The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

Historical Fiction -4.5 stars

I am a huge Philippa Gregory fan, and this book is no exception. This standalone sequel to The White Queen is told through the eyes of Lady Margaret Beaufort. As a girl, she had visions of being Joan of Arc and performing some grand feat for God. Instead, she was rejected by her first fiancé, she became first a mother and then a widow at 13, and then married (Henry Stafford)and was widowed again several years later. She wed her fourth husband (Lord Stanley) in a pure business arrangement, including being granted a vow of chastity. While not at the altar or mourning, Lady Margaret was maneuvering in court and out to place her son, Henry, onto the throne as he was the next Lancaster heir. The Red Queen offers a portrait of a woman who refused to believe that she was not the most important in God's eyes. Her arrogance and unrelenting desire for her son to be king prove to be successful as her son becomes Henry VII, father to Henry VIII and grandfather to Elizabeth I. I recommend the book, but I do not like Margaret. Her nickname, "t' old bitch", proves absolutely true.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Historical Fiction - 4.5 stars

When I first began reading this book, I'll admit I was a little skeptical. One reason was the endorsement from Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love on the front cover. I do not think it is a secret that I thought her book was silly, unrelatable, and I didn't care for it. The second reason was that it is written completely in correspondence format - letters and wires mainly. This turned out to be a surprisingly nice change from the traditional novel format. The book itself was a glimpse into a part of history that few people know about, the German occupation of the channel islands off the coast of Britain. This was a fascinating story of a writer, Juliet, who travels to Guernsey and learns the story of a heroic young woman, Elizabeth. The star of the book is the history itself, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to watch a story unfold. The perfect book club book, too!