Hello and welcome to a new week on the blog. Monday is the day when I write about random things! To be honest, I am struggling to find something to write about today. The sun is shining and I love the long days at this time of the year. Today is fairly peaceful, at the moment, because only Lovely Husband and I are in the house. Elder Son has gone out for the day, so I can relax quietly and enjoy time to read my current book.
I would go outside and sit in the garden, but I find it difficult to read on my iPad in the sunshine. Since my stroke in 2019, I can’t read print books very easily as I need to increase the font size. So, I prefer to sit in bed where I have everything that I need within reach. There are other more, er, “personal” reasons why it is better for me to stay indoors, but I am not going to explain those on here! Perhaps readers can work these out for themselves…
Anyway, at this point I will leave you with these images of my favourite statue…
Statue of Zeus/Poseidon, National Archaeological Museum of Athens
This bronze statue of the Greek god Zeus or Poseidon remains my favourite, ever since I saw it as a student of Ancient History and Archaeology back in 1977. More information and photos can be found on Wikipedia.
Whew! Yes, we Brits tend to fuss about the weather, rain or shine, snow or wind. Today is very hot here in the English Midlands and I find it very difficult to cope with heat because of my lung and cough issues. So, I am wearing one of the new dresses from Marks and Spencer that I wrote about last week. Later in the afternoon, I am going to try to sit outside in the garden for a while.
I took a quick photo this morning and added in my brightest Hermès scarf, Au Coeur de la Vie, just for a few minutes. That yellow!!! I just love the other colours in the scarf: purple, green, orange, turquoise, and so on. Eventually, I removed the scarf as it is far too hot to wear one and I didn’t want to spoil it with sweat! Anyway, here is the photo:
Outfit of the day 17/06/22 with Hermès’ Au Coeur de la Vie scarf
I will also show you a picture of the full scarf:
Au Coeur de la Vie by Aline Honoré for Hermès
If you would like more information and photos of this extraordinary scarf, including other colourways, please have a look at the Scarf of the Moment post that I wrote back in 2017.
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup post. This was an unusual and rather extraordinary week of reading. First of all, I managed to finish three books without rushing. Secondly, I loved all of them and gave them all five stars (I am on a bit of a five star roll at the moment – lucky me!). Thirdly, all three were from the same series.
So, apologies if you are not a fan of:
Science Fiction.
Lois McMaster Bujold.
Her Vorkosigan Saga.
Some of you may remember that I read her Fantasy series, World of the Five Gods, a couple of years ago. The books are so brilliant that I was left wondering why I hadn’t read much of her work before. Since then, I have been meaning to try her Vorkosigan books, but hadn’t got around to actually buying or borrowing them. Well, the other day I finally took the plunge and got started and all I can say is…
Wow by Erich Ferdinand on Flickr
Just one thing to note: like many long series, this one was not written in one long chronological arc. Bujold herself has listed the series in a reading order, and I am trying to follow that as far as possible. There is a prequel to the first book and I will read that when I feel like it!
Right, let’s get started with book 1…
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
OK, before I begin, yes these are the worst covers for a science fiction series that I have seen for a very long time. What were they thinking!
The first book of the saga, and the first written, is Bujold’s Shards of Honor. This is the, very short, blurb:
“When Cordelia Naismith and her survey crew are attacked by a renegade group from Barrayar, she is taken prisoner by Aral Vorkosigan, commander of the Barrayan ship that has been taken over by an ambitious and ruthless crew member. Aral and Cordelia survive countless mishaps while their mutual admiration and even stronger feelings emerge.”
Here is my review on Goodreads and I did make it one of my “favourites”:
After reading Bujold’s Fantasy books, I have been meaning to start her Science Fiction. In fact, I have had this series at the back of my mind for years. Now, people are saying that this book is rather different to the rest of the series. I suppose I will eventually find that out for myself.
For a start, I really loved this book. The main characters were great and well-written. The fact that they weren’t the usual kind of hero and heroine – looks or age-wise – was more than merely interesting. The plot was unusual and exciting, with, perhaps, a little dip in the middle of the book. The final chapters set the reader up nicely for a sequel.
As I was reading the final chapter, I realised that I had just read it as a short story in the Federations collection a couple of weeks ago! How is that for a coincidence?
Oh, one negative. The design of the Kindle book cover is dire! What on Earth (or any other planet) has it got to do with the content?
