Sex With Kings by Eleanor Herman

One type of book that I'm always on the look-out for is a history book that is full of interesting stories that I can tell my students. History can be so boring in high school, with all its dates and boring political stuff (yawn), so if I can hook my students with a good story about scandal, gore, or sex, I consider that a plus.

I picked up Sex With Kings: Five Hundred Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry and Revenge by Eleanor Herman. I knew from picking it up that the book would be more anecdotal than of scholarly merit. As far as meeting the aims of interesting stories, the book met the goal. But, will I buy the companion novel, Sex With the Queen? I am unsure at this point. As useful it would be in the classroom, the price point and the knowledge that I can get the information from other sources deters me.

As a person trained not only in history but to teach it, the first thing I do when I start to read a work of historical non-fiction is to read through the bibliography. I'm looking for two different types of sources: secondary sources and primary sources. The more primary sources used, the more work the author put into not only the research and the writing, but the composition of the thesis of the book. Looking up information in the index of a book and replicating it is easy; reading stained and torn letters from a century ago is a different thing altogether. In Herman's case, the bibliography is a laundry list of secondary sources, biographies of kings, queens, and mistresses. Most of the publication dates ranged in the latter half of the 20th century, though the earliest came from the early 19th century.

My other issue was the flowery and informal language of the book. At times, Herman's narration resembles a tabloid magazine. In reference to the partitioning of Poland on p. 84,

Poland was no longer a sovereign nation, having lost its territory starting in 1786 to Russia, Prussia, and Austria, in a kind of international gang rape.

Just one example of exaggerated prose, and here is an example of unsubstantiated claims.

It was generally accepted that bastards were more intelligent and better looking than legitimate children.

Poor bastards. The legitimate children, I mean. Herman gives no evidence for this claim--who exactly during the time period (those 500 years) accepted this claim? Was it written in letters, diaries, newspapers? While her book is filled with footnotes, most of them are only for quotes that she borrowed from other books.

Her prose also glorifies the role of the mistress over that of the queen, making most of the royals out to be peevish, ugly malcontents who wished they could be as glamorous and loved as the mistress. Her bias regarding individuals is obvious--she nearly canonizes Madame de Pompadour while vilifying Wallis Simpson as "a woman whose face resembled the metal part of a garden shovel." Herman also prefers Camilla Parker-Bowles over that of Princess Diana, referring to her tantrums and "unruly behavior".

So, the book has served its purpose. I will definitely use some of the anecdotes in class to spark interest in history. C

Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

Okay, so this is the British cover, but I absolutely love it. Why do they get such classy covers while the States is stuck with pictures of half-naked women?

Tempt Me at Twilight is the third book of the Hathaways series. Both Amelia and Win ended up marrying their Romany lovers, so this story focuses on the story of Poppy.

Poppy is in her third season in London and is expecting a proposal from long-time suitor Michael Bayning. Gentle and conventional, Michael is everything Poppy wanted in a husband. What she didn't count on was that her unconventional family was a mark against her and the appeal she held for Harry Rutledge, the owner of the most successful hotel in London.

Rutledge, whose common past has pushed him to strive for excellence, would do anything to have Poppy, including ruining her chances with Bayning. But is marriage enough for Poppy?

As in all of Lisa Kleypas's books, I really enjoy her characterization. She rarely falls back on relying on the peerage to fill her books, instead mostly choosing more common characters. Her favorite time period is the Victorian period, where the middle class was rising due to the opportunities the Industrial Revolution afforded those willing to take advantage of it. I love her characters.

Where the book falls flat is with the plot. Kleypas's stories are very character-driven, but she also throws in a bit of mystery into each book. Sadly, this one fell flat. The villain was weak and not apparent until 3/4s of the way through the book. I didn't buy it at all.

B. Characters were great, but the plot holes were distracting.

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn

"It was so irritating I couldn't stop."

So says our heroine, Lady Olivia Bevelstoke, about the gothic novel Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron.

I feel your pain, Lady Olivia, I really do. If Miss Butterworth's mother hadn't been pecked to death by pigeons, I'd wonder if her daughter was the heiress to a maple syrup fortune.

