Friday Poetry: Gerard Manley Hopkins

Happy Friday!

My chosen poem today is by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Gerard Manley Hopkins was born on the 28th July 1844, he was an English poet and Jesuit priest. His two main themes in his poetry are nature and religion. He died in 1889 of what is believed to be typhoid fever. His work was largely ignored during his life but was published posthumously.

Pied Beauty

Glory be to God for dappled things - 
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced - fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim. 

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Happy Reading

Etsy

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This and That Thursday

Hello!

I hope everyone is well and having a good week so far. We are still trying to go on plenty of adventures whilst the weather is still decent. Here are our most recent adventures.

Ludlow Castle and Ludlow

We love visiting Ludlow but haven’t been for quite a long time due to covid so it was really nice to go back. We spent most of the day going around the castle but we also found an amazing little music shop where I bought a lot of music books. I did go around a bookshop but i just didn’t find a book that really interested me.

Chirk Castle

We have both been to Chirk Castle before but neither of us could remember much of it so we decided to go for another visit and I am so glad we did because it is such a wonderful place and has the biggest Grandfather clock we have ever seen.

Warner Brother Harry Potter Studio Tour

It was my husbands birthday yesterday and he asked to go to the Harry Potter Studio tour for his birthday, so yesterday we spent a wonderful day going around the tour. It was really good to see the new exhibits in the back lot and have a go at pulling out a Mandrake.

Hughenden Manor

We spent the night away last night so on the way home today we visited a new National Trust property for us, Hughenden Manor. Hughenden Manor was the home of Benjamin Disraeli and it had the most amazing library, although smaller than some of the libraries I have seen in National Trust properties I just loved it, it was so cozy and well organised. I could happily have spent all day in that room.

Hopefully the adventures continue.

Happy Reading

Etsy

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

Mid Week Quote: Albus Dumbledore

Hello!

Today I am going around the Harry Potter Studio Tour for my husbands birthday so I have decided to go for a quote from Albus Dumbledore.

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”
Albus Dumbledore

Happy Reading

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

WWW Wednesday: 14/09/2022

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 is having a good week so far. Reading is still going well so far this month so I am hoping to make a serious dent in my TBR pile and Goodreads Challenge.

What I am Currently Reading

I started this yesterday and so far I am really enjoying it.

What I have Recently Finished Reading

I can’t quite believe I managed to finish three books in a week but reading shorter books is really helping my pace.

What I Think I will Read Next

Hopefully I will start reading one of these this week.

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

Goodreads Monday: 12/09/2022

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 Monday so far.

My chosen book this week is by another new author for me, Sir Walter Scott.

Scott’s magnificent historical romance Rob Roy is set against the background of the 1715 Jacobite Rising

In the foreground of the novel we meet young Francis Osbaldistone, who, following a quarrel with his father, has been banished to join his feckless cousins on the Northumbrian estate of Sir Hildebrand Osbaldistone. When Frank discovers that his treacherous cousin Rashleigh, a Jacobite intruder, has designs on beautiful Diana Vernon, and is scheming to bring about the financial ruin of the family, Francis travels to Scotland to enlist the help of the outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor.

Purchase Links

Book Depository | Bookshop.org | Foyles | Waterstones | Wordery

(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.)

Please drop me a comment if you have taken part in 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

Friday Poetry: Ade Hall

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far.

My chosen poem this week is by a new poet for me and I chose it because it made me laugh.

Astrophysics Lesson

I took an orange and a plum
To demonstrate the Earth and Sun;
held in place by gravity -
Our little planet, you and me. 

I grabbed some grapes for all the stars
And cast them out so wide and far;
Distant suns and foreign moons
In all four corners of the room.

The wonders of the galaxy
Spread out before class 2BT.
'Where did they come from?' someone cried;
'From the fruit bowl' I replied. 

Ade Hall

Happy Reading

Etsy

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

Mid Week Quote: Mark Twain

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!

My chosen quote for this week is by the American author, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910) who was known by his pen name Mark Twain.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
Mark Twain

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: 7/09/2022

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 is having a good week so far. I have decided that for September I am going to read books that are 300 pages or less because I have so many on TBR pile at the moment.

What I am Currently Reading

I actually started these two books today. The reason I started Cliff’s Descent was because I went to get new tyres for my car and forgot to bring a book so I had to use the Kindle app on my phone. I have almost finished The Winter Ghosts because I have not been able to put it down today.

What I have Recently Finished Reading

I had forgotten just how good Mary Higgins Clark is because I could not put Remember Me down, it was a fantastic read.

What I Think I will Read Next

These are just some of my short books on the TBR pile. Hopefully I will manage quite a few this month.

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

Lyra’s Pawsome Books #1

Hello!

In recent weeks I have been building up my Etsy shop or should I say Lyra’s Etsy shop and we now have some special Halloween themed book boxes. I also have a special discount code for my blog readers. If you use the code BOOKDRAGON10 at the checkout it will get you 10% off your purchase.

Halloween Book Box

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A post shared by Lyra’s Pawsome Books (@lyraspawsomebooks)

The box includes:

– Brand new paperback book (genre of your choice)
– Halloween bag
– Halloween chocolate
– Halloween bookmark
– Hot Chocolate
– Coffee bag
– Tea bag
– Lotus biscuit
– Border biscuits
– Popcorn

Halloween Book Box with Vegan Treats

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A post shared by Lyra’s Pawsome Books (@lyraspawsomebooks)

The box contains:

– Brand new paperback book (genre of your choice)
– Halloween bag
– Halloween bookmark
– Coffee bag
– Tea bag
– Vegan Popcorn
– Nomo vegan chocolate bar
– Candy Kittens Wild Strawberry Vegan Gourmet Sweets

There are more products in the pipeline and they will be added over the next few weeks.

Happy Reading