... f/savings.png"> 2009 Reading - Master List January 1. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke 2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz 4. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks 5. A Holiday for Mu ...

... vol 4 part 1 Godchild (manga), vols 1-4 - TAKEN Sorcerers and Secretaries (manga), vols 1-2 - TAKEN The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova - TAKEN Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into History Uncle John's Slightly Irregular Bathroom Reader Uncle John's Suprem ...

Just finished up, in the past few weeks, The Historian, The Yiddish Policeman's Union and American Gods. Still dawdling pleasurably over Speak, Memory and just jumped into The Spy Who Came In from the Cold. Why did no one ever insist I read this book before? Great sparse prose, use of ...

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova- Very nice modernized Dracula tale. The Yiddish Policeman's Union - Michael Chabon. Started slow but turned out to be very much worth it. American Gods - Neil Gaiman. Ye gods! This book is amazing. 2008 Rankings as of Today 1 Ada - V. Nabokov 2 Da ...

... Clark **FINISHED** 4. No Place like Home by M.H.C. **FINISHED** 5. Cradle and All by James Patterson **FINISHED** 6. The Historian by Elizabth Kostova **FINISHED** 7. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown **FINISHED** 8. The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks **FINISHED** 9. Kill for Me by Kare ...

... for three of my best friends i got them El mundo de Komori (sorry no touchstone), The Sisterhood of traveling pants and The Historian And I usually give books to my friends who like reading and they love the books I get them (mostly because we go to the bookstore and express the books we ...

... Sings by Maya Angelou Why We Act Like Canadians by Pierre Berton The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova More Canada Firsts by Duff Conacher Kings of Many Castles by Brian Freemantle Bayou by Pamela Jekel Better Home ...

I'm not familiar with The Historian. I'll have to check it out and let you know what I thought of it. I own Bram Stoker's Dracula and of course Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles and The New Vampires and some other books on Vampires I haven't gotten around to reading before. Plus of ...

I'm not familiar with The Historian. I'll have to check it out and let you know what I thought of it. I own Bram Stoker's Dracula and of course Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles and The New Vampires and some other books on Vampires I haven't gotten around to reading before. Plus of ...

I am a huge of the book the historian just loved it ... I finished it in one day just solid reading ... Love it .... I will watch with interest the books you choose :)

... udge! I am not a vampire person--or reader--but last year I read Dracula because I had so many people urging me to read The Historian and I wanted to read the "original" first. I loved Stoker; unfortunate Kostova seemed a little "flat" after that, but I did finish it. My son said I should ...

I love Huck Finn! But I didn't finish The Historian. It took too long to get to anything interesting, IMO. I like your category next in series. I may change my categories around, as I have no books listed in some of them yet.

I've read The Historian - yes it's good.

Finished The Historian on the 3rd (wonderful, if a tad long), slogged through Fair and Tender Ladies for my bookclub read for a week before abandoning it, read New Moon earlier this week, and am now onto Eclipse. I was at work yesterday and happened to mention to my coworker that I'd ...

I really enjoyed Dracula and second Musicmom41's recommendation of Wilkie Collins' Woman in White. I read The Historian a while ago now so I'm a bit hazy on the details but I remembering loving parts of it but struggling through all the historical information. I remember it being quite a ...

Happy, happy, happy! The plane made it in yesterday with my book order. I got: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, The Fall of Rome by Michael Curtis Ford, The Religion by Tim Willocks, The Children of Hurin by Tolkien, and a new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten. ...

IX. STARTED AND DISCARDED 1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 4. The Fourth Hand by John Irving 5. The King Must Die by Mary Renault 6. Men at Arms by Evelyn Waugh 7. Policing Cinema by Lee ...

... 2. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick 3. Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey DONE, 8/13/09 4. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 5. Dune by Frank Herbert 6. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley 7. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle 8. The Martian ...

I really enjoyed The Historian, I could barely put it down and finished it quickly. But it is long, and I've had friends who I recommended it too say they put it down and forgot to go back to it, so maybe some people are captivated by it and some aren't. I've never read Dracula though, after ...

Spuddie, we read The Historian for one of my mystery groups a couple years ago. I don't like horror, and didn't think I would like this, but I did. There were a few in the group who didn't finish it because it is quite a long book. I've been in 1848 Philadelphia in a book with multiple story ...

Interesting. I love Dracula and I love The Historian. But I would never think of them in the same light. They're not even remotely written to be anything alike. In fact, the only connection I feel they share is the character Dracula! I don't think Kostova even tried to make connections ...

Hmmm.... The Thirteenth Tale is definately a keeper, so are the Little Women series, and my Eoin Colfer books. Also The Historian and The Blessing Stone. I also couldn't give away The Mercy of Thin Air or the books by Shannon Hale. Nor The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Soc ...

I will be the dissenting voice in this love fest! I made the mistake of reading the original Dracula before reading The Historian because i had never read a vampire novel and decided I should read "the original." (I know it's not the first--but it is the best known.) I was blown away by Sto ...

I loved The Historian when I read it. It took me three months but I finished it.

... adult you might try Interview with the Vampire, although whether it contains a love story or not is a matter of debate. The Historian is another adult book, with more romance. Or, Tanya Huff's Blood Books may be more up your alley. A YA suggestion could be The Silver Kiss by Annette Cu ...

... I'm done so you can have mine. And that'll make me hurry up and read it. I keep leaving it at work. I tried reading the Historian a few years ago but just couldn't get into it.

... she's trying to raise in an imaginative and interesting way. And next to the exhausting, rambling and disappointing The Historian that I read a couple of years ago, I'd rate Meyer's effort fairly highly. Everybody knows, of course, that you can't beat Anne Rice's Interview with the Va ...

Have you considered adding The Historian to your Vampires category?

I think The Historian is one of those books you either love or hate. I loved it--full of history and the vampire theme is interesting--not like the books where the vampires are hot guys to date, but Dracula as a force of evil.

... library where I was working at the time only had the first book. However, I might have to pick it up again after I finish The Historian thanks to your reminders/recommendations!

... that endangers her life. Lord Byron and his contemporaries are put to use as characters. I recommended it as similar to The Historian before I really got going on it and had I read it properly first I wouldn't have as The Historian was much better. I gave this book: 1 1/2 stars

... for a reading challenge, and I haven't really known what to expect because reviews have been mixed. 128 & 129: I thought The Historian was wonderful, but I think you have to really appreciate the story-within-a-story format and the epistolary style. I'm reading I See You Everywhere by J ...

>128 : grkmwk, I know a few people who didn't finish The Historian but I loved it so I hope you enjoy reading it.

Finished Twilight over the weekend - LOVED IT, and am now onto The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I am also reading Best Food Writing 2001 and Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris.

#129: Glad to hear you enjoyed The Historian, bib. I am only a few chapters into it, but am really enjoying it so far. I have not read Dracula in full, only parts, but am familiar with the story. Would be good to read, though, in light of all my recent vampire reading... I might even have a ...

I loved The Historian. I read it without having read Dracula. I might reread it now that I have read Dracula.

... so I can finish sooner. I'm trying very, very hard to resist a trip to the bookstore... In the meantime, I've started The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and Best Food Writing 2001 by Holly Hughes. Both enjoyable so far.

... and is certainly challenging, but I thought Melmoth the Wanderer was quite good and shared some structural qualities with The Historian. Plus it's got lots of atmosphere to boot and Maturin was something of a predecessor to Stoker. It doesn't dwell on mystery to the same extent as The Histori ...

... it is epistolary, historical, mystery -- although it is a black humor type of vibe as opposed to the chilling geshtaldt of The Historian. I loved them both. I, too, hated Labyrinth. It postures to be like one of the aforementioned books; but it was so poorly executed.

Couldn't make my way through The Historian and I also didn't care for Labyrinth so maybe I'm not the best person to make a recommendation. Having said that, however, I'd suggest The Alienist by Caleb Carr (Not European, though. Takes place in New York) and perhaps The List of 7 by Mark Fro ...

... end, I was at the dentists office and gave it to the receptionist. Never finished it, never cared. I have yet to read The Historian, although I have had it for ages.

38. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 5/5

... I completely forgot about Labyrinth - I've read that one too, and it's an excellent suggestion for someone who liked The Historian. So, majorbabs, make that 2 votes for Labyrinth :-)

Hi majorbabs - I noticed that you also have The Shadow of the Wind in your library, along with The Historian. I enjoyed both books. Have you tried the author Kate Mosse? I have read two of her books, Labyrinth and Sepulchre. Both books involve a mystery of the past being unraveled ...

Hi majorbabs. I read The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson a month or so ago, and I liked it in the exact same way that I liked The Historian. It does have a little bit of European history/mystery in it, but no where near as much as The Historian. I think it was mainly how both stories quickly ...

The latter half of The Historian takes place in Istanbul. There's also Crossed, which I didn't personally like, but other people seem to love.

5. Mystery/Thriller 1. Jane and the Stillroom Maid by Stephanie Barron 2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

... n The Other Boleyn Girl - movie tie in edition Stardust - movie tie in edition On Chesil Beach - HC Neverwhere The Historian American Gods Baby Proof I'm willing to send international provided if you mooch two books. I'm from the Philippines and I can't send single mooches ...

... Run later this evening, then it's on to something seasonally appropriate (well, in my mind, at least): Twilight or The Historian or the collected works of Poe or LOTR...too many good ones from which to choose!

I really hated A Confederacy of Dunces. I thought it was repulsive. I also disliked The Historian it was soooo boring. Both were book group reads. And I hated both Matthew Pearl's books The Poe Shadow and The Dante Club. I just can't stand his writing. I never finished the Poe book. ...

Is it The Historian by Elisabeth Kostova?

... how tastes vary even among avid readers of the same genres. I have loved many other books mentioned in this thread like The Historian, also The Prophetess by Barbara Wood which I don't think has been mentioned. Dying to read many other of these recommendations including The People ...

I. Love. This. Book. If I were to ever write a novel (fat chance) it would be The Historian. It fit my likes and reading tastes perfectly.

