Thrills & Hearts: Must-Read Books: Two Thrillers and One Romance

In the mood for an intense read? 

You could get engrossed in a heady romance novel or bury your face in two compelling mystery thrillers with just the right amount of suspense to make your heart race and keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Image Credit

A strong-minded intelligent beauty and a new king. Tell me you don’t want to know what’s gonna happen!!

• Novel by award-winning author Selena Montgomery.

Power Of Persuasion (Arabesque)

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5 STARS! Author Mary Leo has constructed a unique example of a one-of-its-kind historical fiction based on actual horrendous murders that occurred in Chicago.

Trusting Evil

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Texas Deputy Sheriff Jim Doe is on the hunt for a sociopath who has been abducting Indian children in the heartland. The suspect is an American Indian. Doe, a descendant of the Blackfeet Nation himself, keeps getting mistaken for the killer that he’s chasing.
[ Sounds like fun, huh?! :) ]

• Author Stephen Graham Jones, born and raised in Texas; American Indian, Blackfeet Nation. This is his second novel.

All the Beautiful Sinners

glitter-graphics.com

NOTE: Content previously published elsewhere on the web, however, the site shut down. 
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5 Books to Add to Your Reading List

Watched a short video showing that former POTUS Barack Obama (44th president, served 2 terms, inaugurated January 20, 2009, and served through January 20, 2017, is continuing his tradition of sharing his favorite music, movies, and books for the year. He published his list somewhere online.

In case you’re interested. Obama’s lists for 2016, 2017, and 2018.

That got me thinking. Movies and music you usually get around to watching or listening to. Whereas sometimes with books, unless they are audiobooks, you don’t find the time or make the time to read them. What was on your reading list for one year might end up being on the reading list for the next year and the next and the next.

Do you have any books that were on your reading list last year that are still on your reading list this year?

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Here are 5 leftover books to read from my list:

(1)  Hoff, Benjamin. TheTao of Pooh. E. P. Dutton, Inc., 1982. “For Han Hsiang-tse.”

(2)  Foner, Eric. A Short History of Reconstruction, 1863–1877. Harper Perrenial Modern Classics, 2015

(3)  Lewis, James R., and Evelyn Dorothy. Oliver. Angels A to Z. Visible Ink Press, 2008.

(4)  Cunliffe, Barry W. Rome and Her Empire. Edited by David Baker, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978.

(5)  Swindoll, Charles R. Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2005.

#ReadTheWorld with FREE Kindle books in translation for #WorldBookDay https://t.co/hQkqreH4L1 via @AmazonPub #quarantine #reading #quarantinereading #readinglist #books #booklovers

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) April 18, 2020

Questions and Answers About Classic Literature

I have a Tumblr blog. (I have several in fact.) But I don't get much feedback and interaction from my followers other than reblogs and likes, for which I am grateful. I'm not complaining.  However, every once in awhile I come across a really cool Q & A post and have to pluck it from the Tumblr stream to share with the general public. I love questions and answers and I love literature.  This post was reblogged from another blog so I have to mention both blogs to give proper credit. 

• 'tis the fairy (aka somberlily)  reblogged a post from Quelle Surprise(aka chandlers-scrunchie) 

Post title: Classic Novel Themed Asks
The blogger (a teenager named Kate) asks a series of questions (bold print) and my responses follow. I'll give her the link to this post so that she can have my answers. She may be working on a school assignment. IDK.  The post seems to have been reblogged many times.

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Of Mice and Men - What drives/motivates you?

• The title of the book makes me think that men can be such rats!  I am motivated to rise above the silly rat race.

The Phantom of the Opera - What song currently defines your life?

• The theme song. But only if Sarah Brightman sings it.  What can I say?  I'm a huge fan of the lady and listening to her sing defines my life.

1984 - Spill a secret about yourself.

• The secret is I got no secrets.  I would have to make one up but I don't have the energy to do it.

Pride and Prejudice - Got a crush?

• No. But I like the way the story ended and I liked the Bollywood version/remake, "Bride and Prejudice".

The Scarlet Letter - What’s your favorite word and what does that word mean?

• Scarlet. It means red.  Red is my favorite color and you must admit that if you mark somebody with it you can't help but see them!

To Kill a Mockingbird - What’s the last text message you sent and the last song you listened to?

• I don't get text messages.  I don't have a mobile phone and I don't text people.  Whatever!  I'm an old lady.  I won't apologize because part of the tech world left me behind.  The last song I listened to was a love song in a Korean drama. I don't know the name of the song. The series was “Arang and the Magistrate”.  I love the South Korean actor Lee Joon-gi. I like his eyes. They're piercing. 

