Update 12/06/20

Posted on 12/06/2020 by The Librain

I had planned a post about a new purchase today, but I had one of my worst coughing/choking attacks this afternoon and am not capable of writing properly.

See you next week.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Reading roundup 10/06/20

Posted on 10/06/2020 by The Librain

This week, I found a new-to-me author on our library’s ebook catalogue. I also saw that there are several books by this author listed. Now, this always brightens my day because, if I enjoy one book by this writer, then I will almost certainly enjoy reading others. It’s like finding a whole cache of hidden treasure!

Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce

The book was Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce, #01 in her D.C Gary Goodhew Mystery series.

Here is the blurb:

A medieval city.

A modern murder.

In the legendary university town of Cambridge, the strangled corpse of a young woman is found splayed in an ancient meadow. For Gary Goodhew, the youngest detective in the local police force, it’s a case that could make his career … or end his life. As the body count rises and blood flows through the hallowed halls of the colleges, Goodhew must exorcise his own demons if he’s to survive his first year on the job …

I have just written my review on Goodreads, as you can see:

Cambridge Blue: A DC Gary Goodhew MysteryCambridge Blue: A DC Gary Goodhew Mystery by Alison Bruce
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First of all, I must apologise for the poor quality of this review. I actually finished the book a few days ago but now can hardly remember enough about the book to do it justice! This is not the author’s fault. The reason that I can’t remember is that I had a stroke in the Autumn and my short-term memory is very poor. I should have written this straight away before the details faded.

I must have enjoyed the book because I have already downloaded the next two in the series! I can also remember being slightly irritated by the constant mentioning of every single road and street over and over again. This is why I have only given three stars. The plot was good and the characters were interesting and well drawn, but this “road atlas” writing needs toning down.

View all my reviews

I will definitely try to write my reviews as soon as I have finished reading each book to prevent this happening again 🙁.

The Siren by Alison Bruce

I am now reading the second book in the series, The Siren, and will give you my opinion in next week’s Reading Roundup post.

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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PS. If you read Monday’s post with my letter to the local Library, you may be interested to know that I had a wonderful reply from them! It was so kind and thoughtful and I am very pleased that I decided to write to them.

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Update 08/06/20 – Letter to the library

Posted on 08/06/2020 by The Librain

This morning, I decided to write a letter to my local library service to thank them for all that they do. Here it is:

To: (Redacted)

Dear Library Staff,

I am writing to you all to thank you for your service to me and the whole community. We have all suffered hard times this year and I want to show you the impact you have on one person who uses your services.

The Beaney Institute in Canterbury – my childhood public library!

When I was a child, my Mum took us to the library weekly. I loved the lady who worked in the Children’s Library and wanted to be just like her when I grew up! Each week, I would read all of my books as well as all of my sister’s and my Mum’s too. I went on to use public and school libraries throughout my childhood and when I went to University, I was in awe of the fantastic libraries there. So, it was no surprise that I decided to become a Librarian myself and had a career working in six school libraries overall, finishing at (redacted). I was also the School Library Association’s inaugural School Librarian of the Year in 2005.

That paragraph was written to show my background. I eventually took early retirement as my health had collapsed and I became almost totally bedridden. My local library, in (redacted), became my lifeline and I read hundreds of books over the next few years. I list them all on Goodreads with a short review, so I know how many I have read! I simply could not afford to buy all of these books. It is no exaggeration to say that reading has saved my life. If I couldn’t read, I think that my multiple conditions and depression would have overwhelmed me.

My life became even more difficult in September 2019 when I had a stroke which badly affected my eyesight. I couldn’t read at all! Thanks to your audiobook service, I was able to distract myself from the worry and stress and keep myself on an even keel. Thankfully since then my eyesight has improved. Although print books are still too much for me, ebooks are now accessible.

I am so grateful for your fantastic ebook service! It gives me the ability to read the kind of fiction that I love (thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, crime), fiction that transports me away from my condition and my fears and that enables me to face the world. Reading helps me to gain the strength to support my family, even from my bed!

So you can see how your wonderful Library Service helps one person to feel human in adversity!

Thank you all so much and I hope that you are all coping well during this difficult time!

Best wishes,

Anne

I just wanted to say this.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Image credits

Beaney Institute (Canterbury Library) by Lutrus on Flickr

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Update 05/06/20 with a special treat!

