90. The Late George Apley

By:  John P. Marquand
Rated 4 Stars
From:  Library

This is another one of those books that I saw listed as "Forgotten Pulitzer Prize Winners" and decided to give it a try.

It was worth my time as I found it very interesting but very sad.   A perfect example of a person caught up in a web of the circumstances of his life and whom the readers just knows would have been so much happier had he been born into a "lower class" family.  It was an close look at how people who are "high society" and "the right sort" live behind closed doors.  As I said, sad.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:  Sweeping us into the inner sanctum of Boston society, into the Beacon Hill town houses and exclusive private clubs where only the city's wealthiest and most powerful congregate, this novel gives us-through the story of one family and its patriarch, the recently deceased George Apley-the portrait of an entire society in transition. Gently satirical and rich with drama, the novel moves from the Gilded Age to the Great Depression as it projects George Apley's world-and subtly reveals a life in which success and accomplishment mask disappointment and regret, a life of extreme and enviable privilege that is nonetheless an imperfect life.

About the Author
John P. Marquand (18931960) wrote several widely admired and bestselling novels, among them the Pulitzer Prizewinning The Late George Apley (1937), Wickford Point (1939), and H. M. Pullham, Esquire (1941). He was the author also of the highly successful series of Mr. Moto detective novels.

89. The Tangled Threads, #10

Rated 4 Stars
From Amazon

It finally dawned on me that these books were pure Soap Opera.  Great historical detail, very well written but never the less, Soaps.

I do not mean this in a detrimental way.  I come from a long line of Soap Opera addicts.  I can remember clearly as a very young child watching my paternal Grandmother bake bread in her farmhouse kitchen while listening to Stella Dallas and Our Gal Sunday on the radio.  And Martians could be landing in my Mother's back yard and she would have still sat down at 1 p.m. every weekday to watch One Life to Live.  Only the medium has changed for me.  I am hooked.

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:  It is 1788, and in France, as the revolution begins, Henri, the bastard offshoot of the Morland family, strives to protect his family. He binds his daughter Heloise in loveless marriage to a Revolutionary, and allies himself with the vigorous Danton. But in the bloodbath of the Terror and the fall of Danton, Henri goes to the guillotine and Heloise flees to England where she is welcomed warmly by the Morland family. In Yorkshire Jemima’s troublesome brood cause her anxiety—especially her youngest, Lucy, who disguises herself as a boy and runs away to sea—but at last she sees three of her children marry and the hope of an heir to Morland Place.

88. Innocent's Abroad

By:  Mark Twain
Rated 4.5
Audio Book from Libravox


I love Mark Twain's dry wit and humor.  And although this book was published in 1869 I can easily compare many of his experiences and reactions to those I have had myself while traveling to some of the same places.

I dearly loved his take on keeping a faithful travel journal since I always attempt and fail to do the same thing.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION: One of the most famous travel books ever written by an American, here is an irreverent and incisive commentary on the "New Barbarians'" encounter with the Old World. Twain's hilarious satire impales with sharp wit both the chauvinist and the cosmopolitan.

87. The Flood Tide, #9

Rated 4 stars
From:  Amazon

I need to stop and write the journal entries immediately as I finish a book because they are all starting to run together for me.  This book is one of the more peaceful reads I have run across in the series.  It's as much as pure romance as these books ever get and no really big crises presents its self other than the death of one child.  Just the regular ups and downs of raising a houseful of otherwise healthy, headstrong children.

PUBLISHERS DESCRIPTION:
It is 1772, and England is peaceful under George III, and Morland Place flourishes under the careful tending of Jemima and her loyal husband Allen. Their seven children often bring them heartache, but they are sustained by their love for each other and their absorbing interest in improving the estate lands. But beyond England’s shores things are not so calm. Morland cousins find themselves embroiled in the American war for independence, and the family’s bastard offshoot, Henri, disports himself in the salons of Paris while outside revolution creeps closer.

86. Dangerous games : the uses and abuses of history

By:  Margaret MacMillan
Rated 4 Stars
From:  Library

This turned out to be a much longer read than it first appeared.  It's a slim, 170 page book and I can usually read a book like that in an afternoon.  I was at it, although not steadily, for over a week.  I had to stop and think about it, which is a wonderful thing for any book to do whether you agreed with the author or not.

