Absolutely Alchemy

Reading...

2012-01-21T14:29:00.001Z

Spent almost an hour this morning browsing around my local library, came home with a stack of books to read.

Which is a good sign - have been in a real funk the last few weeks, so much so that I hadn't even got the wherewithal to pick up a book to read it (and if you know me you know this is indeed a bad sign!) Only managed to read one book in December, which is most unlike me.

Currently i'm reading Italian Shoes by Henning Menkel, my book clubs pick for the month.

What about you?

Stationary geek out....

2012-01-10T21:24:00.001Z

Look what arrived in my stationary delivery today:

A pink A4 diary.

It's just gorgeous - hand stitched and the quality is gorgeous. Never seen one in this colour before - usually you get black, red, blue or green; pink is a new one!!

And given that I work on a site full of rough tough construction workers, I think this could be a tough sell to my guys!!

Am considering taking one for the team and retiring my Filofax for the year.....

Monday Miscellany

2012-01-09T21:16:00.001Z

I've been doing a lot of blog reading lately - here's a few posts that really made an impression on me.

For The Bloggess, the fight against depression goes on - http://thebloggess.com/2012/01/the-fight-goes-on/

In a similar vein, misslexywoo writes about how depression runs far deeper than realising how lucky you are: http://misslexywoo.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/a-lifestyle-choice-depression-for-dummies/

Something we all need to remember once in a while - why you shouldn't put bloggers on pedestals : http://www.therealslimjackson.com/2012/01/08/plain-truth-why-you-shouldnt-put-bloggers-on-pedestals/

Two great posts from Gala Darling - In Defence of Calling it Quits and How to Write A Personal Manifesto:
http://galadarling.com/article/in-praise-of-calling-it-quits

http://galadarling.com/article/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement

From Positively Present, a New Years Post- http://www.positivelypresent.com/2012/01/2012-such-things-to-be.html
I identified with every word of this. I'm hoping that 2012 will be the year where I stop holding back.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (which explains the bog standard ugly formatting on the links....)

And so it begins.....

2012-01-05T22:00:00.001Z

Happy New Year!

I realise it's a bit late, seeing as we're 5 days into the New Year, but I've been reading so many brilliant posts reflecting on 2011 and making resolutions for 2012 that everything I wrote just felt a bit inadequate.

(which is kinda the story of my life)

2011 was a rollercoaster of a year for me - the highs were very high, but the lows were very low! Put it this way, its not a year I shall look back upon with unadulterated fondness.

So 2012 has to be better!

I'm not one for New Years Resolutions, (mainly because I can never keep the blasted things and I can't handle anymore failure right now) but I'm setting an aim for myself to blog here once a week.

That's all, one post a week. And if I do more, that's a bonus.

So 1 down, 51 more to go!!

The Gallery - something I'm proud of...

2011-11-23T11:37:00.000Z

When I saw the theme of this week's Gallery was Something I'm Proud Of, this picture was the one that immediately sprang to mind.

This is my little niece, who loves using the iPhone and iPad - the picture was taken using the Hipstamatic app, and seeing as I shake it to randomise the effects, it tends to be a bit of a lottery as to how the pics turn out!

So I was delighted (and proud!) when this one turned out as well as it did :-)

Monday Miscellany....

2011-11-21T14:03:00.000Z

Wow, when you haven't blogged for a while it just gets harder and harder to write anything, doesn't it?

In lieu of a thinky-talky post, here's a few links that I've enjoyed reading:

+ Holly's post on why blogging has lost some of its sparkle really resonated with me

+ A great article on the fabulous Nora Roberts

+ Adventures in Depression from Hyperbole and a Half. All I can say is been there, done that.....

+ Sometimes we all need a permission slip....

Silent Sunday

2011-08-28T13:13:00.000+01:00

......

2011-08-26T22:41:00.000+01:00

I've been having a tough few weeks.

Dealing with someone in my life who is selfish, who is entitled, who takes me (and other family members) for granted; and worst of all, someone whose relationship with the truth can only be described as elastic.

(This is something I should be wary about posting on a blog that has my real name on it. But the people who matter know exactly who I'm referring to, so I think I'm safe enough).

I'm trying to keep things in perspective - turn things over to the Universe and trust that someway, somehow this individual will get their comeuppance.

But it's hard, so hard.

Silent Sunday

2011-08-21T13:36:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday # 23

2011-07-27T08:46:00.001+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask.

Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again.

This novel isn't released til January 12th 2012, but when I saw it, I just had to include it as this weeks Waiting on Wednesday pick. I absolutely loved The Secret Year - there's a wonderful lyrical quality to Hubbard's writing; TSY was a book I just lost myself in and I'm hoping Try Not To Breathe will be the same.

I also follow her blog, and she seems like a genuinely lovely person.

Waiting on Wednesday #22

2011-07-20T08:23:00.004+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

Sophie Brady is funny, beautiful, a force of nature. One January evening she kisses her adored husband and young son goodbye, closes the door of number thirty three. At ten pm she's with her best friend Jenny in Soho, polishing off a second bottle of wine. By midnight, she's dead. Except she doesn't feel dead. And she isn't going anywhere until she helps Ollie find love again.

Heartbroken Ollie is unaware of his new eligible status in the neighbourhood. He's busy fathering Freddie, and trying to work out how to use the washing machine. This is a man who once watered a houseplant for a year before realising it was plastic.

Step forward Jenny. Missing her best friend terribly, she throws herself into helping Ollie, neglecting her own imminent wedding. As she gets closer to Ollie, she unearths secrets that make her question quite how well she knew Sophie. And how well she knows her own heart. Where does loyalty end and love begin?

The Angel at Number 33 releases on December 8th, 2011.

I came across this book when I was blog-hopping, and I just love the sound of it. I'm a sucker for these kind of ghost/angel stories; and I've always heard good things about Polly Williams. (Note to self - see if library has any of her other books in stock!!)

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-07-19T10:02:00.001+01:00

Kristen Chenowith

iPhone 4 love!

2011-07-16T13:54:00.000+01:00

Have just spent the last hour setting up my brand new iPhone 4 - Holy Mary Mother of God, I am IN LOVE!!

You have to understand, I've had an iPhone 3G since December 2008. And I loves it - it is very much like another limb to me. But the last few months, it's been slow. (Slower than the M50 used to be on a rainy / snowy night, and believe me that is saying something!) And a lot of the newer apps that are coming out won't work on it (Pinterest, I'm looking at you) simply because the phone just doesn't have the firepower to run them.

Situation was slightly more complicated by the fact that my 3G was bought as a gift, and thus registered in my fathers name. Which meant he had to be with me to change the phone. And trying to get half an hour to do that is tougher than you may think!

So finally grabbed him this morning and went shopping.... and boy am I glad I did!!

Now I'm off to play with my new toy....

The Gallery - Travel

2011-07-13T10:27:00.002+01:00

I've been to Perth, Western Australia, twice - first in November 2008, to surprise my aunt (also my godmother) for her 50th birthday; then again in November 2010.

I absolutely love Perth - both times it was the start of their summer, so we got really good weather (altough last NOvember, we had a couple of days where it was high 30's / early 40's, which is just too flipping hot for this pale skinned Irish lassie!) But it's a gorgeous city - not too big, people are very friendly, and everywhere is just so clean!

This was taken at Kings Park, overlooking the CBD. You can see the ferries on the Swan River, carrying people from East Perth to West Perth. (Seriously, and this may only make sense to an Irish person, but the public transport system in Perth is just AMAZING. It runs on time, it's clean, everything is integrated and links up - in short, the complete opposite of what we have in Ireland!)

Cottlesloe Beach - one of the prettiest beaches I have ever been to. (Pop culture note - the big white building you can see in the pic is the Tea Rooms where the memorial for Heath Ledger was held).

They only let kids go on the carousel - I was oddly disappointed!!

Hillary's Boat Harbour is one of my favourite places in Perth - seriously pretty, lots of restaurants and little shops; you can spend the whole day here just wandering about! Plus the pub there, The Breakwater, is lovely whether its the middle of the day or later at night!

The vinyards at Upper Reaches Winery - if you're in Perth and touring wineries is your thing, go here!! Lovely wines (I can recommend the Black Bream Rose!), good food and lovely, lovely owners.

This was put together for The Gallery over at Tara Cain's Sticky Fingers blog...

Waiting on Wednesday #21

2011-07-13T08:10:00.001+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

'He's not mine, is he?'

That's the question I fear the most. You see, I have a secret. My son is not fathered by my boyfriend, but by one of the most famous rock stars that ever lived. And he doesn't even know it.

One-time celebrity personal assistant to wild boy of rock Johnny Jefferson, Meg Stiles is now settled and living in the south of France with her doting boyfriend Christian and their son Barney. But they're living a lie - a lie that will turn their lives upside down and inside out - because as Barney reaches his first birthday, Meg can no longer deny that her son is growing to look more and more like his rock star father every day, and less and less like Christian, and sooner or later, the world is going to realise ...

I'd heard a lot of buzz about this book and Paige Toon in general, so when I was browsing in my local library and saw the only Paige Toon book on the shelf was Johnny Be Good, I took it as a sign from the universe that it was a book I was meant to read. So I checked it out, and I am oh so glad I did!

