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#Socrates
review
Ruthiella
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Pickpick

My first #10BeforetheEnd book. I did enjoy it, particularly in its frank depiction of ancient Athens society during the Peloponnesian Wars. The main character comes from a noble Athenian family and Renault doesn‘t try to hide the ways Athenian culture differs from our modern sense of morality or ethics. At the heart of this is a love story between two men, which was completely accepted then. It was a slow and dense read, but worth the time.

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Ruthiella
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#WhereareyouMonday

Today finds me in Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian Wars following the fate of young Alexias, an Athenian noble, as he matures, meets his mentor and lover Lysis, becomes a soldier and sailor… He also encounters Socrates, Plato, and other famous Greek names which have come down to us through history. Slow read, but satisfying.

LeahBergen I haven‘t read a Renault in ages. I should grab one off my shelves! 2mo
Ruthiella @LeahBergen It‘s super slooooow. The other two from Renault that I have read were a lot plottier: The Persian Boy and (edited) 2mo
LeahBergen Oh, is it? The two I‘ve read are The King Must Die and The Bull From the Sea. And maybe another one? 🤔 2mo
48 likes3 comments
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Ruthiella
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I‘ve started in on my #10BeforetheEnd pile! I need to ignore the lure of library books! 🤞

ChaoticMissAdventures I just picked up my library books which are not on my list 😂. 2mo
kspenmoll Ignoring library books is hard for me- I keep taking out new books which means I only have a short time to read them. 2mo
LeahBergen And a couple of Persephones! 🩶 2mo
See All 17 Comments
Ruthiella @ChaoticMissAdventures The struggle is real! 😂 2mo
Ruthiella @kspenmoll Me too! I am always juggling due dates. 2mo
Ruthiella @LeahBergen One was a gift but the other I found in a library book sale, which was a rare find in my experience. 🩶 2mo
AmyG Ooooo Barbara Vine. A huge favorite! 2mo
Ruthiella @AmyG I‘ve definitely enjoyed the few other novels I‘ve read from her before. She‘s very good at understanding the psychological motivations of her characters. 2mo
Billypar I can't say enough good things about My Name Is Red - one of my all-time favorite murder mysteries. 2mo
Ruthiella @Billypar it‘s a murder mystery? I had no idea! I just picked it up at a library sale based on Pamuk‘s fame as a Turkish author. 2mo
Billypar I'm sure people would hyphenate it to "literary-murder mystery" but to me, that's often code for when the murder plot is kind of in the background. But it's front and center in this. 2mo
sarahbarnes I want to read more Atkinson! 2mo
Ruthiella @Billypar Murder mysteries are my kryptonite! Now I‘m doubly looking forward to it. 2mo
Ruthiella @sarahbarnes I aspire to some day becoming an Atkinson completist! 🤞 2mo
BarbaraBB What an attractive pile of books 📚 2mo
Ruthiella @BarbaraBB All I want to do is read them all at once! Alas, I have to go to work. 😅 2mo
AmyG She is Ruth Rendell….if you just like a good mystery. Yes, Vine writes with a psychological view which I just love. 2mo
63 likes17 comments
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Eggs
Amber and Clay | Laura Amy Schlitz
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1️⃣ Reading, sewing, walking, hair appointment, library, grandkids
2️⃣ front yard: trees, shrubs, flag, porch
3️⃣ Central Texas near Austin, 75 F, overcast, breezy
4️⃣ 🏷️

#motivationalmonday @Cupcake12

@Read4life @iread2much @Deblovestoread @DebinHawaii @Born.A.Reader

Cupcake12 Thanks for joining in. Have a great week x 8mo
Deblovestoread Thanks for the tag. 💜🌸💜 8mo
Eggs @Cupcake12 You as well ! 8mo
See All 8 Comments
Eggs @Deblovestoread 🥰🤗🥳 8mo
DebinHawaii Thank you for tagging me! 🤗 8mo
iread2much 1. More unpacking! We got super sick and we are super behind on unpacking. 2. The hills 3. Northern California, near Napa and the Bay 8mo
iread2much Thanks for the tag! 8mo
Eggs @DebinHawaii You‘re welcome ☺️ 8mo
37 likes8 comments
review
Schwifty
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Pickpick

