Apologies, dear friends and readers! We have had a very busy and eventful day and I have been unable to write a proper post. All positive stuff, thank goodness! I will try to make up for this next week.
Welcome to this week’s post, fellow readers! At least I have managed to finish a book this week in my restricted reading time. Mind you, I am way behind my target for this year on Goodreads. Perhaps our circumstances will change soon and I will be able to have more opportunities to read!
Here it is:
Upgrade by Blake Crouch
My choice this week was Upgrade by Blake Crouch. It was one of those totally random selections from the library’s ebook catalogue. For once, there was a lengthy blurb. This is it:
“Logan Ramsay is about to get the brain he always dreamed of. But will he be transformed into something more than human… or something less?
When the SWAT team gives the all-clear and Logan Ramsay steps into the basement, he has no idea that everything’s about to change.
Then there’s the hiss of aerosol. The explosion. The shrapnel that punctures his hazmat gear. Logan wakes up to find himself in a hospital bed, attended by doctors in their own hazmat suits, his wife and daughter looking on from behind the glass.
The doctors say he’s been infected by a virus – one designed not to make him sick, but to modify his very genetic structure. In a world where the next-generation gene-editing tool known as Scythe is widely available – and has already reaped disastrous consequences – the possibilities are too many and terrifying to count.
Except that after the fever, the pain, the fear… the virus is gone. And according to his government bosses, Logan’s got a clean bill of health.
But the truth is that with each day that passes, Logan’s getting smarter. Seeing things more clearly. He’s realizing that he’s been upgraded in ways that go beyond even Scythe’s capabilities – and that he’s been given these abilities for a reason.
Because a holy grail of genetic engineering – one that could change our very definitions of humanity – has just been unearthed. And now it’s up to him to stop it from falling into the wrong hands.
Logan’s becoming something more. Something better. Even with the whole world hunting for him, he might be able to outthink his opponents and win the war that’s coming.
But what if it’s at the cost of being himself?”
Well, that certainly intrigued me and was a nice change from the previous book.
This was an interesting and absorbing read. All of the scientific stuff went over my head at times, but that didn’t really matter. The exploration of how a human being might behave with a drastically enhanced body and mind was cleverly written. The way that Logan’s behaviour and thinking developed was also very thought provoking. The book also stands up well as a thriller as Logan works out how he is going to use his enhancements for the good of humanity. There were certainly many exciting passages in the tale.
I will definitely look for more books by Blake Crouch.
Yes, I have already reserved some more books by Blake Crouch. This one was a great piece of escapism, which was just what I needed in our present situation!
Welcome to this Friday’s post! For once, we have had a busy and positive week. Tempers have frayed a few times, but we have made some progress.
A replacement porch has been ordered and we are hoping that the work will be done next month. We are also finally getting quotes for a stair lift so that Lovely Husband can get downstairs. He hasn’t seen the ground floor of our house or been outside since the end of April! Once again, we hope that the work can be done as soon as possible. At the time of writing, we have had two quotes with a huge difference between them (will need to look at this in more detail) and we should have another one on Monday. They have all said that a stairlift can be installed next week or the week after!
On Wednesday, I had two trips out of the house with Elder Son. In the morning, we went to the dentist for checks. Unfortunately, he needs to have a broken tooth extracted and has been referred on. We are hoping it won’t take too long as he is in pain. My teeth are OK, although I do need some stain removal treatment. I have known this for ages, but find it very hard to tolerate because of my chronic cough. So, I will have to think about whether I can manage the cleaning process. It’s all the fault of my tea addiction!
In the afternoon, we both had to go out again. This time it was for an appointment that ES needed. The session was very positive and ES was satisfied with the outcome, as were his Mum and Dad!
This is the outfit that I wore on Wednesday. It looks rather autumnal, I suppose, but I wanted to try out my new scarf! The purple and grey combination was very pleasing…
Outfit of the day 30/08/23 with Kew Protea Scarf by One Hundred Stars
The outfit consisted of a purple twinset and grey jeans by Lands’ End, amethyst earrings by Blue Nile, and a purple leather wrap bracelet by Ferragamo. To continue the purple theme, I also carried my gorgeous bag in purple Africa leather by Massaccesi. Here it is…
Midi Selene handbag in purple Africa leather by Massaccesi
I think I would like some grey boots! Any ideas where I could get some nice ones for wide feet?
Welcome fellow reading fans! In today’s post I am going to show you the book that took me several weeks to finish. It really was huge…
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
I have read several books by Samantha Shannon, including another book in this series: A Priory of the Orange Tree. But, more about that later.
Here is the blurb:
“Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory’s purpose.
To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be.
The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother’s past is coming to upend her fate.
When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.
