𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬

After a few slow weeks of reading, I'm back to Brothers Karamazov - this time, with this cool physical copy of Wordsworth Classics. It is a rather good quality paperback, with a bit of embossing, and a mid 20th-century vibe.

Brothers Karamazov is the book that is making me love Dostoevsky...

Slide to the right for a picture of the night sky in Portugal last night!




Classic book, classic literature, classic book lover, vintage, vintage vibes, vintage books, vintage aesthetics, Karamazov brothers, Dostoevsky, dark academia, light academia, book blogger, bookstagram, bibliophile

Another one from the list... Added to the pile 😂 I took advantage of a couple of really good promotions in February to add a few Woodsworth Classics to my library, and since I intend to read Great Expectations after I finish The Brothers Karamazov, it came home with me. I'm excited to get back into Charles Dickens, after so many years of avoidance...





Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, classic books, classic literature, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, book lover, book reader, book inspiration, vintage inspiration, vintage aesthetics, vintage vibes, bookish, book flatlay, book photography, book photo

While I waited for my physical copy of The Brothers Karamazov to arrive, I got on it via ebook. Still deciding whether to finish it via ebook or not, because it's less tiring to the eyes, but I've grown attached to the physical copy already, which I will show soon.

After reading opinions on it, I went with the Constance Garnett translation, as many people said it captured the spirit of the work best. If anyone has a different opinion, please share!

So far, I'm enjoying this one a great deal more than Crime & Punishment, although it would be a lie to say I disliked Crime & Punishment or that I didn't get the message or what he was going for. Yet the musicality of it imbibed me less into the story than Brothers Karamazov, even though I've only read such a short portion...





Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Classic Literature, Classic Books, Vintage Books, Vintage Aesthetics, Bibliophile, Bookstagram, Classic Bookstagram, Book lover, book reader, Goodreads

Weekend photodump with some of your favourite photos during the week. The second one, with the tree, was particularly appreciated for its Wuthering Heights vibes.

I have a fascination for candles. There is something about the soft, glowing, flickering flame that feels safe, comforting, and even a little bit mystical. Fire is strong and dangerous and uncontrollable, but that small flame gives us the illusion of having the element under our control...

It also reminds me of the Victorian and Regency era, of the authors I admire and their lives before electricity, of how they may sit in the evenings, reading their own favourite authors aloud to their family to spare the tallow candles.





Dark academia, light academia, vintage, vintage vibes, nature vibes, vintage aesthetic, Victorian era, regency era, history, historical, candlelight, wuthering heights, nature, trees and flowers

📚 Is this the year I finally read Oliver Twist? 🤔

When I first got it, I was very, very young, and definitely unprepared to get into Dickens. I feel that I'll benefit from reading the book now, but I've also ordered Great Expectations, and now I'm wondering whether I should read that one first... And wondering how it will influence my own writing.

My first contact with Oliver Twist was back in the 90s, through a Warner Bros cartoon (Oliver Twist 1974). Does anyone remember it? I still have the VHS somewhere





Classic literature, classic books, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, vintage, vintage books, vintage Bookstagram, classic book lover, aesthetic photo, vintage book photography, vintage vibes, vintage aesthetics

Is this the year I finally read Oliver Twist? 🤔

When I first got it, I was very, very young, and definitely unprepared to get into Dickens. I feel that I'll benefit from reading the book now, but I've also ordered Great Expectations, and now I'm wondering whether I should read that one first... And wondering how it will influence my own writing.

My first contact with Oliver Twist was back in the 90s, through a Warner Bros cartoon (Oliver Twist 1974). Does anyone remember it? I still have the VHS somewhere 😂





Classic literature, classic books, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, vintage, vintage books, vintage Bookstagram, classic book lover, aesthetic photo, vintage book photography, vintage vibes, vintage aesthetics

🌿 Here I am today, with a most beloved classic!

I am so sad that Penguin retired this collection in 2013. Penguin Popular Classics had such pretty covers, and I only wish I can find other books in this collection in second-hand book shops!

