Seriously? Where did that half-term week go? I had so many intentions… but not many were fulfilled!
So, grab your drink, I’ll be hurrying back into school this week!
If we were having chai I’d touch upon school a little bit. See, I had a couple of work based plans, and none of then required going into school. However they did need some time sitting at my work laptop… but I confess, I barely did that, at all. I touched base with my email, and watched part four of a traing course, that is really good, but I coulnd’t face any more. (Wrote five pages of nots, though!) I also had some paperwork I wanted to get my teeth into. Nope. That didn’t happen, either, however I did get some research done, and ordered a few books I think that my class would enjoy. Okay. Enough about school!
If we were having chai I’d say that, typically, a couple of days into the break, the sniffles started. It happens every time. Run down from work, we get a break, and your average educator will fall ill. Because we finally sit down and relax. And it didn’t help that Hubby Dearest and both kids were snuffling, too. Still, I rested up, and it wasn’t as bad as it could have been because I insisted, to myself that I needed to rest. I read a couple of books, and then managed to get my flu jab done, too. So, try and hit me now, Winter germs! (No, seriously, don’t try. This term will be tough enough with out!)
If we were having chai I’d have you know that there was a little bit more flat pack furniture to put together, in the form of Lil Princess’s desk, and chair. She is happy. Thank God! She’s not an easy one to please! The wardrobes that should arrive next weekend are too big for me to attempt so someone will be fixing them together for us… Then it’s just the dining room/ conservatory to furnish, as well as a sofa for the summer house. Getting there, Peeps!
If we were having chai I’d reassure you that the cricket bruise is almost gone now, thankfully, but I seem to have accumulated plenty more little ones, as I find. myself walking into things all the time! I could be like a dot to dot, but you woulnd’t end up with a particularly pleansnt picture at the end! Lil Man did have his training on Thursday, but it was uneventful.
If we were having chai I’d say that during the week, we ventured to Bluewater for an afternoon, and had lunch there. On Saturday, for Lil Princess, who was getting antsy at home, we went to Canary Wharf in London, and wandered around the shops there. All so expensive, but it was good to get out of the locality for once! Then we stopped off at the O2, o n the way home, and had dinner there. Then on Sunday, it rained something crazy! So we chilled at home, and I read a whole book, instead of looking at school stuff. It was also Halloween, and we got no trick or treaters, but, to be honest, with the weather, I wouldn’t want a child out there!
If we were having chai I’d leave you with a photo my furbaby Sonu Singh, stretched out on my bed. He has kept me company a few times the last few days. I think he likes my cosy throw, and it compliments his colouring, too!
This week, I start with an INSET day at school, before the children start on Tuesday. My own two don’t go back until Wednesday. We have a book look evening for parents to check out their children’s books before parents evening, and I have a serious meeting with a parent of an older child, so I can act as translator. It is also Diwali on Thursday, and Bonfire night on Friday, so there will be plenty of fireworks, and food, too!
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I can’t quite believe it’s the end of October, right now. We are in the midst of Autumn. The wintery nights are closing in on us. And it’s definitely colder. All the more reason to cuddle up with a book! Let’s see what I managed this month. I did aim to get through my NetGalley Arcs this month, so I was free to read the rest of the books I have sitting on my Kindle and bookshelves. There are four to read… As long as I don’t end up requesting any others that take my fancy! (Heads up… I did request a couple more!)