I flew through that book in less than a day - it's the kind of book that once you get into it, you can't wait to find out how it ends. And having done that, I am chomping at the bit to get my hands on the sequel! Baby Be Mine releases on July 21st, and I am literally counting the days!!

If you like chick lit novels, this is definitely an author you should check out.

on taking things personally.....

2011-07-11T15:49:00.000+01:00

"Don't take anything personally. Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves."

Don Miguel Ruiz, best selling author and speaker.

This was in today's quotes from The Daily Love, and I have to say, it really resonated with me. Because this is something that I find myself doing all the time - if someone is short with me at work, I find myself instantly presuming that they're mad at me for something that I've done (even when I know, logically, that I haven't done a thing) and wind up mentally beating myself up and feeling bad over it.

And of course, the other persons bad mood most likely has nothing to do with me. They could have had a fight with their mother/father/partner/brother/sister, they could be worrying about a loved one in hospital, any one of a million things that has nothing to do with me.

No matter how much that horrible little voice in my head tells me otherwise.

New look....

2011-07-09T18:02:00.000+01:00

Have been thinking about changing the blog template for ages, and finally managed to find one that I liked! I wanted something bright and fairly simple looking, so this one (found at btemplates.com) ticked all the boxes!

The header picture was found on weheartit and cropped to fit -it's a pic of Taylor Swift, who is one of my favourite singers - link to where the pic was originally found is here

Have been tweaking the template for most of the afternoon - think it's time just to stop and let it go :-)

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-07-05T09:13:00.001+01:00

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;

they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love,

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Book buying news...

2011-07-04T21:05:00.001+01:00

Saw this on twitter earlier on today and literally almost fell off my chair:

http://irishpublishingnews.com/2011/07/04/amazon-agrees-to-acquire-the-book-depository/

I'm not especially happy about this, for a number of reasons (not least of which for competitive reasons - i definitely think that the more choice you have, the better it is for the consumer.)

These days if I'm buying paper books (as opposed to buying for my Kindle), I use The Book Depository - I find the prices are better than Amazon (both UK and US sites), plus which there is the incredibly attractive free shipping, which is where I find amazon to be outrageously expensive.

So far there's no word on what will come of Book Depository's free shipping, though I cannot see it lasting once Amazon take over (woe).

(And I know Amazon UK now offer free shipping for orders over €25, but if I recall correctly, it doesn't automatically kick in at checkout - you have to tick a box for it. Thats not the case with Book Depository)

Anyone got any thoughts on this?

Pinning.....

2011-06-30T07:40:00.001+01:00

So, I have a new obsession:

I joined this site after hearing other bloggers rave about it - simply put, its a virtual pinboard, where you can pin any pic you find on the interwebs so you have them all in one place. You can set up as many different boards as you want - for instance, I have one for quotes, one for style, for books, for pretty pics; and I'm still coming up with ideas for more!

They have also developed an iPhone/iPad app for when you're on the go; there is only one drawback really - it is incredibly addictive!

The above link (and the one in the sidebar) both take you to my page if anyone would like a gander - I also have invites if anyone would like one!

Lead me not into temptation....

2011-06-29T18:12:00.000+01:00

I've been trying very hard to be good recently, spending wise. (iTunes and the Kindle for iPad app are going to be the death of my credit card, I swear. Amazon's 1-Click Purchase thingummybob is at once genius and evil!)

Given that, I should absolutely know better than to follow a link on twitter which says there are new filofax designs up on the website.

Because I go there and I see this:

The purple songbird - isn't it pretty??

And it's only £32 - which converts to just over €35 euro, and it's usually another €10p&p on top of that, so it's not completely exorbitant.....

But I already have my personal Finchley, and my A5 Cuban for work - I don't really need another filofax.

But holy moly, this tempts me....

Thinky Thoughts...

2011-06-24T21:54:00.001+01:00

So, the last two weeks have been utterly bonkers. A week last Monday, I went into work to be told one of the other admins was out sick with shingles, so I was expected to pitch in and cover for her.

Normally, not a problem.

But did I mention this particular girl is in charge of our Payroll (WAGES) system?

And that I haven't run a Payroll since approximately 2004? And that back then I was using an using an earlier version of the payroll software, and that I'd never had to upload wages onto the SAP software package before?

In short, my bosses expected me to run a payroll for approximate 200 operatives, when as I told them several times "I really don't have a clue what I'm doing?!?!"

Nonetheless, with the help of other colleagues who do have experience in the system, I got it done. (just. People may not have been paid right, but they got their flat hours and as my boss said, we can fix any mistakes next week!)

And instead of being a nervous wreck and thinking I was useless, I was actually energised by the challenge. Stressed out and cranky, yes. Wibbly, yes. But I wasn't sickened with anxiety or panic in the way I would have been a couple of years ago.

Which again, shows me how far I've come over the last few years.

(That said, when other admin cane back from sick leave this past Wednesday, I was THRILLED! Never so delighted to see anyone in my whole working life!!)

Silent Sunday

2011-06-12T12:33:00.003+01:00

The Only Way Out Is Through

2011-06-11T23:10:00.003+01:00

Inertia

(noun) in-er-tia
Inability or unwillingness to move or act

This has been me recently, especially when it comes to this blog.

I have so many ideas for blog posts, so many plans and yet when it comes down to it, I can’t be bothered to do any of it.

An absolute case of inertia (well, it sounds a lot better than Can'tBeBothereditis!!)

Which is slightly demoralising and frustrating, I’ve got to admit.

I want to blog. I don’t want this lovely little space to just wither and die.

So I’ve made a decision - the only way out is through. Jump in at the deep end and start posting here again - hopefully the more I post here the easier it’ll get!

Low

2011-04-28T10:24:00.004+01:00

Depression is a snaky bitch.

I've been very low the last few weeks, which is why I haven't been posting here - putting one foot in front of the other to get through the day has been a struggle, trying to come up with something to blog about has been beyond me altogether.

Am slowly coming back to myself though - its just taking time. Which, for someone who runs as low on patience as I do, is part of the struggle!!

But I've done it before, I can do it again.

One step at a time.

Love you Nana....

2011-04-06T14:27:00.003+01:00

It’s been a tough few days – my lovely Nana passed away last Thursday night. It wasn’t a huge shock – we knew from St Patrick’s Day that she was very very sick, and that things weren’t good. But no matter how prepared you think you are for these things, it’s still a horrendous shock when it actually happens.

Especially as she’d tricked us twice already – it looked like she was going to go on the previous Saturday, and then again on the Tuesday. (As I kept on muttering, “and she says she’s not stubborn!”)

But we think she knew what she was doing at the end – she died on my uncle B’s birthday, thus ensuring that (a) none of us will ever forget the date and (b) he’ll never be alone on his birthday. And my Uncle N was on the night shift with her that night - he was the Golden Boy, we used tease her that whenever he visited there would always be an apple tart baked, and the good milk jug would be out, along with the sugar bowl! And then we buried her on Mother’s Day, and two days later (yesterday) was my Grandad’s 23^rd anniversary.

Nana lived in the house next door to us, and her house is as much as home to me as my own is. I can’t even put into words how huge a loss this is.

All I can say is that I love her and will miss her heaps.

me & Nana at her 80th birthday dinner last October

Tweet Tweet

2011-03-31T14:39:00.004+01:00

So, Real Life is continuing to be horrendous; hence the blog silence. But I saw the prompts on Mama Kat's Writing Workshop this week, and this one just called out to me:

1.) Compile and share a list of your favorite tweets.

Now, I have a small bit of a Twitter addiction. I have some tweets in my favourites, and others that I loved so much I re-tweeted them. So without further ado, here's some of my favourites:

RT @Pan_duh: First rule of Procrastination Club: I'll tell you later....

jminnsdesign Anybody know of a good mechanic in Dublin.Martin Johnson is looking for help in fixing a chariot that the wheels have come off #sixnations

RT @robcesternino: An Egyptian man has named his daughter 'Facebook'. The baby girl has just liked the page "I hate my Dad".

RT@C_T_S: Is it me or does Kerry Katona sound like Orville the Duck: 'you can skate Kerry!' 'But I caaaaan't'#DOI

RT @LiterallyJamie: Stephen Ireland fails medical. Reports suggest that he has same congenital heart defect that killed 11 of his grannies.

RT @ratskins: Micheál Martin has to give back the immunity idol and put out his torch now right, that is what happens isn't it?

RT @ActuallyNPH: Neil's New Year Resolutions, Part 3: Try not to insult aged soap stars, especially when you're on the same network.

RT @drakkardnoir: Anytime you're afraid to try some new shit...just remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.”

RT @YourAuntLola: Sweetie, everyone else is walking around pretending to be a competent adult too

On a serious note: finslippy To anyone in the throes of serious depression: you are not selfish, or bad. You have a medical condition, and it is treatable. Get help.

And one of my favourites from my own tweets: Dad just home from work. Today he managed to get his glasses run over by a jeep :-)

Other responses can be found here.

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-03-22T10:16:00.000Z

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou

It Arrived!!

2011-03-21T17:10:00.000Z

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!!

