This book is included on Audible Plus. I downloaded it the other night on a whim, and I am so glad that I did. I believe it was an eight hour listen.

I have read other biographies about a few of the heiresses mentioned, such as Almina Carnarvon and Patty Hearst. This book dedicated each chapter to a different woman, which I really liked. It kind of reminded me of Princesses Behaving Badly as far as formatting. This book gave enough information to interest the reader in the subject, but not so much information that it became boring or overwhelming. In fact, I looked up a couple of biographies dedicated to a couple of the ladies in the book. Some of the facts I am certain are incorrect, and I wish that would have been caught during editing. (Especially in the case of the Mountbatten's.) I really enjoyed learning about these women and how they were behaved, how they rebelled, and how some were swindled. 

 Charla Nash was attacked by her employer's pet chimpanzee. Her hands were severely mauled, resulting in her losing one entirely, with only the thumb remaining on one. The owner, Sandra, attempted to save Charla by beating the chimpanzee with a shovel and stabbing him. When the police arrived, they shot him, later finding him dead inside the home. Chandra was giving a face transplant and managed to survive. This book was barely over a hundred pages, and was free on Kindle. I did not find it terribly informative or entertaining. I learned more about this topic from googling it afterwards. 

 This book is a diary of living in Berlin during World War II. It is a descriptive account of bombings, ruin, and danger. It was engaging and harrowing. I was pleased with this book. 

This book is another memoir by Augusten Burroughs that focuses on his relationship with his father. Augusten had a very unusual life. His experiences certainly make for good stories to read, but it is sad that he had to go through the things that he did. His father was not the father that a child would like to have, and I know that is hard for kids. This was a good read, and I look forward to more from Augusten.

 I have been wanting this book for quite a while, and I decided to use one of my monthly Audible credits to get it. I LOVE The Sopranos. I used to watch this show all the time with my grandfather. I watched the entire series over right before the film came out. I am currently watching the entire series again as we speak. I had really high expectations for this book, and I do not want to say that I was let down, but I cannot give it more than three stars. I have a system for the way I star my read books. I would have happily given this book four stars had it had new information in it. The issue I had with this book was that it was basically like listening to the podcast. The stories were basically all the same, and listening to it on Audible was basically the same as listening to the podcasts on Spotify. I did enjoy the stories, so it wasn't a complete loss. 

 Antonia Fraser makes a tremendous effort to thwart stereotypes fostered about Henry VIII's six wives. History has long went with the narrative that these women were one thing or another, cheaters, manipulators, unable to produce children, etc. The author has researched these women well, and includes an extensive bibliography. I learned a lot about these women, and this book as made me see another side to them and not just whatever the historical narrative I was previously set with says about them. I thoroughly enjoyed this work.

Catherine of Aragon aka The Betrayed Wife: Catherine of Aragon was one thousand percent a betrayed woman. She was betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales when she was three years old. She married him in 1501, but he died five months later. She maintained that the marriage was never consummated, and received a papal dispensation to marry Henry. Henry and Catherine were married in a private ceremony in 1509. She was well liked by the people, known for generosity and kindness. She was also quite brave, once riding to address the troops while super pregnant. She was also very religious. Of course, he main role was to provide a male heir for Henry. She had a stillborn daughter, a son who died suddenly fairly soon after birth, two more sons that were either stillborn or died within hours of being born, a surviving daughter, Mary I, and one more stillborn daughter. Henry had affairs during this time, producing an illegitimate male heir with his mistress. He tried every way in the world to get rid of Catherine, before finally breaking with the Catholic Church and finally getting his way. Catherine had her daughter taken from her, was sent to live on a pittance with a diminished household, still trying to get him to take her back and see that they were still legally married. He refused to see or speak to her. She died alone and unloved, thrown out like yesterday's newspaper. The stereotype of her being the betrayed wife is absolutely accurate.

Anne Boleyn aka The Temptress: Anne was educated in the ways of the French court before being recalled to England. She made her debut at English court during some festivities in which she performed alongside the sister of Henry VIII. She was very stylish and, by most accounts, beautiful. Anne was very skilled in the flirtations that were part of court life, which is probably partly how she got the designation as a temptress. Based on personal letters from Henry to Anne, it seemed as though she refused to give up the goods for six or seven years that they were flirting and messing around. Despite her being called a temptress, she was certainly keen. She knew that if she entered into a sexual relationship with him without gaining a title or Queenship, she would be less interesting, less exciting, and less tempting. She ultimately got what she wanted, which was influence, a title, and better standing for members of her family. Together, they had one surviving daughter, Elizabeth I, a miscarriage, and two stillborn sons. This fact, along with boredom and people who did not like her convincing Henry that she was a whore and also was sleeping with her brother caused her to meet her end with her head on a chopping block.

