Sunday Post 49; It's Monday, what are you reading? 34

The Sunday Post - a chance for bloggers to chat and catch up - is hosted by Kimba over here: http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are reading? is hosted by Kathryn right here: http://bookdate.blogspot.co.nz/

Let's see ... it's been a couple of weeks since I did a Sunday Post.

I do have a bit of sad news. One of our cats, Casper, who was 15 this year, deteriorated. He lost a lot of weight, and then got an abcess on his jaw that got infected. It all felt like it happened very quickly. And, of course, with me not working ... ugh. But I rang the vet and we took him in and he was put to sleep. He was in pain and couldn't eat for the last few days, which you never want to see in your pets. The vet was lovely about it and told us that we could make payment arrangements if we needed to - which I hadn't realised.

This was Casper. He was a very good cat. Much more fond of my husband than me, but still a good cat.

So that was some sadness. It's never easy saying farewell to a pet - especially one who's been with you for so long.

J stayed with him, but I get weird and panicky around death, so I waited out in the waiting room.


Right. What else has been going on around these parts for the past couple of weeks?


I'm sure everyone heard about the big quake, but luckily I live well outside of that particular area, so we weren't affected, though a friend of mine lives in Wellington. She's fine, but naturally rattled, of course.

I actually managed to write some posts last week - three reviews - two books, one movie. I also read Breakaway by Avon Gale, and I'm hoping to finish The Girl From the Savoy this week. So yay, content!

I was frustrated on Friday though. On Tuesday, I had an assessment to see whether I had the skills to proceed with a job interview to be a court reporter. Basically transcribing notes, etc. A job that I KNOW I could do easily. So. Of course, I completely fluffed the assessment. Typing speed, using MS word ... everything. Everything but accuracy. But just being accurate isn't enough.

So I'm still sending out applications and trying to fill my days. I do have the chance of a couple of weeks' work with a local independent community newspaper, which is good timing with Christmas right around the corner. I'm meeting with the editor - someone I used to work with - tomorrow to have a chat. Fingers crossed and all that jazz. It's only a couple of weeks at the moment, but who knows?

As I said, I'm reading The Girl From the Savoy, and I'm not sure what might be up next. Wizards and Glass, perhaps.

Anyway.

What's up with you? What are you reading?

Monday again? (also Sunday) What are you reading #2; Sunday post #14

I'm linking up with the Sunday Post hosted here: http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and also It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted here: http://bookdate.blogspot.co.nz/

Let's see ... what's been happening lately ...

It was spawn's last day of school for the year on Thursday, so he's settling in for the long summer break. (I'm using the word "summer" in its loosest possible term, the weather outside is actually pretty bad [which is my favourite kind of weather]).

So I need to try and think of some things to do with him, while I'm still at home.

We went to see Santa on Friday, so that's done for the year. All of my shopping is done (thank you online shopping!) so I can tick that off the list.

I just need to make a list of what I want for the boys to choose from - lol.

The kittens are growing apace. It's nearly impossible to get decent photos of them, but I'll try for next week's post. We have trouble telling them apart, but I discovered that Felicia has a tiny white patch at the base of her belly, so that will help.

Casper's leg has been re-stitched, and the vet is pleased with his progress. So one more visit next week to get the stitches out, and he should be fine after that.

For myself, I haven't really been doing very much at all, but for now, that's all right. If I'm still sitting here in a month's time saying the same thing, then that will be problematic. But for now, it's nice.

I did a little stitching last week; some reading, and I've been obsessively playing two games - Dragon Age; Inquisition (of course) and on the iPad, Monument Valley: http://www.monumentvalleygame.com/ which I just absolutely love.

It's not a particularly long game, but there's something very relaxing about playing it, and I highly recommend it.

As for what I'm reading .... I finished Witches Abroad by Mr Sir Terry Pratchett on Saturday, and loved it. Laughed out loud a few times. So there will be a review of that some time this week.

Right now I'm reading A Private Gentleman by Heidi Cullinan. It's an M/M Victorian romance novel about Wes, the second son of a Marquis who is the despair of his family. He's shy, suffers terrible social anxiety, and stammers badly. He meets Michael, a whore who has a history with Wes's father. The two Fall in Love and Overcome Obstacles.

