tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81813646347793831732024-02-02T10:03:35.911-08:00All Booked UpAll Booked Up started out as a book review blog. Now its a more general one. Posts on whatever calls my interest. There will, however still be some book reviews.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.comBlogger1279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-8165621561630049192018-05-18T23:47:00.004-07:002018-05-18T23:47:39.872-07:00The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clan-Cave-Bear-Earths-Children/dp/0553381679/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1526664336&sr=8-1&keywords=the+clan+of+the+cave+bear&dpID=51tcFlUKBgL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=e94f8aa33e6d69d9bb612a4c6834fc27" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0553381679&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0553381679" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Clan of the Cave Bear</b></u><br />
Jean M. Auel<br />
Bantam<br />
Copyright Date: 1980<br />
978-0553381672<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s <i>The Great American Read</i></b><br />
<br />
Through
Jean M. Auel’s magnificent storytelling we are taken back to the dawn
of modern humans, and with a girl named Ayla we are swept up in the
harsh and beautiful Ice Age world they shared with the ones who called
themselves the <i>Clan of the Cave Bear</i>.<br />
<br />
A natural disaster
leaves the young girl wandering alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous
land until she is found by a woman of the Clan, people very different
from her own kind. To them, blond, blue-eyed Ayla looks peculiar and
ugly—she is one of the Others, those who have moved into their ancient
homeland; but Iza cannot leave the girl to die and takes her with them.
Iza and Creb, the old Mog-ur, grow to love her, and as Ayla learns the
ways of the Clan and Iza’s way of healing, most come to accept her. But
the brutal and proud youth who is destined to become their next leader
sees her differences as a threat to his authority. He develops a deep
and abiding hatred for the strange girl of the Others who lives in their
midst, and is determined to get his revenge.</blockquote>
It's been a while since I read this one - possibly before <u>Shelters of Stone</u> was published, much less <a href="https://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2011/04/land-of-painted-caves-jean-m-auel.html"><u>Land of Painted Caves</u></a>. Definitely it's been long enough that I only remembered the broadest strokes of the storyline. However, I do remember that by the end of the series, the books have long since stretched my credulity as to the impact and number of new discoveries/inventions one person can be part of.<br />
<br />
That is my one grumble with this series, but you won't see any of that in the first book. What I did notice this time around was how much foreshadowing of events there was for the later books in the series - especially the third book and later. I'm also completely amazed as to the amount of research that had to have gone into the writing of this whole series - all the details about nearly every aspect of life during the ice age are laid out in these books - tool making, medicinal and edible plants, hunting strategies and so much more. Even better? None of it feels as though it's an information dump on the reader.<br />
<br />
I know from reading reviews on sites like Amazon.com that the level of detail that Jean Auel includes in the <i>Earth's Children</i> series isn't going to be for everyone, but I found it quite enjoyable, although there are some things that I feel sure I saw hints of in some of the National Geographic magazines I read as a child (my parents had a collection that went back into the early 1970's, and in fact managed to break the bookshelves we kept them on).<br />
<br />
Keeping on the theme of details, Jean M. Auel is a very descriptive writer who incorporates all of the senses into her writing - tastes of the foods being cooked, details of color and texture, plant life, animal tracks etc. for sight, all of the smells of life under scent, sounds of all kinds and even the feel of the things the characters touch. All of it can add up to make an amazingly detailed picture of life in the reader's head. <br />
<br />
One thing I wondered about this time reading <u>The Clan of the Cave Bear</u> is how well the author's research has held up to any new discoveries about the Neanderthals that have been made in the nearly 40 years since <u>The Clan of the Cave Bear</u> was first published. Definitely might be a topic worth looking into, given the lasting popularity of this series.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, although there were a few parts of this book that I didn't care for (I found a few scenes to be a hair too far on the graphic side, though I should have remembered that from previous reads), I definitely found it to be a page-turner that kept me going for hours at a time. I've already gotten over a hundred pages into the sequel, <u>The Valley of Horses</u>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clan-Cave-Bear-Daryl-Hannah/dp/B001ON6QXM/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1526710880&sr=1-1&keywords=the+clan+of+the+cave+bear&dpID=51UABPUOTVL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=b2d735000f70169ea70e1e199f7ca25a" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Clan of the Cave Bear movie" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001ON6QXM&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Clan of the Cave Bear movie" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B001ON6QXM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Also, before I forget, there is at least one movie adaptation for <u>The Clan of the Cave Bear</u> - and I think I might have watched it once (according to IMDB it came out in 1985). I can't really remember, although the faces in the trailer on Amazon are vaguely familiar, and I am sure I remember some of the scenes in the movie (and how they were different from the book). I don't remember though how the movie handles some of the more graphic scenes from the book. I've also seen rumors that there was a second adaptation that came out a
couple of years ago, though I don't know anything more about it.<br />
<br />
To be honest, I can't remember enough about the movie to say whether or not I recommend it, especially given how old it is now, but it definitely says something about the popularity of a book when there is at least one movie adaptation made.<br />
<br />
If anyone else can say if they liked <u>The Clan of the Cave Bear</u> movie or not, I'd definitely be curious.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-70871410103323351182018-05-15T17:56:00.001-07:002018-05-15T17:56:18.058-07:00Perfect for the cooking gardener<a href="https://www.amazon.com/RSVP-International-SNIP-Herb-Scissors/dp/B000TYKWMI/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1525288728&sr=1-21&keywords=herb+scissors&linkCode=li3&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=b2ba47b371bf55eb60d0e460a66a2882" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000TYKWMI&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B000TYKWMI" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />With all the kitchen gizmos out there, and there are a lot of them, every now and again I discover something perfectly simple and brilliant. This is one of those that I first saw last Christmas as a gift.<br />
<br />
They're a set of herb scissors that are perfect for cutting chives or parsley for your food.<br />
<br />
I know that I love fresh parsley and chives garnishing my soups and pastas, but using a knife and cutting board isn't my all-time favorite way of chopping them. I also know you can use a set of regular scissors and a glass to chop herbs, but again I don't find it all that efficient. These on the other hand? With five sets of blades perfectly spaced apart, each snip provides bits of herb that are just the right size. They're not that difficult to clean either. Most of the time I find running water washes away any clogging bits. The rare times it doesn't - or if I'm not done using the scissors to chop, a knife blade works well - just as I would use one to clear a pastry-cutter.<br />
<br />
I will admit that these herb scissors aren't ideal for all types of herbs - thyme or rosemary are still better chopped against a cutting board. Still, since I got myself a set I've been finding that I duck out to the garden to get some parsley or chives a bit more often than I did last year. The convenience factor of these is great.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-46837018225138181472018-05-02T12:00:00.002-07:002018-05-02T12:00:48.816-07:00Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth is only a couple of months away nowAnd I can't wait! I only wish I was able to visit Oxford to see the actual exhibit.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Maker-Middle-earth-Catherine-McIlwaine/dp/1851244859/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525286012&sr=1-1&keywords=tolkien+maker+of+middle-earth&dpID=61fiwAORduL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=35138e3e0eb5230f5e4b97e2c592aa20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1851244859&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" /></a><u><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1851244859" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth</b></u><br />
Ed. Catherine McIlwane<br />
Bodleian Library, University of Oxford<br />
Release Date: July 15, 2018<br />
978-1851244850<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The range of J. R. R. Tolkien’s talents is remarkable. Not only was he
an accomplished linguist and philologist, as well as a scholar of
Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature and Norse folklore, but also a
skillful illustrator and storyteller. Drawing on these talents, he
created a universe which is for many readers as real as the physical
world they inhabit daily.<br />
<br />
<i>Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth </i>explores
the huge creative endeavor behind Tolkien’s enduring popularity.
Lavishly illustrated with three hundred images of his manuscripts,
drawings, maps, and letters, the book traces the creative process behind
his most famous literary works—<i>The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, </i>and <i>The Silmarillion</i>—and reproduces personal photographs and private papers, many of which have never been seen before in print.<br />
<br />
Six essays introduce the reader to the person of J. R. R. Tolkien and
to main themes in his life and work, including the influence of northern
languages and legends on the creation of his own <i>legendarium</i>;
his concept of “Faërie” as an enchanted literary realm; the central
importance of his invented languages in his fantasy writing; his visual
imagination and its emergence in his artwork; and the encouragement he
derived from his close friend C. S. Lewis and their literary group the
Inklings.<br />
<br />
The book brings together the largest collection of
original Tolkien material ever assembled in a single volume. Drawing on
the extensive archives of the Tolkien collections at the Bodleian
Libraries, Oxford, which stretch to more than five hundred boxes, and
Marquette University, Milwaukee, as well as private collections, this
hugely ambitious and exquisitely produced book draws together the worlds
of J. R. R. Tolkien – scholarly, literary, creative, and
domestic—offering a rich and detailed understanding and appreciation of
this extraordinary author.<br />
<br />
This landmark publication, produced
on the occasion of a major exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries in
Oxford in 2018 and at the Morgan Library in New York in 2019, is set to
become a standard work in the literature on J. R. R. Tolkien. </blockquote>
Over 400 pages of essays and Tolkien material from the Bodleian Library, Marquette University and private collections! I'm almost drooling just thinking about it! Of course, some of it may have been reproduced in other volumes (I'm thinking of the <a href="https://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2011/11/letters-from-father-christmas-jrr.html"><u>Letters from Father Christmas</u></a> for example). I just wish I could see somewhere a list of who the essay-writers are. I can definitely think of some well-recognized Tolkien scholars who I'd love to read more from: Verlyn Flieger, Dimitra Fimi, Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull, John Garth, etc...<br />
<br />
With the sentence in the description "...his concept of “Faërie” as an enchanted literary realm; the central
importance of his invented languages in his fantasy writing; his visual
imagination and its emergence in his artwork..." I wouldn't be surprised to see one or two of the above named scholars having contributed. I know that two of the more recent Hammond and Scull books were on Tolkien's artwork in the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Dimitra Fimi has written on Tolkien and language, and Flieger has written a fair bit on Tolkien and Faerie in the past. However, those are just my guesses. I guess I'll just have to wait until I order and receive a copy of <a href="https://amzn.to/2rhsA3p"><u>Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth</u></a> to see who's contributed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-67287573031157519592018-03-09T14:48:00.001-08:002018-03-09T14:49:26.953-08:00New Tolkien Book: The Inklings and King ArthurIt's setting up to be a good year for Tolkien books so far.<br />
<br />
The latest one I've discovered came out a couple of months ago:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inklings-King-Arthur-Williams-Barfield/dp/1944769897/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520623138&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=King+Arthur+tolkien&psc=1&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=6d8ff5b8dad7d68eec7c457d2db2bc58" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Inklings and King Arthur: J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield on the Matter of Britain" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1944769897&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Inklings and King Arthur: J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield on the Matter of Britain" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1944769897" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Inklings and King Arthur: J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield on the Matter of Britain</b></u><br />
Ed: Sørina Higgins<br />
Apocryphile Press<br />
Copyright Date: December 2017<br />
978-1944769895<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the midst of war-torn Britain, King Arthur returned in the
writings of the Oxford Inklings. Learn how J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S.
