Pick-a-Shelf discussion

What did you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci****

Author Jonathan D. Spence (Sterling Professor of History Emeritus at Yale) has written an excellent book about a little known sixteenth-century Jesuit missionary to China, Matteo Ricci (1552-1610). However, the book is much more than a biography. It’s a cultural history of the first order, which explores both of Ricci’s worlds—the Italian one he was born into and the Chinese one he adopted—and the interaction between the two. It’s both academically sound and well written. Four stars.

Geez... your fast, couldn't wait to get out of chick-lit aye? *laughing*

Slayermel wrote: "Geez... your fast, couldn't wait to get out of chick-lit aye? *laughing*"

Yeah, that and I started reading my history book before the end of June. I planned on finishing it in July but actually finished it two days ago. I hope the Pick-a-Shelf police don't arrest me!

I just finished Memoirs of a Geisha and gave it *****. I really loved this story, although some parts were hard to read. What a truly interesting lives the Geishas lead.
I also started this in June, but it fits on the shelf!

Wolf Hall***** I also started in June although I did finish this one in July.

I absolutely loved this book, it is the first book I've read by Hilary Mantel and based on this one I will be reading more.
I loved the role reversal with Thomas Cromwell as the saintly character and Thomas More as the tyrant.I'm hoping there will be a sequel as Wolf Hall itself plays no part in the story told here, only at the end does Cromwell plan on visiting and in this story the Seymours who own Wolf Hall are very minor characters.

Karen wrote: "Wolf Hall***** I also started in June although I did finish this one in July.

I absolutely loved this book, it is the first book I've read by Hilary Mantel and based on this one I..."
I have made several attempts to start this. After reading your thoughts, I'll give it another go. Don't know why I can't get into it!

Sunflower wrote: "Karen wrote: "Wolf Hall***** I also started in June although I did finish this one in July.

I absolutely loved this book, it is the first book I've read by Hilary Mantel and based..."

I was just talking about Wolf Hall with a friend--I told her that while it's a hard book to get into and one that I would never classify as a favorite, I was glad that I read it and will definitely remember. Good luck trying again!

I finished 1776 today, July 4th, and love that I read it during such an appropriate month :) And, I love that I loved the book! I couldn't put it down! It was my first David McCullough book and now I see what the fuss is about. What an engaging author. He had me gripped to my seat--even though I knew how it all turned out in the end. McCullough, instead of focusing on events of the American Revolution, told the main events that occurred during the year, 1776. I'll be adding him to my list of authors to read.

I can't wait to hear from the rest of you who have read it or will be reading it this month to tell me your thoughts on it!

Eye of the Red Tsar***

This never really gripped me, for a mystery-thriller there is a total lack of suspense, you never feel as though the main character is in any real danger and I find it unbelievable that given the levels of fear and paranoia in Stalinist Russia at that time that so many people would willingly talk to him.
As books set in this time period go it is probably on a par with The Holy Thief but not a patch on Child 44 which I thought was brilliant.

Yay! My first one!

Under the Banner of Heaven ****

I read this in just over a day, which I didn't expect because I tend to get bogged down in history. But this one was fast-paced enough that I didn't fall asleep during the backstory. Also, the historical segments were interspersed with more current parts of the story so it didn't seem like quite to much to read at once.

I'm not sure how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints feels about this book, but it was educational for me.

The Paris Vendetta: A Novel***. Although this book is fast paced that is down to the fact that the story takes place over three days and three countries, there is a serious lack of action and the bad guys are really pathetic. But a really quick read and perfect for when you want something easy and not something that requires you to think, the book equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie.

Hmmm, I just finished To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and don't have a very favorable review. I gave it ** stars. I wasn't such a fan of this book--a fan of the premise, just not the writing. While reading, I had the sense that the characters were one-dimensional, that they are just puppets and there is a puppetmaster behind the scenes narrating the story for them, in their language, not the characters actual language. They were typecast characters: villain, miser, martyr, arrogant prince, abused princess in need of rescuing, etc, not believable, nor any depth to them. Hate to say I was disappointed.

I finished Who the Hell Is Pansy O'Hara?: The Fascinating Stories Behind 50 of the World's Best-Loved Books. I'll give it a middle of the road ***. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, it just didn't knock my socks off with great stories behind what created the stories. Some of them were just short bios of the authors, while some really did give insight on what made the author write what they did.

The Marks of Cain*** while i enjoyed the actual plot of this book it was let down by the characters, especially the lead character David who is whiny and annoying I could see why people wanted to kill him.

Nicholas and Alexandra **** Massie did a great job making nonfiction engaging --I couldn't put it down! But it was a bit like watching a scary movie--you know a bad part is coming and you don't want to watch, but you can't take your eyes off of it. Fantastic book telling of the rise and fall of the Tsar Nicholas family.

