Reading roundup 11/09/24

Posted on 11/09/2024 by The Librain

Welcome to my blog! I enjoyed my week’s break and have now uploaded this post about the books I have read. Regulars will know that I have been taking comfort in rereading some of the works of my favourite author, Guy Gavriel Kay. Last week, I decided that I was ready to try something new and so I chose this book…

Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini

The book was Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini, #0 Fractalverse series. I read #01, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, back in 2021 and found it interesting and intriguing, if extremely long, (here is my post about it) so I thought that this would be worth reading.

Here is the blurb…

“July 25th, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the Anomaly.

On the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII:a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide.

Its curve not of nature, but design.

Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why.

But they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space.

For some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe.

Each step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last.

And the ghosts of their past follow.”

This is my response on Goodreads…

Fractal Noise (Fractalverse #2)Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read Paolini’s gargantuan book To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, I was pleased to come across another in the series. As this is a prequel I was interested to see what the author would do. Thankfully, this book is a lot shorter!

The plot is a classic travel story, but one set on a planet with an extremely hostile environment: a dry, rocky desert plain with a powerful headwind. A small group of astronauts attempt to walk, dragging their equipment, towards a gigantic alien created hole in the ground. The tension between the travellers, aggravated by accidents, mistakes, malfunctions and aggressive behaviour is very well written and builds steadily towards the final ending. The noise made by the hole punctuates the writing and the increasing volume suffered by the astronauts is shown by increasing the size of the font. I could easily imagine how dreadful something like that would feel!

There is some controversy about the cover (AI) which has affected some of the book’s ratings, which seems to me to be quite unfair to the author.

View all my reviews

I have now returned to another GGK book, which I have almost finished. After that, I will choose a book from my library queue.

Happy reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne 

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Update 04/09/24: taking a short break

Posted on 04/09/2024 by The Librain

Lovely Husband and I have a week on our own because Elder Son is away. For that reason, I have a lot more to do and so I am taking a short break from writing this blog. If all is well, I will be back for next week’s Reading Roundup post.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Friday post 30/08/24: with my brightest scarf again!

Posted on 30/08/2024 by The Librain

So, Friday has come around again and this is the final post of August 2024! I have one outfit to share. In last Friday’s post I showed you my brightest scarf: Au Coeur de la Vie. Here is a reminder…

Au Coeur de la Vie by Aline Honoré for Hermès
Au Coeur de la Vie by Aline Honoré for Hermès

I wore it today with a navy dress from Lands’ End, some pretty earrings, Hotter sandals and a Halcyon Days turquoise enamel and gold bangle. The scarf was tied in an asymmetric wrap.

Outfit of the day 30/08/24 with Hermès’ Au Coeur de la Vie scarf

These are the bracelet, earrings and sandals mentioned above – such pretty colours!

Turquoise enamel and gold bangle by Halcyon Days
Multicolour earrings
Sandals - Flare aquamarine multi - Hotter
Sandals – Flare aquamarine multi – Hotter

I must try to wear some other nice outfits next week. My Summer dresses need to be worn before the weather cools!

Happy Weekend to you ll!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 28/08/24

Posted on 28/08/2024 by The Librain

This week’s post is very short and, hopefully, sweet! I am still reading Guy Gavriel Kay’s wonderful trilogy, The Fionavar Tapestry, and am immersed in the final book, The Wandering Fire…

The Fionavar Tapestry series by Guy Gavriel Kay

If you have been following my recent posts, you may remember that I am trying to comfort myself after suffering an episode of severe depression. I decided to return to my most favourite writer and reread the books that I haven’t reread before, if you see what I mean. Some of his works are my cashmere blanket of reading: Tigana, A Song for Arbonne, and The Lions of Al-Rassan. When I reread these, as I have done many times, I feel wrapped up in a jewel-like world of familiar places and characters; taken out of myself, leaving my fears and worries behind.

Reading The Fionavar Tapestry again after all these years has been really wonderful. The books were written in the mid-1980s when I was in my late 20s/early 30s. Reading them again now I am in my late 60s has given me a new perspective. Some parts of the plot and characters have stayed in my memory, but others have opened up to me as if they were new. The whole experience has been uplifting and regenerative.