There were only a couple I didn't finish last year. The Historian was one of them - so boring! But I don't remember what else I gave up on. I'm sure I could look it up, but why bother? The point was that the book wasn't worth my time, and it's still not. I know what detailmuse means about setting ...

... Kristin Lavransdatter before the end of the month, so I 'll do mine. 1. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner 2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3. In the Woods by Tana French 4. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kaye Penman 5. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobelewski

The Historian????

Stopped by B&N just to browse last night. Found a few deals for $5 each. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (one of those books I had from the library and didn't want to return a couple years ago) Dracula by Bram Stoker The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain The last two ...

... teens or for us! Lots of moral issues--can a parent love his child too much?, etc. Well written, too! Next up? Maybe The Historian but I'm a little reluctant because I've heard it has a similar feel to a couple books I didn't much care for, The Shadow of the Wind and The Thirteenth Tale ...

... Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner In This House of Bede by Rumer Godden Going Wrong by Ruth Rendell The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards Alma Rose by Edith Forbes The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulweer Lytt ...

I'm about 100 pages into The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Not sure how I feel about it yet. It was loaned to me by a new co-worker (I loaned her The Yiddish Policemen's Union in return) and it's not my usual fare. Best I can say is that I don't dislike it so far.

... Middlesex, Jefferey Eugenides Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See The Whistling Season, Ivan Doig The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova Wives and daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell Confessions of a Jane Austen addict, Laurie Viera Rigler Austenland, Shannon ...

I read 8 books which is a lot for me and I enjoyed most of them. The best: 1. The Historian - this seems to be a love it or hate it one with LTers, but I loved it. 2. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman - fabulous historical fiction! 3. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - well-written ...

If you like fantasy with more of a horror edge, try The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It's about a daughter's search for her missing father, who was searching for (and at the same time trying to hide from) Dracula. It's creepy without being violent or gory, and the places they travel to are ...

I finally finished The Historian by Elizebeth Kostova (after restarting four times in the past three years) and I seem to remember talking about it to someone in another thread. I was wondering if anyone else had finished it and their thoughts about it. I know about ten people who've ...

... 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer The Last Juror by John Grisham and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova I have already read the last three, so I know I'll like them. The other two were "why not tries" for 50 cents apiece.

... should have been caught and a few sentences that I'd like to see reworded for clarity.) A prime example of this is with The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I loved the book greatly and the journey it took me on was marvelous. But, after I was finished I dearly wanted a different ending ...

... slow burn of a story, and, even though the ending was a bit pedestrian...it was appropriate to this story ....unlike The Historian's ending...which was WIMPY-central!!!!but,,yeck! i disliked that book...over-hyped, over-written,over-wrought...a big let-down in the end... but that is ...

... loved The Grapes of Wrath, don't miss Cannery Row and my personal favorite The Moon is Down. FWIW, I really liked The Historian. Perhaps I'm used to drag-on endings or something, because I didn't notice it so much. #52 Richard: I echo the thanks for the term 'sudser' I'll add it to ...

... it shorter by leaving out bits. Whatever, so sorry, I will now cruise forth to say sorry about imputing motives to you re: The Historian. >50 mckait dearie-blossom, you will read this and, I devoutly hope, love it with a passion. I don't want you to waste a single reading moment when work ...

... -- it was great. I would not classify the ending as bad - meaning poorly written. It does not drag on like some say of The Historian, there is great emotional catharsis --it is hard to discuss without spoiling anything --lets just say, I remain haunted by the ending. But I would say - do ...

... but a sort of final chapter that sums up what happened after the ending. I loved that even more! I will read The Historian. I want to. I think what is so daunting is its size. I have a hardback copy, and it is heavy! I love long, thick books.. but they are not so portable.. I ...

... Fragile Things. And I'm happy to hear you are enjoying The Eyre Affair! #44 richard, 'twasn't me who commented on The Historian, but I'm adding my vote to the pro-Historian column. However, I will agree that she could've used some editing. But, oh, the scenes in Budapest! I want to go ...

>mckait from last week's thread, also jfetting and others who commented on The Historian: I was so so ready to love this book. I love books about creepy unexplained coincidences and investigations into hitherto unimagined corners of a parent/guardian/authority figure's life. I adore books about ...

Well- I liked both The Historian and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - though I think that the criticisms are legit, I felt the good far outweighed the bad in both novels. Empiracally, you can pick them both apart -- but the entertainment value for both was superb! Having just closed Edgar Sawtell ...

I was enthralled with The Historian, I loved her style and the intricate plot. I remember that I read it every night after work, and on a business trip back east, but as the book got thinner and the plot more complex, I found myself wondering if she could pull it all together at the end... In my ...

mckait, I also enjoyed The Historian. I say give it a shot. You won't find it to be earth-shaking literature, but it's a quick, intriguing read. Richard, I hope you did get Crow Lake or The Other Side of the Bridge from Amazon. I am about halfway through The Other Side of the Bridge ...

... Edgar Sawtelle. I read a synopsis of the book. Maybe a Library checkout. 182: I could not get through 2 chapters of the Historian Glad I only spent 50 cents at a library book sale.

mckait: I, for one, enjoyed The Historian, so at least give it a chance. 185: Barbara Ehrenreich is pretty wonderful in general...glad you liked it.

>178 msf59, I know exactly that annoyance! I wanted to adore The Historian and then, in the last third of the book, it just blew apart in my face. The ending still irks me. Sorry for your feeling about the book, though having heard that critique several times now, I won't be reading it. >1 ...

50. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Has anyone suggested The Historian yet? I didn't love it, and it isn't YA like Twilight, but it is about vampires and I don't remember any sex in it. Haha, not the most glowing recommendation, but there you go.

... i really love Sunshine by Robin McKinley love most. This is followed closely by Daylight by Elizabeth Knox and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Mmmm.....all female authors. Perhaps I should mention that I have all the Buffy DVDs.

I'm now halfway through Matrimony and am really enjoying it. I loved The Shadow of the Wind and The Historian, but I think you really have to appreciate the slowly building plot and the qualities of the gothic novel to enjoy them.

... hold a candle to what's being written for teens now. Next it's back to Un Lun Dun which I set aside a while ago. The Historian is next on my TBR list. Hope it doesn't fall prey to the Shadow of the Wind phenomenon. Actually I haven't been reading as much as I feel I should. An ...

... Hank Green--and all the 15-year-old NFs think of it! Next, I swear I will finish Un Lun Dun. I've also checked out The Historian which has been tempting me for a while, and Laurie Halse Anderson's latest, Chains. (Not touchstoning--perhaps it hasn't yet been published?)

... Hank Green--and all the 15-year-old NFs think of it! Next, I swear I will finish Un Lun Dun. I've also checked out The Historian which has been tempting me for a while, and Laurie Halse Anderson's latest, Chains. (Not touchstoning--perhaps it hasn't yet been published?)

... as I refuse to read another one by Brown in this lifetime); most of Rice's vampire novels, except I loved Interview); The Historian (not a very exciting horror novel or thriller, but I did enjoy some of the travelogue portions). Unfortunately, Wilbur Smith's writing puts me to sleep, so I' ...

... They both are media tie-in hacks and their writing is terrible. Dune:House Atreides was like Pollyanna does Dune ! The Historian was long and boring,and the young narrator was a total waste of time. The style of constantly ALMOST explaining everything was soo annoying. The Inheritan ...

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova moves all over the place, but much is set in Istanbul and contains a lot of interesting stuff about the Ottoman Empire.

... excellent. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks is marketed as literary fiction, as were The Thirteenth Tale and The Historian, but all were just well-written mysteries with a literary theme.

... in Alaska, if she does mooch it. I have it reserved for her. I have about 10 pages to read I think? I may then go to The Historian which has been languishing on my shelf for many months. Depends on the mailman. :)

Over the summer I read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Very informative, I felt as though I had taken a tour of Europe, and that I can now not live without taking a tour of Europe! I expected more thrilling action, but in retrospect I think the book was much like Bram Stoker's Dracula in ...

... us! Then it's back to Un Lun Din which I had set aside for fear of not finishing Loving Frank in time. I checked out The Historian but think I may instead read something very light next. Suggestions??

... I found some great books in the "for sale" section, including The Spellman Files, Eat, Pray, Love, Heart Shaped Box, The Historian, and Thirteenth Tale. Looks like a number of them are on wish-lists, but if you are interested, send me a PM. My inventory: http://bookmooch.com/m/inve ...

I finished The Historian this morning. I really loved it - fabulous escapist reading that I thought was fairly well-written -- for the genre, for sure. There are so many reviews on LT and I was surprised by how many people hated it and thought it was fluff. I just started Fahrenheit 451 by ...

16. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 17. A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich 18. The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction by Dorothy Scarborough 19. The Story of English by Robert McCrum and others 20. The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and importance of Fairy Tales by Br ...

... by Edith Wharton 14. Ordinary People by Judith Guest 15. Elements of Style by E.B. White and William Strunk Jr 16. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 17. A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich 18. The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction by Dorothy Scarborough 19. The Story ...

... of the Anne Rice books before they just got too stupid and repetitive for me. I am sad to say I also struggled through The Historian, but in retrospect, don't know why I did. TPBM, like me, wishes he/she would have been invited to jillmwo's house along with WHL.

>48 I enjoy The Historian, as far as I've gotten in it, I just keep getting distracted. Maybe I'll buckle down (get away from all the other books in my house) and read straight through it next. >52 I tried to read The Prestige for a book club and I couldn't finish it becasue it was boring. ...

... Attitude to Rain for another, later, more desperate time. My review has mysteriously disappeared. I don't get it. The Historian was such a great idea, and I loved the first 500 pages.

35 & 37 - I loved The Historian.... besides being a great story, the background about the Hungarian part of Europe was very interesting. I hope you enjoy it at least as much as I did.

>35 I keep starting The Historian with the intent to finish it because it's so good and something that I'd usually read. However, something else always pops in and grabs my attention and by the time I get back to Ms. Kostova I have to start all over. Many of my friends have done the same thing, ...

The Historian sounds great - have added it to my list!

... I am just not as much of a fan of The Deptford trilogy so far, although Fifth Business was much better. I am on to The Historian, ~100 pages in and loving it, it is right up my alley.

