All posts by She Seeks Serene

My Journey of Reimagining Life, Love and Education

Culture, Gardens, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

Country Life Magazine – April 2, 2025 Preview

April 1, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (April 1, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Smaller Country Houses’; The Maldives unpacked; How to grow a magnificent magnolia and The Portmeirion phenomenon and secret pillboxes…

Interiors

The art of conversation can be aided by a carefully configured drawing room, says Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler

All ‘Clough-ed up’

Ben Lerwill marks 100 years of Portmeirion in North Wales, the outlandish architectural creation of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis

Property market

Arabella Youens casts her eye over compact country estates in Dorset, Devon and Hertfordshire

A prince among plantsmen

Charles Quest-Ritson is wowed by the memorable magnolias among the 6,000 plants in the Kent garden of Maurice Foster

Travel

Libby Brodie and Rosie Paterson explore the magnificent Maldives and Pamela Goodman shares not so fond memories of cheese fondue

Zoë Wanamaker’s favourite painting

The actress chooses a vibrant work bursting with the light, colour and energy of spring

A house of many inspirations

Jeremy Musson marvels at the amazing transformation of 300-year-old farm buildings at High Wardington House, Oxfordshire

The legacy

Kate Green pays tribute to Joe Henson, a ‘true gentleman’ who led the way in safeguarding some of our favourite native breeds

From this slumber you shall wake

Numbers have plummeted in the past 20 years, but plans are afoot to revive the fortunes of the hazel dormouse, reveals Jack Watkins

The good stuff

Immortalise your beloved pet in a beautiful piece of bespoke jewellery, suggests Hetty Lintell

London Life

Amie Elizabeth White embarks on the capital’s Big Egg Hunt, Country Life writers present all the titbits you need to know this month and Huon Mallalieu takes a trip down memory lane as he recalls the colourful characters of Booksellers’ Row

Foraging

John Wright lauds elderflower for its ‘scent beyond compare’

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino delves into the beauty, birds and beasts in the kingdom of J. M. W. Turner

Close to your chest

Huon Mallalieu investigates how the chest of drawers has gradually made itself at home in every room of the house

A song of the four seasons

Henrietta Bredin applauds the fusing of poetry and music in the exquisite song cycle ‘Seasons’

Arts & Literature, Books, Magazines, Opinion, Reviews

Books: Literary Review – April 2025 Preview

April 1, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

LITERARY REVIEW (April 1, 2025): The April 2025 issue features ‘Henry James Goes West’; Russia’s Secret Wars’ Josephine Baker Uncovered; Besotted With Blake and Tale of Two America’s…

Tinker, Tailor, Sleeper, Troll

The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West By Shaun Walker

The Restless Analyst

Henry James Comes Home: Rediscovering America in the Gilded Age By Peter Brooks

On Writers and Writing: Selected Essays By Henry James (Edited by Michael Gorra)

Merger or Acquisition?

Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America By Russell Shorto

News, Newspapers, Opinion, Politics

The New York Times – Tuesday, April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Marine Le Pen Falls to the Rule of Law and a Great Battle Looms

A court’s conviction of the far-right leader for embezzlement and its ban on her running for office have set off a new crisis for France.

Putin Keeps Pushing, With Trump and on the Battlefield

The Russian leader’s drones are deluging Ukrainian cities, while his negotiating tactics test the patience of the friendliest White House he has faced in decades.

A NATO Plane’s Busy Duty: Tracking (and Dodging) Russia in the Baltic Sea

The assignment was part of a new program aimed at suspected Russian sabotage. None has occurred since NATO began patrols.

Tariff Gambit Bets Americans Will Swallow Higher Prices

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argues that the American dream is about more than cheap televisions, but inflation-weary consumers might disagree.

Art, Art Galleries, Arts & Literature, Magazines, Museums, Reviews

Apollo Magazine – April 2025 – International Art

March 31, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

APOLLO MAGAZINE (March 31, 2025): The April 2025 issue features ‘The sonic visions of Oliver Beer’; The Frick returns to Fifth Avenue and How the Acropolis became modern….

