What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?) Showing 9,451-9,500 of 10,105

[Adrian]

Diego wrote: "Started this week Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell

Already familiar with the setting because I bought years ago thin..."
I loved the Thomas of Hookton stories but did feel 1356 was an unnecessary tack on. In my review of 1356 I noted that Thomas had actually turned into Sharpe. He even had simple rules for his soldiers!

[Bobby]

[happy]

I just finished a NF look at Britain's first foray into Afghanistan



It's about the 1st Afghan-Anglo War/1838-1842 and the beginnings of the "Great Game" between Russian and Britain.

If put in mordern military idiom - it was a "Cluster F***!".The initial invasion went well but during the occupation just about every mistake that could be made, the British East India Company (who was technically in charge of India/Afghanistan at the time), made. in 1841, the entire garrison of Kabul was destoryedl trying to rech Jalabada, only one survivor mad itd, though there were about 1000 or so prisoners taken. The author also draws comparison with this defeat with the West current efforts in the country. Well written and extreemly well researche, highly recommended.

Currently reading



It's an anthology about "dangerous women" a mixture of fantasy, SF, and historical fiction. Martin contributes a novella along with Sharon Kay Penman and Diana Gablodon.

[happy]

What a mix of genres - I've read the fist first four stories, they are a fantasy, a crime drama, a straight HF (Set at the time at Henry II's court when he crowned the young Henry - King of England, Richard - Duke of Aquitaine, Geoffrey - Duke of Brittany - told through the eyes of Elenora, Henry and Elenore's daughter, and a SF story - all have been pretty good.

[Nev]

happy wrote: "I just finished a NF look at Britain's first foray into Afghanistan



It's about the 1st Afghan-Anglo War/1838-1842 and the beginni..."

Not sure if I need to keep all this earlier text to link to the previous post? Anyway, Thanks Happy! Dalrymple has a new book out called The Anarchy which I'm eager to read.

I've read a host of the Bernard Cornwell books, and have started on Anthony Horowitz next with the Magpie Murders

[Adrian]

happy wrote: "I just finished a NF look at Britain's first foray into Afghanistan



It's about the 1st Afghan-Anglo War/1838-1842 and the beginni..."

This was the background to the first of the Flashman books, which I daresay most on here have read. I re-read Flashman recently and couldn't help but think it would NEVER get published these days - so politically incorrect - but I would suggest very accurate in terms of C19 attitudes and I hate books which try to sanitise the past.

The Flashman books were outstanding works of HF.

[Linda]

I finished my Bernard Cornwell re-read project today! May, you will finish the last book soon. I am pleased that you and your husband enjoyed the series. With my roots being in England, where would I be today had there not been Alfred the Great and King Edward. I feel like the product of a good coin toss.lol

[Jerry]

Another n.f. Book that might be of interest for you Happy is ‘The Great Game’ by Peter Hopkirk. This includes the debacle of the first Afghan war, but takes an overview of events from Napoleonic times up to the Russian defeat in its war with Japan in 1905.

[May]

Thank you, Linda. We are looking forward to SWORD OF KINGS.

[Tamara]

I recently finished The Pagan Lord, book 7 in The Saxon series by Bernard Cornwell. I went from The Last Kingdom (book 1), which I read last year, skipped the in-between books, and went to book 7. I actually enjoyed book 7 more than I enjoyed book 1. I think the description of the battle scene at the end was thrilling. I might actually go back and read the in-between books. I'm thinking maybe Cornwell's books grow on you.

I still prefer Robert Low's Oathsworn series. I've read three of those. But my absolute favorite is the Boudica series by Manda Scott. I've read all of those.

My review of The Pagan Lord: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(Also posted in the Bernard Cornwell thread.)

[Darian]

I am currently reading Bedrock of Empire, the second book in the Cassius Chronicles by Thomas M.D. Brook following a Roman nobleman afflicted with PTSD.