2011-03-17T09:00:00.000Z

Happy St Patricks Day to you all!!!

image source

Waiting on Wednesday #20

2011-03-16T09:13:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother. . . .

“You know what we’re here for. Hand it over, and we’ll let her go.”

When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore—she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect.

The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light—or bury it forever.

This is another easy WoW pick for me - I've loved reading all the Will Trent books, and I find the relationship between himself and faith to be completely fascinating.

Fallen releases on June 21st, 2011.

Thought for a Tuesday.....

2011-03-15T12:08:00.000Z

source: sofiasjournal.com

Quiet.....

2011-03-14T14:23:00.002Z

It's been a bit quiet in these parts the last week or so - mainly because Real Life has been a bit hectic of late, and blogging is the first thing that goes when that happens (but not Twitter, funnily enough - 140 characters is way more manageable!)

My Google Reader also has completely run amuck - 432 unread posts at last count!

Have been scribbling away in a notebook though, so hopefully there shall be some talky blog posts here soon....

Waiting on Wednesday #19

2011-03-09T09:45:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

Bella Greenwood isn’t a fairytale girl. If pushed, she’d probably tell you that her perfect wedding would involve a handful of close friends and family. But as she’s never met anyone she’d like to marry, it’s a moot point.

Until, in a midnight garden, Bella is helped out of an embarrassing situation by a tall, dark, handsome man with laughing eyes. And suddenly her life changes for ever, because the man is the world’s most eligible bachelor: Prince Richard, heir to the throne.

Richard sweeps her off her feet, and before she knows it they’re engaged. Which is when Bella’s problems really begin. Suddenly she is public property, and as if it isn’t enough to have her every move watched – while also learning to curtsy and negotiating the etiquette of how to address her future mother-in-law – she soon finds herself embroiled in bridesmaid politics, a right royal hen night, and a wedding dress controversy that causes a national scandal…

Can this ordinary girl survive the preparations for her very own Royal Wedding?

I saw this on chicklitreviews March releases post, and I instantly wanted to read it! There's a fairy tale element to it which I really love, and obviously with the Royal Wedding at the end of April, it's fairly topical!!!

To Marry a Prince is released on March 31st 2011.

Thought for a Tuesday.....

2011-03-08T09:43:00.000Z

source

Waiting on Wednesday #18

2011-03-02T10:00:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

I saw this on I Heart Reading's Waiting on Wednesday post last week, and I have to say that I was hooked straight away - how could you not want to read on after that blurb??

Ultraviolet releases on June 2nd 2011

Books Read - February 2011

2011-03-01T14:09:00.003Z

Here's the list of books I read in February - 8 in total, which isn't too bad!

1. In Silence - Erica Spindler

2. Killer - Sara Shepard

3. Taboo - Casey Hill

4. Love Me to Death - Allison Brennan

5. The Lying Game - Sara Shepard

6. Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich

7. Last Witness - Jilliane Hoffman

8. Storm Prey - John Sandford

Favourite book of the month was definitely Taboo by Casey Hill - very enjoyable, easy to get into and the type of twist I've come to expect from a Melissa Hill novel! (Casey Hill is the pseudonym of the writing team of chick-lit author Melissa Hill and her husband Kevin.)

Also enjoyed Storm Prey, which is the latest in the Lucas Davenport series; because I've read all these, and know the characters, it's very easy to slide into the novel. This is definitely a series I'd recommend (especially as book #3, Eyes of Prey, has the best twist I've ever read, and it's right at the last line of the novel. Will never forget the sheer "WTF..... OMG no freaking way!!!!" sensation after I read it.)

Two of my most recent WoW picks are on the bookshelf at home waiting to be started - Treachery in Death by JD Robb and To The Moon and Back by Jill Mansell. The choice may require the flipping of a coin....

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-03-01T09:18:00.000Z

source

Buying pretty things.....

2011-02-28T15:31:00.006Z

This Saturday saw me go shopping with my Sister and the Adorable Niece, which is always good fun (and expensive)!

I've been considering getting an A5 filofax purely for work - at the moment I'm using my Finchley in Imperial Purple for both work and personal stuff; I'm running a week on two pages diary to capture appointments, birthdays and the like, and then a day per page diary to record the stuff I do for work everyday. But I'm increasingly finding there's not enough room on the day per page - not so much that I can't fit everything in, but being right handed, I find it hard to write around the rings when I'm writing in stuff on Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Plus the Finchley is relatively new, so it's not at the lying flat stage yet (and I'm not going to force it!)

Another factor to consider is there's a possibility I'll be going to a different site later on in the year, and the role I'm being lined up for will involve a lot of paperwork and good organisation shall be needed.

So Sister finds me in Easons eying up the Filofaxes, and listens to me procrastinate as I hold an A5 Cuban in Chilli in my hands. (She swears there was drool. I say she's exaggerating. Adorable Niece is unable to help, as she's 15 months old and not saying much beyond "EH!!!". )

Long story short, I wound up buying it. After going away, thinking about it, and pricing it on the Filofax UK website as we ate lunch! (For those who wonder about these things, the A5 Cuban was a couple of Euro cheaper on the website, but would have been more expensive when you factor in postage & packaging. Also, the Chilli is out of stock on the website. So I got a good deal on it all in all.)

Plus which, is pretty, see?!

source

It also has the double pen loop that my old Belgravia had, which is handy as I tend to write initial tasks in blue biro, then follow up notes in red.

Am still figuring out how I want to set it up, which is part of the fun of Filofax!! Have been eyeing up the website looking at inserts; I prefer the cream paper to the plain white, so there will be an order going in at some point....

My other splurge of the weekend was a new watch - I had a gift voucher for the shopping centre we were in from Christmas, and when I saw this gorgeous Newbridge watch I couldn't resist....

source

linkity link

2011-02-24T14:07:00.002Z

I had intended to write a witty post today, but I've been slammed by a sinus headache that is quite literally making me want to rip my head open.

So in lieu of said witty post, here are links to some posts I've read and enjoyed over the last few days:

An Open Letter to the Women Who Are Telling Me There's Something Wrong With Me Because I'm Not Married

Positively Prettyful: What's in my Filofax

Janet Fitch's 10 Rules for Writers

From writing.ie, Rose Doyle's 10 Step Plan - simple but illuminating for me, there may be a longer post on this at some point....

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off in search of solpa-sinus...

Waiting on Wednesday # 17

2011-02-23T09:35:00.001Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

When I said last week that I was a sucker for retellings, I wasn't joking!

This doesn't release until October 11th, so there's very little by way of an official description. However, the blurb thats on goodreads says that it's a modern retelling of the German legend Tristan & Isolde, in which the main character is "a yound witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is goig swimmingly well. Until she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school."

It sounds great, and the cover is absolutely gorgeous!!

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-02-22T09:55:00.000Z

As with all my "Thought for a Tuesday" images, this one came frm tumblr. Now I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but these are actually the lyrics to one of my favourite songs, "So I Am" by the late Belinda Emmett. Links to the lyrics and link to the YouTube video are embedded below.

"So I Am" on YouTube

Lyrics

Blog tweaking...

2011-02-19T17:26:00.004Z

Have made a few changes to the blog over the last day or so, and am actually feeling quite proud of myself at the moment, despite the fact that I'm not all that great with html, I've managed to figure out how to put a Goodreads badge and a "Follow Me on Twitter" badge onto the sidebar of the blog! (Points to the right....)

Also, I've added a contact e-mail addy in the menu bar at the top; and there's also an "About Me" page, the writing of which proved to me that I really, really hate trying to write bios!!

Have been thinking about changing the template, but I haven't found one I like nearly as much as this one, so that's going on the long finger for the time being....

Filofax Lust

2011-02-18T11:40:00.004Z

I've spoken before about my love for stationary and pretty things; so imagine my reaction when I was browsing the filofax uk website and saw this beauty:

image source

Isn't this just stunning? It's the personal size Deco, available for the first time in amethyst. Previously it was available in black, red or ivory - none of which floated my boat. This one however, truly does!! I literally drooled when I saw it; then saw the price, which is STG£195. Convert that into euro, and its an eye-watering €233, plus you'd have to allow about another €10 for postage and packing - I just cannot justify that type of spend on a filofax, no matter how beautiful and stunning it is!!

Especially as I only bought my current filofax - the gorgeous Imperial Purple Finchley - last summer as my birthday present to myself!

image source

I love my Finchley; use it every day and would be completely lost without it! But as I say, am currently in lust with the Deco Amethyst! Maybe I need to start dropping hints for this years birthday present to someone.....

One Day

2011-02-17T10:17:00.000Z

This appeared on my twitter stream yesterday; isn't it gorgeous?

The book which the movie is based on is at home in my (frankly rather massive) TBR pile; I shall definitely be reading that before July, which is when the movie is scheduled to come out!

Here's the blurb from Goodreads: Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY.

Waiting on Wednesday #16

2011-02-16T10:18:00.003Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Her life is dominated not only by her boyfriend's fame and his overbearing family, but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spirals into madness after the mysterious death of his father, the King, Ophelia rides out his crazy roller coaster life, and lives to tell about it. In live television interviews, of course.

Passion, romance, drama, humor, and tragedy intertwine in this compulsively readable debut novel, told by a strong-willed, modern-day Ophelia.

