Book Notes: The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats

In his last book, The Ancient Minstrel, Jim Harrison described reading Yeats’ poetry at 18 as being guillotined.

W.B. Yeats died on this date in 1939, at the age of 73. He had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.

My personal favorite is "For Anne Gregory," one I’ve kept in my desk drawer since college, with the lines, “Only God, my dear, could love you for yourself alone, and not your yellow hair.” I take it as a wry reminder of the fallibility of man.

My New Year’s resolution was to read a poem a day from Yeats’ Collected Poems. I keep the book at work, so I haven’t read one every day, but I’m making progress.

Book Beginning: Bel, Book and Scandal by Maggie McConnon

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

I was wet, cold, and tired, but despite the fact that she was ready to kill me with her bare hands for staying out all night, my mother addressed all three of my immediate needs before saying anything else.

Bel, Book and Scandal by Maggie McConnon. That's a snappy beginning to what looks like a fun new cozy mystery, the third featuring Bel McGrath, an Irish-American wedding chef and amateur sleuth.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

Mailbox Monday: Sam's Theory and More

Three very different books came into my house last week. How about you?



Sam's Theory by Sarah Mendivel. I am excited about this book. It's a YA fantasy novel written by a therapist as a creative way to help young people heal from trauma. What a brilliant idea!



A Florentine Death by Michele Giuttari. This is the first book in this Italian author's series featuring Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara. It's perfect for the European Reading Challenge.



Wise Virgin by A. N. Wilson. I love campus novels an this one looks great, although it never crossed my radar before.

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.

Book Beginning: Lord Mullion's Secret

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The Mullions were still quite comfortably off, although they no longer managed to pay their way in the entirely unobtrusive fashion they would have wished. Twice a week, and through the greater part of the year, they were obliged to turn Mullion Castle into a Stately Home. 

-- Lord Mullion's Secret by Michael Innes. This 1981 mystery features portrait painter and reluctant amateur sleuth, Charles Honeybath.

It counts as my first book for the 2018 Vintage Mystery Challenge in the Silver category.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

Mailbox Monday

What books came into your house last week? I got three, completely different books.



Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience, compiled by Shaun Usher. I loved Lists of Note and this compilation of remarkable letters from the same creator is just as wonderful.



Bel, Book, and Scandal by Maggie McConnon. This is the third mystery in McConnon's Belfast McGrath series, featuring an Irish-American wedding chef and amateur sleuth.



Patriotism Is Not Enough: Harry Jaffa, Walter Berns, and the Arguments that Redefined American Conservatism by Steven F. Hayward. OK, not a book for everyone, I understand. But I enjoy racing down a wonkish rabbit hole every now and again.

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.