The Wolf-Girl, The Greeks and the Gods by Tom Holland (Review #39)

The Wolf-Girl, The Greeks and the Gods by Tom Holland

Blurb

“The Persians are coming…” Hearing these words, Gorgo of Sparta is plunged into a dangerous world of vengeful gods and invincible heroes. For a mighty empire threatens Athens, Sparta and all who stand in its path… Calling on the ancient power to transform into a wolf and the blood of Zeus that runs through her veins, Gorgo must lead her nation in one of history’s greatest wars. Multi-award-winning author Tom Holland and acclaimed illustrator Jason Cockcroft boldly weave myth and history in this dramatic tale of Greeks and Gods.

Gripping and powerful, this extraordinary illustrated novel will be treasured by readers young and old. Ideal for fans of Percy Jackson, Neil Gaiman and Kevin Crossley-Holland, and the mythical retellings of Madeline Miller, Pat Barker and Stephen Fry, this is a book to be read again and again.

Review

I love the children’s section at Topping and Company Booksellers in Bath and I always go for an explore when I visit. When I went in the Summer I saw this book and knew I had to have it. I was also over the moon to see it was a signed edition although it was a shame Holland used the pen he chose to use as it bled through on to the next page which marked things quite badly. 

This was my first Tom Holland book but Holland’s books have been on my TBR for quite a while. I have always loved the character of Gorgo from Spartan history as she always seems to be a strong woman and most likely another woman from history who had the strength and the brain to be a woman of power and might but sadly restricted due to her sex. At least she made enough impact for Herodotus to mention her and he said she was a wise woman. 

Holland does depict Gorgo as a strong child and woman with a fierce heart with a very wise head on her shoulders. Her mother warns her that the Persians are coming and she is the only Spartan to believe it to begin with but she does find a Greek who also believes the same as she does. I like the fact that Holland depicts Gorgo as a trusted young girl and adult who is so trusted that her father the king includes her in the ruling of Sparta. Then her husband who becomes King of Sparta also shows trust in her judgement and counsel. 

To be honest the whole wolf thing drove me mad. Yes there is the semi-mythical lawgiver Lycurgus who instituted reforms into Sparta when Sparta was at its weakest but his existence is doubted because his name is strongly associated with Apollo and most people believe Lycurgus is just a personification of Apollo. So I’m not entirely sure why Holland took it as far as he did because I just didn’t think it added to the story. However, I did really like the added element of the Gods taking part in the story. 

The most important thing about this book is that Gorgo tells us about the heroics of the 300 Spartans who held the pass against the thousands of Persians for so long. That is the most important tale to be told and it is told well. The illustrations in this book are beautiful and really add to the story. However, I’m afraid the wolf element really let this book down for me so I only give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Foyles | Waterstones

(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

Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster. He is the author of Rubicon: The Triumph and the Tragedy of the Roman Republic, which won the Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History and was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize; Persian Fire, his history of the Graeco-Persian wars, won the Anglo-Hellenic League’s Runciman Award in 2006. Tom Holland is the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s “Making History” and acclaimed podcast “The Rest is History”. He has written and presented a number of TV documentaries, for the BBC and Channel 4, on subjects ranging from ISIS to dinosaurs. He served two years as the Chair of the Society of Authors and is Chair of the British Library’s PLR Advisory Committee.

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Mid Week Quote: Langston Hughes

Hello!

My chosen quote this week is by the American poet Langston Hughes (1901-1967). Hughes is best remembered as a pioneer of American jazz poetry.

“Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly.” 

Langston Hughes

Happy Reading

Etsy

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

WWW Wednesday: 20/09/2023

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

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’s week is going well so far. I had a lovely lunch break reading today which was a nice break from all the teaching.

What I am Currently Reading

I started this book today and I have not been able to put it down it is so good!

What I have Recently Finished Reading

This took me a while to read but I really enjoyed it. Review will be arriving soon.