Little Women & Good Wives are often published in one volume, and most adaptations will follow the story in both books. It was one of the first classics I read, and as it is quite a soft, gentle classic in spite of the sad portions it does have, I would recommend it as a possible first read for those willing to begin their reading journey in classic literature, especially in 19th-century literature.

I love how the covers perfectly match scenes in the book 😃





Literature, classic literature, light academia, dark academia, classic books, classics, little women, good wives, Louisa May Alcott, Jo March, Beth, Meg and Amy, Laurie, vintage, bibliophile, Bookstagram, classic book reader, reading spree, reading marathon, Goodreads, 19th century, Victorian, Victorian era

‼️ Two days left!

Only two days left into the Valentine's day sale! Until the 18th February, you'll be able to get 'The Rose of Lisbon' for only 0.99 cents 😁

As a very special offer, I have also made 'The Art of Choice' available for free!

Limited time only, so if you're looking for a new Regency romance to read and are into traditional historical romanced, check out the synopsis on my website or Amazon!

Available both on Amazon and Amazon UK :)



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Historical romance, regency romance, regency era, Jane Austen fan, historical fiction, 1800s, 19th century, bibliophile, classic book reader, classic book lover, Bookstagram, kindle, kindle unlimited, kindle reader

‼️ Valentine's day special offer!

Between the 14th and 18th February, you'll be able to download the e-book 'The Art of Choice' for free!

You'll also be able to acquire the second volume in the series, 'The Rose of Lisbon', for only 0.99 cents!

Come celebrate love day in the Regency era - for a book synopsis and further information, please visit my website or consult the book page on Amazon 😃



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Regency romance, historical romance, historical fiction, books, ebooks, kindle books, bibliophile, traditional regency romance, clean regency romance, romance books, romantic books, valentine's day

Celebrating love during Valentine's day with a mega-sale ✨

• 14 - 18 February •
• 8 AM GMT / 8 AM PST •

For four days, you'll be able to grab a free eBook copy of 'The Art of Choice', the first volume in 'Episodes of Regency Courtship'...
.. And you'll be able to get a copy of 'The Rose of Lisbon' at the reduced price of 0.99! 😁

If you like traditional Regency romances with a pinch of historical detail, I invite you to read the additional information on my website, where you'll be able to find book summaries and additional information about my writing project 💜




🗝️ Regency romance, regency romance series, regency romance books, ebook sale, kindle unlimited, Valentine's day, valentine's dale, kindle books, writer, traditional regency romance, clean regency romance, 1800s

My city of Lisbon, my city of growth. My feet have been roaming across these streets since I was a kid, and from the early freedom of my teenage years, I started exploring, first with friends, then alone. The place I love the most is away from this central area, up on the hill, but there's a certain magic in these luminous fountains.

Moving my characters to Lisbon was a very cool process. Not only did I end up learning more about city history via research, but I also have a stronger connection to the place, and a closer insight into the feelings it elates.




🗝️
Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal, travel, travelling, exploring, Rossio, writer, writer life, writing life, author, fountains, inspiration

Don Quixote, first published in 1605 (1st part) and the Divine Comedy, first published in 1472 (written in the early 1300s). Both highly representative of their times and contexts, these two works have been read by thousands of people across time, and keep finding resonance with modern readers.

The Divine Comedy is still on my reading list, but Don Quixote I have read and finished a few years ago. I liked the second part better than the first, for though the latter is entertaining and amusing, it is the last piece that confronts the main character with reality rather than idealisation, and brings the truth and disillusionment. There are many moral and philosophical considerations to be made of this process, in which the valiant knight falls from his heroic world and arises to the depth of his own existence: aging and sick, he knows now the idyl that he lived, and is confronted with his own mortality.

I am expecting to find the same degree of moral considerations in the Divine Comedy, marked by all the natural philosophical considerations of a poet living in the last decades of medieval Europe, before the new impetus of ideas of the Renaissance.



