lunababymoonchild

From the indigo straits to Ossian's seas, on pink and orange sands washed by the vinous sky, crystal boulevards have just risen and crossed, immediately occupied by poor young families who get their food at the greengrocers'. Nothing rich.-- The city! From the bituminous desert, in headlong flight with the sheets of fog spread in frightful bands across the sky, that bends, recedes, descends, formed by the most sinister black smoke that Ocean in mourning can produce, flee helmets, wheels, boats, rumps.-- The battle! Raise your eyes: that arched wooden bridge;

I have just found out that storing books on their back cover i.e. lying them flat, saves space and that I can get more books in that way. I'd read about this before but gave it a try today and got four - 2 of them very thick - in a space where, stored the conventional way, they were hanging off the side of the shelf (on a bookend). And I don't need bookends! This gives me the opportunity to go through my books, which is second only to reading them. Happy me.

Published in 1930 this is set in Medieval times and is about two men, Narcissus and Goldmund. Narcissus struggles with becoming a monk and Goldmund starts off as his pupil but leaves to become what's termed as a wayfarer - someone who is homeless and travels a lot. Both men come to terms with their chosen way of life and meet again, seeing much change in each other. Narcissus does not regret his life but Goldmund regrets his. This is beautifully written and absolutely absorbing. Recommended

Mrs England, Stacy Halls

Loitering with a vacant eye Along the Grecian gallery, And brooding on my heavy ill, I met a statue standing still. Still in marble stone stood he, And stedfastly he looked at me. "Well met," I thought the look would say, "We both were fashioned far away; We neither knew, when we were young, These Londoners we live among." Still he stood and eyed me hard, An earnest and a grave regard: "What, lad, drooping with your lot? I too would be where I am not. I too survey that endless line Of men whose thoughts are not as mine. Years, ere you stood

Good points Heather. I just wasn't aware of that.

I detest it when it's too hot

The north wind doth blow, And we shall have snow, And what will the robin do then, poor thing? He'll sit in a barn, And keep himself warm, And hide his head under his wing, poor thing! First verse of The North wind doth blow by Mother Goose

I bought a Serious Reader's dedicated reading light. Cost a fortune but is worth it because it's amazing!

Watching the Rolland Garros gentleman's singles final

“books that are rich in metaphor and symbolism, books with lyrical language you can lose yourself in, books with messages that challenge you, books that are complex and may require a second reading.” Is the article's definition of difficult.

Narcissus and Goldmund, Hermann Hesse

I agree completely

This popped up on my FB feed and I thought it would be good to discuss it. The author describes very well why I read difficult books - although I don't read as much YA - and I'd like to hear memebers opinions on this, please Reading Hard Books is Good, Actually (bookriot.com)

Amazon describe it better : Winner of the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, Kraken is a darkly comic, wildly absurd adventure by author of Perdido Street Station, China Miéville. Deep in the research wing of the Natural History Museum is a prize specimen, something that comes along much less often than once in a lifetime: a perfect, and perfectly preserved, giant squid. But what does it mean when the creature suddenly and impossibly disappears? For curator Billy Harrow it's the start of a headlong pitch into a London of warring cults, surreal magic, apostates an