I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles

I love English History, particularly the Tudor era. I have read historical fiction from Richard III through Henry VIII and Mary I, mostly from Phillipa Gregory and Sharon Kay Penmen (Richard III). This was the first book I have read solely about Elizabeth I. Overall, I enjoyed the book. My one complaint is Miles should have included Dates in her writing to get a persepective of when things were happening. I had to use the deaths of the characters in the family tree to figure out when things were happening. As far as the events, I think Miles was pretty true to history, but I'm not sure how true to Elizabeth's character she was. Elizabeth was a true Queen in her actions. She fought for her throne and wanted to do what was best for her country. She was unlike her father and sister who put themselves first and their country second. She tried to regain peace that her sister destroyed. She rejected her true love, Robert Dudley for the sake of her country. Although she had many loves (lovers?) she did what she thought was best for England. The book was unclear about how intimate she was with her men. Overall, I thought this was a good read.

The Coffin Dancer by Jeffrey Deaver

audio book

This was an entertaining book for a long car trip. It was much better than I expected. Inspector Lincoln Rhymes and his assistant Amelia Sachs try to catch a killer who Rhymes has been chasing for years. The killer, called the Coffin Dancer based on a tattoo on his arm, is hired to kill people. The detectives must not only catch the killer, but the person who hired him.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

This is the third book in Gabaldon's Outlander series. Claire finds that Jamie is still alive in 18th Century Scotland, so she leaves her daughter to travel back in time to find Jamie. They rekindle their passionate love along with some crazy adventures. The book takes them across the sea to Jamaica to find Jamie's nephew Ian that has been kidnapped by pirates. The book has a ton of adventure and love scenes. It concentrates more on the events around Jamie and Claire than on the history of the time. I can't wait to start the next book in the series, Drums of Autumn.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Kahled Houssini

audio book

This was a great book that I think everyone should read. It tells the story of two Afghan women, Miriam and Laila and the hardships they endure. It is difficult to read at times and it makes you angry. The reader must remember that this book takes place during modern times. It amazes me how poorly women are thought of and treated all in the name of religion. I don't understand the reasoning behind women being considered less than a man. The things these two women had to endure are so much more than what we have had. The abuse that is deemed acceptable makes you want to scream. The book talks about the events of 911 from Miriam and Laila's point of view and it is important to know that these select few people who destroyed our world do not represent the feelings of the country and are responsible for the oppression of the people. This book made me appreciate more the freedoms and opportunities that I have and that I can stand up and fight for my rights.

Tough Cookie by Diane Mott Davidson

audio book

another murder mystery featuring Goldy the caterer.

1916 by Morgan Llewellyn

This was a great book particularly if you are a fan of historical fiction. It is a story about the Irish rebellion through the eyes of Ned Halloran. It mixes fictional characters with real characters. The book grips the reader instantly and has them fall in love with Ned during the first few pages. Him and his parents board the Titanic to go to America to go to his sister's wedding. As we all know, the Titanic sinks, but Ned survives. His parents unfortunately do not. After he returns to Ireland he attends a boys school run by Padriac Pearse, a key player in the Rising. the book follows Ned through his part in the Rising and the aftermath. I look forward to reading the sequel, 1921.

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

audio book

I tried to listen to this on audio and didn't get very far. I have the book to read and may give it another try. I usually love classics, but couldn't get into this one. The story is about a young orphan girl who rises above and follows her through her five marriages. I felt that it was a slow moving story and not much happened. I couldn't get attached to the main character.

The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett

I had heard raving reviews of Dunnett's writing and how wonderful it is, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, I couldn't finish it. I read until the last hundred pages and then gave up. I rarely stop reading a book, too. They book had promise, but I could only read a few lines at a time without having to put it down. I got bogged down with the large amount of songs in a foreign language. The book takes place in Scotland in 1547 with the return of Francis Crawford of Lymond who is charged with treason. He leads a group of men against England to fight for Scotland. I have heard that the Niccolo series is much better and may give it a try.

Hard Eight by Janet Evonavich

audio book

As usual Stephanie Plum is up to her usual amusing hijinks. My husband listened briefly to the tape and found it hilarious. In this book, Stephanie is looking for missing persons, Evelyn and her daughter Annie instead of brining in a criminal. However, there is someone who does not want them to be found. Along with looking for Evelyn and Annie, there is Stephanie's perfect sister, Valerie, who has a nervous breakdown. a nerdy lawyer, Albert Cloughn, and Grandma Mazur. Morelli is not a big player in this book, but Ranger certainly is. Stephanie starts to realize that maybe she does want to marry Morelli, but hot Ranger keeps getting in the way.

Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson

Another book with Goldy as the heroine that combines cooking and murder. You would think that people would notice that everywhere Goldy goes there is a murder and stop having her cater their events. In this book, Goldy is catering an event at the mall where the mall manager ends up dead. Goldy's young assistant Julian is named as the prime suspect. Goldy tries to clear Julian's name while keeping herself alive. The main suspects live in a material world where things and their name are worth killing for.

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors

Set in 17th century India, this is a beautiful love story about the building of the Taj Mahal. I haven't researched how accurate the story is. The ruler of India loses his wife in childbirth and asks Isa to build a mausoleum in her memory. While he is doing so, the daughter, Jahanara falls in love with him. She is already married to a horrible man. The book follows the secret affair between Jahanara and Isa and the birth of their daughter. There is also a political aspect to the book as well. The sons, Dara and Aurangzeb, are vying for the throne. Dara is the rightful heir. Aurangzeb is a horrible, greedy person and plots against his daughter and sister. It is a wonderful book about about love and politics and a woman who refuses to give in.

The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid

audiobook

This was a nice easy listen. I needed a good mystery. It took a little bit to get into, but i really enjoyed it. Jane Gresham is a English professor interested in Wordsworth. When a body turns up in her hometown centuries old, she believes that it is Fletcher Christian, a mutious soldier who Wordsworth wrote an unpublished manuscript. The identifying tattoo of Christian had been removed. It was thought that a member of the community had the manuscript. As Jane searched for the manuscript, those believed to have it started dying. I thought the book would be more about identifying Christian, but it centered around the search for the lost manuscript.

Seven Up by Janet Evonavich

Stephanie Plum strikes again! This book was a nice relaxing listen. The love triangle between Stephani, Morelli, and Ranger heats up. I, myself am a Morelli fan.

The Lighthouse by P.D. James

audiobook

I didn't think that this was one of her better books. There wasn't very much action and Adam Dagliesh was sick through most of it. All in all, I felt that not much happened.

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

I started this book back in July before I went on my Harry Potter marathon. I found it to be touching and tragic. It traced the Wingo family through Tom Wingo's birth to adulthood. Although he is the narrator, the book focuses on his mentally ill sister and abusive father.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

This was the last and long awaited book in the Harry Potter series. It was good, but not the best of the seven books. It had a lot of action and tied up a lot of loose ends. She definitely did not leave it open to more books.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

In this book, love abounds. The hint of a possible romance between Ron and Hermione starts to form, but Ron can be seen making out with Lavender just to make her jealous. Also Harry and Ginny hook up, but he pulls the spider man at the end and says that he can't be with her because he won't get hurt. Harry also discovers a potion book that helps him leap to the head of the class in potions class which turns out to belong to Snape. He also starts having lessons with Dumbledore which delves into Voldemort's past. Draco Malfoy has bee summoned by Voldemort to kill Dumbledore and Snape promises his mother he will help him. Which side is Snape on??? Dumbledore and Harry go in search of Voldemort's horcrux (part of his soul) When they come back Malfoy confronts Dumbledore, but can't kill him. Instead Snape finishes him off. Now they are talking about closing Hogwarts. What will happen in the next book! I can't wait!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling

The fifth book of the series starts to get really exciting. I found it dragging a little bit, but it my be because I just saw the movie. The three wizards are growing up and becoming teenages. The book introduces Loony Luna Lovegood who turns out to be a big help. Harry realizes that he and Voldemort have a connection and can see into his mind. He rescues Arthur Weasley this way. Profesor Snape is supposed to help Harry block Voldemort from entering Harry's brain. Voldemort figures out this connection and lures Harry to him through Sirius. He is trying to get the prophecy which states that only one of them may live. Harry and his friends fight Voldemort and the death eaters, but Sirius is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. I felt that the movie did not do this book justice.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

This is my favorite Harry Potter book. In this book, Harry learns more about his parents and Voldamort. He also becomes one of the champions in the triwizord tournament. Here, Harry is faced with all sorts of challenges and proves himself to be a good person. Although, in tis book Harry starts to become some what of a jerk. It is also here that Harry gets his first taste of romance with Cho Chang. The death of Cedric Diggory in the tournament becomes a tragic part of Harry's life. Harry also fights Vodlemort again and wins.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

This is the book where things start to turn darker and more grown up for
Harry Potter. This book is more of a leading book, setting things up for the rest of the series. It introduces Harry's godfather Sirius Black, who is an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, the prison. It is also where Voldamort really begins to gain power.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second installment of the Harry Potter Series. Harry is in his second year and Voldemort is becoming stronger. In this book, he is trying to open the Chamber of Secrets which is used to get rid of all wizards of "muggle" descent. Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister makes an appearance and Voldemort shows his original self as Tom Riddle when he was at Hogwarts through his diary.

