Books, Link Ups

Rosy Red / Cozy Read

Retirement Reflections

I love playing with words. I love reading and discussing books. I’ve also recently discovered how much I enjoy photography and computer graphics. Thanks to Terri-Webster Schrandt, this week’s #SundayStills challenge has given me the chance to experiment with all of the above.

Let’s start with word-play, shall we?

1. If we take this week’s theme, Rosy Red, and switch the second word with its homonym, ROSY RED now becomes ROSY READ. I seriously love this stuff (word geek, I know)!
2. For even more flexibility, if we switch our new homonym with its homograph (in plural form), READ becomes READS. Still with me?
3. Finally, if we change the first word of our original theme with a rhyme, we can choose from posey, nosey, mosey, prosy, dozy and cozy (and that’s just for starters). Going with the latter, ROSY RED magically transforms to COZY READS!

This simple equation now allows me to let you know what I’ve read during the past six weeks. Don’t worry, I’m not a complete cheater. All of the following photographs are my own, and I will ensure that ROSY RED features predominantly throughout!

What I’ve Been Reading

My rating for each of these books is at least four stars. So you really can’t go wrong from this pile…especially if sticking with written (as opposed to audio) form.

My Reviews

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tragedy
Published 1925
My Review
Catch and Kill
Ronan Farrow
Non-Fiction
Published 2019
My Review
Hamnet & Judith
Maggie O’Farrell
Historical Fiction
Published 2020
My Review
Wuthering Heights
Emily Bronte
Tragedy, Gothic
Published 1847
My Review

Beartown
Fredrik Backman
Translated by: Neil Smith
Contemporary Fiction
Publish 2016
My Review

That was the ‘Read’ part, now let’s get to the Rosy/Cozy section.

Come borrow a book, grab a cuppa and a treat, then join me in an afternoon of reading.
Unless, of course, you prefer to stay at home and read in bed. In that case, I promise not to tell your chiropractor (as long as you promise not to tell mine)!

Finally, it wouldn’t be Sunday Stills if I didn’t end with a little music, now would it?

So, put on your red shoes and read!

Please share in the comments what you are currently reading. I am always looking for new book recommendations.

#SundayStills
#RosyRed
#CozyReads

Enjoying #SundayStills? Check out how others have creatively covered this same theme.
Second Wind Leisure Perspectives
Women Living Well Over 50
Deb’s World
Denyse Whelan Blogs
Natalie the Explorer
Loving Life
Graham’s Island
Wandering Dawgs
Jacquie Biggar
Picture This
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Equipoise Life

If you’ve published a SundayStills post for this week, please leave your link in the comments so that we can join you there.

Inspired to join in but haven’t yet prepared a Sunday Stills post? It’s not too late. Your post can be short/simple and can be published any day this week. We would love to see you here!

Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

96 thoughts on “Rosy Red / Cozy Read”

    1. Hi, Denyse – I just finished reading your Rosy Red post. I love all of the reds that you displayed there – especially reds found in nature. Thanks so much for dropping by. I agree that #SundayStills is great for stimulating our creativity, and for helping us to connect further with others.

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  2. Hi Donna – a great mix and match theme happening there – loved your red dancing shoes and also a look at your Zoom location in wider scope! I’m still working my way through the JD Robb “In Death” series – there’s about 50 books, and I’m nearing the end – then onto Dervla McTiernan next I think???

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    1. Hi, Debbie – I had never previously associated red shoes and reading. But I must admit, it was pretty cool to read that way. Yup, I kept those shoes on long after the photoshoot! 😀
      Thank you for sharing your link. I’m off to visit there now!

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  4. Donna, I love all the red in your post and along with the books, this must be the cosiest post ever! 😀😀 Such beautiful presentation throughout including the goodie basket and I love your red shoes! All ready for dancing along to the Bowie classic! I’ve just finished a gripping thriller ‘One Last Child’, reading fluffy ‘The Flip Side’, about to review for NetGalley ‘The Frequency of Us’ and loved the quirky cosy ‘Ellie and the Harp Maker’. Happy Reading! xx

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    1. Hi, Annika – Thank you so much for your kind words, and for the book suggestions. I am not much of a thriller reader (yup, I’m a wuss). Cozy reads are much more my style. I look forward to reading your review on ‘The Frequency of Us’. That’s a very provocative title!

