Reading roundup 13/01/21

Posted on 13/01/2021 by The Librain

In contrast to last week’s post, this one will be about only one book. There is a bit more to say about that, however. When I had finished the first book of the week, I actually started reading, and gave up on, not one but two other books. This was because they turned out to be second books in a series – both of them! I really must get in touch with our Library Service and inform them of this as I am sure that they don’t intend to purchase second and third parts of series and not the first book!

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

Anyway, having got that off my chest, I must give you the blurb of the finished book: Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson:

Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Hen (short for Henrietta) is an illustrator and works out of a studio nearby, and has found the right meds to control her bipolar disorder. Finally, she’s found some stability and peace.

But when they meet the neighbours next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object displayed on the husband’s office shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like one that went missing from the home of a young man who was killed two years ago. Hen knows because she’s long had a fascination with this unsolved murder—an obsession she doesn’t talk about anymore, but can’t fully shake either…

I found the book pretty absorbing. Here is the verdict that I wrote on Goodreads:

Before She Knew HimBefore She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, if you want a creepy, twisting plot that leaves you puzzled and then hits you with a big surprise, then you must read this!

It is virtually impossible to review this book in any detail because that would give away important parts of the plot. Let me just say that, since my stroke, I have found it very difficult to focus on books and remember the plot from one reading session to the next. Not with this book! I was completely drawn in and totally immersed from the beginning.

I am now going to search out more books by this author – I really hope my library has the ebooks!

What a great start to my 2021 Reading Journey!

View all my reviews

The Catch by T M Logan

I am now about two thirds through another book, which I will write about next week: The Catch by T M Logan. I am really enjoying it so far and have more of Logan’s books on reserve. When I have finished this post, I will read a bit more.

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

📚📖📚📖📚

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Update 11/01/21 with a lovely reveal!

Posted on 11/01/2021 by The Librain

Oh, I am soooooo bad and greedy! Naughty me just couldn’t resist the new season from Hermès after all!

Can you remember  I said, only a few days ago, that I didn’t like any of the new scarves for the Spring/Summer 2021 season? Well, scratch that! I really surprised myself with this choice and here is the reveal…

First, the neat packaging…

Next, the smaller than usual iconic orange box with its Bolduc ribbon tie…

A close-up of the ribbon for this year…

The open box with a hint of the contents. Those are nice colours!

The whole scarf. Now, this is very different from my usual Hermès 90cm silk twill scarves!

This is a close-up photo of the centre of the scarf…

So, what is it? The scarf is a 70cm bandana called Grand Manège Love by Henri d’Origny. The colours are: Bleu Jean, Rose Pâle, Bordeaux. The order number is: H183447S 08.

Basically, over the last few years Hermès have taken some well-loved old favourite designs and re-imaged them in bandana style, in a range of sizes. This has also meant limiting the colour palette, probably to save money, and simplifying the original drawing. In the case of Grand Manège Love Bandana in this colourway, we have a blue/grey shade which is closer to what we in the UK call “Airforce Blue”, a pale pink, a lovely rich and deep red, plus white. I intend to research this more thoroughly before I attempt to write one of my Scarf of the Moment posts as there are multiple versions of the original Grand Manège design in an array of complex colourways. Another comment that I will make about the design now is that this version of the bandana style has replaced dots and circles with hearts, hence the “Love” in the title!

I haven’t worn the scarf yet, so I can’t take any modelling photos. I suppose I could leave it until Valentine’s Day! Anyway, here are the images from the official website…

Grand Manège Love Bandana – H183447S 08

That’s all for now!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Outfit of the week 08/01/21

Posted on 08/01/2021 by The Librain

At least I managed to wear one nice put-together outfit this week! OK, the bottom half was a pair of pyjamas (which I will show you later in the post), but the rest was nice.

