Friday is here again! Not that it makes much difference when you have retired. Anyway, I am feeling quite proud of myself today. You see, yesterday I managed to go out by myself! That is such an achievement for me these days. Because I spend so much of my life in bed, I am developing agoraphobia. I feel so scared to leave the house. It’s where I feel safe and comfortable.
So, I had planned to go into town and get my hair cut. I was nervous about going, but Elder Son usually comes with me as a support. Our local bus service is very infrequent, so we also have to use taxis. Since my stroke in 2019 I am unable to drive. ES helps me negotiate everything and I am so grateful. We also had plans to go to a café after my haircut for a treat!
Well, plans don’t always work out, do they? I am not going to explain what happened, but I ended up going on my own and the café visit didn’t happen. I did wear a lovely outfit, though!
Here are the usual before and after photos…
Before and after pics 27/06/24
Yes, I finally was able to wear the lovely Ancient Columns outfit by One Hundred Stars. This is a reminder of how the two items, a kimono and a dress, look…
Ancient Columns dress by One Hundred Stars
Ancient Columns kimono by One Hundred Stars
I had planned the whole outfit: bronze leather sandals by K Shoes, gold earrings, enamel and rose gold bangle by Liberty of London, and a silver and pewter leather Diane handbag by Massaccesi…
Outfit of the day 27/06/24
We will definitely have to plan another trip into town, after all I must have an opportunity to have tea and cake! Oh, and wear another lovely outfit that I have planned in my head.
Welcome to my weekly reading post. Every Wednesday I write about the book(s) I have read during the previous week. I usually finish one or two (my pace has slowed down a lot since I had a stroke in 2019). Also, I log all of my books on Goodreads with a short response. I wish I had been able to do that during my over 60 years of reading. What a list I would have!
Here’s the first of the week…
The Rose and the Thorn by Michael J Sullivan
Having really enjoyed the first book in Michael J Sullivan’s series, The Riyira Chronicles, last week, I went straight on to book two: The Rose and the Thorn. This is the blurb:
“A dear friend is brutally beaten. Two thieves want answers. Riyria is born.”
“One year earlier, two thieves were saved from certain death by the compassion of a stranger. Unable to forget the woman who saved their lives, Royce and Hadrian now return to Gwen DeLancy and are shocked when she refuses to speak to them. Baffled, the two thieves discover Gwen has been brutally beaten by a powerful noble–beaten so badly she can’t face them. But Gwen doesn’t know about Royce’s past, doesn’t understand how much he cares for her, and doesn’t realize what he is capable of–but she’s about to find out.”
I was unsure whether this second book would be as gripping as the first one, but it was. Here is my response on Goodreads…
This was an enjoyable and satisfying read. I loved the developing relationship between the two main protagonists, Royce and Hadrian, which brings a touch of humour. There were more POV characters who became a gripping part of the plot with a lot of plotting! All in all, I am starting to love these books as they are a great way to escape a difficult life.
I may take a break for a while, but will soon return to Sullivan’s brilliant books.
Next, I decided to read a book from my library ebook app. The book has been made into a TV series and has had a lot of attention and hype…
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
The book was The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book exactly, given the subject matter, but I did hope that I might learn something new and be somewhat affected emotionally. This is the blurb (very detailed, for once):
“The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews who survived Auschwitz and eventually made their home in Australia. In that terrible place, Lale was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival – literally scratching numbers into his fellow victims’ arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Lale used the infinitesimal freedom of movement that this position awarded him to exchange jewels and money taken from murdered Jews for food to keep others alive. If he had been caught, he would have been killed; many owed him their survival.
There have been many books about the Holocaust – and there will be many more. What makes this one so memorable is Lale Sokolov’s incredible zest for life. He understood exactly what was in store for him and his fellow prisoners, and he was determined to survive – not just to survive but to leave the camp with his dignity and integrity intact, to live his life to the full. Terrible though this story is, it is also a story of hope and of courage. It is also – almost unbelievably – a love story. Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale – a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer – it was love at first sight, and he determined not only to survive himself but to ensure that Gita did, too. His story – their story – will make you weep, but you will also find it uplifting. It shows the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.
