Oh dear 😕. I have to admit that I haven’t managed to finish a book this week. You see, I have been quite busy and very distracted writing an important document. So distracted that I couldn’t concentrate on my book. It’s a really interesting book too, the final volume in a great trilogy. It needs proper attention and I don’t want to spoil the experience by skimming through, just so that I can write a review on time.
In addition, I’m a nervous wreck because we are starting to think seriously about moving house and are looking around for something suitable. I hate house moving and we haven’t done it for over twenty years, so I’m very out of practice. Anyway, more about that on Friday, probably.
Here is the book I have been trying to read. I haven’t even managed 100 pages!
Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Let’s hope that either things calm down gain soon, or that I get better at dealing with stress.
Note: I have edited this post on Saturday 13/01/24 because I was too tired to write it yesterday!
Welcome to the post. So, I have actually been to my hairdresser and now look reasonably civilised again! I hadn’t been able to face getting my hair done for months, so I am feeling rather pleased with myself. Elder Son kindly accompanied me and, afterwards, we walked through our town to a café and both had a drink and a lovely piece of cake 😄. I felt very tired when we arrived home, but also very pleased as if I had really achieved something for once.
Anyway, here are the before and after photos, as usual:
Before and after haircut on 12/01/24
Oh, please excuse the awful lighting! I take these quick photos on my iPad and don’t have any idea how to edit them without making a mess. The after photo was taken on Saturday lunchtime, so my hair had been slept on, as it were. So not a pristine “straight from the hairdresser’s” look. Never mind, you get the idea: short and neat and easy to look after.
This is a collage of the outfit…
Outfit of the day 12/01/24 with Hermès’ Plumes en Fête shawl
The purple cotton jumper and the grey cord trousers are by Lands’ End, the handbag and bracelet by Massaccesi, the pewter shoes by Hotter, and the grey coat by Masai. I had intended to wear my gorgeous purple suede boots, but didn’t have the energy to dig them out from the depths of my wardrobe. In any case, this was a nice ensemble and I felt really good wearing these items – so that is all that matters!
Let’s have a larger image of the gorgeous Hermès cashmere/silk shawl, Plumes en Fête:
Plumes en Fête shawl (H243433S 04)
I hope you have enjoyed this post, even if it was a day late.
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup! Last week I wrote about my final books of 2023, so today I am starting on the new year’s reading material.
I had a slightly bumpy beginning to the reading year. Despite declaring that I wouldn’t read another Reacher book, I had another one on my reservations list at the library. So, I decided to give it a try. Big mistake! It was so dire that I only managed a few pages and then gave up. It is so sad that the author, Lee Child, has handed the series over to his brother, Andrew. The whole character and behaviour of Reacher has been altered and bears little resemblance to the former hero. So, that is definitely the end for me.
So, on to the book that I did read and enjoy…
Hammer and Crucible by Cameron Cooper
The book that I selected, completely at random, was Hammer and Crucible by Cameron Cooper (#01 Imperial Hammer series). I read the blurb and thought I would give it a try…
“The interstellar array which links worlds together wakes to find it has enemies…The Fourth Carinad Empire stretches across hundreds of settled worlds and stellar cities, and thousands of light years. The Empire’s people and data are linked by a space-folding gates array controlled by the Emperor and his cohorts. When the array evolves into a sentient entity, it recognizes the Emperor as its foe.Danny Andela, once known as The Imperial Hammer, withdrew from the Imperial Rangers decades ago, her reputation in tatters. She lives on her family’s star barge, waiting to die of a rare old age. She would be the array’s perfect weapon against the Emperor, except she no longer gives a damn—about anything.Then Danny learns that the military disaster which essentially ended her life might possibly have been arranged by the Emperor himself…”
By the way, the blurb that I read was much better than the above, from Goodreads! This was my response:
I really enjoyed this and found the main characters interesting and intriguing. There aren’t many grandmothers in the science fiction I have read, if any! Many of the ideas were also inventive and kept me hooked. The ending had plenty of surprises and set up the series nicely. I haven’t yet decided whether I will continue to read on, but I may do.
