Friday post 30/01/26: With some sad news

Posted on 30/01/2026 by The Librain

So, Friday has come around again and it’s time for a new post! Unfortunately I had some very sad news this week. I found out, via Facebook, that a former boyfriend had passed away very suddenly. This was a long relationship from my youth. We met at university and were together on and off for ten years. Yes, it was a very long time ago and I hadn’t seen him for decades but first love has a long hold on the emotions, doesn’t it? I have been very happily married for nearing 40 years now, but you don’t forget young love! I have sent condolences to his family, who are great people.

After that beginning it is perhaps rather jarring to write about scarves, but I am trying to distract myself with more trivial matters. These are some of the scarves and shawls that I have worn recently…

The top two scarves are by Fetolia (Olympian Gods) and the bottom two are by Hermès (Hermès Tea Time and Le Jaguar et le Colibri).

Here are some larger images…

Olympian Gods scarf by Fetolia
The Olympian Gods scarf by Fetolia
Hermès Tea Time by Hermès (70cm)
Le Jaguar et le Colibri shawl by Montserrat Gonzales-Lugo for Hermès

I have both colourways of the Olympian Gods scarf, so I have uploaded both images. As you can guess, I love this design! I keep an eye on the Fetolia website so I can pounce when they create a new scarf that appeals to me.

Over the coming weeks, now that the stress of the house move is fading, I will try to wear my better clothes, gorgeous scarves and nicer jewellery more often.

And I am very aware that I desperately need a haircut!

Happy Weekend.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 28/01/26

Posted on 28/01/2026 by The Librain

I’m welcoming you to this week’s post with some good news: I have just finished a fabulous book! For the first time in ages I have been so engaged with a book that I could hardly put it down!

Anyway, here it is…

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The book was The Will of the Many by James Islington, #01 Hierarchy series. This is the blurb…

“At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

AUDI. VIDE. TACE.

The Catenan Republic – the Hierarchy – may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus – what they call Will – to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.”

And this is my review on the Goodreads website…

The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1)The Will of the Many by James Islington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! What an amazing read! OK, we have seen many of the themes in this book before: teens in a school setting, teens competing in highly dangerous games, and so on. But this book takes these tropes to quite another level. The author’s imagination and writing ability, his ingenious plotting and use of an Ancient Roman style setting is quite incredible.

I haven’t got up in the night to read another chapter for years! And, of course, I am now reading the sequel. I have also purchased other books by James Islington and am so excited to try them all. I have recently been in a kind of reading desert, but am feeling so happy that I have found these books.

Fantastic!

View all my reviews

Now I am going to finish writing and upload this post and then I can go back to my next book!

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Friday post 23/01/26: With a sneaky reveal!

Posted on 23/01/2026 by The Librain

So it’s Friday once again! Those of you with sharp eyes may have already spotted the new scarf that I am revealing today. I managed to purchase it just before the annual price increase hit, which was great for me. Anyway, here is the reveal…

That classic Hermès box!

Ooh! Those are pretty colours and the design is somewhat familiar!

First we have one half of the scarf.

Then the other half. Let’s look at the entire scarf now…

Sous le Charme d’Orphée detail 45cm by Hermès

Isn’t it pretty? Here we have my third version of this lovely design by the talented Alice Shirley. I already own the 90cm silk twill double face scarf and the 140cm cashmere/silk shawl. If I had been able to find the twilly version I would probably have added that to my collection too!

Anyay, here are the images from the Hermès website…

Sous le Charme d’Orphée detail scarf by Alice Shirley for Hermès

The colours are Ciel/Blue Jean/Bouton D’or and the purchase code is H894358S 03. I am currently in the process of updating the Scarf of the Moment post about this design. It is now quite long and detailed, so I hope that some of you will find it useful. Please let me know if you find any errors.

I have already worn the scarf a few times and it looks great with my navy or grey clothing. Here is one quick snap…

Outfit of the day 04/01/26 with Sous le Charme d’Orphée detail gavroche

Well, I think that is all for this week! I hope that you have a great weekend.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 21/01/26

Posted on 21/01/2026 by The Librain

Welcome to this week’s post about my reading. I have finished one book, which I enjoyed and had two false starts before settling on a third book, which seems to be going well so far.

Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A McKillip

My read of the week was a standalone book by Patricia A McKillip called Alphabet of Thorn. Here is the blurb…

”Deep inside a palace on the edge of the world, the orphan Nepenthe pores over books in the royal library, translating their languages and learning their secrets. At sixteen, she knows little of the outside world. But when a young mage gives Nepenthe a book that has defied translation – a book written in a language of thorns – it speaks to Nepenthe’s soul, and becomes her secret obsession. As the words escape the brambles they reveal themselves – and begin to reveal Nepenthe’s destiny…”

And this was my response on Goodreads…

Alphabet of ThornAlphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had a slow start but built up into a very interesting and enjoyable read. It was great to have a book that was able to develop a story and characters on its own without 1000s of pages and numerous sequels. And, of course, how could I put down a book with librarians at the centre? Although the main character is more of a translater than a librarian really.

