Chasm

I met him on the stairs.

His fur ragged and his ear torn.

I was going to work.

Things to do and a husband to mourn.

He was there when I returned,

yellow eyes burning into my own.

He slowly licked his paw,

then invited himself into my home.

Could he feel the cold,

walking the empty rooms inside?

Did he hear the quiet,

the television tried to hide?

He prowled around the hall,

before deciding on a door.

A room that remained empty,

despite the happy times before.

He jumped up on the bed,

that hadn’t been touched in a year.

He curled up and went to sleep.

His happy eyes laid waste to my fear.

Now we sleep in the bed together,

my furry friend and I.

The clouds are disappearing.

Finally, I see the sky.

 

A Love Letter to Hardbacks…

Booking Through Thursday asked an interesting question this morning. The question was:

All other things being equal, what is your favorite format for reading? Hardcover? Paperback? New book? Old book? Leather-bound first edition? E-book?

 

Many charity shops find it difficult to sell hardback fiction – a fact that I find quite shocking! I love my beautiful hardbacks and will always buy a hardback version of a book I already have if I find one. There’s something satisfying about sitting with a thick hardback book on your knee and getting absorbed into the story. One author I always love in hardback is Stephen King and I will happily pay the £25 rather than waiting for the £6.99 paperback! If people prefer to buy paperbacks in charity shops though then all the more for me.

What is your favourite format for reading?

First Dance – Poetry

 

Our eyes met across the room.

You know what they say,

Love at first sight.

It doesn’t always work that way.

Our eyes met,

The same eyes as before.

We’ve known each other a while,

As friends, nothing more.

We met halfway,

The centre of the room.

Things have changed dramatically,

Now we are bride and groom.

NaNoWriMo 2013 Summary

Hello everybody! I’ve not updated this blog in quite a long time!

In November I was busy with NaNoWriMo which I signed up to at the last minute. National Novel Writing Month is a challenge which takes place every November to write a novel of 50,000 words in 30 days. Here is a summary of how I did!

 

As you can see, I didn’t quite make it to 50,000 words. I finished the month on 42,858. For my first try though, I’m quite proud with how much I got done! I started off quite slowly but in the last few days of the month my word count shot up. You can see my stats here.

The month was fun but very hard work. I had points where I could barely face the keyboard at all and other points where I couldn’t stop typing. My average word count a day was 1,438 but the number of words per day did fluctuate a lot. With 7,182 words to go I’m sure I’ll finish soon but I’ve taken a little bit of a break for a couple of weeks!

I’ll be trying again next year and am determined to win!

Did you do NaNoWriMo this year? How did it go?

Review – Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

“Hanover falls hasn’t had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years, but when people suddenly start dying in Claire Benoit’s town, panic spreads fast. The gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about at Claire’s sixteenth birthday party, though the only thing on Claire’s mind is gorgeous Matthew Engle chatting and flirting with her as if she’s the only girl there. But that night, Claire discovers something that takes away all sense of normality: she’s a werewolf.

Claire knows she must keep her changing identity a secret, especially from Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. But then a rogue werewolf threatens to put everyone she knows in danger. Struggling to feel comfortable in either skin, and with her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, Claire is forced to make a choice that will change her forever.”

 

Claire de Lune – Christine Johnson

It’s no secret that I love a young adult book and while vampires and werewolves are quickly becoming old news, the different angle in Claire de Lune definitely caught my attention.

Claire is your typical 16 year old girl – slightly self obsessed and always at odds with her mother. Like any other girl at that age she has her eyes on a cute guy who she is not really allowed to go anywhere near. Still, things are going well until she finds out that the werewolf gene runs in her family. As she struggles with her love life, her best friend leaving and her difficult family and home life, Claire also has to cope with her changing body and the painful process of transforming into a wolf. Add to this her rebellious attitude towards her mother and the constant threat of being discovered, Claire has much more on her plate than your average teenage girl.

Claire de Lune is a fast paced, un-put-downable novel which I think brings something new to the werewolf genre. It makes a change for the girl to be the supe and the guy to be an average joe! I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who is a supernatural fan!

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Are you bored of the vampire/werewolf genre yet or is it still going strong?

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NOTE – I am currently away at Leeds Festival but will answer all comments when I return!

Quick Fiction – Left Behind

I revisit the harbour every day now. I usually arrive as the sun is setting. The sky is full of reds, pinks and golds, colours which give me hope. It’s been six months since my love set sail, off to explore a new land. The children are getting to the stage where they no longer ask “where’s Daddy?” They’re so young that I worry they will soon forget his face. My skirts billow in the salty wind as I take my seat on the wooden boards. As my children sleep soundly at home I continue my wait, knowing that I’ll never give up hope that he’ll return: my husband, my love, my life.

note: I am currently away at Leeds Festival. Any comments will be answered when I return!

