Author: Libby Price

Homing hamster?!?

Posted on by Libby Price

Back in December I blogged about our escapee hamster – who managed to get out of its cage, through the entire downstairs of the house, up a full flight of stairs and hide in the spare room.

Well, this morning – it had done it again!  Escaped from it’s cage, roamed through our not insubstantial house, up the stairs and chewed at the landing carpet in an attempt to get back into the spare room.

Why – when we have 6 bedrooms – is that the one it wants to get into?  It’s never lived in that bedroom – and for a while did live in one of the other bedrooms, so you would think would have allegiances to that room if any.

It’s all very odd.  Like it’s a homing pigeon hamster……..

But at least we (I say we, I actually mean my husband!) knew where to look for it.  Oreo is now safely back in the cage – with a heavy weight on top of it!

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Book Review: The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

Posted on by Libby Price

The Austen Escape

I was lucky enough to be given an advanced review copy of this way back last summer – but because it didn’t fit into a category for my 2017 Reading Challenge – and I was still optimistic of completing it – I didn’t get around to reading it until now!!  I’m hoping this doesn’t count as a strike against me on the wonderful Netgalley!!

Anyway – enough of my soul searching – here’s the blurb:

“Falling into the past will change their futures forever.Mary Davies finds safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleagues-particularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Mary’s estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer offers her a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austen’s Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of a Regency lady, attended by other costume-clad guests, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings arise, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.”

I was concerned – a bit like when I read Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld – that my lack of recent Austen reading would count against me as I wouldn’t pick up on the clever intertwining of old and new storylines and nuances in the characters etc – but I decided not to stress about that and just get on with reading it as a standalone book.

I also didn’t look into the author or publishing house before starting to read this (a mistake I won’t make again) – I was still at the stage of being delighted and honoured to have been permitted to read a book before it was officially published to decide if I should read it or not!!

I found this book soooooo dull.  It was boring from start to finish (but I did finish it as I hate to be beaten by a book)

The American style of writing annoyed me (why is it necessary to miss out words like ‘of’?) and the descriptions of Bath I found very poor (admittedly it’s a city I’ve been to lots – but I would question if the author ever had).

It was just soooo boring.

About half way through a friend pointed out this was published by a Christian publishing house subsidiary of Harper Collins.  I have to say that you wouldn’t know that from the content itself – it’s not preachy at all – but there is a definite absence of sex, drugs and rock & roll.  Not that I’m saying those are pre requisites for a good book – in fact my book of 2017 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine doesn’t contain any of them – but it was just so lame.  The most risque element was a ‘shoulder bump’.  I also felt the writing style was dull and insipid.

I persevered – but only because I don’t like to not finish a book (despite me saying I would not be beholden to any books this year!!)

I am unsure who I would recommend this to.  It was too modern for my Nan in it’s content – and not sure of anyone else who would appreciate such nothingness.

But – it has taught me to be more circumspect about what I accept to read going forward!

Thanks Netgalley for the advance review copy – and for the life lesson!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abu Dhabi – do!

Posted on by Libby Price

We have been frequent visitors to Dubai – maybe a dozen times in the last decade – and when our 15th wedding anniversary was on the horizon we managed to cash in some BA Miles for free flights back to DXB.  However – we felt we needed a change, so we asked our lovely Travel Counsellor Michelle for some options hotel-wise- and she came up with 3, one of which was the Emirates Palace just down the road in the different Emirate of Abu Dhabi.  So we decided to go for it!

This meant I was able to tell my favourite joke for weeks leading up to our trip:

“Do you know they don’t show the Flintstones in Dubai?
But Abu Dhabi do!!!”

Whilst everyone *may* have mocked my joke, it did get us a mention and anniversary best wishes from Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2 when my sister emailed in to tell him where we were celebrating when he told the same *fabulous* joke on air!!!

Anyway – back to the trip.

As I said, we cashed in the BA Miles and turned left onto the plane to fly to Dubai.  However, as we were due to begin our descent we were told it was incredibly foggy – less than 100m visibility – and so planes were being held in a holding pattern above the city as they were having to leave much bigger gaps between planes landing.  We had enough fuel for 2 hours – otherwise we’d have to divert to Muscat to refuel!!  Having slept for most of the actual flight time, this did give me time to watch a film!  And if you’re going to have a delay in landing – then lying on a flat bed is the way to do it.  Thankfully we didn’t have to divert to Oman – and landed JUST within the 2 additional hours.

