It’s Friday once again so time to write a post. This last week has been fairly quiet and peaceful, which has been lovely. I have managed to go for my local walks on most days and I am really feeling the benefit. The weather forecast is showing that things are really going to heat up over the next week, so I may not be able to cope with walking as I am not very good in hot weather!
I have also been trying to keep on top of the housework and that has been working well. Unfortunately, I am not able to do any gardening these days and we do have a lovely man who comes over to mow the lawns and keep the flower beds in order. He has had his own health issues and has not been able to come for a few weeks so the garden is like a jungle! I just about managed to walk down to the end yesterday, navigating the overgrown paths and steps with some difficulty! We have loads of gorgeous poppies just coming to the end of their flowering period and I am planning to collect the seeds from the best ones and sow them in other parts of the garden later on in the year. It is so lovely to see the garden changing through the months and discovering the flowers as they come into bloom.
I managed to wear one beautiful scarf last week on my walks. In fact I wore it on two days and I was going to upload both photos to show the different ties. However, the second batch of photos were so awful that I decided not to use any of them! Here’s one that is reasonable…
Outfit of the day 14/06/26 with Hermès Au Royaume d’Helios 70cm scarf
And this is a larger image of the scarf…
Au Royaume d’Helios by Matthieu Cossé for Hermès
Such gorgeous, cheerful colours! I think it worked well with my bright pink Lands’ End vest and navy trousers.
Wishing you all a very Happy Weekend!
Love and best wishes,
Anne
💕💗💖💗💕
P.S. If you would like to read more about this scarf, here is my Scarf of the Moment post with lots of information and the colourways.
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup post. I have now finished the final two books in David Gemmell’s brilliant Rigante series and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I am not feeling well today, so this will be a very basic post.
Ravenheart by David GemmellStormrider by David Gemmell
When I decided to read the Rigante series I assumed that I was re-reading all of the four books. I was sure that I must have read them many years ago as I knew that I had enjoyed Gemmell’s work in my younger days. As I read through the first two books I definitely remembered parts of the stories, but when I came to these two final books I realised that they were entirely new to me, which was great because they were such absorbing reads.
Anyway, this is the blurb for Ravenheart…
Eight hundred years have passed since King Connavar of the Rigante and his bastard son, Bane, the invading army of Stone. In that time, Connavar has become a legend, and the Rigante have lost the freedom so many gave their lives to preserve. A conquered people, they live and die under the iron rule of the Varlish, their culture all but destroyed.
One woman remains who follows the ancient paths once trod by the Rigante. She is the Wyrd of Wishing Tree Wood, and she alone knows the nature of the evil soon to be unleashed on a doomed and unsuspecting world.
“In a perilous land, facing an uncertain destiny, she pins her initial hopes on two men: Jaim Grymauch, the giant Rigante fighter, a man haunted by his failure to save the friend he loved from betrayal, and Kaelin Ring, a youth whose deadly talents will earn him the enmity of all Varlish. One will become the Ravenheart, an outlaw leader whose daring exploits will inspire the Rigante. The other will forge a legend and light the fires of rebellion.
The Wyrd knows that ultimately all hopes will rest on a third man. Of the bloodline of Connavar the King, he will need to overcome generations of fear and hatred if he is to achieve his destiny. For he is a Varlish nobleman, and – worse – the son of the Rigante’s greatest enemy . . .”
And this is the blurb for Stormrider…
“One glorious spark, one moment of Rigante rebellion has ignited a revolution and forged a legend. In the mountains of the north, the outlaw leader known as Ravenheart waits, knowing the forces of the blackhearted Moidart will come, led by the brutal ruler’s only son, Stormrider. Unaware that the fate of the world lies in their hands, sworn enemies Ravenheart and Stormrider will be forced to unite—and face the vengeance of an ancient evil.
For immense armies of darkness are advancing on the highlanders, and it seems as if nothing will stop them. They crush their victims with ease, until only a few thousand men stand before them, with no help in sight. But these are not ordinary men they face. They are clansmen, and more than that, they are Rigante. . . .”
As I am feeling so weak today, I have been unable to write reviews on Goodreads. Let me just say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading these two books and, in fact, the whole series. Everything was also rounded off nicely in the final chapters. If anyone wants to read some insightful comments, there are plenty on Goodreads.
Hello and welcome to this week’s post. Unfortunately, life in this house has been very difficult over the last couple of weeks. I have also been struggling with my physical and mental health. In addition we have had to deal with some house issues: the shower flooded, the LED light in our bedroom stopped working, and some of the blinds fell down, plus a few more. We have managed to sort everything out except the light. So, until we can get that repaired or replaced, we have to manage with table lamps.
All of the house stuff is quite trivial really, but our problems with family relationships have been much more difficult to manage. I will not go into the details, for obvious reasons, but a household with two ill and disabled parents and an adult son with multiple issues can be very challenging!
