Welcome to Litsy!

“I love my Mother Country, and I love my family, and I always will. I just wish, at the second-darkest moment of my life, they'd been there for me too…
And I believe they'll look back one day and wish they had too.”

I have to admit that I expected this book to be somewhat dry or abstruse, but I have been reading it out of curiosity based on some family history.
I shouldn‘t have worried. It‘s been far more entertaining than I could‘ve hoped. It‘s often Dorothy Parker levels of skewering of the characters (and I do mean characters! Google Leon Ghilardi, for example).
Jokes aside it‘s also full of source citation; it‘s a great read.

This book is a bit disorganized and longish. Lady C tends to repeat a point several times making for a disjointed read. Having said that, Lady C also has all the dirt on the aristocracy. Those wanting a good gossip about the American Duchess and The Lost Prince will enjoy it. I read the updated version.

Took up reading about King Zogu because my grandparents actually met in Albania during Zog‘s reign/ era. What a strange time, and with absolute characters. Honestly I expected either transparent sentimentality or propaganda, but this has turned out to be a strangely entertaining book about not only the central character but all the people and circumstances around his rise to leadership.

Bk2 of June is done. This will be quickly followed by The Traitor King review. I liked the latter much more than this one, much better written in my opinion. The similarities between the two couples is astonishing. At times it‘s like reading a modern version of the Windsors, the men both weak selfish fools who‘ll do anything for the woman they‘re obsessed with, the women both vain ambitious cold women who‘ll play anyone to get what they want.👇

And with the addition of this book, I've reached a library of 1600 books (according to Goodreads)!! I try to keep up to date on GR to help keep track of what I own and such, and keep several shelves, including a generic "my library' one. ? ?

Currently tandem reading these,the tagged as an audiobook, the other physical. Am quite shocked by the similarities between the couples,I knew they‘d been compared in media, but the extent of the same weak will & petulance by both men & the hard core belief in their own importance by the women is amazing. The main difference seems to be that at least the Duke of Windsor believed in King & Country. Though he & Wallis were in talks with Germany!😱

Cute!

I managed to finish the book yesterday and it was a solid pick for me. A few brutal scenes at the beginning but then it became more of a story about a princess. I had no idea about Queen Victoria's Goddaughter so it was an interesting story to learn about. It follows Aina throughout her entire life and while her life wasn't overly exciting after the beginning it is still a decent read. A strong and brave woman!

#Africa #London #Royalty #Victorian

#StorySettings catch up.

It‘s been a while since I read this book where Queen Elizabeth “escapes” her handlers & duties for a bit & gets on a #Train to Scotland incognito in a hoodie in order to see the former Royal yacht.