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Dark academia, light academia, classics, classic books, classic literature, reader, Bibliophile, book lover, book photography, book reader, personal library, bookworm, vintage style, Dante Alighieri, Cervantes, Don Quixote, Divine Comedy.

An aspect of my inspiration as a writer that I don't bring here too often is my work as a historian.

I completed my PhD in 2020 and specialised in Ancient History, focusing on the Roman republic. You might be wondering how I ended up writing romances about the 19th century - it is more logical than it seems. Aside from my natural passion for this time period, which is not inhibited by my work in the field of ancient history, the 1800s are also deeply connected to Greece and Rome in ancient Europe. It is a time of classic revivalism, of archaeological discoveries that influence styles, fashion, architecture and art.

These two books in particular: one is the famous Athenaze, which is a good introduction to Ancient Greek; the other is a History of the Minoans, of whom we still know so little.


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Dark Academia, Light Academia, Vintage, Vintage Vibes, Book Photography, Bibliophile, History, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome

One Proust read, one waiting, many others on the list. Same with Balzac: among those authors whose works are so extensive that it's hard to catch up.

In terms of the prose and the pleasant flow of language, reading Proust feels as a warm, glowing liquid. It is a travel through the unraveling thoughts of an individual, which enriches the language of the reader and presents us with perambulations of the mind. On a side note, I adore these covers, as I generally tend to like covers that use old paintings.

Have you read Proust? Did you enjoy his style? What struck you the most about him?



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Classic literature, classic books, bibliophile, Bookstagram, Marcel Proust, Swann's Way, books, readers, readers of Instagram, dark academia, light academia, vintage, vintage vibes, classic book lovers, book photography

Have I ever danced ballet? No, not even as a child. Yet I have an absolute passion for watching. Last December I had the opportunity to attend a performance of 'La Sylphide', which I had not yet watched live, and it was as wonderful as ever.

Whenever I have the privilege of live attendance, I sit in reflection, thinking of all the people involved in putting the show together. Composers. Musicians. Dancers. Choreographers. Scenographer. Costume designer. Administration staff. Venue staff. So many humans getting together to create something so beautiful - and I am left with the wish that the world would have a lot more of this coming together to indulge in the beauty of artistic creation. 💜

How did your new year start? Did you make any vows? My only vow is to finish the fourth instalment of 'Episodes of Regency Courtship' until the end of the year 😅



🗝️ Ballet, La Sylphide, ballerina, pointe shoes, 19th century, Victorian, Victorian era, Edwardian era, vintage, vintage vibes, classic literature, classic books, dark academia, light academia

This is one of my must-reads for the year! I'm really excited to get it started. Once I finish my current read ('The Illustrious House of Ramires'), I'll dip right into Brothers Karamazov. After finishing Crime & Punishment last year, I feel compelled to dip more into Dostoevsky.

After this continuous wave of heavy, serious books, I reckon I'm going to need a break, so I may dip into Tolkien's 'Unfinished Tales', or Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 🤔 what do you absolutely want to read this year?





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Classic literature, classic books, Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky, Dark Academia, Bibliophile, Light Academia, Bookstagram, Romantic Academia, book photography, vintage, vintage vibes, Victorian, Victorian vibes, Victorian era, 19th century, 1800s, 19th-century literature, literary lover, readers of Instagram

I love learning about archetypes. The way they intertwine with folk tales is also quite interesting to dig into, and a while back I got this massive volume of Grimm's collected fairytales. I'll admit I haven't read through the whole thing yet, because I got sidetracked by Dostoevsky & co., but I'm about halfway through and am particularly enjoying the commentary and notes that follow each story. This is a Portuguese translation with an analysis that follows alongside it.

As I develop my path in writing, I find that looking at the older forms of storytelling and structure, ancient myths that have survived through the eras, does give one a very interesting foundation.



