What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?) Showing 8,101-8,150 of 10,105

[Jane]

Alice wrote: "Paul wrote: "Finished: A Slap in the Face: Why Insults Hurt And Why They Shouldn't. This is a book about an aspect of Stoicism. If you want to learn what made the Romans tick, start with Stoicism. ..."

Same here. I agree and find much to admire in Taoism.

[happy]

I finished This Was a Man

I thought it was a solid 4 star read - not his best, not even the best of the series, but a enjoyable, quick read. Set in the 70's and 80's, not quite HF, but the rest of the series is.

currently reading an entry in Eric Flint's 1632 series



This series is sort of alt history combined with SF. A coal mining town from early 2000's West Virginia is somehow transported to 1632 Germany, right in the middle of the 30 yrs War.

Lots of actual historical figures are characters in the novels

[Jane]

The Gifts of Poseidon: The Mysteries of the Greek Detective / Anne Zouroudi

[Tamara]

I have started book 2 of the Boudica series: Dreaming the Bull.
So far there are a lot of details about battles and battle maneuvers and skirmishes. I'm not into battle stuff so I hope it moves in a different direction soon.

[Paul]

Just finished "Lincoln in the Bardo." It was a bit of slog but worth it. Here's my review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[siriusedward]

All Quiet on the Western Front
And Thaddeus of Warsaw.
Bith are interesting.Also reading A Wrinkle in Time.interesting. :)

[Patricia]

Paul wrote: "Just finished "Lincoln in the Bardo." It was a bit of slog but worth it. Here's my review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I just started listening to the audio. Not sure about it yet, so thanks for the review.

[Renata]

Just finished C.W. Gortner's The Tudor Secret, The Tudor Conspiracy and The Tudor Vendetta in rapid succession. All well written and entertaining fast reads. Thanks to Margaret for her review of which sent me off to the races after this series :)

[Tamara]

I just finished Dreaming the Bull by Manda Scott. It's book 2 in the series on Boudica. It was quite good, but not as good as the first book in the series. I recommend it with reservations.

My review on goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and on my website at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com

[Alice]

I'm reading Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart (non-fiction) by John Guy.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Renata wrote: "Just finished C.W. Gortner's The Tudor Secret, The Tudor Conspiracy and The Tudor Vendetta in rapid succession. All well written and entertaining fast..."

Glad you enjoyed them. :)

[happy]

I finished Michael Jecks's Blood of the Innocents

I really liked it. 4.25 stars rounded down. It takes place 10yrs after the previous book. The MC, Flipper Berenger, is a lot darker than the previous books - He's seen one too many battles, lost one too many friends and seen too many innocents die. The novel culminates in the Battle of Poiters. At usual, I think Mr. Jeck's battle sequences are excellent - IMO on par with Mr. Cornwells.

While not a main plot thread, there is a mystery element to the novel. - Some one attached to the army is murdering young women by crucifying them and Fripper wants to find out who and stop it.

I also really like the ending - he ties it in to his Templar mysteries a little bit.

I also finished 1635: The Wars for the Rhine.

Not bad, 3.5 stars. Decent time shift novel.

I just started Jeff Shaara's latest. It a novel on the Korean War

[Rafael]

I am reading The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell.

[Sherry]

Just abandoned BY THE SWORD: SPOILS OF OLYMPUS (Christian Kachel) . A disappointment. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Veronica]

I'm currently reading Jade Dragon Mountain , a historical mystery set in early 1700s China.

[Diego]

I'm reading, or rather say, struggling with

I've been through 25% of it and so far it has been a horrible read. Glad to see I'm not the only one - as I've seen in some reviews - to be confused about who is talking to whom. Mantel only writes "he says, he takes, he he he..." I can only assume most of the time is Cromwell talking to someone else, but it doesn't seem to be the case, as sometimes I just don't know if I'm on a flashback or things are actually happening.

I'm only trying to finish this book because I like Tudor history, I recently moved to the UK and was only able to bring about 30 books from my library, and I wouldn't want to give up on any of them. But if it weren't because I'm familiar with the story, and watched the Tudors TV series, I'd be totally lost on what the heck is going on.

[Ace]

Diego wrote: "I'm reading, or rather say, struggling with

I've been through 25% of it and so far it has been a horrible read. Glad to see I'm not the only one - as I've seen in som..."

Diego, it basically continues like this, so if you are not enjoying it then you should give it up. It was one of those love it or hate it books.
I dislike this new trend of writers not using quote marks but I must admit to forgiving Mantel on this one which I loved.

[happy]

I finished The Frozen Hours: A Novel of the Korean War over the weekend. I loved it, 4.5 star read for me so I rounded up. If your are familiar with Shaara's work, he follows his template to a tee. In this one he looks at the 1st Marine Division from the landing at Inchon through the Battle of the Chosin Reseviour. He looks at both the high command level pov through the eyes of the commander of the 1st MarDiv - O.P. Smith and the grunt level, in this case members of Fox Company 7th Marines. The commander of the Chinese Forces at Chosin is also a character - He is rather sympathetically portrayed.

Currently reading #4 in Conn Iggulden's War of the Roses series

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

It's Conn Iggulden week. I'm reading his Dunstan.

[happy]

Diego wrote: "I'm reading, or rather say, struggling with

I've been through 25% of it and so far it has been a horrible read. Glad to see I'm not the only one - as I've seen in som..."

I found Mantel's style took A LOT of getting used to. If you can finally adapt, I thought this was a fairly sympathetic looks at one of the traditional villains of the Henry VIII story. I thought the second volume was a lot easier of a read, maybe because I was used to her style.

