Reading roundup 24/03/21

Posted on 24/03/2021 by The Librain

Despite feeling very ill and not managing to read at all for a few days, I have been able to finish two books since the last Reading Roundup post.

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson (Jackson Brodie #03), was the first book. Here is the blurb:

“On a hot summer day, Joanna Mason’s family slowly wanders home along a country lane. A moment later, Joanna’s life is changed forever…

On a dark night thirty years later, ex-detective Jackson Brodie finds himself on a train that is both crowded and late. Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly hears a shocking sound…

At the end of a long day, 16-year-old Reggie is looking forward to watching a little TV. Then a terrifying noise shatters her peaceful evening. Luckily, Reggie makes it a point to be prepared for an emergency…

These three lives come together in unexpected and deeply thrilling ways…”

This my review on the Goodreads website:

When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kate Atkinson has such an unusual way of writing a crime novel. She builds up each of the main characters, layer upon layer, like an oil painting. Eventually all starts to become clear, into focus and the plot moves on.

I had only read one of her books in this series before choosing this one. As it happens, it was the sequel! So I already knew some of what was going to happen, which was a bit of a shame. Nevertheless, this was an enthralling read, leavened with a dark humour which is engaging.

I have another book in this series in my “To Read” pile and can’t wait to begin!

View all my reviews

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

My second book was A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes #04). First we have the blurb:

“The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory–or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life–and love–he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save–or destroy–all that he knows.”

And this is my response:

A ​Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


To be honest, I was a little disappointed with this book. It should have been a great ending to a very good series. The settings, events, characters and plot lines were all nicely set up for a fantastic finale, but it didn’t quite work for me.

It’s as if the author lined up the characters and decided which ones to sacrifice and which ones to save. Which story lines to turn out nicely, with a satisfying and neatly sewn up ending, and which to unravel.

Then the chapters were far too short, with all of the chopping and changing of viewpoints being far too rapid fire.

I will almost certainly read future books as I can see potential for something fabulous. But this series, although it certainly had its moments, was not quite there for me.

View all my reviews

I am not quite sure which book I am going to choose next, so you will have to wait for next Wednesday’s post to find out!

Until then: Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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PS. You may have found some of this post a bit clunky and some of the usual elements are missing. That is because WordPress have decided to “upgrade” their blog editor and I am finding it very complicated and difficult to use. The old version was fine for me as I only want to write a straight forward blog with no “bells and whistles”, but I suppose that they need the paying customers who have monetised (urgh, what a word!) blogs. Anyway, I hope that I am capable of learning this new version!

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Update 22/03/21 – I’m back again!

Posted on 22/03/2021 by The Librain

Well, after more than a week, here I am! I have had a nasty bug on top of my usual long list of conditions and it has really wiped me out.

I couldn’t even read!!!

Anyway, I won’t go into any detail. Let me just say that I was incapable of writing anything and all my plans for this blog had to be postponed. Also, whilst I was away, it seems that the WordPress software has had one of those “upgrades” that has, instead, just messed up the things I found so easy to use. So, before I can write more complex posts, I will have to relearn everything!

Elder Son was disappointed that my extra illness rather messed up his plans for Mother’s Day. In addition to his lovely presents (a gorgeous necklace and earrings), he had bought all of the ingredients to make an amazing afternoon tea. I was simply far too poorly to eat anything! Younger Son also sent me a lovely necklace – it matches the feather earrings that he gave me last year.

Anyway, as I am feeling a little stronger now, although still not able to get out of bed, I am planning the usual Reading Roundup post on Wednesday and something a little different for Friday (not the Outfits of the Week as I am unable to get dressed properly!).

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Taking a break – illness

Posted on 13/03/2021 by The Librain

Apologies. I am very ill indeed at the moment so have decided to take a short break this week. Hope to return soon.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Outfits of the week 12/03/21

Posted on 12/03/2021 by The Librain

Well, once again, I haven’t managed to wear more than one Hermès scarf this week. The scarf from another designer will be showcased in a special post next Friday, if everything goes to plan.

I really needed cheering up, so I thought that bright blues, green, orange and a touch of purple would do the trick! Here is De la Mer au Ciel in an asymmetric knot (OK, I know that I use this one a lot, but it works well for me!).