Lewis, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield brought hope to their times
and our own in their Arthurian literature.<br />
Although studies
of the “Oxford Inklings” abound, astonishingly enough, none has yet
examined their great body of Arthurian work. Yet each of these major
writers tackled serious and relevant questions about government, gender,
violence, imperialism, secularism, and spirituality through their
stories of the Quest for the Holy Grail. This rigorous and sophisticated
volume studies does so for the first time.<br />
This serious and
substantial volume addresses a complex subject that scholars have for
too long overlooked. The contributors show how, in the legends of King
Arthur, the Inklings found material not only for escape and consolation,
but also, and more importantly, for exploring moral and spiritual
questions of pressing contemporary concern. —<b>Michael Ward</b>, Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, and co-editor of <i>C.S. Lewis at Poets’ Corner</i><br />
This
volume follows Arthurian leylines in geographies of myth, history,
gender, and culture, uncovering Inklings lodestones and way markers
throughout. A must read for students of the Inklings. —<b>Aren Roukema</b>, Birkbeck, University of London</blockquote>
Definitely a book I'm adding to my "wish-list"!<br />
None of the names are ones I recognize - but I admit that until recently I've focused more on the "big name" Tolkien scholars like Verlyn Flieger and Tom Shippey. At any rate, the Table of Contents I found on the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38085991-the-inklings-and-king-arthur">Goodreads page for <u>The Inklings and King Arthur</u></a> looks intriguing:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer2259540612"><span id="freeText18252913716676793662">Introduction—Present and Past: The Inklings and King Arthur.<br />—Sørina Higgins<br /><br />Texts and Intertexts<br />1. The Matter of Logres: Arthuriana and the Inklings.<br />—Sørina Higgins<br />2. Medieval Arthurian Sources for the Inklings: An Overview.<br />—Holly Ordway<br />3. Mixed Metaphors and Hyperlinked Worlds:<br />A Study of Intertextuality in C. S. Lewis’ Ransom Cycle.<br />—Brenton D. G. Dickieson<br />4. Houses of Healing: The Idea of Avalon in Inklings Fiction and Poetry.<br />—Charles A. Huttar<br />5. Shape and Direction: Human Consciousness in the Inklings’ Mythological Geographies. —Christopher Gaertner<br /><br />Histories Past <br />6. From Myth to History and Back Again:<br />Inklings Arthuriana in Historical Context.<br />—Yannick Imbert<br />7. “All Men Live by Tales”: Chesterton’s Arthurian Poems.<br />—J. Cameron Moore<br />8. The Elegiac Fantasy of Past Christendom in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur.<br />—Cory Grewell<br /><br />Histories Present<br />9. Spiritual Quest in a Scientific Age.<br />—Jason Jewell and Chris Butynskyi<br />10. The Stripped Banner:<br />Reading The Fall of Arthur as a Post-World War I Text.<br />—Taylor Driggers<br />11. “Lilacs Out of the Dead Land”:<br />Narnia, The Waste Land, and the World Wars.<br />—Jon Hooper<br />12. “What Does the Line along the Rivers Define?”:<br />Charles Williams’ Arthuriad and the Rhetoric of Empire.<br />—Benjamin D. Utter<br /><br />Geographies of Gender<br />13. “Fair as Fay-woman and Fell-minded”: Tolkien’s Guinever.<br />—Alyssa House-Thomas<br />14. Beatrice and Byzantium: Sex and the City in the Arthurian Works of Charles Williams. —Andrew Rasmussen<br />15. Those Kings of Lewis’ Logres:<br />Arthurian Figures as Lewisian Genders in That Hideous Strength.<br />—Benjamin Shogren<br /><br />Cartographies of the Spirit <br />16. “Servant of All”: Arthurian Peregrinations in George MacDonald.<br />—Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson<br />17. Camelot Incarnate: Arthurian Vision in the Early Plays of Charles Williams.<br />—Bradley Wells<br />18. “Any Chalice of Consecrated Wine”:<br />The Significance of the Holy Grail in Charles Williams’ War in Heaven.<br />—Suzanne Bray<br />19. The Acts of Unity: The Eucharistic Theology of Charles Williams’ Arthurian Poetry.<br />—Andrew C. Stout<br />Conclusion—Once and Future:<br />The Inklings, Arthur, and Prophetic Insight.<br />—Malcolm Guite</span></span></blockquote>
<span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer2259540612"><span id="freeText18252913716676793662">I'll also admit that my reading and book-buying habits have been directed more towards J.R.R. Tolkien and scholarship about his life and works. However, I'm working on expanding from there, and this definitely looks like a book to get. All I know about most of the other Inklings comes from the <a href="http://amzn.to/2FwT9I9">Humphrey Carpenter book of the same name</a>, although recently I've bought another book or two on the topic.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-83156881618760411372018-03-08T20:51:00.001-08:002018-03-08T20:51:15.767-08:00Blue Planet II Narrated by David Attenborough<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Planet-II-UltraHD-Blu-ray/dp/B077XRG26F/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1520569398&sr=8-2&keywords=blue+planet+2&dpID=51vExONqKcL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li3&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=a1307b25030389b265edc34b2591d7d0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Blue Planet II - Take a Deep Breath" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B077XRG26F&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Blue Planet II - Take a Deep Breath" /></a><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B077XRG26F" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Blue Planet II</b> was just released on DVD, Blu Ray and 4K UltraHD on Tuesday and all I can say is "WOW". I've only watched the first two episodes so far, but it is absolutely spectacular, every minute of the show.<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description is as follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In recent years, our knowledge of what goes on in our Ocean has been
transformed. Blue Planet II uses cutting-edge breakthroughs in science
and technology to explore new worlds, reveals astonishing creatures and
extraordinary new animal behaviors. As we journey through our deep seas,
coral reefs, open ocean, green seas and coasts we share these
extraordinary new discoveries. But we now know that ocean health is
under threat. Never has there been a more crucial time to explore our
remotest seas, and to examine what the future will hold for our blue
planet. </blockquote>
I've loved everything by David Attenborough that I've seen so far, and to date, <i>Blue Planet II</i> is no exception. I loved both the original <i>Planet Earth</i> series, along with <i>The Blue Planet</i> - both of which I have on DVD, but the clarity of the 4k viewing for this one and the new <i>Planet Earth II</i> that came out last year just blows both of those away! I raved about the first two and his <i>Wildlife Specials</i> series in <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2013/05/an-amazing-overview-of-our-planet.html">this post</a> a few years ago.<br />
<br />
The filming in this one is just spectacular - they've managed to capture some truly glorious waves with the light glowing through as just one example from the first episode. That doesn't even begin to cover watching a school of Giant Trevally catching birds in flight, or looking at a very, very strange looking deepwater fish which has a transparent head that it looks through, the Barreleye fish. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one since I watched the episode earlier this evening.<br />
<br />
David Attenborough shows us so many things about our own planet that I think we'd never see without a show like this. How about the twilight zone and the midnight zones of our ocean? Without the specialized equipment he has access to, there's no other way to see it - and there's so much beauty hidden down there and almost unknown! What's more, we're destroying more and more of it as we go! <br />
<br />
The next episode on the first disc is going to be just as spectacular I think. Where the first episode was an overview of the oceans in general and the second episode looked at the deepest waters in more detail, the third episode is going to be focused on coral reefs around the world. I'll admit to having a soft spot for those - especially after my two visits to Hanauma Bay in Hawaii. Watching this episode will probably bring back some fond memories.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Planet-II-David-Fleming/dp/B076M46LLS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1520570537&sr=8-2&keywords=blue+planet+2+soundtrack&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=d0b194c3d57d5d7dafb57997b655ead7" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Blue Planet II Soundtrack - CD" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B076M46LLS&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Blue Planet II Soundtrack - CD" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B076M46LLS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Nifty! Some searching just showed me that there is a CD version of the soundtrack for this show available too! The music is just as spectacular as the footage for these two shows. Of course, I have a particular fondness for the music of Hans Zimmer, who did some of the music for these shows, so your opinions on this may vary.<br />
<br />
With <a href="http://amzn.to/2oUaLHg"><i>Planet Earth II</i></a>, we ended up having to go with an iTunes version. Maybe I'm just really old-fashioned, but I have a strong preference for having a physical copy of my music - and I know I listen to far more music from CD's than I do my phone. Of course, having said that, I now see that there is a CD version for <i>Planet Earth II</i> as well. Go figure!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-46418777233668512812018-02-28T14:47:00.000-08:002018-02-28T14:47:42.270-08:00Interesting article on e-readers and their futureI just finished reading this article on the future of e-readers: <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/us/is-the-ereader-dead,review-5158.html?utm_content=bufferf8056&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">Is the E-Reader Dead?</a> (not e-books I have to note) and I'm wondering what your opinion is.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kobo-Digital-eBook-Reader-Touchscreen/dp/B012F4HVBE/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B012F4HVBE&pd_rd_r=YR9372B9T1Z4PHSVCCH7&pd_rd_w=XQoZq&pd_rd_wg=N7aoE&psc=1&refRID=YR9372B9T1Z4PHSVCCH7&dpID=414ZMu3NpmL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail&linkCode=li3&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=2d7462e7fad2917aeaaf547fccc6cc25" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B012F4HVBE&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B012F4HVBE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Personally, I hope not! I love my Kobo Glo e-reader! I've been using one since the very first generation Kobo came out - which I think was around 2010? I still have my 2nd gen one around somewhere too. For a while I used a Kobo Vox, but I've happily gone back to the e-ink e-readers for several reasons.<br />
<br />
The primary reason I've returned to the e-ink e-reader - I bought my latest one a couple of years ago, the <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-kobo-glo-hd.html">Kobo Glo HD</a> is the battery life. Overall, my opinion since is that I love it - the touch screen, ability to read footnotes, and the adjustable light, but overall the battery life!<br />
<br />
I can take it on a week-long camping trip and not have to worry about running out of battery and reading-time. What's more, I don't have to read with a flashlight/headlamp at night either in the tent or by the fire. Personally at night I find that 2-4% brightness for the lighting works well, which is also dim enough that it doesn't always bother my camping partner.<br />
<br />
I compare that with my iPad, which has about a ten hour battery life before I need to recharge it, or my old <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2012/05/kobo-vox-longer-term-impressions.html">Kobo Vox</a> which was about 6-8 hours of battery life and <i>slow</i>! Or at least looking back on it it seems slow.<br />
<br />
One of the best things with the e-ink e-reader over using an app on my phone/tablet - besides it's habit of sucking battery-power - is the ease of loading the many non-Kobo e-books I have on my computer - the early <i>Honor Harrington</i> series thanks to the CD that came with the hardcover edition of <u>War of Honor</u>, similar collections from other CD's, electronic ARC's and even small-site purchases of e-books. Run those into Calibre, make sure they're in the right format, and then load them onto the e-ink reader.<br />
<br />
If I'm doing the same thing with books on my iPad e-reader, I have to do the format checks, then e-mail the e-pub file to myself and then download it into the Kobo app on my iPad. Much more of a hassle in my mind. However, there may be a faster method that I'm not aware of.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's a personal thing, but I like having a dedicated device for reading - I remember with the Kobo Vox how easy it was to read for a few minutes then get side-tracked with the games I'd loaded onto that device before coming back again to read for a bit more. Reading on a dedicated device reduces that temptation - though the fact I'm generally carrying a phone with games on it mitigates that.<br />
<br />
For the most part, while I prefer paper books, the one thing I can't deny is the convenience of an e-reader of any sort for books like <u>The Mists of Avalon</u>, or <u>The Deed of Paksenarrion</u> - both books that are 800 pages plus, and often over a thousand pages each. Forget taking something like that traveling! Camping or otherwise. Even when traveling, I'm spoiled for choice, with probably a hundred e-books or so with me. Despite that, I'll still carry a couple of paper books too - no way I'm going to risk my e-reader taking it out on my kayak. An inexpensive mass-market paperback that I bought used - and can find again easily? That I'll take, sealed inside a zip-lock bag.<br />
<br />
One of the other bonuses with e-books is the "instant gratification" factor. Finished one book and want to read the next in the series? Go online to the store and purchase/download it right away. No having to order the book and wait for it to come in. I will admit to buying some series this way for exactly that reason.<br />
<br />
And finally, there's no need to be embarrassed by a book cover any more. Romance novel? No-one's going to see it and judge it - especially if you have a cover on your e-reader. Racy cover? same thing. Again, I have a couple of series that I'm only buying in e-form for just that reason.<br />
<br />
Really for me, the dedicated e-ink e-reader really comes down to three main points that raise it over the e-reading apps for phones and tablets (though I'll admit to using the Amazon.com app on my iPad, and I also have the Kobo app on it, though I rarely use it).<br />
<br />
First of all, the battery life - it's challenging enough keeping my phone and iPad charged when camping. Having a device for a pastime I do a lot of where I don't have to worry about the battery is a really big plus (I'll easily read for two or three hours a day sometimes).<br />
<br />
Second is the convenience of being able to quickly and easily load on non-Kobo or non-Amazon.com books.<br />
<br />
And the third point in favor of the e-ink e-readers: No screen-glare! Which does actually raise a fourth point - how easy it is to read on an e-ink screen under any lighting conditions - bright sun in sunglasses? no problem. Dim shade? Easy. Late at night? Simple. It's so much easier on my eyes. What's more, the e-ink readers give you more control over how the text is laid out on the page/screen I've found. More font-options, margin and line-spacing controls as well.<br />
<br />
Overall, as you can see, I'm really hoping that the article linked above isn't correct in it's predictions.<br />
<br />
What's your take on the issue?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-89863360701684680532018-02-24T10:25:00.000-08:002018-02-24T10:25:08.621-08:00More Book Buying!Yep, I seem to be buying books rather than reading this month. Bought a couple more yesterday - one based on a recommendation from a mailing-list discussion thread, and one I'd meant to buy a few years ago - this one I special ordered. Also I bought a tribute-book/biography for Gord Downie of Canada's Tragically Hip music group.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Silk-Roads-New-History-World/dp/1101912375/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1519494349&sr=1-1&dpID=612RqNZGUEL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=detail&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=1d99bf0fc3793abdada2223eb5d60020" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Silk Roads: A New History of the World - Peter Frankopan" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1101912375&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Silk Roads: A New History of the World - Peter Frankopan" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1101912375" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Silk Roads: A New History of the World</b></u><br />
Peter Frankopan<br />
Vintage<br />
Copyright Date: 2017 (Reprint)<br />
978-1101912379<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><b>“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that
is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.”
—William Dalrymple, <i>The Guardian </i></b><br /> <br />The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization</b><br />
<br />
It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each
other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas,
cultures and religions. From the rise and fall of empires to the spread
of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam, right up to the
great wars of the twentieth century—this book shows how the fate of the
West has always been inextricably linked to the East.<br />
<br />
Peter
Frankopan realigns our understanding of the world, pointing us eastward.
