Birthday Books!

Hello my fellow readers!

So on Sunday I had a birthday and of course I had a few books and one of these books I was very excited about as I had been dropping subtle hints to my husband for this book for quite a while.

So I had three books and one very pretty notebook.

The books were:-

The Greek Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

Marvel: Golden Age 1939-49 (Folio Society)

The Bartender’s Guide to Gin

Alice in Wonderland notebook

So the book I had been dropping many hints about was the Marvel Golden Age book by The Folio Society, I love all things Folio and when I saw this book I knew I wanted it and so the hints began. I was very happy that I had it for my birthday as I just love all things comic book and Marvel.

The Greek Plays has been on my wish list for a while so I was really pleased to also get this book for my birthday, hopefully it might help with my Masters.

My brother got me the gin book and so far I have tried two of the recipes and they have been excellent!

The notebook is very pretty but I haven’t decided yet what to use it for. I always like to plan what I will use a notebook for before using, as I do not want to ruin it by putting rubbish in it.

So that is my birthday book haul.

Happy reading.

Mid Week Quote: Ben Jonson

Hello my fellow Book Dragons!

I hope this post finds everyone well and enjoying some good books.

This weeks quote is by Ben Jonson who was a rival playwright of Shakespeare. During their lifetime Jonson and Shakespeare were both popular and there is evidence to support that Jonson’s plays got more people watching than Shakespeares. However, history has favoured Shakespeare and today Jonson’s plays are rarely performed.

“Shakespeare is not of an age, but for all time!”

Ben Jonson (1623)

Happy reading!

Girl in Trouble by Stacy Claflin (Review)

Girl in Trouble by Stacy Claflin

About the author

Stacy Claflin is a USA Today bestselling author who writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it’s her Gone saga of psychological thrillers, her various paranormal romance tales, or her sweet romance series, Stacy’s three-dimensional characters shine through.

Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time bestselling author.

When she’s not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.

Blurb

He gave up his daughter years ago, but now he’ll risk his life to save hers.

Alex Mercer is no stranger to kidnappings. The emotional scars still run deep from his sister’s disappearance years earlier. His daughter Ariana remains safe long after her adoption, and he cherishes the few times a year he gets to see her. The joy is palpable when he takes her on their first one-on-one outing. At least until he pauses to answer a text and Ariana disappears…

Wracked with guilt and determined to find answers, Alex teams up with an unlikely ally at the police department. As the clues reveal a pattern of missing girls, the kidnapping case becomes a race against time to save Ariana. What cost is Alex willing to pay to keep his daughter alive?

Review

I got this book as a freebie on Apple Books and I must admit it did not take me long to read and was nice to pick up and read when I had a few minutes spare. This was an easy read and I enjoyed the story but for me it lacked the wow factor and the ending was rather predictable.

I really liked the characters in this book especially Alex and Nick the police captain. I also liked how the character of Alex developed from a dead beat man who had little to do with his daughter but as the story went along Alex turned into a dad determined to get his little girl back and become a better dad and person in general.

The character that I did not like very much was Zoey, Alex’s ex and Ariana’s mother. She drove me slightly mad and I would be happy to not have her feature greatly in the following books in the series if I decide to continue reading the series. I’m not sure what it was that caused me to dislike the character but for some reason she grated against my nerves.

I will be honest it took me a while to get used to Claflin’s writing style and the sheer number of chapters was a bit mind numbing at times but I did enjoy the story. I personally think this book would make a great holiday read or read on a long flight and I will happily read the rest of the series. I have only given this book 3 out of 5 Dragons because it just did not have the wow factor for me.

Purchase Links

Book Depository

Friday Poetry: Margaret Wise Brown

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has exciting plans for the weekend. My chosen poem this Friday is by an American author Margaret Wise Brown (May 23, 1910 – November 13, 1952). Brown wrote children’s books and poetry.

The Secret Song

Who saw the petals

drop from the rose?

I, said the spider,

But nobody knows.

Who saw the sunset

flash on a bird?

I, said the fish,

But nobody heard.

Who saw the fog

come over the sea?

I, said the sea pigeon,

Only me.

Who saw the first

green light of the sun?

I, said the night owl,

The only one.

Who saw the moss

creep over the stone?

I, said the grey fox,

All alone.

