Bookshelves!

Did you know there is a website called Bookshelf Porn? 


Here are some of my favorites: 



Havana Library of Capitol



Stacked and Sorted



NYC Public Library



Dallas Club Library

Author Spotlight: Sharon Kay Penman

Things are a little slow in the book reading department lately. I started Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (aka. accomplished author John Banville) but just couldn't get through it, and I'm currently juggling a few books at once, attempting to settle on one to finish. Sometimes when I find I just can't force myself to really find a book I love, I usually just sit back and wait for a good one to fall into my lap. 


Until then, I decided to write a post on one of my favorite writers of historical fiction, Sharon Kay Penman. I first read Here Be Dragons in high school and instantly became addicted to her novels, which usually take place during the Middle Ages in England, Wales and France.  


Historical fiction is a tricky genre since the author is confined by the major plot points, but must still have the talent to bring characters alive and make them understandable to the reader. What makes Penman's writing even more impressive is her preferred time frame of the Middle Ages. In her author notes she usually acknowledges there is very little in the way of first-hand information on the rulers of the time (from what they looked like to the state of their marriages) so a writer of historical fiction must carefully pick and choose what archives and historians to turn to for information. Furthermore, I find Penman manages to convey the attitudes, beliefs and world views most people had during those times. 


She also manages to make the customs and cultures of the various geographic locations come alive. Here Be Dragons (as well as the following novels Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning) taught me more about Wales than I ever knew was possible. Did you know that in Wales during the Middle Ages couples could be granted divorces if they realized they had made a mistake? Or that a wife was permitted to divorce her husband if he was physically abusive towards her?  Or that illegitimate children had the same rights and privileges as children born in wedlock? In fact, the culture and tradition of Wales almost serves the purpose of another character her books. 


Penman also has a fantastic website, as well as a blog, where she updates her readers in on her writing process and the progress of her books (she is currently finishing up one book on Richard the Lionheart). She also shares her favorite authors and offers suggestions for further reading. 


Below is a listing of all the Penman books I read in chronological order, as well as links for some of her more recent mystery novels set in the Middle Ages. 


When Christ and His Saints Slept (Volume I of Henry and Eleanor Trilogy)- (1101-1154) Empress Maude, the daughter of King Henry I of England, battles for her throne against her cousin Stephen, the son of William I. England is plunged into a 20 year civil war so destructive historians said it was a time when "Christ and his saints slept." While Elizabeth I was the first female monarch of England it was supposed to have been the beautiful and strong-willed Maude, who's son Henry would go on to become one of England's greatest kings. 


Time and Chance (Volume II of the Henry and Eleanor Trilogy)- (1156-1171) The second in the trilogy, the novel begins after Henry II has inherited the crown and married the beautiful and powerful Eleanor of Aquitaine (nearly ten years his senior).  The story also focuses on Henry's chancellor and friend Thomas Beckett, who he appoints as the powerful archbishop of Canterbury. Beckett soon becomes a defender of the church against his one-time friend and their contentious relationship results in Beckett's murder and his later sainthood. 


Devil's Brood (Volume III of the Henry and Eleanor Trilogy)- (1171-1186) The final novel in the trilogy focuses on the aftermath of Thomas Beckett's murder and the tumultuous relationship of Henry II and his queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Their four sons chafe under their father's strict nature, and along with Eleanor's urging, they launch into a ten-year battle to overthrow their father. Penman accounts Eleanor's attempt to escape her husband by dressing as a man, but she would be caught and imprisoned for 16 years. 


Here Be Dragons (Volume I of Welsh Trilogy)- (1183-1232) Eleanor and Henry's youngest son is now King John and he secures a truce with divided Wales by marrying his out-of-wedlock daughter Joanna to Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales. The novel follows their marriage as well as John's attempts to subdue Wales under his reign. 


Falls the Shadow (Volume II of Welsh Trilogy)- (1231-1267) This novel picks up with the incompetent reign of King Henry III and his bitter feud with his brother-in-law Frenchman Simon de Montfort. Born to a poor family, de Montfort rises to powerful heights marrying the king's sister against his will, and then by forcing him to sign the revolutionary Oxford Provisions, limiting the kings' power and assuring the rights of his English subjects. Henry's intelligent and ruthless son Edward eventually prevails at the battle of Evesham, changing the course of English and Welsh history forever. 


The Reckoning (Volume III of Welsh Trilogy)- (1271-1283) Edward I is now king of England and Wales, and the novel focuses on the Welsh uprising and the Welsh king Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. Engaged to Simon de Montfort's daughter Ellen, Llewelyn must deal with Edward's increasing power over Wales and the kidnapping of Ellen by pirates at Edward's behest. The saddest of all the Welsh trilogys, since the Welsh rebellion would never survive Edward I's reign. 


The Sunne in Splendor: A Novel of Richard III- (1459-1492)  Penman tackles the controversial Henry III and his rise to power. She manages to make the much maligned King sympathetic, but not without his serious faults. 


Justin de Quincy Medieval Mysteries
The Queen's Man
Cruel as the Grave
Dragon's Lair
Prince of Darkness

Cartier: Innovation through the 20th Century

by Francois Chaille



Inspired by my Elizabeth Taylor jewelry book I recently picked this up at a local bookstore. Beautiful photos. I've included some below. 





    

John Cheever and the Mad Men Connection

With the return of the fourth season of Mad Men there's been a flurry of articles discussing the show. I found this piece in the New York Times to be very interesting. It discusses how John Cheever's town of Ossining was chosen as the home of Betty and Don Draper. Even their street, Bullet Park Road, is named after the 1969 Cheever novel. Good reading. 

Christmas in July

I just read over on the Omnivoracious' Amazon Blog that Jonathan Franzen's new novel is due out August 31, 2010 and it's titled Freedom: A Novel. 

