Thoughts on The Latest Book You"ve Read (Or Tossed!)

[Portia, Novice Mod]

Post your reviews, positive, negative, or give up HERE.

[Joy]

I wouldn't dare toss this one - it's a first edition paperback from 1948, and not in good condition. I haven't read Upfield's DEATH OF A SWAGMAN in 41 years, so I don't remember a thing about it. At always, I thoroughly enjoy half-aborigine Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte and his outback Australia.

[Portia, Novice Mod]

Aren't you afraid of damaging the book if you to page through it now?

[Joy]

It's holding together. It's past the point where it's worth worrying about damaging it. Once I'm done rereading, I think I'll spread a little glue over the exposed section of the inner spine, to help whoever wants to read it next. It has no monetary value, first edition or not.

[Jane]

I thought this one absolutely fantastic: Emperor by Colin Thubron: an alternative conception of Emperor Constantine, as revealed through an epistolary novel--his journal entries and writings of others. I could sympathize with the man and felt right in the middle of the story. Pages of my used copy are browning a little, but it makes no difference to me.

[Jane]

Finished recently The Daughter of Time, the classic mystery of how the inspector comes up with theory about Richard III--his personality and who killed the Princes in the Tower. Book has held up well and theory interesting, whether you agree with it or not.

[Portia, Novice Mod]

It's one of my favorite books. Glad to hear you liked it.

[Silvia]

Jane wrote: "Finished recently The Daughter of Time, the classic mystery of how the inspector comes up with theory about Richard III--his personality and who killed the Princes in the Tower. Book h..."
I'm looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately I feel I have to finish a book before starting another one and I'm reading a novel set in the Victorian Age at the moment. But I've already got The Daughter of Time on my bedside table and it's calling me!

[Portia, Novice Mod]

I wonder if we should have a discussion on it? I've read it a couple of times but wouldn't mind reading it again.

Thoughts?

[Ashwise]

I just finished "When Christ and His Saints Slept" by Sharon Kay Penman. Its about the White Ship Disaster, the fight between the Empress Matilda and Stephen for the throne and it paves the way for her son and Eleanor of Aquitane to ascend. It's long, but its a good read.

[happy]

That is one of the first Penman I read - I loved it.

[Portia, Novice Mod]

Has anyone read either the Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series that takes place during the conflict between Stephen and Maud? I was one of those happy readers who bought all the paperbacks until I can't up and the purchased the hardcovers because I couldn't bear to be left behind. I also have all of the VHS (yes!) copies of Derek Jacobi's Cadfael. I remember when the cast was announced and all of my friends and I agreed that he was the perfect choice.

[happy]

Cadfael is great. I also liked her book on the Battle of Shrewsbury - Where Henry V came of age.

A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

The Cadfael novels are a lot of fun.

[Hyarrowen]

Portia wrote: "I wonder if we should have a discussion on it? I've read it a couple of times but wouldn't mind reading it again.

Thoughts?"

I'd like to do this!

[Jane]

happy wrote: "Cadfael is great. I also liked her book on the Battle of Shrewsbury - Where Henry V came of age.

A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury"

With all due respect to the book, after a couple of tries I just could not "get into" it. I did like her Welsh books though.

[Portia, Novice Mod]

I haven't read it yet. I have a lot of "yets" don't I? *sigh*

[Portia, Novice Mod]

Finished The Narrow Road to the Deep North yesterday. Every act of cruelty and a scene of violence is necessary for the reader to get a clear picture of what Australian prisoners faced at the hands of their Japanese captors during World War II. The main character's drive to save the life of every prisoner under his command and/or sent into his medical tent is believable as is the tale of his need to intentionally betray his wife afterwards because she isn't his true love.

Recommended for readers interested in the Second World War, those interested in the PO camps run by the Japanese (I more fully understand why my husband's English uncle refused to buy a Honda or a Toyota. I found the book informative. I knew nothing about Australia's involvement in the war and am happy I had this opportunity to learn.

But I'm done now.

Three Stars.

[Portia, Novice Mod]

The Summer Before the War A lovely, slightly predictable, just a wee too long story about a small group of the people of Rye, England beginning the eponymous summer before World War I and continuing on until the beginning of the following summer.

Full disclosure, I visited Rye twenty years ago and fell in over with the place, so I was inclined to like the story before I began reading. Ms. Simonson did not let me down.

Recommended for lovers of historical fiction; those interested in WW I from a fictional perspective; a reader looking for a "thumpingly good read" to get lost in of a long weekend.

Five stars.

[happy]

Jane wrote: "happy wrote: "Cadfael is great. I also liked her book on the Battle of Shrewsbury - Where Henry V came of age.

[book:A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury|1..."

Thats okay - everyone has different tastes :)

[Jane]

This series I haven't **just** finished, but I recommend to the group the Hawk and the Dove series, about the brothers in a Benedictine monastery in North England and their abbot, Father Columba [or his birth name, Peregrine]. Each book is set during the Plantagenet period and has to do with a personal problem of the monks. Each novel inspires with something like: kindness, compassion, forgiveness....
The first novel in the series I read was The Long Fall , which was not the first in the series but it made no difference. Then I have been trying to read all of them: the latest being The Breath of Peace. The author is Penelope Wilcock and she has been a Methodist minister. Any Christianity in these books is presented low-key.

[Portia, Novice Mod]

I've heard good thinks about this series. Thanks for letting us know about it, Jane. My historical mystery TBR just fell over onto the floor :-)

A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury is on our Nominations for July list!

[happy]

I finished The Herald of Hell: A Brother Athelstan Novel of Medieval London. It's definitely a quick read at just over 200 pages and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars (but I'm an easy grader :))

currently reading

King John and the Road to Magna Carta

[Jane]

I really enjoyed Fortune Like the Moon and have made the mistake of starting one in the series much further along -- in the reign of bad King John -- The Song of the Nightingale so I'm putting it aside and will read these in order, starting w/ #2. Author doesn't explain that much of previous action; she mainly gives footnotes of titles of previous books in the series. Usually reading out of order doesn't matter for me, but in this case, it does.

[happy]

I finished King John... not really about the Magna Carta, but a summery of Johns reign and how he managed to loose Normandy, Anjou and the northern half of Aquitaine. A little dry, but interesting none the less. I rate it 3.25 if GR allowed.

[Portia, Novice Mod]

Wish GR did allow fractions. Oh, well.

Seems "Pimply John" The Lion in Winter lived up to his image.