Kakaku：418 saved$4.18
Candlewick
Usually ships in 24 hours 『A classic translation of one of the world's greatest fairy tales— a magical story of a young girl's quest to save the boy she loves.
When Kay is lured from his home by the beautiful, cruel Snow Queen, his friend Gerda sets out on an epic journey to rescue him. As she searches, she encounters a series of strangers to whom she relays her plight. Charmed by her story and her innocence, each of them helps Gerda, so that at last she is able to find the Snow Queen's icy palace. But at the end of her epic journey, will Gerda manage to set Kay free? Soft, ethereal artwork and a faithful translation set the mood for a keepsake edition of Andersen's much-loved winter's tale.』
Kakaku：279 saved$2.79
Harper Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (a great find!) 『I bought this book at a doller store and wasn't expecting much because of that. But it looked interesting. I was definatly surprised and intruiged. Ended up reading it in one night. Well written, interesting with an intense thrill of discovery! This book made me want to visit these ancient places. I had to settle for buying a wealth of histories on the ancient Maya to settle the curiousity this novel unearthed! I defintaly recommend this book to all!』
(Wildly unrealistic) 『OK, i really wanted to like this. I realize its a spoof, a fantasy, an improbably adventure story. But it was just too improbable for me. It wasn't so much the concept I didn't like, but it was based on some assumptions that just rang wrong, and by 22 pages into it I was just annoyed.
Archeologists don't go hunting for rare valuable artifacts to bring home and put on display in museum display cases. They also don't set off on their own to "dig" for two weeks. Archeological digs take a long time, a lot of preparation, and in most cases involve garbage dumps, not treasures. Rare book sellers don't splay centuries-old manuscripts open on Xerox machine glass. The author's entire concept of archeology and anthropology is based on an outdated colonialist model that's patently offensive to modern thought about how we study ancient cultures. I can buy it with the Indiana Jones character because he's set in another era, but these characters resemble modern scholars as much Martians do.
Also, I found the author's point of view about Guatemala's politics strange, unrealistic, and troubling. The way she writes about the people of that country is very colonial and condescending. A couple of places she refers to people as "serfs" and "sherpas" - both demeaning and factually wrong.
The characters are peculiar and unsympathetic. Yolanda's a borderline sociopath. Some of the plot devices are ridiculous. We're supposed to believe that Eric and Lola find the key to the cipher by looking at the image of an artifact on a museum T-shirt - um, if such an artifact has become iconic of the museum, wouldn't it have been studied by hundred of thousands of scholars already? The solving of the cipher ends up being simple word games using an English translation - how hard is that?
Even trivial details are annoyingly wrong - couldn't the author have at least driven up the 405 to visit the UCLA campus? It's not "palmy". And why would a 33 year old woman in 1998 be driving a Ford Pinto?
Well, once you suspend disbelief, it's an OK read. If you imagine it takes place in a fantasy world.』
(A Hollywood Movie) 『The novel is entertaining, yet lacks depth. The character's actions were somewhat predictable.
The story builds up nicely, yet at the height of the story, the author scrambles quickly to get to the conclusion. 』
(The Queen Jade) 『An entralling mystery that is fascinating to read but the part about Balaj K'waill seems a little unrealistic and is hard to believe. However Ms. Murray's vivid discriptions of the setting and the characters make you feel as though you were actually surrounded by emerald green bushes and the sweet tangy jungle fragrances. Also, Ms. Murray's ability to blend romance with mystery is superb! All in all a great read!』
(Recommended) 『This is a really interesting book, which centers around an ancient legend and a mystery. I found it absolutely fascinating, and I personally enjoyed the word puzzle and discussion of hieroglyphs. Jades and hieroglyphs are not topics we usually associate with Guatemala and ancient Central American cultures, so I think this adds to the book's appeal. It's a great adventure story, which also discusses academic research, puzzles, and translations.』 『
There is a legend of the New World that has endured for centuries: the strange, tragic tale of a King, a Witch . . . and a blue gem of intoxicating beauty said to grant extraordinary power to whoever possesses it.
