Nathaniel's Nutmeg by Giles Milton

Nathaniel's Nutmeg: Or the True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History 

Giles Milton

1999

4/5 stars

This is a nonfiction account of the English attempt (during the 16th and 17th centuries) to acquire spice trading posts in what is now Indonesia.  The East India Company had their sights set on the island of Run in the Banda Islands.  This lead to hostility and bloodshed between them and the Dutch East India Company -- and to the eventual English ownership of Manhattan.

One difficulty I had with the book is that while Milton makes extensive use of journals, diaries, and letters, which he acknowledges in the bibliography, he unfortunately doesn't ascribe to any particular source with footnotes.

My other complaint is that the title is misleading.  Nathaniel Courthope features only as a minor character in the story of these spice wars.  Milton gives Courthope direct credit for the British obtaining Manhattan because of the stand he took against the Dutch on the island of Run.  This is tenuous at best, though I don't deny that Courthope was both brave and heroic.

Despite these two problems, I found the book easy to read, enjoyable, and fascinating.  I've studied a lot of British history but had no idea of the depth of the conflict between England and the Dutch over  cloves and nutmeg.  The brutality was horrifying, and the extent of the rancor over one small spice island was astounding. 

I will add that Nathaniel's Nutmeg is definitely written from the British point of view, and may be biased, but it is still interesting and informative. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Armchair Travels

  Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is "books for armchair travelers".  These are the eight that I would recommend wholeheartedly to any reader.

1.  Sky Burial by Xinran 

I absolutely loved this book!  It's a love letter to Tibet and was simply fantastic.  My full review can be found here.

2. Married to Bhutan: How One Woman Got Lost, Said "I Do," and Found Bliss by Linda Leaming  

This is another romance that is also a love story of a woman with a country.  I loved this one, too!  My full review is here.

3. Chasing the Rose: An Adventure in the Venetian Countryside by Andrea Di Robilant 

This is more history than travel, as the author is attempting to trace the identity of a certain rose, but the reader still travels with the author on his lovely adventure.  My full review is here.

4. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

Haggard wrote great adventure stories and this is one of his best -- and one of my favorite novels.  Yes, it's dated here and there, but for the most part it is a sterling yarn.  My full review is here. 

5.  The Mapmaker's Wife by Robert Whitaker

This is a nonfiction account of a map-making expedition, plus the story of a woman's adventure.  My full review is here.

6. The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman by Mamen Sánchez 

This novel is the delightful tale of a Brit, Atticus Craftsman, and his visit to Madrid.  My full review is here.

7. Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark by Jane Fletcher Geniesse 

Freya Stark (31 January 1893 – 9 May 1993) was a self-taught explorer and adventurer, who became a respected Arabist and a renowned author and letter writer. Geniesse tells Freya's story in entertaining, interesting, and accessible prose, showing the many facets of her life, including her formative years, her motives, and her dreams. Freya Stark was a fascinating, if flawed, woman, and I learned a good deal both about her, and about the world around her during her long life.   Her travels make fascinating reading for the armchair traveler.

8. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Travel to Transylvania with Harker in one of my favorite books!  My full review is here.

To see more books by location, check out my "Where in the World" page.

Edit: While looking at other blogs, I was reminded of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Both excellent armchair travelling aides! 

The Belton Estate

Trollope

The Belton Estate 

Anthony Trollope 

1866  

5/5 stars

On the face of it, this is the story of a love triangle between Clara and two very different suitors -- and yet it's so much more.  Clara is spirited and determined, but a family tragedy makes her dependent in different degrees on the various men in her life.  She must navigate new experiences and emotions while still staying true to herself.  Through Clara, Trollope compassionately shows the difficulty a Victorian woman faced when trying to make decisions regarding her future.   

The characters are believable and well-rounded, filled with goodness and flaws.  The book is witty, intelligent, and engrossing. Though it seems like a commonplace plot, it was so well-written that it kept me riveted throughout.  I absolutely loved it.

Let's Talk Bookish: Reading with Friends

 Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme created co-hosted by Dinipandareads and Book Nook Bits. 

Today's topic is "reading with friends" and asks about group reads, buddy reads, and online reading groups.

My husband and I have done buddy reads in the past, sometimes with two copies of the same book, sometimes taking turns, and previously we used to listen to audiobooks together in the evenings.  I love having someone to discuss a book with, so I'm very fortunate he'll join me.

After years, I talked my Mom into reading Dracula (one of my favorite novels), so I did a refresher of it while she read it, and we enjoyed talking about it.

Other than that, though, in-person discussions like book clubs or Bible study groups are not for me.  I'm too introverted these days to be able to enjoy it.

Online discussions are different, though.  In December, I participated in a group read of The Cricket on the Hearth (Charles Dickens) on Bookstagram (my account) and enjoyed the experience immensely. I did very little actual contributing to the conversations, but liked seeing what other people had to say. 

This month, I've joined another group that is reading A Man of Property by John Galsworthy.  The Forsyte Saga has been on my TBR for some time now, so I was glad to be encouraged to finally read it.  I'm trying to keep up with the group chat and want to actually participate since the group isn't as large as the Dickens group was.

I was also been fortunate enough to buddy-read Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth with a Bookstagram friend.  We had an interesting discussion about it and I hope to read with her again sometime.

So, for me, I enjoy reading with others so I can discuss my feelings and pose questions -- just not in person.  How about you?

