Medieval Queens Book Tag

Hello all,

I know it has been an awfully long time since I last posted, but this month I intend{ed} to parse out some time for blogging as a sort of birthday present to myself {she says more than half way through the month}. 

Anyway, when I saw this tag I just couldn't pass it up, being named for a medieval queen myself. 

I found this tag in a post by Livia Rose @ Rosepetalsandfairydust

Also, some of the prompts require me to reveal elements of the books, and others require my opinion: please read with caution. I try to avoid details, but I don't want to spoil any part of the story for anyone.

Empress Matilda (1102-1167)

After her father, Henry I, died naming her his heir, Matilda’s cousin, Stephen, 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 Stephen to name her son, the future Henry II, his successor over his own children. Choose a book with a protagonist who stands their ground. 

Matilda, by Roald Dahl

{I wonder if Mr. Dahl drew inspiration for her name...}

This might be the obvious and predictable answer, but I think it is a wonderful example of a character standing their ground, and pushing for the things they should have had a right to all along.

While the storyline is very similar to the 1996 movie, there are a few differences, so I highly recommend the book.

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204)

Before she married Henry II and became Queen of England in 1152, 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. Ouch!

Choose a book or series in which the heroine has more than one romantic relationship.

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brönte

The storyline takes place across several generations, so I won't reveal which generation's heroine I'm referring to. This is a wonderful book, that raises questions on a societal and a personal level. It's not what I expected, and it's my favorite of the Brönte sisters' works. Emily is certainly the best writer, so I'll have to read some of her poetry as well.

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 over night 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.

To The Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf

This book is so beautiful. 

It matches the bitter-sweet aesthetic that I love in movies, and is a fantastical look into my own mind and soul. {and I've only listened to the audio book while dishwashing!} I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone, I think you'll be surprised by how much you learn about yourself.

– A close runner up is James Joyce's collection of short stories Dubliners, particularly the story The Dead. –

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 favourite, 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 the romance overtook the plot.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Anne Brashares

This whole series had an interesting storyline, built on the premise of four girls going through their teenage life, but the romance definitely overtook the plot. I still loved one of the characters by the end, but was absolutely done with the others. 

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, so

Choose a book set at a university.

Anne of the Island, by L. M. Montgomery

This. Book.

I can now say I know the collegiate feeling, and to some extent, I don't feel that L. M. Montgomery's descriptions (which are always gorgeous) are obsolete. Of course, I can only hope to see some of the older universities (of Europe) some day, and to see how her depiction holds up there. I was concerned about reading this before college, because I thought it would fill me with expectations not to be met in the modern world, but I have been proved wrong. Although, I haven't met any Roy Gardners yet.

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.

Dear America: I Walk In Dread, by Lisa Rowe Fraustino

While it is a fictional account, this was truly eye-opening. 

This part of history, while receiving more attention than historical genocides (of which there are many more than I had ever imagined), this doesn't get enough attention. It's just another dark spot in American History that we choose not to look at. We can't admit our cruelty and misjudgments, and that's a large part of the problems we now have to face. Anyway, rant over. For now.

This is well researched, and well written in diary form, as are all the Dear America books. I recommend it to everyone for reasons ranted about above.

This was a fun tag, and actually feasible even with my packed schedule. I look forward to reading more people's answers!

Queen Medb of Connacht

To all the hidden royalty out there, please consider yourselves royally tagged.