Reread: Austenland by Shannon Hale

Just felt the urge to reread this amusing book for a quick read before I needed to read my next book club book. You can see my original review of this book here. I feel pretty much the same.

The Other Boelyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

I read this book within a few days because I was trying to get it mostly read before I went to see the movie. I was really excited for the movie but thought I should read the book first. I am glad I did. The time of King Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I is one of my favorite times in history to read about or watch movies about. This book deals with the two Boelyn sisters and their relationship with the king and each other and how depending on who is the favorite in the king's eyes must serve one another. One of them truly falls in love with the kind and the other convinces the king he is so in love with her that he will do anything to have her, even split the country apart.

The book goes into so much detail about life at court and how marriage vows mean very little if the king wants something. No one has a life of their own, especially if you're a girl, only the life the king wishes to grant you. It was very well told and so much better than the movie. I think if I hadn't read the book beforehand I might have been lost and the characters are very miscontrued from the book. So definitely check out the book. I think I might read Philippa Gregory's other books that deal with the first wife of King Henry VIII (The Constant Princess) and the book that follows the time after The Other Boelyn girl.