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Poetry Reading Challenge #WyrdandWonder

Welcome to week 21 of my poetry reading challenge for 2023. I’ve challenged myself to read at least one poem a week during 2023 and during the month of May, they are all going to be fantastical or magical as it’s the month of #wyrdandwonder.

I’ve gone back to reading a bit of classic poetry this week and loved this narrative poem by Shelley – The Witch of Atlas. The full poem is far too long to put on the blog but these three verses describing her are lovely.

The Witch of Atlas

‘Tis said, she first was changed into a vapour,
And then into a cloud, such clouds as flit,
Like splendour-winged moths about a taper,
Round the red west when the sun dies in it:
And then into a meteor, such as caper
On hill-tops when the moon is in a fit:
Then, into one of those mysterious stars
Which hide themselves between the Earth and Mars.

IV.

Ten times the Mother of the Months had bent
Her bow beside the folding-star, and bidden
With that bright sign the billows to indent
The sea-deserted sand — like children chidden,
At her command they ever came and went —
Since in that cave a dewy splendour hidden
Took shape and motion: with the living form
Of this embodied Power, the cave grew warm.

A lovely lady garmented in light
From her own beauty — deep her eyes, as are
Two openings of unfathomable night
Seen through a Temple’s cloven roof — her hair
Dark — the dim brain whirls dizzy with delight,
Picturing her form; her soft smiles shone afar,
And her low voice was heard like love, and drew
All living things towards this wonder new.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Shelley’s witch is definitely not an old disfigured crone who scares visitors away. How beautiful to be ‘garmented in light’.

WWW Wednesday May 24

Happy Wednesday. The sun is shining and it’s warming up. It’s beginning to look as though Summer is on the way. We took advantage of the clear blue skies and drove to the Norfolk coast for the day on Saturday. There’s something very satisfying about walking along a beach by the sea and in Norfolk, you can walk for miles.

As it’s Wednesday again, that means it’s time for WWW Wednesday. This is one of my favourite memes and I love taking part in it and reading everybody else’s posts. I get so many great book recommendations from them! The meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm, and it’s currently hosted by Sam. It can be found on her blog Taking on a world of words which can be found here.

The idea of WWW Wednesday is just to answer three simple questions about what you are reading, have just finished and are about to read so here goes for this week.

What I’m currently reading

Hammer of Fate by G N Gudgion
This is a Net Galley ARC and is an epic fantasy. It’s obviously parted inspired by the Knights Templar and their destruction by Philip of France as there is a religious order which has been disbanded and its members accused of shocking crimes. There is also a young girl in a sort of convent against her will. I’m assuming that these two threads will come together at some point. It’s well written and I’m enjoying it so far.

Across a Waking Land by Roger Morgan Grenville
This is another ARC and it’s one man’s journey up the length of the UK looking for evidence that we are fighting against species loss in the UK. I’m really enjoying it so far although much of what he says about how we are protecting our wildlife and its habitats is very depressing.

What I have recently finished reading

Venetian Gothic by Philip Gwynne Jones

Deadly Company by Ann Granger
I used to love the Mitchell and Markby mysteries and reread many of them during lockdown. This new one after several years was a bit of a disappointment though. There wasn’t really much of Meredith in it at all and it just felt a bit flat.

The Medici Murders by David Hewson
This was very different to the previous novels that I have read by David Hewson. The story was mainly told by a retired archivist, now living in Venice so everything was seen from his point of view which took me a while to get used to as it takes the reader one step further away from the action. There was a lot of historical detail as well as details about places and food in Venice which I loved. The mystery wasn’t that gripping but I did love the resolution.

Beyond by Mercedes Lackey

Feeling in the mood for some fantasy, I reread this prequel to Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series and my review is here

What I am intending to read next

I’m in the mood for something nice and relaxing so hopefully this new book by Catherine Alliott will fit the bill.

What are you reading this week?

WWW Wednesday May 17

It’s Wednesday again and that means it’s time for WWW Wednesday. This is one of my favourite memes and I love taking part in it and reading everybody else’s posts. I get so many great book recommendations from them! The meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm, and it’s currently hosted by Sam. It can be found on her blog Taking on a world of words which can be found here.

The idea of WWW Wednesday is just to answer three simple questions about what you are reading, have just finished and are about to read so here goes for this week.

