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Hoya--Is the Babble series historical fiction? I have never heard of it, but I am always ready to try something different, especially when it is a series.

Sorry, no, Babble series is Meg Cabot chick-lit cutesy quick read stuff. Karen Essex (Stealing Athena) was historical fiction and really good, and there are other books she has written.

 

There is a thread in this forum on Historical books, if you want to see what we recommended there. We might have veered off to historical romance :unsure: But I love historical fiction (though I do tend to read mostly romance or mystery, there are other authors I really enjoy in the genre! I was a history major as an undergrad :lol: )

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Let's get this thread going again!

 

Anyway, I'm reading the Edgar Sawtelle book (a.k.a. Oprah's latest -- but not cause she said so, thankyouverymuch :D) and I'm also reading some stuff by Joe Hill (a.k.a. Stephen King's son), which is awesome. I started with his short-story collection, 20th Century Ghosts, and I'm loving it so far. The Sawtelle book is a slow start; I hope it picks up.

Edited by fykeylicious

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I started Devil in the White City a couple of years ago and got about halfway through before I had to abandon it for a while because of work craziness, and then I felt like I'd have to start over again to remember everything that had happened. I liked what I read of it, though.

 

I've put aside 740 Park momentarily and am reading The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe. 740 was ok but the pattern got kind of tedious (introduce personality who moved into building, backtrack to briefly trace family, business, and personal history, perhaps a tangent here and there, back to the time they moved into the building, etc.) I'll probably go back to it after I finish the other.

Bitter - I hope you enjoy the Best of Everything - the precursor to Valley of the Dolls and Sex and the City. Really great book for it's time.

I just read "the Careful use of Compliments" over the weekend (it's short and set in Edinburgh, where I w spent my weekend) by Alexander McCall Smith of the No. 1 Ladie's Dective Agency fame. Am starting "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" now and am completely sucked in even though I'm only about 50 pages into it.

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I'm about to go on vacation (TOMORROW) and am in the second week of reading The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough--history of the Panama Canal (guess where we're going on vacation :lol: ) I just finally finished the French episode and have started the Americans. Page 240 of a 600 page book. I'm a very fast reader but this is taking some time! I have lots of other books packed for vacation to read as soon as I finish this.

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Hey guys,

 

Some of you were kind enough to ask about my next book a while back, and tada! It's here! It's called Time of My Life, and it's gotten great reviews from Redbook, Family Circle, Hallmark, Cosmo, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist, and if you're looking for smart commercial fiction, I hope you'll check it out! http://tinyurl.com/4rfn2z

 

You guys rock! Thanks!

Edited by freelancergirl

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:unsure: I am reading Angels and Demons. I have read The Da Vinci Code but never read this one. I wanted to read it before the movie comes out next year. I just finished The Other Queen by Phillipa Gregory and was very disappointed. Not as good as her previous books.

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Hey guys,

 

Some of you were kind enough to ask about my next book a while back, and tada! It's here! It's called Time of My Life, and it's gotten great reviews from Redbook, Family Circle, Hallmark, Cosmo, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist, and if you're looking for smart commercial fiction, I hope you'll check it out! http://tinyurl.com/4rfn2z

 

You guys rock! Thanks!

Just saw the review in People magazine!! Looks like a great read and kudos for all the positive press. :lol:

I will have to pick up your first book as well.

Great picture too! :)

Edited by pitt-lover

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Thank you, Pitt-Lover! The Today Show picked it today as one of their top 10 reads for fall, so needless to say, I'm a little crazed right now! :) Thank you for noticing the People review. Total craziness!!

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OMG I have been dying to read that book since it was on one of the Glamour blogs. I am on the waiting list with my local library. If I was not pregnant and conversing every penny I would have bought it.

 

Congrats

K

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:unsure: I am reading Angels and Demons. I have read The Da Vinci Code but never read this one. I wanted to read it before the movie comes out next year. I just finished The Other Queen by Phillipa Gregory and was very disappointed. Not as good as her previous books.

I'm reading Phillippa Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance right now - just finished The Constant Princess and then The Other Boleyn Girl. I have to say the middle one was the best, although I hear the movie sucked (didn't see it myself and now glad I didn't, awesome book). I think I'm going to revisit Margaret George's Henry VIII novel after this.

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Just finished The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry. Fun, fast beach type book about finding a treasure hidden by the templars. I liked it as I like those kinds of books.

 

Currently reading The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman (1st of 3 Sally Lockhart mysteries). I must say I'm enjoying it much more than the Golden Compass series. The first two books have been made into movies and have aired on Masterpiece Theater. Billie Piper of Dr Who fame plays Sally.

