Category: Books

Books · Cats · Husband · Life

S.O.F.A.

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Or Shankill Old Folks Association – have their regular book sale on the first Saturday of every month. We don’t normally get to go out to it too often as himself has to work – however since he is out sick we ventured out – mind you we don’t venture out for too long as himself doesn’t like to be out of his surrounding for too long. However today was slightly different – off we went and plunged into the books. I didn’t get too much ’cause I’m not really looking for books at the moment – I came away with:

Ngaio Marsh = Enter A Murderer – I can’t find an image of the book online but it does have a rather splendid cover illustrated by Philip Hood.

Rebecca Shaw = Omnibus edition of The New Rector & Talk Of The Village.
I haven’t read any of these but have seen them on occasion and thought for that price (€3-) why not give it a go?

Himself had a rather large haul but as this is about things that make me smile we won’t mention the boxes of magazines he got – nah I don’t really mind but sometimes it’s fun to pretend I disapprove 😉

Afterwards we went to visit one of the kittens we had to re-house. The new owner is an old friend of himself so it was interesting to sit there and listen to them swap stories. I have to say though it was really nice to sit out in the garden drinking orange with the sun shining and the cat & dogs picking people at random for rubs. I hope we get another chance to do that again.

Books

More Book Buying

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This morning we went book buying – it was the first big trip out of the house for himself so this was a big thing.
The book sale we went to is for the Shankill Old Folks Association or S.O.F.A. it is on the first Saturday of every month and this month we were free (there is always a huge chance that himself will be working) Anyway I came out with a nice little haul 🙂

Dorothy L Sayers: Have His Carcase (Lord Peter Wimsey)
Have His Carcase

Henning Mankell: The White Lioness (Kurt Wallander)
The White Lioness

Margery Allingham: Mystery Mile (Albert Campion)
Mystery Mile

Deanna Raybourn: Silent In The Grave (Lady Julia Grey & Nicholas Brisbane)
Silent In The Grave

Charlie English: The Snow Tourist
The Snow Tourist

The other book I got but I didn’t buy – himself got it for me was the book about the BBC Big Read
BBC Big Read

I’m thrilled with this little lot and am wondering where to fit them in in my summer reading – although The Snow Tourist might just have to wait until later in the year.

Books

What will you read this summer?

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Most of yesterday was filled with a yearning to read something different. My usual habits are crime fiction, fantasy & a bit of SF with bits and pieces thrown in on the sides for good measure. However I think it’s fair to say that it hasn’t been the best of times so far this year what with his cancer and me with stuff so my head isn’t in the mood for finding new books and that is why I’m having a summer of re-reads. It’s probably just a comfort thing and sticking to what I know so that is why I’ll be digging into the bits and pieces.

I’ve picked three books that I will re-read and one that’s been on my self for a while.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
I Capture The Castle by Dodi Smith
Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart

The book that’s been on my shelf for a while sees me drifting back to crime fiction (ish) I say ish ’cause I’m not sure if it is or isn’t! Anyway that one is One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson.

However there is one new book that I might pick up over the summer and that is “Miss Conceived” by Emma Hannigan – I saw it when I was out shopping and it appealed to me – don’t ask!!

Books

Lent / Chocolate

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or should that be Chocolat? I have seasonal readings – I have decided I now have seasonal reading is probably more correct. It started out that with the arrival of December I would dig out my copy of The Christmas Mystery and as each chapter is a date in December I would read each chapter on the day mentioned. I even manage it for the most part! I then progressed and started reading Christmas ghost stories in November (a between Halloween and Christmas thing) I’m not overly successful with that but I do try. Now that it’s lent I’m thinking of bringing Chocolat by Joanne Harris into the mix as the story takes place during lent…
I’m wondering should my choice of words have been festive reading rather than seasonal? Anyhoo! I’m a very slow reader so I think I’m going to indulge in an audio version of Chocolat – You can’t beat the curling purring tones of Samantha Bond and the writing of Joanne Harris. Mercifully I’ve not given up chocolate for lent ’cause that is a book just dripping with temptation for the finer indulgences.

Books · Husband

Drive By Posting

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I shouldn’t do this but I’m going to anyway.

First off let me explain – I’m a cheap date = you only have to wave a cork under my nose and I’m drunk so a glass of wine later and I’m well tiddled.  Therefore posting things is not advised for 2 reasons 1. my typing is horrendously bad and it takes a long time to get the spellings right and 2. I find it difficult to think.  So if this is gibberish – sorry.

I’m a mad China Miéville fan so here is a link to interview-y type things.  I haven’t listened /watched all of it so in a way this is also a link for me.

The second thing I want to mention is I have a big huge pile of To Be Read books – sometimes it’s like being a child in a sweetshop and trying to decide what to read next is a torment.  However this evening I bought a book that I really can’t wait to start.  I don’t think I’ve had one of those in a long while.  It’s Trains And Buttered Toast by John Betjemin.  I have never read anything by him (that I’m aware of) but I heard him read something on a television programme and thought that it sounded absolutely wonderful so decided must look him up.

Ok concentration has slipped away so I’m going to go but for this completely collapses into rambling rubbish.

One Last Thing!

