VICKI'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2011

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

30. Colleen McCullough

Finish date: 4/9/2011
Rating: A-
Genre: Historical fiction

This is the second in the Masters of Rome series, covering the period from 99 BC to 86 BC. In the main, it's the story of the rise of Sulla and the eventual fall of Marius. Some truly awful things happened in this period - the Social War between Rome and the Italians, Mithridates' having all Romans and Italians living in Asia Minor killed on the same day, Sulla's legions marching on Rome, and Marius running amok once he regains power. McCullough lays it all out in exquisite detail, letting us get to know so many fascinating characters.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

31. Rex Stout

Finish date: 4/9/2011
Rating: B+
Genre: Detective fiction

Even though this is only the 4th book in the series, it's the second time Nero Wolfe has left his house, something he absolutely hates to do, and this time in the first few pages. The plot is fairly convoluted and the murder methods quite intricate. Of course, I wasn't able to guess who the murderer was, even with only a few remaining possibilities near the end. I like that about these books.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

32. Christopher Scarre (no photo)

Finish date: 4/14/2011
Rating: A-
Genre: Ancient history

This is a very good summary of Roman emperors from Augustus through Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor in the West. I especially like the timelines of the reigns of each emperor or group of emperors. There are lots of photos and maps and lots of selections from ancient authors such as Tacitus, Cassius Dio and Eusebius.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

33. Rex Stout

Finish date: 4/14/2011
Rating: B+
Genre: Detective fiction

This was a somewhat shocking book, partly because it starts with Wolfe on a train going to a resort in West Virginia, but mostly because of the use of the n-word in talking about the "colored" staff of the resort, who are integral to the solution of the mystery. Wolfe himself doesn't use the word, but Archie does and so does local law enforcement. Wolfe himself is quite respectful and the portrayal of the staff members who have important information was quite straightforward. The book was written in 1938, so I'm not sure if the use of the n-word (along with "smoke", "shine" and "pickaninny") were not at all jarring then, but I found it quite uncomfortable.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

34. Rex Stout

Finish date: 4/17/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Detective fiction

This is the second one in a row with Wolfe away from home. I'm starting to miss Wolfe's New York brownstone. This book was a little less satisfactory than the others I've recently read. Maybe I'm just getting tired of Wolfe and Archie. Hope not.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

35. Rex Stout

Finish date: 4/18/2011
Rating: B+
Genre: Detective fiction

This one was a doozy, with Wolfe back in New York where he belongs. It includes Wolfe's adopted daughter, a Croatian princess, secret papers and foreign spies. Altogether satisfactory.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

36. Gustave Flaubert

Finish date: 4/20/2011
Rating: D
Genre: Historical fiction

This is a fictionalization of the war between the Carthaginians and the mercenaries they hired for the First Punic War with Rome. I didn't really like this one, possibly because the translation was really stilted. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, and Salambo herself didn't seem like a real person. Also the descriptions of the battles were really gruesome. The best parts were the maps (love them in historical fiction) and the pictures, like woodcuts, at the beginning of each chapter.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

37. Rex Stout

Finish date: 4/21/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Detective fiction

This one is unusual in that the action takes place over only two days, and for one of those days, Wolfe is at someone else's house. In fact, about four-fifths of the book takes place in this other house. I'm starting to wonder if Wolfe is more flexible about his actions than advertised. I should start keeping track.

[Elizabeth S]

Vicki wrote: "36. Gustave Flaubert

Finish date: 4/20/2011
Rating: D
Genre: Historical fiction

This is a fictionalization of the..."

It is a pretty sad commentary about a book when the best parts are the maps and chapter headings.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

38. Alfred Duggan (no photo)

Finish date: 4/24/2011
Rating: C+
Genre: Ancient history

This was a pretty good look at the life of Julius Caesar, written in 1955. Duggan has a brief overview of the history of Rome and of the political structure there. While he admires Caesar, he appears to be on the side of the Optimates. For example - "The Optimates stood for a principle, and a sensible one, though it is out of favor at the present day: that citizens should be undisturbed in their private lives, and free to follow the political parties of their choice, even if that entailed a weak, incompetent, and corrupt central government. But the Populars, who had once held the opposite opinion, that a majority has the right to coerce an unwilling minority, were now split into purely personal factions." In the end, they just couldn't cope with Caesar's military genius and his ability to get his troops to be devoted to him.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

