This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
It’s been half term here, so I was able to get back to full fitness after my attack of flu without needing to snap immediately into teaching mode. On Monday we still had the grandchildren, so surprise, surprise – the weather was dreadful. We went shopping and somehow ended up in a bookshop where my dyslexic granddaughter scooped up one of the Rick Riordan offerings – because she wanted to read some of the jokey dialogue, rather than just listen to it on her Audible version. I’m so very proud of her… On Tuesday I needed to teach a Creative Writing catch-up session as I missed a couple of classes due to the flu and afterwards, the grandchildren went home. On Wednesday, we were filming parts of Tim’s script in Bognor Regis. The sun shone, the park where we filmed the two main scenes was idyllic and later we were on the pier and the beach, filming some of the shots for a couple of the songs. Once we were done, it was warm enough to grab a fish and chip supper and sit in the late afternoon sunshine and eat it – what a bonus at this time of the year.
On Thursday, my writing buddy Mhairi came over the for day and we properly caught up – we haven’t seen nearly enough of each other this summer and on Friday I spent the morning chatting with a friend at the Harbour Lights over coffee and a sticky bun, before returning to my mountain of admin in the afternoon. Yesterday, Mhairi came over and helped me change over the heading on my Twitter and Facebook pages, while today I’m hoping to get organised for this coming week’s lessons. It’s been a lovely sociable week and I hope everyone is having a superb weekend with a continuation of this amazingly mild weather – long may it continue!
This week I have read:
Nothing… no – that’s not true as I’m still working my way through Gnomon by Nick Harkaway and 
thoroughly enjoying it. But I haven’t finished a single book.
My posts last week:
Sunday Post – 22nd October 2017
Shoot for the Moon Challenge – September Roundup
Reblog – Here is My Interview with Sarah Jane Higbee by Fiona McVie at authorsinterviews
Review of Wolfbane – Book 4 of the Silver series by Rhiannon Held
Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:
14 Things You’ll Relate to If You Have an Endless To-Read Pile https://powerfulwomenreaders.wordpress.com/2017/10/27/14-things-youll-relate-to-if-you-have-an-endless-to-read-pile/ I think all passionate readers these days can identify with at least some of these problems – I know I can!
The Witch from Norwich https://ginnibites.wordpress.com/2017/10/28/28th-october-socs-the-witch-from-norwich/ Ginni is a talented, often edgy poet whose work I love. This is a seasonal offering…
Cluster https://photolicioux.wordpress.com/2017/10/28/cluster/ This photograph particularly caught my eye – but there is always plenty to choose from at this interesting site.
Seven Things You May Not Know About Punctuation https://interestingliterature.com/2017/10/27/seven-things-you-may-not-know-about-punctuation/ Another excellent, informative article from this gem of a blog.
How To Write Foreigners in Dialogues http://www.10minutenovelists.com/write-foreign-characters-dialogues/ Writing friend and fellow blogger, Joanna Maciejewska writes about an excellent article on how to denote foreigners in dialogue while avoiding a forest of apostrophes and the same old tired clichés.
Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to visit, like and comment on my site and may you have a great week.
Brainfluff 
That’s wonderful for your granddaughter, Sarah. I recently listened to a radio program about the schools in this country still not identifying dyslexic children very well and still not teaching reading very well. That was disheartening to hear since I thought dyslexia wasn’t a problem today as far as identifying it and teaching the children how to read even with dyslexia. However, the program pointed to a number of problems–lack of school funding, lack of common teaching methods for teachers in colleges in the U.S. and every school district is a local district which decides its own teaching methods to a large extent. That was an eyeopener for me.
So glad you’re feeling better and had extra time before you started teaching again. I will have to check out some more of your posts in your blog hop. The ones I’ve read so far are very interesting. When do you hope to have your second book published?
Have a wonderful week and enjoy your beautiful weather. We’re going to have a few days in the 50’s next week.
Yes… teaching reading is an issue here and while Frances was brilliant supported in her primary school, she has been largely left to cope as best she can. I’m so proud that she took the decision to keep going and not give up – it would have been so easy for her to do so. And she’s getting there:))
Thank you for your kind good wishes – it took me a week of struggling and then suddenly all the flu symptoms just vanished, which is wonderful. And a HUGE thank you for your kind interest and support in Running Out of Space – I’m hoping to have Dying for Space released on Monday 11th December, all being well. Would you like a free copy? I’d be happy to let you have one, once I’ve completed the final line edit:))
What a fun time you had with the filming!
I wish I knew more about dyslexia. Though I’ve worked in the schools for forty years, I feel like I don’t really understand the entire reading process.
And I’m glad you are feeling better.
https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/10/and-then-it-hit.html
Thank you:). Like many of these issues, dyslexia isn’t straightforward. It can cause great holdups in reading as many people on the spectrum see the words ‘jumping’ on the page and decoding becomes a real issue. Frances has a pair of yellow-tinted glasses which have helped her enormously, but she also has problems with short-term memory and being organised. This last year, she has made a huge effort – without much direct help from the school – to read by herself. So it was a real landmark moment when she elected to spend her pocket money on a physical book!
That’s nice you had a week off to fully recover. That’s fun the weather was warm enough and you could have your fish and chips lunch outside. It seems you like had a very social week indeed, must’ve been nice to catch up with everyone again.
That’s unusual you didn’t finish any books this week, but it sounds like your current read is a good one at least. I only finished one book this week.
Have a great week!
