Anna Begins

I read only on Kindle, so Gaia is the only person who gets me a "book". I usually get a nice Amazon card for Christmas (or my birthday, in January). I am buying my dad's wife Ruth Bader Ginsberg's book for Christmas though.

Here, in Oakland, California, 36 artists were killed when a massive fire broke out in the warehouse they lived in. Expensive housing and overcrowding in the city have caused lower income residents to find cheaper housing.

I was really shocked to hear this news, such a tragic thing

I think you should try The Girl From Krakow by Alex Rosenberg. Good luck

Sangiovese

Imo, Alison Weir writes horrible historical fiction, but her historical novels (Elizabeth I and Eleanor of Aquitaine are awesome) are just great. Elizabeth I is what started my interest in English history as a whole. I also have to mention Queen Isabella.

I read mostly history, but hi

I just can't edit on this new Fire, it crashes it! Otherwise, I wouldn't have quoted your entire post *blush* I was a radio producer at a major market news/ talk station. We had him on our news program. Being in California, Manson and the whole deal is a big thing- one of my two best friend's became a lawyer because of it. Since Manson was not present at any of the murders, it's a controversy that he was given a death sentence. Anyway, Bugliosi was always a wise man to me (basically because he ended up believing the way I do lol). I hope Parkland is good, Helter Skelter deserves a re read

Since this is a Top 5 or 10 list: 1) Wolf Hall 2) The Crimson Petal and the White 3) Abolutions by Patrick deWitt 4) Paper Towns by John Green 5) The Godfather by Mario Puzo 6) Malcolm X by Alex Haley 7) The Bees by Liline Paulo 8) Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? by Phillip K Dick 9) World Without End by Men Follett 10) Prodigal Summer by Barbra Kingsolver

The Nix- Nathan Hill

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis

I assume that's Helter Skelter Bugliosi? He's one of my legal heroes he was a prosecutor turned defense attorney, who disavowed the death penalty. I got the chance to speak to him before Susan Atkins died. She had only been given a few months to live and was up for parole, he was in support. Edit: of her parole.

Pillars is so good, it doesn't even seem that long!

Me too! They were my favorite books as a child. I kept my set til I was 30, then my puppy chewed them up! Unfortunately, I missed the Wisconsin house on my cross country trip. Stuck at Z, I'm going to pick An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

I have to give this one to Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Michael Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White. I've been wanting to read these two books forever!

The King and Queen? I'm so jealous, I want to meet royalty Congratulations to your dad!

I'm not really reading too much lately, but just found out about a book of historical essays that I thought I'd review. It's about all I can handle right now Anyway, the recommendation came from BBC History Magazine in an article if the genre is damaging historical knowledge (say with popular series and books like Man in the High Castle). This book, Virtual History, however, is based in historical fact and is not fiction in any way. Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals by Niall Ferguson (504 pages) Consisting of nine essays, ranging from an England without Cromwell to JFK living, Scottish historian and Harvard Professor Nial Ferguson looks at the flip side of historical events and their repercussions. Nazi Europe This isn't make believe or science fiction, nor Ferguson's vision of what had happened could history have taken an alternative turn. I started with the essay "Nazi Europe" , which covered Rosenberg 's Counterfactual, Hitler's Vision, Himmler' Counterfactual, as well as the final sub chapter, "And Tomorrow, the World?" . Backed up by legitimate plans of the Nazi regime, some take 65 years to implement and involved deporting over 20 million Poles to Siberia, Ferguson doesn't hypothesize, but simply lays out plans already (scarily) beginning to be put into fruition. Especially interesting were plans for conquered Russians. Most terrifying were that Nazi plans for world domination were already in effect: ready deportation of Ukrainians for transfer to Poland as a 'barrier', the murder of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Poles for no reason except their being Poles... elaborate Nazi offices were even deployed for the far east and Africa, detailing how millions of Germans would inhabit these lands, but natives would live in the most primitive conditions. The beginnings of the essay start with Hitler taking over Britian, but never sinks so low as to propose popular and basic questions. ( it even shows up in my auto correct) The essay ends with opposite viewpoints of Hitler domination: was he content to rule all of Europe, or ready to fight the U.S. For world domination? Plans for world domination are frightening, Operation Tannenbaum, which allowed Switzerland to be divided among its (Nazi/ German) neighbors or Operation Isabella and Felix, which would have secured Portugal and Gibraltar. The essay ends with " And Tomorrow, the World? " with Hitler's vision of cities he has taken, populated by Aryans; with his architectural background he envisions a Berlin with bridges and skyscrapers to rival the United States. I'm interested to see what else this book has to say, I thought I'd keep my thoughts in my thread.

Aww Noll, I'm sorry! Maybe if you put up the tree anyway, you'll feel better?

Good luck!

I have The Miniaturist on my TBR (it recently got there ). I'll be interested to see how you like it

I'm still struggling to get through a book, but am now 20% into Game of Queens by Sarah Gristwood. It just came out on the 27th- somewhere around there. It's good, about the women who ruled the 16th century.

I just did this year and it was great! The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver

The News From Paraguay - Lily Tuck

Usually, mine are the government Edit: I should say not y favorite villains, but the best ones

Hi Noll! It's been awhile since I stepped in, I agree with Gaia and BB, but can definitely see your dilemma with job security. The bunny looks great and I can't wait to see the Christmas one On another note: a 2/5 for The Lottery?? It's one of my favorites!