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June 29
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Emma Kaufmann
gave  to:
The Night Watch (Paperback)
by
Sarah Waters
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my rating:
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read in June, 2009
Emma said:
"This book unfolds backwards with sections first from 1947, then 1944 and then 1941 so that we follow several characters back to the beginning of the war where there deepest darkest secrets are revealed. The first section is pretty good but then the p...more
This book unfolds backwards with sections first from 1947, then 1944 and then 1941 so that we follow several characters back to the beginning of the war where there deepest darkest secrets are revealed. The first section is pretty good but then the problem becomes that it rambles too much about every single banal thing they did. Just because the research is impeccable and the conversations spot on in the style of the period does not make it all that compelling. And also it was just too depressing. Hardly anything uplifting ever happened and I´m afraid I found the blow by blow accout of the back street abortion too much for me to take. If you like hyper realism this is for you but I think I would have liked it all a little more sanitized.(less)
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June 15
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Emma Kaufmann
gave to:
The Graveyard Position: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)
by
Robert Barnard
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my rating:
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read in June, 2009
Emma said:
"Wonderful suspense story that delves into the repressed memories of childhood.
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April 21
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Emma Kaufmann
gave  to:
Charlotte: Being a True Account of an Actress's Flamboyant Adventures in Eighteenth-Century London's Wild and Wicked Theatrical World (Paperback)
by
Kathryn Shevelow (Goodreads author)
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
Emma said:
"A woman of rare talents and high spirits, Charlotte Charke (1713-1760) was an actress who delighted in scandalizing proper society — whenever she could. Her London was a stage writ large where bejeweled ladies rode in carriages past prostitutes and...more
A woman of rare talents and high spirits, Charlotte Charke (1713-1760) was an actress who delighted in scandalizing proper society — whenever she could. Her London was a stage writ large where bejeweled ladies rode in carriages past prostitutes and pickpockets, crowds munched on ginger-bread while watching hangings, and Mrs. Mapp the bonesetter realigned kneecaps for fascinated crowds. On street corners, fire-eaters, contortionists, tumblers, and dancing dogs competed for attention. Yet even among the spectacles of her stylish, savage metropolis, Charlotte stood out as a self-described "Nonpareil of the Age." Every day of her life was a grand performance.
The daughter of Colley Cibber, a brilliant comic actor famous for foppery, Charlotte was unconventional—even by the standards of her theatrical family. She raised eyebrows with her disdain for needlework and her taste for guns, but when she stepped on stage, none of it mattered. Charlotte seemed destined for greatness. But she would rebel. After making her reputation by playing men, she began dressing in breeches offstage as well. When her father and family disowned her, her life became a picaresque adventure extending from the pinnacles of posh London to its dangerous depths.
In this fascinating work of socio-cultural history, Kathryn Shevelow captures Charlotte—the artist, survivor, mother, wife, and, ultimately, husband as well—in all her guises, from her time among the dueling divas of the glamorous Drury Lane Theatre to her trials as a strolling player and puppeteer, to her comeback as the author of My Unaccountable Life, one of the first autobiographies ever written by a woman. Set against the culture and history of eighteenth-century London—where Hogarth painted, Fielding's satires mocked the prime minister, and The Beggar's Opera drew raves—Charlotte is a tale of pluck and perseverance, enlivened endlessly by the wit, courage, and creativity of its ever-surprising heroine.
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February 09
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Emma Kaufmann
gave to:
Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On
by
Anneli Rufus
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my rating:
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read in February, 2009
Emma said:
"Not a self help book but very intriguing assessment of how we get stuck in jobs, relationships and the past and how we can try and free ourselves and become unstuck.
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February 06
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Emma Kaufmann
gave to:
Love Junkie: A Memoir (Hardcover)
by
Rachel Resnick (Goodreads author)
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my rating:
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read in February, 2009
Emma said:
"Utterly compelling memoir about a woman who had a Dickensian, disturbed childhood and a mom who neglected her. As she became older she looked for love in all wrong places and was often drawn to crazy, abusive men. This book is so vivid that it will g...more
Utterly compelling memoir about a woman who had a Dickensian, disturbed childhood and a mom who neglected her. As she became older she looked for love in all wrong places and was often drawn to crazy, abusive men. This book is so vivid that it will get under your skin. It will also make you realize that you can change your mindset and get over your love addiction if you really want to.(less)
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February 04
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Emma Kaufmann
gave to:
What Rhymes with Bastard?
by
Linda Robertson
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my rating:
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read in February, 2009
Emma said:
"Very witty, horrendously warts and all memoir about a really really bad boyfriend the author lived with and who put her through hell. I think everyone can relate to having such a loser boyfriend when they are naive and young and think it is okay for ...more
Very witty, horrendously warts and all memoir about a really really bad boyfriend the author lived with and who put her through hell. I think everyone can relate to having such a loser boyfriend when they are naive and young and think it is okay for guys to tell you you are fat/ugly/a bitch when really he is the one with issues.(less)
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January 29
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Emma Kaufmann
gave to:
I Don't: A Contrarian History of Marriage (Hardcover)
by
Susan Squire
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my rating:
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read in January, 2009
Emma said:
"This book will make your jaw drop. A history of exactly why women were oppressed via marriage for all these years - mainly because the Church as a powerful political system tried to force all sorts of crazy ideas on women that sex was a sin and had a...more
This book will make your jaw drop. A history of exactly why women were oppressed via marriage for all these years - mainly because the Church as a powerful political system tried to force all sorts of crazy ideas on women that sex was a sin and had all sorts of wacko punishments at the ready for any woman who indulged even in oral sex.(less)
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Emma Kaufmann
gave to:
Swindled: From Poison Sweets to Counterfeit Coffee - The Dark History of the Food Cheats (Hardcover)
by
Bee Wilson
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my rating:
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read in January, 2009
Emma said:
"Brilliantly researched and entertaining book about all the crafty ways in which grocers etc poisoned and adulterated food in the past and present in the name of profit.
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January 10
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Emma Kaufmann
gave to:
Soul (Hardcover)
by
Tobsha Learner
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my rating:
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read in January, 2009
Emma said:
"A vivid erotic thriller that has two stories from different time periods running side by side. In the 21st century, a geneticist - Julia - is trying to find out whether people who kill without remorse are born or made and if they are made whether she...more
A vivid erotic thriller that has two stories from different time periods running side by side. In the 21st century, a geneticist - Julia - is trying to find out whether people who kill without remorse are born or made and if they are made whether she can isolate this gene.
The other storyline is set in the 19th century, where Julia's great-great-grandmother Lavinia marries the man she loved, is bitterly betrayed by him and is later tried for his murder. We are left wondering, did Lavinia do it? Could Julia's ancestor have killed her own husband?
Since Julia herself also seems to exhibit the propensity towards killing without remorse, the reader is left on tenterhooks wondering whether Julia's story will end in tragedy, mirroring that of Lavinia Huntington?
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December 30, 2008
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Emma Kaufmann
gave  to:
The Delivery Room (Hardcover)
by
Sylvia Brownrigg
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my rating:
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read in December, 2008
Emma said:
"A Serbian therapist (Mira Braverman) gives therapy to many disturbed patients in London 1998 and 1999 against the background of the Kosovo war. I just found it unbelievably boring and rambling. I don't want to know every thought in a person's head .....more
A Serbian therapist (Mira Braverman) gives therapy to many disturbed patients in London 1998 and 1999 against the background of the Kosovo war. I just found it unbelievably boring and rambling. I don't want to know every thought in a person's head .... unless that person is interesting. The author did not engage me emotionally in any of the characters dilemmas or problems.(less)
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