“When you pray, you know that you want something, that's always the first step. to let yourself know that you want something, that you yearn for it. sometimes that's the hardest thing to do. Because you have to have courage to know what you desire. You have to have courage to acknowledge that you are unhappy without it.”

― Philippa Gregory, The Lady of the Rivers

Philippa Gregory's 2011 historical fiction book, The Lady of the Rivers, is a part of her Cousins' War series.  The novel acts as a prelude to Gregory's The White Queen (2009), which tells the narrative of Elizabeth Woodville's tenure as Queen consort of England and is recounted by Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Elizabeth's mother. The story takes place during the reign of Lancastrian King Henry VI.

Synopsis from Amazon...

When the young and beautiful Jacquetta is married to the older Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.

The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta has visions of the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of their royal York rivals. Jacquetta fights for her king and queen, as she sees an extraordinary and unexpected future for her daughter Elizabeth: a change of fortune, the white rose of York, and the throne of England…

My reaction to this novel...

I believe I have been reading this for several weeks due to my overwhelming busyness and stress in the past, so it is quite delightful that I have finally finished reading it and can now create a review regarding this book.

I do not know why, as I have aged, I have developed a fondness for reading historical fiction. I truly sought this out in live selling events, and even though the book I purchased is second-hand, it is acceptable as it is intact and appears new. I tried to download it on my Kindle, but it is still somewhat expensive, so I decided to just buy a second-hand copy.

Anyway, many people recommended this to me, they said it was good, so I was really intrigued. Therefore, I started reading it right away. At first, I was somewhat disinterested because I thought it was a fantasy, as it involves witches, etc., and I do not like such genres, so I wondered if my understanding of this book was correct. However, since I had already started reading it, I continued. As time went on, I became somewhat hooked. There were parts that were quite suspenseful, especially during the war. I was thinking about what would happen to the husband of the main character. He has been sent to war many times to fight, so I feel anxious every time that scenario occurs. It feels as if I am the main character waiting for my husband. hehehe.

The only thing I truly dislike about this book is the character of Queen Margaret; she seems quite selfish and somewhat spoiled. It is frightening when she is the queen, which is why I understand the feelings of her countrymen, as I too would oppose such governance. It is chaotic and appears to have its own agendas.

To be honest, I do not know if what is written here is true because I am not familiar with the history of the kings and queens in London, but it is nice to know if some of it is true because at least I am gaining knowledge about what happened during those times. It was indeed difficult to live in those times, especially if you were a woman, because no matter how skilled or capable you were, they would not listen to you simply because you were a woman. It was also frightening, especially during times of war; it felt quite helpless.

I enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to reading the next stories in this series. I also know that there is a TV adaptation; perhaps once I finish reading the entire series, I will watch it next. I am delighted by genres and settings like this, so I would also like to recommend it to readers like me who are fond of historical fiction. You will appreciate the story and it will truly make you ponder how much of this story is true.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

If production companies and streaming platforms are any indicator, 2025 will be a year of science fiction, artificial intelligence, cyborgs, bots, and speculative fiction. Although it's said that the film is never as excellent as the book, I don't think the two are comparable.

These are some of the novels that are being made into movies or shown on streaming sites for our enjoyment. We can start bingeing right away because some of these are already available.

1. Long Bright River by Liz Moore

The narrative of Long Bright River centers on Mickey, a kind Philadelphia police officer who patrols an area ravaged by the opioid crisis. The disappearance of Mickey's drug-addicted sister Kasey coincides with the murders of many prostitutes in the area she monitors. Moore crafts a compelling mystery among addiction and loyalty in the city of brotherly love in this novel, which was selected for the Good Morning America book club and named the greatest book of the year by Buzzfeed and NPR. 

Long Bright River is a heart-pounding and riveting suspense thriller that is also a poignant tale of sisters, addiction, and the strong bonds that endure between location, family, and fate. It alternates its present-day mystery with the tale of the sisters' early and teenage years. On March 13, Peacock will debut the limited television series.

2. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

One of the most cherished tales of singledom began as a reworking of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy depicts Ms. Jones (or, er, Mrs. Robinson) pursuing May-December love after she shares her diary, returns from the brink of reason, and has a kid. In this endearing, hilarious comedy, Bridget is older, but not any wiser, as she negotiates widowhood and online dating. As she navigates the difficulties of grief, being a single mother, tweeting, texting, technology, and finding her sexuality in her middle years, Bridget Jones muses on these and other contemporary issues. If you're feeling romantic, watch the film on Peacock.

3. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

The Leopard, the widely regarded historical novel about the unification of Italy in the 1860s, is written by a legitimate Sicilian royal and focuses on societal changes. Il Gattopardo, which is currently available as a Netflix miniseries, is about a rich and deteriorating nobility that is marginalized by democracy and revolution. A spectacular gala and dinner party offer a preview of the future, where Palermo's traditional order will be seamlessly replaced by lovely strangers.

