The Iliad by Homer

TOLSTOY CALLED THE ILIAD A miracle; Goethe said that it always thrust him into a state of astonishment. Homer’s story is thrilling, and his Greek is perhaps the most beautiful poetry ever sung or written. But until now, even the best English translations haven’t been able to re-create the energy and simplicity, the speed, grace, and pulsing rhythm of the original. In Stephen Mitchell’s Iliad, the epic story resounds again across 2,700 years, as if the lifeblood of its heroes Achilles and Patroclus, Hector and Priam flows in every word. And we are there with them, amid the horror and ecstasy of war, carried along by a poetry that lifts even the most devastating human events into the realm of the beautiful. 



I am taking a history course right now and find this time period fascinating. This was an audio read for me and I am glad that I went that route with this book.  The reader did a wonderful job and I felt like I was right there, his tone of voice was perfect, smooth and easy to listen to.  

This is a new translation and I was drawn by the cover (covers do it to me all the time).  Stephen Mitchell has translated other poems and comes highly recommended.

About the story, I know next to nothing about the Trojan wars (only that it lasted 10 years) and from the movie Troy.  My course didn't really dwell much on it either.  I found this poem was focused quite a bit on the gods and knowing nothing not much about them I learned a lot.  Sort of a who is who of gods.  There was also a lot of names and at one point thought that I was going to actually hear about each of the 1000 ships and who was one them.  Am I complaining?  No I really enjoying this audio it brought a time period to life for me that was hard to imagine and I am glad I took the time read it.  Honestly I think I can see myself reading this one again too.

Elizabeth I by Margaret George

 Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma-the Virgin Queen who had many suitors, the victor of the Armada who hated war; the gorgeously attired, jewel- bedecked woman who pinched pennies. England's greatest monarch has baffled and intrigued the world for centuries. But what was she really like?

In this novel, her flame-haired, lookalike cousin, Lettice Knollys, thinks she knows all too well. Elizabeth's rival for the love of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother to the Earl of Essex, the mercurial nobleman who challenged Elizabeth's throne, Lettice had been intertwined with Elizabeth since childhood. This is a story of two women of fierce intellect and desire, one trying to protect her country, and throne, the other trying to regain power and position for her family and each vying to convince the reader of her own private vision of the truth about Elizabeth's character. Their gripping drama is acted out at the height of the flowering of the Elizabethan age. Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake-all of them swirl through these pages as they swirled through the court and on the high seas.

This is a magnificent, stay-up-all-night page-turner that is George's finest and most compelling novel and one that is sure to please readers of Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory, and Hilary Mantel.

I have never read a Margaret George novel, I have only listened to them.  This is my second listen (Memoirs of Cleopatra, being the first).  With the right reader an audio book can be a truly wonderful experience.  Elizabeth I was a truly wonderful experience.


Kate Reading did a marvelous job, with her accent it felt like Elizabeth herself was telling her story.  Margaret George wrote a story that kept me wanting for more.  Even though the book starts off in 1588, it does jog back and forth in time and it does this very smoothly, as current situations bring them about. Also alternating between Elizabeth and Lettice (her cousin) it brought another point of view.  


Margaret George is a very talented author, I look forward to 'not' reading more of her books.  I am thinking Helen of Troy sounds interesting. 

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

From award-winning author Eva Stachniak comes this passionate novel that illuminates, as only fiction can, the early life of one of history’s boldest women. The Winter Palace tells the epic story of Catherine the Great’s improbable rise to power—as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne.  Her name is Barbara—in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she’s allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world’s most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listen—and to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophie’s destiny at court is to marry the Empress’s nephew, but she has other, loftier, more dangerous ambitions, and she proves to be more guileful than she first appears.

What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophie’s confidante—and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power. 

With dazzling details and intense drama, Eva Stachniak depicts Varvara’s secret alliance with Catherine as the princess grows into a legend—through an enforced marriage, illicit seductions, and, at last, the shocking coup to assume the throne of all of Russia. 

Impeccably researched and magnificently written, The Winter Palace is an irresistible peek through the keyhole of one of history’s grandest tales.