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  5. Hi Donna – you know what I’ve been reading … Bill Bryson’s Little Dribbling …while he wanders around this little island noting some of the ridiculous things we get up to … but I loved Kamala Harris’ book – really interesting … and I’ve lots to read lined up … please could I have a chocolate … I’ve been avoiding them. Are you snow bound? Enjoy today – cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi, Hilary – We are not yet snowbound, but it has been snowing fairly heavily (at least for us) both yesterday and today. Perfect for playing in! I look forward to reading Little Dribbling and Kamala Harris’ book. They are both on my reading pile (as soon as I get through more of my bc books)! Yes, please help yourself to some chocolate. There’s more in the cupboard (where I hide it from myself)! 😀

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  6. What a perfect post for Valentine’s Day, Donna. Red and pink are two colors I adore, so I enjoyed all of your vibrant photos. We have a red sash across the foot of our bed too. 🙂 I’m on a tight book deadline, so not much pleasure reading happening here. I am studying a fantastic craft book that’s been on my shelf for a year.

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  8. I’m currently reading The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths. It is in my yearly challenge, so no surprise I suppose. I like your red shoes that allow you to show off your naked ankles. A very sassy look.

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    1. Hi, Ally – I’d be interested in hearing what you think of the Ghost Fields when you are finished. Good luck with the rest of your challenge.
      My ankles were not completely naked. I did have nylon stockings on (that was the first time in a VERY long time)! 😀

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  10. Rosy Red to Cozy Reads….I get it, Donna.🙂 A fun and creative way to play with the prompt. A warm Rosy/Cozy display of the treats setting the tone for a great afternoon/evening of reading. I have 3 books on the go at the moment. (different genres) Will talk about in future. A very beautiful, interesting, creative post! Perfect for today! Happy Valentine’s Day to you and Richard.xx ❤️

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    1. Thanks, Erica – Before I settle into an afternoon of reading, I’m going to go out and brave the snow. It is definitely calling me to come out and play! I look forward to hearing about the books you are currently reading. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Chuck and family!

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      1. We have had a lot of snow the past two days and it is still snowing. Usually, my daughters get the brunt of it, Thetis Lake and Shawnigan Lake. For some strange reason we are getting more in town. Pretty, calm, quiet…Spring next week. xx

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  11. Love love, chocolate, good reads, including your blog posts. Currently reading The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson – “What a tangled web Jane Johnson weaves with the opening of a book of old embroidery patterns! Two heroines cross paths across centuries as each tries to find what is most important to her.” Prior to that, it was Indians on Vacation by Thomas King – “By turns witty, sly and poignant, this is the unforgettable tale of one couples’ holiday trip to Prague and beyond where their wanderings through the European capitals reveal a complicated history, both personal and political.” I’m still working on the Christmas chocolates but I did make a heart-shaped pan of brownies.

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    1. Hi, Mona – I’ll share m chocolates if you share your heart-shaped brownies. They sound delicious. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: You truly should have a blog…or at least be a professional book reviewer! What you have written here is brilliant, and has completely enticed me to add ‘The Tenth Gift’ and ‘Indians on Vacation’ to my reading pile! Thank you for sharing this!

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      2. Hi. Mona – I did see the quotation marks so you did note them properly. Either way, they are brilliant quotes. I greatly appreciate you sharing them (and I greatly appreciate you clarifying).
        PS – I still think that you should have a blog! 😀

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  12. A cozy post with delightful photos, Donna! Your song choice reminded me of seeing Bowie when his Serious Moonlight tour hit Toronto. A great show!
    I have Hamnet on my Holds list with the library. I should have it in a few weeks, and will let you know how I like it. I thought Catch and Kill was very well done…and though enjoyable might not be the right word given the subject matter, I have to say it was engrossing and hard to put down. Beartown has been on my to-read list for a while now. I am currently reading Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone and loving it.

