Jane Rosebery

Author Archives: Jane Rosebery

• January, February and March 2020 Wrap-Up Part II

  Posted at 5:42 pm by Jane Rosebery, on March 31, 2020

  

  I hope you and your loved ones are well. I also hope you are keeping very busy with arm-chair traveling to wonderful locations.

  I arm-chair traveled to some exotic fictional locations thanks to Harlequin Presents. But I also traveled to Nazi-occupied Paris, viewing historic events through Coco Chanel’s point of view.

  I read Sold to the Enemy and The Prince’s Waitress Wife (second link takes you to my review) by Sarah Morgan. Sarah Morgan is such a talented writer. I’ve never read a book by her that didn’t leave me feeling happy.

  I very much enjoyed reading The Dress: 100 Iconic Moments In Fashion (link takes you to my review) by Megan Hess. This was a beautifully illustrated book and it’s a nice way to get lost in other worlds.

  Continuing my Harlequin Presents adventures, I also read Passion and the Prince by Penny Jordan. Penny Jordan will always have a special place in my heart because the very first romance book I ever read was one of her Mills & Boon books.

  

  The last book for today’s list is The Queen of Paris: A Novel of Coco Chanel by Pamela Binnings Ewen. Initially I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy reading a book where the antagonist featured as the protagonist, but the author proved me wrong. The story takes you from Coco Chanel’s humble beginnings and leaves you in Paris, with her successful career and beyond. It was insightful, well-written and a little sad. Highly recommended. Link above will take you to my earlier review.

  Find Part I here.

  Part III coming up later this week.

  Be well, friends!

  xoxo, Jane

   

  Posted in Reading Wrap-Up | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, harlequin books, Harlequin Presents, romance novels, wrap-up

• The Occasional Weekly Recap

  Posted at 7:14 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 28, 2020

  

  A lovely tea set through the window of an antique shop during a social distancing walk.

  I hope you had a good week! My week was fine, but I have so many worries lingering over me that it’s hard to really enjoy much right now. I know you probably feel the same.

  On a lighter note, this week was another busy book blogging week. Below is a recap for your reading pleasure.

  Happy reading!

  

  From the same walk, but I promise I was not near anyone.

  Favorite Book Series: Clara Vine

  Pairing books with tea (Let’s Bring Back)

  What to read when you need an escape

  Thursday Reading Links #51

  London Book Haul

  Also, come have tea with me on Instagram. I’m on Twitter too, but Instagram is my fave.

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in books to read, reading links, Weekly Recap | 4 Comments | Tagged book haul, books, links, photography, reading links

• London Book Haul

  Posted at 5:59 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 27, 2020

  

  My trip to London may have been cancelled, but my book shopping need not be. I happily supported my local bookstores and then I happily supported a couple of the bookstores I was going to visit in London.

  I decided it would be a nice treat if I subscribed to a six-month book subscription from Persephone Books, something I have been wanting to do for a number of years now. Much to my delight, the first book, Mariana, arrived earlier this week. Mariana is written by Monica Dickens, the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens. It’s a little bit biographical and the main character, Mariana, is a young Englishwoman, going through all the motions of life. It’s supposed to be humorous and interesting and well-written.

  

  I also bought Square Haunting by Francesca Wade and The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow. I’m looking forward to reading both.

  Square Haunting is the story of five women writers living in London (Bloomsbury) during the years between the two world wars. I was planning on buying it in London, so I thought it only right to order the British edition. I was supposed to stay in Bloomsbury and haunt all of these squares myself, but it will have to wait for another time and that’s okay.

  The Other Bennet Sister is about Mary Bennet, the overlooked sister from Pride and Prejudice. I recall feeling annoyed by her, so it will be interesting to see how Mary’s life turns out.

  

  In more local news, I also paid a visit to my neighborhood used bookstore and bought Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene (humorous) and From Splendor to Revolution by Julia P. Gelardi (Romanov history).