I had the privilege last week of  attending a book reading by the author.  I met her and yes she signed my book.  A very lovely lady, it was my first experience at a book reading and her accent just added so much to the reading.

I went into this book thinking it would be more about Catherine the Great then about Varvara the spy.  I had very little knowledge about Russia and had only heard the name Catherine the Great, so I was very excited when NetGalley gave me an ARC.   Having discovered (from the author herself) that she is working on a sequel this book made so much sense as it paves the way for the next one - wish I could remember what it will be called.   This book was both entertaining and I learned things about Russia that I never knew before. Another bonus, Eva is a Canadian author and I think that is great!

Lily of the Nile and Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers... 

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra's daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire... 

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.
The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra's daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother's throne be more than she's willing to pay?

I started these books as soon as I finished Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George, I just had to find out what happened to her and Mark Anthony children.  Having been taken captive by Octavian to Rome Selene vows that she will get Egypt back and fulfill her mother's dreams.  

My favorite would be Lily of the Nile, I loved how it portrayed each of the children, you got a real sense of the emotional impact all these changes were having in their lives.  I mean seriously what would it have been like to live back then.  Your parents are dead (that was their choice, but for that time period they really didn't have a choice), you get dragged across the  Mediterranean  Sea - not knowing what was in store for you.  Were you to be dragged in Triumph through the streets of Rome or something far worse? Then arriving in Rome weeks later to a country totally different in every aspect then you are accustomed to.  

Song of the Nile I also enjoyed, there were times I wanted to grab Selene by the shoulders and give her head a shake, but alas I couldn't.   There is a 3rd book to complete this series, not sure when it will be released but I will be reading it as soon as it does.

Passages to the Past: Guest Post by Susanna Kearsley + Giveaway of Maria...

Passages to the Past: Guest Post by Susanna Kearsley + Giveaway of Maria...: Passages to the Past is pleased to welcome back author Susanna Kearsley , who is here in honor of her novel, Mariana , which was just rei...

To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic. 


Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.


What really can I say about this book?  It's a classic that took me this long to read (not sure why I didn't have to read it in high school - but maybe if I did I would not have liked it this much)
It was full of quotes, I love quotes.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

“Atticus said to Jem one day, "I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "Your father’s right," she said. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” 

“People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.” 

“Pass the damn ham, please.”

“See there?" Jem was scowling triumphantly. "Nothin' to it. I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl its mortifyin” 

“Ladies in bunches always filled me with vague apprehension and a firm desire to be elsewhere.” 

Miracle for Jen by Linda Barrick

I received Miracle for Jen compliments of Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review.  They have also provided another copy to giveaway.  If you would like to enter for a chance to win this book just leave a comment.  Draw will take place on March 31th.

"Lord...take this year and my life and allow Your glory to shine! Take it and use it to its fullest potential."

an entry for Jen's journal, written just 3 months before the crash

On the night of November 5, 2006, the Barrick family was driving home from church when their van was struck by a drunk driver. Fifteen-year-old Jen suffered multiple skull fractures and severe brain trauma and was not expected to survive the night. But against all odds, she did. As she lingered in a coma, doctors warned that if Jen ever woke up, she would be cursing and screaming in confusion due to her brain injuries. Instead, after five weeks she opened her eyes and began praying and praising God. Jen didn't remember her middle name, recognize her parents, or recall that she had a little brother, but she remembered Jesus and every word to every praise song and scripture she had hidden in her heart before the accident. As any loving mother would, Jen's mother Linda wanted God to heal Jen, make her like she was before. Normal. But a loving God had something else in mind--instead of making her normal, God is making Jennifer and the whole Barrick family--extraordinary, miraculous. Hope Out Loud is the remarkable true story of a family who overcame tragedy and learned to trust God's plan for their lives in a whole new way.

It is hard to know where to start with this book.  Here is a story that could totally have been avoided, it should never have happened.  A drivers license suspended, a driver slumped over his steering wheel, pulled over by the police just minutes before the accident.  But still it happened.  How does a mother (family) get past that?  Told from the point of view of Linda Barrick, Jen's mother.  Here is an emotional packed book that grabbed me and I had a hard time putting this book down.  