    Deb

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    1. Hi, Debbie – Even though I read ‘Cutting for Stone’ over three years ago, its words and images have remained with me. It’s a very powerful read! Thank you for the kind words (even though you have seen at least some of these photos before).:D
      BTW – I am completely jealous that you were able to see David Bowie in concert. That must have been an incredible experience!

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    2. oh my – David Bowie in concert. That brought back a flood of memories!!

      Bowie was the very first concert I ever attended. It was in Detroit (I was going to school in Windsor) and I went with a major Bowie fan. Quite frankly, I had never heard of Bowie before but I was completely smitten after than concert. Wow – he had stage presence!!!

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    1. Hi, Darlene – ‘Hamnet and Judith’ is beautifully written and tells a gripping, emotive tale…I believe that you will greatly enjoy it. That being said, I did recommend it to a friend who beyond hated it. So I now add that caution. 😀

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  14. Am listening to David Bowie as I write! I’d have to go downstairs to check the titles of the books I’m reading – one by Elizabeth Byrd more widely known as author of The Immortal Queen which is about Mary Queen of Scots (16th C). The one I’m reading by the same author is called I think Maid of Honour and tells the tail of Lady Beaton, maid of honour to the same Queen Mary. The other I’m just beginning to dip into is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, set in biblical times. Lovely post Donna, seeing those chocs reminds me to grab some I gave my husband for Valentine’s Day (unless he’s scoffing them as I write). A long while ago I wrote a post around the word ‘edit’ and the words made from it – eg tide, diet, tied .. I love your use of yours!

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    1. Hi, Susan – Thank you for sharing these book recommendations. They all sound like reads that I would greatly enjoy. I went back to visit your ‘edit, tide, diet, tied…” post but could not find a search bar. Is there one on your site? (I often miss these things.) I’d like to check that post out!

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      2. Hi, Susan – Thank you for finding the link. I clicked on it but couldn’t get in. I then cut and pasted it into my browser — still no luck. Finally, I tried to get into your blog via https://www.gardenofedenblog.com but couldn’t get in at all (which is strange because I was there yesterday). Has something changed on your site? If not, I will shut down my computer and try again – that sometimes works.

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  15. I haven’t been reading much but picked up “The girl from the Channel Islands”. Second world war and based on a true story. Only on chapter 3 so can’t give you a review yet.
    I have red boots that I adore and which I take travelling – they featured a lot in my blog series of Scotland and England. Nylons hey? Jez – not even sure I own a pair! Have a good Sunday.

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    1. Hi, Bernie – Red boots for travelling sounds very fun and festive. I realize that nylons are quite old school. Since they tend not to go well with yoga pants, it’s been a while since I’ve had them on! 😀 I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on ‘The Girl from the Channel Island’ once the book progresses.

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  16. My full respect for word nerds, Donna! I mess with my husband all the time with wordplay! I like how you combined cozy reading and some book reviews, as well as share some rosy red images today. And who can resist Bowie’s Let’s Dance? Brings back memories of the early MTV days when videos were young and innocent, LOL! Your bed looks cozy and beautiful, reminding me of a photo I took of our master bedroom as we prepared to sell my Sacramento house. I appreciate your feedback from last week and encouraging me to share posts from the previous weeks. A great idea and just a little extra work 😉

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  17. Donna,
    Just learned a new term for a song stuck in my head–earworm is a perfect description. Loved your post, pictures, and the snazzy red shoes. Helen and I are cozied in the RV on a rainy Valentine’s Day in Charleston. Getting ready to jump into River of Doubt about Teddy Roosevelt’s adventure on the Amazon which almost killed him. Enjoy the snow and have a great week! Joe

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  18. Good grief, Donna. You not only made me hungry, but guys you have the coolest looking bedroom! I’m currently reading an academic farce called “Dear Committee Members.” It’s not cozy but it is hilarious. You and Richard might enjoy it. Thanks for the envy today! – Marty