... to mind when I read the original post. Others that have been mentioned such as: Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield The Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger All are favourites of mine. Thanks ...

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is wonderful... especially if you like vampire stories!

I´m starting the cover to cover list with two summer books: 1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The book gave me some vivid and interesting aspects on Byzantine, the Ottoman Turks and Mehmed II the Conqueror. (I was writing about the subject at the moment.) 845 pages read on June ...

... (I like Thomas Hardy but obviously even he was bored with it or he wouldn't have given it that horrible ending!), and The Historian (seriously, why all the hype?)

Gone With the Wind Anne of Green Gables Trainspotting Lord of the Rings A Game of Thrones The Historian Dune The Dark Elf Trilogy

I really enjoyed The Historian, and The Shadow of the Wind and One Hundred Years of Solitude both rank among my favorites. I couldn't stand On the Road, and I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet. It's entirely obvious that he wrote it in 3 weeks while under the influence of a variety ...

... Stephen Clarke 19. The Jester by James Patterson and Andrew Gross 20. Tideland by Mitch Cullin 21. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 22. The Men I Didn't Marry by Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger 23. The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuscinski 24. Travels ...

... and I just thought it was very sexy. Though, it probably helps that I read it on my honeymoon. 103: I also liked The Historian. Granted, it could have been a bit shorter, but I'm a sucker for the epistolary style when it's done well, and I enjoyed all of the details about history and ...

... up. More often then not, I have an armful before I even get halfway into the store. I've read some lukewarm reviews on The Historian but when I read it, I really loved the book. I hope you'll find it as interesting as I did.

... Lansens, The Great Deluge by Douglas Bringkley, Heart Like Water by Joshua Clark, Light from Heaven by Jan Karon, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostva and In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

... know if I'm over vampires or what, but this is the second vamp book I've read this year that I found "meh" (the first being The Historian...) Was kinda looking forward to reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series but not so sure anymore since a lot of people (my sister-in-law included) love Ha ...

... know if I'm over vampires or what, but this is the second vamp book I've read this year that I found "meh" (the first being The Historian... Was kinda looking forward to reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series but not so sure anymore since a lot of people (my sister-in-law included) ...

I mooched The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

... 84, Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff 2. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale 3. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer 4. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 5. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss If it weren't a reread, I would add The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.

I'm sorry, but that ending to The Historian has got to be about the lamest one I've ever heard of. How did she ever get that published?!

... considered "literary fiction". The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold, Church of the Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, to name just a few, are all genre fiction but esteemed as "literary fiction" by those who determine such things. The edges are ...

What was that again? Catalog books???????? What's that about? I gave up on The Historian about 3/4 of the way through - I couldn't stand a book, ostensibly about vampires, but with no vampires having appeared up to that point. I would have been really, really, really mad if I'd finished it for ...

... to Duma Key by Stephen King read by John Slattery. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Very original. So that is #18 and #19 is The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova."The story that follows is one I never intended to commit to paper." 642 pages-running total-3706. It was fantastic. Not as much horror ...

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - libraries all over the world are searched for clues to the mystery of Dracula.

... Hibbert Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser The Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling

... Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell 17. Magyk by Angie Sage 18. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer second read. 19. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 20. What-The-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire 21. Technologies for Education: A Practical Guide ...

So far this month I've acquired: the Forever War the Historian Interview With a Vampire Odd Thomas The Forever War isa sci-fi novel, basically the Viet Nam war in space. A friend gave it to me yesterday, and I've already read the first 8 chapters or so. I've never read any Koo ...

I have to agree with your assessment on the ending of The Historian. But, on balance, I did like the book a great deal. I think I liked it more because i had read none of the reviews of it and had very little idea about the story when I read it. But it did seem to rush to a conclusion. The ...

I just finished (21) The Historian. I don't know if I liked it or not, I guess I did, but the end seemed a little rushed. The book was so long, and the story so complex, that it seemed like not everything was addressed at the end. Now I'm going to read Katherine and/or Dragonwyck.

... blower", I used to hide under my covers and stuff me hands in my ears.... seems crazy now. One of my friends lent me the historian last year and I made the mistake of reading on windy/stormy night when I was home alone... not the best move i have made, I don't ever remember any other ...

... because I'm planning to follow my father, who's off looking for my mother, which is the same as looking for Dracula, in The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

13. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

I just finished reading The Historian. It's a good book (good as in it was enjoyable, but I'll probably never read it again), but it really didn't have the feel of a horror book. I also felt that the ending was a bit anticlimatic, though maybe after consuming 800 pages Elizabeth Kostova ...

... Sveti Georgi, in hope that it will lead the way to the tomb of Vlad Tepes ( a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler, a.k.a. Dracula). The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

I'm STILL reading The Historian, it's kind of slowing down, so my reading's slowing down too.

I am reading "The Historian" now. I am not done so I hope the book answers this question, but if not, what is it with Dracula and Librarians? He either has them in his back pocket or kills them. Other than that, I think this is an interesting book. It can be slow in parts, but for the most ...

#29 & 30 I think what I loved most about The Historian was the fact that every time they switched perspective I was already dying to know what happened to the one we'd just left! Most of the time I was eager to read through quickly to get back to the conclusion of the previous section. Occasion ...

#29 - I agree. I enjoyed The historian, but it was a bit of a slog through all the Eastern European travelogue to get to some plot. Luckily, I enjoyed the travel sturr, too. Nancy, I loved The Namesake - great book.

I'm reading The Historian, but I'm reading it slowly to absorb all of the info. I'm only half way through the book and I feel like the characters should already have found what they're looking for. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good book, but it's also *heavy* (for lack of a better word). Very ...

... several misses lately, but this one's true to his early talent and owes a lot to the gothic spirit that comes through in The Historian.

Oh, The Historian was wonderful. I'm also going to put that on my TBR list.

... Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier 39. A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 40. Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind 41. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 42. The Shadow of the Pomegranate by Jean Plaidy 43. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien 44. Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates ...

I FINALLY finished The Historian last night and Dracula this morning. On the train on the way to the airport I started a book sent to me by the Literary Ventures Fund Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway. It is extremely interesting and very well written so far (I'm almost 1/2 ...

Wow. Seems like there's a theme going on here! I too am reading The Historian, it's my second time reading it. I'm also about a chapter away from the ending of Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy which I didn't like too much at the beginning, but has definitely grown on me and I am quite fond ...

Mar, have you read The Historian? It's something of a companion to Dracula (not a sequel). I think you might enjoy it.

I just didn't get what the fuss was about over Davinci Code, Wicked, The Historian and Eat, Pray, Love. I've found a lot of my favorites listed here so you never can tell!

I just didn't get what the fuss was about over Davinci Code, Wicked, The Historian and Eat, Pray, Love. I've found a lot of my favorites listed here so you never can tell!

>115, I'm working on The Historian now too. It is probably the 3rd time I've read it and this time I'm doing it with Dracula and Vlad the Impaler(nonfiction). This theme read has been increasing my appreciation of The Historian even more!

I also enjoyed The Historian quite a bit.

I'm working on Vlad the Impaler at the moment, and doing it as a theme read with two fiction books: Dracula and The Historian. I am really enjoying the way that the three books interact with one another, I think reading them all together like this is far more valuable in this case than ...

I just finished Eclipse, and now I'm reading The Historian. Eclipse was Amazing! and The Historian is very deep and has so many layers. I'm only on page 70 but, it feels like I've read so much more!

... it's mentioned under Slovenia though. Veronika Decides to Die is one of my all time favourite books. Fabulous! I have The Historian on my bookshelves and will therefore give that one a go, plus I have the Richard Flanagan one on my Amazon wishlist so there's another one I might have to ...

I'm still working on my impromptu Vlad Dracul theme read with Vlad the Impaler, Dracula, and The Historian.

The Historian is actually a reread (I do quite enjoy it, though), but Dracula and Vlad the Impaler are first time reads, inspired by my interest in The Historian.

... and got me The Essential Dracula, an annotated version of Bram Stoker's classic to go along with my current theme read of The Historian and Vlad the Impaler.

... Many Cooks The Postman Always Rings Twice The Judge is Reversed by Frances & Richard Lockridge The Collector The Historian Shoes of the Fisherman The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

I'm in Romania and traveling all over Europe with Vlad the Impaler and The Historian and, hopefully, with Dracula (if they've got it at Half Price Books tonight).

... Nothing I was picking up was holding my attention. I decided I needed a 'fun' reread. Looking at my shelves, I grabbed The Historian on accident (I was reaching for The Other Boleyn Girl and they are next to each other, because my shelves need to be reorganized). I decided to stick ...

Oh Mar, let me know what you think of Dracula. I've not read it either but I was tempted after reading The Historian. I wonder if I might get more out of a reread if I read Stoker first. I finished the series and have posted my thoughts on the thread. So now I'm down ...

... rereading doesn't count? (Anyways, if it did my list would be too long) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale #39, littlebookworm -- I loved the Bartimaeus Trilogy, those are among my all-time ...

... a nice change to jump into the gossipy YA type of books. Lately I'm obsessed with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I enjoy darker fiction (and non-fiction for that matter.) I have a liking for the supernatural in my literature. I also love ...

You should add The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova to that list!

I just finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm currently working on: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson Gossamer by Lois Lowry What-The-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire

18. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer second read. 19. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Currently reading: What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson Gossamer by Lois Lowry

The Lions of Al-Rassan makes me cry - I have read it several times and it get's me everytime. The historian remains one of the books that scared me - but that was from reading it late it night when my flatmate (roomate) was on holiday and it was a wild windy night... Defininitly a book for ...

... Planet by Bob Carlton I'm sure I'm missing something...I'll update as I figure it out. Currently reading: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson

... yesterday and finished it at 1:00 in the morning. I'm still reading Tracks for school, and I'm not sure if I should read The Historian or Once Upon a Time In the North. Eleanor of Aquitaine was a little dry, I'm just too obsessed with fiction. Non-fiction seems boring compared to the ...

I totally agree with your review of The Historian. I read it all, so I did enjoy it somewhat (I am not at all afraid to abandon books), but I think I described it like this: in the end, I was more impressed by the acheivement than entertained by the story. 10 years to write that book! Like I ...

24. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova My main feeling about this book is relief at having it finished at last! But I do it injustice in some ways by saying that. I really enjoyed the travel part of this book, where the narrators go to different parts of Eastern Europe - the bits one doesn't ...

... really interested in it before. Wow! Big mistake to make judgements based on nothing much. I think I mixed it up or with The Historian which might be have been released around the same time. Vampires just hold no interest to me. The readers of History of Love are so good that I just can't ...

... – so many other things are grabbing my attention – but I'm not letting go of it. English book at home: I finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. She posed some interesting puzzles, and then, alas, did not solve them to my satisfaction. I've started The Pilgrim Route to Santiago ...

I just finished reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, in which the main action takes place in three separate years - 1930, 1954, and sometime in the 1970s. It's all sort of jumbled up, though, so the passage of time really isn't addressed. (edited to add the author's name)

... Claudio Magris The sound of one hand clapping by Richard Flanagan A farewell to arms by Ernest Hemingway The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova Trieste and the meaning of nowhere by Jan Morris

... is that I LOVE Buffy and Angel, so if vampire rules don't follow theirs I get all confused, though I did manage to read the Historian, so maybe I could give it a try. Tell me a little more about it. Edited for Touchstones

... 15th century Spanish of Manrique, Cervantes's early 17th century Spanish looks positively modern. English book at home: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm a little over halfway through. It's an oddly told story, and I imagine Kostova is thanking her lucky stars that the printer didn't ...

... book at home: I finished A Brief History of the Spanish Language, which made me want to learn more. Now I'm reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm only half-a-dozen pages into it, and liking it so far. Book for lunch break at work: I finished Taliesin and felt no need to ...

... why I finished The Notebook, for instance (*cringe*) - but if halfway through is still really far from the end (say, The Historian), then it's gone.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse is a nice combination of modern-day thriller/mystery and historical fiction. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova actually involves 3 timelines - the historical, the POV of the father, and then the POV of his daughter ~30 years later. The Egyptologist has one main ...

... of lists - done 8. Lost: Lost and Found Pet Posters - done 6. Recommended by others 8/8 1. 1776 - done 3/5 2. The Historian - done! (I gave up) 3. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive - done 4. Deliver Us From Normal - done 5. Fablehaven - done 6. The Master of Ballantrae - ...

... me you don't actually do the DFW to Santa Fe drive daily?!?! I haven't listened to a lot of audio books. I listened to The Historian driving from Chicago to Bozeman and HATED it. I really do think it was the reader and possibly not the best choice of material for an audio book. I have ...

... as horror. If you prefer a little heavier reading, I'd suggest The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger or The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. By the way, I won't be insulted if you don't want to add one of my suggestions. My taste tends to run toward the mainstream type ...

I am finishing The Birth of Venus, and my pending reads are as follows: The Historian Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles The Bride Stripped Bare Also I found a copy of The Skin Gods in my attic. (long story) Anybody read it; got an opinion? It may go to BookMooch pile. Oh ...

Today at Books-a-Million: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank and from PaperBackBookSwap in the mail: Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell

It is The Historian, well done Irisheyz.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova??

... (American title Interred with their Bones) was pretty awful. Apart from that I agree fully with those who say The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon in that both were much over-rated and not worth the time and trouble reading.

... into a life-situation, giving insight to particular issues? Maybe its just me.... To all who have been discussing The Historian: I agree it wasn't quite what I hoped, but it made me much, much more interested in the history of that region of the world, in particular the confluence of ...

I thought The Historian was vastly over rated as a novel. The fiction is the weakest part of The Historian, but I did think Kostova did well in the descriptive passages of the book about real things she had actually seen and experienced. I wouldn't reccomend the novel to anyone. Kostova ...

#139 & #144 thanks for your input, now I am interested in reading The Historian.

>135 If you see The Historian on sale (I've seen the hardcover at Borders for $4.99), then I would go for it. As many reviewers note, it can be a somewhat slow read, but if you like history, vampires and a focus on books to help solve a mystery, then you'll probably like it.

So when does the film of The Historian come out and what will that do to your evolution - vampires as nerdy librarians?

Hey Investory, (#135) I did enjoy The Historian. Of course, I have a thing for traveling...and vampires...and history... Anything that can artfully combine the three is just as well, in my book. (Pun intended.)

133> What did you think of The Historian? Keep looking at that at Barnes and Noble and haven't decided if I would like it. Reading Three Cups of Tea right now.

Finished The Historian and am now reading The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie - i kind of like to mix it up!!!

4.The Historian Elizabeth Kostova Interesting story but long-winded for the most part... could have easily been 200 pages shorter - not really what i was expecting (sue me for wanting fog and cemeteries!!!...) Now catching up on my Entertainment Weekly"s that came in in the meantime ...

Já acabei o The Historian há umas boas semanas, mas não tive nem muito tempo ou espaço mental para reflectir sobre ele. Gostei. Ela escreve muito bem, houve passagens que foram um autêntico desafio para mim, no entanto as suas descrições fizeram com que me apaixonasse pelas cidades por ...

This week i finished the historian, wasn't really satisfying. And I started yesterday a little book called Clemencia by a mexican author called Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, I'm reading it for school and I've been told it's really good.

As an antithesis, does anyone else get the feeling that The historian priviledges academics over librarians?? Academic researchers find all the information themselves without any help - in fact, the librarians are so busy being in thrall to dracula that there's no time for decent information ...

... taught to eat everything on our plates, which is often more than our body needs to fuel itself. Am currently reading The Historian...

Am currently reading The Historian and a french non-fiction book titled Manger, a non-diet diet book: the authors explain that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is by only eating when you're hungry and stopping as soon as you're full (no kidding!!). They give you tips on recognizing ...

... two books had me laughing quite a bit over the misunderstandings and the clash of the two cultures. Am currently reading The Historian, but at the rate i'm going looks like it might take a while - the story IS interesting but i'm finding her writing difficult to get into and end up reading ...

... Willingham. The Merlin Codex - Robert Holdstock (Containing Celtika, The Iron Grail, and The Broken Kings) The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova The Dark Elf Trilogy - R. A. Salvatore If my son had a vote he'd go for the Warriors series by Erin Hunter

... also look up steampunk, which is a fantasy set in a type of Victorian period. Personally, I pretty strongly disliked The Historian, but I think that is one of those books which really polarized its readers. Scott Lynch's novel The Lies of Locke Lamora is set in a sort of pseudo-17 ...

onetruluff, yes! The Historian was a very interesting mix of real history and fantasy. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I don't know if any of you like YA fiction, but Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Perilous Gard is a great mix of history and fantasy, and very well-written.

... Wears Prada 5. Sarah's Quilt 6. Gormenghast (trilogy, 2 are on the 1001 Books list) 7. the Great Influenza 8. the Historian

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell has some great library descriptions. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova also has a few good library scenes, although they aren't exactly central to the story. And one of my favorite "rooms full of books" is the cemetery of forgotten books in The Shadow of ...

The Historian, though we all joked at the time that it made our profession seem very, very dangerous! Did you notice that any librarian, archivist, etc. got killed off? There was a James Rollins I read, too, where it didn't pay to have anything to do with books, though the book wasn't about ...

Ditto, #2, on The Talisman and The Historian. I'm also a big big fan of Imajica - I can't wait to see what you think of it!

Good luck with your goals! I loved both The Talisman and The Historian. They were able to keep my interest despite their length. Happy New Year!

... Barker Underworld by Don DeLillo Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas Moby-Dick by Herman Melville The Pillars of ...

Well, I eventually finished my 37th book this year - The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. It took me ages, so totally ruined my chances of reading 50 by the end of 2007, but I wanted to start the challenge in ernest next year, and wanted to read the book before then.

... afternoon and read something else. Maybe some YA or something? I've had a lot of heavy stuff lately (The Egyptologist, The Historian, The Shadow of the Wind, The Thirteenth Tale, etc.). Yes, I definitely need a change. *goes off to rummage bookshelves*

... the days our network was down at work and we had nothing to do for an hour first thing in the morning. Out came my copy of The Historian :-). I posted a full review on the book if you want to read more.

... a A Game of Thrones Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World The Mother Tongue Made in America The Historian Alpha Beta: How 26 Letters Shaped the Western World The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology Fables Vol. 1: Leg ...

I tried to read The Historian-story about the original Dracula, lots of time in libraries, historical mysteries...it sounds like my kind of book. It was a best seller, got good ratings, but it was boring. I made it through the first three chapters (that's my limit on books-hook me in three ...

... that I was told I'd love: House of Leaves Anything by Stephen King or Anne Rice Little Women The Historian

... by Jasper Fforde The god of small things by Arundhati Roy The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova The History of Danish Dreams by Peter Hoeg The Illuminatus!: Trilogy by Robert Shea ** The Key : How to Writ ...

... day, and Patricia McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld from PBS. I also stopped at a thrift store and found Kostova's The Historian and some other books I had been wanting. *sighs happily*

... and other stories by Shirley Jackson All Quiet on the Western Front Misteriosa Buenos Aires I just finished The Historian audiobook and will be listening to the audiobook of Kafka on the Shore next.

... Tale by Diane Setterfield • Middlemarch by George Eliot • The Children of Húrin by J. R. R. Tolkien • The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (pending; I'm about halfway through)

... drink wine. Didn't feel any sympathy at all, though I did like Harper and her granny. kaelirenee - I couldn't get into The Historian either.

#38 wrote: The Historian-BORING! Wow! I'm in the middle of that book right now and absolutely loving it. And I have to say I liked The Shadow of the Wind too. Funny how much we bibliophiles vary in our tastes. Let's see, what have I read this year that I hated... I haven't had too ...

... going to be co-leading a group on The Horse and His Boy probably starting in January or February. I'm still reading The Historian. I hate not being able to read it all in one big swallow, but at the same time I'm enjoying how it's being spun out by my impossible schedule. I hope to take ...

