Reading roundup 10/07/19

Posted on 10/07/2019 by The Librain

I enjoyed two very different books this week, one historical, the other science fiction. It is wonderful to have libraries which give us access, free at the point of use, to a wealth of choice for our reading.

Blood and Blade by Matthew Harffy

The first book was Blood and Blade by Matthew Harffy (#03 Bernicia Chronicles), set in 7th century Britain. Here is the blurb:

Oswald is now King of Northumbria. However, his plans for further alliances and conquests are quickly thrown into disarray when his wedding to a princess of Wessex is interrupted by news of a Pictish uprising.

Rushing north, Oswald leaves Beobrand to escort the young queen to her new home. Their path is fraught with danger and uncertainty, Beobrand must try to unravel secrets and lies if they are to survive.

Meanwhile, old enemies are closing in, seeking brutal revenge. Beobrand will give his blood and blade in service to his king, but will that be enough to avert disaster and save his kith and kin from the evil forces that surround them?

It, perhaps, wasn’t a very good idea to jump into a series at the third book, but it wasn’t too difficult to understand some of the previous storylines. If you decide to read this series for yourself, I would recommend that you begin at the beginning, unlike me! Anyway, here is my short review. I gave the book three stars as I did enjoy reading it, but had quite a lot of reservations.

I love historical fiction, particularly Roman Britain and also the Dark Ages, so I immediately picked this up when I visited the Library. As a huge fan of Cornwell’s Last Kingdom series, I must admit that this book was a real disappointment. The characters were such stereotypes, especially the female ones. The whole thing is such a macho testosterone fest with no leavening of humour at all. I enjoy books with gory battles, but this was simply not written well enough.

The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds

The second book of the week was a much more satisfying read: The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds (Prefect Dreyfus Emergency #01). Some of you may remember that I wrote about the second book in this series, Elysium Fire, a few weeks ago. This is the blurb:

Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a policeman of sorts, and one of the best. His force is Panoply, and his beat is the multi-faceted utopian society of the Glitter Band, that vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone. These days, his job is his life.

A murderous attack against a Glitter Band habitat is nasty, but it looks to be an open-and-shut case – until Dreyfus starts looking under some stones that some very powerful people would really rather stayed unturned. What he uncovers is far more serious than mere gruesome murder…

I must admit that I find the use of the term “Glitter Band” amusing – I was still at school when they were in the charts! Anyway, here is my four star review of the book on Goodreads:

I read the two books in this short series (yes, I know it is part of a much larger set of science fiction tales) the wrong way round. So, I did already know who would survive until the second book! I suppose that did have quite an effect on my appreciation of the story. However, I really loved both of the books. The world-building is totally amazing and I have already requested the first book of the main series so that I can immerse myself in what looks like an incredible achievement in science fiction writing. These books are not easy, simple reads, but they are well worth a little extra concentration in order to appreciate the exciting and intricate plot, the amazing scenarios and technology and the sheer imagination of the author. Brilliant stuff!

The Penny Heart by Martine Bailey

Phew! I still have a large book pile in my bedroom and also a few more requests to pick up from the Library. My next book, which I will write about next week, is set in the 18th century this time: Martine Bailey’s The Penny Heart.

Happy Reading and very best wishes!

📖📚📖📚📖

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Update 09/09/19

Posted on 09/07/2019 by The Librain

After yesterday’s detailed post, which took quite a lot of effort to put together, please forgive me for today’s very brief note. Many thanks to all of you who read my Scarf of the Moment post about Cosmographia Universalis – I did enjoy researching and writing it!

I don’t have an outfit to show you as I have spent the day in pyjamas, reading in bed. I did see this set of rather humorous cartoons from The New Yorker, which might make you smile:

Nineteenth-Century Novels, with Better Birth Control
Glynnis Fawkes
June 21, 2019

Reading Roundup post tomorrow!

Best wishes,

🧡💚💛❤️💙💜

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Scarf of the moment: Cosmographia Universalis

Posted on 08/07/2019 by The Librain

As details of Hermès new Autumn/Winter 2019 scarves started to appear online a few weeks ago, I really didn’t think that I would purchase anything. Nothing really “sang” to me. I didn’t love any of them!

But, then the magic of Hermès began to work, as it always has since I first fell down the orange slippery slope. I began to see modelling photos, particularly on The Purse Forum, of the range of colourways as the new season scarves and shawls became available in boutiques and on websites around the world. I hit the “purchase” button last week and this lovely new scarf, Cosmographia Universalis designed by Jan Bajtlik, arrived on my doorstep.

