Reading Wednesday

It’s been a tough fortnight, and mostly I've knitted oodles of garter stitch and rewatched some boxsets. There has been progress on the reading front though!

What I've finished reading
The only book finished this last fortnight has been Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts. It was exactly the cosy read I needed, and though it is rather predictable and a little trite in places, I'm quite looking forward to reading the last in the trilogy.

I have been culling my library pile all little as well (I take a lot of random books home, and they quickly build up), but I'm not counting those as it was mainly skim reading to see if I was ever going to properly read them.

What I'm currently reading
Mirror Sight by Kristen Britain. I've just started this, but I'm trying not to get too excited after the three year wait for it because of what I've read online. I was going to avoid spoilers, but after the last book I learned it really is the only way to avoid possibly throwing it against the wall massive disappointment with this series.

I've started with How to be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott. I love the title, but I've only really read the first chapter so I can’t comment too much. I'm finding it an easy style to read though.

What I'm reading next
I’d like to get further through Trading in Danger (although I was thinking about this the other day and it may end up being a DNF).

What I'm reading this fortnight

What I've finished reading
Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach. I loved reading it, and I thought it was a great ending to the trilogy. I especially loved how straightforward the answer turned out to be, even though implementing it wasn't straightforward at all. I really felt the Devi/Rupert in this book, and Bach completely made me believe Rupert deserved Devi's trust again, something I wasn't sure was possible after the last book. I squee'd almost as much as Devi at the ending, and all the little details sprinkled throughout (but especially at the end) make me want to read more about Paradox, especially the King and Royal Family.  Definitely a series that will be going on my reread pile.

What I'm reading
I'm loaded with a cold and sore throat at the moment, so it's Nora Roberts' Shadow Spell as some light comfort reading.

What I'm reading next
I don't even think I'm going to try naming anythng this time as I seem to keep jinxing myself lately.

Goldfrapp concert

I can't believe it's already been over a month since I went to see Goldfrapp perform in Glasgow.

I had a great seat in the second row, and I had an absolutely fabulous time. I may have filled my phone with photos. :D

I'm not always a fan of support acts, but We Were Evergreen were fabulous and I loved them from the first song. I’m currently listening to their debut album Toward and annoyed that I couldn’t make their gig in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Aren’t they just adorable? Very few of my pictures turned out as they were all frantically moving about, and the energy was just fantastic. Also, cornet! I’m a lapsed player, and I love seeing it performed live, especially when it’s not expected.

Then Goldfrapp. Goldfrapp in concert is always a great experience, but this was just fantastic. The first half was songs from the latest album, and spine chillingly brilliant is the best description. (I JUST LOVE IT, okay?)

And then it was onto some of the back catalogue, all the favourites, although I didn't get very many photos as they all turned out blurred due to my rather inept bopping about.

Did I mention how much I loved it? A fabulous night all round.

WIP Wednesday

Socks!

After finishing my first project on DPN’s (a baby hat, the FO post will be coming soon), I was looking forward to trying my first sock.

I thought I would start with something fairly straight forward so I went for Laura Linneman’s Afterthought heel sock pattern. It’s free on ravelry, and I’m finding it very clear and straight forward (though I did shorten the rib a little. It’s just a matter of personal preference, and I’ll just wait and see how that affects it).

I love it! I’m at that stage where I keep waving it in my Mum’s face (it’s all right; she does the same to me with her projects) because I love it so much. I’m using KnitGlobal sock yarn in the colourway cranberries, and it’s a nice wool/nylon mix that is knitting up lovely. I can already tell it’s going to be very cosy.

As predicted, my other big project at the minute, the hooded tunic, has stalled. I finished the front, and then pushed it to one side as I wasn’t in to mood to sew the shoulders together to knit the rest of the sleeves. Maybe when it’s a bit colder outside it’ll give me a bit of motivation to get it finished!

My words have gone awondering...

It's been a hard couple of weeks for me, both physically and mentally, and as a result my words seem to have dried up completely outside essential situations such as the day job.

I've finally managed to start taking baby steps again though, and one of those has been going over to the park across from us and talking to the dog as she has her after-dinner sniff about. It's light enough now that I can see where my feet are and close enough to home that it isn't too taxing for me. I can still really only go out on my days off, but baby steps are still steps and who can resist that cute face? 

What I've finished reading
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I loved it, and was completely invested in all the characters. I did feel it lost a little momentum towards the end when it became one viewpoint, but that wasn't enough to put me off, and I found it a little easier to read (less brain required).  Looking forward to the next one.
  
Volume three of Saga by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples.  Repeat what I said for the first two volumes. Absolutely loved it!!

Cross and Burn by Val McDermid. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, and not just because of my lowered expectations either. I do think this is a better book than The Retribution - it didn't feel like plotlines were competing for space on the page, and the character reactions felt a lot more natural this time around. I am quite looking forward to the next in the series now.

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs. I ended up with a physical copy and I couldn't help rereading it. I loved it just as much second time around

What I'm reading
I'm reading Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon. I am enjoying it, but I'm kind of blah on a lot of things at the moment so it's not getting the full attention it deserves.

Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach arrived for me yesterday. I've read the first couple of chapters already, but I think I am going to leave it to this coming long weekend so it doesn't suffer from the blah effect. Which is incredibly hard, but I know I will enjoy it more (especially as the blahs are starting to fade a little).

What I'm reading next
I want to get Trading in Danger finished, as well as picking up Knife Sworn by Marzarkis Williams again. I've also borrowed How to be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott in the hope it jump starts something.