false 17 333 330 true 5662509 read 0 true 1162749 currently-reading 3 true 1162748 to-read 283 false 1177760 fiction 95 false 1177768 science-fiction 79 false 1177789 fantasy 46 false 1177766 nonfiction 41 false 1177757 lgbt 29 false 1177793 mystery 11 false 1177767 programming 5 false 1199656 photography 5 false 1230308 roman-empire 3 false 1230286 civil-war 3 false 1213768 amateur-radio http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78749904 to: Beginning Hibernate: From Novice to Professional (Paperback) by Dave Minter
bookshelves: nonfiction, programming
My opinion of this book may be hurt by the somewhat disjointed way I ended up reading it, however it suffered from the problem that many computer books suffer from: it lacked sufficient detail. It covers a lot of ground but relatively little depth and doesn't give much in the way of why you would choose to do things certain ways. ]]> http://apps.facebook.com/good_reads/ check it out » ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75079856 to: The Other Queen (Paperback) by Philippa Gregory
bookshelves: fiction
This tale of Mary Queen of Scots and George and Bess Talbot, her English jailers captivated me from the first page but it bogged down in the middle.

The characters are somewhat one dimensional and George, in particular, is hard to believe. He is remarkably naive and it's tough to imagine that an earl could be that naive. Perhaps he was, though and he is accurately portrayed. Mary is also pretty much a one note tune though Bess has a bit more depth.

Even with that, it's an interesting story. Elizabeth and her advisors are only in the story by reference with the exception of a brief appearance by William Cecil so this is very narrowly focused.

A good read but not as interesting as her earlier Tudor books, at least for me. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74336615 to: The House of Tudor (Hardcover) by Alison Plowden
bookshelves: nonfiction
With all the historical fiction I've been reading of the Tudor era, I thought it might be worthwhile to read some nonfiction. This book is a fairly readable though not very in depth account of how the Tudors came to power through the last Tudor ruler, Elizabeth.

Because it compresses over a century of events into a few hundred pages it is necessarily brief about the particulars. In general, the author paints a fairly kind portrait of the Tudors though she does tend to mention their less than ideal qualities.

It's a worthwhile introduction and summary of England's 16th century monarchy and the events surrounding it. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73079531 to: The Virgin's Lover (Paperback) by Philippa Gregory
bookshelves: fiction
This novel concentrates on the first two years of Elizabeth's reign. It primarily focuses on the relationship of Elizabeth and Robert Dudley.

Though I enjoyed the book, I had hoped it would be written from Elizabeth's point of view but the three main POV's are Robert Dudley, William Cecil and Amy Dudley (Robert's wife). While what I've read of Elizabeth said she often had difficulty making decisions, the author portrays this as a chronic, almost debilitating problem at the start of her reign. Amy's character had little depth. Robert gets the most attention and he is all ambition somewhat tempered by his love for Elizabeth.

Though definitely an enjoyable read, it was perhaps the least satisfying of the series but that was most likely because I was hoping to read about more of the characters who populated Elizabeth's England and this was a very narrowly focused novel. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71673518 to: The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University (Hardcover) by Kevin Roose
bookshelves: nonfiction
A co-worker loaned me this after we were discussing fundamentalist Christians. The coworker came from that environment and I have a relative who went into that environment. He suggested it as a good way to try to get inside the relative's head.

It was but it was also incredibly frustrating. The Falwell style of Christianity is so full of nastiness that it is hard to see the good that might be there. The author did a good job of showing that without cutting them too much slack on the negatives. Ironically, it's the binary all-or-nothing approach that Falwell style religion takes that forces me to reject it. That there are schools that "teaches" students blatantly bad "science" and indoctrinates them on religion without any real debate is a shame. Our children deserve better. School should be a place where we learn how to think critically, not where we learn how to shut off our minds. Fortunately, Liberty isn't quite as successful at that as I feared but that still leaves a lot of room for damage.

In the words of my coworker, part of this will make you laugh and cry. You'll laugh at the blatant nonsense but you'll cry because it's real. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71265710 to: The Queen's Fool (Paperback) by Philippa Gregory
bookshelves: fiction
I really enjoyed reading this one. Philippa Gregory continues her telling of Tudor England, this time covering the reign of Queen Mary. It is told from the point of view of a fictional character, Hannah who spends much time with both Mary and Elizabeth.

The only thing that holds me back from a higher rating is that the author made Hannah a seer. That Hannah had visions is conceivable. That she had such reliable visions seems rather unlikely. Though it's use as a plot device is mercifully small, it happens enough to be troublesome.

Even so, it is a compelling read and the authors portrayals of both Mary and Elizabeth feel plausible. Definitely worth reading! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69552566 to: Maximum Light (Hardcover) by Nancy Kress
bookshelves: fiction, science-fiction
I really her novels but though this one started well and kept me hooked through most of the story, the ending fell flat for me and didn't feel plausible. Governments don't change their position or give in quite that easily. Leave the ending out and it's a good story. Put the ending back and it's just ok. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69113042 to: The Barbarian West: 400-1000 (Paperback) by J. M. Wallace-Hadrill
bookshelves: nonfiction
This look at the barbarian history of western Europe after the fall of Rome is full of interesting info, but it is written in an awkward style and the author presumes more familiarity with the history than I had. The frequent jumps in time and place left me struggling to keep up. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67828025 to: The Boleyn Inheritance (Paperback) by Philippa Gregory
bookshelves: fiction
This look into the lives of Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard was a fascinating look at the women who filled Henry's later life. Gregory paints a pretty unkind picture of Henry. Half tyrant, half madman and barely seen but always felt. If Gregory's portrayal is accurate then Henry's whim made Merry Olde England a dangerous place to be for those who were part of his court.

My first perception of the book was that Jane Boleyn, the widow of George Boleyn was portrayed so differently than she was in other accounts, including Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl that it was hard to believe but as I got further in, I realized that the difference was one of the character's perception and not necessarily how the rest of the world saw her.

While many of the characters seem somewhat one dimensional, especially Katherine, it is difficult to give too much life to historical figures without delving, perhaps too far, into pure speculation. Even so, I found the story fascinating and entertaining. ]]>