What a beautiful story of friendship and coping, from a new to me, author, Giovanna Fletcher. Reading about how three close friends, Mike, Zaza and Vicky respond to the loss of the fourth that made their quartet complete, Pia, was very emotional. A wife to one, and best friend to the other two, losing Pia shows just how differently grief shows itself in each person and their own relationships. They embark upon a trek, as a memory to her, and alongside collecting new memories and blisters, they slowly trek through their own feelings and become a stronger unit between themselves. I really enjoyed reading this. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After thoroughly enjoying One Day in December, I was eager to get into this soon to be released book by Josie Silver, and I have to say, I devoured it within a few sittings. Cleo is an online journalist, with a column all about dating in the modern world, and aspiring novelist, whose editor has the bright idea to send her to a remote island, to marry herself, in a symbolic ceremony, as she turns thirty – still single. Not 100% convinced, she arrives there, literally in the middle of nowhere, to find her less than idyllic lodge to be double-booked. Mack is that disgruntled American, who has come to the back of beyond to find out more about his heritage; to document stories his grandmother told him, and for some thinking time. And he is also of the opinion that he is the rightful new resident of Otter Lodge for the next few months. What follows is a sometimes funny, but wholly poignant tale of how they end up forced to live with each other in a studio style flat, and the quirky routines that they develop, including the “three things’ they disclose to each other regularly, and the chalk line. I won’t explain more. You need to read! A colourful cast of characters support Cleo and Mack, as they navigate life in this unknown place – a place that might not be a tourist haunt, but which is filled with locals who really care. What is more to say? Well, I read it and wanted to go and find myself, too, like Cleo! Where’s that remote island? (Oh, and if you are an emotional reader, you might want to arm yourself with a tissue box!) Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Publishing on 17th February, 2022
Not even a cover, yet, for this next one, but it’s called The Fake-up by Justin Myers.
I’ve not read a Justin Myers book, yet, and the intrigue of an offer to read a book without even a cover, whet my appetite! Flo and Dylan are in love. A simple, loving relationship, where they are scraping a living together, him as a wannabe actor, bartending at other times, and her, a singer in small pubs and clubs, recording songs for her YouTube channel or working in a shop to make ends meet. Even though they are both at a similar stage in their respective dream careers, their backgrounds couldn’t be more different, with Dylan from the more working-class side, and Flo, or Floria, being from a more affluent background. They’ve struggled to get their respective families and friends to accept their relationship for years, and the inevitable happens. They split up. Then the doors of fame seem to open up to them both simultaneously. He lands a part in a popular soap. She finds that a song written during the aftermath of her break-up, uploaded in haste, ends up becoming a hit, made all the more popular by a famous YouTuber sharing it. Amidst all the craziness, they both find themselves drawn together, under a veil of secrecy, having to keep a relationship that merely floundered, hidden. What follows is the story of a year of fame, fake romances, fake hate, and a fake break-up… But how long can you fake it for? A cast of colourful characters helped to keep the story flowing, from Max, Dylan’s gay best friend, to Jesse and Sonny, the famous brothers who helped catapult Flo, and her talent, into the stratosphere. You can’t forget Flo’s best friend, Estelle, and her insufferable partner Barnaby, looking down their noses at Dylan, constantly. This is a quick, cute read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Sphere for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I felt like I needed this book, right now, to shine a light of positivity over some tough times. Beth, our heroine, really ins one, though she doesn’t really know it; after all, she is known for being the quitter of the family and has been, pretty much her whole life. Until a tragedy forces her to stop quitting. Emmy, Beth’s older sister, and her husband Doug are involved in a car accident that is fatal for one and leaves the other in a coma. So we have Beth. A single woman who can’t commit to a job, or a relationship, suddenly thrust into the role of mother/aunt, looking after her teenage niece and toddler nephew. With a cranky old neighbour to contend with, a mother with extremely high expectations, yet with no hope that Beth will deliver, and a best friend who seems to be drifting away, at a time when she needs him more than ever. I truly felt for Beth, who appears resigned to thinking she’ll never amount to anything. The change in her, over the course of the book, is heartwarming. I truly enjoyed her blossoming relationship with Ted, her little nephew. He’s a charming little character, coming to terms with a huge loss from his life, but not fully understanding it. She has to contend with a teenage niece, Polly, who is hormonal, emotional and has so much she is holding in, away from everyone else. The way their connection develops and goes from breaking point to a true sense of connection is wonderful. I loved Albert, the octogenarian neighbour, who appears to be some sort of gorgon, in Beth’s mind, yet is quite possibly the sweetest, lonely old man she has ever encountered. Again, her friendship with him is a joy to read about. Then there is Jory. Beth’s best friend of over twenty years. A connection so strong, that ends up fraying, through a difficult time, as they both find it hard to talk about the crux of the matter. The way the conclusion is reached is just perfect, and all I can say is that I loved it! Many thanks to NetGalley, and Random House UK for an arc, in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Jenny Bayliss’s first book, s jumped at the chance to read The Winter Of Second Chances. A middle-aged heroine – what’s not to like? Annie Sharpe has it all. A successful restaurant, two lovely children in the forms of her grown-up