Welcome to Litsy!

'And if its a boy,' said Phyllida cheerfully, "we'll call him Prospero.'
#firstlinefridays
@ShyBookOwl

This was an enjoyable read. I love the vivid descriptions of the idyllic Corfu; the ominous atmosphere; the right amount of romance and suspense; and the references to Shakespeare's Tempest. A great escape read!
#islandvibes #titlesandtunes for May.

Think I‘ll join in the fun of #islandvibes #titlesandtunes hosted by @Cinfhen and @BarbaraBB !

A good time to read my first Mary Stewart novel - mystery, suspense, romance and a lovely setting at Corfu. 🏝️
I pick ‘The Children of Piraeus‘ (a popular song first sung by Melina Mercouri) sung by Aroma, here‘s the video https://youtu.be/ap29bm2ZpEU (English)

https://youtu.be/Ffe3dQQyKOQ (original)

What a fascinating publication history. The older editions all feature ominous castles, with or without a half-dressed woman running; the newer refer to it as a beloved modern classic. You'd probably be fairly happy whichever you were looking for.

I suspect this was the template for all the Elizabeth Peters standalones I loved as a teen. Suspenseful and romantic, but the heroines have brains and agency, even in their nightwear.

#ThingsInCommon

Let's have another whack at this... still not perfect, but getting there.

#ThingsInCommon

I picked this up at a used book store thinking it was the Mary Stewart of the Merlin Trilogy. This Mary Stewart is an English writer of romantic mysteries. The story takes place in Corfu with beautiful descriptions, has references to The Tempest, and for my mood completely. Perfect with a cup of chai on a blustery fall day

I've read so many wonderful #LetterT books that I couldn't choose just one! So here's a small selection. 😊 #Alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Today has been deliciously slow, so I‘ve been tucked up in my favorite reading chair, traveling (via armchair) to the aquamarine coast of Corfu. This book has been a delight to read - beautiful descriptions, intrigue, mystery and a hint of romance. Perfect summer read, which I recommend pairing with ripe summer fruit, and an iced beverage of choice.

P. S. Did I mention the book has a tie to Shakespeare‘s, ‘The Tempest‘.

One of the most fun things about having a mother who is a reader and who now lives with me is that her book collection came to live with me, too. I read a Crime Reads article about literary gothic castles, and one of the books mentioned was This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart. Mom said “oh, I have that” and pulled it off her shelves. I think she bought this new around 1978 for $1.75. 😍 I think this will be my next print read.

#12booksof2020 day 11

My mom introduced me to Mary Stewart; she died last year and I started reading this to her but didn't get to finish. I think it may still belong on my best-of list for the year. 💕💔

Made it to 24 hours! These are the books I finished. I loved them all! Still reading a couple others and will keep on reading the rest of the night. #24in48

Finished a couple more books and making some progress in this one. Just a few hours to go! #24in48

I like to read books set in places I‘m going before I travel there. This Rough Magic was recommended to me because it had so many parallels to Shakespeare‘s The Tempest and is set on a Greek island, Corfu which I didn‘t realize people speculate that‘s where The Tempest was set! The actual mystery storyline wasn‘t nearly as magical to me as the setting and the characters and all the Shakespeare talk!

Needed to replace a tatty old copy of Touch Not The Cat and sort of lost containment replacing all my old Mary Stewart‘s. Still waiting for The Gabriel Hounds and Touch Not the Cat to arrive, but I think I‘m good for now.

#RockinMay #homebythesea This book. Mary Stewart in general. This probably shaped more of my prose than anything, because I read it so many times. (Granted I was hard up in a foreign country but I couldn't have had a better writer to winter with.)
@Cinfhen

A while ago someone commented that my clean bookshelves made them feel bad about theirs. So here is my bedroom bookshelf/nightstand to make you feel better! Complete with random cords and cough drops and need-framed pics. I did remove the gazillion hair ties and used tissues before I took the pic though. 😝🙈 #shelfie

Often when I want comfort, I turn to Mary Stewart's romance/mysteries. This was a reasonable reread, but not a favourite. I do enjoy the male lead, though.

🌟🌟🌟 This is a solid romantic mystery set in Corfu, off the coast of Greece. It's written wonderfully, if a little predictably. A great choice for part of my @bookriot ReadHarder challenge.

Longer review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1680225476

Juvenile delinquent's playground - ROFLMAO! And this is supposed to be my relaxation read. It's set in the 1960s but this attitude is absolutely everywhere! 😜😜

What? Now the heroine finds that the potential bad guy has a banned book (which a group of Littens just read together)! And she better know, even if he's not a killer, he's a wacko dude if he's reading this racist, misogynistic book. 😱😱

#toc #tocreadalong #coincidentalreading

Here's my little "office" as my DH calls it. I'm usually switching between devices and paper. But it's my little slice of reading heaven. #readinginbed #photoadaynov16

p.s. Yes, I make the bed every day unless I'm sick. Thanks, Mom.

Ordered this one to read for "published in the decade you were born" choice for ReadHarder. I remember Mary Stewart being on my parents' shelves. Intrigued!

Um, no. The protagonist witnesses no murders, nor is anyone of that description murdered. Perhaps someone should read a book before summarizing it?

Revisiting an old friend - this copy of this novel, pub. date 1964 passed between my mother, sister and myself for decades and is the reason a visit to Corfu is on our bucket lists. A quote from "The Tempest" opens each chapter. ❤️?? (plot description page is wildly inaccurate though.)