The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?
Hello!
I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I seem to have been quite busy this week so far which has has sadly meant less reading.
What I am Currently Reading
Still reading this and still enjoying it. I just wish I had more time to read it.
What I Have Recently Finished Reading
I read this whilst my husband was watching the Grand Prix and I think this will be a new tradition for me. Reading a Maigret book whilst the Grand Prix is on should help my Goodreads Challenge. Review will follow shortly.
What I Think I will Read Next
As usual I’m never sure what I will read next but maybe it will be one of these.
Please drop me a link with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.
Happy Reading
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The House Party: A Short History of Leisure, Pleasure and the Country House Weekend by Adrain Tinniswood
Blurb
A delightful journey through the glamorous story of the English country house party by the bestselling historian.
Croquet. Parlour games. Cocktails. Welcome to a glorious journey through the golden age of the country house party – and you are invited.
Our host, celebrated historian Adrian Tinniswood, traces the evolution of this quintessentially British pastime from debauched royal tours to the flamboyant excess of the Bright Young Things. With cameos by the Jazz Age industrialist, the bibulous earl and the off-duty politician – whether in moated manor houses or ornate Palladian villas – Tinniswood gives a vivid insight into weekending etiquette and reveals the hidden lives of celebrity guests, from Nancy Astor to Winston Churchill, in all their drinking, feasting, gambling and fornicating.
The result is a deliciously entertaining, star-studded, yet surprisingly moving portrait of a time when social conventions were being radically overhauled through the escapism of a generation haunted by war – and a uniquely fast-living period of English history.
Review
We bought this book when we visited Croome last month and it has been tempting me to read it ever since. I could have easily read this book in one sitting as I found it so interesting but I made it last two days instead.
The book begins at the beginning of house parties starting from when Queen Elizabeth I used to visit and stay at people’s houses when she was travelling through the country to when eventually the traditional house party died out.
This book is filled full of glamour, wealth, luxury and everything you can imagine that happened in fine country houses during house parties.
I loved how the book described every detail of the house party from the invitations to what food and drink would have been served and the activities people would have partaken. The stories told in this book about different house guests and their hosts were hilarious. I particularly liked the house guests who brought their own thermos flask with cocktails in to have in their room because they knew their particular hosts didn’t hold cocktails before dinner.
There were a lot of little stories in this book and a lot of famous names mentioned. However, for such a short book I think too many stories were mentioned and maybe just a few famous houses should have been focused on. To be honest I would have loved a much longer book as I could have happily read another 200 pages about the famous houses and their parties. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons and I will definitely be reading more of Tinniswood’s work.
Adrian Tinniswood has worked as an author, broadcaster, lecturer and educational consultant for nearly 30 years in both Britain and the United States. Tinniswood studied English and Philosophy at Southampton University and was awarded an MPhil at Leicester University.
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It is that time again! So the massive stack of books is getting rather precarious and this time the photo involved me having to stand behind the stack to stop it toppling over. I currently prefer reading big books at the moment so hopefully that will help the stack grow.
I read 5 physical books this month so that has helped the height.
So here is the new stack. Apologies for the crazy hair it is a bad hair day. Lyra also decided to join the fun.
The new stack is 29.5 inches high! Just 37.5 inches to go, still haven’t reached the half way mark.
Here are the pictures from the previous months. Look at that stack grow!
Happy Reading!
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
Happy Friday! I hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend.
My chosen poem today is by William Wordsworth. Wordsworth (1770-1850) was an English Romantic poet who was Poet Laureate from 1843 till his death in 1850.
I think this is a good poem for everyone who is finishing their studies this month for their summer break.
The Tables Turned
Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll drop double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?
The sun above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.
Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.
And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.
She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless -
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.
One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.
Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things: -
We murder to dissect.
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.
William Wordsworth
I hope everyone has had a good June. My reading wasn’t great in June but to be honest I’m doing a lot of research at the moment so I am reading just not books I would blog about. I am also in the mood for reading longer books at the moment which is slowing me down as well.
Statistics
Only 5 books this month and it was nearly 4 but I managed to squeeze in a short book yesterday. One of the books also does not have the page info listed so didn’t show up on the statistics so I should have had 2 books in the 500+ range.
Lady Book Dragon 