A few books to start with... Instead of listing a whole swag of books that I might read this year, I've decided to start with those I've either started to read already or definitely hope to read this year. Although I hadn't planned to join any reading challenges this year these two are a couple … Continue reading 2023 Reading Plans
History
My Reading in 2022
I'm very annoyed with myself that I didn't keep track of everything I read last year. I was just slack. My reading was fairly wide, a bit more nonfiction than usual and also more lighter books than I normally read. I felt a little run down after some bouts of flu, throat & ear problems … Continue reading My Reading in 2022
Towers in the Mist by Elizabeth Goudge (1938)
Towers in the Mist is set in Oxford during the Reign of Elizabeth I. Elizabeth Goudge centres her story around the Leighs, a fictional family, but she includes a wealth of historical figures such as Walter Raleigh, Philip Sidney, Thomas Bodley, Cardinal Wolsey, and the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley. Canon Leigh is a widower … Continue reading Towers in the Mist by Elizabeth Goudge (1938)
Reading, Thinking, & Domesticity #7
I'm working on an applique quilt and have been chugging along quite nicely. I've almost finished a fourth block. The biggest hold up for me is choosing material. I have stacks left over from other projects but trying to choose complementary fabrics is so time consuming! I started a monthly sewing/craft day last month and … Continue reading Reading, Thinking, & Domesticity #7
These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (1926)
These Old Shades is set in 1756 so technically it’s not a Regency novel (which strictly speaking ran from 1810 to 1820). Nevertheless, it certainly has the feel of a Regency novel although most of the action takes place in France during the reign of Louis XV of France.This was a fun read with a … Continue reading These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (1926)
My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart (1959)
‘The result of my own visit to Greece and the impact of that wonderful country on a mind steeped in the classics. ‘My Brother Michael’ was my love affair with Greece.’ - Mary Stewart Camilla Haven had broken with Philip her fiancée of six years, and now at twenty-five years of age, she had come … Continue reading My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart (1959)
Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart (1956)
Gianetta, named after her disreputable great-grandmother, Gianetta Fox who was once the rage of London, had just finished school and completed a course for mannequins. At a showing where she modelled an historical dress, she met Nicholas Drury, a successful author with a caustic tongue, who at 29 years of age was ten years her … Continue reading Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart (1956)
Reading, Thinking, & Domesticity #6
It's been a while since I've written one of these posts. I always find it difficult to come up with a title unless I'm writing an obvious 'book review' as I like to go off on tangents. So 'Reading, Thinking, & Domesticity' it is as it is a bit of everything. I've been listening to … Continue reading Reading, Thinking, & Domesticity #6
The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
Between December 1937 and January 1938, the Japanese Imperial Army seized the Chinese city of Nanking (now Nanjing) and in a period of only six weeks carried out one of the most brutal massacres in the history of war. It is estimated that the number of Chinese killed in this massacre could have been more … Continue reading The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
Assignment in Brittany by Helen MacInnes (1942)
'Her purpose always was to strike at authoritarian governments. In the genre of highly literate suspense she is considered unrivaled.' Assignment in Brittany is Helen MacInnes’ second book and was published early in World War II not long after the Battle of Dunkirk. It is set in Brittany and captures the bleak atmosphere that must … Continue reading Assignment in Brittany by Helen MacInnes (1942)
journey & destination 