Thursday Tea

The Book: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Ok, so today did not get off to a good start. I woke-up at 7 am, put the kettle on and about ten minutes later the power went off. Apparently the whole town was without power.  So, I had no heat, no electric and no lights save for the random candles I was able to gather and the book light that is attached to my reading/laptop desk. 

Oddly enough I just put batteries in my book light, so thankfully I had a light to read by. I mean what else was going to do? I could sit there and watch the telly, but I am pretty sure I would receive a visit from the men in white coats leading me to a padded cell.

I received an ARC of Cinder in the post today! Yay! I am a total nerd when it comes to revamped fairy tales although I have never read one that is set in the future with humans, androids, and cyborgs. I just finished chapter one and there seems to be a wealth of stuff going on. First, Cinder is a cyborg apparently with a rather small foot as the first chapter opens with her removing said foot and waiting for her assistant to bring her back an adequate one. We also learn that no one other the baker knows she is a cyborg, although I don’t think well have to worry about the baker as comes down with the plague at the end of the chapter. Chapter one also introduces us to the Prince, who brings his android to Cinder’s shop for repair. 

It is very futuristic, which is exceedingly different from what I normally read but it has caught my attention and now I want to find out what happens.

The Tea:

I started with a cuppa semi-cold Earl Grey thanks to the power going out. Luckily, four hours later, the power is back one, although the power company informed us that we may be experiencing power cuts throughout the day so I now have a pot of Blackberry & Sage sitting on top a warmer.

Do they go together?

I am not really sure what one drinks when reading a futuristic fairy tale. The book does mention the plague and wasn’t tea used as cure for it in the Middle Ages? So, I suppose that in a way any tea would work. 

Thursday Tea

The Book:
  I am reading Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. I am a big fan of GH. Ok- I will admit that may have been a bit of a lie. I am not overly fond of her mysteries and I couldn’t quite get into Beauvallet, but I do love her Regency romances. My love for them started thanks to the sexy voice of Richard Armitage. A friend of mine was listening to the audio book of Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle which was being read by AR while we were going on a car trip and his brilliantly sexy baritone voice is stuck inside my head every time I read a GH novel.

As for Cotillion, I am especially enjoying the light-heartedness of this novel. It’s very different from the GH novels that I have read in the past and I must say it contains a wealth of hilarity which I was not expecting. I also think that this was the perfect title for the book as the word Cotillion means a dance for four people. I cannot wait to see how this novel will end.

 

The Tea:
On a resent trip to Barnes & Noble I picked up Harney & Sons Earl Grey Imperial. It’s not like I needed another tin of Earl Grey, my tea cabinet is practically bursting with a mass of Earl Grey, I seem to have a mild addiction to this particular tea but seeing as there is no Earl Grey Drinkers Anonyms my addiction will have to continue…

This was the first time that I have tired the Imperial. You can definitely tell that it’s an Earl Grey, but I would describe as an Earl Grey with an extra dose or two or three of bergamot, meaning it’s a bit stronger than your average.

I also spotted this brilliant Keep Calm & Carry On mug which happens to match my Keep Calm & Carry on bookmark. I love it when things come together like that.

Do They Go Together?

Earl Grey goes with anything! Plus, it is a Regency novel and the Regency era is where tea of any type truly took hold. I think it is the perfect combo!

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Angela Renee

Classics Challenge 2012

I love Classic novels, although due to my TBR pile, my Classics often get overlooked. Now, I have a reason to read them!

The Challenge:
Read seven works of Classic Literature in 2012
Only three of the seven may be re-reads

How Does it Work?
I've organized this challenge to work a little like a blog hop. I hope this will make it more interactive and enjoyable for everyone.

Instead of writing a review as you finish each book (of course, you can do that too), visit November's Autumn on the 4th of each month from January 2012 - December 2012.

You will find a prompt, it will be general enough that no matter which Classic you're reading or how far into it, you will be able to answer. There will be a form for everyone to link to their post. I encourage everyone to read what other participants have posted.

What I am going to read:

1-Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: For some reason unbeknownst to be, I have never read this book. I have had a copy sitting on my bookshelf for what seems like an eternity and now I finally am reading it!

2-The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I watched the BBC movie with Ben Barnes, now I am eager to read the book.

3-Sons & Lovers by D.H. Lawrence: I purchased this book a few years back, then came down with a horrid case of the chickenpox (I was 21 when I came down with them, so any case would have been horrid) and forgot that I bought it.

4-Dubliners by James Joyce: Another classic that fell by the wayside due to the chickenpox

5- Dracula by Bram Stoker: I cannot believe that I have never read this book…

6-Persuasion by Jane Austen- Re-read. I have been in a Wentworth mood as of late.

7-Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- Re-read.  My favorite novel.

Until We Meet Again,
Best Wishes & Happy Reading,
Angela Renee

Saturday Snapshot

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce @  At Home With Books

Gra, Dilseacht, Cairdeas

Love, Loyalty, Friendship 

I never share my artwork, although once I had finished this piece, I knew I wanted it to be displayed. The story of the Claddagh was one that I grew up hearing and I wanted to capture the symbol of the hands holding the heart topped with a crown. The only problem that I encountered was how I wanted to capture the emotion of the symbol. I drew up several sketches, yet none of them felt right, and finally it donned on me; the symbol itself was enough.

The Story of the Claddagh

Long ago, an Irish fisherman named Robert Joyce left his hometown of Galway, Ireland for distant ports. He sailed on a ship bound for the West Indies, but pirates came aboard and took over the vessel. They kidnapped Joyce, and sold him into slavery. He was taken to a goldsmith’s shop, and forced to work there, worlds away from the woman he loved.

