Friday, 15 August 2008

The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir

As written by Rina

The story of the death, in sinister circumstances, of the boy-king Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, is one of the most fascinating murder mysteries in English history. It is a tale with profound moral and social consequences, rich in drama, intrigue, treason, scandal and violence.

Children of England: The Three Heirs of King Henry VIII by Alison Weir

As written by Rina...

"God deliver us from the Physicians", exclaimed William Cecil after hearing how they treated the dying teenage King Edward VI. Edward was not the only one of Henry VIII's heirs who suffered at the hands of their carers. Mary and Elizabeth, his sisters, and Lady Jane Grey, his cousin, all had such wretched childhoods taht Cecil could have said with equal justice "God deliver us from the Parents, Step-parents and Lord Protectors" ... Weir provides immense satisfaction. She writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the heart as well as the mind. This, her fourth book on the Tudors, affirms her pre-eminence in the field.

The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories by Herbert Van Thal

As written by Rina...


This huge and unique volume contains four anthologies by Herbert Van Thal featuring 35 of the best detective stories ever told. The stories range in style and setting from the mean streets of Raymond Chandler's New York to the classic English whodunnit by Agatha Christie and offer an unmissable treat for detective fans.

The War of the Roses by Desmond Seward

As written by Rina...

During the amazing fifteenth-century bloodbath of the Wars of the Roses, three kings, a Prince of Wales, and eight royal, or semi-royal, dukes died in battle, bu murder or sudden death, together with a third of the peerage and countless gentry. At no other time did the English ruling class face ruin and destruction on such a murderous scale. A government spokesman told the House of Commons in 1475 the Duke of Buckingham, soon to be beheaded, claimed that war was never 'in none earthly nation so deadly and so pestilent as when it happeneth among us ... nor so cruel and so deadly foughten'.

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult


I was hoping a more gripping novel, coming from Jodi Picoult. After reading Salem Falls and 19 Minutes, I was imagining the couple in Harvesting the Heart in a court room fighting for who is right and who is wrong. I even imagined the baby dying in the hands of the father when the mom "left them to find herself".

But, its deeper then that. Its purely a book for self search people. Those who wants to find the true meaning of love, family, husband, wife, son.

I did enjoy the book, but not towards the end, unfortunately. Maybe, Im still the girl who loves court room drama.

Maybe my next book will be better... :)

Ratings: 5/10