Litsy

Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel

pick

"... it's all very well planning what you will do in six months, what you will do in a year, but it's no good at all if you don't have a plan for tomorrow."
I thought this was fine. I waited too long to read it and it has won so many awards, it could never live up to the hype.
Overall I love how readable it was, and even with 739 Thomas's it was easy to keep track of who was who, credit to Mandel that is no easy feat.
Do I think Cromwell needed?

ChaoticMissAdventures 3 books of this length? Not really. While this book was interesting and readable I feel finished and probably will not read the others. It is hard with historical fiction. The reader feels a bit like a psychic knowing what is to come, wanting to warn the characters. This was a good pick for a @thearomaofbooks #bookspin #chunkster and #bookedintime @Cuilin 1h

Cuilin I agree with the psychic vibes and wanting to influence the path characters are on, especially book 3 in this series. now

ChaoticMissAdventures @Cuilin I can imagine!! The nooooo not her thoughts and watching him stumble to his doom! now

20 likes3 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I would not like to live in these times at all. The people in charge are greedy, insane and are willing to kill anyone for power. The Monarch does not really have a say. Everyone doesn't trust, and they all lurk in the dark. 1d

Karisimo I feel for these people who are dealing with religious “rules” and traditions changing on the whim of a king. 1d

OutsmartYourShelf I feel for anyone living in those times who had a mental health problem. Very likely to either be denounced as being 'possessed' & killed or stuck away in a place like Bedlam. 1d

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dabbe @LiseWorks I can't even imagine what it would be like to walk on London Bridge and see all the heads on poles--especially for people once in favor with the king--like Cromwell. Maybe 2025 ain't so bad--even with our current horrific leader. 1d

dabbe @Karisimo IKR? It's like one day you're Catholic, oops, no, now you're Protestant, oops, no, back to Catholic. What the heck? 😳 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf To still use the word “bedlam“ today to mean “wild uproar and confusion“ from the original place kind of says it all, doesn't it? I really feel for Adam Kite and his family.😔 1d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe I think it underscores that for Henry VIII (whether he wanted to admit it or not) the core issue wasn't so much the form of worship but the seat of power. If it was truly the religious side of things, he wouldn't have part walked it back as he did. 1d

dabbe Some characters set apart by isolation and loneliness: Shardlake (as a lawyer often at odds with the powerful figures he has to encounter), Guy Malton (as a healer and outsider due to his nationality having to work on the margins of society), Adam Kite (whose religious mania confines him to Bedlam), and Tamasin (whose gender limits her opportunities by forcing her to remain at home and deal with the loss of her child while Barak is elsewhere) . 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Get Catherine of Aragon out of my way to allow me to marry good ol' Anne ... whatever it takes. He pretty much stayed Catholic even though he changed the religion so he could divorce Cat. What a scumbag (imho). 1d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Oh I could give Barak a good kick up the backside for how he's acting. Even if he is not out with other women, making Tamasin wonder where he is & what he is doing - I expected better from him. Grief makes people act out in funny ways but no wonder she is angry with him.

I hope Guy is not ill. He has to walk about a lot here & there for Shardlake in this book & at all times of the day & night!

1d

37 likes10 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks The king had syphilis and that disease brings on madness. 1d

OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks That is one theory but not proven as far as I am aware. Personally I tend to believe the head injury he suffered whilst jousting (the fall which was said to cause Anne to miscarry) altered his personality. After that he was more cruel & mean-tempered. 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks ... and I'd add to that that he was in incredible pain most of the time due to his infected ulcerous leg and furious that he could no longer be the athletic self he once was. These issues might also have contributed to his later despicableness. 1d

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dabbe To me, Roger‘s murder in the churchyard is a richly symbolic act that sets the tone for the novel‘s exploration of religion, violence, and judgment. It underscores the killer‘s fanaticism, the corruption of sacred spaces, and the pervasive fear of divine retribution that characterizes the Reformation era. This event is the critical starting point for Shardlake‘s investigation and the novel‘s broader themes. 1d

dabbe The title REVELATION itself is symbolic, as the story revolves around a killer who uses the apocalyptic visions from the Book of Revelation as inspiration for their murders. The Book of Revelation symbolizes fear, chaos, and the end times, reflecting the anxieties of 16th-century England during the Reformation, when many believed the world was nearing its end. 1d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes - head injury, chronic pain, & approaching mortality. That would do it. 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf More than enough, right? 1d

24 likes7 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I feel sorry for any young girl that He king is after now that he is old 1d

Butterfinger @LiseWorks it makes me angry toward the men who pushed the girls toward the king. Sorry, I am not part of the discussion, but I had been reading your comments. 1d

