IPhone 3G used's review (Couldn't stop laughing!) 『Jill Conner Browne has got to be the smartest, funniest, most charming woman on the planet. I've bought all of her books at least twice and can't keep any of them. Everytime I loan one to one of my friends they end up keeping it. Not only will you laugh yourself sick reading any of her wonderful books, they're full of good, sensible advice. Take a look at her financial planner's rule #1 Hope Daddy lives forever. That's good advice if ever there was some. Check out the chapter in The Book of Love entitled, "Men who just need killing." Also good advice. So here's my advice, buy the book. Buy all the books. Buy several because you won't be able to keep them either. I'm thinking of handing them out as Christmas presents. Oh, yeah, and if Jill ever runs for President every woman I know will vote for her!』 『Two bestsellers in one! This book includes both the Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love and God Save the Sweet Potato Queens'. Two wonderfully funny books in one edition.』
Kakaku：439 saved$4.39
St. Martin's Griffin
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Sovereign Ladies is the fascinating story of the six reigning queens of Great Britain) 『Sovereign Ladies is the story of the six women who have ruled Great Britian. You might call it a tale of the good, bad, ugly and beautiful! Historian Maureen Waller writes in an accessible style which adds to our knowledge of these important historical women. Waller's book discusses in scintillating chapters the following queens: 1. Mary I (reign-1553-1558). Bloody Mary so called because of the over 300 Protestants burned at the stake during her reign. Mary followed Edward IV her Protestant half brother to the throne. Mary was the daughter of Katherine of Aragon the first wife of Henry VIII. Henry had divorced Katherine in order to wed Anne Boleyn. Katherine had failed to produce a male heir to the throne. Mary wed Phillip II of Spain but failed to have a child. She was a devout Roman Catholic not liked by the British people. Her relationship with her half sister Elizabeth was convoluted. At one time she imprisoned Elizabeth in the Tower of London. Her attempt to align England with the papacy failed and she died after a short and inglorious reign. 2. Elizabeth I (1558-1603). The greatest queen and possibly the greatest ruler in English history she was good Queen Bess beloved by her people. During her long reign the Spanish Armada was defeated; England lived under a policy of religious toleration; Shakespeare and his fellow playwrights produced great plays; North America was explored and Virginia named after the Virgin Queen. Elizabeth never married though she was often courted. Elizabeth was a brilliant intellect speaking several modern and ancient languages. She surrounded herself with savvy advisors. In 1587 she ordered the execution of her cousin Mary Queen of Scots due to the latter's involvement in conspiracies designed to dethrone Elizabeth and restore England to the Roman Catholic faith. The cult of Elizabeth was wide and she was considered a modern incarnation of the Virgin Mary. She was the daughter of the beheaded Anne Boleyn and the formidable and evil Henry VIII. Countless novels, movies and biographies of this complex ruler pour off the presses. 3, Mary II. (1688-1694) Mary was the daughter of James II (he reigned from 1685-1688). James II was a Roman Catholic who was forced into exile in 1688 to be replaced by William of Orange the Protestant from the Netherlands. William and Mary reigned as co-monarchs. Mary was a bright woman and a good queen. She loved her husband, England and learning. She was childless and died young. Mary was a strong Protestant unlike her father James II. In 1690 James II lost the battle of the Boyne in his attempt to unseat William and Mary. 4. Anne (1702-1714). Anne was the younger sister of Mary II and the daughter of Catholic James II. She was duller than her sister Mary and plotted against her father. Anne became Queen of England following the death of King William. She was constantly pregnant by her mediocre husband George of Denmark. None of her 16 pregnancies resulted in the birth of a healthy child. Her children died in childbirth or expired prior to adulthood. Her best friend was Sarah Churchill the wife of the famed soldier John Churchill but the two later had a bitter quarrel never reconciling. England grew in power during Anne's reign. She was an ordinary woman who was thrust into power. 5. Victoria (reigned from 1837-1901). There is the Elizabethan age and the Victorian Age. Elizabeth and Victoria are not only the two greatest of the queens chronicled by Waller but the two greatest monarchs of Great Britain. Victoria was the daughter of the Duke of Kent one of the many dissolute sons of George III. She ascended the throne following the death of her uncle William IV. Victoria was not beautiful and had a willful and imperious nature. She became queen as a young girl being tutored by her beloved father-figure Prime Minister Palmerston. She would later come to rely on Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli a Tory. Victoria detested the Liberal Prime Minister Gladstone. Victoria's great love was for her German husband Albert. She and Albert had nine children; she became known as the grandmother of Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm II was her granchild as was Tsar Nicholas of Russia. When Albert died in 1861 Queen Victoria went into seclusion for many years. She worshipped Albert sleeping with a picture of him in his coffin each night. Under the prodding of Disraeli she emerged in the 1870s as a visible presence on the political scene. She favored the emergence of the middle classes and had a keen mind. Victoria was very fat with a 48 inch waistline in middle age. She did not get along well with the playboy Prince of Wales Edward who became King Edward VII when she died in 1901. During her reigin Britain ruled over a quarter of the globe. She became Empress of India and her image was seen on everything from the penny postage stamp to vases. Her storng sense of morality and service is commendable. Victoria loved England and the English loved her. A great queen! 