I distrusted my own reactions because I more often that not agreed completely with the author.  That, IMO not always a good thing because I am already old and set enough in my ways without a lot encouragement.  So I checked out the reviews on amazon to see what others made of the book and it's drawn some of the most mixed reviews I have ever read.  Some folks wanted to see it all as purely political with a Left v. Right bias, others complained that it was not academic enough, and others like me thought she made some excellent points and drew fair conclusions.  So I guess it all depends on the readers particular POV.  Me, I liked it.

From Booklist
MacMillan, a professor of history at Oxford University and the University of Toronto, views the study and utilization of history as a double-edged sword. History, of course, can show us where we have been; it can also provide a sense of shared culture that binds otherwise diverse populations and forms the basis of the nation-state. For many, the study of history is plain fun, filled with colorful characters and real-life drama. But the abuse of history often provokes tragic consequences. Tyrants, including Stalin and Hitler, wrapped themselves in the mantle of national icons to enhance their personal power. Karl Marx saw history as a process leading inexorably to a classless society, which allowed his adherents to justify mass murder. The refusal to let go of some aspects of the past has prolonged a sense of grievance, hatred, and entitlement among numerous groups across the globe. For both historians and lay readers, this thoughtful and provocative work will be enlightening and useful. --Jay Freeman

DNF - Honey in the Horn

 This book simply could not hold my interest.  It was basically variations of the same thing over and over.

It's possible that I was already biased against this author after I read the Forward.  He sounded like a person who was very puffed up with his own importance and had very overblown opinion of his own writing style.  He considered himself the greatest writer ever to come out of the Pacific Northwest.  A comment tailor made to put my nose out of joint before I even read the first page.

Publisher Comments:

In this epic work by award-winning novelist, poet, and essayist H.L. Davis, the virtues of the frontier live again in the lives and characters of Oregon settlers during the homesteading period from 1906-1908. Winner of the 1936 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

85. The Maiden, #8

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Rated:  4 Stars
From:  Amazon

There are so many rich characters in this series but Annunciata is the one that stands out the most for me so far.  I have a list of characters in my head that I Love to Hate and she is definitely on it.  I really admire an author who can create a character that will stick in a readers head long after the last pages have turned on them.  I have to give CHE credit for wringing the very last drop out of Annunciata before she finally let her die, and like the Specter at the Feast, the consequences of her reckless behavior, dangerous fantasies and delusions of grandeur will probably haunt her descendants for at least a couple more books.  She stands toe to toe with Margaret Lennox on my Love To Hate list.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
1720: political intrigue besets the kingdom as the Stuarts try to claim the throne occupied by the Hanoverians and the Morlands have to use all their wiles to keep their fortunes intact.

Jemmy Morland, sole heir to his father's will, has no option but to marry the cold-hearted Lady Mary to secure Hanoverian protection and safeguard his inheritance. Then the rebellion of '45 and the bloody massacre at Culloden thrust his daughter Jemima into the spotlight as the savior of the family.

Intelligent, single-minded, and a rare beauty, Jemima is a capable caretaker of the Morland heritage. Although Morland Place and its lands suffer from the excesses of her dissolute husband, Jemima's quiet courage earns her an abiding love and loyalty.

84. The Chevalier, #7

Cynthis Harrod-Eagles
Rated:  4.5
From:  amazon

The historical detail in these books are some of the most reader friendly I have ever read.  And a good thing it is too because this book is not populated with very appealing characters.  At least to me they are not.  But keeping the continuity of this marvelous series has become important to me so I grit my teeth and JKR.  Will Annunciata NEVER die?  *sigh*

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:  1689: the Restoration enabled the Morland family to restore their own fortune, but now the Jacobite rebellion brings another threat to their security.

Annunciata Morland, fiercely loyal to the Stuart cause, follows her beloved king, James II, into exile. She leaves her gentle grandson, Matt, to oversee Morland Place in her absence. Without her wise presence, Matt finds himself in an arranged marriage to India Neville and at the mercy of a woman as heartless as she is beautiful. After a lonely and sheltered life he lurches between the exquisite pain of love and the torment of deep despair.

When James III � the Chevalier � returns to claim the Stuart throne, the Morlands are reunited in one country. Death and defeat threaten them, but their loves and loyalty prove stronger than kingly ambitions.

