Lovely Books and Things - 2.27.22

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~

HAPPY THINGS:

1. Paczki - traditional Polish donut served this time of year (for upcoming Fat Tuesday)
2. Mama's on Washington Square brunch - their Famous Monte Cristo sandwich with homemade jam (here)
3. Rubber duckies on display in Fredericksen's hardware window front

on the t-shirt: The Little Voices In My Head Keeps Telling Me Get More Ducks! ~*~
Library:

Nervous System: A Novel
by Lina Meruane
translated by Megan McDowell
Literary, Medical | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Freebies: from Free Little Library

The Charming Quirks of Others
by Alexander McCall Smith
Mystery, Cozy, Scotland | Published: 2010 | Goodreads

The Book of Disquiet
by Fernando Pessoa
translated by Richard Zenith
Classics, Poetry, Portugal | Published: 2002 (first 1982) | Goodreads
~*~
AND watched: Netflix

Mitchell's vs the Machines (2021)
Stars: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Michael Rianda
Animation, Adventure, Comedy | imdb | my rating: 4

A quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope.

~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Books and Laundry: Backwater

Pilgrimage I
by Dorothy Richardson
Classics, Feminism, British | Published: 1916 | Goodreads
The thirteen magnificent novels that comprise Pilgrimage are the first expression in English of what it is to be called 'stream of conciousness' technique, predating the work of both Joyce and Woolf, echoing that of Proust with whom Dorothy Richardson stands as one of the great innovatory figures of our time.

These four volumes record in detail the life of Miriam Henderson. Through her experience - personal, spiritual, intellectual - Dorothy Richardson explores intensely what it means to be a woman, presenting feminine conciousness with a new voice, a new identity.

reading book two in the series: Backwater

First sentence(s):
A swarthy turbaned face shone at Miriam from a tapestry screen standing between her and the ferns rising from a basket framework in the bow of the window.

~*~ * part of Reading Pilgrimage readathon (here)

Explore: Rome

Explore The World 2022
through books, films, etc. February: Rome

READ:

The Marble Faun
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Classics, Mystery, Italy | Published: 2002 (first 1860) | Goodreads
The fragility-and the durability-of human life and art dominate this story of American expatriates in Italy in the mid-nineteenth century. Befriended by Donatello, a young Italian with the classical grace of the "Marble Faun," Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon find their pursuit of art taking a sinister turn as Miriam's unhappy past precipitates the present into tragedy.

Hawthorne's 'International Novel' dramatizes the confrontation of the Old World and the New and the uncertain relationship between the 'authentic' and the 'fake' in life as in art. The author's evocative descriptions of classic sites made The Marble Faun a favorite guidebook to Rome for Victorian tourists, but this richly ambiguous symbolic romance is also the story of a murder, and a parable of the Fall of Man. As the characters find their civilized existence disrupted by the awful consequences of impulse, Hawthorne leads his readers to question the value of Art and Culture and addresses the great evolutionary debate which was beginning to shake Victorian society.

RECIPE:

Bucatini all'Amatriciana
by Bon Appétit & Epicurious (here)
Yummy!
VIRTUAL VISIT:

HeyGo livestream: Fairytale Trastevere and the Island of Rome (upcoming tours)

VISIT bookstore: someday...

Libreria Giufà
(details)
grab a coffee and book in this shop that gives off a fun and funky vibe
~*~
* part of Explore the World (here)

Books and Bag: Pink and Romance

Books and Bag
doing some dreaming
a designer bag and books to fill it
~*~

To Sir Phillip, With Love
(Bridgertons #5)
by Julia Quinn
Romance, Regency | Published: 2003 | Goodreads

Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife's distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage.

Except . . . she wasn't.

The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her...

Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met!

But then she started thinking... and wondering... and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match.

Except... he wasn't.

Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young - and decidedly unruly - children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.

Something Fabulous
by Alexis Hall
Romance, Regency, LGBTQ | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally.

It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again.

Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, has also grown up…romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be.

Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Bonny by his side. Bonny is unreasonable, overdramatic, annoying, and…beautiful? And being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.

~*~

* image source: bags -Chanel

Stitching Book Club: Narnia

Stitching Book Club
stitch along February to March 2022
hosted by Sapphire Mountain Handcrafts
details | blog
~*~

The Chronicles of Narnia:
the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis
Fantasy, Middle Grade | Published: 1998 (first 1950) | Goodreads
NARNIA ... the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter ... a magical country waiting to be set free. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the Professor's mysterious old house. At first, her brothers and sisters don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Great Lion, Aslan, they realize they've been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch's sinister spell.

SCHEDULE:

FEBRUARY 12: Part 1 pattern release

MARCH 5: Part 2 pattern release

MARCH 26: Part 3 pattern release

MARCH 27: Book discussion

watch these spots for updated photos

Lovely Books and Things - 2.20.22

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~

HAPPY THINGS:

1. Flat White Latte at new coffee shop with Australia theme in the neighborhood, Koolah Cafe (here). Will try the vegemite toast for first time taste of the infamous vegemite.
2. Spectacular grand finale display of the Chinese New Year's Parade on the corner of Kearny and Jackson in San Francisco
3. Eye candy Candy Cumberbatch, jelly bean art, found at gallery wall of Z. Cioccolato (fudge, candy & gifts) in North Beach (here)

~*~
Bought:

House of Leaves
by Mark Z. Danielewski
Horror, Fiction | Published: 2000 | Goodreads


Library: audiobook

Jane Austen, the Secret Radical
by Helena Kelly
Biography, Feminism, Jane Austen | Published: 2017 | Goodreads
for Febregency (here)

