Tag Archives: classic

Time Travel Thursday

It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.

This day in 2021 I was reading:

Book Review – Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Book Description From Goodreads:

“A wonderfully entertaining coming-of-age story, Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen’s “Gothic parody.” Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but one with a decidedly satirical twist.

The story’s unlikely heroine is Catherine Morland, a remarkably innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry’s mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art.

Executed with high-spirited gusto, Northanger Abbey is a lighthearted, yet unsentimental commentary on love and marriage.”

Fast Forward To Today:

Last Time We Met by Emily Houghton (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“ONE PROMISE
Aged thirteen, best friends Eleanor and Fin are inseparable. Convinced it will always be this way they make a pact – to go to university together, always live near each other, and if they’re both single at 35 they’ll get married.

TWO DECADES
Eleanor and Fin haven’t spoken in fifteen years. Life has run away from them and they’re both far from where they’d dreamt of being all those years ago.

CAN THEY STILL KEEP THEIR WORD?
It takes tragic circumstances for Fin to come back into Eleanor’s life, but everything has changed since the last time they met. Is it too late to mend their friendship? Or is there a chance they can keep some of the promises they made?”

Paris For One by Jojo Moyes (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Nell is twenty-six and has never been to Paris. She’s never even been on a romantic weekend away–to anywhere–before. Traveling abroad isn’t really her thing. But when Nell’s boyfriend fails to show up for their mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone–including herself–wrong. Alone in Paris, Nell finds a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life? Funny, charming, and irresistible, Paris for One is quintessential Jojo Moyes–as are the other stories that round out the collection.”

The Little Paris Patisserie by Julie Caplin (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“In a cosy corner of Paris, a delicious little patisserie is just waiting to be discovered. And romance might just be on the menu…

As the youngest of four, Nina Hadley has always had her big brothers telling her what to do. So, when she’s given the chance to move to Paris and help run a patisserie course, she can’t say au revoir quick enough!

There’s just one problem: high-flying chef Sebastian Finlay is the owner of the patisserie. He’s also her brother Nick’s best friend – and the man she has secretly been in love with since forever.

Amongst the mouth-wateringly delicious eclairs and delicate macaroons, Nina’s culinary creations aren’t the only tempting thing she’s working with…”

Comparison:

Back in 2021 I was going through a classics phase and decided that I needed to read this book. I never finished it back at school so I decided to rectify this. Today I am reading a Romance Blog Tour book and a couple of books set in Paris for Paris in July. So still on the Romance genre, just different eras!

What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)? Add your links in the comments below!

#bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #timetravelthursday #pastreads #romance #classic #library

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “romance”, “library”, “past reads”,”entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “library”

Time Travel Thursday

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It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.

This day in 2021 I was reading:

Book Review – The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie – MYSTERY

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Murder at the Vicarage marks the debut of Agatha Christie’s unflappable and much beloved female detective, Miss Jane Marple. With her gift for sniffing out the malevolent side of human nature, Miss Marple is led on her first case to a crime scene at the local vicarage. Colonel Protheroe, the magistrate whom everyone in town hates, has been shot through the head. No one heard the shot. There are no leads. Yet, everyone surrounding the vicarage seems to have a reason to want the Colonel dead. It is a race against the clock as Miss Marple sets out on the twisted trail of the mysterious killer without so much as a bit of help from the local police.”

Fast Forward To Today:

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads

“Finlay Donovan is killing it…except, she’s really not. A stressed-out single mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: The new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written; her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her; and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet. She soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.”

Spring At Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin (click for link to Goodreads)

“Welcome to beautiful Hope Island where the sea sparkles, the daffodils are blooming and a blossoming romance is just around the corner…

Bella has always had a sunny outlook and caring nature, despite recently falling on hard times. When she finds a handsome homeless man on her doorstep, her kind heart tells her she must help him. So, she invites Isaac into her cottage and into her life in ways she could never have imagined…

But Isaac is not what he seems. He’s keeping a huge secret from Bella, yet he never expected to fall for this open, generous and charming woman.

Bella can’t ignore the chemistry between her and Isaac, but she’s had her trust badly broken in her past. Will she run when she learns the truth about Isaac, or will he be the one man who can help Bella believe in love again?”

Twelve Days In May by Niamh Hagan (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“They haven’t spoken for 12 years.

Can they fall in love in 12 days?

Lizzy Munro is working at the Cannes Film Festival, in a job that involves a lot more admin than red-carpet glamour.

There, Ciaran Flynn is the man everyone is talking about: heartthrob of the moment and director of the most romantic movie of the year.

What nobody knows is that twelve years ago, they were best friends . . . and they haven’t spoken since.

But when Ciaran’s film runs into trouble, there’s only one person he can turn to.

Is twelve days enough to save not only Ciaran’s film, but also the spark he and Lizzy once shared?”

The Attic Child by Lola Jaye (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“A hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging.

Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.

Early 1900s London: Taken from his homeland, twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of the time locked away in the attic of a large house by the sea. The only time Celestine isn’t bound by confines of the small space is when he is acting as an unpaid servant to English explorer Sir Richard Babbington, As the years pass, he desperately clings on to memories of his family in Africa, even as he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .

1974: Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege whose fortunes have now changed, finds herself trapped in the same attic. Searching for a ray of light in the darkness of the attic, Lowra finds under the floorboards an old-fashioned pen, a porcelain doll, a beaded necklace, and a message carved on the wall, written in an unidentifiable language. Providing comfort for her when all hope is lost, these clues will lead her to uncover the secrets of the attic.”

A few differences here, mainly in the number of books I am reading. I have a couple of Blog Tours coming up so I need to read multiple books! I am still reading a mystery amongst my pile of books although I have moved away from classics this year!