Here it is:

Outfit of the day 06/01/21 with Hermès’ Plumes en Fête shawl

Outfit details:

  • Mid-grey cashmere v-neck jumper – Marks and Spencer.
  • Navy ribbed pyjama trousers – Lands’ End.
  • Silver and gold feather earrings – birthday present from Younger Son.
  • Cashmere and silk 140cm shawl in grey, purple, pink, blue and orange – Plumes en Fête by Hermès. I simply folded the shawl in half and draped it around my neck with a pretty scarf ring on one corner for a bit of drama! The scarf ring was a lovely present from a kind friend.

I bought two pairs of these pyjama trousers from Lands’ End in their sale. They have very wide legs, (not too long this time), pockets, a comfortable elasticated waist, and the fabric is mid-weight and very soft. The pyjamas are also suitable for loungewear and you could almost get away with wearing them outside, although I probably won’t do that! Anyway, they, plus the recent purchases from Marks and Spencer, have replaced worn garments and updated my day-to-day outfits rather well. The image below is from the Lands’ End website. It is not very clear, but does give you the idea of what the trousers are like…

Navy pyjama trousers – Lands’ End

I wish I had long legs like hers!!!

Before I sign off for the week, I just wanted to show you this. I get some lovely kind comments on the blog, which are really appreciated. I also get some spam, most of which is deleted before I see it. Generally, I delete the few which do get through straight away. But, this one really made me laugh, so I thought I would share it with you. It kind of reminded me of the current fad of “negging”: people, usually men, leaving nasty negative comments by text or on dating sites. I am not sure what the perpetrators hope to achieve and I am certainly baffled by what this spammer was aiming for!

What so you think? This was the message in its entirety…

The subsequent time I read a weblog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have one thing fascinating to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you possibly can repair should you werent too busy in search of attention.

I think I will now turn my attention to a nice cup of tea…

Have a great weekend!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Reading roundup 06/01/21

Posted on 06/01/2021 by The Librain

Welcome to my first Reading Roundup of 2021! Actually, in some ways it is the last one for 2020 as the post will cover the final three books of that year…

The Foundling by Stacey Halls

First of all, here is the blurb for The Foundling by Stacey Halls:

London, 1754.

Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London’s Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst – that Clara has died in care – the last thing she expects to hear is that her daughter has already been reclaimed – by her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl – and why. Less than a mile from Bess’ lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend – an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital – persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

Some time ago, I really enjoyed the author’s first book, The Familiars, and The Foundling was also a good read. This is my verdict as written on the Goodreads website:

The FoundlingThe Foundling by Stacey Halls
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book was both entertaining and enjoyable. I stepped out of my comfort zone to read the author’s first book, The Familiars, and I am so glad that I found this one also.

The idea of leaving a new-born baby to be brought up by others was heartbreaking and the description of those scenes was very well done. In fact the whole background to the tale, set in Georgian London, was excellent, with dark elements of mystery, poverty and daily struggle to survive. The clash between the poor and the better off middle classes was also well written.

Without giving too much away, I felt that the ending was very neatly wrapped up. I will definitely read further books by Stacey Halls if she keeps writing at this standard!

View all my reviews

When I was younger, I used to read loads of historical fiction. I am not sure why I stopped and moved over to thrillers, fantasy and science fiction!

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

My penultimate book of the year was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I had been meaning to read this for quite a while, but kept putting it off, for some reason. All of my friends seemed to have enjoyed it mightily, so I finally joined the queue for Library Service’s ebook. Here we have the blurb:

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

And this is my review:

The Midnight LibraryThe Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To begin with, I know that Matt Haig has struggled with his own mental health as he has written about this often on his Facebook account. As I also wrestle with my own “black clouds” I was very reluctant to read this book. I kept on putting it off because I couldn’t face reading more miserable thoughts. As I became more and more isolated during the COVID crisis, I didn’t want to read anything that might dig up anything even more difficult to handle.

And then I arrived at the front of the library ebook queue! Did I want to read the book, or should I let it go to the next person in line? Making up my mind, I downloaded the book and read the first couple of chapters. I couldn’t see what all of the fuss was about. I knew by then that the book had had an amazing reception and was on bestseller lists. It was about to win awards.

I still wasn’t keen.