Harry Potter and the Sorcere's Stone by J.K. Rowling

The marathon has begun. I have started rereading the Harry Potter series in preparation for the new movie and book. I'm not going to say much about these books in general.

The first book introduces Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and ROne Weasley along with Hogwarts and the wizarding world. Harry has been living with his mean Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin for 10 years after his parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldemort. He finds out that he is really a wizard and is sent off to Hogwarts school. At Hogwarts he is met with a lot of fame and attention. He learns how to play the sport Quidditch and has to outwith Voldmort to save him from finding the Sorcere's Stone..the key to long life.

The Other Woman by Jane Green

audio book

This was a nice listen for my car ride down to NC. It was a funny novel about a woman's dealings with her mother-in-law. However, I felt that no matter how pushy Linda, the mother in law was, Ellie didn't giver her a chance about a lot of things. When Ellie first met her husband Dan's family, she instantly fell in love with them. However, when Linda began taking over their wedding, things started taking a turn for the worse. Then, Ellie and Dan have a baby boy, Tom. Linda does everything against Ellie's wishes and again pushes herself in. I think, though if Ellie had let go, just a little bit things wouldn't have been so bad. For Example, when Linda gives Ellie gifts for the baby, although it was before she was ready to start decorating and stuff, Ellie gets mad. I am taking whatever gifts I get, whenever I get them. One day, things turn from bad to worse. Linda drops Tom while vacationing in France and Ellie finds out that her best friend Lisa is having an affair with her father-in-law and her and Dan decide to separate.

All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable listen. It was something nice and relaxing for the summer.

Trace by Patricia Cornwell

audio book

I enjoyed this audiobook. It was nice and entertaining for the car ride down. It seems like Cornwell alternates between Scarpetta talking in first person and third person. One thing that has bothered me about Cornwell is that she introduces the killer in the beginning of the book which does tend to take away some of the suspense.

Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan

I usually love Amy Tan's books, but this one just didn't do it for me. It was Ok, but not as good as her others. Usually her books are more about the Chinese culture and family relationships. In the book, the main character was chinese, but it was only important because the group of Americans took a trip to China and Burma. Bibi, plans a trip with 11 of her friends, but she dies right before the trip. The friends decide to go anyway and Bibi goes in spirit and narrates the story. The friends have one disaster after another and then disappear. I felt that they were generally stupid, ignorant Americans and much of the problems could have been avoided with some common sense. I guess there would have been no book then. IT turned out that the group was captured by a Burmese trip because they thought one of the boys was their saviour. In the end, they were all rescued and everyone lived happily ever after. A little bit too tidy of an ending for me.

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

audio book

as usual, you can never go wrong with Stephanie Plum. Even the
reader, Debi Mazur, is starting to grow on me. In this book, Stephanie's romance with Morelli grows. Ranger is on the loose, so that romance is on hold. Her grandmother moves in and she gets a dog left with her. Normal Stephanie antics.

The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

I didn't like this book as much as I liked the others in the Thursday Next series. It seemed to be too quirky and too many puns. It also seemed to have too much about the "book world" and not enough action. I did like the tie-in to his new Jack Spratt series and how the change in spellings from British to American came about because there were not enough u's. It was a cute book, but I'm hoping the next one is better.

Restoration by Rose Tremain

Restoration is set in the 17th century during the reign of Charles II, but that is where the history ends. I expected this book to be about Charles II or to reflect more of the history. I was disappointed. The main character, Robert Merivel, is not a likable protagonist. I found him to be quite irritating. He is a womanizer and is self-centered. The king takes him into his court as the physician. During his stay, the dog Minette becomes ill. Instead of curing the dog, he decides to have sex. Then the king has him wed his mistress Celia. His one instruction is to not fall in love with her, so what does he do? You guessed it. After Merivel is kicked out of court, he goes to stay with his Quaker friend John Pearce. While he is there, he takes care of some mentally ill patients. Just when you think that he is turning around, he can't control himself and sleeps with Katherine, a mental patient, and gets her pregnant. After John dies, he and Katherine leave to go live with her mother. In the end, Merivel does change his ways, but not until the very end.