4. The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel

Mantel's impeccable historical fiction, the last novel in the critically acclaimed Thomas Cromwell trilogy, chronicles Cromwell's ascent from relative obscurity to Henry VIII's top adviser and one of the most significant people in British history. Hilary Mantel successfully concludes the trilogy she started with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies with The Mirror & the Light. She chronicles the last years of Thomas Cromwell, the young man who rises to prominence out of nowhere, painting a vivid picture of predator and prey, of a fierce struggle between the past and the present, between the will of the monarchy and the vision of the average person: of a modern nation establishing itself via struggle, ardor, and bravery. With all of those women, politics, and religion, Cromwell's history looks like it would make a great television show. On March 23, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will have its PBS debut.

5. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Comic novels, television series, spin-off sequels, a wedding, and other films have all been influenced by Mary Shelley's classic clash between a monster and a mad doctor. Fans of Shelley's 1818 Gothic classic will see two more adaptations of Frankenstein this year. In September, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride will be released, and in November, Guillermo del Toro's Netflix adaption will follow. 

6. The Running Man by Stephen King

The year is 2025.  Crime is rife, the economy is in ruins, and surviving is a spectator sport.  For Ben Richards, at least, it is, as he offers to compete in the reality show The Running Man, where he has to outsmart Hunters for 30 days in order to earn $1 billion.  Naturally, he pays the ultimate price—his life, on live television—if he loses.  In the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger took this dystopian thriller to the big screen. Stephen King wrote the book under the pen name Richard Bachman.  On November 21, it will return and be available for viewing in cinemas.  

7. The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano

The rise and collapse of Australian health influencer Belle Gibson is the subject of the Netflix narrative series Apple Cider Vinegar, which is based on the nonfiction book The Woman Who Fooled the World by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano.  Gibson, 23, became well-known by saying that a nutritious diet had healed her of fatal brain cancer. She was a scammer of the Elizabeth Holmes and Anna Delvey types.  The problem?  Gibson never got ill.

8. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid, a psychological thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried and based on the well-known book series, will be released right before the holidays.  In this twisted story of desire and domination, Millie, a former criminal with a history, works as a live-in maid for the Winchesters but discovers that certain messes are impossible to clean.  Both women are pushed to the limit in this mind-bending thriller, which is narrated by Millie and Nina, the lady of the house who may or may not be recuperating from a psychotic episode.

9. Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads favorite Colleen Hoover, who never backs down from a challenge, delves deeply into the challenging dynamics between mothers and daughters in her book Regretting You.  When their father and husband are killed in an accident, Morgan and her teenage daughter Clara become even more estranged and find it difficult to communicate to one another.  Hoover addresses family secrets, treachery, and having the guts to confront reality in the Regretting You adaptation, which returns to the big screen.

10. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

The futuristic novel by Nobel Prize laureate Kazuo Ishiguro explores what it means to be human via the tale of Josie, a 14-year-old girl with genetic enhancements, and her artificial friend, Klara, who is fueled by the sun.  In this melancholy tale of love and connection, Klara trades with her life force—the sun—to help Josie survive while navigating the world and attempting to cure her sick human.  Jenna Ortega, who is well-known for her eccentric personas, plays Klara in this year's movie adaption.

11. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

The subject of whether men and women may just be friends is also addressed in People We Meet on Vacation, an homage to Nora Ephron's When Harry Met Sally.  It's an opposites-attract friendship between Poppy and Alex.  However, the two have a sense of adventure in common, and via chapters that move across time and excursions that cover the world, we learn about their past.  Poppy tries to restore the friendship—and perhaps more—with Alex on one last trip after they had a falling out and had not spoken for years.  This year, People We Meet on Vacation—now a stand-alone romantic comedy—will be available on Netflix.

12. Animal Farm by George Orwell

After overthrowing their farmer and taking over the farm, horses, pigs, dogs, and donkeys live in harmony and prosperity in Orwell's classic tale.  However, short-lived, idyllic pleasure is upended by the goals and self-centeredness of a pig named Napoleon.  Even among animals, revolutions may go wrong, as demonstrated by what starts as a hope of fleeing oppression.  This summer, see the third and most recent rendition of Animal Farm, which was directed by Andy Serkis and stars Keiran Culkin and Kathleen Turner. 

13. I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

It's not just serial killers that resurrect in a good horror film.  The popular 1990s movie brought Duncan's 1970s horror back to life for viewers, and this year it features a new version of the slasher tale.  A hit-and-run incident during a party results in the death of a youngster riding a bicycle by four teens.  They promise never to bring up their role in his demise, but someone is aware of what they did and will hold them accountable.  Just in time for summer, franchise mainstays Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return in the new film.

14. The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag

People come to California in search of a better life—or a long-lost brother—even in the dystopian future.  In this futuristic tale, which draws inspiration from Nirvana and Kurt Cobain's road trip, Swedish author Simon Stålenhag uses artwork and copy blocks to depict a nostalgic future following the nation's destruction in a clone war.  Chris Pratt and Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown are appearing in the Netflix film adaptation of The Electric State, the third installment in the Tales from the Loop series.  March 14 is the scheduled release date. 

15. The Amateur by Robert Littell

Charlie Heller chooses to take matters into his own hands in order to get retribution when terrorists kill and kidnap his fiancée.  The Amateur, a plot-driven spy thriller, follows Charlie to the CIA's underworld and behind the Iron Curtain, where a double agent wants him dead.  The second adaption, which starred Rami Malek and was directed by James Hawes of Slow Horses, will be published in April. The first version, which starred Christopher Plummer, was made into a film in 1981.