What I’m currently reading

Venetian Gothic by Philip Gwynne Jones

This is the fourth book that I have read in this series. I love the Venetian setting and always end up with at least one place written down for us to go and visit if we ever return to Venice.
This one begins with Nathan, the honorary consul in Venice, taking part in a church service for All Souls day. At the same time work is being done in the English cemetery on San Michele and a coffin is damaged. When they look further, they discover that the coffin is actually empty! It’s certainly a gothic start to a novel and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next.

What I have recently finished reading

The Fury of Kings by R S Moule

Another one for #WyrdandWonder and off my Net Galley shelf. I am gradually getting more up to date with my ARC reading thankfully.

This was a fairly typical epic fantasy. Lots of different POV characters and locations and a medieval type setting. The characters were all interesting and they were all well portrayed as being both good and bad which was nice. There was only one character who really stood out as being a villain. It didn’t really grip me though and I found it easy to put the book down for several days at a time. I’m not sure why but it’s maybe that I’ve read an awful of this type of story before and this one didn’t really add anything new.

Killers of the King by Charles Spencer

I enjoyed this account of how the men responsible for the execution of Charles I were hunted down by the restoration government of Charles II. The beginning was a bit tricky as there were a lot names to try and keep track of but once I got past the first few chapters, it improved.

The Hawkling by Rebecca Zahabi

I enjoyed this sequel to The CollarBound and my review is here

Done to Death by Charles Atkins

This is the third book about Ada and Lil and their life in the retirement community in Conneticut. This time they get involved with making a TV show when the show’s producer is murdered. It was a fun read but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous two. I think it was that it all seemed to have got a bit far fetched and their characters were less interesting.

What I am intending to read next

I’m in the mood for a nice cosy mystery and this series was recommended by Carla at Carla Loves to Read so I’m hoping to really enjoy it.

What are you reading this week?

WWW Wednesday May 10

It’s Wednesday again and the excitement of the coronation is all behind us. Instead this week, there’s more excitement for every child in Year 6 in the UK as they have the pleasure of their SATs tests. That means that I’m in school every day this week helping out with the test and supporting individual children. In a strange way, I miss being fully involved with the SATs tests. They were stressful and far too much rides on the results but it’s a time when children and staff really come together and in a strange way, is one of the most enjoyable weeks of Year 6.

Wednesday also means that it’s time for WWW Wednesday. This is one of my favourite memes and I love taking part in it and reading everybody else’s posts. I get so many great book recommendations from them! The meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm, and it’s currently hosted by Sam. It can be found on her blog Taking on a world of words which can be found here.

The idea of WWW Wednesday is just to answer three simple questions about what you are reading, have just finished and are about to read so here goes for this week.

What I’m currently reading

The Fury of Kings by R S Moule

Another one for #WyrdandWonder and off my Net Galley shelf. I am quite behind now with reading my ARCs and struggling to read and review all of the books on my shelf before their publication dates. My resolution of not requesting so many books really fell down recently!!!

This is a fairly typical epic fantasy at the moment. We have a king whose heir has just been murdered, an aging hero with three children who all want very different things and a couple of very determined women who are going to control their own destiny. Add in a couple of rebel kingdoms and rumours of strange gods stirring and you’ve got a fairly good mix. It’s a good story so far although we’re still in the process of getting to know the main characters. There are at least 6 different points of view but the author is avoiding fragmenting the story too much at the moment.

I’ve nearly finished this account of Charles II’s government’s attempts to bring the men responsible for killing Charles I to justice. It’s an interesting read and it became easier to keep track of who everyone was as the book has gone on.

What I have recently finished reading

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hardeer Elsbai

I enjoyed this fantasy loosely based on Egyptian history. The two main characters of Nehai and Georgina were both likeable and good foils for each other. I enjoyed the plot which was basically women fighting for their rights in a male dominated society. Think about the Suffragettes and transfer that to a fantasy setting and you won’t be far wrong. It ended very abruptly which I’m never a fan of especially when you have no idea when the second part will be out.

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel and my review is here

The Change by Kirsten Miller

This was a gripping read. Three women of a certain age (forty plus) discover that they have strange powers. Nessa hears and sees the dead, Harriett is a witch and and Jo can use her rage in ways that she is only just beginning to explore. They discover the body of a young girl and Nessa is sure that there are more. The police don’t want to know so they begin to investigate for themselves. They discover a group of wealthy, powerful men who prey on young girls and cast them aside once they have finished with them and decide to deal with matters themselves. Their revenge comes in very unique ways although reminded me a bit of Weyward with Harriett’s power over nature.