From Potters Field by Patricia Cornwell

another Kay Scarpetta mystery. I liked this one better than the last aCornwell book I just read. Not much to say about it; a fast-paced murder mystery. Some good fluff in between books.

Vanity Fairby William Makepeace Thackery

I started Vanity Fair once before and couldn't really get into it. However, the second time around was a lot different. I really enjoyed it. Of course there were some spots were it got really dry, but for the most part it was interesting. There was always some kind of twist and turn. The book was about Becky Sharpe's rise to fortune and then her fall and then rise again. It showed how some people can be so cruel and conniving. Amelia was born into wealth and all she wanted was to get married to George Osborne. Her family loses everything and the Osbornes's cast her aside. They won't have anything to do with her until the end of the book. George marries her anyway, but they dies leaving her with a young son. While this is going on, Becky is living it up and not spending any money. However, her husband leaves her and she becomes destitutes until the end when Amelia's brother leaves her money. The story ends will because Amelia marries Captain Dobbin who has loved her from the beginning and has lots of money.

Next by Michael Crichton

audiobook

Next is typical Michael Crichton. It explores the world of biotechnology and what happens when you start to mess with nature. It was better than the last book of his I read, but still not great. It seemed a little too far fetched, particularly the transgenic monkey that was passed off as a boy, but didn't quite work. I did like the transgenic parrot that did math. That was pretty cool.

High Five by Janet Evonavich

audio book

As always I enjoy the adventures of Stephanie Plum. I just can't understand why she changed readers. I really don't like Debi Mazur. Plus, her readings are always abridged. High Five was normal Stephanie Plum, getting in to trouble, romance with Morelli. Now, there's a new twist, Ranger. I will be interested in the next book to see who she picked.

All That Remains by Patricia Cornwall

This was a nice fluff book that I read in between two doorstops. It was fast paced and an easy read. It starred Dr. Kay Scarpetta and was about a killer that killed only couples.
It touches a little on her romance with Mark, and on again, off again relationship, and her friend Abby who is writing a book about the story and may be betraying her trust. I have another Cornwall book waiting for me after I finish Vanity Fair.

The God of Small Things by by Adunhrati Roy

audio book

At first I did not like this book, but by the end. it began to grow on me. It is about to Indian twins Rahel and Esta and the death of their English cousin Sophie Mol. However, the story didn't get to that part until over halfway through. It seemed to be a bunch of side stories about each character, but tied together int he end. It was an interesting book that gave a lot of information about the Indian caste system and how it worked. I did not like how the story jumped around from flashbacks to flashforwards.

The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye

I read The Far Pavilions for my historical fictions book group. I would rate it about 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it, but found it kind of slow moving. It takes place in India in the 19th century. The book consists of three stories. The first part introduces Ashton Pelham-Martyn an English boy whose parents die and is raised by Sita, their Indian maid as Ashok, and Indian child. Ash and Sita live in Gulkote with the prince Lalji. Ash is his servant, his reward for saving his life. Here he meets Lali's half-sister Anjuli. I found this section of the book very interesting. It contained a lot of Indian culture of how people were treated with respect to royalty, the role of women, and how the royal family worked. One custom that was introduced was suttee, which although outlawed was still practiced in many small towns. Suttee is where a widow throws herself on her husnands pyre and burns herself along with him.

The next part of the book is where Ashok escapes from Gulkote and returns to England and joins the English military, The Guides. Here he meets and falls in love with Belinda. This is where the story slows down again.

Fast forward a few years and Ash is sent on a mission to escort a wedding party to Bhithor where a two women are to marry the Raj. He finds out that one is his beloved Anjuli and the other his her sister Shushila. Shushila is the head bride, Anjuli is just along for the ride. Here Ash and Juli confess their love for each other and he asks her to run away with him, but she says that she must stay with her sister. So, he goies back to his army work. Later, he finds out that the Raj is on his death bed and both sisters are expected to take part in suttee. So, Ash goes to rescue Juli. Needless to say, he is successful and they marry, which was a big deal because of him being English and her Indian, which complicates the Indian caste system.

Here is where I thought the book should end, but it continues on into the Ash's role in the Anglo-Afghan war. There is little mention of Juli and their relationship. In fact,at one point he says he was gong to do what he wanted regardless of her. Why bother going through all the trouble of rescuing her. I don't know if it was because I wanted to be through with the book, but I did not like this part. I have attached a link to the war which gives information about this part of the book.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Game

Reservation Road by John Burnham Schwartz

audio book

Reservation Road is a story about a family whose son is killed late one night by a hit-and-run driver. It is intertwined with the story of the man who killed him. We hear from the voices of the mother, father and the killer. I thought, all, in all, that it was a well written book, but I felt that the story was something that I've already read many times before. It was fairly predictable throughout the book and the ending was no surprise. It's not a book that I would recommend, but it is not a bad book either.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham

audiobook
I found this book to be very boring and depressing. It was basically about 3 women who hate their lives. They are unhappy in their relationships and are on the brink of suicide. I know there are a lot of people who can identify with the women, but I don't want to read about it.

Versailles by Kathryn Davis

Versailles is about Marie Antoinette's reign as Queen of France. It was a very oddly written book as it was written in first person (Antoinette) and also third person talking about her. There were also portions written as play scenes. I felt that it did not give much background of Marie Antoinette and did not really show her personality. It also left out large parts of the history. I felt that it was easier for me to follow since I just watched a movie about Marie Antoinette not long before I read this book.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

audio book

I am surprised that I have never read this book before as a child. For a young adult book, it has a lot of adult themes. The book is about a society that has taken away choices and uniqueness in order to protect its member. The people do not see color and do not hear music. They must take pills in order to prevent "stirrings." At each age of their lives they hit a new milestone. For example at 8 the kids get a new grown up coat and at nine they get a bike. At 10 they lose their childish haircuts and at 12 they are told what they will do for the rest of their lives. They are named at 1 and given to parents. The adults must apply for a spouse which is chosen for them and kids. When the kids grow up they parents become single again and when they get old they go to a special house where they are taken care of. They are safe and protected, but also do not feel emotions such as love. However, they do feel happiness and sadness, Jonas has been given the job as keeper of memories where he learns about colors and music and love. He learns what it really means to be "released" from the society. He decides that it is better to feel pain and love then to live a life without pain and sadness and without love. The book has a lot of religious and political undertones about choice and if we are better off given to make our own choices. Also, is it better to feel the deepest sadness and loss in order to feel the wonders of love or is it better to go through life without pain, but without love? Also, is it better to all be the same without jealousy and competition or is it better to be unique and celebrate our differences?

Death in Holy Orders by PD James

It's been a long time since I've read a good mystery and this one was very good. The story begins with Commander Adam Dagliesh being called to a seminary after one of the students has died. The story then evolves to the death of the Archbishop. The book had lots of twists and turns and side plots. Everyone was a suspect. I won't ruin the ending by saying who did it.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

audio book

This was a very sad and touching book. I always enjoy Toni Morrison's writing. It is very poignant. The book is about 3 young black girls particularly one, Piccola. She is a not very attractive girl who ends up getting raped by her father. Her mother doesn't believe her and beats her for it. She is so unhappy and wants to be accepted by others that she thinks if she has blue eyes, like white people, she will be beautiful. She receives her blue eyes, but still isn't happy abut them and is constantly worrying if they are blue enough.

The Alchemist by Paul Cuehlo

This was a short audio book, but I liked it. It was about a boy who is searching for treasure, bbut falls in love and learns some life lessons along the way.

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

audio book

This is one of the worst books I've "read" in a long time. I'm hoping that much of this book is fiction because there's no way there are real people in the world like this. Everyone in this book is so weird and most of the book was so gross it made me cringe. I'm surprised that I finished it.

Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner

It's been a while since I've read some chick-lit and I have to say this one was pretty good. It kept me reading. It was a nice story about Cannie and oversized girl uncomfortable in her body and a good guy who's not really a good buy. It is good for people to see that most people who are overweight are trying to do something about their weight, but just aren't succeeding, which is jsut as hard as being fat. What overweight people don't understand is that skinny people also have body issues and hate other skinny people. I, myself have been blessed with good genes and eat way more than I should. however have always had body issues. When you are little and someone tells you that you are fat, you believe them and always think that you are. I always say that I would rather be 5 pounds overweight and eat what I want, than skinny and not being able to eat.

The book goes through Cannie's trials and tribulations from an absent father to a lesbian mother and an ex-boyfriend that turns out to be a jerk. When she becomes pregnant her world comes crashing down, but she realizes that she has a lot of people who care about her and falls in love again.