Michelle had arranged for a driver to collect us from DXB to take us to our hotel.  Mr P was asleep before we were out of central Dubai.  I managed to stay awake a little longer – but there is only so much sand / scrub land / building work you can look at – and I nodded off too.   We’d both woken up once we were off the highway and the arrival at our hotel was impressive!  It stars in the film Fast and Furious 7 – but was even more impressive in real life.

As it was our 15th wedding anniversary – we’d pushed the boat out and booked a suite – and it was ENORMOUS!  We were really impressed.  We’ve stayed in some lovely hotels around the world – including the Burj Al Arab up the coast in Dubai – but this is definitely the best suite ever.

The whole hotel is huge – and feels really empty in the guest areas.  (The lobby area is always busy because it’s a feature on all of the tours of the city!  Although the dress code is strictly enforced so don’t try and get it wearing shorts and flip flops.)  My husband tried to claim he’d booked the hotel for our exclusive use – but I’m not that gullible!  But it has been nice not to have to worry about racing to get sunbeds in prime position on the beach or by the pool!!

On our first full day we did a tour of the city and it was BRILLIANT.  Our guide, Vera, was from Mexico (one of the 84% of the population of the UAE who aren’t Emirati) but has lived here for 7 years and so was very knowledgeable.

We did a couple of museums covering the history of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole.

We then did a drive by of recently opened Louvre.  Having been into the original Paris gallery recently, we didn’t feel compelled to go inside this one.

Then we went to Ferrari World – again, we only went as far as the shop – but when we return with our kids we can see this being top of the places to visit.

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We then popped round the corner to the Yas Marina circuit – where the final race of the Formula One season is held each November.  You can access loads of areas (way more than you could at Silverstone) and you can drive the circuit in a selection of very fancy pants cars.  Again – this is on the list for when we come here again with the whole clan.

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After that we drove to see the Sheik Zayed Mosque – started by the eponymous founder of the UAE but not completed until after his death.  I knew the basic rules of clothing in the UAE from going to Dubai – and covering knees and shoulders – but the dress code here in Abu Dhabi seems to be far more strict, and at the mosque stricter still.  The lovely Vera had bought an abaya I could borrow – and I’d thought to pack a headscarf – but less organised people can hire suitable attire at the entrance to the mosque.  The husband’s shorts had to be pulled down so his knees were covered at all times.

Once inside it was truly stunning.

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Everything is intricately carved with different coloured stones and metals to ensure it doesn’t weather or fade and it looks out of this world.  The husband did notice that the tiles weren’t grouted (you can take the builder out of Birmingham and all that…..) but it turns out that’s because there’s a below floor cooling system so that the marble doesn’t get too hot when the weather is 40 degrees plus in the summer. The cold water under there keeps the marble cool to the touch so that the worshippers can still kneel on it to pray.  The outside courtyard can have 30,000 people praying at any one time – whilst inside can house 20,000.  During Ramadan there would not be a single spare space.

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Inside was just as impressive – with chandeliers with ladders inside so that they can be cleaned and the lamps changed (I’m not allowed to say bulbs – although that is what I would normally put – but I get ranted at by my husband that bulbs are what are planted in the ground and lamps are what emit light).  The carpet holds the Guinness World Record for the largest single piece of carpet.  It was made in situ and weighs over 65 tonnes.  It has clever ridges in it so that people praying can line up exactly.

It was an amazing place to visit – and definitely feels like one of the wonders of the modern world.

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As the afternoon tea in our hotel is legendary – it had to be done!  My only regret is that I hadn’t starved myself for the day beforehand, and consequently couldn’t finish it – and felt ridiculously full for HOURS afterwards!

We managed the cappuccinos with gold on them – but didn’t go as far as the camelccino (cappuccino with camels’ milk!!!)

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All in all, we love Abu Dhabi – and will definitely be back with the children in tow.  Someone had described it to me as ‘Dubai’s older more sophisticated sister’ and I think they’re spot on.  It has the great service you expect of Dubai – but feels a bit calmer and slightly less ‘crazy fake bubble’ – although particularly in the Emirates Palace, if something sits still long enough it will be coated with gold leaf!!