He vividly re-creates the emergence of the first cities in Mesopotamia
and the birth of empires in Persia, Rome and Constantinople, as well as
the depredations by the Mongols, the transmission of the Black Death and
the violent struggles over Western imperialism. Throughout the
millennia, it was the appetite for foreign goods that brought East and
West together, driving economies and the growth of nations. <br />
<br />
From
the Middle East and its political instability to China and its economic
rise, the vast region stretching eastward from the Balkans across the
steppe and South Asia has been thrust into the global spotlight in
recent years. Frankopan teaches us that to understand what is at stake
for the cities and nations built on these intricate trade routes, we
must first understand their astounding pasts. Far more than a history of
the Silk Roads, this book is truly a revelatory new history of the
world, promising to destabilize notions of where we come from and where
we are headed next.</blockquote>
Based on the description, and the discussion where it was recommended, this looks like it'll be an interesting read - just not sure when I'll get to it. I'm so busy with work right now that I'm barely reading anything at all.<br />
<br />
I also ordered myself a copy of:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Emperors-Agent-Jo-Graham/dp/1937530485/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1519494970&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=9b91f175f5037930bda3533567cfcc60" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Emperor's Agent - Jo Graham" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1937530485&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Emperor's Agent - Jo Graham" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1937530485" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Emperor's Agent</b></u><br />
Jo Graham<br />
Crossroads Press<br />
Copyright Date: 2013<br />
978-1937530488<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Courtesan, actress, medium . . . spy. 1805: Europe stands poised on the
brink of war. Elza is content with her life in the demi-monde, an
actress and courtesan in the glittering society of France's First
Empire, but when her former lover is arrested for treason, Elza is
blackmailed into informing on her friends and associates. She has one
alternative-to become the secret agent of the most feared man in Europe,
Napoleon Bonaparte! France's invasion of England is imminent, but a spy
in the camp of the Grand Army threatens the secret plans. Taking the
Emperor's commission to catch the spy means playing the deadly game of
spy versus counterspy. However, this is no ordinary espionage, but
backed by the power of the witches of England determined to hold
England's sea wards against invasion. Only an agent who is herself a
medium can hope to unravel their magic in time-with the life of the man
Elza loves hanging in the balance. From the theaters of Paris to the sea
cliffs that guard the Channel, from ballrooms and bedrooms to
battlefields corporeal and astral, Elza must rely on her wits, her
courage, her beauty, and her growing talents as a medium for she must
triumph-or die!</blockquote>
If my memory serves, The Emperor's Agent is the sequel to <u>The General's Mistress</u>, which I read back when it first came out. I think it's time for a re-read to refresh my memory of events before I read <u>The Emperor's Agent</u>. My understanding is that these two books are loosely connected to the <i>Numinous World</i> series (<a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2010/09/black-ships-jo-graham.html"><u>Black Ships</u></a>, <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2017/01/hand-of-isis-jo-graham.html"><u>Hand of Isis</u></a> and <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2010/06/stealing-fire-jo-graham.html"><u>Stealing Fire</u></a>).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-56618259275507833062018-02-14T09:45:00.000-08:002018-02-14T09:45:08.859-08:00And another new book arrivalI'm starting to run out of ways to title these posts. Anyway, the final book in last month's ordering/buying spree arrived this morning.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Handbook-Medieval-Handbooks-History/dp/0198779380/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518628399&sr=1-1&keywords=oxford+handbook+of+women+and+gender+in+medieval+Europe&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=a7b273362954433560ede8468063bf12" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe - Ed. Judith M. Bennett and Ruth Mazo Karras" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0198779380&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe - Ed. Judith M. Bennett and Ruth Mazo Karras" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0198779380" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe</b></u><br />
Ed. Judith M. Bennett and Ruth Mazo Karras<br />
Oxford University Press<br />
Copyright 2013 (reprint 2016)<br />
978-0198779384<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe</i>
provides a comprehensive overview of the gender rules encountered in
Europe in the period between approximately 500 and 1500 C.E. The essays
collected in this volume speak to interpretative challenges common to
all fields of women's and gender history - that is, how best to uncover
the experiences of ordinary people from archives formed mainly by and
about elite males, and how to combine social histories of lived
experiences with cultural histories of gendered discourses and
identities. The collection focuses on Western Europe in the Middle Ages
but offers some consideration of medieval Islam and Byzantium. <br />
<br />
The <i>Handbook</i>
is structured into seven sections: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim
thought; law in theory and practice; domestic life and material culture;
labour, land, and economy; bodies and sexualities; gender and holiness;
and the interplay of continuity and change throughout the medieval
period. It contains material from some of the foremost scholars in this
field, and it not only serves as the major reference text in medieval
and gender studies, but also provides an agenda for future new research.</blockquote>
With all of the other history books I've bought recently, I don't know when I'm going to have a chance to really get into this one, but it's one I really wanted to add to my collection. I'm hoping it will start to fill some gaps in my collection - which is fairly heavily focused on the U.K. and on the Crusades (for which interest I thank a couple of really good teachers I've had, and also my interest in historical fiction). Many of the remaining books are former textbooks I've kept since my university student days. Still, it's time to branch out a bit, and this is a start.<br />
<br />
I know I've had quite an interest in women's lives during the Medieval period - part of my interest in people's day-to-day lives. and that's the direction I've been taking my library to an extent.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it's time to step back from my ever-growing bookshelves, and refocus on this book.<br />
Looking at the table of contents, there are essays on: Women and Gender in Islamic traditions, Women and Laws in Early Medieval Europe, Slavery, Gender at the Medieval Millennium, Women and Gender in Canon Law, Urban Economies, Gender and Daily Life in Jewish Communities and so many more articles.<br />
<br />
I have the feeling that I'm going to be wishing I'd bought the hardcover version and not the paperback - despite the fact that I can't really justify ether purchase with the number of unread books I already have.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-26972764079623605392018-02-08T16:35:00.001-08:002018-02-08T16:35:23.760-08:00More Newly Arrived BooksYesterday I picked up two more books I'd ordered last month, and also ended up buying two other books - one a planned purchase, but the other was spur-of-the-moment. Endcaps in my favorite bookstore can be dangerous to the budget!<br />
<br />
The books are (ordered books first):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dispossessed-Hainish-Cycle-Ursula-Guin/dp/0061054887/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518131925&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dispossessed&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=e2dc27d227f79eeacb48b3d579e84d1d" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Disposessed - Ursula K. Le Guin" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061054887&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Disposessed - Ursula K. Le Guin" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0061054887" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Disposessed</b></u><br />
Ursula K. Le Guin<br />
Harper Voyager<br />
Copyright Date: 1994 (reprint)<br />
978-0061054884<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. he will seek
answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls
of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of
the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up
his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented
journey to the utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex
structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.</blockquote>
This is one of the books I ordered after I heard about Ursula K. Le Guin's death. I'd been meaning to read more of her books, and never got around to it.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Earthsea-Cycle/dp/0547773749/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518132147&sr=1-1&keywords=wizard+of+earthsea&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=575b39c146a832c990af80f206864503" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0547773749&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0547773749" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>A Wizard of Earthsea</b></u><br />
Ursula K. Le Guin<br />
HMH Books for Young Readers<br />
Copyright Date: 1968<br />
978-0547773742<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Originally published in 1968, Ursula K. Le Guin’s <i>A Wizard of Earthsea</i>
marks the first of the six now beloved Earthsea titles. Ged was the
greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless
Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with
long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is
the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of
power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore
the balance.</blockquote>
It's been a very long times since I read this one and it's sequels. Long enough to be honest that I don't remember any of the story-line or plot points, just that I did read it as a kid. As a result, I am planning to include this one on my <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/unread-fiction-books-2018.html">unread fiction books</a> list.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Fire-Vattas-Peace-Elizabeth/dp/1101887346/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518133831&sr=1-3&keywords=into+the+fire&dpID=51fyOv20CVL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=99923500b30a4d98b719134e01b995d5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Into The Fire - Elizabeth Moon" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1101887346&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Into The Fire - Elizabeth Moon" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1101887346" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Into The Fire</b></u><br />
Elizabeth Moon<br />
Del Rey<br />
Copyright: February 2018<br />
978-1101887349<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>In this new military sci-fi thriller from the Nebula Award–winning author of <i>Cold Welcome, </i>Admiral Kylara Vatta is back—with a vengeance.</b><br />
<br />
Ky beats sabotage, betrayal, and the unforgiving elements to lead a
ragtag group of crash survivors to safety on a remote arctic island. And
she cheats death after uncovering secrets someone is hell-bent on
protecting. But the worst is far from over when Ky discovers the
headquarters of a vast conspiracy against her family and the heart of
the planet’s government itself.<br />
<br />
With their base of operations
breached, the plotters have no choice but to gamble everything on an
audacious throw of the dice. Even so, the odds are stacked against Ky.
When her official report on the crash and its aftermath goes
missing—along with the men and women she rescued—Ky realizes that her
mysterious enemies are more powerful and dangerous than she imagined.<br />
<br />
Now, targeted by faceless assassins, Ky and her family—along with her
fiancé, Rafe—must battle to reclaim the upper hand and unmask the lethal
cabal closing in on them with murderous intent.</blockquote>
<u>Into The Fire</u> is the sequel to <u>Cold Welcome</u>, which I have to admit I haven't read yet - time to dive back into the world of Kylara Vatta - possibly from book one, <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2012/08/trading-in-danger-elizabeth-moon.html"><u>Trading in Danger</u></a>. It also has a great cover image!<br />
<br />
The final book I bought was a complete impulse buy:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Queen-Intimate-Biography-Empire/dp/0812982282/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518136221&sr=1-2&keywords=victoria+the+queen&dpID=51RaASo6AGL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=f59bec96d209e9dab762998cd6d1e4ee" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Victoria The Queen - Julia Baird" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0812982282&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Victoria The Queen - Julia Baird" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0812982282" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Victoria The Queen </b></u><br />
Julia Baird<br />
Random House<br />
Copyright Date: October 2017 (reprint)<br />
978-0812982282<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series <i>Victoria, </i>this
page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold,
glamorous, unbreakable queen—a Victoria for our times. Drawing on
previously unpublished papers, this stunning new portrait is a story of
love and heartbreak, of devotion and grief, of strength and resilience.</b><br />
<b><br /><b>NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY</b><br /> <b>JANET MASLIN, <i>THE NEW YORK TIMES</i> • <i>ESQUIRE</i> • THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY</b><br /><br />“<i>Victoria the Queen,</i>
Julia Baird’s exquisitely wrought and meticulously researched
biography, brushes the dusty myth off this extraordinary monarch.”—<i>The New York Times Book Review </i>(Editor’s Choice)</b><br />
<br />
When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place.
Revolution would threaten many of Europe’s monarchies in the coming
decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at
the public’s expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The
Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British
Empire was commanding ever larger tracts of the globe. In a world where
women were often powerless, during a century roiling with change,
Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a
decisive hand.<br />
<br />
Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her
birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role.
As a girl, she defied her mother’s meddling and an adviser’s bullying,
forging an iron will of her own. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped
the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. At twenty, she fell
passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,
eventually giving birth to nine children. She loved sex and delighted in
power. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping conventional
boundaries and asserting her opinions. After the death of her adored
Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her
servant John Brown. She survived eight assassination attempts over the
course of her lifetime. And as science, technology, and democracy were
dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness
and security—queen of a quarter of the world’s population at the height
of the British Empire’s reach.<br />
<br />
Drawing on sources that include
fresh revelations about Victoria’s relationship with John Brown, Julia
Baird brings vividly to life the fascinating story of a woman who
struggled with so many of the things we do today: balancing work and
family, raising children, navigating marital strife, losing parents,
combating anxiety and self-doubt, finding an identity, searching for
meaning.</blockquote>
Thanks to the show <i>The Crown</i>, I've gotten a lot more interested in the British Royal Family, so I couldn't help but pick up this book. Now I've just got to find the time to read it (along with the several hundred other unread books in my collection). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-69958135819640240382018-02-03T14:22:00.000-08:002018-02-03T14:22:06.423-08:00Two new books arrived<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Silence-Fallen-Mercy-Thompson-Novel/dp/0425281280/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1517694822&sr=8-5&keywords=silence+broken&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=1374108528cd2103e4f8c575dbf69d5d" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Silence Fallen - Patricia Briggs" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0425281280&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Silence Fallen - Patricia Briggs" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0425281280" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Silence Fallen</b></u><br />
Patricia Briggs<br />
Ace <br />
Copyright Date: January 2018<br />
978-0425281284<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>In the #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling Mercy Thompson novels,
the coyote shapeshifter has found her voice in the werewolf pack. But
when Mercy's bond with the pack--and her mate--is broken, she'll learn
what it truly means to be alone...</b><br />
<br />
Attacked and abducted in
her home territory, Mercy finds herself in the clutches of the most
powerful vampire in the world, taken as a weapon to use against Alpha
werewolf Adam and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. In coyote form,
Mercy escapes--only to find herself without money, without clothing, and
alone in a foreign country.<br />
<br />
Unable to contact Adam through their
mate bond, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, and she needs
to figure out which is which. Ancient powers stir, and Mercy must be
her agile best to avoid causing a supernatural war.</blockquote>
I've got to play catch-up with this series! I'm sure I haven't read the last book, but I'm not sure about the one before that (though technically it's part of the <i>Alpha and Omega</i> spin-off and not the main line of the series, the <i>Mercy Thompson</i> books).<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, I think it's time to do a re-read and catch-up - this has been one of my favorite urban fantasy series since I picked it up (around the time <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2009/03/bone-crossed-patricia-briggs-berkely.html"><u>Bone Crossed</u></a> came out I think).<br />
<br />
The other book I picked up yesterday was one by Ursula K. Le Guin:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Left-Hand-Darkness-Ursula-Guin/dp/0441478123/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517696195&sr=1-1&keywords=the+left+hand+of+darkness&dpID=41JH9XYazdL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=4f80b2f6ee00800602d452d2cb4f582d" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0441478123&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0441478123" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Left Hand of Darkness</b></u><br />
Ursula K. Le Guin<br />
Ace Books<br />
Copyright: 1987<br />
978-0441478125<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Ursula K. Le Guin's groundbreaking work of science fiction—winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards.</b>A
lone human ambassador is sent to Winter, an alien world without sexual
prejudice, where the inhabitants can change their gender whenever they
choose. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing
intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between
his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he
encounters...<br />
<br />
Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, <i>The Left Hand of Darkness</i> stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.</blockquote>
I've not read much of Ursula K. Le Guin's books, other than the first three or four of the Earthsea series, and that was so long ago that I've forgotten all of it. So, after hearing of her death last month, I ordered several of her books - ones I'd meant to read, but have yet to get around to. This was the first of those orders to arrive.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-83692771471271950922018-01-31T13:03:00.000-08:002018-01-31T13:03:04.895-08:00Tea Infusing Spoons<a href="https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Handle-Infuser-Stainless-1-5-Inch/dp/B000PSBJRA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1517431560&sr=8-4&keywords=tea+ball+spoon&linkCode=li3&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=d30f684cb33978e0e4819aff8432fdde" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000PSBJRA&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B000PSBJRA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Okay, I am officially nuts. Feel free to say that if you want, but yes, I am about to rave about tea infusing spoons.<br />
<br />
Over the years since I've become a tea drinker (favourite variety being the Murchies Orange Spice loose leaf variety), I've gone through more than a few different infusers: Tea balls, ceramic mug infusers, metal mug infusers, and my favorite has quickly become the tea infusing spoon when making single mugs of tea.<br />
<br />
For pots of tea, you can't beat the old-fashioned tea ball - at least most of the time. I've had a run of bad luck with those lately, with my latest few leaking enough tea leaves into the pot that I practically have to pour through a strainer.<br />
<br />
As I'm usually making my tea by the mug, I thought I'd try something else. I've had a couple of the ceramic-based infusers with silicone handles. They worked well enough, holding just enough tea leaves to make that mug of tea without wasting any, but there's one big downside to the lot of them: getting the used tea leaves out when you're done. The opening's too small for fingers to pull the leaves out and they stick inside. Gravity's certainly not going to do the job! I've spent too much time trying to pry the drippy messes of leaves out with a spoon handle with mixed success - to the point where I was deliberately selecting other varieties of tea in bags rather than using the infuser.<br />
<br />
Last year I saw one of these tea-infusing spoons for the first time and decided to give it a try. I haven't used the ceramic infuser since! No more spilled tea leaves when I'm trying to fill it - just pinch the handle and scoop the tea out with the spoon itself. No more spoon handle trying to scrape the used leaves out at the other end of the process either! Squeeze the handle open and give the whole thing a smart rap against the edge of the compost bucket and the wet leaves fall out in a mass. There are no edges for the leaves to get caught up on either or to make it difficult to clean.<br />
<br />
After a year of use (including leaving the leaves in over several hours at a time while I re-steep them for new mugs of tea), there's no signs of rust either, which is more than I can say for some of the regular tea balls I've had over the years!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-9257869145479579072018-01-30T21:42:00.001-08:002018-01-30T21:42:16.323-08:00New arrival to add to my Tolkien Collection - There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale by Verlyn FliegerGuess what arrived in the mail today! I'd actually forgotten I'd ordered it, so it was a nice surprise:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/There-Would-Always-Fairy-Tale/dp/160635308X/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1517365120&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=65ff7fbae2edb3d1addbfbeca6d03efe" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays On Tolkien - Verlyn Flieger" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=160635308X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays On Tolkien - Verlyn Flieger" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=160635308X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays On Tolkien</b></u><br />
Verlyn Flieger<br />
Kent State University Press<br />
Copyright Date: December 2017<br />
978-1606353080<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div dir="auto" id="iframeContent">
Devoted to Tolkien, the teller of
tales and co-creator of the myths they brush against, these essays focus
on his lifelong interest in and engagement with fairy stories, the
special world that he called faërie, a world they both create and
inhabit, and with the elements that make that world the special place it
is. They cover a range of subjects, from <i>The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings</i>
and their place within the legendarium he called the Silmarillion to
shorter works like “The Story of Kullervo” and “Smith of Wootton Major.”<br />
From
the pen of eminent Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger, the individual
essays in this collection were written over a span of twenty years, each
written to fit the parameters of a conference, an anthology, or both.