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

This is the second book in the Thursday Next series. It was a quick, easy read. I enjoy these books because of all the literary references and the book is one big pun. It amuses me that the person named John Smith has an unusual name. The books involve time travel and movement through books. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

'Tis by Frank McCourt

audio book
'Tis is the sequel to Angela's Ashes and McCourt tells of his move to America. McCourt writes so that the reader feels that they are right there with him. He finds a way to find something that the reader can identify with. He describes his mom who comes to visit and isn't happy about anything, the tea, even the lettuce isn't right. He finds a way to get into NYU even though he never went to high school and gets his teaching license. I wish he had gone into why he became a teacher, but we never know. When he describes his students and classroom I feel that he was describing mine. It's nice to know that kids really have not changed that much. The book ends with the death of both of his parents. It seemss kinds of like a crummy way to end the book, it's not like his life ended at that point.

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan

Amy Tan is one of my favorite authors. I love how she write about mothers and daughters and incorportaes all of the chinese traditions and culture. The Kitchen God's Wife is about a mother and daughter who have kept big secret's from each other and they have eaten away at their relationship. The mother finally tells the daughter the story of her real father and when she was born. The book takes you back to China during WWII and how "Whinnie" had to survive not only the Japanese, but a bad marriage. Her father and Aunts marry her off to Wen Fu who is a horrible person. Whinnie struggles to leave him while also following the Chinese culture for women. She has 3 children by him who all die. She oen day meets a Chinese American, Jimmie Louie and falls in love. She leaves Wen Fu and moves to Americal with Jimmie and lives happily ever after, but tnot before Wen Fu impregnates her with her daughter, Pearl.

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

audio book

I enjoyed this book much more than Wicked. It was a play off Cinderella and followed the story pretty closely. I liked how it showed that Iris, the Ugly Stepsister was not a mean stepsister and that Clara, Cinderella, was just as imprisoned by her beauty as Iris was by her ugliness. In the book, Clara chose to become Cinderella and actually preferred cleaning in the kitchen than going outside so that she could hide from her beauty.

Katherine by Anya Seyton

This book was about the life of Katherine Swynford who married John of Gaunt. Her line eventually gave Henry VII. The disclaimer by teh author said that the book is fairly accurate, but it seemed to me that the author gave a lot of her interpretation in order to make a good book. I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but got a bored in the middle. Katherine starts by marrying Hugh Swynford who is ugly and not very nice. She doesn't love him, but loves the Duke, John Lancester instead. She bears 3 children by Hugh. After Hugh dies and Johns wife Blanche dies they start a romance. However, he is married to the Queen of Castille. Katherine bears him many bastard children who are later legitimized when John and Katherine married. The part I didn't like was when there is an uprising against John and his mistress, so she cuts off the relationship. Her eldest daughter Blanchette runs away, so Katherine decides that God hates her and she must pay a penance. In general it was a good book, but not one of the best I have read.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

audio book

This was an extremely long audio book. It took me forever to listen to, however, I really enjoyed it. It is second in the Outlander Series and continues with Claire's time in 18th century Scotland. It beings 20 years after her return to present day. Her husband has just died and she returns to Scotland with her daughter by Jamie to tell her about her real father. Of course her daughter doesn't believe her. The story this time focuses more on the politics of the time and the Jacobite rising with some romance between Claire and Jamie thrown in. The book ends with Claire returning to present day and Jamie going off to fight the battle of Culloden. Claire finds out that one of the women she met in Scotland is in present day Scotland and is getting ready to travel to the past. this is a part that confused me because it means she traveled from Claire's future to the same part in the past. I am interested in reading the next installment in the series.

The Sunne in Splendor by Sharon Kaye Penman

I read this book for a book group and absolutely loved every 930 pages of it. It took me forever to read, but I loved every minute of it. My favorite part of history is English history and have mostly read about Henry VIII. The Sunne in Splendor is about the Plantagenent line, mostly Richard III. It begins with The War of the Roses where Richard's brother Edward wins the crown from Henry VI. The book followed all of Edward's and Richard's reign ending with the battle in which Henry VII wins the crown from Richard. The book was filled with action, romance, plotting and scheming. I felt as if I was right there with them. The book also painted Richard in a different light than most other historical novels I have read with calls Richard the Usurper and favors Henry taking the throne. The book also filled in some pieces from other historical novels that I have read. I am currently reading Katherine about Katherine Swynford, John of Gaunt's wife who is Henry VI Great-Grandmother. I have a habit of reading things backwards.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I loved this audiobook. I just wished I hadn't listened to the abridged version. It is about a woman who goes back in time to the 18th century Scotland. She gets married to Jamie Frasier in order to protect herself and falls in love. She decides to stay in the 18th century instead of returning to Frank, her current husband. The series is a love story about her and Jamie and also historical fiction about the restoration and the Jacobites trying to restore the Stuarts to the throne. I am currently reading the sequel and am also enjoying it (the unabridged version, this time.)

