Dear friends. What a scorcher of a month. It was too hot for me. Temperatures in the 30s (90s) are fine when you're on holiday, with an air conditioned room. But in London, in houses built to keep in the heat? Nooo. Fortunately it was a little cooler in the last few days.
It was a busy month with some fun activities. I was turned into an "artwork" not once but twice. I explored Bedford for the first time and went to Plymouth.
Dear friends. If you favour neat, fitted clothes and hemlines at the knee or slightly above, you have been out of luck for the last few years.
Or have you?
I realised just a couple of years ago that I look best in gamine styles. Since then, I've built a nice little wardrobe featuring old and new finds, and accessories that help to pull the look together.
Dear friend. It's time for another beauty update where I share what's working and what isn't. Everything was bought by me, so you can rest assured you're getting a frank and honest view.
At 64, I'm well aware that creams and potions don't turn back the hands of time. But how about the latest LED and RF (radio frequency) devices?
Dear friends. I'm guilty of saying this every month, but my newly published selection of reads in July is absolutely stellar!
There's a welcome return for best selling writers Joyce Carol Oates and Louise Candlish; a chilling alpine adventure; a story of a female entertainer turning the tables on a critic, and 100 delightful walks across Britain featuring secrets and treasure.
All the books were rated by me as 4 out of 5 this month.
Dear friends. Stalking clothes is a fun pastime. It starts when the drops happen, and if you're lucky, your chosen items end up successfully bagged in the sale at half price.
Dear friends. Sharing today what I've been wearing on repeat, including the most flattering dress ever. And two surprise "misses", the dresses I will move on.
Dear friends. I'm back with a review of last month. June was predominantly about our annual trip to the idyllic Greek island of Skiathos. There was also a seaside meetup with friends, various fitness activities, wildlife and daily observations.
Dear friends. Today's post is a celebration of the dress. Some amazing women share their favourites.
Dear friends. They're the sell out sensation that are surprisingly flattering. I'm talking about barrel jeans, having seized what seemed like the last two pairs in M&S recently.
I tried barrel jeans a few months ago from a different brand but didn't like them. Now I love them, and will show you today how I've been styling them.
Dear friends.
When Krystal Evans was 14, the house that she shared with her mother and sister burned down. Narrowly escaping by breaking a window and jumping out head-first Krystal suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and the unimaginable tragedy of losing her sister.
This is a spellbinding story of growing up poor living with a mentally ill mother, and having a wolf for a pet (really). From the indignities of being rejected from a summer camp for burn victims, to putting up with a succession of her mother's increasingly shady friends and partners, Krystal and Kale's childhoods were marked by adult chaos, inappropriate behaviour, and never knowing what the next day would bring.
But, writing with joy, skill and candour, we witness Krystal growing as a person from the ashes of disaster into the confident, funny, and (reasonably) well-hinged adult, mother and comedian that she is today.
Not many autobiographies live up to such hype in a publisher's description, but this one does. It helps that there has been a lot of drama - good and bad - in Krystal's life. She has plenty of jaw-dropping incidents to relate.
UK-based Krystal has turned tragedy into the strongest and most powerful form of comedy, creating a one-woman show which has been seen by some of her US based family, and lauded by the critics.
Her mother, Tracy, left her father for good when Krystal was one year old. A pattern developed where Tracy would start relationships with unsuitable men and then move somewhere else.
Tracy's relationships were always very volatile. On one occasion she was admitted to a psychiatric ward but left without telling anyone and took her two daughters away and wasn't contacted or traced for two months. Krystal was exposed to a lot of grief and sadness with her mother but she remained resilient, with people often asking how it was she was so "normal." But to her, the life she led was her day-to-day reality. She writes about Tracy with mostly kindness. Her mother was abused by her father, as were her siblings. She had also not received a proper mental health diagnosis, although Munchausen's Syndrome was identified not too long ago.
At one point Tracy married a 91 year old man, ("the mummy of Tutankhamun"), having been persuaded by her mother who said he wouldn't last long and she could have his house. The relationship lasted 8 weeks, with the marriage annulled.