They are revised slightly from their original versions to eliminate
repetition and bring them up to date. Grouped loosely by theme, they
present an unpatterned mosaic, depicting topics from myth to truth, from
social manners to moral behavior, from textual history to the micro
particles of Middle-earth.<br />
Together these essays present a
complete picture of a man as complicated as the books that bear his
name―an independent and unorthodox thinker who was both a believer and a
doubter able to maintain conflicting ideas in tension, a teller of
tales both romantic and bitter, hopeful and pessimistic, in equal parts
tragic and comedic. A man whose work does not seek for right or wrong
answers so much as a way to accommodate both; a man of antitheses.<br />
Scholars
of fantasy literature generally and of Tolkien particularly will find
much of value in this insightful collection by a seasoned explorer of
Tolkien’s world of faërie.</div>
</blockquote>
I'm looking forward to reading Verlyn Flieger's newest book on Tolkien, and yet I have to admit that even though I own most of her other Tolkien books, I have yet to actually read them! Anyway, this one is destined for both my <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/unread-tolkien-books-2018.html">Unread Tolkien books list</a>, and my latest <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2016/05/the-tolkien-collection-2016-version.html">Tolkien collection post</a>. Hopefully I'll be able to get around to reading it (and some of her other books) in the near future.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-44623674719978047342018-01-26T10:36:00.002-08:002018-01-26T10:36:39.143-08:00A Lick of Frost - Laurell K. Hamilton<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lick-Frost-Meredith-Gentry-Book/dp/0345495918/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0345495918&pd_rd_r=6JVX8CMV1B3K1CY407N0&pd_rd_w=kLIgQ&pd_rd_wg=CJAoN&psc=1&refRID=6JVX8CMV1B3K1CY407N0&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=ac8bdce8a40ddd2033880294b6ef2798" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="A Lick of Frost - Laurell K. Hamilton" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0345495918&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="A Lick of Frost - Laurell K. Hamilton" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0345495918" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b><u>A Lick of Frost</u> (Merry Gentry #6)</b><br />
Laurell K. Hamilton<br />
Ballantine Books<br />
Copyright: 2008<br />
978-0345495914<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I am Meredith Gentry, princess and heir apparent to the throne in the
realm of faerie, onetime private investigator in the mortal world. To be
crowned queen, I must first continue the royal bloodline and give birth
to an heir of my own. If I fail, my aunt, Queen Andais, will be free to
do what she most desires: install her twisted son, Cel, as monarch . . .
and kill me. <br />
<br />
My royal guards surround me, and my best loved–my
Darkness and my Killing Frost–are always beside me, sworn to protect and
make love to me. But still the threat grows greater. For despite all my
carnal efforts, I remain childless, while the machinations of my
sinister, sadistic Queen and her confederates remain tireless. So my
bodyguards and I have slipped back into Los Angeles, hoping to outrun
the gathering shadows of court intrigue. But even exile isn’t enough to
escape the grasp of those with dark designs.<br />
<br />
Now King Taranis,
powerful and vainglorious ruler of faerie’s Seelie Court, has leveled
accusations against my noble guards of a heinous crime–and has gone so
far as to ask the mortal authorities to prosecute. If he succeeds, my
men face extradition to faerie and the hideous penalties that await them
there. But I know that Taranis’s charges are baseless, and I sense that
his true target is me. He tried to kill me when I was a child. Now I
fear his intentions are far more terrifying. </blockquote>
Remember when I was commenting on the lack of resolution a couple of books ago? They were all building up to this one! And what a resolution! I couldn't put <u>A Lick of Frost</u> down for long. I just had to come back and read some more.<br />
<br />
This time, because I'm back-to-back reading the series, I found that I didn't have the <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2008/01/lick-of-frost.html">problems I did reading it last time</a> (probably with a year or so gap from reading the previous book).<br />
<br />
<u>A Lick of Frost</u> is the sixth book in the <i>Merry Gentry</i> series, following on <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/mistrals-kiss-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>Mistral's Kiss</u></a>. The first book in this series was <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/a-kiss-of-shadows-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>A Kiss of Shadows</u></a>.<br />
<br />
Some of the many plot threads were tied up in <u>A Lick of Frost</u>, but not all of them, and I can't wait to get into the next book to find out how things are going to play out next. Intercourt politics are definitely becoming a big issue for Merry and her guards, and we're seeing how it plays out in the human world. It was rather nice being back in the human world for this one, after a couple of books that were almost entirely set in Faerie.<br />
<br />
I also really enjoyed getting some more hints at the impact an openly known of magical world has had on history. There have been quite a few references to fears of another Seelie/Unseelie war, and now I know why. Apparently, somewhere in Europe in that world there is still a massive crater left from the last one! Yikes!<br />
<br />
Not suited for everyone, but by now, that should be clear about almost all of Laurell K. Hamilton's books as she tends to be both explicit and graphic at times. However, if that's not going to bother you, these are turning into great reads for the most part.<br />
<br />
I know I felt that <u>Mistral's Kiss</u> was too short in my last review, but this one didn't feel that way at all. It's not as long as the first four books in the series, but <u>A Lick of Frost</u> was still longer than <u>Mistral's Kiss</u> by a little bit. I think the difference might have also been due to the amount going on in the book.<br />
<br />
Definitely a read that I enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to starting the next book in the series, <u>Swallowing Darkness</u>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-30156242984003822592018-01-25T18:02:00.000-08:002018-01-26T08:41:37.172-08:00Mistral's Kiss - Laurell K. Hamilton<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mistrals-Kiss-Meredith-Gentry-Book/dp/0345443616/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0345443616&pd_rd_r=YK02E9SXSYY71RGHJKCF&pd_rd_w=HS4G0&pd_rd_wg=IVKjq&psc=1&refRID=YK02E9SXSYY71RGHJKCF&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=37fe0f26ef85a0b6caf32e5b6f260601" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Mistral's Kiss - Laurell K. Hamilton" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0345443616&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Mistral's Kiss - Laurell K. Hamilton" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0345443616" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b><u>Mistral's Kiss</u> (Merry Gentry #5)</b><br />
Laurell K. Hamilton<br />
Ballantine Books<br />
Copyright: 2006<br />
978-0345443618<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne of faerie. My day job, once
upon a time, was as a private detective in Los Angeles. Unfortunately,
princess has now become a full-time occupation.<br />
<br />
My aunt, Queen
Andais, will have it no other way. And so I am virtually a prisoner in
faerie–trapped here with some of the realm’s most beautiful men to serve
as my bodyguards . . . and my lovers. For I am compelled to conceive a
child: an heir to succeed me on the throne. Yet after months of amazing
sex with my consorts, there is still no baby. And no baby means no
throne. The only certainty is death at the hands of my cousin Cel, or
his followers, if I fail to conceive.<br />
<br />
Now Mistral, Queen Andais’s
new captain of the guard, has come to my bed–defying her and risking
her terrible wrath in doing so. But even she will hesitate to punish him
in jealous rage, because our joining has reawakened old magic, mystical
power so ancient that no one stands against it and survives. Not even
my strongest and most favored: my Darkness and my Killing Frost. Not
even Mistral himself, my Storm Lord. But because Mistral has helped to
bring this magic forth, he may live another day.<br />
<br />
If I can reclaim
control of the fey power that once was, there may be hope for me and my
reign in faerie. I might yet quell the dark schemes and subterfuges
surrounding me. Though shadows of obsession and conspiracy gather, I may
survive.</blockquote>
<u>Mistral's Kiss</u> is the sequel to <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/a-stroke-of-midnight-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>A Stroke of Midnight</u></a> and is the fifth book in the <i>Merry Gentry</i> series. This one I remember reading before, back when it first came out. However, I don't remember much about it from that time other than my annoyance at how short the book was. When all the previous books were at around 400 pages or more each, and this one finishes up in only 330 (according to Amazon), it's quite noticeable! I also remember it being a very quick read (in that I was able to finish reading it in a couple of times waiting at the bookstore).<br />
<br />
This time, I was reading <u>Mistral's Kiss</u> on my Kobo - and yes, I still found the book to be much shorter than the previous books. That's actually one of my frustrations with a few series - consistent book lengths, then the author starts sneaking in novellas (at the same price as the regular books), either as shorter books with the same size font or what looks to be regular length books but padded with large line-spacing, font-size and margins. I don't know if it's just me that feels cheated when I get a book and it turns out to be much shorter than it originally looked, but I do.<br />
<br />
As I noted in my post on <u>A Stroke of Midnight</u>, very little time actually passes within this book. In fact, I think it's still the same day that was the subject of the last book! On the other hand, we do see more of the goblins and the Sluagh, and we learn a bit more about how magic works in this world. Also, this was another book that kept me turning the pages until the last page of the book.<br />
<br />
Again, I noted in the previous book the quantity of sex to be found in the latest Merry Gentry books. That is a theme that holds true in this one as well. On the other hand, anyone surprised at the amount of sex needs to take another look at the end goal for these books (or at least one of the end goals) - which is for Merry to be pregnant. The only way for that to happen is via intercourse. Still, it seems like the major subject of the last two books has been sex.<br />
<br />
I've noted in previous reviews the way the open existence of something like Faerie can impact the world's history - and we get some more hints at that in <u>Mistral's Kiss</u> - something I found to be quite fascinating.<br />
<br />
No vampires, werewolves or other werecreatures that I'm aware of in this world - just Faerie (in all it's variations) and human psychics/magicians. It's one of the things that makes the world of <i>Merry Gentry</i> quite unique in my reading experience. The other is how widely known/unhidden the world of magic is. One of the main plot-points I know of in most urban fantasy novels is the need for secrecy, if not for all of the supernatural/magical elements, at least for some of them in varying amounts.<br />
<br />
Overall, I'm definitely enjoying reading this series. I just hope the books get longer again. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-11233281253789203352018-01-24T23:06:00.000-08:002018-01-24T23:06:03.936-08:00A Stroke of Midnight - Laurell K. Hamilton<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stroke-Midnight-Meredith-Gentry-Book/dp/0345443608/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=375aa80dd5025772f92c96aa6cf14e4b" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="A Stroke of Midnight - Laurell K. Hamilton" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0345443608&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="A Stroke of Midnight - Laurell K. Hamilton" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0345443608" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b><u>A Stroke of Midnight</u> (Merry Gentry #4)</b><br />
Laurell K. Hamilton<br />
Ballantine Books<br />
Copyright: 2006<br />
978-0345443601<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I am Meredith Gentry, P.I., solving cases in Los Angeles, far from the
peril and deception of my real home–because I am also Princess Meredith,
heir to the darkest throne faerie has to offer. The Unseelie Court
infuses me with its power. But at what price does such magic come? How
much of my human side will I have to give up, and how much of the
sinister side of faerie will I have to embrace? To sit on a throne that
has ruled through bloodshed and violence for centuries, I might have to
become that which I dread the most.<br />
<br />
Enemies watch my every move.
