Greece, Art, Ballet: June in Review

And #TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends.  Another busy month which included art exhibitions, our holiday in Greece, the start of my Medieval Exeter study tour, and another heatwave. 

Monday June 1

Weather a bit unsettled after the first heatwave of the summer in May.  Sorted car insurance for my new car. Went to dentist for bone implant. Quite unpleasant. "Real" stitches (as opposed to dissolvable) and antibiotics. Stitches will come out day before we go to Greece. My next appointment,  in Oct, will involve a CT scan to check if enough bone has grown for my tooth implant to go ahead. 

Holiday Outfits

 And #TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends. We've just returned from another wonderful holiday on the Greek island of Skiathos. I'm sharing some of the outfits I wore.

I thought I'd packed plenty, but while I had a lot of choice for daytime, I didn't have much that was "special" for evenings. Special but not too dressy, as Skiathos is quite a laid back,  relaxed place.

June Books {2026}

 

Dear friends. A bumper crop of books this month. I'm sure there's something of interest for everyone. I bring you two 5 star reads plus some close contenders from the likes of Elizabeth Strout and Satu Rämö, plus three non-fiction books covering butterflies, cooking and The Beatles. 

If you're wondering how I managed to read 10 books in a month, well, I receive advance digital copies from NetGalley, sometimes months before the books are published. I read most of these in darkest winter. 

Orange: Would You?

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. Orange is a bit divisive.  You either love it or hate it.  It's a warm colour and definitely doesn't flatter if you are cool toned.  It's also quite attention seeking, perhaps in a different way to red, which stands for passion, power and confidence.

Royals to the Rescue

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. When I was working I had two secret weapons for breaking the ice with my international colleagues at various meet ups. Eurovision was one, the European royals was another.

In those days I read Hello magazine mainly to stay up to date with Princess Stephanie of Monaco. Not only did she marry one of her bodyguards, she ran off to join a circus and trained to be a lion tamer.

All very exciting compared to the rather sedate British royals.

Bookshelf Update

 

Dear friends.  My big book update is a monthly one, a smorgasbord of delights,  but I like to bring you an occasional hors d'oeuvres to bridge the gap. 

All books have been provided as advance digital copies via NetGalley and the publishers except for those marked with an asterisk. Those I bought. 

Summer Fashion Disappoints

 And #Tuesday Twirl

Dear friends. We've had a very intense spell of hot weather. Temperatures in London reached 34 degrees at times. It was hotter than Spain and Greece! 

I don't mind now I have an AC unit in my bedroom (read more about this in my Review of May).

Marvellous May

 May in Review: #WBOYC

Dear friends. What a scorcher! May 2026 was the hottest May on record, with temperatures in the last week in the 30s in London.  

It was a busy month for me, including a gravel cycling break in Scotland and trips to the David Bowie immersive and Queen Elizabeth: Her Life in Style exhibition.