Incidents of mania led Krystal to assume the role of adult. She dialled 911 after her mother started screaming and saying she could see tigers and animals crawling up the walls. Her medication was changed, but a few days later she drove too fast and their car crashed. "For me and Katie, life was increasingly like being in the back of a car climbing a steep hill, not knowing what was just over the crest."
The death of her sister Katie in a house fire is recounted in heart breaking detail. At 14, Krystal herself seriously injured, was the one who called the emergency services and her grandparents while her mother lay crying. Krystal spent two days in intensive care followed by three weeks in a children's burns unit before being released into her dad Steve's care. She was shown how to apply thick makeup to cover the burns on her face so that she could return to school.
At the "Burn Camp" of the title, Krystal was one of several teenagers sent to a summer camp for kids with burn injuries. Her mother was to be a counsellor. Unfortunately this did not go well: her mother was supposed to offer support to burns victims in a safe space, but she kept telling her own story and sobbing, expecting the youngsters to give her support instead. After Tracy got involved in a food fight with two 12 year olds, she and Krystal were forced to leave.
Krystal discovered a love for Scotland following a three-week holiday with a Scottish boyfriend called Stuart. She returned to New York and married Stuart within 3 months of meeting him in order to get a visa. She didn't tell her parents, figuring they would have a "proper" wedding in a few years' time and tell them them.
In 2014 she and Stuart settled in Scotland, opening a restaurant, and she was tempted to try stand-up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Instead she convinced herself it was too attention seeking in the way her mother had been. But she continued to keep a document in her drafts folder that contained joke ideas.
Her first performance at The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh came a few weeks after the birth of baby Sonny. She was so nervous she barely made it on stage, but had the audience laughing from the first joke (about sushi being sold at Boots). From then she began honing her craft, leading her to develop a one-woman show based on her traumatic upbringing.
Another baby later and she was on her way to Edinburgh Fringe 2020. The lockdown started, and with it Krystal began to experience fear and depression. She started therapy over Zoom with a psychiatrist specialising in extreme trauma. She was encouraged to write down her thoughts about Tracy, the fire and the loss of Katie.
In 2022, a neurosurgeon called from the US to say Tracy, who by now had been diagnosed with Munchausen's Syndrome, was in a coma and probably didn't have much time left. Krystal suspected she was probably faking it, and two days later, Tracy recovered.
Her book ends with a trip back to Washington state and a visit, for the first time, to her sister's grave. She was horrified to find it was tiny, and abandoned, and had been funded by her grandparents who couldn't afford much. "I felt as though my 6 year old sister had been here, cold and alone, up this hill for 22 years; I imagined her being sad that no one had visited her. I was deeply ashamed."
This is a powerful memoir that can make us laugh or cry, or both at the same time. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours, Octopus, the publisher, and the author, for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp, in return for an honest review.
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.jpg "Books for Summer")
Dear friends. As I was collating this month's round-up it crossed my mind they were all be perfect for holiday reading. There are, as always, some remarkable female characters (and writers). I read most of these in the dark months of winter, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers providing advance digital copies. I've indicated with an asterisk any books I bought myself.
A note on the ratings. I no longer include books that I didn't enjoy, to which I would have to give a rating of 3 or below. You can be assured that the 4 and 5 star reads I feature were enjoyed with gusto.
Dear friends. It's part 2 of my summer holiday posts and this time I'm focusing on what to take, plus a few of my lifesavers.
I'm headed for a relaxing holiday in Greece. Days will be spent on the beach, reading, swimming and listening to podcasts. Evenings, we'll take the water taxi into the nearby town and go to our favourite places for dinner.
There'll be no sight seeing. We've been to this island several times and have done all the sight seeing. A lot of you will hate our mega relaxing type of holiday, but I love it, particularly after all the recent cycling.
Dear friends. Prepare to be immersed in the world of horse racing in the latest crime thriller from one of my favourite writers, Ross Greenwood.
