Celebrating 8 Women In History & Historical Fiction

Happy International Women’s Day! I share with you the eight (8) novels of History and the Historical Fiction Genre, which speaks on the role of women in contributing to their home community and/or the wider community.
1. Eva Gore Booth, The Other Sister: The Remarkable Sybling of Constance Markievicz by llpix.com (Illustrator), Cindy Davi
A short explanation of the role of women in the Easter Rising in Ireland. Whilst Constance physical presence is known concerning the events of the Easter Rising in Ireland perhaps little is spoken of her other sister Eva whose contribution is still similar. Eva is noted as part of the movement for women suffrage in Ireland as well as heretical recording of historical events. Her encouragement to not only her sister but fighting men is recommendable. These pages also gives more insight into the Land Acts of 1881, negative and positive of the role of land owners.

2. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs
Another confirmation of the cruelties of slavery and the nonchalant attitude of most Northerners to such inhumane treatment. This memoir also highlights few good souls of the North who risked their reputation and family to help out fugitive enslaved. This account offers an insight into the life of a coloured enslaved whose family were thrust mainly into house slavery. It is extremely moving and conjures mind boggling questions.

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The This Is My Genre Tell Me Yours Book Tag

 Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek

1). What’s your favourite genre?

My favourite genre is a mix between History and Historical Romance

2). Who’s your favourite author from the genre?

My favourite author did not write History or Historical Romance but she wrote based on her time period which is The Romantic Period (1785 – 1832) . Today, many refer to her [Jane Austen] work as Classics. She is my only favourite author (for now), thus I do not have a favourite author in my favourite genres which is quite weird, if I do say so myself.

3). What is it about the genre that keeps pulling you back?

Retelling of the past. I love reading about an event or the lives of people in a time period which existed before I came on earth. A period of time when technology was not so advance, when the foundation that governed families, churches and country were in their building stages. A time when horse power referred to an actual horse, when traffic was cattle crossing or when the first inhabitants roamed across vast plains.

Revealed: The 21 new UNESCO World Heritage sites for 2016/ Hazel Plush, Travel writer

“This year’s additions to the Unesco World Heritage list have just been announced, after a four-day annual pow-wow in Istanbul. While the criteria for making the list sound quite dry – the roll call includes historical significance, legacy and common heritage – the shortlist is anything but. A big hit of culture awaits…”

 

 

Buzz Words That Make You Buy| Top 5 Wednesday

Hey all people, happy Wednesday and greetings in the name of another Top 5 Wednesday. Don’t you look forward to this day of the week? It is definitely a chance to read so many opinions on a new book topic. This week we take a look at favourite buzz words, you know that key word which make you “yes this one is for the buying/getting.” This week Top 5 Wednesday sums up my favourite types of books to read.

 

Let us dive into it:

 

1. Jane Austen

What? Did somebody say Jane Austen? Where? How? Why?

That name is one guarantee to make me stop and stare. Although yours truly is a bit cautious now to read the summary because of earlier burns by some authors taking Jane Austen name and books and turning  it into a sieving heap of nonsense. However, in the past the name Jane Austen played peek-a -boo through the book cover with my book spirit, seconds later: myself paying for books at the cashier sans reading even the summary at the back.

 

My Best 2015 Books/ Top 5 Wednesday

Yes my friends it is that time when Wednes-dayers gush about their best books of 2015. Alas fair friends the year comes to an end, honestly by the first week of December I just cannot wait for the next year and new beginnings. However, this year whooped by like the violent winds of a concluded hurricane season. Ok I will shut up and get back on topic. My 2015 reads were not fantastic, most of the books I read were meh, just ok but the five books below stood out.

Let us dive into it:

Bleeding Hearts

 Photo by Tess Kincaid via Magpie Tales

They come here every year around this time. They meaning the ‘people’ of course, many crowding around the designated site with its bows and trinkets.

Some people buy the little goodies just to give to the charities of all the events that follow after the media left. Left for the fresher story but the people never forgot, coming back not just for show but for healing.

A need for a hurting heart, bleeding from tragedies from many decades ago. Blood that   never stop to flow.

Blood flowing when Japan planes dusted Pearl Harbor in red in 1941.

Blood flowing when Sandy Hook flowers screams filled the air in 2012.

Bodies floating like wild sargassum in 2006.

Bodies floating in rivers because of the Christmas Eve trough.

How many more hearts must bleed?

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Magpie Tales interpretation for 297 entry.

