Thank you for finding this book and welcome to bookcrossing! Bookcrossing is a wonderful place to share your love of reading with people all over the world. You can make an anonymous journal entry but if you do, you won't be able to get notification each time someone else journals this book. Following this books travels is very fun.

This is a duplicate of a book I already own, so I am passing it on.

Thank you for finding this book. Read it, enjoy and release it so someone else can also enjoy reading it.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

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This book has remained unloved and unwanted. It sat on the shelf of an OBCZ in the coffee shop for two months before disappearing, returned unjournalled, and is sitting neglected again.

I have therefore decided to offer it as a book ray, the other two books in the series are now available for those who wish to continue reading.

Jean Plaidy is one of the pen names of British authorEleanor Hibbert (01-09-1906 to 18-01-1993) . Her best-known pseudonyms were Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, and Philippa Carr; she also wrote under the names Eleanor Burford, Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Anne Percival, and Ellalice Tate. By the time of her death, she had sold over 100 million books

She chose the pseudonym Jean Plaidy for her historical novels about the crowned heads of Europe. Her books written under this pseudonym were popular with the general public and were also hailed by critics and historians for their historical accuracy, quality of writing, and attention to detail.

This is first book in the Catherine De Medici series.
1. Madame Serpent (1951)
2. The Italian Woman (1952) (aka The Unholy Woman)
3. Queen Jezebel (1953)

"Sullen-eyed and broken hearted, fourteen year old Catherine de'Medici rode into France. She was to marry Henry of Orleans, second son of the King, at the most immoral court in 16th century Europe sparked by humiliation and jealousy as she spied on Henry's lovemaking . Catherine plotted her revenge-a revenge that would change the destiny of Europe."

I have decided to release this book as a bookray.

Here is a link to the same book that I am releasing as a different ray at the same time, so you can see what others thought.

There is also a Historical Fiction Book Club: Madame Serpent Discussion Thread in which you may wish to join in, though be warned it may contain plot spoilers, so if you do not already know the particulars of Catherine life you may want to wait until you have finished the book before visiting it.

1. Please journal when you receive the book to let others know it has arrived safely.

2. Please read the book before other books (excluding any rings/rays that arrived first)Try to have this book read within 4 weeks.

3. When about halfway through, please contact the next person on the list for their mailing address.

4. Please journal again when you've read the book to describe what you thought, and again when it is on its way to the next reader.

Participants so far - order may change if others join:
bookowl1000 UK
PepeLePew Bosnia (Itnl)
thegoaliegirl Washington,US (US)
dakini6 Alaska,US (US)RAY HAS ENDED

book size: PB 11.3cm x 17.8cm x 2cm, 192g

Other Jean Plaidy Rays I have started:
The Goldsmith's Wife
St Thomas's Eve
The Sixth Wife

I felt very sorry for Catherine, having so little control over her own life. I found that the story did not have as much substance as I had hoped, though I think that it is because this is the first of a trilogy of her life in which not much happened in he rlife. I think I would like the next books more as they would cover a time when she had political power. I would find it interesting to see Jean Plaidy's take on Catherines involvemnet in the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. I do have the third book in my collection but not the second which I would want to read first.

I have made further comments in the forum thread.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Going to be posted to PepeLePew in Bosnia today.

I am so happy as a copy of the second book arrived in the post as a RABCK from Mafarrimond - I had only put it on my wishlist a couple of days ago. I now have all 3 books and would be happy to pass them along to others interested in the future.

Arrived today, thank you bookowl1000 :) I'll start reading it as soon as I finish the book I'm reading now.

So far I've read only three Jean Plaidy's books, so I'm not the best person to judge but this was for me the best one. I've read many Catherine Medici stories so there weren't many surprises in the book regarding many historical events, but still the writing was so good that I couldn't wait to see what will happen even though I knew the answer. Really enjoyable book. Can't wait to read the other two. Thank you for sharing, bookowl :)

I'll mail the book as soon as possible.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to another reader :) Hope it gets there safely

Book arrived safely in Spokane, WA. Will start this after I finish my current book.

Absolutely wonderful book! I loved this book and can't wait for the next one! It was so interesting, I had a hard time putting it down. I really grew to like Catherine. Pm'd dakini6 over a week ago, will PM her again.

This arrived today. I have a bookring or 2 (or 3 actually) ahead of it, but will get to it as soon as possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of historical fiction (even if it took me months to get to reading it.) It certainly fleshed out the woman who was just another Medici in an Italian history course. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Releasing to the OBCZ at Spenard Hostel, upstairs to the right.