83. The Red Heart

By:  James Alexander Thom
Rated 5+ Stars

I have been chipping away at this book all month dragging it out as far as possible.  It's descriptions of the daily life of the Indians is wonderful.  It was however a little heavy handed as far as depicting all white people with the exception of those of the Quaker religion as bad and all Indians as noble.  It would have more believable to me had he been more even handed in his portrayal of both races.  Still, it was a great read and I recommend it highly.

Product Description
The Slocum family of Northeastern Pennsylvania are the best of the white settlers, peace-loving Quakers who believe that the Indians hold the Light of God inside. It is from this good-hearted family that Frances is abducted during the Revolutionary war.

As the child's terror subsides, she is slowly drawn into the sacred work and beliefs of her adoptive mother and of all the women of these Eastern tribes. Frances becomes Maconakwa, the Little Bear Woman of the Miami Indians. Then, long after the Indians are beaten and their last hope, Tecumseh, is killed, the Slocums hear word of their long-lost daughter and head out to Indiana to meet their beloved Frances. But for Maconakwa, it is a moment of truth, the test of whether her heart is truly a red one. 

84. The Long Shadow

By: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Rated 2.5
From:  amazon

I have been happily reading my way through these wonderful books and now all of
a sudden I came to The Long Shadow and I really, really hated the main character.   I am such a character driven reader that when that happens it's very hard for me to keep reading. It's a sign of how much I am enjoying this series over all that I stuck with it instead of wall banging it.

This book and the one before it was set in the years of the Stuart's whom I lost all respect for last year(February 2008) when  I watched The First Churchill's (netflix) a 1977 Masterpiece Presentation. It was fabulously done and started me on a quest to read about the Stuart Monarch's because I just couldn't believe they were really as dim witted as they were portrayed. Sadly, the more I read about them the more obvious it became that they were. In fairness I will have to except Charles II from this sweeping generalization because although he was not very intelligent he was at least shrewd and had a strong instinct for self preservation. I guess watching your Father being beheaded will drive that lesson home.

Annunciata the main character in this book is the illegitimate daughter of Prince Rupert, cousin to Charles II and James II.  CHE seems to have endowed her with a full set of Stuart characteristics. Vanity, obstinacy, the morals of an alley cat,  and especially - The Stupid! I hope she dies early in the next book so I can be done with her.

82. The Best of Times

Rated 3.5 Stars
From Library

I liked this book - sort of.  It kind of drug along in spots and I think I would have liked it a lot better had it been about one third shorter.  I got a little tired hearing about some of the characters.  Especially the whiners and also William who was just too, too good to be true.  I also thought that Barney should have cut Toby a little slack considering the circumstances.  Oh well . . .

"On an ordinary Friday afternoon, on a major motorway outside of London, a trailer truck suddenly and violently swerves across fives lanes of traffic--careening cars into one another like dominoes and leaving a trail of chaos and confusion. Within the space of a minute, an astounding miles-long pileup has amassed. As the survivors await help, their stories unfold.--From publisher description."

81. Murder For Hire

By:  Jack Ballentine
Rated 4 Stars
From:  Library

I didn't think this book was very well written but then the author never said he was a writer. He was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary story to tell. I learned about this book from listening to Coast to Coast, the crazy late night radio program I turn on when I can't sleep at night.   I listened to him being interviewed on the radio by the weekend host Ian Punit and he comes across much better in an interview than he does in the written word.  I probably would not have finished this book because I don't think I would have believed it had I not heard him being interviewed where he  came across to me as good, decent man who spent an incredible 15 years doing a very dirty job for the decent citizens of his State.  I was looking for a change of pace book after wallowing around in English History in the Moreland Dynasty and I certainly found it in this book.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Jack Ballentine became a Phoenix police officer in 1978 and quickly rose to become one of the world's most successful undercover operatives. His specialty: posing as a hit man. None of the people who hired him had any inkling that he was actually a cop, and he obtained 24 convictions out of 24 indictments on murder conspiracy charges. He worked with criminals of all sorts, from vengeful spouses and partners to the criminally insane, with one thing in common: the desire to have someone killed. In assuming an alternate identity and developing a reputation among the Phoenix underground--bikers, strippers, junkies, and thugs--Ballentine developed an intricate network of sources who kept him extremely busy. All the while, he strove for the semblance of a normal life with a new wife and stepson. His story is a unique look at how law enforcement delves into the heart of the criminal world.--From publisher description.