Hello and welcome to the latest Reading Roundup post. I haven’t been able to write one for ages and regular visitors to the blog will have seen the reasons why. Yes, we are still stuck here in bed together and I am writing this whilst Lovely Husband is resting next to me.
I have read quite a few books since I last uploaded one of these posts, but I have selected two of them to write about today. Please forgive the bare bones reviews. I cannot manage to write very much at the moment as I am also struggling with my health.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab
The first book was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab. I am not sure what drew me to this book in the first place, but I am glad that I chose to read it. Here is the blurb:
“When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she trades her soul for immortality. But there’s always a price – the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone.
Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day.
Her only companion on this journey is her dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Alone in the world, Addie has no choice but to confront him, to understand him, maybe to beat him.
Until one day, in a second hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can’t escape her fate forever.”
Well, that was a surprising delight! I chose the book at random with no real idea of what it was going to be like. The theme of memory loss was intriguing to me, suffering from my own melting memories, due to a stroke. My only criticism, which made me drop one star, was the length of the book. I found myself flagging at times. There was a lot of repetition that could have been edited out.
My next book is Lynda La Plante’s Buried, #01 in her DC Jack Warr series.
Here is the blurb:
“SOME THINGS SHOULD REMAIN BURIED . . .
DC Jack Warr and his girlfriend Maggie have just moved to London to start a new life together. Though charming, Jack can’t seem to find his place in the world – until he’s drawn into an investigation that turns his life upside down.
In the aftermath of a fire at an isolated cottage, a badly charred body is discovered, along with the burnt remains of millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes.
Jack’s search leads him deep into a murky criminal underworld – a world he finds himself surprisingly good at navigating. But as the line of the law becomes blurred, how far will Jack go to find the answers – and what will it cost him?
In BURIED, it’s time to meet DC Jack Warr as he digs up the deadly secrets of the past “
I am reading this series the wrong way round! I tackled the third book before this one, but, to be honest, my feelings about both are very similar. La Plante creates interesting characters and plots, but her actual writing style is clunky. Many words and phrases are used repeatedly as if she is churning out her books.
Despite this, I found the book gripping enough and the characters were certainly engaging and, in some cases, quite intriguing. Very few of them are outright villains or “goodies”, which makes the series more interesting. I am not sure whether I will read further books in the series, maybe I will.
OK, I think this is enough to ease myself back in! All being well, I should be able to write about more books next week. I am struggling to find enough time (and peace) to read, but I have managed to finish some more books. LH is doing his best to give me some quiet time.
Hello lovely friends and visitors! Here we go with yet another report from the land of “Two Stuck In The Bed”!
Yes, we have now endured six weeks of togetherness in our, thankfully, king sized bed. Elder Son continues to be our hero, doing the shopping, tidying up, and running up and down the stairs with drinks and meals. He is being fantastic.
I am still managing to push myself a little more each week and have been using the stairs at least six or seven times every day. I have tidied and reorganised many things downstairs and done my best to keep on top of household tasks. When ES is at work, I take over the cooking and other tasks and have been able to cope quite well. Sometimes it has all got on top of me and my own health issues have taken over, but I have managed to pull myself back, with LH’s support.
Lovely Husband’s health problems and recovery have been a bit two steps forward and one step back, or even the reverse at times. Two physiotherapists came with a view to helping LH try to go downstairs. Unfortunately, he was unable to do this because he felt too weak. So, the physios have given him more exercises to do over the next few weeks to try to strengthen his legs. On a more positive note, he has been able to book an appointment for a MRI scan on Monday. Let’s hope that we get some good news from that!
I have been toying with the idea of trying to write my Wednesday Reading Roundup posts again. If everything goes well, I will attempt to post one on 31/05/23. I will also continue with these Friday health updates for the time being. Let’s hope I can soon write about scarves again! I am getting tired of wearing lounge or night wear all of the time.
Anyway, here is an image to finish the post…
Screenshot from @womensart1 on Twitter – accessed 28/04/23
Hi everyone! Here’s a new update on our health situation. We have had real progress this week and are dancing around the house with great glee!
Ah, no that isn’t the case, unfortunately. In all honesty, very little has happened this week. LH is a bit stronger and I am continuing to go up and down the stairs carrying food on trays and also doing as many household tasks as I can manage. Some more equipment has been delivered to help LH and he now has an appointment for a scan (the letter actually arrived as I was typing the previous sentence!).