Top Ten Tuesday: Topography

 Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is "book covers featuring cool/pretty/unique/etcetera typography".  My focus, as always, is on books that I own so that I can share my original photos and I have some in my collection that are just perfect for this prompt.

1. This first one is a Barnes & Noble collectable edition, and the font is just perfect for the cover.

2. & 3.These next two photos show Canterbury Classics Word Cloud editions, which I love just entirely for the typography! 

  

4. This is a reprinted journal full of drawings, and the font on the front is meant to look like the handwriting in the book.

5.  The sweeping letters of this vintage edition give the feel of flying, to my mind.

6. The title's font is just perfect for this one!  (my review here)

  

7. There is not much that is lovelier than antique covers with gorgeous fonts!

8. This is one of my childhood favorites, and the font style and placement suits it wonderfully.

9. Another childhood favorite with a full-of-character font.

10.  This oversized vintage edition has perfect typography!

What about you?  Do you love fonts and typography, too?  Have you seen any of these editions?  Do you have any favorites of your own?

January 2026 Wrap Up

Books Read:

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (2025)  4/5 stars

This thriller gripped me from the beginning and never let go.  Was it realistic, or plausible, or even believable?  Nope.  But it was totally compelling, completely engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable.

On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White (2020)  4/5 stars

The Codebreakers, book #2 

This Christian novel of romantic suspense follows one of the characters introduced in The Number of Love (my review here).  I had really enjoyed that one, but to me, it didn't feel like WWI.  The author made a much more believable atmosphere with this book, and the plot was gripping, interesting, and even moving.  I enjoyed it tremendously.

Mr. Campion's Farewell by Mike Ripley (2014)  4/5 stars

Mr. Campion series, book 1

This is a continuation of Margery Allingham's Campion series and it felt so much like one of the original adventures that it was hard at times to remember that it wasn't.  This is the second one of Ripley's that I have read and it certainly won't be my last.

 

The Story of the Glittering Plain by William Morris 1890/1891 (first published as a magazine serial)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

Israel Zangwill

The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill (1892)  5/5 stars

also published as The Perfect Crime

I absolutely loved this mystery.  The writing is witty, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, the build up nicely done, and the solution clever.  I've seen negative reviews that don't take into account the fact that this is an early locked-room mystery, written well before it was a popular trope, and that the solution would have been novel and shocking at the time.   I highly recommend it for fellow fans of Victorian novels and early detective stories.

Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth (1800)  4/5 stars  (my review here)

The Ivory Child by H. Rider Haggard (1916)  4/5 stars

In this adventure, Allan Quatermain must defeat a massive god-like elephant, help a win a tribal war, and rescue an Englishwoman from an ancient cult.  It's a great yarn, well-written like all of Haggard's Quatermain novels, and even moved me to tears three times.  It was completely engrossing, and though some attitudes are dated, I enjoyed it immensely.  

Audiobooks Completed:

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1932)  4/5 stars (my review)

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1935)  4/5 stars (my review)

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1937)  4/5 stars (my review)

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1939)  4/5 stars (my review)

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940)  4/5 stars (my review)

Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1941)  4/5 stars (my review)

Did Not Finish:

The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham

This is a popular book in my corner of bookstagram, and I was on the library waiting list for some time.  Unfortunately, I didn't care for the female main character's over-the-top naivete combined with her mature reactions to the male main character.  It's hard to explain, but suffice it to say that it wasn't to my taste.  This is a reminder to me that I've already tried it, so when it pops up on my radar again I won't feel like I'm missing out. 

Six by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Wilder in 1885, around age 18

This month I decided to reread the Little House on the Prairie series on audiobook.  I managed to read six of the eight, running straight through them with pure pleasure.

Wilder wrote from her experiences as a child living in Wisconsin, travelling West to Missouri and Kansas, and finally settling in the Dakota territory.  She was a gifted story-teller, bringing events vividly to life and creating memorable books.

So far, they've all been 4 star books for me and, despite dated attitudes, very entertaining.

Little House in the Big Woods 

Little House series, book 1

This sweetly written, gentle glimpse into the past is a pure pleasure to (re)read. 

Little House on the Prairie  

Little House series, book 3

Despite Ma's vehement dislike of Native Americans, it's still an enjoyable read, full of fascinating information and slices of life from a time so unlike today.

On the Banks of Plum Creek 

Little House series, book 4; Newbury Medal Nominee

Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, this is another enjoyable book with memorable characters and situations that details a way of life so far removed from ours now.

By the Shores of Silver Lake 

Little House series, book 5; Newbury Medal Nominee

It stars off depressing, and sensitive readers may have a hard time with the first couple of chapters.  (I know I did.)  However, it gives an interesting account of what went into settling the Dakota territory as the Ingalls family leaves their comfortable house at Plum Creek, near to a town, to go further West for a  homestead claim.

The Long Winter 

Little House series, book 6; Newbury Medal Nominee

This is one of my favorite books of the series, as, despite the dangers and deprivations of the harsh winter, the Ingalls family pushes through with determination, cheerfulness, and resilience.   It's a memorable story, serious but still enjoyable.

Little Town on the Prairie

Little House series, book 7; Newbury Medal Nominee

Following that long winter, the Ingalls family enjoys two prosperous summers, and two mild winters.  Laura makes good friends in town and works hard toward earning a teacher's certificate.  It's a more lighthearted story than previous ones, with less focus on homesteading than on the life of a new town.  It's another well-written and entertaining book, though with some dated attitudes.