Miracle for Jen is an amazing book it will cry, make you laugh, it will make you live each day to the fullest because you don't know what is around the corner, that you life can change in the blink of an eye.   It will  make you realize that even in the toughest times, even in the darkest hours there is still hope. 

11/22/63 by Stephen King

ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, THREE SHOTS RANG OUT IN DALLAS, PRESIDENT KENNEDY DIED, AND THE WORLD CHANGED.WHAT IF YOU COULD CHANGE IT BACK?

In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King—who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer—takes readers on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away—a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer. Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, his life—like Harry’s, like America’s in 1963—turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there’s Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore. Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My first Stephen King book since Cujo and Pet Sematary when they first came out.  I usually shy away from Stephen King, his books are massive, they are scary and to be honest kinda creepy.  Why then did I read this one?  

The premise of this book was too intriguing to pass up, and I'm glad I didn't.
There was no horror, blood and guts usually associated with Stephen King (remember Misery, legs chopped off? didn't read it but sure did hear about it).  Does that mean this is a boring book?  No of course not, it is anything but.   You gotta ask yourself what life would have been like if Kennedy wasn't assassinated on 11/22/63, what if you could go back and change it.   Or better yet, should you?

Life in the late 50's, early 60's, so different from today and King did a wonderful job of portraying it.  Sock hops, dancing, pound cakes.  No cell phone, computers or internet.  This book was well researched and the story just flowed nicely, I had a hard time putting it down - 'just one more chapter'  - devoured it in less than a week.

If you're avoiding it because you think Stephen King only writes horror, please reconsider.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts. 

 

 

Paperback, 431 pages

Published March 1st 2010 by Quercus Books (first published January 1st 2009)

from personal library

**** 

  
Continuing my Egyptian theme, Cleopatra's daughter seemed the next logical choice.  This was an audio for me.  I love audio books, usually have one on the go at all times.  I can listen while taking my puppy for a long walk and get lost in the story.  If its a really good book I tend to have a cleaner house too (looking for something to do while listening).


I was warned before hand that this book had a YA feel to it, which to me is fine since I love YA books.  Maybe if you didn't take that into account one could be disappointed, I wasn't.  It was a refreshing read as this is a part of history that I am not familiar with.  I think Michelle Moran did a good job of portraying Selene and her twin Alexander, what a confusing time it would have been for both of them.  The story does center more with Selene as a 12 year old and later on when she is 15.  It seemed to be historical accurate and keep my attention throughout.


I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

Bestselling novelist Margaret George brings to life the glittering kingdom of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, in this luch, sweeping, and richly detailed saga. Told in Cleopatra's own voice, this is a mesmerizing tale of ambition, passion, and betrayl, which begins when the twenty-year-old queen seeks out the most powerful man in the world, Julius Caesar, and does not end until, having survived the assassination of Caesar and the defeat of the second man she loves, Marc Antony, she plots her own death rather than be paraded in triumph through the streets of Rome.


Most of all, in its richness and authenticity, it is an irresistible story that reveals why Margaret George's work has been widely acclaimed as "the best kind of historical novel, one the reader can't wait to get lost in." (San Francisco Chronicle).

Paperback, 957 pages

Published May 15th 1998 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published April 15th 1997)

Audio Book - 49 hours, 55 minutes

Whew I finally finished this book, what a ride it was, almost 50 hours long.  This book has traveled

with me to Rome and even Egypt and back to Canada again.  I sat and crocheted an afghan, did housework

and had many a walks with my new puppy.  I was sad to see it end.  Donada Peters did a wonderful job of

reading this book,  from the POV of Cleopatra.  


This book started when Cleopatra was a child, it highlited the family history of the Ptolemy's. 
There was romance (of course with Julius Ceasar and Marc Anthony), battles, adventures and just a 
really good story.  By the end of the book I really felt like I knew Cleopatra, the author had such a way of writing 
that I felt like it was actually Cleopatra writing this herself, quite memorizing actually.


There were so many quotes in this book that spoke to me and I just have a share some.