Archaeologist Juana Sanchez, convinced that she's discovered the key to unlocking the mystery of the fabled Queen Jade, ventures into the Central American jungle alone—just ahead of the relentless pounding fury of Hurricane Mitch. When the terrible storm is over, Juana is gone, and an ancient, long-buried jade mine has been uncovered in the mountains of Guatemala, giving new hope to all obsessed seekers of the legendary stone. But it is a different obsession that plunges Juana's daughter—scholar and bookseller Lola Sanchez—into the remarkable adventure of a lifetime. For only by following the Queen Jade's perilous, cursed trail can Lola hope to find her vanished mother . . . if it isn't already too late.
IPhone 3G used's review (Everything you wanted to know about the Kings and Queens of England) 『There is a lot of history in this book. Over 1500 years is covered. The author digs deep into history to give us the histories of the people that became the Kings and Queens of England from the reign of Egbert in the 800's to Queen Elizabeth II who is currently reigning.
The book is broken down into sections. The first section details the lives of the King or Queen in question. The next details the people that they married. The next is how the person died and where they are buried. The next section details wither the King or Queen had any illegitimate children.
Very informative book for people who are interested in the royal family or just want to learn more. It also has a family tree that connects the first King of England to Queen Elizabeth-fascinating stuff! 』
(Great Tidbits Of History) 『This is a fun book that gives interesting and little known facts occuring in the royal history of England. It ties together many unions, births, deaths and other important events of English royalty and lesser royals. It is an easy read and a great reference for understanding the royal succession.』
(Chill out - people) 『Honestly, people - calm down. Did any of the previous readers/reviewers honestly expect a book with the title "Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards" to be a flawless description of centuries of English history ? And that with scholarly accuracy and intellect ? Take it for what it is worth. Read the "Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy" if you want accuracy. This book is a highly entertaining, easy read. I highly recommend it for its amusing anecdotes and enjoyable style.』
(no murder happened in the corridor) 『leading to Princess Sophia Dorothea`s apartement.
In fact Count Königsmarck was last seen whe he left his house in Hannover on the evening of 11.July 1694. No corpse was ever found. Of course there were rumours all over the town that he had been assassinated and murdered and that his body had been thrown in the river Leine. But wether this had really happened anif it was being carried out on the instruction og George Ludwig (the latter George I) or his father Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hannover or the Countess of Platen (who was not only Königsmarck`s mistress but also Ernest Augustus`s) will never be known. Princess Sophia Dorothea was not divorced and put under house arrest in Ahlden because the dying Königsmarck was found lying before her bodouir But because she was forced to return to her father in Celle. This business was called run away and although she did not "flee" voluntarily and although of course her father turned her down she was accused of wilful deserting thus justifying George Ludwig to divorce her. As a note of history she became not only the mother of the english dynasty of Hannover but through her daughter, another Sophia Dorothea, the mother of the prussian dynasty of Hohenzollern.
But on the whole the book is remarkably enertaining and gives you a fascinating insight into 1500 years of englisch history.』
(Entertaining, but has many mistakes of fact.) 『The book is entertaining but if your goal is the study of history, do not buy this book. It is, as another reviewer pointed out, full of mistakes. The first one I found (that stood out) was on page 10. The author states that Mary II (of William III and Mary II) was the sister of James II. She was, in fact, James II's daughter. William's mother, Mary, was the sister of James II and Charles II.
I also found that Hilliam's method of tracing the lines of descent of the various royal houses of Great Britain seemed designed to confuse, rather than enlighten, the reader. I think that it even confused the author himself(see page 10).
On the plus side, the sections on Bones and Bastards are entertaining to read, if you don't plan on using this book for research purposes.』
『Who invented the House of Windsor as a royal name? Who founded Westminster Abby? Which king had twenty-one illegitimate children? David Hilliam answers all these questions and many, many, more, covering unusual incidents of royal history which rarely appear in text books.』
Kakaku：699 saved$6.99
Tor Science Fiction
Not yet published IPhone 3G used's review (The evolution of Venera Fanning) 『In this sequel Schroeder follows Venera Fanning as she evolves into a more balanced woman than she had been. In the process he explores many of the implications of living in a world like Virga. Extraordinarily well thought out and creative. The whole trilogy is a must read.』
(Not Free SF Reader) 『The second book of a series, although I hadn't read the first when I read this, so the character of Venera Fanning and the precarious situation she found herself in to begin with was new to me.
As a spymaster and agent type of the hardarsed and coldblooded variety (except occasionally as concerns her bloke) you see that she is sort of used to this sort of thing, and sets out trying to manipulate the new setting she has pretty much literally fallen into.