When I finish the final book I will try to choose something new to read. Perhaps I will find just the right book on the Library’s ebook service? I hope so.

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Friday post 23/08/24: with my brightest scarf!

Posted on 23/08/2024 by The Librain

Well, the weeks seem to speed past and so it’s Friday again! Sadly, I have spent most of the week in bed, physically and mentally exhausted. Both Lovely Husband and I feel overwhelmed by our worries and we are struggling to find solutions.

For example, we paid a deposit to our builder (who has done some good work for us in the past) for some checks and repairs to the roof. This was months ago and we still haven’t got a date! We need this work doing urgently so that we can then assess all of the other stuff that must also be carried out. There are some important decisions that we need to make – do we upgrade this house or do we sell it as a “doer-upper” and move somewhere more suitable? How can we do any of these things when we are both suffering from multiple illnesses and disabilities?

It all feels completely overwhelming and frightening!

So, I had planned to cheer myself up by wearing my brightest scarf: Au Coeur de la Vie by Hermès…

Au Coeur de la Vie by Aline Honoré for Hermès
Au Coeur de la Vie by Aline Honoré for Hermès

The image above was taken from the Hermès website some years ago and doesn’t do the scarf justice. I have searched for some better ones, but can’t find anything suitable. So, instead I have created a slideshow of my photos which show the details of the scarf. You may also like to visit the Scarf of the Moment post that I wrote back in 2017.

Oh, I have just remembered. I did manage to wear one dress this week: this turquoise linen one by Pure Collection…

Linen dress by Pure Collection

I love the colour!

Happy Weekend (and Happy Bank Holiday if it applies to you)!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 21/08/24

Posted on 21/08/2024 by The Librain

Wednesday has come around again, so I must write my post about the books that I have been reading. A couple of weeks ago, I said that I intended to soothe my severely depressed mind by returning to books written by my favourite author, Guy Gavriel Kay. This time I decided to read his first books: The Fionavar Tapestry series. Here are the covers:

The Fionavar Tapestry series by Guy Gavriel Kay

I have also decided to remove any remaining pressure from myself by not writing any kind of review on Goodreads. I am a pretty hopeless reviewer anyway! Instead, I will say that I have finished the first book, The Summer Tree, and am part way through the second, The Darkest Road.

My first and (I think) only time I read this wonderful series was back in the 1980s. Coming back to it now is quite amazing. It is brilliant, poignant and dark, with flashes of both heartbreak and brightness. So many myths, legends and stories that I recognise have been woven into the tale. Reading these books has certainly helped to take my mind away from current difficulties and troubles. Well, that is one of the many joys of reading, isn’t it?

Anyway, I intend to carry on with the rest of the series and then stop and take stock. There is a large queue of ebooks on my Kindle app – so many to choose from. Also, while I have been going through this process, some of my reserved library ebooks have come and gone from the BorrowBox app. I will have to sort that out at some point. I feel so fortunate to live in this time with such easy access to books!

And on that note I will say, “Happy Reading” to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Friday post 16/08/24: with the gorgeous Roseraie again!

Posted on 16/08/2024 by The Librain

Today’s post is short and sweet! All kinds of family stuff has been happening this week, also I am still struggling badly with my health. On the plus side, we have had some lovely family news (involving babies) which has cheered us all up.

I actually managed to go downstairs today in a nice outfit to spend some time with Lovely Husband. I wore my new navy “dress” from Lands’ End, with flower earrings and my beautiful Roseraie mousseline scarf…

Outfit of the day 16/08/24 with Hermès’ Rosarie mousseline

Here’s a reminder of the scarf. First the photo from the vendor’s website:

Roseraie mousseline scarf designed by Christiane Vauzelle for Hermès

And then some closeups…

This is the navy cotton jersey dress (nightdress) from Lands’ End…

Cotton nightdress by Lands’ End

And I have just taken a photo of the pretty earrings. These were a present many years ago…

Earrings: flowers, resin and silver

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 14/08/24

Posted on 14/08/2024 by The Librain

It’s Wednesday already, so welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup post. Last week I wrote about my love of the author Guy Gavriel Kay’s books and decided to re-read a couple of series that I hadn’t looked at for years.