Wuthering Heights - Define your personal aesthetic.

• Those gloomy moors.

"The Moors - Moors play an important part in establishing the mood of the novel. ..." (REF: Wuthering Heights Symbolism: An Analysis of Symbolism in Wuthering Heights | brighthubeducation.com)

Fahrenheit 451 - What’s your favorite book?

• "Shannah". It's a historical romance by the late Kathleen Woodiwiss.

Moby Dick - What’s your most important goal in life?

• Die and go to heaven. “For what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul.”

Jane Eyre - What’s a fictional character that you believe you are most like/you relate to most?

• Annette Funicello (1942 - 2013). All the goodie two shoes girly characters she played in those beach movies with Frankie Avalon. LOL. Plus she was the most memorable Mouseketeer from the original Mickey Mouse Club. I imagined myself being in that club.
• Shirley Temple (1928 - 2014).  Especially for her role as "The Little Princess".  I totally related.

(NOTE:  A little entertainment trivia.  Even though I admired Ms. Temple as an actress very much, I am glad she did NOT get the role as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz".  Nobody could sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" like Judy Garland sang that song.)

The Catcher in the Rye - What does your name (first and/or middle) mean?

• I don't know the meaning of my first or middle name. Tried to research but can't find them anywhere. My names are not in any language!

The Lord of the Flies - What’s your friend group like?

• They're saints. No. For real. They're saints.

The Picture of Dorian Grey - Post a photo of yourself posing like your icon.

• You don't want to see me, like an icon or otherwise. I won't even take a picture for the church directory. 

Les Miserables - What do you do when you’re sad?

• Official oppression makes me sad. Evil people in the government are far worse than gangsters. They have a get out of jail free card and they're always playing it.  They believe they will never be punished for their sins; so they do whatever they want to do to anybody.  What do I do?  I PRAY.  "Deliver us from evil."

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - What is one place that you’ve always wanted to go?

• A beautiful tropical island like Polynesia. Inspired by watching the movie South Pacific.

Emma - What was your first kiss like?

• It was disappointing. I thought I liked the guy but I didn't. His kiss was sloppy and I was inexperienced. It took me a long time to decide to kiss another guy. When I finally did, the second kiss was much better.

The Great Gatsby - Describe the most recent dream you can remember having.

In my most recent dream, 3 of my sons called me and said they needed me to come and pick them up right away. They were in trouble.  I set out to go and get them. Like an idiot, I realized that I was walking. I turned around to go back and get the car. My husband says he's going with me because he doesn't trust me. He thinks I just want to get out of the house.  Meaning that he doesn't believe that I'm going to get my sons … uuhh … HIS sons which are also my sons. He says he's coming with me. I'm like “I don't care! Let's go get them.” 

We get to the place, at the back of a building, and some other people try to get in our car. We drive away quickly to the front of the building and we see our sons. We look behind and see some people. Chasing us? Chasing them (our sons)? We don't know. We yell to our sons: “GET IN THE CAR!” One of my sons managed to jump in but the other two are still trying to catch us in a moving vehicle so they can jump in too. I say to my husband “We can't leave them!” My son, who is already in the car says “But what about me?”  (It's something he used to always say when he was ca hild.)  I'm like (my blood boiling at this point): “You're already in the car!”  

We stop the car for a moment. There is some other guy with his face to the wall, he turns around, slumps to the ground and starts crying. My husband says “What about him?” I'm like “HE AIN'T MY SON! His momma need to come and get him!” I turn and yell to my two boys who finally caught up to us, “GET IN THE CAR!” They jump in! They're in sideways like laying on top of the back seat. I don't care. I got all of them! I drive off and then … I wake up! I'm out of breath. I'm annoyed. I feel like I haven't any sleep at all!! I hate dreams like that. LOL.

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Historical Period Viki Original K-drama Series: The Red Sleeve (2021-2022); 17 episodes

The Red Sleeve Cuff (2021-2022); 17 episodes

This historical K-drama is a Viki Original series based on a novel of the same name. It's a fictionalized account of the love story of King Jeongjo and his royal consort Ui-bin Seong, but they are real historical figures. King Jeongjo is the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty, and Ui-bin Seong (real name Seong Deok-im) was his royal consort. There were several pregnancies that resulted in miscarriages, one son lived, Crown Prince Munhyo.

This series focuses on the life of Seong Deok-im. She entered the palace at the age of ten (10) as a maid servant. Whereas all of the court ladies probably dreamed of being bedded by the king, Seong Deok-im rejected his advances. She did not want to become a concubine because she said she would no longer be able to have her own life. In other words, she would lose herself and only live for him.

