I don't even know where to begin. What a strange story! It's the kind of thing that leaves you wondering whether it was all a dream or a mad hallucina...moreI don't even know where to begin. What a strange story! It's the kind of thing that leaves you wondering whether it was all a dream or a mad hallucination, and it implies this could be the case, although there's never a clear conclusion. The protagonist is David Martin, a writer living in Barcelona. He falls in love with Cristina who marries his best friend, Pedro Vidal, leaves Pedro, and then goes mad and dies in somewhat mysterious circumstances. He befriends Isabella, a young ingenue who admires David's literary talent and offers to be his assistant. This goes nowhere as David pushes her into the arms of another man. He accepts a commission from the mysterious Andreas Corelli, a French publisher who may be supernatural. And that's it in a nutshell. The book covers lots of ground but seems to jump between romance, mystery, action and fantasy genres. By the end, I was exhausted and didn't really care what happened to any of the characters, most of whom are dead by the novel's conclusion, come to think of it. Zafon is a good writer, although this book isn't my cup of tea.(less)
This book imagines the life of Elizabeth Woodville, queen of England during the reign of Edward of York. It is historically accurate, for the most par...moreThis book imagines the life of Elizabeth Woodville, queen of England during the reign of Edward of York. It is historically accurate, for the most part, and the author adds her assumptions about Elizabeth's motivations and private actions. Elizabeth was the mother of Edward and Richard, the two "princes in the tower," York heirs who were imprisoned and then mysteriously disappeared. This is fascinating, and the author imagines that Elizabeth successfully hid one boy, sending an imposter into the tower in his place. No one knows what happened to the princes or whether either was hidden or survived. This isn't one of Gregory's best books in terms of quality, but it was enjoyable and interesting to consider some of the possible scenarios surrounding the Wars of the Roses.(less)
First of all, I found this book to be very well written. Although Greg Mortenson is the subject, David Relin is the talent. This is the story of Morte...moreFirst of all, I found this book to be very well written. Although Greg Mortenson is the subject, David Relin is the talent. This is the story of Mortenson's journey from hapless mountaineer to international philanthropist. The Central Asia Institute, under his leadership, has built schools that educate thousands of Pakistani and Afghan children. But what I most enjoyed was Mortenson's thoughts on the value of the indigenous cultures' habits and worldview. He sees benefit in their simplicity and recognizes their inner strength and peace, which so many in the developed world lack. Also, the analysis of 9/11 and the subsequent military actions by the U.S. is very intriguing. Mortenson's point: We will accomplish more through education and assistance than we will through hatred and violence. We can't bring the extremists to heel by giving them fuel for their hateful fire. I wish more people agreed.(less)
This book had so much hype surrounding it's publication, that it was hard not to be somewhat disappointed, especially after the Da Vinci Code. But I r...moreThis book had so much hype surrounding it's publication, that it was hard not to be somewhat disappointed, especially after the Da Vinci Code. But I really enjoyed this book, nonetheless. Brown isn't an artful writer, but he's a really good storyteller. These 500 pages occur over a 12-hour period in the life of symbologist Robert Langdon. This time Langdon is simultaneously tracking the history of the Freemasons' rites and legends while trying to save his friend's life. We have a colorful (literally) villain who does dastardly deeds like putting Langdon in a sensory deprivation tank and chopping off the hand of Langdon's friend. (In fact, the friend is much more than a mere victim to the villain.) What I really liked, though, was the undercurrent regarding Noetic science and the idea that humans all have divinity within. We all have untapped potential to change ourselves and the world. Thoughts matter, perhaps more than we imagine. The notion here is that modern science has to catch back up to the lost wisdom of ancient adepts who understood this power and could harness it. A fun, exciting, intriguing book!(less)
You have to really like England to enjoy this book, in my opinion. The three men of the title are pleasant enough and provide some good information ab...moreYou have to really like England to enjoy this book, in my opinion. The three men of the title are pleasant enough and provide some good information about various portions of England as they slowly traverse it in their 1958 electric milk float. (I looked online and found a photo of the three men and their float, which was very helpful in visualizing their travel as I read.) Some of the book gets a little dry, but all in all it's an enjoyable read. I especially liked the anecdotes about the characters the authors met on their journey. It seems many of the more colorful ones were connected in some way to pubs in which the authors charged up themselves while charging the float. But small village pubs are central to appreciating true English culture, so it's only fitting that they were given so much ink on these pages. Almost Brysonesque in tone and scope, but perhaps not as polished and clever as Bryson's travel books.(less)
