The Sunday Post 42; It's Monday! What are you reading? 42

https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/ 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly, here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What Ae You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

Let me see... Capitalism put out snacks and trapped me again, so I went to work. 

We won at quiz again on Wednesday night, which always feels good I have to say. 

I went to my friend's after work on Friday night instead of Saturday, as we both had prior Saturday engagements.

We watched The Traitors UK and stitched. Still, I think, my favourite show. I love it so much.

I put in a couple of hours overtime at work on Saturday morning, and the extra few dollars will definitely come in handy. 

Then on Saturday night another friend and I went to a show - it's a one-woman show very much inspired by Shakespeare and it was hilarious. It's called Tempestuous: https://www.hotpink.co.nz/the-tempestuous/

This is usually the time of year for Shakespeare in the Park, but this was done in a theatre - possibly because of it being a one-woman show. But it was great. So, so funny.

Son of Mine had a friend over last night for a sleepover, and I dropped them in town today to pursue pizza, so I went to the library, and got a couple of books out.

I haven't done much else today, to be honest.

I have two weeks leave now, and I'm very much looking forward to it. My plan is to power down completely - for the first week at least - and just do the things I like to do - read, watch TV, watch movies, cross-stitch, play videogames. I also want to sort out some clothes because my drawers are getting a bit full, but that sounds like a job for second week off Maree.

I finished The Watchmaker's Hand by Jeffrey Deaver and also Daisy Darkly by Alice Feeney, both of which were just ... okay for me.

I'm still reading Wyrd Sisters, and I also started The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher, which is a YA fantasy novel, and so far pretty entertaining.

How about you? How's your week? What are you reading?

The Sunday Post 41; It's Monday! What are you reading? 41

 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly, here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

Let's see ... capitalism opened its maw wide and trapped me yet again, so I had to go to work.

Quiz started again on Wednesday night and we set off on a positive note with a win, which was nice.

I was not feeling great towards the end of the week so I took a couple of sick days on Thursday and Friday. Just general run down-ness I think. It's also been extremely hot here (for those playing along who don't realise, I live in New Zealand. It's summertime) and I do not do well with the heat. I'm an autumn/winter supferfan. 

So I sat on the couch, and watched TV pretty much. I've finished TNG and started Voyager. I forgot how much I really enjoy Voyager. I also watched Peter Ustinov's Evil Under the Sun, which was a lot of fun. In the spirit of trying to watch new things and not just rewatch old things, I started Reacher. I've only read one of the books and honestly thought it was just okay. The show is fun though, as the premise seems to be "large man hits things", and I'm here for that.

Anyway. I took spawn for a haircut on Saturday morning which has been a long time coming - I just hadn't got around it to it but he definitely needed one. We also went to the library and the supermarket - as Son of Mine put it, it was a proper adventure. (We bought snacks.)

I went to my friend's last night as usual and we binged a few more episodes of The Traitors UK, which is absolutely my favourite show.

Today was super exciting with housework and another supermarket visit. I spent the afternoon listening to one of my favourite podcasts (You Must Remember This, about Hollywood's first century) and I worked on a couple of blackwork projects. I might do a post on those at some point. 

I read The Watchmaker's Hand by Jeffrey Deaver recently, and thought it was .... okay. I like Mr Deaver's earlier works better - the twists are more twisty and shocking. I keep going back for some reason and honestly I should know better. I'm also reading Wyrd Sisters by Mr Sir Terry Pratchett, which is no less enjoyable for being a re-read. I also have Daisy Darkly by Alice Feeney on the go, which is a riff on And Then There Were None. So far so good.

How about you? How's your week? What are you reading?

Short reviews

 These are the first 3 novels I have read in 2024. I haven't done reviews for a while and I don't want to go too far back, so fresh start and all that jazz.

   First up is Under the Mountain, by Maurice Gee.

This is a re-read for me, and is a book that is deeply embedded in the psyche of many Kiwi Gen X kids. The book came out in the 1970s/80s and a TV series followed.

Twins Rachel and Theo come to Auckland from the country to spend the summer holiday with their aunt and uncle. However, there's more going on than the twins realise, to do with the creepy and secretive Wilberforces and Mr Jones, a mysterious old man with an interest in the twins.

This is one of those books that I absolutely cannot be objective about. I love it for the story, for the nostalgia, and for the deep essence of Kiwi-ness that it just ... exudes. 

Next, is the graphic novel The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill. I know it's only halfway through January, but this was a five-star read. It's so charming and the art style is so lovely. Blacksmith's daughter Greta finds out about the dying art of tea dragon care-taking from a kindly tea-maker. 

She also discovers new friends - not least shy Minette, and also the tiny tea dragons themselves. First book in a series, and I need the rest of them immediately, if not sooner than that.

Highly, highly recommend.

Last up for this post is Paladin's Grace by T Kingfisher. The only other book I've read by T Kingfisher is Nettle & Bone, which I loved.

And ... I loved this as well. 

Stephen is a Paladin, but of a dead God. He's drifting a bit and doesn't really feel like he has a purpose. He and his fellow remaining Paladins serve the Temple of the White Rad, which means they mostly stand around looking intimidating.

Then Stephen meets Grace, a perfumer with a troubled past and it all kicks off.

I will say - I'm not a fan of "romantasy" novels. Romance generally isn't my thing, and this burgeoning genre which - given I don't read it - seems to mostly be made up of teenagers mooning about so definitely not my thing. HOWEVER, Grace is in her 30s and Stephen is in his 40s. They're adults with their own pasts and lives and - despite the severed heads - it's ... low stakes? Not Legends & Lattes low stakes (which is also great) but Stephen and Grace aren't out to Save The World. 