twin sons and an adoring husband. Scratch that. A husband who is too busy adoring others, not her. And she catches him, in the act with his latest flavour of the month. What’s a woman to do? We follow Annie as she ups sticks, and removes herself from a toxic situation that has been simmering for a long while, and finds herself as the tenant and guardian for a small, glorified beach hut/kiosk/tea room called Saltwater Nook. Here, Annie finds her feet, making what she expects to be temporary friends, and a little hobby to keep her busy as. she figures out her life. But nothing is ever that simple. I loved Annie. She was a straight-talking woman, who found her tongue, regarding her marriage a little later than in other aspects of her life. It tales quite a backbone to leave everything you have worked for, and start afresh. The locals she encounters are just a joy, including her new book club friends, who become a little raucous, but with hilarious consequences. The owners of the two local pubs welcome her, and she even makes a tentative friend with the local homeless man, Albert. And who can forget John? John, the nephew of her landlady, who seems hellbent on selling this little nook she is looking after. John, who has different layers. John, who becomes rather fanciable to a newly single woman, Thoroughly enjoyed reading! Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,
It seems to me that books with Finnish connections are calling out to me, and all the more poignant, as that is where my sister in law is from, so I find myself imagining the places I am reading about… Now, enough of my nostalgia! Meet Me Under The Northern Lights is a fantastic book, that follows the downfall of Radio DJ Lucy Fairweather’s career when a clip of her questionable drunk dancing goes viral, but, more awful than the dancing, is the connotations that the awfully edited clip insinuates, as her character is put into question. Was she really flirting with that other presenter, who just happened to be the boyfriend of a celebrity? Faced with the trolls that support #TeamSerenity, and back the hashtag #LooseLucy, and an endless stream of hate messages, culminating in a death threat delivered to her home, she ends up running off to the furthest ends of Finland, where her colleague’s brother-in-law lives. Can I just say, I felt the cold as I read about her arrival at Wild Zone, the Arctic Circle Experience that her host Tommi, has just set up. I’ve not been to Finland in the cold, but I have seen photos of my brother with his eyelashes frozen, just from a walk, so I know there was no exaggeration! Lucy really does find herself, out in the cold sticks, not only figuring out a way to get out of the viral video hole, but digging deeper, and recognising why some of the issues that have plagued her, have come about. And of course, there is romance. That gruff, blunt Finn, Tommi, does have a heart, but it takes him a while to demonstrate his feelings. With a lovely supportive cast of characters, as well as the slime balls, Mike, and Jonny from the radio stations, the reader is taken on a fantastic Arctic journey. Oh, and how could I forget Gurta? Quite key to the story, and several misunderstandings, Gurta is a little star, in herself! Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Started it. Steamed through it. Loved it! Lizzie Damilola Blackburn has written a true book of the times for those women, still single, and needing to learn how to embrace themselves before trying to please others by conforming to the stereotypes set for them. Well, at least the stereotypes set by the aunties in the London Nigerian community, anyway. I warmed to Yinka, the 31-year-old woman who had pretty much everything a girl could want: her own home, a great job, good friends. Well, everything except a boyfriend or ‘huzband’, much to the chagrin of her mother and aunties. It’s not dissimilar to the thinking of many of the older generations in our Indian communities; that if you aren’t married, or spoken for, at least, by a certain age, that you will be left on the shelf. My heart broke for her, as he tried to conform in a way that was not natural to her, leaving herself open to being hurt. With a younger sister already married and expecting a baby, a cousin who was already settled with her huzband and three kids, and another getting ready for her big day, Yinka has big expectation shoes to fill, and she needs to do it fast. She meets a range of characters along the way, and it just goes to show that sometimes, you aren’t looking hard enough in the right places. Yinka’s Ghanian best friend Nana is awesome! A strong woman who has her own thoughts firmly in place. Her other two good friends from work bring about the perspective of people from outside the Nigerian or African community. All in all, I loved it. Love story? Nah, more of a ‘self’ love story! Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK – Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Now, I have Bridget Collins’ debut The Binding, on my TBR shelf but have not read it yet. However, on the strong positive feedback of that, I downloaded this new release, The Betrayals, and opened it, high with anticipation. Can I be totally frank, here? I was confused. (Quite apt, because throughout the story, you find elements of confusion that cause chaos in the characters lives, too.) Who was the Rat? Why was she important? The Grand Jeu? What on earth was it? A game? A piece of music? a performance? I had a mind to end the confusion, and just stop reading, after it took me a long while to reach around 12% of the book. However, big HOWEVER, I am glad I carried on reading, as I finally became immersed in the story. There is time-hopping, though it is never totally clear when this book is set. But we go from the days of one of the main characters, Leo, was a student at Montverre, to the present (in the book) when he is an adult. The other character, Claire, or Magister Ludi, is another complex piece in the puzzle that is The Betrayals There is romance, of a different kind, within the pages, too. Would I read it again? I’m not sure, but it was an interesting premise, even though I still don’t know what the Grand Jeu is! Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
So, not a total washout. I can say that Idid get my arcs down to 1, but the list is back up to 3! I just can’t help myself! So, any that caught your eye? What have you been reading?