[happy]

I finished Dangerous Women, only 3 stars

Like many anthologies it is wildly uneven. I really like the 3 historical fiction stories, but there were genres included, that I really don't care for - romantic dystopian, vampires, zombies and other mythical creatures etc. Even the SF was mildly disappointing, I'm a fan of S.M. Sterling, but was disappointed with his contribution. The 3 HF stories were by Sharon Penman- story of Queen Constance of Sicily and the birth of her son, Diana Gabaldon - An Outlander prequel - before he meet Claire and it has a bit of an O'Henry twist to it and Cecelia Holland- the a fore mentioned Henry II story. All three were excellent, but they are only about 100-125 pages of a 700 page book.

Martin contributes a GOT story that wasn't half bad, and I'm no GOT fan.

I didn't care for about half of the stories which is why I only gave it 3 stars.

[happy]

Darian wrote: "I am currently reading Bedrock of Empire, the second book in the Cassius Chronicles by Thomas M.D. Brook following a Roman nobleman afflicted with PTSD."

[Jane]

Darian wrote: "I am currently reading Bedrock of Empire, the second book in the Cassius Chronicles by Thomas M.D. Brook following a Roman nobleman afflicted with PTSD."

I enjoyed this one at least as much as the first in the series. I hope you do too.

[Laura Tenfingers]

I'm reading Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow. I'm liking the characters and how he explains Roman military structure and a day in the life of a Roman soldier, but they all sound like 20th/21st century soldiers and it's distracting!

[Diego]

I'm reading The Family by Mario Puzo

I've never read any of his books, just seen the Godfather movie trilogy, but have always been interested in his take of the Borgias since this book came out

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I'm reading by Meg Keneally

and I also am nearly finished a crime thriller.

by Candice Fox

[Jane]

Now reading Vitellius' Feast by L.J. Trafford, a semi-humorous treatment of part of the Year of the Four Emperors.

[C.P.]

For once I have something that's not historical fiction: a new biography of Ivan the Terrible: Free to Reward and Free to Punish by Charles J. Halperin, whom I've known forever, and The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep byH.G. Parry—which I guess would be considered either science fiction or fantasy.

[Laura Tenfingers]

I'm absolutely loving Brethren by Robyn Young. I think it's my favourite book of hers yet. I've also read her Robert the Bruce trilogy (starting with Insurrection) and Sons of the Blood, all of which I enjoyed, but this one is really hitting the sweet spot.

[May]

We thought that was her best series!!! Enjoy!

[May]

I’m just starting THE WONAN WHO SMASHED CODES!!

[Tamara]

I finished The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. It is set in Mississippi in the 1920s. It's a re-read for me because I wrote my Master's thesis on it eons ago. I think it is as brilliant now as it was when I first read it.

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

[Athom]

The Grass Crown. I am entranced by this series.

[Bobby]

The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies
And:
The Grass Crown

[happy]

I've been reading alot of NF on the Ottoman Empire recently. A couple of good reads that I can recommend for any interested



This looks at the battle for control of the Med, from teh fall of Rhodes to the battle of Lepanto, and includes the Ottoman siege of Matla. For me it was a 4+ star read



This in an overall history of the Ottoman Empire, I'm about half way through it. It's very readable, but short, only 325 pgs of text. I think it is a good Primer, so far it is a solid 4 star read

[May]

Bobby, I am interested in your opinion of WOMAN WHO SMASHED CODES. I couldn’t finish it... 😞

[Bobby]

May wrote: "Bobby, I am interested in your opinion of WOMAN WHO SMASHED CODES. I couldn’t finish it... 😞"

May, i havent read it i just added the sites for people because they werent included in the comments.

[happy]

I've just started Robert Harris'

Munich

[Kel]

The First Christian March to Jerusalem. It's now an audio book the folks in my mom's retirement community love it. Based on Robert the Munk's account of the first crusade.

[Henry]

I'm reading The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.

[May]

“The Dovekeepers” is an incredible book!!! Enjoy!

[happy]

[Bobby]

The Second Sleep

[Linda]

Re-reading Sarum: The Novel of England by Edward Rutherfurd.

