I know people roll their eyes a bit at the Kindle deals that basically epitomise “Black Friday”, but my Kindle is one of my most-used gadgets ever and, if there’s an opportunity to get one at a knock-down price then I’m there. My Mum still has what is basically a prototype Kindle, it weighs about…
The “Cosy Night In” is a theme close to my own heart this year (it’s too much hassle to do anything else, quite frankly) and so I’ve picked out the ultimate presents for people who just want to chill. Preferably next to the fire. With a glass of red wine in hand. I’m following this…
I was given Hugh’s Three Good Things two Christmases ago and it fell by the wayside a bit, what with house renovations and the fact that I was actively ignoring it because the cover photograph was so bad. I mean look at that cover! Why is Hugh grasping his leeks in such a manner? There’s something grotesque…
Strike Two: my second illness of the season. First I had Mastitis, then yesterday I picked up a funny little tummy bug. It seems to have gone now, but it was terribly intense while it lasted! (I reckon it was the sausages I ate on Friday night, personally, but Mr AMR says it can’t be…
I’ve been reading at the rate of about three or four novels a week, recently (breastfeeding for hours on end means I’m tearing through my Kindle list!) and I thought I’d pull out my top five for you. Not an easy task at all, as I’ve enjoyed so many of them, but I’ve procrastinated for ages…
1) I really, really miss this little chap. Look at his big round face! I just want to munch him. I’m so excited to think that in a couple of months he’ll be home – though I’m not sure that my parents will give him up very easily! I’m wondering how he’ll feel when he gets back…
1) Poor Dexter the Dog continues to be up and down with his little tummy problems; doesn’t he look small in this photo? I don’t know whether it’s the angle or because I’m so gigantically huge at the moment. Also: why am I so orange? I’ll tell you why; I was testing bronzers. All of…
1) During the mini heatwave last week, we decided to give Dexter the Dog a bath in the garden. We can’t very well bath him in the actual bath where we are because it’s a holiday let, and he’s not allowed upstairs, and anyway it’s kind of gross to do that when other people will use…
**Apologies to those reading this by email; I wrote the post and then forgot to schedule it, so you’ll be reading this on a Monday! If you’re not subscribed to the email then you can do so here. 1) Top tip: never watch Channel 4’s Supervet on the same day that you’ve had to drop your dog…
1) I was temporarily reunited with Mr Bear this weekend when I went up to visit my parents. He spent much of the time looking incredibly grumpy and the rest of it sleeping. Though when I think back, those are his usual default modes, really, so I mustn’t get paranoid about it! We had a…
Now that’s a weird old picture, isn’t it? Sorry Jo Malone London, it does absolutely nothing to show off your splendid perfume packaging! But this post was always going to be more about books than fragrance, so in a way, the rather muddled imagery is quite apt. It’s World Book Day today. As a voracious reader (I love…
1) I have finally weaned myself off Elementary. OK, that’s a lie: I watched all available episodes of Elementary and then had to stop because there were no more to watch. Which kind of amounts to the same thing, doesn’t it? Surely. Anyway, as a result of my weaning I have been back to the book-reading, full pelt, and this…
1) Happy New Year everyone! I trust you all had excellent Christmas holidays and are now picking your way out of the debris, bleary-eyed and doughy-skinned, empty wine bottles crunching beneath your feet and Quality Street wrappers tumbling from every pocket. Making that concerted effort to “get back to normal”… I’m trying to wean myself…
As promised, some book recommendations for Christmas. Nice and late for those of you who are about to start panic-buying! None of these are actually “Christmas themed”, but I would tend to steer clear of those novelty, seasonal releases anyway. Some of them are good (I particularly like one that sits in my downstairs loo…
It has been a few weeks since I (thankfully!) finished The Goldfinch and I have managed to add another rather hefty tome to my “done and dusted” pile. I seem to be doing a kind of literary self-flagellation with all of these extra-long novels – I may have to pluck something short and sprightly from the bookshelf…
1) My big brother Dan is currently exhibiting his art work at Bold Street Coffee in Liverpool. If you are in the area, then please do pop in and have a look! He has also finally put some of his pieces online – here’s his website: dancrilly.co.uk And here’s the man himself, posing in front of his paintings (above)….
A burning question, for those of you who’ve read The Cuckoo’s Calling and/or The Silkworm: who, in a TV or film adaptation of the novels, would play Cormoran Strike? Mr AMR and I have spent hours discussing this most important subject and, despite trawling through every single actor in the world on IMDB, we still haven’t found our man….
A mixed bag of favourites, this month (last month, rather – so sorry it’s late!) but there are a few real beauty crackers for you. I have been testing out eye makeup removers recently, and I will do a bigger post on my findings, but I couldn’t wait to tell you about the two budget…