I enjoy this genre a lot. If you're like me, and the Tudor court seems like a fascinating combination of history and fairy tale, then you'd probably l...moreI enjoy this genre a lot. If you're like me, and the Tudor court seems like a fascinating combination of history and fairy tale, then you'd probably like this book. I agree with another reviewer who said it isn't Philippa Gregory's best work, but it's still engaging and includes all the intrigue we expect from this historical time and place. Gregory's presentation focuses a lot on the relationships between Mary and her wardens, the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury. Although it's a fictionalized account, the dynamics between these three add plenty of melodrama to the story. Mary is basically the other woman who steals Shrewsbury's heart and ruins his fortune in the process. Bess, the countess, fights to retain her wealth, finally separating from Shrewsbury in order to ensure her independence and financial security. Another terrific book that delves deeper into the facts and circumstances surrounding the imprisonment and subsequent execution of Mary Queen of Scots is "Mary Queen of Scots" by Antonia Fraser.(less)
I really enjoyed this book because it covers both the science and the intangible qualities that make us who we are. Bolte Taylor uses her individual e...moreI really enjoyed this book because it covers both the science and the intangible qualities that make us who we are. Bolte Taylor uses her individual experience to bring it all together. We can appreciate the marvelous chemical and biological components of our brains and bodies while recognizing that there's more to existence. I found her observations hopeful, positive and refreshing.(less)
I really enjoyed this book. I like history, and when historical fiction is well written and well researched it's entertaining and educational. I've al...moreI really enjoyed this book. I like history, and when historical fiction is well written and well researched it's entertaining and educational. I've always been interested in the Salem witch trials. How can a community get so carried away in pure fallacy? There are, of course, parallels to the more radical groups in our world today. People driven by fear, jealousy, anger and hysteria. These causes take on a life of their own. This book is written from the perspective of Sarah Carrier, a 9-year-old girl whose mother was tried and hanged. Sarah herself spent several months in prison with her three brothers. Sarah's mother, Martha, remains somewhat of an enigma, although it's clear that she opted to stand her ground instead of making a false confession despite the knowledge that it would mean her life. When I was an undergraduate, I read a book as part of a religious studies course titled, "Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft." If you're interested in the underpinnings of the witch trials, this is a very good and very readable examination of the events and their causes.(less)
I read this for my book club. It took all of two days. I would consider this book quite skimmable. In fact, it reads more like a movie script than a n...moreI read this for my book club. It took all of two days. I would consider this book quite skimmable. In fact, it reads more like a movie script than a novel. There's not a lot of depth. In a nutshell, the main character, Kathryn, learns that her husband, obviously a pilot, has gone down with his plane. Then she learns that he had another family in London and was smuggling money and, ultimately, a bomb for the Irish loyalist party. (The bomb is supposed to be blamed on the IRA, making them look bad. This takes place in the 1990s.) So there's a lot of questioning how we ever really know someone. Can we trust the people we're closest to? Can we ever know another person's true motivations and desires? (less)
**spoiler alert** Well-written but grim. This book lays bare the life of slaves, both negroes owned by a malevolent plantation owner and his wife who...more**spoiler alert** Well-written but grim. This book lays bare the life of slaves, both negroes owned by a malevolent plantation owner and his wife who is enslaved in her own way. Lavinia is the main character, a white woman who became an indentured servant as a child and was raised with the domestic servants on a tobacco plantation. She's happy to be part of the black family and feels for them as she would for a biological family. But, being white, her fortunes change. She is given an opportunity to spend her teen years in Williamsburg, being educated along with her owner's white relations. She is married young to the heir to the plantation, who was sexually abused by his tutor as a child and has become a violent alcoholic. To cope, she lives for years as an opium addict, finally breaking the addiction when her own daughter expresses her fear or Lavinia when under the influence. Finally, in the book's climax, the plantation house burns, the slaves escape, the owner is shot. Lavinia gains her freedom and chooses to run the plantation herself with the help of her free slave family. Last-page happy ending aside, there's a lot of misery, suffering and misunderstanding in the book. Lavinia misses a chance to be happy with the knight in shining armor, the plantation's temporary and beneficent manager, due to a misconstrued idea of his relationship with one of her slave family. It's like watching a soccer ball fly right past the goal. Very frustrating since you know this near miss will catapult her into misery. I suppose you could consider her innocent and naive -- I thought she was just rather stupid at times. (less)
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