Hello!
I hope everyone has had a good weekend. I now have two weeks off from teaching so I am looking forward to some good reading.
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I am thoroughly enjoying this and can’t put it down.
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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!
Only one book purchased this week and it was prep for our holiday. We always like to get a book about our planned destination so we can plan our trip and learn more about the place. The books are also nice little reminders of the places we have visited.
So here is our next holiday destination! We have never been before and we are both very excited to visit. This little book is smaller than expected but it is packed full of useful information and historical facts and is helping us plan what we want to do whilst in Jersey.
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Happy Friday!
My chosen poem this week is by the English poet whose work spanned the eras of Victorian poetry and Modernism, Charlotte Mew (1869-1928).
In the Fields
Lord, when I look at lovely things which pass,
Under old trees the shadows of young leaves
Dancing to please the wind along the grass,
Or the gold stillness of the August sun on the August
sheaves:
Can I believe there is a heavenlier world than this?
And if there is
Will the strange heart of everlasting thing
Bring me these dreams which take my breath away?
They come at evening with the home-flying rooks and the
scent of hay,
Over the fields. They come in Spring.
Charlotte Mew
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Hello!
My chosen quote today is by the English singer, songwriter, musician and political activist, John Lennon (1940-1980).
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.”
John Lennon
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Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll
Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith
Blurb
Quiet and reserved, Clemmie is happy in the background. But although her parents may overlook her talents, her ability to read hieroglyphs makes her invaluable at the Egyptian relic parties which have made her father the toast of Victorian society.
But at one such party, the words Clemmie interprets from an unusual amulet strike fear into her heart. The beautiful and dangerous glyphs she holds in her hands will change her life forever.
Five years later, Clemmie arrives in Egypt on a mission to save what remains of her family. The childhood game she used to play about the immortal sisters, Isis and Nephthys, has taken on a devastating resonance and it is only by following Nephthys’ story that she can undo the mistakes of the past. On her journey up the Nile she will meet unexpected allies and enemies and, along with long-buried secrets and betrayals, Clemmie will be forced to step into the light.
Review
I was really excited to read this book and had it preordered for quite a while and I read it almost as soon as it arrived in my parcel box which is unusual for me.
I will be honest I did not gel well with this book. I really tried and there were parts that I enjoyed but I did struggle with the writing style and some of the characters. One of the elements I did enjoy was that the main character Clemmie was an asthmatic. As a fellow asthmatic I found it really interesting to see how asthma was treated in the Victorian period. It really made me realise how dangerous asthma was in that period as there really wasn’t any drugs to help if they had a bad attack.
The other element I loved was the descriptions of Egypt and how the Victorians visited the different locations. I also enjoyed the snippets of Egyptian myths that were included in the book and I would have loved to have had more of those and the descriptions of Egypt. The showing of how Egypt was plundered by tourists and so much history was either destroyed or taken was also good to see that it wasn’t covered up or skipped over but was made part of the story.
I did struggle with how much this book jumped around at times from the present to past and sometimes to dreams. I just felt like it detracted from the storyline and I found it slowed the pacing down quite a bit. I also struggled with Clemmie. Clemmie was a very frustrating character to me. At times she was just too naive and childish and although I know the Victorians were very superstitious Clemmie was broaching on the ridiculous.
This was a take it or leave it book for me, I did enjoy the scenes set in Egypt but I found the flashbacks all too frequent and I just wanted the story to get a move on and back to Egypt. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.
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About the author
Rachel Louise Driscoll won the Curtis Brown Creative scholarship in 2020. Originally from the South West of England, she lives in the North East with her husband and cat, Cleopatra. Nephthys is her debut novel. She was inspired to write Clemmie’s story by an experience she had at a local museum as a child where she was allowed to hold a mummified ancient Egyptian cat. Enjoying the hours of avid research required, Rachel even wrote some of the book wearing a corset in order to capture Clemmie’s experience more accurately!
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. My chosen book from my Goodreads TBR to feature this week is one that has sat on my TBR for quite a few years.
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in the classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch?
Long before Dorothy drops in, a girl is born in Oz with emerald-green skin. Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous witch, is a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived ideas about the nature of good and evil.
Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world, Gregory Maguire’s novel is a rich and triumphant feat of imagination and allegory.
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Hello!
I hope you have all had a good weekend so far. I have managed to finish a book this weekend which is good.
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The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith
Blurb
1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.
So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.
Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination.
But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.
Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.
Review
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favourite authors and I fully plan on reading all her books so I was quite excited to read this book which I bought at Christmas. I was not disappointed.
The first thing that struck me about this book was just how clever it was. It doesn’t just tell one woman’s story it tells three and they are very different from each other. Vera is an unknown Mexican who is cast as the lead in a Hollywood film. The film is about Salome, the well known biblical figure from the Bible. The second woman is Nancy, who has only ever had bit parts and will do anything to get that lead role she dreams about. The third woman is Salome, that legendary woman from the Bible whose dance set in motion certain events.
I loved the setting of this book and found 1950’s Hollywood fascinating. How it all worked on the set of film, the way to publicise a film through socialising and being seen at certain events, right down to where they had lunch with other actors and writers. These scenes were so well written and well researched that it really helped me see what it was like, the glamorous parts and the not so glamorous.
The character I really did not like in this book was Nancy. Nancy was one of these characters who was convinced that she was cheated by everyone and that she should have the best of everything and yet she wouldn’t work for anything and was horrible to people. She was jealous and vindictive and I really didn’t like the parts of the book where she featured.
Vera was my favourite character and one that I felt very protective over. She had always been overshadowed by her sister, she even knew she wasn’t her mother’s favourite child and her mother regularly compared her to her sister. Vera was innocent and polite and kindness itself. She wanted to help everyone and be friends with everyone and never had a bad word to say about anyone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved how Salome was portrayed. I could not put this book down and it very nearly made the 5 Dragons but I just could not get on with the character of Nancy and her storyline. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.
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About the author
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. She has also edited a number of anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu’s Daughters). Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination.
Happy Friday!
My chosen this week is by the English novelist and playwright John Galsworthy (1867-1933).
The Downs
O the Down high to the cool sky;
And the feel of the sun-warmed moss!
And each cardoon, like a full moon
Fairy-spun of the thistle floss;
And the beech-grove, and a wood-dove,
And the trail where the shepherds pass;
And the lark's song, and the wind-song,
And the scent of the parching grass!
John Galsworthy
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Hello!
I managed to read 3 books out of 5 off my March TBR so that was a big improvement on my February TBR. I’m really hoping I can do just as well with my April TBR..
I have two weeks off in April for the Easter holidays so I am planning on getting plenty of reading done in that time. I might even get my Kindle working as well!
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Lady Book Dragon 