I'm enjoying it quite a bit, I have to say. I've read a couple of Heidi Cullinan's books before, and enjoy her style.

I also have The Gaugin Connection by Estelle Ryan on the go, and STILL The Sunne in Splendour.

Up next is Uprooted by Naomi Novik, then I think I might tackle Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older, and possibly Sorceror to the Crown by Zen Cho.

What's going on with you? What are you reading?

It's Monday ... and also Sunday somewhere

I'm linking up with two posts for this ... post.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn here: http://bookdate.blogspot.co.nz/ (fellow Kiwi! :D :D) and also the Sunday Post,  hosted by Kimba, here: http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/

I'm still trying to recalibrate my blogging. As you can see by the lack of content, it's not going especially well. But. As in all things, I persist. I persist till the dragon is defeated. Or I die trying. Anyway. The most important thing that has happened lately, is this:

Yes. Yes that is a picture of kittens. Two kittens. Ivy and Felicia. I think Ivy is on the left, though sometimes it's a bit hard to tell. Ever since I lost my sweet Morgana, I've been wanting to get a kitten. Not to replace her, because that's impossible, but to fill the void somewhat. So we went to the pet store a couple of weeks ago, and lo and behold, they had these two. They're littermates and because I'm a big softie, I couldn't leave one of them behind.

The older cats are very, very dubious about this. VERY dubious. 

The kittens are ... well. They're kittens. If they're not playing or pooping, they're sleeping, as you can see. And, luckily, I'm a good shape for sleeping on, being somewhat soft and squishy. Also, two kittens is better than television, they're so fun to watch.

In other cat news, one of our older statecats - Casper - has had some health issues. Well. We've had a black cat hanging about who keeps getting into dustups with one of ours, and I think Casper - despite being 14 and entitled to a quiet life - got involved in one of them. So we had one abscess treated. Fairly easy.

Then, a couple of Fridays ago, he came inside with the BIGGEST lump on his leg. Like. BIG. So I rang the emergency vet, because of course it was Friday night, and J took him out. 

He needed surgery. The vet described the abscess that had formed - and magically appeared out of nowhere, although I was aware he had been favouring that leg a bit - as horrific. He told J he'd never seen one so bad. There was necrotised tissue under it, and also necrotised bone, but only a little bit. Luckily? So he's got a big shaved patch, and stitches and he's been on antibiotics. He might still lose the leg because of the necrotised bone, but we're not sure. 

He's due to go back to the vet tomorrow to have his stitches out, so we'll find out then.

Anyway. As for what I'm reading ... I've drifted back to my slow and ongoing read through all the Discworld novels. I'm up to Witches Abroad, which is proving to be hysterical. Next up I think will be Uprooted by Naomi Novik, which I've been meaning to read for a while.

Most recently I finished The Girl on the Train, which I really enjoyed and I'm hoping to get back into a blogging rhythm, so I'm aiming to review that this week.

I also read Northern Lights (The Golden Compass) and watched the movie. Loved the book, thought the movie was ... okay. I also finally watched Mockingjay Part 1 which was also okay. Hopefully I'll be doing reviews of those as well.

So. How's your week looking? 

What are you reading?

Sunday post 3

Hosted here at http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ the Sunday Post is a chance to chat about what we're reading, what's coming up, the week that was and the week that will be (maybe).

Well, clearly my last week was a bust from go to woe. I was sick last Saturday, and we lost a beloved cat last Sunday, so the week itself was spent convincing myself that yes, I really did have to get out of bed, get spawn to school and go to work myself.

It sort of worked. I was feeling progressively better but still had some digestive issues until Tuesday, and I missed Morgana so very much. I still do. Losing a cat is always hard, but losing a cat like that - that's there 30 seconds after you sit down because she was the lap cat's lap cat - well, I'm still upset.

I ended up taking Friday off work, because I was sad, and tired and just ... used up. If that even makes sense. I feel like I'm veering into the melodramatic.

Anyway. I finished two books - one on Friday, and one on Saturday.

They were The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherine M Valente, and I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson.

They were both great in their own way, and honestly I'd recommend The Girl Who ... to anyone with  a daughter aged between about 8 and 12. So, so magical.

