Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

Albert:  A Life by Jules Stewart.  Non-fiction.  UK release September 30, 2011; US release December 20, 2011.

Albert, prince consort to Queen Victoria and social and cultural visionary in his own right, defined the culture and direction of nineteenth century Britain--a superpower at the zenith of its influence--more than any other British royal or politician. Although he pleaded with his wife that no monument to his memory should be left (a plea that was to go unheeded by his grieving widow), the role he played in shaping Victorian culture stands today as indisputable proof of the enduring legacy of a man who spent just two decades of his short life in England.


Though overshadowed in history by his adoring wife and at times even mocked by her subjects, it was arguably Albert who gave form and substance to the Victorian Age. From the outset, he strove to win "the respect, the love and the confidence of the Queen and of the nation," pursuing an extraordinary social and cultural crusade that has become his greatest legacy. From the Great Exhibition and the construction of many of London's great museums to his social campaigns against slavery and the Corn Laws, Albert's achievements were truly remarkable--in fact, very few have made such a permanent mark on British society.



A Parliament of Spies by Cassandra Clark.  US and UK release January 31, 2012.

All the danger and intrigue of 14th-century England spring to life in this “compelling” (Publishers Weekly) series about the Abbess of Meaux.

This is the fourth novel in her acclaimed series featuring Abbess Hildegard. Abbess Hildegard may consider herself “just a nun with no useful skills or connections,” yet her loyalty and intelligence have brought her to the attention of King Richard II himself—not the safest place to be, when the king has enemies on all sides. As Hildegard wrestles with her role as a spy in the parliament that is hastily gathering at Westminister, Cassandra Clark shows us the human side of history, giving readers new reason to follow Publishers Weekly’s rallying cry: “Medievalists rejoice!”





The Forest Laird by Jack Whyte.  US and UK release February 14, 2012.

The Forest Laird is the first novel in Whyte’s trilogy, The Guardians, tales of the men who fought and died to help Scotland gain freedom


In the pre-dawn hours of August 24, 1305, in London’s Smithfield Prison, the outlaw William Wallace—hero of all the Scots and deadly enemy of King Edward of England—sits awaiting the dawn, when he is to be hanged and then drawn and quartered. This brutal sundering of his body is the revenge of the English. Wallace is visited by a Scottish priest who has come to hear his last confession, a priest who knows Wallace like a brother. Wallace’s confession—the tale that follows—is all the more remarkable because it comes from real life.

We follow Wallace through his many lives—as outlaw and fugitive, hero and patriot, rebel and kingmaker. His exploits and escapades, desperate struggles and victorious campaigns are all here, as are the high ideals and fierce patriotism that drove him to abandon the people he loved to save his country.


William Wallace is the first heroic figure of the Scottish Wars of Independence, a man whose fame reached far beyond his homeland. Wallace served as the subject for the Academy Award–winning film Braveheart. In The Forest Laird, Jack Whyte’s masterful storytelling breathes life into Wallace’s tale, giving readers an amazing character study of the man who helped shape Scotland’s future.



The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott.  US release February 21, 2012.

Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young seamstress who survives the disaster only to find herself deeply torn between two men and embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.


Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a rugged but sensitive sailor and the other a mysterious Chicago millionaire. All survive the sinking, but Lady Duff Gordon's actions during the disaster make her the subject of media scorn and later the hearings on the Titanic. Torn between admiration for the designer and dismay at her behavior, and between two very different suitors, Tess must navigate the complex waters of life and love. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour as well as all the thrilling excitement of young love.



Cain at Gettysburg by Ralph Peters.  US release February 28, 2012.

New York Times bestselling author Ralph Peters returns to the gripping combat fiction he does peerlessly.

Two mighty armies blunder toward each other, one led by confident, beloved Robert E. Lee and the other by dour George Meade. They’ll meet in a Pennsylvania crossroads town where no one planned to fight.

In this sweeping, savagely realistic novel, the greatest battle ever fought on American soil explodes into life at Gettysburg. As generals squabble, staffs err. Tragedy unfolds for immigrants in blue and barefoot Rebels alike. The fate of the nation will be decided in a few square miles of fields.