What I Think I will Read Next

I’m still keeping up with my hardback reading. I really need to catch up with my reading challenges as I’m still falling behind.

Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading

Etsy

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

Fireworks by Angela Carter (Review #38)

Fireworks by Angela Carter

Blurb

In the short fiction of Angela Carter, the landmarks of reality disappear and give way to a landscape of riotous and uncensored sensibility. The city of Tokyo turns into a mirrored chamber reflecting the impossible longings of an exiled Englishwoman abandoned by her Japanese lover. An itinerant puppet show becomes a theatre of murderous lust. A walk through the forest ends in a nightmarish encounter with a gun-toting nymph and her hermaphrodite ‘aunt’. Not simply a book of tales, Fireworks is a headlong plunge into an alternate universe, the unique creation of one of the most fertile, dark, irreverent, and baroquely beautiful imaginations in contemporary fiction.

Review

I love the work of Angela Carter and during my teenage years I read quite a few of her books but nothing recently so when I saw this book of short stories I thought it was high time I read some more books by Carter.

I was really surprised by this book because it felt quite different to the books I have read previously by Carter. All the books I have read before are based on legends and fairytales but this contained scenes from real life as well as the fantasy. 

I loved the descriptions of Japan in the stories although the story of the exiled Englishwoman in Japan gradually losing the interest of her young Japanese lover was a bit harrowing. 

I will be honest The Loves of Lady Purple and The Executioner’s Daughter were rather disturbing and not to my liking. No matter how beautifully written they are, I still didn’t enjoy these two stories. 

This Carter book of short stories definitely contained some of Carter’s favourite themes. There was theme of sex, especially the forbidden kind, puppetry and even a magic mirror. However, there was also fireworks, scenes of beautiful Japan and heartbreak. It was really nice to get back into reading Carter again and I will definitely be reading more of her books soon. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Foyles | Waterstones

(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

Angela Olive Pearce (formerly Carter, nee Stalker) (1940-1992) published under the name Angela Carter. Carter was an English novelist , short story writer, poet and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism and picaresque works.

Etsy

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

Goodreads Monday: 18/09/2023

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.

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a good start to the week so far.

My chosen book to feature this week is one that I have only recently added to my Goodreads TBR. I’m really looking forward to reading it soon.

A compelling, authoritative account of the brilliant, conflicted, visionary world of Tudor England
 
When Henry VII landed in a secluded bay in a far corner of Wales, it seemed inconceivable that this outsider could ever be king of England. Yet he and his descendants became some of England’s most unforgettable rulers, and gave their name to an age. The story of the Tudor monarchs is as astounding as it was unexpected, but it was not the only one unfolding between 1485 and 1603.
 
In cities, towns, and villages, families and communities lived their lives through times of great upheaval. In this comprehensive new history, Lucy Wooding lets their voices speak, exploring not just how monarchs ruled but also how men and women thought, wrote, lived, and died. We see a monarchy under strain, religion in crisis, a population contending with war, rebellion, plague, and poverty. Remarkable in its range and depth, Tudor England explores the many tensions of these turbulent years and presents a markedly different picture from the one we thought we knew.

Please drop me a link with your Goodreads Monday and I will head over for a visit. 

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 is having a good weekend. Today I had some reading planned but so far I have been swamped with work prep for tomorrow. Who knew prepping 12 music lessons would take so long?!

Blog Posts

Currently Reading

I’m two thirds of a way through this now and I’m really enjoying it so far.

I’m not sure how my reading will go this coming week as I’m back at all my schools so will have less reading time.

Happy Reading Everone!

Etsy

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

Stacking the Shelves: 22/09/2023

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 thought it was time to show some of the books I have recently added to my ever growing TBR piles around the house.