This book, Barrayar, follows straight after Shards of Honor, although it is listed as Vorkosigan Saga #07. Confusing, eh? Anyway, here is the blurb and note the prestigious award!
“Cordelia Vorkosigan’s plans for a peaceful married life (after all the bloodshed and trials recounted in SHARDS OF HONOR) are shattered when a poison gas attack, intended for her husband Aral, leaves her ill and her unborn child damaged. Resisting enormous pressure to abort her son, Cordelia struggles to keep her unborn child–transferred to a uterine replicator–alive while thwarting plans by a ruthless opponent to murder the young emperor and assume absolute power over all of Barrayar. Once again Cordelia displays her courage and her remarkable combat and leadership skills. Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel.”
I followed the reading order advice, so jumped straight to this book. Once again, this was a superb read. The main characters, especially Cordelia, were really well-written. I do love strong, realistic but humanly flawed heroines!
The first part of the book was quite slow going, although still very readable, it then moved into an exciting and satisfying adventure. I enjoyed reading a book so clearly written by a woman. She brought issues that can only be experienced by a female to the fore, but not in a clumsy way.
I am now gripped totally by this series and have gone straight to the next book!
I seem to have raced through these books so far! I became so absorbed that many of my usual activities were put on hold. Anyway, I also finished a third book in the series…
The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
This book, The Warrior’s Apprentice (listed as Vorkosigan Saga #02), follows Miles Vorkosigan as a young man. This is one of the better blurbs that I could find:
“Between the seemingly impossible tasks of living up to his warrior-father’s legend and surmounting his own physical limitations, Miles Vorkosigan faces some truly daunting challenges.
Shortly after his arrival on Beta Colony, Miles unexpectedly finds himself the owner of an obsolete freighter and in more debt than he ever thought possible. Propelled by his manic “forward momentum,” the ever-inventive Miles creates a new identity for himself as the commander of his own mercenary fleet to obtain a lucrative cargo; a shipment of weapons destined for a dangerous warzone.”
This is my rather rave (or raving!?!) review on Goodreads:
Oh, how I loved this book! Totally brilliant, imaginative, ingenious, clever and wryly humorous! Bujold is a genius and I can’t stop reading this series. As soon as I finish one, I have to buy and download the next.
Miles Vorkosigan is a well drawn and wonderful character with such unexpected abilities. I can’t wait to follow his adventures further!
OK, I know that I have probably irritated quite a few regular readers of the blog by focusing on this series. And I must admit that I am presently reading the fourth book, The Vor Game. I will try to drag myself away after this one and read something else in time for next week’s post.
Hello and welcome to a new week on this blog. If you haven’t visited before, I try to post three times each week:
Monday is for Updates: random musings, bits of news, shopping and anything that catches my eye.
Wednesday is for Reading Roundups: my weekly post about the books I have read with links to my Goodreads activity.
Friday is for Outfits of the Week: showing any outfits I have worn, with an emphasis on scarves.
There are quite a lot of other areas of the blog, particularly my “Scarf of the Moment” scarf profile posts. These are usually about my growing Hermès scarf collection, plus a few from Liberty of London. You will find a list of these posts in the right-hand sidebar. At the top of the blog, as well as the sidebar, you can also see links to other parts of the blog.
Please let me know if you ever find broken links or any other issues with the blog. I also really love and appreciate feedback, but please be aware that it might take me a while to answer. My poor health means that I cannot always stay on top of things!
I have had quite a nasty coughing fit already today, so will leave you with this lovely quote from Carl Sagan, illustrated by Chris Riddell:
This week’s post is going to show you more of the two dresses from Marks and Spencer that I wrote about on Monday. If you remember, I am trying to find Summer dresses that will be comfortable and also skim over my lumps and bumps (weight gain due to some of my meds plus lack of physical activity). I also hoped to get something reasonably attractive to cheer myself up!
Here are the two dresses again…
Summer dresses by Marks and Spencer
Taking the pink one first. It is such a bright and cheerful colour! The fabric is quite a substantial cotton jersey and the length is to mid-calf on me. Perhaps I could have chosen the shorter length as I am only 5ft 4in. Anyway, I decided to try it with an Hermès scarf (Cosmographia Universalis), which has a lovely range of blues and a gorgeous bright pink.
