Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 discussion

I'm going to post as I go. So far as of 2/12/12

1. The Secret History of MI6
2. Tales From the Tower: Secrets and Superstitions from a Glorious and Gory Past
3. The Draining Lake (kindle)
4. Honor Among Enemies
5. Arctic Chill
6. A Suitable Boy (Vol 3)
7. Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales
8. The Infernals
9. Irish Peacock and Scarlet Marquess
10. A History of the World in 100 Objects
11. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation Of The Wives Of Henry Viii


12. The Wives of Henry the Eighth

13.Plain Horse Tales: Stories of an Honest Horse Trader in the Old West and a Fast Horse Named Grandma

14. Rules for Virgins

Here's a link to my shelf for this challenge:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

Good luck with Mt. Everest! I'm reading a Suitable Boy right now... at the rate I'm going (c. 50 pages a week) I might be able to include it in my 2012 reading list!

I enjoyed, but I read it in 3 seperate volumes. Which I enjoyed better, I think than one huge big book.

15. Death Comes to Pemberley

What did you think of Death Comes to Pemberley?

Welcome Chris! Glad to see you working your way up Everest too.

Hi Chris,
I have this The Secret History of MI6 too and so read your review with interest. Thanks

Jeanette,

I was a bit disappointed by it. I love James, but there was something missing.

16. Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis
17. Royals and the Reich: The Princes Von Hessen in Nazi Germany

So far, everyone I've talked to feels the same way about Death Comes to Pemberley. It was disappointing.

The only place I saw that liked it was the NY Times Book Review. James knows her Austen, so it's nice seeing the references, yet it is underwhelming. If you haven't read James yet, don't start with this one.

too late!

(I read it as Austen fanfic, and as a buddy-read, otherwise, I wouldn't have read it)

As Jeannette knows only too well, I also didn't like Death Comes to Pemberley. In fact, it takes the prize for the most disappointing book I've read in the last twelve months.

However, positive reviews (that is, 3 stars or more) outnumber negative reviews on GR by a factor of almost three to one. Here's the current breakdown:

5 stars (390)
4 stars (1099)
3 stars (1547)
2 stars (849)
1 star (299)

There are also some positive reviews in the media in addition to the one in The New York Times, such as this one in The Independent and this one in the Los Angeles Times.

I don't understand the enthusiasm for the novel, but I guess it would be a boring old world if everyone liked the same books!

Or if we were all compelled to read the same books.... ;)

18. Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles
19. In Enemy Hands

20. The Cinderella Curse
21. Elizabeth of York, the Mother of Henry VIII

I just skimmed through your list and added Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation Of The Wives Of Henry Viii to my tbr shelf.

22. Ghosts! Washington Revisited: The Ghostlore of the Nation's Capitol
23. Spy Princess: The Life Of Noor Inayat Khan

Kim wrote: "As Jeannette knows only too well, I also didn't like Death Comes to Pemberley. In fact, it takes the prize for the most disappointing book I've read in the last twelve months.

H..."

To add to the NY Times, The Independent and LA Times I was dumbfounded to see the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Canada's Globe and Mail all gave it 4 stars. It does make one wonder.

The reviewers could not have read the same book we all read.

I wonder if she was getting a pass because of her reputation. Who knows? But like Kim showed even here on GR most people rate it favorably.

Well, everybody has different tastes. Life would be boring, otherwise. I do think the big-name reviewers may have been generous, but I can't prove it. :)

Well, I love James, but I didn't like it. Her mysteries are much better. I guess I'm a reader not fangirl.

Best way to be, imo!

Jeannette and Chris, I second those thoughts. It is really a disservice to other readers to give a pass based on past experience with an author. I'm just glad, after the bad experience of several friends here, that I didn't read it, to which I thank them very much for their honesty.

24. Phantasmagoria: Spirit Visions, Metaphors, and Media Into the Twenty-First Century
25. Echoes of Honor
26. The Veiled One
27. An Unkindness of Ravens

28. The Armada Campaign 1588: The Great Enterprise against England

29. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa

30. Things I've Been Silent About

31. Conquered, Not Defeated: Growing Up in Denmark During the German Occupation of World War II

32. De Historia Et Veritate = Unicornis: On The History And Truth Of The Unicorn

power reading! :D

Chris wrote: "23. Spy Princess: The Life Of Noor Inayat Khan"

I liked your review of the book Chris. A lady who really should be known for her courage. She was one of three women of SOE who won a George Cross (Violet Szabo and Odette Sansom being the others). This is a rare accolade as it is the UK's highest award for civilian and military gallantry when not in the presence of the enemy, and only some 160 have ever been awarded since the first in 1940.

We don't learn much about SOE here in the states, at least we didn't when I was in high school. I knew about the wireless operators in a vague way. Then I read about Vera Atkins and her search for the missing agents. Been reading things about them since.

Chris, I enjoyed your review of Things I've Been Silent About, which I read last year. Just in case you're interested, here's a link to my review. What did you think of the book in comparison to Reading Lolita in Tehran?

I liked it a little better.

Chris wrote: "I liked it a little better."

Same here. I think understanding where Nafisi was coming from helped me to like her writing a bit more.

33. Death in Venice and Seven Other Stories
34. A Predator Priest
35. Kitty's Greatest Hits

Chris wrote: "We don't learn much about SOE here in the states, at least we didn't when I was in high school. I knew about the wireless operators in a vague way. Then I read about Vera Atkins and her search for the missing agents. Been reading things about them since. "

I recently saw a documentary on Vera and was so amazed by her story but the agents as well. What books have you read, or can recommend?

I've read your review of Death in Venice, and I will definitely look for more of his short stories.

35 books so far! You're doing great...gonna have to see if I can catch up. Thanks for checking in!

Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Chris wrote: "We don't learn much about SOE here in the states, at least we didn't when I was in high school. I knew about the wireless operators in a vague way. Then I read about Vera Atkins and..."

The first one I read was

A Life In Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII

Shadow Knights

The Heroines of SOE

Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue

Flames in the Field: Story of Four SOE Agents in Occupied France

Chris wrote: "Jeanette,

I was a bit disappointed by it. I love James, but there was something missing.

16. Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis
17. Royals and the Reich: The ..."</i>

Let me know when you are about to read [book:Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis; that is on my to-read list as well and has been languishing on my shelves for quite some time.

Chris wrote: "Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Chris wrote: "We don't learn much about SOE here in the states, at least we didn't when I was in high school. I knew about the wireless operators in a vague way. Then I read ..."

Thanks Chris, any suggestion on which would be the best to start with or just whatever I am able to find? I'm checking them all out now.

Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "I recently saw a documentary on Vera and was so amazed by her story but the agents as well. What books have you read, or can recommend?..."

Wondered if you'd like these two:

Moondrop to Gascony and The Women Who Lived for Danger: The Agents of the Special Operations Executive.

Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Chris wrote: "Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Chris wrote: "We don't learn much about SOE here in the states, at least we didn't when I was in high school. I knew about the wireless operators in a vague way...."

I would say Heroines or Shadow Knights. Heroines because it is a good overview, but Shadow Knights presents three stories and gives background infromation. Actually, start with Shadow Knights. It looks puply, but is actually pretty good.

I haven't heard of Moondrop, but it sounds interesting.

Gundula wrote: "Chris wrote: "Jeanette,

I was a bit disappointed by it. I love James, but there was something missing.

16. Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis
17. [book:Royals and t..."

I already read, it actually was much better than the Lynn Nichols book on the same subject.

Chris wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Chris wrote: "Jeanette,

I was a bit disappointed by it. I love James, but there was something missing.

16. Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis
17. [b..."

Thanks, I should really read it!!

Here's a link to my tbr-have shelf. I don't usually plan what I'm going to read, but since people seem to be interested

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

36. The Perfect Prince: The Mystery of Perkin Warbeck and His Quest for the Throne of England

37. Ash
38. Daphne
39. Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World

Chris, what did you think of Ash? I've had a copy for quite awhile.

I also wanted to ask what you thought of William Stevenson's Spymistress: The Life of Vera Atkins, the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II. I see it has an average rating of around 3 but I can get my hands on a free copy. It doesn't matter if it's free if it's not worth my time.

I enjoyed Ash quite a bit. It had a few intersting twists to it. It wasn't a perfect book, but I'm glad I read it.

I find Stevenson to be very, very dull and you need to have read other books before reading his. While I read it, I have not kept it.

Maybe I'll keep Ash and move it up the TBR pile. I am curious how the same sex elements are handled considering this is YA.

I had a feeling you were going to say that about Spymistress, so I'm glad I asked. I'll wait for one of the other titles you recommended.

The same sex elements are handled quite well. I hadn't known about the reputation until after reading Ash, and found it tasteful done.