Outfit of the day 10/03/21 with Hermès’ De la Mer au Ciel scarf

I realise that I haven’t worn this wonderful scarf for such a long time and never with this John Lewis cashmere jumper, which matches the main colour beautifully. Fortunately, I also have these cobalt crystal earrings and I also wore Halcyon Days bangles in bright blue and cream. Navy pull-on trousers from Lands’ End finished the outfit. Later in the season, I could switch to navy linen trousers and a white t-shirt with this same scarf and accessories.

I do hope that you all have a great weekend.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 10/03/21

Posted on 10/03/2021 by The Librain

Well, there are sort of two books to write about this week. Things went a bit wrong with the first one, as you will see. The second book was a lot more satisfying.

All the Rage by Cara Hunter

My first choice for the week was All the Rage by Cara Hunter (#04 DI Adam Fawley). If you are following these weekly posts, you may remember that I have really enjoyed this series so far. I was looking forward to reading this book and, in fact, got about two thirds of the way through. Then, suddenly, the actual ebook didn’t work. The pages went blank and took ages to load. The first page would open and then the whole thing froze. I tried to get it working a few times, but then gave up.

At first, I feared that the whole BorrowBox app was not functioning and tried to reinstall it, but then realised that other ebooks on the app were fine. So, I have deleted the book from my account and will try again at a later date. There is quite a long reservation list for it, so it will be quite some time before I can look at it again. I won’t paste the blurb here until I do manage to finish the book, although, knowing my poor memory, I may have to start reading from the beginning!

The Holiday by T M Logan

I did manage to complete my second choice of the week: The Holiday by T M Logan. This is the blurb:

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday – a group of families enjoying a week together in the sun. Four women who have been best friends for as long as they can remember making the most of a luxurious villa in the south of France.

But Kate has a secret: her husband is having an affair. And a week away might just be the perfect opportunity to get the proof she needs – to catch him in the act once and for all. Because she suspects the other woman is one of her two best friends.

One of them is working against her, willing to sacrifice years of friendship to destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .

Because someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

Here is my review from the Goodreads website:

The HolidayThe Holiday by T.M. Logan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am not quite sure how to rate this book or what to write about it! But I will try…

What was good – the setting. Oh, how I would love to be able to have a holiday in the sun in such a gorgeous place: a luxurious villa in the South of France. The twists in the plot really kept me reading. Just when I had worked out what had happened, I would realise my mistake. The author is certainly very clever at building tension and suspicion and also at misdirecting the reader.

On the other hand, there was plenty to dislike. One issue for me is that I couldn’t like any of the main characters. The women were pretty awful caricatures. How on earth did they ever become friends in the first place? The men were no better and as for most of the children!!

All in all, I am glad that I read the book and I was satisfied by the ending. I am just so thankful that my friends are not at all like these people and when (if) we do go on holiday together in that lovely villa that we saw online, our vacation will be wonderful…

…or will it!!

View all my reviews

I have very poorly since finishing this book and have not been able to read anything new due to patchy concentration. Hopefully, all will be well in a few days and I will be able to choose my next book.

Until next week: Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Update 08/03/21 with something new!

Posted on 08/03/2021 by The Librain

OK, so I have absolutely no self control. None at all! When it comes to my obsessions, I have no way of holding back. I am such a terrible, greedy person 😅😂🤣😂😅

So, when two of my interests met – scarves plus Ancient Greece – my finances were doomed. Doomed, I tell you!

See for yourselves…

First, the box – not the iconic orange one this time!

Next, the view after parting the black paper inside – this is intriguing…

These are the photos from the Wolf and Badger website: Olympian Gods by Fetolia…

Here is  slideshow of the full scarf:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I really love this scarf. OK, it is definitely not up to the high-end Hermès standard. The silk is much thinner and lighter and the detailing is not quite so crisp. But then, it was a fraction of the price and ties very nicely. The colours are mainly teal, beige, orange, green and grey. I also think that it would be lovely to frame it and hang it on a wall (and that is a hint towards next Monday’s post!).

Anyway, I will try to wear it during the week and will then post some modelling photos on Friday, all being well.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Outfits of the week 05/03/21

Posted on 05/03/2021 by The Librain

I tried two small experiments this week: I wore two scarves by the same artist and used the clever reversible scarf ring by MaiTai with each of them in different ties. The two scarves were Les Secrets de Minos and Persepolis, the artist Sophie Koechlin, and the ties were the criss-cross knot and the asymmetric wrap.

