What are you reading? April 2011

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Tue April 19th, 2011, 3:56 am

[quote=""SonjaMarie""]I've finished "Ladies of the Grand Tour: British Women In Pursuit of Enlightenment and Adventure in Eighteenth-Century Europe" by Brian Dolan (312pgs, 2001)*. An interesting look at how women traveled and what they did afterwards, like write travel books and such.SM[/quote]

I need to find the title, but I read an excellent book on the subject a few years back. Really fascinating stuff. You might also look into some later travelers: Gertrude Bell who worked closely with Lawrence of Arabia, and Freya Stark

Now reading Lord of Emperors, sequel to Sailing to Sarantium; so far so good!

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Tue April 19th, 2011, 4:06 am

[quote=""Ash""]I need to find the title, but I read an excellent book on the subject a few years back. Really fascinating stuff. You might also look into some later travelers: Gertrude Bell who worked closely with Lawrence of Arabia, and Freya Stark

Now reading Lord of Emperors, sequel to Sailing to Sarantium; so far so good![/quote]

I have a book on my BF queue that includes Bell "Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure". BF does have two bios on her but they both have some low scores.

If you remember the title, let me know.

SM

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue April 19th, 2011, 4:08 am

Barbara Hodgson's (NF) No Place for a Lady is an entertaining book about intrepid female travellers.

An exhibition called Wilder Shores was based on this book, and has a website with interesting bits and pieces.
http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/specia ... /index.htm

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Tue April 19th, 2011, 8:59 am

[quote=""Misfit""]The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnely. I know I'm going to love it, but I'm thinking I might have a few questions for my mountain climbling summited Mt. Everest boss...[/quote]

I am jealous!!!!!!

Brenna · Post by **Brenna** » Tue April 19th, 2011, 1:13 pm

Started Joan Wolf's The Edge of Lightabout King Alfred and I am already enjoying it!

CrimsonPetal · Post by **CrimsonPetal** » Tue April 19th, 2011, 6:37 pm

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly and Queen by Right by Anne Easter Smith.

Both good, so far!

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Wed April 20th, 2011, 2:24 am

I've finished two books today:
"The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy" by John Cannon & Ralph Griffiths (681pgs, 1988)*. Good book though some of the stuff about the government got a bit boring at times, it was many interesting when it talked about the ruler and their families.

"The Girls of Murder City: Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired 'Chicago'" by Douglas Perry.* Fascinating look at the real life killers and trials that inspired the play "Chicago" written by Maurine Watkins who was a police reporter during the trials. Her writings were scathing and she was extremely disappointed when both women got off. The play was on Broadway, then became a silent movie, a talkie with Ginger Rogers as "Roxie Hart" (but because of the Hays Code she was no longer a murderer but innocent), and then the famous musical first out in 1975, revived in the 90s and culminating in the 2002 Oscar winning movie.

SM

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Wed April 20th, 2011, 3:54 am

The Bible as History by Werner Keller (non-fiction)

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Wed April 20th, 2011, 5:19 am

[quote=""Misfit""]The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnely. I know I'm going to love it, but I'm thinking I might have a few questions for my mountain climbling summited Mt. Everest boss...[/quote]

I'm looking forward to the comments on that one...

Finished another Benjamin January novel by Barbara Hambly: Sold Down the River, and oh my goodness, is it good. Very intense, very dark, but written so darn well.

Now reading Please Look after Mom, a modern day Korean novel that is very insightful into a dysfunctional family.

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Wed April 20th, 2011, 1:30 pm

Picked up an old Helen MacInnes novel, While Still We Live, which begins in 1939 as the Germans invade Poland. I thought she might have written this during her hey day in the 50s or 60s, but noticed the copyright was 1944... so, it was written before the war even ended which gives the events an added dimension, I think.