Lady Olivia is the beautiful and intelligent daughter of the Earl of Rudland, and the beginning of her story starts on a rather gothic note--rumors surround her new neighbor, Sir Harry Valentine. Did he kill his fiancee? In an effort to find out (for the good of all unmarried young ladies), she begins to spy on him as his office is visible from her bedroom window. Alas, she is far from stealthy as he is well aware of her spying and attempts to create mysteries for her to wonder about. Neither like each other from the beginning, but orders from the War Office throw him into her presence, and that of a Russian prince who wants Olivia for his own.

The usual Regency-era ingredients are there: intelligent young woman, man employed by the War Office, a mysterious foreigner, and plenty of balls and musicales. Oh, and quirky habits of the heroine. Olivia likes to make lists. Lots of them. Some of hers include Unmarried Lady Sorts of Things, Reasons Why I Might Be Crawling About on the Floor, and How I Would Like to Kill My Brother, Version 16. Like most of Quinn's books, her characters are more reminiscent of anachronistic reenactors who attempt to live like Jane Austen and fail miserably.

The use of a gothic novel within the book and the heroine's derision for the genre is ironic. "It was so irritating I could stop," reminded me so much of my own feelings for THIS book that I had to mark it. Then the use of Sir Harry saying "When a man writes a romance, the woman dies. When a woman writes one, it ends all tidy and sweet" had me thinking that I must have heard it before and reminded me of Quinn's use of the word truthiness in her previous book. I would love to be able to find that quote somewhere.

Lastly there was Harry calling Vladimir "Vlad the Impaler." This was too much for me. I saw none of the conventions that would have existed at that time, and I probably should just stick with Jane Austen.

C- for this fluffy, frothy confection. Too sweet, like Marzipan.

ETA 10/19/09: I found this on Julia Quinn's website.

Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron first appeared in It's in His Kiss as one of the books Hyacinth was reading to Lady Danbury. I had no plans ever to use it again, but when I needed Harry to give Olivia an unusual gift, it just popped into my mind. I LOVED writing the passages in this book. It is seriously fun to write bad literature.

Update: Rose of Sharon

Just a quick update on the Rose of Sharon cross-stitch I've been working on. This is where I was before for a quick comparison. 

My Retro Apron

After I made my sister's really cool zebra apron, I decided to make myself one using another pattern in the same pack. The entire apron was made using scraps that I had at home. 

The main part is a blue toile that is the theme of my dining room. My curtains are that main color. It goes really well with the blue transferware I have as my china pattern. I also have placemats from another pattern set that I will have to post. 

The checked accent on the top, pocket, and ruffle match the accent on the placemats. 

The ties are made from a navy blue broadcloth. 

The lining is the only part that can't be seen. I used a blue and white pattern that matches in color. It was the only scrap that I had large enough for the back piece. I had no plans for it, so I'm glad I had a use for it! 

And yes, I also had the pocket monogrammed! 

The button accents are square, and I turned them on the corners in order to add more visual interest. The pattern of the toile is already horizontal, as is the gingham, so I felt that the slight angle to the buttons would give it a pop since I only used two colors. 

Eric by Terry Pratchett

When I was in college, I had to read Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. I eventually used the book to hold up the broken leg on my bed. It was just the right height. The book ended up having a rather large whole in it at the end of the semester, but it served its purpose. When I had to read it, I removed it from the top of the pile, and when I was done, I'd return it back to its place. 

Apart from that, I had very little use for it. So, I was quite pleasantly surprised when I found out that Eric was a retelling of Faust, going so far in the book as to cross out the word Faust at the top of each page and writing Eric  in its place. 

The story is based on that of Dr. Faust (or Faustus), who makes a pact with the devil for three wishes. Only the Doctor in this story is none other than preteen Eric, complete with pimples, who calls for a demon only to be sorely disappointed in  Rincewind the wizard. What are Eric's three wishes that he expects Rincewind to fulfill? Simple. 

1. to be king of all the world 

2. to have a smoking hot babe 

3. to live forever

The problem? Rincewind. None of the wishes turn out the way Eric wishes them to due to their being followed by the King of Demons, who is upset that his filing and organizing was disrputed by a summoning gone bad. In another literary nod, this time to Dante's Inferno, the King of Demons has disrupted the various layers of hell by instituting new policies, replacing torture with boredom. 