[Ace]

happy wrote: "Diego wrote: "I'm reading, or rather say, struggling with

I've been through 25% of it and so far it has been a horrible read. Glad to see I'm not the only one - as I'..."
Yes happy, you are right, the second one was easier and I wasn't constantly wondering who "he" was and there was definitely less flipping back to previously read pages ;)

[Laureen]

Diego wrote: "I'm reading, or rather say, struggling with

I've been through 25% of it and so far it has been a horrible read. Glad to see I'm not the only one - as I've seen in som..."

Diego, I totally agree. I gave up. There a many books on the Tudor period that are informative and much easier to read. Wolf Hall gave me a headache and no pleasure at all.

[May]

I had to put WOLF HALL on my cannot finish shelf. Could not make myself read another page. Did not understand how it became a PBS production. Didn't get the acclaim...

[Jane]

I read one of her others and passed on these two. There are lots of other books out there, and I'm not in love with the Tudor era.

[Allison]

May wrote: "I had to put WOLF HALL on my cannot finish shelf. Could not make myself read another page. Did not understand how it became a PBS production. Didn't get the acclaim..."

You're not the only one....

[Jane]

May wrote: "I had to put WOLF HALL on my cannot finish shelf. Could not make myself read another page. Did not understand how it became a PBS production. Didn't get the acclaim..."

PBS production was BOOOOORING! Watched it for awhile then switched it off.

[Veronica]

May wrote: "I had to put WOLF HALL on my cannot finish shelf. Could not make myself read another page. Did not understand how it became a PBS production. Didn't get the acclaim..."

I didn't even get through the PBS production.

[Laura]

I too have tried reading and watching Wolf Hall multiple times, and just can't get into it. I've finally given up on both.

[Patricia]

I enjoyed watching it on PBS. I went back and forth between reading & listening to the audio. I ended up enjoying it, but it did take some effort.

[Mary]

I did not read Wolf Hall but did read Bring Up the Bodies, which was fantastic.

[Alice]

I read Wolf Hall the book before watching the PBS series, and I liked the TV series more than the book.

I read Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety (about the French Revolution) and enjoyed that one.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Only bright point to the Wolf Hall TV series was Mark Gatiss as Bishop Stephen Gardiner.

[happy]

If anyone is interested, I finally got around to typing up my thoughts on Michael Jecks' Blood of the Innocents

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

also posted in the 100yrs war thread

[Bobby]

Going to jump into . Been a long time with no Faulkner!

[happy]

I finished Ravenspur: Rise of the Tudors. l liked it. In some ways I didn't think it was as good as #3. I didn't think the battle sequences were as vivid. That said I really like his handling of Bosworth. Iggulden also ducks the questions, "Did Richard kill or have the Princes in the Tower killed? and Did Richard actually kill Henry VI?" with those quibbles I thought it was a solid 4 star read. I type my more complete thoughts as soon as I can.

Currently reading a NF account of the SAS in WW II

[Tamara]

I finished House of Names by Colm Tóibín. It tells the story of political intrigue, devious machinations, human sacrifice, and murder that plague the House of Atreus. I thought the depiction of Clytemnestra was the strongest section of the book. The portrayal of Orestes and Electra paled by comparison.

My review on goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also posted in books about Republican Rome and Classical Greece thread

[Tamara]

I've started Dreaming the Hound by Manda Scott. It's book 3 of the Boudica series. I've enjoyed the series so far.

I'm slowly making my way through the whole series, but i like to sandwich each book in the series with other types of books that also hold my interest.

[Alice]

I'm halfway through Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy. Very interesting read - Mary Queen of Scots is portrayed as Elizabeth I's equal in wits and stamina in times of great stress and upheaval.

[Gretchen]

Sherry wrote: "Just abandoned BY THE SWORD: SPOILS OF OLYMPUS (Christian Kachel). A disappointment. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I had to give this one up too.

[Gretchen]

Just finished The Alice Network

It was hands down the best book I have read all year.

[Jaime]

I am reading two Chicago baseball books: and

[Diego]

I'm about to start John Wilcox' The Diamond Frontier

This will surely be some fresh air for me after my struggle with Wolf Hall. I wasn't hoping for it to grow on me, I am just to stubborn to give up on a book. 1 star from me to that one.

[David]

After a spell with supernatural thrillers, I have returned to the Ancient world with . I really enjoy this series.

[Jane]

fortune's fool

[Bill]

Got desperate during an unexpected long layover and grabbed this at the airport book shop:

Screamin' Jay Hawkins' All-Time Greatest Hits: A Novel

[Gretchen]

Jane wrote: "fortune's fool "

I didn't realize a sixth book had been released.

[Jane]

Gretchen wrote: "Jane wrote: "fortune's fool "

I didn't realize a sixth book had been released."

Neither had I. I stumbled upon it by accident.

[Tamara]

Finished Dreaming the Hound by Manda Scott. This is book 3 of the 4 book series about Boudica, the Celtic warrior who led the rebellion against the Roman invasion of Britannia. I gave it 4 stars. It was an exciting page-turner.

The series is historical fiction, but this book borders more on historical fantasy than historical fiction since the characters communicate with gods and with spirits of dead ancestors. I'm enjoying the series and intend to finish it. I hate starting something and not finishing it.

My review on goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and on my website at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com

[Alice]

Finished Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart. Very impressed and touched by this luminous and superbly researched biography of the amazing Scottish Queen, from whom every subsequent British ruler has been descended.

My Review:-

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[happy]

I'm currently reading a NF look at the Spanish Medieval hero, El Cid. I freely admit I don't know much about him or Medieval Spain, and what I do know comes from the Charlton Heston movie :)



I'm about 100 pages in and so far it has been a decent primer on Medieval Spain at the turn of the 1st millennia and how it got there. El Cid is just starting to show up.