I must confess I have never been remotely interested in horse racing, but Greenwood brings it to life as DI Ashley Knight investigates murder at a race course.
Join me on the blog tour for Death at Fakenham Races.
Dear friends. What do we know of Cardinal Wolsey, right hand man to Henry VIII until he fell out of favour?
Best selling historical novelist Alison Weir brings the Cardinal to life in her new book. We learn about a man whose religious calling was somewhat reluctantly accepted; a man who nurtured a secret love, and who lost everything dear to him.
Today is my turn on the book blog tour for The Cardinal.
Dear friends. We're just completed a kitchen renovation. It's the first time I've ever had a brand new kitchen.
When we moved into this house 20 years ago the kitchen had been recently updated - on the cheap - to help sell the house.
It's a small galley kitchen, typical of this era of house (late 1920s).
Dear friends. I wasn't going to publish a review this month because I've already written about our 2 week cycling holiday. But I realised I could still provide my usual daily account as I didn't describe the holiday day-by-day, and still have lots of unused photos. Plus we have a new kitchen! Above: my colourful washing line after returning from holiday.
Dear friends. We're back from an amazing fortnight in Scotland. We completed 2 cycling routes, the Hebridean Way and the Caledonian Way. Total mileage was around 450 miles (724 km). The weather was extremely kind to us, and there were no midges.
As with our epic journey last year from Land's End to John O'Groats, we went with specialists Saddle Skedaddle. The two tours were fully guided and our bags transferred to the accommodation each day. Below: the trailer of bikes on its way to the first ferry.
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Dear friends. Another fine selection of books today featuring some very memorable women. There are the women of the Ladies' Circus, in 1930s Scotland; a wealthy heiress with a congenital muscle disorder and a secret life, and two actresses at different stages of their career, both victimised by men and determined to see justice. There is also a beautiful book about life and travel in Greece.
Dear friends. If you love crime thrillers and haven't yet encountered DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock, the world's first AI detective, I hope my review will get you started.
This is the third book in the Kat and Lock series, and the stories get bolder and more enthralling as the series develops.
Today is my stop on the blog tour.
Dear friends. I'm back with my monthly diary and TV/podcast recommendations. April featured a stunning Flowers exhibition, a colourful meetup in Tonbridge and lots of cycling as our Scottish bike holiday beckons.
Dear friends. I bet you didn't expect to see those 3 topics in a headline. Welcome to a Life Lately edition where I share a few everyday outfits plus thoughts on an ecumenical matter, and a new gadget each for both me and Mr Mutton.
John's new toy is a tiny drone - above, we're trying it out in a local meadow. The idea is it will accompany us to Scotland on our upcoming cycling holiday.
Dear friends. I'm back with this month's reviews, which include 2 five star reads. Dive in to discover some memorable storylines and characters who will stay with you.
I've indicated with an asterisk when I bought a book myself. The rest were provided in advance of their publication by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Dear friends. This promises to be a bumper beauty post, as I'll be covering several topics including how to improve your eyebrows, what to do with ever more shocking nails, and the products I've bought recently.
l have completed my spring/summer fashion buys, so will share what I bought and why.
Dear friends. I've got a treat for you today, the first in a new WWII historical thriller series.
No Precious Truth introduces us to one of the very first woman police sergeants, Cathy Marsden. She becomes pivotal in the desperate search to find a spy who's believed to be at large in Leeds.
Today is my day on the blog tour for this enthralling book by Chris Nickson.
Dear friends. We're now fully immersed in Spring and have even had some suitably mild weather.
My focus in March was mainly on cycling, as we're back in the routine of 3 rides a week.
I did manage a few other activities, including a theatre trip, another colour club meet up, the Ideal Home Show, a massive clear out and a refurbishment of my home office.
Dear friends. Today's book spotlight is on a real tour de force. Both heart breaking and inspiring, Bare tells the story of Lorna Tucker, now a successful documentary maker, whose life spiralled into degradation on the streets of London.
It's my turn on the blog tour for Bare by Lorna Tucker.