Nevertheless, she fell in love with the king and became his favorite concubine, known as Royal Consort Sung Ui Bin. The series showed that she did give up her own life. When she was an ordinary court lady she could go out with friends, visit family, and enjoy the freedoms commoners enjoy. Once she became the king's concubine, her life was restricted to the palace. She spent the entire day just waiting for him to come to her chambers and rest his head in her lap. It was a life choice she made. Although she did not regret loving the king, she always knew she made a great sacrifice to live as the king's woman. She died in her early 30s and the king wrote on her epitaph about how much he had loved her.

P.S.  If you love Korean dramas, please visit my entertainment blog.  It has lots of K-Drama love.  Original source.

The Red Sleeve no.1, Korean Novel

Reading List : Best Selling Book Genre in the English Language

What is the best selling book genre in the English language?

That's easy!  Romance novels! 

• Agree or disagree?
• What is your favorite book genre?

Source link: http://ift.tt/2iB0Shl

My Favorite Romance Novels:
- A Rose in Winter
- Shanna
- Skye O'Malley (1980 OSPB) Bertrice Small
- The Velvet Promise

Related articles

• In the Mood for a Romance Novel?

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• Book Lovers - An Assortment of Books for Your Personal Library

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Reading List : Sultana: Two Sisters by Lisa J. Yarde (Reblog)

I simply must introduce you to the exquisite blog that recommends books that focus on women in history; not just in Western culture but around the world. This blog not only has value because of the truly excellent book reviews shared by the publisher but because it is, without a doubt, one of the most stunning and visually appealing blogs ever published about women.

Sultana: Two Sisters by Lisa J. Yarde

This book is the story of two women, set in the 14th Century Nasrid Dynasty (Spain), vying for the heart of one man, a Moorish Sultan. One woman is a Jewess.  The other wants to hide her heritage.  A lover's triangle may be an old plot, but this tale of romance written by Lisa J. Yarde is sure to captivate the reader.

"How brave and elegant the Nasrids were is debatable – seven of the first nine of the sultans were assassinated – but the romantic reputation endures."  Quote Source:   Versions of Andalusia | theglobeandmail.com

NOTE:  The Sultana Series is a collection of 6 books.  To view the titles in this series and more books by Lisa J. Yarde, visit the Author's Amazon Page.

March is Women's History Month and National Reading Month.

Vintage Books for Your Personal Library or Book Collections

No matter what anybody says I say that libraries will never go out of style.  Yes, there is and always will be digitized literature.  But nothing will ever replace resting comfortably in your bed or on your sofa and curling with a good book!  NOT a tablet!

That being said, I have always loved most things vintage. Have to define “vintage” in case you happen to be about the age of one of my kids. Vintage for them might be circa 1980 or 1990, and they may think vintage for me would be circa 1880 or 1890. Not so.

Vintage, by my definition, is back in my day, the 1950s and 60s, or anything before that but still in the 1900s.

Are we clear? Good!

One of my favorite things is “library trash”. Books that some public libraries toss like trash because they do not have enough room on their shelves and have to make space for the “new”.

In my dictionary: old books = vintage books; and they are still worth reading!

Of course, if it is left up to chance and you are searching for a specific book, the odds are not in your favor and you may be waiting a while – wishing and hoping for that particular reading material to end up on the pile. Not all awesome vintage books are tossed by the head librarian.

Fortunately, there is a bookstore called Vintage Books, that has been around since 1954. It is physically located in New York, New York, but thanks to the wonders of information technology, you can peruse their bookshelf online. There are books listed by the usual genres from Art to History to Mystery to Travel. But you might find the selected works categorized in the Vintage Series worth examining. There are 5 different series: Civil War; Classics; Contemporaries, Departures; and International.

Vintage books are priceless additions to your own personal library and are great gift ideas. What is also great is that these published works are not very expensive, come in paperback or hardcover, as well as audio-book format or in the Kindle edition.

(NOTE: Vintage Books is part of the Random House/Knopf Doubleday network of bookselling sites.  Below are book Selections From the Vintage Series


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The Civil War Dictionary by Mark Boatner
(Vintage Civil War Library)

For almost thirty years The Civil War Dictionary has been the most complete, authoritative, and handy reference book on what has been called the Second American Revolution, 1861-1865.

Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster
(Vintage Classics)

A young English widow takes off on the grand tour and along the way marries a penniless Italian. Her in-laws are not amused.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez
(Vintage Contemporaries)

A love story is woven into a novel about hopes and dreams, and redefinition of what it means to be American.