Like many survivors, Lale and Gita told few people their story after the war. They eventually made their way to Australia, where they raised a son and had a successful life. But when Gita died, Lale felt he could no longer carry the burden of their past alone. He chose to tell his story.”
Very poor writing about an interesting and heartbreaking (true?) story. I managed to finish, because I wanted to know how everything turned out, but it was an effort to read the dry, stilted prose. It felt like reading a terribly bad translation.
There are so many better books about these horrific events and I definitely won’t stir myself to read her other books in the series.
If any of you have read this book (or any of the others that I write about each week), I would love to know your own responses. Please comment if you want to.
Hello and welcome to today’s post. There isn’t really a theme today, more like bits and pieces. I have bought a new “dress”, planned an outfit that I sadly didn’t wear, wore a different outfit to watch TV with Lovely Husband, and got dressed in another that only lasted a few minutes before I fainted!
So, let’s go through all of this in order:
Here is my new “dress”…
Cotton nightdress by Lands’ End
Yes, I was looking for a cotton jersey midi length dress for the warmer weather and I found this in the Lands’ End sale! But it’s a nightdress, you say. It is, but it also works as a dress perfectly well and I will wear it as such 😂🤣😂🤣.
I am intending to wear it with suitable scarves and jewellery, especially this new-to-me scarf that I wrote about last week…
Roseraie mousseline scarf designed by Christiane Vauzelle for Hermès
Now, let’s look at the lovely planned outfit that I didn’t wear. Elder Son and I had decided to go into our local town, run a few errands and then have an indulgent lunch. Unfortunately, I was feeling very ill on the day and couldn’t go. This is the clothing I was hoping to wear, with lovely silver accessories:
Dress and kimono in Ancient Columns by One Hundred Stars
Diane handbag by Marco Massaccesi
Well, of course I wouldn’t have looked like the model, but I am really looking forward to wearing this ensemble as soon as I have the opportunity.
Moving on, I did manage to get dressed and go downstairs to watch a TV programme with LH. I wore an old navy t-shirt, linen trousers by Cotton Traders, lapis lazuli earrings and my Hermès 70cm scarf: Au Royaume d’Helios. Here are the scarf and the earrings:
Au Royaume d’Helios by Matthieu Cossé for Hermès
Lapis lazuli earrings by Noqra Designs on Etsy
And here I am wearing them…
Outfit of the day 17/06/24 with Hermès’ Au Royaume d’Helios scarf
Yesterday, I was planning to go down and spend some time with LH, but it was not to be. Anyway, this is the dress that I wore:
Leopard print dress by Marks and Spencer
Phew! Well that was a longer post than I expected! I will definitely try to wear some nice outfits next week, although if the temperatures soar I may end up sitting in front of a fan in only my vest and knickers (and, no, I won’t take a selfie!!!).
Hello, and welcome to this week’s post. Unfortunately, I am not feeling very well today. Elder Son was going to take me out for lunch, but I had an awful coughing attack last night and then woke up with horrible nausea etc. this morning. Anyway, I have read a great book this last week, so I will write about that.
Recently, I joined a Fantasy and Science Fiction group on Facebook. There are loads of posts every day and so many tempting recommendations! It’s rather overwhelming. I have downloaded several ebooks already and decided to read one last week…
The Crown Tower by Michael J Sullivan
The book was The Crown Tower by Michael J Sullivan (#01 The Riyria Chronicles). The book is part of a series, which was written after another series set in the same world. I decided to read the books in their chronological order, instead of their publication order.
First, we have the blurb:
“TWO MEN WHO HATE EACH OTHER. ONE IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. A LEGEND IN THE MAKING.
A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadias can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.”
That really doesn’t say enough about the book! Let’s just say that I really enjoyed it – I am already half way through the sequel. Here is my response on Goodreads:
I really enjoyed this book and am so pleased that I have found the author! It’s great when you come across a “new to you” writer who has created several well received and recommended series.
I loved the relationship between the two main male characters, the parallel plot with the female characters, the dark humour, the scene setting and the unexpected (by me) twists in the story. It is all very well done!
I am now really looking forward to reading more books set in this world!
