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bookshelves: england--fiction, fiction, historical-fiction, religion
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bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: 2009-10-winter-challenge, australia, nonfiction, tasmania
A combination history, biography, and travel book, In Tasmania offers many of the joys of Bill Bryson while bringing insights about a little known part of the world.
As Shakespeare settled his family into their new home in Tasmania he researched an ancestor who had his fingers in many of the pies at the founding of the colony. This is a fascinating look at a beautiful island (too bad there aren't colored pictures) and a glimpse of a long dead rascal.
Also included are stories of the many convicts, the cannibalism (shades of Alfred Packer), the King of Iceland, and others you'll need to read about yourself. ]]>
bookshelves: fantasy
In the Mazonian (read Amazon) world, men are slaves, women are controlers of magic. Zylina's time is up for the trial by combat proving her worthy of being a citizen. (Meet the studly Faro, whom she faces in the arena, whom she defeats but saves his life, so he's now her unfreeable slave.)
But she has a cruel and powerful enemy, the queen who, when she can't kill Zylina by force, uses that magical weapon--taxes.
And then there is the demon Ware who hangs around the queen but who loves Zylina. And the quest (which includes a stay with the dreaded vegetarians). This has none of the slapstick punning of the Xanth novel, nor the charm of the Valdamorian books. Plus Zylina is pretty much a twit. She's the one with all the power, and she still needs the studly slave Faro and the studlier demon Ware to save her from almost every crisis that comes up.
All in all, a silly book, but I needed the distraction. ]]>
Donna Jo Atwood
read and liked
Tina's
review of Sail:
"Somehow, I managed to forget to bring reading material on my honeymoon. In desperation for something to read while traveling, I picked up Sail at a grocery. Awful might be a good adjective to begin with in describing this book. In fact, I think I wil...more "
"Somehow, I managed to forget to bring reading material on my honeymoon. In desperation for something to read while traveling, I picked up Sail at a grocery. Awful might be a good adjective to begin with in describing this book. In fact, I think I wil...more "
bookshelves: 2009-10-winter-challenge, england--fiction, fiction, henry-viii, historical-fiction
Fictionalized story of part of Thomas Cromwell's life dealing with first Cardinal Wolsey, and then with Henry VIII. There are a ton of little details in this book, which makes it long, but satisfying. These characters are very complex; there are no white hats among them, but Thomas More, Stephen Gardiner, and Thomas Cranmer come off particularly poorly.
This is my first ebook finished. ]]>
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bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: 2009-10-winter-challenge, anthology, humor
Copyrighted in 1941, this books contains selections ranging in time from Benjamin Franklin to what was then the present. Some of the pieces seem a little lame now, but the Preface is a delight. 814 pp.
Task 35.1 ]]>