They just want to save themselves. A fun read.

The Sunday Post 40; It's Monday, What are you reading? 40

 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly,  here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

We're back to "normal" after the weird liminal space of Christmas and New Year. And because capitalism never sleeps, I had to go to work. 

Quiz doesn't start again until this Wednesday so it was a quiet one for me, work aside. 

I did some reading, did some stitching ... the usual. 

Spawn, a friend of mine and I went to the library on Saturday morning and I went to my friend's place last night for stitching and watching TV. We're watching season 2 of the Traitors UK, which may possibly be my favourite TV show.

I watched the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie on Friday night and was NOT prepared for the emotions at all. 

I am currently reading The List by Yomi Adegoke, which isn't grabbing me the way I had hoped, but it's pretty good so I'm going to keep on going.

How about you? How's your week? What are you reading?

The Sunday Post 39; It's Monday! What are you reading? 39

 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly, here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

Let's see. I didn't do a post last week as I was working on Sunday, filling in as the regular Sunday person was on holiday. 

I had Monday and Tuesday off as they're public holidays, and I did my traditional re-watch of Lord of the Rings and start a new project. A friend of  mine turns 40 in March so my new start is a birthday present for her. 

I also worked yesterday (I don't normally do Saturdays) so the overtime cash money will come in handy.

I am feeling tired, though. And I'm trying to think of what else I've been doing...

Watching Star Trek: TNG mostly, I think. I'm up to season 7. I do want to at least try and watch some new (to me) shows and not just re-watch old favourites, but it's so ... cosy I think. 

I finished Labyrinth Heart, and I loved it. I also finished Three-Act Tragedy which was also great.

I got Holly by Stephen King for Christmas, and spent most of Boxing Day reading it - it was my last read for 2023.

I also read The Tea Dragon Society which is an absolutely adorable graphic novel by K. O'Neill. 

Now I'm reading Paladine's Grace by T Kingfisher, which I am absolutely loving.

How about you? How's your new year so far? What are you reading?

Gift post

 So this is a post of the cross-stitch gift projects I finished in 2023. In no particular order.

First up is a gift for a workmate. His wife has just had a baby girl in the past few days. 

I do still need to add the name and date of birth before I frame it and pass it on, but obviously I'm not going to put that information on the internet. :)

The pattern is from Whimsical Cross Stitch by Cari Buziak and it's stitched on 16-ct white aida. It's entirely done in shades of pinks and purples with a few yellow highlights and it's very cute in person.

Second is a gift for a friend of mine. (Please excuse the wrinkles, it still needs to be ironed.

Her birthday was in October, but that deadline passed, so the plan was to give it to her for Christmas... ahem. At this point it may just be a very very very very belated birthday present. She's of Dutch heritage, and I'm fairly confident she will love it.

The pattern is by Emma Congdon, and is from Contemporary Cross-Stitch. I stitched it on 16-ct white aida, which is my go-to fabric for basically everything.

Third is destined to be a somewhat belated birthday gift for J's mother. Her birthday was earlier this month.

Again, it needs to be ironed and framed. It's pretty small so I need to search for a rather small frame - I feel some secondhand shopping coming on - you can usually find some nice frames for a few dollars.

The pattern is by Durene Jones, and comes from the magazine 365 Cross Stitch designs. Again stitched on 16-ct white aida.

Fourth was a gift for a friend's 40th birthday, in April 2023.

Obviously, she likes the odd gin. :) This one was ironed, framed and passed on many months ago, so this is the picture I took just after I'd finished it.

The pattern is by Durene Jones and is from the June 2022 issue of Cross Stitcher magazine. Again stitched on 16-ct white aida.

The fifth one was a gift for a workmate. 

I had stitched other gifts for workmates/friends, and she was feeling left out. (She has the WORST fomo).

So I found this chart, and thought it would be perfect.

It has - since this photo - been ironed and framed, and handed on.

And it still sits on her desk. :)

The pattern is designed by Felicity Hall, and is from Contemporary Cross Stitch magazine. Again stitched on 16-ct white aida.

Last (I think) but certainly not least is this festive llama pattern I did for a friend's birthday last year.

She loves llamas and although her birthday is in June, I know she didn't mind getting these Christmas themed ones. :) Again, taken before it was ironed and framed and passed on.

Designed by Cheryl McKinnon, the pattern is from the December 2020 Cross Stitcher magazine. Stitched - I *think* on 16-ct fiddler's blue aida.

That's actually a pretty productive year, for me. :)

Two reviews

 

I picked this one up at the library, because I quite enjoy Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs together.

And I always have high, high hopes that Jeffery Deaver is going to shock me again with the twist like he did with his early books.

Alas. Maybe I need to stop trying.

And the thing is, the book isn't bad. An old nemesis surfaces, determined to murder Rhyme, and then giant cranes around the city start malfunctioning on construction sites, and it's all related somehow?

Honestly I started to get a bit confused. Then slightly bored, then confused again. And that signature twist was missing.

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney is a riff on And Then There Were None. The Darker family gather on an isolated island to celebrate the matriach's 80th birthday. The house is on an island off Cornwall that can only be reached by a causeway, and when the tide is in, the house is completely cut off.

So the family - estranged parents, estranged sisters Rose, Lily and Daisy, and local laddo Connor who the family had taken under their wing when he was a child - gather at the house, Seaglass.

Then, they're cut off. THEN, the murders began.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I love And Then There Were None, and I was expecting a similar reveal or a clever twist. And there WAS a twist, but it was ... not clever. And it made absolutely no sense to me.

The book read okay, although the jumps into the past could get a little tedious, but the payoff wasn't worth the time spent reading, for me.