Update 29/06/20: It’s here at last – Massaccesi reveal!

Posted on 29/06/2020 by The Librain

I’m so happy today! Despite feeling very ill, if I could jump up and down I would. I ordered another Massaccesi handbag back in February, then the pandemic hit and I waited and waited…. and now it has arrived! Hooray!

Here is the reveal:

 

First, the open box…

Next, a hint of the handbag inside its dust cover…

Finally, the full reveal…

Yes, Marco Massaccesi has really outdone himself this time: a full size Victoria in grape Croco leather with handles in carmine Nappa, dark gunmetal fittings and a lilac lining. Isn’t it beautiful? By the way, in case you were wondering, it is not real crocodile leather! As usual, the quality of the work is exceptional with great attention to detail. In my experience of the Massaccesi brand, any problems are put right and Marco personally works with his customers to ensure that they are satisfied with the final product. That is the beauty of buying bespoke rather than off-the-shelf. I am so fortunate that I can afford to do this.

Here are some more photos, including the lovely lilac lining…

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I’ve kind of broken my colour rules here because the shade is more of a reddish purple than I usually go for, but it will work so beautifully with my navy and grey winter wardrobe, especially my grey leopard coat…

Tanya coat in grey by Masai Clothing Company

Um, I think some grey ankle boots might be just the thing! And of course, I need to improve my fitness so I can go out of the house once I am allowed to do so.

Now, I will go back to stroking my new bag (and thinking about where on Earth I am going to store it!).

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Update 26/06/20

Posted on 26/06/2020 by The Librain

I had plans for a nice post today, but the heat has made it virtually impossible for me to think straight, never mind take photos or write something coherent. My various conditions, especially lung issues, are very difficult to manage when it is hot and humid. I am stuck in bed with a new electric fan nearby and am sitting on towels. My hope is that the weather cools down as soon as possible.

So, I hope you are all OK and I will try to post something more interesting next week.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Reading roundup 24/06/20

Posted on 24/06/2020 by The Librain

I have watched a lot of TV this week but also finished two books. One was really gripping, the other somewhat disappointing.

The Calling by Alison Bruce

The first book was Alison Bruce’s The Calling, #03 in her D.C. Gary Goodhew Mustery series. Here is the blurb:

Kaye Whiting went to buy a birthday present and didn’t come back. She isn’t dead, or physically injured. But she is alone and very, very scared.

Fifty miles away in Cambridge town centre a deeply disturbed young woman is standing by a payphone. She knows she often feels compelled to do harmful things and is driven by a desire to make a call.

DC Gary Goodhew is one of the detectives assigned to find Kaye and when her body is discovered the only clue to the potential murderer is a woman’s voice on his answerphone saying, “Kaye  isn’t the first and won’t be the last!”

This was the third book I had read in the series, but I think I am now going to take a break from it. The reason for the decision will become clear when you read my review as written on Goodreads:

The Calling (DC Gary Goodhew Mystery #3)The Calling by Alison Bruce
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the first two books in the series, but found that this one was not up to scratch. Then, I read that The Calling was actually written before the others!

Anyway, the book had exciting and gripping moments but also a lot of flaws. The sheer number of female characters was confusing (and this was not a result of my memory issues as other reviewers have said the same thing). Some parts of the book were unnecessarily explicit. Also the story arc was muddled in places with scenes which could have easily been cut because they added nothing to the plot.

I will now take a break from the series, but may return to later books another time

View all my reviews

Nemesis by Rory Clements

My second book of the week was Nemesis by Rory Clements, #03 in his Tom Wilde series. With my poor memory, I had totally forgotten that I had already read the first two books in the series a few years ago – Corpus (Reading roundup 15/11/17) and Nucleus (Reading roundup 10/10/18). Anyway, here is the blurb:

A race against time to unmask a Nazi spy

In a great English house, a young woman offers herself to one of the most powerful and influential figures in the land – but this is no ordinary seduction. She plans to ensure his death . . .

On holiday in France, Professor Tom Wilde discovers his brilliant student Marcus Marfield, who disappeared two years earlier to join the International Brigades in Spain, in the Le Vernet concentration camp in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Wilde secures his release just as German tanks roll into Poland.

Meanwhile, a U-boat sinks the liner Athenia in the Atlantic with many casualties, including Americans, onboard. Goebbels claims Churchill put a bomb in the ship to blame Germany and to lure America into the war.

As the various strands of an international conspiracy begin to unwind, Tom Wilde will find himself in great personal danger. For just who is Marcus Marfield? And where does his loyalty lie?

This book was so enjoyable, as you can see from my review on Goodreads:

Nemesis (Tom Wilde, #3)Nemesis by Rory Clements
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read all three books in this superb series and can honestly say that they get better and better. The author has so clearly meticulously researched the background to the period (the 1930s leading up to the beginning of WWII), but uses this information in a seamless way. I feel that I learn from these books, but the author is not at all didactic. The main characters are interesting, different and intriguing. The plot is exciting and subtle with many twists.