Dear friends. Today I'm on the blog tour for a book that's exciting on several levels, The Secretary by Deborah Lawrenson.
It's a thriller set in Moscow in the late 1950s, and centred, unusually, around a female "spy" at a time when they didn't officially exist. It's based on the real-life diary of the author's mother.
Dear friends. Spring has arrived and with it a lot of exciting new books, most of which I read last year, thanks to NetGalley.
It's a superb array this month with something to tempt everyone. Those with an asterisk are books I bought myself. Those without were sent to me as digital advance copies in return for an honest review.
Dear friends. One of my fitness goals at the start of the year was to get toned arms. I didn't wear my sleeveless tops much last year because I suddenly had bingo wings and crepey skin.
You might think that's to be expected after 60. But I knew I'd slackened off, and wasn't lifting weights. Improvement was possible.
Dear friends. I'm back with an intriguing thriller today. A renowned crime writer comes under suspicion when the body of a woman is found on Exmoor in this twisty novel from Diane Jeffrey. Join me on the book blog tour for The Crime Writer.
Dear friends. I'm back after a brief blogging hiatus, and full of inspiration for new posts. Join me again for topics including: toned arms for sleeveless tops, best trends from the fashion shows, more book reviews and more beauty products with honest reviews.
Today I'm sharing a few of my every day outfits. Now that Spring seems to have arrived my thoughts turn even more to the bright colours that suit me best.
Dear friends. Regular readers will know I enjoy a Ross Greenwood. He writes crime thrillers that have complex plots, realistic and memorable characters, and a bit of humour.
I must confess I don't care for the name of his latest book - it makes it sound like cosy crime, which it certainly isn't. But the story itself is a winner. Join me on the blog tour for Death at Horsey Mere by Ross Greenwood.
When a teenage couple go missing, the police aren’t too concerned. Young lovers often make bad choices. Then a body is found near a Suffolk lighthouse, and shortly after, two girls seem to vanish into thin air. Newly promoted DI Ashley Knight knows she has a battle on her hands to keep the public safe, and she’s going to need expert help.
Ashley turns to her old protégé, Hector Fade, seconded from The Met to analyse an avalanche of data. But neither Hector nor Ashley are prepared for the chilling connection his work uncovers to the body by the lighthouse.
Another victim is found at Horsey Mere and their worst suspicions are realised. A member of an Eastern European gang has gone rogue and is taking lives for fun. When Hector uncovers a pattern in the choice of victim, time is against the detectives to stop the murderer killing again.
Death at Horsey Mere is a showcase of Ross Greenwood at his best - there are gritty prison scenes, scenery, human interaction, poignant moments, and organised crime gangs - plus kidnap, prostitution and murder.
This is number four in the Norfolk Murders series but it can be read on its own.
Our police investigator is DI Knight and this is her most challenging case yet. It revolves around a trafficking group who were active in Europe but have since moved to Norfolk and Suffolk.
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Ross Greenwood has had an eclectic career, ranging from financial advisor to Prison officer. The advent of parenthood and the terrifying rise of Spice in prison led Ross to become a stay -at-home parent and a novelist.
Facebook: @rossgreenwoodauthor
X: @greenwoodross
Instagram: @rossg555
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RossGreenwoodnews
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ross-greenwood
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Dear friends. How was February for you? As usual it seemed to rush by, unlike January which seems to last forever. I had some fun in February. Read on....
Dear friends. I'm back with some more reading delights, including two five star books.
Those with an asterisk were books I bought myself; the rest were given to me as advance copies by NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an honest review.
Do share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments.
Dear friends. Are you Team Stripes, Team Spots, or Team Both? I vote for all three.
I like the opportunity to wear stripes and spots together, but one of the pieces needs to be small (a scarf or bag) for a small scale person like me (short).
In today's post I'm showing how striped t-shirts, a summer staple, are also brilliant to layer up in cold weather.
I was thrilled to find this stunning Kettlewell tartan dress, dating from 2018, on Vinted.
