Happy Monday to you all! I hope your week treated you well. Here’s my update!
If we were sipping chai together I’d start by telling you I spent another week stepping away from the blog, not challenges, but reading plenty. I am definitely feeling mentally stronger for the time away. It just goes to show, burnout is real!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you we had a wonderful time at school again. My beauts have settled down well, and my special beauts are as special as ever, but with my team back up to full capacity, it was good to operate as a proper team this week. We even went on our first trip out. It wasn’t far, but we walked down to the local library for a special story telling session, and for a chance to show the kids what a library is. You’d be amazed at the amount of kids who have never been there! They were given a chance to explore the children’s area, and the parents who volunteered to walk with us read stories with them, then we had the librarian read the children a story together, before getting back to school ready for lunch. I think the kids enjoyed themselves! And we are also preparing for Harvest festival, which involves each year group in school performing in a whole school assembly. This will be the first time our reception class actually go to assembly, so it will be big for them. And I admit, I managed to add a bhangra twist to our song and dance… let’s see how that works!
If we were sipping chai together I’d say that I have been relaxing by getting out of school before 5pm, as much as I can, and aside from the usual housework, and my own kids extra curricular activities, I have been reading. I can’t read much in the week, because tiredness means I fall asleep, but at least I read a few pages, then the weekend is a time for surrounding myself with my precious books, and reading away! I was given a gift card for my birthday by a dear friend and I managed to spend it at Waterstones on some new books!
If we were sipping chai together I’d mention that Lil Princess has been busy with her art again, and produced this beautiful canvas las week. It hink it’s pretty stunning for an eleven-year-old!
If we were sipping chai together I’d whisper that Hubby Dearest has had a great week at work, and signed a huge deal so we went for a meal to celebrate!
If we were sipping chai together I’d let you know that I had several lovely video calls with my brother and my little nephew, Finndian #2! It’s always such a pleasure to see him growing so much, and he nearly said Bhuaji, or Pooji, as they call me, which means aunty. #heartmeltmoment ❤
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that next week we have nothing planned again, for which I am grateful. But you know what life is like. Something always comes up!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say that I am excited to have Pops and Mum badk in the country too this week. They have had an awesome time on California, visiting Pops’s sister, and many friends they haven’t seen for years! The photos they have been sending are a pleasure to see. They look so happy, and in all honesty, isn’t this what retirement should be?
Right, that’s me done Peeps! Let me how your week has been.
So, September is upon us. A busy month for me, what with school starting back, and my birthday! Being back at school means that I tend to fall asleep a heck of a lot quicker than usual, as the physical and emotional exhaustion kicks in againk, after a relatively relaxing August, so I am conscious that there won’t be as many books completed this month, but you know me, I give it my best! I have done a preliminary read for two friends who asked for feedback, which was daunting, as I really don’t class myself as an expert, and I know how it feels to give your book baby to someone else, especially for that first time. Still, I attempted to be as constructive as I could, and that took me the most of the third of the month… so you see where I’m getting at with the whole I am tired think!
There have been a few times where I have requested a book on Netgalley, after scanning the intro, not really knowing much about it, and this was definitely one of those books.
I’m not a sci-fi fan in general, with books or TV, but I am always open to trying new genres. I did the same with YA fiction, and realised that I quite enjoyed it! Still, back to the book.
April May is an Art graduate, looking for her niche in life. She happens upon a strange art installation in the middle of New York one night and is amazed that no one is paying much attention to this giant metallic Transformer-like statue that has just appeared. Wanting to make the world more appreciative of the effort that artists go to, to create, she, along with her friend Alex, film and upload a video of the statue to YouTube, christening the Huge ‘robot’ Carl.
They awake to a media frenzy surrounding their video and it emerges that there is not one Carl, but 63 others who appeared in major cities around the world at precisely the same time.
How did they get there? Who installed them? What are they?
So many questions.
April and her friends begin a whirlwind journey to trying to find out their origin, and purpose with some pretty devastating effects.
Is Carl an Alien? What is this Dream that everyone is suddenly having? Why does the President want to meet April?
