IB: Kate Williams - Becoming Queen

And so here begins a new feature at Not Just Reading. 'IB' stands for 'Incoming Book' and these entries will let you know what I'm adding to Mt To Be Read and, most importantly, why! So, without further ado, please meet today's purchase:



Title: Becoming Queen
Author: Kate Williams
Publisher: Arrow Books
ISBN: 9780099451822
Price: £7.99

The Back of the Book: Becoming Queen tells the astonishing story of Queen Victoria's passionate youth, her bitter struggle with her mother - and how her life was shaped by the death of her forgotten cousin Princess Charlotte, the queen who never was.

In a dramatic tale of secrets, sexual repression, and endless conflict, Kate Williams reveals an energetic and vibrant woman, determined to battle for power. She also documents the Byzantine machinations behind Victoria's quest to occupy the throne, and shows how her struggles did not end when the crown was finally placed on her head.

Why I Chose this Book: First, I have to confess that I shouldn't really be buying books at all. I live in a house which is absolutely full of books and I really do want to read all of them so I can't just give them away. I'm surrounded by boxes of books as I type and there are more stacked on the floor and on my desk for which there just isn't room in the boxes! But don't you think that sometime you just have to buy a book? Or two?

It is family tradition that I always give gifts of books. Birthdays, Christmas, high-days and holy-days, if a gift is required then I give a book. This is a clear case of treating others as one would wish to be treated although I'm not sure the gifting of books is quite what Jesus had in mind. Anyway, how can I enter a bookshop and take out my purse without falling victim to temptation?

Anyway, today I needed a gift to send to my sister (in hospital with possible appendicitis) and, as any booklover would, I found what I wanted for her (Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street) and then began browsing. I actually found it rather difficult to find a book today - and that's not like me at all. I was about to pay for the McCall Smith and leave the shop disappointed when I spotted this title on the '3-for-2' table. I've recently become interested in reading more (auto)biography and historical non-fiction but I'm wary of choosing anything too challenging which I'll abandon within the first chapter. But this book seems about the right level and I'm interested in the Victorians so it seemed like a good idea. I'll let you know if I was right when I've read it!