And I Bought More Books

Pictured (left) Euripides

I have been a little slow with my blog as I have been up and about a fair bit lately. I have so much to write about but little time to say it all. The keen attempt to indulge in some serious creative writing has also been mind-boggling as there is a lot going on in my head. I need to publish something. I have procrastinated greatly in this area and also to work on some freelance journalism.
Lured by what I would deem as a fantastic sale, I stepped in at Hodges Figgis bookstore on Dawson Street the other day, with trepidation.
There is this overwhelming feeling as it is that there are simply too many playgrounds of books to count and it didn't help that one may feel like playing the swings all day.
Besides, you don't often find sales in bookstores. Prices had stepped down by a good 10 or even 6 euros to what the same books had cost just a few weeks before.
The ambience was perfect. Top-class staff when you think of their friendly assistance and efficient service together with the prospect of generous book tokens from purchases.
The other book-browsers seemed as pleased as me. Women appeared inclined to chat. Children tiptoed or ran around the vast picture book displays, fancying the visual exhibition as a tempting carousel.
I did not buy anything randomly but chose my reads purposefully.
After a great deal of thought, I settled for another Mrs. Gaskell called Ruth, the true epitome of a British classic and Anton Chekhov's play titled Uncle Vanya.
I love Mrs. Gaskell as she always appears to hush up a bleak winter spell with plots that remind me of warm socks, fireplaces and steaming tea. :-) Ruth deals with a fictitious orphaned seamstress and devoted single mother, whose hard-earned tranquility is threatened by a blackmailer.
I also bought an ancient Greek classic - and this may just help put my new year resolution on a good footing - it's called Orestes and Other Plays, written by the Greek playwright and tragedian, Euripides, and featuring a detailed commentary and scholarly essays, dealing with classical Athens. I hope to take my reading journey a step further into adventure by doing a private study on this. Oh...I have more on my list...Irish fairy tales, folklore and the newest contemporary fiction titles.
At the moment, I'm reading Kunal Basu's The Miniaturist.