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Susan's 2011 Reading Log

Keep track of your reading for 2011 here! One thread per member, please.
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Susan
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Location: New Jersey, USA

Post by Susan » Sat November 5th, 2011, 12:07 pm

26) A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin; finished 11/4/11; skimmed parts of this book, too many superfluous details, enjoyed the major plot lines though.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

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Susan
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Post by Susan » Wed November 16th, 2011, 2:05 am

27) The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman; finished 11/15/11; an engrossing, beautifully crafted novel that tells the story of Masada through the point of view of four women.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
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rebecca
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Post by rebecca » Thu November 17th, 2011, 4:48 am

[quote=""Susan""]26) A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin; finished 11/4/11; skimmed parts of this book, too many superfluous details, enjoyed the major plot lines though.[/quote]

I agree with your summing up. The author needs to discipline himself and not bog down his books with unnecessary details. I bought the Dovekeepers last week, but I'll be reading Lionheart first.

Also the Mary Sutter book, is that the one who won the Pulitzer?

Bec :)

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Susan
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Post by Susan » Fri November 18th, 2011, 12:15 am

[quote=""rebecca""]Also the Mary Sutter book, is that the one who won the Pulitzer?[/quote]

I checked the Pulitzer Prize listing for fiction and the answer is no. I do believe that is was a book Divia recommended a while back and I put it on my to be read list.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
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Susan
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Post by Susan » Fri November 25th, 2011, 3:34 pm

28) The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley; finished 11/25/11; had some issues with people in the past so readily accepting time travel, but overall an enjoyable read and Kearsley is a master at making her readers really feel the settings.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

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Susan
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Post by Susan » Sat December 3rd, 2011, 1:27 pm

29) Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick; finished 12/2/11; This is exactly the kind of historical fiction I like...a book about lesser known historical figures. I already knew quite a bit about Henry I's daughter Matilda from Sharon Kay Penman's books and my own research, but next to nothing about Adeliza of Louvain, Henry I's second wife. Thanks, Elizabeth Chadwick, for bringing these women (and those they knew) alive.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

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Susan
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Post by Susan » Sun December 11th, 2011, 3:38 pm

30) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; finished 12/11/11

I read several reviews of this book on Goodreads saying the readers could not get into this book. I will admit that at first I found it a bit disconcerting to have Death as the narrator and that the beginning seemed a bit slow. Don't give up on this book...persevere through it and you will be rewarded. It is set in Nazi Germany during World War II in a small town near Munich on a street in a poor neighborhood. Through the characters, including the narrator Death, the reader sees, feels, and understands the broad spectrum of humanity of humans. As I read the book, I found it more compelling, the characters came more alive, and I realized who better to serve as a narrator than Death who sees what humans can do to each other. The book is also about the impact of words, both the positive and negative, as seen through the eyes of the title character, a young girl. The emotions felt while reading The Book Thief are not always pleasant ones, but they are emotions that help us understand our fellow humans.
Last edited by Susan on Sun December 11th, 2011, 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
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Susan
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Post by Susan » Sat December 31st, 2011, 8:58 pm

31) Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman; finished 12/31/11; I usually don't enjoy reading about battles, but that's unavoidable when reading a novel about Richard I (Lionheart) during the Third Crusade. Of course, I knew that Sharon Kay Penman would be able to able to draw me into her novel with her exquisite writing and her always impeccable research. Her writing makes Richard seem as alive today as he was back in 1192 and I can't wait to read more about Richard in "A King's Ransom." I join Sharon's many other readers who are eagerly awaiting that book.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
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