Schroeder's bizarre setting makes sun of it fun with the mini town/world type settings and microbattles with a few people per side, plus the odd wooden airship.
I liked the first book more, but here, the character of Venera is rather more sympathetic when she is the main character, as opposed to just one of as in the earlier find out what is actually going on with the technology supporting their environment novel.
3.5 out of 5』
(Out Nivens Niven II) 『This is a well written descendent of Larry Niven's Ringworld and Bob Shaw's Orbitsville. The essential features are an immense, exotic, and technologically formidable habitat in an extrasolar system combined with some kind of action/adventure plot that reveals the interesting features of the habitat and its occupying human societies. Schroeder does well on both counts with an ingenious space habitat and a decently written story line. The habitat is well articulated and the plotting does of a good job of displaying a variety of human cultures occupying the habitat. The plot incorporates a theme of personal transformation on the part of the protagonist that boosts character development.』
(terrific thought provoking science fiction) 『Venera Fanning is falling into the large artificially contained nothingness of Virga. Finally, after what feels like eternity, she lands on the ancient nation of Spyre, an orb whose cylinder shape is rotting to the point that this planet is doomed.
Venera quickly does what she does best alienate people although she finds a few allies almost as amoral as she is. Trusting no one, she knows she must respond rapidly to determine who can insure her survivability on this strange world even if it means some of her new cohorts are expendable. However, Venera also possesses the Key of Candesce that can change entire worlds, but her prime goal remains to live until she can avenge those who sent her into free fall even as she understands that her first encounter arrival causes a civil war between the status quo and the reformists.
The second Virga science fiction saga (see Sun of Suns) is a terrific thought provoking entry that is loaded with action yet causes the audience to ponder deep philosophical concepts. For instance as the amoral Venera plots vengeance and causes a civil war, readers will consider what is human in light of rebellious artificial intelligence and how human culture evolves around its environment especially the Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome concept for turning Manhattan into airless space.
Harriet Klausner 』 『
Venera Fanning was last seen falling into nothingness at the end ofSun of Suns. Now, inQueen of Candesce, Venera finds herself plunging through the air between the artificial continents of Virga, far from home and her husband, who may or may not be alive. Landing in the ancient nation of Spyre, Venera encounters new enemies and new friends (or at least convenient allies). She must quickly learn whoshe can trust, and who she can manipulate in order to survive.Queen of Candesceis her story.
Kakaku：1695 saved$16.95
Holiday House
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Fun artwork, cute story) 『I borrowed this book from the library and my husband fell in love with it (so we bought it for Christmas for the kids). It's a fun story to read to our daughters. The illustrations are whimsical and fun, and the story is of a pizza maker in Naples who is honored with the task of making pizza for the queen who wants to eat the famed food the local peasants eat. It's allegedly the story behind pizza as we know it today, specifically Pizza Margherita, named for the queen and made with the colors of the Italian flag (red tomatoes, white cheese, green basil). During the story, we follow Raffaele the pizza maker on his journey to the different markets to gather ingredients for his pizza for the queen, giving the reader a quick "flavor" of what shopping is like at specialty markets and introducing young readers to the different wonderful products made in Italy (prosciutto, cheeses, olive oil, etc.) and to the art of pizza making. All is well until Raffaele's cat eats one of the ingredients--what will Raffele make instead? The Italian flag gives him inspiration and his famous pizza is born. A recipe for Pizza Margherita is included at the back of the book.』
(Excellente!) 『This book has a wonderful message and I love a good book based on a true story! Magnifico!』
(Pizza for the Queen) 『"Magnifico!" exclaims Queen Margherita as she enjoys a slice of pizza made especially for her by Raffaele Esposito. Based on a true story, Castaldo magnificently describes the story of Raffaele, the finest pizza maker in Napoli, who is requested by the queen to make a pizza. Raffaele searches the city for the optimal ingredients for the perfect pizza. With inspiration from the red, white, and green of the Italian flag, Raffaele creates a pizza fit for a queen, appropriately dubbed "Pizza Margherita." This delectable story is enhanced with Potter's vivacious illustrations that capture the appetizing quest of Raffaele. With close attention to detail, the intricate pictures are able to express the Italian culture in the late 1800's. The story, as well as the recipe included in the book for "Pizza Margherita," will satisfy children's appetites everywhere.』 『Raffaele makes the best pizza in all of Napoli. It is so good that even Queen Margherita has requested a taste. Raffaele runs around town collecting the finest ingredients for the pizzas he’s planning for the queen, but when a sneaky cat eats the anchovies, he has to revise his plans. Inspired by the colors of the Italian flag, the pizza Raffaele creates is one that delights not only the queen but pizza lovers for generations to come. Accompanied by a generous assortment of rich anddetailed acrylic paintings, the story ends with a pizza recipe meant to tempt the taste buds of pizza lovers everywhere.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Fun with the Hanoverians) 『Queen in Waiting, published originally in 1967, is the story of Caroline of Ansbach, wife to the future George II, before she became queen.
