Round and round

 

So! This SAL  from Stitchdoodles was abandoned in Aug 2024, picked up in July 2025! 
This was my first stitching on it in July 2025, let's see where we get to with this!

We got it finished!!! Finished August 2025, I loved every minute of this one, I think the badger and the hedgehog are my favourites 😊

Then we only had the badger left to do!

I love it really love it

August seasons

 So welcome August! 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

August has been a bit stormy! We had storm Floris yesterday which was stormy but not as bad as Eowyn earlier in the year.

Everything is so much greener, the flowers especially the roses are becoming past their best. July was challenging with the heat 🥵 but I can feel it cooler now, nights are getting darker earlier too.

January

February 

March

April

May

June

July

August 

Needle minders

There came a point when I felt I couldn't buy any more kits. They were backing up so much! So I decided to start collecting needleminders! How cute are these?? Now I'm stitching again I can theme my minder to my project 🤣

 

July storygraph and reading

Mythos by Stephen Fry on Audible 

A fantastic retelling of the Greek myths. Stephen Fry is an incredible narrator of his own re imagination of the classic tales, a real treat. 4.5 🌟

The mirror crack'd by Agatha Christie 

It gets 5 stars because its Agatha Christie 😊 but this is my least favourite of all the Miss Marple stories probabl because of the sadness of Miss Marple gettingbmore infirm and the changes to St Mary Mead. Having said that it's still hugely enjoyable and despite having read it before I still couldn't remember the eending 5🌟

Lamb to the slaughter by Karen Ann Hopkins

I did enjoy this story but I do have some issues with it!

Firstly this is also very much a romance story with a mystery attached. I felt that wasn't singposted enough in the blurb, I'm no keen on romance but I'm still glad I read it as the mystery element was good

Also I felt it quite damning on the Amish community, I'm not sure it was all warranted?

Those concerns aside it was an enjoyable mystery 3 🌟

Martyr by Rory  Clements on Audible

Too graphic and bawdy DNF 

The confessions of Caminada by Christopher Reason on BBC sounds

This was really enjoyable, nice historical mystery but more about the main protagonist who apparently was real and this is taken from his memoirs. George Costigan is really great a very under appreciated actor. The sound quality does vary though 3.5🌟

The hunter of the grotesque: From the casebook of Akechi Kogoro by Edogawa Ranpo

I'm quite at loss as to what to say about this book! It is very much of its time and very reflective of the Golden Age mystery books of the time
The plot is incredibly convoluted with many characters and twists and it's often difficult to know what's what
Also the attitudes towards women are very much of its time
But there was enough in it to keep me reading 2.75🌟

The anniversary by Laura Marshall

Should have realised it has storyline of dementia, not for me DNF 

The fair botanists by Sara Sheridan

I did enjoy this book it did take some time to get going but once I got into it I was captivated by the story and the characters 3.75 🌟

A captive in Algiers by A.J. Lewis

I did really enjoy this tale but some parts did drag slightly but overall an enjoyable story 3.25 🌟

Eater of souls by Lynda S. Robinson

I read these books many years ago but still didn't remember who the culprit was. These stories are very well written and do feel authentically historic but they are a bit drier than I remember them 3.75🌟

Once upon a crime by Katie Forrest writing as Mona Marple 

I was going to give this a far higher rating right up to the end but the denouement was a bit of a let down. Up to then it was engaging and the plot tricked along nicely. I will read more of these though it was good up to the end 3.5 🌟

Scale of the dragon by Richard Fierce 

I really enjoyed this book, likeable main characters two feisty female characters, interesting plot. Story moved along nicely, the ending felt a bit hasty but otherwise really enjoyed. 3.75 🌟

The Clamourous dead by David Field

Just not for me DNF

The day of the Jackalope by Eldritch Black

I do really love this series, I wouldn't say this was as good as the first one but still very enjoyable 3.75 🌟

Last Dance by Mark Billingham

I swithered about the rating for this thinking there are flaws which might knock off 0.25 of a point but overall I couldn't put the book down so that rates a 4 in my book.