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    1. Hi, Marty – Even the title ‘Dear Committee Members’ made me laugh out loud. There must be something Pavlovian going on here — you leave a comment, and I immediately begin laughing! 😀 Thanks for your compliments on our home decor. When we purchased this house in 2015, we simply threw in the furniture and artwork that we had with us in China, along with what I had inherited from my Grandparents (read here: what no one else wanted). Somehow it all seemed to work — or — we quickly got used to t. Either way, win-win! 😀

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  19. Hi Donna I love, love, love your creative thinking as well as the red shoes and your cozy reading nook by the fire. I actually don’t have a cosy reading space so you have inspired me yet again to look at where I could place one in my home. I’m enjoying Hamnet & Judith very much and am about half-way through. Thanks for the shoutout too! Here’s my contribution to #SundayStills, I look forward to seeing your interpretation of next week’s prompt. xx John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Looking at life through rose coloured glasses

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    1. Hi, Sue – Thank you for your kind words. I greatly enjoyed your rose-coloured glasses post. I now need to figure out how to make these transparent role panels in Canva. They were extremely cool! I love how we supported each other through this challenge. Now on to #birds! 😀

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  20. Good to see you tackling some of the classics. I know ebooks are more the fad now, but I still love the satisfaction of holding a book in my hands and physically turning each page. I’m also fascinated by words and enjoying playing around with them. One year my class and I maintained a list of palindromes (words spelled the same frontward and backward) such as madam, kayak, and noon.

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    1. Hi, Peter – I also enjoy palindromes and anagrams. They help to challenge and relax my nerdy brain! 😀 I read very comfortably in multiple formats (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, etc. — I usually just go with whatever form I can get from the library first)! In this group of six books, I had read Hamnet in digital form, and I had borrowed (and since returned) Gatsby to the library. With a tiny bit of photo editing, this hurdle was very easy to get past. Although I did wonder if anyone had noticed! 😀

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  21. That was fun, Donna. I LOVE wordplay and double meanings and that kind of stuff as well. It’s nice to see that you are still keeping up your reading enjoyment. How I’d love to be on that bed right now and finally be able to sit up in bed!! 🙂 I also love that last photo of you with the book, the fireplace, and the red shoes. Cozy indeed! Have a fantastic week!

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    1. Thanks, Liesbet – I’m a bad one for reading in bed, blogging in bed, and using my bedroom for both phone and Zoom calls. In my defence, it is the most private place in our open concept home (other than the bathrooms :D. Still, I am sure that any chiropractor worth his/her salt would not be amused!

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  22. What a fun word play! Gorgeous red shoes and appropriate for the theme. How could you go wrong with reading F Scott Fitzgerald! He seems to have become fashionable to read again, with the recent remake of the Gatsby film. Enjoy your reading. I have some Scandi novels on the go and a non fiction book on climate change by Rebecca Huntley.

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      1. I am thinking of writing a few more salient points from that book, so there will be a few posts in the pipeline. An interesting point early on was that she recognized that in order to open up discussions with others who were cofirmed deniers, was to acknowledge their fears and concerns as real – for them. Even if she disagreed with them.

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      2. LOL Donna. I’ve hardly had time to open a book recently. I think I need a new Kindle. Some of the books won’t open in my old one. and I hate reading on my computer. I don’t buy paperbacks because I don’t have any more room on my book cases, and they pile up. I may have to resort to getting a library card here in Prescott! Thanks for the nice compliment. I’ll have to read your review now.

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  24. Just had to say that I laughed out loud when I got to the red heels while reading in front of the fire place! I haven’t worn heels in a year…no going out to those places I wear heels in a year. I never considered just putting them on for the joy if it. And yeah, I have red ones I think I might need to pull out.

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    1. Hi, Pat – As pandemic restrictions continue (with no immediate end in sight), it is time more than ever to pull out the things that bring us joy. The good china, company-only glassware, a gussy dress and an extra high pair of heels. Oh and makeup too. I put on some lipstick the other day and with all the recent mask-wearing, I almost forgot how to apply it! 😀

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  25. Hi Donna, Your creative take on Terri’s photo challenge is wonderful. I love all the red accents in your photos, including your statement red shoes. Thank you for the treats and book reviews. I’m reading “Older, But Better, But Older” by Caroline De Maigret.

