Sunday, March 30, 2025

BW13: Meander through April


 

Welcome to April where we are going to meander through the month, reading this, reading that, dipping our toes into a little bit of poetry, an epistolary or two, maybe learning about astronomy, or history, or humor.  And dragons!

Our dragon of the month is Querig from Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant which I'm looking forward to reading. 

"In post-Arthurian Britain, the wars that once raged between the Saxons and the Britons have finally ceased. Axl and Beatrice, an elderly British couple, set off to visit their son, whom they haven't seen in years. And, because a strange mist has caused mass amnesia throughout the land, they can scarcely remember anything about him. As they are joined on their journey by a Saxon warrior, his orphan charge, and an illustrious knight, Axl and Beatrice slowly begin to remember the dark and troubled past they all share.

By turns savage, suspenseful, and intensely moving, The Buried Giant is a luminous meditation on the act of forgetting and the power of memory."

Ishiguro is a Nobel prize literature winner who has written classics such as Remains of the Day to  science fiction stories like Klara and the Sun.

Happy meandering! 




Sunday, March 23, 2025

BW12: Literary Linguistics

 


Happy Sunday!  Literary Linguistics - the interface between literature and linguistics and the study and analysis of language.  Since one of our 52 Books Bingo categories is linguistics, I figured it would be fun, and ended up following so many rabbit holes on the internet, I forgot what I was there for.  Digging myself out of the linguistic hole before I forget to write this post.  LOL! 

There are many science fiction and speculative fiction authors who enjoy creating new languages and cultures for their stories, whether from our past or the future, much to our benefit, which is what I'll probably be reading. So join me inn reading about the etymology of language or delve into fictional world where linguistics plays a huge role. 

The best books on Linguistics recommended by Professor David Adger

Pop Linguistics Books for Prep or Pleasure

A very long list of pop linguistics books and lingfic

The Best Science Fiction Books with Alien Languages

Science Fiction using Languages or Linguistics as a Plot Device


Try not to fall into any rabbit holes! 


Sunday, March 16, 2025

BW11: Kickin up our heels for Spring


Happy Sunday!  Who else is kickin up their heels with the arrival of Spring on March 20th?  I think springtime is my favorite season. The temperatures are perfect, the flowers are starting to bloom, the urge to take on a new project, or declutter. And read new books or dive into old favorites.  

We have an eclectic mix of lists this week to peruse, which may also lead to a bunch of rabbit trails. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. 

Town and Country Magazine's The 49 Must-Read Books of Spring 2025

ABA's The Spring 2025 Reading Group Guide Preview

Pretty Little Memoir The Perfect Spring 2025 Reads for Every Mood

Milkweed Org's Spring 2025 Catalog

Book Bub's Here Are the Must-Read Books of Spring

Goodread's Spring Reads 


Happy Spring!



Sunday, March 9, 2025

BW10: Journey around the world


 

Happy Sunday!  I'm always in the mood to journey across the United States, or follow in the footsteps of authors, cross the seas and oceans, hike through countries of Europe or Asia, or transverse space.  My latest book, James Rollin's Arkangel, #18 in the Sigma Force series, takes us from the Vatican to Russia to the Arctic in a quest to determine if an ancient myth of a lost continent is true or not. Rollin's books blend science fiction with history as well as archeology, blending fiction with truth.  

A Journey Through Literary America

Long Journey on Foot

Books Full of Wanderlust 

15 Best Travel Books to Cure Wanderlust

10 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books About Fantastical Voyages

Stellar Books That Take Place in Space


Where are you traveling this week? 





Sunday, March 2, 2025

BW9: Infinite possibilities

 


“As the earth awakens from its slumber, let March awaken your spirit 

to the infinite possibilities that lie ahead.”


Welcome to March and our month of infinite possibilities where any thing can happen.  This month we celebrate Women's History Month, Irish American Heritage month, and Craft month to name a few,  as well as the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Spring.  Girl Scout cookies go on sale this month and the thing we all love to hate - the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. 

Our dragon of the month is Clefspeare from Bryan Davis's middle grade series Dragons in our Midst which is an excellent series. I have had fun reading both as a youngster and as an adult. 

And speaking of youngsters, its time for the annual March Book Madness sponsored by a pair of school teachers in Ohio that has gone viral over the years.  

Check out these special editions of new book releases this month including Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the 50th anniversary edition of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, The Green Kingdom by Cornelia Funke, the 100th anniversary of  the Annotated Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald & James LW West, as well as 20th Anniversary Edition of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Have fun exploring this month!






