I loved this book! The material itself was difficult to read but the author made the difficult easy by giving the reader such endearing and in contrast, hateful characters. I found myself almost wishing for the ending of the book just to know that the main characters ended up OK. As a result, the end of the book seemed to take forever to reach but thankfully didnt wind up like I expected it to. Definately a wonderful book for anyone who doesnt expect a fluffy read, appreciates difficult material or is a WWII buff.

I'm a bit of a WWII buff and have read many books on the subject. This is now one of my very favorites. While there are many characters to follow, I was deeply engrossed in the struggle of each one. The kindness, compassion and bravery of the Italians is matched by the heart wrenching stories of the Jewish refugees. The story was very hard to read but so worth it, I would recommend this book to everyone.

A terrific WWII story about a woman surviving however she can when Russian troops invaded Berlin. It isnt a pretty story but one that is very important.

Another very engrossing book by Jean Plaidy! Eleanor of Aquitaine's life was very interesting and took many twists and turns. 550 pages went by very quickly!

Yet another great book by Jean Plaidy! This book illustrates the less glamourous side of royal life, arranged loveless marriages, children taken from their mothers at young ages. While fascinating to read about, I certainly dont feel any envy for their lives.

This book was my mental break from more serious reads. The story wasnt bad at all and was a very quick read.

This story is full of intrigue, women fighting against each other to gain attention for themselves, men competing for power and money. The majority of the book was very interesting, the author was perfectly descriptive but the last quarter of the book dragged on unnecessarily and became predictable.

This was a good WWII novel, well developed characters that pull you in and great setting descriptions. I was disappointed in the abrupt ending, it felt like the author was suddenly tired of the book. The epilogue seemed to only be a quick after thought.

This is a story about the women of Nova Scotia, their superstitions, long held beliefs, difficult lives and deep dark secrets. Interwoven into the story is a lesson on those who have and those who have not. Dora Rare strikes out on her own and goes against what her parents want for her and finds her own path in life becoming the town's midwife. Her path isnt without controversy as she struggles to do what is right for the town's women and their babies. "The Birth House" is a great story about women, pregnancy, birth and a peek into how things used to be. Definately worth reading!

What a great book! The author did a fantastic job of illustrating Sally Miller's case while briefly touching on other landmark slavery cases of the day. The research was very thorough and brought out the human side of the case. There was a great twist at the end of the book you wouldnt expect that leaves you thinking about it even after youve finished reading it. Definately worth a read!

"Three Cups of Tea" is an incredibly inspiring book that proves even one simple person can make a difference. The book transports you right along with Mortenson to the small villages he visits in Pakistan and Afghanistan and introduces you to the many tribes, their leaders and children. Reading this book is a lesson in human compassion and understanding which is exactly what we need now. I would recommend this book to everyone.

There are a few things you need to get past in order to truly enjoy this book. It was banned and controversial, the book also focuses explicitly at times on the sexual relationships of the characters. You have to look beyond those things to truly understand what this book is about. Its about relationships but it more focuses on women's struggle with their own sexuality and being a good wife. As women we are taught to be dutiful wives, to worry more about our husbands and families than ourselves. Our sexuality is dirty or shameful. The book explores Constance's struggle against what she should do and her need to follow what she wants to do. I loved this book and could really identify with Constance's dilemmas throughout this book. I gave it 5 stars.

I gave the book 3 stars because it seemed a bit fluffy for my taste and it also seemed like the author took a bit too much liberty with the facts. I did like learning more about Marie Antoinette and it has motivated me to learn more about her.

This was a wonderful book! It was easy to read, straight forward and had all the necessary elements to keep you engaged in the book. The fact that it is heavily based on fact makes it even better. I may be biased since Elizabeth Winthrop is my ancestor but this is easily one of my favorite historical fiction books.

This book is touted as "erotic bedtime stories for women" and I must say its pretty entertaining. The book is a collection of 13 short stories based on Grimm's fairy tales that we all know and love from childhood except, with an adult twist. Since these are short stories there is not much time to build the story before getting straight to the point. This is a new genre for me and its actually a fun change. The stories are as well written as can be expected and lets just say they serve their purpose.