39. Rex Stout

Finish date: 4/25/2011
Rating: C
Genre: Detective fiction

This was a little disappointing because it wasn't a novel, but two slightly related novellas. Consequently there wasn't as much focus on one crime/set of suspects, which is what I like.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

40. Joan Grant (no photo)

Finish date: 4/29/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Historical fiction

This book was almost a fantasy, describing a perfect ancient Egypt, where Pharaoh is wise and kind and wants only the welfare of his people. Also, certain people are able to be trained to be clairvoyant, in order to see dangers for Egypt. This is the story of one of those people, Sekeeta, from her time as a spirit before being born to the current Pharaoh, through her idyllic childhood, followed by her training as a seer, to her marriage to her brother, ending in her death and return to the spirit world. The language is very lyrical and somewhat soothing. It would sure be nice if there were a place like the one in the book.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

41. Rex Stout

Finish date: 4/29/2011
Rating: C
Genre: Detective fiction

This is another one with two novellas, connected only by the fact that Archie is now in the Army, so he's not there to keep Wolfe in line. The mysteries are interesting, but I still like book-length ones better.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

MAY

42. Dan Savage

Finish date: 5/3/2011
Rating: C+
Genre: Non-fiction

I'm a big fan of Dan's advice column, Savage Love, so I was a little disappointed that this book wasn't a bit more outrageous. It's an interesting take on the seven deadly sins, going to a particular place to wallow in a particular sin. My favorite was Gluttony, where Dan went to a fat-acceptance weekend convention, maybe because I'm somewhat overweight myself.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

43. Charlotte Brontë

Finish date: 5/4/2011
Rating: B+
Genre: Fiction

I enjoyed this book a lot. It wasn't overly melodramatic, the characterizations were really good, and Jane herself was surprisingly level-headed, given what she had to endure during her life. I'm looking forward to the movie with Mia Wasikowska - I was picturing her as Jane while reading.

[Alisa]

From Dan Savage to Charlotte Bronte, that is one way to mix it up Vicki! Fun.
Dan Savage
Charlotte Brontë

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

44. John Maddox Roberts

Finish date: 5/7/2011
Rating: B+
Genre: Roman mystery

Decius is one of my favorite characters. The first book in the series, , was the first Roman mystery I had read, and it got me hooked on the genre. I like Decius because he's slightly irreverent and smart-alecky, but he still has some respect for his aristocratic family (the Caecillii Metelli) and for "the way things are done." He is now praetor peregrinus and gets to travel around Italy presiding over cases involving foreigners. Mayhem ensues.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

45. George MacDonald Fraser

Finish date: 5/11/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Historical fiction

Most of the action takes place in Afghanistan during the First Afghan War (early 1840's). Flashman isn't a nice person, but he is smart and lucky and a survivor. He can pick up languages easily and knows how to ingratiate himself with his superiors. It's amazing how many scrapes he gets out of, nearly dying more than once. Frequent use of the n-word to describe natives of Afghanistan and India, probably the way someone like him would have spoken during that period of history

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

46. Rex Stout

Finish date: 5/15/2011
Rating: C+
Genre: Detective fiction

This was pretty good. Now that WWII is over, Stout is back to full-length novels. Near the end, Wolfe pretends to be crazy in order to keep away the cops, who are counting on him to solve the murders.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

47. Apostolos Doxiadis

Finish date: 5/19/2011
Rating: A-
Genre: Math

This is a very interesting look at the foundations of math and logic and the people who tackled them during the 20th century. I have to admit that I didn't follow everything, even though my degree (obtained long, long ago) was in math. But the comic book format was a bold choice.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Vicki, that looks like a great book to also add to the Mathematics thread under Health - Medicine - Science.

