More bookidy wookidy books.

Thank You Jeeves by P G Wodehouse
Format - Audio book

Well read and very entertaining. Never read/listened to these before. I really enjoyed it.



Island of Fog and Labyrinth of Fire by Keith Robinson
Format - Kindle

OK these are meant to be kids books but if you want some well written light escapism then these are perfect. Fast paced and exciting with a couple of twists and peppered with fantastical beasts. They are great books for a quick entertaining read. I have already downloaded the 3rd one.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Format - Audiobook

Been re-listening to this at work. It is the authors preferred text and is read by him as well and I it is  just totally brilliant.

Hide and Seek by P.S Brown
Format - Kindle

Clever twisty little book this. Not my normal genre and it kept me guessing. Written against a clock and fast paced. It was a total page turner. I'd happily read more by this author.


Damon by Vanessa Hawkes
Format- Kindle.

Thought I would love this - I didn't. Just not my cuppa tea at all. Quite disturbing in places. It just felt wrong.

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Format - Kindle

I saw a friend had read this and it looked interesting and she reckoned it was good - she was right. As the story picked up pace I could not leave it alone. I loved the world the characters inhabited, it is very clever. I loved the story and I will be reading the others in the series. Excellent.

Reading 2013

Very slow at the moment with so much going on but have a couple to go one the blog.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen.
Format - Audio book

I have listened to this book before and decided to revisit it to celebrate the bicentenary of P & P. I think Jane would have approved. I do love the addition of zombies to this book. It works for me and so does the addition of some of the wry humour and bad puns.

The London Blitz Murders - Agatha Christie vs the Blackout Ripper by Max Allan Collins
Format - Kindle

Not my normal read but I did quite enjoy my toe dip into this genre. It was fast paced and well written and I whizzed through it. As is usual with this style of book I had worked out who the culprit was long before the end but it didn't actually ruin my enjoyment of the story. I'd read another by this author quite happily.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Format - Audio book

Another favourite that I return to time and time again - I can't resist Henry Crawford! I've been listening to this at work and it has been a total pleasure.

Sinatra The Life by Anthony Summers & Robbyn Swan
Format - Book

This has been a long slow read mainly because I found parts of it very tedious and bordering on dull. I love Frankie boy and have read other books about his life but this one, whilst very informative and full of detail, just didn't do it for me. Must be the author's style because I read a book about Monroe by him (another modern historical person who fascinates me) and found that really dull too. Oh well I suppose they can't please everyone.

Peeps.

Poor little blog, being ignored. I am a bad Dobby. I will go and shut my ears in the attic hatch forthwith.

There are reasons though. Firstly my laptop finally died a complete death and M's laptop has/had terminal droid rot so we had to invest in a new machine. This is my first proper go on it and am finding the new keyboard strange and Windows 8 a mystery.

Secondly, it was my birthday this weekend and we were just so busy, my little feet hardly touched the ground.

Thirdly, for my birthday I got a new Kindle Fire HD so I have been rather distracted by that...BTW I love it!

Finally, I just could not face trying to blog using M's lappy so had to wait until he decided which new one we'd invest in and, what with everything else, life just got in the way.

Normal service of inane drivel and waffle will resume shortly.

Gift.

We had to cancel a meet up with some friends over Christmas, which was a shame, however they had got us a little giftie each. A wonderful of idea of giving us something that they owned and loved. As due to life the universe and everything we still haven't rearranged our get together, they sent us our gifts in the post. They arrived this week.

M received this amazing etched gourd from China with a pig on it. This was perfect not only because it was different and quirky, which suits M to a 'T', but also because M loves pigs! And I received two wonderful old books to add to my ever growing collection. One copy of 'Frankenstein', which is one of my favourite tales and the other of 'Lark Rise' which one of those books I have always meant to buy and read and never got around to it.

The books are in a lovely condition and have been loved and read - which to me - makes them even more special.

I find it amazing that these gifts show not only wonderful generosity but also that these friends know me better than some of the people who have been around all my life or for a good percentage of it.

I feel quite blessed to have such lovely people in my world.

Ello me darlins

I haven't done much knitting this week, despite having 5 works in progress. When I have knit I've mainly been working on this stole of my own design. The photo has reproduced the colour well and the yarn is a BFL Silk blend of sock yarn. I am happy with how it is progressing even if it is slow going at the moment.

There has been quite a lot of this. Colder nights mean that the babies have been snugly on the beanbag midst the fluffy cushions.

There really haven't been that many changes in the last 5 years have there?

It's hard to believe that this little girlie has been ruling our home for 5 years now. She was the naughtiest puppy ever but has grown into a lovely sweet and adorable dog.

Just looking forward to the weekend now. Who knows I might actually get to knit on something....or maybe work on the new project on the loom.

Wherever you are, whatever your plans....have a good one.

Pimping a talented friend.

This is Sprout. He's a baby tree dragon. He is the 'Kreaition' of a very talented artist friend of mine. She mainly paints, the most wonderful pictures.