My main reason for this being a WoW is that I'm a sucker for retellings, and this modern day version of Hamlet sounds like it has the potential to be awesome!

Falling for Hamlet releases on July 5th, 2011.

writing.ie

2011-02-15T14:45:00.004Z

Writing.ie, a new site for Irish writers launched over the weekend - run by Vanessa O'Loughlin (Inkwell Writers Workshops), it's "a resource that will grow week by week to include all aspects of writing", and has guest bloggers, information on workshops & courses, events listings, a ‘Meet the Author’ section, Writers Toolbox and loads more.

If you're at all interested in writing, this is a fantastic site (even if you're not based in Ireland) - there's a lot of writing & publishing info there, and interviews with Sarah Webb, Colette Caddle, Kate Kerrigan and others.

The site is still only in the start-up phase, and the focus so far is mainly on fiction, but this will be expanding to include poetry,script, song and non-fiction. The forums haven't gone live yet either; when you click on the link it says to try back next week (which is probably a good thing as I've spent way too much time browsing that site today!!)

Thought for a Tuesday....

2011-02-15T10:00:00.000Z

Words to live by...

image source: http://instagr.am/p/Bko95/

Things I Love....

2011-02-14T12:30:00.000Z

In the spirit of Valentines Day, here's a few things I'm loving recently...

Instagram - a really cool iPhone app that lets you take pics and transform how they look and feel by applying different filters; or you can do what I do and mess around with pics you've already taken!

Photobox - I'm sure everyone and their dog has heard about this site, I've been using it since late last year and it's awesome. For printing photos, its much more economical than using a high street photo centre, plus you can order canvas, photo books, etc all at great prices. And when you have a problem, they respond promptly - I'd ordered a photobook for my niece's first birthday, but the package went missing in all the snow over Christmas. When I contacted Photobox, it was no problem, they printed it again and shipped it out, I had it just over a week later. Marvellous site that I can't recommend highly enough.

Taylor Swift's Speak Now album - I'm going to see her in The Point (yep, I know its the O2 now, but it will always be The Point to me!!) at the end of March - cannot wait!!!

This post at the philofaxy blog, which details the new filofax designs coming out this year. I bought my purple Finchley as a birthday pressie to myself last year, and I love it - but some of the new designs are very tempting! (Love the look of the new Osterley and Apex; and the Songbird in the new purple colour looks pretty!!)

iPhone imitating Lazarus....

2011-02-09T12:30:00.001Z

image source: google

Spent a very nervous couple of hours last night restoring my beloved iPhone 3G after it completely died yesterday afternoon - it was running very slow and the ipod function wouldn't work, so before I did a re-sync (which usually solves that problem), I said I'd turn it off and on again.

Turned it off, and that was that - dead as a doornail. Completely unresponsive.

Googling the problem discovered the solution - connect to PC and hold down home and start buttons to force it into recovery mode. Then I had to completely restore it to its factory settings and restore all the info from my last update.

Here's the real moral of the story - if you have an iPhone of any description, sync and back it up regularly! I'm a demon for not doing this, but luckily enough I'd just done it last week, so when I restored all the info I'd only lost a couple of photos of my niece that I'd taken over the weekend, everything else was still there.

But still, super scary.

But there is a happy ending - phone is back in the land of the living, and I am now devoting Saturday to going shopping and finding out if I'm due for an upgrade to a shiny iPhone 4! (Which, after 2 years, I should be...)

Waiting on Wednesday #15

2011-02-09T11:23:00.002Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.

But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.

For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.

Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.

Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that—in good times and bad, from one generation to the next—endure forever.

This was an easy WoW pick for me - I'm a huge fan of Sarah Addison Allen, have loved all her novels, so March 22nd can't come quickly enough for me!

image and blurb from amazon.com

Thought for a Tuesday....

2011-02-08T10:21:00.001Z

image source: justlyricallies

Sad news...

2011-02-07T15:09:00.004Z

Sad times if you're a book lover in Ireland (especially Dublin) as Waterstones closed their two branches in the city yesterday. Which is a real shame, as I loved both, especially the Dawsons Street store where I spent many a happy hour browsing....

Their branch in Drogheda, which would be closer to me, is unaffected as yet - but given that my beloved Murder Ink folded last year, plus Hughes & Hughes going into receivership (though they're now trading again) it doesn't look good for the book industry.

Some of the problem is obviously the high prices and the popularity of online shopping - for example, you can go to the book depository and find a lot of the same books for way cheaper than in the store, and the choices in Barnes & Noble.com or Amazon are vast. That said, the only books I buy online are the ones that you can't get over here (i.e. Allison Brennan, Suzanne Brockmann, Roxanne St Claire to name but a few...)

For me, there's nothing like wandering round a bookshop, picking up, putting down, leafing though the pages.... there's a magic in that that you just can't get online.

image credit: www.rte.ie

Waiting on Wednesday #14

2011-02-02T09:57:00.002Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

When Ellie Kendall tragically loses her husband she feels her life is over. But eventually she’s ready for a new start – at work, that is. She doesn’t need a new man when she has a certain secret visitor to keep her company...

Zack McLaren seems to have it all, but the girl he can’t stop thinking about won’t give him a second glance. If only she’d pay him the same attention she lavishes on his dog.

Moving to North London, Ellie meets neighbour Roo who has a secret of her own. Can the girls sort out their lives? Guilt is a powerful emotion, but a lot can happen in a year in Primrose Hill...

Reason why this is a WoW pick for me is really simple - I love Jill Mansells books. They're a fun, feel good read, and who doesn't need that in their lives?

To The Moon and Back releases on February 17th 2011.

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-02-01T12:01:00.001Z

source: moonlight-path.tumblr.com

Books Read - January 2011

2011-02-01T11:55:00.002Z

So here's the list of books I read in January -only 6, a slow month for me (which is what happens when Real Life gets in the way....)

1. Indulgence in Death - JD Robb

2. You Belong To Me - Karen Rose

3. Plea of Insanity - Jillianne Hoffman

4. Happily Ever After - Nora Roberts

5. Always on my Mind - Colette Caddle

6. The Crying Tree - Naseem Rakha

Book Recommendation - The Crying Tree

2011-01-31T15:30:00.003Z

About the book: This complex, layered story of a family's journey toward justice and forgiveness comes together through spellbinding storytelling.

Deputy sheriff Nate Stanley calls home one day and announces he's accepted a deputy post in Oregon. His wife, Irene, resents having to uproot herself and their children, Shep and Bliss, from their small Illinois town, but Nate insists it's for the best.

Once they've moved into their new home, Shep sets off to explore Oregon's outdoors, and things seem to be settling in nicely until one afternoon when Nate returns home to find his 15-year-old son beaten and shot in their kitchen. After Shep dies in Nate's arms, the family seeks vengeance against the young man, Daniel Joseph Robbin, accused of Shep's murder.

In the 19 years between Shep's death and Daniel's legal execution, Bliss becomes all but a caretaker for her damaged parents, and a crisis pushes Irene toward the truth about what happened to Shep. Most of the big secret is fairly apparent early on, so it's a testament to Rakha's ability to create wonderfully realized characters that the narrative retains its tension to the end.

This is my book clubs February pick – I checked it out from the library on Friday evening, started reading it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday afternoon. I’m a fairly quick reader, but even by my standards, that’s good going!

The story just pulled me in and wouldn’t let go – the Stanley family are torn apart by their son/brothers murder, and the book shows how each of them struggles to cope in the aftermath. Chapters alternate between the present day (2004) and the time of the murder (1985) so you get a clear sense of how much the characters go through.

It sounds like heavy going, (murder, depression, death penalty) but it’s really not – the story flows along really well and Rakha’s writing is just gorgeous.

There’s a couple of twists and turns in the book, especially near the end, so I’m not going to go into too much detail. All I can say is that this is a fabulous read and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Waiting on Wednesday 13

2011-01-26T10:00:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

Doesn’t every girl dream of getting… something from Tiffany’s?

On 5th Avenue in New York City, two very different men are shopping for gifts for the women they love.

Gary is buying his girlfriend Rachel a charm bracelet. Partly to thank her for paying for their holiday-of-a-lifetime to New York. But mainly because he’s left his shopping far too late.

Whereas Ethan’s looking for something a little more special – an engagement ring for the first woman to have made him happy since he lost the love of his life.

But when the two men’s shopping bags get confused, and Rachel somehow ends up with Ethan’s ring, the couples’ lives become intertwined.

As Ethan tries to reunite the ring with the woman it was actually intended for, he discovers this isn’t that easy. Does fate have other ideas for the couples? Or is there simply a bit of Tiffany’s magic in the air…

This is an automatic WoW for me because I am a major, major Melissa Hill fangirl - have read all her books and she just keeps getting better and better. The best thing about her books is that there's always. always a twist that I don't see coming which makes my jaw drop and has me flipping back through the book to see how she pulled it off!

Something from Tiffany's is released on May 26th 2011.