There are often parallels drawn between the executions of Socrates and later, Jesus, but the author argues these are superficial. Drawing on Thucydides, Plato, Xenophon and others, Waterfield tries to draw out the historical Socrates and the context in which he lived to understand the charges against him. “Socrates was put to death because the Athenians wanted to purge themselves of undesirable trends, not just of an undesirable individual.”

review
KCofKaysville
Last of the Wine | Mary Renault
Mehso-so

OK but not an easy read. About a young man in Athens in ancient Greece. Good support for having a democracy. This took me awhile to get through. I liked her Alexander historical novels a little better when I read them long ago. Includes a lot of Greek terms but has a glossary at the end.

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batsy
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Pickpick

This has four dialogues that take us through, as the title reveals, Socrates's trial & final days. Euthyphro is a debate on the nature of piety as Socrates waits outside the courthouse, while Apology is a one-man monologue where a feisty Socrates argues against the charges brought upon him. Crito sees him in prison arguing with his rich pal on the nature of justice, while Phaedo is the longest, densest dialogue here, on the nature of the soul.

batsy All of these are brilliant in their own way & definitely require rereading. In an ideal world there would be plenty of time to engage with the ethical arguments brought forth in these dialogues. I have a soft spot for the Apology because of the dramatic nature of Socrates defending himself. As he says, if he's being condemned for anything, it's for not presenting himself to authority in the toadying manner of those who are subservient to power. 2y
Bookwomble Hmmm, I have this on my shelf from last year (recent purchase), and your review tempts me to start reading it, but I really must finish at least one of the books I'm already reading first! 2y
batsy @Bookwomble I hope you find it worthwhile! If you're in no rush I'd recommend taking breaks between the dialogues and not necessarily read the book in one go 🙂 2y
81 likes3 comments
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KCofKaysville
Last of the Wine | Mary Renault
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I'm starting a historical novel about ancient Greece. I've read a couple by her many years ago and picked up this one at a Thrift store.

25 likes1 stack add
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Chrissyreadit
Amber and Clay | Laura Amy Schlitz
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A display in Dinolandia in Portland Oregon- #wonderouswednesday adventures included Dinolandia, Powell‘s Books, a vegan coffee shop, a vegan Jewish Deli, and lots of walking!

mabell Sounds like an awesome day! What did you have at the deli? 2y
Eggs Pretty 2y
Chrissyreadit @mabell vegan Matzoh ball soup!!!! I haven‘t had this since high school- and today Brynne and Bella are going back to get bagels and cream cheese for us for breakfast. Even though those are available in theory at grocery stores I really hope it tastes more like the bagels from home. 2y
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azulaco Powell‘s is my Mecca anytime I visit Portland. I try to reserve a whole day for it. 😍 2y
ElizaMarie This is just so beautiful! (edited) 2y
Chrissyreadit @azulaco yes! We are going back. A couple hours were not enough. 2y
Chrissyreadit @ElizaMarie it was a really fun exhibit- my nephew loved it. 2y
mabell Fresh bagels are so amazing! We had some of the best from a shop in/near the Hasidic community of Montreal - we just sat on the curb outside, eating them with a shared tub of cream cheese 😆 How were the ones today? 2y
Chrissyreadit @mabell they were tasty! And the best vegan cream cheese I have ever had! 2y
74 likes9 comments
review
Butterfinger
Amber and Clay | Laura Amy Schlitz
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Pickpick

As a teacher who enjoys the Paideia Seminar to encourage critical thinking and using text evidence, I enjoyed reading about Socrates and his style of teaching with his questioning style. Thanks to @Chrissyreadit I decided to read it. I wasn't ready to end Greece. #FoodandLit @Catsandbooks @Texreader

Chrissyreadit I‘m so glad you liked it too! 3y
48 likes1 comment