Kakaku：699 saved$6.99
Bantam
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Nicely Researched Story - Plot Full of Holes) 『I read Private Wars after Tara Chace was referenced in an article about smart, human spies. I give the book 2 stars for being a fast read and hard to put down, it could be adapted for a spy movie. Unfortunately Rucka's research detailing the story in Central Asia was wasted with holes in the plot or implausible occurrences. This disappointment keeps it from getting more stars. Rucka's editor should have challenged him instead of letting him get away with such sloppines. Perhaps the graphics make the comic version better.
Tara acted smartly and humanly, though we learn somewhat crazy; everyone else in the story was incredibly stupid or failed tests of realism. Afghan warloard General Kostum lets BBC reporters into visit him for an interview after the Taliban assassinated a fellow warlord under similar pretenses before 9/11? The head of the secret police does not have a guard detail, even after the first attack on him? Ruslan lives in a dictatorship oblivious to people being killed around him and naively not taking steps to protect himself. I could list more, but don't want to spoil the story.
The plot had huge gaps in credibility when Tara was simply released after capture and later when the main villain was simply found and killed. I was unsatisfied with major events happening without reason; especially after investing so much time in a detailed plot. Once again I could list more, but don't want to spoil the story.』
(Back in the Chace) 『Greg Rucka's "Private Wars" picks up precisely where "A Gentleman's Game" left off, with an exhausted and depressed British spy, Tara Chase, returning to her intel job as "Minder One" (aka chief assassin). But not for long. Denied a leave of absence when she becomes pregnant, she quits. But within a year, despite her new motherhood, she returns to the game to try to set things right in Uzbekistan, where an evil sister contends with a self-righteous brother for the job of President (probably for life) as their father lies dying.
Betrayed by her own agency as well as the U.S. CIA, she . . . well, read it for yourself. To say more would be to spoil things. Suffice it to say here that nothing goes as planned.
The book is, in addition to a great suspense novel, a great character study. Tara Chase (and I hope Mr. Rucka has more tales to tell about her), despite her graphic-novel origins, emerges in the novels as a living, breathing character. She's flawed, of course (maybe half crazy), and maybe you'll wonder at the morals of a woman who would leave a 16-month old child with caregivers while she goes off on missions that perhaps she will not return from. And her intel bosses seem more interested in scheming for power than in righting wrongs. (The whole mission begins because of the attempt by one British intelligence officer, who wants to keep his job, to bring down another.)
The ending is beyond cynical.』
(Rucka's best!) 『In an age where one might think that the spy novel is a thing of the past, Rucka scores with a timely, action packed, intense read that will keep you up until the wee hours. You've already read the details......too much detail if you ask me....suffice to say that Rucka's Tara Chase is a compelling, enviably well conceived character, who leads us careening through a fascinating and exhilarating insider's view of a modern day female James Bond. This is undoubtedly Greg Rucka's best novel to date, and that's saying something.』
(Tara Chase is back and as tough as ever!!!) 『In the sequel to Greg Rucka's A Gentleman's Game, British SIS agent, Tara Chase returns for one of the most challenging and dangerous missions of her career. In the newest novel of this stunning series, Private Wars begins with Chase finding out that she's pregnant with her dead lover's (Tom Wallace) baby. When she puts in a request for a temporary leave of absence with her boss, Paul Crocker, the request is denied and she quits her position as Minder One in anger. Not knowing what else to do, Chase tracks down Wallace's mother in England and tells her that she's having her dead son's child. Chase then moves in with Val Wallace and spends the next year-and-a-half having the little girl and raising her. Everything comes to a halt when Crocker suddenly appears at her doorstep, needing her expertise for a secret mission into an East European country to rescue the son and grandson of its dying President. It seems as though the President's daughter is determined to take over after her father anyway she can, even if it means killing her brother and young nephew. Her lover, who's the head of the country's secret police, has already raped and murdered her brother's wife and now wants to take out the sibling. Chase's job is to get the President's son and grandson out of the country before they can be murdered. The problem is that Chase must do it with little help from her superiors and without the American government finding out. Also, she must find a way to get through twelve armed men who have the son under house arrest, waiting for orders to kill him. Chase, however, manages a miracle and just about succeeds in her mission, until there's an unexpected betrayal from the American side. She's captured and then faces a slow, torturing death at the hands