Hello~
It’s Thursday and today I’m posting a tag that I’ve seen floating around and I was actually tagged to do! Thank you so much to Bex the Bibliophile for tagging me! Please check out her blog, and her version of this tag! Much thanks to Jessticulates for creating this awesome tag! Please check out her post, as well.
What I enjoy most about this tag is the little bite of history you get with it. I love Medieval history, so this was really fun for me. I hope you enjoy.
Anyways, on to the tag!
Empress Matilda (1102-1167)
After her father, Henry I, died naming her his heir, Matilda’s cousin, Stephan, subsequently took the throne for himself. Matilda never stopped fighting for what was rightfully hers. Though she would never be named Queen of England in her own right, she was able to convince Stephan to name her son, the future Henry II, his successor over his own children.
Choose a Book With a Protagonist Who Stands Their Ground
The Forest of Stolen Girls | June Hur
Since I recently read this book, Hwani came to my mind when I began thinking about books for this prompt. Not only does she defy all the expectations of her statin and gender, she puts her own safety at risk to solve the mystery of her missing father and the disappearance of 13 girls from her hometown. Even when she is pressed to leave multiple times, or threatened by her own family to remove her, she stands her ground and fights to complete her mission. Her will is strong and she fights for those she cares about, without giving up.
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204)
Before she married Henry II and became Queen of England in 1151, Eleanor was Queen of France as the wife of Louis VII. She sought an annulment from her marriage to Louis and he eventually agreed because 15 years of marriage had produced no sons, only for Eleanor to go on to have eight children with Henry – five of whom were sons.
Choose a Book or Series in Which the Heroine Has More Than One Romantic Relationship
The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss | Amy Noelle Parks
This book is all about unrequited love – or it starts out that way. It’s told from two perspectives, but one of the two, Evie, starts out the book never considering she’d date anyone, including her best friend. When a new student arrives at the school, she begins to realize that she does experience attraction to people and thus her dating life begins. She does end up dating two different people in the book. It’s a very sweet romance and I immediately thought of it when I came to this prompt.
Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290)
A keen patron of literature and a successful businesswoman in her own right, Eleanor was Edward I’s first wife. He was so heartbroken when she died that he erected the Eleanor Crosses, 12 stone crosses marking the places where her body rested overnight on its journey from Lincolnshire, where she died, to her burial place in London. Three of the crosses still survive today.
Choose a Bittersweet Book
The Travelling Cat Chronicles | Hiro Arikawa
This was an easy prompt to fill. I tend to read a lot of books that are bittersweet. I chose this book, however, because it’s stuck with me, maybe because it involves a cat? The relationship between the cat and his human is really sweet. You get the cat’s perspective, which is really nice. I love the gentleness of this book, the focus on relationships to animals, and it’s just a really easy, quiet read. The whole book is bittersweet, but particularly the ending.
Isabella of France (1295-1358)
Often known as the ‘She-Wolf of France’, Isabella was Edward II’s wife. Unfortunately for Edward, he wasn’t particularly good at being King, and Isabella soon grew tired of his (possibly homosexual) relationship with his favorite, Hugh Despenser. After she began an affair with English nobleman Roger Mortimer while on a diplomatic mission to France, the pair returned to England with an army and she deposed Edward and acted as regent until their son, the future Edward III, came of age.
Choose a Book Where Romance Overtook the Plot
The Grace Year | Kim Liggett
I was really hooked on the concept of this book – it really skirts the line between horror and dystopian genres. Unfortunately, though, Liggett chose to go the route most YA authors go and threw a romance in there that basically overshadows any other elements to the story. I was deeply disappointed by the end of the book. I gave it a low rating because I felt cheated out of an interesting story because the romance took over. I know many have enjoyed this book regardless, I just can’t appreciate it.
Philippa of Hainault (1310/15-1369)
Queen of England as the wife of Edward III, Philippa was beloved by the English people for her compassion and kindness. The Queen’s College, Oxford founded in 1341, is named in her honour.
Choose a Book Set at a University
Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo
This book immediately came to mind for this prompt, mostly because the very premise is based on the setting being on a historic college campus. The college is a hotspot for magic since it rests on such ancient ground. The book is very interesting and I am excited to see where the series will take me. I wasn’t planning on reading it, since I am on the fence about Bardugo, having read her previous books, but this one did manage to capture my attention.
Joan of Navarre (1368-1437)
Joan was Henry IV’s second wife. Six years after his death, Joan was accused of attempting to poison her stepson, Henry V, through witchcraft and was imprisoned for four years until he ordered her release, just six weeks before he suddenly died.
Choose a Book About Witches
The Guinevere Deception | Kiersten White
When I think about a good witch book, this one does come to mind simply because I enjoy the nuance of the magic that White created. The knotting magic is very interesting to me, as is the take on Guinevere being a witch, planted by Merlin, to protect Arthur (with his knowledge), in a place that hates magic. This take on Arthurian legend is so interesting and I’m enjoying the series. One more book to go, I believe (unless it moves beyond trilogy), and I’m excited to see where it ends!
Thoughts & Thanks
Though I like participating in tags, I’m bad at tagging people. My favorite thing is just to say, if you’ve read this post and like it, please consider yourself tagged! And feel free to share your Tag post in the comments so I can see what you picked.
As always, thank you for visiting and happy reading!
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