Mailbox Monday - February 4

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.  Mailbox Monday is being hosted in February at Unabridged Chick. Click over to add your link and check out other bloggers’ mailboxes!

I have been diligent about reading from my TBR pile, but I did acquire a few new books this week.

Here Be Dragons, by Sharon Kay Penman - I loved Sunne in Splendour so much that I decided to read more of Penman's novels and this is not only highly recommended but is the first in a trilogy.  Huzzah!  Here's the Amazon blurb:

Thirteenth-century Wales is a divided country, ever at the mercy of England’s ruthless, power-hungry King John. Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, secures an uneasy truce by marrying the English king’s beloved illegitimate daughter, Joanna, who slowly grows to love her charismatic and courageous husband. But as John’s attentions turn again and again to subduing Wales---and Llewelyn---Joanna must decide where her love and loyalties truly lie.

Strong as Death, by Sharan Newman - recommended by fellow blogger, who recommended it because of my interest in walking El Camino de Santiago.  Here's the Amazon blurb:

As a former novitiate in the Order of the Paraclete, Catherine LeVendeur has had more than her share of adventures. In fact, intrigue—and murder—seem to dog her path. When Catherine chose love over churchly devotion by falling in love with her Saxon nobleman, Edgar, her family had the earnest hope that married life would settle this most headstrong and unusual woman. But fate has a way of playing with mortals, and after suffering several miscarriages and the birth of a stillborn child, Catherine is inspired by a prophetic dream. She and Edgar will embark on a pilgrimage to the fabled monastery of Compostela, to petition St. James for a child, to take the holy waters, and to pray.


During their journey Catherine and Edgar encounter mad monks, some less-than-penitent crusaders, and a motley collection of pilgrims whose past deeds bind them all in a bizarre game of chance. When several pilgrims are gruesomely murdered, the trail of evidence points to an old sin left unshriven and a hidden villain whose quest for revenge may end in Catherine's death.

Sounds great, right?  I've enjoyed two other medieval mystery series, the Brother Cadfael stories and those about Roger the Chapman, by Kate Sedley, so I'm sure I'll like this as well...if the writing is decent.

The final book that arrived was A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  This has been on my TBR shelf for years, but the actual copy I had was a small, yellowed book that was difficult to read, so I decided to get a Penquin Classics version.  I like the notes and format and readability of Penquin Classics.

BTW, this cover really reminds me of the "Master of the House" scene in Les Misérables.