After finishing this book, I saw that the final episode of a fantastic trilogy was available from the library – brilliant! So that will be my next book and you will be able to read my verdict next week.
Welcome to the first Friday post of the new year. I do hope that you all had a lovely festive season. We had a pleasant time as a family with Younger Son. I was so happy that he was able to come over and lighten up the atmosphere. I even managed to put up a few decorations that I bought at the last minute: large and small hanging snowflakes in the new porch and lounge with some white tinsel.
Straight away, in the first days of January, we have hit a crisis for Elder Son. I am not going to explain further on here, but I will simply say that we are all trying to pull together to support him. So far, he is being very brave and his brother has also stepped up to help. This is going to take quite a while to sort out.
Back to frivolity! I am so pleased that I was able to pounce on my new Hermès shawl, Le Jaguar et Le Colibri, when it appeared briefly on the UK website just before Christmas. As usual, Hermès increased their prices at New Year by a large amount. I know I said last year that the prices were far too high and I could not afford them any longer, but still caved in the end. However, this time I really must stop buying their scarves!
Well, perhaps a small one might make its way here…
Anyway, here is a reminder of the stunning shawl (and I will try to write the promised Scarf of the Moment post soon):
Le Jaguar et Le Colibri by Hermès
Over the holidays, I was idly wandering around from site to site, looking for some suitable earrings to wear with this scarf. There are so many colours and patterns in the shawl: blues, red, pinks, yellow and floral, geometric, curves, etc.
Here is a close up of the border with its geometric patterns and also the floral shapes…
Le Jaguar et Le Colibri – detailed image
I found quite a few earrings that were OK, but not quite what I was looking for. And then I thought of “shopping” my own collection!
Here was the perfect solution: the colours and the geometric shapes…
Sipho earrings by Chalk Jewellery
By the way, Chalk Jewellery do some gorgeous earrings and necklaces. Their website is really worth a visit. The earrings I have are very light and easy to wear because they are made from wood and perspex rather than heavy metals. They do also have jewels in gold and silver, but I haven’t tried these so far. Their designs are amazing and very beautiful!
Here’s a photo I took a few days ago with my other earrings by Chalk Jewellery – the link goes to my blog post from 2022: Marisa stud earrings in Regency…
Outfit of the day 29/12/23 with Hermès’ Le Jaguar et Le Colibri shawl
Now, I had better return to sorting out my new laptop – an interesting task for my post stroke brain! I will do it…
Welcome to my first Reading Roundup post of 2024! In this post I am “rounding up” the final books of 2023, which I managed to read during Christmas and the time before New Year.
Here they are…
Wolf of Mercia by M J Porter
My first book was Wolf of Mercia by M J Porter (#02 Eagle of Mercia Chronicles). I wrote about the first book in the series in my final roundup post of 2024. Anyway, I decided to continue with the series and this is the blurb:
“As a lone wolf inside a Wessex stronghold, Icel must ensure his own and Mercia’s triumph.
Icel is becoming a warrior of Mercia, but King Ecgberht of Wessex still holds the Mercian settlement of Londonia and its valuable mint.
King Wiglaf of Mercia is determined that the last bulwark be reclaimed from his sworn enemy to complete his rehabilitation as Mercia’s rightful ruler.
In the heart of the shield wall, Icel suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the battle and thrust into the retreating enemy stronghold where he must take on the pretence of a Wessex warrior to survive and exact a cunning plan to bring down the Wessex force cowering behind the ancient walls.
His allegiances are tested and the temptation to make new allies is overwhelming but Icel must succeed if he’s ever to see Tamworth again and bring about King Wiglaf’s victory, or will he be forced to join the enemy?”
This was another well-written episode in the series, although I did find some jarring mistakes here and there! The book was more exciting this time with plenty of battles and mayhem. Our hero grew up further towards adulthood and became more able with both fighting and healing (two rather interesting and opposing skills!).
I found the descriptions of the ruins of Roman London very interesting and also quite poignant, comparing the civilisation of the Roman Empire with life in Dark Age Britain.
I plan to read more books in this series at a later date.