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  26. What a great selection of books. I clicked thru to your reviews and was delighted to see your review focussing on what Wuthering Heights is really about, rather than pretending it’s some great love story. I think I was so cross at the way people depict that book that I gave it 1-star, for I read it a very long time ago. Mind you, I have views on Jane Eyre too… I’m not sure I’d ever re-read both as a (much more) mature adult, so their writing will probably remain under-appreciated, but “too many books, too little time”. I will add Bear Town to my TBR list, as that looks most interesting. I recommend the books of Sebastian Barry in return – simply beautifully lyrical writing.

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    1. Thank you for this very insightful comment. I have been reading Wuthering heights with three other friends. We divided the book into quarters and have been discussing one section every two weeks or so. Last week, our discussion led to the key point that you shared here. When a book has been forced upon us when we weren’t ready for it, it can not only ruin that book for us but similar ones as well. One of my friends read WH in school and believed it was a love story. When she later read it as an adult, she only saw the cruelty. Reading it a third time she sees the complexities, the story within a story, and mostly sees that not everything is as it originally appears. I will definitely look up the Sebastian Barry book. You had me at “beautiful lyrical writing”!

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  28. Great response to the prompt! I have red… I mean read… several of Backman’s books and really liked them but I haven’t yet read Beartown. I’ll have to fix that. Hamnet and Judith looks like the kind of book I’d enjoy also. Both are now on my library to read list. Your red shoes made me laugh. As pretty as they are, I can’t quite picture you wearing them for very long… sneakers or flip flops seem more your style 🙂 I have a pair of red heels that haven’t seen my feet since I retired seven years ago.

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    1. Hi, Janis – I actually wore those red shoes all afternoon. It was like you recently mentioned in a post, ‘use the good china, and whatever else brings you joy”. This pandemic has given most of us a daily ‘casual Friday’ attire. It was fun to switch that up!
      I’m glad that you are adding Hamet and Beartown to your reading list. I believe that you will greatly enjoy both!

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  30. Very creative, Donna, and I love those red shoes! I have read Bear Town. It’s been a while, but as I recall, it was a great read, though difficult at times. I just finished An Unfinished Story, and now am reading What’s on Your Sign.

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  31. Those red shoes look fun! A great play on words through your post. Thank you for the book suggestions. I’ve been doing a lot more reading this year so always glad for suggestions and reviews.

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    1. Hi, Marsha- I loved your contribution to #SundayStills this week. That was very creative — and super successful multitasking! As soon as I read Terri’s prompts, a song immediately springs to mind. That song then takes me to words and mages of my own and I instantly get lost in the flow. It’s been a very enjoyable process — especially then seeing everyone else’s take to the same prompt. There are never two alike!

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      1. They never are alike in any of them. I love the Lens Artists, too for the same reason. I try to combine them, or I’d never get done! 🙂 I took some pictures for Terri’s Fallen prompt, but I’m wondering about posting them way late!

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  33. Thank you for the book recommendations, Donna! I see a couple there that I want to dive into. I just finished reading Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime.” A great read, and I have a new appreciation for what he overcame after his apartheid childhood in South Africa. Now I’m deep into Erik Larson’s “The Splendid and the Vile.” A huge silver lining of the pandemic has been time to read 🙂
    Have a great day,
    Susan

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    1. Hi, Susan – Thanks so much for dropping by. I’ve also recently read ‘Born a Crime.’ Like you, I developed a new appreciation for what Noah has overcome. I’ve only ever read one Erik Larson novel — ‘Devil in the White City’. It has haunted me for years. I am a definite wuss, especially when it comes to non-fiction horror.

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      2. Hi, Susan – I’m glad that ‘Splendid’ does not have a serial-killer subplot. That one really did my head in (yet I felt compelled to finish it for Book Club — why, oh why, did I do that?) 😀

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