Saturday, 26 December 2020

Christmas: A Short History From Solstice to Santa by Andy Thomas

Published: 1st October 2019 | Publisher: Quarto Knows | Source: Gift
Goodreads

Have you ever wondered where Christmas comes from? Or why and how it has been celebrated throughout the centuries? This book takes you on an intriguing and entertaining journey through its social history.

Learn about the:
astrological associations
symbolism of the Nativity
excesses of the Roman festival of Saturnalia
Puritan ban of Christmas
Victorian-era revival
introduction and rise of gift-giving
origins and developments of Father Christmas
food and traditions from around the world
history of its stories, songs and symbols

Beautifully illustrated, this book tells the fuller story behind the sparkle and the merriment, and shows why Christmas has survived and still has meaning for us today. From Quarto Knows.

Thursday, 24 December 2020

adult, magic realism, paris by starlight, review, robert dinsdale

Review: Paris By Starlight by Robert Dinsdale (#Ad)

12:53 Jo No comments

I received this eProof for free from Del Rey via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Paris By Starlight by Robert Dinsdale

Published: 5th November 2020 | Publisher: Del Rey | Source: NetGalley
Robert Dinsdale's Website

Every city has its own magic...

Every night on their long journey to Paris from their troubled homeland, Levon’s grandmother has read to them from a very special book. Called The Nocturne, it is a book full of fairy stories and the heroic adventures of their people who generations before chose to live by starlight.

And with every story that Levon’s grandmother tells them in their new home, the desire to live as their ancestors did grows. And that is when the magic begins...

Nobody can explain why nocturnal water dogs start appearing at the heels of every citizen of Paris-by-Starlight like the loyal retainers they once were. There are suddenly night finches in the skies and the city is transforming: the Eiffel Tower lit up by strange ethereal flowers that drink in the light of the moon.

But not everyone in Paris is won over by the spectacle of Paris-by-Starlight. There are always those that fear the other, the unexplained, the strangers in our midst. How long can the magic of night rub up against the ordinariness of day? How long can two worlds occupy the same streets and squares before there is an outright war? From Goodreads.

Friday, 18 December 2020

Change is Ahead

11:36 Jo No comments

What a year 2020 has been, huh? It's definitely been a bit of a wash out for Once Upon a Bookcase for various reasons - partly due to a lot of re-reading, and partly because I just couldn't face it. As the year draws to a close, I've started to reflect on what I want in the New Year generally, and I thought I would share what I'm thinking for the blog.