This is Me Jumping on the Bandwagon

If you are familiar with the blogging world, or even the Facebook world, you probably have noticed that there has been a craze over "30 Days Of..." Pictures, facts about yourself, etc. Some have been fun to follow, and you learn a lot about a person. However, I did not want to do one until the "fad" was over. Because then I could at least attempt to appear to be different than everyone else. Well... that was a fail. 

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Today, my dear 20sb and Twitter buddy melbsonmymind showed me today that there is a 30 Day Book Challenge. (Visit http://ohemgillie.wordpress.com/ if you want to see where she found it.) I think I might just jump on the bandwagon. April is going to be crazy busy for me, which means that I may not have as many posts, and I was starting a book blog series anyways - so this seemed to be the perfect time! But don't worry, I won't let it COMPLETELY dominate my blog. When I have regular posts I'll just tag on the 30 Day Challenge as a side note. 


I am also making one rule for myself with this challenge- 

No Harry Potter.

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I know, I know, it's quite a shock. HOWEVER, all of you know that I love Harry Potter. If you don't, well then you just haven't been reading my blog or have never met me. Don't worry though, melbsonmymind and another 20sb friend (apfelicious) found a 30 Day HARRY POTTER challenge! I'll do that one closer to when the last movie comes out. So fear not Harry and friends (that means you too Voldy!), you will have your time to shine. But this is for all of the other books that I love.

So, without much further ado... Day 1.

The Best Book You Read Last Year.

When I read what day one was, I knew almost immediately what my answer was going to be. 

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I adore this book! Elizabeth Chadwick has quickly become one of my favorite authors. From the very first page  of this amazing novel I was sucked into the medieval time period, where knights were the celebrities and kings and queens ruled the land. I have always loved this time period, and now I do even more. 

It is about William Marshal, who is said to have been the greatest knight of the medieval ages. The story starts from when he is a young man (late teens/early 20s) and follows him through his "glory years", up to when he got married (late 30s early 40s). He was known not only for his bravery on the battlefield and talent in the tournament circuit, but also for his chivalry and honor. William Marshall seemed to have defined what those two words mean, and you can see it through the whole book! 

What I absolutely LOVE about Elizabeth Chadwick is that she is an expert in this time period. Everything that happened in the book actually happened, she simply put it into novel form. In her author's note at the end of the book she tells you about her research and explains certain events and characters so you know what was real and what wasn't. I feel like I've learned so much about the culture back then, court, and knighthood. I've gone into a medieval  craze since reading this book, and just can't get enough.

But it's also exciting and dramatic and funny. I couldn't put this book down. I adored reading about William and his adventures, and even his failures. So PLEASE! Pick up this book. If you love history, fairy tales, or just some action, read The Greatest Knight. You won't regret it. I completely fell in love with William and was so happy to find that there was a second book about him called The Scarlet Lion. 

Then at Barnes and Noble yesterday, I found a third. Only it was about his daughter! I was so excited I had to pick it up. (I'm sure my wallet was not happy with me.) Its's just, amazing. OK, I'm done gushing about William Marshal. Just go read the book yourself and you'll know what I mean.