Please head over to my author blog for another installment about my writing journey!
And while you’re there, maybe you could follow the blog too!
When You’re Still Waiting… What To Do
08 Oct 2019 Leave a comment
in My Writing, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, My Writing Journey, Ritu Bhathal
Blast Off with Space Dust by Eloise De Sousa #BlogTour
07 Oct 2019 11 Comments
in Blog Tours, Childhood Authors, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #BlogTour, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Eloise De Sousa, Space Dust
Hello all! Please join me in welcoming my dear friend Eloise De Sousa for the last day of her Blast Off blog tour for her newest book, Space Dust! For a little review by me, you just need to read down to the bottom!
Hello and thank you for joining me at Ritu’s beautiful page. This is our final stop on the amazing tour Blast Off with Space Dust. I’d just like to thank you all for joining me on this exciting trip through the blogosphere and for spending time visiting all these great bloggers who have been kind enough to host Space Dust.
Let’s get the party started with a final giveaway. How about 10 more free ebooks? Just click on the pic below to receive your free ebook copy of Space Dust.
Remember, there are only 10 available so you gotta be quick to get that winning click!
It has been an incredible journey. Every stop has given us the opportunity to meet new blogging friends and readers, as well as learn more about Space Dust, its characters and the writing process behind it. I’d like to add a bit more to our last post about striking the right note for readers. When creating an event in the school library where I work, I enjoy adding a little extra by holding treasure hunts and giving away prizes such as word searches and book markers. That way, I know I am catering for my readers and rewarding their continued support. Since I haven’t thought of a way to add a treasure hunt to this tour (which would have been fun and something to think about for the next one), I do have some prizes for you taking part. Please find below a word search created just for Space Dust readers.
Now a little music. We have travelled through space and found some pretty awesome creatures along the way. The only song I can think of that suits this trip is the famous song by Bob Sinclair’s ‘World Hold On’.
For our final celebration, here is a snippet of me reading the Space Dust to the Birch Hill library children who attended the Summer Reading Challenge over the summer holidays. As you know by now, Space Dust was created to help encourage children to participate in the Challenge, to read more about space and, of course, to enjoy the many activities available at their local library.
It’s now time to say good-bye…
Our canoe is packed away and so is the absolute favourite spoon.
Big Ox made sure Little One is asleep, and Mummy will be home soon.
Tomorrow is another day filled with adventure and fun.
Who knows where they might go – maybe the moon, or the sun!
I do know Big Ox won’t be around to play,
so who will help Little One fill the day?
Will Mummy be able to go on a trip to the moon,
steering Big Ox’s canoe with his absolute favourite spoon?
With that in mind, I will bid you farewell.
Let me know what you think of the book;
receiving pics or reviews of the book would be swell!
Find out more about my books or about me, please click on any of the links below:
And there you have it! Eloise’s tour is done… what with a giveaway and wordsearch, you guys are pretty lucky!
But wait… I haven’t finished yet! Here’s my review…
A children’s book needs imagery, and Space Dust has that in spadefuls. Imagine the mind of a little one who has been left at home, by mummy, with no explanation at all.
That’s what happens to Little One, but he’s lucky as he has Bix Ox with him, to take him on an adventure of his own, into space, on his canoe. They visit planets, and see amazing space creatures, collecting space dust on their shoes as they go.
Enjoy Eloise’s beautiful illustrations and poetic words that give the story a wonderful rhythm.
I read this book to the children in my reception class and it it was lovely to watch them react in different ways. The children with English as a second language were engaged by the striking illustrations and the children who had a better grasp of the English language, were awestruck at the thought of space lions and seahorses in space!
They enjoyed it immensely. ❤
Chai And A Chat #53 #ChaiAndAChat
07 Oct 2019 36 Comments
in Chai and a Chat, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat
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.
Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 240 – Origins
06 Oct 2019 37 Comments
in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Origins, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday
I don’t know where I come from but I’m here now so deal with it.
Gary Busey
Strange quote to start with, but Spidey was adamant that I write about this today.
A while back a fellow blogger and reader of my blog, Eloise, asked me where Spidey’s Serene Sundays started, and when I told her, she said I should blog about the origins of the feature, as many who weren’t following me at the start would be intrigued.
I mean, Spidey’s not necessarily known for being ‘serene’. Stealthy, maybe, but not really serene.