Suddenly, I simply got it. I became immersed in the story and loved it. I couldn’t put the book down and my mood began to lift. Even in the darkest moments of COVID and the gloomiest parts of my brain, sunlight began to shine.

So, I think I must actually buy the book so that I can turn to it again.

Thank-you, Matt X

View all my reviews

So, now we have arrived at the final book of 2020: Lies by T M Logan…

Lies by T M Logan

Let’s start with the blurb!

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS BASED ON LIES?

A gripping new psychological thriller of secrets and revenge.

When Joe Lynch sees his wife enter an underground car park in the middle of the day, he’s intrigued enough to follow her down.

And when he sees her in an angry altercation with family friend Ben, he naturally goes to her defence – and doesn’t for a minute believe the accusations Ben makes against her.

It’s pure misfortune that, just as the clash becomes violent and Ben is knocked unconscious, Joe’s son has an asthma attack, and Joe has to take him to safety.

This is my final review of 2020:

LiesLies by T.M. Logan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! It was complex, with so many plot twists that it took my breath away. Just when I thought that I had worked everything out, the author would change things around again. From a slight change to routine, a whole life gets turned around and upside down and the “hero” has no idea what is happening or where his life will end up.

So, I have immediately reserved more books by the author and I am sure that I am in for further treats if they are as good as this one!

View all my reviews

OK, that definitely wasn’t my best review but my memory is really poor at the moment! Please believe me when I say that the book is definitely worth looking at. Read some of the other comments on Goodreads for more responses.

So, next week’s Roundup will look at my first reads of 2021 – there is definitely one so far. Until then…

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

📚📖📚📖📚

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Happy New Year 2021!

Posted on 04/01/2021 by The Librain

So, I hope you all had a very good Christmas and that the New Year has begun well for you. We had a very quiet and simple “holiday” period, with some sadness because Younger Son was unable to visit because of the rather sudden last minute change to the rules by the Government! We now haven’t seen him for more than a year.

As usual, I will share my Christmas presents here. First of all, I was fortunate to receive this cute “High Tea” necklace and earrings by Pixiewing from Elder Son, and also my favourite Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish from Younger Son. The jewellery is such fun and also highly appropriate, given my addiction to tea! The cleanser and cloths should help get my skin into better condition.

Christmas presents 2020

You may remember that my gorgeous Plumes en Fête shawl was partly a birthday and Christmas present from Lovely Husband, so I have yet another excuse to show it here! On my really bad days, I snuggle up in bed with this shawl around my shoulders and I immediately feel lifted from the gloom.

Hermès’ Plumes en Fête shawl (H243433S 04)

Thinking about my Hermès scarf collection, I am not sure whether to continue to collect the 90cm silks or whether to save up for another hugely expensive shawl. Or, perhaps, I could stop buying scarves altogether. After all, I must have enough by now!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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PS. Many thanks to those of you who have sent lovely messages over the holiday period XXX.

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Final post for 2020!

Posted on 18/12/2020 by The Librain

So, this is the last post for this unforgettable year! I have been so pleased to see the huge increase in traffic to the blog this year, especially when I have curtailed the number of posts to three per week. Many thanks to all of you who have supported my blog, particularly those of you who have posted comments either on here or on Facebook – these really make a difference to me.

I hope that next year will bring a huge improvement to us all with reliable vaccinations against Coronavirus. With all of my various ailments, I think that I will be offered the “jab” quite soon in the New Year, with my husband a little later on. This can’t come too soon for us!

The blog will be revived in early January, all being well, so I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Merry Christmas by Kit on Flickr

Merry Christmas by Kit on Flickr

Ooh, just one more thing to add. Scarfaholics like me will be excited to know that the new Hermès Spring/Summer 2020 scarves and shawls are beginning to appear in the online stores. The usual helpful thread on The Purse Forum has begun to list them as they appear – have a look from halfway down page 14 onwards, the link above should take you straight there.

