CleopatraGroupRead

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff, Schiff

I liked chapter 2 far more than chapter 1, where I felt the author was a pretentious snob throwing out references to make clear Ms Schiff knows more than all of us about all things literary and historical. Chapter 2 dropped the pretense and jumped into the interesting, detailed information about what cleopatra‘s life must have been like growing up. Looking forward to the discussion I somehow missed last week. #cleopatraalife #cleopatragroupread

GingerAntics Chapter 2 was way better than chapter 1. 5y

Texreader @GingerAntics Yep. It actually advanced the ball! Instead of making me scratch my head and wonder what the heck? 😝 5y

GingerAntics It did actually get into her story. I feel like the first chapter should have been labelled the introduction. 5y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics I agree, Chapter 1 should have been an introduction! 5y

Texreader @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics I think I would have felt completely different if it had been a preface or introduction 5y

TheBookHippie I whole heartily agree. It was like being talked down to! Now I can focus and enjoy the reading. 5y

TheBookHippie @GingerAntics RIGHT? Ugh. I like chapter two far better. 5y

Texreader @TheBookHippie What an apt way to describe chapter 1. I don‘t take that from people so why should I take it from a book? 5y

TheBookHippie @Texreader I was actually angry! And same thoughts. I don‘t take this in real life. Now I feel we can all settle in. 5y

GingerAntics @TheBookHippie I agree with chapter 2 letting us settle in. The first one, the more I compare to the second, is almost lecturing. Ugh. Here‘s hoping the rest of the book goes in the direction of the second chapter as opposed to the first. (edited) 5y

GingerAntics @Texreader @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I totally agree. There is a huge difference between a chapter and a preface/introduction section. This isn‘t a literary history of Cleopatra. That should have been marked as entirely separate from the rest of the book. Perhaps that‘s why it‘s not published on an academic press. 5y

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BarbaraTheBibliophage

Lakewood: A Novel | Megan Giddings

This week‘s #bookreport.

Finished:
You Suck #may #doublespin
Sorcerer to the Crown #panasianauthor #booked2020
The Power Worshippers #nonfictionchallenge2020 #abouteducation

Reading:
Cleopatra #cleopatragroupread
Pale Rider #nonfictionnerds
Front Row at the Trump Show
Lakewood #debutauthor #diversevoices #readwithmrbook #aboutdisability

Soon: Mychal Denzel Smith #ARC #socialjustice

Cinfhen, Riveted_Reader_Melissa, MrBook, alisiakae, TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Great progress!! 5y

BarbaraTheBibliophage @TheAromaofBooks Thanks! 5y

Cinfhen 💪🏽💄 5y

BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen 😘 5y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff, Schiff

Well Chapter 1 was short and sweet, part chapter, part introduction, part palate cleanser. In summary: forget all you know or think you knew about Cleopatra‘s time, place, and history, let me just remove all those assumptions now before we get started.

What did you think? Any surprises?

What about the author‘s style? I know this one‘s gotten some mixed reviews.

#CleopatraALife
#CleopatraGroupRead

Riveted_Reader_Melissa
@GingerAntics @TheBookHippie @Texreader @BarbaraTheBibliophage @mollyrotondo @mdm139 @Gezemice @erzascarletbookgasm @NeedsMoreBooks @JHgotham and anyone else who is interested in joining us just let me know and all tag you going forward. (edited) 5y

mollyrotondo This was very much an introductory chapter. A lot of chapter 1 was discussed in her interview with Tim Gunn so it helped refresh my memory on her thoughts and makes me excited to learn more. I read the tagged book a few years ago and really loved it so I enjoy the way she writes.

Witches: Salem, 1692

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I had seen the mixed reviews, so honestly I expected it to be stuffy textbook-like, so I was pleasantly surprised there. I found her writing and style a quick read. And the facts she just laid out in that first chapter, were quite fun and timely for me just coming out of a Shakespeare Anthony and Cleopatra group read. She never knew anyone named Octavius for instance. And the view of other nation/states at the time regarding Rome I found... 5y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...fascinating since most of our history is taught from the Roman perspective. The greatness of Rome, etc. 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @mollyrotondo I may have to add that one to my huge TBR list after this one. It‘s interesting how she picks such different times and histories to dig into. 5y

mollyrotondo @Riveted_Reader_Melissa That tidbit on Octavius was really interesting. There was also a line or two saying that if men were writing about her then she was clearly a highly revered woman. Even though she has the reputation now of a seductress and snake, if men were writing about her at all that shows how much power everyone knew she wielded. 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @mollyrotondo True, and they spent a lot of that time writing about what a seductress and snake she was... almost like the amount of trolling some women receive these days....and oddly it‘s also that they are a snake or slutty. Maybe men haven‘t changed much 🤷‍♀️😂 5y

mollyrotondo @Riveted_Reader_Melissa oh my gosh yes! Men are the same as always. Never want to give a woman credit; only want to bring her down and they‘ll use sex in some way to do it. 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @mollyrotondo As soon as you said snake all I could think of was all the people commenting on anything Elizabeth Warren posted for awhile with 🐍 emojis, when she was running for president, well that and her suddenly having an affair with a young navy man? Or something. 🙄. 5y

GingerAntics I enjoyed it. I liked that it wasn‘t overly long and detailed right out of the gate. So far, I think she‘s managed to strike the right balance between detail and boredom. That was my take away from this chapter as well. I feel like that should have been the title. 🤣😂🤣 5y

mollyrotondo @GingerAntics haha she is definitely not long winded 5y

GingerAntics @mollyrotondo I love a good “not long winded” historian. 5y

BarbaraTheBibliophage I‘ve found it interesting so far, if not excessively profound. My favorite quote so far: “Cleopatra stood at one of the most dangerous intersections in history: that of women and power.” Made me think of this book

Women & Power: A Manifesto

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff, Schiff

So interesting (and surreally funny) after reading Shakespeare‘s Anthony and Cleopatra!