LiseWorks Oh, I agree. Women were property at the time. @Butterfinger 1d

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OutsmartYourShelf Piers - something shady about him.
Cranmer - seems a bit more human this time. Not so remote.
Catherine Parr - always felt sorry for her. Married to two old men (Latimer & then the King) & when she finally is able to marry the man she loves, disaster strikes. 1d

dabbe @Butterfinger No need to be sorry; chime in whenever you want! And if you'd like me to tag you, I'd be happy to! 🤩 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Excellent points. What a tragic life she had! She's my favorite of all of the wives for many reasons, which I'll wait to share because she'll be in the books more and more. 🤩 1d

dabbe @LiseWorks As a child I always thought how romantic it would have been to have been a princess/queen in Tudor times--even to dastardly Henry. Then I actually learned more about the time period. 😳 And now I am thrilled to be my 2020s free womanly self. 🤩 1d

dabbe Even Shardlake comments on the worthlessness of women: “A terrible thought occurred to me. Dorothy, like Roger, like me, was a lapsed radical. I told myself not to be so foolish; none of those murdered had been connected to each other and there was surely no reason why he should change his pattern and go after Dorothy. And she was a woman, whose opinions counted for less.“ 🤬
1d

dabbe Adam Kite is a deeply troubled and enigmatic character whose religious mania and psychological struggles play a significant role in the novel‘s exploration of faith, madness, and the human condition. His fanaticism symbolizes the darker side of the Reformation, where intense religious fervor could lead to psychological breakdowns. His vulnerability also makes him a sympathetic figure, even as his behavior becomes increasingly erratic. 1d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes, & women were then also subdivided. When Shardlake looks up Strodyr, he notes that no-one really cared that much when he killed prostitutes, only when he started killing 'respectable' women. Shades of the Yorkshire Ripper there. (edited) 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Wowza. Had to look him up. Thanks for the information, and I agree 💯! 🤩 1d

24 likes11 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
Wow! It's been two months since our last discussion! Forgive me if these questions are a bit open-ended. Now that we're in Book #4, it just seemed better than to rehash ideas we've already talked about before.
The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I think these books are getting better with each book 1d

Librarybelle One of these days I will catch up! I‘m still on Dark Fire 🤦🏻‍♀️ 1d

OutsmartYourShelf I'm really enjoying this one so far. 1d

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dabbe @LiseWorks Agree 💯! 1d

dabbe @Librarybelle No worries. We'll be here! 🤩 1d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Yay! Me, too! 🤩 1d

25 likes6 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#shardlakebr #shardlakebuddyread #shardlakeseriesbr @LitsyEvents

Looking forward to Friday's discussion, Shardlakians! 🤩

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

Daisey Just saying . . . I teach middle school! The comic is great! 😂 🤣 4d

Mollyanna I am all caught up and ready to discuss. Thanks as always for hosting Denise. 4d

LiseWorks Let's hope I remember as I read the first half in December lol 3d

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LiseWorks I love that cartoon 3d

dabbe @Mollyanna YW! And thanks for that! 🤩😂🤗 3d

dabbe @Daisey I did, too! I moved to high school at the end of my career to get a so-called break from all the middle-school madness! 🤩😂🤗 3d

dabbe @LiseWorks Same here, m'dear! 🤩😂🤗 3d

lil1inblue What a great cartoon! I'm ready for discussion - no cramming needed this month! 😂 3d

dabbe @lil1inblue 🤩😂🤗 3d

58 likes1 stack add9 comments

Itchyfeetreader

Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown: Tudor Rose Novel 2 | Alison Weir

pick

I really like Alison Weir but this for me fell a bit flat. Perhaps it‘s because the story adds nothing new to my knowledge of the time and compared to some of the other novels I have read it felt a little fast and at time perfunctory. Henry is a complex character and I feel like we never really see that complexity #bookedintime @Cuilin

Cuilin Great review, 🎉 6d

52 likes1 stack add1 comment

suvata

Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel

pick

4 Stars • England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. ⬇️

suvata But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph? 7d

BarbaraBB Great review. I enjoyed this one too but couldn‘t get into

Bring Up the Bodies

7d

suvata @BarbaraBB I did like it quite a bit, but I don‘t feel compelled to purchase the other ones in the series. 7d

56 likes3 comments

Daisey

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

I finished chapter 24 of Revelation tonight, but now I don‘t want to stop. I might be a bit further by the discussion next week.

#ShardlakeBR

dabbe

tpixie 💛🐱💛 7d

TiredLibrarian It's a great series! 7d

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 7d

dabbe Yay! 🖤🐾🖤 7d

MemoirsForMe 🐈❤️🐈 7d

56 likes5 comments

Born.A.Reader

Dissolution: A Shardlake Novel | C. J. Sansom

Finished my first #AuldLangSpine today! Definitely going to find the rest in this series. Thank you so much for recommending this one @kspenmoll ❤️ and for matching so well @monalyisha 💗

kspenmoll I want to read the next in the series! 7d

Daisey I‘m currently in the middle of the 4th book of the series with the #ShardlakeBR. They‘re so good! 7d

dabbe @kspenmoll The next one is DARK FIRE. Feel free to join us! 🤩 #ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR 7d

30 likes1 stack add3 comments

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