The Railway Detective****. I've given this four stars but it's really more a three and a half star book.
This is the first book by this author that I've read and I thought it was a good introduction to his work, I'll be looking out for more of his books.
The story itself concerns the robbery of a mail train, throw in a bit of murder and blackmail and you have a decent mystery.

I read two books this week from the history shelf:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (****)

A Northern Light (****)

Both were very enjoyable and kept my interest to the last page. I listened to the audio book of A Northern Light, which was read very well by Hope Davis.

I give The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 5 stars. I loved this book.

I give Romeo and Juliet 4 stars. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 only because I have trouble understanding Shakespeare. Poetry and Shakespeare are like reading a different language for me. Shakespeare is beautiful and interesting but I need Cliff notes to understand him. I didn't have to use Cliff notes this time, but that is only because I have seen so many Romeo and Juliet movies.

I just finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel by Lisa See. I have given it 4 stars. (****)


I was simultaneously enchanted and horrified by this story of women in 19th century China - enchanted by the language, the vivid depictions of daily life, the emotional resonance, horrified by the pain, the heartbreak, the servitude, and the restrictions placed on these women in the name of "tradition" and "beauty". Yes, women have led difficult lives in many cultures and throughout history, but the physical pain and trauma of foot-binding (which amounts to no less than torture) and the humiliations and injuries perpetrated against women by other women (as per filial tradition) is especially difficult for me to experience vicariously. In historical fiction, one expects to see injustices against women by men of the day, but somehow I can't accept the same sort of behavior coming from other females - women who themselves have experienced these same horrors. I suppose what goes around comes around. (I'm not naïve. I simply don't like to accept these sorts of truths. They just don't feel...right to me. I can not believe for a second that women are "worthless", and it is even more difficult for me to accept that women actually believe that they - and all other women - are exactly that.)

Things are not all bleak and hopeless. There are many moments of great joy and astounding beauty. There is grace under tremendous pressure, resilience and fortitude so inspiring as to seem super-human, and many occasions to cheer for the smallest triumphs. The characters invoke genuine feeling, and Lily in particular shot me right through the heart with both empathy and compassion for her trials, as well as pride and respect for her ability to cope and endure.

The author is highly adept at making both her setting and characters come alive. The world of 1800s rural China fairly leapt off the page. Lisa See has done her research, and it definitely shows. (Don't skip the author's notes at the end. They are illuminating.)

I would definitely read more by the author, although I will wait a good, long while. I do not feel up to another gut-wrenchingly emotional journey so soon. I highly recommend this story to fans of historical fiction who wish to learn more about a culture both beautiful and harsh. You will be transported.

Good review Candiss! It was very descriptive. I will put the book on my to read list.

Candiss I agree with Blarneygod that was a great review and I will also be adding it to my TBR List :0)

I enjoyed reading Little House in the Big Woods. I give it 3 stars. It was a view into a different time. The only reason I gave it 3 instead of 4 stars was because the story was mostly made up of a set of descriptions rather than told in story form. The author described butter churning, meat preparing, farming, etc. in great detail. I really enjoyed reading about the family and I would have liked to read more about them. I am hoping that the other books in the series have more about the family and less history lessons.

Candiss wrote: "I just finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel by Lisa See. I have given it 4 stars. (****)


I was simultaneously enchanted and horrified by this story of wom..."

Loved the review and loved the book too!

I just finished London: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd **** and feel like I need to relax with something that doesn't take quite as much effort to read. I did enjoy it--a lot--but found that it did take quite a bit of concentration to keep up with the characters and how they changed through the ages. If I could have changed one thing about the book, that is what I would have done--made the delineation of the family trees not quite so complicated. Otherwise, what an accomplishment to have told the history of London from start to 1997 in 1124 pages! Whew!

Just finished Kim by Rudyard Kipling. It's something I've meant to read for a long time, and have started many times. I have a 1923 copy (beautiful, but in great need of repair) that was my mother's when she was a girl growing up in India. But I had no clue what it was about at all. In fact, the book has a copy of a boat on it, and I don't remember there was ever a boat in the entire book.

It's definitely a book worth reading, but I suspect many of Kipling's others would be more accessible.

It was slow going for me. I give it *** because it does such a great job of painting a picture of India under the Raj, and because Kim's story is fascinating, though I found my lack of facility with the Kipling's English was a real hindrance. (It was first published in 1894).

Kim is a the orphan of white parents, which gives him a special status in the India of the time; but he grew up not knowing that, so he's truly a native of India. This dual identity colors many of his adventures, which include traveling across India with an old Tibetan lama, adapting to a white-boys' school once his parentage is discovered, and political intrigue as well.

I just finished Bloody Jack and gave it 4 stars. It was a fun adventure featuring a spunky young girl (posing to be a boy) named "Jacky". I could not help but fall in love with this little lady throughout the book! She was so easy to cheer for. Definitely a good pick for the beach or some fun light reading!