View all my reviews

When I had finished this book I tried to read two others. The first was The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I managed to read about a hundred pages, but the plot was so bleak that it began to affect my mood, bringing it right down into the depths. So I put that aside. Next I began The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. To be honest, I have started this book three times already! So many people seem to have rated it very highly, but I just couldn’t get into it at all. That has also been crossed off my list.

After all of this, I posted on a Facebook Fantasy and Science Fiction book group asking for recommendations that would suit my present circumstances. Hundreds of really kind people answered and I have compiled a list of books to try. I am currently reading another recommendation from the group, so we will see how that goes. Next week’s post will reveal the book!

Anyway, I think that is all for now. I hope that you are having great success with your own book choices.

Happy Reading!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Friday post 16/01/26: Hooray! It’s all over!

Posted on 16/01/2026 by The Librain
Sold Sign and House by Guy Kilroy on Flickr

Welcome to my blog, friends and visitors. Today we have had the excellent news that our house has finally been sold!

It is just short of a year from when Elder Son and I first saw the bungalow where we are now living. We were very fortunate to be able to purchase that outright and move in before putting our old home on the market. Everything has now gone through and we are relieved! I still feel a little nostalgic about our old house because we moved into it in 2001 with two little boys at primary school. They grew up into large men there and we had many happy times as well as more difficult ones.

Our estate agent has been fabulous. She has regularly come to our home with updates and advice and really has worked beyond expectations. Today, she arrived with flowers, chocolates and a card! We are so pleased that she was recommended to us by a neighbour.

Anyway, I think that is all I can manage to write today. I’m feeling quite overwhelmed and a bit giddy! Normal service will be resumed next week, I hope.

Happy weekend to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Image credits

Sold Sign and House by Guy Kilroy on Flickr

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Reading roundup 14/01/26

Posted on 14/01/2026 by The Librain

Welcome to my weekly post about the books I am reading. Since New Year’s Day I have finished three books so I think my ability to lose myself when I am reading may have returned. That having been said, I did start one this week but then put it aside after about 100 pages. The main theme was very dark which is difficult for me at the moment.

Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr

My most recent book was Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr, #01 Deverry Cycle. Here is the blurb…

”The first volume of the celebrated Deverry series, an epic fantasy rooted in Celtic mythology that intricately interweaves human and elven history over several hundred years.

In a world outside reality, the flickering spirit of a young girl hovers between incarnations, knowing neither her past nor her future. But in the temporal world there is one who knows and waits: Nevyn, the wandering sorcerer.

On a bloody day long ago he relinquished the maiden’s hand in marriage – and so forged a terrible bond of destiny between three souls that would last through three generations.

Now Nevyn is doomed to follow them across the plains of time, never resting until he atones for the tragic wrong of his youth…”

And this is my short response on Goodreads…

Daggerspell (Deverry, #1)Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An interesting tale with excellent world building and characters based in a kind of Celtic world with added magic and elves! There some well drawn female characters too, which was great. I enjoyed reading this but don’t think I will try the rest of the series. Perhaps I will in the future.

View all my reviews

When I had finished this book, I struggled to find another that would suit my present condition: a gripping plot with strong characters, but not too dark. I tried one book by Brandon Sanderson, but the plot was so very grim that it didn’t really help my poor depressed brain! So, I have put that aside for now and have started another. I will let you know how that has gone in next week’s post.

Happy Reading!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Friday post 09/01/26: With a returning Librain!

Posted on 09/01/2026 by The Librain

Well, strictly speaking I returned on Wednesday, but this is the first “proper” post of the year! I am attempting to pick up this blog again after quite a long break for mental health reasons. Everything became too much for me towards the end of last year and I couldn’t find the head space for writing. I couldn’t even enjoy reading! Anyway, let’s see how this goes.

I do hope that you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year. We celebrated our first Christmas in our new home and it was so lovely to see Younger Son for a few days. He helped to create a wonderful dinner and Elder Son contributed some delicious treats for a buffet style meal on Boxing Day. I had bought some new table decorations for the holiday and it all looked really nice and festive.

Since then, Lovely Husband and I have been continuing to find homes for the remaining bits and pieces from our old house. I have a very long To-Do list, but I try to cross something off every day, no matter how small, and that helps to lift my mood. If you read my last post, you will have seen that I have also found my reading mojo, so that is good progress!

