This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
In theory it’s been a holiday period, allowing my break in my teaching routine to get a chance to focus on other aspects of my work. In practise, it’s thrown up all sorts of other tasks, including a stint of grannying. Of course, it goes without saying that this is a labour of love and I’m fortunate as both children are a joy and generally extremely well behaved. But we weren’t as up together this time around as we normally are, because the water pipe company had only completed concreting over the holes on Tuesday morning as they arrived in the afternoon. Himself also had a follow-up appointment at the Sleep Clinic, which was very encouraging where he has gone from 51 interrupted sleep events an hour down to 0.9 events, which is brilliant news. But we are both significantly shorter tempered than usual and while I am gradually getting more used to the silence instead of the thunderous snoring, my sleep patterns are still all over the place – and I’m not the one wearing the mask!
However, that didn’t get in the way of our having a fab time at the Crazy Golf on Wednesday with the grandchildren, though Frances going down with a heavy cold on Thursday meant we didn’t get out and about as much as I’d hoped. Fingers crossed the weather holds during the rest of the holiday when the grandchildren rejoin us for the coming week.
This week I have read:
Avengers of the Moon – A Captain Future book by Allen Steele
It was an age of miracles. It was an era of wonder. It was a time of troubles. It was all these things and
more . . . except there were no heroes. Naturally, one had to be created.
Curt Newton has spent most of his life hidden from the rest of humankind, being raised by a robot, an android, and the disembodied brain of a renowned scientist. This unlikely trio of guardians has kept his existence a closely guarded secret since the murder of Curt’s parents. Curt’s innate curiosity and nose for trouble inadvertently lead him into a plot to destabilize the Solar Coalition. There’s only one way to uncover the evil mastermind—Curt must become Captain Future. With the permission of the Edmond Hamilton estate, Allen Steele revives the exciting adventures of Captain Future.
I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure once I got used to the old fashioned feel of the writing – wholly intentional as Steele was going for a retro feel with this science fiction heroic tale.
How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale – Book 5 of the How To Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell
The heat is on for Hiccup as he is called to save the day once again. Someone has stolen the Fire-Stone. Now that the volcano on Volcano Island has become active, the tremors are hatching the eggs of the Exterminator dragons! Can Hiccup return the Fire-Stone to the Volcano, stop it from erupting, and save the Tribes from being wiped out by the terrible sword-claws of the Exterminators?
A heatwave on the Isle of Berk – unheard of! As anyone who reads this blog will know, I love this quirky, anarchic world. In this fifth slice of Hiccup’s adventures, once again Cowell manages to deliver yet another original, enjoyable adventure full of excitement and humour.
Saven Deception – Book 1 of the Saven series by Siobhan Davis
Sadie Owens has been slowly dying inside. Bit by bit, piece by piece, day by day. Trapped in a life she 
hates, she relies on only one person—herself. Despised by her family and betrayed by an unscrupulous government, Sadie dreams of a different life. When she is chosen to participate in the government’s new social experiment, she is ecstatic at the prospect of spending six months in Thalassic City, the shiny new city under the sea. Sadie is captivated by Logan, the beautiful boy with the ocean-blue eyes, but he isn’t all he appears to be. When she finally uncovers the government’s real agenda, the truth is more shocking than anything she could ever have imagined.
This is the first in the successful, best-selling dystopian science fiction adventure featuring the Saven aliens interaction with humanity. It is an enjoyable, page-turning read and I look forward to getting hold of the next book in the series.
Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space – The Dark – Book 4 of the Adventures in Wild Space by Tom Huddleston
In a galaxy far, far away… Milo and Lina are adrift on a starship that is spiralling towards disaster. A dangerous criminal is on the loose, the Empire is closing in – and something even deadlier awaits them in The Dark…
This is a genuinely creepy read with all sorts of twists and turns as the children are still fighting to evade the Empire’s attempts to capture them and their droid CR-8R. The friendly font, attractive illustrations and reasonably straightforward vocabulary means that Oscar can also join in and read to me, too.
