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What Are You Reading? December 2011

For discussions of historical fiction. Threads that do not relate to historical fiction should be started in the Chat forum or elsewhere on the forum, depending on the topic.
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javagirl
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Post by javagirl » Thu December 29th, 2011, 7:20 am

Just started the fifth book of the Outlander series: The Fiery Cross. Given it's length, I'll be on it for quite a while I'm sure. But loving it already. It's been a year and a half since I read Drums of Autumn, so to help me get back up to speed I'm also reading the Drums of Autumn synopsis from the Outlandish Companion book.

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sweetpotatoboy
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Post by sweetpotatoboy » Thu December 29th, 2011, 11:50 am

Was abroad visiting family for the past week. As I'm not very mobile these days, I opted out of a few activities so I've done plenty of reading, mostly not HF but mainly for book group reads:

Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce (weird comic-fantasy detective novel)
Trade Winds by Christina Courtenay (HF)
Achilles by Elizabeth Cook (Iliad-based novella)
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
The Last Empress by Anchee Min (HF; not quite finished)

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lauragill
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Post by lauragill » Thu December 29th, 2011, 8:26 pm

[quote=""sweetpotatoboy""]Was abroad visiting family for the past week. As I'm not very mobile these days, I opted out of a few activities so I've done plenty of reading, mostly not HF but mainly for book group reads:

Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce (weird comic-fantasy detective novel)
Trade Winds by Christina Courtenay (HF)
Achilles by Elizabeth Cook (Iliad-based novella)
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
The Last Empress by Anchee Min (HF; not quite finished)[/quote]

Achilles was a short but interesting read. What did you think of it?

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sweetpotatoboy
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Post by sweetpotatoboy » Thu December 29th, 2011, 9:17 pm

[quote=""lauragill""]Achilles was a short but interesting read. What did you think of it?[/quote]

I'm not that sure. Parts of it I thought were beautifully done. Others, pretentious.

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Brenna
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Post by Brenna » Thu December 29th, 2011, 10:43 pm

She-Wolves by Helen Castor. I've been reading it for awhile as I've made my way through the kings. However, I won't be getting any Edward I books for a bit so I thought I would go ahead and read it and be done. I'm just beginning Margaret of Anjou, one of my least favorite Queens thanks to SKP's Sunne.
Brenna

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lauragill
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Post by lauragill » Fri December 30th, 2011, 12:46 am

[quote=""sweetpotatoboy""]I'm not that sure. Parts of it I thought were beautifully done. Others, pretentious.[/quote]

I had the same reaction. Thetis in the ruins of the funeral pyre was well done, but I thought the last section, with Keats, was exceptionally pretentious.

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SonjaMarie
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Post by SonjaMarie » Fri December 30th, 2011, 2:56 am

[quote=""Brenna""]She-Wolves by Helen Castor. I've been reading it for awhile as I've made my way through the kings. However, I won't be getting any Edward I books for a bit so I thought I would go ahead and read it and be done. I'm just beginning Margaret of Anjou, one of my least favorite Queens thanks to SKP's Sunne.[/quote]

Good book.

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sweetpotatoboy
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Post by sweetpotatoboy » Fri December 30th, 2011, 9:14 am

[quote=""lauragill""]I had the same reaction. Thetis in the ruins of the funeral pyre was well done, but I thought the last section, with Keats, was exceptionally pretentious.[/quote]

Oh good! It wasn't just me. I know the Iliad to a degree but don't know Keats at all really and you think you needed to, to get anything out of that epilogue. It felt like the author was saying: I can't believe any vaguely well-read person and any reader of my book wouldn't know Keats inside out as well as the Iliad. It spoiled the whole book for me.

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fljustice
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Post by fljustice » Fri December 30th, 2011, 3:24 pm

Finished a review copy of The Discovery of Jeanne Baret (the first woman to circumnavigate the globe) by Glynis Ridley. An interesting read. I'll be doing a review later. Have an ARC up next: Conqueror: A Novel of Kublai Khan by Conn Iggulden.
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Brenna
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Post by Brenna » Fri December 30th, 2011, 3:32 pm

Ok so I posted something or at least thought I posted something but it didn't pop up. My apologies if this posts in duplicate!

I finished She-Wolves last night and started Ian Mortimer's The Greatest Traitor about Roger Mortimer. The font is very small so I may be reading other books while attempting to get through this one!
Brenna

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