of the secret police. Nothing has prepared her for what she'd have to endure and nothing will ever be the same. Private Wars takes the "Tara Chase" series to a whole new level. It's an even faster read than the first novel with unbelievable action and suspense. The characters are more developed, the plot richer in context, and it's a very difficult book to put down even for a minute. The ending will leave you feeling empty, wishing there had been another alternative and knowing that governments seldom care about the suffering of one individual. Along with the "Atticus Kodiak" series, author Greg Rucka has another winner in Tara Chase. I hope Mr. Rucka will keep this new series alive because I want to read more novels with Chase as the lead character. She's one tough lady who's not afraid to kill, or to call her boss an idiot. This is great reading and a lot of fun!』
(A Fine Effort, A Fine Balance) 『Greg Rucka's second Queen&Country novel is a fine effort with a wonderful payoff for those fans left hanging by A Gentleman's Game. His grasp of the internal politics of the MI-6 and alusions to the current Blair Government ring true. Political sketches of the situation in many of the former Soviet republics of Central Asia also are spot on. Uzbekistan is a particularly poignant setting for a Anglo-centric spy thriller given its nexus as a staging ground for the US GWOT, for regional ethnic tensions, breedign ground for islamic extremism, and, most importantly, some of the most egregious human rights abuses recorded in recent memory. Tashkent hosts a thuggish regime, that has particularly been salt in the wounds of British Government politics thanks to Craig Murray, and could very realistically have produced the characters that Rucka fleshes out so admirably in these pages.
Vauxhall Cross is also the staging ground for intrigue as we see how Paul Crocker's relations with his Chief of Service deteriorate until a final end game results in a most satisfying coup d'gras. Francis Barclay is one character that anyone could love to hate. He gets his comeuppance.
Tara Chace will forever be a heartbreaking character. A tragic figure. Rucka stays true to form. There will be no happy endings for Miss Chace...she's not meant to have them and I am not sure that she deserves one. What a fabulously realised character.』 『Only Greg Rucka, the thriller genre’s most fearless writer, would dare create a spy so edgy, so explosive, so extreme, she should be rated X.
Tara Chace was once the most dangerous woman alive. And now that the international spy network thinks she’s as good as dead, she’s even more dangerous than ever.
Only one thing could coax Tara back into the game: a chance to vindicate herself. The torture and execution of Dina Malikov has set off a cutthroat grab for power in strategically crucial Uzbekistan. Tara’s job is to slip into the country and extract Dina’s pro-Western husband and their young son before they are murdered—by his ruthless sister.
But there are a couple of wild cards in the deck, including a missing mobile weapons system that can bring down a commercial airliner, not to mention powerful political careers. Now, as she vanishes into hostile territory with a man who may or may not be what he seems, Tara is going to find out that the war on terror is more terrifying than anyone knows. For in a battle where betrayal is a conventional weapon, loyalty is a weakness, and anyone—even a child—is a legitimate target: it’s every spy, every woman, for herself.
Combine a thriller that defies every expectation with a heroine for whom nothing is out of bounds, and the result isPrivate Wars, a suspense novel so explosively realistic, it should be classified.
Kakaku：139 saved$1.39
Harper Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (utterly disappointed) 『I agree with most of the other reviews on this book. I love everything about Tudor history, especially the history of Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth. I have read many other books about Anne Boleyn, but this one made me put it down after only 10 pages. I could not get over the use of language in this book. It was as if I were listening to a modern day sorority girl. I was completely turned off by the way Anne, who is probably one of my favorite women in history, was portrayed. I even picked up another Anne Boleyn book and read some of it after reading Sarah Dunn's to clear my head of her writing. I have not been so disappointed in a book in my life!』
(Missed opportunity) 『I've had a Tudor England obsession since the age of 14 (particularly Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I) so devour every book about it I can get my hands on - fictional or otherwise, and I find the subject matter so fascinating that it's rare for me to be bored by a novel focusing on this era.
Unfortunately, that was the case here; I am very glad I borrowed this one from the library rather than buying it. I have given it two stars (having revised the rating from my initial three) because there was potential for an interesting and original approach to a frequently told story. Due to some poor writing choices - the alternating narratives, the jarring use of modern idiom ("f***" has a long and not-so-glorious history; 'awesome', 'cute' etc not so much), the use of twee nicknames - Dunn unfortunately missed that opportunity.
