Kindred Spirits' Library

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Books (and a few other things) for the Tudor England Obsessed

Since I was a kid, I was obsessed with Tudor England. I especially loved Henry VIII. Well, not him. He's actually the worst. But his wives -- Wow! They are fascinating! And his children! I named my daughter Elizabeth for many reasons, but it helped that I was already very interested in Elizabeth I. When discussing Tudor England, I am referring to any time basically from the Plantagenets and the War of the Roses to the conclusion of Elizabeth I's reign, but I mostly focus on Henry VIII's time ruling. I am also not a purist - I appreciate things that are historically accurate (it was such an interesting time, you don't have to change the details to get drama), but I also love things that are a little loosey-goosey with the accuracy. I've read many books about Tudor England, both fiction and nonfiction. Here are the ones I'd recommend (and steer you away from):

Nonfiction:

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

This is my favorite nonfiction about the six wives. It might not be for everyone, but to me, this was hard to put down.

Six Wives by David Starkey

This was very similar, but not quite as engaging to me. Still, it was another very good one!

Other Alison Weir Books - Nonfiction

They are all all good! Well, if you are into this time in history.

Fiction:

Once again, Alison Weir is the queen (at least to me!).

Six Tudor Queens series:

Weir really brings these women to life. Because she is a historian first, they are historically accurate too!

Philippa Gregory's Plantagenet and Tudor Novels Series

These can be a little bit hit or miss. I especially enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl and The Taming of a Queen. I did not like The Other Queen, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Constant Princess, and The Kingmaker's Daughter as much. I still have not read The Boleyn Traitor (but it has excellent reviews!), The Virgin's Lover, or The Last Tudor, but I will. These are less based on historical accuracy (depending on the book), but are still interesting if you are like me. :)

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Hilarious historical fantasy about Lady Jane Grey, the nine days queen. Not at all historically accurate, but joyful.

Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser

Not as engaging as some, but interesting enough and helped me learn a TON about Mary Queen of Scots!

The Last Boleyn by Karen Harper

Mary Boleyn is one of my favorite figures in the Tudor stories, maybe in part because she's one of the few who seems like they got an almost "happy ending." This is a good one about her.

Maybe not these:

Here are a few others I've read, but wouldn't recommend as much either because I didn't enjoy them or they just weren't that memorable:

Some of these weren't bad, but some of them were a bit of a slog to get through.

Finally, here are a few I am still wanting to read:

Other Tudor experiences that are fun:

Watch The Tudors (show):

See Six: The Musical (the Proshot movie version is about to come out!)

Check out some of these movies:

Also, I would LOVE to go to England and visit some places related to Tudor England:

Let me know if there are other books/movies/shows/places/things to do that I should add or check out!

Monday, July 20, 2026

June 2026 Books from Worst to Best

June 2026 Books from Worst to Best

The Deep - 2.75 stars

This one just made no impact on me. I liked the concept a lot, but the execution was lacking and I don't really even remember it at this point!

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon - 3 Stars

This one was completely ridiculous, but fun and funny. A little too much spice for me, but it was so silly and great for my book club. It was the perfect palate-cleanser.

The Autobiography of Henry VIII - 3 Stars

This one I read just because of my weird Henry VIII obsession. It was well-written, but loooonng and somewhat boring - which is saying something since it is my weird little obsession. Decent though.

Every Summer After - 3.5 Stars

Like so many others, this was the perfect sweet summer romance until the last quarter, which really ruined the book for me. Look up spoilers if you want. I'll definitely read another Carley Fortune, but this one would have been higher if it hadn't been for that bit at the end.

Once Upon a Time in Dollywood - 3.75 Stars

I read this because we were going to Dollywood! Another very spicy one (too much for me), but the content was deep and nuanced. It was a very good romance. Don't read it for the Dollywood content though or you'll be disappointed. There wasn't much. But there are a lot of references to the Smoky Mountains, which is fun if you are there!

Rock Paper Scissors - 3.75 Stars

This was a good mystery that was very similar to the last Alice Feeney book I read. Still really fun though!

Bunns Rabbit - 3.75 Stars

These illustrations were SO beautiful! The story was decent, though I wasn't the target demographic. I liked it though!

Interim - 4 Stars

Book written by a friend that was good! I was her first beta reader!

All Quiet on the Western Front - 4 Stars

I thought I was going to be teaching this, so I read it for school. I found out I won't be teaching the class that uses this after all, but I'm glad I read it because it was SO good! And I don't even like war stories usually! But this is a classic for a reason. It made me emotional in some parts and was beautifully written. I highly recommend it.

So This is Love - Disney Twisted Tales

After reading All Quiet on the Western Front, I wanted something much lighter, so I picked this up. However, I LOVED this one! It was so much better than I expected. I gave Cinderella a depth that wasn't in the movie and gave her much more agency. Now I have to read all of these.

Yesteryear - 4 Stars

It was a hard call between this one and So This is Love for my favorite book of the month. Like so many others have said, this one kept me guessing the whole time and really made me think. While I hated the main character, I was extremely engaged and couldn't put the book down. I'm still thinking about it!

That's a wrap! Not my best reading month ever, but there were definitely some good ones!