But definitely consider it as a holiday option.

Whilst we were away my Auntie told my (slightly deaf) Nan that we were in Abu Dhabi – to which she replied ‘Oh, I love Aberdovey’.  Maybe we’ll save that destination for our next big anniversary …….

 

 

 

 

Cat stretch – or……..

Posted on by Libby Price

This evening – as the courgette, cauliflower and chickpea tagine was simmering (I know, I am such a January cliche) – I decided my back would benefit from some movement, so I knelt on the kitchen floor and did a cat stretch – or as the kids call it, happy cat and angry cat.

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The 6 year old walked in and asked ‘Mummy, do you need to trump?’………………………………..

(The chickpeas will sort that out love – never mind the yoga!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Our House by Louise Candlish

Posted on by Libby Price

Our House

I’d seen this book in ‘books to read in 2018’ lists – and then saw the author Clare Mackintosh (whose books I’ve enjoyed before) saying ‘If 2018 brings a better book than Our House I will eat my hat. Addictive, twisty and oh so terrifyingly possible’

So – I hopped onto the wonderful Netgalley – and was approved to download an advanced copy.

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“On a bright January morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they’ve just bought in Trinity Avenue.
Nothing strange about that. Except it is your house. And you didn’t sell it.

When Fi arrives home to find a removals van outside her house, she is completely blind-sided. Trinity Avenue has been her family’s home for years. Where are all their belongings? How could this have happened? Desperately calling her ex-husband, Bram, who owns the house with her, Fi discovers he has disappeared.

The more Fi uncovers, the more she realises their lives have been destroyed by a nightmare of their own making. A devastating crime has been committed, but who exactly is the guilty party? What has Bram hidden from her – and what has she hidden from him?”

From the start I LOVED this book – it had me intrigued immediately.

It’s written from Fi and Bram’s perspectives – and flicks between time periods – so you need to be on the ball with it – but I didn’t find that distracting.  In fact, it added to the intrigue and kept the pace high!

At different points I felt empathetic towards different characters – but fundamentally I was #TeamFi – and desperately wanted everything to end up ok for her and her boys.

The twists and turns are exciting – but also quite believable.  I liked the use of modern technology and how that would impact on the crime(s).

I also loved that Bram was suspicious when someone called him Abraham on the phone.  The girls at work always know it’s a cold call for me when someone asks for Elisabeth!

It really was hold your breath at times waiting to see how things would pan out – and the ending is FABULOUS. At about 85% (yep, Kindle reading) I thought it was concluded, and was concerned I was going to be short changed with ads for other books etc – but NO – it was the best 15% of the book still to come!!

I would definitely recommend pre ordering this for when it comes out in April (on the last day of the tax year #randomfact) – but I will also be looking at the author’s back catalogue as I loved this so much.

This is also category one of my 2018 Reading Challenge ticked off – ‘A book published in 2018’.

 

Once a Scout……

Posted on by Libby Price
Came home to find the 12 year old (who was home alone for a couple of hours as he’s not back at school until next week) had lit the log burner, wrapped himself up in a blanket and was watching a film involving fast cars on the big TV – all he needed was a beer and he would have totally been his father!
(Possibly he should also have only been wearing his pants to truly be channeling his Dad!!)
I suggested that maybe he shouldn’t have lit a fire with no on else at home, to which he replied ‘Mum, I used to be a Scout’…….
Good job he’s cute……………………….
The Boy

Reading Challenge 2018!

Posted on by Libby Price

Back in mid January last year I decided to join some friends in the Pop Sugar reading challenge 2017.  Now, I didn’t quite tick off all of the categories – but I’m quite pleased with what I managed, and you can look at all of my reviews in the ‘2017 Reading Challenge’ category on this blog.