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-01-25T14:09:00.002Z

Waiting on Wednesday #12

2011-01-19T09:30:00.003Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My pick for this week is:

After her boss, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, suggests that New York policewoman Delia Peabody’s footwork needs some work, Delia books some time in the gym for what almost becomes a “killer” workout. Rather than visit NYPD’s brand-new, state-of-the-art exercise facilities, Peabody opts for the building’s old gym, since fewer of her well-toned, light-on-their-feet co-workers will be there. Upon arriving, Peabody has the place to herself until she hears voices and realizes that she’s listening to two cops angrily arguing about a deal in which they are both involved. Fortunately, the two leave before they realize Delia has overheard them. Not only does Peabody know the name of one of the corrupt cops, she also knows they are both guilty of murder. Now it will be up to Peabody and Eve to take these crooked cops down.

This is the 33rd book in the In Death series, so believe me when I say the characters are like old friends!! Am particularly excited that (if the blurb is to be believed) that Peabody gets a focus in this book, as she's one of my favourite of the secondary characters.

Treachery in Death releases on February 17th 2011.

Books Read - November & December

2011-01-15T13:06:00.003Z

Final books read in 2010 post - this brings me up to 121 books read in the year, and considering the goal was 100, I am quite happy about that!!!

November

1. Vampire Diaries - The Awakening/The Struggle - LJ Smith

2. The Oh My God Delusion - Paul Howard

3. The Duff - Kody Keplinger

4. Whisper No Lies - Cindy Gerard

5. Rescue Me - Christy Reece

6. Return to Me - Christy Reece

7. Run to Me - Christy Reece

December

1. Original Sin - Allison Brennan

2. Carnal Sin - Allison Brennan

3. Dead Wrong - Mariah Stewart

4 Dead Certain - Mariah Stewart

5. Dead Even - Mariah Stewart

6. Dead End - Mariah Stewart

7. Cold Truth - Mariah Stewart

8. Hard Truth - Mariah Stewart

9. Something Like Fate - Susane Colasanti

10. Dark Truth - Mariah Stewart

11. Final Truth - Mariah Stewart

Books Read - September & October 2010

2011-01-15T13:00:00.002Z

Attempting to catch up on these posts....

September
1. Acts of Mercy - Mariah Stewart
2. Left to Die - Lisa Jackson
3. Pretty Little Things - Jilliane Hoffman
4. Blackberry Wine - Joanne Harris
5. Waking the Witch - Kelley Armstrong
6. Shade - Jeri Smith Ready
7. Exit Strategy - Kelley Armstrong
8. The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff
9. Malice - Lisa Jackson

October
1. Copycat - Erica Spindler
2. Veil of Night - Linda Howard
3. Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother - Claudia Carroll
4. Collusion - Stuart Neville
5. Chosen to Die - Lisa Jackson
6. Give Up The Ghost - Megan Crewe.

Waiting on Wednesday #11

2011-01-12T10:00:00.000Z

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

This is a bit of a cheat for me, as I already listed this book as a WoW last year - but that was when the cover art went up and there was no blurb! Now, there is a blurb, and it's made me even more impatient to get my hands on this book!!

Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann

Troubleshooters Series, Book # 16
In stores: March 22, 2011

Izzy Zanella wasn't looking for another reason to butt heads with his Navy SEAL teammate and nemesis, Danny Gillman. But then he met Danny’s beautiful younger sister, Eden. When she needed it most, he offered her a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on—and more. And when she got pregnant with another man’s child, he offered her marriage. But Eden’s devastating miscarriage shattered their life together—and made the intense bad blood between Izzy and Danny even worse.

Now Eden's back, on a mission to rescue her teen brother, Ben,from their abusive stepfather. Even if she and Izzy can prove that their broken marriage is still in one piece, winning legal custody of Ben is a long shot. But they’re not alone: Danny and his girlfriend Jenn offer to help, and he and Izzy agree to bury the past and fight for Ben’s future.

As they plan their strategy, Izzy and Eden grapple with the raw passion that still crackles between them—while Danny and Jenn confront new depths in their own rocky relationship. But events take a terrifying turn after Ben befriends a girl fleeing a child prostitution ring. When the young runaway seeks refuge with Eden and Izzy, her pursuers kidnap Ben—and a deadly standoff begins. Now, they must all pull together like never before and strike back, swift and hard, to protect their unconventional little family and everything they hold most precious.

This is the 16th book set in the Troubleshooters universe; Izzy and Eden were the B storyline in book #14 (Into The Fire) and ever since I finished that I've wanted to find out what would happen between them after the events of that book. (Trying to be a bit vague here.....) Talking about the book on her website, Suze says its the longest TS book yet, as she's taking a break from the series for a while and didn't want to leave any loose ends hanging.
March 11th can't come soon enough!

Thought for a Tuesday

2011-01-11T14:33:00.002Z

2011

2011-01-10T14:19:00.000Z

*blows cobwebs off the blog*

*attempts not to choke on dust*

It’s been a while since I updated here – mainly because I was going through a severe case of CBB (Can’t Be Bothered) and writing anything here just seemed too much like hard work.

But getting back into the writing groove was one of my New Years Resolutions for 2010 - I didn’t do too badly on it, and I don’t want to let this blog die, so here I am.

2011 – the year where I (attempt to) blog more regularly!!!

Waiting on Wednesday #10

2010-09-15T10:28:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My choice for this week is:

The fourth book in this electrifying vampire series has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s Evernight books runaway successes.

Having become what they feared most, Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They must return to Evernight Academy, Lucas as a vampire and Bianca as a wraith. But Lucas is haunted by demons, both personal and supernatural. Bianca must help him fight the evil inside him, combat the forces determined to drive them apart—and find the power to claim her destiny at last.

Readers have fallen in love with Bianca and Lucas, and they will be thrilled to read this exciting conclusion to their romantic adventure.

(cover & blurb from goodreads - the blurb contains a major spoiler,which I've whited out just in case anyone hasn't read Hourglass or the series as a whole.)

I've been a huge fan of the Evernight series (Evernight, Stargazer, Hourglass), and seeing as Hourglass ended on a real cliffhanger, I am extremely eager to find out what happens next! Given that each book has twists and turns that I never saw coming, I can't wait to find out how Gray wraps it all up (this is, sadly, the last book in the series).

Afterlife releases in the US on March 8th, 2011.

Thought for a Tuesday...

2010-09-14T12:39:00.003+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday #9

2010-09-08T10:00:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My choice for this week is:

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla? And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't turned into just any pixie. . . She's Astley's queen.

I absolutely loved the first two books in this series - Need and Captivate - inhaled both of them in one setting! Captivate ended on a real cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see how Jones resolves it in the next book.

Entice is released in the US on December 7th, 2010.

Thought for a Tuesday....

2010-09-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

from quote-book.tumblr.com

Books Read - August

2010-09-02T09:28:00.001+01:00

Holy Moly, when did it get to be September already? And more importantly, where did the summer go?!

Anyhoo, I managed to finish 9 books in August - list is below:

1. Broken - Karin Slaughter
2. Because of You - Rebekah Gibbs
3. Fantasy in Death - JD Robb
4. None of my Affair - Fiona O'Brien
5. Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles
6. The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong
7. Vanish - Tess Gerritsen
8. One Kiss in Havana - Michelle Jackson
9. The Bay at Midnight - Diane Chamberlain

Favourite book of the month had to be The Bay at Midnight - if only because it kept me up late to find out how it ended! Also really enjoyed Perfect Chemistry - the sequel to which is already out in the US, and releases here in January 2011.

Right now, I'm trying to finish Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris, which is my book clubs pick for our next meeting, whicg is a week tonight. Sadly, I'm struggling to get into it, but I'm keeping on going hoping it gets better....

Waiting on Wednesday #8

2010-09-01T09:56:00.001+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My choice for this week is:

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. He seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on… but some questions should be left unanswered.

I've read both of Courtney Summers other books, Cracked Up to Be and Some Girls Are, and really enjoyed both of them. Summers writes great, realistic contemporary YA fiction - not that I don't love the supernatural stuff that's out there, but there's a LOT of it and good contemp is hard to find.

Fall for Anything is released in the US on December 21st 2010 - I can't find a UK release date. (Book Depository, here I come!)

Thought for a Tuesday...

2010-08-31T09:55:00.002+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday #7

2010-08-11T15:19:00.002+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My choice for this week is:

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

Radiance is a spin-off from Alyson Noels Immortals series (Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland...) which features Riley, younger sister of Ever, that series main character. Noel tells Amazon the book picks up with Riley "right where we left her in Evermore—on the other side of the bridge, firmly ensconced in a place called the Here & Now, and surprised to learn that it’s not exactly the eternity of harp lessons and cloud lounging she’d envisioned. She’s got a job as a Soul Catcher, a guide named Bodhi who is as nerdy as he is intriguing, and a pretty terrifying first assignment she’s not entirely sure she can handle. . . Writing Radiance was the most fun I’ve ever had writing."

I enjoyed the character of Riley in Evermore, so I'm looking forward to oicking this one up! It releases in the US on August 31st 2010, and in the UK on 4th February 2011.

leaving on a jet plane...

2010-08-11T15:08:00.006+01:00

So on Monday, I tweeted that I had "Leaving on a Jet Plane" stuck in my head - and there was a very good reason for that!!

Finally managed to book my hols - on Tuesday November 2nd, I'm heading off to Australia for 3 weeks!! My aunt who lives in Australia is cominghome at the end of October (along with my youngest cousin) for my Nana's 80th birthday, and myself and another cousin are heading back with them until November 28th.

Seriously excited about this - was over there two years ago and loved it, can't wait to go back!!

View from Kings Park

Cottlesloe Beach

Fremantle War Memorial

Because it made me smile....

2010-08-06T10:15:00.002+01:00

(via breathingbooks.tumblr.com)

Writing Workshop - Change

2010-08-05T11:00:00.001+01:00

This post is inspired by one of the prompts in this weeks Writing Workshop at sleepisfortheweak.org.uk – How have you changed? Recently or longer term….

A couple of weeks ago, a very good friend of mine (we worked together a few years ago, became mates and stayed in touch when she left the company) got married abroad, and they had their wedding reception last Saturday night, after they got back from their honeymoon. It took place in a hotel on the other side of the city from where I live.

I was invited.

My sister was going to come with me as my plus one, but wouldn’t you know it, herself and her husband were invited to the (full) wedding of one of his friends in England on the same day! Sister was raging, (a) because she knows and likes my mate and (b) because it’s typical, there’s never anything happening and then there are two events on the one day!!

But nonetheless on Saturday night, I did myself up in a pretty dress and pretty shoes, drove myself to the reception. I went in there on my own, in spite of the fact I literally knew no-one else there except the bride.

And I could not have done that three years ago.

Three years ago, I was miserable and in the grip of a serious bout of depression that literally sucked all the joy out of my life. I didn’t like my life, I didn’t particularly like myself, and I was tired and sad and scared all the time. (I hate sounding so drama queen-ish here, but it’s my blog and if I can’t be a drama queen here than where can I be?) I would not have been capable, back then, of walking into that room on my own, introducing myself to people and actually enjoying myself. I would’ve sat there feeling awkward and miserable and wishing I hadn’t come. (And even if I'd managed to do it, there would have been a lot of tears and a panic attack or three!)

But I managed it. I will admit, there were a few butterflies, but that's okay.

Day-to-day, I know I’m much better now than I was then. I still have the odd wobble (and one truly spectacular meltdown where I thought I was back to square one again!) but on the whole, I’m doing well.

It’s only when something like this comes along that I realise exactly how far I’ve come in the past few years. And how glad I am of the change.

Waiting on Wednesday #6

2010-08-04T14:04:00.007+01:00

And I'm back to this after a small (!) hiatus.... Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My choice for this week is:

There’s no blurb available for this book yet; but nonetheless I can’t wait to read it! It’s the 16^th instalment in Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series, which features the men of Seal Team Sixteen and the private security company Troubleshooters Inc.

All that’s known about the book is that it’s Izzy’s story – Irving “Izzy” Zanella being one of the SEALs in Team 16. He’s been a recurring character throughout the series, including a major sub-plot in Into The Fire (book #14) which saw him fall for Eden Gillman, the younger sister of his team-mate Dan. I don’t want to say too much about the events of that book in case I spoil someone who wants to read it (and if you haven’t read this or any of the Troubleshooters books, you really really should!) but suffice to say they parted at the end of that book, but I’m really hoping that Suze puts them back together in this one.

Release date for Breaking the Spell is March 22nd 2011. (And I totally reserve the right to revisit this in another Waiting on Wednesday after the blurb is released!)

Oh my my my my July

2010-08-03T22:11:00.001+01:00

Otherwise known as the month that kicked my ass from beginning to end!

From my nana being sick and in hospital for two weeks, to one of my oldest friends getting married clear across the country which necessitated a 5 hour road trip there and back, to shuttling around 3 work sites in Dublin, it was a month that was just crazy.

Which is why I blogged not at all, and only managed to read 7 books (which for me is quite sad!)

Books were:

1. Absolute Fear - Lisa Jackson
2. The Demons Covenant - Sarah Rees Brennan
3. Body Double - Tess Gerritsen
4. Breakneck - Erica Spindler
5. Fear The Worst - Linwood Barclay
6. Faithful Place - Tana French
7. Remembering Rachel - Rose Callely

Am hoping August will be less hectic and can get back to reading - my TBR pile(s) is getting out of control!!

Books Read - June

2010-07-01T09:46:00.000+01:00

Here's the list of books I read in June:

Dreams from my Father - Barack Obama
Girl in a Spin - Clodagh Murphy
The Loving Kind -Sarah Webb
Silent Scream - Karen Rose
The Perfect Lie - Emily Barr
Encore, Valentine - Adriana Trigiani
Five Quarters of the Orange - Joanne Harris
My Husbands Lover - Erin Kaye
Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich
Cracked Up To Be - Courtney Summers

Really enjoyed Girl in a Spin and Encore, Valentine. Silent Scream was my first WoW pick and it really did not disappoint!!

10 books last month, am well on target to hit my goal of reading 100 books this year!! (And now, I have just jinxed myself....)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What I've been doing instead of blogging....

2010-06-28T23:01:00.001+01:00

• it's the summer, so GAA season has thrown in. Have been to Portlaoise once and Croke Park twice, including yesterdays empathic victory by Meath over Dublin - they won by 11 points, scoring 5 goals in the process. This made us very happy!

• Spent a weekend in Belfast for one of my best mates hen weekend.

• Have been busy at work! Gone to a new site (was meant to be a couple of days a week, but I think they underestimated how busy it is!) and I've been run off my feet. Which is great :-)

• I've been reading. Loaded a heap of ebooks onto the Sony Touch, and have been using that a good bit. Also print books - I will never stop loving the feel of an actual book!! My next book club meeting is on July 7th, and I finished the book for that inside 3 days - Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris, I highly recommends it.

• listening to new music - especially Chely Wrights Lifted off the Ground and Sarah McLachlans Laws of Illusion. Two amazing albums.

• Have also been jotting down the rough ideas going round in my head for original fiction. Now comes the fleshing them out to see what will fly...

Waiting on Wednesday # 5

2010-06-09T10:37:00.004+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

My choice for this week is Broken by Karin Slaughter, which is being released on July 8th, 2010.

When the body of a young woman is discovered deep beneath the icy waters of Lake Grant, a note left under a rock by the shore points to suicide. But within minutes, it becomes clear that this is no suicide. It's a brutal, cold-blooded murder.

All too soon former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton - home for Thanksgiving after a long absence - finds herself unwittingly drawn into the case. The chief suspect is desperate to see her but when she arrives at the local police station she is met with a horrifying sight - he lies dead in his cell, the words 'Not me' scrawled across the walls. Something about his confession doesn't add up and deeply suspicious of Lena Adams, the detective in charge, Sara immediately calls in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Shortly afterwards, Special Agent Will Trent is brought in from his vacation to investigate. But he is immediately confronted with a wall of silence. Grant County is a close-knit community with loyalties and ties that run deep. And the only person who can tell the truth about what really happened is dead.

This is the 4th book written by Karin Slaughter featuring Detective Will Trent – following on from Triptych (2006), Fractured (2008) and Genesis (2009). She’s also written 6 other novels in the Grant County series, which features the other main protag in this book, Sara Linton.

I haven't read the Grant County series, but I think I’m going to have to at some point – even if its just Skin Privilege, the events of which I’m guessing will be referenced quite a lot in this book. I’ve read and enjoyed all the Will Trent books, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in this one. They’re tightly plotted with a lot of twists and turns – it’s nice to find books where its not always obvious whodunit.

Catch-up post.....

2010-06-08T15:03:00.003+01:00

Have spent most of my time since last Wednesday afternoon in my bed, battling the latest dose that's doing the rounds - in my case, it started as a sore throat and cough last Monday, which by Wednesday had mutated into a full on cold and sinus infection. So Thursday and Friday, two perfectly warm and sunny days, saw me sleeping and barely able to move. Typical.

I was so sick I couldn't even read. Even watching TV was a struggle. Though I did get a new favourite Song of the Moment when I watched Adam Lambert on The Ellen Show - here's a link for his new single: If I Had You Warning: it's ridiculously catchy, you may find yourself humming it for the remainder of the day (or perhaps thats just me!)

I made up for the lack of reading when I felt better on Sunday - despite the fact I should have been finishing Barack Obama's autobiography for my book club on Wednesday night, I pulled out Clodagh Murphy's new novel Girl in a Spin from my TBR pile and curled up with it on the sofa. Here's the blurb:

Jenny Hannigan might be a good-time party girl but all she secretly craves is a life of domestic bliss and solid respectability -- worlds away from her troubled upbringing back home in Ireland. So when she crashes into the arms of Richard Allam -- the young, handsome, recently separated politician hotly tipped to lead his party to victory in the upcoming election -- she thinks she's found exactly what she is looking for. But Jenny isn't exactly politician's-wife material so Richard recruits the intensely private, charismatic publicist Dev Tennant to 'spin' Jenny to the Party ...and the public. As the election gathers momentum, it turns out that Jenny has more than one skeleton in her closet and Dev is working overtime to try to keep them there. And suddenly Jenny isn't sure what she wants anymore ...

