I finished the Queen category with Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King. Queen Margaret of Scotland is a fascinating women. It would be interesting if she was modern woman. Book good overall dragged in a few spots, bit too much praying. Very interesting.

I finished the "Jack" category with The True Memoirs of Little K by Adrienne Sharp.  Mathilde Kschessinska was the mistress of Tsar Nicholas II and was the prima ballerina of the famed Imperial Ballet in pre-revolutionary Russia.  I enjoyed this book on so many levels.  The main character was an actual person who was unapologetically vain and ambitious but also brave in her own way.  The ballet connection for me was wonderfully poignant as my aunt and I had both taken lessons from a married couple who had danced with the Ballet Russ and my YD took lessons from their son.  During the summer a master class was offered and great  Russian ballerinas from the Maryinsky (the old Imperial school) would come and teach.   It was also a good history lesson about events I had studied years ago but made personal and alive to me.

Great review, Cheryl ... and what an amazing personal connection. Things like that really make a story come alive, don't they?    ~Kelly

They certainly do!

I read Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham for the 8 card. Total stinker. LOL. Sir Francis Drake would have turned in his graver for suffering such a characterization.

I'm not sure if my reading of Prince of Fire will qualify for the 7 card because I have to finish the series and it's a long one. So root me on. :)

For the "Jack" category I read The Mevrouw Who Saved Manhattan by Bill Greer, a romp through old New Amsterdam with a tavern owner named Jackie.

Linda

I used The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen for category 9...where a character wins a sporting event.  The hero wins fencing practice with his steward.  I noticed that someone else used The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick for this category.  Smart thinking!

So, for my pirate book I was initially thinking Helen Hollick's Sea Witch, but I promised myself I wouldn't buy any new books this year (used books are A-OK) and my library doesn't have it.  I'm on the PBS wish list but it doesn't look good timing-wise.  I ran across a historical romance called "Once a Pirate" that sounded OK. I'm not a huge romance reader but I have a soft-spot for lady pirates and people seemed to like it on PBS.  One of my favorite childhood books was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.  Any other pirate suggestions?  Anyone a romance reader that can weigh in on this title?

Kate: there was one that some of us read for a read along a few years back, Grania:  She King of the Irish Seas by Morgan Llywelyn that was about a lady pirate.

@Kate, If you have a Kindle and can PM me your email address, I'd be happy to lend Sea Witch. I also have Pirate Code.

Are Hollick's books lendable on Kindle, Genie? I'll have to check that out. Usually the really good ones aren't.......

Ooooo....I always forget about Kindle loaning!  It looks like only her Sea Witch books are lendable on Amazon.  They are from a different on publisher than the others.  AND I noticed there is now a fourth book in the series: Ripples in the Sand!   I have read the first two and loved them, so if anyone has the third one...Bring It Close.. on Kindle and would be willing to lend it, I would love to borrow it!  I have the first two (Sea Witch and Pirate Code) and would be glad to loan them to someone.

Christa: I posted in the wrong thread I guess, but I noticed on Amazon today that a book #4 is available on kindle only Ripples in the Sand.

@Jeanne, Yes, I checked before posting (like the good little librarian I am). >:)

@Kate, Not to be pushy, but if you have any device - a PC, Android, iPad, iPhone - you can download the Kindle app and read them on that device.

Genie, I do have an iPhone!  I will download the app, thanks!  Then do I just need to send you my email address? Also how does the lending work... is it like the library where I have a set time frame to read the book?  I am so behind on all this e-reader stuff. 

I read Hollick's The Sea Witch for my pirate category and enjoyed it.  I have it as a Nook e-book and would be happy to lend it to any other Nook owner.

I'm now reading another Hollick for the King selection, I am the Chosen King.  Good, but not as good as I remember Forever Queen being.  Forever Queen started out 3/5 ish, but it built to near compelling, so I'm hoping this one becomes so, too.

I agree with you, Sharla...I thought Forever Queen was the better book too.  Emma was really a compelling character.

@Kate, yes, just PM me your email address. I'm not sure how lending works in the apps, but just follow the instructions in the email message. It's fairly straightforward Kindle to Kindle, so I hope the same is true of the app.

You'll have 2 weeks once you accept the download. I can only lend it once so make sure you can read it in that 2-week period.

For the Seven category, I finished The Last Cut by Michael Pearce, part of his Mamur Zapt series set in early 20th century pre-WWI Egypt.  I love this series, for the wry humor and the intricate culture and politics in Egypt at that time.  I read this yesterday when I was replacing my car's tires, and kept laughing out loud in the waiting room.  The dialogue and interactions between all the characters are always entertaining. 

Well, I've decided to finally pick up the last two books in the Outlander series for my #7. I made the mistake of reading books 1-5 back to back with nothing else in between a couple of years ago, and while I enjoyed them very much, I totally maxed out on them and had to take a break. I over-Jamie'd. I can do that...get so involved in a series that I crash and burn.

So I'll work on those lovely doorstops this year!

@Lauri, That's a great idea for the 7 card! I just have to finish Echo. Is there one after that, or coming soon?