Jane Seymour aka The Good Woman: Jane was a maid to both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. She was considered to be quiet, kind, and very chaste. She was a skilled embroiderer. Perhaps she appealed to Henry for that reason, as he had had a tumultuous time going to war against the Church to get rid of Catherine and being with strong willed, sharp, Anne. The fact that she had a large family also made her attractive, because it was assumed she could have many children and Henry was still obsessively trying to get that male heir. She was very formal and stuffy, and court liveliness certainly dwindled with her at the helm. She was very conservative, banning the skimpier French fashions that Anne had worn and promoted. She also facilitated the reconciliation between Henry VIII and Mary I, whose relationship Henry had ruined with the treatment of her mother and taking her out of the line of succession. She gave birth to Edward VI, but died soon after childbirth. There are a few theories, such as infection or retained placenta, but her death was a direct result of childbirth. Henry was very distraught about her death. She died so young and had not really been a Queen long enough to decide how good she was. Perhaps she was considered to be a good woman because Henry did genuinely care about her, she gave him a son that he wanted more than anything, and her nature in general was not wild and carefree like his mistresses or Anne's.

Anne of Cleves aka Ugly One: Anne did not have the qualities that Henry was interested in. She was not well read, well educated, sophisticated, or fashionable. She only knew German, which made communication a challenge. Henry thought that she looked older than her age, and also that her looks were not as were previously described to him. He was kind to her, especially by his later reputation, and paid her a generous settlement and nice homes for her to live in. They also became good friends, and enjoyed each other's visits and company. Whether or not her portrait is an accurate representation of her actual looks, the fact is Henry was not attracted to her in that way and had his eyes set on someone else. This marriage provided no children and was annulled.

Catherine Howard aka The Bad One: Catherine Howard was brought to court by her noble family members in an attempt to catch Henry VIII's attention. She certainly did that. Henry thought she was beautiful. He was captivated by her lively personality. She didn't concern herself with political matters and wasn't really into charity works either. Catherine was romantically interested in Thomas Culpepper, whom she had once considered marrying while she was serving as a maid to Anne of Cleves. Henry was furious when their relationship was suggested to him, as well as the rumors that she was sexually active with several people before his marriage to her. He had her executed. They had no children. I'm not really sure that I would call her a bad girl. She was just a young girl who made stupid choices, especially when she entered into a relationship with Henry of all people.

Catherine Parr aka Mother Figure: Catherine had been married previously and was significantly older than Henry's other wives. She developed good relationships with Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI. She was fairly religious, but was considered anti-Protestant by a lot of people. Henry found her presence to be relaxing, calm, and reassuring. She outlived Henry, and took Elizabeth I into her household where her new husband got up to some inappropriate behavior toward her. It has also been suggested that Catherine joined in on the shenanagins. I can see why she was called the mother figure, due to her age and her ability to foster good relationships between Henry and others, but I think she really just knew how to play the game and set herself up for financial support and benefits. 

 This book was written by Amber Frey, the girlfriend of Scott Peterson. Peterson met this woman and presented a whole alternate reality to her, while he was actually cheating on his wife and gearing up for murder. Amber Frey is certainly not the first person to be decieved by a significant other, and she certainly will not be the last. Scott Peterson is a vile person, and I applaud Amber Frey for stepping up and trying to do the right thing in the situation she found herself if. The book was not well written, but it wasn't so terrible as to be unbearable to read. Amber Frey is clearly not a professional writer, but the story she told and the insights she provided make up for the shortcomings in the writing style. 

 This book is the personal account of life inside the FLDS cult, as experienced by Rebecca Musser. She received an education at the cult ran school, headed by Warren Jeffs. Warren Jeffs is a vile little cretin, and I have no problem what so ever saying it. As a teenager, she was married to the leader at the time, Rulon Jeffs, who was eighty five years old. I have a serious problem with arranged marriage, and I just cannot imagine being told I was going to marry someone who was older than my own grandfather without having any say over it. I am so proud of her for having the courage to stand up for herself and for other girls who were forced into what essentially amounts to sexual slavery, and bringing her story to the public. The FLDS and those in charge have some real audacity, and it is tragic that they get away with so many criminal activities under the umbrella of religious doctrine. 

 I got this book on Audible, and it was a wild ride. It is amazing to me how people get involved in things like this, and all the shenanagins that these religious leaders get up to. This is a must read, in my opinion, for anyone interested in cults in general. 

 Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were stabbed to death outside of Nicole's home in Brentwood, California. The murders occurred on June 12, 1994. Evidence was collected, (improperly, in my opinion), and the ex husband of Nicole, OJ Simpson, was charged with the murders. He did not turn himself in, and went on a low speed chase, which I recall watching as a kid. (A lady that lived in our apartment complex had it on her tv, and we were visiting with her that day. Of course, it meant nothing to me as a kid, but it is interesting that I was alive and saw that on tv and now it is a famous case.) Unfortunately, OJ Simpson was acquitted based on the evidence.

I have no doubts what so ever that he killed these two people. I read his book If I Did It. There is no If. There were a lot of factors that led to his acquittal, and being innocent was certainly not one. I am glad that any proceeds from that book sale go to the victims and not to his sorry self.

I picked this book up at my local library on a whim. I thought it would be interesting to read some behind the scenes information about this trial and the case. I was just talking with my sister the other night about the Goldman's, since they are in the news for suing OJ Simpson right now. The book really told a lot about how Marcia Clark was scrutinized by the press, which I think was violently unfair and irrelevant. She really presented the case facts and timeline in a way that wasn't boring as all get out. I think this book is an important read for those who are interested in this case.