This book starts out rather gloomily, with Caroline's spiritless mother, Eleanor, making a disastrous second marriage that nearly results in her being poisoned. Fortunately, smallpox saves Eleanor by widowing her a second time, and with Eleanor's decline and death soon following, the story switches to the much more interesting figure of Caroline herself. We follow Caroline into her marriage with George Augustus, whose father is destined to become King George I of England. In what would apparently become a Hanoverian family tradition, George I and George Augustus hate each other heartily, and their jockeying for power once the family moves from Hanover to England forms most of the plot of the novel.
Caroline is an intelligent, shrewd opportunist who is quick to take advantage of George I's unattractive personality by ingratiating herself with the people. Though George I succeeds in getting control of some of Caroline's children, Caroline is no victim like her mother; the fight never goes out of her. I also liked George Augustus's mother-in-law, Sophia, who is pleased when George Augustus takes up with an English mistress: "It should improve his English," she tells the furious Caroline. Sophia is one of several cheerfully cynical characters here.
There are some repetitive moments; we're reminded way too often that George I has locked up his wife because of her love affair.
Amusingly, once the Hanoverians move to England, Plaidy reminds us of their heavy German accents by having the Prince and Princess of Wales speak sentences such as these: "Ve vill think of something, my tearest." This usually works well enough, but it tends to undermine Plaidy's more dramatic moments.
All in all, though, this novel left me looking forward to more dysfunctional family fun with its sequel, Caroline, the Queen.』
(Don't wait to Read This Book!) 『Caroline had a sad and confusing childhood with her mother and brother. Eventually, she meets Sophia Charlotte and they become best friends. Sophia Charlotte introduces Caroline to the world of learning, in which Caroline quickly becomes involved. Caroline also becomes a friend with Sophia, who has a very good chance of becoming the next ruler of England. Caroline is convinced to marry George, Sophia's grandson. Around this same time, Sophia Charlotte dies, leaving Caroline desolate. Caroline eventually bears many children, and is smart enough to know how to deal with her husband properly. Her father-in-law is also created King of England, since Sophia recently died. Caroline was smart enough to learn English, so she and her husband or loved much more than the king in England. The king has his revenge, though. Their son is made to live in Germany, and their younger children are sent to live with the king. Somehow, Caroline and George live through the reign, and are crowned King and Queen.
I enjoyed this book a lot. Caroline is an admirable woman that I would be proud to have my friend (if she were alive). Plaidy brings her to life so vividly, I feel like I know her.』
(Woman in the Middle) 『The survival of the British monarchy as a popular institution owes a lot to its queens who were, more often than not, more intelligent than their husbands. Caroline of Ansbach is such a queen. Well-educated and from one of the poorer German principalities, Caroline married into the boorish House of Hanover. It isn't long before she discovered she's caught between a loathsome, vindictive father-in-law, George I, and her not-too-bright and domineering husband, the future George II.
The House of Hanover, newly ascended to the English throne, would not have survived on the personal popularity of its kings. It took the cleverness of Caroline coupled with that of Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister, to keep things in balance. Jean Plaidy tells the tale of the reign of George I through the personal trauma of this most remarkable of English Queens.』
Kakaku：799 saved$7.99
Baen
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (A Quality Follow-Up) 『This second book in the series has a lot right going for it, and is a solid follow up to 'On Basilisk Station'. While it falls a little short from its progenitor, it is still a solid read.
Honor, who is a little one dimensional, is still the strong, hyper-capable commander that Weber seems to prefer. It is a little tedious that she can do no wrong, so the fact that he allows her a small misstep is nice to see. The side characters, especially the Graysons are also welcome additions. It's nice to see so many supporting characters from the previous book make their way back here.
