The Ribbon Book Club

Dear Diary, 

Our esteemed royal commentator, Amanda Matta (aka Matta_of_Fact), is back for another fascinating conversation! This time, we're discussing Cleopatra and her portrayal as a young girl. 

How does an author do justice to a historical figure who has often been reduced to a trope? Not to mention a trope that is not always kid-friendly. We chat about walking this literary tight-rope, as well as the very real historical drama that was the court of the Ptolemys. Tune in, and afterwards, check out the episode of Amanda's podcast, The Art of History, where she discusses a famous sculpture of the Egyptian queen. 

Yours truly, 

Cate and Jen 

Want to hear more from Amanda? Check out her podcasts Off With Their Headlines and The Art of History, or read her Substack, The Fascinator.

Join our Discord!

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, 

This week, we are finishing our recap of Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile! Will Cleopatra gain the respect of the Romans? Will she see her beloved home and friends again? Will she get a Disney Channel-worthy montage of her summer by the sea?

Get the answers to these questions and more when you tune in!

Yours Truly, 

Cate and Jen 

Join our Discord!

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, 

Calling all ancient Egypt girlies! This week, we are recapping the first half of Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile. First published in 1999, Kristiana Gregory explores what the Egyptian queen was like as a precocious 12-year-old. 

Turns out, the court of the Ptolemaic Pharaohs was full of schemes and deadly plots! Tune in to see if Cleopatra can navigate through the court intrigue and help her father keep his throne. 

Yours Truly, 

Cate and Jen

Join our Discord!

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,

This week, we got to speak with a very exciting guest, Amanda Matta! Known on social media as Matta_of_Fact, Amanda has made a niche for herself as TikTok's number 1 royal commentator. Amanda shared with us her extensive knowledge of Tudor history: the court life, art, and family drama. 

If you want to hear more of Amanda's takes on royal history, check out her podcast, Off With Their Headlines, which she co-hosts with Meredith Constant, or her substack, The Fascinator. 

Tune in!

Cate and Jen

Join our Discord!

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, 

This week, we are recapping the second half of Red Rose of the House of Tudor: Elizabeth I, and it is JAM PACKED! We've got intrigue, marriage plots, and confirmation that Kat's fear of poison is justified! All this drama has our princess wondering if she'd rather trade the money and privilege for the "simple" life of a peasant.

Tune in to hear all about it! 

Yours Truly, 

Cate and Jen 

Join our Discord!

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dearest Diary! 

In the classic way of youthful diaries, we will start with an apology for being away so long! The fall really got away from us, but we are back with a new book and a NEW SERIES. 

Join us as we recap the first half of the first Royal Diaries book (a sister series of the Dear America books), all about Elizabeth I. We meet the future queen as a precocious eleven-year-old, desperate for her father's love and attention. 

We cover the dizzying array of step-mothers, dip our toes into Tudor court politics, and explore the complicated familial relationships of the English royals. 

Yours truly,

Cate and Jen 

P.S. We started a Discord community! Come say hi!

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, 

Much like a real diary, sometimes we forget to update you in a while! So this week we're taking a step back to where we were this past spring: the Alamo. We had a great conversation with Kolby Lanham from the Alamo Museum. Kolby shared some fascinating stories from the Alamo and gave us the inside scoop on exciting things coming to the Alamo Museum.

Thank you to Kolby for joining us! We hope you enjoy our conversation, and stay tuned for new episodes coming! 

Yours truly, 

Cate and Jen

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, 

It's time to finish our recap of A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence, and whoooooo boy, what a doozy.

What could possibly go wrong when you send a bunch of under-prepared Texians against the Mexican army? Turns out, a lot of death and destruction. This book carries on the proud tradition of seeing how much misery this series can inflict on its main characters. And preteen girls couldn't get enough of it!

Tune in to find out who made it through. 

Yours Truly,

Cate and Jen

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,

This week, we are heading to the southwest to learn about the Alamo! Our guide is Sherry Garland, and her 1998 book, A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence. 

Lucinda and her family of Mama, Papa, and her creatively named brothers live in the small frontier town of Gonzales near the Guadalupe River. Trouble is brewing between the president of Mexico, Santa Anna, and the "Texians" in San Antonio. The Lawrence family is divided in their opinions about war and independence. Tune in to hear about life on the home front in rural 1830s Texas!

Yours truly,  

Cate and Jen

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, 

This week, we had the privilege of talking to Paul Lee, who has been studying the history of Titanic for nearly 40 years! Every year, he publishes social media posts in real time, along with the historical events of the fateful voyage of the RMS Titanic.

Yours Truly, 

Cate and Jen

RibbonBookClubPod.com

@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram

@RibbonBookClubPod on Bluesky

Edited by Danny Heck  

Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 

Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub

Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit