June Books
Jul. 1st, 2014 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pandop26: William Shakespeare's Star Wars Ian Doescher
This was a birthday present from Steph that I only just got round to reading. Brilliantly funny and clever. I must get the next one for Shakespearian Yoda ...
27: Fashion in the time of Jane Austen Sarah Jane Downing
I borrowed this from work, and it is a great little book. Lots of colour illustrations from the period. Definitely going on the 'to buy' list.
28: The Lady Penelope: the lost tale of love and politics in the court of Elizabeth I Sally Varlow (Kindle)
This was really interesting. Penelope and her ancestors were central figures at the courts of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and James the I and VI, and yet and not well known - partly due to the influence of the Cecils. This gave a very different perspective on some of the events and figures of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. I enjoyed reading it too - it flowed well.
29: A Dreadful Murder: the mysterious death of Caroline Luard (Quick Reads 2013) Minette Walters (Kindle)
This was a short but fascinating mixture of fact and fiction. Walters' theory of how the murder was probably committed makes a lot of sense. It is shocking how bad the original investigation was, even by the standards of the time.
30: Peach Blossom Pavilion Mingmei Yip
I was leant this by my Mum, and I enjoyed it as a bit of light relief after some of the longer things I have read lately. It is a good story with a happy ending, even if it does glamourise prostitution a little. The characters are well written, and the central character of Xiang Xiang/Precious Orchid is very sympathetic. It did make me think about how changes in society meant that the cultured courtesan ceased to be a significant factor in some cultures, where they had previously be quite celebrated.
This was a birthday present from Steph that I only just got round to reading. Brilliantly funny and clever. I must get the next one for Shakespearian Yoda ...
27: Fashion in the time of Jane Austen Sarah Jane Downing
I borrowed this from work, and it is a great little book. Lots of colour illustrations from the period. Definitely going on the 'to buy' list.
28: The Lady Penelope: the lost tale of love and politics in the court of Elizabeth I Sally Varlow (Kindle)
This was really interesting. Penelope and her ancestors were central figures at the courts of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and James the I and VI, and yet and not well known - partly due to the influence of the Cecils. This gave a very different perspective on some of the events and figures of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. I enjoyed reading it too - it flowed well.
29: A Dreadful Murder: the mysterious death of Caroline Luard (Quick Reads 2013) Minette Walters (Kindle)
This was a short but fascinating mixture of fact and fiction. Walters' theory of how the murder was probably committed makes a lot of sense. It is shocking how bad the original investigation was, even by the standards of the time.
30: Peach Blossom Pavilion Mingmei Yip
I was leant this by my Mum, and I enjoyed it as a bit of light relief after some of the longer things I have read lately. It is a good story with a happy ending, even if it does glamourise prostitution a little. The characters are well written, and the central character of Xiang Xiang/Precious Orchid is very sympathetic. It did make me think about how changes in society meant that the cultured courtesan ceased to be a significant factor in some cultures, where they had previously be quite celebrated.