 

It Warms My Heart #5

Source: http://www.tumblr.com /tagged/rain%20photography

 

I fell in love with something that did not love me back. I loved it in a way that I have never had compassion for anyone or another thing. It was not an infatuation, obsessing for a small amount of time. It was something I was willing to give my life. Yet, as in all things of life, the things we love do not usually want to stay but love wings to fly, fly away.

I love History. I pursued an academic life within its world because it made me happy but it killed my purse. I started regretting ever-loving it and I tried to push everything pertaining to it away from, far away. I stopped writing about it, I stopped researching. There were many topics that I kept adding bits and bits of information, some more than a year old but every time I came to my gadget I saw them, so I filed them away, far away. I felt my heart hardening towards History, a word just seeing the letters or hearing the name, passed a thrill through my heart.

That dreadful feeling lasted many weeks but some thing different happened. I cannot remember what particular event is responsible I guess like when you are falling in love, you may not recall what event started the process. I feel the frost slowing dripping away, I wanted my History back though nothing changed with History  as a living. My purse still works like onions making me weep, my financial outlook is still bleak but I still want my History. Maybe History is what I will always love but it may not open the bakery for my bread. So I will stay to using the research tools my lecturers gave me for my own personal research and to share with you tidbits on here. I will try to brainwash people who are around me with my historical love but I will always leave my heart open for History love because in spite of my disappointments it is the only thing which still stirs my soul at the moment.

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Have you ever loved a hobby or profession but it never worked out for you but desperately needed to live in its world? Would you mind telling me about it down below? Would you give up everything else in your life for that love?

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A Pre- Emancipation History of the West Indies [ A Book Review]

It is probably the most concise discussion that I have read on the West Indies, from European exploration to the end of slavery. I am definitely recommend the book to anyone interested in West Indian early history. Even if you have never read on the topics but suddenly feel like it, you have a good book here.  It is a History Nonfiction, but it does not read like the diplomatic dry and sometimes difficult tone of some History text. It is a comfortable read, the definitions and explanations are simple, making it easy to understand.

Although, the author does not go into advanced details for topics such as The Mercantile System to help you write a 10, 000 thesis, he does offer enough information for a shorter essay. Enough to understand the underlying terms, preparing anyone for more technical terms in other research material. Furthermore, I appreciate the holistic treatment of the West Indies and not dwelling mostly/ only on the British colonies. Furthermore, it is not a case  study of each island except when examples are necessary but the examples did touch on the  Danish, Dutch, Spanish, British and French colonies.

The author’s style of including a conclusion after every section, helps you recall what you read and pulls out the key terms of that segment. There are also questions following each conclusion, fabulous tool to help the reader revise the content recently read. At the end of the book there are Examination Questions based on each section, such as questions on Discovery and Rivalry. In addition, the author included a list of short topics from the book and other suggested subjects not addressed in the book. The topics break the sections into more details to aid in further research and for revision.

Rising Seas Threaten to Swallow These Ten Global Wonders| Helen Thompson

“Not all of the world’s treasures are kept in museums. Cultural heritage sites—historic cities, monuments and archaeological sites—inspire awe and show the best of humanity throughout time.

Yet cultural heritage sites around the world face a host of impending threats, and perhaps none seems more inevitable than rising seas fueled by melting ice caps. “It’s one of the most dramatic effects of climate change,” says May Cassar, a professor of sustainable heritage at University College London.”

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/rising-seas-threaten-swallow-these-ten-global-wonders-180956646/#omwbsLEYOUVdDEfU.99

Source:Martin McCarthy/iStock) via Smithsonian Magazine

The Historical Figures Book Tag

I came across this interesting tag on How To Read Books, it caught my eye especially because of its historical element. Hop on over to get a proper break down. Since the tag aims at historic elements I try to restrict my books to Historical Fiction, Period Novels and History Genres. Let us begin :).

1. Marilyn Monroe: The most glamorous book you have ever read.

The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory

Gregory describes King Henry VIII’s court  full of danger but luxury and full of grandeur from the feasts at dinners to the number of  high ranking officials and nobles coming to enjoy the wealth and power of royal life.When Henry annuls his marriage with Anne of Cleves he leaves her with the ‘princess’ title, money and land, she lived in high comfort and less danger from court. Her abode had views of the river and she sometimes feared the sight of boats which may signal her danger but she was contented away from Henry’s wrath. Katherine Howard on the other hand was blown away by the fancier dresses and other merriment, although she lived a comfortable life prior with her grandmother. She loved all the attention she received from men and her ladies in waiting especially the secret rendezvous they planned together.