My cousin Cel strives to have me killed even now from his prison cell.
But not all the assassination attempts are his. Some Unseelie nobles
have waited centuries for my aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, to
become weak enough that she might be toppled from her throne. Enemies
unforeseen move against us–enemies who would murder the least among us.<br />
<br />
The
threat will drive us to allow human police into faerie for the first
time in our history. I need my allies now more than ever, especially
since fate will lead me into the arm of Mistral, Master of Storms, the
queen’s new captain of her guard. Our passion will reawaken powers long
forgotten among the warriors of the sidhe. Pain and pleasure await
me–and danger, as well, for some at that court seek only death.<br />
<br />
I
will find new joys with the butterfly-winged demi-fey. My guards and I
will show all of faerie that violence and sex are as popular among the
sidhe as they are among the lesser fey of our court. The Darkness will
weep, and Frost will comfort him. The gentlest of my guards will find
new strength and break my heart. Passions undreamed of await us–and my
enemies gather, for the future of both courts of faerie begins to
unravel. </blockquote>
Another book by Laurell K. Hamilton that I more or less raced through - at least when I was actively reading it. I did stop part-way through to finish reading <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-crown-official-companion-volume-1.html"><i>The Crown</i> companion volume and review it</a>. Still, this series has me captivated right now (I don't think I've been reading books at this kind of speed for a few years now, though I can't say for sure).<br />
<br />
<u>A Stroke of Midnight</u> is the sequel to <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/seduced-by-moonlight-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>Seduced By Moonlight</u></a>, and the first book in the series is <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/a-kiss-of-shadows-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>A Kiss of Shadows</u></a>. <br />
<br />
By this point in this series, I don't think it'll be spoilers to say that there is a lot of sex in this book - and a fair bit of violence too. The fact that a 400+ page book covers only a few days (at best, some estimates I've seen suggest that it's less than a day in real time), rather says something along those lines. Nonetheless, I couldn't stop turning the pages, although I do agree with some of the reviews I've seen elsewhere suggesting that the wrap-up of the book came along a bit too fast at the end, and didn't really resolve anything either. However, that opinion comes along only after reading the book. While I was reading <u>A Stroke of Midnight</u> I wasn't thinking about any of that at all. I just wanted to know "what happens next?".<br />
<br />
These days it's pretty rare for me to read more than about two books in a series without taking a break to read another author or book in between. I'm on to book five now - with the only break being to finish the last third of an already in-progress book. For a series to hold me this long, I really have to say "Bravo!" to the author!<br />
<br />
I also want to note that while I'm reading this series, I'm also wanting to read more on the "real-world" legends of Faerie in our world, to get a feeling for the way legends, fairy-tales and myths take on the Seelie/Unseelie divide and faerie magic. I do know that the other author/series that's used the two courts in novels have had a very different take on them (That being the SERRAted edge series co-written by Mercedes Lackey). I find - and this is probably more of a personal thing for me - that when I see different authors displaying very different takes on the same topic, I often want to know more about the reality/source materials and what they show. Yeah, I'm an amateur historian, and maybe that shows in this tendency of mine.<br />
<br />
Despite the muttering I did earlier in the review, I want to repeat that <u>A Stroke of Midnight</u> kept me turning the pages, and I'm heading right into <u>Mistral's Kiss</u> next.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-47141782381621501152018-01-22T09:04:00.001-08:002018-01-22T09:04:22.929-08:00The Crown: The Official Companion Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Companion-Elizabeth-Churchill-1947-1955/dp/1524762288/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1516638383&sr=1-1-spons&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=d263865a1c557e5d92c1bc04ecda8c00" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Crown: The Official Companion Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen - Robert Lacey" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1524762288&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Crown: The Official Companion Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen - Robert Lacey" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1524762288" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Crown: The Official Companion Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen</b></u><br />
Robert Lacey<br />
Crown Archetype<br />
Copyright Date: October 2017<br />
978-1524762285<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The official companion to the Emmy-winning Netflix drama chronicling
the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and starring Claire Foy and John
Lithgow, <i>The Crown</i> by Peter Morgan, featuring additional historical background and beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills</b><br />
<br />
Elizabeth Mountbatten never expected her father to die so suddenly, so
young, leaving her with a throne to fill and a global institution to
govern. Crowned at twenty-five, she was already a wife and mother as she
began her journey towards becoming a queen.<br />
<br />
As Britain lifted
itself out of the shadow of war, the new monarch faced her own
challenges. Her mother doubted her marriage; her uncle-in-exile derided
her abilities; her husband resented the sacrifice of his career and
family name; and her rebellious sister embarked on a love affair that
threatened the centuries-old links between the Church and the Crown.
This is the story of how Elizabeth II drew on every ounce of resolve to
ensure that the Crown always came out on top.<br />
<br />
Written by the
show’s historical consultant, royal biographer Robert Lacey, and filled
with beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills, <i>The Crown: The Official Companion: Volume 1 </i>adds
expert and in-depth detail to the events of the series, painting an
intimate portrait of life inside Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing
Street. Here is Elizabeth II as we’ve never seen her before.</blockquote>
This was a captivating book! That's honestly my gut reaction on turning the last page. It pairs with the series very well, being structured around the episodes of season one. Essentially, Robert Lacey has laid out the real events that formed each episode, giving more details and background information - including where the show-writers have chosen to make things up or condense them to a noticeable level.<br />
<br />
There are a mixture of photos from the show and also the real archival photos of the Queen's life included in the book - in fact, that's where my only real grumble comes in with this book - the lack of captions on a lot of the inline photos in the text. That's something that I don't care for in a lot of books, the lack of captioning. Still, this book is definitely lavishly illustrated with many inline photos and also two sections of color photos on glossy pages.<br />
<br />
Another helpful feature included in <u>The Crown</u> book are the numerous one and two page biographies of the secondary characters we see in the show - including who the actor/actress playing them was. Yes, of course the main focus of the book is Queen Elizabeth, but still, for those of us too young to remember the events Seasons One and Two are based around, this is a very helpful thing - especially when it comes to the various politicians in the show. I know I found myself scratching my head more than a few times on watching, going "who is this?" with some of the secondary politicians - Churchill, was of course, quite evident and I think John Lithgow did an amazing job portraying him - one of my favorites from Season One!<br />
<br />
Well written, and not bogged down in the details at all, though there was plenty of detail - after all, this book only covers the first eight years of Queen Elizabeth's reign, I'm looking forward to whatever the author puts out to go with Season Two (which was outstanding to watch as well).<br />
<br />
By the way, for those people not subscribed to Netflix, <i>The Crown</i> is now available on <a href="http://amzn.to/2DsoM4i">DVD/Blu-Ray</a>, and it is very, very worth watching (really for me it was the only reason we subscribed to Netflix two years ago). Also available are the first two season soundtracks (I'm listening to <a href="http://amzn.to/2F2slyN">Season One</a> now and loving it a lot). I will admit to being a sucker for most of Hans Zimmer's music and he did the theme for <i>The Crown</i> - and I suspect had influence on the rest of the soundtrack, as there are parts of it that remind me of the music from <i>The Last Samurai</i>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-58849886953823239672018-01-17T10:23:00.001-08:002018-01-17T10:23:29.163-08:00Seduced By Moonlight - Laurell K. Hamilton<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seduced-Moonlight-Meredith-Gentry-Book/dp/0345443594/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0345443594&pd_rd_r=Q6YXBQK2JRBKHBDP8062&pd_rd_w=u0QQC&pd_rd_wg=Qw9pU&psc=1&refRID=Q6YXBQK2JRBKHBDP8062&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=d3eb311a26f8e99215299cab191e6c04" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Seduced By Moonlight - Laurell K. Hamilton" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0345443594&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Seduced By Moonlight - Laurell K. Hamilton" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0345443594" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Seduced By Moonlight</b></u> (Merry Gentry #3)<br />
Laurell K. Hamilton<br />
Ballantine Books<br />
Copyright: 2004<br />
978-0345443595<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>I am Meredith Gentry, P.I. and Princess Merry, heir to the throne of Fairie. </i></b><br />
Now there are those among me who whisper I am more. <br />
They fear me even as they protect me. And who can blame them? <br />
I’ve awakened the dazzling magic that’s slumbered in them for <br />
thousands of years. But the thing is, I can’t figure out why.<br />
<br />
My
aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, is no longer distracted by her
usual sadistic hobbies. Her obsession has turned unwaveringly to me. The
mission to get me pregnant and beat my cousin Prince Cel to the crown
is taking longer than expected. Even though I spend each night with the
Queen’s Ravens, my immortal guards, no child has come of our decadent
pleasures. But something else <i>is</i> happening. My magic courses
through me uncontrollably. And as I lock my half-mortal body with their
full-Sidhe blooded ones, the power surges like never before.<br />
<br />
It
all began with the chalice. I dreamed of it, and it appeared, cool and
hard, beside me when I awoke. My guards know the ancient relic well—its
disappearance ages ago stripped them of their vital powers. But it is
here with us now. My touch resonates with its force, and they’re
consumed with it, their Sidhe essences lit up by it. But even as they
cherish me for this unexpected gift, there are those who loathe me for
it. Me, a mongrel, only half fey and part mortal. The Unseelie court has
suffered for so long, and there are some who would not have it weakened
further by an impure queen. My enemies grow in number every day. But
they do not know what I am capable of. Nor, for that matter, do I. . . .
<br />
<br />
<b><i>In </i>Seduced by Moonlight<i>, Laurell K. Hamilton
brings the dark, erotic reign of the immortal fey to a startling new
depth. Full of sensuality and the consuming anticipation of latent
powers unleashed, this world of gods, shapeshifters, and immortal souls
is unveiled in all of its supreme magnificence and its treacherous
deceits. </i></b></blockquote>
Remember back when I reviewed <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/a-kiss-of-shadows-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>A Kiss of Shadows</u></a>, the first book in this series and I noted the lack of violence compared with the Anita Blake books? Forget I said that. Forget I even <i>thought</i> it. I'm shaking my head at myself on that one after reading <u>Seduced By Moonlight</u>.<br />
<br />
At any rate, <u>Seduced By Moonlight</u>, the third book in the <i>Merry Gentry</i> series, following on <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/a-caress-of-twilight-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>A Caress of Twilight</u></a> was another "couldn't put it down" book - up to the point where I was forced to by the need to recharge my Kobo. Then it was right back into the read.<br />
<br />
This book has very little to do with the "real" world as it were, being much more focused on the politics of the Seelie and Unseelie courts and also on the interpersonal relationships centering around Merry. And believe me, that is enough to keep the book going and fascinating! However, I'd say this series might not be for everyone. There are quite a few points where it gets pretty graphic - both sexually and in terms of violence. By this point though, that shouldn't be much of a surprise to fans of Laurell K. Hamilton's writing.<br />
<br />
As I said, this book is quite focused on the interpersonal relationships and politics of the Faerie courts. On top of that though, there's other things and powers at work. Merry doesn't have a clue what's going on and neither do her guards - or us for that matter. That was one of the aspects of the book that really gripped me on this read through - watching the lot of them coping with the unexpected.<br />
<br />
Lots of questions left for the next book too (<u>A Stroke of Midnight</u>). I really want to get into reading that one, but at the same time I'm kind of feeling like I should go back to some of the other books I've got on the go, so no idea of what I'm going to be reading next.<br />
<br />
One thing I found really neat at the end of <u>Seduced by Moonlight</u> - this one may just be me and my love of research though - is that Laurell K. Hamilton has included a list of the books she's used in researching the Merry Gentry series. Given that I'm currently hunting (or trying to) down material on British mythological creatures and beings for an idea/project of my own, I'm very happy to see this right now. The next thing on my to-do list is going to be googling the various titles and finding more information on some of those books. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Believe it or not, one of my favorite things to see in a novel (esp. historical fiction) is a listing of research sources when appropriate. All too often for me, reading a novel with a basis in fact (or mythology as in this case), I get quite curious about the reality of the situation - such as it is. Seeing what the author has used for source material can be quite intriguing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-53306334703730420322018-01-15T10:00:00.001-08:002018-01-15T10:00:42.899-08:00A Caress of Twilight - Laurell K. Hamilton<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Caress-Twilight-Meredith-Gentry-Book/dp/0345423429/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0345423429&pd_rd_r=PM6SWG3GHQARHRJWTTCS&pd_rd_w=oTDkP&pd_rd_wg=e8TCD&psc=1&refRID=PM6SWG3GHQARHRJWTTCS&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=369a3efa44730a3209c985f262eacfc8" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="A Caress of Twilight - Laurell K. Hamilton" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0345423429&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="A Caress of Twilight - Laurell K. Hamilton" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0345423429" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>A Caress of Twilight (Merry Gentry #2)</b></u><br />
Laurell K. Hamilton<br />
Ballantine Books<br />
Copyright: 2003<br />
978-0345423429<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>“I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne—if I can stay alive long enough to claim it.” </i></b>After
eluding relentless assassination attempts by Prince Cel, her cousin and
rival for the Faerie crown, Meredith Gentry, Los Angeles private eye,
has a whole new set of problems. To become queen, she must bear a child
before Cel can father one of his own. But havoc lies on the horizon:
people are dying in mysterious, frightening ways, and suddenly the very
existence of the place known as Faerie is at grave risk. So now, while
