What have you read lately? Showing 751-800 of 1,702

[Robin]

Just finished Bernard Cornwell's "Azincourt." It was a good book with a lot of detail, but not really my type of detail. It was full of descriptions of getting the army ready to go to France, the seige on Harfleur, the march across France, and then the actual battle of Agincourt. It was a good book but just not really my type with all the war details. I really would have liked much more about Henry V. It was interesting to read in the author's notes at the end how, with the except of one character, all the people he named with the English army in France were actually there.

[Elysium]

Sara W: I kinda understand that James is Jaakko but how George comes to Yrjö or Charles to Kaarle. Really annoying!

[Robin]

Yipee! Excited to finally start SKP "When Christ and His Saints Slept!" I saved it for last out of my library books because I was looking forward to it so much!!

[Mandy]

Robin,
Enjoy your SKP - I LOVED Saints.

I'm reading the sequel, Time and Chance, right now. It's good, but I'm having a hard time getting into it. I've been sick and wasn't able to read for over a week, so make the time I was away from the book is making it harder to get into?
I've already read several books about this time period, though, and I know everything that's going to happen. I wish I'd read Penmans book first, because hers are always best, but at this point, it's kind of a repeat for me.

I put in a ILL for Dumas' The Two Diana's on Misfits recommendation, and both volumes came in already! I'm excited to read them :)

[Susan C]

I know it's not European Royalty but I just finished Night by Elie Wiesel. Everyone really should read it at least once in their life.

When I did some research on him, I found out that Bernie Madoff took money from him and his foundation. How much can one person be expected to suffer in one lifetime?

[Tisha]

Can anybody give me some good recommendations of books that cover the Germany or Prussian monarchy? I notice we don't have any books in the German Royalty bookshelf either. I'm having a difficult time finding some and would love to read a few prior to my trip abroad next year.

Thanks!

[Mandy]

I'm about to finish up Time and Chance. It took some time for me to really get into this one, but I'm really enjoying it now. SKPs interpretation of the events is a bit different than the other Henry/Eleanor books I've ready by Plaidy and Lofts. I really like her take on the whole Rosamund thing, and on Eleanors time back in Poiters.
I have Devil's Brood (the sequel) on hold at the library for when I'm done. THEN I can get to the Two Diana's.
So many books, so little time!

[Susan C]

I'm reading Courts of Love by Plaidy and really enjoying it. When I started my collection, I made sure I had a good nonfiction book to help backup the fiction ones.

[Sara W]

Tisha wrote: "Can anybody give me some good recommendations of books that cover the Germany or Prussian monarchy? I notice we don't have any books in the German Royalty bookshelf either. I'm having a difficult t..."

Unfortunately there seems to be very little out there on this subject. I know I tried checking Amazon at one time for a group read and couldn't seem to find anything. I'll try to think of any I may have come across. Your best bet may be to get books on individuals who are from a German principality but married outside of Germany or took over a thrown elsewhere (Empress Sisi/Elizabeth of Austria was German, Alexandra Romanov maybe was German(?), Anne of Cleves, George I or II of England never spoke anything but German I think - anyway, you get the idea - if you get something from their childhood you may get a taste at least!).

[Tanzanite]

I started Weir's Henry VIII and His Court (non-fiction). Haven't gotten very far into it yet since my daughter is visiting this week.

[Robin]

I finished SKP's When Christ and his Saints Slept last night. It took me a bit to get into it...maybe because of all the battles, battles, battles but by the end I was flying through it. Have to say I wanted to slap and hug almost all the characters at some point in the story (except Stephen's son Eustace).

[Mandy]

Eustace was awful, wasn't he?
I loved When Christ and His Saints Slept, too!
I have 40 pages left in Time and Chance - need to finish it today so I can start Devil's Brood!

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

I found Henry VIII and His Court very dry. Read like a thesis that got published.

[Mandy]

I'm finally reading The Two Diana's - it's really good so far! I was afraid it would be dry, but it sucked me right in. It reads like a play and I love it :)

My library emailed me to say the copy of The Devil's Queen A Novel of Catherine de Medici that I put on hold is ready. I'm excited to read it, too!

[Misfit]

Mandy wrote: "I'm finally reading The Two Diana's - it's really good so far! I was afraid it would be dry, but it sucked me right in. It reads like a play and I love it :)

My library emailed me to say the copy ..."