6. Elizabeth II (1953-present). Elizabeth "Lillibet" was the oldest daughter of King George VI and his wife Mary of Teck. W@hen the old king died Elizabeth and her dashing Greek husband Phillip were on tour in Kenya. Elizabeth was raised in a cocoon along with her spoiled sister Margaret. During her long reign Britain has declined in power. She has been a better queen than a mother. Three of her four children have divorced. She lost popularity when Charles divorced Diana and wed his love Camilla Parker Bowles. Elizabeth lacks imagination but has been a good ruler of what is sometimes called "The Firm" of Royals. Elizabeth has endured and is much admired throughout the world. Waller's book contains no new historical revelations and is written as popular history for a general audience. As a longtime fan of the British Royalty I did enjoy this book. It will both entertain and enlighten the reader. I look forward to future books by this young historian.』
(Interesting if you don't know much about these queens, dull if you do.) 『History is one of those subjects that endlessly fascinates me. And one of my favourite times and places is England. So it was pretty much a given that I would pick up Maureen Waller's latest study on the six women who have ruled as monarchs in their own right.
The six women here enjoy a unique position in history, ruling alone (with one exception) and helping to shape what we now know as England. Each one had a very different personality and would help to provide plenty of legend and mythology to what we think of as a Queen. One of them is still living, and several have become icons in the modern mind.
Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II, are probably better known than their male counterparts. They have been the subjects of innumerable books and films, and have inspired the arts, social custom and were often the catalysts for change in the time that they ruled.
I have to say, I was not that impressed by this book. Each queen is covered in a series of vignettes, most of them rather scanty and feeling rushed, despite the attempt of the author to provide some historical and personal details. If that wasn't enough, Waller also tries to include some psychological insights, and also some medical theories as to why each woman behaved the way she did. The result is a thin narrative that doesn't really satisfy.
Technically, the stories are written in a bland, matter-of-fact way that left me feeling rather bored by the stories, despite quite a bit of drama that occurs in each life. What I was hoping for was something new -- after all, how many more biographies of Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria can the market handle? And Waller has already written an outstanding book about Mary II and Anne titledUngrateful Daughters, about James II and the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Along with the narrative, there are two inserts of colour and black and white photographs, as well as genealogical tables. The bibliography is about the best thing here, giving plenty of ideas for further research.
Summing up, I would recommend this one for someone who doesn't know very much about the subject, but if you've already read biographies about these women, and are looking for something new, it's going to be a pretty dull read. Throughout the book, my attention kept wandering and I found myself bored silly. That's not a good sign, especially with history. Waller has already proved that she can do much better than this, and it's a real disappointment overall.
Three stars overall. Somewhat recommended.
』
(A great read.) 『Seven personalities, not six, are on display here, the reigning queens' and Ms. Waller's.
She doesn't condescend to the reader or get too lofty either; she assumes you're pretty educated, anyway, if you're reading this work, but not an expert on this subject. I loved her "voice;" it was friendly, highly personal--yet her research was impressive. I can't imagine trying to make sense of the huge amounts of often conflicting information.
Like Antonia Fraser, Waller assumes the reader has a good command of foreign languages, so if, like me, you last opened a Latin book sometime in the 80's be prepared to miss a point here and there.
In some places, I noticed sparks of startling misogyny. For example, Edward, son of Henry VIII was dying and his caretakers dismissed his physicians and brought in "a female quack." Well, maybe she was a quack and maybe she wasn't, but Edward was dying anyway and Ms. Waller didn't criticize the males who failed to save him. (Frankly, I wouldn't want to be treated by a medieval or Ren doctor of either sex.) In another section, she praises Elizabeth II for thinking "like a man." Hardly words I'd expect from a woman writing about comparatively powerful women!
