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2001: A Space Odyssey by Richard Strauss
2001: A Space Odyssey by Richard Strauss
1968
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"One of the first records I remember having any kind of relationship to was the soundtrack to 2001. At that point, I wasn’t allowed to put the needle on the record, but my dad would put it on, and, looking back now, I liked it ’cause it it scared me. There’s a lot of spooky stuff on there. I wanted to hear the record that was going to freak me out, and I wanted my dad in the room while it was being played. Growing up in Temple, Texas, my dad was the looser parent, the kind of guy who would wake the kids up in the morning by turning the stereo on really loud and blasting some upbeat music. In fact, the neighbor was always calling over to tell him to turn his stereo down. Later, he became a little more strict and got more religious; now he goes to mass every day. My parents split up in ’79, when I was 8. It was a pretty acrimonious break up. By then, I had a younger brother and sister, and we would go see my dad every other weekend. There was a certain voice my mom reserved only for my dad—when she would pick up the phone and use this voice, I knew it was him: “Oh hello.” There was a lot of animosity there for a long time, but as of the last couple of years, we have all shared Thanksgiving together for the first time since 1978, which has been really nice. My little brother now has a kid, so that brings everybody together."

Source
  
The City of Tears (The Burning Chambers #2)
The City of Tears (The Burning Chambers #2)
Kate Mosse | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
9
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The story of Minou and Piet continues, starting with their idyllic lives in Puivert: Minou is the chatelaine, and Piet has returned from fighting for the Huguenot cause. They have two children: Marta, a precocious little girl, and their baby son Jean-Jacques. As a family they decide to travel to Paris for the wedding of the Catholic Marguerite de Valois (the King’s sister) and the Protestant Henri of Navarre (the first Bourbon King of France - and I never know whether to think of the biscuit or the drink whenever I hear the word ‘Bourbon’ 🤷🏼‍♀️). Their union is hoped to end the religious wars in France.

But of course nothing goes to plan. Cardinal Valentin is there in his role as the Duke of Guise’s confessor, and he’s out for revenge. The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre tears Minou and Piet’s family apart so that it is forever changed.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that Minou and Piet end up in Amsterdam. In Amsterdam their is a peaceful change in power from Catholic to Protestant. It’s interesting to see how their lives change, and how they are able to live in relative peace and cooperation with their Catholic friends and neighbours. It’s no less exciting than The Burning Chambers though. The family’s adventures take them back to France and in to more danger.

 I loved all of the historical detail, and the thoughts and beliefs around religion at this time - and I cannot wait to read the next TWO books in this series! I’m hooked!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for this serialisation - it was outstanding!