  Even though I’m in book heaven, I’m not used to purchasing so many books. (I talk about that here.) I honestly don’t know how soon I’ll get through reading this new stack. Regardless, supporting our bookstores is the right thing to do and binge reading will be a good diversion from the current troubles.

  What is your good diversion currently?

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in books to read | 1 Comment | Tagged book haul, books, Persephone Books, royal history

• Thursday Reading Links #51

  Posted at 4:58 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 26, 2020

  

  With spring comes hope.

  If you are in need of distraction, or find yourself with some free time, then you’ve come to the right place. !!

  The Queen of Paris was the perfect historical novel to lose myself in.

  How bookshops are helping with isolation.

  Jane Austen – Her Life in Words (YouTube).

  The first lines of 10 classic novels, rewritten for social distancing. This was a fun read.

  Here’s how much Europe’s royal families really cost. I’ve always wondered.

  The playboy Serbian spy who inspired James Bond. When life becomes art?

  Social distancing doesn’t have to doom your weekends. I’m basically reading everything now.

  Coronavirus: What this crisis reveals about US – and its president. You probably don’t need to read this article to know what it says about Mr. Trump.

  The Etiquette of Social Distancing around Coronavirus by Emily Post.

  xoxo, Jane

   

   

   

  Posted in reading links | 1 Comment | Tagged books, historical fiction, links, lists, photography, reading links

• What to read when you need an escape

  Posted at 5:00 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 25, 2020

  

  When I need a distraction I turn to my bookshelves. I’ve always loved books and reading. I grew up in a family of six in a one-bedroom apartment (!!!) and I still remember searching for quiet corners to escape with my library books.

  Once again, I feel the need to escape with my books, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite novels with you.

  Persuasion by Jane Austen

  I love Persuasion! You probably know that the plot focuses on Anne Elliott, the 27-year old heroine. Anne was persuaded to end her relationship with Wentworth, the man she loves, because he didn’t have any future prospects. Well, it turns out he made quite a killing (pun intended) in the Napoleonic Wars and is now very rich indeed. Captain Wentworth (the name alone makes me swoon) re-enters Anne’s life and causes havoc in her heart. My favorite movie adaptation is the one with Ciarán Hinds.

  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

  I admit this is the only book I’ve ever read by Charlotte Brontë (or any of the Brontë sisters). I’m not an expert on Brontë literature, but Jane Eyre has my heart. Clearly, I am under-explaining the plot here, but it’s about a young lady, Jane Eyre, who, after a violent and unloved childhood, decides to forge her own path in life with nothing but her spirited independence and her brilliant mind. She leaves behind the elusive Mr. Rochester when she finds out he is married, but at the end gets her happily ever after. “Reader, I married him.”

  Thornyhold by Mary Stewart

  Thornyhold is a must-read tale. It has everything you’d need for a magical time: an enchanted cottage nestled in a forest, a reclusive, handsome hero and an intelligent, kind heroine. I’d give this book a read if you really want to forget about the outside world for a few hours.

  Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson

  In times of troubles, read Miss Buncle’s Book. It will make you laugh. Set in an idyllic, sleepy English village, Miss Buncle decides to take pen to paper. The book she writes becomes a hit, but the problem is that she doesn’t do a very good job of camouflaging the actual village people she writes about. Chaos ensues. Laughter will be in abundance.

  Happy reading and stay safe!

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in books to read | 4 Comments | Tagged books, women's fiction

• Pairing books with tea (Let’s Bring Back)

  Posted at 5:51 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 24, 2020

  

  Descriptions: The Huffington Post’s “Let’s Bring Back…” columnist, Lesley M. M. Blume, invites you to consider whatever happened to cuckoo clocks? Or bed curtains? Why do we have so many “friends” but have done away with the much more useful word “acquaintance”? All of these things, plus hot toddies, riddles, proverbs, corsets, calling cards, and many more, are due for a revival. Throughout this whimsical, beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of nostalgia, Blume breathes new life into the elegant, mysterious, and delightful trappings of bygone eras, honoring the timeless tradition of artful living along the way. Inspired by her much loved column of the same name and featuring entries from famous icons of style and culture, Let’s Bring Back leads readers to rediscover the things that entertained, awed, beautified, satiated, and fascinated in eras past.