Waller succeeds in finding the personalities of all the queens, and since I never found anything interesting about either Anne or Mary II it was fascinating to feel them in particular come alive.
All in all, I greatly enjoyed this book that gave wonderfully readable stories of the queens that were more than regents.』
(Good for a first-timer) 『If you are not at all familiar with the six reigning Queens of England, than this is the book for you. It was informative, concise, not too biased in one direction or the other, and showed a bit of each ladies personality. It is the type of book to spark a persons interest in doing additional research on each monarch, on an individual basis.
My reason for four stars, instead of five, is that I am VERY familiar with the British monarchy. This book did not disappoint, but there was little that was new and which hadn't been read in other volumes.』
(SOVEREIGN LADIES) 『AN EXCELLENT BOOK THAT IS INFORMATIVE AND EXTREMELY INTERESTING. ALTHOUGH I AM FAMILIAR WITH EACH SOVEREIGN I LEARNED MUCH MORE THAN I EXPECTED TO. THE INSIGHT INTO THE TIMES MADE EACH SEGMENT RELEVANT. A VERY WORTHWHILE READ.』 『
In the bestselling tradition of authors Antonia Fraser and David Starkey, Maureen Waller has written a fascinating narrative history---a brilliant combination of drama and biographical insight---of the six women who have ruled England in their own names.
In the last millennium there have been only six English female sovereigns: Mary I and Elizabeth I, Mary II and Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II, who celebrated her eightieth birthday in 2006. With the exception of Mary I, they are among England’s most successful monarchs. Without Mary II and Anne, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 might not have taken place. Elizabeth I and Victoria each gave their name to an age, presiding over long periods when the country made significant progress in the growth of empire, prestige, and power. All of them have far-reaching legacies. Each faced personal sacrifices and emotional dilemmas in her pursuit of political power. How to overcome the problem of being a female ruler when the sex was considered inferior? Does a queen take a husband and, if so, how does she reconcile the reversal of the naturalorder, according to which the man should be the master? A queen’s first duty is to provide an heir to the throne, but at what cost? In this richly compelling narrative, Maureen Waller delves into the intimate lives of England’s queens regnant in delicious detail, assessing their achievements from a female perspective.
Kakaku：574 saved$5.74
Del Rey
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (An engrossing series) 『Wow! What a story! I would highly recommend you pick this series up and dive right in. This story is among my favorites to read over and over again. David Eddings definitely dotes on his characters. The heroes are loveable, witty, complex, amusing, disgusting, loathesome, and infuriating all at the same time. All, however, are very memorable. Eddings does a wonderful job of making me feel the book. I've cried, laughed, and exhulated in the triumphs of these fantastic characters. The setting of the story is quite large ranging from North to South, East to West, and back North again. That is, if you read the entire Belgariad series along with the Mallorean. Many landscapes and most, if not all, are easy to visualize and remember. The cultures and traditions of the many countries are extensively covered, which make them real to the reader. Now don't get me wrong, this story does have a negative side. While the characters are quite loveable, the dialogue and their own personal mannerisms are constantly repeated. Yes, I know Silk's sly and sarcastic, I don't need to be reminded every 3-4 pages. The plot is quite predictable and common for fantasy. A young, seemingly ordinary farmboy rises in status and kills his arch-nemesis. Sorcerers, Gods, Wars, constant danger, no dying, nobility, commoners, and an impending evil that is eventually destroyed. That sort of thing. And the editing is atrocious. Letters are missing at the end of words, some names are spelled incorrectly from time to time, and I could swear some of the facts get mixed up and contradict themselves. It is not as horrible as I let on, but I really get annoyed by that sort of thing. If you happen to be too, consider yourself warned. But please don't let that discourage you, it is still an amazing story and well worth the time. Happy reading!』
(GLAD THEY PUT THESE TOGETHER.) 『I was glad they started publishing this series with more than one book per volume. It is much better to have a few books lying around than ten unnecessary ones. This of course in the first of the combined format and includes Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery and Magician's Gambit.
This, to be honest, is one of my favorite series, especially when you consider the next five books, after these first five which are the Melloreon which include an additional five books. A reviewer has already pointed out that one of the strong points of these two series is that they have a beginning and an end are not like the Wheel of Time which goes on and on and on and on.