I loved all three of the women and found the plot sadly believable.

What I am intending to read next

Done to Death by Charles Atkins

This is the third of the books about Ada and Lil and will make a nice change from my recent fantasy fest.

What are you reading this week?

Pawn of Prophecy #WyrdandWonder – Rewind

I have so many books to read at the moment that I’m not sure where to start. I’m actually reading three different books at the moment; Daughters of Izdihar, an ARC of The Sword Defiant and Killers of the King, my current non-fiction read. However, when I got home last night I felt fed up and didn’t want to read any of them. Instead, I went to my bookshelves and picked up an old favourite. Revisiting a well loved story and characters was just what the doctor ordered.

Pawn of Prophecy is the first of five books that make up the Belgariad. It’s basically a quest story heavily influenced by LOTR with a group of companions who come together to retrieve the Orb of Aldur which has been stolen.

Garion is the main focus and POV and we first meet him as a young boy growing up on Faldor’s farm. Then the story moves on five years as the orb is stolen and Garion’s Aunt Pol and the mysterious storyteller, Mr Wolf take Garion on a journey as they try to find out where the Orb has been taken. On the journey they are joined by Durnik, the Smith from Faldor’s farm and two other companions, Silk and Barak.

As the journey continues, Garion begins to realise that his companions are more than he first realised and that his aunt is actually someone very different. Their journey takes them through his homeland of Sendaria to the king’s court and then over the sea to Cherek. This is where the story begins to get a lot more exciting with plots, secret passages and a bit of fighting.

I was interested to see how this story stood up to a reread as it was first published in 1982 and I was pleased to find that I loved it just as much as ever. The characters and the interplay between them are just brilliant. Although Garion is the focal point, he is actually the least interesting of them. Belgarath and Silk will always be the stand out characters for me and the banter between them always makes me smile. The actual strength though is in the composition of the group as a whole. Each of them has their assigned role but it is the way that Eddings puts them together that makes this series sparkle.

The background to the story is well developed and at times, the info dumps do slow the pace of this book down as we get the stories of the gods and creation of the world. I enjoy stories with a slow pace so this doesn’t bother me.

It’s a good read for Wyrd and Wonder as the theme is magic and this plays an increasingly large part in the series. In the Belgariad, magic is done with The Will and The Word. Sorcerers are just people whose will is strong enough to make things happen.
“You simply will something to happen,” the old man said, “and then speak the word. If your will is strong enough, it happens.”
“That’s all there is to it?” Garion asked, a little disappointed.
“That’s all,” Wolf said.

I suspect that someone coming fresh to this series may not see it with quite the same eyes as me. Much of the characterisation conforms to stereotypes that are outdated now. The characters are predominantly white and although romance doesn’t really play a large part, there is no LGBTQ representation at all. In the past 40 years, Fantasy writing has moved on in so many different directions and Pawn of Prophecy is definitely an old fashioned book in its writing style.

I enjoyed a relaxing evening in the company of some favourite characters and will read the rest of the series in the next few weeks. It’s difficult to know how well they stand up against current fantasy books though. I would be interested to see what other fantasy lovers think of these books now. Are they enjoyable for someone reading them now for the first time or are they hopelessly dated?

WWW Wednesday May 3

It’s May!!! How did that happen? We’re a third of the way through and it’s bank holidays all the way this month. We had one on Monday for Mayday, next Monday is the public holiday for the coronation and then there’s only two weeks before the Spring Bank Holiday. Now I’m retired, the days off are less important but it’s still nice to be able to spend the day with my OH.

It’s also Wednesday and that means that it’s time for WWW Wednesday. This is one of my favourite memes and I love taking part in it and reading everybody else’s posts. I get so many great book recommendations from them! The meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm, and it’s currently hosted by Sam. It can be found on her blog Taking on a world of words which can be found here.

The idea of WWW Wednesday is just to answer three simple questions about what you are reading, have just finished and are about to read so here goes for this week.

What I’m currently reading

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hardeer Elsbai

May is going to be quite fantasy heavy as I’m having a go at taking part in this years Wyrd and Wonder (see here for details). This is an Egyptian inspired story about a very male dominated society. The daughters of Izdihar are a group who are trying to get more rights for women. I’m really enjoying it so far.