Unfortunately, Weber mitigates this some by making an enemy even more intractable and stubborn then the previous book, this time in the form of the Massadens. Their evil is a little to extreme for me, and I would much rather see some shade of gray in the actions and responses. Also, Weber continues to have Honor face off against un-believable incompetent allies and superiors. While this can be interesting, Weber tends to go to this well a bit to much.
The story itself is good, well paced, with satisfying battle scenes. The ground combat scenes are a bit week, as Weber is clearly more comfortable with the more strategic distant space combat. There is thankfully less time spent with detailed and tedious explanations of tech, although there is still a significant amount of time spent with one character giving long winded explanations to another, explanations that would seem out of place anywhere but in a novel.
Overall, this is an excellent read and one I recommend to fans of the series.』
(The continuation of a great series) 『After Basilisk Station, you might have wondered, but Honor of the Queen confirms that whenever Honor Harrington is assigned some sort of mission she will accomplish at least two things: 1) just about completely destroy whatever ship is under her direct command (not on purpose - it's just an inevitable outcome of being led by her), and 2) she will absolutely devastated her opponents, emerging not unscathed, but completely victorious and more than likely snag a promotion or two in the mix, as well as the uninhibited gratitude of all around her.
Harrington is being sent with a diplomatic mission to the planet of Grayson - who should know by the fact that Honor is coming that something catastrophic and horrendous is about to happen to their society. Not to mention that the Graysons are pretty close to being religious zealots who have completely denied women in their society any and all rights to women. How long will that last with Honor on the way? Oh, and throw in a mix of even more religious zealots who want to completely wipe out and suppress the Graysons. Any bids on who ends up standing up to them for Grayson?
In Honor of the Queen Webber has once again struck a near perfect balance of relentless action against political intrigue. In a few places it starts to get monotonous, but if you just persevere a little bit more you find the release of the action completely worth the build of the intrigue.
The most wonderful part of the book is another chance to spend more time with Harrington and see her develop more as a leader as well as discovering more depths of her character and passions. And the raw power residing in her person is just incredible. One of my favorite scenes is where she and Nimitz almost singlehandedly take out a crew of assassins.
Contrary to how my first paragraph may have sounded, I do absolutely recommend this book. I highly recommend you read Basilisk Station first - but do yourself a favor and grab as many of these Honor Harrington books as you can and curl up for a looooong time with some incredible writing. 』
(Anything and everything David Weber is good!) 『Having read through the entire Honor Harrington, plus a number of other books that Weber either authored or co-authored, I can readily say that he is one of the best writers in the business today.
Every character gets developed so that you feel like you really know them. He carries their lives through each of the books in the series with amazing continuity, including the development of their personalities, the way in which they age, and the development of their relationsnips.
This book, as the others, is just a joy to read.』
(Not Free SF Reader) 『Having triumphed in the face of banishment and dodgy new technology, Harrington is given something else to do. She is sent into a sticky political situation between the planets of Haven and Manticore. Being diplomatic is hard when they do not respect women, so that plays a part.
Some running ship battles and other sorts of shooting ensue, amidst all the political skullduggery.
』
(Second in the excellent Honor Harrington series: introducing the Graysons) 『 "The Honor of the Queen" is the second book in a wonderful space opera series set some three thousand years in the future and featuring David Weber's best fictional heroine, "Honor Harrington." The books are best read in sequence and I strongly recommend that you start with "On Basilisk Station" which is the first one.
Despite the futuristic setting, there are strong parallels with Nelson's navy. Assumed technology in the Honor Harrington stories imposes tactical and strategic constraints on space navy officers similar to those which the technology of fighting sail imposed on wet navy officers two hundred years ago. The galactic situation in the novels contains strong similarities to the strategic and political situation in European history at the time of the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.
This seems to be quite deliberate: many thinly veiled (and amusing) hints in the books indicate that they are to some extent a tribute to C.S. Forester, while the main heroine of the books, Honor Harrington, appears to owe more than just her initials to C.S. Forester's character "Horatio Hornblower."
This book introduces the planet Grayson which is to become immensely important in future stories. When Honor Harrington first meets the inhabitants of Grayson in this book, they appear to be boorish, male chauvinist dinosaurs, and she has great difficulty dealing with them. However, it is a challenge which she eventually surmounts with flying colours.