... reading two other books by Bill Bryson I started picking up anything I could find by him. This one did not measure up. The Historian-BORING! Why Men don't Iron-just flat-out poorly written and researched. Ones I did finish, but were still bad: The Mommy Wars Not Buying It The T ...

>51 amandameale: Haha! :-) Fine, I'll go to the naughty corner, but only as long as I can take The Historian with me. I am adoring this book.

... it a book to marvel over and read in every spare moment until complete. And I am now 17 chapters in Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. So far it is wonderful — a mix of Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale and (of course) Stoker's Dracula. I am loving it. And the writing is very good as ...

Argh! I knew it! I mooched Kostova's The Historian a few days ago and just found a hardback of it in fairly good condition for fifty cents at a thrift store. Of course I bought it; the copy I mooched is paperback. I just knew this would happen to me! I should have hoarded, LOL. Oh well... ...

I've sent out 17 books and am waiting to receive two (The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and Villette by Charlotte Bronte).

Just completed The Last Lover by Laura Van Wormer and The Delilah Complex by M.J. Rose... I'm planning to start The Historian next... It's kinda hard choosing from so many since like a lot of the LT community I have quite a few to choose from (292 to be exact with 6 more on the way - ...

... and listening to Don Quixote. Very much enjoying The Last Witchfinder though it is slow going. Sort of like The Historian in pace. Always love anything DiscWorld, and Wyrd Sisters is going to end up at the top of the favorites list. My audiobook, Don Quixote, is ...

... try to limit myself to ten: 10. Harry Potter series 9. Reviving Ophelia 8. House of God 7. Ender's Game 6. The Historian 5. Pride and Prejudice 4. Me Talk Pretty One Day 3. I Am the Messenger 2. Shadow of the Wind 1. Hands down favorite book has to be (insert ...

... What Happens Now by Jeremy Dyson 7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 8. A Little Death by Laura Wilson 9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 10. Micrographica by Renee French 11. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon 12. Gents by Warwick Collins 13. PopCo by S ...

... What Happens Now by Jeremy Dyson 7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 8. A Little Death by Laura Wilson 9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 10. Micrographica by Renee French 11. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon 12. Gents by Warwick Collins 13. PopCo by S ...

... What Happens Now by Jeremy Dyson 7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 8. A Little Death by Laura Wilson 9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 10. Micrographica by Renee French 11. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon 12. Gents by Warwick Collins Started number 1 ...

... read” or read for work, like Systematic Theology; books I just couldn’t finish, like The Lost Continent and The Historian, or textbooks that I only read a few chapter from, like The Oxford Guide to Library Research; or ones that I am constantly rereading, like any of the Harry ...

... What Happens Now by Jeremy Dyson 7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 8. A Little Death by Laura Wilson 9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 10. Micrographica by Renee French 11. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

... What Happens Now by Jeremy Dyson 7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 8. A Little Death by Laura Wilson 9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 10. Micrographica by Renee French

Sandpiper, props for getting through The Historian in only a week! Not that I don't read fast but that's one dense book. I'm listening to it as an audio book. It's kind of cool that way, because it's read by two different people - one for the girl/narrator and one for the father. I'm enjoying ...

I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned The Historian yet. While it focuses on vampires, etc., it is set in an interesting time period (technically it goes back and forth between 1930, 1950 and 1972) and I actually learned quite a lot about the history of that area by reading the book.

... What Happens Now by Jeremy Dyson 7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 8. A Little Death by Laura Wilson 9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Historian was a stonking book. Loved it. It wasn't a quick read, though. 700-odd pages, and each page needed *reading*, if ...

... s! I actually really enjoyed White teeth but can see what others mean as I did find it to be a bit cliched in parts. The historian was very very good until the end which I thought was completely OTT and unbelievable. A terrible book club book I read recently was My dirty little book ...

Found East of Eden and The Historian at a discount store today. Spent $7 on the two.

... GO!" Rice has that same "sure... Edit our 250 pages in the middle, and this would be great"-quality to her story as The Historian by Kostova (which I also kinda liked, but...) As for "real" horror, I am have just recently started to read Lovecraft. I'm not sure what his stories ...

Don't forget Jack Finney's classic Time and Again!! Also can recommend The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which moves backwards and forwards between the 15th century, the recent past, and the present. Very entertaining as a mystery, a history, and a travelogue.

... Lisa See The Whistling Season, Ivan Doig A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova Mountain Betty, Hannah Mccouch Wives and daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell Crashing Through, Robe ...

My top 5 so far... In a Sunburned Country Saving a fish from drowning Year of wonders The Historian and 84 Charing Cross Road

... the narrators (I assume) know better than I do how to pronounce place names and phrases - I was particularly impressed by The Historian, where the readers had to accomplish several voices with varying Eastern European accents... something my "mind's ear" never would have been able to do if I'd ...

I just finished The Historian. Phew! Maybe this is one time I could see listening to an abridged version. Right now I'm downloading The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I enjoyed Dance of Death last month. Also loading on the Sandisk right now are a couple of ...

#66 Hi, ireed110! Welcome to the thread. Gotta agree with you about The Historian. I finished it eventually, but it was touch-and-go. Just started listening to The Woods by Coben. Up to disk 4 & very much enjoying it so far.

... Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond Middlesex, Jefferey Eugenides The Whistling Season, Ivan Doig The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova Wives and daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell Confessions of a Jane Austen addict, Laurie Viera Rigler A visit to Highbury, ...

#16> dk_phoenix, I enjoyed The Historian. I hope you do too!

... on the bulletin board at my local Chapters that they were going to have a book club meeting (everyone welcome!) on the book The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. So I figured what the heck, and picked it up. :)

Hello, new here. I'm listening to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I usually like long books alot, but this seems to be longer than it needs to be. Before this it was Hide by Lisa Gardner, which I liked quite a bit. I'm also listening to Breath Sweeps Mind, but I can't get past ...

Hi, just joined. Currently reading Survival Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White and listening to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

Good LT suggestion - The Historian Disappointing LT suggestion - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

Ik ben net klaar met het lezen van Duizend schitterende zonnen van Khaled Hosseini. Prachtig boek!! En nu net begonnen in The Historian van Elizabeth Kostova. Ben benieuwd.

... becoming a bit overdone), but I keep reading new vampire books! I too have read all Stephenie Meyer's books, as well as The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I guess I can't help it if authors continue to write good vampire stories.

... some non-fiction, but prefer a good novel. I think my latest book is a great example of an INFP read. I should finish The Historian tonight, and I love it. It is a wonderful fantasyish book to escape into, and that is why I read. There is plenty of the real world around me, reading is ...

... hment; - Life of Pi is apparently a "how-to" book; - The Red and the Black is "russian literature"; - I haven't read The Historian yet, but nothing in the cover blurb leads me to believe that it features Buffy; - I must re-read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to see ...

... Ann wins. 76. The Last Unicorn 77. Bachelor Brother’s Bed and Breakfast 78. What the Dead Know 79. The historian I made the touchstones tired, some just refuse to load.

... the one saddled with his care. Am I the only one weirded out by this? 26. Her Only Desire by Gaelen Foley 27. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova I keep saying that I'm over vampire books, and I keep reading them! This one was great, though--an interesting, suspenseful, ...

I finished The Historian yesterday and I have to say I'm glad it's over. It seems to me that the story could have been told just as well in half the amount of pages. The plot itself was great. It was the very in-depth descriptions of...well, EVERYTHING that eventually irritated me. By the ...

Hi, ladybookworm! I had much the same initial reaction to The Historian but kept at it in the hope that it would get better. Anyway, both The Alienist & The Red Tent are wonderful reads, well written and interesting both from a social as well as a historical viewpoint, and as you probably ...

I'm still working on The Historian. I found the first hundred pages slow-going and I almost gave up. I'm about 1/3 of the way through now, and I'm really starting to enjoy it. After this, I have quite a choice! It'll either be The Alienist, The Fall of Hyperion, We Need to Talk About K ...

#146: I read The Historian when it first came out and I thought it was ridiculously dependant on coincidence. The plot is mediocre. Where Kostova really shines is in her descriptions of places she has actually been and things she has personally seen. She would have been better off to write ...

#135-Ladybookworm #146--momom I read The Historian when it first came out and thought it outstanding. It has a few neat twists in it and a great ending.

... they are near the top of my all time favorite novels. I hope you also enjoy A Thousand Splendid Suns. I have Historian in my TBR pile and have heard mixed reviews. I will interested to see what you thought of it when you finish reading it. Enjoy!

... Wow. Just...wow. What a powerful, wonderful book. I must get my hands on A Thousand Splendid Suns. I'm now reading The HIstorian by Elizabeth Kostova.

... "dusty" clich/es? Was it a good read anyway? To start us off, I recently had to read (somewhat out of my comfort zone) The Historian for my bookclub. It features some "librarians" who work in special collections or archives. The plot follows a love story and a father-daughter relationship, ...

... like The Upper Berth and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. And yeah, librarymeg, I hear you about that chapter in The Historian I was alone in the house and it totally freaked me out when I read it - definitely creepy! I love scary stories :-)

... daylights out of me! I also had nightmares from Dan Simmons' book Summer of Night, and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian had one particular chapter that made my hair stand on end.

>23 fell flat on its face Weird. The Historian easily became one of my very favorite books. I couldn't put it down.

The Historian - now that is a book that fell flat on its face after all the hype, because it was not a very good book, and word spread pretty quickly. And yes, I read it. And I am someone who has avoided DVC because of the hype (and because by all reports it is the type of book I am sure I would ...

The Tax Inspector The Historian Madam Secretary: A Memoir Geisha Secrets: A Pillow Book for Lovers The Blind Assasin

... one - but I couldn't help myself 36. The Silver Bough by Lisa Tuttle 37. My Antonia by Willa Cather Did not include The Historian which was so disappointing and draggy that I could not make myself read the last hundred or so pages, nor have I included 1812: The Rivers of War which hasn' ...

40. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Fantastic book. I've seen this compared to The Historian, which I can sort of see, but I thought this was much, MUCH better. I cared about these characters, and the timeline was much shorter. The writing was just beautiful, and the ...

... This isn't the first in the series; they're all good, but this is the best. It takes place in southern Germany. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is about a family of academic researchers who spend lots of time in libraries tracking down Dracula. Most of it takes place in England ...