Time for some non-fiction and I haven’t read an actual history book for ages. This started with an outline of the English Civil war which I think I would have struggled with if I didn’t have some previous knowledge as there were just so many names to remember. So far, I’ve read the chapters about the King’s capture and his trial. It is really interesting but the number of people to remember is tricky. There were 80 people involved with the trial and execution of the king and it’s difficult keeping everyone straight in my head.

What I have recently finished reading

This was a bit of disappointment after a good start. As the story developed, I didn’t care about any of the characters although the story was interesting. The ending took me by surprise which it shouldn’t have done bearing in mind the Macbeth references.

This was the second in the books about Ada and Lil living in their retirement complex in Conneticut. This time there is a major fire at a local nursing home which reveals a murder and a lot of financial irregularity. I like both of the main characters and the plot was interesting. There’s a third one which I have already ordered from the library.

I love Cathy Bramley and this one was a lovely read. The Derbyshire setting was great although I don’t know any villages as picture perfect as Barnaby. Sadly, I don’t think it’s that true to life as sadly, the florists near us have all closed down as they can’t make a living. It did inspire me to go out and buy myself some flowers though.

I really enjoyed this next instalment of the Vorkosigan saga. My book is actually three in one so I have the next two Miles stories ready to go.

What I am intending to read next

This story of two women who flee to Vienna in 1911 to start a life together is my final library book of this week so will be my next read.

What are you reading this week?

Sundays in bed with …….. My Kind of Happy

Sundays in bed with is a meme that was originally hosted by Midnight Book Girl. It is simply a chance to share the book that is by your bed at the moment (or that you wish was by your bed). This week the book by my bed (or on the arm of my sofa) is My Kind of Happy by Cathy Bramley

I only discovered Cathy Bramley a couple of years ago when I picked a book of hers up at the library. I really enjoy her novels so was pleased to spot this one on the library shelf yesterday.

Blurb from the book:
‘I think flowers are sunshine for the soul.’

Flowers have always made Fearne smile. She treasures the memories of her beloved grandmother’s floristry and helping her to arrange beautiful blooms that brought such joy to their recipients.

But ever since a family tragedy a year ago, Fearne has been searching for her own contentment. When a chance discovery inspires her to start a happiness list, it seems that Fearne might just have found her answer…

Sometimes the scariest path can be the most rewarding. So is Fearne ready to take the risk and step into the unknown? And what kind of happiness might she find if she does?

Fearne is still grieving for her brother after his death several months ago but when she begins to clear out his room, she discovers an unsent letter from her brother to her. In the letter, he talks about how it is important to live your life doing what makes you happy and hopes that Fearne will do that. This makes her realise that she isn’t actually doing the things that make her happy and she isn’t really sure what needs to be on her happiness list.

I’m really enjoying the start of this. I like the idea of making a list of the things that make you happy and make sure that you include them in your life. I really like the character of Fearne and the dog, Scamp, who she is looking after for a neighbour is just gorgeous.

What’s by your bed this weekend?

Poetry Reading Challenge Week 17

Week 17 of reading poems which by my reckoning means that we’re a third of the way through the year. As usual, the time is flying by.

This week, I’ve been reading some of the poetry of American poet Emily Dickinson. I’ve heard her name a lot and quotations from her poems are used quite frequently in novels but never actually read any of her poems until this week. This book is just a short collection of poems with no commentary at all and I found her poetry to be quite challenging to read. There are some gorgeous images but quite often, the subject matter changes within the poem. A lot of the poems in this collection seem to be about death but I don’t know if that is representative of her poetry as a whole.

This is quite a short poem but it stayed in my head after I read it earlier this week.

A slash of Blue –
A sweep of Grey –
Some Scarlet patches on the way.
Compose an evening sky –
A little Purple – slipped between –
Some Ruby trousers hurried on –
A wave of Gold –
A bank of Day –
This just makes out the Morning sky.
Emily Dickinson

WWW Wednesday April 26

It’s Wednesday and so that means that it’s time for WWW Wednesday. This is one of my favourite memes and I love taking part in it and reading everybody else’s posts. I get so many great book recommendations from them! The meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm, and it’s currently hosted by Sam. It can be found on her blog Taking on a world of words which can be found here.

