Jessi's Reading List - 2010

[Jessi]

Voyage on the Great Titanic – Ellen Emerson White (3/5)

This was a quick, but of course by nature a thought provoking book. Another book in the My Story series, it tells the story of thirteen year old Margaret Anne Brady as she is chosen by an upper-class American to go with her as her companion for the voyage on the Titanic. Despite feeling like a fraud, there are moments of joy for Margaret on the titanic, especially once she meets a young man named Robert. But the story was only ever going to end one way, and with the Titanic, however many times you hear/read/watch something about it, the tragedy of it all never goes away.

[Jessi]

Last Voyage of the Valentina by Santa Montefiore (3.75/5)

I enjoyed this book a great deal, it was a good read and a lovely bit of chick lit – it was what I needed. Last Voyage tells the story of Alba, the only child Thomas Arbuckle had with first love Valentina during the war, but when Valentina dies and Thomas marries Margo, Alba feels pushed to one side. Her father never speaks of her mother yet Alba feels sure that if she knew more about the Italian beauty who stole her father’s heart then she would find herself too. It is not long till she is off on her quest to find her maternal family, yet she also learns then image she has of her mother is not the entire truth; in some ways it is not the truth at all in fact.

It has been a while since I have read a book where a character goes on such a emotional journey and changes as much as Alba did. Thumbs up from me!

[Jessi]

Winston and Clementine by Mary Soames (5/5)

I challenge you all to read this and not be moved! This may have been the most romantic book I have ever read... seriously.

Winston and Clementine is a collection of letters put together by the Churchill’s daughter, Lady Mary Soames. Editing and explaining the letters throughout, Lady Soames allows the reader to peek into the Churchill’s marriage. Even if the marriage wasn’t perfect (show me one that is?), Winston and Clementine were perfect for one another. Love radiants from this book from the letters they swapped as they were courting right the way through to the end when they were so concerned for the others health most of the time.

The letters are extraordinary in there ordinariness. They speak about money, health concerns, work and friends. Things everyday married couple do. But of course you also get the insight into the politics of the years they lived through as Churchill sat in the House of Commons for over half a century. My favourite letters were when they were young and awaiting the births of their children as they wrote with such anticipation about the arrival of their next ‘Puppy Kitten’. They were just so gorgeous.

This book is made all the better because of its truthfulness; Winston Churchill may have been an genius but you don’t get the impression he was easy to live with which perhaps is why Clementine fell in love with Terrence Phillips on holiday in the thirties. However, when she returned home she returned straight to Winston. For all theirs ups and downs, they never fell out of love with one another.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I just loved it.

[cosychair]

Winston and Clementine by Mary Soames (5/5)

I challenge you all to read this and not be moved! This may have been the most romantic book I have ever read... seriously.

Winston and Clementine is a collection of letters put together by the Churchill

[Jessi]

Its is! I'd definately recommend it - the letters are so warm, and something that I forgot to mention in my review was with what a great sense of humour they are written with - Churchill's wit definately comes through!

[poppyshake]

Great review. I like the idea of reading about Winston's and Clementine's letters ... I heard them read on the radio a few years back and got really interested.

Your review has got me thinking about them again, I'll have to put this on my TBR.

[Jessi]

Do poppyshake, there wonderful, though I must admit it did feel weird readin them when Winston had put something on top of the letter like 'Top Secret' or 'Burn after reading' - clearly meant for Clementine's eyes alone!

[Jessi]

AHHHHHH!!! I am so over excited right now!

 

So I was on the internet looking about and found out that Colonel Roosevelt, sequal to Theodore Rex is out the day after my birthday! Yay! I can not wait to read this!

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colonel-Roosevelt-Edmund-Morris/dp/0375504877/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268160782&sr=1-6

[Jessi]

Fire Study – Maria V Snyder (4/5)

The conclusion to the Study series picked off where the others begun, packed to the brim with dangerous situations and actions as Yelena is pushed to the limit physically and emotionally. Travelling extensively though Sitia, Snyder continues to show us the culture of the world she has created – but it is all under threat from the Vermin and Fire Warper.

Old faces turn up, and there is even a return to Ixia for a few chapters, meaning we got to see Ari and Janco (My favourite characters) and other of Yelena’s friends she met along the way including her family, and of course wherever she is, Valek is never far behind.