The second book was a return to one of my most favourite authors, Stuart MacBride:
The Dead of Winter by Stuart MacBride
Here is the blurb:
“It was supposed to be an easy job. All Detective Constable Edward Reekie had to do was pick up a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him somewhere to live out his last few months in peace.
From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint, sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled deep in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, but things aren’t what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras and there’s a strict nine o’clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for people who’ve served their sentences but can’t be safely released into the general population. Edward’s new boss, DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen before the approaching blizzards shut everything down, but when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow, someone needs to take charge. The weather’s closing in, tensions are mounting, and time’s running out – something nasty has come to Glenfarach, and Edward is standing right in its way…”
I love Stuart MacBride’s writing and he has become one of my favourite authors. The black humour, larger than life characters and twisting plots are very hard to beat.
It was interesting to read the first book in what I assume is a new series. As usual, there were plenty of amusing moments, amongst the gore and violence. I was not so sure about the main female character, whilst she was different to other senior policewomen in MacBride’s books, she was definitely over-the-top. I will enjoy seeing how this will develop.
The next book was worth the full five stars in my view!
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton
Rosamund Lupton’s Three Hours was a completely random choice from an ebook offer. I am so glad that I chose it and this is the blurb:
“In a rural English village in the middle of a snowstorm, the unthinkable happens: the school is under siege.
From the wounded headmaster barricaded in the library, to teenage Hannah in love for the first time, to the pregnant police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, to the terrified 8-year-old Syrian refugee, to the kids sheltering in the school theatre still rehearsing Macbeth, all must find the courage to stand up to evil and try to save the people they love . . .
In an intense exploration of fear and violence, courage and redemption, Rosamund Lupton takes us deep into the heart of human experience.”
Phew! I really was gripped by this tale and couldn’t stop reading. I read into the evening so that I could reach the end and find out who had survived.
Of course, no book is perfect and there were some slight issues here and there, but, after all, this is a work of the imagination. It is fiction. I liked the interweaving of Macbeth (the only Shakespeare play that I know).
I get that some people did not feel this way about the book and that is fine. There are so many books for us all to enjoy!
My choice was Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes. All of these four books were so different from one another! Anyway, this is the blurb for Stone Blind:
“So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters.’
Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she begins to realize that she is the only one who experiences change, the only one who can be hurt. And her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.
When the sea god Poseidon commits an unforgivable act in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can – and Medusa is changed forever. Writhing snakes replace her hair, and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. The power cannot be Medusa can look at nothing without destroying it. She is condemned to a life of shadows and darkness.
Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .”
This book was so interesting! Although it is such a long time since I studied or read Greek myths, I found it really fascinating to read them in this form. Instead of heroes fighting hideous, evil monsters, we are shown weak humans, petulant gods and goddesses and hideous, but sympathetic “monsters”. I enjoyed the twists from the usual retelling of these stories.
It was a great book to read as my last one for 2023!
So, I reached my 2023 Reading Challenge in the end; in fact I read three more books: the challenge was 60 and I read 63. This was pretty good considering the issues that I am still having since the stroke in 2019, both visually and cognitively. Also, Lovely Husband was injured in April and was stuck up here in bed with me for six months, and he is definitely not a keen book reader so became very bored when I insisted on some quiet reading time. Trying to reach an arbitrarily chosen target is a bit daft, I suppose, but it is fun. Thinking about this, I might drop 2024’s target to 50 to prevent any possible pressures.
Here is 2023’s Year in Books…
2023 in books – Goodreads
So, next week’s post will start the 2024 Reading Year!
Welcome to my blog! I am going to take a break for a few days over the holidays. There may be a Reading Roundup post next week, but it depends on my health and family issues. So, I may not be back until next year.
Anyway, I do hope that you have a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holiday Season!
Welcome to this week’s post about my reading journey. This might be the final one for 2023, but I am not quite sure. If I am able, I will write another post next week to properly finish off the year. I hope that I reach my target of 60 books.
I am now on 59!
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
The first book is Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. Another serendipitous choice from the Library’s ebook selection. This is the blurb:
“Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke – until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor.
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next….”
