Another week of holidays have slipped by, and as I type this, I am actually sitting in a different location, for the first time in 20 weeks! That is why I apologise for the delay. Being with Pops and Mum, I forgot to write and schedule this last night, but I think that’s a good enough reason to be late to the posting party, isn’t it?
But I have had a really great week, so if you grab that drink, we can get started.
If we were having chai I’d tell you that Monday started with Rakhsha Bandhan, or Rakhri, as us Punjabis are more likely to call it. This is a day where brothers and sisters celebrate their bond with one another. Us sisters tie a speciat thread around the wrists of our brothers, and pray for their good fortune and health, and they in turn, vow to keep us safe from all harm. The original Hindu name for the festival means exactly this, Rakhsha means to look after, and Bandhan means to tie together. so we had a mini tying ceremony for my two, then I spoke to my brother who is not here, with me, and we popped over to the in-laws in the evening, so I could tie one on my brother-in-law. The extra bonus, for us sisters, anyway, is that the brothers tend to ‘gift’ us, so it can be quite a profitable day, if you have a lot of brothers! But the most important thing, is the love we shre, ovbiously!
If we were having chai I’d have to update you on the writing front. And I wrote every day, again, except for Sunday, where we were travelling. Another 10k plus added to the manuscript, so I am beyond excited! I even started to look at covers for book two, as I think that will spur me on even more!
If we were having chai I’d hang my head in shame and admit thata, rather than actually doing it, there was more talk about clearing up the house. We had a set of builders come over to give quotes, but beyond that, nothing. What we have realised is thta we need to empty our closets, and get rid of them (some are falling apart!) so that we can paint all the walls, so that will need to become one of my missions…
If we were having chai I’d mention that unexpected cricket took over the weekend, with Lil Man having a match on Friday, a friendly with players of all ages from his club, and he took another wicket, bowling and catching the batsman out, and a bonus game with the 4ths (he’s going up in the teams) where he took another wicket. Things are looking up for him and his cricket, and as long as the weather is good, I’ll be there to support!
If we were having chai I’d excitedly tell you that I was also interviewed, TWICE, this week. One for a radio show about Human Interest stories, talking about my teaching and writing, and the second, well, I’m going to be a guest on the Great Writers Share Podcast! Me? Asked to be on the GREAT WRITERS podcast? Wow! I was so stoked to be asked. I just hope both the episodes are okay!
If we were having chai I’d tell you that one of the things I invested my Rakhi money into, was a new set of brush pens, for all the letterring I am about to start doing! I was ridiculously excited, I can’t explain! But before I got them, I was practicing lots, and here’s another of my little projects.
If we were having chai I’d tell you that, as I mentioned before, I am finally with Pops and Mum. I was dreading the journey, as the AC isn’t working in the car, and it is rather hot here in the UK, and the last few years, I haven’t had the best of luck with the traffic on this usually three hour long journey. However, the weather/traffic Gods were looking down on me. I think they felt bad that I’d had to wait eight months to see my parents. Warm weather, but manageable with the windows down, and no traffic meant that we arrived within three hours! And it is so wondeful to be here, to wake in the morning, knowing I’m going to spend the day with two of my favourite people in the world. 💜💜
If we were having chai I’d leave you with a photo of Sonu Singh, who is currently missing us, but keeping Hubby Dearest company!
This week, I will enjoy a few days, relaxing with the folks, but we aren’t going anywhere. Just a few walks around the Green that is in front of their house. When we get back, I must try and do some of that clearing out I keep on mentioning!
And, yes, the writing thing, that is still there, too. If another 10k appeared that would be awesome, but No biggie if it doesnt. I’ll be happy with any words.
Oh, and while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you.”
Desmond Tutu
Such a blessed quote, Spidey. Thank you very much.
Depending on the time you read this, I will either be preparing, packing, travelling (in sweltering heat), or sat at a safe distance from my parents.
Yes, finally, after eight months, thanks to this God forsaken virus, we have made the decision to take a short trip for a few days to be with Pops and Mum.
I’ve sat here, constantly, watching the news and all the updates. Thankfully where they are, and where we are, aren’t in any sort of lockdown situations.
So, after a hearty brunch, and making sure everyone has used the bathroom before we leave, we shall head off to Brum. The hope is that we have no need to stop at services, and fingers crossed for a clear route so we are there within the three hours (not least because my air conditioning is not working, again, and we are going through a real heatwave at the moment!).
