Adroitness
“Dexterity; readiness; activity. Neither this word, nor adroit, seem yet completely naturalized.”
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This Week In History: May 4-10
May 4, 1814: Napoleon arrives at Protoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile.
May 5, 1821: Napoleon dies in exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
May 6, 1527: Spanish and German forces sack Rome, and event considered by some historians to be the end of the Renaissance.
May 7, 1794: Robespierre introduces the Cult of the Supreme Being as the new state religion of the First French Republic.
May 8, 1899: The Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin opens.
May 9, 1874: The first horse-drawn bus begins operation in Mumbai, traveling two routes.
May 10, 1824: The National Gallery in London opens to the public.
Quote of the Week
Nothing great in the world was accomplished without passion.
–Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hegel/
Friday Favorite: Henry VII and Elizabeth of York
Our Favorite this Friday is a fun one on several different levels. There’s the music: Florence’s powerful voice coupled with the choir and orchestra gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. There’s the skill that went into making the video itself: a splice between Henry V and Game of Thrones, which have no intersection at all, but you wouldn’t know it based on this finished product. And then there’s the history: no matter your opinion of Henry Tudor, the man was a force to be reckoned with and so (in a quieter way) was Elizabeth of York.
Plus, there’s Tom Hiddleston 😀
All that packed into just four minutes! Enjoy!
Cora’s TBR Challenge Check-In
We’re a quarter of the way through the year, fellow readers. Are you at least 25% of the way through your TBR Challenge?
I am, though April has been another slow reading month for me. Happily, it’s not because of migraine troubles. I’ve actually been writing a lot more lately, and I don’t tend to read as much when I’m on a writing binge. If I do read during a writing stint, I try to stay away from the time period I’m writing so I don’t inadvertently borrow from someone else’s work (research is one thing, but plagiarism is quite another!). Right now I’m working my way through Edith Pargeter’s The Bloody Field, and enjoying it enormously. When I’m finished, I think I might go back and do Shakespeare’s Henry V again. 🙂
It’s not too late to join in the reading fun! Check out this year’s TBR Challenge page for more details.
Regency Word Wednesday
Purse Proud
“One that is vain of his riches.”
This Week In History: April 27-May 3
April 27, 1813: US Troops capture the capital of Upper Canada in the Battle of York (now Toronto).
April 28, 1789: The Mutiny on the Bounty occurs when Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift by a rebellious crew.
April 29, 1770: James Cook arrives at and names Botany Bay, Australia.
April 30, 1803: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.
May 1, 1786: Opening night of Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro in Vienna, Austria.
May 2, 1808: The people of Madrid rise up in rebellion against French occupation at the beginning of the Peninsular War.
May 3, 1802: Washington, DC is incorporated as a city.
Quote of the Week
The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.
–William Wordsworth
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/william-wordsworth
Friday Favorite: Book Sale Finder
Our Favorite this week is a doozie, especially if you love used book sales. The website Book Sale Finder aggregates information about used book sales (mostly by Friends of the Library organizations) all over the US and Canada and gives you the low down: dates and times, locations, how many books, approximate range of prices, and anything else they know. If you want to enter your information, they’ll even send you an e-mail before book sales in your area.
Happy book buying!
Regency Word Wednesday
Abbreviature
“1. A mark used for the sake of shortening. 2. A compendium or abridgment.”
Cora Lee, Regency Romance Author 