What are you reading August 2011?

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 12:35 am

aHa! (from her website)

A More Perfect Heaven (US)

A More Perfect Heaven realizes a long-standing dream of mine to write a play about Nicolaus Copernicus. “And the Sun Stood Still,” the centerpiece of my new book, dramatizes the events that convinced Copernicus to publish his “crazy” ideas concerning the Earth’s motion. The nonfiction narrative surrounding the play tells the facts of his life story and traces the impact of his seminal book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, to the present day. Readers who prefer a strictly historical account may of course skip over the play, though I suspect some will gravitate to the script—perhaps reading only that part.

Coming October, 2011 in the U.S.

Coming Sepeteber 2011 in the U.K.

That looks fascinating! Im definitely preording that one.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 2:32 am

I'll be interested to hear what you think of it, Ash-- I also enjoyed Galileo's Daughter and Longitudes.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 11:15 am

Non HF at the moment although I have a few on my TBR.
In reading connected with history I'm reading the biography of Abbot Suger of St. Denis by Lindy Grant. I am also tearing my hair out while ploughing through various Eleanor of Aquitaine biographies. Most of the biographers appear to have written rather fanciful novels about her rather than sticking to hard facts.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 1:53 pm

Going to start A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin later today. I intended to start doing some work for school yesterday and today, but I got to a point in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that would not allow me to put the Kindle down! Need to do school work today.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 2:35 pm

[quote=""wendy""]Currently reading "Galileo's Daughter" (Dava Sobel) - which is actually more about the famous father. Loving it so far![/quote]

Very much enjoyed that book and Longitude. Glad to see she's got something else coming out!

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 3:36 pm

[quote=""EC2""]Non HF at the moment although I have a few on my TBR.
In reading connected with history I'm reading the biography of Abbot Suger of St. Denis by Lindy Grant. I am also tearing my hair out while ploughing through various Eleanor of Aquitaine biographies. Most of the biographers appear to have written rather fanciful novels about her rather than sticking to hard facts.[/quote]

I ventured briefly into a rather old text (over a hundred years old) about the Plantagenets -- just to get some idea about Geoffrey of Anjou. The author was far from definitive in her conclusions but constantly referred to the various chronicles which even if I had the ability to read (which I haven't) don't have time to read anyway.

But I did come across one really lovely term -- "the Octave of Pentecost" which I think was referring to one of the possible dates for the marriage of Geoffrey and Maud/Mathilda but might have been a possible date for something else. However, I loved the term so much I thought I would take the opportunity to use it.

This is so not my period of history and the only time I have ever had to come across Suger was when reading Maitland on the History of English Law/Constitution (which is more my subject) and now understand why Geoffrey Elton said he found nuclear-physicists easier to understand than lawyers.

Berengaria · Post by **Berengaria** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 4:29 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]Lady of the Rivers by PG. It's available at Net Galley.[/quote]
What is Net galley?

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Tue August 30th, 2011, 5:44 pm

[quote=""Berengaria""]What is Net galley?[/quote]

Net Galley

NetGalley delivers secure, digital galleys to professional readers. If you are a reviewer, blogger, journalist, librarian, bookseller, educator, or in the media, you can use NetGalley for FREE to read and request titles before they are published.

annis · Post by **annis** » Wed August 31st, 2011, 2:36 am

Inspired to re-read William Golding's Double Tongue, a novel about the Pythia of the Delphic Oracle, after watching a doco on the History Channel discussing the significance of the Oracle in the ancient world, fronted by the very dishy Dr Michael C Scott. Blimey, if I were 30 years younger I'd be hurrying to book a ticket on one of his guided tours

Double Tongue is typical Golding, with many levels operating within the seemingly straightforward memoir of a Greek girl who becomes the Pythia at an early age, written when she is in her eighties. It covers the nature of religion, politics and nationhood, and at heart lies the psychology and ambivalence of the spiritual mystery. Who and what are the gods - are they other, or part of our own deepest, unknown being?

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Wed August 31st, 2011, 4:07 pm

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

Recommended for my science class.