When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge by Chanrithy Him

It's difficult to write a review for this book as the subject matter moves me almost beyond words. I've visited Cambodia twice now; seen firsthand the devastation that the Khmer Rouge left on this country. I've walked the killing fields, seen the sunken pits (newly exhumed mass graves), the execution trees, the piles of bones and skulls. I've heard personal stories of families affected by the KR--what devastation and destruction that part of history brought an entire culture. It's a part of history that needs to be told and Chanrithy Him has done it an excellent job of recanting her experience. I would highly recommend this book.

You know, I've had the opportunity to visit many parts of Germany, including the concentration camp at Dachau, and to have lived for six months in Bosnia as they were rebuilding after the war, but there is something about Cambodia that has attached itself to my heart, perhaps you'll understand why too after reading this book. . .

Maus I by Art Speigelman***** finished 7/12

This is an amazing book! You'd think that telling the story of the Holocaust in graphic novel form might trivialize it, but I think the exact opposite is true. It's told as a story within a story, with author Art eliciting his father's recollections. So the reader gets a feel for the after-effects left in the lives of survivors and their children in addition to the horror of the Holocaust itself. Jews are depicted as mice, Poles as pigs, and Germans as cats; that and the stark black-and-white drawings lend an eerie feeling to the entire book.

Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Frasier *** While it started out really slow, about a quarter of the way through, it picked up pace and was thoroughly engaging for the remainder of the book. A fascinating read about the scapegoat of France.

The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd 2 Stars

If this book had been any longer, I don't think I could have stood it. I gave it 2 stars because it was okay, but there were a bunch of secondary characters I couldn't keep track of.

The eponymous Lambs are Charles and Mary Lamb. The story takes place when they are young. They meet William Ireland who has just discovered some lost works of Shakespeare and is being hailed as an expert. Mary is very taken with William, but she is also feeling constricted by society's demands that she stay at home and sew and take care of their ailing father and their mother who finds fault with everything she does.

The book seemed a little disjointed to me. I kept trying to figure out how the two stories were connected. I don't want to give anything away, but I couldn't figure out if the climax of the one story was caused by the climax of the other or not. It wasn't entirely clear.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
4 stars

I started this book last month and fortunately it also counts under the History shelf.

This book tells the stories of an interconnected group of women. The older women are Chinese immigrants who moved to the US for various reasons. The younger group is made up of their American born daughters. Each woman tells her story in two parts - one as a child and the other as a grown woman.

I liked the different perspectives from the two generations. It was interesting to see the mother-daughter relationship from both sides and how different social attitudes shaped what each party thought that relationship should be.

Just finished reading The Grapes of Wrath, what an amazing book. I have been wanting to read this for a long time and finally got to it (thanks to History shelf picker). I would put this book in the same category as To Kill a Mockingbird, once read - never forgotten and a book that everyone should read at least once in their life.

Leonie wrote: "Just finished reading The Grapes of Wrath, what an amazing book. I have been wanting to read this for a long time and finally got to it (thanks to History shelf picker). I would put thi..."

You know, this is one of those I've never read but have always thought I should... glad you got did and liked it! Inspires me :)

PS: you're welcome, glad I could help!

I read Morgan's Run. I really got caught up in this book about the first convict ships to transport felons to Botany Bay. This epic story about the first white people to settle Australia (not their choice) showed how awful the criminal justice system was in the late 18th century. Richard Morgan's story was heart breaking and inspirational.

I read Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 and found much of it fascinating. I always find it hard to believe that people go to countries like Indonesia and spend all their time on the beaches and at nightclubs when there is all that interesting history to investigate.

I reread I, Claudius. I don't know how much of this is true. Until they discover time travel we can't find out how accurate the information on the past is. Even recent past is so biased by the reporters that two different eyewitness accounts can be quite dissimilar. I would like to believe that many of the events quoted in this book were fabrications of biased reporters. Otherwise you would have to say that it is proof of the corruption of power.

Coralie, This is on my wishlist, it looks so interesting. It seems to be getting good reviews, how would you rate it?

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. 5 stars.

This made me think of Sarah, Plain and Tall and The Great Brain, only for adults. I'm in love with Mr. Ivan Doig and all of his characters - especially Paul, the narrator and precocious 13-year-old who understands more about the world around him and especially the adults in his life than any 13-year-old I've ever known. The setting of Montana in the early 1900s is the perfect backdrop for Mr. Doig's memorable, colorful characters and their stories (and brings to mind A River Runs Through It). Now I can't wait to read Work Song, which I am grateful to have won in a GR giveaway, thus introducing me to this amazing author.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang **** stars

What an eye opener to what life was like growing up under the Cultural Revolution. I had no idea communist China was like that. I truly did appreciate the book for what it taught me about a culture and time so very different from anything I've experienced.

