50 books
50 books in 2006
1. I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles
2. The Queen's Fool by Phillipa Gregory
3. Suitors to the Queen: The Men in the Life of Elizabeth I of England by Josephine Ross
4. Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey
5. The Virgin's Lover by Phillipa Gregory
**
6. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill
The husband brought this book home because so many people at work were saying what a good read it was. Now, normally, the kinds of books that get recommended to him are..."good cures for insomnia" might be the most tactful way to put it. I expected this book to be more of the same, but was pleasantly surprised to find it quite entertaining. (Honestly, I'm not sure I'd have bothered flipping through it but for the fact the author's given name is "Paco." I had to read Paco's Story for a class on the Vietnam War, and the name is unusual enough that I wondered if there was any connection.)
Anyway. I picked up some information in this book that I'm sure I'll keep in mind next time I'm out shopping. Hey, I'm now aware of the "butt-brush factor"!
7. Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir
Yeah, more Tudor stuff. Chose this one in order to gain more insight on the physicality of the locations, clothing, and daily schedules of the time period I've been reading about in (several) other works. Learned some things I wish I could forget - did I really need to know about how the kitchen staff of the Elizabethan era often urinated right next to the cooking area? - but the details will certainly be advantageous when I'm reading more books set in this era. Which, yes, I do plan to do.
8. The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu by Allison Janse with Charles Gerba, Ph.D.
I thought this would be funny, a light read along the lines of The Hypochondriac's Handbook, which is amusing because it takes itself so mock-seriously. Germ Freak, however, was written by an Actual Germ Freak, who really wants to save the rest of us from ever getting sick again. Not terribly amusing, and I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know (Wash your hands after you touch things in public areas! Paper toilet seat covers don't actually protect you from germs! Antibacterial soap isn't going to keep you from getting colds because they're caused by viruses! Eating at a buffet-style restaurant is a bad idea!) Overall, a waste of my time.
**
End of January and I've only read eight books. (Nine, if you count my Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix re-read, but I figured re-reads shouldn't count for this list.)
1. I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles
2. The Queen's Fool by Phillipa Gregory
3. Suitors to the Queen: The Men in the Life of Elizabeth I of England by Josephine Ross
4. Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey
5. The Virgin's Lover by Phillipa Gregory
**
6. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill
The husband brought this book home because so many people at work were saying what a good read it was. Now, normally, the kinds of books that get recommended to him are..."good cures for insomnia" might be the most tactful way to put it. I expected this book to be more of the same, but was pleasantly surprised to find it quite entertaining. (Honestly, I'm not sure I'd have bothered flipping through it but for the fact the author's given name is "Paco." I had to read Paco's Story for a class on the Vietnam War, and the name is unusual enough that I wondered if there was any connection.)
Anyway. I picked up some information in this book that I'm sure I'll keep in mind next time I'm out shopping. Hey, I'm now aware of the "butt-brush factor"!
7. Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir
Yeah, more Tudor stuff. Chose this one in order to gain more insight on the physicality of the locations, clothing, and daily schedules of the time period I've been reading about in (several) other works. Learned some things I wish I could forget - did I really need to know about how the kitchen staff of the Elizabethan era often urinated right next to the cooking area? - but the details will certainly be advantageous when I'm reading more books set in this era. Which, yes, I do plan to do.
8. The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu by Allison Janse with Charles Gerba, Ph.D.
I thought this would be funny, a light read along the lines of The Hypochondriac's Handbook, which is amusing because it takes itself so mock-seriously. Germ Freak, however, was written by an Actual Germ Freak, who really wants to save the rest of us from ever getting sick again. Not terribly amusing, and I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know (Wash your hands after you touch things in public areas! Paper toilet seat covers don't actually protect you from germs! Antibacterial soap isn't going to keep you from getting colds because they're caused by viruses! Eating at a buffet-style restaurant is a bad idea!) Overall, a waste of my time.
**
End of January and I've only read eight books. (Nine, if you count my Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix re-read, but I figured re-reads shouldn't count for this list.)