Here it is…
H003365S 05
I thought that the dress would bring out the touches of pink in the scarf. In addition, I wore some lapis lazuli earrings by Bill Skinner Studio (link in the sidebar).
This is the outfit…
Outfit of the day 10/06/22 with Marks and Spencer pink dress
I think that this works quite well?
The second dress is a simple animal print midi dress with a v-neck in blue and white. This time, I decided to wear a necklace (a birthday present from my sister) and crystal earrings (a present from Elder Son). Marks and Spencer call this a “beach dress”, but I am happy to wear it just about anywhere!
Outfit of the day 10/06/22 with Marks and Spencer blue and white dress
I am really happy with this dress too! OK, I am not going to show you full length photos because I am so unhappy about my shape, so I will just say that these outfits make me feel reasonably positive about myself.
In addition, I have other nice necklaces that I could wear with either dress. The first picture is of both dresses with the scarf and the second shows some of my necklaces…
Dresses, scarf and necklaces
Well, I think that is all for now and I hope that you all have a great weekend.
I have enjoyed two very different books in the past week. The first was a book of science fiction short stories, the second an absorbing dystopia that mirrors our own situation.
Federations ed by John Joseph Adams
The short story collection is called Federations, edited by John Joseph Adams. Here is the blurb:
“From STAR TREK to STAR WARS, from DUNE to FOUNDATION, science fiction has a rich history of exploring the idea of vast intergalactic societies, and the challenges facing those living in or trying to manage such societies.
The stories in FEDERATIONS will continue that tradition, and herein you will find a mix of all-new, original fiction, alongside selected reprints from authors whose work exemplifies what interstellar SF is capable of, including Lois McMaster Bujold, Anne McCaffrey, George R.R. Martin, Catherynne M. Valente, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Alastair Reynolds, Robert J. Sawyer, Robert Silverberg, Harry Turtledove, and many more.”
This is quite a large collection and it took me a while to finish. This is my short response as written on Goodreads:
Generally an enjoyable read with some good stories by some of my favourite authors: McCaffrey and Bujold. Others were poor or mildly irritating! Worth a try if you like science fiction.
Apologies for such a short review. Unfortunately I was unable to write something longer and more detailed. I can recommend having a look at some of the responses on Goodreads as many members have written detailed story by story reviews.
My second book was completely different…
The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird
This was another completely random selection from the Library’s ebook service and what a choice! The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird was a gripping read. Here is the blurb:
“Set in a world where a virus stalks our male population, The End of Men is an electrifying and unforgettable debut from a remarkable new talent that asks: what would our world truly look like without men?
Only men are affected by the virus; only women have the power to save us all.
The year is 2025, and a mysterious virus has broken out in Scotland–a lethal illness that seems to affect only men. When Dr. Amanda MacLean reports this phenomenon, she is dismissed as hysterical. By the time her warning is heeded, it is too late. The virus becomes a global pandemic–and a political one. The victims are all men. The world becomes alien–a women’s world.
What follows is the immersive account of the women who have been left to deal with the virus’s consequences, told through first-person narratives. Dr. MacLean; Catherine, a social historian determined to document the human stories behind the “male plague;” intelligence analyst Dawn, tasked with helping the government forge a new society; and Elizabeth, one of many scientists desperately working to develop a vaccine. Through these women and others, we see the uncountable ways the absence of men has changed society, from the personal–the loss of husbands and sons–to the political–the changes in the workforce, fertility and the meaning of family.”
I must have read this book in record time as I was so absorbed in the story. This is my review:
Well, I am glad that I read this in 2022 and not in the earlier years of our own, real, pandemic! I think I would have frozen in fear. Anyway, I thought the book was excellent and very well thought out. As I have a husband and two sons, I found the whole idea of a man-killing plague terrifying. As a feminist, I found the whole idea of a world run by women really interesting and intriguing.
Yes, there are some faults in the book – pointed out by some of the reviewers on here who are more expert in medical issues. But as a work of fiction, I enjoyed the structure, the progress of the story and the final ending. I wonder what the author can come up with next!
Yes, once again the book has mixed reviews on Goodreads. Most are very positive, but a minority have strong criticisms and some of the negativity rings true. I do think that this book is well worth reading. After all, we can all come to our own conclusions!
