Life’s been a whirlwind lately for some good and not-so-good reasons.
To sum it up:
Girl tries to set up store and integrate it with her website
Girl gets frustrated with store setup and persistent theme problems
Girl throws in the tower and starts over on Shopify
Girl learns to use this new platform
Girl’s computer ultimately meets its untimely demise (I think so anyways; better minds than me will look at it shortly)
Girl gets new laptop and finishes store
Girl FINALLY manages to return to Substack
And here I am (despite some setbacks and learning opportunities)! So, my friends, welcome back! Here’s what I’ll be touching base on this week.
Note on adjustments to the MBH format
Bookish happenings
Store happenings
Introducing “Ye Olde History” and “Bookish” Sections
In my last newsletter I indicated I would adjusting the format of the Musings of a Bookish Historian posts to keep things a little more consistent and streamlined. To that end, I created two new sections devoted to history and books: “Ye Olde History” and “Bookish”. This new format will allow me to focus on one topic instead of trying to cobble everything together in an unruly scroll only monks would be able to decipher.
Going forward, Musings will serve as an area for updates and curated content while “Ye Olde History” and “Bookish” will consist of more long-form/focused content.
“Ye Olde History” will include listicles, long-form articles, new and exciting resources I come across, and more. “Bookish” will focus on my TBR pile, thoughts on what I’m currently reading, commentary, things of that nature.
I hope you look forward to the new format as much as I am!
Bookish Happenings
My TBR pile is currently a mile long, but I’m honestly excited for all of them.
The Merchant from Sepharad
I just finished The Merchant from Sepharad, the third entry in James Hutson-Wiley’s The Sugar Merchant series. In case you missed it, here’s my review of the first two books in this series:
The Merchant from Sepharad continues the series with young Joshua ben Elazar. His father has tasked him with continuing the family tradition of mercantilism, but when Joshua’s first efforts fail in 12th-century Portugal, he’s sent to Cordoba to become a Talmudic scholar. Failing that, Elazar offers him one last chance to prove himself: Joshua must establish a new lucrative trade route to India. In a world brimming with political and religious upheaval, Joshua must contend with external and internal forces to ensure the success of his journey.
I won’t divulge too much here until I write my full review. However, I will say that The Merchant from Sepharad proves a worthy successor to The Sugar Merchant and The Travels of ibn Thomas. Joshua’s strength of character, development, and even his own flaws make him a sympathetic but powerful protagonist and one not likely to be soon forgotten.
**Also, in case you read this far, waraq is the Arabic word for paper.
Current Reads:
Of White Ashes. Constance Hays Matsumoto & Kent Matsumoto. Loyola College/Apprentice House. 388 pages. May 2023.
Constance Hays Matsuomoto and Kent Matsumoto tell the tales of Ruby Ishimaru and Koji Matsuo as they intertwine during one of the most horrific times in history: World War II. As the summary states: “Inspired by the true stories of the authors' family, Of White Ashes crosses oceans and cultures, illuminating the remarkable lives of ordinary people who endure seemingly unbearable hardship with dignity and patience. Their experiences compel us to reflect on the resilience of humanity and the risk of history repeating.”
The Resurrectionist. Paul T. Scheuring. One Light Road, Inc. 327 pages. April 2022.
This novel, set in Georgian London, explores the deeply unsettling question of how far would one go to save a loved one. As the synopsis goes: "That is the question facing two men - one a doctor, the other a grave robber - as their lives collide against the backdrop of 19th century London." The Resurrectionist follows the story of the eponymous Job Mowatt as he digs graves for a living to provide for his daughter. One job sets him on the path of perilous danger that promises a substantive reward...if he can survive it.
King Alfred’s Daughter. David Stokes. Book Guild Publishing LTD. 326 pages. March 2023.
History recognizes the victors, especially if they are men. Many, many times, history’s chroniclers write out the women unless they are attached to men through marriage, family, or otherwise. In King Alfred’s Daughter, however, a woman takes center stage. Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, rises to the challenge of uniting the Anglo-Saxons as they ward off rebel and Viking incursions. Will she succeed? Or will she fall to the wayside as another woman lost to dusty old annals?
Ah, June promises to be a great month for reading!
TBH Now Has a Store!
Alas, after all my technical struggles, The Bookish Historian store is up and running. I’ve added about 80% of my items except for some stickers. I’m also working on sourcing apparel and drinkware…and hopefully some amazing totes and such from Out of Print. I’ve submitted a wholesale application to Penguin Random House, and I’m just waiting on approval. Musings is NOT turning into “Amy’s gonna bombard us with spam mail in order to buy stuff mwahahaha), I promise!
That being said, if you do want to check out what I’ve got so far (I’m particularly excited about my beer can glass), I’m offering 15% off everything if you use the code word TBHWELCOME.
(But all snarkiness and joking aside, please note you’re never under any pressure to buy anything or what-have-you. Your reading this is all the support I need!)
Also, for June and July, I will be donating a portion of proceeds to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to helping and supporting LGTBQ youth through advocacy, crisis services, research, public education, and creating a safe international community.
I think that’s it for now. I covered more ground than intended. On the other hand, I hope this means I won’t disappear for another month. :) As always, thank you for reading!