More questions… see! But I’m not going to answer them. You need to read the book to find out!
This story really showed the power that Social Media has upon the world. A few tweets and videos and someone can become a household name with some real sway upon the followers they collect. Then there are the haters. There are always haters where there are fans, and working out how to deal with them can be a tough learning curve.
I took a little while to get into the swing of the story, but once I started, I have to say, I was hooked!
And the ending! OMG, the ending! Now I HAVE to know what happens next! Imagine that, Me, NEEDING to read a sci-fi book!
Yes. Definitely a recommendation!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The weather’s getting colder out there, and I sat with this book on my Kindle, snuggled up on the sofa all day today, and it wasn’t only my heart that was warmed, but the whole of me, as I read.
What a wonderfully upbeat, and truly smile-inducing tale, weaved by Kiley Dunbar!
Sylvie is suffering from the after-effects of a broken engagement, mere days before her wedding. It’s been six months, now and her best friend, Nari, an intrepid traveller and travel blogger convinces her to take a trip with her over Christmas – a time when she was meant to be going on her honeymoon.
Memories from the past push her to accept a trip to Finnish Lapland, staying at the Frozen Falls resort.
Is it mere coincidence that the owner happens to be Sylvie’s old university love interest? And that his business partner may just have a ‘thing’ for singleton Nari?
I can’t explain how much I loved the story. Little personal connections, like the fact that the main character is a teacher, like me, to the location, in Finland, as I have family connections with that country, added to my enjoyment of a truly wonderful tale.
Well, I challenge you all to not read this and feel that you want to put your Christmas tree up, or better still, visit Lapland and find your own hunky Sumi hero trekking in the snow, whilst viewing the aurora, or Northern Lights!
Right, Kiley… I’m ready for another one of yours now!
This is the second Christmas themed book I have read in September, perfect for curling up on the sofa with on the cooling evenings. Two people still grieving for lost loved ones, find themselves in the little village of Willowbrook. One grieving for a lost sister and a broken engagement and the other unable to forget the pain of losing his wife. Evie and Jake were likeable characters, and even though you knew what would be the inevitable end, it was a comforting, easy read, which left you feeling warm inside. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Well, that was an interesting read! I’m not usually one for picking up mystery/suspense filled reads, but the blurb for Tuesday Mooney Wore Black intrigued me. I have to admit it took a little while to get into the story, but by the second half, I was in there, intrigued by the whole premise, and wanting to know what happened. The book follows Tuesday Mooney, a researcher in Boston who gets caught up in a rather macabre game, set up by the late, and very rich Vincent Pryce. She and her friends begin to play and find themselves sucked deeper and deeper into a vortex of the unknown. There are puzzles, murder, mysteries, and ghosts! A fun read if you have the time to get into it. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I always read a long-awaited sequel with a sense of trepidation… what if it’s not what I expected? What if things take a totally different turn to what happened to the story in my head? What if I don’t like it? Well, I didn’t have to worry about that at all. Postscript is a beautifully carved sequel to Cecelia Ahern’s debut novel, P.S. I Love You. The original story touched the hearts of many and I have a feeling this one will too. We meet the main character, Holly, seven years after her husband Gerry’s death and his series of letters, that helped her to deal with the loss of her husband in a way she had never expected. Holly has moved on. She is working with her sister, seeing someone and considering selling her home. After much pestering from her sister, Holly agrees to take part in a podcast, opening up about the letters Gerry sent her, and that one small podcast sets in motion, something much bigger than Holly. Suddenly, she is in a position to help many others in similar situations to Gerry and her. But does she want to relive the painful past? Will she be able to help any of the terminally ill folk who are looking to her for an answer? What an(other) emotional rollercoaster of a ride, this book was! I laughed, I cried. I felt the emotions of a woman still grieving, but trying to get on with her life, as it is now. This book is about loss, yes, but it is more about celebrating what we have now, and how our memories can be preserved to give our loved ones solace during that grieving period. A fantastic read. Recommend? 100% yes! Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A fantastic book which I would have devoured much faster had I not been in the throes of the beginning of the school year tiredness! Jojo Moyes has created a story about a group of women who are all very different, yet grow to have an extremely close bond, brought together by the WPA Packhouse libraries. Set in depression-era America, we learn the strength of five women who are not afraid to fight for their rights and go against the menfolk holding them back. It was an emotional read, especially the last half, as I became more invested in the characters, their own personal stories, and what would happen to them.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cairo Mulch is a young girl who has been brought up in a life of pickpocketing and crime. All she has of her own is a trunk which she was found in as a baby, and that trunk accompanies her everywhere as she travels with her ‘family’, The Mulches. Unbeknown to her, that trunk, and her own background are of immense interest to a few people out there, who are searching for lost Egyptian treasure, seven Scarabs that were stolen at the time her own real parents went missing, presumed dead after their ship sunk. The Trunk of Stars follows the story of Cairo, finding out about herself, and her long lost parents, and helping to solve a mystery. We really enjoyed reading this book, and all the colourful characters we were introduced to Cairo, Lungo, Astrid, Felix, Higgs, and the horrific Gran! A great read for children, and those child-like adults amongst us too! Here’s to reading book 2!
