Introduce Yourself!

[Amanda_R]

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JulieZ wrote:
Girl with a Pearl Earring was one of the 45 books on the list for Reading Olympics this year, a competition I'm involved in (our team won a blue ribbon for the fifth year in a row!), so I read this great book through that activity.

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Hi Julie, and welcome to our Book Club! Congratulations on the blue ribbon winning streak -- very cool! I hope you're enjoying Burning Bright just as much as Girl... -- Amanda

[Amanda_R]

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cgoldie wrote: I believe in the power of fiction and I believe it is a wonderful resource to compel readers to delve into facts and notions explored in novels and short stories.

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I totally agree, Christine! I think this is what makes Tracy's work so distinctive -- it both illuminates real history for fiction fans, yet at the same time incites fiction fans to delve into nonfiction works to better understand that great novel they just read.... Welcome to our Book Club!

Amanda

Message Edited by Amanda_R on 05-10-2007 03:03 PM

[kakhi]

I am a librarian and archivist in Illinois. I like historical fiction and your books make the time periods come alive. I found The Virgin Blue quite interesting since my father claimed our ancesters were Huegenauts. It was quite an emotional story for me. I have seen the unicorn tapestries in Paris and it was wonderful to read The Lady and the Unicorn. Your participation in this book club is appreciated.
Thank you

[nur]

Hello!

My name is NUR and I am from CT. I was introduced to Tracy Chavelier by my Husband and since then I have been reading and talking about nothing but Tracy C. and her books. My favorite one is the Virgin Blue and ofcourse The Girl with a Pearl Earring!

I am reading The Falling Angels right now and thrilled to find out that she has a new book!couple months ago, when I was working on the last two books by her, my husband teased me and told me to email T.C to ask her to write a new book JUST FOR ME. LOL and here she is with a new book! WOW! I am so excited :-D

NUR

[Amanda_R]

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nur wrote:
Hello!

My husband teased me and told me to email T.C to ask her to write a new book JUST FOR ME. LOL and here she is with a new book! WOW! I am so excited :-D

NUR

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Hi Nur, and Welcome to our Book Club!

I'm sure that Tracy will be thrilled to see another fantastic fan among us -- and now's your chance to thank her for penning a new novel "just for you" .

Once you've started Burning Bright, be sure and check out our Discussion Topic threads -- or feel free to start your own. Have fun!

Amanda

[Amanda_R]

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kakhi wrote: I am a librarian and archivist in Illinois. I like historical fiction and your books make the time periods come alive... Your participation in this book club is appreciated. Thank you

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Hi kakhi, and thanks for joining us!

Have you had a chance to start Burning Bright yet? Given your background (both as a librarian/archivist and fan of Tracy's other works), I'm sure you'll have some fascinating insights for the group. So please feel free to chime in in our Discussion Topic threads, and post your questions for Tracy in the designated area. Great to have you!

Amanda

Message Edited by Amanda_R on 05-11-2007 12:39 PM

[TinaSChang]

I don't generally read historical fiction but picked up "Girl with a Pearl Earring" because I loved the painting on the cover. It was a rare occasion where I correctly
judged the book by its cover!

I am a science fiction/fantasy reader who loves art. William Blake has always brought these two loves together for me. I highly recommend reading facsimiles of the original printings of his poetry. See:

http://www.blakearchive.org/blake/main.html

Most of Blake's work is fantasy intermingled with political action, much like the best
fantasy and science fiction today. Perhaps the more grounded "Songs of Innocence and Experience" are more popular, but my favorite pieces of his are "America a Prophecy" and "The First Book of Urizon". I love the way gods capture concepts in these poems. One of my favorite images is of Urizon using a compass to create the world.

I also write science and math fiction and my work has been heavily influenced by Blake.

Chevalier is, of course, much more grounded in reality than those of us who dwell in the world of fantasy. Yet she depicts a deep understanding of art and the way the ordinary people of the world have a spark of artistic genious in them that can influence the great masters. I find that uplifting as an ordinary person striving to create art myself.

[MegM]

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madstitcher5 wrote:

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cookie wrote:
Great to have you here !
Philippa Gregory is working on Mary Queen of Scots - I don't know if it has a needlepoint element to it though

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Thanks Cookie...In an e-mail to Tracy Chevalier, I suggested she write a novel about Mary, Queen of Scots and her needlepoint. Her lovely assistant said Tracy felt Philippa Gregory would do a wonderful book on that topic. I had no idea she was already writing it. I'll look forward to reading it. Do you know when it will be published?

Mary, Queen of Scots spent her incarceration time needlepointing with her "Hostess/Keeper" Bess of Hardwick. She would wait for the men artists to come and draw on the canvas, patterns to be stitched. The designs were usually taken from books on animals of the world, known at that time. She and Bess would eagerly select the threads of wool, silk and metallic to bring the canvases to life. They would stitch patches to be appliqued onto a another large fabric for wall hangings.

It was rumored that Mary sent covert messages to her followers using her needlepoint as secret messages. This book would have it all. Suspense,thrills, murder, love affairs, imprisonment,and beheadings. It would be an interesting way to learn some history of the embroideresses, beautiful textiles, and life as a prisoner in a castle with your best friend as your jailer. It would have some fiction, of course!

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Hi. My name is Meg and I'm a retired English/History teacher--middle school. I absolutely adore reading--anything. My favorite sweatshirt says "So Many Books, So Little Time". My favorite kind of fiction (figures) is historical fiction. I really love Phillippa Gregory and my experience with Barnes and Noble Book Clubs was with The Boleyn Inheritance. I was going to mention that Phillippa was going to write a book about Mary, Queen of Scots. Then she said she was going to the early Tudors--Elizabeth of York. I had heard a great deal about Girl With the Pearl Earring, but I never got around to it. I've started Burning Bright and am loving it. My husband took me to Barnes and Noble for Mother's Day and I got both it and Girl With the Pearl Earring. I did not know there was a movie of it so I guess I'll have to put it in my queue at Blockbuster's OnLine. I love Austen and really enjoy any historical fiction that relates to British history--not to mention non-fiction. The Tudors are so extremely fascinating. I'm looking forward to delving into England later on though.

MegM

[chadadanielleKR]

Hi,
I meant to introduce myself earlier but ....

I had not heard about you before and then, I discovered a week ago that my small local library (in the South of Paris) had five of your books translated into French and also one in English "Falling Angels" which I just finished reading tonight. There is also an audio book read in French by a young famous French Actress: Isabelle Carrà ©. The book is "Girl with a Pearl Earring" which I am about to borrow. Unfortunately, I have not read your latest book which sounds really interesting but I'll ask the library to order it or I'll buy it when it will be published in a Paperback format.

Just a few more words to tell you that I enjoyed reading "Falling Angels". It was a very pleasant book to read with an interesting historical background. As I read in a review, that seems to be your &quorecipepe", but it works well. With your characters true to life, I really felt like I was very close to them for a time and that I almost knew how it felt to be living in London at the turn of the Century!

[LibraryBoom1218]

Hi I'm Jessica, 21, library worker, book fanatic! i Love Tracy Chevalier!! she is one of my favorites! i have read everything she has written and cannot wait until her next book!