she enjoys the greatest pleasures of her life attempting to conceive a
baby with the warriors of her royal guard, she must fend off an ancient
evil that could destroy the very fabric of reality. And that’s just her
day job. . . .</blockquote>
After finishing my read-through of <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/a-kiss-of-shadows-laurell-k-hamilton.html"><u>A Kiss of Shadows</u></a> the other day, I rolled right into <u>A Caress of Twilight</u>, ending up finishing this one in just over a day as well. Currently I'm well into the third book in the series, <u>Seduced By Moonlight</u>, with books four through seven waiting on my Kobo.<br />
<br />
On this one I found myself comparing main characters - mostly Merry Gentry - to the lead characters in some other urban fantasy novels I've been reading lately: the <i>Anita Blake</i> books, Mercy Thompson from Patricia Brigg's books and to some of the female leads I remember from a few different paranormal romance novels. Of course, the one she's the most like is Anita Blake - it makes a lot of sense as both characters are written by the same author. And yet, in some ways the world Merry Gentry lives in feels closer to that of the <i>Mercy Thompson</i> books than the world Anita Blake lives in - probably the wider presence of the Faerie world.<br />
<br />
The other things I kept thinking about as I was reading <u>A Caress of Twilight</u> were about how much the need for secrecy can change the story-plots. In most urban fantasy novels/series the supernatural is either completely secret or sometimes partly known about, but public knowledge is still a newer thing. The Merry Gentry novels are really the first series I've seen where it seems that the supernatural side of the story has been publicly known about from the distant past, and it's interesting how that knowledge changes the whole fabric of the story. Trust/distrust, politics (current and past) along with treaties, again current and past all shape the world the characters move through. However, much of the human politics is at a very very background level. Most of the politicking going on in these books - at least in these first ones - is inter-fey, and the lengths they'll go to can be quite shocking.<br />
<br />
I'm also enjoying watching Merry figure things out about herself, her past, those around her and her ever-varying relationships - something I've grown rather used to from Laurell K. Hamilton is the variety of relationships her characters engage in - and what they're willing to do at need. However, I suspect that this aspect of her books is not for everybody.<br />
<br />
Definitely though, I recommend reading <u>A Kiss of Shadows</u> before reading <u>A Caress of Twilight</u> or any of the later books in this series - the background knowledge is more or less a requirement.<br />
<br />
Any book I've bought more than once has to be at the very least a decent read - and this is my second purchase of <u>A Caress of Twilight</u>. I last read it back when the book first came out. Long enough ago now that the read was almost as though I'd never read it before.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-67097444969357056122018-01-12T13:40:00.001-08:002018-01-12T13:40:50.329-08:00A Kiss of Shadows - Laurell K. HamiltonWell, the first book read and reviewed in 2018 is not one I would have expected. I'd have thought the first book might have been either David Weber's <u>The Honor of the Queen</u> or the companion book to <i>The Crown</i>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Shadows-Meredith-Gentry-Book/dp/0345423402/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515781218&sr=1-3&keywords=a+kiss+of+shadows+laurell+k.+hamilton&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=4f100540d45919210c05258fb9234045" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="A Kiss of Shadows (Merry Gentry 1) - Laurell K. Hamilton" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0345423402&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="A Kiss of Shadows (Merry Gentry 1) - Laurell K. Hamilton" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0345423402" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>A Kiss of Shadows</b></u><br />
Laurell K. Hamilton<br />
Ballantine Books<br />
Copyright: 2002<br />
978-0345423405<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Meet Merry Gentry, paranormal P.I., and enter a thrilling, sensual
world as dangerous as it is beautiful, full of earthly pleasures and
dazzling magic, and ruled by the all-consuming passions of immortal
beings once worshipped as gods . . . or demons.</i><br />
<br />
Merry Gentry, princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human
in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator specializing in
supernatural crime. But now the queen’s assassin has been dispatched to
fetch her—whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Merry finds herself a
pawn in her dreaded aunt’s plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the
constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The
reward: the crown—and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty
for failure: death. </blockquote>
I know I read this back when it first came out. I can't say if I ever reread it. It's definitely been a while though - there's no review for a previous read here. It's also been long enough that while I remembered the occasional scene from the book, I couldn't remember any of the story beyond the very broadest of strokes. At any rate, I got the itch to reread and bought the first two books in the series (<u>A Kiss of Shadows</u> and <u>A Caress of Twilight</u>) from Kobo a couple of days ago. I started reading yesterday and finished the last twenty pages or so today. In other words, I couldn't put the book down for long at all.<br />
<br />
It's not as important with e-books but I remember the original cover, red and black, and I distinctly prefer it to the new cover shown here. It was a cover less likely to raise eyebrows and garner comments from those around I think (part of the reason I've gone e-book for Laurell K. Hamilton's books this time).<br />
<br />
On this read I found myself comparing the world that Laurell K. Hamilton has created with the similar(ish) world created for the <i>Mercy Thompson</i> series by Patricia Briggs. Very similar, and yet very different. Both start from a similar mythological base but they take the worlds in such different directions. I do think that if you like the one you'll like the other however.<br />
<br />
I'm definitely enjoying the window into a world generally viewed as the "bad guys" and "evil" in a lot of other books (Mercedes Lackey's <i>SERRAted Edge</i> series comes to mind). A world where they're not entirely good, but not all evil, just trying to live as anyone else would be.<br />
<br />
The one thing about this series (which is also true of the <i>Anita Blake</i> books by the same author) which might not be to everyone's tastes is that the books are very frank about sex and relationships. Or maybe it's just me that found that a bit shocking the first time I read the series. On the other hand, at least with the first book there weren't quite as many "vivid/gruesome" scenes as I noted in my review of <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2016/12/guilty-pleasures-laurell-k.html"><u>Guilty Pleasures</u></a> (from the <i>Anita Blake</i> world).<br />
<br />
Either way, I really enjoyed the read this time. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I more or less read a book in one day like that. I think it's been a while though, at least based on the last couple of years worth of reviews I've posted here. More often I've been having trouble finishing books - or if I do finish them, it's been after such long breaks that I've forgotten the first half of the story.<br />
<br />
Laurell K. Hamilton has created an interesting world to go along with Meredeth Gentry, one where we've only just scraped the surface and there are depths yet to be discovered, both in the characters and the world they inhabit.<br />
<br />
Almost immediately on finishing <u>A Kiss of Shadows</u> I've rolled into <u>A Caress of Twilight</u>, and also bought the third book in the series, <u>Seduced by Moonlight</u>. Definitely enjoying the re-reads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-67586001776998085962018-01-06T14:11:00.000-08:002018-01-06T14:11:14.914-08:00More new Tolkien books I've discovered!Just what my poor budget needed - New Tolkien books (or at least new-to-me) to dream about buying. Yes, I've found a couple more books I'd love to add to my collection. First off is the newer of the two books:<br />
<br />
I hadn't known that Verlyn Flieger was publishing another collection of her essays on Tolkien last month, but what a nice surprise!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/There-Would-Always-Fairy-Tale/dp/160635308X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_i=160635308X&pd_rd_r=CR80H872SAH127BQ2579&pd_rd_w=SNBYf&pd_rd_wg=V9Px2&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=09550a7d1fd75b700e2cde4322786c23" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays On Tolkien - Verlyn Flieger" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=160635308X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays On Tolkien - Verlyn Flieger" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=160635308X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays On Tolkien</b></u><br />
Verlyn Flieger<br />
Kent State University Press<br />
Copyright Date: December 2017<br />
978-1606353080<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div dir="auto" id="iframeContent">
Devoted to Tolkien, the teller of
tales and co-creator of the myths they brush against, these essays focus
on his lifelong interest in and engagement with fairy stories, the
special world that he called faërie, a world they both create and
inhabit, and with the elements that make that world the special place it
is. They cover a range of subjects, from <i>The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings</i>
and their place within the legendarium he called the Silmarillion to
shorter works like “The Story of Kullervo” and “Smith of Wootton Major.”<br />
From
the pen of eminent Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger, the individual
essays in this collection were written over a span of twenty years, each
written to fit the parameters of a conference, an anthology, or both.
They are revised slightly from their original versions to eliminate
repetition and bring them up to date. Grouped loosely by theme, they
present an unpatterned mosaic, depicting topics from myth to truth, from
social manners to moral behavior, from textual history to the micro
particles of Middle-earth.<br />
Together these essays present a
complete picture of a man as complicated as the books that bear his
name―an independent and unorthodox thinker who was both a believer and a
doubter able to maintain conflicting ideas in tension, a teller of
tales both romantic and bitter, hopeful and pessimistic, in equal parts
tragic and comedic. A man whose work does not seek for right or wrong
answers so much as a way to accommodate both; a man of antitheses.<br />
Scholars
of fantasy literature generally and of Tolkien particularly will find
much of value in this insightful collection by a seasoned explorer of
Tolkien’s world of faërie.</div>
</blockquote>
Verlyn Flieger has been a noted name in Tolkien scholarship for quite a few years now, having edited a number of editions of Tolkien's shorter works including <u>On Fairy Stories</u>, <u>Smith of Wootton Major</u> and <u>The Story of Kullervo</u>, as well as publishing quite a selection of books on Tolkien and his writings, including<u> Splintered Light</u>, <u>Green Suns and Faerie</u>, and <u>Interrupted Music</u>, most of which I have to admit I have yet to read (although all of the books listed here are in my collection).<br />
<br />
The other book is the expensive one - but one I'd love to have nonetheless:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Companion-Tolkien-Blackwell-Companions-Literature/dp/0470659823/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1515265084&sr=8-2&keywords=companion+to+tolkien&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=19c41178e5f6874253f3aedf4c3af429" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0470659823&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0470659823" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien</b></u><br />
Ed. Stuart D. Lee<br />
Copyright: 2014<br />
978-0470659823<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<div dir="auto" id="iframeContent">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This is a complete resource for
scholars and students of Tolkien, as well as avid fans, with coverage of
his life, work, dominant themes, influences, and the critical reaction
to his writing.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><blockquote>
An in-depth examination of Tolkien’s entire work by a cadre of top scholars</blockquote>
</li>
<li><blockquote>
Provides up-to-date discussion and analysis of Tolkien’s scholarly and literary works, including his latest posthumous book, <i>The Fall of Arthur</i>, as well as addressing contemporary adaptations, including the new Hobbit films</blockquote>
</li>
<li><blockquote>
Investigates
various themes across his body of work, such as mythmaking, medieval
languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evil</blockquote>
</li>
<li><blockquote>
Discusses the impact of his work on art, film, music, gaming, and subsequent generations of fantasy writers </blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
Looking through the table of contents on this one is like going through a "who's who" of Tolkien scholarship. There are chapters by John Garth, Tom Shippey, John Rateliff, Verlyn Flieger, Mark Atherton, and Dimitra Fimi among many others.<br />
<br />
I think I'm going to class this one as "expensive, but worth the cost - eventually".Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-78850977974996468032018-01-02T10:16:00.000-08:002018-01-30T21:43:38.091-08:00Unread Tolkien Books - 2018I'm a Tolkien collector - see the various Tolkien lists I have on my blog (<a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-tolkien-collection-2013-edition.html">here</a>, <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2011/04/tolkien-collection.html">here</a> and <a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2016/05/the-tolkien-collection-2016-version.html">here</a>),
but I've ended up buying the books faster than I can read them. There
are unreviewed books on those lists that I have read, although they were
read before I started All Booked Up.<br />
<h4>
Unread Books 2018 - Tolkien List:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Hobbitus Ille - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction</li>
<li>The Annotated Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction</li>
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien: A Reader's Guide - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The History Of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins - John Rateliff - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The History Of The Hobbit: Return To Bag-End - John Rateliff - Non Fiction</li>
<li> Tolkien: A Celebration - Joseph Pearce - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The Battle For Middle-Earth - Bonnie Rutledge - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The Ring Of Words - Jeremy H. Marshall - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The Children of Hurin - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction </li>
<li>On Faerie Stories - Ed. Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The Tolkien Legendarium - Ed. Carl Hostetter - Non Fiction</li>
<li>Splintered Light: Logos And Language In Middle-Earth - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction</li>
<li>Green Suns and Faerie - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction </li>
<li>The Fall of Arthur - Ed. Christopher Tolkien - Poetry</li>
<li>Beowulf - Ed. Christopher Tolkien - Fiction</li>
<li>The Art of The Hobbit - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction</li>
<li>Interrupted Music: The Making Of Middle-Earth - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction</li>
<li>Master of Middle Earth - Paul Koch - Non Fiction</li>
<li>A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings - Lin Carter - Non Fiction</li>
<li>A Tolkien Compass - Jared Lobdel - Non Fiction</li>
<li>J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century - Tom Shippey - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The Gospel According To Tolkien - Ralph Woods - Non Fiction</li>
<li>There And Back Again: J.R.R. Tolkien And The Origins of The Hobbit - Mark Atherton - Non Fiction</li>
<li>Tolkien: A Celebration - Joseph Pearce - Non Fiction </li>
<li>The Story of Kullervo - Ed. Christopher Tolkien</li>
<li>The Art of the Lord of the Rings - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction </li>