“Sticky fingers, tired feet; One last house. Trick or Treat!”
Rusty Fischer
Thanks, Spidey for reminding me it’s spook day, today!
It’s funny, because the kids have hit that age, now, where they aren’t interested in dressing up and going trick or treating down the neighbourhood.
I quite enjoyed the whole thing. Only visiting houses of our neighbours that we knew and awaiting their tentative knocks on our door, in return.
The carving of pumpkins was an education, and became a joy, in the end!
This year, I’m not feeling it.
We carved pumpkins in school before we broke up for the holiday, and that’s about it.
The road we live on has very few young children, so I don’t know if we will have any visitors this evening but I’ll keep a bowl of treats ready, just in case. (Though I know they will be consumed by the teen horrors that live in our house, instead!)
It’s also raining like anything, right now. If anyone was to even try, they’d probably have to swim to the door!
Still, I hope those of you that do celebrate, have a fun time!
And it’s a wrap! The first term of the year has finally come to an end, and I am exhausted!
So, got your drink ready? We had a busy one!
If we were having chai I’d tell you that the last week of term was not without it’s usual drama as always. From introducing and celebrating Halloween and Harvest festival, a little Active day, and the individual school photos, it was busy from start to finish! We had a lovely display of pumpkins which my specials took a particular liking to, and we wven foun done with a little bitemark in it! On Thursday, we had an Active day. The rest of the school were doing something we call personal best, which is when they come in to the hall and do a series of HITT style ecercises, and record on a sheet what they did. Then each term, they have another go to see if they have improved their scores. So, that would have been a little too much for reception, so we devised our own HITT training in the playground, and gave them all a good exercise! On Friday, it was the school photos as well as our mini Harvest festival. I was so touched by how much the families donated from our year group, and they performed their little song so well. We were very impressed! And the photos? I have to admit, we were dreading it, but they went the quickest and smoothest I have ever seen in the last twelve years! We managed to get our specials done first thing, and the rest were pretty amazing, I’ll have you know! Then we waved goodbye to the little lovelies and all collapsed. I thing we were all ready for the half term break! I’ll share a photo of our beautiful pumpkins and squashes that we had on display!
If we were having chai I’d say that though cricket is meant to have been over, we are now in the midst of the Winter Cricket nets. That means Lil Princess and I hanging around until 9pm on a Thursday, until Lil Man has finished his session. It’s not so bad. Usually, I have to rush home, as it is getting dark quickly, now, because Lil Man wants to get a session in the garden before it gets too dark. This eevningtraining means that I can sit with my In Laws at least, for a while, and have a chat! This week, I left the session with my kids, the boot full of his equipment, and a bruise the size of a cricket ball on my knee. Yup, bad luck on my part. Lil Priness and I were standing at the exit with another of the mums and in the last moment, we heard a cracker of a shot, then realised it was coming our way, and no one was even attempting to stop it. It then cracked again, against my knee! The room went silent, before the adults in the room began coming over to ask if I was okay. I knew the bruise would be great. I wasn’t even kidding. When I got home, it was red, and the impact had been so great that you could even see the stitches of the ball on there! I am now nursing a very large purple bruise…
The development of said bruise. Can you see the stitches on the first pic?
If we were having chai I’d have you know, even though you would know this, already, that I was truly shattered, now. Howver, I read a little more, and now have only 1.5 arcs left on my Netgalley list, before I can make a start on some of my other books sitting on my TBR trolley, or something downloaded onto my Kindle… there is plenty of choice, I tell you! I also continued to squeeze in the odd episode of You, series two and finished that on Sunday. Only one series to go! What a totally mindblowing series, that is… twisted, but addictive!
If we were having chai I’d regale you with stories of more flat pack furniture! The desk for Lil Man’s room arrived, in two boxes, then on Friday the coffee table came. On Saturday I had announced that I was not to be disturbed at all. I even decided that the grocer shopping could wait until tomorrow. I needed a day of nothing. Did it happen? Well, if you know me at least a little, you know that days of nothing come rarely… So the shopping did wait until Sunday. However Hubby Dearest decided to divvy up the boxes of furniture to assemble, taking the single box that contained the coffee table and leaving me with the desk. I was insistent that I wasn’t doing it, but seeing Lil Man’s face, as he just wants his room sorted out as soon as possible, I couldn’t say no. I got my little toolkit out (Yes, I have my own, it’s pink, and I even have a purple drill set!) and set to putting it together. And within three quarters of an hour, his desk was done and dusted. Not bad, even if I do say so myself. I knew what I would find in the living room… Hubby Dearest has a great eye for the aesthetic, but isn’t as blessed with the ability to put things together logically… so I ended up ‘helping’ him and we got the coffee table made up, too. It looks lovely! I have subjected myself to another session of flatpack assembly during the week, when the new desk for Lil Princess’s room arrives… The three wardrobes and bookshelf which arrive at the beginning of November? Nope, that is a job he can get someone in to do! But, we have new rugs, he has his office sorted, and aside from the dining table and side board, and a small sofa for the summer house, new blinds for some of the rooms, and some artwork and photos for the walls, I think we have done a pretty good job. It feels like home and we love it.
If we were having chai I’d say that on Sunday, I was up a little earlier and went to Sainsbury’s for a change to do the weekly shop. My! Food shopping has become so expensive! Over £200 lighter in pocket, but with bags filled with the food and snacks that my gannet like teens would need, I stopped off at Macdonald’s to get them breakfast. Then we chilled for most of the day. However, I got my fair share of exercise, as the tumble dryer is not working – the drum is not turning – so I was up and down the stairs to get loads of washing out to hang up to dry!
If we were having chai I’d leave you with a photo of our darling, Sonu Singh. He’s been watching all these developments, joining in with the flat pack assembly, trying to help out, by deciding which large, empty box is the best to sit in, you know, that important kind of assistance. And he also foudn time to explore the new fitted wardrobes in our bedroom, trying to find a good shelf to hide on… Here, check him out! He also managed to bury himself in Lil Man’s cricket bag, but that’s another picture for another day!
This week, we have nothing, per se, planned, but I am sure there will be plenty to do. I have work I need to do on a couple of days, at least. There is flat pack furniture arriving. No doubt, we will get a couple of day trips in to appease the bored teens… But, mainly, I hope to rest. I need it after a long term!
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!
Thanks, Spidey for finding a lovely quote from my favourite bear!
Yup, before you say it, I am late, again. That thing from last week? Time Management? Well, it was left totally unmanaged, yesterday! And when I woke this morning, the grocery shopping was calling, followed by grabbing a MacDonald’s breakfast for the family.
However, it is all done, my belly is full, and I am able to give you my full attention, now!
The thing about shunshine is, it is always there. The sun never goes away.
There are merely things that get in its way.
During the day, it’s still lighting our day, even behind the clouds that may try and mask it. At night, it may not be visible, but that sun is still busy, shining away, giving something else light, and working its way back to you.
Like life, and things you wish or hope for. uIt never hurts to keep looking for them, because they may be there, in front of you, but just masked by something else. And it’s our job to either move the obstacle, or have a little patience.
It’s all about our mindset. Things happen. Plans change. Every day. But, as long as we keep that level of positivity going, we will reach our goal, eventually. And we have to keep believing that.
So, do you have the patience to wait, or are you optimistic?
But I Smile Anyway... 