  Let’s Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By written by Lesley M. M. Blume is a charming encyclopedia of things that should come back in style. Such as bows and curtsies or town criers. I wholeheartedly agree!

  

  With 240+ pages and clever illustrations of forgotten things, this book is a fun, leisurely read. I recommend reading a few pages over breakfast every day. As such, the tea to pair with this book might be a breakfast tea. I recommend Tokyo Breakfast Tea by Mariage Frères.

  Coincidently, one of the things that should come back in style is Tea Time. The author quotes Henry James, “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” Ms. Blume ends this entry with a thought, “And yet we’ve swapped it out for dreary Starbucks runs.”

  I hope you’ve been well!

  xoxo, Jane

   

   

  Posted in books to read | 3 Comments | Tagged books, Japan, Pairing books with tea, tea, tea lovers

• Favorite Book Series: Clara Vine

  Posted at 5:33 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 23, 2020

  

  Clara Vine is a brilliant series written by author Jane Thynne. Clara Vine is a British out-of-work actress who, upon the advice of an acquaintance, relocates to pre-war Germany to find work at the Babelsberg Studio in Berlin.

  However once there, she finds herself entangled with the wives of high-ranking Nazis. This comes to the attention of British intelligence who persuade her to spy for them. This series has it all: romance, suspense and espionage. It will grip you from beginning to end.

  Clara Vine is a very nice woman: intelligent, kind, and thoughtful. Caught in a web of espionage, she tries to keep secret that she is partly Jewish. But to stay alive as a non-Aryan in Nazi Germany is not easy. There is a very good reason why, after five novels, she doesn’t return to Britain. I don’t want to spoil it for you so I won’t say the reason, but as a woman I completely understand Clara’s reasoning.

  If you need to lose yourself in a new series, especially now in our troubled, sad and uncertain times, I highly recommend the Clara Vine books.

  You can learn more about Jane Thynne here. Also, there is a very good Q&A about the Nazi wives on the author’s website that I recommend giving a read.

  Have a wonderful day and stay safe!

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in Clara Vine | 1 Comment | Tagged books, England, historical fiction, history, Jane Thynne, Nazi Germany

• Weekly Recap

  Posted at 7:52 pm by Jane Rosebery, on March 21, 2020

  

  It’s been an interesting week, to say the least. Just today I found out that the World Health Organization said that COVID-19 can linger for hours on clothing. They recommend you switch clothing as soon as you get home. This shouldn’t be a problem for us. I think most of us have “outside clothes” and “inside clothes.”

  Anyway, in case you want to show my blog some love, below are links to this week’s blog posts. Thank you for stopping by and be well.

  January, February and March 2020 Wrap-Up Part I

  Local Book Haul

  Sleeping With the Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War by Hal Vaughan

  Thursday Reading Links #50

  New book: The Little(r) Museums of Paris by Emma Jacobs

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in Weekly Recap | 0 Comments | Tagged books, links, photography, reading links, recap

• New book: The Little(r) Museums of Paris by Emma Jacobs

  Posted at 3:54 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 20, 2020

  

  After hearing about The Little(r) Museums of Paris: An Illustrated Guide to the City’s Hidden Gems on the Tea and Tattle podcast, I had to buy it. I don’t impulse buy anything, ever. But this was too charming to pass up. Pages and pages of gorgeous illustrations, lovely descriptions of lesser-known Parisian museums – I can’t wait to dig in.

  If you are so inclined, I recommend listening to the Tea and Tattle podcast featuring the book’s author, Emma Jacobs.

  And since we can’t be in Paris right now, maybe we should try to discover a lesser-known gem in our own neighborhoods (when we’re not in quarantine, that is.)

  Have a great week-end! Stay safe.

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in books to read | 1 Comment | Tagged book, books, Paris

• Thursday Reading Links #50

  Posted at 4:40 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 19, 2020

  

  I would like COVID-19 to go away and never return and I’d love for spring-like weather to get here.

