Review for Elizabeth and Mary Cousins, Rivals Queens by Jane Dunn

Product Details
Audio CD
Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (January 6, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 073930982X
ISBN-13: 978-0739309827

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble.com
The political and religious conflicts between Queen Elizabeth I and the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots, have for centuries captured our imagination and inspired memorable dramas played out on stage, screen, and in opera. But few books have brought to life more vividly than Jane Dunn’s Elizabeth and Mary the exquisite texture of two women’s rivalry, spurred on by the ambitions and machinations of the forceful men who surrounded them. The drama has terrific resonance even now as women continue to struggle in their bid for executive power.Against the backdrop of sixteenth-century England, Scotland, and France, Dunn paints portraits of a pair of protagonists whose formidable strengths were placed in relentless opposition. Protestant Elizabeth, the bastard daughter of Anne Boleyn, whose legitimacy had to be vouchsafed by legal means, glowed with executive ability and a visionary energy as bright as her red hair. Mary, the Catholic successor whom England’s rivals wished to see on the throne, was charming, feminine, and deeply persuasive. That two such women, queens in their own right, should have been contemporaries and neighbours sets in motion a joint biography of rare spark and page-turning power.


My Review:

I listened to the abridged version of this book. It did not feel like I was missing a lot. It gave me the meat and potatoes of the story.

The narrator's voice was very suitable for this genre. So it was very interesting. The narrator seem really into what she was saying. The CD were about an hour long each. So you are roughly listening to 8 hours of material.

The author seemed well -researched in her topic. Her writing style seemed more like a novelist than a boring dry historian. It will definitely keep your attention.

I would recommend it to any who has the love of Tudor England and of course the infamous Mary Stuart.

I rate this a 4/5

Review of the Middle Ages edited by Antonia Fraser

From the Inside Cover:
On 14 October 1066 two armies met at Hastings. Beautifully illustrated and accessibly written. The Middle Ages begins at the most famous date in English History and covers the three centureis during which England arguably began its transformation into a modern state: during these years the Curia Regis was formed, which paved the way for parliamentary assembly, and the principle of strong hereditary monarchy was established.
Yet, this short volume covers not only the politics of the time, an age of contested succession, but in vivid biographies convey the personalities of the medieval kings: from the brutal, unattractive William I to the 'mythical' Richard the Lionheart and the mighty Edward I. Their fascinating lives are played out against some of the central events of English history: the Domesday Book, the Crusades, Magna Carta, the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death.

My Review:
This book was a fairly short read. It gave little biographies of each of the Kings during this period and some of the major events that occurred in their reign. I think this book was well written and well researched. I think it will be a great introductory book for someone who wants to learn a little more of the middle ages but does not want a huge book. Its great for a high school or college student who is studying this period in time. This is a part of a series of 6 books on the the different Monarchs of England from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II. This particular volume ends with Richard II.

Review of ANA'S STORY by Jenna Bush

From the inside cover:
She's seventeen
She's been abused
And She is HIV-positive.
She is Ana, and this is her story. It begins the day she is born infected with HIV,transmitted from her young mother, Now she barely remembers her mama, who died when Ana was only three. From then on, Ana's childhood becomes a blur of faint memories and secrets---secrets about her illness and about the abuse she endures.
Ana's journey is a long one. Shuffled from home to home, she rarely finds safety or love. And then she meets a boy. Berto is one of the only people Ana trusts with all her secrets. That trust puts Ana on apathe to breaking the silence that has harmed her and leads her to new beginnings, new sorrows, and new hope.

My Review:
This was one of the saddest books I have read in a long time yet it ended up sort of positive. One thing I did not like is that it ended up abruptly and I wanted to know more on what has happened to Ana. You find yourself wanting to protect her. The stuff she had to go through was horrid. I am glad that she did not let that deter her and made her a stronger person. Ms. Bush did a fairly good job in documenting this true story while on a mission with UNICEF.

I rate this book a 3.5/5 for the abrupt ending.

Review of Queen Isabella by Alison Weir

From the Back cover:
In this vibrant biography, acclaimed author Alison Weir reexamines the life of Isabella of England, one of history's most notorious and charismatic queens. Isabella arrived in London in 1308, the spirited twelve-year-old daughter of King Philip IV of France. Her marriage to the heir to England's throne was designed to heal old political wounds between the two countries, and in the years that followed she became an important figure, a determined and clever woman whose influence would come to last centuries. Many myths and legends have been woven around Isabella's story, but in this first full biography in more than 150 years, Weir gives a groundbreaking new perspective.

My Review:

Alison Weir's goal is to get the reader to develop sympathy for Isabella of France. She states the reason why she did what she did. Her claims for the reason Isabella did what she did was 1. She was neglected wife who husband picked men over her, 2. Her husbands male companions were trying to harm her and 3. Her husband was a weak man who was easily persuaded. When she brought over from France she had high hopes for her marriage even though she was very young she soon realized that her dreams will never be realized. She also goes on to state that she is not responsible for the demise of Edward II of England. She state possible theories for why this is so. That being said this is not one of my favorites by her I liked her Children of Henry VIII the best so far.

Review of I Don't Want to Be Crazy

From the Back Cover:
This is a true story of growing up, breaking down, and coming to grips with a psychological disorder. When Samantha Schutz first left home for college she was excited by the possibilities- freedom from parent, freedom from a boyfriend who was reckless with her affections, freedom from the person she was supposed to be, At first, she reveled in the independence-but as pressures increased she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated. Thus began a hard road of discovery and coping, powerfully rendered in their poetry memoir.

Review:
I picked this book out because I to suffer from an anxiety and I want to read a memoir about it. This book was a quick read. It help you get deep into her inner thoughts. This book is written in a poetic style. The prose was good I like a few passages in the novel that I will share with you.

We go around the Thanksgiving table
saying what we are thankful for.
I don't want it to be my turn.
I don't want to say something generic
like, I am thankful to have my family together,
when we're not all here
What I want to say is,
I am thankful for Rebecca's support
for Klonopin,
for Jean.

You can sense the anxiety in this passage. Samantha was taken on and off meds to control her anxiety. It can sometimes be paralyze to her where she can not function without them. I really liked this story and I would recommend it to anyone suffering from anxiety.