Now, I have to admit that nothing has really grabbed my interest yet! This has happened before in the past, then I have always been sucked in eventually. But, this season I can’t see anything that I like!!! That will save me some money – LOL!

We shall see… Anyway, here are a few examples for you from tPF thread:

Faubourg Tropical by Octave Marsal and Théo de Gueltzl (90cm silk)

Selle des Steppes by Wlodek Kaminski (90cm silk)

En Attendant Ulysse by Florence Manlik (140cm cashmere/silk)

See you in 2021!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

🎄⛄️🎄⛄️🎄

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Reading roundup 16/12/20

Posted on 16/12/2020 by The Librain

Once again, I have only managed to finish one book this week. I am almost there with another, but don’t want to rush it! After all, what would be the point of that?

In addition, I have decided that this will be the last Reading Roundup post of the year as I am going to take a break from the blog over Christmas and New Year. I will certainly keep on reading and will probably have to write a mega-post when I resume the blog in a couple of weeks!

In the Dark by Cara Hunter

Anyway, I have really enjoyed reading this book: In the Dark by Cara Hunter, DI Adam Fawley #02. Here is the blurb:

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY’RE HIDING IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR?

A woman and child are found locked in a basement room, barely alive.

No one knows who they are — the woman can’t speak, and there are no missing persons reports that match their profile. The elderly man who owns the house claims he has never seen them before.

The inhabitants of the quiet Oxford street are in shock. How could this happen right under their noses? But DI Adam Fawley knows that nothing is impossible.

And that no one is as innocent as they seem …

It was so nice to read a book that really held my attention! I do find it difficult to concentrate these days, so a book like this is such a great thing for me. Anyway, this is my response on the Goodreads website:

In the Dark (DI Adam Fawley, #2)In the Dark by Cara Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, I can see why there are long waiting lists for this at the library! I enjoyed the first book in the series, but this one was even better. The book was an amazing rollercoaster ride with mysteries appearing to be solved, then not, then new theories appearing.

I liked how the police team’s characters were filled out in this second book. We were given more information about each of them, with their back stories and relationships. The main plot was complex and completely fooled me, right until the end.

I have had to put in reservations for the next books in this deservedly popular series and I hope that the author maintains this high standard.

Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

The Foundling by Stacey Halls

The book I am currently reading is The Foundling by Stacey Halls. This has also been a good read so far and I will post my review on Goodreads as soon as I have finished it.

All being well, I will write a final post for the year on Friday and then break until early January.

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Update 14/12/20 with thoughts of Christmas preparations

Posted on 14/12/2020 by The Librain

This will be a short post today. Lovely Husband and Elder Son have been rushing around, cleaning and tidying up so that we can finally put up the Christmas Tree and decorations. Unfortunately, I was unable to help them because dust sets off my chronic cough. So, I had to hide away from it all whilst the mayhem was being created!

At least I can do the tree tomorrow as it is a pretty simple one to assemble. We bought it a few years ago when we realised that my health was collapsing. In previous years, I used to spend hours decorating the tree with baubles and tinsel, with help from Younger Son, and putting up all kinds of  festive frivolities around the house. Our current tree just has lots of lights and fibre optics and looks lovely on gloomy days and evenings!

Oh, I have one thing to show you before I upload this post. I follow a range of people and organisations on Twitter and one is this amazing account which posts images of, often provocative, women’s art:


I think that “provocative” is a good word for this! As a keen tea drinker, I don’t quite know what to say about this piece 😄.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

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Outfit of the week 11/12/20

Posted on 11/12/2020 by The Librain

I only have one outfit to show you this week as I have been unable to get out of bed most days. It is so hard to motivate myself to get up as I feel so very frightened and ill. At least I have my iPad as a source of amusement, entertainment and information!

My new items from Marks and Spencer were shown in Monday’s post. Later in the week, I realised that this gorgeous Hermès scarf by Annie Faivre, Le Jardin de la Maharani, would work beautifully with them. In fact the scarf raised the two pieces from pyjamas to… what… loungewear? I’m not sure of the right word, but the outfit worked for me!

