Guest promo My# Bookshelf

I think I told you several times that I suffer of Bibliomania.
Yes, yes the hobby that was considered in the 1800s as an illness in Europe.  I love to read and I also collect books of fiction. You can find books in Romanian, English and German on the shelves.

Here is a photo I took after I received a gift of BOOKS from a former student. She knew my passion and brought them to me from England, where she was a college student at that time. There are some dictionaries on the table and the photo of my older daughter can be seen on the shelf on a small wooden box.

If you are curious to see what is on my other bookshelves, then, please visit here:
What's on your Bookshelf? 
where I am a guest today.
See you there!

Oddities of all kinds #Protect your #books with curses

12th century Hell. Herrad von Landsberg/Public domain

 

Medieval scribes protected their work by threatening death, or worse.

“For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand & rend him. Let him be struck with palsy & all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying aloud for mercy,  and let there be no surcease to his agony till he sing in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever.”

All of you, dear followers are aware of my love for reading and that I am suffering of Bibliomania! That is -  collecting books. So I really understand the wish of those who created  the above curse against those stealing their books. It seems a bit drastic, but..... 

Given the extreme effort that went into creating books in the Middle Ages, scribes and book owners had a real incentive to protect their work. They used the only power they had: words. At the beginning or the end of books, scribes and book owners would write dramatic curses threatening thieves with pain and suffering if they were to steal or damage these treasures. If someone ripped out a page, they were going to die in agony.

These curses were the only things that protected the books.

As it was in a time when people believed in them, they didn’t want to take the chance.

My bookshelves are loaded with books and I always think I don't have enough, even if I am aware I won't be able to read ALL of them.  I think a curse like this one should come in handy for visitors tempted to "borrow"some of my books without my consent:

   May the sword of anathema slay

    If anyone steals this book away.

 What do you think?

 

Book Review (XLVIII) Gambler's Choice by Linda Nghtingale

Blurb:

Becca McQuaid came to England to find the perfect horse but instead met a darkly mysterious challenge in Austen Heath, Baron of Hampton. She’s determined to buy Austen’s stallion Gambler’s Choice. He’s determined not to sell, but the rivals are thrown together by an accident that leaves Austen with a broken leg and the threat he’ll never ride again.

Austen Heath has the title, heritage and manor house…but not the fortune. Becca is wealthy. Her charms are irresistible, but he believes she’s shopping for a Ladyship to go with her money. He has another reason to hold the sexy blonde at arms’ length—the unexplained disappearance of an old friend everyone thinks was his lover. When her body is discovered on his property, he becomes a suspect in her murder.

Then the killer begins stalking Becca. Who is the slayer haunting Hampton Hall? Is it the Baron of Hampton himself?

 

My Review

I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing Gambler’s Choice. There are many things I loved about this novel that I don't even know where to start. On top of a truly well-rounded story I met some pretty clever characters.  The plot is well-developed and the characters are easy to get to know.

Becca and Austen kept me turning the pages. I found them not only likable characters, but their personalities refreshing. Outwardly, they appear as opposites in all aspects of their lives and as the story unfolds, the reader is left with the pleasant discovery of just how alike these two really are.

The author takes the reader on an intimate journey with Becca and Austen and a wonderful cast of secondary characters, Gambler’s Choice included, adding a dimension to the story while entertaining the reader.

And even though you'll be drawn in by the characters, the action will keep you going. There are many twists and turns, and new directions that this story takes. But I don’t want to give any of it up. You must experience the delight yourself by reading the book. I will add only a few quotes from the book to give you a hint about the characters:

Rebecca McQuaid from Virginia.  She was tall, slender, blonde and blue-eyed—in four words his,( Austen’s ) dream woman. Daddy was a lobbyist and Momma old Virginia aristocracy.

Becca had found that the best way to protect her heart was to play spoiled little rich girl. She was looking for a horse to fall in love with and help mend her broken heart.

Baron Austen Heath, “was as hot as a firecracker on the Fourth of July.” First, he rides like he was born on a horse. Second, he’s gorgeous and is a Baron. There are a lot of rich fillies lining up to buy that title and the neat male package that comes with it.”

The chemistry between Becca and Austen is almost palpable. The only problem is that “The man had more women than a tree had leaves” – Patti, Amy, Laura, Julia and many more.

Add to this a beautiful horse – Gambler’s Choice, a ghost, a murderer, threats on Becca’s life and you get an enthralling story.

Will Becca manage to master her fear at being threatened both by ghosts and living beings? Will  she get what she came for to England? Will Austen find out the truth about missing Julia? How can this affect his feelings for the rich American girl? I won’t tell you more to leave you discover the murderer by yourselves.

Gambler’s Choice is well written, keeps you wondering what will happen next. Fans of contemporary romance with a sprinkle of mystery, suspense and a superb horse will binge it. I highly recommend this fast-paced, page turning tale and can't wait to read more of Linda Nightingale's stories.