We had a big book haul last weekend, and brought home approximately 30 used books to list on the bookstore website. Here are some of the highlights.
1. Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne, by David Starkey
Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne is about the legendary Queen Elizabeth the first, also known as the Virgin Queen. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII and the doomed Anne Boleyn, and ended up in prison at the behest of her sister Mary. (Mary was Catholic, Elizabeth wasn't; this caused a huge rift between the two of them
Stan Lee absolutely hated Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne. In fact, he hated it so much that he knocked it over repeatedly, and when he was done knocking it over, he gave it the stink eye for good measure. I never did find out why he hated it so much, just that he thought it was awful. Buy it here.
2. Sisters of Fortune: America's Caton Sisters at Home and Abroad, by Jehanne Wake
Sisters of Fortunes is about the granddaughters of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence: Marianne, Louisa, Elizabeth (often referred to as Bess), and Emily. Their family was wealthy, and the girls were unique for their time, as their grandfather bequeathed them with money and they were encouraged to invest it. However, they were more famous for their love lives; 3 of the girls married into British aristocracy, while Emily stayed in Maryland with her Canadian husband to care for her grandfather, then manage the Carroll estate.
I liked this book because it explored one of my favorite subjects- history. I first read it in July 2016, and was fascinated, because it explored Maryland history. (Catonsville, MD was named after the girls' father, Richard Caton.) The book pulled me in, and I felt it was interesting and well-told.
Buy it here.
3. A History of Reading, by Alberto Manguel
A History of Reading is a celebration of reading, and the history behind books and reading. At some magical point in your life, the pages of a book shivered into meaning for you, and you became a reader. Mr. Manguel moves from this magical point in time to investigate the 6,000 history of words, reading, and books.
Stan Lee was more ambivalent about this than I was, but this was another book I read this book several years ago and loved it, and it combined two of my favorite things: reading, and history.
Buy it here.