A large number of important characters are also introduced in this book: and not just among Honor's Manticoran compatriots and her new Grayson allies. The two captains who the enemy "Peeps" have sent to stir the pot in Grayson will also feature in most of the forthcoming books - but not necessarily on the same side.
In this second book of the series, Honor Harrington has been promoted after her victory in Basilisk, and given command of the brand new heavy cruiser "H.M.S. Fearless." She is also the senior officer of the military force escorting a diplomatic mission under her old mentor, Admiral Raoul Courvisier, to persuade the planet Grayson to ally with her home country, Manticore, against the looming threat from the People's Republic of Haven (Peeps.)
Grayson, in the Yeltsin system, was settled by religious fanatics. It turned out to have a highly poisonous ecosystem, which forced their descendants to amend some of their principles in order to survive. But their remaining prejudices, especially against women, initially make them difficult to deal with.
However, the Graysons are sweetness and light compared with the male rulers of the planet Masada in the neighbouring Endicott system. Descended from Graysons who went into exile after refusing to make the compromises necessary to prevent the planet killing them, the Masadans' ruthless sexism and intolerant bigotry make the Taleban look like a bunch of Episcopal feminists. They are still bent on revenge - and the People's Republic of Haven is only to happy to help them secure it.
Honor Harrington is going to have to go into battle against horrendous odds - again ...
This is another clever story with wonderful and believable characters, brilliantly described space battles, and a well crafted set of explanations of how the tactical situations in which the characters find themselves relate both to the technology their ships use and the political dynamics which set up the conflicts between them.
Many people read Weber for the space battles, and this book scores very highly here. In some of the later books of the series when describing major fleet actions, Dave Weber sometimes writes a bit too much like the wargame designer he once was, but he is superb when describing single-ship or squadron-level actions such as those in "The Honor of the Queen."
Two aspects of this book may make some readers a little uneasy. At this stage of the series Weber gives full vent to his distrust of politicians, especially left-wing ones.
In later books, apparently to broaden the appeal slightly, he creates some extreme ultra right-wing reactionary politicians who he can criticise from the left so as to counterbalance his criticisms of socialists and liberals from the right. Weber thereby places the views of most of his sympathetic characters in the moderate centre of the Manticoran political spectrum. From book ten he also writes in one or two sympathetic liberal politicians! However, when he wrote "The Honor of the Queen" he had not made these adjustments.
Anyone with liberal or left wing views about economics or defence and security issues and who isn't willing to put them aside to enjoy a novel may be irritated by the political slant of the book. However, this slant is not as strong as that taken by some other military SF writers such as John Ringo.
The other aspect of the book which may be slightly uncomfortable for a minority of readers is the role of men and women. In respect of Grayson, the novel looks from a viewpoint totally committed to absolute equality between men and women at how a society which has gone down a different road can be persuaded to reform. In respect of Masada, their status as the bad guys is confirmed by their horrible crimes against women.
If you like this book, you will want to read the rest of the series. At the time of writing there are thirteen full length novels and four short story collections in the "Honorverse" as the fictional galaxy in which these stories are set is sometimes known. The main series which tells the story of Honor Harrington herself currently runs to eleven novels; in order these are
On Basilisk Station The Honor of the Queen The Short Victorious War Field of Dishonour Flag in Exile Honor among Enemies In Enemy Hands Echoes of Honor Ashes of Victory War of Honor At All Costs
The four collections of short stories set in the same universe, not all of which feature Honor Harrington herself, are
More Than Honor Worlds of Honor Worlds of Honor III: Changer of Worlds Worlds of Honor IV: The Service of the Sword
The two spin-off novels are "Crown of Slaves" (with Eric Flint) which is a story of espionage and intrigue featuring a number of characters first introduced in earlier Honor Harrington books or short stories, and "The Shadow of Saganami" which is a kind of "next generation" novel featuring a number of younger officers in the navies of Manticore and her ally Grayson.
