Friday Poetry: Robert Frost

Happy Friday!

My chosen poem this week is by the poet Robert Frost who was one of the United States’ best loved poets and playwrights. He had four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and a Congressional Gold Medal.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Happy Reading

Etsy

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Mid Week Quote: Cecelia Ahern

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a good day. I have had a busy day of teaching but I have also managed some reading which has been lovely.

My chosen quote this week is by the Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern (1981).

“Memories were fine but you couldn’t touch them, smell them or hold them. They were never exactly as the moment was, and they faded with time.”

Cecelia Ahern

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Lyra’s Pawsome Books #16

Hello!

I haven’t done an Etsy update since February so I thought it was time to do another update. I have been busy with the shop and I have been creating new items to go in the shop.

Witches Hat and Broomstick Bookmark

I love these bookmarks because they are great for Halloween and for just witch lovers in general. They really remind me of some of my favourite characters from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.

Paris Bookmark

I love Paris so I thought I would create a bookmark that reflected that love.

Bath Bookmark

This bookmark is something new that I am trying. The picture of Bath is one that I have taken and turned into a bookmark. I am planning on doing more of these bookmarks from other places I have visited.

I have more products arriving soon so watch this space.

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Goodreads Monday: 8/9/2025

Goodreads Monday is now hosted by Budget Tales Book Club.  All you have to do is show off a book from your TBR that you’re looking forward to reading.

Happy Monday!

I was back at school today which was a bit of a shock to the system but it was nice to see returning students and meet new ones.

My chosen book to feature today is another recent addition to the Goodreads TBR. I’m really excited to read this book because as a musician I’m intrigued read about Austen’s love of music and hopefully find out which composers were her favourite.

She Played and Sang: Jane Austen and Music by Gillian Dooley

Like her much-loved heroine Emma Woodhouse, Jane Austen ‘played and sang’. Music occupied a central role in her life, and she made brilliant use of it in her books to illuminate characters’ personalities and highlight the contrasts between them.

Until recently, our knowledge of Austen’s musical inclinations was limited to the recollections of relatives who were still in their youth when she passed away. But with the digitisation of music books from her immediate family circle, a treasure trove of evidence has emerged. Delving into these books, alongside letters and other familial records, She played and sang unveils a previously unknown facet of Austen’s world.

This insightful work not only uncovers the music closely associated with Austen, but also unravels her musical connections with family and friends, revealing the intricate ties between her fiction and the melodies she performed. With these revelations, Austen’s musical legacy comes to life, granting us a deeper understanding of her artistic prowess and the influences that shaped her literary masterpieces.

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

The Weekly Brief

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a good weekend. I’ve now got back into my blogging routine which is good and I’m doing well with my reading.

Blog Posts

Currently Reading

I’m really enjoying this so far but I find there is a lot of French to understand which disrupts the story for me at times.

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Stacking the Shelves: 6/9/2025

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality. It is all about sharing the books that you have recently added to your bookshelves. These books can be physical books, ebooks and of course audiobooks.

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. I’ve managed some reading today which has been lovely. I had two books arrive this week that I had preordered ages ago.

  • Medusa by Rosie Hewlett – I’m really excited to read this version of Medusa’s story. I always find the story of Medusa a hard story to read because she was a very wronged woman.
  • The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman – I am a huge fan of Tracy Borman and can’t wait to read her latest book.

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Friday Poetry: Henry David Thoreau

Happy Friday!

My chosen poem this week is by Henry David Thoreau born 12th July 1817 and died 6th May 1862. Thoreau was an American essayist, poet and philosopher.

Men Say They Know Many Things

Men say they know many things;
But lo! They have taken wings,-
The arts and the sciences,
And a thousand appliances;
The wind that blows
Is all that anybody knows.

Henry David Thoreau

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

September 2025 TBR

Hello!

I will be honest my August TBR didn’t go very well and I only read one of the books I planned to read.

I will try better with my September TBR I promise!

  • She Played and Sang by Gillian Dooley
  • Unfortunately She Was A Nymphomaniac by Joan Smith
  • Holbein The Ambassadors by Tracy Borman
  • The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
  • Hera by Jennifer Saint
  • Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson

I really hope I get to read some of these but I have just started Villette by Charlotte Bronte and i know that will take me quiet a while now I am back at work.

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

August 2025 Wrap Up

Hello!

August didn’t go as well July reading wise but I still managed to read 3 books. I bought a lot of books in August so I must get reading them all!

Statistics

Books

Pages: 480

Format Read: Hardback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review to follow

New book

Pages: 226

Format Read: Kindle

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review to follow

New Book

Pages: 557

Format Read: Paperback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review to follow

Old Book

Goodreads Challenge: 41/50

Old Books: 1

New Books: 1

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you