Morning all and happy Sunday.  I hope you are having a good weekend.  Ours has been busy as we prepare for our upcoming holidays.  I have been panic buying shorts and t-shirts after deciding nothing I own suits me or fits me or is just quite right for our holiday.  Then there are all those lovely travel size products that making packing easier but in reality are never enough of a two week holiday…I am not sure why I insist on buying them but I do.  The only downside of going away is my tomatoes, the first I’ve grown in years are on the verge of turning red so it’s likely my parents will reap the benefits of my green thumbs vs. me!

On other, blog related notes, it was also a good week.  I posted every day and read some brilliant books…Read More »

Morning all and welcome to a lovely, sunny, Sunday.  I hope you are having a good weekend.  Given the weather, we spent most of ours outside, partly on chores (the garden needed some serious neatening and we are still battling to take down a wall of ivy the previous owners let run wild), but also on just hanging out and chilling.  These last few weeks, with all the rain, I’d forgotten how nice that could be.  Today there are plans for more of the same before I have to jump on a train for work (yes, on a Sunday!) so I plan to make the most of every minute of freedom.  So, without further ado, here is my week in review(s)…

On Monday, I reviewed Sometimes I lie by Alice Feeney, which I really enjoyed – more than I thought, though I had heard it was good. There were lots of twists, turns and a great – unreliable – narrator (my favourite kind with this type of book, as long as I don’t dislike them).

On Tuesday, I introduced my latest read Buried on the Fens by Joy Ellis, which I’ll be reviewing this week.  I won’t give much away but I have to say I do love the main character, Nikki.

On Wednesday, I did the Mid-year freak out tag which has been making the rounds; I’ve really enjoyed reading people’s mid-year updates so wanted to join in….then realised it’s much harder to pick your favourite book or best debut or fictional crush or, or, or (you get the picture). Here’s just a selection of books that made the list…

On Thursday, I reviewed The Silent Kookaburra by Liza Perrat which was part thriller, part coming of age.  I really enjoyed it but have to say there was some scenes that made me uncomfortable and which I don’t think I was prepared for.

On Friday, I joined in with the book blogger hop for the first time in a month or so, sharing the sentence that summed up my passion for reading.  I have a bit of a thing for collecting quotes on reading so I decided to use one of my favourites.

Finally, on Saturday, I shared the books that I’d added to the shelves this week as part of Stacking shelves – all of which I’m excited about and one of which was a complete surprise when it turned up in the mail this week.

And that’s it for me this week.  How was your week, reading and otherwise – what books should I be adding to stacking shelves next week or avoid like the plague?

Emma x

This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over by clicking on their badges below to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.

Morning all and happy Sunday…and welcome to July – how did it get here?  Still, I shouldn’t complain as (in the way we’ve started counting since having kids) it means it’s only 20 more sleeps till my holiday.  All this holiday thinking has – thankfully – gotten me out of my grumpy mood I am pleased to say.  I can officially start getting excited!

I also need to get organised.  All the main bits are done (flights – check, hotel – check) but I need things like clothes for lounging on the beach (which would definitely help!).  A hat or too might be in order as well as, last time I checked, temperatures were pushing  100 so I am going to need some way to get shade.

In the meantime, I have managed to stop thinking of the sun long enough to do some blogging.  Here’s what I wrote last week…Read More »

Hi all and happy Sunday. I hope you have had a good week and are having a good weekend. I have to admit to having been a bit grumpy this week and I’m not quite sure why. The sun has shone (for the most part)and other than Monday I haven’t had to travel for work at all (a minor miracle for me), meaning plenty of time for my family and to do things I want to do.

Maybe it’s because I’m less than a month away from a lovely holiday and I just want to be on the plane then by the beach or only a couple of months from finishing work and starting my new ventures but nothing has set quite right and I feel like I have been very much “grumble, grumble, mutter, moan”. I suppose the fact that I am aware, though, is a good sign and I am determined to try and feel a bit more cheerier today, even if going to see The Smurfs movie might mean it will be a stretch.

Meanwhile, on the blog I managed to post every day (my new if possibly unachievable goal)…Read More »

Morning all and welcome to a truly glorious Sunday where the sun is shining and, as a result, I have to say all feels right with the world.  Plus, it’s father’s day – an excuse for us to eat, drink and get just a little bit merry, which we’ll be doing when my parents come over later today.  It will be a nice end to a rather busy weekend – lots of kid’s activities yesterday plus I very stupidly agreed to make ice-cream for the first time and not using a machine…Mary Berry promised me it was easy (but can you trust her really?).  We haven’t tried it yet so hopefully it will be tasty enough to have been worth the effort.

As for the rest of the week, there isn’t much to report other than I worked, worked and worked some more (sound familiar to anyone?).  I also got some blogging done.  Here’s what I posted…

On Monday, I reviewed My Sister by Michelle Adams, which I liked but didn’t love thanks mainly to not liking the characters.  It’s a debut though so I need to be a little generous here because I think with a few tweaks (for me) it could have been pretty good.

