Suddenly Sunday \ Monday Memes

Visit Svea's blog at The Muse in The Fog Book Review to start linking up your Sunday posts! Suddenly Sunday is a weekly event hosted by Svea whose purpose is to share all the exciting events that have occurred on your blog throughout the week. I will be combining my Sunday/Monday memes here.

Mailbox Monday is a meme originally from Marcia's Mailbox and is being hosted by Lori @ Lori's Reading Corner this January.

The What Are You Reading meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.

This January begins a new reading pleasure for me: my own books! I am so excited to throw off the yoke of ARCs/review copies, and read what I want when I want.

I started 2013 with a book that I've wanted to read for quite awhile, and it also goes towards a challenge, which I never usually participate in, but I knew it was my duty to myself to do this one. This year I am helping myself get to my abandoned reads by challenging myself to read my own books, and that I have done already!

Currently reading and studying The Holy Bible and finished the first book of Chronicles.

My first book of 2013 that I just finished was Elizabeth Chadwick's 2004 release Shadows and Strongholds, which I had on my shelves forever but it was sure worth the wait! Such fantastic torytelling, I LOVED IT! Chadwick fans will not be disappointed, and I loved it so much that I am going to sneak in another Chadwick for the hell of it!! I don't have any pressing review titles to get to right now, so here comes the next Chadwick Chunkster!

Next: Lords of the White Castle by Elizabeth Chadwick
Westminster, 1184-- in the court of King Henry, playful competition is about to turn into something far more serious. Young courtier Fulke FitzWarin would not be an obvious companion for Prince John, but the boy from the Welsh Marches is there as a reward for his family's loyalty to the crown. The FitzWarins are as proud as they are true, and when Fulke is accused by John of cheating during a game of chess, he cannot help but respond. Thus begins a bitter rivalry that will resonate throughout their lives.

The FitzWarins dream of reclaiming their family estate and title, Lords of the White Castle. After this quarrel with Fulke, however, John's vindictiveness leads to Fulke renouncing his allegiance and becoming a rebel outlaw.

In romance, too, Fulke is no closer to fulfilling his heart's desire. A youthful dalliance means nothing compared to his love for the spirited Maude le Vavasour, but marriage in medieval England is more about alliance than about love, and Fulke can only watch helplessly as Maude's father arranges a more suitable match. After all, what can Fulke offer Maude apart from a lifetime on the run....

With all the intrigue and pageantry that bring the twelfth century vividly to life, this award-winning novelist spins us an irresistible tale of a deadly rivalry and an impossible love.

In the mail this week, I received yet another copy of Philippa Gregory's non-fiction from last year, The Women of the Cousins' War. It is being released in paperback now and I encourage you to read my review to see if you would be interested in it this time around. It was an interesting look at a few of the figures in my favorite period of history. I'll be posting my new copy of paperbackswap soon.

Coming up on Monday will be my review of the fantastic The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James, and then later this week you will have a chance to win your own copy via my other site at HF-Connection.com

And to round out 2013, I snuck in one last review, for Against The Tide by Elizabeth Camden, which gave me 82 reviews published here in 2012. I wonder what 2013 will bring? I am so excited to get to my own books finally!

Hope your 2013 reading has started off as well as mine!!