There are no marble statues here, only men of flesh and blood, imperfect and courageous. Following a tough Confederate sergeant from the Blue Ridge, a bitter Irish survivor of the Great Famine, a German political refugee, and gun crews in blue and gray, Cain at Gettysburg, from New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Army officer Ralph Peters, is bound to become a classic of men at war.



If Walls Could Talk:  An Intimate History of the Home by Lucy Worsley.  Non-fiction.  US release February 28, 2012; released in the UK in April 2011.

Why did the flushing toilet take two centuries to catch on? Why did Samuel Pepys never give his mistresses an orgasm? Why did medieval people sleep sitting up? When were the two “dirty centuries”? Why did gas lighting cause Victorian ladies to faint? Why, for centuries, did people fear fruit? All these questions will be answered in this juicy, smelly, and truly intimate history of home life. Lucy Worsley takes us through the bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen, covering the architectural history of each room, but concentrating on what people actually did in bed, in the bath, at the table, and at the stove. From sauce-stirring to breast-feeding, getting dressed to getting married, this book will make you see your home with new eyes.





The Venetian Contract by Maria Fiorato.  UK release March 1, 2012.

Venice, 1580. Legendary architect Andrea Palladio is dying. His last act is to hide the Quattro Libri, four books written in his own hand, which not only codify his architectural genius, but also contain a dangerous secret.


Venice, 2010. Architect Andrea di Pietro is lecturing at the Unviersity of Venice when she is sent a mysterious book. When she returns it to the Library of San Marco she is arrested, for the book is one of the stolen Quattro Libri. With the help of art fraud officer Marcantonio Rezzonico, Andrea goes on a quest for the remaining three books, a search which takes her all the way from the great villas of the Veneto to the basilicas of Istanbul.


But there are ostacles along the way; what are the motives of the urbane mayor of Venice, who raises vast sums of money against the threat of Venice sinking? And who is the mysterious Mehmet Comnenus, a Turkish shipping magnate as rich as he is powerful, whose charm seems to mask a grudge as old as the Republic?

On her journey Andrea not only discovers her true love of architecture, but also the story of Palladio and the four extraordinary men who helped him hide the Quattro Libri. She begins to realise that the secret they kept could be the salvation of Venice herself.



When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris.  UK release March 6, 2012.

Not a lot of information available except for this small blurb:

The seventh book in the series was inspired by the famous poem, The Lady of Shalott, by Lord  Tennyson, who is a missing three year old boy in this novel.













The Stolen Bride by Tony Hays.  US and UK release April 10, 2012.

A murdered king, his young and defenseless widow, and the fate of all of Britain are in the hands of a one-armed scribe.


Malgwyn ap Cuneglas is counselor to Arthur, High King of the Britons. When he accompanies his liege to the West to broker a deal between warring tribes, they come across a scene of utmost depravity and murder to sicken even the most battle-hardened warrior. Things don’t get any better when they finally arrive at their destination to discover that King Dogel is fighting to keep his kingdom safe from both Saxons from abroad and younger nobles vying for power. Dogel loses that fight when shortly after Arthur and his counselor arrive, he is murdered. His young wife, defenseless and alone, appeals to Arthur to find her husband’s killer. Arthur agrees and Malgwyn is given this almost impossible task.



Spirit's Princess by Esther Friesner.  Young Adult.  US release Arpil 24, 2012.

Pampered princess. Chieftain's daughter. Secret shaman. Warrior.


Himiko the beloved daughter of a chieftain in third century Japan has always been special. The day she was born there was a devastating earthquake, and the tribe's shamaness had an amazing vision revealing the young girl's future—one day this privledged child will be the spiritual and tribal leader over all of the tribes. Book One revolves around the events of Himiko's early teen years—her shaman lessons, friendships, contact with other tribes, and journey to save her family after a series of tragic events. Once again, Esther Friesner masterfully weaves together history, myth, and mysticism in a tale of a princess whose path is far from traditional.