Posted on 05/06/2020 by The Librain

You didn’t think that I would manage to avoid spending money during lockdown, did you? I need the occasional treat to keep me going, even if I choose something rather impractical! You will see what I mean in a minute…

We have a local boutique in the village, that I follow on Facebook. The owner posts photos of some lovely clothes and I fell for a rose-coloured denim jacket by Joules. I thought that it would fit nicely into my wardrobe and could be worn with navy, mid-blue, denim and white. When it was offered in the sale, I was really disappointed to discover that my size had sold out. I wanted to buy from the local shop, but it was not to be. Then I saw that the jacket was on sale at John Lewis in my size…

So, here it is: Imogen denim jacket by Joules, in rose (it is also still available in several sizes and in blue):

Denim jacket in rose by Joules

It looks really lovely on. Unfortunately, my varied medications have given me a really odd shape. I have lost my waist and have developed a horrible “tum”, which upsets me. But we have to dress the figure we actually have, not the one that we used to have or wished we could have again! Traditional denim jackets (I used to have a lovely one by Levi’s when I was young) are totally the wrong shape for the “new” me.

These are some of the clothes and accessories that I might wear with the jacket. First, a warm weather collage with a sleeveless vest and a linen skirt:

Joules denim jacket with warm weather clothing

Next, a collection for cooler weather, with cashmere, denim and boots:

See, it fits in very well!

Now, I had better hold back before doing any more shopping because I am not actually leaving the house! But wouldn’t some rose pink earrings look nice, or maybe some in mid-blue…

Have a lovely weekend!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Reading roundup 03/06/20

Posted on 03/06/2020 by The Librain

I have really enjoyed my reading this week, having finished two great books and now being half-way through a third.

A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness #1) by Joe Abercrombie

The first book was A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness #1) by Joe Abercrombie. Here is the blurb:

The chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever.

On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal’s son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments.

Savine dan Glokta – socialite, investor, and daughter of the most feared man in the Union – plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control.

The age of the machine dawns, but the age of magic refuses to die. With the help of the mad hillwoman Isern-i-Phail, Rikke struggles to control the blessing, or the curse, of the Long Eye. Glimpsing the future is one thing, but with the guiding hand of the First of the Magi still pulling the strings, changing it will be quite another…

And this is my quick review on Goodreads:

A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness, #1)A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really love Joe Abercrombie’s writing and have read all of his books so far, I think! So, I was chuffed to bits when I saw this one. It is quite a long time since I last read one of his books and I have had a mild stroke in between. This meant that I struggled at the beginning of this one. First of all, I couldn’t remember much about the previous books. A few names, perhaps, but very little of the plots. Secondly, I couldn’t keep all of the new characters and their plot lines clear in my mind. Maybe some guiding at the beginning of each chapter would have helped?

Luckily, as the book moved on, the power of the writing, the vivid characters and the dark humour gripped me as usual and things became much clearer. I really enjoyed the whole riotous tale and cannot wait to read more!

I suppose that the stroke has given me a fantastic reason for reading all of Joe’s books again! What a treat 😄!

View all my reviews

Ooh, I think there is another book available in the series, so I will go and investigate after finishing this post…

Perfect Kill by Helen Fields

My second read of the week was a return to a favourite series: Perfect Kill (D.I. Callanach #06) by Helen Fields. This is the book’s blurb:

Alone, trapped in the darkness and with no way out, Bart Campbell knows that his chances of being found alive are slim.

Drugged and kidnapped, the realisation soon dawns that he’s been locked inside a shipping container far from his Edinburgh home. But what Bart doesn’t yet know is that he’s now heading for France where his unspeakable fate is already sealed…

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are working on separate cases that soon collide as it becomes clear that the men and women being shipped to France are being traded for women trafficked into Scotland.

With so many lives at stake, they face an impossible task – but there’s no option of failure when Bart and so many others will soon be dead…

And this is my verdict:

Perfect Kill (D.I. Callanach, #6)Perfect Kill by Helen Sarah Fields
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great series and a really great read! I have enjoyed the five books before this one and found the sixth equally absorbing and entertaining. There is a really good balance between the writing about the personal lives of the main characters and the crimes they are investigating.

The author certainly enjoyed writing her rather graphic accounts of those crimes – at times they almost became too much for me, despite my strong stomach. The whole book was exciting and inventive and I hope that it isn’t the last in the series. I think these characters could carry on for a long time yet!

View all my reviews

Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce

I had a browse around the public library ebook catalogue for the next book and chose a book by a new-to-me author. My verdict will be revealed next week…

Until then: Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne📚📖📚📖📚

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Update 01/06/20 with some updating!

Posted on 01/06/2020 by The Librain

As I mentioned a while ago, my post about The Purse Forum and Hermès scarves from 2017 needed checking and updating. It has been one of the most popular posts on the blog and I am so pleased that it has been helpful to many visitors. So, I spent some time yesterday checking the links and adding a few more. I hope that the post continues to be useful to H scarf addicts!