#shakespeareReadAlong
#CleopatraGroupRead
#CleopatraALife

Graywacke Love your posts! 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Graywacke Thank You! 5y

Gezemice That‘s a great quote! 5y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff, Schiff

I‘m definitely a nonfiction nerd, because I loved that she said this in the introduction.

#NonfictionNerd
#CleopatraGroupRead
#CleopatraALife

JazzFeathers History is such a complicated matter. And the further back we go, the more difficult it is to discern faces from personal opinioni and cultural positions. But that's the fascination of history :) 5y

38 likes1 comment

Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff, Schiff

I love these other views of Rome, whose histories we usually see through Roman history.

History is written by the victors, but it‘s very important to remember they might not be completely accurate historically...they have their own biases.

#CleopatraGroupRead
#CleopatraALife

31 likes

Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff, Schiff

😂 sadly true, and just remarkably true 😂

#CleopatraGroupRead
#CleopatraALife

JazzFeathers True, eh? I learned this during a visit at the British Museum. It had never occured to me that Cleopatra was actually Greek. 5y

33 likes1 comment

Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff, Schiff

“One of the busiest afterlives in history” Indeed!

#CleopatraGroupRead
#CleopatraALife

JazzFeathers But does it really makes sense to talk about 'Western World' in this context? 🤔 5y

27 likes1 comment

Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff

Ok...here‘s what the schedule looks like with the overwhelmingly picked option 3, a chapter a week!

So read away, and we‘ll discuss the chapter each Sunday!

@GingerAntics @TheBookHippie @Texreader @BarbaraTheBibliophage @mollyrotondo @mdm139 @Gezemice @erzascarletbookgasm @NeedsMoreBooks @JHgotham and anyone else who is interested in joining us!

GingerAntics 💙🤍💙 love it!!! Thanks!!! 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics You‘re welcome! 5y

mollyrotondo Very excited!! 5y

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TheBookHippie Yay!!!! Thanks! 5y

Texreader Great!!! Thank you! 5y

BarbaraTheBibliophage Awesome! 5y

NeedsMoreBooks Yay! Thank you 😊 5y

erzascarletbookgasm 👍 thanks 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Perhaps we can have a hashtag too, so it‘ll be easier to find everyone‘s posts. 5y

Cathythoughts Stunning post ✨ 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve been using #CleopatraGroupRead, but it is kinda bland...after these chapter titles maybe we need a catchier one. 5y

Gezemice Beautiful! Thanks for the tag! I started already :) 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @erzascarletbookgasm It appears #CleopatraALife is the one taking off 😉 5y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Cleopatra: A Life | Stacy Schiff

We‘ve heard this one can be a tough but good read, so we have a decision to make:

1) Everybody read independently & we come together at the end of June to discuss.

2) We divide the book into 4 equal sections & discuss at the end of each week through June.

3) We read 1 chapter a week & discuss at the end of each week through BOTH June & July.

Tell me what you think 🤔
What‘s your preference?

#CleopatraGroupRead

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics @TheBookHippie @Texreader @BarbaraTheBibliophage @mollyrotondo @mdm139 @Gezemice @erzascarletbookgasm @NeedsMoreBooks and anyone else I forgot, or who is interested in joining us! 5y

Texreader I like the third option 5y

NeedsMoreBooks Third option 😊 5y

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TheBookHippie Third is good for me!!! 💜💚 5y

GingerAntics I like the third option, but I‘d be open to the second option, too. 5y

Jgotham I like the third 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @JHgotham Are you joining us to read Cleopatra? I can add you to group tag going forward. 5y

BarbaraTheBibliophage I will join the chorus for option 3! 5y

mollyrotondo If it‘s more convenient to read one chapter a week for everyone else, that‘s fine with me 5y

TEArificbooks I like the third. I will see about getting a copy. 5y

erzascarletbookgasm I have found a secondhand copy! Will go with the majority‘s preference. 5y

MariaW Aswan is a beautiul spot, you should come and visitit. 🤗 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MariaW I‘ve seen some of your posts, so beautiful! 5y

Jgotham @Riveted_Reader_Melissa yes, I would like to if that‘s ok! 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @JHgotham It‘s more than ok, anyone interested is welcome to join this group read....I just wanted to ask before I started tagging you. 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MariaW Are you joining us for the group read too? 5y

MariaW @No, unfortunately not. I still have to teach online till the end of Jund, which is far more work than regular school. 🙈 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MariaW That‘s ok, I just wanted to check before I added you to the tag list. 5y

Gezemice Sorry for being spotty on Litsy, just saw this. I got my copy from the library on audio so I‘ll be listening straight through, but any discussion is fine with me. I can‘t do chapters a day - I either read through or don‘t read at all. Tried many times, could not do it in school, either. I gave read it before 8 years ago so it is a re-read for me. 5y

mollyrotondo Are we starting this discussion on Sunday? I want to make sure I read the first chapter in time! 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @mollyrotondo I was just typing up the plan now. But yes, chapter one read this week, discuss on Sunday. 5y

mollyrotondo @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Thank you! 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @mollyrotondo You‘re welcome! 5y

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