[Leona]

Linda wrote: "Re-reading Sarum: The Novel of England by Edward Rutherfurd."

I am also reading but keep putting it aside to read something else.

[Allison]

^I need to get to that one. Or more of his books in geenerL. I’ve only read so far.

[Linda]

The trouble with Mr. Rutherfurd is that his books are so long, the reader needs a rest about halfway through the book. I keep laying it aside, too Leona. A tip: if you want to read Rutherfurd, do not read Sarum first. If you are from the USA, read New York. Russka was one of his better books. All that I have read were excellent, but Sarum just tends to move more slowly than his other books. I have not read The Forest, so I cannot comment on that.

[Leona]

Linda wrote: "The trouble with Mr. Rutherfurd is that his books are so long, the reader needs a rest about halfway through the book. I keep laying it aside, too Leona. A tip: if you want to read Rutherfurd, do n..."

Thanks, I will check on it. I really like the book but it is long. I have owned this book for years.

[Allison]

Linda wrote: "The trouble with Mr. Rutherfurd is that his books are so long, the reader needs a rest about halfway through the book. I keep laying it aside, too Leona. A tip: if you want to read Rutherfurd, do n..."

I DNF The Forest...

As an American, I have almost no interest in reading anything set in America. But I do think I want to read Russka and most definitely Paris!

[Kel]

Try the book I penned: https://ballotpedia.org/Kel_Britvec and

https://www.amazon.com/First-Christia...

Larry David would say they are both pamphlets.....

[Marilyn]

Politics!?!! You’re posting about politics in a literary thread?!!! You should be busted!

[Andrew]

I think Rutherford's books are slow by definition, covering as they do hundreds or thousands of years, and several overlapping generations of characters. I've read most of them, the odd one out for me was "Paris" which went back and forth in time, a strategy that just doesn't work for Rutherford's style, so strongly dependent on chronology.

[Tamara]

Finished The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It's considered a masterpiece but it just wasn't for me. I'm more of a Faulkner fan.

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

[Marilyn]

I’ve read this and other Hemingway stories and feel the same way. He just wasn’t there for me either.

[Tamara]

I'm glad I'm not the only one :)

[May]

The English teacher in me loved Hemingway’s novels. Loved teaching a few of them to my 7th graders.

[Marilyn]

Back in the old days when I took English 101 at the University of Houston my professor was in love with Faulkner and every Monday we were assigned to read a short story of his and on Friday we were required to hand in our “critique” of what we had read. We never once discussed the story. How can you write a “critique” about a story you didn’t understand in the first place. I was 17 almost 18. Somehow I managed to hand in my assignment each Friday but there was a price. I learned to hate Faulkner. I still hate him. His stories are gloomy and depressing. Ugh, ugh, ugh!

[Tamara]

It's amazing the impact teachers can have on our likes and dislikes. I'm sure if I sat in May's 7th grade class, I would have enjoyed Hemingway. A teacher's level of enthusiasm when he/she discusses a work makes all the difference in how students react.

And I'm not surprised you don't like Faulkner, Marilyn, since your teacher never allowed time to discuss his work. It strikes me as weird for a teacher to assign readings but never to discuss them in class--especially something as challenging as Faulkner's works.

I hope I'm not violating any group rules when I say this, but I'm moderating a group read of The Sound and the Fury starting April 1. I've allocated two months to discuss the novel. Feel free to join us if you want to tackle him, again. The group is the Classics and Western Canon, and I'm one of the moderators.

[Marilyn]

Thanks, Tamara, for your thoughts. I was luckier In senior English in 12 grade where we studied Shakespeare and Chaucer (where we had to study and memorize the first 42 lines of Chaucer’s Canterbury’s Tales in Middle English dialect and later MacBeth. My teacher really made it come alive for us. Also, English 102 where we read Julius Caesar. That teacher was warm and marvelous. Needless to say, I disagree heartily over this “tenure” business where longitivtiy and politics trump quality and dedication to one’s chosen profession.