<li>Tolkien - Raymond Edwards - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun - J.R.R. Tolkien - Ed. Verlyn Flieger - Fiction (Poetry) </li>
<li>The Song of Middle-Earth: J.R.R. Tolkien's Themes, Symbols and Myths - David Harvey - Non Fiction </li>
<li>J. R. R. Tolkien: A Secret Vice - Tolkien on Invented Languages - Eds. Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins </li>
<li>The Oxford Inklings: Lewis, Tolkien and Their Circle - Colin Duriez - Non Fiction, Biography</li>
<li>Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies To Hobbits - Dimitra Fimi - Non Fiction </li>
<li>There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays on Tolkien - Verlyn Flieger - Non Fiction </li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-8531895002323988402018-01-02T10:12:00.001-08:002018-02-24T10:27:45.967-08:00Non Fiction Unread Books of 2018<h4>
My Unread Books List 2018 - Non Fiction:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Women In Medieval Society - Ed. Susan Mosher Stuard (History)</li>
<li>The Lady In Medieval England 1000-1500 - Peter Coss (History)</li>
<li>The History of the World in 100 Objects - Neil MacGregor (History)</li>
<li>The Zero Mile Diet: A Year Round Guide To Growing Organic Food - Carolyn Herriot (Gardening)</li>
<li> The Crusader States - Malcolm Barber (History)</li>
<li>Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades - Johnathan Phillips (History) </li>
<li>Alexander The Great - Philip Freeman (History, Biography)</li>
<li>The Rise And Fall of Ancient Egypt - Toby Wilkinson (History)</li>
<li>The Ruin of the Roman Empire: A New History - James J. O'Donnell (History)</li>
<li>Atlas of Medieval Europe (History)</li>
<li>The Axe and the Oath - Robert Fossier (History)</li>
<li>A Short History of the Middle Ages - Barbara Rosenwein (History)</li>
<li>The Grand Design - Steven Hawking </li>
<li>The Last Apocalypse - James Reston Jr. (History) </li>
<li>Medieval Households - David Herlihy (History)</li>
<li>Special Sisters: Women In The European Middle Ages - Arthur Fredrick Ide (History)</li>
<li>Medieval Costume And Fashion - Herbert Norris (History) </li>
<li>Sex, Dissidence And Damnation: Minority Groups In The Middle Ages - Jeffrey Richards (History)</li>
<li>Daily Living In The Twelfth Century (History)</li>
<li>Cathedral, Forge And Waterwheel - Francis And Joseph Gies (History)</li>
<li>Medicine And Society In Later Medieval England - Caroline Rawcliffe (History)</li>
<li>Londinium - John Morris (History)</li>
<li>The Archaeology Of Roman Britain - R. G. Collingwood (History)</li>
<li>Londinium - John Morris (History)</li>
<li>The Archaeology Of Roman Britain - R. G. Collingwood (History)</li>
<li>Women in Early Medieval Europe 400-1100 - Lisa M. Bitel (History)</li>
<li>An Illustrated History of its First 12000 Years: Toronto edited by Ronald F. Williamson (History)</li>
<li>Becoming Modern In Toronto: The Industrial Exhibition - Keith Walden (History)</li>
<li>The Complete World Of The Dead Sea Scrolls - Phillip R. Davies, George J. Brooke and Phillip R. Callaway (History)</li>
<li>Dictionary Of Mythology </li>
<li>Hadrian - Anthony Everitt (Biography)</li>
<li>The Inheritance Of Rome - Chris Wickham (History)</li>
<li>The Ties That Bound - Barbara Hanawalt (History)</li>
<li>Making A Living In The Middle Ages - Christopher Dyer (History)</li>
<li>The Art Of Medieval Hunting - John Cummins (History)</li>
<li>Eleanor Of Aquitaine - Alison Weir (Biography)</li>
<li>Growing Up In Medieval London - Barbara Hanawalt (History)</li>
<li>The Lost Capital Of Byzantium - Steven Runciman (History)</li>
<li> Readings In Medieval History - Patrick Geary (History)</li>
<li> The Real Middle Earth - Brian Bates (History)</li>
<li>Khubilai Khan's Lost Fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada - James Delgado (History)</li>
<li>The Medieval World - Eds. Peter Linehan & Janet L. Nelson (History)</li>
<li>Europe And The Middle Ages - Edward Peters (History)</li>
<li>The Age of the Cathedrals - Georges Duby (History)</li>
<li>A History Of Private Life I (History)</li>
<li>A History Of Private Life II (History)</li>
<li>The Peasantries Of Europe - Ed. Tom Scott (History)</li>
<li>Law And Life of Rome - J. A. Crook (History)</li>
<li>The Temple And the Lodge - Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh </li>
<li>The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception - Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh </li>
<li>The Battle Of Salamis - Barry Strauss (History)</li>
<li>The Knights Templar - Piers Paul Read - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Lost Tomb Of Alexander The Great - Andrew Michael Chugg (History)</li>
<li>Rome And Jerusalem - Martin Goodman (History)</li>
<li>The History of Britain - Simon Schama (History)</li>
<li>Caesar - Adrian Goldworthy (History, Biography)</li>
<li>The Fall Of The Roman Empire - Peter Heather (History)</li>
<li>Xenophon's Retreat - Robin Waterfield (History)</li>
<li>Isabella - Alison Weir (History, Biography)</li>
<li>An Imperial Possession - David Mattingly (History)</li>
<li>The Peloponnesian War - Donald Kagan (History)</li>
<li>Augustus: The Life Of Rome's First Emperor - Anthony Everitt (History, Biography)</li>
<li>Cicero - Anthony Everitt (History, Biography)</li>
<li>God's War - Christopher Tyerman (History)</li>
<li>Life In A Medieval City - Francis and Joseph Gies (History)</li>
<li>Life In A Medieval Castle - Francis and Joseph Gies (History)</li>
<li> Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson (Biography)</li>
<li>Armies Of Heaven - Jay Rubenstein (History)</li>
<li>Sea of Faith - Stepehen O'Shea (History)</li>
<li>Beyond Book Indexing - Ed. Dianne Brenner and Marilyn Rowland (Indexing)</li>
<li>The Medieval World Europe 1100-1350 - Friedrich Heer (History)</li>
<li>The City in the Greek and Roman World - E.J. Owens (History)</li>
<li>The Greek World After Alexander 323-30 B.C. - Graham Shipley (History)</li>
<li>A Great And Terrible King: Edward I And The Forging Of Britain - Mark Morris (History, Biography)</li>
<li>Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff (Biography, E-book, History)</li>
<li>Antony and Cleopatra - Adrian Goldsworthy (Biography, History)</li>
<li>Cleopatra A Biography - Duane W. Roller (History, Biography)</li>
<li>Cleopatra the Great The Woman Behind The Legend - Joann Fletcher (History, Biography)</li>
<li>Cleopatra The Search For The Last Queen Of Egypt - Zahi Hawass and Franck Goddio (History, Archaeology, Biography)</li>
<li>Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Games - Roland Auguet (History)</li>
<li>Nova Scotia Shaped By The Sea - Lesley Choyce (History)</li>
<li>Ancient Cities - Charles Gates (History, Archaeology)</li>
<li>Getting In TTouch With Your Horse - Linda Tellington-Jones (Animals)</li>
<li>Greek Art and Archaeology - John Griffiths Pedley (History, Archaeology, Art)</li>
<li>Roman Art - Nancy H. Ramage and Andrew Ramage (History, Art, Archaeology)</li>
<li>Fighting For The Cross - Norman Housley (History)</li>
<li>The Middle Ages: Everyday Life In Medieval Europe - Jeffrey L. Singman (History)</li>
<li>A Medieval Miscelany - Judith Herrin (History)</li>
<li>Gothic Art: Glorious Visions - Michael Camille (History, Art)</li>
<li>Early Medieval Art - Lawrence Nees (History, Art)</li>
<li>Great Harry's Navy - Geoffrey Moorhouse (History)</li>
<li>Ghost On The Throne - James Romm (History)</li>
<li>Blueprint Crochet Sweaters - Robyn Chachula (Crochet)</li>
<li>Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch - Sally Bedell Smith (Biography) </li>
<li>Dr. Radcliffe's Library: The Story of The Radcliffe Camera in Oxford - Stephen Hebron (History)</li>
<li>The Material Culture of Daily Living in the Anglo-Saxon World - Ed.
Maren Clegg Hyer and Gale R. Owen-Crocker (History, Archaeology)</li>
<li>The Real Jane Austen: A Life In Small Things - Paula Byrne (Biography)</li>
<li>The Iron Ship: The Story of Brunel's ss Great Britain - Ewan Corlett (History)</li>
<li>Monastic Life in Anglo-Saxon England c. 600-900 - Sarah Foot (History)</li>
<li>Women, Crusading And The Holy Land in Historical Narrative - Natasha R. Hodgson (History) </li>
<li>How To Plan A Crusade - Christopher Tyerman (History)</li>
<li><a href="http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-crown-official-companion-volume-1.html">The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen - Robert Lacey (History, Biography)</a></li>
<li>The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender In Medieval Europe - Ed. Judith Bennett and Ruth Mazo Karras (History) </li>
<li>Victoria The Queen - Julia Baird (History, Biography) </li>
<li>The Silk Roads: A New History of the World - Peter Frankopan (History) </li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-25279513544822753142018-01-02T10:06:00.001-08:002018-01-02T10:06:22.872-08:00Unread Primary Sources - 2018<h4>
Unread Books 2017 - Primary Sources List:</h4>
<ol>
<li>The Histories - Herodotus - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Peloponnesian War - Thucydides - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>Greek Lives - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History, Biography)</li>
<li>Roman Lives - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History, Biography)</li>
<li>Beowulf - Trans. Seamus Heany - Poetry</li>
<li>Anthony And Cleopatra - Shakespeare - Fiction </li>
<li>Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare - Fiction </li>
<li>Richard III - Shakespeare - Fiction </li>
<li>The Comedy Of Errors - Shakespeare - Fiction </li>
<li>All's Well That Ends Well - Shakespeare - Fiction </li>
<li>Troilus And Cressida - Shakespeare - Fiction </li>
<li>Henry IV Part One - Shakespeare - Fiction </li>
<li>The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer - Poetry </li>
<li>The Saga of Grettir The Strong - Fiction </li>
<li>The Conquest Of Gaul - Julius Caesar - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>Metamorphosis - Ovid - Poetry</li>
<li>Greek Lyric Poetry - Trans. Sherod Santos - Poetry </li>
<li>On Sparta - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>A History Of My Times - Xenophon - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li> Roman Poets Of The Early Empire - Poetry</li>
<li>Troilus And Criseyde - Geoffrey Chaucer - Poetry</li>
<li>Medieval English Prose For Women - Eds. Bella Millett & Jocelyn Wogan-Browne - Non Fiction </li>
<li>Josephus - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English - Non Fiction</li>
<li>The Life Of Christina Of Markayte - Trans. C. H. Talbot - Non Fiction</li>
<li>Lysistrata/The Clouds - Aristophanes - Fiction (History, Play) </li>
<li>Pausanias Guide to Greece Volume One Translated by Peter Levy - Non Fiction (History) </li>
<li>The Landmark Arrian - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Crusades A Reader - Ed. S. J. Allen and Emilie Amt - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>Women's Writing In Middle English - Ed. Alexandra Barratt - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Landmark Hellenika - Ed. Robert Strassler - Non Fiction (History) </li>
<li>Chronicles of the First Crusade - Ed. Christopher Tyerman - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>Everyman And Medieval Miracle Plays - Ed. A. C. Crawley - Non Fiction </li>
<li>Juvenal The Sixteen Satires - Trans. Peter Green - Poetry</li>
<li>Aeschylus II - Play</li>
<li>Euripides I - Play</li>
<li>Sophocles II - Play</li>
<li>Reading The Middle Ages - Ed. Barbara Rosenwein - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Song of Roland - Poetry</li>
<li>Rome And Italy - Livy - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Early History of Rome - Livy - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>Odes and Epodes - Horace - Poetry</li>
<li>Joinville And Villehardouin Chronicles of the First Crusade - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Book Of Contemplation: Islam and the Crusades - Usama Ibn Munqidh - Non Fiction (History)</li>
<li>The Book of Margery Kempe - Non Fiction (Autobiography)</li>
<li>Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management - Non Fiction (Cooking) </li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-53472505953126150092018-01-02T10:04:00.003-08:002018-02-24T10:28:46.282-08:00Unread Fiction Books - 2018<h4>
My Unread Fiction Books 2018:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Star Wars: X-Wing Omnibus 3 - Michael Stackpole (Graphic Novel)</li>
<li>A Flame In Hali - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)</li>
<li>The Fall of Neskaya - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)</li>
<li>Zandru's Forge - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Masters of Fantasy (Anthology)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress XV - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress XIV - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress X - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress VI - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress IX - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)</li>
<li> Rocket Ship Galileo - Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Falls The Shadow - Sharon Kay Penman (History)</li>
<li>The Reckoning - Sharon Kay Penman (History)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress I - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradey (Anthology)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress V - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)</li>
<li>Sword and Sorceress VII - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)</li>
<li>Against The Odds - Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Alexandria - Nick Bantock </li>
<li>Morningstar - Nick Bantock </li>
<li>Gryphon - Nick Bantock </li>
<li>Lord of the Two Lands - Judith Tarr (Fantasy) </li>
<li>Variable Star - Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Zoe's Tale - John Scalzi (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>The Forgetting Room - Nick Bantock </li>
<li>The Venetian's Wife - Nick Bantock </li>
<li>The Museum At Purgatory - Nick Bantock</li>
<li>Shadow Of The Swords - Kamran Pasha </li>
<li>The Forest Laird - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>American Vampire - Scott Snyder, Steven King (Graphic Novel)</li>
<li>A Game Of Thrones - George R. R. Martin (Fantasy, e-book)</li>
<li>Queen By Right - Anne Easter Smith (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>Dreams of Joy - Lisa See (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire (Fantasy)</li>
<li>By Fire By Water - Mitchell James Kaplan (History) </li>
<li>Heaven To Wudang - Kylie Chan (Fantasy)</li>
<li>Stalking Darkness - Lynn Flewelling (Fantasy)</li>
<li>Traitor's Moon - Lynn Flewelling (Fantasy)</li>
<li>The Empire At War Vol 1 (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)</li>
<li>The Empire At War Vol 2 (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)</li>
<li> The X Factor - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Star Gate - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 Do No Harm - Karen Miller (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 Relativity - James Swallow (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 The Morpheus Factor - Ashley McConnell (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 The Cost of Honor - Sally Malcom (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 A Matter of Honor - Sally Malcolm (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 Roswell - Sonny Whitelaw and Jennifer Fallon (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 Alliances - Karen Miller (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction</li>
<li>Masks of the Outcasts - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>Stargate SG1 The Price You Pay - Ashley McConnell (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction) </li>
<li>The Renegade - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>The Guardian - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>Written In My Own Heart's Blood - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>An Echo In The Bone - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>A Breath Of Snow And Ashes - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>In The Shadow Of The Banyan Tree - Vaddey Ratner</li>
<li>The Light Between The Oceans - M. L. Stedman</li>
<li>The Third Gate - Lincoln Child </li>
<li>Equal Of The Sun - Anita Amirrezvani (Historical Fiction)</li>
<li>The Lake Of Dreams - Kim Edwards </li>
<li>The Forest - Edward Rutherfurd (Historical Fiction) </li>
<li>The Second Empress - Michelle Moran (Historical Fiction) </li>
<li>The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill (Historical Fiction) </li>
<li>Tempest: All New Tales of Valdemar - Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy) </li>
<li>Cold Welcome (Vatta's Peace) - Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction) </li>
<li>Written In My Own Heart's Blood - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction) </li>
<li>Seven Stones To Stand Or Fall - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction) </li>