Pádraig – Happy Anniversary!  5 years and still going strong.

Love you LOADS!  – maybe I should save that for sobriety ’cause now it just comes across as the drunk telling everybody I love you man!

Seriously though – we’ve have a great 5 years and some brilliants laughs and adventures. Time for some anniversary cuddles  🙂

Books · craft · Home · Life

Out & About

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Today we ventured into Dublin city centre.  Our bus eventually got us in through the hoards of GAA Fans.  Our mission was to go to the National Art Gallery and see the Harry Clarke illustrations of Hans Christian Anderson.  OMG but they were very pretty and talk about detail!

Once we’d finished in the gallery we went to the shop and picked up the book that went with the exhibition. Just as we were leaving I noticed the Cath Kidston shelf. Naturally I had to treat myself as you don’t come across her stuff too much over here – or at least not where I’d look. Anyway I proudly pranced out of the museum with:
Make by Cath KidstonMake

CK Flexi Journal CK Flexi Journal

CK Home Ideas Journal

Now who’s a lucky bunny?

To top things off as we were making our way to the bus stop we popped into Arnotts in the Jervis centre and I picked up a pack of three Gisela Graham grey floral bags
Bags

We also picked up some of these in a peach colour
Hooks!

So all in all an expensive day out but it was worth every cent! Time to go and read my new books.

Books · Niece

Getting up

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After the alarm went off this morning I was lying in bed trying to persuade myself that I should be getting up.  Then I remembered – it’s Friday!  I don’t have to get up tomorrow so I might as well get up this morning:)

I had to get up last Saturday as we were going out to a book sale.  I picked up a few lovely books.  3 Ngaio Marsh, 3 Dorothy L Sayers, 1 Margery Allingham, 1 Agatha Christie, 5 A.A.Milne, 2 Ladybird books.  It was a happy haul and it cost less than €20.00 plus it came with coffee and biscuits.  Fantastic!!  Mind you I’ve been doing some extra book buying – I’ve also picked up 2 Wallander,

I’ve ordered:
Something Wicked by David Roberts

And


by Jane Brocket

I’ve just realised I might have to get up after all 😦
I’ve been giving serious thought to going for a swim but I’ve got definite arrangements to go and visit a wool shop – http://www.stitchireland.com/ neither my mother or myself have been so we’re off to spend spend spend. It also means I get to spend spend spend time with my niece. I think I’m looking forward to that more than the wool.

Books

Holiday Reading

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We will be going away to Paris for 5 nights and I’m trying to get my holiday reading organised.  In my heart of hearts I know that I won’t get anything read but it’s still something that I have to bring with me.  The plan is for a magazine and two books. I have held off reading Country Living so I’ll bring that with me – the new one will be out in the shops while we’re away so that will be a nice treat for when we get back.  The books – well let me see…

One of them has to be a murder mystery so I’ve ordered: The Case Of The Late Pig by Margery Allingham and Whose Body by Dorothy L Sayers.  The Campion has arrived so I’m waiting on Wimsey – after that I’ll sit down and make a decision.   The other two books I’ve ordered are both by Mary Stewart:  The Ivy House and Nine Coaches Waiting.  Neither of these have come in yet so it might just be a case of which ever arrives in first gets to go on holidays.

As you can see I have my priorities – I’ve my books ordered well in advance and I still haven’t properly organised who will be looking after the moggies.  It is on the list though!

Books

A Fête Worse Than Death

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A Fête Worse Than Death by Dolores Gordon-Smith – well I’ve finished it and I have to say I really enjoyed it.  Although to be honest I couldn’t exactly say why.

When I was little I was a huge fan of Nancy Drew – I thought she was wonderful and this lead into crime fiction.  Recently I re-read a Nancy Drew book but as with most nostalgia it doesn’t deliver the same emotions 25 years later.  On the other hand reading A Fête Worse Than Death left me with the same feelings I had when I first read Nancy.  What I liked was that we were presented with almost all of the necessary detail to solve the mystery but like our hero we’re just not seeing it.

I originally wanted to get this book ’cause of the art work on the cover and I had hoped that the content would reflect that cover and it most certainly did.  I think I will have to talk nicely to himself about getting the next two 😉

Books · Family · Home

Dublins First Vintage Fair

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And I can’t go!!! Boo!!!!

I came across this & this and reading through it I though that looked good it’s a pity we’ve missed it.  I was reading it out aloud and himself thought it sounded good too.  That means we keep an eye out for the next time it’s on.  Hold on I’ve been reading it all wrong it’s on tomorrow – therefore we can’t go as he is still to sore after his operation and his parents are coming out to visit.  Well I’m blowing raspberries at my tomorrow.  On the other hand I have Madeira cake and I bought I bought a pack of my favourite biccies – fruit shortcake – actually they are lidl ones so I think they’re called fruit shorties.

I regretted missing the fair when I thought it had already been on but now I sorely regret missing it as I will be doing so in real time 😦

On a brighter note I excavated my desk (some how it now has different junk on it)  and I came across one or two books that I had put aside to be read and they eventually disappeared in amongst the ‘stuff’  so after the quick run around on the house tomorrow I’ll be free to relax and read to my hearts content.