Intricate and epic, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the world of A Priory of the Orange Tree, showing us a course of events that shaped it for generations to come.”
I have to say that I was quite confused at the beginning of the book. For some odd reason, I thought that this was a sequel, and I kept trying to seek out and match the main characters with the ones in my memory. In fact, it is a prequel and the action occurs 500 years before “A Priory of the Orange Tree”!
Well, I have just finished the book and I’m rather uncertain about how I feel. There were a lot of good things in the book, but many were outweighed by the negative.
First of all the length! This was such a long read. Unnecessarily so, in my opinion. A lot could and should have been edited out. Some of the travelling back and forth was not needed to move the plot along. Then we have the characters. Most seemed to be stereotypical “goodies” or “baddies”, with no shades or nuances at all. And so many were LGBT, which seemed to be a bit unbalanced.
Then we also had some ridiculous and risible moments in the plot. I don’t want to give spoilers away, so won’t go into detail, but, unless some of the women in the book are over six feet tall and hugely strong, quite a lot of the action would have been impossible!
The author has an amazing imagination and writes really well. I have also enjoyed her previous books as well as many parts of this one, so I am sure that I will pick up her next one.
I just hope that she can restrain herself a bit and write something shorter!
Well, here we are again with another Friday post. Despite all of our problems, the weeks seem to fly past. Lovely Husband is still stuck upstairs and we have stopped counting the weeks. Elder Son and I are trying to keep things ticking over. When Younger Son was here he did a lot of cleaning and tidying, so we are doing our best to keep those areas in particular in a good state.
LH says that he feels stronger, but is unable to go downstairs. Since I had the scare with my right leg (a GP told me I am developing osteoarthritis in my hip), I have tried to do my exercises properly and I no longer have any pain. I’m also being more careful about carrying heavy trays up the stairs, so that might be helping.
We have been spending time trying to sort out and organise a variety of matters, such as getting repairs done on the house. After waiting for some quotes from a range of companies, we have only received two. It is really annoying how unreliable many of these people are. Some didn’t turn up for agreed appointments, others haven’t sent quotes even after being chased. This is so disappointing! Anyway, we will probably decide to go with one of the two. At least we will have made a start on the large number of issues we have with the house and garden. Next week’s focus will be on getting quotes for a stair lift so that LH get get his freedom back.
On a more upbeat note, the lovely man who helps us with the garden has come today, with a friend, to tackle the impenetrable jungle that it has become over the months. It will be so wonderful to be able to wander down again without feeling horribly guilty!
The two Hermès scarf designs that interest me the most have still not yet appeared on the UK website! I am beginning to think that they are some kind of mirage and that we will never see them in real life. I have already shown you the colourways that I have found for Au Royaume d’Helios, 70cm scarf, but I recently saw some for La Vallée de Cristal, 90cm scarf, designed by Ugo Bienvenu.
I think these look really amazing and, in fact, don’t know yet which I like the best! Which do you prefer, if any? I would love to know. If I find any more colourways I will add them on this post.
OK, I think that is all for now. Happy Weekend to you all!
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup, fellow readers! I must admit that I am feeling quite embarrassed today, as I write the post. You see, last week I said that I hadn’t finished a book. I was reading a very long book, and still am (I will tell you about it next week), but totally forgot that I had actually completed another one. This is it:
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
The book was the famous Science Fiction classic by Isaac Asimov: Foundation. When I recently bought this new iPad, I got a three month subscription to AppleTV. I was intrigued when I saw that Foundation has been turned into a TV series and decided that I should watch it. I read the whole Foundation series when I was in my late teens or early twenties, and I could remember some of the fundamental themes but not the details.
So, the TV series brought me back to the original book! Here is the blurb for Foundation:
“For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.
The Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are among the most influential in the history of science fiction, celebrated for their unique blend of breathtaking action, daring ideas, and extensive worldbuilding. In Foundation, Asimov has written a timely and timeless novel of the best—and worst—that lies in humanity, and the power of even a few courageous souls to shine a light in a universe of darkness.”
I can definitely remember reading every Asimov book and short story that I could get my hands on, back when I was young. I was in awe of his imagination, strongly based in a science background, and loved the sweeping timelines of the plots.
But, this time I came to the book almost 50 years later and this is my response on Goodreads:
Well, that was disappointing! I first read this book in my early 20s and have just read it again in my 60s. I remembered it as an amazing story, full of wisdom and enlightenment. I have just finished an extremely boring, if at times ingenious, tale of men’s future actions in a galactic empire.
Where are the women?
The very few times women are mentioned, they appear in terms of domestic roles and tools. Washing machines!!! There is one female character who gets a couple of pages and that’s all.