Margaret Wise Brown

Happy reading.

Mid Week Quote: Pliny (the younger)

Today’s quote is one I have read several times whilst doing my Masters work and I rather love it so I thought I would share it with you all. I must admit I always do try to see some good in books even if they are not my cup of tea.

“[Pliny the Elder] used to say that “no book was so bad but some good might be got out of it.”

Pliny the Younger

Happy Reading

Weekend Adventures

Hello everyone!

So on Saturday I celebrated my friend’s 30th in style! Yes, we went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. Now I will be honest I have been quite a few times but I have not seen the Forbidden Forest or Gringotts bank so I was very pleased to visit and see the new scenes.

I will be honest I am terrified of spiders so the Forbidden Forest was a bit of trial for me but I absolutely loved Gringotts bank and it is possibly my second favourite part because of course the ultimate favourite is the castle at the end which is always rather emotional to behold.

What is everyone’s favourite part of the tour?

Here are a few photos from the day!

Friday Poetry: Pamela Mordecai

Happy Friday!

Today’s poem has a different take on things, instead of focusing on Christopher Columbus discovering America, it focuses on the people who lost their lands.

Lament of an Arawak Child

Once I played with the hummingbirds

and sang songs to the sea

I told my secrets to the waves

and they told theirs to me.

Now there are no more hummingbirds

the sea’s songs are all sad

for strange men came and took this land

and plundered all we had.

They made my people into slaves

they worked us to the bone

they battered us and tortured us

and laughed to hear us groan.

Today we’ll take a long canoe

and set sail on the sea

we’ll steer our journey by the stars

and find a new country.

Pamela Mordecai

Happy Reading

Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard and John Henderson (Review)

Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard and John Henderson

About the authors

Mary Beard and John Henderson both teach Classics at the University of Cambridge. Mary Beard is a fellow of Newnham College, and John Henderson is a fellow of King’s College, Cambridge.

Blurb

This Very Short Introduction to Classics links a haunting temple on a lonely mountainside to the glory of ancient Greece and the grandeur of Rome, and to Classics within modern culture – from Jefferson and Byron to Asterix and Ben-Our.

Review

This is not the first A Very Short Introduction book that I have read as I had to read and review the Music one for one of my modules in my Music Degree about ten years ago and I must admit I did enjoy it and found it interesting and I am pleased to say the Classics one did not disappoint.

I read this book as part of the set preparatory reading before my Masters started and I found it to be a great introduction into the field of Classics. The first thing I enjoyed was that the book was all linked to the Temple at Bassae and the frieze panels that are now found at the British Museum. I must admit it left me desperate to visit the British Museum and view the frieze. However I would have liked a little bit more knowledge of other classical elements.

The other element that I really enjoyed was the travelling through time of famous peoples’ encounters with the classics and the Temple of Bassae. I really enjoyed this little book and thought it was an excellent introduction to the classics.

The only reason I gave this book 4 Dragons instead of 5 was that I would have liked a bit more about Classics in general than just a focus on one element which was the temple. I highly recommend this little book to anyone who is intrigued and wanting to learn a little about classics.

Purchase links

Waterstones

Book Depository

Mid Week Quote: Paine

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

First of all a very big HELLO to all my new followers recently! Thank you for following my blog and I hope you enjoy reading it.

The quote this week is by Thomas Paine who wrote a series essays titled The American Crisis in 1776. He was also called ‘Father of the American Revolution’ because of his pamphlet Common Sense which was in defence of American independence from England.

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.”

Thomas Paine 1776

Happy reading!

Exciting News!

Hello everyone

As some of you know I have been doing a Level 3 Accredited Diploma in Diet and Nutrition. Today I can officially say I have passed! I am so happy about this as it was a completely different field of study for me so I was rather worried about it but after reading a lot of books and all my course material I managed to complete all my assignments and pass.

Now I love a challenge so this week I started my next challenge which will take me two years to complete. I have started a Masters in Classical Studies with the Open University and I am very excited! This will be a new challenge which I am hoping will include a lot of reading because I love reading! I’m also looking forward to learning a bit about archaeology as well because that is also included in the course.

So if my reviews and books change to a more classical theme you now all know why.

Wish me luck!

I would love to hear from anyone who is also taking Classical studies or has taken classical studies.

Happy Reading.