I really hope that this series continues as I would love to see how Clements uses the events of WWII with his main characters. I am such a fan of his writing that I have another book of his lined up. I cannot wait to read it!

View all my reviews

I am not sure what I am going to read next. Maybe one of the non-fiction ebooks younger son sent me for Mother’s Day? I will make up my mind later.

Until next week:

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Update 22/06/20 with Hermès’ new season scarves!

Posted on 22/06/2020 by The Librain

I had decided that I shouldn’t, couldn’t and wouldn’t buy any more Hermès scarves. After all, I now have more than twenty, in various sizes, and I haven’t been wearing them much recently. During this lockdown period, my health has steadily become even worse and my periods out of bed even fewer. So I told Lovely Husband that my scarf collection was complete. Amazingly, he totally floored me by saying that I could buy some more if I wanted, because they give me so much pleasure and hold their value.

My response was complete shock!

I then looked on the Purse Forum to see if a thread had been started for next season’s scarves, and it has…

Hermès Autumn/Winter 2020 scarves

Here is a teaser (that Greek helmet 💓💓💓):

La Danse des Amazones by Edourd Baribeaud

There are a few revelations so far, but it will develop into a great and detailed thread over the next few months. I can already see that there is one item that I will almost certainly buy. This will be revealed when I have more information about colourways.

Anyway, it is well worth following the thread as it unfolds, if you are an Hermès scarf fan like me. The sheer beauty of the design is always breathtaking.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

Posted in Scarves, Wardrobe | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Update 19/06/20

Posted on 19/06/2020 by The Librain

Oops! I nearly forgot to post this evening. I had such a bad sleep last night that I dozed too long this afternoon and posting went straight out of my head!

So, I will wait until Monday as I feel really dopey and fuzzy.

Have a great weekend,

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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Reading roundup 17/06/20

Posted on 17/06/2020 by The Librain

This last week, I have been struggling with my health, to the extent that I found it very difficult to read. Instead, I have been entertained by watching Grey’s Anatomy from the beginning. I am astonished that I didn’t watch this at the time!

The Siren by Alison Bruce

Anyway, I did read one book: The Siren by Alison Bruce, #02 in her D.C Gary Goodhew Mystery series. Here is the blurb:

All it took was one small item on the regional news for Kimberly Guyver and Rachel Golinski to know that their old life was catching up with them. They wondered how they’d been naïve enough to think it wouldn’t. They hoped they still had a chance to leave it behind – just one more time – but within hours, Rachel’s home is burning and Kimberly’s young son, Riley, is missing.DC Goodhew begins to sift through their lives, and starts to uncover an unsettling picture of deceit, murder and accelerating danger. Kimberly seems distraught but also defensive and uncooperative. Is it fear and mistrust of the police which are putting her son at risk, or darker motivations?With Riley’s life in peril, Goodhew needs Kimberly to make choices, but she has to understand, the one thing she cannot afford is another mistake.

I wrote a quick review straight away – remember that I had almost lost all memory of last week’s book by the time I came to write the review for the blog post? That was so embarrassing…

The Siren (DC Gary Goodhew Mystery #2)The Siren by Alison Bruce
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I would like to give this book 3.5 stars, if that were possible. This second book in the series was better than the first one, in my opinion. It kept my attention for longer and the author was not quite so obsessed with naming every single street in Cambridge. I was held by the plot and the main characters continued to develop nicely. The ending was exciting, even though a little over the top!

I have decided to read the third book in the series straight away, so I suppose that is some kind of accolade. Our library ebook system has further books in the series and I will probably read those too, after a break.

View all my reviews

The Calling by Alison Bruce

I am enjoying this series, so I am reading the third book now before changing to something else. There are still the ebooks sent by Younger Son for Mother’s Day plus a few others that I have on my list!

Until next week: enjoy your reading!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Update 15/06/20 with some purchases

Posted on 15/06/2020 by The Librain

Sorry, nothing exciting really! But you know how I rate the vests by Lands’ End? I seem to have so many of them already. Anyway, they were on offer the other week and I bought two more. I watch out for offers like these on my clothing staples and pounce when they drop into my inbox.

So, I now have this collection…

They are sooo useful: as sleeveless vests in hot weather with linen trousers or skirts, or under a cardigan with jeans and a scarf on cooler days. I also wear them in bed with pyjama trousers. Very versatile. It is worth keeping an eye on them for when they are in a sale. The two I have just bought are the grey and the navy – my two base colours.

By the way, the Americans call them “tank tops”. To me, being British and having lived through the 1970s, tank tops are quite something else!

Maybe like these (knitting patterns from the 1970s):

😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

Well, that’s all for today. I must admit that I have been very ill all weekend with several horrendous coughing attacks. I have hidden in my bedroom until I feel able to go downstairs again.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

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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

💕💗💖💗💕

Image credits

Beaney Institute (Canterbury Library) by Lutrus on Flickr

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