it's got the flavors any Anglophile might look for in a novel!!

2)Lying Awake-Mark Salzman.This is a very nice novel set in a Carmelite monastery near Los Angeles.A nun is having intense spiritual experiences that spur on her writing that helps sustain the monastery. Turns out she has an illness affecting her experiences. It's a touching story. I enjoy reading about the lives of nuns and monks past and present and this was no exception. Nice. Nothing English here but nice all the same.

3)The Shack-Wm. Paul Young. Excellent way to look at the tragedy that we see daily. Wonderful way to possibly see how God/The Trinity may operate in and through our lives. It's enveloping and a quick read. A warning though: it may affect your heart!!

4)The White Queen-Philippa Gregory. Interesting read. Gregory's writing style is different but good. The book is set during the wars of the roses, just before the Tudors took over. I love the time period! It's written through the life of Elizabeth Woodville the wife of Edward Plantagenet and the mother of the infamous princes who disapeared or were killed in the Tower. One of histories mysteries. Gregory always does more than a fair share of research for her novels and I appreciate that work she does!! This was an Anglo fix for sure.

That's it for February. I always find it interesting what order I read books in. Sometimes one book leads to another inadvertently answering or dealing with problems I have in my life. I may pick them up randomly but they, amazingly enough, relate to things on my mind and I find answers in them that help. Anyway, it's nice to get this out on time. Thanks Theresa for the gentle reminder!!!!