Here is the link:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

48. Rex Stout

Finish date: 5/23/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Detective fiction

This was a bit different in that Archie was sent to work undercover at a big firm which had hired Wolfe to find out if one of its employees had been murdered. In order to report in, he used phone booths, which were apparently available on every floor of the building he worked in. And there were only four women involved in the plot, but even one is too many for Wolfe.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

49. Judith Geary (no photo)

Finish date: 5/25/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Historical fiction

This is a young adult book about the 15-year old son, Getorix, of a Celtic leader and takes place in Rome in 101 BC. Both Getorix and his father had been captured by the Romans after a battle; the father was killed during the ensuing triumph of the victorius generals Marius and Catulus, and the son was taken as a slave for Catulus' son. The story is about the boys' growing relationship. A very interesting part of the book is seeing Rome and Romans through the eyes of the "barbarian" Getorix.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

50. Rex Stout

Finish date: 5/29/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Detective fiction

While solving the murders in this book, Wolfe crosses paths with a master criminal, who figures in the next two books as well as this one. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

51. Strabo

Finish date: 5/31/2011
Rating: C
Genre: Ancient history

This is a long and detailed work, in eight volumes with Greek on one page and the English translation on the facing page. I have to admit I did a lot of skimming because of the long lists of unfamiliar place names and people. It was hard to follow in places even with the maps at the end of most volumes. What I liked were the descriptions of what different people ate, how they got married, how they buried their dead, and stuff like that, although I'm not sure how accurate they were. Also there were plenty of unbelievable anecdotes, like the story of how elephants could be killed if they leaned against a tree that fell down, because then they couldn't get up, having a single leg bone, i.e. no knees. Or the oak trees that grew in the ocean near Spain, with nearby fish growing fat on the acorns. Or the place with two rivers, one of which would make sheep white if they drank from it and the other which would make sheep black. Sort of like an ancient Weekly World News. http://www.google.com/search?q=weekly...

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

JUNE

52. Rex Stout

Finish date: 6/1/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Detective fiction

Wolfe crosses paths with his nemesis Zeck again, and gets his rooftop greenhouse shot up. But later Zeck apologizes (sort of) and pays Wolfe for solving the murder of one of his henchmen. This is the first Nero Wolfe book where I was able to guess the murderer.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

53. Rex Stout

Finish date: 6/3/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Detective fiction

This one was really different. Wolfe has to disappear because arch-villain Zeck is after him. Poor Archie is on his own for a few months, and although he makes out OK, he doesn't like it. Naturally ,it all works out in the end.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Vicki, you are doing extremely well. Keep up the good work.

Please check your PMs; awaiting a response.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

54. Rosemary Sutcliff

Finish date: 6/7/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Historical fiction

This is an interesting look at England during Roman rule, when that rule was beginning to break down and attacks from Saxons were serious business. The two young men who are the protagonists are interesting and so are the secondary characters. This was the second in a loosely connected trilogy. The first was and the next one is , which I look forward to reading.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

55. Rex Stout
Finish date: 6/10/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Detective fiction

This was an interesting set of stories. All were very different and enjoyable, although I do prefer the novels.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

I did find the bookcover available.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

56. Terry Pratchett Neil Gaiman

Finish date: 6/12/2011
Rating: A
Genre: Fantasy

Talk about a page-turner! Since this book is about the end of the world, I could hardly put it down - naturally I had to find out how it (the book) ended. You'll have to read it yourself to find out. It was very entertaining and very funny. Lots of good characters, especially Azariphale, an angel, and Crowley, a demon, who are close to best friends. And Adam, an 11-year old boy who is the Antichrist.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

57. Rex Stout

Finish date: 6/13/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Detective fiction

Another set of three novellas/short stories.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

58. Rex Stout

Finish date: 6/18/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Detective fiction

Four people die because of a novel one of them has written. A very clever story. Plus Archie gets to go to Los Angeles, where it rains the whole time he's there.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

59. Al Franken

Finish date: 6/23/2011
Rating: C+
Genre: Politics

I think I would have liked this more if I had read it when it originally came out (2003). It sort of seemed like I already knew most of what he was talking about. Maybe I watch too much Keith Olberman.

[Mimi V]

Vicki wrote: "59. Al Franken

Finish date: 6/23/2011
Rating: C+
Genre: ..."

there's no such thing as too much Olbermann!

i read this in paperback when some of it was dated, and i still found his take on things pretty funny.

i think Al Franken is a pretty great Senator -- even though i'm not in Minnesota, i think of him as my representative and i'm glad he's there looking out for me.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

60. Mika Waltari

Finish date: 6/27/2011
Rating :A-
Genre: Historical fiction

Sinuhe tells the story of his life now that he is an old man and has been exiled from Egypt. He trained to be a physician and had many adventures around the known world. For several years he served the pharaoh Akhenaten, who promulgated monotheism in the worship of the sun god Aten. It's mostly pretty serious, and sometimes tragic, but there is liberal comic relief in the person of Sinuhe's servant Kapteh. Altogether a fascinating, and moving, book.

