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This journal is mostly me rambling about books, discussing books, ranting about books, and any other synonym you can find that says that this is a bookish blog/reading blog. If this sort of thing appeals to you, then please sit down and make yourself at home.
If I am not discussing books, then I am most likely making posts about my favourite television shows, movies, and plays.
Otherwise, I will be busy discussing history, historical research, and will do large amounts of recommendations.
Warning: I am prone to fangirling. Ye have been warned!
September 2022 TBR
Aug. 26th, 2022 05:00 pmNot sure if I want to keep this journal as I have another that I use for my writing, but I decided that for now, I want to keep things separate.
I'm currently reading four books. At least, that's what Goodreads says. Some of them I have temporarily DNF-ed but have decided to keep up on my profile as current reads because I don't want to give up on them. Two of the books I am actively reading but am taking my time with as I want to ensure that I can both understand what the books are about and to enjoy them.
Bleak House is a book that I've been having difficulty with. It's the same reason for why I didn't like Our Mutual Friend. The writing is difficult to read through and Dickens and I have decided to temporarily part ways. It's a shame. I loved Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and A Tale of Two Cities. However, for some reason, Dickens' works have been very tedious for me.
Classic Tales of Detection & Adventure... Let's be honest, I picked this book up because Sherlock Holmes was taking the piss out on C. Auguste Dupin. It's been an enjoyable read so far. It's very interesting to see where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle got part of his inspiration for his Sherlock Holmes character. I've only read The Murders in the Rue Morgue so far and really like Poe's writing.
As for the Ashes of London... Disappointing read that pushed me out of the historical murder mystery genre which I love (or loved) dearly. Enough said. I might pick this one up again but I am incredibly bitter.
September TBR: I hope to read the following books for September.
I'm currently reading four books. At least, that's what Goodreads says. Some of them I have temporarily DNF-ed but have decided to keep up on my profile as current reads because I don't want to give up on them. Two of the books I am actively reading but am taking my time with as I want to ensure that I can both understand what the books are about and to enjoy them.
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
- Bleak House by Charles Dickens
- Classic Tales of Detection & Adventure by Edgar Allan Poe
- The Ashes of London (Marwood and Lovett) by Andrew Taylor
Bleak House is a book that I've been having difficulty with. It's the same reason for why I didn't like Our Mutual Friend. The writing is difficult to read through and Dickens and I have decided to temporarily part ways. It's a shame. I loved Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and A Tale of Two Cities. However, for some reason, Dickens' works have been very tedious for me.
Classic Tales of Detection & Adventure... Let's be honest, I picked this book up because Sherlock Holmes was taking the piss out on C. Auguste Dupin. It's been an enjoyable read so far. It's very interesting to see where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle got part of his inspiration for his Sherlock Holmes character. I've only read The Murders in the Rue Morgue so far and really like Poe's writing.
As for the Ashes of London... Disappointing read that pushed me out of the historical murder mystery genre which I love (or loved) dearly. Enough said. I might pick this one up again but I am incredibly bitter.
September TBR: I hope to read the following books for September.
- The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
- Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar
- Sherlock Holmes and the Lady in Black by June Thomson
- The Nun by Denis Dederot
- Torn by Rowenna Miller
- War at the Edge of the World by Ian Ross
- Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
- Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
- Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- No Name by Wilkie Collins
Currently Reading Post
Sep. 15th, 2021 04:08 pmI am going to be trying something new on my blog as I wish to keep better track of my current reads. This is for the sake of making things easier for myself as I am going to be distancing myself from Goodreads after October.
Ed: September 21, 2021. I removed some books from my shelves as I can no longer focus on all of them. I have striked out the ones that I have removed from my Currently Reading shelves on Goodreads.
CURRENTLY READING!
Ed: September 21, 2021. I removed some books from my shelves as I can no longer focus on all of them. I have striked out the ones that I have removed from my Currently Reading shelves on Goodreads.
CURRENTLY READING!
- Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Lancelot by Giles KristianThe Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe- Russian Folktales trans by Leonard A. Magnus
In a Dark Wood Wandering by Hella S. Haasse- King Arthur's Death: Morte Arthure and Le Morte Arthur- unknown authors- ed by Brian Stone
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick RiordanLouis XIV by Ian Dunlop
To those that know me, it comes as no surprise that I decided to pick up and read a copy of yet another fairy/folk tale collection. I love fairy tales and I especially treasure them when I am within the target audience and can appreciate them more. When you consider the history of the fairy tale, originally they were never meant to be read or enjoyed by children, and were instead created for and read to an adult audience in literary groups across Europe.
