Contentment, Thanks, and Enjoyment are the focus in this chapter. Depending on whether you are a glass half full or a glass half empty type of person, these are probably areas many of us need to intentionally cultivate. :)One way to help us do this is to consider what is best for us to do … Continue reading For the Family’s Sake: Ch 10
Reading Challenges 2022
Frederica by Georgette Heyer (1965)
Georgette Heyer (1902–1974) is best known for her Regency novels, the time period which lasted from 1811 to 1820. Frederica is set in 1818 and is the first book I’ve read by this author, although I’ve been aware of her for ages. Apparently, if you enjoy Mary Stewart’s writing, you might possibly like Georgette Heyer's, … Continue reading Frederica by Georgette Heyer (1965)
Bookish Catch-up
“Good fiction’s job is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”― David Foster Wallace I don't think that's the only function of fiction, but it may be a consequence. Some fiction is solely for relaxation, speaking of which, my husband and I have just returned from a holiday by the beach, the first time we've … Continue reading Bookish Catch-up
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)
Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear
This biography of Beatrix Potter by Linda Lear was published in 2007. It is a very comprehensive 584-page account of an extraordinary woman. Although Beatrix Potter is mostly known for her iconic Peter Rabbit and friends children’s books, these books only represent one aspect of her life over a ten-year period. Besides being a gifted … Continue reading Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear
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
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart (1958)
Linda Martin was back in Paris after an absence of nine years. With an English father and a French mother, she had grown up in France during the Second World War. When she was fourteen both of her parents were killed in a plane crash and she was sent to an orphanage in England where … Continue reading Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart (1958)
For the Family’s Sake: Chapter 5, The Home’s Weight-Bearing Beams
When I was reading this chapter I thought about some issues we’ve had in the building industry here in recent years. The availability of housing hadn’t kept pace with the growth of the population and this led to an upsurge in the building of residential high rise apartments. Unfortunately, many of these new apartments have … Continue reading For the Family’s Sake: Chapter 5, The Home’s Weight-Bearing Beams
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)
They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (1951)
‘Outside in Bank Street it was sunny and full of swirling dust and the noises were terrific and varied. There was the persistent honking of motor horns, the cries of vendors of various wares. There were hot disputes between small groups of people who seemed ready to murder each other but were really fast friends; … Continue reading They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (1951)