30/03/2012

JUDITH ARNOPP'S HISTORICAL FICTION NOVELS - GIVEAWAY WINNER




Judith Arnopp was my  guest here on FLY HIGH with an interesting piece about King Richard III's Queen, Anne Neville. Have you read it? (HERE)

Linked to the post there was an incredible giveaway : a book of your choice (e-book or paperback) among the several ones written by Judith Arnopp.

This quick post is to announce the name of the winner, of course. The commenter who won in this giveaway contest has chosen the paperback edition of The Forest Dwellers and her name is ... Natasha! 

Congratulation!!!


26/03/2012

SPRING CLEANING GIVEAWAY HOP - WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT

I know many people who are jealous of their books and , actually, I am quite jealous of  mine, too. However, what I love much more than to keep them on my shelves and dust them - I've got several hundreds of them kept in every room of my house and go on receiving new ones every day-   is to spread the love for books and reading. So,  to that purpose, I'm always glad to lend them to family and friends or give them away. Hence, more than "operation Spring Cleaning", which sounds something like "let's get rid of bad stuff", my contribution to this giveaway hop was more "let's spread the love"!
It seems many of you liked the idea and found interesting titles they'd love to get and read. Thank you! Unfortunately,  I only could make two of you happy and these are the names I picked up through random.org:

1. Rea from Netherlands wins A. Dumas, The Black Tulip and  N. Roberts, Heaven & Earth

2. Patty from Italy wins A. Grange, Henry Tilney's Diary and P.D. James, Death Comes to Pemberley.

Congratulations  to Rea and Patty.  I hope they'll enjoy their new reads.

Many thanks to Inspired Kathy at  I Am A Reader, not A Writer for hosting this Giveaway Hop

25/03/2012

IN MEMORY OF ANTONIO TABUCCHI, A FREE MAN AND A GREAT NOVELIST

If you don't know who Antonio Tabucchi was, read this short bio note HERE. However,  he was a free man and a great novelist. Today  he died in Lisbon, a city he loved as his second home.
I'm not going to say much about him. I'll just use his words to remember his commitment
"Democracy isn't a state of perfection," Tabucchi said. "It has to be improved, and that means constant vigilance."
And also:
Maybe I’m not happy about what’s going on in Portugal, admitted Pereira. Senhora Delgado took a sip of mineral water and said: Then do something about it.” (Pereira Declares)
Well, Antonio Tabucchi was someone who always ... did something about it,  all his life through. Italian politicians know that and I really hope they won't say a word on occasion of Tabucchi's death. They owe him  the respect of silence. 


Here is a post I dedicated to his Pereira Declares some time ago on FLY HIGH!

23/03/2012

TRANSLATING MRS GASKELL'S NORTH AND SOUTH FOR ITALIAN READERS - INTERVIEW WITH LAURA PECORARO


North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell has its first Italian translation at last! It was published by Jo March Agenzia Letteraria in November 2011. I'm proud to own a brand new copy thanks to the publishers,  which I soon added to my Gaskell shelf,  and I'm proud to introduce you the translator of this amazing classic novel: Laura Pecoraro. You know how much I love this work and how much I wrote about it (and about the TV adaptation and a few sequels  as well) both here on FLY HIGH and on LEARN ON LINE. I actually dreamt of translating it myself  - but never felt quite good enough - because I thought it was so unfair Italian reades couldn't enjoy such an interesting literary work. This is why I'm really grateful to the publishers and the translator for their efforts. Not for myself, of course. But for the millions of potential readers out there. I hope they won't miss the chance!
Here we are, then. Meet Laura Pecoraro. Read our chat about Nord e Sud, its themes and characters, and especially about  the difficult journey toward a good translation. Enjoy!

21/03/2012

KING RICHARD III 'S QUEEN: ANNE NEVILLE - GUEST POST AND GIVEAWAY BY JUDITH ARNOPP


Anne Neville
If, like me, you are an avid reader of historical novels you may be forgiven for thinking that we know a great deal about Anne Neville, the youngest daughter of Richard Neville, The Duke of Warwick, known historically as The Kingmaker.
I’m trusting the picture on the left does not do her justice but it seems to be the best we have of her. In truth, the details we have about Anne are very few and her movements can only be traced via the records of the men who lived their lives around her. Her thoughts and feelings can only be guessed at although, what information we do have of her, suggests her life was one of tremendous upheaval and suffering.
She was little more than a pawn, married off at around the age of fourteen to the Lancastrian heir, Edward, son of Henry VI, to seal Warwick’s alliance with Margaret of Anjou when he turned against his king, Edward IV. At around the same time, and to the same end, her sister, Isabel, was married to George, the Duke of Clarence, disloyal younger brother of the king.
What Anne herself made of her first marriage we shall never know, her feelings were not important enough to warrant recording or even speculating upon but she would have been raised to loath and distrust the Lancastrian faction and, to find herself suddenly part of it, must have been greatly disturbing.