My colourway of the scarf is #05 in bleu jean, rose vif, marine:

Cosmographia Universalis by Jan Bajtlik for Hermès

Description

It is difficult to describe this complex pattern and do it full justice! Like Bajtlik’s design for last season, Animalopolis, the scarf is a riot of colour and activity. Cosmographia Universalis appears to have a river, or lake, in the centre surrounded by mountains, volcanoes, all kinds of amazing architecture and dreamlike, mythological landscapes. Amazing beasts and people move between trees and plants, boats glide across the water, fantastical creatures appear and Bajtlik’s dog sleeps peacefully amongst the riot. This scarf is such fun. Who could look at it without a smile?

The colours in #05 are glorious. A deep fuchsia pink for the contrast rolled hem and across  the design, toning and clashing pinks from cerise to pale rose, a range of blues from navy to sky, touches of white on stylised waves, and some elements are picked out in brown.

Look out for humour and surprises, I have already mentioned the dog. The famous Hermès horse and carriage appear on a bridge, water cascades from a horse’s mouth (horses are everywhere), a water snake (Nessie?) swims in the lake, people climb the mountains, squid fly out of a volcano! A peaceful moon looks down on it all. What else can you find? You could spend an hour looking at this scarf!

Colourways

These are the colourways for the Autumn/Winter 2019 silk twill 90cm scarves. I have added in the codes to help those of you who wish to purchase this scarf, please click on the images below to see them:

H003365S 01
H003365S 02
H003365S 04
H003365S 05
H003365S 06
H003365S 09
H003365S 10
H003365S 11

And here we have the colourways of the Spring/Summer 2020 140cm cashmere/silk  shawls. To see the purchasing codes, please click on the scarf images:

H243365S 12
H243365S 18
H243365S 17
H243365S 16
H243365S 15
H243365S 07
H243365S 03

Design story

Sebastian Münster was a cartographer, historian, astronomer, mathematician and scholar of Hebrew. His work, Cosmographia Universalis, was first published in Germany in 1544 and became one of the most widely-read books of the 16th century. When Jan Bajtlik discovered an original edition of the book in a library in Poland, he was fascinated by its vision of a world made up of myths and legends. His scarf depicts an imaginary landscape that combines architecture with fauna and flora. Taking the seahorses, sea monsters and pyramids of the Cosmographia as his models, he creates a dreamlike world teeming with extraordinary beasts.

Details

Here are some closeups of my scarf in a slideshow format:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

How I wear the scarf

I have only made two Outfit of the Day collages for this scarf, so far, but will add more as I continue to wear it. With my wardrobe, I intend to pair it with navy and blue, and navy with bright pink, as below, and also with cobalt blue, white and perhaps a paler pink. I think the scarf in this particular colourway will work well across the seasons as, although it is a cool weather design, it looks fine here with my Summer clothing because it has such vivid and rich colours.

Outfit of the day 08/09/19 with Hermès’ Cosmographia Universalis scarf

Outfit of the day 12/07/19 with Hermès’ Cosmographia Universalis scarf

Scarf ties

These are a few quick ties that I made to show the details and colours of the scarf. As it was brand new, the silk was crisp and rather stiff, so I haven’t yet tried more flowing ties such as the waterfall knot. I feel that more casual ties probably suit the nature of the design better anyway.

Cosmographia Universalis – scarf ties

1) Top row L to R: basic bias fold, casual knot, basic bias fold using alternate diagonal.
2) Middle row L to R: casual knot using alternate diagonal, half-bow knot using MaiTai mother-of-pearl scarf ring, asymmetric wrap.
3) Bottom row L to R: cowboy cowl knot, casual knot using scarf folded into a triangle, drape knot to show off the scarf details.

Background information

I have found some information about Sebastian Münster and his original Cosmographia Universalis:

Wikipedia
Cosmographia (Sebastian Münster)
Short article about the Cosmographia itself. There are several external links you could follow if you are interested.

Wikipedia
Sebastian Münster
Article about the author of the original Cosmographia.

I cannot find a great deal of information about the designer of the scarf, Jan Bajtlik, unfortunately. You could find him on Twitter and Instagram, if you wish.

Jan Bajtlik
Bio
Biography of the designer on his own site. You can see his previous designs for Hermès on here plus other works.

Wikipedia
Jan Bajtlik
Article about the designer from Polish Wikipedia, in Polish.