Sunday, February 23, 2025

BW8: Happily Ever After

 



I Dream Of A Magical Place...

by

Parker A Blackwood 

And I, I dream of a magical place
Where I might have a smile on my face
A mother and father who love me
Living together under the eldest tree

It is a beautiful land
There are always adventures at hand
Ones where the good prevails
But darkness endures, as the tales

I wouldn't have to live in a castle
We needn't any vassal
Having each other was always enough
Even when things got tough

My friends would fight by my side
And we may never die
We had each other
We loved one another

My whole family, blood or not
Could always save each other if we sought with purity
Because love is the most powerful thing
So we all end up living as the king

Because our love is truelove
And the trees sing out above
The water flows with the music
Wind singing loud as the humans

The forest, the kingdom, the people
And even those who were thought to be evil
Their homes would be filled with love and laughter
And we would all live happily ever after




Sunday, February 16, 2025

BW7: 52 Books Bingo - Gaslamp

 



Happy Sunday! My son surprised me with two books for Valentine's day:  Alan Moore's The Great When and Carly Fortune's Every Summer After.   Neither one was on my radar, but both look equally interesting. Moore's book fits our 52 Books Category this week - GASLAMP - and Fortune's book is a love story. I look forward to reading both. 

What's the difference between Gaslamp and Steampunk?  While both are considered Victorian Fantasy,  steampunk is science fiction centering around steam powered tech and magic vs gaslamp is more fantasy and centered around magic and supernatural creature.  Gaslamp has also since evolved to take place from the early 1800's Victorian era to the beginning of World War one in 1914 according to New York Public Library's Bewitched, Bothered and Betrothed: An Intro to Gaslamp Fantasy  

Some words on Gaslamp Fantasy, Good Friends, and Great Fiction

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is an excellent example of a Gaslamp fantasy which I thoroughly enjoyed when I read it back in 2014.  I think it's time for a reread.  It's a chunky book at 1006 pages but well worth the effort. 

"The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation's past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country.

Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange.

Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine."

12 Gaslamp Fantasy Books Full of Magic and Mystery

Reddit Fantasy recommendations

Goodreads Listopia Gaslamp Fantasy

Helene Wecker's the Golem and the Jinni, Marie Brennan's Lady Trent series, as well as Devon Monk's Age of Steam series to name a few are all excellent as well.  


Happy reading!


Sunday, February 9, 2025

BW6: Fascination

 



Happy Sunday! For some reason, I lost last week. All week I thought it was this  week and Friday was Valentine's Day.  I kissed hubby and wished him happy VD day as I headed out the door to work on Friday. The plan was to give him the card I bought when I got home and make a special meal on Saturday.  He calls me a few minutes later to let me know I was off by a week.  So every day now, he's wishing me happy Valentine's day. LOL!  Well, at least he won't forget now.  

To celebrate our day of love, according to the hallmark calendar, and the year in and year out love for everyone else, this week read a book which has Valentine or love in the title, or has a pink cover, with or without flowers, hearts, or is part of the book's theme. 


Fascination  ~ Nat King Cole 


It was fascination, I know
And it might have ended right then, at the start
Just a passing glance, just a brief romance
And I might have gone on my way empty hearted

It was fascination, I know
Seeing you alone with the moonlight above
Then I touch your hand and next moment I kissed you
Fascination turned to love

It was fascination, I know
Seeing you alone with the moonlight above
Then I touch your hand and next moment I kissed you
Fascination turned to love


Happy Valentine's Day



Sunday, February 2, 2025

BW5: The Expeditions of Laurence and Temeraire

 



Welcome to February and our Dragon Bookology reading and spelling challenge for the month - Temeraire - and his faithful companion, Captain William Laurence.  They are the lead characters in Naomi Novik's alternate historical fantasy 9 books  series which takes place during the Napoleonic Wars and through England to China as well as Africa, Asia, South America and Japan. 




The first book in the series, His Majesty's Dragon, all about Captain Laurance who reluctantly bonded with the dragon Temeraire during the Napoleonic war and grew to love and trust him above all else, was an engaging five star read for me this past year.  

“after supper Laurence would go to sit outside and read to him by the light of a lantern. He had never been a great reader himself, but Temeraire’s pleasure in books was so great as to be infectious, and Laurence could not but think with satisfaction of the dragon’s likely delight in the new book, which spoke in great detail about gemstones and their mining, despite his own complete lack of interest in the subject.”

I went on the read the second book Throne of Jade and enjoyed it so much, decided to read the rest of the series and am currently on #3  Black Powder War.  

Naomi Novik also wrote the Scholomance Trilogy as well as Spinning Silver, Uprooted, and Will Supervillains be on the Finals?.







Sunday, January 26, 2025

BW4: An Ode to the Day






 An Ode To The Day

By 


The air around me silent
in the late December chill
remnants
of my fantasies
clinging to me still.
The sky outside my window
an unenlightened gray
like ceilings made
of candle wax
dipped in disarray.
Somewhere
there's a rainbow
smiling in the sun
a baby softly cooing
co`yotes on the run.
Assisted by the morning star
there comes a gentle sigh
as shadows
on the promenade
bade a fond goodbye.