The plot here has been addressed quite well in other reviews so I will not linger all that long on it. The book, and indeed the series, is a quest story, beginning with a small lad living on a farm in a distant land. You have your good guys, bad guys, magic swords, magic stones and a plethora of characters that become quite endearing quite quickly. One of the strongest parts of Eddings' writing is his humor. The banter between characters in this work is amusing at the very least. Yes, the plot is pretty simplistic to the ultra-sophisticated reader, but hey, sometimes a person just needs a good story to take their minds off things, i.e. escape. These books fit that need perfectly.
As I have pointed out in other reviews of this series, if you go through all ten books, and read quite closely, you will find error after error and inconsistency after inconsistency. That is part of the charm of these books! It does not really matter and does not hurt the story one bit. Finding these little quirks has become a bit of a hobby for me, one I delight in.
For a good simple read, a read that is fast (yes, these are page turners) and one that is simply fun, you could do worse.
Don Blankenship The Ozarks 』
(Great book, great series) 『I absolutely loved this book. It's not perfect, I would actually prefer to rate it 4 1/2 stars, but since we can't do half stars I went with the 5-star ratting.
There are the common peculiarities of fanstasy here - the farm boy thrust onto a journey, the wizened old wizzard, the companions on a journey, etc. But they are done in a refreshing way, there are also many original elements thrown in, and the real stringth of Eddings is his wonderful dialogue.
I am entranced by these books. I've been reading fanstasy for 20+ years, and I've read so much that it's really surprising that until now I hadn't read Eddings' series. I'm enjoying them very much now though, and wishing I had tried them much earlier. Highly recomended.』
(Glad I found This) 『I'm glad I found the "Belgariad" books. I used to like this kind of thing when I was younger but have not been able to tolerate much of the silliness. I am 59 years old. But these books have been very enjoyable, have engaged my imagination, have given me a sort of uplift that I was not expecting. The story is interesting, not boring. The plot is reasonable, not silly. The characters are believable, engaging. I'm so glad I found it.
Roger McCook』
(Great Escape) 『If what interests you is escapism with fascinating characters, these stories are an excellent past time. I recommend them to people of all age groups and can't wait to get my hands on the next series.』 『Millions of readers have discovered the magic of David Eddings’NewYork Timesbestselling seriesThe Belgariad. Now the first three books in this monumental epic appear in a single volume. Here, long-time fans can rediscover the wonder—and the uninitiated can embark upon a thrilling new journey of fantasy and adventure.
It all begins with the theft of the Orb that for so long protected the West from an evil god. As long as the Orb was at Riva, the prophecy went, its people would be safe from this corrupting power. Garion, a simple farm boy, is familiar with the legend of the Orb, but skeptical in matters of magic. Until, through a twist of fate, he learns not only that the story of the Orb is true, but that he must set out on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger to help recover it. For Garion is a child of destiny, and fate itself is leading him far from his home, sweeping him irrevocably toward a distant tower—and a cataclysmic confrontation with a master of the darkest magic.』
IPhone 3G used's review (WHAT GOES AROUND...COMES AROUND...) 『This is a spellbinding work of historical fiction. A continuation of the Start saga, Jean Plaidy weaves an absorbing account of the reign of Queen Anne. Rich with historical detail, it captures the imagination of the reader until the very last page is turned.
When King William died, his sister-in-law, Anne, became Queen of England. Anne, however, was easily manipulated by her childhood friend, Sarah Churchill, now the Duchess of Marlborough. Power hungry, Sarah had her own agenda, and she manipulated the Queen to her own advantage. Viewed as the power behind the throne, Sarah was courted by many who sought her favor or intercession with the Queen.
Sarah, however, was brash, insensitive to others, and overly confident, faults that were to cloud her judgment. She also forgot her position and presumed too much when speaking to the Queen. It was as if the roles were reversed. When she ensconced her poor relation, Abigail Hill, in a position in the Queen's household, Sarah never suspected that quiet, shy Abigail could destroy all for which Sarah had connived.
