Recent Blog Posts

SUNDAY POST

2 November

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
Thanks to half-term, it’s been a peaceful week, allowing me to properly recover my energy levels after my last bout of illness some three weeks ago. At last I’m starting to feel like the old me, again!
The boys thoroughly enjoyed their weekend away in Wales last week and got to watch the red kites feeding and go down a coal mine. But I think the bonus was that they did all this together – a treat as the older siblings lead busy lives and so opportunities to be available for get-togethers are increasingly rare. Amari gave Oscar a huge greeting when he returned, which was lovely to see. And then resumed her inquisitive quest roaming around the house that has so far meant several ornaments and three pudding bowls have got smashed. She has a habit of batting objects that intrigue her – and some don’t survive the subsequent fall. I’ve decided to pack away all ornaments but the most sturdy – so far she’s been unscathed, but I’d hate for her to get cut on broken shards. So that will be a chore for either today or Monday.
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Castellan the Black and his Wise Draconic Tips on Life

1 November

Combat-hungry lordlings often bait guards as a pastime. Do remember that guards tend not to abide by rules of honour when they retaliate and will happily gang up four against one, or use weapons such as glass-tipped tail-spikes.
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Review of NETGALLEY arc 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache

31 October

It was the festive cover and humorous blurb that sold this one to me. I enjoy a good murder mystery and allusions to Agatha Christie and Knives Out had me excited to tuck into this one.
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Can’t-Wait Wednesday

29 October

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. This week’s Can’t-Wait offering: The Green Man’s Holiday – Book 8 of the The Green Man series by Juliet E. McKenna
Release date – 30th October, 2025
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Review of NETGALLEY The Glass Slide World – Book 2 of The Naturalist Society series by Carrie Vaughn

28 October

Like many other fans, I’ve read and enjoyed Vaugn’s Kitty Norville series – though I can’t claim I’ve read all of them. And I also thoroughly enjoyed her YA sci fi adventure, Martians Abroad. But the books that blew me away were the Bannerless Saga duology, which I absolutely loved and are on my all-time favourite sci fi murder mystery list. I’m bereft these books aren’t available as either ebooks or audiobooks. These days, print books aren’t my friend due to ageing eyes. But if you like murder mysteries in an unusual setting and get a chance to read Bannerless or The Wild Dead – do so.
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SUNDAY POST

26 October

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
It’s been another difficult week. Whatever Oscar went down with lingered longer than I thought it should. He was definite that he wasn’t suffering from covid, but he had a hacking cough that was particularly bad at night and made it difficult to get to sleep. He tried to go into school, but had to return home early as he kept sneezing and simply couldn’t work. Fortunately, he did recover by Thursday so he could go into school and was well enough by Friday to go away for a long weekend in Wales with his father and siblings. I’m hoping the change of scene will do everyone good. Ethan travelled down from uni on Thursday night so we were able to have a catch-up. He’s made a really good start to his third year and is thoroughly enjoying his assignments.
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