Februrary seasons

 So welcome February! This is the far left corner of the garden and neither of us can remember what the tree is 🤦‍♀️ once it's blooming again i can look it up

February has been mixed, I had the window open one day and today it's snowing 

This months picture has been taken on my new phone,  I do think its making a difference 

January

February 

 

January look back

Well January has been quite the month 😊 up down and all over the place 😆 started off with some upset and emotion which set me back but amongst all that there is kindness and friendship, beautiful irises from Jacky, simply the best chum you could wish for, Grey Donkey agrees!

He does love a tuck in from the cleaners 😆

The Selkies chilly challenge continues! New hair cut too 😆

Woolly Bob got a wee outing 😊
 
I walk too the landing and sit too look out, lovely flowers from Jacky

Mark had to go into work so we are isolating, but we chat via what's app,  GD wanted to say hello and Mark took a screenshot, hysterical 😆😆

Emma wanted some silliness for the chilly challenge, happy to oblige!

Double trouble! GD and cookie having fun!

Our cleaner has been having a hard time bless her but she came and cleaned us and made a wee shrine of my cards and pebble for Mark ❤️

We got our fancy loo rolls

I had my physio catch up GD came too 😊

Looking at bungalows ...... this one peaked my interest 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

January furtle

 Well! Still no "actual" Crafting in January but hey who knows let's hold out for February 😊 but it is time to retire some notebooks! Well not retire but complete them and store away until I can finish the embroidery they are for, first up is this wee beauty, it's been used to store the temperatures for both my 2023 and 2024 temperature embroideries, I think I have 4 months of 2024 to finish off so will store this away until I'm ready 

This is the cover, I bought this notebook on my lovely visit to Bath in 2019, its from the Americsn museum there which had an exhibition of Kaffe Fassett quilts, what a lovely day that was 😊

Next up is my emotions tracker 2024, this came with the pre printed embroidery I'm using, again about 4 months to fill in when I can 

I've decided not to track temperatures any more 3 years is enough but it is interesting to track emotions but I'm going to do that digitally from now on, I have a spreadsheet and it's all colour coded 😊

I wasn't going to subscribe to any more cross stitch boxes but them I saw this 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I adore stitchrovia Emma Congdon and this was too pretty to pass up and its so true as well 💖

January reading and Storygraph

Murder at the Vicarage- Agatha Christie 

What can I say, classic Agatha Christie, this must be the second or third time I've read this and it never disappoints. Twists turns and Miss Marple just a joy 5 🌟

The Jack of Hearts murders a Shilling and Florin book, 1 by Kate Haley

I really wanted to like this book but in the end it just wasn't for me. An intriguing alternative setting but I struggled to get much of a feel for this universe, the characters are amiable and maybe it develops.more in the rest of the series 3 🌟

Death on the Boardwalk:A Myrtle Beach mystery book 1 by Caleb Wygal

I gave it 3 🌟 but in all honesty this didn't grab me felt a bit "paint by numbers"

Confessions of a demonically possessed librarian by James Wright

Rollicking good fun! Light hearted horror, plot clips along nicely 4.5 🌟

Open Season by C.J. Box

Loved this, great main characters, intriguing story good pace kept me gripped 4.5 🌟

The Canningtown murder by Mike Hollow

I struggled with this book, there was enough plot and character development so that I didnt dnf it but for me it dragged

The plot was interesting and there was a good sense of place and time but for me it didn't move quickly enough 3.5 🌟

H.G. Wells stories on Audible

Fantastic compendium of Wells main stories with a great set of Narrators 4 🌟

Cemetery lodge by Paula Hillman

Great book, loved the characters some nice twists and turns a good solid 4 🌟

The Crone of midnight embers by Iris Beaglehole

I struggled with this book to be honest, the writing was enjoyable but the plot just dragged 3🌟

The Signalman by Charles Dickens on Audible 

I love this story and really wanted to like this version more, Sam Mendes is a great narrator but the sound effects really spoiled it for me they felt clunky and intrusive 3.5 🌟

The beauty queen by Sally-Anne Martyn

Absolutely loved this, a great twist on a time shift plot. Switching between the 80s and present day, great sense of time and atmosphere of the 80s very well done. I loved the main character and her back story. Well written and absorbing 4.5 🌟

Red Rising by Pierce Brown on Audible 

It's just not for me, excellent narrator but I'm no in the mood for this DNF

Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher on Audible

It just wasn't for  me DNF

Murder at ravens Edge by Louise Marley

I did mostly enjoy this book, very entertaining but oh my goodness the amount of plot twists was a bit dizzying 3.5 🌟

A thief in Stickleback Hollow by CS Wooley

I'm giving this a 3 because I think it is well written etc but it's just not for me 3🌟

January seasons 2025

So welcome January! There are many reasons to continue with taking my monthly seasons pictures in our garden.