2017 Reading Challenge
A book recommended by a librarian The Unpredictable Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell
A book that’s been on your TBR list for way too long The Cows by Dawn O’Porter
A book of letters The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan
An audiobook Crackanory – too cracked for TV
A book by a person of colour  …
A book with one of the four seasons in the title One Endless Summer by Laurie Ellingham
A book that is a story within a story The Forever House by Veronica Henry
A book with multiple authors Scummy Mummies by Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson
An espionage thriller  …
A book with a cat on the cover Family Ghouls by Alex A King
A book by an author who uses a pseudonym The Summer House By The Sea by Jenny Oliver
A bestseller from a genre you don’t normally read  …
A book by or about a person who has a disability Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon
A book involving travel The Break by Marian Keyes
A book with a subtitle The Love of the Game:  Parenthood, Sport and Me by Mark Chapman
A book that’s published in 2017 After You by Mhairi McFarlane
A book involving a mythical creature The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor
A book you’ve read before that never fails to make you smile  …
A book about food The Wonder by Emma Donohue
A book with career advice Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
A book from a nonhuman perspective The Bees by Laline Paull
A steampunk novel Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
A book with a red spine Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
A book set in the wilderness  …
A book you loved as a child  …
A book by an author from a country you’ve never visited  …
A book with a title that’s a character’s name The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce
A novel set during wartime To My Daughter In France by Barbara and Stephanie Keating
A book with an unreliable narrator The Woman Who Ran by Sam Baker
A book with pictures Strong Woman: The Truth About Getting To The Top by Karren Brady
A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
A book about an interesting woman Running Like A Girl by Alexandra Heminsley
A book set in two different time periods The Party by Elizabeth Day
A book with a month or a day of the week in the title  …
A book set in a hotel The Girl from the Savoy by Hazel Gaynor
A book written by someone you admire There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love by Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell
A book that’s becoming a movie in 2017  …
A book set around a holiday other than Christmas A Catered Fourth of July by Isis Crawford
The first book in a series you haven’t read before Watermelon by Marian Keyes
A book you bought on a trip The Postcard by Fern Britton

A friend in the Facebook group we’ve set up to share book reviews and ideas said she’d downloaded the 2018 challenge – and of course, I couldn’t say no – so I’ve had to join in too!  I don’t think I’m going to beat myself up about it so much this year – and will read off piste if I want to. Equally, this year if I’m not enjoying a book I’m not going to persevere! Life’s too short and all that.

You can read more about the challenge itself here – but here’s the summary of topics:

2018 reading challenge

And in a paraphrase of Strictly Come Dancing – keeeeeeeep reading!

 

 

Book Review: Anything is Possible by Rob Osborne

Posted on by Libby Price

I was recommended the book  ‘Anything is Possible’ by Elizabeth Strout by a number of ‘best books of 2017’ lists and by the author Elizabeth Day on Twitter (whose book The Party was one of my highlights of the year.)  I was clearly rushing on Amazon and accidentally downloaded the wrong Anything is Possible without realising:

Anything is Possible

 

 

 

“Matt leads an ordinary life, working at a bank in London. He whiles away the hours at his normal job, fantasising about a soap star, Abbey Jones – and can’t believe his luck when she arrives in his branch to make a cash withdrawal during a visit to London. However, during this once-in-alifetime moment, Matt makes a fool of himself and Abby is somewhat abrupt with him.
Following a stream of events and another chance encounter, Matt and Abbey begin to develop feelings for each other. After all of these years spent yearning for Abbey, Matt does not feel an ordinary man like him can develop a sustainable relationship with someone so famous, which leads to their relationship breaking down.

Will Matt and Abbey find a way to be together? Or will her fame destroy their chance of happiness?

Anything is Possible has been inspired, in part, by Rob’s jobs in banking – from Nationwide Building Society to Alliance & Leicester and then Lloyds TSB.”

On page 1 I was surprised this was such an acclaimed book as it felt like it had been written by someone in the pub whilst reading The Sun or maybe Heat magazine.  I kept reading, expecting it to improve – but after the first chapter wondered what on earth was going on and checked – and realised my mistake.

I hate giving up on a  book, so persevered for a few more chapters before deciding it was total dross.  It has full 5 star reviews on Amazon – but admittedly that’s just from 5 people, and I assume all must be friends or relatives of the author.  It really is formulaic and dire.  My 14 year old could write a more nuanced book. The sentence construction, storyline, character development, scene setting, relationships are all pretty awful.

Don’t waste your time reading this drivel.  What a downer to end my 2017 reading!

So I’m hoping the Anything is Possible I should have downloaded is infinitely better – and will feature in my 2018 Reading Challenge some how!!

