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MEDIEVAL JUNKIES!

I love anything medieval, history, literature and art. I am the author of THE HEARTS OF ELLAN VANNIN, a historical romance set on the Isle of Mann during the late medieval period.

I am interested in the War of the Roses, the life of Richard III in particular.

If you share my passion for the medieval period, as a researcher,...more »

Discussions: What zMedieval delights are you reading?

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What zMedieval delights are you reading?
Started by Merrimon, Sunday, October 28 2007. Last post Tuesday, April 8 2008.

My most recent Medieval reads include several Medieval historical romance reads, A Restless Knight and In Her Bed by Deborah MacGillivray. These are great reads. Beyond everything else which is just so exquisite, the series so far makes me think saga, the way all the pieces of the Arthurian Vulgate cycle fit together which is just a special delight for me as a Medieval enthusiast. Very wonderful to see a Medieval historical romance use the literary forms of the times as well as the history. I am now very close to finishing Camelot's Destiny by Cynthia Breeding. In creating fiction, she really gets at all the questions in the Arthurian tradition that were left unanswered. Despite having read tons Arthurian romance written in the Middle Ages, I just love it when an author renews the story by telling new details or shifting the focus here or there. It is sort of fun to read an Arthurian after Deborah McGillivray's books just because her Dragon and Challon figures have such a legendary feel as if, as a reader, I am watching the birth of a Medieval legend, being created. There is so much to say about these books and they have been reviewed a lot, but one thing i would like to add here that might not be seen looking at each one....if you haven;t rad them, read both together. Individually, both are great books but when read together back to back, the whole series together is turning into something way beyond each book too.

Not quite sure which Medieval I will read next but I also plan to read Death and the Devil by Frank Schatzing somewhere in the mix just to switch genres a bit. On the scholarly literary theory side, I am reading Bodytalk: When Women Speak in Old French Literature by E. Jane Burns which is just a special personal read for me too since as a grad student I saw it develop...but never sat down and read it as a whole after its publication.
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Merrimon - Sunday, October 28 2007
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Note: The Dragon and Challon legend is in Deborah MacGillivray's books, A Restless Knight and In Her Bed. I wasn't as clear as I should have been in the above post. I am still kind of on a reading high from both the MacGillivray and Breeding reading...
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Roxpie86 - Sunday, November 4 2007
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I just started reading The Lais of Marie de France. She was possibly the first woman writer in Medieval Europe. It's a bunch of fairy tales. I'm enjoying it immensely.
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Merrimon - Monday, November 5 2007
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I really enjoyed her work.
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HBee - Wednesday, January 23 2008
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I am planning to read The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson.
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Jacob R - Friday, January 25 2008
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I just finished The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud which is set in modern time with alot of flashback to medieval France and has alot to do with the knights Templar and their fall.
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Shari Anton - Thursday, January 31 2008
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I just finished Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. The heroine is a 12th century "medical examiner" who is asked to help solve the murders of several children. A really facinating story.
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Jacob R - Saturday, February 2 2008
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I started that and never got around to finishing it.

I just Started The Templars. A non-fiction novel about the rise and fall of the temple knights.
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Francismp P - Sunday, February 3 2008
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this post has been removed
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Gorikka - Sunday, March 9 2008
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I'm actually doing a project on European epics, so I've recently read the Saga of the Volsungs, the Prose/poetic Eddas, L'morte d'Arthur, the Nibelungenlied, and a few more. I've read The Lais of Marie de France, very enjoyable.
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Catriona S - Friday, March 21 2008
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Hi I have just re read every Sharon Penman novel I own which I think is everyone she has published.

I am about to start Lady of the Roses by Sandra Worth really into Richard III at the moment.

Any other suggestions around this era would be great.
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HBee - Sunday, March 23 2008
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I just finished reading The Adventures of Alianore Audley by Brian Wainwright. It was a very amusing version of the reign of Edward and Richard. Alianore has very interesting insights into the characters of that period.
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Fraoch - Sunday, April 6 2008
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I just finished this book as well and it was a total hoot. Nice to see Richard in a more favorable light. I am now reading Wainwrights WITHIN THE FETTERLOCK, good but too many people to keep straight. I enjoy reading all of Barbara Erskine's books: Lady of Hay, Child of the Phoenix and Kingdom of Shadows. Chilling history with paranormal.
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Abbeville Press - Tuesday, April 8 2008
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We have recently released the 5th book in a series of Medieval/Renaissance Art History books about Italian Frescoes. Anyone interested in reading up on some Art History may find this to be a comprehensive read and a gorgeous find for some amazing art.
It is called "Italian Frescoes: the Baroque Era." For more information, check out our info on the book here:
http://www.abbeville.com/bookpage.asp?isbn=9780789209368
And we even published a video presentation about it, from an author talk at the New York Public Library:
http://www.abbeville.com/media.htm
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