March 2009 - What are you reading?

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Tue March 10th, 2009, 7:31 pm

I am now reading Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood.

lindymc · Post by **lindymc** » Tue March 10th, 2009, 9:49 pm

Just finished Excalibur, book 3 of Cornwell's Warlord trilogy and loved all three books. I plan to wait a week or so, and then read Helen Hollick's King Arthur trilogy to see how she handles Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere.

Started Silent on the Moor about an hour ago.

sweetpotatoboy · Post by **sweetpotatoboy** » Tue March 10th, 2009, 10:31 pm

[quote=""lindymc""]Just finished Excalibur, book 3 of Cornwell's Warlord trilogy and loved all three books. I plan to wait a week or so, and then read Helen Hollick's King Arthur trilogy to see how she handles Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. [/quote]

My personal recommendation would be to wait considerably longer than a week between the two trilogies. They are both excellent but not completely dissimilar in their approach, so it might be best to put some time between them so they don't get too merged in your mind when you think back on them. Just a thought.

Tanzanite · Post by **Tanzanite** » Wed March 11th, 2009, 12:36 am

Well, I decided that Gods Behaving Badly was so bad that it went "smack". I've moved on to the elusive Second Sister by Marie Sandeford (about Catherine Grey).

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Wed March 11th, 2009, 12:47 am

oh! You have to tell us how it is!

gyrehead · Post by **gyrehead** » Wed March 11th, 2009, 7:16 am

I finally read willig's first book. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. Wow was that bad. No attempt at plausibility or even really a real plot. The characterization was appalling sexist as the females read like a mix of Bridget Jones's vapid stupidity and a Barbara Cartland heroine breathless and with heaving bosom, natch.

The writing and plotting and characterization so bad that I didn't even care about the historical accuracy. Though I did howl at the expense of Willig and her Harvard education that has her historical heroine, supposedly well versed in classical literature and history, breathlessly and in supposedly brilliant insight, declare how the proof of ties between Ancient Greece and Egypt lies in the fact that Antigone takes place in Thebes. Yes. Apparently Willig never bothered to figure out that Thebes in Greece, a rather famous and significant city in classical Greek studies, is rather different from Thebes, capital of Egypt fame.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed March 11th, 2009, 11:52 am

[quote=""gyrehead""]I finally read willig's first book. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. Wow was that bad. No attempt at plausibility or even really a real plot. The characterization was appalling sexist as the females read like a mix of Bridget Jones's vapid stupidity and a Barbara Cartland heroine breathless and with heaving bosom, natch.

The writing and plotting and characterization so bad that I didn't even care about the historical accuracy. Though I did howl at the expense of Willig and her Harvard education that has her historical heroine, supposedly well versed in classical literature and history, breathlessly and in supposedly brilliant insight, declare how the proof of ties between Ancient Greece and Egypt lies in the fact that Antigone takes place in Thebes. Yes. Apparently Willig never bothered to figure out that Thebes in Greece, a rather famous and significant city in classical Greek studies, is rather different from Thebes, capital of Egypt fame.[/quote]

I was quite entertained by this one. You had to put your serious head aside and cut it some slack. There are a couple of reviews of it in the Reviews category on the forum.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Wed March 11th, 2009, 12:16 pm

It's narrative history not fiction: The Invention of Air by Steven Johnson. Priestley, Franklin, and other scientists of the Enlightenment.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed March 11th, 2009, 12:22 pm

Just finished The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman - 5 stars, will report later. Turkish harem circa 1599 + modern day interspersal.

Now reading a non historical - The Blood of Strangers by Frank Hulyer for Amazon Vine - gruesome but 5 stars I think

Research reading - Medieval Hunting by Richard Almond. I've often dipped into this but am now reading it cover to cover.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Wed March 11th, 2009, 1:35 pm

[quote=""Richard""]It's narrative history not fiction: The Invention of Air by Steven Johnson. Priestley, Franklin, and other scientists of the Enlightenment.[/quote]

Oh, the author was on Colbert last week; very interesting man (and with a sense of humor; he held his own with Stephen!)Let me know what you think of the book, it sounds like one I'd like to read.