Kat Black
@katblack51.bsky.social
bookish old woman, still figuring it out
Pinned
Reading Stephen Greenblatt's Dark Renaissance, a biography of Christopher Marlow. You need two bookmarks because the endnotes are great. I had no idea reading Virgil and Ovid in 12th grade Latin was so subversive. I am now rethinking my entire life. 💙📚
September 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reading Stephen Greenblatt's Dark Renaissance, a biography of Christopher Marlow. You need two bookmarks because the endnotes are great. I had no idea reading Virgil and Ovid in 12th grade Latin was so subversive. I am now rethinking my entire life. 💙📚
Reposted by Kat Black
New on the blog today, I've written about some of my favourite spinsters in literature for @pear-jelly.bsky.social's #SpinsterSeptember, which starts tomorrow.
Featuring books by Anita Brookner, Muriel Spark, Rumer Godden and many more! #BookSky 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/08/31/s...
Featuring books by Anita Brookner, Muriel Spark, Rumer Godden and many more! #BookSky 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/08/31/s...
Spinsters in literature – some recommendations for #SpinsterSeptember
If you follow Nora (Pear Jelly) on Bluesky or Instagram, you’ll know that she’s been gearing up to host #SpinsterSeptember, a brilliant reading event showcasing books featuring spinsters, from the …
jacquiwine.wordpress.com
August 31, 2025 at 6:19 AM
New on the blog today, I've written about some of my favourite spinsters in literature for @pear-jelly.bsky.social's #SpinsterSeptember, which starts tomorrow.
Featuring books by Anita Brookner, Muriel Spark, Rumer Godden and many more! #BookSky 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/08/31/s...
Featuring books by Anita Brookner, Muriel Spark, Rumer Godden and many more! #BookSky 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/08/31/s...
Reading @alexhaybooks.bsky.social 's The Queen of Fives. It's so much fun-- a twisty Victorian caper with a great female lead. You never know who's going to wink at the reader next.
August 25, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Reading @alexhaybooks.bsky.social 's The Queen of Fives. It's so much fun-- a twisty Victorian caper with a great female lead. You never know who's going to wink at the reader next.
When I picked up @garrettcarr.bsky.social 's The Boy from the Sea, I knew it was set in 70's-80's Northern Ireland, I had read a review, but it wasn't what I expected. So much hard but gentle truth about relationships, families, and time, how time changes things and doesn't change things. Wow.
August 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM
When I picked up @garrettcarr.bsky.social 's The Boy from the Sea, I knew it was set in 70's-80's Northern Ireland, I had read a review, but it wasn't what I expected. So much hard but gentle truth about relationships, families, and time, how time changes things and doesn't change things. Wow.
Just finished What the Night Brings, Mark Billingham's latest Tom Thorne novel. I understand that I have @lucaveste.bsky.social to thank for the ending. Looking at you, Mr. Veste.
July 23, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Just finished What the Night Brings, Mark Billingham's latest Tom Thorne novel. I understand that I have @lucaveste.bsky.social to thank for the ending. Looking at you, Mr. Veste.
Reposted by Kat Black
'Wild Poppies' by Colleen Parker, contemporary artist and illustrator #womensart
July 6, 2025 at 7:46 AM
'Wild Poppies' by Colleen Parker, contemporary artist and illustrator #womensart
Just read Beena Kamalani's The English Problem. I'm so completely in this world. I need to think about "desire."
June 21, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Just read Beena Kamalani's The English Problem. I'm so completely in this world. I need to think about "desire."
What is Louise Hegarty doing in Fair Play? Golden Age mysteries as a coping mechanism for grief? Strangely, it works. And that final chapter--my heart!
May 26, 2025 at 12:33 PM
What is Louise Hegarty doing in Fair Play? Golden Age mysteries as a coping mechanism for grief? Strangely, it works. And that final chapter--my heart!
