This might be my favourite of the Very Short Introduction‘s that I‘ve read so far. It flows well and I found it enjoyable to read, plus it‘s such a cool topic! It‘s specifically on medieval lit in the British Isles but does mention other influences, like France and Scandanavia. I also liked the sections on the influence of medieval women on lit and the discussions of literacy during the period. Very good and short intro 👌
9.5/10

I enjoyed this nice little intro to the study of Shakespeare. It has a biographical chapter and the rest focuses on his writings - mainly plays, but his sonnets are also discussed a little. I think it would be helpful to be familiar with his famous plays (Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello), general plots and characters. But it was interesting and I learned new things about Shakespeare and some of his works 🎭
8.5/10

Saw this in the library and had the urge to re-read it. Had a break from work this week, so I settled in to read and didn‘t want to put the book down! It‘s been 8 or 9 years since I read it back in grade school and I had forgotten some of the details, so they struck me all over again.
As before, I found it an enjoyable and thought-provoking read!
9/10

One of the texts I read for an essay this year. I just finally found the time to finish it! Goes over what we know (or really don‘t know) about Pythagoras and briefly reviews Pythagoreans and forms of Pythagoreanism (and main influential concepts) that followed, up to the early modern period but focusing mainly on antiquity. A good book and good starting point if you‘re interested in the topic.

7/10

This play is about a couple and juxtaposes them at two different stages: 1) when they are in their 20s and newly married and 2) when they are elderly and reaching the end stages of life. The staging is interesting and there‘s kind of a ghostly effect of the ‘two‘ couples sharing the same home but not interacting. An emotional ending and not a cheery read, but I thought it was quite good.
6/10

Short collection of poems Carroll wrote for two of his younger siblings when he was 13.
Very entertaining and, as was remarked in the preface, you can see hints of what he writes later - like the story of Humpty-Dumpty. The poems originally all had illustrations done by Carroll himself, but only a handful of the drawings were included in this version, which is too bad.

Recommend if you feel like reading some cute and silly poetry 😛

7.5/10

I think this book does a good job of making quantum mechanics accessible to non-physicists, while discussing some of the biggest puzzles and debates in the field. Plus, it‘s got some funky examples and diagrams, like John-2!
Would be nicer if there was a more recent edition.
Still, if you‘re interested in an introduction to quantum mechanics and the problem of measurement without any intense math, I would recommend this book.
7.5/10

“I wish to offer due apology for the elaborate critical setting provided for three simple tales. It cannot be assumed that introduction, notes, and glossary will add to the entertainment afforded by these stories.”

Great start 😂

(‘Entertaining‘ maybe not, but I did find the introduction interesting; skipped the notes and glossary for the most part)

My vacay reading kinda follows a Middle English theme and this is the first book I finished. Has a very long scholarly introduction, which I found interesting, but only three short tales. By far my favourite was “The Fox and the Wolf in the Well”.
Neat and worth looking for some version of these tales if you‘re a fan of medieval history and/or Middle English lit.

I love Follett‘s Kingsbridge books 😍 and this one is no exception. It deals with many of the complex topics and important historical events in England, Scotland, France, Spain, and the Netherlands between 1558 and 1606, via characters placed close to the key figures.
Maybe needs a bit of suspension of disbelief with how Ned manages to be present at almost EVERY major event (and be so influential), but still, a great read.
9/10

A short read explaining Einstein‘s theory of relativity.
I found it to be a good summary and easily understandable. No maths are used and mostly it‘s in plain English. It was written in 1920, so gives a historical perspective too - this was just a year after the eclipse experiments verified relativity.
If you come across it in a library and are interested in physics, it might be worth a quick read (but don‘t go out of your way).
6.5/10

I really like the Very Short Introduction series, this one is about ancient Greek philosophy. I think it gives a good overview of the main themes and challenges of this field, as well as why ancient Greek philosophy is still relevant to modern readers. Would have liked a bit more discussion about cultural influences on the development of philosophy, but this book does have to be concise! Good intro book 🤔👍
7.5/10

This book was one of my sources for an essay for uni. I found it to be pretty enjoyable to read and a good introduction to Plutarch as a writer and philosopher. Understandably, it focuses on Plutarch‘s “Lives” and a few other texts he‘s most famous for, but I think it still gives a good overall view. Would recommend if you want to learn about Plutarch (but also be sure to read Plutarch‘s own writings).
7/10

Recently moved to Cambridge for my master‘s degree and my reading time has both increased (in general, since I‘m doing book/article-based research) and decreased (all non-work reading 🥲). Still finding my way around and getting into the swing of things, but spent a little time last week on an orientation tour for the uni library, which is MASSIVE. It houses about 8 million items, mostly books 😍😍😍

I like the 1920s, and while I enjoyed historical aspects of this book (e.g. the slang and fashion), it seemed to be missing some things (like any awareness of the Great War or the Spanish Flu epidemic). A bit (actually, maybe more than a bit) idealized, but still a relatively enjoyable read.
6/10
#DoubleBookSpin from July