Hello and welcome to my blog. I am a former school librarian in the UK who retired early due to chronic illness. As I spend most of my days in bed, I cheer myself up by reading escapist fiction on my iPad, planning lovely outfits for those rare occasions when I do manage to go out, doing what I can to help with the running of the household and cultivating my love of bling (especially scarves).
Some years ago I succumbed to the incredible scarf designs of the Hermès collection. If you look down the right hand side of the blog, you will see a list of most of my H scarves. These are the ones that I have written detailed scarf profiles for, called “Scarf of the Moment”.
I wrote about my most recent purchase, a 140cm mousseline scarf called Roseraie, in last week’s post: Friday post 07/06/24: with a fabulous reveal. This week, I am going to show you some very quick modelling photos. When I have the energy, I will try to put the two posts together into a Scarf of the Moment. It will not be quite as detailed as my more recent efforts as the scarf was issued around 1990 and I cannot find a lot of information online. Please let me know if you have anything I could use in the post!
Roseraie mousseline by Hermès – various scarf ties
I made a bias fold and just played around with the scarf, draping it around my neck in various ways. The final two photos were attempts to show more of the design. I think it looks lovely with navy and perhaps a silvery grey would work too. If I were fit and glamorous, I would wear it out to dinner with Lovely Husband with a simple plain navy or silver silk dress!
I did wear these earrings (a present from Elder Son a year ago). They are gorgeous, glam and very heavy!
Earrings by Lovisa
So, that’s all from me this week: Happy Weekend to you all!
Welcome to this week’s post. Last week, I wrote about a short story series that I found on Amazon: The Far Reaches. Today I am showing you another, similar set: The Forward Collection. Both series are science fiction of various types and by terrific authors.
Again, like last week, I have been suffering from a nasty virus, so have been struggling to concentrate. Short stories were just the perfect answer for my reading dilemma! Here are the book covers:
Ark by Veronica Roth #01 Forward CollectionSummer Frost by Blake Crouch #02 Forward CollectionEmergency Skin by N K Jemisin #03 Forward CollectionYou Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles #04 Forward CollectionThe Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay #05 Forward CollectionRandomize by Andy Weir #06 Forward Collection
I will show you the blurb for each story. I am not reviewing the stories on Goodreads, really struggling with my memory and brainpower, but I have given each one a star rating.
Ark by Veronica Roth
“On the eve of Earth’s destruction, a young scientist discovers something too precious to lose, in a story of cataclysm and hope by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Divergent trilogy.
It’s only two weeks before an asteroid turns home to dust. Though most of Earth has already been evacuated, it’s Samantha’s job to catalog plant samples for the survivors’ unknowable journey beyond.
Preparing to stay behind and watch the world end, she makes a final human connection.
As certain doom hurtles nearer, the unexpected and beautiful potential for the future begins to flower.”
I awarded this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars, Goodreads gives this 3.6.
Summer Frost by Black Crouch
“A video game developer becomes obsessed with a willful character in her new project, in a mind-bending exploration of what it means to be human by the New York Times bestselling author of Recursion.
Maxine was made to do one thing: die. Except the minor non-player character in the world Riley is building makes her own impossible decision—veering wildly off course and exploring the boundaries of the map. When the curious Riley extracts her code for closer examination, an emotional relationship develops between them. Soon Riley has all new plans for her spontaneous AI, including bringing Max into the real world. But what if Max has real-world plans of her own?”
I awarded this the full ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars, Goodreads gives this 4.1.
Emergency Skin by N K Jemisin
“What will become of our self-destructed planet? The answer shatters all expectations in this subversive speculation from the Hugo Award–winning author of the Broken Earth trilogy.
An explorer returns to gather information from a climate-ravaged Earth that his ancestors, and others among the planet’s finest, fled centuries ago. The mission comes with a warning: a graveyard world awaits him. But so do those left behind—hopeless and unbeautiful wastes of humanity who should have died out eons ago. After all this time, there’s no telling how they’ve devolved. Steel yourself, soldier. Get in. Get out. And try not to stare.”
I awarded this the full ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars, Goodreads gives this 4.03.
You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles
“Nature or nurture? Neither. Discover a bold new way to raise a child in this unsettling story of the near future by the New York Times bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow.
