Would you believe that I've still got a ton of book blog posts to post if I want to catch up? I really do need to slow down on my reading... yeah right. We both know THAT is never going to happen. Oh well just means that I have to write more of these more often.
First up in today's ramblings are a small bunch of chick lit novels. As you all know these are my go to reads when I just want to unwind and have feel good feels. Jaimie Admans in particularly is quickly becoming one of my favs to look out for. I can't wait to read her latest book which is due out in October. Much excite.
I've been mixing up my reading this year with some middle grade novels all of which have so far been brilliant. So the next three reads includes one of those plus some YA.
All three books deal with loss in some form or other, in the 1st a loss of a mother and sisters, the 2nd a loss of friendship and the the 3rd a loss of a brother and they were all just so good. It's hard to pick a favourite out of them so I recommend you try them all.
Then it's back to my usual crime with two authors I haven't come across before.
I enjoyed them all - they're good but not great reads which still isn't too bad. Not every book you read has to be great just as long as you can enjoy the story and be entertained is enough. Or at least it is for me.
Would you believe that my To Be Read pile might just be a tiny bit smaller? I know. I find it hard to believe either. But I'm pretty sure that one pile is looking just a teeny tiny bit less like a tower waiting to smother me in my sleep to one that's just a bit pissed off that it's taken me this long to getting around making a dent.
So the reading and the trying not to add to the pile so far seems to be going well. I just have to resist the temptation to browse anything remotely book related. I can do that. Right?
So what's been on my reading radar...
Well YA has been featuring a bit lately with a whole lot of authors I've haven't read before. But whom I'm going to be keeping an eye out for more by them.
Subjects covered ranged from death to abandonment, dating to self confidence and all were really about finding your place in the world and being comfortable in your own skin.
As always YA hits the mark spot on and I pretty much loved all of these.
After that it was a bit of mixture of genres with a thriller, a romantic suspense and an historical. The last two were a definite step away from my usual crime and chick lit and although I didn't love them I didn't hate them either which is always a good thing.
You win some... you lose some. Still at least we are half way through the year so that's something. In the mean time plans, plans and even more plans.
Reading
Amazingly I've managed to make inroads to my never ending To Be Read pile so that it actually looks a bit smaller. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that I read everything that was in the pile... many books were tossed aside after just a chapter or two. If it's not grabbing me then out it goes. On the plus side I did however read some really good books which is always a win.
Gardening
A week of fine weather and I've actually managed to make some major headway with this task too. Weeds have been pulled, trees trimmed, compost laid down. I even managed to plant some pansies and polyanthus to brighten things up. Next is more compost, sowing some lawn seed and planting another fruit tree or two.
Get Fit and Healthy
Does gardening count as exercise? I hope so. Otherwise a big fail. Oh well at least I got some new walking shoes for my birthday which I need to try out.
Crafting
Yeah another big fail. I really need to pull this out of the cupboard and make a start. Goal for this month.
Crime is still featuring strongly in my reading lately, mostly because I am busily working my way through a few series which have got me completely hooked.
First up was some Scandi crime which was typically dark and gloomy - I seem to find Scandi crime a bit hit and miss at times but this one had a good twist which helped. Then it was some more of Tim Weaver's David Raker series - only one more book to go and I'm all caught up.
After that it was back into Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series; I'm looking forward to watching the TV adaption later on this year. It should be good (cross fingers)
My first audio book for the year was another one of those Charles Paris Mysteries featuring the always excellent Bill Nighy. I'm really struggling this year to find any audio books that are appealing so if you have any suggestions please do pass them on.
Up next was an unusual thriller about 3 woman called Elizabeth who are all interlinked and connected in some way.
I've been a bit slack in my non fiction reading this year so I made up for just a little bit by reading 3 in a row. One about a woman de-cluttering her life, another about pension plans in America and how many of them failed and how it effected people (pretty heavy duty reading which is most unlike me) and finally one about a woman running a small holding.
And finally, as usual, a super lovely chick lit read about a woman who lives a very safe and ordinary life who goes to America to fulfill a dying friend's wish.
It feels like ages since I posted one of these... which it probably is due to me madly trying to squeeze in as many movies as I could for my 365 Movies in 365 Days challenge as well as a few family issues to deal with and sort out.
I actually have been still reading all this time which means catching up with some bookie blog posts. We won't talk about my To Be Read pile which as always is completely out of control with all the waiting books threatening to up and leave or at the very least stage a mutiny. If I'm smothered in my sleep by a pile of books you'll know why.
As for the reading...
Crime, crime and more crime has pretty much been the motto. What can I say. I love me a good twisty murder, the twistier and darker the better.
Besides still working my way through Tim Weaver's David Raker series - which I am loving by the way - there were quite a few new authors on my reading radar.
I've definitely discovered some new authors to work my way through which of course means adding even more books to my To Be Read pile... mmm maybe I just wait a bit before I do that.
I really loved Faceless by Rob Ashman the first in a series so that's one I'm very keen to continue on with. I'd have to say that pretty much all the crime books were excellent so that was a bonus.
After all that blood and gore it always nice to switch the brain off with some mindless but always entertaining chick lit. I loved, loved, loved My Favourite Half-Night Stand and the other 2 that followed were almost just as good.
All in all some great reading.
Man plans and everything pretty much falls apart... or something like that.
What with some family emergencies followed by a death the plans went a bit off track though I did manage to watch the series finale of Game of Thrones and I finished my 365 Movies in 365 Days project so go me. As for everything else... just don't ask would be the best response.
It's probably going to be no surprise then that June's plans are pretty long...
Reading
Still trying to get on top of that To Be Read pile. Which is not helped at all by me constantly adding to it. Maybe I need to do a 365 Books in 365 Days project at some stage. And nope so not going to happen.
Gardening
Like my To Be Read pile this has gotten just a little bit out of hand. Though I did manage to clean out the greenhouse before all the plans went up in smoke. Still the list of chores to be done is a long one... there's compost to be laid, shrubs to be trimmed, weeds to be pulled. I'm feeling exhausted just reading it all, let alone doing it all. I almost wish we did have snow just so I had excuse for not being outside.
Get Fit and Healthy
Stress eating. Need I say anything more. From now on it's the life of healthy living...
Get Out and About More
Amazingly this is actually going alright what with a trip to Auckland and then Christchurch as well as the Armageddon Expo in Wellington which I won tickets to. Which was kind of cool.
As for the future... well I'd like to go to Te Papa in Wellington to see the Gallipoli exhibit and I'm very keen to do the Redwoods Forest Night Time Tree Walk in Rotorua. If you've got any other suggestions please do let me know.
Crafting
Or more specifically knitting and cross stitching. I've really gotten way behind on this and haven't picked up any needles in over a year. Bad me. After seeing this online I'm really keen to make a pink toned blanket for myself.
More like the year of very little spending which is actually a good thing since I wanted to get my spending down.
Life goal achieved.
It also explains why there have been so few of these Buyer's Archive posts in the past few months. No spending equals no posting. Or something like that.
So how much did I spend and on what...
Well the total for the year (May 2018 to April 2019) was exactly $100. I know right? I'm kind of amazed myself.
Even more amazing is that I was able to buy all of this...
1 pair of slippers
1 pair of hat and mittens
1 dress
1 bottle of shower gel
2 skirts
2 pairs of shoelaces
3 pairs of socks
4 books
5 bottles of nail polish
So much better than last year and the year before. I also brought more second hand items than new which was another goal I had set myself so I'm pleased on that front too.
Somehow I'm thinking that next year's spending might be just a little bit higher, hopefully though I can stick to buying mostly second hand again.