I probably won‘t have time to take part in #BookSpinBingo this month because of school, but I‘m going to try to keep going with #BookSpin so here is my list!
🎃👻🕯😍😈

Re-read this book I got as a teen. A love story about a young couple who meet in an airport on the same flight to London, on trips they are both dreading. I wish there was more about London because it‘s one of my favourite cities, but the story is still cute ☺️
8.5/10

#BookSpin for September

Historical true crime recounting of a trial from 1780s England. I enjoyed this more than the last couple historical crime books I‘ve read, I thought it was better written. Though I did find it a little hard at times to keep track of who was who‘s lawyer and who was a doctor, surgeon, guardian, etc.
Curious to think how doubtable it seems as to who was the murderer, or even whether murder was committed, given the evidence.
7/10

List is ready for September #BookSpin and #BookSpinBingo!
I also just realised that this will may be my last month doing this challenge this year since I start grad school in October 🙁 Won‘t have much time to read again until winter holidays!

Didn‘t quite get bingo this month, but I was close and I read both my #BookSpin and #DoubleBookSpin reads plus a couple books I‘ve been wanting to read for a while 👍
#BookSpinBingo

A short play originally printed in 1899 and set around 1900. A nice little drama about an Irish girl who is to be married to an Englishman but loves her Irish home and has ties to old Irish magic. Not a classic and I certainly wouldn‘t put it on a drama must-read list, but a decent piece of theatre.

#DoubleBookSpin - fit in under the wire for this month!

This was a neat book! I loved the combination of the fairy tale and the reality of homesteading in Alaska in the early 20th century. Beautiful writing inspired by a beautiful and wild landscape 🌲❄️☀️
8.5/10

Off to a good start in August, I‘ve already finished my #BookSpin read!
I think I read this back in high school, but it didn‘t really stick in my mind. I liked it, though it‘s not in my YA top 10. Interesting to have a paranormal thriller romance centred on fallen angels though. I‘m giving the sequel a try, but it‘s a bit more eye-rolling so far 😒, plus their relationship is kinda creepy imo 👀
6.5/10

I struggled to get into this book at first and I never really loved it. I didn‘t sympathize much with the protagonist and found a number of the characters to be kinda irritating at times and felt they were destined to fail, regardless of the evil enigma that was Old Rat. I did like getting a little peek into Québécois culture of the early 80s and it wasn‘t a bad book.
5/10

Picked my list for August‘s #BookSpin and #BookSpinBingo.
It looks rather similar to July‘s list 👀

Bah, June can‘t be over already! And yet, here is my list for July #BookSpin and #BookSpinBingo to start on tomorrow 😮
Luckily, I have the day off work since it‘s Canada Day 🇨🇦 and I‘ll be spending most of my time indoors because of the heatwave in B.C., so that should be a good chance to get some reading started 😁

A social play focusing on a married couple in late 19th century Norway (contemporary when Ibsen wrote it). I enjoyed reading it. Didn‘t love the characters, especially Torvald at the end, but Nora‘s realisation about herself and their marriage was interesting and I liked the ending. I can see why it‘s performed so often.
7.5/10
My June #BookSpin read

Set in 17th century Denmark, it centres around King Christian IV and his lutenist, Peter Claire, and their families and people around them. It‘s not a period of history or a country I know well, so it was neat to learn a bit more. I liked the characters and how the writing changed in sections about particular characters (particularly Kirsten‘s journal entries). It was an enjoyable read! 🎵
8/10

This is one of Chekov‘s early plays and one of his four most famous ones. Its first performance was very badly received, so much so that Chekov renounced writing for the theatre (temporarily).
I found it to be moody and philosophical and kinda depressing, all the characters seemed unhappy with their lives a lot of the time. But interesting to read a play about writers and actresses and their relationships to their art.
6/10
#BookSpin from May

Wrote up my list for June #BookSpin and #BookSpinBingo, but I‘m not ready for May to be over yet! I still have both my bookspin reads for this month unread (though hoping to have time for The Seagull after work tomorrow). Guess I‘ll just have to catch up later 🤷🏻‍♀️ a good excuse to go and read in the park on a sunny day!

A novelized version of Shakespeare‘s play. I liked how Marsden gave a backstory to some of the characters, like mentions and scenes from the childhoods of Horatio, Hamlet, and Ophelia. But the language changed noticeably when lines were modernised from Shakespeare‘s vs Marsden‘s own invention - there was a different rhythm and formality to them which made the book feel a bit less cohesive.
5/10

Got this free from my department, it‘s a book-version of a series of lectures given in the 1930s by a Nobel Prize winning physicist on topics in the philosophy of physics. I found it interesting, especially thinking about how much is still relevant (or no longer so relevant) after almost 100 years! But prob not the best intro to or overview of the philosophy of physics (some recent books may be better and more engaging).

#BookSpin for January 👀

My final board for April #BookSpinBingo. Stuck around the edges (not on purpose 😛) and got a bingo this month!