The historical allusions are also hilarious. The reader meets the Tezumen, who think Eric is their god come to life, Quetzovercoatl, the Feathered Boa, an homage to the Aztecan Quetzalcoatl the Winged Serpent. There is also the Tsortan War, in which Eleanor of Tsort was kidnapped. 

Quite certainly the most enjoyable version of Faust I've come across. The joy of reading Pratchett is finding the allusions and parodies he places in his books. It's never a dull ride! 

Lisa's Baby Blanket

Finally, I finished Lisa's baby blanket! Good thing, too, because I was able to give it to her at the shower two weekends ago. I loved it. She loved it. I believe I can safely say that everyone loved it. 

It even has a pocket! 

It was a very straightforward blanket to make, with the border being done in seed stitch and the interior in knit-stitch. I used Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Cream, Bachelor Button, and Green Apple. The pattern is their own "Sheldon's Blanket", which I got off their website. 

It's so incredibly soft and perfect for a little boy! 

WIP: Rose of Sharon

Lately I've been in a cross-stitching craze. The summer makes it too hot to work on my big knitting projects, and cross-stitching is perfect for when I'm watching television or movies. I'm working on a few projects at the moment, but the one I've been concentrating on is Mirabilia's "Rose of Sharon". 

This is how much I've completed as of yesterday evening. The bottom picture was taken a few days before, and I included it because it contains a picture of the finished project. I am stitching it 2 over 2 on 32 ct. Cobblestone linen. I have made a change to the hair as well, since the original is a blonde. I felt that it blended in too well with the dress, so I changed the hair to brown. I love how it came out, and I am partial to brunettes. :) This is the second time I've changed the hair color on a project, and I'm very pleased with the results. 

Little House on the Prairie

One of the things I have been doing over my summer break (apart from obviously not blogging!) has been watching the show Little House on the Prairie, one of the strongest memories of my childhood. This was one television show that my parents had no problem letting me watch on my own, as it was filled with wholesome family lessons. I don't know which came first, though: watching the show, or reading the books. Both have been such an indelible part of my childhood that I cannot separate which came first. It's my version of the "chicken or the egg?" question that comes up in philosophy and religion classes.  (BTW, I believe it's the chicken, according to Genesis.) 

Of course, having been a fan of both book and show, I noticed some of the differences that existed between the books and the show at an early age. Where was this Walnut Grove that the television show was based in? How did it compare to the little town on the prairie, DeSmet? Did Laura have a baby brother who died? And who the heck is Albert Ingalls? 

I also remembered some of the characters in the show. Among my favorites were Mr. Edwards, who popped up from time to time in the early books, but never in the later. I also liked the character of Nellie Oleson, because she served as such a foil to Laura. Laura was a tomboy, a true pioneer girl without airs. Nellie was the spoiled, snooty girl who had everything material Laura didn't have, but none of the grace and openness of Laura. 

Having read the books and in the process of rediscovering the show, I felt it only proper to read Donald Zochert's biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Laura: The LIfe of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Author of The Little House on the Prairie. I've had the book for a few years, like many of my books, and managed to finish it just this morning. Reading it was a nostalgic trip for me, not because I've ever been to any of the places described, but because of what I read and saw on the show. In my next post, I will write my thoughts on this book and give a review. 

Retro Apron

My sister recently had a baby, got a new house, and has a host of other things going on making her life very busy. I wanted to make something for HER, not for the baby (though he's very cute), and I found these very cute patterns for retro-style aprons. I had a vision in my head of how I wanted it to look: hot pink and zebra stripes, because she loves both. I finally found the zebra stripes at my local  Hancock Fabric and the hot pink came from my fabric stash. 

Originally I was going to make fabric-covered buttons for the strap, but I found these really cute zebra-shaped buttons instead. How could I pass those up? 

So, here's the final product. Hopefully I can get a picture of her wearing it eventually! 

Very cute, and very easy to make. Love it! 

What's Going On, Carolina?

Finally, after a two year drought, my beloved Carolina Hurricanes made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In Round One, the Canes defeated the Devils in a 7 game series. Ditto in Round Two, in which they defeated the Eastern Conference Champs, the Boston Bruins. Both were very entertaining series. 

So what happened? Right now the Canes are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they've dropped the first three games by multiple goals. None of them were even close. We're down to one game left before being swept by the Pens. Can we not show a little pride and win at least one game so that we can  prevent being swept before going to the golf course? 

