ANGELOLOGY by Danielle Trussoni, 2010.

When I read several reviews of this, I was really interested: intriguing premise, some history, a quest, action, and interesting characters. And while I did enjoy the story, unfortunately, it felt as though the pace was off. The whole middle section, which was a flashback, seemed somewhat slow and heavy. The last third of the book was very enjoyable; however, the ending left me a bit dissatisfied. In a nutshell, the novel concerns the Nephilim (offspring of angels and humans, mentioned in Genesis) and angelologists (scholars who study and track angels), and the ancient (and continuing) conflicts between them. For the Nephilim are not very nice--they are beautiful, powerful, monstrous creatures whose total desire is to subvert humans to evil and encourage war and oppression. They have infiltrated high levels of society and are deadly, but their power is weakening due to a mysterious debilitating condition they aren't able to cure, and this has led them to search for Orpheus' lyre, an instrument that is supposed to possess unimaginable power, and the angelologists are in all-out battle mode to stop them. The main character, Sister Evangeline of the St. Rose Convent, a young woman with many questions about her past, is drawn into this situation by a researcher who is unknowingly working for one of the Nephilim. As the story unfolds and Evangeline discovers more about her past and realizes what her role in the current events really is, the pressure is on and the situation crucial. I found the writing and pacing be rather uneven in spots, very smooth and exciting in parts but slow in much of it. I liked the story on the whole, but perhaps it would have been better if it had been more tightly written and faster paced.

Feel good movie

I watched "Akeela and the Bee" last evening. Even though it was released in 2006, and been on TV mulitiple times, I had not seen it before. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The story concerns an 11 year old middle schooler (Keke Palmer), whose father had been killed when she was 6, and whose mother (Angela Bassett) works constantly with no time for Akeela or the rest of her children. A teacher realizes Akeela has a talent for spelling, encourages her, and invites a professor friend (Laurence Fishburne) to see her in action in a local bee. Fishburne's character is impressed, agrees to coach her for the district bee, which if she wins, she would have a chance at the national bee in Washington, D.C. School problems, home issues, peer pressures, and emotional upheaval are all a part of the story--and the problems are not just Akeela's: her mother, her friend Georgia, her fellow competitors, and even the professor all have their own griefs and needs and hurts. But, as this is an inspirational, feel good movie, Akeela ties them all together in her quest for the national championship and everyone learns something about themselves and each other and life in general. Palmer is really effective as Akeela,  she does an excellent job as a kid who knows she's different but tries to hide it in order to fit into school, and it's interesting to watch her mature in her outlook as she works with Fishburne's professor toward her goal; and Bassett does a very credible job as the tough talking mom trying to hold things together for her family but somehow missing the boat on this gift her child has. Agreeable entertainment with a positive message.

THE SISTERS WHO WOULD BE QUEEN by Leanda de Lisle, 2008.

Historian de Lisle's account of the Grey sisters: Jane, Katherine, and Mary, Tudor descendants with a strong claim to the English throne. Probably everyone knows the story of the tragic Lady Jane Grey, the "Nine Days Queen", either from history or from the film "Lady Jane", but many may not be familiar with her sisters. Descended from Henry VII, they were great-nieces of Henry VIII through his sister Mary, who was married to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. As such, their very existence was disturbing and troublesome. Their cousin, fanatically Protestant Edward I, made Protestant Jane his heir (instead of his sisters Mary and Elizabeth) in hopes that she would continue his plans for reforming England. A coup placed her on the throne, and after her short reign and execution at the age of 16 at the hands of Queen Mary, her two sisters were kept close at court. Katherine, lovely and somewhat flighty, managed to contract a secret marriage with Edward Seymour (nephew of Henry VIII's third wife), and have two sons by him, which made her a very real threat to Elizabeth I, who was both unmarried and childless. Forced to separate from her husband and older child and kept under house arrest, Katherine pretty much starved herself to death by the age of 28. Mary, the last sister, made her own secret marriage, was discovered and paid a sad price as well. Their story is one of greed and power, manipulation, religious unrest, loss of personal freedom, bloodthirsty plots, very little happiness, and terrible destinies. De Lisle provides new interpretations on Jane's story, gives new information on her sisters, and interweaves their lives against the unsettled era of the Tudors, including the stories of other potential rivals for the throne like Mary Queen of Scots, the Countess of Lennox, and the Earl of Huntington, as well as another cousin of the Greys', Lady Margaret Clifford. While I found that I didn't always agree on her interpretations of things, it was still an interesting book on the Tudor era and it was good to read a more full account on the other two Grey sisters.

THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS by Karen Harper, 2010.

I have liked most any of Harper's books that I've read; especially enjoyed her Tudor mystery series. This particular novel is a standalone title, and I was intrigued that she chose the character of Elizabeth I's old governess, Kat Ashley, as the main voice for the story.

Born Katherine Champernowne, Kat grows up in a household in Devon run by her father's second wife. Mourning her dead mother, Kat doesn't get along with her stepmother. By happy circumstance, she's noticed by the visiting royal councilor Thomas Cromwell, who arranges for her to live with and further her education with distant relatives. In return, Cromwell eventually brings her to court and wishes for her to be his "eyes and ears" around Anne Boleyn. The grateful Kat, over time, becomes sympathetic to Queen Anne, is trusted by her, and later by the doomed queen's request is given charge over the young Elizabeth.