On Tuesday, I introduced my latest read, Guiltless by Viveca Sten, the third in the Sandhamm series which I am very much enjoying, even if a lot of people seem to end up dying on an island that boasts a population of just a few hundred!

On Wednesday, I reviewed Cold Kill by P. J. Tracy, a mother and daughter writing team who have created a great world of characters.  This one wasn’t my usual read in that there were conspiracy theories and international espionage involved but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

On Thursday, I wrote about my habit of judging books by their covers and how it’s not done too badly for me, even though I know it’s something I shouldn’t do.

On Saturday, I shared the books I’d added to my shelves this week – no surprise there is plenty of crime and mystery!

And that’s it for my week.  How was yours, reading and otherwise?

Emma x

This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over by clicking on their badges below to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.

Morning all and welcome to another Sunday and another weekly update, my first in a while. I haven’t had much time for writing or blogging these last few weeks and this post has been one of the casualties. Hopefully, though, all is now right with the world again and I will be back to posting each week.

My absence has been a real combination of things. Work, as always, has played a part but I was also doing my bit in the local elections, knocking on doors and giving out leaflets, in my spare time instead of spending it reading,

It’s the first time I’ve done this and it was scary but also fun…and I’m looking forward to doing it again in about six months given the outcome (being slighly saracastic here as another election is the last thing any of us probably want right now!).

In between it all I managed to come down with one hell of a cold, knocking me out for about three days. I know others find that they can read while lying in bed feeling sorry for themselves but not me…though I have the feeling sorry for myself down pat!

It all meant that if a post wasn’t already scheduled or at least drafted, it had no chance of making it into the world.  Here’s what did get published in the last couple of weeks though…

The People at Number Nine by Felicity Everett, which wasn’t what I had hoped or expected.  I was left a little disappointed by a story that started so well but, for me, flagged by the mid-way point.

Roots, Radicals, and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World by Billy Bragg, which won’t be for everyone but I think is a must for music fans out there.  It’s a detailed and fascinating look at a two year period in our musical history, without which we might not have had the Beatles.

The Dinosaur Feather by Sissel-Jo Gazan, which I read weeks ago as was part of my personal challenge to read the books I’ve owned the longest.  It took me a while to review it because I needed time to recover – it was a long book and sooooo not for me.

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley, which I loved.  It took me into the everyday world of Jane Austen, an author I knew little about and had a lot of misconceptions about (it turns out)..

I also shared my Monthly update: May, 2017 and too part in a couple of book blogger hops on which authors I’d like to meet and the fun side of blogging

As I look at it now, then, not as bad as I thought – though my book choices could have been a bit better (June’s update will not be as positive as May’s!). I just be more organised than I thought 😀.

How about you – how have your weeks been (and is anyone in the UK reading this suffering from the same election hangover I have?).

Emma x

This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over by clicking on their badges below to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.

Morning all and happy Sunday.  I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.  Ours has been sunnier than the weatherman led us to believe. which was wonderful.  Today promises more of the same so we’re off to the seaside in a bit to enjoy it…I quite fancy a bag of chips walking along the seafront today vs. our usual Sunday lunch.  Nice and unhealthy!  What are you up to today?

For the rest of the week, it was a mixed bag and – as usual – work got in my way a little bit.  I feel like I dropped off the radar mid-week due to deadlines and so haven’t been visiting or commenting on people’s blogs the way I would normally.  Hopefully, I’ll be back to normal this week.  In the meantime, I did manage to get some posts up, mainly because they were already drafted.  Here’s what I wrote…

On Monday, I posted my review of Mercy Killing by Lisa Cutts, a thoroughly enjoyable police procedural where the team is front and centre vs. a lone detective risking life and limb.  A bit different for me but in a good way.

On Tuesday, I introduced my latest read, Forgotten by Nicole Trope, though it’s a review copy I won’t be reviewing until July. With a case of a missing child, it won’t be everyone’s choice of book but I couldn’t resist starting it though after enjoying last years Blame so much.  Plus, it’s she’s one of the authors I challenged myself to read more of in 2017 so it’s a win here too.

On Wednesday, I reviewed Dead Calm by Inge Löhnig, a German translation which I thought would be darker than it was but was really good nonetheless.  Here a Dr. is found brutally murdered…with his family lining up to be the main suspects, leading to plenty of twists and turns.

On Friday, I reviewed Viral by Helen Fitzgerald, which puts one of the nightmares of our modern age front and centre when a young girls sexual distraction goes viral on the internet.  A ripped from the headlines story that had me turning the pages and wondering if I should cancel my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

And that’s it for me, though I was also lucky enough to get a few review copies in to replace the books I’d read. One randomly turned up in the post…

My name is Irini. I was given away.

My name is Elle. I was kept.

