This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
This week has been good, but busy. Tim is working well towards his writing exam – I am so impressed at how well he rises to each occasion. We have been also discussing the Star Wars films as he has recently become a big fan and we are both eagerly anticipating Solo.
The Creative Writing courses are going well, as my students are producing a marvellous range of favourite pieces of writing, both poetry and prose, to present to the rest of the group, in addition to their own work. On Thursday, Mhairi, my writing buddy and marketing guru came over and ensured that I am now GDPR compliant – she is a wonder! This weekend, the grandchildren have come to stay – and unusually, the weather stayed absolutely fabulous. On Saturday evening, my sister came over to have a roast dinner and while Himself toiled in the kitchen, we sat on the garden swing, watching the children playing a lively game of boules and basking in the sun, admiring the swaying mass of aquilegia – or grannybonnets, which is their country name.
This morning, I’m taking them over to the local leisure centre, along with Tim, for a clip’n climb session. We’ll be returning them home this evening – the weekend has zipped by far too fast as they are such good company. I hope you all have a great week and for those of you also enjoying half term, let’s hope the hot spell lasts…
This week I have read:
Furyborn – Book 1 of the Empirium series by Claire Legrand
When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first. A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.
This epic fantasy caught my eye – first due to that amazing cover – and then when I realised that the main protagonists were women. It is an enjoyable, well written tale, full of incident and emotion – along with a nice leavening of humour.
The Watchmaker’s Daughter – Book 1 of the Glass and Steele series by C.J. Archer
India Steele is desperate. Her father is dead, her fiancé took her inheritance, and no one will employ her, despite years working for her watchmaker father. Indeed, the other London watchmakers seem frightened of her. Alone, poor, and at the end of her tether, India takes employment with the only person who’ll accept her – an enigmatic and mysterious man from America. A man who possesses a strange watch…
This entertaining romantic historical fantasy has one of the best opening scenes I’ve encountered in a long while – both humorous and desperate. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, despite not being a huge fan of romance. I’ll be reviewing this one in due course.
Gwithyas: Door to the Void by Isha Crowe
Zircon Gwithyas just wants to be a normal teenager, preferably one with a girlfriend. If you’re a spotty nerd with glasses as thick as jam jars, that isn’t easy. It’s even harder when you live in a derelict manor on a haunted hill with a bunch of spooky eccentrics for a family, and the object of your affection is an irritable sword-wielding college student. It becomes virtually impossible when you are dragged into a dark, chaotic semi-reality where your moderately-deceased ancestors expect you to save the world from a horde of grotesque demons with a fondness for torture…
This YA fantasy is both dark and funny. Zircon makes a wonderful protagonist and I’m hoping that Crowe produces more in this world – it is a joy. I’ll be reviewing this one in due course.
My posts last week:
Review of A Pair of Docks – Book 1 of The Derivatives of Displacement series by Jennifer Ellis
Teaser Tuesday featuring Gwithyas: Door to the Void by Isha Crowe
Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring Drop by Drop – Book 1 of the Step by Step by Morgan Llewelyn
Buddyread Review of Willnot by James Sallis
*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Furyborn – Book 1 of the Empirium series by Claire Legrand
Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:
Steve Earle, Patty Loveless, The Proclaimers & Eddi Reader – My Old Friend The Blues https://theimmortaljukebox.com/2018/05/10/steve-earle-patty-loveless-the-proclaimers-eddi-reader-my-old-friend-the-blues/ Thom’s wonderful blog is a must-visit experience for anyone who enjoys music and this article is another gem…
Monday Funnies… https://powerfulwomenreaders.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/monday-funnies-4/ It doesn’t have to be Monday to have a laugh.
Kathpulis or puppets show https://historyofkingpanwars.wordpress.com/2018/05/22/kathputlis-or-puppets-show/ I loved this article about something I knew nothing about…
Conducting Informational Interview for Story Research https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/05/conducting-informational-interviews-for-story-research/ A wonderful, informative article about how to go about this by my great writing friend, Sara Letourneau…
What times we’ve lived through. https://jaceybedford.wordpress.com/2018/05/23/what-times-weve-lived-through/ Jacey Bedford describes how her investigation into her past also informs and enriches her writing as well as her life…
Have a great week and thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to visit, like and comment on my site.
Brainfluff 
Sounds like it was a good week, I’m glad 🙂 meanwhile, I am still struggling with my time commitments 😀 I hope next week’s easier on me! I hope you have a good one 🙂
Sorry you are struggling to keep all the plates spinning – it’s a horrible feeling! Thank you for your kind good wishes and I hope the coming week is a kinder one for you, too, Evelina.
I believe I am GDPR compliant, my husband is going to check it all for me. He’s more techs than I am. 😉 Hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
I’m sure he’ll have it all nailed for you:). In the meantime, have a great week, Jenea.
What a tranquil, wonderful, productive week. You deserve it. Am looking forward to a review of The Watchmaker’s daughter. The title intrigues me.
Thank you, Rae:). It was an easier week which was very welcome. I will certainly be posting a review of The Watchmaker’s Daughter in due course.
Sounds like you had a great week. Basking in the sun sounds delightful! I had to push Furyborn back a bit in my schedule but am determined to start it this week.