I think this has been the longest time that has passed where I haven’t seen my parents. It has been really tough.
I worry about them, and at the height of the pandemic, and lockdown, there was no chance of going to them, then when restrictions began lifting, I was back in school, so again, no chance.
The last two weeks of holidays have been filled with appointments so finally we have the time to go, with no worries.
Video calls have been a blessing, for sure, but nothing beats actually being with them.
I know we will need to distance, but I’m just going to thank God we are able to be with them.
So, who have you missed the most, during the period of lockdown?
Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps And enjoy your week! ❤
Week one of the holidays done, and I hope you’ll be proud of me. I haven’t thought of school once (except checking my email preiodically – as SLT come September, there are some responsibilities I have… but so far, no emails. And buying a couple of new books to read to the kids!)
But I have had a really great week, so if you grab that drink, we can get started.
If we were having chai I’d tell you that one of my two main nintentions during this break is to get some major clearing up done. If we are going to find a place and move, we need to get this house on the market pretty sharpish, and that means prettying up a rather full house… Good excuse to declutter, me thinks! So I have so far gone through my DVDs and set a box aside to donate. I think it will be ruthlessness in the wardrobes again next… not a huge progress, considering that was two small shelves, but still, baby steps.
If we were having chai I’d excitedly tell you that I came good, very good, on the other intention! I wanted to use time I had in the mornings, before the rest of the family rise, to write, and add words to my WIP, which will be Book Two … and I did! I think it was over 12K that I wrote this week! Phew! I am loving using Scrivener, as it helps to organise the manuscript, and the project tracker is great to help me see what my goal is, and to set a realistic word goal for a day. It looks like I shan’t take twenty years to write the sequel!
If we were having chai I’d have to admit to feeding my stationery addiction… I think I added six new notebooks, but they were so pretty, I couldn’t help myself, and a writer never has too many notebooks, isn’t that right?
If we were having chai I’d whisper that Lil Man and I have been watching an old 70s classic from British TV, this past week. Mind Your Language is a series following a teacher and his class of adult students all trying to learn English as a Second Language. I used to watch this with my family as a child and we laughed so much, so I though, what the heck? Let’s watch it together now, and reminisce the silliness of those days. Silliness, totally non-PC and a whole lot of stuff that would never get aired nowadays. So many racist slurs and stereotypes – I was shocked, but then, back in the day, it was almost normal, and no one who may have been offended complained. Still, it gave some great fodder for me to disuss with my viewing partner, who found a lot of it extremely funny, but also hard to swallow as a child of the current generation that is so aware of the BLM movement and equality for all races.
If we were having chai I’d tell you that I have been trying out my lettering, too. I have a couple of projects on the go, but so far I managed these two. And I hope to have a couple more to share next week.
If we were having chai I’d confirm that I am still taking my downtime to seriously plough through that TBR list of mine… currently standing at 175 books to read! But I love reading, and it’s not a chore. I’d rather have too many books to read, than not enough.
If we were having chai I’d mention that a friend of mine has been experimenting in her parents Indian Sweet shop, and she trialled aa few new dishes, so I popped in to buy some bits to try, and they were delicious! A little naughty, a lot nice, though!
If we were having chai I’d share that we may be having a bit of a breakthrough with Lil Princess, and getting her out of her room all day, every day. Since our picnic the week before, we have met with the same friends once more, and she spent at least three afternoons out on her bike. Hallelujah! But she wasn’t impressed that we had to pop in to see her brother playing cricket on Saturday. Still, she managed an hour without too much of a mood! He’s been doing very well, too. After a one to one training session for an hour with a professional Kent Cricketer, and another booked for next week, he was over the moon, and played a great match. They won!
This week seems filled with appointments… Orthodontics, then my Rheumatology one, but that via the phone again, another bike that needs to be taken to the bike shop for a repair. Added to that, I’m booked to do a radio interview recording on Wednesday and a Podcast recording on Sunday, too! And the kids have some Zoom Tutoring sessions booked away for the key subjects, Maths and English…
And the intention is there to carry on with writing for an hour or two every day. If I can write like I did this week, that would be just awesome!
Oh, and while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!
“Nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.”
Lau Tzo
Thanks for the confirmation, Spidey, that doing nothing is a thing!
Actually, I say busy doing nothing, but it’s not quite true.
The holidays are here, and we have nothing specific planned. That would be better to say.