Joyce never forgot the Irish woman who owned his heart, and he created the first Claddagh ring as a romantic symbol of their love. His loyalty and commitment to her were illustrated by the charming motifs he chose for the legendary Claddagh ring. Two tiny hands, gently clasping a crowned heart, were wrought from pure gold, and they symbolized the sacred nature of romantic love and faithfulness.

Joyce dreamed of returning to Galway and embracing his love, but instead, he languished for years, honing his skills as the Moorish goldsmith’s assistant. When King William III ordered the release of all slaves in 1689, he gained his freedom at last.

Despite the pleas of his master, who offered him all manner of worldly goods, and even his own daughter as a bride, if only Joyce would stay on and work for him, Joyce was resolute. He would return to his own true love, and make a life with her.

Upon his return, Bruce’s loyalty was rewarded. Margaret, the woman he loved so much, was there waiting for him, just as he had waited for her. And the couple lived out their life together. She wore her Claddagh ring until the end of her days

 

Until We Meet Again,

Best Wishes,

Angela Renee

Saturday Snapshot

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce @ At Home With Books

 

 

 

I snapped these pictures on the 18th of November. I was in the middle of reading Wuthering Heights, with it’s vast moors and storm-laden Yorkshire-grey skies, when I noticed that the wind had picked and the three o’clock sky had turned  dark in an instant. The gloomy sky was the perfect accompaniment to Emily Brontë’s novel, so I immediately grabbed my camera hoping to capture a piece of the moorland here in Ohio.

 

Until Next Time,

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Angela

Wordless Wednesday

Photo taken: November 15, 2011

NANAWRIMO Diary Part 1

Ok, so I decided to participate in this years nanowrimo. I was planning on doing it last year, but life seemed to get in the way. So, this year I made a schedule and I am trying to stick to it, which means I am doing absolutely nothing but writing today and tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to put a nice dent in the 50,000 word quota. This may be a little tricky, 50,000 words in one month, well actually it is now 17 days, it sounds a bit daunting, but I always have liked a bit of challenge.

I am happy to report that I have a complete plot, which I have thoroughly mapped out. My characters have been outlined, the setting thoroughly researched, and the timeline completed. Thank goodness for sticky notes, index cards, three-ring binders, and highlighters. I do love to raid the office supply stores!

As you can tell I am not a panster. The idea of going into something completely blind makes me a bit unnerved. I am a full-fledged plotter. Those four books you see hold every tiny little detail about my novel, right down to the recipes for the dishes that will be consumed by my characters. I know that it may sound a little over-the-top for some, but I feel that when writing, the author should know every detail that goes in the book, so that your writing has a realness to it.

 

I have even done a bit of hands-on research for the novel. It’s always nice to have a professional jouster on hand, when you need to know a bit of technical information.   Oh, and let me just say that the armour is a lot heavier than it looks and that chain-mail was horribly heavy.

 

I also visited a local castle just to get the feel of what it was like for my characters to live in one. I wanted to know the sounds, the echos, the lighting, the feel of  bare feet upon  cold flagstones. Although it wasn’t an actual historical castle, it has been modeled upon an English border castle, which made me even more eager to visit it as my story takes place in Northumbria. It was also thoroughly made by hand. Sadly I didn’t get to take as many pictures as I would have like as I forgot to charge my batteries.

The chair came from England.

Wheel-Stairs leading up from the dungeon.
The wheel-stairs were very steep and exceedingly narrow. Since the dimensions were taken from an English border castle, I was constantly wondering how the women maneuvered the stairs with their dresses.

In my next nanowrimo update I will be blogging about my plot.

Stats as of November 13th, 2011

Days in: 13  (although I started on the 3rd)
Words: 25,507
Chapter: 5-6
Cups Of Tea Consumed: More than I can count!

Keep those pens flowing…or those keys typing,
Until Next Time,

Angela Renee.

Thursday Tea

The Book: The Monsters; Mary Shelley & The Curse of Frankenstein by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler

A few days ago I watched the movie, Rowing with the Wind which happens to be about Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, and Clair Clairmont (Byron‘s lover and Mary‘s sister). The movie started on the night Frankenstein was created and then ventured on exploring the so-called “Curse of Frankenstein”.

The movie had me curious as to why Mary believed that she was created this curse, so I started to research a bit about her life and finally remembered that I had purchased this book at the beginning of the year.

I haven’t been able to delve into this book as deep as I was hoping as I am only on page 19. I am getting a bit of her parents history, mainly her mother’s history, and from the way, the book has been thus far I have to say I hope it improves. The writing seems a bit on the juvenile side for a non-fiction book, which is turning me off it somewhat.

I knew that Frankenstein was created when Lord Byron challenged his friends to write a ghost story, what I didn’t know was that Byron’s physician, Dr. Polidori wrote The Vampyre, which inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula.

The Tea: Boston Blend from Harney & Sons
The tea is a blend of black tea, cranberry, and almond flavours. It kind of reminds me of a cream tea, and I wonder if it contains just a hint of vanilla. The cranberry and almond compliment each other exceedingly well, which surprised me seeing as how the two are often bitter.

Overall, I would have to say that this is the perfect tea for an autumn night.

Do they go together?
Not really. Although I am reading about Shelley, Bryon, and Mary Shelley, so anything is possible.

Until We Meet Again

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Angela Renee