I am presently totally lost in another book, which I will write about in next week’s Reading Roundup post. So, in the meantime…
Welcome to a new week on the blog! I hope that you enjoyed the weekend of Jubilee frolics, if you are into that kind of thing. In the end, I read and watched a few bits and pieces and it all looked like fun, although rather too expensive in the current climate.
Anyway, talking of expenditure, I get my “allowance” at the beginning of the month and I had a bit of a spree on the Marks and Spencer website. Most of the items were staples – underwear and nightwear – but I did order two dresses. They haven’t arrived yet, so I will just show you the website images and post about them again on Friday, when I can model them. Mind you, that’s only if they look OK!
Here are the two dresses…
Summer dresses by Marks and Spencer
For some reason, the M & S website cuts off the bottom of images. These dresses are both cotton jersey and midi length. To be honest, I am such an awful shape these days that nothing will really fit. I am just hoping that these two items will be comfortable in warm weather and will not look too dreadful. Despite this, I don’t wish to fade into the background and the bright pink dress will at least ensure that doesn’t happen!
I suppose I should be writing something about the Platinum Jubilee in today’s post! To be honest, it is not really my thing. I avoid writing anything political on this blog, so I won’t bore you with my views. Let’s just say that buying my colourway of Hermès’ Regina was enough for me. Here is a modelling photo of Regina with a pink twinset from April, followed by an image of the full scarf:
Outfit of the day 13/04/22 with Hermès’ Regina scarf
Regina – Hermès
One scarf I have worn this week was Hermès’ Parures de Samouraïs. Well, by “worn” I mean tried on, then took off again. We had planned a shopping trip for me to stock up on some staples in the Sainsburys’ sale, but I felt too unwell and nervous to leave the house. Anyway, this was the photo of the outfit and a reminder (again) of the scarf:
Outfit of the day 02/06/22 with Hermès’ Parures de Samouraïs scarf
Parures de Samouraïs – Hermès
Whatever you may be doing today and over the weekend I hope you are well and happy!
Welcome to the first Reading Roundup post of the new month! I finished one book and am part-way through another (which I will write about next week).
A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E Feist
My book of the week was A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E Feist, #04 The Riftwar Saga. Here is the blurb:
“A Darkness at Sethanon is the stunning climax to Raymond E. Feist’s brilliant epic fantasy trilogy, the Riftwar Saga.
Here be dragons and sorcery, swordplay, quests, pursuits, intrigues, stratagems, journeys to the darkest realms of the dead and titanic battles between the forces of good and darkest evil.
Here is the final dramatic confrontation between Arutha and Murmandamus – and the perilous quest of Pug the magician and Tomas the warrior for Macros the Black. A Darkness at Sethanon is heroic fantasy of the highest excitement and on the grandest scale, a magnificent conclusion to one of the great fantasy sagas of our time.”
At this point, I usually post some clever html generated by the Goodreads site for displaying members’ book reviews and ratings. For some reason, this isn’t working and so I will have to use a screenshot instead…
The book I am currently reading is a collection of science fiction short stories. I shall enjoy returning to it when I have finished this post.
Hello and welcome to a new week on the blog! I spend most of my time in bed these days and amuse myself (in addition to reading ebooks, writing blog posts, following Twitter and watching TV) by wandering around the web. I find all kinds of stuff and end up going off at tangents tracking things that interest me.
I follow a range of accounts on Twitter, although I rarely post these days and try to stay anonymous. Some of the accounts are about archaeological finds, others show art, and I have come across a few which specialise in vintage costumes. This gorgeous dress caught my eye a few weeks ago. Of course it did – look at the colours!
Dress by Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff-Gordon
I had the pictures from Twitter but knew nothing about them, so I did a reverse image search on Google and found out some incredible background information. The woman who designed the dress, Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff-Gordon, was a survivor of the Titanic disaster. Not only that, but she narrowly escaped sailing on the Lusitania’s final voyage!
Anyway, if any of you are interested in this remarkable woman, here is the Wikipedia article and more information from the Encyclopedia Titanica. She is well worth some follow up reading!
Now, back to my book. Reading Roundup on Wednesday as usual!
Former professional school librarian, now retired through chronic illness. Trying to keep cheerful by reading, drinking lots of tea, blogging my new life, and my love of bling!
The Librain
The Librain......retired 
[…] If you would like to read more about this scarf, here is my Scarf of the Moment post with…