Book Club selections for May-August 2008

[Empress]

Hello Everyone -

Welcome to the 2008 Book Club. Please watch this space for more information in the coming weeks.

Should you have any questions at all you can contact either Empress or GlitteringTiaras by PM.

In the meantime, if you are interested in participating in the book club, please take a moment to look here, and vote for the books that you would like to read in the book club.

Empress and GlitteringTiaras - Book Club Coordinators

 

[Empress]

The books for May through August 2008 have been chosen to fit the topics of contemporary biography and royalty & World War I. This is the schedule.

May 2008: King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War: Catrine Clay: Books
June 2008: Princess Margaret a Life Unravelled: Tim Heald: Books.
July 2008: Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne: Ben Hills: Books
August 2008: The Marlborough House set: Anita Leslie: Books

The discussion schedule for the first book will be posted in this thread.

 

[Russophile]

Awww man! I feel like the first day of College History!

 

[Elspeth]

Princess Masako wouldn't thank you for that comment, Russo!

Here's some information about getting hold of these books.

The May book (King, Kaiser, Tsar) is available in hardcover from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk; the paperback version isn't out yet.

The June book (Princess Margaret: a Life Unravelled) is available new from Amazon.com but they're warning that it may take several weeks to ship. It's available new for immediate shipment from Amazon.co.uk, and there are also several copies available second-hand from sellers at the .co.uk store (that's how I bought my copy).

Since both books look to be coming out in paperback fairly soon, one option is to try and get them from the library to read at the book club and then buy the paperback version later if you want your own copy. In the future we'll try to avoid scheduling books just before they come out in paperback, but we're a bit new at this game so we haven't ironed out all the wrinkles yet.

The July book (Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne) is available in hardcover at a deep discount at the moment from Amazon.com. For the techy-minded among the membership, it's also available in a Kindle edition. It's available new and second-hand in both hardcover and paperback from Amazon.co.uk.

The August book (The Marlborough House Set) is a fairly old one and will have to be picked up second-hand somewhere. Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk both have second-hand copies, as do alibris and Half.com.

 

[Russophile]

Princess Masako's manners are considerably BETTER than mine!

 

[candygirl_68]

i'm so exited to read all these books! they're all so marvelous!

 

[Fabulous Fake]

Hi folks

I'm looking forward to this new venture.

 

[Attaining Grace]

I've been thinking about starting a royal book-club myself so I'm really pleased to find one.

 

[LadyCat]

KKT arrived yesterday. Hooray! It is all I can do not to dive right in and start reading. Fortunately, I still have a few pages left before I finish Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold M. Packard. I figured it would be an appropriate lead in to our first book here. However once I finish it all bets are off!

Cat

 

[candygirl_68]

the book arrived today! yeees! i can't wait to read it!!!

 

[GlitteringTiaras]

I'm glad the book, KKT, has finally arrived for you all. Enjoy and happy reading!

 

[HRH Kerry]

Have we come with the monthly deadline to read before the discussions are opened?

 

[Elspeth]

You can choose to read the book before the discussions start or you can read it during the month we're discussing it. Entirely up to you. The only thing is that the thread title for the discussion will specify the chapters being discussed, and posts about later chapters will be edited or deleted.

 

[ysbel]

Well I just ordered King, Kaiser, Tsar and Margaret, A Life Unfulfilled so I'm quite excited about reading these two.

I've also subscribed to Empress's other thread on King, Kaiser, and Tsar to keep abreast of any developments in the book discussion.

I'm quite looking forward to it.

 

[sirhon11234]

I need to go to Barnes and Nobles this week to pick up a book. I'm going to look for this new Princess Masako biography. It's looks like a good read.

 

[Elspeth]

It isn't new, Sirhon; it came out in 2006. You may not be able to find it at the bookstore, but you can get it second-hand at Amazon if nothing else.

 

[Polly]

For those in Australia and New Zealand:

I haven't been able to locate the first book anywhere, in the flesh. It is only available via online order but the waiting period is up to six weeks. Try Fishpond.com.au; Dymocks.com.au; Ditto, Healds' book on Princess Margaret. Both are quoted are very high prices.

Ben Hills' work on Princess Masako is currently available from Dymocks for $34.95.

Unfortunately, I can't locate Leslie's The Marlborough House Set, in Australia, in any formation. Second hand copies are available from various sources in the US, via Biblioquest.