What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)?

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “popular books of 2022”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “mystery”, “comedy”, “chick lit”, “romance”, “classic”

Time Travel Thursday

2 Replies

It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.

This day in 2021 I was reading:

Book Review – Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (click for my book review) – CLASSIC

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Drawing heavily from personal experience, Anne Brontë wrote Agnes Grey in an effort to represent the many 19th Century women who worked as governesses and suffered daily abuse as a result of their position.

Having lost the family savings on risky investments, Richard Grey removes himself from family life and suffers a bout of depression. Feeling helpless and frustrated, his youngest daughter, Agnes, applies for a job as a governess to the children of a wealthy, upper-class, English family.

Ecstatic at the thought that she has finally gained control and freedom over her own life, Agnes arrives at the Bloomfield mansion armed with confidence and purpose. The cruelty with which the family treat her however, slowly but surely strips the heroine of all dignity and belief in humanity.

A tale of female bravery in the face of isolation and subjugation, Agnes Grey is a masterpiece claimed by Irish writer, George Moore, to be possessed of all the qualities and style of a Jane Austen title. Its simple prosaic style propels the narrative forward in a gentle yet rhythmic manner which continuously leaves the listener wanting to know more.

Anne Brontë, the somewhat lesser known sister, was in fact the first to finish and publish Agnes Grey under the pseudonym of Acton Bell. Charlotte and Emily followed shortly after with Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

As Anne passed away from what is now known to be pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of just 29, she only published one further title; The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. As feminist in nature as Agnes Grey, Anne’s brave voice resonates and permeates during one of the most prejudiced and patriarchal times of English history.”

Fast Forward To Today:

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (click for link to Goodreads)

Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Sutanto (click for link to Goodreads)

Spring at Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin (click for link to Goodreads)

Behind the Olive Trees by Francesca Catlow (click for link to Goodreads)

Some very different genres here. Back in 2021 I was going through a regency/classic phase. At the moment I am in a chick lit phase with some Blog Tour books thrown in to vary my reading!

What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)?

First Line Friday!

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It’s First Line Friday! Hosted by Wandering Words here is my first line:

“All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity, that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut.”

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Need another line?

“Whether this be the case with my history or not, I am hardly competent to judge.”

Any ideas?

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Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte!

Did you guess it?

It was a classic that I hadn’t read before. I have read other Bronte books; Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre so thought that I would try this one. I really enjoyed it and can’t believe that I waited this long to read it!

#firstlinefridays #bookstagram #bookish #instabooks #ilovebooks #readinglist #bookblog #readmore #reads #currentread #booknerdigan #readingaddict #avidreader #newread #readallthebooks #booksta #booksandbooks #readaholic #booksparks #booksarelife #bibliophile #bookwormlife #reader #beautifulbooks #bookphotograph #bibliophile #agnesgrey #annebronte

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “what should I read next”

First Line Friday!

Pandemic Reading List 2021 – Book Review – A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

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Book Description From Goodreads:

“Sherlock Holmes investigates the murder of two Americans whose deaths have some mysterious connection to sinister Socialist groups gathering power in both Britain and America.”

During Lockdown I took part in a number of online courses run by Futurelearn and on one of them I was required to read this book. I downloaded my copy of the book from The Gutenberg Project.

I found this book to be an excellent introduction to Holmes and Watson, their relationship and how they work together to get through a case. Whilst it was a short story, a lot happened. It was cleverly written in that it didn’t drag on and your interest was kept throughout. As the reader you were kept one step behind Sherlock which meant that you wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen and what Sherlock was going to find next! I sometimes find that short stories leave you hanging, but this one was well balanced and you felt like you had accomplished something at the end!

As I read this book for an online course I got to see things that I wouldn’t normally have picked up on which I think made me enjoy the book more.

Overall I loved the characters, the settings and the way that this book was written. I recommend giving it a read.

Rated 4/5

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “popular”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “mystery”, “reading slump” “entertaining”, “what should I read next”

Pandemic Reading List 2021 – Book Review – Emma by Jane Austen

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Book description from Goodreads:

“Charming, rich, and clever, heiress Emma Woodhouse has no need for an occupation – or a husband. Still, she considers herself quite skilled at matchmaking. Although her dear friend Mr. Knightley advises against it, there is nothing that she enjoys more than entangling herself in the romantic lives of others. But when one of her well-intentioned plans goes awry – as Mr. Knightley rightly predicted – Emma must face the consequences of her meddling.

The delightfully imperfect Emma and her Mr. Knightley have captured the hearts of generations of readers. A lively comedy of manners that has been adapted several times for the screen, Emma is the last work Jane Austen lived to see published.

AmazonClassics brings you timeless works from the masters of storytelling. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literature’s most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds.”

I decided that I wanted to read this book before my 30th birthday (which I managed to achieve!). I have studied one of the many film adaptations at school, have since seen other film adaptations and read other book adaptations so I knew the story, but had never actually read the original. I thought that now was the time to do it and when better than before I turned 30!

I can’t believe that I waited so long. It was an excellent book with a good sense of humour and the characters that I knew and loved (Emma can take a bit of getting used to, but you know that deep down she doesn’t mean any real harm) were as depicted in the adaptations so I wasn’t disappointed.

The settings were the usual village setting with the rich families and the rest of the inferior society coming together to attend the beautiful balls and to judge one another. I don’t mind the same old settings as it gives a flavour of what life was like during that period of time and who doesn’t like to read about the goings on at balls?!

Sometimes I find Austen’s writing style a bit hard to understand, but this one, together with my thorough background knowledge wasn’t too bad. It is now definitely one of my favourites!

Rated 5/5

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “popular”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”