When Sam’s wife first tells him about Vitek, a twenty-first-century fertility lab, he sees it as the natural next step in trying to help their future child get a “leg up” in a competitive world. But the more Sam considers the lives that his child could lead, the more he begins to question his own relationships and the choices he has made in his life.”
I awarded this the lower mark of ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. Goodreads gives it 3.48.
The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
“What’s more frightening: Not knowing who you are? Or finding out? A Bram Stoker Award–winning author explores the answer in a chilling story about identity and human consciousness.
Imagine you’ve woken up in an unfamiliar room with no memory of who you are, how you got there, or where you were before. All you have is the disconnected voice of an attentive caretaker. Dr. Kuhn is there to help you—physically, emotionally, and psychologically. She’ll help you remember everything. She’ll make sure you reclaim your lost identity. Now answer one question: Are you sure you want to?”
I awarded this the full ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars, Goodreads gives this 3.76.
Randomize by Andy Weir
“In the near future, if Vegas games are ingeniously scam-proof, then the heists have to be too, in this imaginative and whip-smart story by the New York Times bestselling author of The Martian.
An IT whiz at the Babylon Casino is enlisted to upgrade security for the game of keno and its random-number generator. The new quantum computer system is foolproof. But someone on the inside is no fool. For once the odds may not favor the house—unless human ingenuity isn’t entirely a thing of the past.”
I awarded this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. Goodreads gives this 3.53.
Thankfully, I am now starting to feel quite a lot better and, perhaps, ready for a full book. It will need to be really gripping, though. Fantasy this time? We shall see.
Well, I have staggered through the week with this horrible virus, but feel a bit stronger today, which is a good sign. So, today’s post is going to show you something lovely that floated my way last week!
Let’s have the reveal…
The packaging with a mysterious “chat”!
Here we have the famous Hermès Bolduc ribbonOoh! What can be seen through the tissue paper?Wow! Is this a mousseline?
The scarf is a gorgeous 140cm mousseline, designed by Christiane Vauzelle for Hermès, called Roseraie. It was produced around about 1990 and this example is in terrific condition. The background colour is a lovely pale blue with a slight greyish tone. Against this is a lattice in a darker shade, close to British air force blue, with a bouquet of gorgeous roses in pink, red, and peach. The roses are both full blown and buds just about to open. Loose petals, green leaves and a plaque with the scarf’s title finish off the design.
It’s difficult to take photos of this scarf, so I have done my best. As the silk fabric is so fine, it’s impossible to take a photo of the whole piece. Well, probably an expert photographer could, but not me! Here are a couple more snaps so you get the idea…
This is the photo from the source site. You can see why I fell in love with this beauty!
Roseraie mousseline scarf designed by Christiane Vauzelle for Hermès
Just to give you a better idea of the whole design, here are some examples of the 90cm silk twill scarves…
So, where did I find my first and, most probably, only H moussie? Well, on the Rennies Seaside Modern website. I have bought quite a few scarves from them over the years as they are based in Folkestone in the UK, and they are very responsive and helpful. This link takes you to the Hermès page of their site.
I don’t think that I will be able to write a Scarf of the Moment post about this design, as I can’t find enough information. Perhaps this post will have to do instead. I am trying to work out how to tie and wear the scarf and which colours in my wardrobe will work best with it, so I will write another post about this. As I am still very poorly, the modelling photos can wait until I am feeling stronger and don’t look so hideous!
Oh, I have just had an idea! If a second post as described above works, perhaps I could put the two together as a Scarf of the Moment? I will have to think on this. Also, if any of you have further information about this lovely design, please let me know.
Welcome to this week’s post. Unfortunately, I am very ill with a nasty virus which has lasted quite a few days. I think that I am just beginning to recover, but it has been really horrible. You can tell how bad I have been feeling because I haven’t managed to read my usual kind of book. However, instead, I have downloaded the rest of the Amazon Original Collection called The Far Reaches. It is an interesting collection of science fiction stories by some great authors. I wrote about one of short stories from this collection, John Scalzi’s Slow Time Between the Stars, a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I might manage to read the rest of the series.
