Book Talk: I've Been Reading...

Shock.  Horror.  Another post.  

I know right?  Who would've thought I'd be able to churn out another book post so soon.  This organisation thing seems to be working.  And this time there are so many good books.  Like really, really good books.

The Chain was one of those far fetched wacky thrillers that drew you in despite yourself.  I pretty much read it all in one sitting.  In fact a lot of the books in this post were read all in one go, they were that addictive.  House of Correction?  Ditto.  The Minders?  Ditto, ditto. 

Both Nicci French and John Marrs have become my new must-read-everything-by-them authors.  Particularly Marrs who writes thrillers with a all too possible futuristic twist.  Seriously love them.  And already hanging out for his next release "drums fingers".

Michael Wood's latest Matilda Darke detective novel also didn't disappoint and pretty much threw the whole series in to a "oh my God I did so not see that coming" territory.  I just love it when a series does that.  Unlike The Three Dark Crown Series which started out brilliantly but was seriously let down by the 4th and final book.  I was gutted that such a good series ended so incredibly badly.  Something, that sadly seems to happen way to often with fantasy series.

Along with with all the thrillers there was a hefty dose of chick lit.  The perfect antidote when other books disappoint you.  Feel good swoony feels all round.  I did however manage to sneak in a graphic novel, a thriller no less, about a housewife who just happens to be a hired killer.  So no surprise that I loved it.

Aside from that I also managed to fit in some audio book catch-ups.  Two comedies, a sci-fi and one about a pandemic.   I know.  Only my brain wants a pandemic book when there's an actual pandemic going on.  Weird but true.  However it was amazingly good.  Scarily so.  So totally worth it in the end.

Good thing I rounded it out with a lovely book featuring celebrity couples talking about what makes a marriage work.  No where near as serious as it sounds and actually filled with just nice stories about happy and successful marriages.

 

The perfect romance book for a big romantic like me.

The Viewing Files: All The Movies - Part 2

Another way overdue catch up post.  This time it's all the movies.  And there's a lot of movies.  Like seriously a lot.  Which means that I have (as I have mentioned before) been slowly - and I do mean slowly - working my way from my Letterboxd films and adding in reviews for every film I have ever seen.

I know right?  Absolutely crazy.  Still that's my brain.  Wanting everything nice and tidy.   So without too much fuss here's the 1st (or should that be the 2rd?) rewatch reviews.

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Starring: Errol Flynn and some bad ass sword fighting

Original release: 1938

Synopsis:  "Robin Hood, Robin Hood. Riding through the glen..."

 

We should all have as much fun with a sword and a bow as Errol Flynn has. Easy to see why he was so popular, though that hairstyle was truly awful. What were they thinking?

The Guns of Navarone

Starring: Gregory Peck and a lot of other guys - some of who die

Original release: 1961

Synopsis:  A bloody great big gun that needs blowing up

War movies how they should be - action packed and heroic. The acting is superb too.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Starring: James Mason and some guy who sings

Original release: 1963

Synopsis:  A bunch of explorers head down a volcano (yes seriously)

Completely far fetched and yes there is even some singing (just skip those parts) and a duck and yet despite all of this it's somehow still entertaining.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Starring: Richard Chamberlain

Original release: 1975

Synopsis:  Revenge is a dish best served... years after everyone has forgotten who you were

Richard Chamberlain's cheekbones are the real star.  Zero marks for the awful white hair ageing.  Makeup artist you ain't fooling nobody.

The Man in the Iron Mask

Starring: Richard Chamberlain, again

Original release: 1977

Synopsis:  The title kind of explains it all

This might have worked better as a two part film or as a mini series giving the chance to show the prisoner in jail for much longer but as it is it's still pretty good. Chamberlain's cheekbones are once again superb and he does quite well playing the 2 roles.

Dead Poets Society

Starring: Robin Williams *sob*

Original release: 1989

Synopsis:  A bunch of uptight kids try to break free of their upper upbringing

I should really like this movie. There's great acting, a moving story and yet somehow it all seems kind of dull and boring in places.

