Book Suggestion: The Acacia Trilogy | Virily.com

American novelist, David Anthony Durham is the author of a trilogy, which is an epic fantasy Acacia. ...

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Book Lovers – An Assortment of Books for Your Personal Library

Once stayed in a temporary residence when my family was being relocated from one state to another.  We stayed in this house for a few months until we found our permanent home.  What a memory! 

This house was right out a dream home magazine.  My favorite room in this house was the office/library.  Public libraries have always been one of my favorite places.  But I had never lived in a house that was big enough to have my own personal library where I could retreat to and shut off the rest of the world.  

If you had your personal library, what kinds of books would be on your bookshelves?  Here are some of the books you might find in my library.


♦ Picture Books for Children (or for grown-ups who never grow up)

• "The Eagles Are Back" : Jean Craighead George tells the story of how the American bald eagle was saved from extinction.
• "Annie and the Old One" : Written by Miska Miles.  It is an introduction to the customs and traditions of  the Navajo people and touches upon a very sensitive subject for children: explaining the death of a loved one.
• "The Emperor and the Kite":  Jane Yolen tells the tale of a young child who saved a kingdom all because she knew how to fly a kite.  So the next time someone says to you "Go fly a kite!", just imagine yourself on a secret mission saving an empire.

♦ Hot and exciting reads. Suspense Thrillers or Romance.

• FC Etier Writes Political Thrillers : "The Tourist Killer" was FC Etier's first novel; followed up by "The Presidents Club". Two novels written for those who enjoy a web of conspiracy and intrigue with lots of political overtones.
• Two Thrillers and One Romance : Just the titles of these books should tempt you. "Power Of Persuasion"; "Trusting Evil"; and "All the Beautiful Sinners".  Which one do you think is the romance?  :)
• Irresistible Historical Romance Novels : “A Rose in Winter” and “Shanna”  ~ Both books authored by the late Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the lady who pioneered the historical romance genre and should be credited with it being one of the most popular book genres, based on book sales in the USA.

♦ History or Mystery.

• Dickens Junction Mystery Series : Love Charles Dickens and murder mysteries? Perfect!
• The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence : History and mystery set in the ancient Roman empire, written to encourage children to learn history but adults will equally be fascinated.
• Book Selections From the Vintage Series : Choose from reading about the American Civil War to life in 1930s Bombay.

♦ Science Fiction or Fantasy.

• Books by Kev Heritage, S. M. Reine and other popular authors in the sci-fi genre
• Gifts for the Tolkien Enthusiast - Can't say the word fantasy and not mention Tolkien.

♦ Inspiring Biographies.

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Now that you've picked your book (or books), 

settle down for some good reading!  :)

Ultra Cuddle - Shawl Blanket w-Feet Pockets/Super Plush -Red

Book Lover Nightshirt 100% Cotton,Beige,OSFM

Novel Teas: 25 teabags individually tagged with literary quotes from the world over, made with the finest English Breakfast tea.

Gracie China by Coastline Imports 33708B Rose Chintz 8-Ounce Porcelain Tea Cup and Saucer,

A Doctor's Notes about Ancient Philosophers: The Eleatic School, Xenophanes

A doctor's notes about Ancient Philosophy: The Eleatic School, Xenophanes:

 - "To represent the gods as men is to alter their nature in order to make them similar to us. These errors are due to the imaginations of men. ... it seems that Xenophanes confused God with space and with the universe taken it its totality."  

Per the late Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty was the Founder and President of The Center for Applied Philosophy and the Radical Academy, and is Honorary Philosophy Editor at The Moral Liberal.

• Read full article at Self-Educated American: Ancient Philosophers: The Eleatic School, Xenophanes

• If interested further in the Pre-Socratic writings of this philosophical poet who lived in the ancient Greek world during the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., Xenophanes of Colophon: Fragments (Phoenix Presocractic Series) is an English translation of the surviving fragments of Xenophanes’ teachings.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Oh if only the writings of one of the philosophers could tell me where to find the philosopher’s stone.

