What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?) Showing 9,251-9,300 of 10,105

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Just finished Where the Crawdads Sing

I'm giving it 4 stars. 5 stars for first half of the book...but 3 stars for the second half. I struggled to maintain interest for that second half.

[Sarah]

Reading Bad Blood by John Carreryou. It's about the saga of Theranos, the now-defunct startup whose CEO fraudulently claimed to have invented a new blood testing method. Can't put it down, highly recommended.

[Linda]

I am reading Shadow of the Moon by M. M. Kaye author of The Far Pavilions. I like this author, and I like the history.

[Allison]

Last weekend I read a short, informative, and often comical introduction to a series of books on English history. My library only had this first book (of course. Ugh.) But I’d like to track the rest down through ILL if I can find them.

Last night I watched a 3 part BBC miniseries on “The Normans” on YouTube. It said 2016 but I don’t know if that’s the year it actually came out or the year it was uploaded. Pretty good though.

YouTube recommended a 3 part BBC series on “The Plantagenets” afterwards by the same Professor that hosted “The Normans” so I’ll probably watch that tonight. Lazy weekend!

[Mark]

Allie wrote: "Last weekend I read a short, informative, and often comical introduction to a series of books on English histo..."

Enjoy the Plantagenets Allie, it’s very good.

[Marilyn]

Currently reading “Semper Fidelis” by Ruth Downie. It’s a comic-murder mystery set in Romanic Britain. All of her books have a little comedy mixed in with plot. After reading about The Battle of the Bulge “Snow and Steel” I needed a little Shakesperian “comic-relief”.

[Allison]

Mark wrote: "Allie wrote: "Last weekend I read a short, informative, and often comical introduction to a series of books on..."

Thanks, Mark. I did :)

[Matt]

Currently reading Shogun by James Clerval.

[Diego]

Close to finish 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn.

Love the subject, love the author and love this book. I'll definitely follow up on this series. Recommended to anyone interested in the history of 20th century Ireland.

[Ace]

Diego wrote: "Close to finish 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn.

Love the subject, love the author and l..."

Sounds good, I have added it.

[happy]

happy wrote: "I've started reading the latest Crispin Guest novel

Traitor's Codex"

I finished this - one of the better ones in the series. In this entry, Guest has three mysteries to solve -

1 - someone drops a mysterious book in his lap with the message that he would know what to do with it

2 - someone is impersonating him and possibly scamming people and damaging his reputation

3 - Richard II queen has died and is suspected that she might have been poisoned

He manages to solve all three mysteries
(view spoiler)[
The book is a copy of "The Gospel of Judas" and three people Guest has asked to look at it are killed. There is a Bishop who also looking for it and wants the book burned. It turns out the book was sent to him by Henry Bolingbroke

The queen died of natural causes, much to the relief of John of Gaunt and others - Guest investigation brings a reconciliation of a sorts with Richard. This story line really explains the nature of the relation between Guest and both John and Richard

Guest finds the imposter and makes it clear that this has to stop

(hide spoiler)]

I rated a strong 4 stars

also posted in the Historical Mystery thread

Currently reading the first book in N. Gemini Sasson's trilogy on Robert the Bruce

[Marilyn]

Have read the Bruce trilogy. Very good read. Wish she wrote more.

[Diego]

Just started The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin

It's the second on the Erast Fandorin detective mysteries. I bought the first 3 - of only 5 that have been translated to English so far -, and though I found the first one a little clumsy and amateurish, I still want to pursue this because of the setting.

I love 19th century Europe, and lately I'm more interested in the late period than the Napoleonic times (still love them, but there are just too much of them). It's not that easy to find novels outside of the typical British Colonialism / Victorian scenario, such as Ottoman and Balkanic wars of independence, unification of Italy, Germany, among others taking place around central and eastern Europe.

This series covers late 19th century Russia, and this one specifically happens during the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1877 on the Balkans.

[Tamara]

I finished The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani. It focuses on the fate of a young girl passionate about making rugs. The setting is 17th century Persia. The details bring the sights and sounds and smells of the city to life. The description of rug-making was fascinating. And in true Middle Eastern fashion, there are folk tales within the tale.

My 4-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Marilyn]

Reading “Beethoven: The Man Revealed” by John Suchet. I got this recommendation from May Thanks May.

[happy]

Marilyn wrote: "Reading “Beethoven: The Man Revealed” by John Suchet. I got this recommendation from May Thanks May."



I read it a couple of yrs ago - I agree good book

[May]

Reading THE ARCHER’S TALE by Bernard Cornwall!! Taking a break from the Saxons...

[Tim]

Odin's Wolves by Giles Kristian. It's the third book in his Raven trilogy and has Norseman sailing into the Mediterranean to the Byzantine Empire. Makes a change from reading viking stories set mostly in Britain.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Just finished The Ruin. Didn't think that much of it. 2 stars.

Now reading,

[Bobby]

Reading

[Leona]

Started The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It is a re-read and a book club read for the "Y book club. The series was on TV not too long ago.

