I love trees, and enjoy my wanders in the Cambridge Botanical Gardens which is home to many champion trees. Just recently I came upon this beautiful Paperbark Maple, such a find for an author: a tree that peels it bark, like the well-worn pages of a book that has been read many times! So, I decided to grace its beauty by writing an Etheree poem which you can see below.
I will also be sharing more about the Paperbark Maple soon on the The Sisters of The Fey Blog so do keep an eye out for that.
In the meantime, here is my poem, I hope you enjoy!
It amuses me to admit this but I’m really bad at reading books in a series. Shocking really as I am writing a series myself! I have to LOVE them a lot to do so!
How do you feel about cliffhangers?
I love a good cliffhanger. It gets the old pulse going so that’s got to be a wonderful thing!
Hard copy or paperback?
A paperback. It’s easier to store, more forgiving and lightweight for taking on the bus or reading by the beach! I so wish I was away on some exotic, foreign holiday… Sigh…
Favourite book?
I have fifty-eight books on my favourite list on Goodreads!
Here are some of my 4/5 star favs: Caraval by Stephanie Garber, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, I Let You Go, I See You by Clare Macintosh, I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai, (memoir,) In Order to Live A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park, Simon Vs. The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng, A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak.
Least favourite book?
I like to focus on what I like and love rather than on what I don’t.
Love triangles, yes or no?
Yes, if the love triangle is well-written. I enjoy reading romance from time-to-time so I wouldn’t say no to an exciting love triangle!
The most recent book you just couldn’t finish?
I always finish books and sometimes I am surprised when I realise just how much I enjoyed them when I might have started off uncertain.
A book you’re currently reading?
I’m reading two at the moment! Charli Mills – The Congress of Rough Writers: Flash Fiction Anthology Vol. 1 (Congress of the Rough Writers Flash Fiction Anthology) and Matt Haig’s How To Stop Time.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 1890 closely followed by Dracula, published 1897.
The newest book you’ve read?
I’ve just finished reading an ARC of Lizzie Chantree’s If You Love Me I’m Yours which I will be reviewing as part of her blog tour. So that fits the newest book category! It’s a very sweet romance and the characters are fantastic. Really enjoying it!
Both! I love to buy books when I can afford to but the library is a great option. Or, pinching YA off my eldest daughter’s overflowing book shelf when I’m short of cash.
A book you dislike that everyone seems to like?
Don’t know. Can’t think of one.
Bookmarks or dogears?
I tend to use bookmarks, or whatever I can get my hands on to mark where I’ve read to. A receipt, a piece of paper, anything!
A book you can always re-read
Poetry books are great to re-read, or memoirs because you can pick up something extra on that second, or third reading.
Can you read whilst hearing music?
If the music is on low that would be okay. But, in our house my hubby blasts loud rock music most of the time so probably not in that case!
One POV or multiple POV’s?
I don’t mind either as long as it is done well.
Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?
Over multiple days as I am a slow reader and also find it difficult to find the time. I would love more opportunities to read. I have been known to peek at a book whilst ironing or cooking! Luckily, I haven’t burnt the clothes or the food yet…
One book you read because of the cover
I love a beautiful cover but the book itself has to be great for me to want to read it. I loved The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton and the cover persuaded me to buy the book!
If you’d like to join in the Book Tag please do. It’s been fun. I haven’t done one of these for ages.
I’d like to invite some of the Bloggers Bash guests that I met this year, (some albeit briefly, plus some old pals who I have met many times before,) who I think may enjoy doing a book tag.
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Here’s the book beginning that captured my interest:
Dr Iannis had enjoyed a satisfactory day in which none of his patients had died or got any worse. He had attended a surprisingly easy calving, lanced one abscess, extracted a molar, dosed one lady of easy virtue with Salvarsan, performed an unpleasant but spectacularly fruitful enema, and had produced a miracle by a feat of medical prestidigitation.
CAN YOU GUESS WHICH BOOK THIS IS? OR HAVE YOU READ IT ALREADY?
Watch out for the cover reveal and author’s name at the end of this Book Beginnings and Friday 56 Post. This book has also been made into a film, and the author is coming to Cambridge UK, to do a talk in June, more details below.
The Goodreads Synopsis:
It is 1941 and Captain Antonio Corelli, a young Italian officer, is posted to the Greek island of Cephallonia as part of the occupying forces. At first he is ostracised by the locals, but as a conscientious but far from fanatical soldier, whose main aim is to have a peaceful war, he proves in time to be civilised, humorous – and a consummate musician. When the local doctor’s daughter’s letters to her fiance go unanswered, the working of the eternal triangle seems inevitable. But can this fragile love survive as a war of bestial savagery gets closer and the lines are drawn between invader and defender?
It is a weekly meme hosted by Freda at Freda’s Voice, click on the link to her blog, and the rules are pretty simple:
Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that’s OK.)
Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it).
Post it.
Add the url to your post on Freda’s Voice.
As soon as he entered the kapheneion he knew that something was amiss. Solemn martial music was emanating from the radio, and the boys were sitting in a grim and ominous silence, clutching their tumblers, their brows furrowed.
So of course the book is Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. If the book sounds enticing, and you live locally, here’s details of an author event at Stapleford Granary:
An Evening with Louis de Berniéres in conversation with BBC broadcaster Stephen Chittenden