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Brothers Grimm, classic books, classic literature, dark academia, light academia, archetypes, ancient myths, mythology, ancient legends, storytelling, bibliophile, indie writer

🪶 Three years and three books.

This journey in writing, this very active participation in an artistic field within paper and pen, has changed me in several ways. Just as reading transforms the reader, receptacle of words, writing is a gathering of many small metamorphoses for the one who attempts this endeavour. It made me more observant of people and their behaviours, perhaps, I dare say, more empathetic. It taught me patience and soothed me through the difficult times that life naturally brings, and added to the joy of the best of times. Writing balances me and challenges me, it makes me thrive and inspires me. I write to express my innermost self, my hopes and anxieties, my existential doubts and fears, in the hope of meeting kindred spirits who may feel the world in similar ways. My writing is a lifetime project, for it is the product of my perpetually shifting, wandering, learning soul.

These are the three first fruits of my dedication and love for this craft. Another is in the works... Until then, I have charged Albion and Rose, Elijah and Cecilia, with the task of entertaining you. Let them earn their bows at the great theatre of their lives.



🗝️ Regency romance, historical romance, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, romantic academia, romance, 19th century, Victorian, 1800s, regency, regency era, writer, indie writer, writers of Instagram, bookstagram

🪶 As the new year approaches, it is time for a visual update: I created this small presentation last year to explain my writing project, and although that project keeps evolving and growing, the essentials remain the same.

📚 I write historical fiction guided by romance. Romantic love is a core element, but I often find it is a bit different in my books when compared to modern historical romance: I don't do dual POVs, and my romantic scenes (which do exist) are somewhat more limited than is usual. Romance in my books develops through interactions between characters and their social sphere. I don't write as much about heart-fluttering moments as I do about heartfelt conversations and exchanges, and how they affect the inner world, the psyche, of the main character within a book. This is what resonates with me, in terms of what I want to write at this point in my life.

🏰 I write for people who like the old style of romance novels, the classics, long descriptive styles and elaborate dialogues. I'm a writer for the old souls, people into dark & light academia, the smell of petricor, and lost moments next to a window while it rains. If that's you, maybe you'll like my books.

💗 I am currently working on my first series, 'Episodes of Regency Romance', and am projecting at least a second series set in the Victorian era. There are other writing projects in my head - one step at a time.

🏺As I'm a historian, I enjoy diving into old documents, and my books very often include mentions to real people, places, events, names of books and furniture, pieces of clothing - you name it. I really enjoy including these small details.

📸 I'm also really into photography and travelling, so I often post about my visits here and there, this pretty flower I saw on a walk, or a sunset that impressed me.




🗝️ Historical romance, regency romance, Victorian romance, indie writer, regency era, 19th century, 1800s, Jane Austen lover, Austenite, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, literature, classic literature lover, classic books lover, reader, bookstagram.

'I know not what tomorrow will bring', wrote Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet.

The year is about to end, and with every new year comes a brink of uncertainty, a spirit of light and shadow that pullulates the unknown of what is about to come.

Change happens within our own microkosmos, our small family circle, as it does around the globe. It is discomfiting to look back and see how much has changed, how many people have left you, how your own soul has metamorphosed. You hardly recognise yourself, at times, and cannot often quite tell the defining moment that separates you from the person you used to be.

It is often in literature that I find the connection between who I am now and the person I once was. Old books read once more will always be read differently, but the words are familiar and comforting. The new books I read, too, are, more often than not, old. Written by people in a time gone by, with a certain aesthetic to it, the idealised painting of a world that only existed inside their heads, to be sure, a few hundred years ago.

I find comfort, also, in the connection with those who, like myself, have grown to love those books written by voices now quietened, whose imagination and creative mind has not ceased to talk, and will not cease while there is someone to read their words. There is a long path to pave regarding social media, but one of its benefits in my personal experience has decidedly been the kindred spirits and supportive friends I have met, who have encouraged me, who have fed my love for arts and literature, and accompanied my journey in writing with sincere hearts and kindness.

To all those kindred spirits, I am wishing a very happy 2024.



🗝️ Classic books, classic literature, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, book photography, book photo, book covers, vintage, vintage vibes, vintage books, writer, writing journey, portrait of a lady, Cranford collection

🎄 Back from Christmas break with Portuguese literature!

📚 There are many works in Portuguese that haven't been translated into other languages, and thus have been limited to Portuguese-reading audiences. This 19th-century novel, 'Amor de Perdição', roughly translates as 'A love that dooms', 'Dooming love'.

This work, by Romantic author Camilo Castelo Branco, was published in 1862, and I greatly equate it to Romeo and Juliet: two extremely young people who barely have the opportunity to fraternise in person fall in love against their family's best wishes, and determine to make that love their one and only source of living. It is a consuming love, which ends up tragically for both.



🗝️ Bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, 19th century, romanticism, romantic literature, Camilo Castelo Branco, Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, vintage, vintage vibes.

📚 Shelfie moment.

I have this dream of having a library filled with old, tall shelves, where I will keep endless rows of old books collected over time, decorated with antiques... Who knows? For now, I have my dear faithful shelves, which have been with me for almost twenty years now, if I'm not mistaken.




🗝️ Classic literature, classic books, penguin books, Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Elizabeth Gaskell, Shakespeare, dark academia, light academia, bibliophile, vintage, vintage vibes, vintage books

December photodump ✨a deviation from books today: every time I go to a ballet I am left in wonder at the creative potential of mankind, and the beauty that can be brought to life when several people of different fields come together.

Live orchestra, the sound and visual department, costume maker, scenery, creative directors, choreographers - together with the talent of those no longer among us. 'La Sylphide' has been around since 1832. Countless people have loved it before I have.




🗝️ Light academia, dark academia, Portugal, Lisbon, Lisboa, oceanário de Lisboa, teatro nacional S. Carlos, ballet, La Sylphide, blogger, book blogger, writer, writer's life, writing inspiration, aquarium, old streets, vintage vibes

I wrote three books in which Albion Eden was a main character, and two which focused on his PoV. Throughout those three books, the other constant character that stands out to me is Sabine, his youngest sister, a half-sister through his father's second marriage. Albion makes no distinction of this nature between Sabine and Medora, however. The one difference there is to him is that while Medora represents a motherly figure, Sabine is, in most aspects, a child in feeling and mind, though she is not so much younger.

The book I'm working on now focuses on this ingenuous, extroverted and self-assured character, which is by no means trying to be good, but instead to have her pleasures and whims attended to. It will close the Eden family cycle, and open doors for new works focused on new people.



🗝️ Historical romance, regency romance, regency era, 19th century, Victorian era, Georgian era, 1800s, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, book quotes

[🇬🇧🇵🇹 bilingual post] Who is the monster and who is the man?

That is what Mary Shelley seems to ask us in Frankenstein. To the very end, you don't know whether to trust him or not, what his instincts may be. Most pungently, you see the monster keen on destroying his own creator, in a philosophical, metaphysical questioning - in a way, it is almost Nietzche, the concept of Superman, the destruction of concepts of deity.

Frankenstein's monster and Dracula are probably the most famous monsters in fiction. Whereas I found Dracula the most entertaining of the two, I also found Frankenstein, as a literary work, the most elegant and elaborate, leaving me with a very positive impression of Shelley's literary work.

🇵🇹 Quem é o monstro e quem é o homem?

É isso que Mary Shelley parece perguntar em Frankenstein. No final da obra, não se sabe se confiar nele ou não, quais podem ser seus instintos. De forma mais pungente, vemos o monstro interessado em destruir o seu próprio criador, num questionamento filosófico, metafísico – de certa forma, é quase Nietzche, o conceito de Superhomem, a destruição de conceitos de divindade.