Clodagh's first novel The Disengagement Ring was one of my favourites from last year, and I have to be honest - I was a teensy bit worried that I might not enjoy this one, becuase I'd built it up so much in my head as I waited for it to come out. Folks, I should not have worried, because this was a great, fun, light read. I loved Jenny and was really rooting for her to get her happy every after. I could see from early on how I thought the book was going to turn out (and I was right!) but as with all good books, its not the destinatation that counts, it's the journey to getting there that's the fun part, and this book is just so much fun. I'd definitely recommend it.

And now, I have to go and do battle with my Google Reader - 364 unread posts as of lunchtime today! That's what happens when I get sick.....

Waiting on Wednesday #4

2010-06-02T09:10:00.003+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

Happily Ever After by Nora Roberts

Release Date: 02.11.2010

As the public face of Vows wedding planning company, Parker Brown has an uncanny knack for fulfilling every bride's vision. She just can't see where her own life is headed. Mechanic Malcolm Kavanaugh loves figuring out how things work, and Parker is no exception. Both know that moving from minor flirtation to major hook-up is a serious step. Parker's business risks have always paid off, but now she'll have to take the chance of a lifetime with her heart...

This is the fourth and final book in the Bride Quartet, and I have to say I’m really looking forward to it. This series is pure, character driven contemporary romance and makes for a really fun, light read.

Plus which, the cover is absolutely gorgeous....

Books Read - May

2010-05-31T20:50:00.004+01:00

Here's a list of the books I read in May:

1. Shiver - Lisa Jackson
2. Ballads of Suburbia - Stephenie Kuehnert
3. Rainy Days & Tuesdays - Claire Allen
4. The Unwritten Rule - Elizabeth Scott
5. Savour The Moment - Nora Roberts
6. The Secret Shopper Unwrapped - Kate Harrison
7. The Ice Cream Girls - Dorothy Koomson
8. Pursuit - Karen Robards
9. American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld

I'm also halfway through Barack Obama's "Dreams of my Father", which is my book club pick for June. But there's no way I'm going to get it finished between now and midnight, so it'll be the first book on Junes list.

In other book news, there have been so many good books coming out recently - I have been buying books like a maniac for the past few weekends!! That's fodder for another blog post....

Bad Blogger.....

2010-05-26T21:11:00.004+01:00

So, I had a post written, explaining why I've been such a bad blogger recently, then Blogger went floopy and I lost the whole damned thing.

Grr.

To make a long story short, I haven't updated in the last few weeks because I've been in a bit of a funk; just feeling low and sad and generally sorry for myself. Anytime I tried to blog, all that was coming out was "wah wah moan moan poor me" and lets be honest, who wants to read that?!

But things are looking up, I'm feeling more positive and actually want to blog again, which is a step in the right direction! Spent my lunch break today scribbling down ideas of what to write about, so hopefully there'll be more stuff here soon :-)

Books Read - April

2010-05-06T15:11:00.003+01:00

Mmm... little bit late posting this one; I blame the fact that May 1st fell on a long weekend when I had family arriving home from Australia!!

Without further ado, here's what I read in April:

1. The Next Move - Lauren Gallagher
2. The End of the Affair - Graham Greene
3. Practice Makes Perfect - Julie James
4. Hourglass - Claudia Gray
5. Lost Souls - Lisa Jackson
6. The Sweet Scent of Blood - Suzanne McLeod
7. Tithe - Holly Black
8. Devoured - Amanda Marrone
9. Jumping in Puddles - Claire Allan
10. The Lost - JD Robb, Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan
11. The Memory Keepers Daughter - Kim Edwards

Slightly cheating with Memory Keepers Daughter - all but the last 2 chapters were read in April, I finished it on May 1st, so I'm counting it in the April tally for that reason. We'll be discussing it at Book Club next Wednesday, which I'm looking forward to because I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to hear what everyone else thought of it!

Waiting on Wednesday #3

2010-05-05T13:09:00.004+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

The Girl Who Chased The Moon
by Sarah Addison Allen
Release Date: 5th August 2010

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, they're a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town's sweet tooth - but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily's backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

I'm a big fan of Sarah Addison Allen; loved Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen is top of my TBR pile. This sounds like another good read, and I love the cover art!

Waiting on Wednesday #2

2010-04-28T11:58:00.004+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

Second week doing this, and my pick is:

Blurb & photo from Amazon.com

When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He's not only sharing the case but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unspoken and hearts were broken.

David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twentysomethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close--and is moving in for the kill.

Silent Scream is released on May 13th in the UK and Ireland, and on May 25th in the US.

I’ve been looking forward to this book since I read a tweet from the author which said it was going to be David’s story – he’s been a secondary character in about 4 of her other books, playing a major role in last years release, “I Can See You.”

Roses’ books are well written, tightly plotted mysteries that keep me guessing right til the very end – I may have called one or two plot twists, but it’s a very rare happening!

All her books are interlinked – secondary characters in one book are main characters in the next – but you don’t have to read them in sequence to enjoy them. (Well, except for the trilogy Die For Me, Scream For Me, Kill For Me – the way those three are structured, they need to be read in that order; if you read Kill first, it takes away from the suspense in the earlier books).

For a full list of her books, her website is karenrosebooks.com

Work Woes - an update

2010-04-27T13:00:00.000+01:00

Good news is that I’m still employed – was sent to a different site yesterday morning, and it’s actually a site that I was on for many many years, so it’s literally like coming home! (As one of the girls said to me yesterday – “back in the bosom of your family!”)

Long term, I don’t know how long I’m here for – we do have another site starting in a couple of weeks; it’s one of those bizarre jobs where we’re not allowed to know who the client is, so there’s a code name for it and it’s just eye-rollingly bizarre! There’s also the chance that an extension will be starting on the job I just left, but we don’t know when that will be. I’ve heard August, but I’ve also heard June.

There’s still that element of uncertainty; mainly because the Head Honchos don’t know what’s going on themselves, so they’re holding off making decisions until they absolutely have to. Which I guess is a good thing for me, if they were going to let me go altogether they surely would have pulled the trigger by now?

But at the moment at least, I’m back to where I started with the company. Literally!

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-04-21T22:04:00.005+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine which spotlights upcoming book releases we can't wait to read.

This is my first time taking part in this, but the book I'm most looking forward to at the moment is :

Faithful Place by Tana French (July 8th 2010)

Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin's inner city, and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and Rosie Daly were all ready to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.

But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn't show. Frank took it for granted that she'd dumped him-probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.

Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie's suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.

Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community makes him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he's a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly-and he's willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.

This is the third book in the series - I read the first, In The Woods, and liked it; read the second, The Likeness, and absolutely loved it, there were plenty of twists and turns and it really did keep me guessing til the end. Frank Mackey was a secondary character in both those novels, so I'm really looking forward to reading his story.

Writing Workshop - A Visit?

2010-04-21T15:38:00.006+01:00

This is my first time responding to one of Josie’s writing workshop prompts at sleepisfortheweak – I chose #3: Have you ever had a paranormal experience? Or has someone you know? How did you interpret what you experienced? If it was someone close to you, did you believe them?

My aunt minds her grand-daughter while her mother, my cousin, works. A couple of years ago, the little girl was about 2 or 3 and was playing happily with her toys while my aunt was doing her housework. The child was happily babbling away, but as my aunt listened she got intrigued, because it sounded like she was actually having a conversation with someone.

And this is a child who never went in for imaginary friends.

So my aunt asks, “Who are you talking to?”

And the child reples “Nanny, I’m just talking to N----“

N being the name of another aunt (actually that aunt’s sister), who had died a couple of years before, when my cousin was seven months pregnant with this little girl.

My aunt said the hairs just stood up on the back of her neck.

Even though she never met N, the child is very aware of who she is; my aunt would often go to visit the grave, and the child knows when you turn down the lane to the graveyard that “we’re going to see N”. So it’s possible she could have been playing / imagining.

But it’s also possible that she wasn’t.

That's what I like to think.

Of all the aunts and uncles, N was everyones favourite aunt, she was like a second mother to myself and my cousins. She was so excited when she heard my cousin was pregnant, as she was the first of our generation to have a baby – she had the pram picked out and I know who have spoiled the baby rotten the same way she did all of us.

And if there’s anybody up there who would make sure to keep an eye on us, it’s her!

Work woes....

2010-04-21T12:38:00.002+01:00

It's been an odd week so far at work - on Monday, we were told that the client on site is doing essential maintenance work on one of the panelboards next week - unfortunately, its the board that powers the site compound, which means our offices will be without power. Which means the seven of us who are left on site will have to be relocated elsewhere for a week.

On one hand, it's only a week. On the other hand, this job was handed over to the client last month, and those of us who are still here are not terribly busy - we're more or less being hidden here until the company works out what to do with us!

Then yesterday, we discover that the main contractor who has been PSCS (Project Supervisor Construction Stage) have been informed they're not being kept on for the next stage of the project which will be happening later in the year. So they're pulling their cabins from site next week, and dismantling the site compound.

My Project Manager was in with me first thing this morning to tell me this, and to get me to start packing up my office (archiving paperwork, boxing up stationery, that kind of thing).

So this "one week relocation" is looking like a longer term thing, as we won't be back here after Friday. We're just waiting on word from the guy who's over him as to where we're going. Or if we're going anywhere at all. Friday is the end of the month, and it's entirely possible they might just decide to let me go (if there's no work for me).