My posts last week:
Teaser Tuesday featuring Avengers of the Moon – a Captain Future novel by Allen Steele
Review of The Operator – Book 2 of the Peri Reed Chronicles by Kim Harrison
Shoot for the Moon Challenge – March Roundup
Friday Face-off – Happy Easter! featuring The Pinhoe Egg – a Chrestomanci novel by Diana Wynne Jones
NEW RELEASE SPECIAL Review of Avengers of the Moon – a Captain Future novel by Allen Steele
Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:
The Social Contract for Writers http://writerunboxed.com/2017/04/15/the-social-contract-for-writers/ Bill Ferris is hilariously irreverent about the business of writing and in yet another article that had me sniggering throughout, picks apart some of our darker impulses…
My First Library: The Bookmobile https://coffeeandcatsblog.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/my-first-library-the-bookmobile/ In this delightful article, Loreen charts how she fell in love with the world of books, helped by a wonderful librarian.
Ouroboros https://photolicioux.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/ouroboros/ I don’t always like the results, but this quirky photography site always produces challenging images – and this one really caught my attention and had me studying it for a while.
…ssshhhh… the NON-secret of Author online self-promotion… https://seumasgallacher.com/2017/04/14/ssshhhh-the-non-secret-of-author-online-self-promotion/ As a successful self-published author, Seumas shares some of his hard-won experience – a typically generous gesture.
Women in SF & F Month: Kat Howard http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2017/04/women-in-sff-month-kat-howard/ I haven’t yet read Kat’s book, but I’ll be treating myself just as soon as funds allow – I loved this article…
Thank you for visiting and taking the time and trouble to comment – and may you have a wonderful reading and blogging week.
Brainfluff 
I’m glad your week went well. I hope you have a blessed Easter day and a spectacular week ahead.
Thank you Rae for your kind words – and I fervently hope your week is a wonderful one:)).
I’m glad your husband’s health is improving. I hope you both start sleeping better soon though, it’s exhausting when your sleep is broken. Hope the week ahead is a good one for you.
Thank you, Hayley! Yes, I’m hoping we both start feeling better soon, especially as it’s going to be a very busy week – I hadn’t intended to be writing the course for next term while the children were staying, but that’s what is going to happen…
Oh goodness – that does sound like a busy week! Hope you manage to juggle course planning while you have children staying.
Working on it…:)
It always seems that when you should have some extra free time other things pop up to fill that time. Sounds like you had a fun time with the kids. And I hope your sleep pattern normalize themselves soon. It really is exhausting when you don’t get enough sleep or not the right quality. I am glad to see you finished Saven deception! I’ll keep an eye out for your review. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. It’s a fun series! Have a great week!
Yes… I am lucky in that I get to pace myself which is a huge privilege that most people don’t get – but often outside circumstances intrude on my intended rest periods – and this holiday, what with the water leak and being so tired, I haven’t got ahead as much as I’d wanted. I’m looking forward to reading more of the Saven series and I should be posting my review in the next 2 weeks. Hope your week goes smoothly, Lola.
You’ve had lots of different things keeping you busy, Sarah. I certainly understand the difficulty sleeping. I’m trying to get used to my sleep mask–sometimes with more success than other times. So I’ve been a bit short tempered at times…lol. I hope you have great weather for the return of your grandchildren!
I’m going to check out your books. They look good! Hope you have a great week.
Thank you, Jan – you, too, have a great week:). Himself is coping very well with the mask, but I can fully appreciate you having some issues with it. I’m hoping we have some lovely warm weather – it’s been dry, but there is a cold easterly blowing.
Looks like I missed quite a lot on your blog while I was out of town this week! I also read Avengers of the Moon and I share a lot of the same thoughts. Fun pulpy read, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had been familiar with the original Captain Future 🙂
I have a hunch that if this one plays well, there will be more Captain Future adventures from Steele – I hope so anyway. Have a great week and thanks for swinging by:).
Enjoy your books….I’m curious about Saven Deception. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
I am going to check out some of those links. The bookmobile story looks interesting.
You’re welcome, Laurel – I always enjoy your weekly roundups even if our taste in books doesn’t overlap all that much:).
Free time? Is there such a thing! LOL It’s wonderful that your husband’s sleep is becoming normal. My brother-in-law was terrible and now he’s about like your hubby. My sister is like you though. It takes getting used to. She wakes to make sure he’s still breathing! Have a lovely day and pamper yourself some, will ya!
My Sunday Post
Thank you, Laura:). I’m taking it easy today – stayed in bed faaar too late reading this morning! I am slowly getting more accustomed to the new silent hubby alongside me, but my sleep patterns are still a bit of a mess… However, it’s all good so once it all settles down, it’s bound to be better:). I hope you have a lovely day, too.
Loved that article by Bill Ferris. Had me laughing and nodding quite a bit. Thanks for sharing it!