Happy Sunday!  I'm used to reading books that take place over a period of time - days. weeks, months, even years.  But what about a book that take place in a day, a period of 24 hours. Check out - 


What about a book with Day in the title  or get creative with Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. such as 

Perhaps read a book written by Sylvia Day, Elizabeth Day, Alexandra Day, Thomas Day, or Day Keene. 



Happy travels! 

Sunday, January 19, 2025

BW3: Coffee in Literature



 

“The fresh smell of coffee soon wafted through the apartment, the smell that separates night from day.”

― Haruki Murakami, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage


Happy Sunday! I woke up this morning to the wonderful scent of fresh roasted coffee beans. Hubby likes to do a dark roast so he choose to roast some Guatemala Xinabajul which is a earthy combination of dark chocolate, sugar, and caramel.  At Christmas time, we also received some homemade Kahlua made by one of my employees which was wonderful.  So now I'm craving an Espresso Martini.  Which is why coffee is on my mind as I sit down to write. Either subliminally or not so subliminally, I started reading At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber this morning.   

I started thinking about all the book characters who enjoyed coffee from Eve Dallas in J.D. Robb's In death Series to Haruki Murakami's books in which his characters talk about and frequent coffee houses to Cleo Coyle's Clare, owner and barista of the Village Blend in Coffee House Mysteries

Books with Coffee (or various synonyms) in the Title

These 15 Books Set in Coffee and Tea Shops Will Charm You

Best Coffee Table Books 

Library of Congress General Books on Coffee

The Coffee Recipe Book

Home Roasting

If you're a coffee drinker,  what's your favorite type or flavor of Coffee?  If you enjoy other beverages, please share your favorite?


Please share your thoughts and reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

 



Sunday, January 12, 2025

BW2: 52 Books Bingo - Babel

 

Courtesy of Ancient Origins

Happy Sunday!  Our first 52 Books Bingo category is Babel.  In both biblical and Assyrian accounts, there was an ancient city in which the people tried to build a tower to reach the heavens and God caused all to speak in different languages.  In the dictionary, babel is described as a "confused mixture of sounds or voices or a scene of noise and confusion."  Synonyms for babel are an uproar, din, a hullabaloo, pandemonium, a lament, bedlam, or a clang.  Clang kind of reminds me of New York or cable cars. How about you?  However you want to define babel, there are a number of directions you could go for this category. 

I recently read R.F. Kuang's historical fantasy - Babel: An Arcane History which was an excellent. 

"1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?"

Once I started reading, I  couldn't put it down. The etymology discussions and how the characters related to the world around them. How the characters grew in knowledge, and the choices they made, some good, some bad. All their heart wrenching decisions. All of it combined to create a story that made me think about how it related to today's world and why people do the things they do.  I highly recommend it. 

And it makes me want to reread Samuel R. Delaney's science fiction class - Babel-17 - which I have on my shelves.

" At twenty-six, Rydra Wong is the most popular poet in the five settled galaxies. Almost telepathically perceptive, she has written poems that capture the mood of mankind after two decades of savage war. Since the invasion, Earth has endured famine, plague, and cannibalism—but its greatest catastrophe will be Babel-17.
 
Sabotage threatens to undermine the war effort, and the military calls in Rydra. Random attacks lay waste to warships, weapons factories, and munitions dumps, and all are tied together by strings of sound, broadcast over the radio before and after each accident. In that gibberish Rydra recognizes a coherent message, with all of the beauty, persuasive power, and order that only language possesses. To save humanity, she will master this strange tongue. But the more she learns, the more she is tempted to join the other side . . ."

or 

Josiah Bancroft's steampunk adventure - Senlin Ascends, the first book in his 4 part series the books of babel. 

"The Tower of Babel is the greatest marvel in the world. Immense as a mountain, the ancient Tower holds unnumbered ringdoms, warring and peaceful, stacked one on the other like the layers of a cake. It is a world of geniuses and tyrants, of airships and steam engines, of unusual animals and mysterious machines.

Soon after arriving for his honeymoon at the Tower, the mild-mannered headmaster of a small village school, Thomas Senlin, gets separated from his wife, Marya, in the overwhelming swarm of tourists, residents, and miscreants.

Senlin is determined to find Marya, but to do so he'll have to navigate madhouses, ballrooms, and burlesque theaters. He must survive betrayal, assassins, and the long guns of a flying fortress. But if he hopes to find his wife, he will have to do more than just endure.

This quiet man of letters must become a man of action."

Check out Goodreads collection of stories about Babel or Punctum Book's The Anthology of Babel.

Happy Reading! 


Please share your thoughts and reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.