Harper creates an interesting story around Kat: how she meets and eventually marries John Ashley, a relative of the Boleyn family; her relations with Tom Seymour, Princess Mary, Cromwell, and Robert Dudley, among others; the terrifying plots, gruesome executions and stays in the Tower; the religious issues of the day; the many intrigues and power plays surrounding the Tudor court. Many of the episodes about Elizabeth and Mary are familiar, but seeing them from Kat Ashley's viewpoint gives a fresh perspective. A smooth narrative, excellent details that don't overwhelm, and a good pace make this a satisfying read about the Tudor era.

Finished last night:

WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel, 2009.

English author Mantel has written a huge, sprawling story concerning Thomas Cromwell, who rose to prominence under Henry VIII during the time of the king's "Great Matter." Henry wished to divorce his wife Katharine of Aragon after 20 years of marriage and then marry the captivating Anne Boleyn. Looming in the background, foreground, and everywhere, was Henry's desire and need for a male heir.

The author has done a terrific job with describing how Cromwell, son of a brutish blacksmith, manages to escape his dreadful childhood, spends years abroad, returns to England and becomes Cardinal Wolsey's go-to guy. After Wolsey's fall, Cromwell continues his rise to power, and finds that he is living a life beyond his wildest expectations. Cromwell, charming, knowledgeable, enigmatic, opportunistic, ambitious, and an enormously successful strategist, becomes crucial in Henry's and Anne's intertwined lives. She does well with making him a well rounded person, showing him as a kind and loving family man, as well as the courtly manipulator he was.

This is a hugely entertaining book, filled with larger than life characters and events, and Mantel's writing truly makes the era come to life. Political machinations, judicial murders, religious upheaval and persecution and executions, threats from rival claimants for the throne, wars, plague, etc. are all part of the story. I found her portrayals of Queen Katharine, Mary Tudor, Cardinal Wolsey, Elizabeth Barton, Hans Holbein and others very credible. The tragedy of Sir Thomas More was an interesting and moving section, and it was amazing what she was able to do to make so many characters stand out and be memorable: Mary Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Lady Rochford, and Bishop Gardiner, among so many others.

My only complaint about this novel is that it was very difficult and at times frustrating to keep track of who was saying what to whom. It took too much time to figure that out, and as a result, made for a slow read. Other than that, I found it a fresh take on an often written about episode in history. Kudos to Mantel for choosing to tell the story using Cromwell as the main voice and creating a different perspective on this Tudor period.

When the moon is full...

I went to see "Wolfman" the other night with a friend of mine. Our wives don't particularly care for creepy/scary/gory/horror type movies, so occasionally we'll go out together and see one. We were curious about this, and neither of us was disappointed. Reviewers were not overly thrilled with it, but we enjoyed the special effects, the overall creepy atmosphere, the story was fine, and Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro as the tormented father and son involved in the mystery did quite well in their roles. Emily Blunt as the fiancee of Del Toro's brutally murdered brother is quite interesting and easy to look at. Hugo Weaving was good as the detective sent from London to investigate the series of murders at Blackmoor. And casting Geraldine Chaplin as the gypsy woman Maleva was a good choice--cool to see her in a film again. Del Toro plays an American who is called back home when his brother is killed and becomes involved in discovering the cause of all these local murders. Visions from childhood, his father's distant attitude, and his attraction to Gwen (Blunt) add to the suspense. While it was easy to guess the secret of the Talbot family of Talbot Hall, it still made for a thrilling picture. Lots of little surprises to make one jump or flinch and plenty of blood and gore--for me almost too much. This movie really was more like a remake of the original "Wolfman" and I definitely liked it more than "An American Werewolf in London". My movie pal and I both agreed it was worthwhile, and I would recommend it at least as a decent rental.

Just finished this yesterday: SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy, 2009.

Conroy is not a writer whose books I necessarily seek out. In fact, the only book of his I had read before this one was Prince of Tides, and that was many years ago... I was drawn to this one mainly because it's set in Charleston, South Carolina, an historic city I've visited several times over the years and am very fond of.

Most of South of Broad's action takes place in Charleston, and Conroy does an excellent job in his descriptions of the city, his use of real place names, etc. I could feel myself walking down Meeting Street, stepping into St. Michael's Church, and strolling along the Battery. The story involves a group of teens who meet the summer before their senior year in 1969 and who become lifelong friends, and continues 20 years later, in 1989, when they are adults and following their various paths. The two time periods/stories move back and forth through the book. Leo King, isolated and lonely, struggling to heal himself, is the heart of this group, which includes the glamorous just-come-to-town Sheba Poe and her brother Trevor; the damaged orphans Niles and Starla Whitehead; Ike Jefferson, Leo's football training partner and son of the new black coach; Betty Roberts, a sassy black orphan; the old Charleston money kids Molly Huger and Chad Rutledge and his sister Fraser. These kids become a close-knit group, whose lives remain intertwined as their circle widens. They survive issues of integration, loyalty, love, parental authority, prejudice, depression, alcoholism, acceptance, and multiple tragedies, some becoming stronger and some ruining their lives. These kids are troubled as teens, and they become more messed up as adults. Conroy piles on plenty of old secrets and scandals, supplies chilling horror when the Poes' insane father shows up, and uses Hurricane Hugo to set some things right in their world. While at times Conroy's characters seem a little too old and wise (especially as teenagers), they are interesting and well defined, full of emotion and energy. His writing is just wonderful, with plenty of wit and humor, as well as solemness and elegance and grace. Full of enthusiasm, beauty, wildness, cruelty, social graces and customs, emotional turbulence and the power of love and redemption, this novel really is thought provoking and moving. It was a very worthwhile read for me.