Yes – it was lovely – I’m looking forward to a bit more basking this coming week as I’m on half term and the weather so far has been fabulous:). Best of luck with Furyborn!
I am reading Furyborn but it hasn’t grabbed me like it should. I am still reading and I am hoping it gets better. Have a great week!
Mary my #Sunday Roundup #20!
Oh dear… I hope you find Furyborn grabs you soon! Have a great week:)
The Watchmaker’s Daughter looks tempting. Enjoy your upcoming week…and the weekend. Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
The Watchmaker’s Daughter is certainly an entertaining read, Laurel. Thank you for your kind good wishes I hope that you weekend, too, is a great one.
It may have been a busy week, but it was a good kind of busy, from the sounds of it. What is a clip ‘n climb session, btw? My first guess was rock-wall climbing in a harness and belay, but I wasn’t completely sure…
You can say that again about the fantastic weather, too. I was visiting my parents on Cape Cod this weekend, and the weather forecasts had predicted thunderstorms and rain to come through yesterday afternoon. But that never happened. So we had two beautiful days instead of just one. 😀 And tomorrow is a national holiday (Memorial Day), so no work means an extra day for writing and relaxation.
Btw, thank you for sharing a link to the informational interviews article! 🙂 I’m glad you liked the post enough to share it with your readers.
You have some interesting books you read which have caught my eye. Here;s to another happy, productive week. Anne – Books of My Heart
Wow, it sounds like you’ve been busy and have had a lot of visitors. I hope the weather stays good. Have a great week!
I’m really looking forward to Solo! And glad you’ve had a good week (and weekend). It must be gratifying too to see the creative Writing projects come in- all that outpouring of creativity. 🙂
My dad is excited for Solo but I still haven’t watched The Force Awakens-I wasn’t a fan of the last trilogy so I’m not in a rush to watch them! This new law has been giving me a lot of stress. I wish I knew someone to solve that issue for me!
Sounds like a great week! I’m super curious about Solo. I think it looks really good and I hope you enjoy it! It is amazing how fast the weekend seems to have flown by. I need more time! Have a great week!
I love your Sunday posts. Another lovely week, gorgeous weather, good company and plenty of books.
Hope next week is as good.
Lynn 😀
Thank you for your kind words, Lynn! Yes, last week was lovely – this week… not so much!
How nice that you’re a Creative Writing teacher! I teach English myself, but it’s ESOL, as it’s called here in the States. That stands for “English for Speakers of Other Languages”. It’s also known as ESL — “English as a Second Language”. You must have LOTS of fun in your class!
I like Star Wars to some extent, but I’m really a Trekkie at heart. Ah, Mr. Spock…. I used to have a crush on him, when I wasn’t crushing on Capt. Kirk, that is. Lol. And the plots (I’m referring to the original show) are SO fascinating! 🙂
Looks like you guys had a busy, and fun weekend. Sure wish I could visit England some day….
I’m very interested in “The Watchmaker’s Daughter”, and will add it to my Goodreads shelves right away! Although I love SF and fantasy, I also love romance. And this book has BOTH romance and fantasy! What a GREAT combination!
Thanks for sharing!! Hope you all have a WONDERFUL week!! HUGS!! ❤ 🙂
Yes – we have ESOL teachers here, too:)). I hope you have fun in your classes, too. I cannot imagine that you don’t – you are such a bouncy, positive person and reading your blog is always such a shot in the arm:).
I think you would really enjoy The Watchmaker’s Daughter:)) And the bonus is that it is the start of a new series. I’d love your take on that amazing opening scene which I think is excellent.
Well hello there! I’m around again… Kind of! 🙂 Just trying to catch up on a few blogs here and there and of course, my own… Which has been sadly neglected lately.
How is your sister going? Just trying to catch up a little!
Yikes, I desperately need to do my GDPR stuff. Just in case!!!
I really want to read Furyborn so I’m glad you found it enjoyable and the humour is definitely a plus. I wouldn’t have been expecting that. I also love that cover for the Watchmaker’s Daughter so now that has caught my interest!
Hopefully I’ll be around a little more in the coming weeks! Lovely to see your blog after so long!
Hi, Di – it’s lovely to hear from you and many thanks for swinging by:)). My sister is definitely improving, though it is going to be a long journey for her – thank you for asking!
I’m delighted that you are going to be around a bit more:). Right now, you’ll have to excuse the fact that I’m not around much, but my router got damaged in a massive thunderstorm on Monday and I’m STILL waiting for a replacement… In the meantime, I hope you and the family are all well and look forward to catching up properly when Sky finally wake up…
Sounds like you had a lovely weekend! I always feel like it stays nice during the week here and then it’s gloomy or rainy on the weekend. Lol.
Thank you, SJ – sorry for the delay in responding, but a massive thunderstorm on Monday took out our internet and Sky is in slo-mo mode about sorting it out! I know what you mean, though:)
It seems that “busy” is the theme of the last few weeks. I’m glad it’s paired with “good” – it makes all the work worth it!
Yes – I’m glad to say that things did ease up somewhat…
That’s good news. A moment to breathe is always welcome. 🙂