Thomas Becket - group read - general chat thread

Thomas Becket : warrior, priest, rebel is our biography group read for the second quarter. The book also works for April HistoryCAT.

I've been fascinated with Becket since I was a teenager, so I'm delighted to read another book about him.

This topic is for the general chat - whether we have the book yet. How far we've gotten and so on.

The topic for discussing the book is at http://www.librarything.com/topic/189135

I have the book. It is an ILL so I will need to read it very fast. I am about 80 to 90 pages in so far. So >1 MarthaJeanne:, why or how did you become fascinated with Becket from your teen years?

I have no idea what I read back then, but the contrast between the chanceller and the archbishop was rather amazing.

I bought the book last year at Cloisters when we were in New York. We leave on holiday in two weeks, and I have several library books to get back before we go, so it will probably be another week or two before I get to this book.

>3 MarthaJeanne:, have a great two weeks holiday.

We will be away for over three weeks. Probably close to a full month. Two weeks on a narrowboat, plus 2-3 days driving each way, plus a few days each side of the boat just travelling in England.

>5 MarthaJeanne:, sounds like a lot of fun

How are people getting on with the book?

I am reading a chapter or two every day, but I still have library books to finish, and my husband will not be amused if I insist that we stop at the main library on our way out of town on Saturday.

I'm almost half way through.

I finished last night. I need to return my book as it is not renewable. I picked up Foundation: The History of England from its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors to add to my study.

Got to England, but I have not been reading Thomas the past few nights. Just too tired to concentrate. I've even been falling asleep over Elementary.

I've had the book out from the library for a while, but didn't begin reading until nearly the due date. Renewed for another 4 weeks, I've been trying to read a chapter or 2 each day, but am averaging much less. Only 6 chapters in. I've never studied any English history, so the events that are being quickly described are unfamiliar. Still, I've encountered Thomas and Henry in several fictional contexts recently, and as long as I read regularly, I'm beginning to feel more at ease.

I've finished now.