Careful, Dumas can be habit forming.

[Susan C]

I'm still reading Courts of Love but really am enjoying it very much. Do any of you have any suggestions for books on the plantagnets, especially Richard the Lionheart and Edward III?

[Misfit]

Plaidy wrote The Vow on the Heron about Edward but I only made it half way, dry as dirt.

Nora Lofts wrote The Lute Player, but that was only a three star for me. Richard, Beregeria and all his crusading can make for a slow read. I have faith in Penman for WIP on Richard.

Here's a Listopia that might give you some ideas, http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/15...

[Susan C]

Thanks, I'll have to watch for Penman's book!

[Tanzanite]

Susan C wrote: "I'm still reading Courts of Love but really am enjoying it very much. Do any of you have any suggestions for books on the plantagnets, especially Richard the Lionheart and Edward III?"

Martha Rofheart wrote a book about Richard I called Lionheart. It's out of print, but you can get it used on maybe through the library.

[Susan C]

Thanks Tanzanite. I bought The Lute before I saw Misfit's review, I just hope I like it better than she did.

[Robin]

I am working on Plaidy's "The Vow on the Heron" now. Its not too bad but it does come across as kind of dry and I already want to smack his daughter, Isabella, for being such a brat.

[Misfit]

Robin wrote: "I am working on Plaidy's "The Vow on the Heron" now. Its not too bad but it does come across as kind of dry and I already want to smack his daughter, Isabella, for being such a brat. "

I had that one at the tail end of a three week stuck at home period (between broken knee and snow) and books were flying all over the place. That said, Barb had pretty much the same reaction as I did, but she did finish it.

[Mandy]

I've read The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask, of course, but it's been a long time.
The Two Diana's reminds me of both a bit...the suspicions, the intrigue, the revenge that I'm sure is coming...
But I'm liking this book a lot more than I remember liking the other two.
It's really fun.
What other Dumas are good, Misfit? I just looked at the list under his name here at Goodreads and several titles looked good!

[Misfit]

Mandy wrote: "I've read The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask, of course, but it's been a long time.
The Two Diana's reminds me of both a bit...the suspicions, the intrigue, the revenge that I'm..."

Mandy, I loved the entire Musketeer series, in order The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere (sp?) ending in The Man in the Iron Mask.

He has a six book series he wrote on the French Revolution, Joseph Balsamo, Memoirs of a Physician, The Queen's Necklace, Taking the Bastile, The Countess de Charny and The Chevalier de Maison Rouge (sp?). Loved it, but don't buy the newer versions of these books some are bad translations.

La Reine Margot is very good but a tough start, but the pages were flying by the end. I believe he continues the history of this period with Chicot the Jester and The Forty Five Guardsmen. Those are the next on my Dumas list.

[Susan C]

Let us know if they are a cuntinuum of La Reine Margot. I just received La Reine Margot so I'm definitely interested. I had no idea that he had so many other great books beyond the Three Musketeer series and The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm glad you opened my eyes, as you know the Count is one of my all time favorites.

[Misfit]

Georges is another of his I enjoyed. Not quite five star but interesting nonetheless as he deals with racial issues and prejudice.

[Robin]

Finished up Plaidy's "Passage to Pontefract" and I'm now working on "Red Rose of Anjou." I have to say these I'm reading lately don't seem as....good as the ones I read first (Tudors, Queens of England, etc).

[Susan C]

I'm still loving her "Courts of Love".

[Elysium]

I'm reading Queen of Silks by Vanora Bennett. Haven't read much about War of Roses but I like it. I'm just wondering is Queen of Silks and Figures of Silk the same book?

[Chrissie]

Elysium, I think it is. What I did was to go to the book Figures of Silk here at GR. Then I clicked on other editions, in the top right hand corner of the page. There you find a book entitled Queen of Silks! Don't you hate that when they change the titles of books. So very confusing!

[Frances]

Just finished The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory, about Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. It was fun, but nothing like the The Other Boleyn Girl.

[Robin]

Headed to the library today to pick up my copy of "The White Queen."

[Chrissie]

Elysium wrote: "I finished Sex with the Queen 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics and now I'm reading The Lady Elizabeth A Novel. Sex With The Queen was in..."