Thank you, Amanda Prowse… you have done it again! I have been working my way through Amanda’s back catalogue, as I am a huge fan of her more recent books, and hadn’t read some of her earlier books, and as always, I was captivated by the story. In fact, I devoured it in a few hours. Amanda has a way of portraying situations that any one of us could be living through at any given time and placing the reader right at the heart. This time we meet Rosie, who is a content wife and mother of two beautiful, boisterous girls. Sure, after twelve years of marriage, and two pregnancies, she might not look as svelte as she once did, but she was happy, her and Phil. They had everything they needed: a family, a roof over their heads and each other. Or so she thought. Crushed when Phil decides this life isn’t for him, Rosie is left with her two girls and an empty space where her husband used to reside. She copes until even the girls are no longer by her side. Oh, how I want to go on and on about the nuances of the story, and all that poor Rosie has to endure, and oh, that other woman… (I wanted to go and slap her on Rosie’s behalf!) but I shan’t as it would be an injustice to anyone who is yet to read this book. Only know it is not just about loss, but the strength of a woman, too. And if you haven’t, you most definitely should! Definitely a five-star book!
Aw!!! Who doesn’t love a romantic story complete with a gorgeous dog in it? Dan is a widower who is getting over losing his wife, with his daughter Lindsay grieving for her mother. Anni, their dog is one element of their life that keeps things on an even keel. Andrea’s a recently divorced woman, who isn’t sure of the path of her future, since her separation. The sudden disappearance of Anni causes shock and upset within Dan and Lindsay’s life. Meanwhile, a complaint about a barking dog in one of her boss’s flats leads Andrea to the dramatic rescue of a traumatised pup. A missing dog. A rescued dog. A coincidence? You’ll need to read the book to find out exactly what happens, but I really enjoyed the story and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this lovely tale (tail).
Well, that’s it for September, and looking back, I don’t think I did too badly for the first month of term! Let me know what you read last month!
Hi All! Did you sort your drink out? Good. Let me tell you about my birthday week/first week back to school/Pet-filled weekend.
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that the first week was amazing! Seriously. We spent Monday and Tuesday doing home visits, as it is good to see children who are unfamiliar with us in their home environments. It makes them more comfortable to see us at school a couple of days later too. We came back from the visits very positive. There are a few needs that we will have to cater towards, but nothing we can’t handle! In fact our Headteacher said this was the first year she has seen the whole team arrive back from the visits with smiles! It’s all in the mindset, you know. We know there will be hard work ahead, but we are prepared and as ready as we can be! From Wednesday to Friday the children came in for mornings only. I was blessed to have all 30 of my class attend. There are times when, over the summer holidays, for various reasons, minds change, and children end up not coming to us, and then another child will come in their place… Unknown entity… We don’t like unknown entities… they can grow our workload more than we’re prepared for! But, Phew, I don’t have to worry about that now! The children seemed to love the classroom. They explored all areas and I even already have a seating plan in place that they are getting used to! (I’ll take and post pics properly soon!) My class, well, as I have said before, they are a bunch of Beauts! Admittedly I have five or six special Beauts, who may need a little more love and attention due to various needs, and one is an extra special Beaut! And my team. Oh, what would I do without my team? I have one full time assistant and two who do a job share. There may be a third lady who may come in and support our extra special Beaut in the mornings too, one-to-one. The ladies are fantastic, and my teacher partners are the same. I think we gel well as a working group, so I hope this bodes well for a positive year! On Friday, I left with a smile on my face. Not a smile of relief, but one of happiness, that everything, so far seems wonderful.
