February 06, 2017

Nerd out - Shakespeare's First Folio


On a visit to the Huntington Museum, Library, and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, California, I had an amazing moment with a first folio Shakespeare. If you're interested in what that actually means, well: 
Mr William Shakespeares Comedies, histories & tragedies, published according to the true originall copies, also known as the First Folio, was published in 1623, 8 years after Shakespeare’s death.
In 1622, two of Shakespeare’s fellow actors and friends, John Heminges and Henry Condell, decided to publish a collection of his plays as a memorial and testimony to Shakespeare’s work. They gathered together both fair and “foule” copies of Shakespeare’s plays, selecting the version which they felt was true to Shakespeare’s intent. Troilus and Cressida proved the most difficult and reached the printers so late that it was too late to be included in the printed contents page. Of the 36 plays included in the First Folio collection 18 had never been published. It is possible that without this publication plays such as the TempestTwelfth NightAntony & Cleopatra and Macbeth would have been lost. Heminges and Condell also decided the divisions between comedies, histories and tragedies. (source). 
Although I was well chuffed at seeing one of these, apparently they aren't too rare.... One was just found :
at Mount Stuart, the neo-Gothic home of the Marquesses of Bute, brings the total of known surviving copies of the First Folio in the world to 234 (source).
I also read this interesting article which details the disappearance of some manuscripts, and how one is discovered roughly every six years!

I also love the inscription "To the Reader" found in the NSW State Library's edition:



You can search through a digital facsimile of the Bodleian library's copy here.

REVIEW: The White Cat and the Monk - Jo Ellen Bogart and Sydney Smith


While perusing the picture books, I fell in love The White Cat and the Monk. 
It tells a beautiful and simple story of the harmonious companionship between a medieval monk and his fluffy white cat, Pangur. The monk spends his days reading, researching, and learning from illuminated manuscripts in silent contemplation. His cat Pangur hunts mice and sleeps. It is a gorgeously gentle tale based on a poem written by a 9th century Irish Benedictine monk wrote about himself and his companion cat.

Pangur
I was so taken not only by the resonance the tale has with my inclinations towards reading, cats, and illuminated manuscripts, but also by Smith's charming illustrations, which are the perfect companion to such an enchanting tale.


A simple but gorgeous gift for any book lover, it's a double bonus if you also like cats. Triple word score if you enjoy illuminated manuscripts as much as I do.


5 stars from me, a must buy!

All Illustrations by Sydney Smith, sourced online from (picture 1, picture 2, picture 3, picture 4.)

December 07, 2015

Love from Minoa, Istanbul

Minoa is a bookstore and café in Istanbul, and its combination of beautiful design, snacks, and, of course, books, calls me to Istanbul.
While it is not difficult nor unusual for a bookstore to lure me, I hazard a guess in saying that you might also find it alluring.

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Here's some info about the bookstore from The Guide Istanbul. And here's Minoa's Instagram page. Enjoy folks, and if you've been here please tell me about it! Isme

July 14, 2015

Jane Austen: The Small Things

I came across this lovely book trailer for Paula Byrne's book, Jane Austen: The Small Things.


I have purchased a copy and am excited to learn more about some of the stories that intrigued me. Especially the prospect of joining someone in jail while they await trial (for stealing lace and nothing less!).

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did,
Isme

July 07, 2015

Sneaky Teaser

The internet was atwitter when a (fan made) trailer was recently released for the upcoming production of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Netflix.The fan made trailer is well produced, and the props abound with details which reference the books. If I had seen it, I would have believed it - bravo to the creator. Although Netflix has denied any involvement, I still though it would be fun to share the trailer as a reminiscence of reading the series when I was in primary school.
Enjoy!
Isme 

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