A (couple of) Month(s) of Reading

Oh my days!  September was hectic and not much reading was to be had sadly, but here is what I've been working through during those rare moments of spare time.

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Awesome.  But most of you will know that already right?  I'm a bit late to the Hunger Games party but I got there in the end.  My brother described the trilogy as 'moreish' and he is absolutely right.  Mockingjay is the final book in the trilogy and it's a corker combining the best and worst of human behaviour.  Katniss is a character with fight, opinions and whose ambitions reach beyond getting married *significant look towards the Twilight books*.

2. Where Did it all go Right? by Andrew Collins

If any of you listen to BBC 6 Music on a regular basis you'll know Andrew Collins.  I love it when he's on the radio and I find him really funny so when I found his autobiography in a charity shop I thought 'ooo go on then'.  This is a really light hearted book and is the antithesis to the glut of misery memoirs on the market.  Here's the story of someone who had an ordinary upbringing, and had a good time! It's nostalgic and funny, and if you have read and enjoyed 'The Tent the Bucket and Me' by Emma Kennedy you'll more than likely enjoy this too.

3. Fatherland by Robert Harris

Robert Harris is turning into my go to author for that 'in-between' read.  Don't get me wrong that in no way reflects negatively on Harris or his writing, it is in fact a huge compliment.  You know when you've just finished reading a superb book and don't know what to read next?  Harris writes really gripping stories and this is no exception.  Based in 1960's Berlin, in a world where Germany won the Second World War and Europe has been consumed by the Fatherland.  Life is full of suspicion, strange occurrences and sudden disappearances being investigated by a detective whose jaded outlook of the system makes him a target of the powers that be.   

4. Care of Wooden Floors - A Novel by Will Wiles

Bobbins!  Absolute boring, boring writing, no pace, rubbish characters and a pointless waste of my time.

Walk Home #3

These two photos are a snapshot of the 180 degree view I have from the balcony at work.  On a clear day you can see out beyond the estuary to the sea, below and in front of you lies Exeter city centre.  From here you get to watch the seasons and weather past, struggling up the hill during winter through the snow is rewarded with a ridiculously beautiful outlook.

I also get to walk along the canal on my way back home, this is the long route home and I only tend to take it when the weather is nice and I don't have somewhere in particular to be.  If I forked off to the right it would take me to the allotment, straight on takes me home.

Slightly Terrible Cat Gif

This post does exactly what it says on the tin really, little Mewster is settling in well and even dishes out the I Love You eyes from time to time!

Toadstool Duvet!

I think there are two things I should point out here, firstly I am truly, madly, deeply excited to have found this bedlinen and love it completely, and secondly love it as much as I do I cannot be bothered to iron bedlinen.  Life is too short for ironing bedlinen.  Seriously.

If toadstools and bedlinen are your thing you can find this fabulous set here.  Having just looked up the website to create the hyperlink I see they're reduced the price by half since I purchased it.  That's not annoying at all.

Allotment Geekery

The allotment has been ticking along quite nicely recently, next Saturday will be the first day since March that we can have bonfires at the allotment so we've been clearing down the spent veg and weeds. 

The celeriac hasn't been doing that well so I'm trying home made cloches to give them a hand.  The chewed up swedes to the left were a donation from Malcolm across the way, they're being eaten by caterpillars at the moment so I've turned all hunter/gatherer and brandish the hoe like a spear and cut the little feckers in half.  Don't judge me, my step-father-in-law goes out at night with a torch and a pair of scissors and cuts slugs in half.  Yeah, you heard me.

 

 

And finally... I accidentally grew some parsnips, long story really but hey here they are in their ugly glory!

Cloud Love

I'm turning into something of a cloud geek these days so thought I would compile a post of cloud related favourite things for you to enjoy!

Cloud Stamp by Sieben Morgan

Washi Tape from Sew Fine Fabric

Cloud Mobile by Ally Sen

Cloud Brooch by Nice Nice Nice DE

One Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Poor neglected blog, I've been off having fun in Dublin!  When I say fun I actually mean work.  I've been attending a conference for the last week.  I'm a little ashamed to say I have never been to Ireland before, I'm even more ashamed to say it's only a one hour flight from Exeter.

Oh and the other thing is, I hate flying.  Hate it.  I had to chuck rescue remedy gummy stars (made for kids) down my neck every ten minutes just to get through the experience, but hey I made it to the other side and when we arrived there was an impressive rainbow over the airport.

The European influence is clear, and there has been a lot of development including the conference centre we were attending:

And of course there was Guinness... my colleague was drinking it for the medicinal iron content, uh huh.

All too soon it was time to go, the return flight was fine, I may not be comfortable flying but it was a lot better second time around, might have to book a few weekend trips...