Reposted by Kat Black
The world needs more of this and less of most other things
May 12, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The world needs more of this and less of most other things
Reposted by Kat Black
This is a gorgeous description for a glowing c 1817 carriage gown, made of tartan bombazine. Bombazine is a twilled fabric that typically has a silk warp & worsted weft to create a particular type of texture. The sleeve details are especially lovely. Sold via #kerrytaylorauctions #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡
April 29, 2025 at 9:28 AM
This is a gorgeous description for a glowing c 1817 carriage gown, made of tartan bombazine. Bombazine is a twilled fabric that typically has a silk warp & worsted weft to create a particular type of texture. The sleeve details are especially lovely. Sold via #kerrytaylorauctions #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡
Ok I just finished Paraic O'Donnell's The Naming of the Birds. Am I the only one that thinks that the voice of the boy Finch is very like that of Henry Cutter? I kept waiting for a big reveal. 📚💙
April 27, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Ok I just finished Paraic O'Donnell's The Naming of the Birds. Am I the only one that thinks that the voice of the boy Finch is very like that of Henry Cutter? I kept waiting for a big reveal. 📚💙
Reposted by Kat Black
Most definitely an art that I frequently work to perfect. 💙📚🌶
April 25, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Most definitely an art that I frequently work to perfect. 💙📚🌶
Just finished Paraic O"Donnell's The House on Vesper Sands. Such a variety of unique voices, and a great story! 💙📚
April 13, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Just finished Paraic O"Donnell's The House on Vesper Sands. Such a variety of unique voices, and a great story! 💙📚
I've read Heart of Darkness maybe a dozen times. Each time I think "Now I get it." Just finished Colum McCann's Twist and it might be a similar situation. 💙📚
April 9, 2025 at 12:59 PM
I've read Heart of Darkness maybe a dozen times. Each time I think "Now I get it." Just finished Colum McCann's Twist and it might be a similar situation. 💙📚
Reposted by Kat Black
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Ynspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes...
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Ynspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes...
April 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Ynspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes...
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Ynspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes...
Reposted by Kat Black
A good friend, who knows me very well, has just sent me a link to this article about an adaptation of EXCELLENT WOMEN.
Great to see this level of interest in Barbara Pym, but I shall be very cross if they muck it up! #BookSky #BarbaraPym 💙📚
www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-r...
Great to see this level of interest in Barbara Pym, but I shall be very cross if they muck it up! #BookSky #BarbaraPym 💙📚
www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-r...
The latest news and gossip from the world of TV
This week: new adaptations of Barbara Pym’s novels are on the way, Amazon handed a hit to its biggest rival, Steve Coogan comes to Netflix, and more TV news
www.thetimes.com
March 22, 2025 at 9:30 AM
A good friend, who knows me very well, has just sent me a link to this article about an adaptation of EXCELLENT WOMEN.
Great to see this level of interest in Barbara Pym, but I shall be very cross if they muck it up! #BookSky #BarbaraPym 💙📚
www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-r...
Great to see this level of interest in Barbara Pym, but I shall be very cross if they muck it up! #BookSky #BarbaraPym 💙📚
www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-r...
Reposted by Kat Black
“You’re going to end up all alone with just a bunch of cats” isn’t quite the insult you think it is! 😹
March 22, 2025 at 10:35 AM
“You’re going to end up all alone with just a bunch of cats” isn’t quite the insult you think it is! 😹
Niall Williams' Time of the Child finally arrived. I'm heading back to Faha. 💙📚
March 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Niall Williams' Time of the Child finally arrived. I'm heading back to Faha. 💙📚
Reposted by Kat Black
In the Woods by Tana French
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. And then the bears moved in..
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. And then the bears moved in..
Most stories could be improved with the addition of “And then the bears moved in” to their opening
March 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM
In the Woods by Tana French
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. And then the bears moved in..
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. And then the bears moved in..
I've begun Pat Barker's The Voyage Home, waiting for Agamemnon to get his. I wish here weren't so much collateral damage. 💙📚
February 28, 2025 at 6:21 PM
I've begun Pat Barker's The Voyage Home, waiting for Agamemnon to get his. I wish here weren't so much collateral damage. 💙📚
Reposted by Kat Black
From the AMAZING children’s author and illustrator @mowillems.bsky.social.
February 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
From the AMAZING children’s author and illustrator @mowillems.bsky.social.
Reposted by Kat Black
The stars of Avalon. Taken last night here in Glastonbury.
February 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
The stars of Avalon. Taken last night here in Glastonbury.
Just starting John Banville's The Drowned. Quirke and Strafford--enough said.
February 21, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Just starting John Banville's The Drowned. Quirke and Strafford--enough said.