Books, a Roman Staging Post and some Romano-Britain themed book recommendations!

In our quest to find ever more exciting books to read and recommend we try and leave no stone, or in this case telephone box, unturned! What a great way to re-use a redundant telephone box!

Inspired by reads set in Romano Britain, such as Christina Phillips‘ Betrayed and Tainted, click titles for reviews, we took the family on a visit to the nearby village of Wall.

The village was once the Roman settlement Letocetum, an important staging post on Watling Street, the Roman military road to North Wales, which cuts across England and passes through the Midlands. It provided overnight accommodation for travelling Roman officials and imperial messengers. The foundations of an inn and bathhouse can be seen, and many of the excavated finds are displayed in a fascinating museum. It became a small town and place where much trade took place.It is managed and maintained by English Heritage and owned by National Trust.

The children loved exploring the site and there is a lovely walk around the village and the adjacent countryside which incorporates an ancient greenway and some charming country lanes, with some great views of the countryside. I’ve posted a few other pics of our afternoon out for anyone interested to have a peep and also a link to the English Heritage site.

I plan to produce a list of book recommendations later this year which will focus on reads set in the ancient past and if you know of any great reads that fit the bill do let me know. xxx

Tina 🙂

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/wall-roman-site/

Do You Recognise Yourself? – Take our Fun Quiz and Find Out!

During my recent vacation I had some time to ponder my reading addiction, book buying and hoarding habits. I came to the conclusion that I am a serious bibliophile, nay, bookaholic!

Why not take this fun quiz to discover whether you too have any of the characteristics/habits that I have unscientifically identified to see if you are too? Feel free to share your score with those also afflicted via this blog’s comments section and any additional habits not identified in this post.

1. Is your e-reader/bookshelf full to bursting with books that you have purchased, got hold of for free or downloaded as a sample?

2. When friends/relatives ask you what you have been up to recently do your thoughts immediately go to the adventures of the heroes and heroines in your most recent reads?

3. Are you unaware of the names of popular celebrities or TV programmes but can easily list authors’ book series and the various heroes and heroines?

4. If given £100 to spend in a town you have not visited before would you prefer to spend the time and money checking out book bargains or rare book finds in the bookshops or shopping in boutiques?

5. Have you ever listed the names and addresses of a town’s charity shops , with the sole purpose of visiting them to investigate their collection of second hand books?

6. Have you ever hidden books that you have purchased from your parents/partner?

7. Do you usually prefer the book to the film?

8. Do you borrow from a lending library? Do staff there know you on sight and/or by name? Do you order books from other libraries as you have exhausted all but new acquisitions in your preferred genres?

9.  Are your computer favourites festooned with the blog sites of your favourite authors or review sites?

10. Are you a member of sites such as Goodreads or Smashwords?

11. If given an Amazon gift card do you only think of spending it on books?

12. Do you read reviews or post reviews?

13. Do you have a huge wish list of books that you have yet to purchase but want to read?

14. Did you play at libraries as a child?

15. As a child did you ever read a book under the cover of darkness as it was time for lights out?

Count up the number of the above questions that you answered YES to and read on for the diagnosis………………

1-4 – Your reading is not excessive and you have a healthy, well balanced life. But think how much more exciting it could be if you read more!

5-9 – You are on a slippery slope. It could go either way!

10 and above – You have a serious book addiction! Seek help, take up physical exercise or origami  or put up and shut up and become a book blogger.

Happy reading!

Tina 🙂

Post image by Catherine Williams