I suppose that we just have to hold on to the hope that LH recovers soon. He needs to be able to go up and down the stairs, potter around in the kitchen and resume his cooking schedule, and drive again. This would enable us all to continue living together in this house. Longer term issues, such as moving to a bungalow, still need to be considered. I also have to try hard to sustain this improvement to my overall health and fitness. At least that is something positive that has come from this situation!
And now for something completely different!
Screenshot from @womensart1 on Twitter – accessed 16/04/23
I will try to post again next Friday. If there is a huge improvement, I will post before then.
Hello everyone! I thought I had better write a post to show that I am still around. This blog hasn’t gone dead yet!
The update is that Lovely Husband and I are still stuck upstairs in our bedroom. It’s pretty amazing that we are still sane – it must be love!
Just to recap: towards the end of April, LH developed severe sciatica in his right leg and had a couple of falls. This made him unable to go downstairs. Regular visitors will be aware that I have a set of long term chronic conditions and also spend most of my time in bed, although I was usually able to go downstairs a couple of times each day. So, for four weeks we have been managing with the help of Elder Son, who has been an absolute star, doing the shopping, basic cooking, tidying etc.
Over the last few weeks, I have been forcing myself to do more and I have managed to get to the point where I can go downstairs much more frequently, do some cooking (although I cannot do anything that will involve strong smells or smoke: frying, grilling, using the oven), organising, housework, and so on. To be quite honest, I am feeling quite pleased about this!
LH has shown some improvement too. After a lot of hassle, we were able to contact the GP who set various things in train. For example, a physiotherapist has sorted out regular sessions with LH and a range of equipment to help him. We have had an extra handrail fitted on the stairs and the physio is going to work on LH trying to go downstairs next week.
We are also thinking about other help we might need, such as employing a cleaner. At first, we thought that we might need health care from professionals, but, since I have become stronger with some effort, perhaps we can manage without that. I suppose it all depends on whether LH can regain his previous standard of health and the ability to drive again.
OK, I think that is enough for now. Unless things change drastically, I will post again next Friday to update you all. As I am spending every day in pyjamas, there is no chance of a Scarf of the Day post at the moment!
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup! With everything that is going on in this house, I suppose that I am lucky to have finished one book this week.
Blood of the Mantis by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My book this week was Blood of the Mantis by Adrian Tchaikovsky, #03 Shadows of the Apt. Here is the blurb:
“A DREAD RITUAL CASTS A DEADLY SHADOW
Driven by the ghosts of the legendary Darakyon, the seer Achaeos has tracked the stolen Shadow Box to the marsh-town of Jerez – but he has only days before this magical artefact will be lost to him forever . . .
Meanwhile, the forces of the Empire are mustering for their next great offensive. Stenwold and his followers have only a short time in which to seek allies before the enemy soldiers are on the march again, conquering everything in their path. And if they cannot hold them back before spring, then the hated black and gold flag will be flying fly over every city in the Lowlands before the year’s end.
And should the Shadow Box fall into the hands of the power-mad Emperor, then nothing will save the world from his relentless ambition.”
Another good read from Tchaikovsky. Unfortunately, I had to take quite a long break from reading about three quarters of the way through the book, so that somewhat spoiled some of the momentum. The characters are now becoming very well fleshed out, with some newer ones added. The plot has moved to a broader and larger place and we have some new areas of interest. All in all, the book and series, so far, are really worth reading.
I will now take a break for a while before returning to the series, as I need a change!
Apologies for this bare bones post today, but it is difficult to write very much when you are sharing a bed with an ill Lovely Husband! He is trying to read the newspapers whilst I am trying to compile this post. Hmmmmm …
Welcome to my blog! I do hope that you all had a good weekend, better than ours at the very least. Lovely Husband and I are still stuck in bed. OK, that sounds quite amusing if you don’t know the background. The “story” is that, for many years, I have been almost permanently bedridden, due to multiple health issues. I can venture downstairs a couple of times each day, but even that is very difficult and exhausting for me. LH has had to join me due to a fall and severe sciatica. We have been trying for days to get a doctor’s appointment, but, with the NHS in crisis, we simply cannot reach the end of the telephone queue and get any response. I am really worried about how we will manage!
Anyway, on a more cheerful note, the good news is that posters on The Purse Forum have initiated a new thread for the Hermès Autumn/Winter 2023 scarf season. I do love to see all of the early images and hints about the new scarves…
…even though I am, of course, NOT going to purchase any!
