Friday's Memes

Gain New Blog FollowersFollow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.  This weeks question is:
Christmas in July! Someone gives you a gift card for two books (whatever that costs). What two books will you buy?

I would be so happy if someone gave me a giftcard; it really is like Christmas! I remember when I got one as a kid for £25 and I thought I was in heaven. I spent days picking out what I wanted. But let's return to the question. I would probably buy:

'The Prisoner of Heaven' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I am utterly ashamed I still haven't bought and devoured it!

It begins just before Christmas in Barcelona in 1957, one year after Daniel and Bea from THE SHADOW OF THE WIND have married. They now have a son, Julian, and are living with Daniel's father at Sempere & Sons. Fermin still works with them and is busy preparing for his wedding to Bernarda in the New Year. However something appears to be bothering him. 
Daniel is alone in the shop one morning when a mysterious figure with a pronounced limp enters. He spots one of their most precious volumes that is kept locked in a glass cabinet, a beautiful and unique illustrated edition of The Count of Monte Cristo. Despite the fact that the stranger seems to care little for books, he wants to buy this expensive edition. Then, to Daniel's surprise, the man inscribes the book with the words 'To Fermin Romero de Torres, who came back from the dead and who holds the key to the future'. This visit leads back to a story of imprisonment, betrayal and the return of a deadly rival.
and

'Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece' by Gustav Schwabb. It was my childhood book and I think I lost it and now I want another copy desperately before I head of to university.

Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece (Pantheon Fairy Tale & Folklore Library)

From fire-stealing Prometheus to scene-stealing Helen of Troy, from Jason and his golden fleece to Oedipus and his mother, this collection of classic tales from Greek mythology demonstrates the inexhaustible vitality of a timeless cultural legacy.
Here are Icarus flying too close to the sun, mighty Hercules, Achilles and that darn heel, the Trojans and their wooden horse, brave Perseus and beautiful Andromeda, wandering Odysseus and steadfast Penelope. Their stories and the stories of the powerful gods and goddesses who punish and reward, who fall in love with and are enraged by the humans they have created, are set forth simply but movingly, in language that retains the power and drama of the original works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Homer. In Gustav Schwab’s masterful retelling, they are made accessible to readers of all ages.
Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader!


I am using Hesiod's 'Theogony' for this week. You might notice I am in a massive 'Greek Myth'-phase but that's because I am working on something :)


Book Beginnings:



'Muses of Helicon, let us begin our song with them, who hold the great and holy mountain of Helicon, and around its violet-like spring and altar of exceedingly strong Kronios, dance on dainty feet, and who, after bathing their soft skin in the Permessos or the spring of the Horse or holy Olmeios on the peak of Helicon, form their dances, beautiful dances that arouse desire, and they move erotically.'
I really like the beginning and how the author asks the Muses to assist him in his tale. And I wonder who it is that dances and moves erotically.


Friday 56I decided to go for the 56th verse instead of the 56th page. 



'For nine nights, the counselor Zeus was mingling with her apart from the immortals, going up into her sacred bed.'

Well, I knew Zeus was a bit of a ladies man, but 9 nights in a row is very impressive.


Comments

  1. The Prisoner of Heaven looks very interesting! :)

    I'm a new follower! :)

    Here is my FF post! :): http://blogofabookaholic.blogspot.com/2012/07/feature-and-follow-friday-1.html

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  2. I've never heard of these but I hope you get to read both sometime soon!

    Thanks so much for stopping by - new follower here! :D

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  3. Ooh the Greek Mythology one sounds interesting! Love Greek Mythology! Have you read the Edith Hamilton one? It was pretty good!

    Here's my Friday Hops

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    Old Follower :)

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  4. I love Greek mythology. I am going to have to check Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece out!

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  5. Very descriptive snippets...I can visualize the scenes.

    Here's MY FRIDAY MEMES POST

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  6. Those picks look great. I really need to read more mythology! New Follower via GFC. Can I just say that someone that DOESN'T do YA is a bit refreshing? I have two blogs:

    My FF

    My Other FF

    Happy Friday! :D

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  7. I love Greek Mythology, and I have to check out Gods and Heroes soon!

    Thanks for stopping by my FF. I followed you back! :)

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  8. This sounds good, and it sounds like it follows Greek mythology pretty closely.

    Here's my Book Beginning.

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  9. That is pretty impressive.... lol

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  10. hi Juli! i love mythology & your 56th verse was amusing. i have The Shadow of the Wind and i want to have a copy of The Prisoner of Heaven too. by the way, there's a short story that's available for free at Amazon, Kobo, etc. called The Rose of Fire which talks about the origins of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. have you gotten a copy yet? if not here are the links:
    Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Rose-of-Fire-ebook/dp/B008B7VCBK/
    Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Rose-of-Fire/book-tggK4CYcQUG94B_9uytbFg/page1.html
    thanks for stopping by my blog earlier and for leaving a happy thought!

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  11. I loved Shadow of the Wind. Sounds like The Prisoner of Heaven's going to be a good one too.


    Here are my Friday Memes.

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  12. Thanks for stopping by. Following back now. :-) I haven't heard of these. They sound interesting.
    -Jenese
    www.readersconfession.com

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  13. I enjoy reading Greek mythology and you should definitely get another copy of that book if you lost it and miss it! I'll keep my fingers crossed that one of your friends does really come along with a gift card for you!

    -Jenna @ Fans of Fiction (old follower)
    My FF

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  14. Lol..yes you are on a massive Greek phase.

    Here's my Friday meme post

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  15. Boy, you really toned up the Book Beginning meme this week! Greeks, no less!

    My two fantasy book picks would be any two publications from Arion Press in San Francisco. Ideally, the boxed set of Audubon bird prints, but I'd take any two.

    Thanks for taking part in Book Beginnings on Friday!

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  16. The Zafon book looks like something I'd pick up. As for Gods and Heroes, I'd think twice about it because it always seems like "work" ...!

    Here's mine. Plus I have a giveaway starting tomorrow: http://guiltlessreading.blogspot.ca/2012/07/friday-56-book-beginnings-lovely.html

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  17. Hm. Haven't heard of either books mentioned. But they sound pretty interesting!

    Thanks for stopping by and following. Returned the favor:)
    ~Livin' Life Through Books

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  18. Hopping through. Wow, I didn't know there was a continuation to Shadow of the Wind. I'll have to get that.
    My Hop

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  19. The book you got your quotes from sounds really interesting. It's definitely nice to have some copies of old friends to take with you to Uni.

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  20. I love Greek mythology. Great picks!

    New follower via GFC.

    Ensconced in YA
    http://cahreviews.blogspot.com

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