Friday 29 March 2013

Review: Sorrow Wood


Sorrow Wood
Sorrow Wood by Raymond L. Atkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a freebie on the Kindle and I absolutely loved it.
Predominately, it is a love story about Wendal and Reva that spans the years.
The writing is beautifully rich and the characters are presented in depth.
Definitely one to reread some time in the future.



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Wednesday 27 March 2013

Review: The Cult Of Osiris


The Cult Of Osiris
The Cult Of Osiris by Andy McDermott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Another great book by Mr McDermott, # 5 in the Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase series.
This is a fast paced, action packed, roller coaster of a book.
A great read just for pure escapism!



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Monday 25 March 2013

Not Been Well

I am just getting over a really nasty strain of a tummy bug. It knocked me for six and then some! It seems to be doing the rounds for those unlucky enough not to be able to avoid it! It was Colin s Birthday on the 23rd and it was just unfortunate that he had to cook his own Birthday dinner but he did a good job of it. We had a lovely beef casserole.

The good side of being so ill and confined to bed mean't that I got a lot of reading done. Talking of which  last week I got a book in the post which I won on Gransnet. It is called 'The Middlesteins' by Jami Attenberg. 


I was very shocked to see that the RRP was a £11.99 as it is only a paper back and not that very big either seeing it only has 273 pages! As much as I love a 'real' book, you just can't beat a Kindle for lovely cheap book prices.  The Kindle version is only £2.05, go figure!  Anyhow, I digress, it will be added to my TBR (to be read) pile.

On the Chicken front, our hens still have not laid their first eggs. Hopefully, it will be any time soon now. Colin was hoping it would of happened on his Birthday so he got a 'Birthday Egg' lol.

The weather has been absolutely dreadful and so cold. Apparently it has been the coldest and wettest March in 50 years. It would be so nice to see the sun and the first inklings of Spring!  






Review: Red Pottage


Red Pottage
Red Pottage by Mary Cholmondeley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I struggled with the first couple of chapters to begin with, and thereafter, the book was a joy to read.
Beautifully written and full of diversity where characters are concerned.




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Sunday 24 March 2013

Review: Nosferatu


Nosferatu
Nosferatu by Bob Mayer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was different to the other books in the Area 51 series. All the original central characters do not appear.
Saying that, I did enjoy the book even though its basically a vampire story. Will continue reading the series though.



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Monday 18 March 2013

Review: The Mammy


The Mammy
The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I first came across Brendan O'Carroll through his hilarious sitcom Mrs Brownes Boys. The book certainly did not disappoint. It was funny, sad and poignant. I had trouble putting the Kindle down as the story just seemed to draw me in.
I loved the way O'Carroll brought out all the different emotions amongst the family.



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Saturday 16 March 2013

Review: The Last of the Neanderthals


The Last of the Neanderthals
The Last of the Neanderthals by Jonathan Pidduck

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Loved it, even better than the first two in the series.
Mr Pidduck certainly knows how to spin a yarn and this certainly did not disappoint.
Full of human eating Neanderthals, a couple of sex mad old age pensioners and a humorous rip roaring yarn, a fabulous way to spend 96p!

Having read all of Mr Pidduck's books, I can see his writing has gone from strength to strength.

Looking forward to reading his next book very much.



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Thursday 14 March 2013

Review: The Woman in White


The Woman in White
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A wonderful book full of intriguing characters. This book has everything you need to keep you entertained; romance, intrigue, mystery and spooky mansions.
Count Fosco is larger than life and Walter Hartright is a determined hero.
The book switches narrations through different characters but it does not distract from the storyline.
I have to say that Wilkie Collins is one of my favourite Classic authors.



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Wednesday 13 March 2013

Review: Dragongirl. Todd McCaffrey


Dragongirl. Todd McCaffrey
Dragongirl. Todd McCaffrey by Todd J. McCaffrey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I did enjoy reading this book but yet again I felt it contained too much waffle and not enough action. The book still had me gripped enough that I wanted to see what the outcome was.

At least the Pern books are being carried on.



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Tuesday 12 March 2013

Snow

Last night I opened the front door to see how bad the snow was laying and saw that we had a couple of icicles hanging from our porch:


Here is a close up:


I just think they look very pretty. The camera flash lit them up nicely.


The snow drifting up against our front door.

I think we have had the worst of it now as the sun has been shining today and already the icicles have melted away.

Monday 11 March 2013

A Week's Roundup

Last Tuesday we went over to our friends Phil and Tracy's house as Phil asked Colin to cut a tree down seeing he couldn't because of his bad back.


Colin lopping branches off.


Phil removing the branches.

It made a nice change as it has been Phil helping Colin lately, building and making the chicken coop safe from predators.

Phil also keeps chickens.


Other than that, I have not gone outside the house at all. Not even to do shopping as Colin has done that. 
I am hoping that will change  as drum practice starts up again soon. It is due mainly to having lots of anxiety attacks that make me like a hermit :-(

On the cross stitching front, I had a finish, which does not happen very often these days lol.



Yesterday was Mothers Day here in the UK. I got four boxes of chocolates including two very large boxes of Thortons! :-) My daughter Becky also brought me a lovely sterling silver Chamilia bead for my Chamilia bracelet she brought me for my birthday last year from the Jewellers Ernest Jones.



 Colin cooked a lovely roast chicken dinner so I was completely spoiled for the day.

Today we woke up to this:


Just when I thought Spring was rapidly approaching, a snow blizzard and it is still snowing as I type this. Services have been disrupted all over the place here down in my neck of the woods.  

Friday 8 March 2013

Review: The Lost Labyrinth


The Lost Labyrinth
The Lost Labyrinth by Will Adams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I highly enjoyed this book. It was non stop action from start to finish.
The character, Mikhail Nergadze, was one of the best villains I have come across in a long time.
The last few chapters had me riveted and I couldn't put the book down and I certainly had not envisaged the ending!
A fabulous read!



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Tuesday 5 March 2013

Chickens!


Last Friday was 'C' Day as in Chicken Day. Yes we got the girls finally!


This is Dottie (Colins ). She is a a Maran's Cuivree.


This Doris and she is mine. She is a White Sussex.


This is Dolly and she is mine too lol. She is a Blue Haze.


All three together. We just went for old fashioned names and they all start with 'D' lol.

Saturday 2 March 2013

Review: Dragonheart


Dragonheart
Dragonheart by Todd J. McCaffrey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is the second book of a trilogy and I enjoyed the story line. That said, I did find the reading tedious and boring at times. There was a lot of unnecessary waffling that distracted from the story at times.

A group of Dragonriders and Weyrlings, jump to 10 turns in the past. The aim is that this will help heal injured dragon riders from thread injuries and to allow the Weyrlings to grow untainted by a mystery illness which is threatening Pern's dragons.




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