I have gone for a poem by Melinno this week. Melinno is known only by her one extant poem, a Greek hymn to the goddess Roma. The date of Melinno is highly disputed, with suggestions varying by over four hundred years. Some argue she is from as early as the second century BC, others think as late as the second century AD.
The poem is in the style of Sappho, and might have been composed for a ritual.
Melinno's Hymn to Roma
Hail to Roma, the war-god's daughter
warrior queen in a golden girdle,
your Heaven here on earth, eternal
and unassailable.
On you alone, our ancient of days.
Fate has bestowed this royal glory
of unbroken rule, sovereign strength
to lead where all follow.
For under your yoke, by your strong reins,
the great back of earth and foam-white seas
are bent; without a falter you steer
the cities of all men.
But time's great span can topple us all;
life sways us one way, then another
you alone sail on fair winds of rule
and never alter course.
For you alone have borne strong warriors,
great spearman, springing up unbidden
like Demeter's fruitful ears of corn,
a crop of mortal men.
Melinno
Happy Reading
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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 don’t seem to have stopped so far this week and today I am back teaching at school so I will most likely be an exhausted puddle on the floor by the end of the day.
What I am Currently Reading
SPQR is currently on the back burner at the moment but I am still reading a few pages occasionally. The King’s Seal is by destress read and I must admit I am finding it hard to put down.
What I have Recently Finished Reading
I have just recently finished this and although I did struggle with a few sections I have definitely got the bug back and will be reading more books from The Vampire Chronicles soon. Review
What I Think I will Read Next
So many books to choose from. My dissertation will be finished soon and that will mean lots of binge reading.
Please drop me a comment if you want to chat about books and please leave your WWW Wednesday and I will pop over for a visit.
Happy Reading
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Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice
Blurb
“In my dreams, I saw a city fall into the sea. I heard the cries of thousands. I saw flames that outshone the lamps of heaven. And all the world was shaken…” At the novel’s centre: the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, hero, leader, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has taken possession of his undead body and soul. This ancient and mysterious power and unearthly spirit of vampire lore has all the force, history and insidious reach of the unknowable Universe. It is through this spirit, previously considered benign for thousands of vampire years and throughout the Vampire Chronicles, that we come to be told the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times; a mysterious heaven on earth situated on a boundless continent – and of how and why this force came to build and rule the great legendary empire of centuries ago that thrived in the Atlantic Ocean. And as we learn of the mighty powers of this lost kingdom of Atalantaya, the lost realms of Atlantis, we come to understand its secrets, and how and why the vampire Lestat, indeed all the vampires, must reckon so many millennia later with the terrifying force of this ageless, all-powerful Atalantaya spirit.
Review
It has been quite a few years since I have read one of the books from The Vampire Chronicles series but this one had been on my shelf for far too long. Firstly, it was quite clear that I have missed a few books in the series but that did not detract from the story.
It took me a while to get back into the writing style of Anne Rice and I must admit it felt a bit different from the previous books I have read but maybe that was because I read them when I was a teenager.
I loved the idea of the chateau that is the scene of the Vampire court and where Marius is making rules and laws for all the vampires to follow. The chateau is typical Lestat everything is sheer opulence and must be quite a site to be seen but it is also a sanctuary for the vampires young and old.
Lestat is now extremely important to his fellow vampires and because of this he is protected at all costs. However, there is a threat to the vampire race and it all starts with this dream of a city falling into the sea that starts with Lestat and travels through the rest of the vampire race.
The middle of this book is a chapter called Kapetria’s Tale and I must admit I almost gave up with the book at this point. It was very long winded and I really felt it did not need to be anywhere near as long as it was. I really wanted to know about Kapetria and her people but I sadly just found it boring and a big disappointment. Thankfully the book picked back up after this section. I really liked the rest of Kapetrai’s people but I will admit I did not like the character Kapetria in the end. I found her pushy and very unfeeling.
I will definitely be reading more of The Vampire Chronicles because I would love to read about my favourite characters Lestat, Armand and Marius again. It would also be good to catch up on the books that I have missed from the series. Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
About the author
Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O’Brien) is a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for The Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history.
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The Book Lover’s Bucket List: A Tour of Great British Literature by Caroline Taggart
Blurb
Exploring the gardens, monuments, museums, and churches with walks both urban and rural, from the Brontë parsonage in Haworth to Zadie Smith’s North London and Shakespeare’s Stratford, The Book Lover’s Bucket List takes you through some 100 wonderfully described literary sites and landscapes, complete with colour destination photographs and illustrations from the British Library collections.
Start with Chaucer, Dickens, and Larkin in Westminster Abbey. Spend an afternoon at Colliers Wood Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire and take in the lake D. H. Lawrence described as “all grey and visionary, stretching into the moist, translucent vista of trees and meadow.” Venture south to Cornwall and work your way up to the Scottish Highlands, taking detours to Northern Ireland in the west and Norfolk in the east.