20/03/2012

SPRING CLEANING GIVEAWAY HOP - 2 WINNERS, 4 BOOKS ... HAPPY SPRING TIME!

Happy Spring Time to all the friends and readers of FLY HIGH! This Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop is a great idea suggested by Inspired Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A WriterDo you like books? Real paperbacks, not e-books. You are at the right place on the right occasion, then!  You've got the chance to choose and win two books!
I've picked up 10 books I've read and am not going to re-read, which I need to give away to make room for the new ones coming. I'd love to give them  to someone who's willing to have them,  host them on their shelves,  and will do them justice reading them and spreading the word and, maybe, will later pass them on to someone else.

Have a look at the list below, choose two of the titles and good luck!

There will be two winners: one in Italy (where I live)  and one from the rest of the world. The 2 winners will get 2 books each. The contest will be closed on March 25th and the winners will be announced on the 26th. 

N.B. These are NOT books I want to get rid of. Most of them are lovely reads. Just check my reviews or the customer reviews on Amazon I linked the titles to.

What do you have to do to to get a chance to win the ones you prefer?

1. Become a follower, if you are not already one
2. Add your e-mail address to your comment
3. Add the country you live in
4. Choose two titles from the list


That's all. Simple isn't it? I hope you'll find something you are interested in in the list below. Some of the books are Austeneque reads I got in order to review them on my other blog, My Jane Austen Book Club. The others are from various of my shelves  Here we go:

1. A Lady, Merits and Mercenaries
2. Pamela Aidan, A Lesson in Honour
3. J. Marie Croft, Mr Darcy Takes The Plunge
4. Alexandre Dumas, The Black Tulip
5. Amanda Grange, Henry Tilney's Diary
6. Philippa Gregory, The White Queen
7. Nick Hornby, Slam
8. P.D. James, Death Comes to Pemberley
9. Nora Roberts, Heaven & Earth
10. Mary Lidon Simonsen, Mr Darcy's Bite

There are other 171 blogs taking part in this hop! Click HERE to check them out.

18/03/2012

FANSTRAVAGANZA 3 - FINAL POST: NORTH & SOUTH FAN FICTION -DOUBLE REVIEW, DOUBLE GIVEWAY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

FanstRAvaganza 3 has come to its finale - It's been an amazing week, an event full of enthusiasm and creativity dedicated to Richard Armitage, his talent and his past and upcoming works. 
My final post is again in the Fanfic trail. Below you'll find my review of Trudy Brasure's A Heart for Milton and of Catherine Winchester's Northern Light as well as the announcement of the names of the winners in the giveaway contests linked to my interviews with the authors (HERE and HERE).
Don't forget to check the latest posts in this trail of the FanstRAvaganza by Fedoralady, JoAnn and Gratiana Lovelace.
Till next year then, for an even greater celebration following  the release of the first Hobbit movie. More RA - dedicated posts coming soon on FLY HIGH!

16/03/2012

FANSTRAVAGANZA 3 : CATHERINE S. WINCHESTER, NORTHERN LIGHT. INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Welcome to my new post in the Fanfic trail for the FanstRAvaganza 3. Ready to discuss North and South, Mr Thornton and Margaret's love story, with a great RA admirer who is also the author of a sequel of Gaskell's novel? Catherine (Cat) S. Winchester is my guest and has accepted to answer some questions about her Northern Light, and to discuss her vision of North and South with us. 
Leaving your comment + e-mail address you can win an e-book copy of the book. 

Welcome back to FLY HIGH, Cat, and thanks a lot for accepting to answer my questions about your sequel of North and South.  First of all, is there any particular reason  for the title you’ve chosen,  Northern Light?

I wanted to keep the connection with 'the North' of the novel but originally this was titled Northern Exposure, supposed to convey how Margaret had been changed by her time in the North.