It also makes the bits and pieces of Taiwan make a lot more sense! I know Taiwanese here who are still so passionate about their feelings about mainland China that they won't frequent stores owned by known "Chinese"--in one particular friend's case, all because of the persecution of her parents before they fled from China to Taiwan.

When my husband and I first arrived, we were car shopping and walked onto a car lot to look at the cars. A sales person came up to us and in stilted English, asked us if we were Americans. We said, yes, and my husband, in his newly off the boat innocent ignorance, said "and you, you are Chinese?" The man angrily said, "No! I am Taiwanese!" and we were escorted off the lot. We then learned to refer to everything specifically--as in "No, I don't speak Mandarin" (versus "I don't speak Chinese"), etc. . .

It's nice to get more history behind the why. . .

Slayermel wrote: "Coralie, This is on my wishlist, it looks so interesting. It seems to be getting good reviews, how would you rate it?"
I would rate it 3.5 stars - interesting and mostly readable, but occasionally a bit too dry for me.

Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel *** finished 7/15

The title of this book is a misnomer. It's really about Galileo himself, but interspersed with all the detailed historical information and explanations are quotes of letters written by Galileo's daughter, Suor Maria Celeste. I'm giving it 3* because it's really well-researched and informative, through I can't say I actually liked it -- reading history is really not my thing.

The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen***1/2

Howard Carter's first-hand account of his monumental discovery of King Tut's tomb is a quick and fascinating read. Its historical value far outstrips its literary worth. When he first poked his head in the antechamber, Carter was asked "Can you see anything?" to which he replied "Yes, wonderful things." Wonderful things indeed. The book's 105 illustrations (unfortunately in black and white) show the sumptuous splendor of the boy king's tomb. The only disappointment was the fact that it was written after the initial discovery but before the pharaoh's casket itself was opened, so many of the subsequent discoveries within the tomb are left out. Three and a half stars.

To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York by Jean Plaidy. ***

I finally finished a book this month! I have been so busy, I haven't gotten to read very much, and I have been reading two rather big books, so I feel like I have been reading this book forever.

This book was a historical fiction book that purported to be about the love story between King Henry VII (the first Tudor King) and his wife, Elizabeth of York. Unfortunately, Elizabeth played a very minor role in the book and the love story was almost non-existent. It was a good book about Henry VII, though, and his fight to hold onto the crown for the Tudors, as well as an accounting of Henry VIII as a small child and young man. It really showed how obsessed Henry VII was with starting a dynasty. If you like Jean Plaidy, or the Tudors, you will probably like this book. I do plan on reading more of her Tudor series.

Finally finished my first book from this month's shelf: The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough - I liked it and gave it 4* - here's my review:

I wonder how many people who regularly use the Brooklyn Bridge know about the genius and suffering of John and Washington Roebling, the father and son responsible for this long-standing marvel. And the bridge itself is the monument to them, since no statues or other memorials were erected in their honor.

It was difficult at first to follow the jumping-back-and-forth-in-time format of the book, but after a while I almost looked forward to that; I think parts of it could have gotten tedious otherwise. David McCullough is superb in writing 500+ pages of what could have been a dry treatise on a marvelous undertaking.

I'm not going to post my reviews here I'll just list the ones I've read in the last two weeks.

The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: The Tragedy of Katherine, Mary and Lady Jane Grey****
The Genesis Plague***
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian***
Grave Peril****
The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ***
The End of Mr. Y**
Green Darkness***

Leonie wrote: "Just finished reading The Grapes of Wrath, what an amazing book. I have been wanting to read this for a long time and finally got to it (thanks to History shelf picker). I would put thi..."

A book club I am in finally decided to tackle it awhile ago and it was one that I think we ended up discussing for 2 sessions because it had so many things to talk about.

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History ****

Spiegelman uses his artistic talent to benefit as he tells his father's story as a survivor of the holocaust. He does a great job showing his father as a real person, not just a perfect hero. The story pulled me in and kept me absorbed. Now I have to request the next one to see the rest of the story.

Finally finished Wolf Hall and I did enjoy it although I find her writing style quite odd and self conscious. It certainly sets the scene for a sequel as others have commented. good one for fans of the Tudor period.

I found myself in the hospital for the first five days of my vacation, so I got lots of time to read. Three of the books I finished made it onto the history shelf. I'm going to keep this short as I'm eager to catch up on all the missed vacation time!

Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn *** It was just okay for me. I found myself wanting to put it down and walk away, but I couldn't, hence, the three stars.

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner **** Pretty good. It was interesting reading about CdM from her perspective. (She's pretty sympathetic to herself.)

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan ***** I cannot rave enough about this book. It has definitely become one of my top three, if not top two books of all time. I am definitely a book pusher on this one! A must read!