“I loved him so, even his past was precious to me. I found myself kissing each mark, thinking, I would have had it never happen, I would wish it away, taking him further and further back to a time when he had known no disappointments, no battles, no wounds, as I erased each one. To make him again like Caesarion. Yet if we take the past away from those we love - even to protect them - do we not steal their very selves?” 


“Oh, he was just angry, we tell ourselves when someone blurts out something he later apologizes for. But a word, once spoken, lingers forever; to keep peace we pretend to forget, but we never do. Strange that a spoken word can have such lasting power when words carved on stone monuments vanish in spite of all our efforts to preserve them. What we would lose persists, lodged in our minds, and what we would keep is lost to water, moths, moss.” 


“But marrying within one's own family can get monotonous. One has heard all the same family stories, knows all the jokes and all the same recipes. No novelty.


“Things do not happen, we must make them happen” 

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

As teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a tragic event. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed ‘The Ice Cream Girls’ by the press and were dealt with by the courts. 

Years later, having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened, while married mother-of-two Serena wants no one in her present to find out about her past. But some secrets will not stay buried – and if theirs is revealed, everything will become a living hell all over again...

Paperback, 468 pages

Published July 22nd 2010 by Sphere (first published February 18th 2010)

After hearing good reviews about this book I purchased it without looking at the cover, at least I am pretty sure because I don't think I would have bought it with that cover.  To me it just looked a little too chick lit and I don't read a lot of chick lit. Which it is not, at least by my definition of chick lit.


I recently joined a group on Goodreads called TBR - to be read.  The idea of the group is that once a month you are paired with another member.  You go through her list of TBR books, compare it to yours, pick a book that you have read (and given a 3 star or more rating to) and that person then has the next month to read that book.


This was my January book and I needed the push to read this one.   I have to say this book had me after a couple chapters.  Each chapter was from the POV of either Serena or Poppy.  Each chapter ended with me wanting to read 'just one another chapter'.  I didn't always feel the emotion that should have been there, but the story was good and I enjoyed it.  More could be said but no  spoilers here.  The ended was something I expected, but also didn't.   I have thought about this book a week later and thinking how each girl was in their own prison since even before that day in 1988.

2nd Annual Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

This hop runs from January 13th to 18th

Recently I discovered a new author, Elizabeth Peters.   The first book in her Eygptian Series is called Crocodile on the Sandbank.  I loved her witty personality, the humor that laced through this book always brought a smile to my face if not a downright chuckle. Yes parts of the story were predictable, but it was still a fun read.  I have already read the first couple of pages from the next in the series and I had a hard time stopping (and laughing).

Amelia Peabody, that indomitable product of the Victorian age, embarks on her debut Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal to record her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way to Cairo, Amelia rescues young Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been abandoned by her scoundrel lover. Together the two women sail up the Nile to an archeological site run by the Emerson brothers -- the irascible but dashing Radcliffe and the amiable Walter. Soon their little party is increased by one -- one mummy, that is, and a singularly lively example of the species. Strange visitations, suspicious accidents, and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn. Now Amelia finds herself up against an unknown enemy -- and perilous forces that threaten to make her first Egyptian trip also her last...

If you would like to win this book I will make it very simple for you.  Just leave me a comment and tell me about a new favorite author of yours.   How easy is that!  If you've got this book already, I will send another in the series or just let you decide and will purchase something of similar value (up to $10).

Be sure to click on the Giveaway Icon for a complete list of all those taking part in this Hop.

The winner will have this book shipped from The Book Depository.  Winner will received an email from me on January 19th.  Good luck :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 
By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.




Jay Asher wrote 13 Reasons Why, which I LOVED, read it in a day.  Having read some reviews for this book I had mixed feelings going into it.  It was a spur of the moment purchase (and my last for 2011).  Reading the backcover I thought what an original story line, imagine being able to peek at Facebook 15 years in the future, what fun that could be, though I suppose it could be depressing too.


It didn't take long to read, I kept wanted to read just to see what was going to happen.   The book is divided into chapters from the POV of either Emma or Josh which made it quite interesting.  Parts of the story were predictable (why Emma and Josh had a falling out),  parts of it were thought provoking , how the simplest act or thought ripples through time and changes the future.


A very interesting read, I would give it 4 stars and will once I figure out how to add the star ratings to this blog.