I had thought of re reading the whole series, but I won’t bother to waste my time. So, I am left saddened by this experience.
Hello and welcome to the first Monday post in ages! For now, I am not able to make this a regular feature again, but today I have something to show you.
On Friday, I mentioned this lovely new scarf…
Kew Protea Scarf – One Hundred Stars
Yes, this is One Hundred Star’s Kew Protea Scarf in duck egg. The fabric is lovely and soft: 50% modal/50% cupro. It measures 100cm x 200cm and the colours are greens and purples with pink and white against the duck egg background.
Here are some photos that I took in my bedroom. I haven’t done modelling images because my hair looks so awful!
Kew Protea Scarf – One Hundred Stars
As you can see above, it looks great with some of my Halcyon Days bangles in purple, and also the MaiTai scarf rings in gold, purple and mother-of-pearl. The short sleeved jumper is part of a twinset from Lands’ End and I have cashmere jumpers that would look perfect with this scarf. Yes, I am really pleased with it and can’t wait to wear it!
A bit of retail therapy can usually lift my spirits 😊.
So, here we are again on a Friday! Earlier in the week, I was feeling quite excited about today’s post as I was planning to show you my hair. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a haircut since early May and had an appointment for this afternoon, but I felt too poorly to attend. So, I still have dreadful hair and I also feel upset.
This has been a pretty up and down kind of week. On the upside, we have had some more traders come to look at our porch which needs replacing. On the downside, we only have one actual quote for the work. There are loads more repairs, both large and small, that need to be done on the house and we decided to begin with the porch. So, let’s hope that we can eventually get started on this and then move on to the rest of the work!
Health-wise things have been pretty much the same. My hip and leg seem to be OK as I have been more careful about the amount of work I am trying to do. I have done my exercises as instructed by the physiotherapist and have stopped trying to carry so much up the stairs. Lovely Husband is doing what he can and we are now convinced that we will have to get a stairlift.
It probably looks as if we have been mulling over the same decisions for weeks and procrastinating like mad! I suppose that is true to some extent, but we are both struggling physically and mentally and rarely feel enough clarity of thought and determination on the same day. It is far too easy to put complicated or difficult phone calls off for another day. There are far too many things/issues to juggle: Elder Son’s, Younger Son’s, our health, repairs on the house, the garden, the car, and so on and so on and so on.
The scarves that I ordered last week from One Hundred Stars arrived the other day. One of them is for me and I will show it to you all next week, perhaps on Monday. I will try to take some nice photos of it as it is really beautiful and I am very happy with it.
Apologies fellow reading fans! I have been struggling to find the time to read this week. In addition, the book that I am currently enjoying is very long indeed: over 1000 pages. Therefore, I have to admit that I have nothing to write about in this week’s post.
Well, for once we have had a more positive and pleasant week! Why? Because Younger Son has been visiting. It has been so lovely to have him around.
YS has really rolled up his sleeves and dived into the untidy mess in the house. Elder Son and I have been doing our best to keep things ticking over with cooking, cleaning and so on, but YS has made a massive difference. I now feel that I can show prospective cleaners around without feeling deeply ashamed. In addition, his support and upbeat attitude has really lifted our spirits and enabled some other positive actions.
Lovely Husband and I have been making lists of traders, with the help of the local Facebook group and other sources, to help with various household repairs. During the week, LH rang them all and we are getting quotes organised. I just hope that all of this works out. We need a lot of things doing, both large and small, to get the house in order with a view to eventually putting it on the market and moving on.
Health-wise, LH has not made much progress this week as he has had some other issues to deal with. I have had a pain free week as far as my hip is concerned and have been making an effort with my exercises from the physiotherapist. I hope that LH has a better time next week.
ES has been thrilled to see his brother and the two of them have been out for pub meals and to do the shopping. It has been so lovely to see them together again.
I am still waiting for the Hermès scarf that I like to become available online, with no luck so far. To tide me over, I has a look at the sales and spotted this lovely scarf below. As usual, with my luck, this was not actually in the sale but at full price! Never mind…
Kew Protea Scarf – One Hundred Stars
This is the Kew Protea Scarf in duck egg by One Hundred Stars. It is 100x200cm and made of a modal/cupro mix. The price is £36.00 plus shipping. I will let you know more when it arrives. Do have a look at the One Hundred Stars site. They have gorgeous kimonos, dressing gowns, dresses, throw overs and much more, in the most beautiful prints. I already have a short kimono and a dressing gown.
Outfit of the day with One Hundred Stars’ China Tree kimono jacketOutfit of the day 27/05/19 with One Hundred Stars’ kimonoKimonos by One Hundred Stars
That stork pattern is still on their site in some lovely colourways…
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 
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