Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles

By Margaret George

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This was my first novel by Margaret George and I throughly enjoyed this book. I hand some historical knowledge of Mary Queen of Scots but Ms. George was able to make Mary Stuart into much more than a long dead historical figure. The novel gives the reader a glimpse into Mary’s heart, her passions, vulnerable naivety, and enormously strong will. She was little more than a child when she was crowned and she made many mistakes. She was Queen at a time when your chosen religion could make or break your reign. Thrust into the politics of three different countries, England, France, and Scotland, where men secretly dominated the ruling powers, manipulating and twisting to their own desires of power. The book is long and very detailed but enormously satisfying. I recommend this novel to any who enjoy reading medieval history.

Anna Karenina

By Leo Tolstoy

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I read the editorial reviews of this novel before I began to read. Some reviewers call this novel the greatest novel of its time. Although I can’t say that I agree with such an assessment, I will say that this is a character driven novel. The author is able to make each character come alive on the pages. The characters are complete individuals, with personalities that are easily recognizable in contemporary society. I could not help feeling a sense of empathy for the characters. The unpredictability of the story kept my attention even through the parts that I thought were less compelling.

 

This is a really big book and I began to read it on my tablet but it got a little boring when the author expounded on nineteenth century Russian society. Many chapters devoted to farming, politics, and the aristocracy vs. the  peasantry. I knew nothing of Russian history or society before this novel. I switched from my tablet to Audible, which helped me through those parts.

 

I particularly enjoyed the author’s treatment of one character’s struggle with faith.