Definitely not…
Finally, here is an image I am using to cheer myself up…
Once again, apologies for not referencing the image. I have totally forgotten where I found it and am too muddled today to go searching for the source.
What a time we have had! It all began a week last Wednesday when Lovely Husband began to feel a horrible pain in his right leg. He has suffered from severe back problems and sciatica for years and has learned how to bear the pain and discomfort, but this was something worse than usual.
I won’t go into any more detail, but it has been a very difficult time, although we have been able to find some rather dark humour in our situation. I suppose it could be seen as amusing that we are both stuck in bed! We are trying to keep ourselves occupied by reading, watching TV on the iPad, and chatting about this and that. I have forced myself to go downstairs far more than usual and we have been leaning on Elder Son too.
Anyway, this is why I have not been able to get dressed or wear anything nice this week. And as for modelling a scarf!!!
Let’s hope that LH recovers soon and we can all return to our “normal”, perhaps even better than normal!
Well, I have a confession to make this week: I haven’t been able to finish a book! Lovely Husband is ill, so we are sharing the bed and I am dragging myself up and down the stairs to fetch the necessary provisions. When Elder Son has a day off he takes over, so it is not so tiring for me.
Anyway, all this means that I have been unable to read a book. LH wants to chat and I can manage a bit of web surfing in between, but cannot concentrate on my book. I hope he gets better soon (not because I need to read, of course!).
This is an unusual Scarf of the Moment post in that it includes two amazing formats of one design. I have done this before, with the 90cm and twilly versions of Dans un Jardin Anglais and also with the 90cm and cashmere/silk shawl versions of Plumes en Fête. Here are the 90cm silk twill scarf and the cashmere/silk giant triangle versions of the gorgeous Tulipomanie designed by Aline Honoré. Information about both will be interspersed throughout this post.
The silk twill scarf
Before the new Spring/Summer 2023 Hermès scarf designs began to appear online, I had already decided that I was not going to purchase any more scarves or shawls of any size until the price fell, if it ever did. That was a firm decision.
Really, it was…
Definitely…
Oh well, my firm “resolution” lasted a few weeks! One of the new scarves began to attract my attention. I quickly realised that I loved it in many of the colourways. This is very unusual for me as one colourway usually stands out beyond the rest, but this scarf looked wonderful across the board.
Eventually, I decided that one particular scarf might work with my wardrobe with the scarf’s blues, silver grey and purples. That scarf is Tulipomanie designed by Aline Honoré, 90cm silk twill, colourway #02 Argent, Violet, Bleu, Ref: H003964S 02.
Tulipomani 90 cm scarf by Aline Honoré for Hermès
Description of the silk twill scarf
The scarf in a beautiful study of different kinds of tulips. The flowers are arranged on a plain background with space between them so that an onlooker can distinguish between each carefully drawn tulip. Every bloom is a gorgeous delight of colour, contrast and shading. Some of the scarves have a wide variety of colours, others, such as #16, have a more limited palette. In this case, oranges and greys. I also loved the scarf with the pink background, #03, but, as my previous purchase was Robe Légère with a similar pink background, I felt like I had to ignore this!
The colourway that I chose, #02, has a pale silver-grey background and the tulips are drawn in shades of blue, purple, violet, pink, and yellow. Some of the flowers are of the full-blown “parrot” varieties, others have the stripes associated with “viridiflora” types; some are tightly furled, others have wide open petals. The whole scarf is a study in colour and pattern.
NB: Please let me know if you notice any inaccuracies in my writing about tulips. I know that I love them, but am also aware that I don’t know enough about them!
Colourways for the silk twill scarf
These are the colourways for the Spring/Summer 2023 silk twill 90cm scarves. I have added in the codes to help those of you who may wish to purchase a scarf.
The Autumn/Winter 2024 season has some gorgeous scarves and shawls, but I was thrilled to see another version of Tulipomanie: a cashmere/silk giant triangle. I haven’t purchased this format before, although I have some cashmere/silk 140cm shawls. The triangle shape works really well and is far less expensive.
Anyway, I had a bit of a dilemma about which colourway to choose. I loved the one with the navy background, but I recently bought a shawl with this colour background: Le Jaguar et le Colibri. So, I decided on the one below. The purchasing code is H363964S 03, the dimensions are L 188 x H 94 cm, and the colours are Vermillon / Bleu Cobalt / Fuschia.
