Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

I have to admit I wasn't that jazzed about this book but it was recommended and I decided to check it out. It really grew on me because it truly is an incredible and very inspirational story about an exceptional person and the equally exceptional people who help him. There's been a lot written about this book and so I won't go into details, just to say that it's about climber (usually a pretty self absorbed group) who vows to build a school for a remote Pakistani village whose people helped save his life. From there, his one promise becomes a lifes' work and passion. I love the way it's ordinary people helping themselves and each other. Ordinary meaning not rich, famous, or powerful. A worthwhile book to read especially in light of the recent passing of the 7th anniversary of 911.

Augustus by Anthony Everitt

This is a fascinating biography of Caesar Augustus, first emperor of the Roman Empire. Although I am somewhat familar with this era haveing read I, Claudius and watched the TV series, this was an excellent and very readable account of this time period of Roman history. The civil war between the backers of the former republic and the new imperial trend reads almost like headlines from today's political scene. It's especially interesting in an important election year. It's almost as though nothing ever really changes, all the old political tricks are still very much alive and kicking! I often have trouble being motivated to read biographies but this one is highly recommended.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I've read many good reviews about this book and so decided to listen to it on tape while I'm doing other things. It really is a gripping story. It has mystery plenty, haunted house, ghost, disturbed family, literary illusions, the whole bit. I won't go into the story because it's been thoroughly described but definitely a good read. A little scary but not too much!

the pearl by Douglas Smith

This is a fascinating and well-researched history of a famous serf opera singer who went on to marry one of the wealthiest Russian nobles of the time. The book goes into some detail about the history and practice of serf theater, which is something I've never heard of, and of the institution of serfdom in general. I've read a fair amount of modern Russian history, specifically about the revolution but this is a topic I was totally unfamilar with and a very unique story. Most shocking about it is that it's true! the pearl is the stage name of Praskovia Kovalyova, born a serf (or slave) to Count Nicholas Sheremetev in Russia during the time of Catherine the Great. With his backing and training provided by him, she develops into an incredibly gifted singer and actress. They become lovers, eventually marry, she gives birth to his only heir and then dies probably of sepsis contracted through childbirth. Their union challenges all the beliefs of social order of the time. They both pay a high price for their relationship but eventually become an example of a new order of how society must be organized. I enjoyed reading this very much.

Kya- The Golden Bowl

This is book two for the classic challenge. The story line is that a very wealthy art collector and his adored only daughter both take a spouse. The daughter marries for love but the new husband is somewhat like a valuable acquisition. The father marries, at his daughter's request, the daughter's beautiful but poor friend. There is a betrayal, which I won't betray, and the bulk of the book is taken up with the psychological manipulations that bring the book to its' conclusion. This is primarily an interior story. There is a plot and there are plot developments but mostly it is about what the characters are thinking and by extension feeling. I would consider this not an easy book to read. The writing is very dense and not leavened with humor. I think it is an interesting and challenging read and I'm happy to have finished it.

Kya-Bleak House

This is a long but worthwhile read. In a nutshell, the story is about a long and destructive court case and the many characters that interact and are affected by it. It takes place in Victorian England but may really reflect an earlier time period more 1820-1840. The characters are wonderfully portrayed and there are many instances of beautifully written descriptive narrative. Thumbs up!

Book Review of Shakespeare's Wife by Germaine Greer

I have not read any of Greer's other books including The Female Eunuch, which made her quite well known in the 70's but I'm interested in Tudor and Elizabethan times and I'm always interested in reading about women in the past because there is so little information available.
I found this book quite fascinating, not so much because she has answers, but because she has new suppositions and theories. I'd not realized that Greer was such an academic and she has done a lot of research and she poses what ifs that are not usually posed or are considered ridiculous. Like what if Shakespeare didn't really despise his wife, there could have been other reasons they lived apart for many years. She documents that many women including upper class women spent long periods away from their husbands. Another what if is, suppose Anne Shakespeare was not the economic leech she has been presented to be, what if she had a viable way of making or supplementing the family income. Greer documents some of the occupations or home industries that were available to common women at that time and that some did rather well. Greer also plays devil advocate for some other accepted Shakespeare facts like he was a wealthy man. She presents data that might indicate that was not the case. Overall, I enjoyed the book and learned more about what at least some women were doing during this time period and that is always of interest to me.