Despite the grim subject, this was a very quick and easy read. It had a few surprises and was well structured. Nine people are on a killer’s list. Nine seemingly random people.
But perhaps they are not!
All will be revealed. I must admit that I didn’t guess what was coming towards the end, so I enjoyed the surprises. And I have now reserved some more books by Peter Swanson.
I chose the first book in The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles: Son of Mercia by M J Porter for a taste of Dark Ages history. Here is the blurb:
“Tamworth, Mercia AD825.
The once-mighty kingdom of Mercia is in perilous danger.
Their King, Beornwulf lies dead and years of bitter in-fighting between the nobles, and cross border wars have left Mercia exposed to her enemies.
King Ecgberht of Wessex senses now is the time for his warriors to strike and exact his long-awaited bloody revenge on Mercia.
King Wiglaf, has claimed his right to rule Mercia, but can he unite a disparate Kingdom against the might of Wessex who are braying for blood and land?
Can King Wiglaf keep the dragons at bay or is Mercia doomed to disappear beneath the wings of the Wessex wyvern?
Can anyone save Mercia from destruction?”
What a lot of kings and other characters with Anglo-Saxon names! Anyway, this was my quick review:
This was an interesting read about a period of history of which I am very ignorant. I have read and watched The Last Kingdom, set a few years later, during and after the reign of King Alfred of Wessex, but this gives the earlier story from the Mercian point of view.
I enjoyed the well researched background information and the coming of age theme. Will definitely be reading more of this series.
OK, I must admit that I am a scarf addict! Particularly when it come to Hermès. Especially because I have so little to spend my monthly “fun money” on. Also, because I love colour, pattern and luxurious fabrics…
So, I saved up for months…
Then, I watched a certain pair of websites for weeks…
To see which of the two scarves I was waiting for would appear in the UK…
And this was the result of my search…
Yes, I bought an Hermès cashmere/silk 140cm shawl!!! This one is called Le Jaguar et le Colibri (Humming Bird) designed by Lugo Montserrat. The shopping code is H243919S 07 and the colourway is marine/rouge/rose.
This is an image of the full shawl…
Le Jaguar et le Colibri by Lugo Montserrat for Hermès
The shawl is absolutely glorious in real life with so many different colours and patterns. I tried to count all of the shades and gave up at twelve! The navy blue background really drew me to this colourway as it sets a beautiful foil for the floral and geometric drawing. This also means that it will look lovely with my navy base colour clothing such as jumpers, t-shirts, jeans, trousers and dresses (yes, I do have some in navy).
I intend to slowly compile a Scarf of the Moment profile for the shawl. Slowly, because I want to do its sheer beauty justice. I will try it on against suitable colours that I have in my wardrobe and try different knots. (I must get my hair cut first and, perhaps put on some makeup!) The post will only be published on the blog when I am completely satisfied with it, so that may mean that it will not appear until the New Year 2024. We will see!
Anyway, if you love this design like I do and have been waiting for it to appear in the online shops, it seems to trickling in and out again very quickly. Good luck if you have been hunting for it!
I have finally caught up with my reading this week and I think I might just hit or even exceed my target set on Goodreads! Here are the two books that I enjoyed:
The Man in the Bunker by Rory Clements
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the sequel to Rory Clements’ The Man in the Bunker: The English Führer. Somehow I had managed to miss this book, #06 in his Tom Wilde series. I hurried to put the book on request at the Library’s website and it dropped on to my iPad last week. This is the blurb:
“WHAT IF HITLER HAD SURVIVED?
In the gripping new spy thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Hitler’s Secret, a Cambridge spy must find the truth behind Hitler’s death. But exactly who is the man in the bunker? ________________
Germany, late summer 1945 – The war is over but the country is in ruins. Millions of refugees and holocaust survivors strive to rebuild their lives in displaced persons camps. Millions of German soldiers and SS men are held captive in primitive conditions in open-air detention centres. Everywhere, civilians are desperate for food and shelter. No one admits to having voted Nazi, yet many are unrepentant.
