Books VIII

Here are some more books that I have recently read and HIGHLY recommend. Click on the links if you want to buy them. If you click on the link and purchase something a lovely charity called the Living by Giving Trust (see here) will earn some money to support its causes. :)

The Odyssey (Penguin Classics): This is the all-time classic mythology piece from Ancient Greece. This story (by the mysterious Homer) is about a great Greek hero of the Trojan war era: Odysseus. He is the King of Ithaca and in Homer's The Iliad (Penguin Classics), he is seen characterised as a very resourceful and clever man (who had the idea of the Trojan Horse). Unfortunately, unlike the other Achaean Kings, he does not get home straight away and a number of fascinating adventures ensue. Odysseus is also constantly at odds with the great sea-god, Poseidon and he requires the support of the goddess Athena to get him through it. I don't want to give too much more away, but Odysseus meets such fascinating creatures, such as a Cyclops; The Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis; and so much more!

I love and still love this book - it really is a brilliant story AND one of the oldest ever in western civilisation. I highly recommend this book. 10/10.

Doctor Who: Shada: The lost adventure by Douglas Adams is lovingly novelised (and edited) by the great Who author, Gareth Roberts. I don't want to spoil this book, but it really is a beautiful masterpiece and I highly and utterly recommend any fan of Adams or the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who buy it and read it today! You will not regret it at all! 9/10. :)

Another book recommendation

I've just finished the first book of CJ Sansom's series about a hunchback lawyer. It is so very rare to find historical fiction that actually makes you think and feel like you are in the time being described. However, Sansom perfectly manages it in Dissolution (Shardlake).

The novel is set during the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and in these pages we meet or hear about great historical figures like Cromwell; Anne Boleyn and so many others. However, we also get to read how a monastery and its monks must have felt during the time of Henry VIII's changes, and it is a really amazing depiction. We also get to hear Shardlake (the main protagonist) sharing his view of how good he thinks the changes are, and how annoyed he gets with the monks.

I couldn't put this book down, please go out and read it today!

Dissolution (Shardlake)

More books VII

"At last, he's back!", I hear you cry! Except, I don't hear you cry it, because either a) that means I have upset you; or b) there's actually no one reading any of my reading material; or recommendations. I suspect the latter. :) Here are some more recommendations from me, but this time with a theme of LONDON.

St Pancras Station (Wonders of the World): Let us not forget that until recently, St Pancras station was a dump - after years of neglect. Now, it is a wonder of the world, and rightly so! It was often the forgotten station, a great cathedral of trains. This book is a great introduction, and is really excellent. It tells the fascinating story of how the station and hotel were built, and just shows how impressive the whole structure is. After reading this book, I promise you that the next time you travel from St Pancras to Paris or Brussels you will have to look up! 7/10.

London's Dead: If you're fascinated about the history of London's dead, then this is the book for you! It details information on so much death, and in so many areas of London from plague to execution. I found this absolutely fascinating and the author provides so much information. 9/10.

Necropolis: London and Its Dead: Unlike the above book, the author discusses in more details, the many cemeteries and graveyards in London. If you have ancestry in this great city and wanted more information on the parish churchyards, or the cemeteries, please read this book. From the horrible parish churchyards of Portugal Street (near Holborn, and where my ancestor of the same name was/is buried) to the true cemetery cities of St Pancras & Islington Cemetery and other Victorian masterpieces - this is a fascinating book. 8/10.

60 Years

2012 is a momentous year for us royalists, because Queen Elizabeth II will be celebrating sixty years on the throne of Great Britain. I've already discussed my love for the Queen here, so instead I am going to talk FACTS. She is only second to Queen Victoria in longevity as our monarch, but is a lot more active that Queen Victoria (who rarely came out publicly after the death of her husband, Prince Albert).

Did you know that our Queen has been on the throne for so long, that her reign has surpassed those of her four immediate predecessors combined (Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, and George VI), after which she became the third longest reigning British or English monarch, the second-longest-serving current monarch of a sovereign state (after King Bhumibol of Thailand), and the oldest reigning British monarch.

Today, she broke another record and becomes the longest-living British head of state, when she overtook Richard Cromwell.

To overtake Queen Victoria and become the longest reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth would have to live to 10 September 2015, when she would be 89. To surpass the reign of King Louis XIV of France, and become the longest reigning monarch in European history, Elizabeth would have to live until 26 May 2024, when she would be 98.

It's very possible too, after all, the Queen Mother lived to 102.

God Bless, the Queen. Thank you, Ma'am for everything you do for us.

I recommend you read the book below too:

More to come...

Promise I am going to write more by the end of February. I've managed to read a few more books, so will review them here soon.. PS, I hope it is not too late (I suspect it is) to wish you a very Happy New Year (well, at least the Chinese one which is coming up!)...

More books VI

I've just finished reading Moab Is My Washpot by Stephen Fry. If you like a book that's a little mixed up, hilarious and very Stephen Fry, then this is the book for you. 6/10.

My second recommendation for the end of the year is the very sad book about Madeline McCann, called: Madeleine by her mother. It goes into every sad detail of their missing daughter and reveals the true heart breaking events that lead up to and since her kidnap. All proceeds from the book go to the charity which is helping to fund their search for Maddie. Let's keep the little girl in our prayers and please buy this book today. 10/10

More books V

Another eclectic list of books that I have read recently. I highly recommend all of these:

A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain: The author (Marc Morris) writes like a novelist and thus you are instantly hooked by the various intrigues and invasions that encompass the reign of Edward I. One recommends that you read this book first, before watching the film Braveheart again. Braveheart's history is so terribly wrong that it hurts. However it's a good film, and so I recommend you watch it afterwards, Braveheart [1995] [DVD]. 10/10 for the book; 8/10 for the film.

Richard III (Revealing History): Another good book, but not written in as good a style as Edward I above. Plus, it can sometimes be totally muddled. However, it is still a good book and I recommend anyone interested in this period to read this as an introduction. The author is not pro Richard III, but it is still a good read. 8/10.