I bought the whole team special Team Reception badges. Gotta love a badge!
If we were sipping chai together I’d whisper that it was also my birthday on Tuesday… (Did you miss the post?) An early September birthday in the teaching career means that unless it’s the weekend, its likely that I will be working on my special day, and this year was no different. I was spoilt by my friends at work, and got the moast awesome teacher tote bag, which I am proudly using every day now. Home visits were carried out, and I popped out with my close colleague for a coffee (chai latte for me) in the lunch time. Once I got home I was treated to a lovely cake and I was given my present a little earlier… a Macbook Air!!! My family are so thoughtful 💞
If we were sipping chai together I’d remind you that it was Lil Princess’s first week at Secondary school! I think we were more worried than she was, to be honest. She has settled in as if she had always been there, and seems to have made some awesome friends too. It is so scary to see her and Lil Man, in their same uniforms, heading off to Big school… and it means I am now officially a Teacher rather than Parent who is a Teacher at my school. That is strange too, not seeing one of my own little beings around the building. I am getting used to not having a clue as to what they are doing until they get home now. Lil Man started back on the Tuesday and yes, it’s like we were never away from that school routine…
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that I know we are back at school because the teacher exhaustion has kicked in now. By 10 pm, if not earlier, my eyes want to close, and I am drained. It is very tiring, especially at the beginning of the year, as you get used to it all again…
If we were sipping chai together I’d let you know that it has been a bit of a pet filled week and weekend too. Obviously we have our gorgeous Sonu Singh, the Punjabi cat, at home and Heer & Ranjha, the parottlets, but during the week, I met Drago, the Bearded Dragon, and Pickles the Tarantula! They were both pets of two of my pupils, who I met at the home visits. I even held Drago too! Then on the weekend, Hubby Dearest’s cousin came to stay with his Blue-eyed Staffy, Alfie, who is 14 years old, or 98 in dog years! He is gorgeous, though thinks he is younger than he actually is, so he always bounds in, plays with everyone then collapses with tiredness! These visits mean that Sonu Singh ends up in our room, so we can keep the two separated… It do feel a little sorry for Sonu though, as he doesn’t know why he’s up in our room, rather than free to roam the house!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that Sunday was spent, largely, on the sofa, snoozing, reading, reviewing… a perfect relaxing end to the week, to prepare me for week two at school!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that I am not looking forward to Tuesday, when the kids start their Maths tuition again. They are already trying to get out of it!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say that next week we will be having lunch with our classes, as they increase their hours. This is going to be fun…!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d mention that I hope, other than these things, I have a pretty calm, quiet week… I think I’m going to need it!
Right, that’s me done Peeps! Let me how your week has been.
The game should have been over a long time ago, but no one had found him. No one had called out to say it was time to go home.
Patrick felt himself wilt.
Had Bob and the gang forgotten him?
His arms began to stiffen. He really needed to get back into the water. But should he risk it?
Here he was, poised on the brink of victory. He’d never won a game of Hide & Seek with Bob before. That Bob could squeeze himself into some tiny gaps. He was impossible to find, sometimes. Well, what do you expect, with him being a sponge.
Patrick raised his starfish head. No. I’m going to sit this out, just a little longer…
This story was inspired by the photo, and Spongebob Squarepants, as the figure I saw made me think of Patrick the Starfish straight away!
But I Smile Anyway... 