It’s great fun, isn’t it? He’s a regular contributor on Writer Unboxed so if you search you’ll find some other gems from him. Thank you for swinging by:).
Hope you’re having a fantastic Easter. You’re always so busy and you look like you’ve had a great week. Hope you catch up on your sleep soon.
Lynn 😀
Thank you, Lynn – I had a big old lie-in this morning and enjoyed a great book – treeeeat! Hope you have a great Easter, too:)).
Crazy Golf sounds fun! 🙂 And hope the sleep patterns thing works itself out … it’s hard when sleep patterns get disturbed. Sounds like you are very busy with the pipes and everythnig else going on!
I think I mentioned this last week but Avengers of the Moon does look good, although it’s possible that retro cover is drawing me in! And Saven Deception looks like an intersting start to a series.
Yes – the crazy golf was a hoot as they had done a major refurbishment on a pirate theme which pleased my grandson. And Avengers of the Moon is great, particularly if you ever had a weakness for the old-style pulp fiction sci fi. I think Allen Steele does it very well. Have great week, Greg:).
I loved Kat Howard’s book Roses and Rot, and I’m super excited to dive into her next book. Hope you have a wonderful week!
It sounds great! And I hope you, too, have a good week, Tammy:).
Hope you enjoyed your Easter holiday, Sarah. 🙂 The past week for me was quite busy, mostly from re-acclimating myself to my “home” time zone and getting back into a normal routine now that I’m home from Iceland. I’m still not quite there yet; I’m falling sleepy an hour or so earlier than I used to. :S
Glad to hear that J is doing better with his sleep apnea. I hope the both of you can catch up on your sleep soon. Also, Crazy Golf sounds like fun! In the US we have “mini golf,” which is golfing geared toward kids and families and where each hole is constructed a bit like an obstacle course. Maybe Crazy Golf is similar…?
Are you taking rescue remedy? If not, it’s really good for helping you cope with resetting your internal clock.
We are both still getting used to the massive change and I guess it’s not surprise that we are both still not back to feeling ‘normal’. Fortunately J isn’t yet having to resume his full duties until he has a works medical, which isn’t for another week.
As for Crazy Golf – yes! It sounds exactly like your mini-golf:). We have a course right down on the sea front and I’ve been taking children/nieces and nephews/grandchildren for longer than I care to think. It’s great fun, though we don’t bother with score cards.
I’m delighted your Icelandic trip was so successful and when you feel up to it, I’m looking forward to reading all about it. In the meantime, I hope you manage to get sufficient rest before you dive back into the daily hurly burly. Have a great week, Sara:)
I’ve never heard of Rescue Remedy. Not sure if I’ve seen it in any of my local stores, either. But I’ll look into it. Thanks. 🙂
About the retreat: I should have a post on it going live at DIY MFA this Friday.
It is a completely natural remedy made up of a number of plant extracts and is often effective for people suffering stress or anxiety symptoms – but it is also really good at helping transatlantic travellers adjust to different timezones. My son swears by it when he’s been to the US and has to return to the UK and work the day after landing.
I’ve always thought that for people who have children (or grandchildren) holidays, breaks, and summer are the most busy and tiring times. I’m glad you got to enjoy your time with them regardless of all the trouble and distractions.
And I *really* hope you’ll get some quality sleep soon!
Thank, Joanna, I’m hoping that my sleep patterns will sort themselves out soon, too.
Yay on the decrease of interrupted sleep events! that’s awesome. I remmeber when my husband had his aha moment with his sleep apnea. It wa slife changing! For both lol we are both used to the mask now 🙂 Hope you get to enjoy some good grannying son 🙂
Thank you for your kind, encouraging words. We are both still finding the adjustment a bit challenging, even though very relieved J is getting so much more sleep.
I need to sent my husband to a sleep clinic! Glad your husband is doing well.
Saven Deception has an intriguing plot!
Yes – it’s really important to get him checked out – sleep apnea is potentially very dangerous. And yes – Saven Deception is has a great premise.
Thanks for the link and the kind words!
You’re welcome:)
Goodness! The sleep clinic sounds pretty amazing but I’m sorry that you aren’t able to sleep right now!
It wasn’t that long ago that I didn’t even realise that How to Train Your Dragon was a book adaptation!!!! I definitely need to have a look at those.
Sorry I’m so behind STILL on commenting!
No worries:). I know you well enough to realise it isn’t because you can’t be bothered – rather you are a bit buried just now…