Yes the humour is questionable and the ending felt a bit rushed but overall I really enjoyed this. The main character Declan Miller is obviously complicated and his humour can grate but I think its meant to, we all know Declans in our lives. I did thoroughly enjoy it 4🌟

In place of death by Craig Robertson on Audible 

Too graphic DNF 

The summer house by James Patterson 

I loved this story, this is not my usual type of read but I loved this. Great pace, I liked the way you didn't get signposted as to who was speaking each chapter also shorter chapters really helped keep the pace up

There were enough twists to keep the interest going. Loved it. 4.25 🌟

The watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley on Audible 

Just not for me DNF

Savage night by Jim Thomson

Just not for me DNF

You'll be next by Ava Strong

I feel 3 🌟 is generous. I did mostly enjoy this but the dialogue often felt clunky and the ending was abrupt and felt unexplained. The personal life of the FMC seemed to taken precedence in the narrative 3🌟

Mud season by Sarah Stewart Taylor 

This was a very short prequel story and I didn't really warm to the story But then I read the excerpt included from the first in the series and I love it, frustratingly the first in the series doesn't seem available on kindle so I can't find out the ending!

I did like the detective who seems to be the main character in the series but doesn't appear in the prequel 3.5 🌟

The bear pit by S.G. MacLean on Audible 

Carried over to August 

The umbrella by A.M. Stuart

An excellent  short story, well written with engaging characters and a nice precursor to the series 4 🌟

Magical, murderous cupcakes

Loved this, well written, good pace, good mystery. Engaging main characters, will definitely follow up this series 4🌟

The mystical coven of Santa Monica by Ron Tucker

This was a fun short read a good introduction to the Rosie Reynolds paranormal series 3.75

Dead and buried by Dan Padavona

I enjoyed this but was slightly frustrated that its a cliffhanger for the first book in the series. I enjoyed it enough to want to follow up. It does focus more on the FMC personal life than the mystery 3.5 🌟

Bundle up its murder out there by Bonnie Blume

Very enjoyable, nice pace, good introduction to the series 3.75 🌟

Snowblind by M.G. Cole

There was a bit more gore than I expected but this was a good read, tightly plotted. More of a cliffhanger for the series rather than a prequel I think 3.75 🌟

The Emporiums mercenary merchant by Sammi Mason

I found this very confusing, sometimes lots of detail but with no context I kept looking back to see if I'd missed something 2.5 🌟

Altitude of shadows by Flynn Cooley

Solid 4 for this, well plotted, great pace, intriguing premise, can't wait for the next one 4🌟

Murder by manuscript by Eve Barrett

Really enjoyable series starter, engaging characters, tight plotting and pacing 4🌟

Well! July has been productive! I've read quite a few "new to me" authors which has been nice and flagged up a few I want to follow up on Kindle Unlimited 

I still seem to favour series over stand alone but I think that's always been my preference it's nice to have it confirmed 😊 I do love storygraph so much all these lovely charts 😊

July furtle!

 Well July has been a busy month!!! I'm loving being able to stitch again, it's fab, I've been mainly working on this at the start my sashiko Snowmen panel. 

Also this round and round the woodland from Stitchdoodles 

And my teacup cross stitch

My lovely chum gave me a flower sashiko panel so I bought these variegated threads from Jspsn crafts for it

But this is the big news!!!! Scoobs brought my seeing machine downstairs 🎉🎉🎉🎉

And I sewed on it! Small steps but all in the right direction 

Finishes!! I have finishes!!! I finished the sashiko Snowmen and the teacup!!! 

So July has been a very productive month!

Tea cup cross stitch

My lovely chum Kim sent me this cross stitch tea cup kit to remind me of the mis matched crockery at our favourite cafe. It's been such a lovely gentle stitch to do

Above was where I got too last year before I crashed and was unable to stitch any more, i picked it up in June and it's been such a joy to stitch 😊

And that's a wrap!!! So chuffed with this