For one of my history projects, I'm writing about Lady Emma Hamilton. When the semester started, I knew nothing about her... in fact, I'd never even heard the name, or anything about Sir William or Admiral Nelson.

I knew a little about Vesuvius and Pompeii... but to be honest, not much there either.

So, I've been reading a biography of Emma by Kate Williams called England's Mistress, and I have a couple others I plan on using supplementally, if necessary.

This book is very good, and it's putting a bunch of pieces together that I hadn't put together before about what society was like in England, and how women's primping evolved. It's amazing what historians can put together by reading old accounts, letters, journals and other publications. What's even more mindblowing is that I'm preparing myself for potentially the same exciting adventure!

A friend of mine persuaded me to start including school books as ticks towards my yearly reading goals. Her point was this, the time I'm spending reading the required books, I might have spent with recreational reading.

The word "might" jumps out at me there... so as a sort of compromise, I'm including the books that I'm enjoying, and might have ready anyway.

There's this little old lady who runs a used bookstore in a small town not terribly far from here, who told me years ago that she gives a book the first page, and if she isn't hooked, there are more books than she can possibly read anyway, so she might as well grab another.

Again, a mindblowing concept... but it does make sense. Unfortunately, I cannot adopt that attitude for required reading. Some books drag on painfully slow, and part of that is because I'm just not interested in the subject matter. I guess that's why these upper level history classes are more exciting, because I get to do my project on what interests me.

And I'll be honest, some of the "boring" required books... don't get finished.

As for the books on Lady Hamilton? Her life is so fascinating! I love reading about the beautiful girl with the head on her shoulders who ascends through hardship and becomes the most famous and desired woman in England, and indeed, Europe!

And she is quite beautiful. The book has some color plates in it of few of the many paintings done of her. I intend to get one or two to hang on my barren walls at home... Nature (above), by George Romney, would look fabulous in my study.

So if you're reading this, and feeling magnanimous... ;^)

Until then, I have more reading and work to do...