The Purse Forum is a very informative and entertaining site – certainly worth exploring, whether you are interested in handbags, scarves, fashion or a range of other matters.

Anyway, here is a screenshot and link to my post: Wardrobe Planning #15: Hermès Scarves – The Purse Forum


Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Outfit of the day 29/05/20

Posted on 29/05/2020 by The Librain

I am rather pleased with myself today because I have managed two walks around the block this week! It feels like an achievement even though it only takes me ten minutes each time. But that is ten minutes of fast walking in the sunshine, admiring all of the lovely gardens on my route and listening to the birdsong.

Otherwise, I am spending most of my time on my iPad. I was trying to imagine, the other day, what this lockdown would have been like before the days of all this technology. Say, when I was a child in the 1960s? I would have read loads of books, then re-read them over and over. Perhaps I could also have played the piano quite a lot before driving my parents mad! Mum would have insisted that we help clean the house, Dad would have roped us into gardening and washing the car. My siblings and I would have played in our garden for hours – we had lots of imagination.

But if I had been the grown-up version of me it would have been very hard. Without modern technology I would be really stuck: no ebooks, no news websites, no streaming TV, no emails or chat apps.

So, there are reasons to be thankful after all!

On my walk, I wore another of my Lands’ End sleeveless cotton tops, plus Isle linen-mix trousers, with this cute necklace from Bill Skinner and lovely silver earrings by RR Designs on Etsy…

Outfit of the day 29/05/20

I do hope that you have a great weekend!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Reading Roundup 27/05/20

Posted on 27/05/2020 by The Librain

Oh dear! I have to admit that I haven’t finished a book this week. Perhaps I have been busy with other things? I am not sure. So, I will write about my current book next week as I will definitely have completed it by then…

…I expect!

This is the book I am enjoying at the moment:

A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness #1) by Joe Abercrombie

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

📖📚📖📚📖

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Update 25/05/20

Posted on 25/05/2020 by The Librain

Our days seem to have settled into a rhythm now, depending on whether Elder Son is working or not. They are all so repetitive that there is very little to write about on this blog, sadly. I am too weak and tired to get dressed on most days, so I stay in a t-shirt and pyjama trousers, occasionally adding a necklace or earrings. Usually, I get up for lunch and Lovely Husband and I sit together and watch TV, then I do a couple of jobs and return to bed to entertain myself with my iPad.

The weather has been quite lovely and warm for weeks, but I think I have become so used to staying indoors that I have developed a mild phobia towards sitting outside. I only feel safe in bed. I need to get over this so that I can get the benefit of the sunshine!

I didn’t manage to update the Wardrobe Planning post over the weekend, but will try to do so as soon as I can. Instead, I am sharing this link with you – I found it thoroughly entertaining!

Boredpanda: Museum Asks People To Recreate Paintings At Home, Gets 30 New Impressive Photos

Here is an example…

#9 The Great War By Rene Magritte

It is really worth scrolling down the page. People can be so inventive!

Right, I am now going to drag myself out of this gloomy mood. Maybe I will go sit in the garden!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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P.S. I sat outside and read for an hour or so, after writing the post. Tried not to look at the weeds and lush overgrown areas!

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Outfit of the day 22/05/20

Posted on 22/05/2020 by The Librain

I should really begin a series called “Outfit of the Week”! During present circumstances, I am finding it very difficult to make myself get properly dressed. Unless I feel strong enough to go for a walk (I have managed this twice during the week), I cannot raise either the energy or the enthusiasm to get fully dressed. Most days, I wear my pyjamas all day or just a nice top or t-shirt with my pyjama trousers and, perhaps, a necklace.

Anyway, here is a very quick collage of one of my outfits this week. I cannot bring myself to include a selfie because I look so bedraggled! My hair has grown almost to my shoulders and looks a real mess.

Outfit of the day 22/05/20

Today’s outfit:

  • Pond blue cotton sleeveless vest – Lands’ End.
  • Navy linen trousers – Isle Collection.
  • Navy, neutral and blue horn necklace – via Etsy.
  • Blue, black and white enamel and rose gold bangle – Ianthe – Liberty of London.

Every time I wear one of these Lands’ End vests I feel that I should recommend them. They are produced in a range of colours each year and are made in lovely thick cotton fabric. The shoulders are cut wide enough to hide bra straps. I usually buy new ones in the sales!

One of my most visited posts seems to be “Wardrobe planning #15: Hermès scarves – The Purse Forum”. This was written when the blog was quite new, back in April 2017. I took a quick look at it the other day and realised that it needs updating. If I feel well enough over the weekend, I will try to work on it, checking the links and making sure everything is current. Hopefully, it will be ready for Monday.

Anyway, I hope that you all have a good weekend.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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