I have been too unwell on most days to go for my walks and I have not had the energy to wear anything other than loungewear. On one day I was able to dress quite nicely and put on an Hermès scarf…
Outfit of the day 07/06/26 with Hermès Zebra Pegasus 45cm scarf
Here is a larger image of the scarf…
Zebra Pegasus 45cm scarf by Hermès
And these are the lovely blue topaz earrings by Blue Nile…
Blue topaz earrings by Blue Nile
I think that is all for this week. Please keep your fingers crossed for some better days and weeks to come!
Love and best wishes,
Anne
💕💗💖💗💕
P.S. If you would like to know more about the Zebra Pegasus design, please look at my Scarf of the Moment post here.
Welcome to my weekly post about my reading journey. The other day I was chatting to Lovely Husband, discussing my enjoyment of reading mainly fiction. I said to him that I probably began to read independently before I started school and must have read thousands of books over the years since then. Because I was a school librarian for such a long time, during that period I read mostly young adult and children’s books, probably ten each week or even more. Since I retired I have changed to reading adult fiction: fantasy, science fiction and thrillers in the main. So, I wonder how many books I have read over my almost 70 years of life?!?
Regular visitors to this blog will be aware that I now log my reading journey on Goodreads. I have a category on there of “After Retirement”, which I started in 2014. There are currently 1054 books in that category. I may have read even more because Goodreads sometimes doesn’t seem to handle re-read books very well.
Anyway, on to last week’s books! I decided to change tack from Juliet Marillier’s work and revisit another of my favourite fantasy authors: David Gemmell. Marillier’s works focus on the lives of female characters, which is very refreshing! Gemmell’s books are the absolute opposite. They are very male character focused with females appearing as mothers, love interest or magical entities. So, it’s not very feminist of me to read his work! But then I read for escapism and I find Gemmell’s flawed “heroes” work very well for that!
I have read a lot of Gemmell’s work in the past but cannot remember exactly which books I have finished. Anyway, I decided on his Rigante series and completed the first two in time for this post…
Sword in the Storm by David GemmellMidnight Falcon by David Gemmell
Here is the blurb for Sword in the Storm…
“Born in the storm that kills his father, Connavar grows up among the mountains of Caer Druagh, where the Rigante tribe dwell in harmony with the land and its gods.
But beyond the border, across the water, an evil force is gathering strength – an unstoppable force that will change the world beyond all recognition.
Haunted by malevolent spirits and hunted by evil men, Connavar sets out on a spectacular mission to defeat this new enemy… But he is a troubled soul, dogged by fate – will he be able to defend his tribe and save his people?”
I really enjoyed this book following the life of a boy from childhood to manhood. Set in a fantasy Celtic world that was very well drawn by Gemmell, the plot was gripping and the characters were interesting and engaging. Gemmell’s heroes have realistic flaws and are more relatable because of these.
I am now going to continue with the rest of the series.
Now, on to the second book, Midnight Falcon. This is the blurb…
“They called him Bane the Bastard – though none said it to his face.
Born of treachery, his name a curse, he grew up among the warriors of the Rigante. They valued his skills in war, but they feared the violence in his heart.
And when, as a Wolfshead and Outlaw, he left Rigante lands, they breathed sighs of relief.
But Bane would return, the destiny of the Rigante in his hands, the fate of the world resting on his skills with a blade.”
This was another great episode in a great series. Many of the unfinished plot lines from the first book were nicely rounded off and we had glimpses of some of the characters too. The main character this time was quite unlikable at the beginning but I warmed to him as his story unfolded. The scene setting was terrific with masses of action and really interesting and likeable characters. Once again, there were few females, which is my main negative about these books.
Wednesday means it’s time to write about the books I have been reading in the previous week. I finished Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters series, reading the last two books. Here they are…
Seer of Sevenwaters and Flame of Sevenwaters are books five and six of the series and the latter rounds off the tale with a satisfying ending.
This is the blurb for Seer of Sevenwaters!
“Sibeal has always known that she is destined for a spiritual life, and is committed to it with all her heart. The only thing left for her to do before she enters the nemetons is to spend the summer visiting her sisters, Muirrin and Clodagh, on the northern island of Inis Eala.
But Sibeal has barely set foot on the island before a freak storm out at sea sinks a ship before her eyes. In spite of frantic efforts, only three survivors are fished alive from the water, and one of them, a man Sibeal names Ardal, clings to life by the merest thread.
Sibeal befriends Ardal as he begins to regain his health. But it becomes clear there is something unusual about the three shipwrecked strangers. Why won’t the beautiful Svala speak? And what is it that the gravely ill Ardal can’t remember – or won’t tell?
When a visiting warrior is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, and an attempt is made on Ardal’s life, Sibeal finds herself a pawn in a deadly game. The truth will be far more astonishing than she could ever have believed – and the consequences for Sibeal are unimaginable.”