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

audio book
I believe that this book is a young adult book, but I am not sure. Either way, it was a nice light listen and I really enjoyed it. It told the story of two young girls from a poor familywho meets a rich American family and the richest brother, Simon, falls in love with the older sister, Rose. Although she is not in love with him, she agrees to marry him. Her sister, Cassandra, falls in love with Simon, but his brother Steven is in love with her. To make the love triangle more complicated, the other brother Neil is in love with Rose. The story ends happily with Rose calling off the engagement and marrying Neil.

The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

As always, I really enjoy Amy Tan's writing. It slowly brings me out of the rut I have been in. The Bonesetter's Daughter is about a Chinese mother and daughter and their relationship. I always enjoy how Tan incorporates the Chinese culture into her books. The story also shows what it is like to move to America from China and what it is like being a Chinese-American citizen. I look forward to my next Amy Tan book, The Kitchen God's Wife.

Casanova in Bolzano by Sandor Marai

This is an audiobook that I picked up on a whim. It was okay. I had expected more action, but it was a lot of dialog and not much happened.

The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dumas

I was extremely disappointed by this book. It was extremely depressing and unrealistic. The book started with this poor woman who is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic whose husband leaves her and then becomes evicted from her house due to a mistake by the county. The officer who comes to evict her is having marital problems and of course immediately falls in love with the woman, Kathy. A downward spiral to get her house back begins. It just doesn't make sense. How can you meet someone and then put your entire job and livelyhood in jeopardy and throw away years of marriage. Of course the Iranian Family that buys the house refuses to give it up. I then leads to the man holding them hostage and eventually the son getting killed. THen, as if the author didn't know what else to do, has the husband kill his wife and himslef and ry to kill Kathy. Kathy and the officer end up going to jail for kidnapping and no one lives happily ever after.

Four to Score by Janet Evonavich

This audio book had a different reader and I did not like her. As always I enjoy the Stephanie Plum stories, but this reader made it difficult. She lisped and didn't do different voices and was just really flat. Number 5 is read by her too. yuck!

Heat

Yummy! I really enjoyed this audio book. It was the story of a cook who worked in Mario Batali's kitchen and his experiences. I really enjoyed it. It told of how a kitchen rally works, his trips to Italy, and described how to make many dishes. I want to go out and cook pasta!

The Book of Saladin by Tariq Ali

This book is about Saladin's conquest over Jerusalem told by his scribe. I'm not sure how I felt about this book. The first part of it I was pretty distracted, so I don't hink I got the full affect. I was expecting more of an account of Saladin's life, but the book digressed to Ibn Yakub's (the scribe) life. I did not like how the titles of the chapters told about what was going to happen. I'm rally hoping I can beak out of my book rut soon.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

audio book
This book is about a young man's struggle to overcome drug and alcohol addiction. In general, I liked the book. I felt that it gave a good portrayal of what it is like to overcome these problems, however, I did not like Frey. He was so angry all the time, which is, I guess, why he had these problems to begin with, but I felt that he did not respect the people who were trying to help him. He also put down the AA 12 steps, which many people use and it works for them. Ok, if you don't agree with it, but don't put down what helps other people. Even at the end of the book I did not like him. I know there has been some scandal with the book that it is not 100% true. That doesn't bother me because i feel that he gets the point across well enough. I have to look up what he embellished and what is true.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

I actually finished reading this about a week ago, but am just now getting to writing it down. This book has been in my TBR pile for quite a while. I thought it was an excellent book. It was hard to read in that it was a true story, but I liked the way hew wrote as if he was the age in the book. I am looking forward to the sequel, 'Tis.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

audio book
THis book was not great, but not bad either. I often found myself drifting off, but in general it was a good book. It was about a Bangladeshi family that moved to England and their twin sons and an English man with a Jamaican wife and their daughter. I liked how the author went into detail about each character and their struggles however i didn't think she was a good reader. Her accents were annoying. The book also explored cloning, religious issues, and racial issues. I would give it about a 3 out of 5.

Memiors of Cleopatra by Margaret George

What a doorstop! This book was huge. It was a fiction account of Cleopatra told by herself. I really enjoyed this book and now I want to watch Rome! I still have questions of whether she was more politically or romantically driven in her relationships with Caesar and Marc Antony.

Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evonavich

audiobook-As always I enjoy Janet Evonavich and the Stephanie Plum series. CJ Critt does an excellent job reading. I'm kind of nervous about not listening to the books, if I would enjoy them as much. I liked this book better than the other two, but I think its because Stephanie's character is starting to develop. I look forward to the next one.