<li>The Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane - Lisa See </li>
<li>A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond </li>
<li>Pathways: All New Tales of Valdemar - Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy) </li>
<li>Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World Of Mercy Thompson - Patricia Briggs (Fantasy) </li>
<li>Thunderlord - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)</li>
<li>Silence Fallen - Patricia Briggs (Fantasy, Urban Fantasy)</li>
<li>The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin (Science Fiction) </li>
<li>The Disposessed - Ursula K. Le Guin (Science Fiction)</li>
<li>A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin (Fantasy)</li>
<li>Into The Fire - Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction) </li>
<li>The Emperor's Agent - Jo Graham (Fantasy, Historical Fiction) </li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181364634779383173.post-37053436012240653452017-12-13T15:52:00.001-08:002017-12-13T15:52:26.594-08:00New and new to me books.I've had the pleasure over recent weeks to get back into book-buying, and as a result I've discovered an interesting selection of upcoming books, newly released books and books that are just plain new to me. Some of these I have in my hands, some are books I've seen but not yet bought, and some are books that have yet to be released. All of them look interesting.<br />
<br />
I'm going to start with one I now own and am looking forward to reading (once I finish my current non-fiction read - <a href="http://amzn.to/2AWLeCf"><u>Material Culture of the Anglo Saxon World</u></a>):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crusading-Historical-Narrative-Warfare-History/dp/1783272708/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513206275&sr=1-1&keywords=women,+crusading,+holy+land&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=bcf9c2ff75613eba8ccb005f9e64aba9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Women, Crusading and the Holy Land - Natasha R. Hodgson" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1783272708&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Women, Crusading and the Holy Land - Natasha R. Hodgson" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1783272708" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Women, Crusading and the Holy Land in Historical Narrative</b></u><br />
Natasha R. Hodgson<br />
Boydell Press<br />
Release date: 2007<br />
978-1783272709<br />
<br />
The amazon.com blurb:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Narratives of crusading have often been overlooked as a source for the
history of women because of their focus on martial events, and
perceptions about women inhibiting the recruitment and progress of
crusading armies. Yet women consistently appeared in the histories of
crusade and settlement, performing a variety of roles. While some were
vilified as "useless mouths" or prostitutes, others undertook menial
tasks for the army, went on crusade with retinues of their own knights,
and rose to political prominence in the Levant and and the West. This
book compares perceptions of women from a wide range of historical
narratives including those eyewitness accounts, lay histories and
monastic chronicles that pertained to major crusade expeditions and the
settler society in the Holy Land. It addresses how authors used events
involving women and stereotypes based on gender, family role, and social
status in writing their histories: how they blended historia and
fabula, speculated on women's motivations, and occasionally granted them
a literary voice in order to connect with their audience, impart moral
advice, and justify the crusade ideal.</blockquote>
I have a fascination with medieval history, but a particular interest in women's and everyday people's roles in that world - how everyday life is shaped and in daily living. I'm sincerely hoping that this book will cover some of those interests. Based on the description, it should. As I said earlier, I'm really looking forward to this read - but I refuse to abandon the book I'm currently reading to start this one.<br />
<br />
The next book on my list is another one that I haven't started reading yet: the newest Mercedes Lackey anthology that came out last week. To be honest, I have yet to finish last year's offering (<a href="http://amzn.to/2AU2vMo"><u>Tempest: All New Tales of Valdemar</u></a>).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pathways-Valdemar-Mercedes-Lackey/dp/0756409047/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=873bc5d6daa86ea72d03545c6a46f357" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Pathways: All New Tales of Valdemar - Ed. Mercedes Lackey" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0756409047&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Pathways: All New Tales of Valdemar - Ed. Mercedes Lackey" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0756409047" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Pathways: All New Tales of Valdemar</b></u><br />
Ed. Mercedes Lackey<br />
DAW Books<br />
Copyright: December 5, 2017<br />
978-0756409043<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The eleventh anthology of short stories set in Mercedes Lackey's beloved Valdemar universe features stories by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself<br />
<br />
The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.<br />
<br />
Now, twenty-three authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm. <br />
<br />
Join Janny Wurts, Elisabeth Waters, Michele Lang, Fiona Patton, and others in twenty-four original stories, including a brand-new novella by Mercedes Lackey, all set in Valdemar, where:<br />
<br />
A young woman without any of the Heralds’ Gifts must see a Companion safely delivered to Haven....<br />
<br />
A Herald must revisit the mysteries of his childhood to save his own young family and combat a threat at the very heart of Valdemar....<br />
<br />
A Hawkbrother flees for his life, trailed by a mysterious bird that prophesizes a dire future....<br />
<br />
A mage must choose whether to steal a priceless artifact and be branded a thief and traitor, or let his country fall to magic that could prove far more deadly....</blockquote>
It's hard to believe that this is the eleventh book in this series! It is, though, and from what I've seen online, the book does contain some of the recurring characters that have become a staple of previous anthologies. I have to admit though that I'm not sure which ones they are at this point. I need to finish reading the previous anthology first.<br />
<br />
The new season of <i>The Crown</i> came out last week, and I've discovered that there is a companion book to go with the first season now - and possibly the second as well. This is a book that I'd like to get my hands on sooner or later.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Companion-Elizabeth-Churchill-1947-1955/dp/1524762288/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1513205973&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=the+crown&psc=1&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=034a1f3e087a6a9b3a40e3e03fe97ba0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen (1947-1955)" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1524762288&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen (1947-1955)" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1524762288" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen (1947-1955)</b></u><br />
Robert Lacey<br />
Crown Archetype<br />
Copyright Date: October 2017<br />
978-1524762285<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The official companion to the Emmy-winning Netflix drama chronicling
the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and starring Claire Foy and John
Lithgow, <i>The Crown</i> by Peter Morgan, featuring additional historical background and beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills</b><br />
<br />
Elizabeth Mountbatten never expected her father to die so suddenly, so
young, leaving her with a throne to fill and a global institution to
govern. Crowned at twenty-five, she was already a wife and mother as she
began her journey towards becoming a queen.<br />
<br />
As Britain lifted
itself out of the shadow of war, the new monarch faced her own
challenges. Her mother doubted her marriage; her uncle-in-exile derided
her abilities; her husband resented the sacrifice of his career and
family name; and her rebellious sister embarked on a love affair that
threatened the centuries-old links between the Church and the Crown.
This is the story of how Elizabeth II drew on every ounce of resolve to
ensure that the Crown always came out on top.<br />
<br />
Written by the
show’s historical consultant, royal biographer Robert Lacey, and filled
with beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills, <i>The Crown: The Official Companion: Volume 1 </i>adds
expert and in-depth detail to the events of the series, painting an
intimate portrait of life inside Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing
Street. Here is Elizabeth II as we’ve never seen her before.</blockquote>
The description certainly makes this look like an intriguing book - with a mix of archival materials and materials from the show/sets.<br />
<br />
And now back to medieval history, with another book on the Crusades to add to my collection. Christopher Tyerman has a good reputation as a historian and I own other books of his - though to my shame, I've only read one of them to date, even though I've owned the other for at least a decade now. This one I've ordered, but it has yet to arrive - expected in January.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Plan-Crusade-Religious-Middle/dp/1681775247/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513207296&sr=1-1&keywords=christopher+tyerman&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=3531f12a5c0b3a6b0eba49ee58b4274c" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="How to Plan a Crusade: Religious War in the High Middle Ages - Christopher Tyerman" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1681775247&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="How to Plan a Crusade: Religious War in the High Middle Ages - Christopher Tyerman" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1681775247" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>How to Plan a Crusade: Religious War in the High Middle Ages</b></u><br />
Christopher Tyerman<br />
Pegasus Books<br />
Copyright: October 2017<br />
978-1681775241<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>A spirited and sweeping account of how the crusades really
worked―and a revolutionary attempt to rethink how we understand the
Middle Ages.</b><br />
The story of the wars and conquests initiated
by the First Crusade and its successors is itself so compelling that
most accounts move quickly from describing the Pope's calls to arms to
the battlefield. In this highly original and enjoyable new book,
Christopher Tyerman focuses on something obvious but overlooked: the
massive, all-encompassing and hugely costly business of actually
preparing a crusade. The efforts of many thousands of men and women, who
left their lands and families in Western Europe, and marched off to a
highly uncertain future in the Holy Land and elsewhere have never been
sufficiently understood. Their actions raise a host of compelling
questions about the nature of medieval society.<br />
<br />
<i>How to Plan a Crusade</i>
is remarkably illuminating on the diplomacy, communications,
propaganda, use of mass media, medical care, equipment, voyages, money,
weapons, wills, ransoms, animals, and the power of prayer during this
dynamic era. It brings to life an extraordinary period of history in a
new and surprising way. 16 pages of color illustrations.</blockquote>
Another one I'm looking forward to reading. I think though, that I've been acquiring books faster than I can read them - and I've been doing this for years now.<br />
<br />
And, another book on order that I'm waiting for. It's supposed to arrive any day now though. Dimitra Fimi's <u>Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits</u>. Dimitra Fimi is the author/editor of the hardcover edition of <a href="http://amzn.to/2yovFjT"><u>A Secret Vice</u></a>, and also wrote two chapters in the <a href="http://amzn.to/2AT8OzH"><u>Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds</u></a> (which is where I was first exposed to her works).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Race-Cultural-History-Fairies/dp/0230272843/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513207751&sr=1-1&keywords=dimitra+fimi&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=d8ff3ef0b012c9b9a1911000b87b7a3f" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits - Dimitra Fimi" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0230272843&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits - Dimitra Fimi" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0230272843" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits</b></u><br />
Dimitra Fimi<br />
Palgrave Macmillan<br />
Copyright date: 2008<br />
978-0230272842<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Fimi explores the evolution of Tolkien's mythology throughout his
lifetime by examining how it changed as a result of his life story and
contemporary cultural and intellectual history. This new approach and
scope brings to light neglected aspects of Tolkien's imaginative vision
and contextualises his fiction.</blockquote>
I'm looking forward to this read too - but when I'll get to it... I've got quite a few unread books on Tolkien in my collection already.<br />
<br />
Here's a Tolkien book I <i>really</i> want to get my hands on:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Maker-Middle-earth-Catherine-McIlwaine/dp/1851244859/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513208616&sr=1-32&keywords=tolkien&linkCode=li2&tag=alboup00-20&linkId=21cb5d713b51ad7942814deb75b3c677" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1851244859&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=alboup00-20" title="Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=alboup00-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1851244859" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><u><b>Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth</b></u><br />
Catherine McIlwaine<br />
Bodleian Library<br />
Release Date: July 2018<br />
978-1851244850<br />
<br />
The amazon.com product description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He was an expert in medieval literature and Norse folklore, with a deep
reverence for the power of myth. An accomplished translator, linguist,
and philologist, who invented multiple languages of his own. A whimsical
illustrator and a skillful storyteller. The father of modern fantasy
literature, J. R. R. Tolkien was a master of world-building and a
complex and brilliant figure.<br />
<i>Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth</i>
explores the huge creative endeavor behind Tolkien’s enduring
popularity. Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 images of his
manuscripts, drawings, maps, and letters, the book traces the creative
process behind his most famous literary works—<i>The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, </i>and <i>The Silmarillion</i>—and reproduces personal photographs and private papers, many of which have never been seen before in print.<br />
Six essays cover the main themes in Tolkien’s life and
work, including the influence of northern languages and legends on the
creation of his own <i>legendarium</i>; his concept of “Faërie” as an
enchanted literary realm; the central importance of his invented
languages in his fantasy writing; his visual imagination and its
emergence in his artwork; and the encouragement he derived from his
close friend C. S. Lewis and their literary group the Inklings.<br />
This volume assembles a wealth of original Tolkien material,
shedding light on the extraordinary genius and imagination that brought
us Middle-earth with all its Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Ringwraiths,
Wizards, and, of course, Hobbits. Drawing on the archives of the Tolkien
collections at the Bodleian Library and Marquette University, as well
as private collections, this exquisitely produced catalog draws together
the worlds of J. R .R. Tolkien—scholarly, literary, creative, and
domestic—offering a rich and detailed history of this legendary author.</blockquote>
The author/editor of this book is the Tolkien archivist at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. What's of more interest - especially if you live in the United Kingdom - <a href="http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley/news/2017/mar-17">is that the Bodleian Library is holding an exhibition next year on Tolkien</a> which this book is intended to showcase. I only wish I could attend.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961035078725474747noreply@blogger.com0