Adolf Hitler is said to have killed himself in his Berlin bunker. But no body was found – and many people believe he is alive. Newspapers are full of stories reporting sightings and theories. Even Stalin, whose own troops captured the bunker, has told President Truman he believes the former Führer is not dead. Day by day, American and British intelligence officers subject senior members of the Nazi regime to gruelling interrogation in their quest for their truth.
Enter Tom Wilde – the Cambridge professor and spy sent in to find out the truth…”
This book was so good that I couldn’t put it down! Here is my response on Goodreads (I gave it the full five stars):
Another excellent book in this great series. Set in the time just after the end of WWII, this is an exciting and gripping thriller. Post-war Germany is described in vivid terms with heart-breaking detail.
The plot is centred around the interesting question: what if Hitler had survived the war? The quest to find him takes the reader on a journey around Germany involving dangerous situations and sinister characters. There is also some light in the gloom. Moments of humanity and bravery as people struggle to find new lives after such tragedy. The end notes describe the fates of the real characters mentioned in the book.
My second book of the week was very close to five stars, but the sheer horrific gruesomeness (is there such a word) made me knock off one…
The Last Town by Blake Crouch
The book was the final episode of Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy: The Last Town. This is the blurb:
“What’s inside was a nightmare. What’s outside is a thousand times worse.
Welcome to Wayward Pines, the last town.
Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrived in Wayward Pines, Idaho, three weeks ago. In this town, people are told who to marry, where to live, where to work. No one is allowed to leave; even asking questions can get you killed.
But Ethan has discovered the astonishing secret of what lies beyond the electrified fence that surrounds Wayward Pines and protects it from the terrifying world beyond. And now that secret is about to come storming through the fence to wipe out this last, fragile remnant of humanity.
The Last Town at last pitches Ethan Burke and his fellow residents into all-out war against the forces outside the town’s gates – and in doing so delivers every bit the riotously horrific, breathlessly action-packed conclusion that the Wayward Pines trilogy deserves.”
And this was my response (I was probably shaking as I typed!):
I could have given this five stars or none, but eventually decided on four. To be honest, I was shocked by the sheer brutality of the opening scenes. I almost put the book down altogether and gave it 0 stars. In the end, my curiosity got the better of me. As I haven’t had the opportunity to watch the TV series, I had no idea how the story was going to work out and I felt that I really needed to know!
So, my final feelings about this book and the trilogy as a whole? There are some plot holes and sheer improbabilities, but the ending was great and the journey to reach that end was exciting, imaginative, scary and totally gripping. Super series!
Friday is here already and we are now even closer to Christmas! Ours will be very quiet this year with just the three of us (or four if Younger Son can get over here). Well, perhaps “quiet” is the wrong word knowing us! As Lovely Husband still cannot leave the house, we are trying to organise deliveries of everything we need. We have never tried this before because LH has always done the food shopping and cooking. All of us will have to pitch in together and try to make some kind of celebration.
I have been making more effort to get dressed recently. For me that means putting on a lovely jumper, preferably cashmere, and accessorising with a gorgeous scarf. If I am feeling a little stronger, I also choose some earrings and a bracelet. Anyway, here are some quick photos. Please excuse the quality. They were taken on my old iPad as my new one can’t take decent portrait selfies, sadly.
Outfit with Hermès’ A L’Ombre des Pivoines scarfOutfit with Hermès’ A L’Ombre des Pivoines scarfOutfit with Liberty of London’s Ianthe scarfOutfit with Hermès’ Plumes en Fête shawl
Here are the scarves and the shawl in larger images:
A L’Ombre des Pivoines by Hermès (90cm)
Ianthe in varuna wool by Liberty
Plumes en Fête shawl (H243433S 04)
The first two scarves were worn with a navy cashmere/wool mix v-neck jumper from WoolOvers and the shawl with my newish Lands’ End purple cotton mix cable jumper. Such simple clothes can be simple foils for amazing accessories!
If I still had the figure and went to “posh” events, my scarf and shawl collection could be worn with gorgeous dresses or separates in velvet or satin. Ah well…
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 
Dear Lauren, thank you so much for this kind and lovely comment! Love & best wishes, Anne XXX