Practically I'm still housebound so that's a major factor! But also we have made the decision to move house in 3 years time. I should hopefully have way more functionality by then an our mortgage will be paid off. So I want to document our lovely house over the next 3 years

This is the far left corner of the garden and neither of us can remember what the tree is 🤦‍♀️ once it's blooming again e can look it up!

We are still gobsmacked at how much scotrail have cut down behind us you can really see it here 

 

Storygraph 2024 wrap up

 

How much do I love Storygraph??? It gets better and better

Reconnecting with my love of Reading has been an absolute joy it really has. 76 books! OK a lot of small ones here but that's fine, I've found a lot of new authors too and look at these cool graphics!

My mood map! Oh I love this feature will be interesting to see what 2025 looks like!

Storygraph December 2024

Interviewing the dead by David Field

 yes this should be right up my street but i ended up skimming it good enough but just not amazing. 

Welcome to Cooper, Tariq Ashkanasi 

blimey what to day about this? It also seemed to divide reviwers opinions, it was well written but just such a grim story. 

The Runaway by Rebecca Gable this was on Audible i did really enjoy it probably mostly because Miriam Margolies was the narrator but it was an enjoyable story not sure ill continued with it though? Do I want to buy the others? Falconers crusade by Ian Morson - Good solid historical mystery, engagingly written, good historical detail, I have the bosses so will dip into that every now and then. 

Stitches and witches by Nancy Warren 2nd in Vampire knitting club series, I want to end the year with some reliable books, I love this cozy series so.mich and this didn't disappoint now I'm swithering about Kindle unlimited? All this series are on there I don't think I will though because that would tie me in to just reading this series in one go and I want to pace it out? I think I might need to find a way of keeping a track of series and books I want to read? The TBR pile on storygraph is fine but that's for specific books? 

Bitter roots by CJ Carmichael Loved this so much, echos of Peyton Place, family secrets small town. 

I gave this 5 stars because I was gripped by the plot and writing I loved the characters with all their flaws, I've bought the next in the series I can feel a binge coming on!

Wilderness rescue, Stormy hearts by Harmony Noble ok I'll confess this is not my usual fare ... written by a relative, I'll leave it at that.

Christmas corpse by Katie Forrest (Mona Marple) Just a lovely charming story. Well written moves along nicely it's not a huge surprise who the culprit is but that's OK this is warm and  engaging and a great read at Christmas time

Voices of the dead, by Ambrose Parry

I did eventually enjoy this, but I wasn't keen on the female narrator,  particularly when she dud an American accent but the plot was good enough to keep me engaged quite twisty and turny but in a good way.  I dud take to the characters and care about them, historically interesting too, a vivid slice of life in Victorian Edinburgh 

Wintering by Katherine May

I'm giving this 4 stars because this book really spoke to me at a time when I'm wintering myself 

I've seen other reviews where readers commented about the immense privilege the author has in being able to do some of the things discussed, give up her job etc. I can see this and yes there is considerable privilege there but I don't agree that this makes it a "bad" book. The underlying message about the need to accept these periods when they come into our lives us still valid I feel. If we accepted the necessity of this then perhaps as a society we could help and support those who do nit have the privilege of the author 

I feel the message is less about "do it this way" and more about changing our mindsets to accept that these periods come into all of our lives and society as a whole need to be more accepting and supportive of this

Mysterious affair at Styles

This is the recent Audible original with Peter Dinklage as Poirot and Himish Patel as Hastings, I would love to see them do more of these, both actors were superb in their roles and I'm very picky about who plays Poirot!

Cracking and faithful adaptation great atmospheric music great ensemble cast, can't praise enough

Midwinter murder

Not the best Agatha Christie short story compendium but still readable. Personally I'm not as fond if the non Poirot or Marple stories but there are enough of them in here to keep me happy

The Performance by Alish Sinclair

What a fabulous short story, a prelude to the Castle Dancers series which is due January 2025 intriguing story line, I've had some of this authors books for ages but never got round to them, this is well written with interesting young heroine. Look forward to reading some more of these five 🌟 for this!

Bunburry A difficult position by Helena Marchmont 

I just love this series and have been saving this up to be my last read of 2024 what I love is that although inqould class this as cozy its not too cozy, it still tackles serious issues, racism, death etc but within the traditional cozy format another 5 🌟 finish and a great way to end 2024 😊