Cuba in Mind: An Anthology
(Vintage Departures)

Explorer Christopher Columbus described Cuba as “the most beautiful country that human eyes have ever seen”. 31 writers – poetry, fiction, and nonfiction – agree.

Bombay Stories
(Vintage International)

1930s Bombay provided the author with the inspiration for this collection of short stories.

If you’re gifting vintage books might as well throw in some vintage bookends and a desk! :)

Decorative Heavy Duty Bookends – Metal Large Book Ends – Vintage Tall Books Stand

Sauder Graham Hill Desk, Autumn Maple Finish

Source:  Webnuggetz.com

Recommended Reading: "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill

There is no need to elaborate on this recommendation with a lengthy blog post. The title of the book says it all.

"The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill

This book is a work of fiction that reads like real life.

Enough said.

Spotlight on Prolific British Author Peter Ackroyd

Who is Peter Ackroyd?

No the name is not a pseudonym for Alfred Hitchcock.

Peter Ackroyd is a man who eats, drinks, and sleeps writing.

His works cover a wide range of genres – both fiction and nonfiction: books for children; history; biography; poetry; mystery; etc.

He has even taken respected literary works such as Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and retold them.

He has been described as “eccentric” because he has quirks . (Don't we all?)

Calling him “prolific” would be a more accurate description.

Haven't read it yet but he wrote a biography of Alfred Hitchcock.

Here is a review, if you're interested. Alfred Hitchcock by Peter Ackroyd: Review.

A good review or bad review won't change my interest.

Hitchcock is the kind of guy you want to get to know up close and personal?

Ackroyd sort of looks like he could pass for Hitchcock's brother or a close relative. Ya think?  :)

Image credit:  Peter Ackroyd (photo by Antony Medley); 2007;  Wikimedia Commons

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Reference and Additional Links:

Rosen, Jody. “Man of Many Words: Up Close and Personal with Peter Ackroyd …” T: New York Times Style Magazine 15 Sept. 2013: 110-14. Print. Men’s Fashion Issue, Arts and Letters

Good Reads: Peter Ackroyd Writes Ghost Stories

Who is Peter Ackroyd? | My Blog Stop!

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Related articles

• The 13 Alfred Hitchcock movies you need to watch in your lifetime(businessinsider.com)

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Reading List: “Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China's Future” by Timothy Beardson

“Many argue that China will soon overtake the United States and become the next superpower. Timothy Beardson, author of Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China’s Future, disagrees ...” (Source: Yalepress)

My Opinion:

China? The next superpower? I don't know how many "Many" is - but I do know that I'm not in that number. Whatever the count. And just exactly what is a "superpower" and how many are there already? Because ONE is too many! How I see it, it was knuckleheads with a "superpower mentality" who caused TWO WORLD WARS!!!

Beardson's book was published 2013 and a lot has happened since then.  For one thing, China decided to amend its Constitution and make their current president, president for life!  For another thing, Donald Trump got elected US president and has engaged China in a trade war.

Still!  Beardson' book is good to add your reading list for historical perspectives and China's position on the world stage and its relationship to the United States.
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“Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China's Future” by Timothy Beardson

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Society and Culture: "The Rise of Asia: A New Phenomenon?"

Intro: "Many believe that the rising prominence of Asia, and particularly China, in world affairs is an unexpected and new phenomenon but history shows us that Asian superiority in terms of the progress and cultural output of their societies has occurred in the past."


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Leadership By Virtue: The Economy and a 'cultural noise in the background ... (Reblog)

Jaro Berce's blog, Leadership By Virtue, is a blog about his book by that name. Just recently started following it and picked up on this because it was listed as one of the "Popular Posts".

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.... It is also risking #China's ability to navigate the inherently-tricky middle-income transition phase of its (so far impressive) economic development process. Here's why:https://t.co/t6D0SW8uBL#economy #markets @bopinion @business #trade #ChinaUS #ChinaTariffs #chinatrade https://t.co/6mKsZwNsHw

— Mohamed A. El-Erian (@elerianm) May 17, 2019

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BBC News - China's Xi allowed to remain 'president for life' as term limits removed https://t.co/W4Y6OV86gJ

— BlackeyedSusan28 (@chesscat48) May 13, 2019

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MY Closing Thoughts:

Top 10 Most Powerful Countries in the World 2019 ~ https://t.co/Oil4tQdVp9 ~ Are #powerful, #influential, and #superpower the same thing? #IMHO. No country is a superpower or powerful. But if a country can persuade others to strive for #worldpeace that makes them influential. pic.twitter.com/2sdfdZQRMa

— Treathyl Fox (@cmoneyspinner) May 17, 2019