There are gardens, monuments, museums, churches, and a surprising quantity of stained glass. There are walks both urban and rural, where you can explore real landscapes or imaginary haberdasher’s shops. There‘s the club where Buck’s Fizz was invented and a pub where you can eat Sherlock’s Steak & Ale Pie. And there’s a railway station where you can stroke the muzzle of one of the world’s most famous and endearing bears.
Wherever you are in the United Kingdom, you’re never far from something associated with a good book.
Review
My best friend bought this book for me and I have been dipping in and reading a few pages a day ever since. I have also been making a big list of the places I want to visit as well which has been worrying my husband.
This book is divided up into sections for the different parts of Great Britain and each section has places of importance to different authors. The book tells you about the place and its history and what it is like now and whether you can visit it or not. There are also very handy websites listed for the places so you can investigate for yourself about a property.
There are so many authors from Great Britain mentioned in this book and the places that meant something to them, whether it be where they wrote their great works or places mentioned in their works, or like Lyme Park where a famous adaptation of the book was filmed. Yes, the wet shirt of Mr Darcy was even mentioned in this book.
Taggart’s writing is informative and funny and regularly made me laugh. There were also extra bits and pieces added about the authors and the books which were added to the different sections that gave extra information and extra places to visit.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am really looking forward to visiting some of the places. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
About the author
Caroline Taggart worked in publishing as an editor of popular non-fiction for 30 years before being asked by Michael O’Mara Books to write I USED TO KNOW THAT, which became a Sunday Times bestseller. Following that she co-wrote MY GRAMMAR AND I (OR SHOULD THAT BE ‘ME’?) As a result of these books and HER LADYSHIP’S GUIDE TO THE QUEEN’S ENGLISH, published by Batsford, she has appeared frequently on BBC Breakfast and on national and regional radio, talking about language, grammar and Pythagoras’s theorem. Her record is 16 radio interviews in one day on the subject of exclamation marks.
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My chosen quote this week is by Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1965) who was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor. I personally absolutely love Eliot’s Old Possum’s Bookof Practical Cats.
“Every moment is a fresh beginning.”
T. S. Eliot
Happy Reading
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
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 has had a good week so far.
I have been enjoying reading this week and I must admit as much as I am enjoying my dissertation I am looking forward to finishing it so I can binge read some fiction.
What I am Currently Reading
I have just started SPQR, I really enjoy Mary Beard’s writing, she is so informative but also fun to read. Prince Lestat continues and will be finished soon.
What I have Recently Finished Reading
I have just finished this and really enjoyed it. A great book to dip into.
What I Think I will Read Next
Usually I have many options as I am never sure what I will read next. This time though I know I will be reading this one because I have been desperate to read it.
Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.
Happy Reading
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
Goodreads Monday is hosted by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do is show off a book from your TBR that you’re looking forward to reading.
Hello!
Happy Monday! I hope everyone has had a good start to the week so far.
The book I have chosen to feature this week is one that I have recently ordered. I have read the previous books in the series and absolutely loved them so I am hoping the third instalment does not disappoint.
The search for the legendary ring of King Solomon has begun, and Penelope must sift through its long and convoluted history of lost emperors, crusaders, and other famous historical figures—including one with whom the magicians share their own complicated past— if she hopes to find it in time.
As Penelope’s magic continues to grow stronger with the coming high tide, she and Alexis will have to depend upon each other more than ever to keep everyone they care about safe from the continuing attacks by Thevetat’s priests.
When the magical high tide finally peaks, the long-awaited battle against Thevetat will begin, and Penelope, Alexis, and the magicians will have to rely on both powers of old and new if they hope to defeat their enemy once and for all.
Hopefully the book arrives soon as I really want this to be my next read.
Please drop me a comment if you have taken part inGoodreads Monday and I will headover for a visit.
Happy Reading
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
I hope everyone has a good weekend planned. I have another busy weekend of work but I also have a family get together as well which will be nice.
I have been studying a lot of female poets from Ancient Greece for my dissertation so I have chosen one of the poems by Corinna. It sadly is not complete and the parts in brackets have been put in by the translator. Sadly, it is only fragments that survive from the female poets of Ancient Greece.
Songs of Old
On me my Muse has served her summons
to sing those beautiful songs of old
for Tanagran women in their dawn-
white dresses; as the city takes such
pleasure in my teasing-trilling songs.
for whatever great [deeds great heroes
might perform,] still taller tales [are told,]
the earth their open field for battle.
And so I've reset our fathers' tales,
[reworked their crown with these new jewels]
as I take up my lyre for my girls;
Often I've polished tales of Cephisus,
our country's own first founding-father,
often of Lord Orion, the fifty
high-and-mighty sons he brought into
being - with help from their mother nymphs;
and then at last I sang of Libya,
[Thebes' fair fore-mother...]
Corinna
Happy Reading
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Lady Book Dragon 