All her life Irini thought she was given away because her family didn’t want her. What if the truth is something worse?

Two sisters. Two separate lives.

One family bound by a harrowing secret.

The second I was lucky enough to be asked to review after enjoying the authors last outing (Deliver Her)…

After a childhood as unpredictable as the flip of a coin, Faith Sterling has finally found her comfort zone in the kitchen of an upscale Manhattan restaurant. A workaholic chef, at least there she’s in control. So when her free-spirited and often-gullible mother, Connie, calls to announce that she’s won a bed-and-breakfast on the Jersey Shore, Faith’s patience boils over. Convinced the contest is a scam, she rushes to Wave’s End to stop Connie from trading her steady job for an uncertain future.

clicking on covers will take you to amazon.

And that’s it for me.  How about you, how was your week, reading and otherwise?

Emma x

This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over by clicking on their badges below to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.

Morning all and welcome to another Sunday.  I hope you’ve had a good week / weekend.  My week was a bit same old same old with work (I really should by shares in Virgin I spend so much time on their trains!) but also a bit shorter than usual as I had Friday off and got to spend the night with some really good friends.  It was just what I needed to recharge my batteries and a reminder I should do those type of things more often.

I also experienced one of those it could only happen to me occasions where the sink in my hotel room started to basically gush water from the overflow pipe and flooded my hotel room.  It’s something that isn’t easy to describe and was rather bizzare to see. Thankfully it happened before I went out and they did change my room but the next morning when I was leaving (early because a fire alarm had woken me up at 6 – I know!) the whole of the corridor was also flooded.  A story to tell the grandkids.

Anyhow’s back to blog related things – here’s what I posted last week…Read More »

Morning all and welcome to another Sunday and weekly update on my life, blogging and otherwise. I have to say this has felt like a long week, despite having a bank holiday on Monday and so only having to work for four days. I just couldn’t seem to get into a routine and everything felt like a chore, including blogging. I did manage to post this week four times but only one review, and not because I only have any to write…I had three books to write reviews for I just couldn’t get motivated. Does anyone else feel like this after a long weekend?

Here’s what I managed to post…

On Monday, I reviewed The Radium Girls by Kate Moore, which looked at the lives and painful fates of the dial painters, women who painted watch and instrument faces with paint made from radium in the 1920s. This is a well researched book which made me sad and angry in equal measure and also grateful for the women who came before me and fought for my workers rights.

On Tuesday, I introduced my latest read, New Boy by Tracy Chevalier, a retelling of Othello set in 1970’s New York.

On Wednesday, I posted my monthly update for April, which was a mix of great, good, and a few I wish I hadn’t picked up. My book of the month – The Killer on the Wall by Emma Kavanagh, though there were a few to choose from.

On Friday, I wrote about blogging rules (a.k.a. myths) I’m not very good at following – there are probably more but these are the five that perplexed me the most when I started out.

Yesterday, I felt like I turned a corner and life got back on track with a great fun Saturday (my daughter is addicted to bowling so we did that followed by food, food, and more food it felt like) and today we’re off to Sunday lunch at a really nice pub down the road (what was I saying about food). We’re also supposed to be going to see the new Guardians of the Galaxy later if we’re not to stuffed. What are you up to today? And how has your week been?

emma x

This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over by clicking on their badges below to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.

Hi all and welcome to Sunday – here’s hoping you have been having a good weekend.  Here in the UK, it’s a long one with a bank holiday Monday so today feels lovely and relaxing and stress-free given I don’t have to go to work tomorrow.  It makes up for yesterday a bit which, with parties and play-dates saw me spending the entire day as chauffeur and watching the clock.  What we’ll be doing today I have no idea but I do know we’ll be doing it slowly.

For my blogging life, I posted every day last week (bar Saturday, my current “day of blogging rest”)…

On Monday, I reviewed The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger with a young woman seeking revenge for the murder of her parents and an older woman getting caught in the crossfire.  It was really well written and so much more than I expected having read the blurb.

On Tuesday, I introduced my latest read, Mercy Killing by Lisa Cutts, which I couldn’t resist after seeing it on the library shelf.

On Wednesday, I reviewed Before The Fall by Noah Hawley which looks at the aftermath of a plane crash and the impact on the survivors.  A really clever book I can’t recommend enough.

On Thursday, I reviewed Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson which I was really excited about reading but was left disappointed by.  I know I’m in the minority here but I think I was expecting too much.  Can’t win them all I guess!

On Friday, I joined in with the book blogger hop again, writing about whether I re-read books (the answer is once in a while).

I also “picked up” a few books – one purchased, the rest ARCs (clicking on the covers will link to Goodreads)…

I have to say I’m excited about every one of these books and feeling very lucky for having been approved for all these ARCs…now to read them all!

And that’s it for me, what about you – how has your week been? What are you reading?

Emma x

This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over by clicking on their badges below to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.