Although not quite as good as the first three books in the series, I still really enjoyed reading this one. Once again, Marillier’s writing of character and setting is excellent and the magical elements are also well done. The plot engaged me right until the end, although there were slow sections. Definitely a worthy addition to a great series.
I went straight on to read the last book in the series: Flame of Sevenwaters. Here is the blurb…
“When Maeve, twenty year old daughter of Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, accompanies a skittish horse back to Erin, she must confront her demons. For Maeve carries the legacy of a childhood fire in her crippled hands. She has lived with her aunt in Britain for ten years, developing a special gift for gentling difficult animals.
Maeve arrives home to find Sevenwaters in turmoil. The forest surrounding her father’s keep also has uncanny inhabitants, including a community of Fair Folk. Now the fey prince Mac Dara has become desperate to see his only son return to the Otherworld to rule after him. To force Sean’s hand, Mac Dara has made innocent travellers on the Sevenwaters border disappear, and now their bodies are appearing one by one in bizarre circumstances. Mac Dara’s malign activities must be stopped. But how? What human army can defeat a force with magic at its fingertips?
Maeve’s gift with animals earns her respect at Sevenwaters. She bonds with her enigmatic small brother, Finbar, his druid tutor Luachan, and two stray dogs. When Maeve discovers the body of one of the missing men, she and Finbar are drawn into a journey where the stakes are high: they may bring about the end of Mac Dara’s reign, or suffer a hideous death. For Maeve, success may lead to a future she has not dared to believe possible.”
I think that this is the weakest of all the books in the series. The main character is unappealing and the response to her disabilities is very unlikely given the apparent historical period of the book. The ending rather too neatly finishes the whole series with a quite ridiculous romantic turn. All of that being said, I did enjoy a lot of the book and the return of some previous characters and am glad that I finished the series. I will definitely read more by Marillier in the future.
Now I am going to move on to a completely different kind of writer, although still in the Fantasy genre. All will become clear in next week’s Reading Roundup.
Friday is here so it is time to write a new post! The designs for the Hermès Autumn/Winter 2026 scarf and shawl season are emerging online, so I thought that I would tempt you with some of them today. The weather had been extremely hot and uncomfortable in this part of the UK during the past week and this has caused me to struggle with my health. Thoughts of gorgeous scarves have helped to lift my mood!
Here are some of them…
For further information as the new season unfolds, it is worth looking at this thread on The Purse Forum.
The prices are now so extreme that I will definitely struggle to justify purchasing any more! But, then I remember that it is my 70th birthday in November and don’t I deserve a lovely treat? 🤣😆🤣😆
Last week I returned to the world of Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters…
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
The fourth book is Heir to Sevenwaters. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I read the whole series a few years ago but now cannot remember the plot details, only some of the more important incidents. As I really love Marillier’s writing I thought that it would be lovely to read the whole series. Here is the blurb…
“The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest, one of the last refuges of the Tuatha De Danann, the Fair Folk of ancient story. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, separated by a thin veil between worlds and sharing a wary trust. Until the spring when Lady Aisling of Sevenwaters finds herself expecting another child, and everything changes. With her mother pregnant, Clodagh fears the worst as Aisling is well past the safe age for childbearing. Her father, Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, faces his own difficulties as warring factions threaten his borders. When Aisling gives birth to a son—a new heir to Sevenwaters—the responsibility of caring for the infant falls to Clodagh while her mother recovers. Then the family’s joy turns to despair when the baby is taken from his room and something . . . unnatural is left in his place. To reclaim her brother, Clodagh must enter the shadowy Otherworld and confront the powerful prince who rules there. Accompanied on her quest by a warrior who may prove to be more than he seems, Clodagh will have her courage tested to breaking point. The reward may be far greater than she ever dreamed…”
I really enjoyed revisiting Marillier’s world of Sevenwaters this time. Each of her books in this series centres around a female main character who is just entering the adult world. The author weaves together historical background, wonderful nature writing, family and domestic life, fairy tales and fantasy in this series. There are also elements of romance with interesting male characters. She has created a whole world based in Ireland, nearby islands and north-west England.
In this book, the story began quite slowly, but built into an exciting journey with our brave hero and heroine facing physical and magical obstacles along the way right until the end. Characters from other books in the series appear throughout the book. All in all, a satisfying read even if not quite as good as the first three books.
You can probably work out that I am currently reading the fifth book in the series! I will definitely write about it next week, all being well. So, as soon as I finish writing this post, I will return to the world of Sevenwaters!