I hope readers have found this exploration of Cosmographia Universalis both interesting and useful. Once again, if you find any errors or have any additional information that I could add, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes,

💙💜❤️💛💚🧡

Edited:

  • 12/07/19 to add another Outfit of the Day collage.
  • 28/12/19 to add Spring/Summer 2020 140cm shawl colourways.
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Update 05/07/19 with a gorgeous reveal!

Posted on 05/07/2019 by The Librain

Here is my choice from the Hermès Autumn/Winter 2019 scarf offering. I will do the full reveal…

Yet another orange box – do you know that these go for a considerable sum on eBay? Just the box! Some people also sell the Bolduc ribbon…

The box untied…

Open so you can see the first glimpse of the scarf – wonderful colours!

The scarf unfolded a little more:

Scarf details showing more of the colours and the design…

The images from the website. Yes, this is Cosmographia Universalis by Jan Bajtlik – a new design for this season in 90cm silk twill…

Cosmographia Universalis by Jan Bajtlik for Hermès

I had intended to take some modelling shots today in this outfit, but I have been too ill to get out of bed for more than a few moments. The colours in the photo below are a little paler and less vivid than in real life. My photos above are more accurate. I have listed the outfit below the photo…

Outfit of the day 05/07/19 with Hermès’ Cosmographia Universalis scarf

Today’s outfit (if I had managed to get dressed):

  • Pond blue cotton sleeveless vest – Lands’ End.
  • Navy cotton mix crew neck cardigan – Lands’ End.
  • Navy linen mix skirt – Isle Collection.
  • Navy leather slip on shoes – Hotter.
  • Blue crystal and silver earrings – Sonrisa Boutique.
  • Cobalt blue pompei midi-Muse handbag – Massaccesi.

As this is such a new scarf and it has already drawn so much attention, I am planning to write a Scarf of the Moment profile for it over the weekend so that visitors to this blog can see all of the colourways and any information I can compile.

Happy Weekend and best wishes to you all!

💙💗💙💕💙💗💙

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Update 04/07/19 with dreams of Hermès Autumn/Winter 2019

Posted on 04/07/2019 by The Librain

How quickly I can change my mind! It was only on Monday that I stated that I wasn’t particularly keen on any scarves from Hermès new Autumn/Winter 2019 season. Since then, I have had a closer look (to be honest, some of the modelling shots on The Purse Forum are fabulous) and a new scarf is on its way!

See, no self control at all!

In the meantime, I will show you a few which caught my eye. In recent years, Hermès has been producing scarves in colour families and you can see that I was drawn to one family in the main:

Reverie Solitaire – Hermès
H003365S 05
Mountain Zebra – Hermès
Jungle Love Rainbow – Hermès
Kachinas Wash – Hermès
Graff Hermès – Hermès

Now, which one did I choose? You will find out in tomorrow’s post.

Best wishes,

💙💗💜💗💙

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Reading roundup 03/07/19

Posted on 03/07/2019 by The Librain

Three great books this week. I am so lucky to have a local library which stocks my favourite genres in such abundance. Long may it continue!

Ruin by John Gwynne

My first book was Ruin by John Gwynne, #03 of The Faithful and the Fallen. I am really enjoying this series and will be picking up the final book, Wrath, as soon as I can get to the Library. Here is the blurb:

The Banished Lands are engulfed in war and chaos. The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make, choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands.

Elsewhere the flame of resistance is growing – Queen Edana finds allies in the swamps of Ardan. Maquin is loose in Tenebral, hunted by Lykos and his corsairs. Here he will witness the birth of a rebellion in Nathair’s own realm.

Corban has been swept along by the tide of war. He has suffered, lost loved ones, sought only safety from the darkness. But he will run no more. He has seen the face of evil and he has set his will to fight it. The question is, how? With a disparate band gathered about him – his family, friends, giants, fanatical warriors, an angel and a talking crow he begins the journey to Drassil, the fabled fortress hidden deep in the heart of Forn Forest. For in Drassil lies the spear of Skald, one of the seven treasures, and here it is prophesied that the Bright Star will stand against the Black Sun.

Wow! This book was such a great read! Not quite a five star, but very close. This is my review on Goodreads:

It seems safe to say that, so far, each book in this series has been better than its predecessor. I really cannot say much more in this review than I have already said in the previous ones: the positives of Gwynne’s writing far outweigh the negatives. The book was engaging, exciting, gripping. It was by turns tragic, wonderful, uplifting. The style continued to annoy me, but the plot and characters were so good that I powered through and (most of the time) ignored the short chapters and swapping points of view.