  • The Words of Kings and Prophets by Shauna Lawless – I have the first book of the series and I plan on reading it soon so I thought I would buy the second one so I could read it straight after the first one.
  • Tudor England: A History by Lucy Wooding – You might have noticed that I am going through quite a Tudor phase at the moment. I’m also preferring nonfiction as well with my reading which is rather strange for me.
  • Queens of the Age of Chivalry by Alison Weir – Alison Weir is one of my all time favourite authors. I just can’t enough of her books.

Have you added any new books to your bookshelves recently?

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: Charlotte Smith

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has had a good week so far.

My chosen poem this week is by the early Romantic poet, novelist and translator Charlotte Smith (1749-1806). 

On the Departure of the Nightingale

Sweet poet of the woods, a long adieu!
Farewell soft minstrel of the early year!
Ah! 'twill be long ere thou shalt sing anew,
And pour thy music on the night's dull ear.
Whether on spring thy wandering flights await,
Or whether silent in our groves you dwell, 
The pensive muse shall own thee for her mate,
And still protect the song she loves so well.
With cautious step the love-lorn youth shall glide
Through the lone brake that shades thy mossy nest; 
And shepherd girls from eyes profane shall hide
The gentle bird who sings of pity best:
For still thy voice shall soft affections move,
And still be dear to sorrow and to love!

Charlotte Smith

Happy Reading

Etsy

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

Tudor Children by Nicholas Orme (Review #37)

Tudor Children by Nicholas Orme

Blurb

The first history of childhood in Tudor England

What was it like to grow up in England under the Tudors? How were children cared for, what did they play with, and what dangers did they face?

In this beautifully illustrated and characteristically lively account, leading historian Nicholas Orme provides a rich survey of childhood in the period. Beginning with birth and infancy, he explores all aspects of children’s experiences, including the games they played, such as Blind Man’s Bluff and Mumble-the-Peg, and the songs they sang, such as “Three Blind Mice” and “Jack Boy, Ho Boy.” He shows how social status determined everything from the food children ate and the clothes they wore to the education they received and the work they undertook.

Although childhood and adolescence could be challenging and even hazardous, it was also, as Nicholas Orme shows, a treasured time of learning and development. By looking at the lives of Tudor children we can gain a richer understanding of the era as a whole.

Review

I am still going through my Tudor phase and I just can’t get enough of books about Tudor history. When I saw this book in the bookshop I knew I had to have it and read it. It did not disappoint. 

Children are so often ignored in the history books especially poor children and this is no different in the Tudor period. Sadly, there are a lack of records for the poorer ranks of children but what information there is Orme has found it as well as the surviving information about the children of rich people. It is so refreshing to find a researcher who is concerned with children from history because even today researchers quite often go for the more glamorous subjects. 

This book is such a good read and I could not put it down. The book is packed full of information but is not too academic or dry. I loved being able to see Orme’s character through his writing instead of just a list of events and dates. I also really enjoyed how the book is divided up into chapters that are important to the lives of children, such as play, school etc. 

The other element of the book that I loved was the illustrations. Orme obviously put a lot of thought into what illustrations to use for his book and they all fitted perfectly and helped demonstrate his point. I also liked how they were in the text rather than in the middle of book. This meant I didn’t have to keep flicking backwards and forwards to see the relevant illustrations. 

Overall, I loved this book and I enjoyed how Orme challenged the preconceptions that Tudor adults didn’t care very much for their children. I will definitely be reading more books by Orme in the future and I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Foyles | Waterstones

(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

A specialist in the Middle Ages and Tudor period, Nicholas Orme is an Emeritus Professor of History at Exeter University. He studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, and has worked as a visiting scholar at, among others, Merton College, Oxford, St John’s College, Oxford, and the University of Arizona.

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

Mid Week Quote: Robert A. Heinlein

Hello

My chosen quote this week is one I read on the breakfast menu at the hotel I was staying at in Bath and it has stuck with me because I completely agree with it.

The quote is by the American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer and naval officer Robert Anson Heinlein (1907-1988).

“One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast.”

Robert A. Heinlein

Happy Reading

Etsy

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