So, I thought, since I’m on a bit of a blogging break, I’d give Spidey a break too, and tap a few words out telling you his story.
Spidey and I go back a decade, and it’s not because I’m a huge Marvel or superhero fan, but because of my son, Lil Man, and his early obsession wiith the above-mentioned webtastic dude.
Lil Man really was obsessed. It’s not an exaggeration to use the term obsessed to describe his love of Spiderman. For about four or five years, everything had to be all about Spidey in our household.
I’m not even sure where the obsession started. Was it when he sat with his Dad, watching one of the movies? I’m pretty sure he didn’t watch the cartoons initially.
Who knows? But however it started, it continued to the extent that all his clothes had to have something Spidey orientated about them, from T-Shirts to underpants, nightwear, swimwear to hats and coats. Even shoes! And then there was the backpacks, and a min scateboard.
Lil Man slowly amassed a HUGE collection of various figurines and toys of Spidey in various forms, and the villains too; big, small, Lego versions.
He even had Spidey to help him begin reading, with Spiderman Early Reader books, and I even found letter and number formation Spiderman books, as he was totally uninterested in mark making, but these books put his interest square in the middle of his learning!
He played Spiderman games, and even had me up at silly hours of the night to try and help him overcome stages he was stuck at! I would battle the iPad games and Hubby Dearest was tasked with helping to complete Playstation ones!
As I mentioned before, I’m really not into these superhero things, but I have watched the first three Toby Macguire Spiderman films umpteen times, and boy was this lad excited when the release of one Spidey film fell on his birthday weekend, and it was a 12A which meant that even though he wasn’t 12, with our approval and accompaniment, he could watch the film at the cinema! I even found DVD’s of some of the original cartoons for him, and he has a couple of original comics too, thanks to friends who knew of his penchant for all things Spiderman.
Heck, one day I opened my email to find my ‘bid’ for a life size bust of Spidey had been accepted… except I hadn’t even seen the auction. Guess who had though? And guess which silly mummy had forgotten that her Ebay account was permanently logged in on her iPad, that said someone used regularly? And at £200, that was an expensive mistake that I made sure I didn’t make again! (No, I don’t have the bust because, thankfully, the seller was understanding when I explained that my Spidey crazy child had placed the bid without my knowledge or consent!)
Lil Man loved to play the Punjabi dhol drum, and at one time said his dream job would be to be the first Dhol Playing Spiderman, as he dressed in one of his numerous Spidey costumes, and played his drum. Actually, he even had a blue and red traditional costume that was made for him, that made him rather Spidey-like!
And for about 4 years, every World Book Day, I didn’t have to be creative, because he HAD to go as Spiderman!
Now, how does all this translate to the beginnings of Spidey’s Serene Sunday?
Well, not long after I had started the blog, Lil Man was still quite enamoured of the man in red and blue, so the toy figures were scattered around the house. There were tons in his room, and plenty scattered around the living room, and in various nooks and crannies.
Sometimes Spidey and friends would accompany him in the bath, if he was having a splash around too.
And one Sunday morning, I entered the bathroom and found Spidey on the windowsill, in the position you see in the Spidey image above. I know his fingers are in the position they are for his web slinging, but, if you ask my Pops, he’ll tell you they are also in quite a yogic position, relating to reflexology.
So, sitting there, in his own quiet metidation, he really did look rather serene, and I had to take a photo.
And as it was Sunday, Spidey’s Serene Sunday was born!
After that, every Sunday, Spidey inspired me to find a quote that either would motivate others, or encompassed something I was dealing with at the time, to discuss with my readers.
And as you can see from the number of weeks we have been Spidey-ing on Sundays, (240!) it is around four and a half years that he has graced my blog on a Sunday.
Wow!
So, there you have it. The origins of Spidey’s Serene Sundays!
Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps. And enjoy your week! ❤
September’s Books #BookReview
01 Oct 2019 15 Comments
in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Goodreads, Netgalley
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!
Still, here’s what I did read!
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Christmas at Frozen Falls: A cosy, heart-warming romcom to curl up with by Kiley Dunbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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!
The Christmas Holiday by Sophie Claire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Tuesday Mooney Wore Black by Kate Racculia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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.
Published 1st October
Postscript by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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.
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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.
Published 3rd October
The Trunk of Stars by Susie Dinneen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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!
My Husband’s Wife by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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!
Hello Love by Karen McQuestion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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!
