I have a box of books I've picked from book recycling shelves here and there. Instead of consuming the box I seem to overflow it. Thus most of them are old or trashy romances. Probably need to read more real books and less fan fics...
This far I have read (along comics):
Catherine Cookson's The Upstart (a Finnish translation)
History setting. A shoemaker has gotten rich building his shoe empire and buys a manor and its staff along. We follow the story of his daughter when the family breaks apart and later how she finds love in a man her father doesn't accept. I felt at places that I am being told rather than shown or I could not quite understand why some characters were having bad blood. As if part of the story happened in the parts not written.
Defiant Love
Historical romance. FMC is assaulted, twice when she runs off for a nunnery to avoid marriage. Is rescued, marries the man and falls in love with him. Her husband is involved in a political plot and they are separated when she lures enemy off his trail. In the climax she runs into a battle scene with a new born baby because her sister has to go there. For her defence, this time, she took some knights along for protection.
Sunneva by Kaari Utrio
I just started this one. Also a historical novel. I seem to pick them up lately. Sunneva is a girl in 14th century Scandinavia, the most beautiful of them all, and plans to marry well. This far she has witnessed a murder, has plotted to kill an unfit suitor, was sent to a nunnery to learn manners, and is now on the run as she accidentally destroyed a valuable book. She is not a very likeable character at the moment, I think, but there might be some character growth coming as she is now facing some hardships. I like the old style this has been written in and it draws a vivid picture of how life was then and there.
I tried a Jude Devereaux book that had a time travelling plot but I don't know if I'll finish that. I read some reviews and its conclusion was a disappointment for some. I keep yelling at the writer about anachronistic pieces of clothing after watching one too many period dressing up video on Youtube.