Review – The Woman Who Went To Bed For a Year by Sue Townsend

“The day her twins leave home, Eva climbs into bed and stays there. For seventeen years she’s wanted to yell at the world, “stop! I want to get off!” Finally, this is her chance.

Her husband Brian, an astronomer having an unsatisfactory affair, is upset. Who will cook his dinner? Eva, he complains, is attention seeking. But word of Eva’s defiance spreads.

Legions of fans, believing she is protesting, gather in the street, while her new friend Alexander the white-van man brings tea, toast and unexpected sympathy. And from this odd but comforting place, Eva begins to see both herself and the world very, very differently…”

The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year – Sue Townsend

I have been keeping an eye out for The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole in my local charity shops for a while now so when I saw The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year by the same author I snapped it up.

Eva is the mother to Brian Junior and Brianne, seventeen year old twins who took up her entire life before they left to go to university. Once they have gone Eva gets into bed and refuses to get out again. Her not-so-loving husband, Brian, is confused and frustrated by her stubborness and has absolutely no idea how to make a meal for himself, nevermind run a house. As Eva’s family get used to fending for themselves and looking after her for a change, she starts to see the world in a totally different way. Alexander the local white van man becomes her closest friend and she starts giving advice to those who pop in and see her.

This novel is a brilliant and hilarious look at family life but it also has darker psychological themes as Eva is obviously having some kind of breakdown. She is an extremely likeable character though and you can’t help but cheer her on in her mission to think about herself for a change!

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Are you ever tempted to just give up on all your responsibilities and stay in bed? Would you feel liberated or just bored?

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NOTE – I am currently away at Leeds Festival but will answer all comments when I return!

Things That Make Blogging and Reading Easier (Top Ten Tuesday)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book themed meme held over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week we are listing the top ten things that make life as a reader/blogger easier. This is a different one as it doesn’t involve actual books! Here’s my list:

1) Goodreads

I’ve been using this website for longer than I’ve been blogging but it’s an excellent help. It helps me to keep track of what I’ve read as well as books I want to read. It’s also a brilliant social site with lots of interesting book clubs to join for inspiration. You can find my Goodreads profile here. Feel free to add me!

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2) Bloglovin

I’ve always used this rather than google reader so it didn’t effect me as much when everyone changed over. It’s a really useful way of subscribing to a huge number of blogs so you never miss a post. I also love how you can categorise the blogs so I can easily keep up with all the latest vegan blog posts as well as Friday Fictioneers and Top Ten Tuesdays.

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3) Top Ten Tuesdays

Is it odd to include the meme in a list for the meme? Top Ten Tuesdays is a really fun weekly community to take part in. I love seeing other people’s lists and I often feel challenged when making my own!

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4) You Are Here Bookmarks

I’ve only had these for a couple of weeks but they’re really useful when you want to make notes about the books you’re reading so it’s easy to review them when you get to the end. They were only £3.95 from Waterstones!

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5) Planning

It might seem boring but the only way I can keep on top of posting on both of my blogs is my fortnightly blog planner. I print a few copies off at a time and when I think of an idea I mark it on the planner. That way I always know my blog will be updated!

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6) Charity Shops

I buy most of my books second hand. It means I can impulse buy any books that look remotely interesting without having to worry about the cost. I get some good bargains!

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7) Waterstones

This is my favourite bookshop. As much as I love second hand books, there’s nothing like the feel of a brand new one!

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8) WordPress

I previously dabbled in blogging and used Blogger. I much prefer WordPress though as it’s easier to use and you have more control.

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9) Pinterest

I get a lot of inspiration and ideas from pinterest as well as being able to pin books I want to check out. I also use it to keep a lot of writing prompts and tips which can be useful. Follow me here.

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10) Friday Fictioneers

I’d never written short stories before this time last year. Friday Fictioneers is a really fun way of writing. Every week a photo is posted and the challenge is to write 100 words of fiction using it as inspiration. It’s good practice and can be the beginning of further ideas!

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What tools/websites make your blogging life easier?

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NOTE – I am currently away at Leeds Festival but I will answer all comments when I return!

My last festival of the summer – I’m off to Leeds!

This is just a quick post to let you all know that I’m going to Leeds Festival tomorrow and so I won’t be around until next week. I have scheduled some posts for while I’m away and will answer all comments when I return!

Have a good week guys!