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

This is the second novel that I have read by Wally Lamb. At first I liked it better than I Know This Much is True, but by the end, I'm not sure. Overall, I liked the book, but I thought some parts were a little bit outrageous. She's Come Undone is about Dolores Price who is raped by a family friend when she is a little girl. As a result, she eats herself to over 250 pounds. She also distances herself from her family in the process. Dolores's life is spattered with tragedy. She goes off to college, but of course does not fit in. In the process she has a love affair with the dorm mother and stalks her roommates boyfriend. She eventually tries to kill herself and is committed to a mental hospital. This is where the book gets weird. Her therapy is odd, where the psychiatrist becomes her mother (who is dead) and then she leaves, finds Dante, her college roommate's boyfriend and marries him. Dolores keeps getting hit by tragedy after tragedy. Her marriage inevitably fails, and he Grandmother dies, her last living relative who she loves. Throughout the oddness of the book, I found Dolores a likable character although I think she had a little bit too much strife in her life. The book does take an upturn at the end where Dolores finally falls in love and lives happily ever after. All in all, i liked the book.

A Confederacy of Dunces JK Toole

audiobook-very silly

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I had a lot of expectations for this book. It is apparently a popular read; When I checked it out at the library the librarian even commented on it. However, I found it did not quite live up to its expectations. It definitely wasn't a bad book, but I didn't think it was great either. It's about a guy who is studying to be a vet at Cornell in the early 192os, during Prohibition. His parents tragically die so he packs up all of his things, leaves his exit exams and joins the circus as their vet. He inevitably falls in love with a woman, who is of course married. The book tells the story from Jacob's (the main character) point-of-view as a young man and as a 93 year old. I didn't really feel that the book had a strong plot or driving force to finish. Throughout the book there is a lot of animal abuse which was hard for me to handle. My overall rating of this book on a scale from 1 to 5 would be a 2.

Bee Season by Myla Goldberg

I really disliked this audio book. I have learned that books that are read by the author are usually not very good. Not only did I not like the book, but the author's portrayal was horrible. Sheee taalked like thiiis. Bee Season is about little Eliza who basically has nothing going for her except hat she is good at spelling. Then her entire family falls apart. What a lot to put on a little girl who needs something for her own. Her brother converts from Judaism to Hare Krishna and his relationship with his father is ruined. Her mother has spent the past 10 years posing as a lawyer, but instead has been stealing and using her trust fund as he salary. Who does this and wouldn't her husband realize that she didn't have pay stubs? Don't you call your spouse at work sometimes? So, to fix everything Eliza sacrifices all that she has worked for a throws the spelling bee thinking that it will return her family to normal. Poor kid.

The Last Town on Earth byThomas Mullen

The Last Town on Earth is a novel about the Spanish influenza during World War I. A town quarantines themselves to protect against the flu, but inevitably it invades the town. I really enjoyed this book. I like books with a historical backgrounds. This book shows how people react during a crisis and what they will do to protect their loved ones. It is about the challenges of love and friendship. I felt that this book was a realistic portrayal of human personalities.

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

I just finished this on audiobook and really enjoyed it. The use of multiple narrators for each character makes it all the better. It is the sequel to The Other Boleyn Girl and tells the story of Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard along with Jane Boleyn. I have always found the Tudor family interesting and Gregory does a good job of bringing these characters to life. Sometimes Gregory's style can be a little over dramatized and repetitive, however of the books I have read by her I liked this book the best.

Before Women Had Wings by Connie May Fowler

1-12-06

Before Women Had Wings was a quick easy read, but definitely not light. I like books that use imagery and similes and metaphors, so this book was a nice change from Picoult's which is so bland and straightforward. Since the book centered around a child who was abused and had an alcoholic mother it was difficult to read at time, but I really admired this child's courage and perseverance. The mother, too, although she was not a good mother and made many mistakes, you could tell that she wanted more for her children, but didn't know how to give it to them. I think this book was a realistic portrayal of what many children in this world have to endure everyday.

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

1/7/06

This book took forever to read. Well, i read a couple of books in between, but the time was well worth it. It started out a little bit slowly, but about a quarter of the way through the book picked up. I found the portrayal of Thomas's schizophrenia and his relationship with his twin Dominick to be touching and real.

The Thirteenth Tale By Diane Setterfield

1/2/07

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, but very entertaining. I found the story about the twins Adelne and Emmaline to be very eerie and suspenseful.