What??!!  Is it so wrong to desire gold without having to pan or dig for it; and to wish to remain forever young?   :)

The Philosophers of the Ancient World: An A-Z Guide

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Book Recommendation : Rebecca's Notebook ... by Daphne Du Maurier

In the mood to curl up on the couch or lie in bed and read a really good book about a really good book?  

Author, Daphne du Maurier (1906 – 1989) was home-schooled and also educated in Paris, France. Most of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. 

Her novel, "Rebecca", is a dark, moody, mysterious love story!

"The Rebecca Notebook and Other Memories" is a revealing look at how du Maurier wrote this story.  It's a book about a really good book!  (A book which has been adapted to film more than once.  I liked the film version that was directed by Alfred Hitchock, which starred Joan Fontaine.  It's a worthwhile addition to one's personal video library.)

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Classic!

* * *
English: Young Daphne du Maurier (about 1930) Русский: Портрет Дафны дю Морье в молодости (начало 30-х годов ХХ века) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

View more books by Du Maurier.

Image credit:

Classic Wooden Book Bookends Library W/ Hidden Drawers

Book Recommendation : Women in History : Razia Sultana of India (Reblog)

EXCERPT:  " ...Razia ascended the throne of Delhi at the age of 31. During her four-year reign from 1236, silver coins issued in her name bore her official title "Jalauddin" but she referred to herself as "lmadatun Niwan", which meant the Great Woman. Razia Sultana dressed like a man and rode an elephant through Delhi with her face unveiled....

Legends surrounding Razia have made her popular in Indian culture; the 1983 Urdu film Razia Sultan is a fictionalized account of her life, as is Rafiq Zakaria's novel, Razia: Queen "

Women Who Ruled: Razia Sultana of India 

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

**COMMENT: If you want to learn about women in history, this is the best blog ever!! Not only is it visually attractive and appealing, but the posts - so informative, intriguing and fascinating - will never disappoint you.

Book below not mentioned at the blog post, but suggested if interested in other women like Razia, the Queen of India.  It's a picture book suggested for ages 5 and up.  I'm older than 5 which puts me in the "and up" group of readers.  Picture books are wonderful quick reads and are just like a primer on a particular topic.  They usually have great illustrations and the non-fiction books present the info like a quick summary.  It whets your appetite and if you choose to do further research, you can search for books in the Juvenile/Young Adults section of the library for a more mature advanced reading level.
 

Extraordinary Women from the Muslim World

 

Book Review: THE DEPOSIT SLIP (Reblog)

Reblogging. Excellent book review by Cynthia Rodrigues Manchekar, a member of the Authentic Blogger Group on Facebook. One of my friends is a die-hard John Grisham fan and her one-liner summary review for this particular book was a hook! She described it as: “A courtroom drama that just might depose John Grisham .” Had to know more!

This is debut novel for author Todd Johnson. Here is a striking statement from her review that peaks your interest: “... Todd has shown enough talent here to depose John Grisham as the reigning king of courtroom dramas. … Because Todd is a Christian author, there's more to The Deposit Slip than the pursuit of justice alone. There is also the need for forgiveness and reconciliation ...”


Love courtroom drama? 
Then this should be an addition to your reading list.

Book Review: THE DEPOSIT SLIP | A few drops of ink

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John Grisham - on the Screen

Here are scenes from various movies adapted from a Grisham book. Do you recognize the film?

Introduction to Classical Music ~ Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and Tchaikovsky

Many of the famous classical music composers that we know of – Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky - are no longer with us.

Portrait Ludwig van Beethoven when composing the Missa Solemnis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Popular singers, songwriters and musicians like the late Nina Simone, the late Michael Jackson, Sir Paul McCartney, and Alicia Keys have all said they draw inspiration from or have been greatly influenced by these composers. 