14/03/2012

FANSTRAVAGANZA 3: TRUDY BRASURE, A HEART FOR MILTON. AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Welcome to FanstRAvaganza #day3!  This post is in the Fanfic Trail. If you've missed the previous posts check Jo Ann, Mr John Thornton, Fedoralady. Today you'll find Fanfic for FanstRAvaganza also at Cat Winchester's Blog
What follows is my interview with Trudy Brasure, the author of A Heart for Milton, a sequel of North and South by Mrs Gaskell. There's a giveaway linked to this post. Leaving your comment + your e-mail address,  you'll get  a chance to win a paperback copy of the book. On March 18th, on the last day of the FanstRAvaganza,  the name of the winner will be announced. Enjoy our chat and  ... 

Good luck! This giveaway is open worldwide.

Interview with Trudy Brasure

First of all, Trudy, when did you decide to write your sequel? Was it after reading North and South or after watching the series? Also, your story starts as a ‘what-if’ and proposes some changes to Gaskell’s plot. Can you tell us a little about that?
I happened upon the miniseries quite by accident, and was utterly captivated by the whole story, but especially by Richard’s performance. I sought out Gaskell’s book very soon after, having never heard of her before. It’s now my secular bible! I couldn’t stop thinking about the adaptation those first few months, especially the agonizing goodbye scene

12/03/2012

FANSTRAVAGANZA 3: RICHARD III IN MOVIES OR ... WHY WE WANT A NEW KING RICHARD

Visit the site King Richard Armitage








I became an eager fan of this project as soon as I heard about it while watching an  interview with Richard Armitage at GMTV (3rd October 2007). Now, not only I signed the petition but I also started researching about Richard III and reading history books as well as historical fiction dedicated to him. I've also invited Ricardians and historical fiction writers to write for FLY HIGH to support the cause and I go on, fingers and toes crossed, hoping the project comes true sooner more than later. Of course, I'm talking about Richard Armitage's dream of producing and interpreting a new Richard III.
"And why do we need Richard Armitage's King Richard III project come true?", you might ask. Well, not only because it would be incredibly good to see our favourite actor achieve one of his dreams and ambitious goals -  one for which he has been working, reading and planning for years now - but also because the other Richard, King Richard III,   deserves the acknowledgement of how wronged he has been after his defeat at Bosworth (1485) by Shakespeare's portrayal and, especially, by the Tudor propaganda.
It's rather time people substitute the popular image of the deformed, hunchbacked, wickedly scheming murderer with a more balanced portrait, closer to the historical reality.
This is what Richard Armitage has been dreaming about in the latest years: a fictional,  biographical TV series proposing a new Richard III based on the belief that he was  probably one of the best king England has ever had. A prequel to The Tudors.

11/03/2012

ROME - LUX IN ARCANA



My latest trip to Rome was a couple of days ago to meet friends, to have a delicious English-style tea, to plan our summer holidays together (top secret!) and to visit this intriguing exhibition. History and secret documents, not Art this time: Lux in Arcana.

The exhibition which is conceived for the 4th Centenary of the foundation of the Vatican Secret Archives aims at explaining and describing what the Pope’s archives are and how they work and, at the same time, at making the invisible visible, thus allowing access to some of the marvels enshrined in the Vatican Secret Archives’ 85 linear kilometers of shelving; records of an extraordinary historical value, covering a time-span that stretches from the 8th to the 20th century.

08/03/2012

DICKENS WORLD - WATCHING MICAWBER (2001)

In the year of Dickens Bicentenary we owe him some gratitude and remembrance. So, since  I've seen  all the adaptations of his novels I could find, I decided I needed  some more Dickens , surfed the Net and found this lovely series dating back to 2001 (available on DVD).   David Jason stars as Mr. Micawber in this gentle comedy set in Victorian England and inspired by a character from Charles Dickens' novel 'David Copperfield'.
Like in that novel, in this lovely series too , Mr Micawber is incredibly eloquent and well-spoken, but he is also criminally bad with money. He doesn't meet any lovely 10-year-old David in the 4 episodes I saw,  but through his adventures - well, add a "mis" before the "ad "- the watcher can revisit the Dickensian - subtly ironic but lovable - portrait of an amiable character inspired to his own father, John Dickens. Micawber and Mr Dickens senior shared the same sad fate of being incarcerated in a debtors' prison (the King's Bench Prison) after failing to meet their creditors' demands.

05/03/2012

LATEST GIVEAWAY CONTESTS - WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR GISBORNE AND THE BOAR

 1. The Boar (Il Cinghiale) by Cecilia Latella
(from my reviewThis graphic tale focuses on the passionate love story between Richard III and the Earl of Warwick's younger daughter, Anne Neville. The story starts with a hunting scene, Richard is just a boy allowed by his father to hunt for the first time: he kills a boar. And a white boar will become his symbol once he is Duke of Gloucester, then king  Richard III.

