About Me

I've loved to read ever since I was little, and because I'm also super competitive, I had to be the BEST reader who read the MOST books. More than once I got in trouble for having a book out in math class, but who needs boring numbers when you have such beautiful words?

My personal reading preferences cover a wide range of non-fiction topics. I tend to gravitate toward history, particularly that of Roman Britain through the Elizabethan Age and everything in between - Anglo-Saxon England, the Viking raids, the Norman invasion, and the Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties. I am open to reading anything that catches my interested however, and do not limit myself to just these topics or the United Kingdom.

Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of my heroes and I've read nearly every non-fiction book about her that I can get my hands on. Thank goodness for a library system that can get me a book from anywhere in the country (for a cost shipping of course - WORTH IT!), in a reasonable amount of time. I am also particularly intrigued by Boudicca and the Iceni; how frustrating it is that we know so little of her - if she really existed even. I always joke that my daughter is lucky I discovered Eleanor of Aquitaine BEFORE Boudicca, or her name might be very different - literally.

I am trying to get more interested in World War I, though it is slow going. I am not one for military history and much more enjoy the human aspect, the social and cultural impacts of the wars. I care little for battle plans and weaponry. I find myself most interested in the catalyst, Gavrilo Princip. You may not know the name and I did not, either. In every history class and most WWI books I have read, he is simply referred to as the assassin who killed Ferdinand and started World War I. But he has a name and like so many others I am interested in, much of his life remains a mystery.

When I was younger I was quite nearly obsessed with World War II and the Holocaust. While I am still slowly but surely making my way through The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, I just can't read about these atrocities anymore and it is a wonder I ever could.

I am also incredibly interested in reading about the Bible and biblical times, in addition to the Bible itself. Biblical archaeology is fascinating to me and I'd love to one day see so many of these places in person. Jerusalem is so full of history, I can't even fathom. As is my theme of mysterious figures in history, St. Patrick and his life's work are another favorite topic. I've read his Confession many times - how amazing it is that it has come down to us intact through the centuries, surviving the Dark Ages of all things.

Miscellaneous topics I enjoy learning about include the Romanov dynasty, assorted US history (I have a kind of obsession with the biographies of cities), and the Civil War. Again, not so much the battles and such, but the human interest aspects.

Happy Reading!
Sarah

12 comments:

  1. Sarah is a reading machine, folks!

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    1. Being a reader is my second purpose in life! (Being Momma is first)

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  2. You have quite a few of the same tastes as I do in history! I am fascinated by US history, WW1/WWII, American Civil War, Tudors and Plantagenets and of course I noticed you are also a Buffy fan! I read and watch a lot of 9/11 stuff as well though not as many books as I'd like recently. I think it facinates and horrifies me in equal measures. I used to read a lot of Holocaust books but the content was depressing and upsetting and I find it hard to read now. Great blog!

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    1. Thank you so much for coming by, I am always so happy when I find like-minded readers. I love nonfiction more than anything! And Buffy - don't even get me started. 20 years later and I am STILL in love with Angel, and wish that I was a Scooby.

      9/11 is still hard, even 15 years later, at least for me. It was really the first time as a quasi-adult that I was aware of evil on this level. I remember bits and pieces of the Oklahoma City bombing, and even the first WTC attacks in the early 90s, but through the lens of a child who did not fully comprehend. This was so different.

      I also used to read a lot about WWII and the Holocaust. My family is very thoroughly German (and a little Swedish), so this period was also interesting to me. But I found once I had a child of my own, I could no longer stomach the atrocities and heartbreaking stories.

      I look forward to future chats about our favorite topics!

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    1. I don't even know how I missed this comment! I am really excited to read the biography of Aethelflaed; I love reading about the Anglo-Saxons. I have a book that should be arriving any day now about the kings and queens of Anglo-Saxon England, and another about Alfred.

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  4. Just found your blog. Looks like we have a lot of common interests in books. I'll look you up on goodreads as well.

    Sorry for taking the BEST blog name: Gently Mad (ha,ha). sharonhenning.blogspot.com

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    1. It is quite a good name, I agree! Here is my profile on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9479196-sarah---all-the-book-blog-names-are-taken

      I am sure we can find numerous books on one another's TBRs that we will each be interested in. Thanks for coming by, glad we connected!

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  5. As someone who started her blog a scant 106 days ago, I have to agree about the blog names! I read pretty much only fiction, so we aren’t going to overlap much, except where Buffy is concerned. I wrote at the time that there weren’t words big enough for how good the show was.

    Cheers!

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    1. Thank you!! I was coming up with all these cute or witty or funny blog names and every.single.one. was taken. So I slammed my fist on my desk and said to no one, "UGH! All the book blog names are taken!" VOILA, here we are almost six years later, lol.

      I agree with your sentiment about Buffy, and I don't think we still have the words for how important the show still is - especially in light of everything that has come out about Whedon. I struggled a lot with how to handle it all and realized I could still love it, because the actors took his words and made it all theirs. They made it come alive. But also, season six makes waaaaaay more sense now that we know what a fucking scumbag he is. My daughter is eight and I let her watched the first three seasons. I have held off one season four because it gets a little more grown up, but I know I can't hold her off forever, she is VERY determined. Thanks for coming by, I am looking forward to reading more on your blog!

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    2. Hi Sarah,

      My son Joe and I enjoy your reviews on "All The Book Blog Names Are Taken" and appreciate your broads range of topics and viewpoints on world history, including U.S History. With that in mind we'd like to share our new book "Fishbowl 45: The Unpresidented Parody” with you. Fishbowl 45 is a political satire that shows Donald Trump’s true character by giving his words and actions to a shady Used Car Salesman from Queens.

      Historically, public opinion has been heavily influenced by political satire, going back to the Athenian democracy and the performances of the comic poets at their theatres. “Although it usually intends to be funny, satire's main purpose is to launch an attack using the weapon of wit,” says Professor Robert Speel of Penn State University. Perhaps that is why Fishbowl 45 has been praised by Congressman Jamie Raskin as "A lively and creative book that underscores the importance of maintaining a strong democracy."

      As political podcaster Jon Favreau noted, "Following his impeachment, Trump was trying to arrest Jimmy Kimmel and members of Saturday Night Live, while other fascists were arresting comedians in India, Russia, and Iran. The reason being that once you take them less seriously, it’s hard for them to seem so powerful to their followers."

      As Donald J. Trump continues to express his dangerous autocratic motives, our satire counters with Donald J. Fish’s corrupt auto-motive ones. Our goal in this parody is to expose Trump's true character and encourage voters to question whether they want a Shady Used Car Salesman as their President in 2024.

      We hope our book may be of interest to you and your readers, and we would be happy to forward a paperback or digital copy to you for your consideration. Below is a link to the book on Amazon.

      Thank you for your time and consideration!

      Sincerely,

      Rich & Joe Barbour
      richardbarbour@gmail.com

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    3. Really looking forward to this one, thank you for the copy!

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