The above is regarded by historians as the most accurate surviving likeness of Mozart, painted when the composer was 26 years old. It is a section of an unfinished 1782 portrait by Joseph Lange. The splotchy texture of the composer's cheeks, visible in the original painting on display at the Mozart Museum in Salzburg, was verified by Mozart's contemporaries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You heard that most music stores owners are tempted to put their classical music selections in a small room at the back of the store; however, it was just a bit of humor. The least we can do is display their masterful works – whether on the store shelves or in your home music library - in plain view so that their memory of these gifted musicians will live on.

Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61) in a portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Copy or second Version of his 1746 Canvas, private ownership of William H. Scheide, Princeton, New Jersey, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thinking about experimenting and expanding your musical taste?

You want to listen to classical music, but you don't know where to begin?

Start here.

Classical Music for Beginners

The Health Benefits of Classical Music

There is no doubt that there are benefits to be found in many different genres of music. It can often seem to help when nothing else is able to change our mood or motivate us. For thousands of years, humans have been intrinsically linked to music in all its forms. It is part of our mourning, our celebrations, and our rituals.

Like eBooks? Enjoy Thrillers? Want to Hear Free Book Excerpts?

Find a huge selection of contemporary ebooks from the world's leading publishers. This popular digital bookstore supplies instantly downloadable books at prices well below hard copy books.  Fiction and non-fiction reading material is available, multiple electronic formats.

Get Free Excerpts at ebooks.com!!!

Thriller Book Suggestions

Classic Horror Collection
By: Various
Published by: MobileReference.com

Classic Horror Collection. Incl. Dracula, Present at a Hanging, Tales of Terror and Mystery, The Phantom of the Opera, The Cask of Amontillado, Varney the Vampire, Frankenstein, The Raven & MORE... more...

Horowitz Horror
By: Horowitz, Anthony
Published by: Philomel

From the creator of the Alex Rider Adventures comes this wicked collection of macabre tales sure to send shivers up the spine. more...

Kitty's House of Horrors
By: Vaughn, Carrie
Published by: Grand Central Publishing

REALITY BITES Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a... more...

Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror
By: Writers Association, International Thriller
Published by: Dutton Children's

Don't turn out the lights. Don't go out alone. And whatever you do, don't let down your guard. Because your neighbors might seem normal, but why do they collect knives and eat their steaks so bloody? more...

Our Haunted Lives
By: Belanger, Jeff
Published by: ReadHowYouWant

Our Haunted Lives features the stories of dozens of people who have witnessed the supernatural firsthand--in their homes, at work, in cities large and small, in the United States and abroad. more...

Ghost Hunt
By: Hawes, Jason; Wilson, Grant; Dokey, Cameron (other)
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

An exciting new middle grade collection of spooky paranormal investigations based on REAL ghost hunts from stars of the TV show Ghost Hunters , the number one reality show on cable television! In a lush, thick volume, Ghost Hunt will feature multiple... more...

Living With Ghosts
By: Sperring, Kari
Published by: DAW

The dazzling debut from a brilliant new fantasy talent. This highly original, darkly atmospheric fantasy novel immerses readers in a world where ghosts and other malevolent spirits seek entry into mortal realms—invisible to all but those who are not... more...

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Paranormal
By: Brown, Nathan Robert
Published by: Alpha Books

An otherworldly examination of the unknown that will keep fright fans reading all night From any strange experience that can't be defined by science to psychic phenomena to monsters and weird creatures, The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to the Paranormal... more...

Shadow Tales
By: Grover, John
Published by: Double Dragon Publishing

There is a world that exists within our world. It is the world of shadow. A realm where anything is possible, a world where nothing is as it seems, a world that few have ever seen and returned to tell the tale. In this world new kinds of monsters are... more...

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft
By: Gleason, Katherine
Published by: Alpha Books

This guide offers a beginner's look at the history of paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft, from the Druids and Celts to the witches of today who practice an earth-based religion, cast spells, and perform natural magic. The book, written by a practicing witch,... more...

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