We are now just a week away from completion on our old house. For those of you who are not in England, that means that at 14.00 on Friday the 16th of January we will no longer own the house! Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

My New Year’s Resolution is to wear my scarves more often!!! I have so many and the colder months mean that I can really enjoy using them to keep warm. Well, no-one needs an excuse to wear scarves, do they? Anyway, here are a few quick photos. Please excuse my awful hair. I had a terribly bad reaction to the COVID vaccination back in November and had to cancel the appointment with my hairdresser.

Oops! I forgot to take my glasses off for the last photo! Those of you with sharp eyes might spot a new purchase – more about that next week.

I also indulged myself with a couple of clothing items: a teal cashmere jumper from John Lewis and a fine wool throwover from One Hundred Stars. Now, the throwover is listed as grey, but in fact the background colour is a dark green. That isn’t really one of my usual wardrobe colours, but as I have green eyes I think it will probably work for me. I will wear it soon and take some modelling shots when I do.

Teal cashmere jumper by John Lewis
Chrysanthemum grey throwover by One Hundred Stars

I think that is enough rambling on for now…

Happy Weekend!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Posted in Clothes, House sale, Lifestyle, Scarves, Shopping, Special days, Wardrobe | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reading roundup 07/01/26

Posted on 07/01/2026 by The Librain

Well, I’m back! Seriously, welcome to my blog dear friends and visitors. I took a long break at the end of last year because my health issues had become overwhelming and I couldn’t face writing on top of everything else. On Friday, I will attempt to update the blog with my thoughts about the recent holidays and also our house move, but as it’s Wednesday I am going to post about my reading in 2025.

I had set myself a target of 50 books for the year, but struggled to find the right books which could engage my attention. I turned to old favourites for comfort and didn’t log them all on Goodreads. In November, I came across an author, R K Lander, that I hadn’t found before and immersed myself in her books about her character, The Silvan, reading her entire works over the rest of the year. Then, at the end of December, I found a series called The Winterlands Quartet by one of my favourite authors from my younger days, Barbara Hambly, and have also finished that! I think that my reading mojo may have returned.

Anyway, these are the images that Goodreads sends at the end of the year…

Once again I have set myself a target of 50 books for the year. It doesn’t matter at all if I don’t reach that number as my aim is to enjoy reading again and find my ability to lose myself in other worlds and forget my worries.

Here’s to another year of happy reading!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Wednesday post 19/11/25: Taking a break

Posted on 19/11/2025 by The Librain

Dear friends and visitors,

Those of you who know me in person or who regularly read this blog will be aware that I am really struggling with my mental health. To be honest, I am in a deep and dark place. I am getting professional support and hope that this leads, eventually, to a healthier outcome. At the moment, I am clinging on with the help of my family and close friends.

At a time when I am finding it difficult to even read my books (always my first love since I was three years old), writing blog posts is beyond me. So I am going to take a break from the blog until I feel a lot better.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Saturday post 15/11/25: With some pretty things!

Posted on 15/11/2025 by The Librain

So, it looks as if Fridays are out at the moment in terms of blog posts! A few things seem to be happening on that day. Nothing amazing, just stuff like health appointments and the like. I have decided to write today and may eventually switch to Saturdays. Well, I haven’t fully decided yet!

Nothing much seems to be happening in the house selling saga. The prospective buyers are having a visit there today and their survey is due next week. These are nerve racking times for us, but there is nothing we can do but wait and trust the skills of our estate agent.

I am struggling terribly with my mental health and the extra stress of all of this is not helping. I had an appointment with my psychiatrist this week and he has ordered some extra blood tests to see if some of my long term physical health issues could be making my mental health worse. I must admit that I felt a little better after talking to him. I hope that the tests show that something can be done to help me.

Yesterday, Lovely Husband, Elder Son & I braved the torrents of rain to go to the health centre for our flu vaccinations. While we were there, I spoke to the receptionist about our difficulties in getting on to their online system. She gave me the required instructions and I am hoping that I can work it out from those. Mind you, LH refuses to use his mobile phone so I will probably have to use his to book his repeat prescriptions and other matters!

I had a real disappointment this week with two purchases. I won’t give the exact details, but just tell you that some Christmas decorations arrived smashed to bits and a velvet jacket came with dreadfully poor stitching. So, I now have to sort these two returns out.

On a more positive note, it was my birthday last Saturday and ES gave me a really pretty amethyst “tree” ornament for our purple bedroom. I am also expecting the delivery of the framed photo of purple heather on the Derbyshire moors that I showed you some weeks ago. I will take a photo of it when we have hung it on our bedroom wall.

Here is the amethyst “tree”…

Amethyst “tree”

I have also worn a few pretty scarves lately…

Can you spot the Hermès scarf? You can see that I am trying to cheer myself up by wearing some of my collection.

Anyway, I think that is all for now. I hope you are all having a great weekend.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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