In general, if I'm searching for books new or secondhand, I often check out Biblioquest and Fishpond. And, as always, there's Amazon, which is very efficient, too.

Late advice: I've just located King,Kaiser, Tsar - Cost $29.95 + $5.00 postage,at Abbey's Bookshop: 131 York Street, Sydney, 2000. Ph: 02 9264 3111 - outside Sydney metropolitan area: 1800 426657: email - books@abbeys.com.au.

 

[LadyCat]

Someone is going to have to hide my books from me before I go mad!

I'm trying sooooo hard to be good and not start reading them before the book club actually starts but it's getting dicey!

Cat

 

[Elspeth]

You can read them ahead of time if you want to - please don't drive yourself demented on that account!

It's just that we're restricting discussion to certain chapters per week. Doesn't matter if you read the chapters the day before or the month before. The only thing we want to avoid is having people discuss chapters they've read in advance but aren't supposed to be discussing yet, because that's not fair on the people who are choosing to read the weekly chapters each week.

I've finished the Margaret book and am over halfway through King Kaiser Tsar. I read the Masako book last year.

 

[ysbel]

I just got the King, Kaiser, Tsar book so I'm ready for the May book club. I'm looking forward to it. It took exactly a week to get here, not bad. The Margaret book will take longer but I like the idea that both of them in hardcover cost no more than $10.

I've got so much to do between home and work, I won't have time to start reading before the book club. That's why I like bookclubs. They force me to read what I really want to but don't feel like I have time.

I'm looking forward to getting the reading schedule.

 

[ysbel]

I can't believe - today I just got Princess Margaret - A Life Unravelled! That was only 8 days after I ordered it! I got it through Amazon.com used books link and I picked a seller near me.

So if anyone else is looking to get these books rather quickly at a reasonable price, I suggest checking half.com for King Kaiser Tsar and amazom.com used books to get your copy.

 

[LadyCat]

You can read them ahead of time if you want to - please don't drive yourself demented on that account!

It's just that we're restricting discussion to certain chapters per week. Doesn't matter if you read the chapters the day before or the month before. The only thing we want to avoid is having people discuss chapters they've read in advance but aren't supposed to be discussing yet, because that's not fair on the people who are choosing to read the weekly chapters each week.

I've finished the Margaret book and am over halfway through King Kaiser Tsar. I read the Masako book last year.

Thanks for saving me from lots of nail biting, teeth gnashing and drnking!

I am almost done with KKT and it is quite an interesting read. Can't wait to discuss it and get everyone's input and perpective.

Ct

 

[tan_berry]

International Book Fair

There is an international book fair in Santo Domingo until may 4th. More information on: dominicanaonline.org

 

[HRH Kerry]

There's nothing I hate more than having to skim back through a book for discussion points. I totally suck at comprehensive test and this will undoubtfully feel the same if I actually read the whole book and had to discuss it chapter by chapter. I would be stuck. I have to follow the guidlines set in place!

 

[ysbel]

There's nothing I hate more than having to skim back through a book for discussion points. I totally suck at comprehensive test and this will undoubtfully feel the same if I actually read the whole book and had to discuss it chapter by chapter. I would be stuck. I have to follow the guidlines set in place!

Yeah, me too.

I've been contenting myself with looking up some of the reviews of the books. King, Kaiser, Tsar got good reviews though the history experts warn its for beginners. I'm fine with that. The Princess Margaret book didn't get good reviews but I think that was because people are not used to liking a book where they don't like the main character.

I like to read success stories but occasionally I like to read a biography of a 'life gone wrong' so the overall failure of Margaret's life doesn't bother me that much and I'm looking forward to reading it.

 

[Elspeth]

I must say I wasn't as impressed with the Margaret book as I was expecting to be.

 

[ysbel]

Well don't spoil the surprise!

I just started KKT and trying to get through to chapter 6 before this Sunday.

I don't think I could have held off any longer.

 

[Elspeth]

Just finished it today. Interesting book!

 

[HRH Kerry]

I must say I wasn't as impressed with the Margaret book as I was expecting to be.

Okay, now I have no interest in reading it. If there are more mediocre reviews, I might just skip this one.

 

[Elspeth]

Well, I didn't say it wasn't good. I was just expecting something fairly exceptional because the author had access to the Windsor archives, and I'd have to say it wasn't exceptional (at least in my opinion). It's a good biography of her if you haven't read one already, though. You could try getting it from the library or something if you don't want to pay for a hardback copy.