For amusement, if you want to try to look for the parallels to nations and individuals from the French revolutionary period and the Hornblower books, one possible translation would be:
People's Republic of Haven during books 1 to 3 = Bourbon France People's Republic of Haven from book 4 onwards = Revolutionary France Star Kingdom of Manticore = Great Britain Gryphon = Scotland Grayson = Portugal
Prime Minister Alan Summervale = Pitt the Younger Hamish Alexander, later Earl White Haven = Admiral Edward Pellew Honor Harrington = Horatio Hornblower Alistair McKeon = William Bush
Crown loyalists and Centrists = Tory supporters of Pitt Conservative Association = isolationist/hardline High Tories New Kiev Liberals = Whig Oligarchists Progressives and traditional liberals = Whig radicals
Anderman Empire = Kingdom of Prussia Silesia = Poland Solarian republic = United States of America』 『On the planet Grayson to participate in diplomatic talks between the Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven, Honor Harrington discovers that she is stuck on a fiercely patriarchal, misogynist planet.』
Kakaku：599 saved$5.99
Candlewick
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (It shoots, it scores!) 『Though published through a children's book publishing house, you cannot say that this is necessarily a book intended for the eyes of kids only. Anyone who has ever loved the WNBA, anyone who has a favorite player that is featured in this book, and anyone who loves poetry OR basketball will enjoy this book. A ribald collection of photographic images and odes to individual WNBA players, Charles R. Smith Jr. has created the ultimate loving tribute to twelve of his favorite muses.
First of all, I am not personally a WNBA fan. So in reviewing this book I can't tell you whether or not the twelve women featured in this book are the current top twelve players, the past top twelve players, or just random players that Smith thinks are especially talented. For each woman pictured here, Smith has written a poem. We begin with "Fly Swatter", dedicated to the great height and skill of Margo Dydek. This poem, like all the others, shows a picture of the woman featured in sepia tones doing exactly what the poem says she's doing. So Tina Thompson's poem "T 4 2" shows her scoring a two-pointer while Nykesha Sales's, "The Bomb" shows the ultimate jump shot. The poems are written with a bouncy fast-paced style that's sure to please any burgeoning poet or sports fan. For example, a poem about Ticha Penicheiro says, "Racing and running/and spinning and swerving/ in total control/ while feeding and serving/ delicious assists/ with wrist-flick tricks/ Chef T serves/ dishes with slick/ style and/ skill". They're all like that. Tricky enjoyable little spots of poetry that laud some of Smith's favorite players and talents.
In the back of the book Smith has included little bios of each player and the reason he wrote the poem he did for each. If the poems themselves were complimentary, these bios are positively worshipful. Still, I think what Smith has done here is give each person an individual identity. A lesser writer (or fan, for that matter) might be tempted to lump these women into a single group without individual personalities or traits. Smith works hard to display each person with the dignity and talent they so rightly possess.
The book's covers are apparently made of cardboard, which struck me as a little odd. Still, despite this bizarre packaging the book's a worthy addition to any sports fan's home. If you've been scouring the shelves for WNBA poetry and have found yourself coming up short, I believe you'll be happy to find this little number ready and waiting for you. It may not contain the most thought provoking poems in the world, but it accomplishes what it set out to do. It praises its subjects fervently and beautifully. 』 『"Young basketball fans will have a hard time keeping still. . . . A great choice to energize poetry units."— BOOKLIST
Margo Dydek, Ticha Penicheiro, Chamique Holdsclaw . . . these are just three of the twelve women profiled in a dynamic group of poems honoring some of the best female players in professional basketball. With action photographs and kinetic lyrics illustrating each player’s style, HOOP QUEENS will grab the attention of any kid who loves basketball — and score a slam-dunk with teachers of poetry.
An International Reading Association Children’s Choice
IPhone 3G used's review (Sui Generis) 『It's easy to love the story of a true eccentric, and Marion "Joe" Carstairs does not disappoint in this regard. Born in America in 1900 and heiress to the Standard Oil fortune, she left home at age 11 and spent her youth adventuring in Europe--it is hard, in fact, to shake off the impression that she must be British. Adopting a masculine persona as suggested by her name, Joe raced speedboats and sported tattoos with a fake moustache and romanced a bevy of lesbian lovers (including Marlene Dietrich and other beautiful actresses). She preferred to live life in the fast lane and reveled in flouting the feminine traditions of that post-Victorian era. In fact, Joe took pains to create her image without necessarily being truthful. Aren't a good story and a sense of mystery always preferable to dull facts? But when the roaring 20s gave way to the more sober 30s, Joe decided to beat a retreat from the continent to the Bahamian island of Whale Cay (pronounced "key"). How nice to be able to buy your own island in 1933 for only $40K . . .
