Among the Janeites by Deborah Yaffe

Non-fiction - 4 stars

I got this nook book on a whim, mainly because of my ever-increasing love for all things Jane Austen. This non-fiction work by journalist Deborah Yaffe is made up of profiles of a cross-section of members of the Jane Austen Society of  North America (JASNA) and beyond. From Cisco Systems co-founder Sandy Lerner, who spent $20 million of her buyout money on the purchase and renovation of Austen's Chawton House in England, to a speech pathologist who thinks Mr. Darcy and other characters have mild autism, to a nurse practitioner who sees "borderline personality disorder" in some of the characters, to Arnie, who sees subtle clues, disclosing a "shadow story" of abuse beneath the surface,Yaffe writes about fans, fanatics, scholars, and the occasional oddball who all have a deep love, if not obsession with Jane Austen and her works. I really enjoyed the witty style of Yaffe's writing, and I enjoyed learning about the society's founding and annual activities. mostly though, I learned that I am not alone in my love for Austen, and I learned that I am not nearly as fanatical as those profiled in the book. I just like Austen's writing, and her books make darn good movies.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Historical Fiction - 4 stars

The description of Wolf Hall from B&N says:

England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?

While this description is certainly accurate, it does not get to the meat of what the book is about. It is really a biopic of the life of Thomas Cromwell, beginning with his adolescence and continuing through the death of Thomas More and the beginning of Henry's disenchantment with Anne Boleyn. Cromwell certainly lived an adventurous life, which prepared him for the political wrangling of Henry's court. I liked this book as it deals in one of my favorite historical periods. However, I can only give it 4 stars as Mantel's writing style can be difficult. This winner of the 2009 Man Booker Prize is informative and sweeping, but not for fans of light reading.

 

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Biography - 5 stars

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I am posting on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. This beautiful tale of the childhood of an American-born child of Irish immigrants (who then return to Ireland to raise their children in Limerick) is a haunting story of unfathomable poverty out of which the author triumphs. I cried when I read this book, as I would reading any true Irish story. It touched me as few books, especially non-fiction, have.

Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough

Non-Fiction - 4 stars - This was a tough read, not because it was dull or bad by any means, but because I'm not sure that I really like Teddy or not. David McCullough paints an excellent picture of Theodore Roosevelt as a child and young man. Definitely worth it.

Elizabeth: the Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey

Non-Fiction - 5 stars - Pompous, high-brow, pretentious - all words to describe David Starkey's writing style. That being said, this is a great book! It is the story of Elizabeth's years from birth to coronation, a time most biographies gloss over. It describes her relationship with Mary and Edward, and all of the intrigue surrounding her at all times. Very easy read for historical biography, and I savored every page. Thanks, Michelle!

How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

Fiction - 4.5 stars - A melancholy memoir about a young man growing up in a mining family in Wales and the impact of mine closures on the families of the time, this 1939 book was made into an Academy Award-winning movie starring Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowell. The description of the Welsh childhood and the struggles that families went through at the time are vivid and timeless.