I cannot wait to read the final book!

I really hope that Gwynne continues to write at this high standard as I really want to read even more of his work.

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter

I had been on a long reserve list for my second book of the week: The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter. She is one of my favourite crime/thriller writers. With this book, be aware that you need to set aside enough time to read it in one sitting because you will be unable to put it down once you begin! Anyway, this is the blurb:

A mysterious kidnapping

On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. Vanished into thin air, the authorities are desperate to save the doctor.

A devastating explosion

One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhood’s has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.

A diabolical enemy

Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.

This book is #09 in her Will Trent series and I think that I have read most. I had better check the Goodreads list against our library service’s catalogue and make sure that I fill in all of the gaps! Here is my four star review:

This was truly an edge of the seat read! High adrenalin, heart pumping, book gripping, teeth grinding stuff. I love Slaughter’s writing style and simply couldn’t put this book down until I had finished. Even though this was #09 in the Will Trent series, there was no sign of any deterioration in plot or characterisation. One star was knocked off for a small niggle. Whilst I enjoyed the retelling of events from different points of view and most of the time this worked well, occasionally it did feel somewhat repetitive. Apart from this, the book was one of her very best and her very best is fantastic – highly recommended!

Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen

I had written two thirds of this post, then put it aside whilst I went back to my book. The ending was so good that I finished it in time to add it to this week’s Roundup: Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen. Here is the blurb:

Two boys, brothers, wake tied and bound in a boathouse by the sea. Their kidnapper has gone, but soon he will return. Their bonds are inescapable. But there is a bottle and tar to seal it. Paper and a splinter for writing; blood for ink. A message begging for help.

In Copenhagen’s cold cases division Carl Mørck has received a bottle. It holds an old and decayed message, written in blood. It is a cry for help from two boys. Is it real? Who are they and why weren’t they reported missing? Can they possibly still be alive?

This book was between three and four stars, in my view. This is my short review:

This was a really different kind of crime novel. The characters were very quirky and there was a dark humour to the writing. The book had a strangeness to it that was very attractive, despite the shocking theme of murder and kidnapping. There were some extremely gripping scenes and interesting twists to the plot. I am sure that I will enjoy reading more by this author if our library has his books in stock.

Now, I am not sure which book I will choose next from my huge pile next to the bed. But it will be fun reading the blurbs to aid my decision.

Happy Reading and best wishes to you all,

📖📚📖📚📖

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Outfit of the day 02/07/19

Posted on 02/07/2019 by The Librain

I didn’t wear this outfit for very long today, before returning to bed, but I thought that I would write about it anyway because it is so pretty. Yes, purple again, with bright pink and navy! This little gavroche, Baobab Cat, is very cute in these amazing colours. To make the scarf look like more of a necklace, I used the “device” that I made months ago to add more length. Owners of Hermès’ Mors scarf rings would, of course, use those instead!

Outfit of the day 02/07/19 with Hermès’ Baobab Cat gavroche

Today’s outfit:

  • Royal purple, cotton, sleeveless vest – Lands’ End.
  • Blackberry, cotton mix, crew neck cardigan – Lands’ End.
  • Navy linen trousers – Isle Collection.
  • Pink, purple and gold tone fuchsia earrings.
  • Purple leather and gold Gancia wrap bracelet – Ferragamo.
  • Silk scarf, 45cm, in bright pink, grey, purple, white and black – Baobab Cat. Tied in a necklace knot using the device.

Here is a reminder of the device that I made using Hermès bolduc ribbon and four brass D-rings – more details in this post:

Finished article – my “contraption”!

And this is the lovely Hermès’ Mors scarf ring which is available in both a gold tone and silver tone finishes, I believe:

Hermès Mors scarf ring

Hermès Mors scarf ring

Reading Roundup post tomorrow.

Best wishes,

💜💜💜💜💜

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Update 01/07/19

Posted on 01/07/2019 by The Librain

It was absolutely boiling hot here on Saturday. Yes, I know that many visitors to the blog come from much warmer climates than ours in England. I also know that the English are known the world over for our peculiar obsession with the weather! We simply aren’t used to extremes of hot and cold, so we tend to complain quite a lot when we get those, rare, extremes. Our weather is so changeable and that is why we talk about it so much.

With all of my numerous health issues, I really struggle on hot, humid days. I ended up lying on the bed, gasping for breath. Happily, it was cooler yesterday and much more bearable today. So, I have managed a few useful tasks today before coming back to bed to read and write this post.