The way things are, right now, I think it’s better to not have too much planned, incase things take a turn for the worse.
Actually, as I type, the US still has cases in the high figures, and European countries that were convinced they’d kicked Covid-19 to the curb, are now reporting case numbers rising, sparking fears of a second wave.
Here, in the UK there have been few areas where numbers have spiked, causing local lockdown, rather than national. And our dear BoJo has put the brakes on any more loosening of the lockdown for a further two weeks, to curb the chances of the spikes spreading further.
When I said we had no plans, that was a little white lie.
One thing I was desperate to do (if you know me, you’ll already be able to guess what I’m about to type) was to see my parents as soon as it was humanely possible.
After factoring in orthodontic appointments, cricket trainings, and a few others, it was settled that we would go for a couple of days, to see the folks as I haven’t seen them since the New Year.
But now, hearing everything that is happening, I wonder whether that is a wise decision?
Do we go and visit them, satisfy our longing to see and hug them, but possibly put them at risk of the virus, as we will be coming in from somewhere else? Then there is the flipside, do we risk going away, even for a few days, and possibly bring something back this way?
Ideally, we (meaning the kids and I) wanted to go away as there was work that needed doing in the house. If we weren’t around then Hubby Dearest could supervise this work (supposing the builders etc. could do that week) without worrying about us all bouncing off the walls, too.
And while I ponder what to do, I still have other weeks to fill, doing nothing, too.
So, I’m writing.
That’s not nothing, agreed, but it takes a whole lot of nothing time for me to be able to create.
And so I shall, and from this ‘busy doing nothing’ time, may wonderful words be born!
So tell me, what do you do when you’re ‘busy doing nothing’?
Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps And enjoy your week! ❤
I have managed to work my way through pretty much the whole of the Cliffside Bay series this year, and I was eager to read this last instalment, but at the same time, not so, as it meant that a cast of characters that have become friends, would be wrapping up the story in this book. I don’t know about anyone else, but with the current COVID-19 climate, I seem to have got a bit addicted to reading books that have endings that aren’t as perfect as I’d usually like, and when I started Tess’s book, I knew there would be ups and downs, then a wonderful, perfect Happily Ever After… and I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready for so much positivity. But, reading the story of how Sara and David finally fall for each other, I proved myself wrong. How a will, and a desire to do something good for the world, can make an ‘arrangement’ end up in True Love, was the perfect antidote for the depression that has hit my reading mind. And I have to admit to a few happy tears at the end, as the story wraps up. Thank you, Tess, for these wonderful characters, and I do so hope that something may just get resurrected in the future 😉
Form the beginning, I was captured into the story of two women, torn apart as young girls, upon discovery of their forbidden love, and how they cope with being thrown together again eighteen years later. Nora finds herself back in her hometown after eighteen years of exile, sent away by her father, after she was found in a compromising situation with her best friend Sophie. Sent off to join the military, Nora comes to terms with her feelings, and her attraction to both men and women, as Sophie is left back home, building her own perfect future. The twists come hard and fast, as her father dies, and she returns for the funeral, to come face to face with her childhood love, Sophie, who is married to Charlie, who used to be Nora’s boyfriend. Confused? It will make sense once you read. This is a beautifully told story of love reclaimed, and two women finally being able to be themselves, after decades of hiding their true selves. Set in a town filled with strict religious beliefs, and a whole new generation to think about, along with the older people, who see same-sex relationships as the ultimate sin, there are so many layers this story peels through. Many thanks to Netgalley and Mills And Boon for an ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is the first of Bette Lee Crosby’s books that I have read, and I have heard so much about it I was looking forward to getting stuck in. A rollercoaster of a read is what I would describe it. Imagine being pregnant, nearing the end of your pregnancy, when you go into labour, only to have the tragedy of a stillbirth? Now, imagine, you somehow find yourself in a strangers house, and a tiny infant lays there, looking just like your baby should have? Then, imagine being the parent who wakes after a deep slumber, caused by three sleepless nights, to find your infant gone? All these things happen in the book, as we explore the emotions that run through the minds of both women, who have motherhood robbed of them, in two deeply tragic ways. We experience the fear of a woman on the run, and the faith of a woman ever hopeful… With twists and turns to accompany every step of the story. A well-written story, with loss at the centre, but ringed with hope all the way through.