 

 

 

 

First Chapter Review: Still Me by Jojo Moyes

Posted on by Libby Price

“Lou Clark is back in the ALL NEW Jojo Moyes novel Still Me, follow-up to the Number One international bestsellers Me Before You and After You.

Lou Clark knows too many things . . .

She knows how many miles lie between her new home in New York and her new boyfriend Sam in London.

She knows her employer is a good man and she knows his wife is keeping a secret from him.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to meet someone who’s going to turn her whole life upside down.

Because Josh will remind her so much of a man she used to know that it’ll hurt.

Lou won’t know what to do next, but she knows that whatever she chooses is going to change everything.”

Still me

I have loved the first 2 books in this series – and so when I saw on NetGalley I had the opportunity to download the first chapter of the 3rd book in the trilogy, I jumped at the chance!

I was not disappointed!

It was lovely to catch up with Lou again – and now she’s in New York!  We visited New York this summer, so the descriptions were fab.

The first chapter has TOTALLY whetted my appetite – and I have pre-ordered it ready for it to magically arrive on my Kindle next month.  Now, to work out which category I can tick off on my 2018 Reading Challenge (yes, despite saying having not completed 2017 I wouldn’t do another one – I can’t resist – obviously!!)

 

 

 

 

Book Review: To My Daughter in France by Barbara and Stephanie Keating

Posted on by Libby Price

This book was recommended to me by a friend in case I was still looking to tick off the category ‘A book with multiple authors’ in my reading challenge – but I’d already got that one sorted – so I used this for ‘A novel set in wartime’ – but it could have slotted into other categories too (a good all rounder!)

To my daughter in France

“”And to my daughter in France, I bequeath the remainder of my Estate.” These words, read from the will of Irish academic Richard Kirwan, come as a complete surprise to his grieving family. In France, 24-year-old Solange de Valnay’s world is equally shattered: she loves the man she calls “Papa” and the Languedoc vineyard in which she had the happiest of childhoods; Celine, her adored mother, is dead. Just as she is about to embark on married life with her fiance Guy, all her certainties are undercut with doubt. She resolves to spurn her new-found Irish half-siblings. But once revealed, the truth of Richard Kirwan’s liaison cannot be so easily buried. The grief and anger of the Kirwan children impels them to ask searching questions – of their vibrant, artist mother Helena, and of Seamus, the saintly uncle whose life in Connemara seems perplexingly loveless. And though Solange might try to run from the past, it lives on in the memory of her remarkable, surprising grandmother, Charlotte. What emerges is an extraordinary tale of an irresistible but impossible love affair, of passion and blind heroism, of sacrifices made for love and honour and of four families whose resistance to the German forces occupying France during Second World War binds them across borders and cultures and through war and peace.”

Having just read a book I didn’t enjoy (The Bees by Laline Paull) – this gripped me from the start – which made a refreshing change, and reignited my desire to read!

It jumps between the present day (albeit the present day is 1970 and thus before I was born!) and the start of the story during the second world war.  However, the change in story keeps you wanting to read on – it doesn’t feel disjointed.  I’m not sure how the 2 authors split the writing – but it doesn’t feel like one wrote one time period and the other another era – it all kind of flows.

Some of it is in Dublin, some in rural Ireland, some in Paris, some in Geneva, some in various areas of rural France and some in prisoner of war camps (I’ve been to visit Dachau and what you see there stays with you forever) – and each of the different locations is described wonderfully.

There are some massive co-incidences – of different people meeting up in random places – and you kind of just have to go with that and accept it’s happened for the story to work!

I have one pet peeve (mostly because I am stupidly anal!) but at one point the story is in Thonon les Bains (somewhere I know well, as my best friend from school lives nearby) and the character in question says that they should return to France – implying it’s in Switzerland, as they’ve gone there from Geneva.  Thonon is actually over the border already in France, and I believe the writers meant Paris rather than France – but careless errors like this in the editing really annoy me.  I should, perhaps, get out more……..

But overall this is a beautiful, well written, interesting book that keeps the reader engaged.  The various different love stories – featuring all different types of love – are fabulously nuanced, and evolve really well.

Definitely a book I’d recommend – whether for a category on a reading challenge or just for an escapist read!