This a watercolour she painted for us of Lottie. I love it.

But recently she has branched out into making felted critters. The baby monkey is called 'Gork' he belongs to M and is so naughty!

And this is the most recent addition to our family from her - El Fuego (a baby fire dragon) aka Sparky who J could not resist.

Here is a link Kreaitions to her FB page for her critters and one for her paintings Spoilt Rotten both are well worth a look.

Other stuff aside from books......

Well where do I start?

Have found a part time job and that feels weird - hence less blogging. It might take my head a while to get used to the whole 'leaving the house to work' type thingy. Also being social in that respect feels weird to me - do I chat (which I can do and can be quite yappy at times) or not (am used to not chatting much during the day)? I don't want to be too talkative or appear unfriendly - also my mind is distracted by other stuff right now too as I am often lost in thought - gah! Am just playing it by ear.

Been writing a lot. It's a bit like hitting a vein in mining. Have found mine and the strike so far is a biggie. My mind is overwhelmed with words, phrases and ideas and I feel like I am drowning. It is kind of a nice feeling. But the timing of it is total shit....(see above.)

Been discussing and planning with M what we should grow this year - so far we have only decided 'no tomatoes' as they have been rubbish the last two years and require far more work than they yield. We've got no further than this in our 'growing' plans. Organised is NOT the right word at all.

Also been getting J's exams sorted and booked and trying to galvanise the lazy little booger into action - crowbar? Check. Winkle pin? Check. Lump hammer? Check. Motivational speech? Check. Loosing the will to live? Check!

Been creative. Warped the little loom today. Have a couple (or 6 things) on the needles. Got ideas for loads of stuff - need to just get on with it really. But life is so distracting right now.

Planning a couple of trips or short breaks with M and J. Now that is exciting. Not sure when yet - due to exams and M's work schedule but we have had some great ideas for get-aways for this year.

It's birthday month this month as well. No big ones for us this year but still it's a nice feeling and something to look forward being officially in my mid to late 40's now I'm over 45. Some days I feel like I am still 15 and others closer to bloomin 70! Oh well I am younger than M so can rub that in now and then - it all helps.

That's about it. Dogs both need a bath and haircuts but it's been too cold. Fergus smells like an old mouldy earth worm and Lottie just smells like a digestive biscuit. The spiders are spending their days sitting next to their heat mats, munching happily on the occasional cricket. Conkers is alternating mouse hunting in next doors compost heap and hibernating in the airing cupboard and poor ole Jazzy is getting old and it is starting to really show. I know Ma is  very worried about her - she is off to the vets this week for another check over.

Time now to throw a stew together, bake some blueberry muffins and then either curl up with a book and a glass of wine or maybe knit and watch the wonderful Prof 'Gelfing' Cox and his billions of billions and his lovely big fat Cheshire cat grin.

More books.

Been doing lots of reading recently as TV is abysmal at the moment.

The Source by J B Stilwell
Format - Kindle

Vampire lit. I think this is a first book of a series that puts human and vampire scientists working together. It has a Trueblood theme that vampires are 'out' and kind of accepted in society but there are issues. It was an quick and OK read but I doubt I'd be in any rush to read the follow up.

The Threads that Bind and Unbound (Books 1 & 2 of the Havoc Chronicles) by Brant Williams
Format - Kindle

These are teen fiction but they are kind of good teen fiction. Different in the premise of the supernatural and I really quite enjoyed them. I think they are a kind of throw away trash fiction but for that style of book they are very good. Nice story telling with good imagery. Characterisation is good too.

Beauty and the Feast - by Julia Barrett
Format - Kindle

Mills and Boon meets cookery book. It made me hungry not horny. And the romance was very M&B. It's OK for a quick romantic read and the recipes in the back sound divine.

The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed out of a Window and Disappeared - by Jonas Jonasson
Format - Kindle

Oh my how I loved this book. It ticked every box. It is weird, quirky, well written with good pace. I loved the main characters they fitted together like a jigsaw and the improbability of the whole idea is wonderful. I think this is book that needs to be read by everyone just because it does. From Stalin to elephants this book has it all. 10/10!

Don't Want to Miss a Thing - by Jill Mansell
Format - Kindle

I think everyone has an author that becomes the comfy joggers and blankie of their reading habits and Jill Mansell is mine. This latest offering from her doesn't disappoint on any level. It has sentences of lovely imagery that I think sometimes get lost in the pace of the characters lives and her story telling but they are there like little hidden gems or the free gift in the cereal box. Her characters in this book have a lovely mix of the gorgeous and the real, and gorgeous ones get nice doses of the 'rea'l thrown at them in some unusual ways, which show good humour and don't detract from the tale. I think this one is going to be one of my favourites of hers and is well worth a read if you like chick-lit with a bit more meat and humour than is often on display in this genre of fiction. She has a delightful quirkiness in her books which is very evident here and she ties up the characters tales well with no sense that she had to rush to fit them all in. Roll on her next book....I can't wait.

That's it so far. January reading is done and dusted - 12 books this month - not too bad.