My Top Ten Favourite Reviews

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Cleo

I sort of felt ridiculous typing the title since it’s been awhile since I’ve even put a review on the blog but, never fear! I do have many coming down the pipeline so it’s okay. Really …..! 😉

Well, I decided to alter the Top Ten Tuesday topic a little and instead of my first ten reviews, I’m going to give you my favourite top ten. Here goes …

My Top Ten Favourite Reviews on My Blog

1. Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche : this is by far the most popular review on my blog and (this will surprise you) probably the funniest one that I’ve written. Nietzsche, while at times interesting, is nothing if not tedious and one cannot help poking fun at him.

Ecce Homo Caravaggio painting

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And the Lucky Spin Number Is ……

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Cleo

Spin Number 19

Which means that I get to read A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and A Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides written in 1775 by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. I never thought I’d draw this one from my list, but I’m quite happy with it.

A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and A Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides

That said, I’m going to check around other blogs and see if anyone has drawn another book from my list. Then I might add it and we could read along together. If I find anything I’ll edit this post with the details but in the meantime, enjoy your spin reading everyone!

The Classics Club

Classics Club Spin #20

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Cleo

Classics Club Spin #20

It’s been awhile since I’ve participated in a Classics Club spin. I think the last one I participated in was #14 and it was a dismal failure which made me realize that I simply don’t have time to read the way I used to. So I stopped. However, with my new Classics Club list up, I really need to start to focus on some of these books before it’s too late. So here I am again, hoping for success.

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Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Cleo

Fresh from my first three Christie reads of A Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Secret Adversary and Murder on the Links, I then delved into a compilation of Poirot short stories called, Poirot investigates. These stories comprise Christie’s fourth published book, published in March 1924.

I must say, after my disappointment with Murder on the Links, Christie has returned to her fine form. Most of the short mysteries have a tight plot (probably necessary for a short story) and a well-crafted riddle. While Poirot’s little grey cells are in fine form, Hastings is his annoying self but at a level that is acceptable and even amusing in certain circumstances. The stories run as follows:

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April ~ May It Be More Flowers Than Showers

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Cleo

April Flowers and Showers April usually brings lots of showers in my part of the country but let’s hope this year the flowers appear early. It’s been a pretty exciting March and also heading into April. The keyword is “renovations” and there are many of them. As you know from my January, February and March update, my new kitchen is under construction and is progressing nicely thanks to the dedicated direction of my colleague. I’ve been Insulating and drywalling up a storm (well, actually only one wall) and I laid the floor myself. Otherwise, I’ve had an excellent cabinet installer help with the cabinets and today my new Wolf range went in. Still to go are countertops and tile, along with various other little tasks. I’ll be so glad to finally get my kitchen back. I’ve been living in a house that looks like it’s been hit by a hurricane and so many times I’ve wanted to leave for cleaner pastures, but soon I’ll be able to put everything back in order. I can’t wait!

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January, February and Hello March !

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Cleo

Hello March Journal

My, my, I’ve been remiss in posting my monthly updates. My only excuse could be that I’ve been very busy (no surprise there) but also that I’ve really been trying to concentrate on using any spare time I have this year for reading, so these posts have gone by the wayside. Time to tidy up!

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Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Cleo

Murder on the Links Agatha Christie Murder on the Links: “It was 2 p.m. on the afternoon of May 7th, 1915.”

Detective: Hercule Poirot

Published: 1923 (Christie’s 3rd published book)

Length: 272 pages

Setting: Merlinville-sur-Mer, France (fictional)

This is Agatha Christie’s third published novel after The Mysterious Affair at Styles and The Secret Adversary, and her second one featuring the astute Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Quite honestly, this novel falls far short of her initial two attempts, her adept plotting of a mystery surprisingly lacking as the murder and motive is revealed in a rather bumbling fashion. But for now, let’s look at the plot.

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Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Cleo

Phantastes George MacDonald Phantastes: A Faerie Romance: “I awoke one morning with the usual perplexity of mind which accompanies the return of consciousness.”

I read Phantastes for the first time in 2012, and while reading it, I was very confused with the progress of the story. So many questions swirled around in my head as to the plot, such as why Anodos, the main character, decided to go to a particular place and why he didn’t listen to advice and what was the point of his wanderings? I approached the book as I would a book like The Lord of the Rings where I was expecting an obvious quest in the culmination of something grand. What I received was a sort of lazy, fanciful wandering by Anodos as he continually encountered faerie princesses and maidens, along with a knight, giants and other evil malefactors. While there were instances of adventure and situations where he had to employ his strength and good sense, these instances seemed solitary experiences that did not connect to the whole. I just couldn’t figure out the point of the story. When I couldn’t find it, I was left somewhat disappointed and unimpressed. Flash-forward to my second reading this year and an epiphany! ….

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The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Cleo

The Secret Adversary Agatha Christie The Secret Adversary: “It was 2 p.m. on the afternoon of May 7th, 1915.”

Detectives: Tommy Beresford & Prudence “Tuppence” Cowley

Published: 1922 (Christie’s 2nd published book)

Length: 308 pages

Setting: London; Bournemouth; Holyhead, Wales; Kent

Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley are childhood chums who meet up after the war. Tuppence, the daughter of a clergyman, wishes to spread her independent wings and Tommy, demobilized after the war, is looking for a new direction in life. As neither is flush with money, they put their entrepreneurial brains together and decide to launch The Young Adventurers, Ltd. Overhearing them, a man named Whittington follows Tuppence and claims he’s interested in her services. Immediately wary, Tuppence gives her name as Jane Finn, the assumed name which she’d heard earlier from Tommy. The appellation causes Whittington to react nearly apoplectically and the following investigation sends them on a whirlwind of adventure from which they are unsure if they’ll return alive!

The Ritz London ~ source Wikimedia Commons

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The Great Ideas ~ The Answer to Darwin

Posted on February 1, 2019 by cleopatra

In The Darwinian Theory of Man’s Origin, Adler of course explained Darwin’s theory of evolution and the evidence that anchors it. Here in The Answer to Darwin, he continues with the evidence, adds to it more current research and the gives some evidence of his own to the contrary.

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters Francisco Goya

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (1799) Francisco Goya ~ source Wikiart

Adler reminds us that Darwin never built his theory on the anatomical or physiological resemblance between the higher animals and man, nor embriological similarities or fossils. He rested his whole argument on mental power, in respect to the differences and similarities. “The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind.” What evidence did Darwin use for his conclusion? It is all on the basis of human and animal behaviour. He claims animals reason, use tools and use speech the same as man but to a lesser degree. Adler then gives examples of experiments of animal behaviour since Darwin’s day, all seemingly to support Darwin’s theory. But Adler does not believe they are indisputable and he is going to dispute them. He believes that men differ essentially from all other animals in kind, and his evidence will be presented under three different headings: