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Chai And A Chat #142 #ChaiAndAChat

05 Jul 2021 45 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat

So, Three term weeks, down. Three more to go… I’m not counting days, honest…

Let’s give you a quick recap, along withour weekly drink! Ready?

If we were having chai I’d start, with that thing called school. So, paperwork wise, I think I managed to get pretty much everything done that I had hoped to. Using two evenings of working until 10.30pm, I finished most of the reports, and only have a few little statements to add to several of them, which should be done by Monday this week. Data – we smashed it out. The Good Level Of Development that is looked for by all is extremely low, but considering the lockdowns, and level of need in our year group, it was expected. All kids have made progress, and are ending the year happy, fulfilled little people, and that is all I can expect, especially with the hear we have had.
If we were having chai I’d mention that I had a new pupil start on the Wednesday, less than a month before we break up. It’s never easy for a new student to start, especially one so young, from a different country, who has never experienced school, here, before. Still, he did say that school back home wasn’t as fun as ours, so that was good. Poor thing had to be sent hom, after being unwell, though on his second day, so that was a bit sad. Still, I hope he is better for this week! The rest of the class have been great. We are a hardy bunch, in my class, whereas the other Reception class was dropping like flies! We were secretly worrying that our year group bubble would burst, and so close to the end of term, that is not what you want, or need! We are already getting emotional at the thought of these children aready moving up to Year One, because, quite honestly, we don’t want to lose them, yet!
If we were having chai I’d tell you that there was still cricket, as always. (When is there not, in the summer months, for me?)
If we were having chai I’d let you know that this month, I am taking part in Sacha Black’s month long #WritersOfInstagram challenge on Instagram, so if you’re on there, you’ll see daily posts from me, as I try and post. I am so excited to be a part of her street team for her newest Non-Fiction book all about Side Characters, too!

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If we were having chai I’d share that the weather has been very inclement, but not cold. We have had sun and rain, but it is sticky and humid. Still, the garden is getting a good drink! We also had our first visitors to the house, aside from the in-laws, which was lovely! It was Lil Man’s birthday on Tuesday, as I mentioned to you last week, and he is now a fully fledged sixteen year old! So, a friend of his came round with his younger brother and mum, who is a good friend of mine, and we had a lovely catch up.

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If we were having chai I couldn’t not mention the Football! Okay, so I don’t watch it, but how exciting that England are in the semi finals!
f we were having chai I’d end by updating you on that kitty, Sonu Singh. He’s happily finding his feet here, in the new houe, and not long ago, I found him sat in a strange place. Somewhere he doesn’t usually sit. So, I looked at him, said “What are you sitting there for?” and got on with putting clothes in the dryer. Then I noticed some little pieces of paper and card around him. Picking them up, I pondered upon where they had come from, when I realised he was sitting on something. The cheeky cat had got into one of the cupboards, and jostled a treat packet out. He’d had a go at opening it, before realising it was fruitless (treatless?), so sat on the evidence! What a naughty kitty! Love that cat, mischief and all!

This week, we have a team building Inset day first, which means a four day week with the kids, and data will be done and dusted. Reports should be gone, see ya, bye bye! Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to chill a little. Oh, Sports Day, too, as well as Hearing and Vision Checks for the whole class, then cricket. There’s always cricket. abnd Lil Man has a dentist appointment. I’m already tired!

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!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 330 – Is it Coming Home?

04 Jul 2021 51 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Football, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.“
Pele

Many thanks, Spidey, for channelling my surprising football interest this week! Pele is a true football (soccer) legend, and his words can be applied to everything, not just good old footy.

If you live here in the UK, or anywhere in Europe, you can’t miss the fever pitch that the Euro 2021 football tournament has reached, so far.

I am not a footy fan.

Infact, I would go so far as to say I almost ‘hate’ the sport… Well, maybe hate is a rather strong word to use, but it’s not my cup of tea.

No sport is, to be honest. You’d be fooled by some of my posts. Yes I watch cricket. I ferry my son around to all his matches, and I watch them, because it is him playing, but it’s nothing I follow other than his games, and my brother’s when he plays for Finland.

But, this weekend, we had England in the Quarter Finals. I have seen the England flags hanging from so many houses and businesses. We have aschool sweepstake going, for each class (not financial, just to support!) and my class was handed England as their team. So, I also have a vested interest in this tournament. For the class, obviously!

Aside from wanting our class to be the winning class, I realised how important the idea of it ‘Coming Home’ is, right now, to the whole nation. We have all had a sh!tshow of a year and a half, haven’t we? The whole world. And the handling of this pandemic has left many with no faith in anyone political. But Sports seems to be the way to go, to get morale up, spirits high, and happiness flowing.

I went to pick up a takeaway last night, just as the match started, and as I pulled up to park, it was outside a pub. a huge cheer welcomed me into my parking space, and initially, I thought I was being applauded for my (not so) fabulous parking. Then I noticed the marquee in the car park, and the large screen, and the fans going wild. A goal scored, four minutes into the match.

Just that one positive start, lifted the mood around the area. Smiles passed round as freely as the pints were flowing. Other customers waiting for their food were exchanging excited banter. People were communicating in a away that has been lacking, recently, what with social distancing and masks. Okay, so there was still distance, but there were smiles (it was outside, so no masks needed!), and positive exchanges.

I watched a little but I’m afraid the gargantuan task of ironing oer a weeks worth of laundry was calling me, so, after the first half, I melted slightly, in the warm temperatures, as I pressed umpteen shirts and cricket whites, while listening to the fantastic Sacha Black and Dan Willcocks on the Rebel Author Podcast. I had my ear tuned to the reactions of the two footy fans watching downstairs.

And I heard that the match was going well.

Very well.

Lil Man had predicted a 3 – 0 win, and he wasn’t wrong, until they surpassed his expectations and finished with a 4 – 0 score.

Go on, England!!!!!

Semi finals, here we come! (I suppose I’d better be more excited with the kids in my class, now that our team have a real chance of coming out on top!

So… tell me, are you following the Euro Matches this year?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase by @JaneRiley #BlogTour

04 Jul 2021 10 Comments

by Ritu in Blog Tours, Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Jane Riley

What a thrill to be able to help spread the word about a fabulous book!

I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase, the second novel by Jane Riley, and after reading the blurb, I jumped at the chance!

Here’s the Blurb

His dying wish was to set her free. So why does she feel so trapped?

Jack had two dying wishes: that his wife scatter his ashes somewhere ‘exotic’, and that she not give up on life once he was gone. He intended to spur her on to new adventures, but despite clinging to her red suitcase, Geraldine Verne hasn’t left the house for three months.

It takes an accident for Geri to accept help from her friends, but when Meals on Wheels arrive she is mortified. Yet heartbroken volunteer Lottie brings with her more than cottage pie and custard. Like Geri, she too is struggling to cut loose.

As a gloriously unlikely friendship blossoms, Geraldine begins to feel a long-lost spark of life and a newfound confidence. Perhaps what both women needed most, after all, was each other.

Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase by Jane Riley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was thrilled to be asked to read an arc of Jane Riley’s second, book, not least because the blurb hooked me right away.
The grief of losing someone is intense, and we all deal with that grief in different ways.
Geraldine Verne, or Geri to her friends, is floundering. She is lost without her soulmate, Jack.
Upon his passing and subsequent cremation, she finds herself unable to let go of his ashes, and rather than display the urn on her mantlepiece, as some do, she finds solace in wrapping Jack up in special mementoes and placing him in a red suitcase they used to travel with, using it as both a physical and emotional crutch.
An accident forces her to rethink her ideas, as she is suddenly in need of help. More help than ashes and a wheelie suitcase can provide her.
My heart went out to Geri. A woman in her later years, with nothing more than her husband’s remains, and his collection of butterflies as her support.
The way she shut everyone out, in order to wallow in her grief, really hit home with me.
But I loved the way her saviour came in the form of a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and now, despite their age difference, and background, they actually helped one another accept the way their lives were going to be.
Grief can hit us duer to the loss of a loved one, who has passed away, as well as one who has left us and our life, whilst still living theirs, and this book explores that whole topic in a very sensitive, yet entertailing way.

Hi, I’m Jane Riley!

I was born and raised in New Zealand. After graduating from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in French and English literature, I headed to Europe to practise my French, got waylaid in Germany and ended up in Australia.

I have had a varied career in public relations, publishing, freelancing as a writer and editor, and launching an online e-commerce business, which involved writing a design blog interviewing makers and creators. When The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock was published, I achieved my dream of becoming a full-time author.

I live in Sydney with my husband, an energetic but scared-of-heights Australian cattle dog-staffy cross, and two daughters old enough to not be living at home anymore. I volunteer as an English language tutor for the Adult Migrant English Program, am learning the piano and teaching myself Italian.

You can find me on Twitter @JaneRileyAuthor.

June 2021 Books #AmReading

30 Jun 2021 15 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Arc Reader, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Blogger, Book Review, Goodreads, Netgalley, New releases, TBR Pile

I’m hazarding a guess that this will be another quiet reading month, as not only do we have the move to continue with, but it is also report writing month, which is always hectic! Anyway, let’s see what I managed!

5. I managed 5. And if I am totally honest, I am still reading one of them! It has been a really hard month, time is whizzing by…

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise for the book, Songs In Ursa Major, intrigued me and it made for an interesting read.
The story follows the meeting of Jane, lead singer in a local band, and Jesse, up and coming popular musician, who ends up needing medical care after an accident.
Jane and Jesse’s relationship is very complex, but you can feel.the strength of their bond, and I was taken on an emotional roller coaster as their relationships journey progressed.
Filled with music, and the relaxed atmosphere of the 60s, coupled with more serious issues, dealing with drug culture, and loss, as well as the male-dominant industry that the music business was, at that time it was a compelling read.
My only disappointment was that the ending felt very displaced and abrupt, jumping from then, to the present, with not a lot to explain what had happened in the half century between where we were, and where the story actually ends.
An interesting debut.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Released 24th June, 2021

Pug Actually by Matt Dunn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I saw the cover, with that cute pug face, how could I refuse a chance to read? And, the title, Pug, Actually, made me giggle out loud, so, of course, it was a given that I would read this one!
We have Julia, stuck in a somewhat restrictive relationship with a married man called Luke, and a pug, called Doug (Yes, really!) who knows this man is not for his mistress, at all.
The book is all told through the large, sometimes bulging eyes of Doug, the pug, as he tries very hard, with the help of a few other humans, to manipulate situations, to make Julia realise exactly how bad this man is for her.
Knowing this Luke already has something called a ‘wife, at home, Doug knows that Julia could do much better, as he steers her towards Tom, a V-E-T-, (not ideal, because, well, his job, but so much better than Luke with the dodgy smell that he leaves in his wake!)
A delightful romance with a canine twist!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Released 29th June, 2021

Review to follow in a Blog tour post! But, here’s the blurb to whet your appetite!

His dying wish was to set her free. So why does she feel so trapped?

As a gloriously unlikely friendship blossoms, Geraldine begins to feel a long-lost spark of life and a newfound confidence. Perhaps what both women needed most, after all, was each other.

Released 29th June, 2021

8 steps to Side Characters: How to Craft Supporting Roles with Intention, Purpose, and Power

Another one I read, for review purposes, and I shall not share the review until the release date, which is at the end of July, but, if you know Sacha, you know this will be a goodie!

Do your characters fail to bring your story to life? Are they flat, boring or have no depth? Is your story lacking a little cohesion or sparkle?
In 8 Steps to Side Characters, you’ll discover:

+ A step-by-step guide for creating side characters that bring your story alive
+ The main types of side characters and what you should do with them
+ The key to crafting character depth that hooks readers
+ How to harness your character’s voice to deepen your reader’s experience
+ Tips and tricks for using details to enhance characterization
+ Methods for killing characters that will help deepen plot, theme and story
+ Dozens of ideas for creating conflict with your side characters
+ Tactics for differentiating characters and making them feel real to your reader
+ Character archetypes and functions
+ The most common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid

8 Steps to Side Characters is a comprehensive writing guide that will help you create the side characters your story needs. This book is packed with tips and tricks for polishing characters for writers at any level.

If you want to power up your characters, eliminate dull and lifeless archetypes, and perfect your characterization, this is the book for you. By the end of this book, you’ll know how to strengthen your characters to give your story, prose and plot the extra something special it needs to capture a readers and fans for life.

If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create better side characters, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting supporting roles with intention, purpose, and power. Read 8 Steps to Side Characters today and start creating kick-ass stories.

Releasing 29th July, 2021

The Beach Read Book Club by Kathryn Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Now, just the name of this book drew me to request it, and I was not disappointed at all with the story. I have been struggling to read, recently, and this book pulled me out of the rut I had found myself in!
So we have Lottie, the blonde sparky, never an intellectual person, and definitely not known for her love of words.
She’s been attending a book club, but really isn’t feeling it, what with all the literary greats they are meant to be reading, when all she really wants is a bit of romance, happy endings, and a little steaminess thrown in.
An idea sparks (see what I did there?!) with the help of some other members of said book club to start their own, a more inclusive one, with less formal rules, and here’s how she finds herself the head of the Beach Reads Book Club, with a slowly growing number of members, who do like a book with a bit of a romp in them, but more than anything, they cherish the time they spend together, and the friendships that evolve.
Oh, and I can’t forget the romance within this book, either, can I? Matthew, the rather serious new book shop owner is eye candy for more than one of the members, but, slowly, as he sheds layers of clothing and his own mystique, he ends up being a perfect candidate for our Lottie.
Though, nothing is ever that simple. There is family drama, exes, and a gorgeous, protective dog, involved.
Oh, and who could forget the oldest member of the club, Audrey, who has a potty mouth disguising a heart of gold.
Such a lovely book, I highly recommend it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Released 30th June 2021

So, were you any better than me with your reading?

Chai And A Chat #141 #ChaiAndAChat

28 Jun 2021 49 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat

So, another week has flown by, of this final term of the academic year… another manic one, if I an honest!

Let’s give you a quick recap, along withour weekly drink! Ready?

If we were having chai I’d start, with that thing called work/school. You know, being a phase leader for this department is a tough slog, especially this year. With new curriculum stuff to sort out, assessment for another incomplete year, reports to write, sorting out the classes for next year, and a high leven of need from several of our pupils, it has really threatened to push people over the edge. So much so, that I have had staff members in tears, as well as me, feeling that we aren’t able to do more for certain children, but we are doing the best we can under circumstances out of our control. Staffing was better, this week but there was still a lot of upheaval, with meetings, and more meetings… and a few heartwrenching sessions with one particular child. Still, we have such a good relationship with the parents, that we all know we are trying our best to give each child what they deserve.
If we were having chai I’d go back to that old report thing… I still have ten more to write, but I managed to snatch a couple of hours one evening to get some done, with the help of my furry pal… Jaffa cakes were also there as a support…

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If we were having chai I’d tell you that cricket has still been pretty full on, with Lil Man playing for the U17s, the Mens Vth team, and filling in for the 1st team, too! There were some ups and downs, but he got 4 wickets for 32 runs off 6 overs in the 1st team game, so, even though they lost, he did really well! But, I have to admit that I am getting very tired now… counting the weeks until the league season ends…
If we were having chai I’d tell you that I feel like I have barely picked up a book the last few weeks. When I do, I am so tired that I fall asleep when reading. I can’t wait to get back into my proper reading routine!
If we were having chai I’d end by saying that it was my bro in law and wife’s anniversary, so as we were unable to be there, I arranged for a luxury breakfast hamper to be delivered, so they could be treated at home, since with his foot in a cast, my Bro in Law can’t actually get around anywhere, right now!

This week, along with the usual work stuff, I hope to get the data done, and the reports written, alongside a biggie. Lil Man turns 16 this week! When did that happen? I admit to feeling rather old now!