Sometimes even great movies don't work for everyone and this is one of those for me.

Book Talk: I've Been Reading... The Blue Episode

Still trying to catch up on posts, still way, way, way behind.  This is what happens when you're trying to do multiple things, sometimes all at once.  Hence I'm going to try to be a little bit more organised and break up my day into smaller, bite size chunks so that I can get at least some things finished.

Hopefully the brain and body behave.

Reading catch up time and it's my normal mixed bag.  Though you may notice a distinct theme. 

 

Crimey thrillers abound.  And some new authors have now been added into my "look for future' books list which is always a plus.  There was even a James Patterson novel, an author I haven't read in years but which was surprisingly quite good. 

 

And then there's the chick lit.  Lots and lots of chick lit.  Some YA.  But still chick lit.  And with all the happy endings that you and I can handle.   Swoony feels anyone...

Seriously though I am reading a lot of feel good books.  Which is probably no surprise considering the ups and downs of the past two years.  And there's been a lot of downs.  So it's no wonder I've taken refuge in all the chick lit and feel goods I can.  Happy, comfort reading for the win.

I loved all of these.  And each one managed to be just slightly different and yet still warm and fuzzy.

 

There's one about a letter in a bottle, another about 'fake' dating, frenemies, the brooding lone wolf... yep, there's a trope for everyone and I've pretty much covered them all and more than once.

 

Sigh.  

 

One happy camper with one relaxed and spacey brain.  Just wait until you see my Christmas reading wish list...

A Day in a Life... A Midweek Tale

I know, I know.  I keep meaning to post and then get completely sidetracked by something else and before you know it weeks have gone by.  I really do need to do better. 

Thank you photo diary for at least making this one easy.

So how did my Wednesday from last week go...

 

8.30am

 

And Nudge is awake and enjoying the sun and wondering why I am getting up when the bed is so nice and toasty warm.

 

A few minutes later...

Starting the day right with a hot cup of Red Seal tea, my favourite, and so hard to find at the moment what with all the shortages.  I'm going have to make this last.

 

9.30am

 

There's something very relaxing about raking soil.  This is me getting the 'big' garden bed ready to plant some veggie seeds in it.

 

So far on my list to plant are corn, radishes, dwarf peas, dwarf beans, baby spinach, carrots and cucumber. 

10.30am

 

Big garden raked, small garden by back path and door planted with pansies.  I just love having a bit of colour in the garden.

Make that a lot of colour as I have still got marigolds, sunflowers, hollyhocks, cosmos and a few others to plant.  Hopefully by summer the garden beds will be a riot of colour.

11.30am

 

A break from all that gardening and time for a walk in the sunshine and amongst all the blossom trees.

 

These ones were flowering in the cemetery up the hill from our house. 

Even the ground looks pretty, covered in blossoms, daises, sunshine and shadows.

1.00pm 

 

Finally back from the up and down hill walk and time for some carrot cake and a Chai Latte.  As you do.

2.00pm

 

The jigsaw is coming along slowly.  Very slowly.

3.00pm 

 

Break time over and back to some more gardening.  This time it's to plant a cherry tomato plant in a large pot so it can hopefully grow nice and big in our lovely hot conservatory.

 

I'm going to be planting some strawberry plants too and maybe another couple of tomato plants.

 

Might as well get some use out of the conservatory since we never use it.

4.00pm

 

A healthy smoothie to make up for that cake from earlier.  This one is baby spinach, pineapple, a scoop of protein powder and water.

 

So yum. 

5.00pm

 

Some more Bridgewater podcast.  It's the final 3 episodes and I'm super hooked.  Can't wait until they start screening Season 2.

6.30pm

Red Election time with the always brilliant Stephen Dillane.  6 episodes in and it's seriously good.  Though I have no idea who the double agent is.  Or at least I have some idea but keep changing my mind.

Don't you just love twisty turny spy thrillers?  I do.  So I'm just going to round out the evening with the last 4 episodes and see what happens.