So it’s Friday again and blog writing time! This week I have been trying to continue with my daily walks and I have managed to do them on most days. Sometimes my multiple health conditions just overwhelm me and I can’t raise enough energy to leave the house, but overall I think I am doing well. I have worn two cute 45cm Hermès scarves on my walks and I also try to dress up a bit with nice earrings. The small cross body bag that I bought last week has been a useful addition to my collection. It’s just the right size to carry my phone plus a few essentials in case I need them. So, I now have the bag, sunglasses, a hat and also a new kagool. I just hope that my legs and feet don’t fail!
Anyway, here are the two scarves. One is by Liberty of London in gorgeous shades of blue. I have forgotten the name! The other is by Hermès: Sous le Charme d’Orphée, also in blue with orange, green and purple accents.
You may be able to see the jewellery I was wearing in the first photo. Elder Son gave me these beautiful earrings and a necklace with blue crystals a few years ago. I have never worn a necklace with a scarf before, but have seen this combination online. All of the pretty blues really compliment one another, I think. Here is a close up image…
One parcel arrived this week from Dunelm with two new bedside lamps for our bedroom. One of our old ones had broken, so I searched around for new ones and showed Lovely Husband all of the lamps that I liked and we chose together. All of the cupboard door handles in the room are a kind of bronze metallic and the lamps are a very close match. The shades are in a creamy fabric. The lamps are a very simple design, but they look really nice on our bedside cabinets. Here is the image from the Dunelm website…
Hello and welcome to this week’s post. I actually was able to finish two books this time and am part way through a third. Here is the first one…
The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse
My first book of the week was The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse, #04 The Joubert Family Chronicles. This is the blurb…
Olifantshoek, Southern Africa, 1688. When the violent Cape wind blows from the south-east, they say the voices of the unquiet dead can be heard whispering through the deserted valley. Suzanne Joubert, a Huguenot refugee from war-torn France, is here to walk in her cousin’s footsteps. Louise Reydon-Joubert, the notorious she-captain and pirate commander, landed at the Cape of Good Hope more than sixty years ago, then disappeared from the record as if she had never existed. Suzanne has come to find her – to lay the stories to rest. But all is not as it seems…
Franschhoek, Southern Africa, 1862. Nearly one hundred and eighty years after Suzanne’s perilous journey, another intrepid and courageous woman of the Joubert family – Isabelle Lepard – has journeyed to the small frontier town once known as Oliftantshoek in search of her long-lost relations. A journalist and travel writer, intent on putting the women of her family back into the history books, she quickly discovers that the tragedies and crimes of the past are far from over. Isabelle faces a race against time if she is not only going to discover the truth but escape with her life…
I was really pleased when I saw this on the Library’s ebook site, having read all of the previous books in the series quite some time ago. Here is my response on Goodreads…
I was so pleased to see that this final book in the series was available. Having read the preceding books quite some time ago, I had forgotten much of the story, but this book drew everything together by the end. I loved reading the history of such wonderful, strong women set in times and countries that were so different from my own life. The characters were very well drawn and the settings gave a real sense of history and geography. I loved reading Kate Mosse’s writing and am looking forward to her next book!
The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman, #01 The Wolf King, was recommended by the Science Fiction and Fantasy group that I follow on Facebook, so I thought that I would give it a try. Anyway, this is the blurb…
‘I want to mark you as mine. And I can think of countless ways I would do it. Countless ill-advised, highly pleasurable ways I would do it.’
When war erupts between humans and werewolves, a princess finds herself torn between duty and desire.
On the eve of her wedding, Princess Aurora catches the eye of a powerful alpha, Callum.
Believing she’s the key to ending a brutal war, Callum kidnaps Aurora, whisking her away to the rugged lands north of the border.
There, a forbidden attraction starts to grow. Just as Aurora learns not all Wolves are bad, Callum discovers that she is in danger from those closest to him.
With monsters on both sides and a bloodthirsty war raging, will their story end in love or tragedy? And will Aurora ever get home?
Does she even want to?
So, the genre of this book is listed as Romantasy! This made me laugh, but I read it anyway. You are never too old for a bit of fantasy mixed with romance, in my view! Here is my short review…
So, let’s say that I did enjoy reading this book in the main. It began quite well with a beautiful, lonely and sad princess meeting a handsome, dangerous, hunky, kilt wearing werewolf! Then there was a lot of hot and steamy, will she, won’t she. Then we had another handsome, hunky, trouser wearing and even more dangerous werewolf. Plus more dangerous…
Anyway, after this the plot sank into rather repetitive action and reaction. Oh, and lazy writing. If we have a fantasy, sword bearing world, how would they know about adrenaline? That, and similar issues, really annoyed me, so I don’t think I will read the sequels.
But, you never know, in the future I might be pining for handsome, hunky, dangerous…
Former professional school librarian, now retired through chronic illness. Trying to keep cheerful by reading, drinking lots of tea, blogging my new life, and my love of bling!
The Librain
The Librain......retired 
[…] If you would like to read more about this scarf, here is my Scarf of the Moment post with…