Library:

Nervous System: A Novel
by Lina Meruane
translated by Megan McDowell
Literary, Medical | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Freebies: from Free Little Library

Troilus and Cressida
by William Shakespeare
Classics, Drama, Play | Published: 2008 (first 1601) | Goodreads
~*~
Virtual Author event: hosted by Third Place Books
See archive of this - later this week (here)

The Books of Jacob
by Olga Tokarczuk
Historical, Poland | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
~*~
AND watched: Netflix

Hand of God (2021)
Original title: È stata la mano di Dio
Director/Writer: Paolo Sorrentino
Stars: Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo
Drama, Naples, Italy | imdb | my rating: 5
sad, beautiful and touching scenes, coming of age, parents
In 1980s Naples, young Fabietto pursues his love for football as family tragedy strikes, shaping his uncertain but promising future as a filmmaker.

AND watched: theatre

Licorice Pizza (2021)
Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman
Comedy, Drama, Romance | imdb | my rating: 5
fun coming of age romp
The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.

~*~
Last chance...
My Blogoversary Giveaway offer is happening (here)
(offer expires at the end of the month)

~*~

~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Buzzword Challenge 2022

Buzzword Reading Challenge
hosted by Books and Lala
details | storygraph
#buzzwordathon
The Buzzword Readathon (#buzzwordathon) is a monthly readathon, running the first week of each month (1st through 7th). Each month has a designated word/word theme and you have a week to read as many books as you like with that word in the title.

Alternatively you can complete this as a year-long reading challenge, and read just ONE book each month featuring the monthly buzzword until you complete the whole challenge!

~*~
JANUARY: A book with one of the 5 W's in the title - WHEN
who, where, what, when, why OR how

When We Cease to Understand the World
by Benjamín Labatut
translated by Adrian Nathan West
Short Stories, Historical | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
FEBRUARY: A book with a location in the title - HE
me, you, mine, yours, he, she, hers, his, their, theirs, we, ours etc.

The Last Thing He Told Me
by Laura Dave
Thriller, Mystery | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
MARCH: A book with a location in the title - KAMUSARI
A city, country, state, province etc. OR an attraction (ex: park, valley, Disney World etc.)

The Easy Life in Kamusari
by Shion Miura
translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
YA, Contemporary, Japan | Published: 2021 (first 2009) | Goodreads | my rating: 5
APRIL: A book with LITTLE or BIG in the title - BIG
Any word similar to these qualifies (ex: giant, tiny, small, huge)

Love in the Big City
by Sang Young Park
translated by Anton Hur
Contemporary, LGBTQ, Korea | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
MAY: A book with a direction in the title - NORTH
north, south, east, west OR left/right, up/down etc.

My Holiday in North Korea:
The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth
by Wendy E. Simmons
Memoir, Travel, North Korea | Goodreads | my rating : 4
JUNE: A book with ALL in the title - ALL
all / all's

Scattered All Over the Earth
by Yōko Tawada
translated by Margaret Mitsutani
SciFi, Climate, Japan | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
JULY: A book with a book related word in the title - BOOK
examples: book, library, read, page, paper

Book Lovers
by Emily Henry
Contemporary, Romance | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 5

AUGUST: A book with an item/object in the title - VIOLETS
examples: door, key, house, moon, donut, dress

Violets
by Kyung-sook Shin
translated by Anton Hur
LGBTQ, Historical, Korea | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 5
SEPTEMBER: A book with LIGHT or DARK in the title - DARK
light/dark or words associated, such as shadow, bright, darkness, highlight, shine

A Flicker in the Dark
by Stacy Willingham
Thriller, Mystery | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
OCTOBER: A book with an animal or creature in the title - BUNNY
from mermaids and vampires, to birds and wolves

Cursed Bunny
by Bora Chung
translated by Anton Hurby
Short Stories, Horror, Korea | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
NOVEMBER: A book with "ING" in the title - KILLINGS
examples: missing, haunting, watching, darling

The Basel Killings
by Hansjörg Schneider
translated by Mike Mitchell
Mystery, Crime, Germany | Published: 2021 (first 2004) | Goodreads
DECEMBER: A book with a number in the title - SEVEN
one, 4, eight, thousand, million

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Historical, Romance, LGBTQ | Published: 2017 | Goodreads

Book of the Month

Book of the Month
an on-going self-challenge
working my way through my tbr pile
started in 2016

Starting with...

The Last Thing He Told Me
by Laura Dave
Thriller, Mystery | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 4


The rest...

Modern Lovers
by Emma Straub
Humor, Contemporary | Published: 2016 | Goodreads

Sleeping Giants
(Themis Files #1)
by Sylvain Neuvel
SciFi | Published: 2016 | Goodreads

A Gentleman in Moscow
by Amor Towles
Historical, Russia, Mosco | Published: 2016 | Goodreads

The Lost Apothecary
by Sarah Penner
Historical, Mystery | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 4

Arsenic and Adobo
by Mia P. Manansala
Mystery, Cozy, Food, Filipino | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

The Heart Principle
by Helen Hoang
Romance, Contemporary, Asian American, Vietnamese | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

Fiona and Jane
by Jean Chen Ho
Short Stories, LGBTQ, Taiwan | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

The Maid
by Nita Prose
Mystery, Thriller | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 5

Vladimir
by Julia May Jonas
Literary, Dark Academia | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
see interview with author at The Bar and the Bookcase (here)

The Paris Apartment
by Lucy Foley
Mystery, Thriller, Paris | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 4