O monstro de Frankenstein e o Drácula são provavelmente os monstros mais famosos da ficção. Embora tenha achado Drácula o mais divertido dos dois, também achei Frankenstein, como obra literária, mais elegante e elaborada, deixando-me com uma impressão muito positiva da obra literária de Shelley.



🗝️ Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Frankenstein's monster, dark academia, light academia, bibliophile, bookstagram, book reader, classic literature, classic books, vintage, vintage works, vintage books, book quotes, book quote, inspirational quote, philosophical books

[🇬🇧🇵🇹 bilingual post] Still following the Dumas wavelength. I'm sure 'The Three Musketeers' is probably his most famous work nowadays, and the sequels, although lesser known, inspired films such as 'The Man in the Iron Mask'. I didn't enjoy this one as much as Monte Cristo, but I sense I'll love the sequels when I get to them. What did you think?

🇵🇹 Ainda no comprimento de onda de Dumas. ‘Os Três Mosqueteiros’ é provavelmente a sua obra mais famosa na actualidade, e as sequelas, embora menos conhecidas, inspiraram filmes como ‘O Homem da Máscara de Ferro’. Não gostei tanto deste livro quanto de Monte Cristo, mas sinto que vou adorar as sequelas. O que acharam?




🗝️ Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers, classic literature, classic books, vintage vibes, light academia, dark academia, ebook, ebook reader, kindle, bibliophile, book lover, personal library

[🇬🇧🇵🇹 bilingual post] Hugo had the world that was on the tip of his pen, Dumas had the world that would be. His imagination (together, I suppose, with a certain influence from Monsieur Maquet) was lively, spirited and restless. 'The Count of Monte Cristo' is evidence of his enormous work. It is entertaining without being shallow, novelesque with feeling. While discreetly presenting 19th-century morals and values, Dumas entertained audiences across the centuries. My only grief is the constant decision to remove Haydée from almost every adaptation, for the finale with Mercedes has its message to tell.

🇵🇹 Hugo tinha o mundo que via na ponta da caneta, Dumas tinha o mundo que podia vir a ser. A sua imaginação (juntamente, suponho, com uma certa influência de Monsieur Maquet) era viva, espirituosa e inquieta. 'O Conde de Monte Cristo' é uma prova da sua enorme obra. É divertido sem ser superficial, novelesco com sentimento. Apresentando discretamente a moral e os valores do século XIX, Dumas entreteve o público ao longo dos séculos. A minha única tristeza é a constante decisão de remover Haydée de quase todas as adaptações, pois o final de Mercedes tem um propósito para contar.




🗝️ Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, 19th century, Victorian, Victorian era, bibliophile, dark academia, light academia, 1800s, literature, literary, classic books, classic literature, french literature, literary giant, vintage, vintage vibes

The sale is fast approaching 😌

Considering the first chapter of 'The Rose of Lisbon' is set in Sintra, I took the (e)book for a walk just there. It's pretty fun to walk by the same places as your characters, hear the same sounds, feel the same scents.

I was once told I have a Baroque writing style, so if you're into classic literature and 19th-century vibes, maybe Albion can entertain you during your next read 😁



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Regency romance, historical romance, romance books, bibliophile, writer, indie writer, regency era, regency romance series, 19th century, Victorian era, 1800s, light academia, dark academia.

It's the final countdown for the sale 😀 'The Art of Choice' & 'The Rose of Lisbon' will both be available in eBook format for 0.99, between the 1st and 6th of December ❄️

I'm very proud of the evolution of these characters, particularly Albion, who is a central figure in all three books I have released thus far. There are writing novelties to come, as I'm working on the 4th instalment, which will mark the return of the extraordinary Alexander, Lord Fairfax 😂

For links and more information, check my website at http://historicalromancesbymj.com, or feel free to contact me via DM or email :)




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Regency romance, Victorian romance, regency era, Victorian era, 19th century, indie writer, bibliophile, writers of Instagram, ebook sale, ebook promotion, kindle reader, kindle unlimited, kindle ebooks, book reader, ebook reader, bookstagram