( Russian Fairy Tales )
( Russian Fairy Tales )
Ch to be sounded as in English.
G always hard, as in ‘give,’ ‘got’: never as in ‘gem.’
J always as in English.
Kh like German ch, or Scotch ch in ‘loch.’
L when hard (e.g. before a, o, u) something like ll in ‘pull’; when soft (e.g. before e, i) like l in French ‘vil.’
S always hard, as in ‘so.’
V as in English: at the end of words as ‘f.’
Y consonantally, as in English ‘yet’; as a vowel like ‘i’ in ‘will.’
Z always as in English.
Zh like ‘s’ in leisure, or French ‘j.’
Upon inspection of the tales from the Table of Contents, I can see some stories that I have heard of- which has caused me to be pleasantly surprised. Obviously, I know of the origins of St. Nicholas and have heard references to Bába Yagá, but I do not know these tales as well as somebody who is Russian or who has read extensively into Russian folklore. It's also nice that whoever posted the story to the archives of Gutenberg has listed page numbers. This is going to be easy for reference and to keep track of where I am in the book.
Upon inspection of the tales from the Table of Contents, I can see some stories that I have heard of- which has caused me to be pleasantly surprised. Obviously, I know of the origins of St. Nicholas and have heard references to Bába Yagá, but I do not know these tales as well as somebody who is Russian or who has read extensively into Russian folklore. It's also nice that whoever posted the story to the archives of Gutenberg has listed page numbers. This is going to be easy for reference and to keep track of where I am in the book.
Victober 2021: Official TBR
Sep. 6th, 2021 08:43 pm After some thought on the matter and what I want to read, I have narrowed down on a few books that I wish to read this year. Just to remind everyone what the prompts are for this year's challenge, we have the following:
1. Read a Victorian sensation novel
2. Read a Victorian book set in the countryside AND/OR the city
3. Read a Victorian book with a female main character
4. Group challenge: Read a popular Victorian book you haven’t yet read (how you define popular is up to you – could be popular now, popular on Booktube, popular in the Victorian period itself)
( Official TBR )
( Official TBR )
Victober 2021
Sep. 5th, 2021 03:37 pm Last year's participation in Victober ended in a complete disaster for me as I never did manage to pick up any Victorian classic until I decided to read Middlemarch by George Eliot for another book group. I DNFed Middlemarch indefinitely and while I hope to pick up the book in future, I have decided that I am not going to pick up anything by Eliot for a long time to come.
( A Little Discussion and TBR )
( A Little Discussion and TBR )
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Discussion
Sep. 2nd, 2021 10:48 pmBefore I start discussing my experience with reading War and Peace by one of Russia's most fascinating authors, let me discuss the history of this book and why I feel that this book is a chore to read. Let me make it clear that it is not because of the book's size that makes this book difficult, but Tolstoy's writing and how he chose to present his book. War and Peace is, to be quite frank, a masterpiece. However, it is a work that I feel needs to be read when the reader is in the right headspace, and right now, I do not believe I am in that headspace to fully appreciate this book and what it is about.
( Tolstoy is an interesting author, but... )
( Tolstoy is an interesting author, but... )
NOTE TO READERS: I have spent many years collecting books discussing Louis XIV, his contemporaries, and his century. This list isn’t comprehensive and there are many books out there that discuss Louis and his times, but these are the books I have read or am in the process of reading that I have enjoyed.
Included in these recommendations are biographies, general 17th century history, contemporary accounts written by authors who knew Louis or were familiar with his court, and biographies written about Louis’ contemporaries for those interested in learning more about them. Also included are books describing specific events that took place during Louis’ Minority and reign (including the Fronde, Louis’ wars, and the infamous Affair of the Poisons).
Anything denoted with *, please see the end of the document for more notes on the text. For books that can only be found in French, I have labeled those as (FR).
( Book Recommendations and Notes )
Included in these recommendations are biographies, general 17th century history, contemporary accounts written by authors who knew Louis or were familiar with his court, and biographies written about Louis’ contemporaries for those interested in learning more about them. Also included are books describing specific events that took place during Louis’ Minority and reign (including the Fronde, Louis’ wars, and the infamous Affair of the Poisons).
Anything denoted with *, please see the end of the document for more notes on the text. For books that can only be found in French, I have labeled those as (FR).
( Book Recommendations and Notes )