It is a substantial read – 700+ AND densely written. Having embarked on it, I didn’t want to try speedreading through this one, as it wouldn’t have been fair – and as you, I was thoroughly enjoying it. But the end is now in sight… Thank you Lola – I’m hoping to enjoy a week of normality:)
That’s great about your granddaughter 🙂 does it get easier for dyslexic people to read over time? I don’t really know as I don’t know much about it, unfortunately. I hope it does anyway. The joy of reading ❤
I’ve taught Special Needs for a number of years and I think there is a window during the teens when the brain is reforming that in some cases, with support and certain input, it can be easier to learn to read and constant practise always helps. But as I’ve never taught adults, I’m not sure whether that applies in the same way. But I’m beyond thrilled that she is finally getting there:)). A year ago, such a decision would have been unthinkable.
A year only! Yes, that is a big achievement then 🙂
I’m so proud of her!
You always seem so busy, I’m so impressed you managed ten posts in one week! Hope the rest of your weekend is good😀
Ah, but a lot of those were connect to the blog tour, which I was able to write and prepare in advance:). Thank you for your good wishes, Tammy – I hope you, too, have a great week.
Spending a stormy day in a bookshop, reading and picking out books, sounds lovely. I also enjoy chatting over coffee and sticky buns with a friend. Sounds wonderful! So glad you are over the flu…and feeling ready for whatever is next.
Enjoy the new week, and thanks for visiting my blog.
You’re welcome, Laurel:). I hope you, too, have a great week.
I’m glad to hear you are feeling better. And the story day in the in the book store with your granddaughter sounds wonderful. I’m glad she found a book that she be able to enjoy. Hope you have a fantastic week.
Jenea’s Book Obsession’s Sunday Post
Thank you Jenea – I was just amazed she actually wanted to buy a book. To be honest – I wanted to cry with joy, but not appropriate behaviour for Gran!
It sounds like a lovely sociable week indeed… wishing more of the same in the coming week.
Thank you, Joanne. I hope you, too, have a good week:)
What a wonderful week you had, Sarah. It must have felt especially good now that you’ve recovered from the flu. Hope this week is just as beautiful for you!
And I agree, having gorgeous weather makes the fall more enjoyable. Yesterday was beautiful here, which was great timing, since I’d gone to Boston with a friend for the Boston Book Festival. But it’s been raining a lot lately, and tonight it’s expected to be windy to boot. We’ve been in the early phase of a drought here in MA, though, so we could use the rain…
Thank you, Sara – yes, it’s been a great week. Apart from anything else, it’s been wonderful to feel WELL again! I hope you had a great time at the Boston Book Festival and I look forward to hearing more about it in due course:). Have a great week – with perhaps some nocturnal rain!
Aww, that’s wonderful that your granddaughter isn’t letting her dyslexia stop her from reading 🙂 And I’m glad you’re feeling better and even got some great weather! And you got a lot done too. Sounds like you had a great week!
Thank you, Kristen – it was a marvellous, marvellous moment… she has struggled SO MUCH with learning to read:). It was a lovely week – I hope you have a great one, too:)
We finally have some fall weather. Did you know Deb Nance and I are friends who live in the same town? (I saw her comment, and her blog is where I found yours.) She is the Children’s Librarian at the primary school across the street from the entrance to my subdivision and often keeps me supplied with children’s books for my LFL (She got me into the “business” of LFL’s in the first place!) I’m glad you’re feeling better. My cough has worsened to the point of preventing sleep because I worked a table for my AAUW group at the college’s Fall Festival, and a cold (not cool, but cold) wind blew the whole time. Boooooo. (That’s a comment on my state of health, not a precursor to Halloween!)
No – I didn’t know you and Deb are actual friends! Isn’t it a small world? So sorry to hear you are suffering – one of things that aided my recovery was putting my head over a steaming bowl of water and covering it with a towel. It was really soothing for my sore throat and inflamed sinuses and when I started a cough – it stopped it in its tracks. Two or three times a day and once at night when I couldn’t sleep… Do try it and see if it helps, my friendxx
Am trying tonight! Saturday
I’m glad you’re feeling better, and it’s so cool that your granddaughter wants to read. I hope you have a great week!
Thank you, AJ – I hope your week is a good one, too:)
You sound like having a great week last week. Glad to hear you’re feeling better and had a wonderful time with your granddaughters. I hope this week is even better. Have an awesome week. 😁❤️
Thank you – yes last week was fun. So nice to be able to take part in daily life without feeling like something the cat sicked up! And I hope that you, too, have a wonderful week:))
That’s exciting for your granddaughter. I hope she enjoys the book! It’s always nice when kids find books they’re excited about.
Thank you, SJ – yes, this is a huge milestone as her struggle to learn to read has been titanic. Up until she was 7, she couldn’t make sense of the letters of the alphabet, thanks to her dyslexia.
Such a busy week – I’m not surprised you had less time for reading. Hope next week is as good.
Lynn 😀
Thank you, Lynn – so far so good:)
The filming sounds fun! Why is it that the weather seems to be crummy when you really need it to be nice? That’s awesome about your granddaughter! I know that in Percy Jackson all the children of the gods have dyslexia because their brains are programmed for ancient Greek and I thought that was pretty great. Have a great week!
I’ve read through the post, but then one thing kept coming back to me: WHAT? NOT EVEN ONE BOOK?! I’m not appalled, mind you (and I can totally understand with my slow reading and huge gaps between my reading binges), just surprised because I think it’s the first time ever (so, “first time for as long as I remember”) you made such a remark.
But I’m glad this was because you had your week filled with other activities and not because of the flu or some other nastiness. 🙂
Yes – it was also because I was midway through Gnoman, which was a beast – 700+ pages and quite densely written. I took the decision not to speed-read through it and I’m so glad I gave myself sufficient time to fully appreciate it. Especially as it took Nick Harkaway over three years to write…