The characters remain as quick witted as the book is fast paced leading to a great conclusion to a wonderful series.

[Jessi]

Quidditch Through The Ages - JK Rowling (3.5/5)

So I was in the mood for a quick read and picked this up and was once again just struck by the amount of thought that had gone into Rowling’s work. Very enjoyable and easy to read and it made me smile a lot.

[Jessi]

Sally Hemings by Barbara Chase Riboud (4/5)

Another re-read. I got a bit of a thirst for early history American this week and while I was waiting for Patriot Hearts (which I can’t wait to read – it tells the story of the Founding Mothers), I once again picked up the brilliant written but none the less controversial Sally Hemings, which of course tells the story of Thomas Jefferson’s supposed slave mistress.

I really enjoyed this book once again, and find the authors insight into the characters fascinating. Chase-Riboud seems to not focus on Sally herself so much as the entire institution of slavery itself as it tears people apart from the inside out. Particularly interesting was her portrayal of Jefferson and how he tried to deal with his white and slave family, and the toll that took on him emotionally. Whether you believe the Hemings affair took place or not (I personally do, but it is still debated), it’d take a hard person not to be moved by this tale that centres on a great historical character, who is none the less eclipsed by the even greater historical theme he is intertwined with, as much in death as he was in life.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Jessi

[Mac]

Hmmm...have you heard of The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow? This is a book I think you'll enjoy. It features a nice chunk of Early-American history as well as some of our own. It's well researched and a thumping good read, to boot!

 

Hope things are well with you, Jessi.

[Jessi]

Oh I shall have to check it out - Thanks Mac! I'm well, how are you?

[Mac]

Tip top, ta!

[Jessi]

Good

[Mac]

What's going down in Groove Town today, Jessi? Plenty of fun, love and good times, eh?

[Jessi]

Absolutely Busy with uni but it is all good - I just can't wait for the break at easter now. How's things with you?

[Mac]

Tip top, ta. Busy like a thing that's busy, but in top of it all and kicking! Woo hoo!

[Jessi]

Good stuff all round then

[Jessi]

Finished Missiles in Cuba for university today. It was quite good but somehow (I think cause I am exhausted and have bran ache) I can't seem to summon the energy to write a normal review. I will say this for it, It was nicely set out and clear what point it was trying to make. I feel as if I have come away from it having learned something

[Jessi]

Traitors of the Tower by Alison Weir (3/5)

Quick, fun, simple read which is very well writtien.

[Jessi]

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (4/5)

The best Sookie Stockhouse so far! I loved, loved, loved it and am now so team Eric, it is unbelievable. I love the way that Harris is progressing with the story and with the characters. So, so good!

I enjoyed amnesia plot best in this book

[Jessi]

Queen Alexandra by Georgina Battiscombe (3/5)

I was really looking forward to this book and I have to admit to being a little disappointing by it. Queen Alexandra is one of my favourite historical characters. Though she had no idea about money or indeed, the ‘real world’, she was just generally it seems a lovely, kind woman and was famed in her own lifetime for her striking beauty and her steadfast loyalty to her unfaithful husband, King Edward VII. However, Battiscombe’s prose gets in the way of this book. Though of course in historical books you need an argument, Battiscombe just seems to, I think unjustly, find Alexandra a frivolous and over emotional person at times and though you know she thinks she warm and compassionate, I don’t get the feeling she ever really took to Alexandra which was a shame – as I said, I was looking forward to this book.

[Jessi]

Anastasia’s Secret by Susanne Dunalp (3.5/5)

Russian history is a favourite of mine so when I heard that a new book about Anastasia Romanova was coming out it I was exciting and I was not let down. Anastasia’s Secret tells the story of the youngest last Grand Duchess and her solider lover, Sasha. Though I don’t think you honestly feel the passion at all times through this book, it was a moving tale and of course a tragedy. You can tell that Dunlap respects and loves the history that she is writing about and she didn’t make things sensational for the sake of it I did not think. I enjoyed this!

[Jessi]

Thirteen Days – Robert Kennedy (4/5)

I flew through this book a few days ago. It was very well interesting and shed new light on a perception of the crisis for me. Robert Kennedy was a wonderful writer.

I also gave up on reading Europe since 1870 by James Joll this week – it had so far been 118 pages of torture and without my mojo which has been lacking of late as it is, I couldn’t go on.