Tulipomani giant triangle by Aline Honoré for Hermès
Description of the cashmere/silk giant triangle
As I own such a pretty and subtle colourway of the silk 90cm version of the design, I decided to choose something completely different! I was a little concerned that the very bright vermillion background might swamp me, particularly since my hair turned grey, but I loved the colours of the tulips and the overall effect of the shawl. This is a real mood lifter! How could anyone feel miserable wearing these amazing colours!
The six beautifully drawn tulips are placed carefully across the triangle and are coloured in many hues: cobalt blue, fuchsia pink, green and white. There is also an interesting shade of yellow and a pale orange. Each flower is outlined in black and the rolled edge of the scarf is in white.
Colourways for the cashmere/silk giant triangle
These are the gorgeous giant triangle cashmere/silk versions of Tulipomanie, produced for the Autumn/Winter 2024 season, together with their purchasing codes:
There is also an incredible embroidered version! The purchase code is H593964S 20. The Hermès website says the following about this beautiful (and very expensive scarf)…
“The delicate Tulipomanie design by Aline Honoré is printed on silk twill in a black and white version. A shower of multicolored and iridescent confetti is thrown onto the fabric and embroidered by hand.
Dimensions: 34.8″ x 34.8″ | As this scarf is hand-rolled, the dimensions indicated may vary.”
Hermès has announced that a 45cm gavroche, Tulipomanie Detail, is planned for the Autumn/Winter 2025 season. I am adding the colourways as I come across them. The full details will also be written here as soon as I see them. Please let me know via the comments if you have the Hermès codes for the ones I have just uploaded (26/06/25).
Here are some closeups of my scarf in a slideshow format:
Details of the cashmere/silk giant triangle
Here are some close-ups of my shawl in a slideshow format:
How I wear the scarf and giant triangle
As I have been so poorly recently, I have not had much opportunity to wear either version. Well, the weather certainly isn’t suitable for cashmere/silk at the time of writing. I have, however, taken photos with the silk scarf to show a variety of knots (see the next section). This time I decided to try the scarf with different cashmere jumpers in a range of colours. You can see how the scarf reacts to differing background colours…
Tulipomanie scarf with a variety of cashmere colours
The cashmere sweaters are from Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Pure Collection and WoolOvers and in the colours: navy, light grey, purple and lilac.
Here is a collage I made of one outfit:
Outfit of the day 26/11/23 with Hermès Tulipomanie scarf
I have tried on the giant triangle. It will look great with clothes in navy and cobalt blue. This is what it looks like with a bright blue, oh and it definitely needs lipstick!
Tulipomanie giant triangle with bright blue
Scarf ties
I have tried on this scarf in a variety of ways. At the moment, as it is so new, the silk fabric is very crisp and stiff so doesn’t fall easily into soft folds. Anyway, you can get the general idea of how it looks when worn. The mother-of-pearl scarf ring is by MaiTai.
Tulipomanie scarf ties
I don’t know all of the names of these scarf ties, but here goes:
From the top left, downwards: cowboy cowl knot, cowboy knot, half bow knot. Centre, downwards: asymmetric wrap, cowl knot. Top right, downwards: something I made up (!), criss-cross knot, something else I don’t have a name for 😂😂😂.
As for the giant triangle shawl, I need to experiment to find out which ties will work best. I did try out a couple, see above, but I am sure that there are more ways to wear this beautiful shawl. Any ideas?
Background information
I tried to find some background information about the wonderful artist, Aline Honoré, but could not find anything worth posting here. It is about time someone wrote a piece about her work! Edit: I have found a video, added below, that does give us information about this artist!
Here, I have listed a few sources of information about tulips themselves, plus something about Tulip Mania.
Royal Horticultural Society: Tulip https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/tulip Set of pages about these flowers with information about the types of tulip and how to grow them.
And, of course, there are numerous videos of the wonderful displays of tulips and the growing fields in The Netherlands. In fact, there are so many that I couldn’t decide which ones to post here, so I have left that search to you! Have fun 😊.
When I updated this post to include information about the cashmere/silk shawls, I came across this video about the silk twill version of Tulipomanie. It is excellent!
I hope readers have found this exploration of Tulipomanie both interesting and useful. Once again, if you find any errors or have any additional information that I could add, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Love and best wishes,
Anne
Updated 07/08/24 to add information about the cashmere/silk giant triangle, general updating and a new video.
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 Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Buried by Lynda La Plante
The Librain
The Librain......retired 
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