Not sure if I‘ll lose access to the online drama library through my uni with the end of term, so I wrote up two potential lists for May #BookSpin and #BookSpinBingo. Going back to reading more books anyway now that I have a bit more time with classes finished (though sadly my vacation is already almost over since I start full-time work on Monday 😢)

The first play by Noël Coward that I‘ve read, but it definitely made me want to read more! It was a funny play about a crazy family who always say things while thinking other things and who wind up with four guests invited over for the weekend. (That‘s kind of a bad synopsis, but the play is really quite funny!)
8/10

My April #BookSpin

Marlowe‘s history play, written at the end of his short life. It was interesting. Best writing was at the beginning and end, where there were some nice poetic speeches. Recent productions tend to focus on the homosexuality, but the playtext itself seems more complex - there‘s quite a focus on politics (and Edward‘s ignorance of it).
7/10

This was THE most popular play in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. It‘s been attributed to Shakespeare, but the true author(s) is unknown. Though it was performed by Shakespeare and his company. It draws on older traditions like pastoral poetry and chivalric romance, plus it has an ‘entrance, pursued by a bear‘! Not commonly read, studied, or performed nowadays, but worth a look for fans of Elizabethan/Jacobean theatre!
7/10

I got more into this book as it went along. I liked the characters, I just didn‘t like some aspects of Ewing‘s writing style. It got a bit over the top at the end. But it was an interesting portrayal of how precarious life could be for many people in Victorian London and I enjoyed reading the rise and fall and movements of the Misses Preston and their family.
6/10

I watched the Globe On Screen recording of this play from a few years ago and just read the original text tonight. There was a lot of physical comedy and spectacle added into the stage performance, though the playtext sets this up with scenes like “haunting” the Pope or parading Helen of Troy. Very enjoyable to watch and read, I wish it was performed more often!
9/10
#DoubleBookSpin (April)

This is the first play by Ibsen that I‘ve read. I think the translator (Michael Meyer) did a good job rendering the different classes in the language of the characters and the names/titles they address each other with. It‘s an interesting critique of marriage and the freedoms/responsibilities of women in the late 19th century in upper middle class society.
7.5/10
My March #BookSpin read (a couple days late I‘m afraid!)

Didn‘t have much time to read today, so I‘ll have to finish this month without bingo 😕
But I got close with the diagonal, and read a few books that have been on my tbr list for a long time plus some classic plays! I‘ll hopefully find time to read my #BookSpin - Hedda Gabler - in the next day or two, then on to April‘s list 🌷
#BookSpinBingo

Still going to try today to finish my #BookSpin and read the play that will give me Bingo for March, but got my list ready for April!
#BookSpin #BookSpinBingo

Read this on Sunday with the Combined Actors of Cambridge. It‘s pretty funny, even without the physical comedy of a proper performance! This reading was well-timed for me, since I just learned about Commedia dell‘Arte in my theatre history class last week. I found it good to know a bit about the background and tradition of the genre, but I‘m sure it‘s an enjoyable play regardless 🎭
8/10

I read the adaptation by John Donnelly, which was set in London and had up-to-date references. Found it very funny! Good use of stereotypical comedic characters and plot lines. I haven‘t read any of Molière‘s other works, but I‘ll try to because I quite enjoyed reading Tartuffe.
8.5/10

#DoubleBookSpin for March

I read this book for a course in the philosophy of history. It was interesting, especially the personal stories and the narratives Trouillot begins each chapter with, but I found it a bit scattered at times. It used examples of the Haitian Revolution and celebrations of Columbus‘s arrival in the Americas to discuss the relations between power & history and the present & the past.
6/10

I thought this book was really neat! It‘s got creepy things and myth and fear and love all mixed together. Kind of a modern Gothic horror. I liked the characters too, they all had their own quirks and none are really “ordinary”.
8/10

This book was alright. A pretty interesting idea - some people having the ability to see into or walk through the veil between the living and the dead. I felt like it had a pretty cinematic quality at times, would probably make a neat movie. But I didn‘t love the characters and the writing just didn‘t resonate as well with me as some other YA novels I‘ve read recently.
6/10

Just did a Zoom reading of Uncle Vanya with a group from the Combined Actors of Cambridge! It was super fun, it‘s so much better to hear a play read aloud, and I‘m very glad the time difference (and internet) still allowed me to participate from here in Canada (though Chekov is perhaps better read in the evening than at noon!) 😄❤️🎭

I watched the 60s movie version a number of years ago, but just read the original novella. It was brilliant, I love H.G. Wells! Made me think about how our world has changed since Wells‘s time (c. 1895) and how our society might be in the future. Though, perhaps a nearer future than 802,701 CE! A must-read for anyone who likes science or classic fiction.
10/10

A Greek tragic play, regarded as one of Euripides‘s best. Basically, the goddess Aphrodite is shunned by the man Hippolytus and exacts revenge that ruins his life, his father‘s, and his step-mother‘s. Brings up themes like showing proper respect for the gods and making emotional vs rational judgements.
It was a good read and written well (or at least, translated well!)
8/10