The alternating Lucy/Anne narratives let the book down badly: Dunn seemed much less confident when writing from Anne's point of view, and those sections were laboured and ultimately did her subject a grave disservice. I found myself skim-reading those sections, as the anachronistic nicknames and 1990s adolescent-speak irritated me immensely, and I found Dunn's potty-mouthed, crass, one-dimensional Anne to be a far cry from the complex, brilliant and cultured Queen we know from history, although at least we weren't subjected to a vicious hatchet-job of her character of the likes of "The Other Boleyn Girl."
I think the novel's strength lies in Lucy's part of the story - she is by far the most three-dimensional of the characters, and Dunn is more assured when writing from the "commoner's point of view." It also gives a more detailed perspective on Mark Smeaton's background (I've always thought it would be fascinating to have someone write a novel which dealt with his perspective) although Dunn seems to have trouble making him a well-drawn character. She writes him as several years too old for a start - he was in his late teens or very early twenties when he died, not twenty-seven - which ironically has the effect of portraying him as extraordinarily immature. Dunn also seemed to have difficulty conveying the depth of the characters' emotions, which had the effect of rendering them rather dull. I do believe however, that had the novel focused solely on Lucy's narrative, and more work been done on making the characters complex and 3-D, it could have been more successful. The final section of the book, set in the summer of 1536 and dealing with Lucy's grief following the executions, is very powerful.
Overall, I think this author tried to do too much and could have used a thorough edit and a decent historical consultant. Much as I wanted to like it, this unfortunately is not a novel I could recommend.』
(The Worst!) 『This is the most boring book I've read on Anne Boleyn. The language used in the book is too modern, not in context at all - when did this happen, in the 80s? Sure seems like it from the prose. Too random and needs an editor. Frances's? What the hell. Blah, Allison Weir and Jean Plaidy bring the true Anne to life.』
(Disappointed like the rest of you) 『I am an Anne-phile, and I was diappointed with this book like everyone else seems to be. The major problem with this book is that Dunn did not create a sixteenth century atmosphere for this book. Anne could have been recounting her story in the 20/21st century for all her reader knows. (Except that people don't get their heads chopped off in England anymore.)
Another agonizing problem that this novel suffers from is the lack of "scenes." Most of the book is narrative, and you don't get the drama that scenes provide. I didn't get the passion that was stirred between Henry and Anne (or lack of) at any point in the book. There was not much diaglogue in the book, and that's what makes a good story. The flash between characters when creating relationships between them. I wanted to know how Henry and Anne reacted together, and you don't get much of that here.
Also the little details that are necessary for a good historical novel are missing. French headpieces and pomanders are never mentioned; neither are the yearly wages of a lady in waiting. Details, details, details. A writer who tells a historical tale should create a time period for the reader, and Dunn fails to do that.
Perhaps one of her worst sins is the modern slang. I think every negative review that I read complained about that. Here's a few: partying, soulmate, o yeah since when, it happens, make it work, what's up, have it your way, and my favorite - Anne's reference to Henry VIII's sister Mary Tudor as an ex-starlet!
Also, I didn't read a book about Ann Boleyn to find out about candy making. I think Lucy Cornwallis was just schtick to make this book different than the others about Anne Boleyn, and it didn't work. The stories are disjointed and out of time. Lucy's story happens after Anne becomes queen, and Anne's story starts at the beginning of her flirtation with the king. Then you have to go back and forth between 1535-36 and 1526-27 at the beginning of the book. Frustrating, frustrating.
At least I will say that the book moved fast. I read it in less than two days. Which is good because I was ready for it to be over.
Oh yeah, skip The Other Boleyn Girl too, it's boring.』
(Werst Hiztorick Book n Hiztorie) 『There were many typos in this book, and there were quite a few "modern day" phrases, I love reading and learning about the Tudor Dynasty, however the many errors in this book detract and distract from Anne's story.』 『
Anne Boleyn and Lucy Cornwallis: queen and confectioner, fatefully linked in a court rife with intrigue and treachery
She was the dark-eyed English beauty who captivated King Henry VIII, only to die at his behest three years after they were married. She was both manipulator and pawn, a complex, misunderstood mélange of subtlety and fire. Her name was Anne Boleyn.