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The Other Boleyn Girl is my favorite Philippa Gregory book. The movie was really bad. I have never read any of Margaret George's books. I really enjoyed Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir. It was about Lady Jane Grey and really interesting.

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I've loved Margaret George for a long time! The Autobiography of Henry VIII is one of my favorite books ever. I'm on the waiting list for the Other Queen at the library (Gregory book) Doesn't Margaret George have a Queen Mary book too? Would be interesting to read side by side (I don't think I've read the George QMary book yet....But maybe I'm thinking of Alison Weir--there are a handful of authors who've all written on the same topics in a similar style and I do start to get confused...)

 

I have to get to the library--Widows of Eastwick is in for me! (John Updike sequel to Witches of Eastwick--one of the few books of his I actually enjoyed--the sequel has been getting ok reviews)

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I've loved Margaret George for a long time! The Autobiography of Henry VIII is one of my favorite books ever. I'm on the waiting list for the Other Queen at the library (Gregory book) Doesn't Margaret George have a Queen Mary book too? Would be interesting to read side by side (I don't think I've read the George QMary book yet....

Yes she does have one called Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles. I'm sure I've read it already, but just requested it from the library again anyway (thanks for the reminder!). Am really on a Tudor era rampage at the moment. Will have to request Phillippa Gregory's Other Queen to read after that one (requested and #13 in line).

 

Cleopatra was my favourite of Margaret George's books. If any one else liked that one, I would highly recommend reading Pauline Gedge - she writes a lot of historical fiction on ancient Egypt. I was hooked after reading her Hera Series.

Edited by OldWiseOne

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I liked Cleopatra but Henry VIII is still my fave. Mary of Magdalene was pretty good too, but I could barely make it through Helen of Troy--had to force myself to finish that one.

 

I realized I haven't read the Mary Queen of Scots book by George so I'll have to get that at the library. I'm not sure what number in line I am for Gregory's The Other Queen, but I do know that my mom went in to request it and told them to put her name in front of mine ("because I'm her mother"). I think she was only kidding--but the library wouldn't do it anyway--I've been living in the town and on the library board longer than she has ;)

 

I'll have to remember to look for Gedge--I haven't heard of that series. I tend to read a lot of series about ancient Rome (eg Lindsay Davis, Steven Saylor) but I like Egypt too--though my favorite Egypt is turn of the 20th C, Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody mysteries....

 

On the Tudor kick--have you read any of the Tudor themed mystery series I may or may not have written about in the Mysteries thread here? If you're interested I'll post tomorrow--my book list is on the other computer :P

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I agree, Helen of Troy was definitely the worst of the bunch. .

 

Pauline Gedge is wonderful if you like ancient Egypt, I loved the House of Illusions set she did, well I guess I've loved just about all of them. I also just finished a 5 book series on Ramses II by Christian Jacq, another great series. I think once I finish my Tudor phase I'll try the ancient Rome you've recommended - I read one by Gedge and found the time period fascinating (it was partly set in Rome, and partly in Britannica, great stuff).

 

I'd love to hear some suggestions on Tudor era mysteries, will have to check out the mysteries thread next.

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I'd love to hear some suggestions on Tudor era mysteries, will have to check out the mysteries thread next.

I lied--it was the historicals thread. There isn't a mystery thread. But since lots of the mysteries I read are historical--I posted about them in this thread:

http://www.fanchitchat.com/chatboard/index...?showtopic=6785

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Thanks Hoya, there are lots of great recommends there to help fill out my Tudor mania.

 

I realized I haven't read the Mary Queen of Scots book by George so I'll have to get that at the library.

Thought I should let you know that in the historicals thread you claimed to have read this, and liked it! (June 2006) I know I've read it, but since it's been a couple years and I remember liking it a lot, I'm going to read it again. Edited by OldWiseOne

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Thought I should let you know that in the historicals thread you claimed to have read this, and liked it! (June 2006) I know I've read it, but since it's been a couple years and I remember liking it a lot, I'm going to read it again.

Thanks! It's not checked off on my reading list (12 pages long, 8pt font :rolleyes: ) so I'll get it again and see--usually after about a chapter I can tell. But if I forget to check a book off my reading list--I'm in trouble! I definitely pull the same books from the library or at Costco :unsure:

 

Maybe I thought I read the ALison Weird Mary book and really read the George book, in which case, I should get the Weir book from the library, right? Oh,so many books, so little time (and memory, apparently :unsure: )

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