The Frick returns to Fifth Avenue

An interview with Oliver Beer

How the Acropolis became modern

In praise of ‘degenerate’ art

Also: The duchess who scandalised Spain, why the market for women’s art is slowing, Dutch paintings at Apsley House, how Bugatti built a style icon, the sensational designs of Alphonse Mucha, and a preview of Art Dubai; reviews of Gertrude Abercrombie in Pittsburgh, Medardo Rosso in Vienna, and a history of image-eating. Plus: Will Wiles on a French avant-garde portrait with a family connection

Arts & Literature, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

The New Yorker Magazine – April 7, 2025 Preview

March 31, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

An illustration of Pete Hegseth J. D. Vance Tulsi Gabbard and others holding cellphones while riding on a missile.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE (March 31, 2025): Barry Blitt’s “Left to Their Own Devices” – The Trump Administration’s not-so-classified group chat.

The Greater Scandal of Signalgate

The spectacle of incompetence and the attempts to smear a reporter are a misery; even worse is the encroaching threat of autocracy that cannot be concealed or encrypted. By David Remnick

The Senate’s Age of Irrelevance

Elon Musk’s DOGE and Trump’s executive orders are pushing Congress’s upper chamber from ineffectiveness to obsolescence. Will John Thune, the new Majority Leader, let them? By David D. Kirkpatrick

Mixed Signals

Who says there are no historical precedents for accidentally including a journalist on top-secret war plans? By Anthony Lane

News, Newspapers, Opinion, Politics

The New York Times – Monday, March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

‘Mission South Africa’: How Trump Is Offering White Afrikaners Refugee Status

The United States has banned most refugees, including 20,000 people who were already ready to travel to the United States before President Trump took office. But Mr. Trump is making one exception.

On Minnesota’s Iron Range, Trump’s Tariffs Could Be Boom or Bust

A region near the Canadian border, whose mines provide most of the new ore used in producing domestic steel — and cars — has a lot at stake as trade wars intensify.

Trump’s U.S.A.I.D. Cuts Hobble Earthquake Response in Myanmar

While China, Russia and other nations have rushed emergency response teams to the devastated country, the U.S., once a leader in foreign aid, has been slow to act.

She Devoted Her Life to Serving the U.S. Then DOGE Targeted Her.

A veteran who returned from Iraq injured and transformed, Joy Marver is now facing a crisis at home.

News, Opinion, Podcasts, Politics

Sunday Morning: Stories And News From London, Venice And Istanbul

Audio March 30, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

MONOCLE RADIO (March 30, 2025): Emma Nelson is joined by Yossi Mekelberg and Stephen Dalziel to discuss the week’s key stories. Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, checks in from Venice and our Istanbul correspondent, Hannah Lucinda Smith, reports on the latest protests in the region.

News, Newspapers, Opinion, Politics

The New York Times – Sunday, March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

How Colleges Are Cracking Down on Students Now

Colleges are using surveillance videos and search warrants to investigate students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Experts say it’s a new frontier in campus security that could threaten civil liberties.

Trump Could Hand China a ‘Strategic Victory’ by Silencing Voice of America

Generations of Chinese, including our columnist, turned to U.S. government-run outlets for an education in democracy, rights and the English language.

A Question in Quake-Wracked Myanmar: Does This Augur the End of the Junta?

In a censored nation that runs on rumor and omens, people in Myanmar wonder whether the latest disaster might be a portent of regime change.

What’s More Powerful: Elon Musk’s Millions, or Liberal Anger at Him?

Voters will soon provide an answer in Wisconsin, where the billionaire has made himself the main character in a consequential court race that is set to shatter spending records.

News, Opinion, Podcasts, Politics

Saturday Morning: News And Stories From London

Audio March 29, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

MONOCLE ON SATURDAY (March 29, 2025): UK correspondent for Austrian magazine ‘Falter’, Tessa Szyszkowitz, joins Georgina Godwin following her trip to Silicon Valley to discuss today’s #TeslaTakedown protests and the local backlash to Jeff Bezos’s Venetian wedding.

Plus: Monocle’s Toronto correspondent, Tomos Lewis, explores independent bookshop Flying Books at Neverland. Then: Sanjoy K Roy and Anand George discuss food and music at the inaugural Voices of Faith festival.

Finance, Investing, Magazines, News, Retirement, Reviews

Barron’s Magazine – March 31, 2025 Preview

March 29, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

BARRON’S MAGAZINE (March 29, 2025): The latest issue features ‘AI’s Next Phase’….

The Next Phase of AI—and 22 Favorite Stocks—From Our Tech Roundtable Experts

Investors are increasingly searching for AI’s payoff. The recent tech correction offers opportunities to grab stocks like Reddit, Intuit, and more at lower valuations.