All Consuming : Aya

Consuming "Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:20:48 GMT

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love

by Dava Sobel

Consumed "Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:19:58 GMT

Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia

by Patrick Tracey

WORTH IT!

Consumed "All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:30:17 GMT

All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families

by Doug Wead

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Lizzie Siddal"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:24:24 GMT

Lizzie Siddal

by Lucinda Hawksley

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Sovereign Ladies: The Six Reigning Queens of England"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 03:22:29 GMT

Sovereign Ladies: The Six Reigning Queens of England

by Maureen Waller

WORTH IT!

Consumed "A Fish Caught in Time : The Search for the Coelacanth"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:08:44 GMT

A Fish Caught in Time : The Search for the Coelacanth

by Samantha Weinberg

WORTH IT!

Consuming "Plagues and Peoples"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:09:42 GMT

Plagues and Peoples

by William H. McNeill

Consumed "The Lost King of France: A True Story of Revolution, Revenge, and DNA"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:08:55 GMT

The Lost King of France: A True Story of Revolution, Revenge, and DNA

by Deborah Cadbury

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:07:36 GMT

Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope

by Eleanor Herman

WORTH IT!

Badly received... (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:55:28 GMT

The Brothers Grimm

...but I quite liked it. I think it was advertised badly so people were expecting a nice action/adventure tale. Which it was, only directed by Terry Gilliam. One word: Brazil. Gilliam makes weird, twisted movies that are visually artsy and way the heck out there. So try to keep an open mind, or just don’t watch it.

Not for landlubbers (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:46:36 GMT

Wreck of the Medusa: The Tragic Story of the Death Raft

by Alexander McKee

Very interesting read from a very complex point in French history. However, if you’re not familiar with nautical terms, you’ll get confused and or sidetracked by looking these words up, since the edition I read has no glossary. That’s why I gave three stars: because I don’t know what a pinnace is. Apparently it’s a boat with fourteen oars. This confusion takes away from the real story, of the infamous raft and the incompetent captain who saves himself while leaving women and children behind.
I look forward to reading something written after the discovery of the wreck in 1980.

Interesting... (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:54:10 GMT

Hitler and Geli

by Ronald Hayman

I labeled this worth reading, and it is. What makes it interesting is the side of Hitler we see, the personal, emotional side as opposed to the monster many of us are used to. The author believes that Geli’s suicide in 1931 was Hitler’s turning point, when his penchant for sado-masochism affected not only those in his immediate circle but all of Europe.
There’s a lot of Nazi party history, along with a look at Hitler’s massively screwed up family, and I felt the political history, while putting some events in context, muddled the book. German history of the early 20th century is a very confusing tangle and the book is not about German history but about Hitler and his love affair with his niece. I was a bit confused when suddenly after the WWI section, the author starts mentioning the Weimar Republic without mentioning Germany’s political structure before the war, much less after the war.
The book was interesting, especially if you know something of German history before WWII. Otherwise you might get a little lost.

The Other Woman (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 13:54:09 GMT

Lover of Unreason: Assia Wevill, Sylvia Plath's Rival and Ted Hughes' Doomed Love

by Yehuda Koren

Wow was Ted Hughes a jerk. I’d heard accusations from rabid Plath fans, but he really was a bastard to the women in his life.
It’s never easy to fairly describe a famous man’s mistress, especially when that famous man was married to Sylvia Plath. This book does not hide any warts, but I feel it is very sympathetic towards Assia, maybe because of the shared Israeli heritage of subject and authors.
Overall, very interesting read about a woman not usually mentioned in connection with Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath until recently.

Why I gave up consuming "Ladies in Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:03:59 GMT

Ladies in Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day

by Anne Somerset

I quit reading this book after the intro because there were two errors, one involving the death of Henry V (the date was 40 years off) and one a rumor taken as truth about Anne Boleyn (that she had an extra finger). These just irked me, so I gave it up.

Why it's taking me forever to finish consuming "Mary, Called Magdalene"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 07:09:48 GMT

Mary, Called Magdalene

by Margaret George

Because libraries have rules. And late fees.

Historical FICTION (rated 1 star)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Sun, 27 May 2007 09:31:13 GMT

The Other Boleyn Girl

by Philippa Gregory

I did not like it. In fact, I had to stop reading it because it was bothering me that much. Perhaps it redeemed itself further in, but I couldn’t get past the way the author rewrote history to suit the plot. I’ve read far too much non-fiction about the Tudors to really enjoy any fiction about it, so most likely this is my own personal bias and most people will enjoy the book. Just please don’t assume it’s true.

A story about "Justice in My Tears"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Aya) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 14:57:12 GMT

Justice in My Tears

by Tshenuwani Simon Farisani

A bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa, Tshenuwani was imprisoned by the Apartheid government four times, being tortured during the first three imprisonments. I met him in Lwamondo in Venda (Limpopo) and heard him preach and this book of poetry is just a glimpse of his presence.