Mum & I visited our local fancy-schmancy @swanseastones.bsky.social today. Birthday books (for me) were bought & spirited away to a secret place where I hope they'll magically multiply into even more birthday books. Took a lovely shelfie of The Rose Garden & The Elopement too
Latest read: I soooo enjoyed Echoes of the Runes by @christinacourtenay.bsky.social Full of atmosphere, historical detail & adventure, it moves between present day Sweden & London, & the time of the Vikings. Sweeping, romantic and exciting. What a treat!
February's gone a bit grim and grey, hasn't it? Suddenly everyone seems to be commenting on it. And it's cold! Beach walks and books are the way through for me. Spring is coming.
Happy St Dwynwen's Day, everyone! The Welsh patron saint of love is celebrated on 25th January and what a beautiful morning it is for her ❤️ Cold, frosty and bright. Photos don't capture the sheer brilliance of the white waves but it fills the soul!
❤️
My latest read: Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins by @clairefayers.bsky.social is such a treat to dip into here and there through busy days. I love the way this author puts a unique spin on traditional myths and folktales, making them fresh, funny and bright.
Lovely to see you too, Jen. I don't use it much yet but hi!!xx
Latest read: I absolutely ADORED this beauty by @juliakellywrites.bsky.social, the story of 2 estranged sisters fighting to save their dressmaking store. It's warm, heartfelt & engulfing, with that indefinablehappy-making quality. Out next month.
Lovely!
Time for an Earl Grey...
My latest read: Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. As with all this author's books, it was vividly characterised, cleverly written and full of psychological insight
That's January for you - spring flowers and a woolly hat! Out and about this morning doing errands, now settling down to some lovely writing...
Helping my parents tidy their spare room recently, I came across these reminders of my school days and French A level! Further nostalgia - when I was tiny, Dad and I would read the Mister Men books together and our favourite was Mr Uppity (Monsieur Malpoli). Happy memories
Latest read: Most people know that books with a war setting aren't my cup of tea but I thoroughly enjoyed this vivid, emotional tale set during the Spanish Civil War by @maggiebrookesbutt.bsky.social I loved both the beautiful writing & the gutsy, humanitarian, heart-led heroine
Happy New Year! ✨️
Yesterday was a wide open, sweeping sort of day. This morning, let's be honest, I'm staying cosy in bed a little longer and reading.
The tide's out and the horizon's cloudy. A grey day but mild and somehow welcoming. Happy Friday everyone!
Fab book! Ditto on Instagram and twitter 😁
Right??
My latest read: Wooing the Witch Queen by @stephanieburgis.bsky.social a fabulous new romantasy due out Feb. Absolutely loved it! A gorgeous love story, a case of mistaken identity, a great adventure and wonderful characters finding their own strength. And it's FUN!
A cool and streaky morning - the Christmas decorations looking fab on the front. Today kicked off with cuppas and conversation with a friend, followed by errands. Next up, an afternoon of plotting and planning various endeavours with @bevrogers.bsky.social
With the nights drawing in and winter solstice approaching, I did a little photo shoot of some of my favourite winter-themed books across the genres. They wanted to wear feathers, and rightly so
My latest read: I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery is reading heaven. Emotional and exciting, full of love, truth and adventure, I read it in a flash. It also reduced me to tears whilst reading in a public place! Absolutely beautiful. Loved it
The weather is absolutely wild today. Gales, rain and dour grey skies. It ain't pretty! So here are some pics of yesterday's walk instead. Meanwhile, it's a slipper-boots and laptop kind of a day here at Rees Towers. Wishing everyone a cosy Saturday
Today, lastly but not leastly, I'm remembering my 3 contemporary novels, which make perfect stocking fillers or an extra treat on kindle. I'm deeply fond of them all; they were so much fun to write. It was creatively joyful to do something a little different
Utter joy!
So wonderful!
Latest read: Northern Boy by @ihussainwriter.bsky.social A dream of a book! Brilliant story, beautifully written. Tender, compassionate, wry. Fabulous hero, brilliant supporting characters, wonderful ending. I'll be thinking about it for ages. Loved it!
@ihussainwriter.bsky.social
Every year I treat myself to one or two Christmas books for the festive season. I may have exceeded my quota a tad this year but I'm looking forward to each and every one!