[Becky]

I read that a few years ago - fascinating book. I've since read more about Akhenaten and have half a feeling to go back and see what all transpired about him in Mika Waltari's book.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Because you mentioned Waltari - to allow the goodreads software to track your response you have to do a citation as well. It should look like this. When you do an edit, I will delete this post. Thanks Becky.

Mika Waltari

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

61. Rex Stout

Finish date: 6/30/2011
Rating: C+

Genre: Detective fiction

This one was a little disappointing. The first two stories were only so-so, but the third had a murder in Wolfe's office, with the police sealing it as a crime scene. And the perp was quite a surprise.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

62. Kate Atkinson

Finish date: 7/3/2011
Rating: A
Genre: Detective fiction

The chapters in the book are told from shifting viewpoints. It starts with 3 case histories of old deaths/disappearances and rotates through the people involved in them, and the detective they have hired to look into them. You really get to know the people, and some of the asides are quite funny. We don't really learn much about what happened in the three cases until the last part of the book, and the circumstances are fairly tragic. I'm used to detective novels narrated by the detective, so this was quite a change of pace.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

63. Mary Stewart

Finish date: 7/6/2011
Rating: B
Genre: Fantasy

This takes the Arthur story from the childhood of Merlin through the conception of Arthur, when Merlin sneaks Uther into Ygraine's rooms by disguising him as her husband. I had never read about Merlin's origins before, and this was very interesting. The character depictions are quite good; you really feel like these are real persons. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

64. Fulton Oursler (no photo)

Finish date: 7/8/2011
Rating: C+
Genre: Religion

This book is a popular retelling of the stories in the Old Testament. I was mainly interested in the less familiar parts, particularly what happened after Solomon. I must have learned the most popular stories in Sunday school - it seems like I've known them forever. I found the section on the exile to Babylon the most interesting, because it was unfamiliar. In general, there was a tremendous amount of back-sliding on the part of the Hebrews. They were always neglecting proper worship of Jehovah in favor of false idols, and not keeping the Laws. They were castigated by the prophets and bad things happened to them, so they mended their ways (until the next time).

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

65. G.P. Baker (no photo)

Finish date: 7/12/2011
Rating: C+
Genre: Ancient history

This is a sympathetic and very readable biography of Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome. It was hard for me to overcome the unflattering picture of Tiberius from by Robert Graves, but I think this may have done it. And I very much like Baker's writing style.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

66. Mary Stewart

Finish date: 7/15/2011
Rating: B+
Genre: Fantasy

This is the second book in a series about Arthur and Merlin. It starts a day after the previous book ended, just after Arthur's conception. When Arthur is born, Merlin leaves him in the care of his old nurse in Brittany, and when he's four, sends him to be fostered by Ector, a local lord in Britain near Hadrian's wall. He doesn't see Arthur again until he's about 13. What I like about the series is that there's not much overt magic. Things happen strangely and Merlin has visions and premonitions, but it's mostly very naturalistic. The descriptions of places and people are very vivid.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

67. Susan Holtzer (no photo)

Finish date: 7/20/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Detective fiction

I like this series. Anneke runs a computer consulting company and on the side looks for Art Deco items, which she collected, and which got destroyed in the fire which consumed her house. Now she's renting a cottage which turns out to have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. One of her neighbors is murdered and she gets involved. It's written in the third person from Anneke's POV, but once in a while from another character's POV, which seems a bit jarring.

[Dick]

Does anyone remember the 1954 movie of the same title ("The Egyptian") starring Edmund Purdom?

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

Acording to MRQE (http://www.mrqe.com/movie_reviews/the...), it was based on Mitari's novel. Never seen it, though. Too bad Netflix doesn't have it.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

68. Rex Stout

Finish date: 7/18/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Detective fiction

Another trilogy of novellas. The middle one was pretty good, about the murder of a cop in Archie's and Wolfe's favorite barber shop. Wolfe actually comes to the shop to solve the crime.

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

69. Emma Lathen (no photo)

Finish date: 7/23/2011
Rating: B-
Genre: Detective fiction

I like the Thatcher mystery series because it feels like I learn something about a different kind of business with each one. This is one of the last in the series, and Thatcher himself isn't much in evidence, but the auxiliary characters are interesting, as are the machinations for and against the merger that is the center of the plot.