The story is narrated from a very personal angle , focusing on the tormented, guilt-ridden soul of Richard Plantagenet  first as a boy, then as  a young man  and finally as an adult. The leitmotiv is his longing for Anne, his only love. She is the strength and light in his life, once she is no longer with him,  he will lose his will to go on living. Bosworth victory is not a merit of smart Henry Tudor, but a battle lost by a man already defeated by life.
The historical facts, battles and politics,  are just hinted at:  it is mainly a romance made up of flashes with many shifts in time. 

Giveaway winners : The paperback copy in Italian has been won by Giada M.  and the e-book copy in English goes instead to Debra Brown 


2. Gisborne - Book of Pawns by Prue Batten (from my review)  Gisborne and Ysabel will be side by side in a long journey, an unfolding ride through Aquitaine and England, filled with unwanted self discovery and unwilling bonding with each other. Theirs is not a smooth, easy relationship. It will be taunted by her prejudices and lack of trust in him and his unwillingness to open to her. However, they will not be able to loose that strong, instinctive tie made of lust, passion and empathy.  She will have to face her mother’s death, her father’s financial ruin, the marriage to a brutal man, and she must grow up while trying to drown her memories of Gisborne in a sea of misunderstanding, rage and mistrust. She is sure he sold her to Benedict De Courcey, the man who ruined her father. She should only hate Gisborne but it will not be as simple as that.

Giveaway winner: Lauren Gilbert

Many thanks to Cecilia Latella and Prue Batten for their kindness and for providing the copies for these giveaways Grateful thanks to all the readers who commented and entered the contests.

You can get your copy of The Boar at lulu.com. You 'll find Gisborne on amazon Kindle store.

04/03/2012

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR LESSMORE - AN OSCAR-WINNING ANIMATED TALE

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore  directed by   William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg  has recently  won the Oscar in the category "Short". I wasn't so interested in the glamour of the Oscar night this year. I wasn't interested in none of the films either. So I only  came to see this touching, poetic winning short  yesterday thanks to   Austen author Laura Hile who posted about it on her facebook wall
You know, my best favourite books are books about ... books (Farhenheit 451, for instance). So, being this short about books helped me to overcome my wariness of animated movies and my little fondness for Oscar-winning works. 
Well, especially since it is about flying books. It was not by chance that I chose to add just flying books to my blue banner and to call my blog FLY HIGH!  I'm truly convinced books can make us fly. Fly high over this world's pettiness, fly away from its ugliness, fly far beyond its boundaries. 

02/03/2012

VICTORIA LAMB, THE QUEEN'S SECRET - GIVEAWAY WINNER


I can't wait to read this intriguing novel dealing with a mystery in Queen Elizabeth I 's life. One lucky reader of FLY HIGH  will also be able to enjoy THE QUEEN'S SECRET soon since she'll get her copy directly from the author, Victoria Lamb,  who accepted to be my guest and granted one signed copy of her beautiful hardback book.  Thanks to Victoria Lamb for being such a kind and generous guest! And, of course, congratulations to the winner picked up through random.org

Sam (Tiny Library)


01/03/2012

DANCING BACK IN TIME - THE RENAISSANCE HISTORICAL DANCE SOCIETY


Louise Smith is my guest today to present her group performing dances from different historical periods, Renaissance Historical Dance and to tell us about her incredibly rewarding and entertaining activity. Read her blogpost and  welcome her on Fly High!

Renaissance Historical Dance Society is based in Plymouth, Devon, and we learn and perform dances from four historical periods - Medieval, Elizabethan, Stuart and Regency.  We perform at different venues across the UK in order to teach people about history in a fun way and promote both history and dancing. 

The group was initially set up by Rosemary Smith who wanted an activity that she and her daughter could take part in. Rosemary had seen a re-enactment group elsewhere in the UK, and after being diagnosed with Leukaemia decided that this is what she wanted to do too.   Her determination to promote history and dancing gave her the drive to achieve all her goals. The feeling of creating a social, fun night out for the members has been maintained, with members comprising of people who like performing, dancing and have an interest in history. The group has grown from strength to strength – after starting off using pillows or tomatoes to act as missing dance members,the group is now around 20 strong.
Every Wednesday evening, members from across Devon and Cornwall meet up to learn, practice, and share information about the costumes and etiquette of the time.It’s an ideal place to meet new people and learn history without getting stuck intotextbooks!