Outfit of the day 11/12/20 with Hermès’ Le Jardin de la Maharani scarf

Outfit items:

  • Dark blue lounge rib sweatshirt – Marks and Spencer.
  • Dark blue wide leg lounge trousers – Marks and Spencer.
  • Silver earrings – RR Designs on Etsy.
  • Silk scarf, 90 cm, in blues, black and white – Le Jardin de la Maharani – Hermès. Tied in a criss-cross knot using a MaiTai navy enamel and gold scarf ring.

I was quite shocked when I looked through my posts and realised that it is ages since I last wore this beautiful scarf with its gorgeous patterns in multiple shades of blue with black and white. The parade of fantastic animals around the border gives a playful touch. Also, the wide array of other formats and colourways with this design are stunning. If you are interested in finding out more information, please look at my Scarf of the Moment post for a full report.

Well, that’s the final post of the week. I do hope that you have a happy weekend.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Reading roundup 09/12/20

Posted on 09/12/2020 by The Librain

It’s time for the Reading Roundup post again! The weeks seem to rush by so quickly these days.

Platform Seven by Louise Doughty

The first book of the week was Platform Seven by Louise Doughty. This is the blurb:

Platform Seven at 4am: Peterborough Railway Station is deserted. The man crossing the covered walkway on this freezing November morning is confident he’s alone. As he sits on the metal bench at the far end of the platform it is clear his choice is strategic – he’s as far away from the night staff as he can get.

What the man doesn’t realise is that he has company. Lisa Evans knows what he has decided. She knows what he is about to do as she tries and fails to stop him walking to the platform edge.

Two deaths on Platform Seven. Two fatalities in eighteen months – surely they’re connected?

No one is more desperate to understand what connects them than Lisa Evans herself. After all, she was the first of the two to die.

This was a real departure from my usual kind of reading material and here are my thoughts about the book, as written on the Goodreads website:

Platform SevenPlatform Seven by Louise Doughty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a real mixed bag of a book. Parts of it were really gripping, some parts interesting and insightful, and yet other parts were slow and boring. I think it was well-written, but the first section began to drag after a while and I nearly gave up. Then came a part set in the past, which was faster moving and really explained what was going on – very necessary to me! The ending was also long, perhaps too much so, but rounded things off in a good and satisfying way.

The idea behind the story – a ghost slowly remembering the events leading up to her death – was really well-thought out and most of the writing was great. So, 3 stars is probably the best I can give.

View all my reviews

I did enjoy the book, with some reservations, but my next book of the week was not so successful!

A Line of Forgotten Blood by Malcolm Mackay

This was A Line of Forgotten Blood by Malcolm Mackay. This is the blurb:

Scotland has been a proudly independent country for centuries. But success has now turned sour. Malcolm Mackay’s remarkable novel of crime and corruption is set in a brooding, rain-swept Scottish city that is compellingly different from the one we think we know.

The Scottish city of Challaid is a corruption-riddled place where people frequently go off the radar. So when PC Vinny Reno discovers his ex-wife, Freya, has disappeared, he turns to private detectives Darian Ross and Sholto Douglas.

Their search will lead them to a collision between Freya and a wealthy banking family. But it also leads to more questions. What does Freya’s disappearance have to do with a year-old murder case? What is the involvement of a young man who never leaves his house? As they dig deeper into the past, Darian and Sholto realise they must stand against the most powerful people in the city if they are to unearth the truth…

OK, I must admit that I cut my losses this time – here is my report with only one star (perhaps I should have avoided the stars altogether):

A Line of Forgotten BloodA Line of Forgotten Blood by Malcolm Mackay
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I read a few chapters of this, but couldn’t get any further. The writing was poor and the invented Scottish city with the constant listing of streets and areas was really jarring. So, I gave up. Life is too short to waste time reading bad books!

View all my reviews

Right… so that was my reading for the week! Since then, I have been too ill to concentrate on books and I will have to decide what I wish to download next. You will find out in next week’s Reading Roundup post.

Until then, Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

📖📚📖📚📖

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