In The Queen of Subtleties, Suzannah Dunn reimagines the rise and fall of the tragic queen through two alternating voices: that of Anne herself, who is penning a letter to her young daughter on the eve of her execution, and Lucy Cornwallis, the king’s confectioner. An employee of the highest status, Lucy is responsible for creating the sculpted sugar centerpieces that adorn each of the feasts marking Anne’s ascent in the king’s favor. They also share another link of which neither woman is aware: the lovely Mark Smeaton, wunderkind musician—the innocent on whom, ultimately, Anne’s downfall hinges.
Kakaku：194 saved$1.94
The History Press
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. IPhone 3G used's review (good little book) 『this book is a good little read with a overview of the life of queen victoria.』
(A Longer Version of the Countess Longford Bio of Victoria Exists) 『Actually, I probably shouldn't review this book as I am more familiar with the approximately 600 page biography of Queen Victoria that the Countess of Longford published in 1965. It is excellent. I only mention this as one reviewer was disappointed by the length of this version. Those seeking a far more in-depth account by the same author should search for QUEEN VICTORIA-BORN TO SUCCEED.』
(Nice Read and Good Information) 『I enjoyed reading this book. It gave a good overview of Queen Victoria's life. The information was complete and pertinent.
I also found it to be a very quick read.』
(Concise, but great little book) 『I was expecting a bigger book, so I was surprised when this whimpy little paperback arrived. It reads more like a textbook, but is full of great information. Highly recommend if you are looking for a fact filled biography.』 『
Queen Victoria was the longest reigning monarch in British history. In this concise biography, Lady Longford, long recognised as an authority on the subject, gives a full account of Queen Victoria?s life and provides her unique assessment of the monarch. Victoria ascended the throne in 1837 on the death of her uncle William IV. In 1840 she married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and for the next twenty years they were inseparable. Their descendants were to succeed to most of the thrones of Europe. When Albert died in 1861 Victoria?s overwhelming grief caused her to almost withdraw from public life for several years. This perceived dereliction of public duty, coupled with rumours about her relationship with her Scottish ghillie, John Brown, led to increasing criticism. Coaxed back into the public eye by Disraeli, she resumed her political and constitutional interest with vigour until her death in 1901. This classic and concise biography of Britain?s longest-reigning monarch was written by Lady Elizabeth Longford who was a renowned biographer (she died in 2002). Her other titles include Wellington, Byron and the Queen Mother. Elizabeth Longford's first work on Queen Victoria, Victoria RI, won the James Tait Black memorial prize.
Kakaku：695 saved$6.95
National Geographic Children's Books
Usually ships in 24 hours 『No one thought that Elizabeth would live to become Queen of England. Her father, Henry VIII, beheaded her mother, Anne Bolyn, for treason in 1536. He then disowned his daughter, declaring her illegitimate. But in 1544, Parliament reestablished the young princess in the line of succession after her half brother and her half sister. Endowed with immense personal courage and a keen awareness of her responsibility as a ruler, Elizabeth commanded throughout her reign the unwavering respect and allegiance of her subjects.』
Kakaku：1895 saved$18.95
Fireside
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Queen of Dreams) 『"Do not talk gosip to other women. Do not speak badly of anyone. Do not tell anyone you have problems - problems are what others will bring to you; you are the queen. If you have trouble, act happy. Now you have to walk behind me. That is how it is done on Yaqui. Oh, and one more thing. When I get up in the morning? I want you to make the bed first thing. Then cook my breakfast - two eggs over easy. One tortilla. "
This is how Anselmo Valencia, a headman of the Yaqui Pasqua reservation, proposed his Anglo wife-to-be. The book is basically a compilation of Heather Valencia's more or less disastrous relationships with men up to the Yaqui chief that she meets at a deer dance in the Pasqua village. Valencia reveals a pattern of being controlled throughout her life by assorted husbands, medicine men, football stars etc trying to force her into adopting THEIR lifestyle, interests, values and passions. The Yaqui chieftain, clearly a remarkable and influential guy, is no different, only more canny and confident in making her fit into his universe. But, in contrast to others, he also gives something in return.
Perhaps to compensate for the constrictedness of daily life, Valencia shifts into the dreaming universe and art-making. The book chronicles her experiences in which dreaming seemlessly morphs into reality, with characters from one merging into the other. We learn about unknown women who 'teach' her about dreaming in this dreaming domain; many of these women would eventually turn out to be Yaquis from the Pasqua reservation. This part resembles earlier works of Castaneda and Lynne Andrews and as in Castaneda, the reader is tempted sometimes to suspend her/his disbelief.