It's scary.

And while we've known for a while that this would all come to a head eventually, knowing it intellectually and actually experiencing it are two very different things.

Any positive vibes you can send my way would be much appreciated!!

What would you save?

2010-04-15T12:59:00.002+01:00

This post was inspired by Nickie@Typecast– in her post Rescue Mission, she asked the question “assuming that all family members, pets and photographs are safe, in an emergency, what would you rush to save?”

Now, I’ll admit that I actually misread the question: I completely glossed over the word “photographs” and focused on “what would you rush to save”?

My first instinct was my laptop and external hard drive, because that’s where I have all my digital photos stored. Weddings, birthday parties, work dos, holiday to Australia, photos of my niece – they’re all there.

But then I remembered – up in the attic, I have a thick A4 sized photo album, full of photos that I took when I was in secondary school (so say between the ages of 12-16). There are photos of me and my friends, my younger cousins when they were just babies, photos of my aunt and cousins first visit home after they emigrated to Australia.

And most special of all, there’s the only photo I have of my great grandmother, which was taken on Christmas morning, just over a year before she passed away.

I keep meaning to scan some of these pics – especially that one – onto the computer, but being the lazy procrastinator I am I’ve never gotten round to it. Losing that album would just devastate me.

What about you? In an emergency, what would you rush to save?

Things we take for granted….

2010-04-14T13:59:00.001+01:00

So, yesterday evening I was chatting to a friend of mine on Facebook, and she mentioned that she’d bumped into my sister when they were both bringing their kiddos for a walk.

So my friend got to see my adorable little niece, and my sister got to meet 2 of my friends children, her three year old and her six month old, both of whom I’ve told her about many, many times (I love these kids!).

But when they got home, friend noticed three year old seemed a bit upset about something. And when asked, her daughter said that she couldn’t understand why I wasn’t as excited to see her as I usually am.

And the penny dropped.

You see, myself and the sister are identical twins (though we find it hard to believe that people can’t tell us apart, our mantra tends to be, “Well yes, we’re alike, but you can tell the difference!” to which most people reply “No, you really can’t!”)

Friend and her hubby knew this – she’s met my sis briefly, and her husband saw my twin in a shop one day and thought it was me, it was only when she looked right through him he was like “Or, maybe it’s not!” But it’s not something I’ve ever told to her kids.

So the poor child was all excited, thinking “yay, it’s Brony!” and couldn’t understand why I was a little more reserved with her than I usually am – I got the impression she was thinking I was mad at her or something! But after a chat with her mum, she understands and now thinks it’s kinda neat!

The whole thing just made me think - being a twin for me is like having blue eyes or long hair – it just is, it’s not something I think about. It’s not even something I bring up in conversation – until someone sees a picture of us/her, or I mention “our” birthday (that last one tends to be the giveaway!!)

So what about you? Is there anything in your life that you take for granted about yourself, that other people might not know?

Stationary geek strikes again...

2010-04-13T17:43:00.004+01:00

Just got an e-mail from The Book Depository in my Inbox; one of the things highlighted in it is the new Moleskine Passions range, which are journals devoted to six subjects - recipes, wine, books, films, music & wellness - for you to record your thoughts in.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search?searchTerm=moleskine+passions&search=search

That sound you hear? Is my credit card howling in agony. Have been putting off doing a BD order, but that books journal is calling my name.....

Infinite Playlist Meme

2010-04-08T21:26:00.003+01:00

This is the second version of this post; was trying to edit something and wound up deleting it back accident! Sometimes, I'm just so brilliant.....

I've seen this meme on quite a few blogs over the last few days, and I've been mulling it over quite a bit (off work this week, so I've been mostly relaxing and reading....)

The idea behind the Infinite Meme Playlist is very simple - you post a list of the five songs that you can listen to over and over again and never get sick of hearing.

The hard part for me was narrowing it down to just five songs; as I've said before, I love music and have a scary amount saved onto my laptop!!

So my Infinite Playlist is as follows:

I'm Still Standing - Elton John
Don't Stop Believing - Journey (or the Glee cast, I'm not fussy!)
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
The Best Thing - Savage Garden
Somethings Gonna Start - The Hipstones

Ask me again tomorrow and I might list a completely different five, but that's what I'm coming up with at the moment....

Sad news....

2010-04-05T19:52:00.002+01:00

Saw this on Twitter first thing on Good Friday, which made it a not-so-Good Friday for me:

http://crimealwayspays.blogspot.com/2010/04/all-she-wrote-murder-ink-rip.html

Murder Ink, the crime fiction bookstore on Dublins Dawson Street, is to close - partly due to the economic downturn and partly due to the ill-health of the owner, Michael Gallagher.

I'm tremendously sad at this news - I loved browsing in Murder Ink, and Michael and his wife were always tremendously friendly and knowledgeable. It was a rare day that I left there empty handed (I often told them that I should just direct debit some of my wages into their bank account, as it would be handier!)

Books Read - March

2010-04-01T10:48:00.002+01:00

Here's the list of the books I read in March.....

1. Take A Chance On Me - Jill Mansell
2. Very Valentine - Adriana Trigiani
3. The Chocolate Run - Dorothy Koomson
4. Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers
5. Unsticky - Sarra Manning
6. Kindred in Death - JD Robb
7. Closer to Home - Erin Kaye
8. Welcome to the Real World - Carole Matthews
9. Someone Like You - Julie James
10. Fairy Tale - Cyn Balog
11. Can't Stand The Heat - Louisa Edwards

I'm also halfway through April's book club pick, which is "The End of the Affair" by Graham Greene. Will admit that I'm struggling with getting into it, although one of the other girls (who's read it already) tells me it does get better the more you get into it, so fingers crossed!

Favourite read this month was a tie between "Take A Chance On Me" and "Very Valentine" - both excellent and funny reads. I'm a big Jill Mansell fan (think I'd read her shopping list to be honest!) but I'd never read anything by Adriana Trigiani before, I picked this one up in the library and thought I'd give it a go as it sounded interesting; so glad I did!!

Last day of work today before the Easter hols (yippee!) - have nothing planned except to relax and take it easy (and not get up at 5.30 every morning! Very important that!)

What I’ve been up to…

2010-03-31T14:45:00.001+01:00

As I neglect the blog! I’m caught in a cycle at the moment where I want to update, but every time I sit in front of the computer it’s “……”

Part of the problem is that my work is undergoing a period of change and re-structuring within the company; people are being laid off and in one particularly shocking instance last week, it was a girl I’ve worked with throughout my almost thirteen years here, and someone who none of us thought would be near being placed on The List. Plus which, the job I’m on was handed over to the client almost two weeks ago, so the few of us who are left on the site (about 8 of us!) are scrambling for stuff to do…. It’s not a particularly nice environment to be in at the moment, as everyone’s just waiting for the knock to come. There’s rumours of an extension going ahead on the project, which if it goes ahead and we get it, it’ll be 6 months work on a very tight schedule, which would be great. If it doesn’t go ahead or we don’t get it, there’s not really any other projects we can be sent to (Ireland’s construction industry is in freefall at the moment) so we could all be out of work. So yeah, nasty times.

Bright side (and yes, there is one!)– site is shut for Easter holidays, so I finish tomorrow evening and am not back til Monday 12 April. Yay!!!

In spite of that, I went shopping on Saturday and bought myself a new car!!! It’s all my dad’s doing – he’s a firm believer in buying your car new and trading it in every 2-3 years to get maximum resale value. My current car is 3 years old, so he’s been making noises since January about me changing it. Long story short, I have bought a VW Golf, 1.6 TDI, colour black. It is very very pretty. I collect it the Tuesday after Easter, and can’t wait!

Then on Sunday, my beautiful baby niece was christened. Which meant mass on Palm Sunday, which meant sitting through the Long Gospel. (I am obviously a Very Bad Catholic to say that). Christening service itself went well, the priest kept it short and sweet; though A was not very happy when he poured the water over her head! Then it was back to the local pub for a meal and most of the family came down for drinks later on in the evening. It was a really great day, and surprisingly enough didn’t finish too late – was home at about 8.30 – 9, in time to see Hayley’s coronation on Dancing on Ice!

Also in the last few weeks, as anyone who follows me on Twitter will know, I’ve developed an addiction to the latest series of Dancing with the Stars (US version of Strictly Come Dancing). It airs here on Friday nights (9pm on Watch) – I know how I’m spending my Good Friday night!!

A Tale of Blog Neglect....

2010-03-22T11:49:00.002Z

I have been shamefully neglecting this blog these past few weeks.

Mainly because a couple of days after my last post, I started feeling fairly yucky. The general yucky feeling quickly morphed into the Dreaded Vomiting Bug – which, let me assure you, is absolutely as much fun as it sounds! Spent three whole days in bed, feeling utterly miserable. and then it took another couple of days to feel fully recovered.

All of which obviously meant I wasn’t able to blog.

And then it just became a bad habit, where I couldn’t think of anything to write, or just couldn’t be bothered - there was definitely a "woe is me, I can't write anything interesting!" pity party going on!

But I don’t want to let this blog lapse into nothingness, so here I am, blogging about being unable to blog!

Fingers crossed, there shall be a more interesting post up soon….