Granted, I'm impressed that the Canes made it this far. I'm less than impressed at the past three games. It's looking like Detroit and Pittsburgh will face off again in the Stanley Cup Finals. So, the big conundrum is this--who do I pull for? Detroit, a team made up of Scandinavian beasts who can put the hurt on someone by looking at them? A team that has an impressive showing of Playoff Beard? Or do I pull for Pittsburgh, the team that looks like it will beat mine, and filled with young superstars? A team which has Sidney Crosby, whose playoff beard looks like a chocolate milk mustache, and Evgeni Malkin, a resurrected Neanderthal with a really awesome first name? 

This is going to be a big decision, with a lot of soul-searching in the coming days. 

Star Trek: Canon Shmanon

I've embraced my various layers of geek-dom: I'm a knitting geek, love Dark Shadows, and adore Transformers, but my geek-dom started in one place: Outer Space. 

Star Trek. The Original Trek, with Mister Spock and Captain Kirk has always ALWAys been my favorite, above and beyond The Next Generation and the decline that started with Deep Space Nine. Sure, TOS is cheesy in a way that only the 1960s can be, but that was part of its charm. It was sexist (did you see those short skirts?) and bound by the social mores of the time (not to mention the special effects), but it had a message that wasn't overly preachy, something that later Treks could not maintain. 

Let's not forget that it pushed boundaries. It did show the first interracial kiss on television, the one between Kirk and Uhura in "Plato's Stepchildren". 

So, I was quite excited over the new Star Trek movie. The title harks back to the very beginning of Trek lore, with Captain Kirk and most of the entire crew of the starship Enterprise. (Dare I hope that Lt. Kevin Reilly shows up eventually?) Of course, with going back to the beginning, this is bound to get some Trekkers upset. (FYI: Trekkers are hard-core serious. I can't even attempt to make it that hard-core serious, so I have no problems in being called a Trekkie.) There's all this cry of canon, such as Chekov showing up in the movie even though he was obviously a second season addition. 

But let's move past this. I believe that the Star Trek canon, if we include all the series, is bloated. In order to revive the franchise and bring new Trekkies and Trekkers in, changes need to be made. To merely go back and tell the same story again is akin to adding new special effects to Star Wars (lay it on me, fan-geeks, I can take the hate), or the revival of Dark Shadows.  Granted, with the later, enough changes were made in the 1991 revival series to make it up-to-date and not a mere retelling. But it borrowed a lot from the series and House of Dark Shadows movie. 

That's not to say this movie didn't borrow a lot from TOS. It did borrow a lot from canon. To be clear, Trek canon usually refers to what happened in the series and movies, and NOT in the many novels that were written as a result. But with ten previous movies and five live-action series (there was an animated series as well), the canon was very bloated. And in great Trek fashion, they did what Trek does best: transcend time. 

Time-travel is not new to Trek. Kirk sling-shot around the sun numerous times, most notably in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which took Kirk and Co back to 1986 to save the future Earth from a mysterious probe that could speak only to humpback whales. (My family loves this movie probably best of all.) There were also various series episodes that borrowed a page from the movie, and some of my favorite episodes were time-travel ones. I love the entire concept, and was a fan of the first season of Sliders as well because of the alternate realities. 

If I were a bigger sci-fi fan, which I'm not, I could probably say who was famous for the theory of alternate realities. I'm thinking either Carl Sagan or Isaac Asimov. 

This movie is a true "alternate reality" of the Trek universe. Without giving plot away, a beloved character has to make some harsh decisions in the future. In the process of going through with it, he unwittingly creates a type of time warp that propels him back in time. As a result, the lives of the main characters have a slightly different trajectory than we're used to seeing without making them unrecognizable. They are all there, their personalities are still there, and there's enough action to keep even non-Trekkies happy for plonking down ten dollars for a ticket.  Many of the lines are homages to TOS and the TOS movies. The movie moves as an action movie and is faster than previous movies in the series. 

Devoted fans may see the Romulan Curse rearing its ugly head (as it's an odd-numbered movie), but I don't see it that way. I hesitate to call it number 11, instead calling it Version 2.1. 

In fact, my geek-dom has crossed over to the point where I want to knit Scotty's hat.