I love bookstore gift certificates. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri Five Hundred Years After by Steven Brust

Dracula is an excellent book, and so different from the movie(s). I think The Historian can be read without having read Dracula, as the two books have very little, if anything, in common. To fleela I would recommend to reconsider and, when time and inclination are right, to give Dracula a try. ...

... reading both books, I would definitely read Dracula first. If you are only going to read one of them, don't bother with The Historian. To me, it had a somewhat ridiculous premise, and was wa-a-ay too long.

I never read about Dracula before. I really liked The Historian although it was a bit slow and drawn out at the end. The beginning of the book was fabulous. It reads like a travelogue at that point. The Historian made me (who was never before interested in reading about Dracula) actually ...

Hi all, So, I am aware that The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, is somewhat based around/uses ideas from/in some way refers to Dracula. So my query is: do those of you who have read them think that your enjoyment of the Historian would have been significantly greater having read Dracula ...

... am not the only one who thought The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon was a bad book, and I will admit I HATED The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Good luck with your reading challenge!

... good gothic-style novel with some really good elements like remote viewing and memory palaces. It's similar in style to The Historian while still being quite original. Now I'm going to have to go read about John Dee and Giordano Bruno... I gave it 4 stars, would recommend it.

I just finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I really liked this book. The author paints beautiful word pictures. I liked the characters very much and really cared what happened to them. I've decided on Robin Hobb's Ship of Destiny for my next read. I need to finish that ...

25. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - I really liked this book. Lovely language - the author paints beautiful word pictures. I liked the characters very much and really cared what happened to them. So much so that I wasn't totally happy with the ending. But, it fit with the story so it ...

... books this year -- Mill on the Floss, Name of the Rose, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The Historian. I am impressed with the number of books you've read so far. How do you find time to do anything else?? I am very jealous!

... disgusted with the characters. I like the way she handled the characters' eating disorders. I'm almost finished with The Historian, and have started the third Sweet Magnolia story, Feels Like Family as my fluff read. I'm not sure what I'll start next for my "serious" read.

... tell him/her!!" So many romance novels turn on the fact that the characters won't TALK to each other. I'm still enjoying The Historian but it's a really dense book, and is taking some time to finish. As a break, I'm reading some fluffy romance between chapters. Next fluff read - A Slice of He ...

16. The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova 21%

... water for chocolate: a novelby Laura Esquivel The red queen: a transcultural tragicomedy by Margaret Drabble and The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostovawhich the shop owner warned me that she couldn't finish the book. I have bought way too many books this month. My only ...

... had done a great deal of research on her topic, and was bound and determined to put every bit of it in her book (a la The Historian). So that would fit that much of it was historically accurate.

... Dead by Charlaine Harris - typical Sookie Stackhouse, except I like that she's quit pining over Bill. I've started The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. We'll have to see how it goes.

... of an ugly step-sister 4. the haunting of hill house 5. heart of darkness 6. heart-shaped box 7. the historian 8. journey to the center of the earth 9. k-pax 10. law of attraction: the basic teachings of abraham 11. mutant messages down under 12. the ...

61. Forest Mage - Robin Hobb 62. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 63. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Having no other entertainment going on yesterday, I finished The Historian, which I liked very much, and started reading The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III by Ian Mortimer. I love medieval history, and Mortimer is so far very adept at handling evidence and refuting or supporting ...

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

... I didn't care for the movie much either. I know I'm in the minority with this! Unlike other above posts, I really enjoyed The Historian and consider The Shadow of the Wind to be one of my favorite books.

Oh man, I really disliked The Historian also. The author just seemed hell-bent (if you will excuse the expression) to include every single bit of research she ever did for this book. It was interminable.

... like the characters. They seemed very forced. The Great Gatsby I simply cannot abide for any reason.Sad but true. Both The Historian and The Shadow of The Wind felt excessively long-winded, melodramatic and unrealistic in my opinion. I sold each off as soon as I finished it. I don't know ...

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Huge bestseller, my mum and her friedns loved it. I really like vampire novels, I loved Dracula by Bram Stoker, when I read it as a teenager. Back to The Historian: Long, overly complicated and tedious. It was a huge drag. It just rambled on and ...

... loved by many people. And they encourage people to read books, which is never a bad thing. Due to their enthusing about The Historian I actually bought it and loved it - and I don't care who knows it! Okay, they won't be reviewing Pynchon any time soon... There was even a literary awards ...

Read: The Road this weekend, and liked it very much. finally finished The Historian yesterday and am glad it's over. Currently reading: Norwegian Wood Am the author of All Encompassing Trip :-)

... Babel - (4/23) Carolyn Parkhurst 18. Cat's Cradle - (4/25) Kurt Vonnegut 19. The Road - (4/27) Cormac McCarthy 20. The Historian - (4/29) - Elizabeth Kostova Currently reading: Norwegian Wood My Favorites on this list: Exile in Guyville, The Passion, All Encompassing Trip, Be ...

#6: I, too, was disappointed by the ending of The Historian. Not just the anticlimactic confrontation, but the entire revelation that the guy just wanted a librarian!

... threads as well. Please forgive the duplication.) Hi, my name is Riva, and I'm a Biblioholic. Today I bought: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and the sequel Rebel Angels Th ...

Hi, my name is Riva, and I'm a Biblioholic. Today I bought: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and the sequel Rebel Angels The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson and its ...

Hi, my name is Riva, and I'm a Biblioholic. Today I bought: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and the sequel Rebel Angels The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson and its ...

... through a book even if I don't care for it - I'm a quick reader, so unless it's ridiculously long (I got halfway through The Historian last year and...well, sort of mean to pick it up again, someday) it doesn't take me all that long to finish a book. And I generally only completely stop ...

Possession is probably my favourite book, ever. Much as I enjoyed The Historian, I think it cannot be compared to Possession. As far as I am concerned, the book must be categorized as literature, not fiction. It is a masterpiece.

... 36. Possession by A.S. Byatt - I am just bowled over by this author's writing ability. This book reminded me somewhat of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, but I think Byatt surpassed Kostova in every aspect where the two books were similar. 37. A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christophe ...

.35:LeHack: what's the old phrase 'To each his own'? The Historian I found was an unreadable load of tosh that I couldn't read more than a quarter of. Too many coincidences, no characterisation, and an author on the look-out for scenarios that might impress Hollywood to take up some options. ...

Finished The Historian, finally. Started reading Augustus : the life of Rome's first emperor.

If I remember correctly, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova visits Budapest and is a rollicking good read (although it does slump a little in the middle, it really is worth sticking with because it picks up again!). I really must re-read that one, actually...

14 lefty33 - Thank you, thank you :D A good portion of why I quit halfway through The Historian is because the book is just too damn big. Books like that, I can't read comfortably in three of the main places I read - my chair, the couch, or the bath. I can read it in bed, but it'll take ...

too heavy to hold up for long periods of time (I'm looking at YOU, Historian!). hahaha, bluesal, very amusing indeed. ;) Reading_fox, how you keep a TBR pile so tiny is surely a mystery for the ages. Sheesh, mine is so big I had to switch to a folder system rather than an actual ...

... that I find ways to prop up because they were just too heavy to hold up for long periods of time (I'm looking at YOU, Historian!). Paperbacks...I'm hard on paperbacks. I've had to buy new copies of at least 5 books that I can remember - no, 6 - because they completely fell apart due to ...

... by Jasper Fforde The god of small things by Arundhati Roy The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova The History of Danish Dreams by Peter Hoeg The Illuminatus!: Trilogy by Robert Shea ** The Key : How to Writ ...

# 77 amandameale: My wife attempted to read The Historian last year and gave up after about 150 pages, she did not like it at all. The story intrigues me, so I'll give it a shot. I've never not finished a book and I hope this won't be the first.

... John Lewis Gaddis The god of small things by Arundhati Roy The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova The Professor and the Madman : a Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Win ...

... New World-ish. I figured the plot out from the beginning and waited in vain for a clever plot twist at the end. 11. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - I had been eyeing this book at the library for a long time before I finally read it. It was just too much of everything - I didn't ...

#75TheTwoDs: If you like good literature, and it appears you do, don't bother with The Historian. Or at least let me know your opinion after you've finished it.

... shelves. Here's what I picked up: A Gentle Madness by Nicholas A. Basbanes Jarhead by Anthony Swofford The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Naked Olympics by Tony Perrottet Second Common Reader by Virginia Woolf Our Tempestuous Day : A History of Regency ...

... John Lewis Gaddis The god of small things by Arundhati Roy The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova The Professor and the Madman : a Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Win ...

I am reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which is an update of the Dracula story. I managed to leave it at home last week so had to buy another book to read on the long train journeys I do round the country. This was 12 Books That Changed the World by Melvyn Bragg. V ...

... works. I hope to read: Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez Crime and Punishment - Fyodor D ...

Currently reading The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova The 22 books read so far since the 1st January 2007 99 ways to tell a story : exercises in styleby Matt Madden A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr A Scientific Romance by Ronald Wright A Walk In The Wo ...

... putting the stickers on (I object to stickers in general, because they ruin the covers) I'd be more than happy to buy them. The Historian, My Best Friend's Girl, Semi Detached... all books I've enjoyed in the last few months, and no doubt there are several more, I haven't looked at the full ...

... Its like having some nice pudding, you enjoyed it but don't want seconds( no you don't!). Now for something different, The Historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova which is a retelling of the Dracula legend, promising start for the first few chapters.

18 MrsLee - Interesting. By your definition, of the ones I mentioned, only The Historian counts as a big book. Although I did put aside Earth for some time and read other things... Of course, my definition is different. Considering that an average novel is apparently around 300 page, a big ...

... a big book to me. There are a few longer books I'm vaguely planning to read: I would sort of like to read the rest of The Historian, which I read about a quarter or a third of last year. Also, Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, since I enjoyed the other two related trilogies that I read ...

... better recent works. Trujillo was good as well. If anyone mentions they're thinking about reading Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian I suggest they read The Golden instead. (They don't, of course, because 'The Historian' was, inexplicably, a well-reviewed bestseller and you'll be hard ...