She took with her a doll, Lord Tod Watley, who was her closest companion for 60 years. Tod sported a wardrobe of tailor-made costumes, and there are many photographs in this book of him posed in various tableaus. He starts out as a young, boyish figure whom most might find endearing, but with advancing age his leather face cracked and discolored making him a rather gruesome figure. It is a bit pathetic that ultimately Joe could tolerate no human partner for long while always openly adoring him. In fact, the book intimates that in her later years Joe made have tolerated unkind treatment from others simply out of fear that they might retaliate against Tod in some way if she displeased them.
Long story short, Joe took Whale Cay from being a virtually uninhabited island and built herself a palatial home, then took care to develop the rest of the land for the benefit of others. She had her own little fiefdom going for a while. But age took its toll on her, and in 1975 she sold this topical paradise for just under $1M. (Google it, and you will see just how beautiful it is.) She moved back to the United States where she lived to the age of 93, at which time she was cremated along with Wadley and interred in a tomb by the sea. 』
(A fascinating subject completely misunderstood) 『Joe Carstairs comes off as a fascinating study of what it was like to be a moneyed lesbian somewhat outside the usual literary lesbians of the early 20th century. There aren't many stories about these women, and we can certainly use more.
Alas, Carstair's definitive biography is yet to be written. Summerscale uses Freudian analysis-- badly-- and literary allusions-- somewhat better-- to illustrate who and what Carstairs was about. Summerhill basically creates a book that is about 50 years behind the time it was written. It would help if Summerscale had any actual clue about lesbian culture and cultural theory, but it seems she'd rather turn Carstairs into a freak instead of exploring her as an outsider.
The most egregious example of this is early on in the book, in which she talks about how Carstairs "rejects her feminity to reinvent herself." You can't reject what you don't have in the first place. Grounding the biography firmly in the mistaken beleif that a female body will naturally be feminine creates a caricature of Carstairs rather than the fully human characterization she deserves.
This is worth reading, but it's worth reading with a very critical eye on Summerscale's clunky writing and outdated analysis.
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(A great life story ineptly written) 『Kate Summerscale stumbled onto a treasure trove when she was asked in the 12990s to write the obituary for a British daily for M. B. "Joe" Carstairs, an eccentric Standard Oil heiress who had set speedboating records in the 1920s and who literally ruled her own Bahamian island for several decades, not only paying all the inhabitants directly out of her pocket but also establishing their rules and punishments. Carstairs also was one of the great lesbian lovers of the twentieth century, having affairs with dozens of beautiful actresses including Greta Garbo and Tallulah Bankhead--and to top off everything, was obsessed with a small leather manikin she named "Lord Tod Watley" and took with her everywhere, proclaiming him the great love of her life. The material is so terrific that this slim little biography can't help but be a fun read, but the book is held back tremendously by Summerscale's amateurish writing style, which consists of endless flatly declarative sentences and which rarely uses transitions between new ideas. Clearly Summerscale is quite erudite (her allusions to Woolf and Djuna Barnes are not only illuminating but actually quite clever), but the prose was a real drawback to what would have been otherwise a terrific tale.』
(WIld And Sexy -- Not!!!) 『On paper, this book sounds fabulous. A rich, beautiful lesbian lives a scandalous life filled with excitement, traveling around the world, meeting lots of famous people, and making love to dozens of willing female partners. Imagine a Howard Stern sex epic with a sumptuous budget and a Merchant Ivoery feel!
Kay Summerscale does a very professional job as a biographer. Unfortunately, the story is not that exciting. Yes, Joe Carstairs was a rich lesbian, and a rebel, but she was not in any sense a "fun" person. She was apparently some kind of borderline schizophrenic. All she could do to act "manly" was to throw screaming tantrums, smoke, spit and swear. Not an attractive personality. The whole thing with carrying the little doll around for 60 years comes across as sick, not funny or charming.
Read the book for the sumptuous settings and try to imagine someone glamorous, like Gloria Holden (from the lesbian classic DRACULA'S DAUGHTER)having the same adventures, but in a fun way.』
(Buy this now, it's delightful.) 『I saw this slim volume in the store and was fascinated by the picture on the cover - a woman dressed as a man with a little battered doll on her shoulder - "what in the world is this?" So, I