I have been closely following The Purse Forum thread about the Hermès scarf offerings for the Autumn/Winter 2019 season. So far, I haven’t seen much that I really love. In some ways, that is quite a relief. For one reason, it will save some money that I can put towards something else. Also, I am actually running out of space for scarves and I don’t want to either make room by getting rid of some, or move house!

There is one that I might purchase if it appears on the Hermès UK website…

Jungle Love Rainbow – Hermès

Jungle Love Rainbow – so very pretty!

I will have to keep an eye open for it.

Best wishes,

💚💛❤️💙💜🧡

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Outfit of the day 28/06/19

Posted on 28/06/2019 by The Librain

It is a lovely sunny day again, just the right temperature for me. I have heard that we are going to have a very hot weekend, which may cause me some issues as my asthma tends to react badly in those circumstances. I will just have to use my mini fan (kindly bought for me by Younger Son) and drink loads – not that I need any excuse for my tea drinking!

I managed to get to my counselling appointment this morning, thanks to Lovely Husband, and it was very useful. I got quite a lot off my chest. There was almost a problem with my asthma. We arrived in the small town quite early, so I wandered around the shops for a few minutes and popped into what looked like a rather intriguing vintage clothing shop. Unfortunately, I had to dash straight out again as they were burning incense. It was really strong and I could feel my throat starting to react. Luckily, I was able to control my breathing – phew! I won’t go into that shop again, which is quite a shame as it looked as if they had some nice things.

It was time for a change of colour scheme – coral with navy, aqua and cream…

Outfit of the day 28/06/19 with Ferragamo’s Peacocks in Tropical Garden scarf

Today’s outfit:

  • Coral cotton mix crew neck top – Lands’ End. Showing the cardigan here as I don’t have a good image of the top.
  • Navy linen trousers – Isle Collection.
  • Polar white leather shoes – Hotter. This was the first time I have worn them out of the house.
  • Cream enamel and gold Agama earrings – Halcyon Days.
  • Cream enamel and gold Byzantine bangle – Halcyon Days.
  • Cream and aqua enamel and gold Agama bangle – Halcyon Days.
  • Silk scarf, 90cm, in aqua, coral, cream, orange and purple – Peacocks in Tropical Garden – Ferragamo. Tied in an asymmetric wrap.

I hope that all my visitors have a lovely weekend – back next week!

Best wishes,

💚🧡❤️💛💙💜

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Outfit of the day 27/06/19 and a haircut

Posted on 27/06/2019 by The Librain

Once again, six weeks have passed by and it was time for my visit to the hairdresser. Lovely Husband persuaded me that I was well enough to go (only just) and kindly drove me into town. Afterwards, I walked across to the Library, tried out the “Smart Library” system for the first time (no staffing so you have to let yourself in), and picked up two reserved books. LH then picked me up and drove us home.

I wore a lovely colourful outfit today – bright turquoise and navy with a hand-painted silk scarf from SilkScarvesColorado via Etsy. The scarf has a multitude of colours, some metallic, including bronze, gold, green, lilac, purple, pink and yellow. It interested me to try out two different ties using the same scarf with a MaiTai horn scarf ring…

Before the hair appointment 27/06/19

The above image shows my hair and outfit before the appointment. The collage below shows what I looked like afterwards. I had to take the scarf off because the sun came out!

Outfit of the day 27/06/19 with SilkScarvesColorado multi scarf

Today’s outfit:

  • Bright turquoise cotton mix crew neck top – Lands’ End.
  • Bright turquoise cotton mix crew neck cardigan – Lands’ End.
  • Navy linen trousers – Isle Collection.
  • Aqua, blue and navy leather sandals – Hotter. First sandal wearing of the Summer!
  • Turquoise, black and gold tone Art Deco Egyptian style earrings – via Etsy.
  • Turquoise enamel and gold Giraffe bangle – Halcyon Days.
  • Silk scarf, rectangle, in multicolours – SilkScarvesColorado via Etsy. Tied in a half-bow knot using a MaiTai horn scarf ring. In real life, the metallic green in the scarf is very close to the turquoise of my cotton twinset.

It was so nice to get out of the house and actually talk to someone other than family members for once!

Best wishes,

💙💜💛💚🧡❤️

Posted in Clothes, Footwear, Hair, Jewellery, Lifestyle, Outfit of the day, Scarves, Wardrobe | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment