Hi lovely blog readers, just a little note to let you know that we’re having some technical issues at ramblingmads.com at the moment. Posts may look a bit odd over the next few days and may appear to be missing bits but never fear we are on the case and should get everything look shipshape very soon so thank you for bearing with us. You’re all superb.
Category: updates
Book Post of the Week!
Welcome to what I hope will be a regular series looking at the books that came in the post.
They fall into 3 general categories; books I’ve bought, books for blog tours, books for general review.
I’m very lucky to be sent books by publishers to review, especially advanced copies, and I do know that, but I want to share the joy of getting books in the post, it’s just the nicest thing! Books marked with a star have been gifted.
Books I Bought:
I’ve read a couple of other books by this author and enjoyed them. This is the story of Rachel who realises on the morning of her wedding to Dan that they’re making a big mistake. Tragedy strikes and everything changes, can Rachel build a new life and make things right? There’s a dog rescue centre with adorable pooches in there too.
I remember this book being everywhere on Book Twitter when it was published in hardback, so I had to nab this one in paperback. Set in 1781, an abolitionist goes missing and war hero Capt Harry Corsham is asked to investigate.
The latest Jackson Brodie sees the grizzled PI trying to settle into a routine with his son, dog and sometime girlfriend Julia.
I love the Jackson Brodie series and and really excited to read the newest one in the series. Atkinson is a fantastic writer.
Books for Blog Tours –
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I am intrigued by this premise – Jessica has a role on a YouTube series of vlog type videos, a sort of day in the life show, and she’s using this platform to find her mother’s killer. Will she succeed or will she become his next victim? – Blog tour post on 3rd Feb.
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New technology means you can use facial recognition software to find your doppelganger, and possibly meet up. Ella and Jem connect, and both want out of their lives, can they trade places? – Blog tour post 5th March.
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The British sci-fi writer created two of the most famous stories in the genre – The Midwich Cuckoos and The Day of the Triffids. But it was a very private man – the author here has taken an interesting direction – focusing on the woman in his life, and through her, discovering him. – Blog tour post 21st Feb.
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A Japanese murder mystery – in the 1970s 17 people are poisoned and the killer never answers to justice. The detective in charge of the case, Inspector Teru, believes there’s more to the murders and determines to find the truth. – Blog tour post 1st March.
Books to Review –
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Unfinished books live in the Unwritten Wing, a space in Hell, presided over by Claire, the head librarian. Her role includes keeping a close eye on restless stories and their heroes. Claire and her team must track down and escaped Hero before things go wrong.
This looks really fun and as a fan of several books about book characters coming to life and detecting librarians, it’s right up my street, I’m looking forward to reading this.
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Historical fiction set in Nazi Germany looking at the lives of ordinary Germans at the end of the war as they attempt to rebuild their lives and atone for their sins, and those of their families.
There’s been a lot of WWII literature around at the moment, some of it good, some not so much. This premise intrigues me, the lives of Germans after the war don’t get written about much it seems, and so this is an interesting angle to look at.
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Yetu holds the memories of her people – water-dwelling descendants of drowned pregnant African slaves. These memories are painful and torturous, so Yetu escapes the surface in search of other worlds.
This book sounds both beautiful but also dark, the history of slavery has left deep scars on many people, echoing down the years, and this is an intriguing take on exploring that legacy.
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Inspired by real events, set in war torn Syria, written by a pseudonymous journalist, the story of Sami, a young man in the streets of Homs, caring for the stray animals left behind by fleeing refugees.
This is probably going to make me cry buckets, but I think it’s important to read stories such as this, we’re so separated from the people we share this planet with, numb to horror, that these stories, real stories, need paying attention to.
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Earth was destroyed six months ago, living on Atlas 2, a ship following in the chem trails of the Pathfinder, Dee is drawn into a dark world of immersive reality, but people are really dying.
I’ve read two of the other books in this series – which are only loosely connected, and really enjoyed them. This is also really enjoyable and clever, a murder mystery where the person investigating might be the killer.
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Emilie des Marais wants to be a surgeon but her mother is intent on sending her to finishing school. Annette Boucher wants more from her life and longs to be trained in magic. When the two cross paths, they swap places and soon become embroiled in a terrible war and conspiracies that threaten everything and everyone they hold dear.
I really enjoyed this book, it was clever, funny, magical and full of fantastic characters. It’s also really queer, which is right up my street. I know this hasn’t even been published yet but I already want a sequel.
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Queen Talyien is struggling to hold her fractured country together, then her husband disappears, further destabilising things. Now she must find him and repair the damage done by the past.
This sounded interesting, quite traditional fantasy tropes but with the female protagonist responsible for saving things and rescuing the man.
Others –
I won this in a giveaway on Twitter hosted by the author.
Rumer Cross is the abandoned daughter of an assassin, working for a PI, when she gets kidnapped by mobsters who want a mysterious weapon, one Rumer’s mother supposedly had before she died.
Funny, violent, surprising, Rumer is a kickass reluctant heroine, forced to join forces with people she’d really rather not. It was very fun and I hope there’s a sequel coming.
In 1848 a motley crew of Danes set off to fight the Germans, not all of them will return, and those that do will be changed forever.
The most recent Thursday Next book, which means it’s going to be funny and a bit silly and feature lots of book jokes.
My husband has started randomly bringing home books from the ‘orphan table’ at work – along with odd things including a can of WD40, extension cords and other strange bits and bobs. Luckily the books are usually pretty good.
Illumicrate January 2020 – this will be having it’s own post, but it contained 2 exciting new books. Infinity Son by Adam Silvera and Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag, both of which I wanted to read so am super pleased to find them in the box.
And that’s my week in book post! Now to get on with my reading!!
Where Have I Been?
Hello faithful readers,
You may have noticed it’s been a little quiet round here, due to some technical glitches and some life upheaval I haven’t been able to post all the lovely things I’ve been waiting to share with you, but they are coming soon, so don’t go anywhere.
Come say hi on Twitter or Instagram, even drop me an email at ramblingmadsblog@gmail.com
Check back on the blog soon as we’re making some behind the scenes changes you’ll hopefully love and there will be exciting new content very soon.
Where did all the make up go?
You may have noticed if you’re a regular reader that my blog’s focus has shifted slightly. There’s been a lot going on in my personal life and with my health that has taken my energy and focus.
I haven’t been working so I haven’t been wearing much make up – although my skin care game is still strong, so I haven’t been writing about that. I also haven’t been subscribing to many beauty boxes as I need to actually use up my stash and save some money.
However I’m hoping to share my skincare regime, faves and problem products as well as perhaps my great love of glitter soon. So stay tuned.
If there’s anything you’d like to see here – recipes, rats, books etc just let me know. And if you’re a PR, writer or brand and want to work together, I’m friendly, promise.
Don’t forget you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Bloglovin or drop me an email.
Life
It’s been a bit quiet recently here in my little corner of the internets. Blame life, it keeps getting in the way of blogging.
I haven’t had the best week, including spending Wednesday afternoon in tears after a really bad, sad thing happened. I’ve also been so tired that I’ve risked nodding off at work. Oops.
So what’s keeping me up at night? Well, I never sleep very well anyway due to my delightfully restless legs (muscle spasms all night long) and habit of stopping breathing (asthma) but there’s been some actual things that my brain has been struggling with.
In happier news – wedding planning continues apace, but it’s keeping me up as the perfectionist part of me stresses out over details and the obsessive part of my anxiety goes into meltdown.
The aim is to get everything organised well in advance and then not stress out at the time. Stress does funny things to my body and has caused issues for my mental health in the past. So no-stress wedding planning it is.
I’m confirming venues this weekend and then paying deposits all over the place – for photos, hair and make up, a jukebox with kareoke (the Mr loves kareoke), a photo booth. You name it, it needs paying.
A friend is making the cake and another is doing the flowers (these are their actual jobs) and that’s less hassle. My cousin’s girlfriend has kindly offered to design our invites (she’s a graphic designer) and the Mr is in charge of kitting out the menfolk.
My lovely Dad has offered to help pay the deposits so we can still afford rent and food, yay. I know not everyone’s so lucky to have family who can help out, so I’m really grateful.
I just need to sort out the little touches and we’ve even picked our colour scheme, so that’s simple.
Would you like more wedding posts? A how-to guide if you like? Please let me know.
I aren’t dead*
*as Granny Weatherwax would say.
I am sorry it’s been a wee bit quiet here in my corner of the ‘net. I’m stuck at home looking like a puffy death-beast with flu. I have black eyes from the infection in my head and chest, cant wear make up as my temperature keeps making me sweat it off, oh and to top it off my rosacea and eczema have flared up and I’ve got a lovely acne breakout going on.
I have products I want to test and review for you, but currently eating cereal, reading Agatha Christie and smothering my skin in various stinky medicated lotions is pretty much all I’m good for.
So, I’m asking you lovely people to help me boost my mood and hopefully my immune system by sending me cute things on Twitter, tagging me in pictures of your pets on Instagram (@ramblingmads) and telling me what awesome stuff you’re up to in the comments please.
Life update
A lot has happened this week, as Ferris Bueller says “life moves pretty fast if you don’t stop and look around once in a while” and this week it’s been pretty whizzy! If you follow me on Twitter then you already know some of this.
Last Saturday I received a phone call from a lady who wanted to invite me to an interview for a job not far from where I live.
Monday morning I made my way to her office for the interview. 45 minutes later I said my goodbyes and left feeing very happy with how it had gone. I had been at the bus stop for all of five minutes, when one of the managers came running out waving her hands at me and trying to light a cigarette at the same time.
We went back inside and they offered me the job right there and then. After months of job hunting, applications and interviews, temping and panicking, I finally have a permanent role.
I started yesterday (Thursday) and I’ve made a good start, mastering the report running process in less than an hour today.
A three day weekend lies ahead of me and then back to more learning my role (and sorting out the stationery cupboard, seriously it’s a mess in there!)
So far everything’s gone well, my team are lovely and warm. This morning we all went out for breakfast before work, a monthly tradition in the office, which was really fun, and the sun shines on my desk which is lovely. It’s a fairly short commute on the bus (free of the Underground!) and in a nice place, which all helps.
Onwards and upwards we go. Have a great bank holiday weekend everyone.
ramblingmads 