I still remember devouring his novel The Corrections in two days. It was one of my last weeks in college when classes had ended, but I still had time to kill before graduation. I laid on my bed drinking gin and tonics, with the door to my small balcony open only putting the book down to occasionally eat something. It still ranks as one of my all-time favorite books. 

If you're interested in reading anything else by him, I also suggest his book of essays How to Be Alone. 

Omnivoracious' has a nice comparison of the U.S. and UK covers (I prefer the UK myself). I've included both below. 

Left: U.S. cover Right: UK cover

Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry

Edited by Ruth A. Peltason

I was inspired to pick this book up after reading Furious Love, and I’m glad I did. I’ve always loved jewelry, and few people have a collection as impressive as Elizabeth Taylor. This book is the first time she allowed all of it to be photographed at once, providing beautiful photos and commentary about the jewels.

The most famous of her pieces came from Richard Burton, but the book also includes gifts from her third husband Mike Todd, as well as her friend Michael Jackson.

Since the only way to really talk about the book is to show the amazing jewelry, I’m including some pictures and captions of some of her most famous pieces. 

Mike Todd Ruby and Diamond Jewelry

  

 

Elizabeth wearing her Cartier ruby and diamond necklace, bracelet and earrings.

Mike Todd Diamond Ear Pendants

While staying in Paris with Mike Todd, Elizabeth spotted some beautiful fake chandelier earrings and purchased them on the spot. A few months later she noticed they felt different, Todd had them made into real diamond earrings. 

Krupp Diamond

The 33.19 carat Krupp diamond was originally owned by Vera Krupp, of the famous munitions family which helped kill millions of Jews. It came up for auction in the late 1960s and Elizabeth said, “I thought how perfect it would be if a nice Jewish girl like me were to own it.” 

La Peregrina

The La Peregrina was a totally natural pearl discovered by a slave in the 1500s. It ended up as part of the Spanish royal jewels, and eventually Prince Philip II of Spain gave it to Mary Tudor of England as an engagment present. Taylor and Burton had Cartier design a necklace to show it off. 

Mary Tudor wearing 

La Peregrina.

Taylor-Burton Diamond

Richard Burton had purchased the La Peregrina a few months before and decided he had to have the 69.42-carat pear shaped diamond when it came up for auction (the Sultan of Brunei was another interested party). The purchase was so famous it became known as the Taylor-Burton diamond. Originally set as a ring, they had Cartier design a necklace. Whenever Elizabeth wore it she had to be escorted by armed guards.

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century

By Sam Kashner & Nancy Schoenberger

 

I've always loved old movies, and the Tayor/Burton classic “Cleopatra” was always a favorite growing up. One Halloween I went as the famous queen, basing my costume and makeup on the movie’s designs. However, I knew very little about the two marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (the first in 1964, the second in 1975).

Furious Love recounts the Burtons grand passion that started on the Rome set of “Cleopatra,” and produced eight movies over the course of a single decade. I find that biographies can become weighed down by the sheer volume of information contained within their pages, but not here. The book is perfect summer reading, possessing a brisk style, it is chocked full of details regarding the couples careers, personal lives and the insanity which seemed to surround them wherever they went. More importantly, Elizabeth Taylor herself granted the authors access to her letters from Burton, giving the book a much clearer picture of the couple and their lives together.

There are so many interesting facts presented in the book I’ve decided to offer a list of bullet points of some of my favorites below:

• For her role as Cleopatra Elizabeth was the first actor or actress to be paid $1 million. She also demanded in her contracts that filming be shut down whenever she was on her period.
• Burton’s first words upon meeting Elizabeth Taylor (the world’s biggest movie star at the time) for the first time on the set of “Cleopatra” were “Has anyone told you that you’re a very pretty girl?”
• While having dinner at Elizabeth’s villa in Rome one night, Richard got drunk and demanded to know who she really loved right in front of her current husband Eddie Fisher. She promptly told Richard she loved him, setting off a huge fight between Eddie and Richard.
• Burton ended up leaving his faithful wife Sybil for Elizabeth, and she left her husband Eddie Fisher. Their romance was so shocking the press dubbed it ‘Le Scandale.’ They became so notorious that they were denounced by the Vatican.
• As a young actor in the London theater world Burton had short-lived homosexual relationship with Oscar winner Laurence Olivier. He would be embarrassed about his dalliances his whole life, but Elizabeth encouraged him to be honest about his past experiences.
• Their 1966 movie "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Was the first movie where viewers had to be over the age of 18 in order to see it in the theater.
• Richard became known for his extravagant gifts to Elizabeth including a Bulgari pendant, set in platinum with a 18.61-carat emerald surrounded by diamonds; the world-famous 33.19-carat, Asscher-cut Krupp diamond set in platinum; and the flawless, D-colored 69.42-carat, pear shaped Burton-Taylor diamond.
• Much like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the Burtons rarely stayed put in one location for more than a few months, eventually purchasing a luxury yacht, The Kalizma, as their full-time home. It had 14 bedrooms and a crew of nine.
• Both Richard and Elizabeth were heavy drinkers, usually starting their days off with a large bloody mary, but it would be Richard’s drinking that would eventually drive them apart. Toward the end of his life he was reportedly drinking three bottles of vodka a day.
• After separating from Richard 1973 Elizabeth met with Andy Warhol for lunch, pouring her heart out about her heartbreak. She later discovered that Andy had been secretly taping her with a micro-cassette tape recorder, for his newly founded Interview magazine. Once she realized what was happening she grabbed the tape out of his hands and destroyed the tape right in front of him.   
• Lastly, after Burton died in 1984, Elizabeth was asked not to attend his funeral because his family was concerned about the chaos her presence would cause.