... 2) Classical Archaeology of Ancient Greece and Rome Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed Celtika The historian : a novel Alpha beta : how 26 letters shaped the Western world Fables: Legends in Exile Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm Fables Vol. 3: Storybook Love ...

... am liking it. It's fun to take a long at my motherland from an outsider's point of view. I noticed a few references to The Historian in this thread. I may have to move that one to the top of Mount TBR as it has been on my bookcase for the longest time.

... or sometimes with a British accent. For characters that're clearly meant to have another accent, (as in Anansi Boys and The Historian, to pick two from recent memory), it's so much nicer to have a talented voice actor pick up the slack.

#46, _Zoe_ re The Historian Sorry I didn't get back to here sooner! I finished it a few weeks ago and just forgot to post. It is a good book IMO, I'm glad to have read it, but it's a tough go at times, I found it a little frustrating having so many characters relating the story in the first ...

I'm joining the 'I Hate The Historian Club'. I had to force myself to read all of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell's excruciatingly agonizing thousand pages. (sorry to those who liked it but I was totally bored). Same for The Rule of Four, which had a hugely disappointing ending. It's more of ...

... given by #362 pechmerle. Lolita - a fine piece of writing, although it might be the content that turned you off. The Historian - I'm with everyone else who hated it.

This week I started The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm only sixty pages into it and I'm already hooked!

I started with The Historian which was long but took me even longer because the last 2/3 of the book really started to drag. I just got a book in the mail that turned out to be 691 pages long. I had no idea of its length when I ordered it. It's T.C. Boyle Stories, a collection of ...

Well, I plan on reading the rest of The Historian, which I started last year and is around 650 pages. Also, probably the third trilogy by Robin Hobb - Tawny Man, I think it's called. Those books tend to be 650-700 pages, too. Other than that, I have no idea what I'm going to read this ...

... then was "Uh Oh!. It'll slow down my 50 Book Challenge." And I started this challenge with another 600+ page book (The Historian). Is this self-sabotage? Are any of you in similar situations? What is interefering with your reading? ("I know. Real life!") :-D Comments, ...

At some point this year I hope to read: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy - would be my first McCarthy The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - reread, first read it almost 20 years ago An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears - my wife read this before we met and she has been asking ...

I totally agree with your comments on The Historian and The Virgin Suicides. Actually I thought you were too kind about Elizabeth Kostova' effort.

... POINT TO COMMENT ON MY READS! ------------------------------------- This is my January, 2007, accomplishment! 1. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova - started out as a very exciting travelogue of Europe and history of Dracula, but I grew weary of reading this 700+ page book about ...

Since I read 60+ books last year, the first year I kept track, I should be good for at least 50 this year. Questions... Is it okay if I don't post reviews with every book? I might...but, you know...obligations... :-) Is it okay if my books are not all labeled 50 book challenge since many ...

... The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar, and am not sure what else is up for February. Oh, except our Book Club read is The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which I've read before, but will have to re-read to discuss.

#97: I just hooted with laughter at the mention of The Historian and Pure Drivel alongside each other as 'pure drivel' is how our local book group described The Historian. Well, we've all got our own particular senses of humour haven't we.

I agree about Labyrinth - it was one of those books for me that just wasn't going anywhee. I'd just read The Historian and it felt a little samey but not as well executed.

... to read. A couple of days ago, I started The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies by John Scalzi (I haven't yet touched The Historian or Pure Drivel, both of which I'm partway through from last year). Up next will probably be one of these, and probably while I'm still in the middle of ...

... pages (12.2%) Currently reading: *The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies by John Scalzi (haven't yet touched The Historian or Pure Drivel, both of which I'm partway through from last year) Up next, probably one of these: *A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin *Plu ...

I second the recommendation for Fevre Dream, but The Historian was, in my opinion, if not horrible then at least slow, forced and ultimately unsatisfactory. Even if I'm in minority here, there seem to be at least some people who agree with me (after having read some reviews). So I just wanted ...

... series. I should probably start on the list I created for Big Books, but none of them jump out at me. Myabe I'll pick up The Historian.

... I loved the classics mentioned above (#36) but I actually have just recently started to read horror (started with Kostovas the historian).

I second the recommendation for The Historian, and would also recommend Vamped by David Sosnowski and Fledgling by Octavia Butler. The first books in Anne Rice's vampire series are pretty good, too. From Interview With the Vampire to about Tale of the Body Thief are well ...

... I am a big Robin McKinley fan, so I recommend her latest, Sunshine, which I just love. I'm about halfway through The Historian - I got stalled awhile back; as well as being a long book, I have a hardback copy and it is physically quite large, so not easy to carry around. I plan to ...

... if you have never read it, Dracula by Bram Stoker is a must, the one that started them all. Also, on a lighter note, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Happy reading!

... gh. Books I started and want to finish: Sunshine by Robin McKinley (currently reading) Earth by David Brin The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Pure Drivel by Steve Martin (I didn't like this much, but I got halfway through it and it's a short book, so I may as well ...

... his books - Message in a Bottle as well as the awful The Notebook. In extenuation, they were in a two-for-one deal. The Historian was dull and pretentious, an invidious mix, but not as offensive as some on the list. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who got bored and annoyed by My Nam ...

#32 The collector from Roumania should be familar to readers of The Historian #33 The rats in the wall another Lovecraft reference.

... and would recommend them. I have finally finished Saturday by Ian McEwan. It's taken me longer to read this than The Historian which must have about three times as many pages. I've reviewed it, and I think my problems with it were that it just didn't grab me enough, and I couldn't ...

... Carlos Ruiz Zafon A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin Daredevil Vol. 6 by Brian Michael Bendis The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb

Hey Dom, Haven't been able to slog through The Historian, and I'm a reader who finishes (almost) everything, even if it costs me to do so. Just finished Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss, winner of the 2006 Man Booker Prize. It's very well-written but it's not compelling, not a ...

I'm reading The Historian right now, a Christmas gift from my son-in-law. So far so good, it's a bit slow, but I'm enjoying it. I'm also reading Lord of the Rings again for the umpteenth time, but that's just at bedtime, 'cause my new edition is HUGE and HEAVY!!! My old paperback edition ...

i'm in the middle of Looking For Alaska by John Green, the historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and two books in a fav. series of mine, the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, which is really hard because i keep having to stop reading becasue it's hard to keep it all straight if you read two at a time ...

... before, the differences of opinion on LT are really interesting, especially those novels that divide readers about 50/50. The Historian, for example, which lots of us hated was also enjoyed by many.

katylit: I loved Possession! One of my faves. It is, IMO, way above The Historian which, apart from the cool history stuff, is a pretty mundane story. I'm about halfway through Alex Brett's Cold Dark Matter. Not bad, although the editor in me would cut a couple of gratuitous scenes. Thi ...

I have The Historian on my list of books to read this year! I'd like to hear what you think of it when you're done - a lot of people have said that it becomes boring and difficult to finish.

... she taught us that "an" was the appropriate word to use before words that began with "h". I'm currently reading The Historian and it's bothering me because it is inconsistent. In the first few chapters it's "a history" for example, and then in chapter 6 "an historian" is used. I ...

I am so happy to find people who didn't like The Historian. I read 150 pages in and gave up. It's not that I don't like long books; my favorite books are John Crowley’s "Little Big" and Susanna Clarke’s "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell." The book was so boring I just couldn't see the point ...

I just started The Historian which my son-in-law gave me for Christmas. On chapter 6 and enjoying it tremendously so far. I like reading about academic endeavours which lead to adventure or discovery - like Possession. I finished Angels in the Gloom last night. I'm so glad the next ...

I know I have a lot of books to read this year, but I'd say the big ones I would like to get through are: 1) The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 2) Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke 3) Clementine Churchill by Mary Soames 4) A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry ...

... Pierce (all rereads). When I finish it, I'll read some new books, either some I started but didn't finish last year (The Historian or Pure Drivel) or some old SF books I got from my parents.

... whatever, my first book of this year was finished at 2am the morning of the first :) I'm also probably going to attempt The Historian again, which I got about halfway through last year, and possibly one other book, Pure Drivel by Steve Martin, which I didn't like much but read half of.. ...

Yesterday, actually. I bought The Historian and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test with Christmas Gift Cards.

I'm about two-thirds of the way through Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. It was a christmas pressie, not the style of book I'd normally go for but I'm quite enjoying it, finding it a good read and nicely sinister. The overly well-crafted structure, number of amazing coincidences and ...

... were the gift books. With gift cards, I have purchased (so far) The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Now leave me alone, I have reading to do.

> 57, 63 I had the same problem! I really enjoyed the first half or so of The Historian and then it was such a chore to finish it off. And once it was done, I was sort of meh about the whole thing. In addition to the Courtney Love book, I have also started reading Hip Hop America by Nels ...

... Koestler (yet again partially read... maybe this should be "Big Books I'll Finish" rather than "Big Books I'll Read") The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

... Isles by Margaret George Marching As To War by Pierre Berton Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Josephine B trilogy by Sandra Gulland (an LT author!) and/or (if I manage to acquire copies) London: a biography ...

>57 OMG. I just can't seem to finish The Historian. It started out so incredibly good. Then...somewhere between halfway to 2/3 way through the book, the action stopped for me. It has now gotten to be quite a chore to finish this 700+ page novel. It needs something to help readers get ...

... British, Australian and New Zealand publications, which happen to be the ones I have physical access to in order to check. The Historian is, as I said, the only example I can find in my library; The Cure For Death By Lightning, as mentioned by Kathryn in #155, doesn't include the words ...

... Emily Ballou I Have A Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes by Jaclyn Moriarty A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The Sea by John Banville The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall Not bad for just over $40 (all brand new, too, just ...

... or not, seems to be 90% confined to US-published books; the only UK edition I can find it physically appearing in is The Historian (on the title page, in Gothic script). It seems redundant in most cases - is anyone picking up The Historian really going to think it's non-fiction? T ...