I read The Sarantine Mosaic series and really enjoyed it, discovering aspects of the story and characters that I had forgotten over the years. After that I intended to move on to Kay’s first books: The Fionavar Tapestry, but instead decided to take a break and pick up a book from a more recent series I have been reading…

The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter by Michael J Sullivan

Yes, another book in The Riyria Chronicles: The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter by Michael J Sullivan. Here is the blurb…

“A daughter vanishes. Two rogues are paid a fortune to find her. It isn’t enough. When Gabriel Winter’s daughter mysteriously disappears and is presumed dead, the wealthy whiskey baron seeks revenge. Having lived in Colnora during the infamous Year of Fear, he hires the one man he knows can deliver a bloody retribution – the notorious Duster. Ride with Royce and Hadrian as the cynical ex-assassin and idealistic ex-mercenary travel to a mysterious old-world city filled with nobles claiming descent from the imperial aristocracy. Riyria’s job appears discover what happened to the missing duchess and, if she lives, bring her home . . . if not, punish those responsible. But nothing is simple in the crowded, narrow, mist-filled streets of Rochelle, where more than one ancient legend lurks.”

Once again, I really enjoyed this book and I am sure that I will read more by this writer in the future. This is my response on Goodreads…

The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter (The Riyria Chronicles, #4)The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter by Michael J. Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another terrific book in a terrific series! I love the relationship between the two main characters as it continues to develop. Their conversations are funny and very well written. The plot this time seemed to start quite slowly, but it developed into a tremendous crescendo of exciting twists and turns.

Sullivan is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors for his ability to write such entertaining and exciting books that distract me from my day to day worries and concerns.

View all my reviews

Now, I think I will return to Fionavar…

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Friday post 09/08/24: with a Scarf of the Moment update

Posted on 09/08/2024 by The Librain

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you find something interesting! Today’s post is quite short. I have spent quite a lot of time updating my Scarf of the Moment posts for two Hermès designs: Tulipomanie and Sous le Charme d’Orphée (links in the sidebar). These two both have new formats in the Autumn/Winter 2024 season, Tulipomanie has a cashmere/silk giant triangle and Sous le Charme d’Orphée has a cashmere/silk 140cm shawl.

Now, because I have purchased one of the giant triangles, as revealed recently, I have spent ages adding a lot more detail into the post. As usual, please let me know if you have any more useful information that I could add, or if you find any errors. Here is a quick link to Scarf of the Moment: Tulipomanie.

Scarf of the Moment: Tulipomanie post

I wish I could afford one of the new Sous le Charme d’Orphée shawls as well! Ah, never mind.

Happy weekend to you!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 07/08/24

Posted on 07/08/2024 by The Librain

Welcome to this week’s post! Over the last few weeks I have been suffering from severe depression and have, therefore, been really struggling to read books. So many have been started and then put aside. Well, I had a think about this as the worst black moods began to lift a little and decided to turn to my favourite author for comfort:

Guy Gavriel Kay writes so beautifully with such interesting characters and plots! Most are set in an alternative version of our history, which I find fascinating. Some of his books have been reread over and over: Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan and A Song for Arbonne, are those that I love the most and have now bought again as ebooks. I read some of the others a long time ago and have not picked them up again since. So, I thought it would be interesting to revisit some of these books. Over the last week I have been reading these two – I haven’t quite finished the second one in the series:

The Sarantine Mosaic series by Guy Gavriel Kay

I hadn’t noticed before how those two covers fit together! Anyway, I am really enjoying reading these two books again. I like them even more the second time. In fact it must be twenty years since I first read them!

The other series that I am intending to revisit is Kay’s first: The Fionavar Tapestry. Once again, I haven’t returned to these three books since I first read them back in the 1980s, thanks to a dear friend who introduced me to them…

The Fionavar Tapestry series by Guy Gavriel Kay

Those should keep me going for a while! When I have finished these five books, I might reread some more of my favourites, or I might take a break from Kay and read something new to me. We shall see.

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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