[Linda]

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

[Linda]

I finished What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon yesterday. The book was free on Bookbub, and it was a two day read. I would not give two cents for the first half of the book, but the second half...my goodness! I have thought about the book since closing it yesterday. It is historical fiction and fantasy set mostly in Ireland in 1920-22 during a period of great unrest for the Irish who want Britain out of Ireland's statehouse among other things. Many of the characters were real and directly involved with the fight for a free Ireland. A time traveler from 2001 winds up in Ireland during the troubled period and knows what will happen to her friends and does intervene when possible to change history somewhat. Every chapter of the book is prefaced with a timely poem by William Butler Yeats. The love interest between Thomas and Anne is integral to the plot. First she travels from 2001 to 1920, then he travels from around 1933 to 2001 to be with Anne and have the family started in or around 1922. The author writes about the potato famine that knocked Ireland to its knees. I especially enjoyed that section because it parodied what I have seen on the Victoria series on PBS. There is a child's poem about the wind, but I cannot remember the title or its subject. If there is anyone who can help me, please do.

[Linda]

The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson. This author is new to me. I started the book months ago and was interrupted by something else I wanted to read.

[Linda]

Finished The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson today. Think I started it yesterday. I am going to read Trinity by Leon Uris next. I have been re-reading his books throughout this year. I ran upon a review by 'Linda' who has read the book six times and is an authority on some subjects of the book. It was an excellent review that provoked several comments, but I do not believe the review was mine. The icon was not my icon. I am not an authority on any subject, and I have not read the book six times. ???

[Tim]

Finally finished the Raven saga.


Now I'm going to give Ben Kane try for the first time with the Forgotten Legion. Found it conveniently earlier this week alongside the second book in a second hand bookshop.

[happy]

Good luck with them, I really enjoyed them!

[Jaime]

I am reading Daniel Peters' 'The Luck of Huemac."

The Luck of Huemac

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

The Never Game

Reading The Never Game

[Marilyn]

Reading “Sand and Steel” by Peter Caddick-Adams.

[May]

I’m looking for a well written, well researched biography of Charles Francis Adams, John Quincy’s son. Any suggestions??

[happy]

Marilyn wrote: "Reading “Sand and Steel” by Peter Caddick-Adams."



IM(not so)HO - the single best book on D-Day that I've read. It was a 5 star read for me.

I hope you find it as enjoyable and interesting as I did!

[Marilyn]

For me, it’s chock full of new information. Nothing like the passage of 50 or 60 years to find out the truth of a situation.

[Jane]

The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse. 16th century, about Huguenots and the religious wars of that period.
Sextus Valerius: Varusgold by Michael Kuhn. a young man joins the XVIII Legion and becomes an optio. I'm sure Teutoberg will figure in the story. Told in 1st person so far.

[Lariela]

I just started Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the War for Crown and Empire by James Romm.

[Diego]

Halfway through Master and Commander .

2 stars so far. By looking at other reviews, it looks like I'm falling into that group that finds all the nautical terms tedious, and were also expecting a little more adventure after watching the movie - though I don't remember most anything tbh.

I hope it gets better as to at least add a third star. Guess I was expecting more plot and storytelling a la Cornwell.

[Tim]

Diego wrote: "Halfway through Master and Commander .

2 stars so far. By looking at other reviews, it looks like I'm falling into that group that finds all the..."

I read the book a few years ago as I really liked the film. It wasn't bad but I agree that the narrative suffered from its focus on nautical detail. That being said I haven't read any other books so the series may have improved over time.

Funny enough this interview with Cornwell from years provides this quote from Patrick O'Brian:

"O’Brian once said that the trouble with Forester and Cornwell was that there was “too much plot, not enough lifestyle”."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/b...

[Diego]

Tim wrote: ""O’Brian once said that the trouble with Forester and Cornwell was that there was “too much plot, not enough lifestyle”."

w00t!! Starting to dislike this guy already :P Should have started with Forester instead!

He has a point though. Cornwell doesn't put too much detail into his books, at least in the Sharpe and Uthred books I've read so far. For me the perfect HF needs both rich detail on environments, society and lifestyle but also an entertaining plot, not just characters rambling on pointless conversations.

Still curious if this is just a first book syndrome and the series actually gets a little better afterwards.

[Tim]

I think that is the most challenging part of writing historical fiction when having to balance the show and don't tell aspect.

[Michael]

Reading Susanna Gregory's The Tarnished Chalice.

[May]

I was just introduced to Susanna Gregory... do you like her work?

[Michael]

May wrote: "I was just introduced to Susanna Gregory... do you like her worK?

I have become hooked on the series. The author has done her research well.

[May]

I was given the entire set...minus 1st book. I think I’m heading to the library!! Thank you!!

[Tim]

I'm reading The Long Goodbye - really enjoying it but wondering if its historical fiction or not? When it was written it was probably contemporary fiction I suppose.

[Bobby]

The Tarnished ChaliceMichael wrote: "Reading Susanna Gregory's The Tarnished Chalice."

[Bobby]

Reading Wanderers
We’ll see where this takes me!

[Mark]

Bobby wrote: "Reading Wanderers
We’ll see where this takes me!"

Or there and back again, Bobby 😉

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I have two very different books on the go. Reading the Jeffery Deaver book I mentioned about 10 posts back, but also reading Salt Creek

Australian historical fiction.

[Linda]

Reading Caribbean by James Mitchener.
Want to read The Tarnished Chalice after Bobby writes a review!

[Marilyn]

I just finished reading “Sand and Steel “ by Peter Caddick-Adams re the planning of D-Day and the D-Day landings on all five beaches. Cassock- Adams himself served as a British officer for 35 years. This book has the advantage of being privy to heretofore secret papers that were unavailable to previous authors. Not even Eisenhower, Bradley or Montgomery were allowed to divulge these secrets in their own memoirs.

One another note, I finally decided to follow on Brother Cadfael’s adventures. I am reading the first of the chronicles “A Morbid Taste for Bones” by Ellis Peters.