This book also shows Heather's resourcefulness, toughness and ability to manifest her many talents, including painting and community work. Depictions of Native Americans in this book seem real, certainly more real than cartoonish characters from Andrews' books. There are a number of interesting details about Yaqui deer dancing, customs, etc. and astute and valuable descriptions of Indian perception, healing traditions, singing. Those were the parts that interested me the most: the impressions of an adopted outsider of Yaqui customs and behavior.』
(Must Read For All Seekers) 『This opened my eyes to a greater world which Castaneda started in the 1970s. Reading anecdotes always helps me to gain better understanding of psychic principles. Thank you for writing this book!』
(It's your dream, it's your life.) 『One of the things that struck me after the first dozen pages is that this is a real story about real Yaqui people. Heather provides us with a unique snapshot of American Indian life, the magic, the drama, and the power to see the world as the Yaqui do. We spend one-third of our lives sleeping. If you want to know more about the world that we spend so much time in and it's connection to our waking world, read this book. The first reviewer entirely missed the point of the book, only scratching the surface of a deeper understanding, and in so missed a chance to learn about their dreams and about themselves.』
(Yuck! This sets back the women's movement 100 years...) 『I'm not a "libber" but I was certainly not happy that this story-teller proudly declared a woman's place is serving her husband.
I expected to read about dreaming techniques and instead had to find my way through a convoluted telling of this woman's childhood dreaming experiences, how she came to meet her "Dark Lord," how the earth shook when they made love and how fulfilled she is supporting her husband's mission to lead the Yaqui nation.
What a crock. If you're interested in developing Yaqui dreaming techniques, read Carlos Castanada's books instead. Although the "exercises" described in them are difficult and required a very long time to achieve success, they are effective and do work.』
(Made me wanting to know more ...loved it) 『I am glad I found this book, or it found me. It made me want to try to do a workshop with Heather one day if possible and to know more about her life since the book ended. I love reading about her experiences from the female perspective. Great book.』 『From earliest childhood Heather Valencia had vivid, precognitive dreams. In one of them, she would travel to a pre-Columbian world to join a mysterious, powerful spiritual leader. When she grew older, Heather married and raised a son, but her dreams continued and she found herself increasingly drawn to the desert of southern Arizona. Finally she decided to travel there, particularly to witness the colorful and famous Easter deer dance ceremony, and when she did, she met the mysterious figure of her dreams. This is the true story of Heather Valencia's journey to Yaqui, and her experiences with Anselmo Valencia, the spiritual leader of the Yaqui people and Heather's future husband. Heather describes her passionate love affair with Anselmo, her discovery of the rich Yaqui spiritual tradition under Amselmo's guidance, her otherworldly spiritual explorations, and her mystical activities with the powerful circle of Dreaming Women.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Hilarious Riff on the Royals - and Their Subjects) 『This quirky, biting satire begins with the Royal Family having been exiled to council housing in what is called an Exclusion Zone - a place where the slappers, the morbidly obese, the criminal and other undesirables are sent. The Queen cares for her ailing husband and despairs of her dysfunctional brood. The caricatures are vividly drawn here, and only Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles' long-suffering wife, Camilla, come off very well.
I found something hilarious on almost every page - Sue Townsend has a wicked wit and, though I am a recent transplant to these shores and thus have probably missed some cultural references, I was nonetheless entranced by the storyline, and the foibles Miss Townsend gave her characters. Charles dithers, Camilla consoles, Anne swears a lot, Andrew's gotten chubby and chases girls with wild abandon, William is earnest and Harry's a thug. Throw some unexpected characters into the mix (along with some great cameos from the likes of Stephen Fry and Jeremy Paxman) and you've got a page-turner. Not "great literature," but I couldn't care less - life is too short to read books that enrich without entertaining. There were some scenes that were movingly written, and one that had me crying uncontrollably - that Townsend can inspire such a range of emotion is very telling and a compliment to her literary skills.
Another, interesting, surprising aspect was the integral participation of the community's pet dogs, and the stunning plot twist that they pull off - dumb animals, indeed!
I only gave the book four stars instead of five because of some rather glaring editorial errors that leapt off the page at me and took me out of the story. A good proofreader/editor would have solved that problem and made this a five-star novel.』
大満足！北国のホタテ・いくら・ボタンエビがぎっしり！