  I have anxiety because of the coronavirus, the state of the union and the unknown. I’m going to take it one day at a time, do my part to be a good neighbor and stay home as much as possible. If you are home and want to read something, here is a mish-mash of reading links.

  How you can support bookstores during the coronavirus pandemic.

  This is a light-hearted read by beloved author Meg Cabot. How to Shelter in Place aka Work from Home in the Age of Corona.

  Oh, Do Tone It Down, Ladies. “Docile quietude has long been wielded by conduct books as a specifically feminine virtue.”

  Six Castles You Can Visit in the United States. I’m on my way!

  The failed escape: Sheikha Latifa’s doomed flight from Dubai. How awful! I am so horrified. The way women must suffer in so many parts of the world without us ever knowing. It breaks my heart and I wish I could be a superwoman so I can swoop in and bring women and children to safety.

  Very good writing advice: you gotta tell the story.

  Podcast: Evelyn Nesbit and the Crime of the Century.

  An Introvert at a Writer’s Conference.

  Hmmm, are you a ‘cultural’ fit for your job?

  Remember how WeWork was the latest craze? WeWork began the shared space phenomenon, which isn’t a bad idea. Companies and solo business owners now have options to rent space for much cheaper than signing expensive, long-term leases. Anyway, I digress. Nothing good lasts forever and the origin of WeWork seems…interesting, for lack of better words. Rebekah Neumann’s Search for Enlightenment Fueled WeWork’s Collapse.

  If you’re in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Historic Garden Week has been cancelled, but you can at least still look at pictures of gardens and flowers from past years.

  Four Books That Make Astonishing Use of Maps.

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in reading links | 1 Comment | Tagged links, lists, reading links

• Sleeping With the Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War by Hal Vaughan

  Posted at 4:33 am by Jane Rosebery, on March 18, 2020

  

  Reading good books with interesting historical plots makes me want to know more about the real life history. The Queen of Paris is no exception. Reading it just made me want to learn more about Coco Chanel, especially about her collaboration with the Nazis. What really led her down that awful path? Did she regret it? Is that why she fled to Switzerland after Paris was liberated?

  The author of The Queen of Paris, Pamela Binnings Ewen, said she used Sleeping with the Enemy by Hal Vaughan as part of her research, which inspired me to buy this book.

  I am hoping my questions will be answered in Sleeping With the Enemy. Mr. Vaughan’s findings from his investigation into Coco’s life during Nazi-occupied Paris are revealed for the first time in this book.  It was published in 2011 and since then other books about her Nazi past have been written, but this is the book that started it all.

  Also, Mr. Vaughan’s book dedication gave me the chills: “This book is dedicated to those French men and women who, though bent by the Nazi yoke, refused to to collaborate. And as always, for Phuong.” 

  I look forward to reading this book and learning more, even if it will be unpleasant.

  What’s on your nightstand?

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in books to read | 3 Comments | Tagged books, history, women's history

• Local Book Haul

  Posted at 3:36 pm by Jane Rosebery, on March 17, 2020

  

  I don’t impulse buy books. I generally use my local library for books and, as a special treat, I purchase books during my travels. I was looking forward to my trip to London this week and had several London bookshops on my must-visit list. But it wasn’t to be…

  That said, the current crisis is upending the independent bookstores in the USA. I don’t want them to suffer or shutter, so I purchased several books from independent bookstores in my neighborhood.

  I bought three books for moi and three books for the most delicious, sweetest little baby girl in the whole wide world. I bought her Uni the Unicorn, Baby Astronaut (trying to mold her mind) and Baby Touch and Feel Mermaid.

  For moi, I bought The Words I Never Wrote by Jane Thynne (a most excellent writer), Women in Art by Rachel Ignotofsky and The Little(r) Museums of Paris by Emma Jacobs.

  I plan to purchase more books locally. We’re in this together!

  xoxo, Jane

  Posted in books to read, Current Read | 4 Comments | Tagged book haul, books

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