This is a wholly absorbing and enjoyable work of fiction, replete with plots, intrigues, and political machinations.』
『In 1185, the 32-year- old Constance of Sicily, a princess with the most magnificent dowry Europe has ever seen, was betrothed to the 21-year-old Henry, cold-hearted son of the great German Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. Eight years later, the Sicilian throne lies empty and Henry and Constance (pregnant for the first time at 40) travel south to stake their claim against the usurper Tancredi's family. It is this journey that Taylor Simeti retraces, along the way contrasting medieval society with modern, capturing what the life of the medieval queen must have been like, exploring the idea of travel and pilgrimage, and expressing, above all, a deep empathy for her subject.』
Kakaku：1995 saved$19.95
Billboard Books
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (What Diff'rence another book makes) 『Oh Dear Dinah, your life&music deserves more than a mere listing of your shows and records in such a big collage(awfully long to read)of a book! I guess it is well researched but are magazine writings reliable? Not really. I DO know more about Washington, for sure... It is not the 1st book of the kind I read, certainly not the last but hopefully, not another one like this in the near future...』
(Voice as honey,busy as a Bee) 『Because no one has ever written about legendary Dinah Washington before (at least not published in Europe),I snatched this book immediately just to find it a bit overwhelming&too detailed.Where author dazzled in her previous book,this time she seems she wasn't sure is she writting about Washington or the whole afro-american society of post WW2 America.Sure,she had done her homework and reasearched high and low (future authors will have to rely on her) but after a while,the book turns into list of every concert performance Washington ever gave in her life,therefore a bit dry.Strange how vital and exciting singer like Washington ended up with such uninspired biographer! The little episodes,like the only time this overworked woman spent time with her family in Disneyland tell much more than all the concerts and recording dates.I love Washington dearly and thanks to her music legacy,for me she lives forever.Read the book if you are curious,but stick to the music.』
(Still Waiting for the Definitive Bio...) 『Dinah Washington, like Etta James and Esther Phillips, is one of the underrated singers of the post WWII era, and very little has been written about her. So when I saw this book and who its author was,(Nadine Cohodas, who wrote a superb history of Chess Records,Spinning Blues Into Gold), I eagerly anticipated reading it. After finishing it, unfortunately I'm still waiting for the definitive biography of the Queen. It's very apparent that Cohodas did a lot of research, but the result was turned into a laundry list of club dates, recording sessions, clothes inventories, and rotating musicians and husbands which becomes numbing. What is missing is context and interpretation of these events aside from the repetitive assertion that Washington was narrowly promoted and marketed because of race. I wasn't looking for sensationalism or psychobiography from this book, but I was hoping to gain some insight into Dinah Washington's life, or music, and the lack of analysis left me still wondering both who she was and how she created such wonderful music.』
(A fine insider's guide to the real Dinah) 『 Born Ruth Lee Jones in 1924 in Alabama, singer Dinah Washington's family moved to Chicago where she became a local gospel star at fifteen - but she didn't stop there. When she was discovered by Lionel Hampton at eighteen, Dinah made her way to New York's Apollo Theatre and became a legend. Queen: The Life And Music Of Dinah Washington reviews her life and music, delving into her high and low moments alike. A fine insider's guide to the real Dinah.
』
(Superficial Biography ... at best) 『Dinah Washington was a great human being as well as a great singer. Cohodas' limited writing skills and lack of insight result in an unwieldy, superficial account of dates, places and people in the life of this passionately human, outstanding artist who was decades ahead of her time. On the other hand, the book provides significant documentation for future biographers. The book gets one star for the excellent cover by Carol Devine Carson who also designed the cover of Bill Clinton's autobiography. Dinah would have loved it!
Given Dinah's magnificent talent, deep spirituality, and complex personality, only a highly skilled writer capable of penetrating social and psychological insights and access to personal materials could craft a biography worthy of her. Someone of the caliber of Toni Morrison, or Maya Angelou at her best, could do her justice. Until then, the brilliant light of Dinah's talents, generosity and love will continue to shine upon the earth bestowed - solo - by the Queen.』 『•Based on extensive family interviews and newly discovered documents
•Intriguing story of a black woman pioneer in recorded music
Dinah Washington sang pop, jazz, R&B and gospel, but most of all she sang the blues—"Maybe I’m a Fool" and "I Wanna Be Loved" and Muddy Water" and (of course) "What a Difference a Day Makes" and countless others—all in a distinctive honey-and-vinegar voice that made everything she sang unmistakably her own. Dubbed both the Queen of the Blues and Queen of the Juke Box, DinahWashington had songs, shows, lovers, and husbands. Controversial to the critics of her time, vastly influential to the next generation of singers, Washington will always be remembered for a life that was, first and foremost, music.』
Kakaku：995 saved$9.95
Compass Point Books
Usually ships in 24 hours 『A biography profiling the life of Queen Elizabeth I, the queen of England during the peak of the Renaissance era. Includes source notes and timeline.』
大満足！北国のホタテ・いくら・ボタンエビがぎっしり！