As I am feeling so lousy, I can’t cope with writing proper reviews. I will just say that I enjoyed all of the series. Only one story was not quite as good as the others, but the rest were well worth reading and very thought provoking.
Here are the covers of the whole series:
How it Unfolds by James S A Corey, #01 The Far ReachesVoid by Veronica Roth, #02 The Far ReachesFalling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse, #03 The Far ReachesThe Long Game by Ann Leckie, #04 The Far ReachesJust Out of Jupiter’s Reach by Nnedi Okorafor, #05 The Far ReachesSlow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi, #06 The Far Reaches
There is another set of short stories, called the Forward Collection, that I will probably read soon if I don’t feel I can tackle a full book yet.
NOTE: if you accessed this post on Friday 31/05/24 you may have noticed a huge error! I mistakenly identified one of the scarves as De la Mer au Ciel, when it is Under the Waves. That has now been corrected.
It’s Friday once again! The weeks pass by so swiftly. Anyway, welcome to my blog where I write about the books I read and the scarves I wear. Oh, and a few other things, occasionally! Unfortunately, I also have a set of nasty chronic illnesses that mean I am stuck in bed most of the time. Hooray for my iPad and WiFi!
Over the past couple of weeks I have been making a real effort to get up and go downstairs to spend time with Lovely Husband and also to wear a nice outfit rather than stay in my pyjamas. I have been working my way through my scarf collection, choosing old favourites as well as more recent purchases.
Here are some examples:
Outfit of the day 20/05/24 with Hermès Dans un Jardin AnglaisOutfit of the day 24/05/24 with Hermès Sous le Charme d’OrphéeOutfit of the day 28/05/24 with Hermès Under the WavesOutfit of the day 29/05/24 with Hermès Escales Mediterranéenes
Let’s have some larger images of the scarves. Some of the images of the older scarves are smaller or of low resolution.
Dans un Jardin Anglais by Alice Shirley for Hermès
Sous le Charme d’Orphée by Alice Shirley for Hermès
Under the Waves by Alice Shirley for Hermès
Escales Mediterranéenes by Christine Henry for Hermès
It’s such fun choosing a scarf from my collection and then deciding on a suitable outfit to go with it (yes, that is the way that I dress).
LH is a bit exasperated with me because I had some scarf mail yesterday. “Do you really need yet another scarf?”, he said. Well, we scarfies know the answer to that! Which scarf did I purchase? Sorry, but you will have to wait a week to find out! Let’s just say that it is a rare format in my collection…
Happy weekend to you all.
Love and best wishes,
Anne
💕💗💖💗💕
PS. These are my detailed “Scarf of the Moment” posts for each design, if you would like to see the other colourways and get more information…
So it’s Wednesday again and time to write about the book I read since last week’s post. Yes, I have one book to tell you about…
Homecoming by Kate Morton
I chose this book from our library’s ebook service: Homecoming by Kate Morton. It sounded interesting and so it proved to be! Here is the blurb:
“Adelaide Hills, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, in the grounds of a grand country house, a local man makes a terrible discovery. Police are called, and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most mystifying murder investigations in the history of Australia.
London, 2018. Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for nearly two decades, a phone call summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, has suffered a fall and is seriously ill in hospital.
Seeking comfort in her past, Jess discovers a true crime book at Nora’s house chronicling a long-buried police case: the Turner Family Tragedy of 1959. And within its pages she finds a shocking personal connection to this notorious event – a crime that has never truly been solved.
An epic novel that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love and how we protect the lies we tell.”
Well, that sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? You can see what I mean. Well, it took me all week to read the book, but it was worth it. This is my response on Goodreads:
I have taken off one star for the sheer length of this book! Otherwise, I really enjoyed this wonderful story, the scene setting was so atmospheric, both in London and also in Australia. I felt that I could see and walk around the two main houses and gardens, and drive around the area. I was also intrigued by the clever writing that pointed to one seemingly guilty party and then to another, before reaching a satisfying conclusion. The main characters are shown from different angles as if inside a mirrored room.
All in all, an excellent read! I will definitely seek out more books by Kate Morton.
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 any of you wish to see my Scarf of the Moment post about this lovely scarf design, the…