What are you reading? May 2011

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 1:48 am

The Confession of Katherine Howard by Suzannah Dunn. I haven't really cared for her books before, but this one is going well; Dunn's slangy style, which grew tiresome for me when I was reading The Queen of Subtleties, works well here for this story of teenage friends who happen to be the queen of England and her chum.

LoobyG · Post by **LoobyG** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 5:32 pm

'Faberge's Eggs - The extraordinary story of the masterpieces that outlived an empire' by Toby Faber who also wrote a book on Stradivari's Genius and his violins. I gobble up anything on the Romanovs anyway but this book tells the story of Faberge and the creation of his star pieces, the eggs made as Easter gifts for the Czarinas Maria Fedorovna and Alexandra Fedorovna. Highly recommended

Elysium · Post by **Elysium** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 6:59 pm

Just started Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 7:43 pm

[quote=""LoobyG""]'Faberge's Eggs - The extraordinary story of the masterpieces that outlived an empire' by Toby Faber who also wrote a book on Stradivari's Genius and his violins. I gobble up anything on the Romanovs anyway but this book tells the story of Faberge and the creation of his star pieces, the eggs made as Easter gifts for the Czarinas Maria Fedorovna and Alexandra Fedorovna. Highly recommended

[/quote]

I also recommend this book, very interesting and well written.

SM

JessMountifield · Post by **JessMountifield** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 8:31 pm

[quote=""SonjaMarie""]I also recommend this book, very interesting and well written.

SM[/quote]

ooo, will have to check that one out. I have always loved the Faberge eggs and have been considering writing a book with them tied in to the plot somewhere for about 4 years.

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 8:48 pm

The Churchills, by Mary S. Lovell, a doorstop-sized non-fiction book about the Churchill dynasty, starting with John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (famous, among other things, for cuckolding Charles II with Barbara Villiers). Despite the rather daunting size it's very readable as the style is almost chattily informative. Lovell gets a nice balance between being too stuffy and too colloquial.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 9:56 pm

I'm just about to start Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie.

BrianPK · Post by **BrianPK** » Mon May 16th, 2011, 10:34 pm

[quote=""Vanessa""]I'm just about to start Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie.[/quote]

I've watched a few of the old black and white Agatha Christie films on Sky recently and really enjoyed them. Wonderful old British actors on show, especially the marvellous Margaret Rutherford.
I haven't read Christie in years though.

Tanzanite · Post by **Tanzanite** » Tue May 17th, 2011, 12:43 am

[quote=""princess garnet""]Light on Lucrezia by Plaidy (reissue)[/quote]

I"m reading that one as well - not very far into yet (been packing...)

Berengaria · Post by **Berengaria** » Tue May 17th, 2011, 2:38 am

I'm also reading The Collaborator by Margaret Leroy. I love her books! Her descriptions are full of figurative language, making the scene rich with details! This one takes place on one of the Channel Islands during the Occupation by the Nazis. The heroine is torn between integrity and lust. I say no more!