Rachel is a woman who has worked hard to get where she is now, in her own clinic as a psychiatrist. In a long-standing relationship with Will, her boyfriend, she thinks things are moving slowly, but in the right direction, but at the back of her mind, there are niggles. Then she is attacked in her own home, by the same man who attempted to rape her as a teenager. What follows is the story of how she overcomes her fears, sheds the dead weight in her life and finds some amazing new friends, rekindles relationships with family, and finds her forever love, too. The Secret Letters is a bittersweet romance, covering some serious issues within, including attempted rape, estranged families and unfaithfulness. Written in an uncomplex way, The Secret Letters is an easy read that can be devoured in a few hours, by young adults, as well as the more grown kind. There are some fantastic characters in the book. I almost wish there was even more development of some of them, like Mr Lemon. I loved Mr Lemon. Everyone needs a Mr Lemon in their lives! In fact, there were some places I almost wished that the scenes took a little longer, to explore some of the issues within, or expand upon details, so it didn’t feel rushed. I was offered a chance to read this book by the author, for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book but I’m sorry to say I found it so hard to finish. Poor spelling, sentence structure, going of rails, tense mix ups… I’m not sure where to start. Poor execution of what could have been an interesting love story. 😢
A beautiful set of poems and life lessons written by prolific poet, Sylvester Anderson. This is a book you can pick up and open, to give yourselves a morsel of wisdom, or positivity, whenever you need it!
I’ve had this on my Kindle for a while, now, but only just got round to reading it. Gut-wrenching is the word I’d use to describe it. Drug addiction is an awful thing to experience – not the highs – that’s what gets you addicted – but the lows, the cold turkey, the trying to get back on the road to normality, to ‘clean’. This story explores addiction in a raw, sometimes difficult to read, way. Realistic. Almost too realistic. We follow the story of a mother and her son. They’re estranged, but their life routes are parallel in so many ways. She finds the art of being a mother to a baby addictive, but can’t deal with a baby who doesn’t act like he’s supposed to. He finds solace in his father’s adoration, which takes a sinister turn, that ends up with him running away. Abuse, substance misuse, deaths, births favouritism… so much discussed. It was a hard, but very good read.
When I was approached to read this arc, I didn’t hesitate, Having been a reader of Lauren North’s previous book, The Perfect Son, despite it being a book not of my usual genre, and really enjoying it, I was more than happy to read this new one, not least because it comes out on my birthday! Gripped. That’s what I was, with this book. Imagine being a busy, A & E doctor, as well as a wife, and mother to two young children, with the horror of a stalker to add to the mix? That is the life of fear and exhaustion that the main character Jenna is facing. Every time she goes anywhere, the feeling that she is being watched. Each time she opens her emails to find threat filled messages. Whenever she opens the front door. or goes to the garden, the thought that another ‘gift’ may be left. At least she can keep her family safe in the house… until she finds out he’s been inside. Then, as she begins to piece together evidence, and works out who this person might be, she ends up having to treat him after he is brought in with life-threatening injuries. I really enjoyed the book, and every time I thought I’d pieced together the mystery, something else was thrown into the mix to twist the story further. Recommended read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
How many times have you sat back and wondered ‘what if’? Ben is having a personal crisis. The world and its aunt seems to have their lives all mapped out, from his wife, Daphne, to his old uni mucker, Herv. Everyone has goals and seems intent on getting there. Ben, however, is wallowing in a pool of self-pity. His dream of being a writer, following in the footsteps of his estranged father, seems increasingly unlikely. In fact, he is just not cut out fo this life. He’s no good for is wife, his friend, himself. Better than he walks away now, right, and steps into a relationship that was the ‘could-have-been’ in his life… All About Us charts a Christmas Carol style tale of visitations into key points in Ben’s past, Could things really have been better if he’d done something different at these times? It was an enjoyable read, and I especially felt for Ben, with regards to his mother. All those unspoken words, conversations that you wish you’d had when they were alive… Oh, and, sometimes that old adage, that the grass is greener? It ain’t always true! Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories for an arc, in exchange for an honest review.