I finished I'll Give You the Sun in a day, and it's just that kind of book. I honestly could not stop reading it. Hopefully I'll have my act together a bit better this week, and will be posting reviews.

For what I'm reading now, I'm still picking through The Duchess War by Courtney Milan, which I'm really, really enjoying. It's such an engaging story. It's slow going because it's my lunchtime iBook read, and I don't always have time for a lunch break.

I'm also diving back in to My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier, for this book tour: http://she-is-too-fond-of-books.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/explore-classics-in-august-daphne-du.html#more my review is due to go up on August 18, so keep an eye out. I've only read Rebecca, but I loved it  a lot so I have high hopes for this one!

I'm also hoping to get back into The Sunne in Splendour this Thursday. Last week I wasn't much good for anything so spent a lot of time doing very much of nothing.

This post is getting long. I know I hinted at blogging about a major life-changing event last time and that post - like every other post last week - just didn't happen.

The short version is this:

I work as a layout/copy-editor. At least, I do, until September 4. My major life-changing event is redundancy. I could have applied for another position, or re-applied for my position - my department is being cut in half, and those interested could re-apply but the whole idea of it made me .... tired.

I'll have enough of a payout to pay off our debts, and a year's grace to find something else. I'm equally terrified and elated, to be honest. The what-ifs are piling up fast, but on balance, I'm thinking of all the things I can do - be home when spawn gets home from school. Read more. Tackle a really large cross-stitch project. Maybe do some volunteer work. Maybe write a book and accidentally become world-famous. Who knows?

I'm wary of getting all navel-gazey and saying I'm trusting in the universe because that's not really my thing, but .... I'm rolling the dice for sure. If this hadn't happened, I would have held on to that job for as long as I could, and perhaps that's not healthy either.

Change and growth are good, right?

Right?

Sunday post - 2

Hosted by http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ the Sunday Post is a chance to chat about the week - and blog - that was, and talk about what's coming up in both, also.

It has been ... a week. Well, really a weekend.

I haven't blogged much this week but I did do a "review" of Station Eleven: http://lifetheuniverseandcats.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/station-eleven-review.html and also of Lady Knight, a book I ended up wanting to like more than I did: http://lifetheuniverseandcats.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/lady-knight-review.html

Now I'm reading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, which is really, really charming so far; The Duchess Wars on ibooks which was recommended to me, and for my Thursday night chunkster I started The Sunne In Splendor by Sharon Kay Penman. I compiled a shelf for Thursday night's reading and here is what it looks like so far:

My only criteria so far for Thursday night reads is that the book has to be over 400 pages. I was able to cull this lot from my own shelves. The only thing I want to change about it is that it is rather lacking diversity. So if anyone has suggestions for books by non-white writers - same criteria applies - I'm open for suggestions!

Now. On to the less fun stuff. There is one major life event that I'll blog about next week. I'm not deliberately trying to be cryptic, I just need to know it's set in stone before I talk about it here.

As for the weekend ... On Saturday morning I woke up at 4am with *ahem* digestive issues. Luckily the traffic was all one way, so I spent a lot of time sleeping and a lot of time in the loo. I think it was something I ate, but I can't be sure.

Fast forward to just before midnight. I get woken up by spawn, saying he doesn't feel well.

Me: "The bathroom! The bathroom!"

Spawn *Hurls all over my bedroom floor and THEN the bathroom floor.*

So J and I cleaned that up and got him back into bed.

We''re both feeling ... tentatively better today.

Now. Today. We have lost two cats this year, because of age and infirmity. I expect that. But today ...

This is Morgana, the tabby on the left. The tortie on the right is Freya.

About 4pm today, spawn said, "Where's Morgana? I haven't seen her all day." I assumed she'd be around, so I went outside to call her and saw - on the other side of the road - a cat that had been hit by a car.

Sure enough, it was Morgana. We'd never known her to even go on the road, but there she was, bowled, and gone. She was the sweetest, most loving cat, and I was never without her on my lap of a night watching TV.

So. It's not been the most stellar of weekends.

Coming up this week ... I'll blog about the life change I spoke of so obliquely, and hopefully have a couple of reviews.

I hope your week has been better than mine :-)