**Spoiler below** At first I was struck by the way Tolstoy referred to the characters in the book, he would alternate between their formal names, their less formal names then finally their affectionate nicnames. Almost without realizing it, he is changing the way you view that character and the situation they are in just by the name he calls them by. I liked that a lot.
I found my opinion of the female characters vacillating between like, love, disgust, empathy. In all of them I was able to identify myself in some of their behavior and feelings. Of course, no one really likes a mirror showing them their true selves so I struggled with that aspect of the book. I loved Anna at the beginning, the almost innocent seductress, helplessly falling in love, who loves her child, blah, blah. As time wore on I began to be disgusted by her possessive, desperate behavior and how she turned her daughter into nothing but a pawn to twist Vronsky as she pleased. I was absolutely furious to read of Anna's end, I can never think of her as anything but a pathetic being. I never liked Vronsky, all the business of being a man of truth, never lying, such an honest man. Unfortunately I dont think he really ever realized he was lying to himself. Alexey was quite a bore, I can see why Anna was bored to tears with him. I think I might throw myself under a train if I were ever expected to spend my life with a man like that! Kitty struck me as a terribly naive girl at the beginning but her brilliance show more shone through in the end. I kept finding myself imploring her to do something to express to Levin how she felt before they managed to get together but, of course that is my "modern" ways showing through. I honestly felt exasperated by it. Now, Levin. I think I can safely say that that man thinks a bit too much. He works himself up mentally, convincing himself one way or another of something and then it is so. Thanks to Kitty he finally comes a bit more down to Earth and becomes a loveable man. Stepan is a rediculous, self important man. His affairs and indifference to his wife and family were abrasive to me. I almost cheered to read about his financial problems except knowing it was at the expense of Dolly and the children. Dolly also frustrated me at the games she played in the beginning but I liked her at the end when she seemed to gain some personal, internal strength.
The book itself was wonderfully written and I enjoyed all of it. I know that some people complained of the sections about husbandry and the politics but both interested me a great deal and I think gave a much more rounded picture of life and the struggles they faced in Russia at that time. His discriptions werent overly flowery but just perfect enough for you to shape pictures in your mind. Ill have to re-read it another time to get a full picture of the book, there is so many events and people to digest that I think it is impossible to get it all in one reading. show less

I have been reading for many years and this is by far the worst book I have ever read. I started the book over 2 years ago, got approximately 100 pages in and could not go any further and abandoned it. I forced myself to pick it up recently and was determined to give it a 2nd chance and finish it. Unfortunately, it never improved. I felt the author was overly discriptive of everything and unnecessarily most of the time. I kept getting the feeling that he was trying too hard. The book was dark and depressing which in of itself wasnt a bad thing but you factor in the ending and it all just seems like a waste of time.

I think it was a good book and well written. I think a very important thing to remember when reading this book is that it is fiction. The story is based on people who actually existed but veers off from there. Ms. Gregory did her research (check her sources in the back of the book) and formulated her own version of Elizabeth's life. I didnt like how weak and wishy washy Elizabeth was but the story was very interesting none the less. It pulled me in, I was rooting for Elizabeth and Dudley for part of the book and hating them the next. I even gasped out loud at the ending. Im looking forward to Ms. Gregory's new book.

This book began a little slow for me but quickly picked up after the first 50-75 pages. I read this book while on vacation in Las Vegas and I was so enthralled that I kept thinking I wished I could go read instead of seeing the sites! I especially liked reading about the Jewish experience in Tudor England and Europe. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes hitorical novels.

I loved this story but was disappointed that they book itself wasnt longer. I felt like it skipped over a large portion of Nella's life when the story could have been further developed. That said, reading this book was like a walk down memory lane for me, I grew up very near to the town's mentioned in this book. My grandmother also worked in a garment factory and it brought back memories of her stories. I almost felt like this story could have been true since so much of the details were accurate. I cant wait to share this book with my mother who also grew up in the area. This book is an easy, good read.

I was hooked on this book from the moment I started reading it. It seemed to drag a little at the end, but I loved the book and read through it in a few days. I was sad to get to the end. If youre a historical literalist you may want to avoid this book, it is based on the well known Tudor family but steers toward fiction from there. If you love historical novels and wont get your knickers in a twist by conjecture, this is definately a book for you!

I waited for this book for almost 6 months to come to paperback and everyday was worth it! I am so intrigued by the quiet strength of Queen Noor, this biography is a wonderful glimpse into another world. Her life has been both spectacularly glamorous but typically normal at the same time. I am grateful for a story from the 'other side' that has opened my eyes to the truth about American media and the politics of the Middle East. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about a brilliant woman and the politics that have helped to shape the Middle East.

I was very moved by this book. As I read the book and it took its twists and turns that I could never predict, my emotions changed with it. The book so affected me that sometimes I would come away with a stomach ache and have such a deep sense of sadness. It is a rare book that is still with me after I put it down. I am almost haunted by this story. It is wonderfully written and so heartfelt, this is a book I will never forget.

I think some of the readers are mistakenly picking up Geisha thinking it is a fictional tale like Memoirs. Geisha is Liza Dalby's account of her personal experience amongst Geisha's. I was engrossed in the details of their daily lives and fascinated with the traditions that these women uphold and pass on. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something more than just a fictional story about Geisha's.

I thoroughly loved this book! My emotions ran the gamut, one minute I sympathized with Amber the next I wanted to yell at her. The story takes so many twists and turns, its anything but predictable. I read through it in just a few days, much to my husbands protest. This book is a must read for any historical novel fan.

I think this was an OK book because the premise of the book, the descriptions of Florence and the politics of the Catholic church at the time were very interesting. Unfortunately, the book dragged in many places and I found myself skimming the pages until I got to the next event. Im not one to think that stories should always have a happy ending but this book seemed to be over the top depressing. There was always the possibility of something happy in the distance, but the story line never got there.