Have you read this author's book - Sex with Kings - I cannot decide which I should read first. I am kind of doubtful I would want to read both. Any suggestions? Oh, and another thing - did this book , like the king book, hop around chronologically. Many readers complained that the king book was badly organized b/c information about a particular king was spread all over the place so it was hard to get a complet picture of each person. Maybe this book is organized differently? Or maybe you just were not bothered! Please give me your thoughts. Thanks. Yeah, those Finnish names sound really funny!

[Susan C]

Hi Chrissie! Hope all is well with you. We need to message so we can get caught up.

[Robin]

Working on The White Queen right now. :)

[Susan C]

Let us know how it is!

[Susan]

Robin wrote: "Working on The White Queen right now. :)"

I started it in the dentist's chair today.

[Susan C]

Great place to start. I have a phobia about the dentist at the moment, after getting 6 root canals last year. Yes, I've always had weak teeth that crack.

[Chrissie]

Susan C wrote: "Hi Chrissie! Hope all is well with you. We need to message so we can get caught up."

Hi! Yup! Have you checked out these books Elysium has been reading. Sex with the Kings vesrus the Queen - they seem quite intereting! Funny with the translations to Finnish names.

[Elysium]

Chrissie wrote: Have you read this author's book - Sex with Kings - I cannot decide which I should read first. I am kind of doubtful I would want to read both. Any suggestions? Oh, and another thing - did this book , like the king book, hop around chronologically.
Yeah I've read it too. I liked both but it was annoying that the King book hop around. There was own chapters for every Queen so it wasn't so messy. I'd recommend the Queen book.

I started Leonardo's Swans A Novel and made it to page 106 and couldn't finish. Now I'm reading The Divine Worshipper

[Chrissie]

Elysium wrote: "Chrissie wrote: Have you read this author's book - Sex with Kings - I cannot decide which I should read first. I am kind of doubtful I would want to read both. Any suggestions? Oh, and another thin..."
Thanks! I will read the Queen book first!

[Susan C]

Give us your opinion! Always looking for a good book to add to the collection.

[Robin]

Finished "The White Queen" last night. Be careful reading further...may contain some spoilers!


Have to say it wasn't too bad, certainly better (IMHO) than TOQ. There were times I got irritated because certain phrases or points where mentioned again and again and again. And of course, there was that issue of Elizabeth saying they were at Nonesuch Palace (which her GRANDSON Henry VIII didn't start until 1538 I think).

The magic stuff wasn't too far fetched though sometimes I did have to roll my eyes over it. The episode with her son, Richard, Duke of York and the page boy was an interesting theory thrown in to the story, as was the curse that Elizabeth and her daughter Elizabeth of York placed on whoever murdered the Princes. Ties in with the Tudor story if you catch my drift. PG also works it in that Richard III WAS going to marry Elizabeth of York and had even "asked" Elizabeth W if she'd give it her blessing.

The story did end kind of abruptly but I suppose PG had to do that to save the rest of the story for her next book on Margaret Beaufort.

[Susan C]

Thanks for the review!

[Sara W]

Carrie wrote: "I'm getting ready to go on vacation and am gathering together my vacation reads now (or, putting myself on the waitlist at the library). I wanted to bring some Plaidy books after reading the positi..."

Sorry for my late reply - I've kind of been MIA because of people visiting me. I hope you haven't left for vacation yet!

My favorite Plaidys are Katharine of Aragon The Story of a Spanish Princess and an English Queen (really three books in one) and The Queen's Secret A Novel (about Katherine of Valois and Owen Tudor). These are really easy to find, and I've read them both multiple times.

[Elysium]

I finished Henry Virtuous Prince. I liked to read about him before he became king and there wasn't much about his wives. But I found his writing style really annoying.
I just started Catherine De Medici but so far I've liked it.

[Misfit]

Just finished PG's The White Queen. Meh.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

Got Elizabeth and Leicester by Sarah Gristwood, yesterday at a book sale. (What a sea of humanity that was!)

[Tanzanite]

Elysium wrote: "I just started Catherine De Medici but so far I've liked it.

Is that the non-fiction one by Leonie Frieda (sp?)? I'm planning on starting that one tomorrow.

[Robin]

Just finished up Plaidy's "The Sun in Splendour." A good read in itself but compared to SKP's version it is really lacking in...feeling I think. I always want to cry at the end of these, knowing what is going to happen to Richard.

Will be starting SKP's "Time and Chance" next and I'm really looking forward to it.