Here are the two scarves:

Les Secrets de Minos by Sophie Koechlin for Hermès

Persepolis by Sophie Koechlin for Hermès

And the largest of these navy/duck egg rings is the one I have:

Scarf rings by MaiTai Collection

So, the first outfit was this, worn on 02/03/21:

Outfit of the day 02/03/21 with Hermès’ Les Secrets de Minos scarf

The scarf ring was used navy side up with a criss-cross knot. When I made the collages, I realised that I didn’t have photos of either of the exact jumpers or the earrings!

Today’s outfit was this one:

Outfit of the day 05/03/21 with Hermès’ Persepolis scarf

This time I used the duck egg side of the scarf ring to tone with the outfit. My turquoise cashmere v-neck never seems to photograph accurately and always appears to be more on the blue side!

I won’t list all of the items as I am sure that visitors don’t really need this information, although don’t hesitate to ask in the comments if you do want any details.

OK, I think that is all for this week. Over the weekend, I am going to look through my Hermès scarves and choose some more for next week that I haven’t worn for a while. I realise that I am so lucky to be able to afford such luxurious beauties and I must make the most of wearing them, even if I am ill.

Are there any requests?

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 03/03/21

Posted on 03/03/2021 by The Librain

Only one book this week, and it was enjoyable. I have been struggling to concentrate for long enough to sink into a book, so have been watching rather a lot of TV instead.

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

The book I did finish was the third volume in the exciting An Ember in the Ashes series: A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir. Here is the blurb:

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister’s life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she’d have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias’s devotion–even at the cost of his humanity.

And this was the review that I posted on Goodreads:

A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes, #3)A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have really loved this series so far, but I must admit that I was a little disappointed with this episode. Quite a lot of the book was taken up with the main characters’ wanderings from place to place with no real coherence to the whole plot. I also felt the kind of mid-series malaise where everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Mishaps are piled upon mistakes are piled upon disasters, with absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, some parts of the book are very exciting and well-written – especially in the last third. But quite a few sections almost dragged. I didn’t feel uplifted by the book, or any sense of optimism that things might turn out OK in the end.

So, I have to hope that, like most fantasy series, everything (or almost everything, I suppose some well-beloved characters may still be killed off) will turn out right in the end. Well, I hope that happens in book four, or I might just give up on this series, which would be a real shame!

View all my reviews

I am waiting in a queue for the final book, so will have to choose something else for my next read. The Library’s ebook catalogue is getting better and better and I am fortunate to have a lot of really fine books in my “to read” queue. But which one will be next?

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Update 01/03/21 with news from MaiTai

Posted on 01/03/2021 by The Librain

I must admit that I am rather stuck today as I cannot think of anything to write about in this post. My life is so monotonous that I am finding it difficult to come up with anything interesting. I had another huge coughing attack in the middle of the night, so I am spending the day in bed again, trying to keep myself amused by reading random stuff on my iPad, in between watching TV series on Amazon Prime. Most days are like this at the moment and it is becoming difficult to distinguish one day from another!

So, what can I write about today?

Scarf rings by MaiTai Collection

Well, one thing I can tell you is that MaiTai is having a Spring Sale of her lovely Classique scarf rings. These are so useful as well as beautiful and I would rush to get another one or two if I hadn’t just ordered a number of expensive items from a different source! I love her enamelled reversible rings (I already have one, see image above) and would love one of the zero-gravity rings to add to my collection, but I will have to pass on this opportunity.

If I can manage to get dressed on some days this week, I am planning to wear some of my scarves with my MaiTai reversible scarf ring to show you how useful and versatile they are.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Update 26/02/21

Posted on 26/02/2021 by The Librain

I am sorry that this is not an Outfits of the Week post. I had already planned a couple of nice outfits with lovely scarves, but have been far too weak and ill to get dressed. In fact, I have spent every day this week in pyjamas!

To cheer myself up, I must admit that I have succumbed, once again, to temptation. I have ordered some expensive and totally gorgeous items that I definitely don’t need! Perhaps their ownership will encourage me to get up, get dressed and go out with Lovely Husband. I do hope so…

And that is all of the information I am going to reveal for now! 😄😄😄😄

Wishing you all a very Happy Weekend!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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