I'm just finishing The Historian, which I've really enjoyed. Not sure what's next up, but it might be my husband's new QI book if I can sneakily read it while he's asleep tonight... :D

I also read A Wayne In A Manger and A Plum In Your Mouth this week, and half of The Historian which I'm really enjoying (although puzzling out a couple of the (local to me) geographical descriptions at one point was quite frustrating, because they just didn't quite make sense).

I received The Historian which, despite the mixed reviews on LT has intrigued me, and The Glass Castle which I hadn't heard of, is very different from my usual readings and which I'm really looking forward to - sounds amazing. I also discovered Artemis Fowl now and am hooked, and got the Audi ...

Last Friday I bought: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Possession by A.S. Byatt Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

I'm curently reading The pursuit of Happyness and I'm liking it so far. I'm more than half way done. I'm also reading The historian but put it aside to read the Gardner book. Once again I keep seeing The thirteenth tale and once again I want to drive up to the bookstore and get it. I ...

I just joined this site today, and reading this has been fascinating. I agree with those who mentioned The Historian, I started it with such optimism because it looked like the type of book I usually like. I did finish it, but I think it would have been better if it had been a few hundred ...

I bought a huge batch of books today but sadly most of them are presents for other people. :-( I did grab The Historian for myself in the three-for-two, though, and A Wayne In A Manger, which should be a giggle.

... t. Life of Pi did not charm me and I could not finish it. A Game of Thrones went on and on and left without me. The Historian was damned dull despite the fact that I wanted to like it. I had to leave this one. I was distracted by other books and did not finish Bangkok Tattoo. Thi ...

I was one of the few (perhaps) who more or less enjoyed The Historian up until the ending which should have been immensely exciting but which fizzled like a wet firecracker in the rain.

... however, I would say that I liked it, not loved it. What interests me is when a book polarises opinion like this. The Historian is another which people loved or hated. Another is Special Topics in Calamity Physics. (I hated both of them.)

I weigh in on The Historian as a disappointing book: I love history, and historical novels, and vampire stories, so I'm in the sweet spot of her target market. I loved ~450-500pp of the book. The ending stank up the place and made me feel as thoguh there should be a "Most Bungled E ...

... Life of Octavian Nothing Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black Harry Potter 7 Adult Fiction The Historian The Prestige Fabrizio's Return Books 2-7 of the Pelbar Cycle by Paul O. Williams (these are post-apocalyptic, and I really liked the first one) Ap ...

... store. And now I'm even less likely to read it, with it being on more than one Worst of list. Sigh. I am going to read The Historian though. It'll be interesting to see how it goes, with so many diverse opinions on it out there. The one book that stands out for me this year that I didn't ...

... Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr. Am really enjoying it. Will probably start Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan or The Historian after that. Depends on whether or not I'm feeling sci-fi-ish.

I guess I'll have to try The Historian for myself. I probably won't get around to it until at least February, but I'll eventually let you all know what I think.

Zoe: The historical research in The Historian is quite well done, and I ended up keeping reading it because of that instead of for the story, which is pretty trite and the writing mundane. I kept wanting to edit as I read, which isn't a good thing.

I liked The Historian too, though I can understand why some people have criticised the plotting. For me, the writing was the good part, and I was fascinated by the parts about Turkish history, to the point where I'd like to learn more about it. I read all the other reviews only after posting ...

--> 33 Don't give up hope on The Historian. Some people really like it. Others do not. I'm reading it now and like it very much. I'm about halfway through. It's not the finest read of the year, but it is quite enjoyable. Interestingly enough, though I don't like history, this book has ...

I found The Historian okay, but nothing particularly special. There was one part that really hurt my suspension of disbelief, but overall I thought it was a decent book. I mainly read it because a friend recommended it to me as Interview With the Vampire for intellectuals, though I wouldn't ...

I actually really liked The Historian. It definitely gets slow about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through, and it's like "okay, ANOTHER country, where they will find ANOTHER colorful personality who will have access to ANOTHER super-rare manuscript and will COINCIDENTALLY just happen to know some ...

What is it about The Historian that's so bad? It looks like such an interesting book that I want to read it despite hearing so many negative things about it, and I'm wondering if there's any hope....

Couldn't finish Life of Pi ~ boring. *ducking all the rotten eggs being thrown at me by Pi lovers* Finished The Historian but agree it was incredibly boring in parts, and the ending was a bust. I did enjoy enough of it though to slog through to the end. Finally, I tried George R.R. Mar ...

1 - Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian: boring, bad characterisation, just couldn't plod through it 2 - a detective novel by a well regarded Icelandic writer, Arnaldur Indridason Silence of the Grave -very disappointed and badly translated 3 - Kalooki Nights by Howard Jacobson. Well ...

Well I can only think of a couple I would list at the bottom. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. This book was so boring I would literally go for pages and not remember a thing I had read. Mercy by Jodi Picoult was the other one that I would rate low for the year. I enjoy most of ...

... of Rivals, Angel's Fall by Nora Roberts, The Iliad, When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro, Jonathan Strange, The Historian, and Pride and Prejudice, among many others. I listen on the train commute, when I'm doing boring, rote stuff at work that doesn't need concentration, when ...

Thanks Aluvalibri! I'm trying to work out whether The Historian goes on holiday with me. The reading pile is otherwise rather dominated with books by Brazilian authors. What if I don't get on with them?!

That Persephone Bookstore is sooooo tempting, isn't it? ;-) I think you will enjoy The Historian, I did. The Gardener's Nightcap is great!!!!! :-))

... myself. There was also the bookshop I passed on the way that was selling half price paperbacks, so I bought a cheap copy of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. And that's not counting the Amazon orders arriving (again, presents for others).

... Man simply needs to treat other human beings with dignity. I highly recommend this book. I am also currently reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and listening to You're Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation by Deborah Tannen.

I went to a local used book store for the 1st time on Friday and picked up: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Empress Orchid by Anchee Min Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min It sure was nice not paying full price for my books!

... like being able to choose some books at random according to whatever my mood or interest is at the time. Now I'm reading The Historian (paperback) as part of a bookring, listening to You're Wearing That (CD) from the library, and dipping in and out of the short stories of All Aunt Hagar's C ...

Another book I forgot to mention was The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I really really really wanted it to be good, and I loved the idea of it. But her prose was just so awful and cheesy that I had to put it down. I tried, though. I tried really hard. I think I hung in there for about 150 ...

In my ignorance got The Historian out of the library and only then noticed the genre - horror. I don't do 'horror'. Anyway, plodded through 200 pages before I gave up. Was it, allegedly, an 'international best seller' because Elizabeth Kostova tries to cram in mention of as many European ...

... Castro, The Garden Book; Geraldine Brooks, March;Bryce Courtenay, White Thorn; Elizabeth Kostova, The Historian; Eva Sallis, Marsh Birds;Arthur Japin, In Lucia's Eyes.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer A Very Fine Line by Julie Johnston

... for Love by Dan Jacobson In Lucia's Eyes The Successor Empire Rising The Mermaid Chair The Captive Wife The Historian The History of Love A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian 1972: a novel of Ireland's unfinished revolution by Morgan Llywelyn Truth and Conse ...

... mix see here: http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2007/Longlist.htm I've actually read Arthur and George, Anansi Boys, The Historian and Labyrinth and there are a few others catching my eye! I'm adding them in clumps to spare my brains!

... !!! I'm not a collector of art deco pottery but interested in the social background and the Potteries area. About to start The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Admit I'm rather worried about its length - 700 pages!

... one re-read fiction, one non-fiction, and one audiobook. I've gone off this pattern for a number of reasons, though... The Historian was too creepy to listen to after dark (I'm a giant weenie), so I had to start Ella Enchanted to have something lighter to listen to at night. I also will ...

mikitchenlady - I completely agree that The Historian was great. Hearing all of the appropriate parts done in proper British/French/Turkish/Bulgarian/Romanian/etc. accents really added something that I wouldn't have gotten off the printed page. I'm currently listening to The Stolen Child by ...

... personal library. I can't afford many other procrastination tools until Winter Break, though. Most commonly shared book: The Historian, least shared Pads for pets, Kindred spirit, kindred care, weekend makeover, and saving the big cats. So, does that mean that few people read those ...

... action under the sea, and the account of the wreck, was simply too much fo her tender sensibilities. fyrefly98, I read The Historian with great pleasure until I reached the ending. I wonder, am I too critical, or is there a trend in modern writing for endings not to "match" the books they ...

Just finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova yesterday... Overall, I enjoyed it, although it was reeeaaallly dragging about 2/3 of the way through - which also happened to be the point at which my iPod crapped out on me. Moving on to Ella Enchanted for a light kiddielit break before ...

... Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, although I hope to improve on that substantially by this afternoon. I'm listening to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - it was really interesting and engrossing until yesterday, when it just started dragging and I got really impatient with it... I'm ...

... Kay, which I'm really looking forward to. Last week I finished up Son of a Witch, and I'm currently listening to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. So far, I'm really enjoying the book, although it's too creepy for me to listen to right before I go to bed!

Just finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it more than some reviews had led me to believe I would. Now reading McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy (several years behind the times as usual). Just a few chapters in but so far it's very ...

Oh no! I really enjoyed The Historian, it distracted me from a rather nasty illness in our house. My enjoyment may also be allied to my (shameful) previous addiction to Buffy, though. Come on, nothing beats the sheer awfulness of The Half Blood Prince, which I also read during the household ...

I agree about the awfulness of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - I am truly amazed that I wasted my time. Other stinkers: Due Preparations for the Plague by Janet Turner Hospital; Empress Orchid by Anchee Min; March by Geraldine Brooks which won the Pultitzer Prize.

... is too short' theory, but there are two books I finished even though I thought them awful, and I want to warn others: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. And I have never read The Da Vinci Code and have no wish to. That said, I ...

... look for more of her work. I've just finished Very Good, Jeeves! by Wodehouse and really did laugh aloud. I finished The Historian last week and really loved it; a book about rare books, libraries and librarians with the added bonus of vampires and an absorbing narrative style. I've ...

thanks for the pricing info, Becky, Sandragon, and Clamairy... I actually bought the Historian from a Supermarket which is the cheapest (non-online) place to get books around here. They have a very limited choice, but they do seem to sell a few of the latest titles at most half price. I used ...