The idea of WWW Wednesday is just to answer three simple questions about what you are reading, have just finished and are about to read so here goes for this week.

What I’m currently reading

This is classed as ‘Literary Fiction’. I’m never quite sure what that is but I don’t think that it’s my normal reading 😃I looked it up to see how it was defined and one definition was that it emphasises meaning over entertainment and aspires towards being art. Hmmmm.

It’s an interesting story so far of what seems to be a bit of a love triangle. Mina is the driving force behind Birnam Wood, which is an environment guerrilla group who go around planting crops on disused land, Shelley is her best friend and support within the group and then there is Tony recently returned from Mexico. Mina has gone away to research a possible site for Birnam Wood to use for farming and while she is there, she meets the mysterious but fantastically wealthy Robert Lemoine who offers to bankroll the group to see if they can actually make a go of the collective. The reader knows a lot more about Robert than Mina does and none of it is good.

I’m enjoying it so far but the lack of chapters is bugging me. I like chapters as they give me convenient stopping places.

What I have recently finished reading

This was a sweet romance with definite echoes of the Linklater film Before Sunset. Hannah is travelling to Amsterdam from Venice by train but she ends up in Paris after being in the wrong section of the train. Also stuck in Paris for the day is Leo, a musician and they spend the day together before getting the next train to Amsterdam. I liked both the main characters and I also liked the fact that the ending didn’t seem as obvious as some romances.

This is the first in a crime series set in St Andrews in Scotland and I really enjoyed it. The mystery was interesting and I enjoyed the character of DI Clare Mackay. Definitely a series to read more of.

This was a Net Galley ARC and is a Regency Romance in the style of Georgette Heyer. It’s a fun scenario as a young girl disguises herself as a young man so that she can travel to London to search for her father. On the way she falls in with a group of young aristocrats who adopt her and introduce her to life in London. I enjoyed it but it doesn’t have the sparkle that Heyer’s characters have for me. I’ll post a proper review nearer to the publication date.

This was a fun read set around the royal variety show of 1962. It has a similar feel to the novels by Carrie Hope Fletcher although I actually preferred this one. It also ticks a box nicely for the When are you reading challenge hosted by Sam

What I am intending to read next

After reading Cordelia’s Honor last week, I’m now hooked on the Vorkosigan series as recommended by Bookforager.

What are you reading this week?

WWW Wednesday April 19

The idea of WWW Wednesday is just to answer three simple questions about what you are reading, have just finished and are about to read so here goes for this week.

What I’m currently reading

Geeta is believed to have killed her vanished husband and she doesn’t bother trying to correct that impression as it keeps her safe in rural India. But then she gets approached by another woman who wants her help in getting rid of an abusive husband.
This is set in a village in India and holds nothing back about how bad life can be for women who live in these rural areas. Geeta’s heroine and role model is Phoolan Devi who was a real person who survived horrific treatment including multiple rapes and imprisonment before becoming a politician. It’s a brilliant story and I love the group of women.

What I have recently finished reading

I really enjoyed this crime novel set in Grenville, the antique centre of Conneticut, USA. Grenville is famous for its antique shops and many people make their living through the buying of antiques especially from the wealthy older generation who are downsizing. Only now, antique dealers are being murdered. Lil and Ada become involved in the police investigation as they have local knowledge that the police need. I was pleased to find out that Charles Atkins has written another book about Lil and Ada which I have requested from the library.

Kate Ellis is one of auto read crime authors. This series is set in Devon and features DI Wesley Peterson. There is always an archaeological aspect to the stories and a parallel historic crime that is revealed as the modern day mystery unfolds. This was just as interesting as always and I enjoyed the ending of the historical mystery which I hadn’t expected.

I’ve seen the Vorkosigan series mentioned on blogs before but have never read any. The books don’t seem to be available in the UK so they’ve never really come to my notice before. Mayri @Book Forager wrote a great review of one of the books in the series which inspired me to see if I could find a copy. World of Books came to my rescue and I was hooked. I loved the character of Cordelia and it’s a great Sci-Fi story. I’ve already bought a second hand copy of the books about Miles.

1940 Club
This event was run last week by Kaggsy and Simon and these were the two books that I actually during the week. My reviews for The Corinthian and The So Blue Marble were posted last week .

What I am intending to read next

I’m really enjoying The Bandit Queens but in many ways, it’s not an easy read. This should be a much lighter read

What are you reading this week?