Atomic Love is a literary thriller, based in the ’50s, about a young woman, Rosalind, a scientist, whose livelihood is left in tatters after the bomb in Hiroshima. Having been involved in the Manhatten project, and the development of the Atomic Bomb, she is scarred with the guilt of all those lost lives, and to top it off, she lost her love , who sold her under the river, and disappeared, A few years later, she is working a simple job in a department store, when he comes back, to rekindle love, or to wreak havoc again? Enter an FBI agent scarred from his own battles in the war, who needs her help. What follows is a story filled with emotion and twists, as Rosalind’s life is turned upside down. Will she turn to her ex-lover, and help him with his troubles, or will she succumb to the feelings that are developing for a certain FBI agent? This isn’t my usual genre to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and found myself willing my eyes to stay awake to finish the book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an Arc, in exchange for an honest review.
Having thoroughly enjoyed books like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and seeing that parallels had been drawn, I was intrigued by the blurb, about an octogenarian, Eudora Honeysett, who is contemplating an end of life clinic in Switzerland, to be her final stop on this planet, having no one around to care. What a fantastic book! I loved Eudora, the staid eighty-five-year-old, who has her simple days planned out and fancies sorting her end out too, so she doesn’t become a burden upon anyone else, or have to suffer, like her own mother. But, then along comes Rose, a ten-year-old whirlwind, who enters her life as a new neighbour, and who injects the affection into Eudora’s life. Something she’s been missing. And I can’t forget Stanley, the fellow octogenarian widower, who craves company but has never quite got the response from Eudora, that he hoped for. The story flits back to Eudora’s childhood formative years and key points in her past that have shaped her. It was a heartwarming read, showing that it’s never too late to form meaningful relationships. I really loved it. Many thanks to NetGalley. Harper Collins and One More Chapter for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Second Chance Lane is my second read by author Nicola Marsh and a very different read to the one I read before. Tash is living her simple life as a single mother to young Teen Isla, in her small backwater village of a hometown. No one knows the details of the father of her child, Isla included, and she plans on keeping it that way. Until he rocks up at the house next door. Kody Lansdowne is Australia’s Rock Golden Boy. From humble beginnings, he, and his rich band have conquered the world, these past thirteen years, but nothing can prepare him for the news that he is a father. To a teenager. Jane is fed up of her reputation as the village homewrecker. After years of putting on aa facade, her resolve crumbles, as. she finds it harder to cope with the way she is viewed by the locals, and her mother doesn’t help matters either. Then up rocks Morgan. Nerd from school who she had no time, for, but he’s not so much of a nerd now. Second Chance Lane is a wonderfully written story, a Rural Second Chance Romance (or two of them in one book!) I enjoyed reading the story and loved the twists and turns. taken to get two couples so obviously right for each other, to realise, and get it on! Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A captivating read! Set in the French Alps, at a ski resort, The Chalet focuses on a tragedy that occurred in the past and moves fluidly back and forth between then, and the present, to bring the story to its conclusion. An impromptu break for two brothers and their girlfriends in the late 90s begins well but ends in chaos as an awful tragedy occurs and the story that follows takes us through the minds of several people supposedly not connected, but in reality, they are, entwined with the death of a man, in the most complex ways. The Chalet is an excellent psychological thriller and a fantastic debut for Catherine Cooper.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thirty-seven-year-old Samira has moved back to Melbourne after years of living her own life in LA, following a painful divorce that left her reeling from the lack of support from her local Indian community. It didn’t help that she herself was a product of a mixed marriage, with an Indian mother and an American father. Fast forward over a decade, and she’s back, on the pretext of helping her cousin, Pia, out with her new business. What she didn’t count on was meeting a young Aussie hunk on pretty much the first night she’s back in town. It’s not often I come across a novel that leaves me nodding my head in agreement to much of it, but as a British born Indian, I related to a lot of scenarios covered in The Boy Toy. I wasn’t only nodding my head, but laughing aloud, in parts, as I recalled going through similar events. The Boy Toy covers some big issues, in an extremely light-hearted way, an easy read, with the chance of being educational to those Westerners who aren’t familiar with the Indian culture, bar eating curry at the local Indian restaurant! Mixed race relationships and marriage, infertility, pregnancy out of wedlock, and dealing with a verbal disability, a stutter, all feature in this book. Oh, and rather a lot of naughty scenes! And reading the taster of a Man Ban, and finding out that a certain, rather tasty Doctor from this book is featuring, I am sure I’ll be reading that too! Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an Arc, in exchange for an honest review.
Releasing 17th November, 2020
Fifteen books… not bad for the last few weeks of term, and a productive reading month, at that!
![Dance in the Rain by [Shreya Dutta]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mB9krZmEL.jpg)
