Eclecticdodo's 2014 challenge

I managed 56 in 2012 and 58 last year, so this year I'm aiming for 60. Who knows? I just might do it!




January:
1) 200 Slow Cooker Recipes
2) Seriously Good Gluten Free Baking
3) The Jungle Book
4) Life in the Balance
5) Mary Poppins Comes Back

February:
6) The Picture of Dorian Gray (DNF)
7) The Hairy Dieters Eat For Life
8) Persepolis
9) The Shock of the Fall

March:
10) The Novel Cure
11) Exploring Identity
12) Beyond Chocolate
13) American Gods

April:
14) A Girl Called Jack
15) Legionnaires disease

May:
16) To the Lighthouse
17) 200 More Slow Cooker Recipes
18) 75 Birds Butterflies and Beautiful Beasties

June:
19) Guinea Pig Pet Friendly
20) Weight Watchers Simply Autumn
21) On Beauty

Once again I'm aiming to read at least one fiction for every non-fiction.
So far I'm not doing too well! Fiction 7 : Non-fiction 14

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Coincidentally I also need to lose about 60lb. How am I doing?




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I'm doing a "Bible in a year" plan. I'll mark off here every time I finish a book:




1 Chronicles, Luke, Genesis, Acts, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Romans, Nehemiah, Exodus, Esther, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Leviticus, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, Isaiah, 2 Thessalonians, Obadiah, Numbers, Joel, 1 Timothy, Psalms, Jonah, 2 Timothy, Titus, Hosea, Philemon
(30 books in first half of the year)

Second half of the year:

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I'm well behind on my 60 book target but who cares?
Books so far:




Fiction 7 : Non-fiction 18

July:
22) Seasonally Sensational
23) An Altar in the World
24) I Quit Sugar For Life
25) Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Classical Music
26) No1 Ladies Detective Agency
27) Crazy Busy

August:
28) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome the facts

September:

October:

November:

December:

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Weight loss is starting up again after a pause...




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Bible in a year:




Amos, Proverbs, Micah, Dueteronomy, Nahum, Zephaniah

1) 200 Slow Cooker Recipes

Lots of good recipes in here. Unfortunately most of them require some preparation, rather than the chop-and-chuck type that I'm looking for to use on work days. However, the ones I've tried are excellent and many can be adapted to do without the frying/browning stages.

2) Seriously good gluten free baking

I borrowed this book off a friend at work with Coeliac who is the most amazing cake baker and decorator. It's such a good book I asked for it for Christmas! The recipes are perfect for anyone cutting out gluten but still wanting the occasional treat. I even made my son's birthday cake from one of the recipes:

I have another target this year - to lose 60lb. I'm off to a good start with 2lb in the first week. A combination of diet and exercise. For the first time in years I've been deliberately exercising. I'm starting slow with this program from the NHS.

(And yes, I see the comedy posting a review of a baking book then an outline of my fitness and diet plan...)

60 books and 60 pounds - I love it! Good luck!

BTW your cake looks amazing!

Thanks!

The good news is I've finished another book:

3) The Jungle Book

I never realised before that this is actually a collection of stories rather than one story. My favourite is Rikki Tikki Tavi, one I vaguely remember being read as a child. The last story, a conversation between animals at war didn't really appeal.

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The bad news is I've had to give up on the running because my knees have given out (not altogether surprising as that's why I had to stop running as a teenager). I think I'll try again after I've lost the weight as I really do love running. For now I'm doing more resistance and stretching exercises, walking, and a bit of cycling. I live and work right next to the Bristol to Bath Railway Path so I have the perfect place to go. I just need more time when it's daylight - roll on the summer!

4) Life in the Balance

A book about medical ethics from Joni Eareckson Tada. Each chapter looks at a different issue, some written by the main author, some by others, each following a case study to put it into human perspective. I found it a little disjointed, with no overarching train of thought, but it's still an excellent look at some difficult issues.

Wow, that's the last of LAST years Christmas and Birthday presents read. So far this year I've only been given a few cookbooks and a couple of fiction, but I haven't seen my best friends in a while so we still need to exchange presents and they both support my reading habit!

5) Mary Poppins Comes Back

Second in the Mary Poppins books. As the title says, Mary Poppins comes back to 17 Cherry Tree Lane; adventures ensue. Jane and Michael don't seem any older but the twins John and Barbara are now walking and there's new baby Annabel too. I like the way each chapter is a standalone adventure. It's lovely light reading, perfect to go to bed with but when Mary leaves at the end of the story I find myself taken back to being a young child losing yet another Nanny or Au-pair (the reason I fell in love with the film)

6) The Picture of Dorian Gray - did not finish

I was really glad when this was chosen as the group read for February. I was so looking forward to reading a book I've heard so much about. What a disappointment! I gave up about a third of the way through. It's far too wordy and philosophical. I normally like that so I don't quite know what's wrong here. I just got so bored. I found I didn't read anything at all for nearly a week because I just couldn't face it. I've finally had the courage to move on.

I've added my daily Bible reading to the counters on the first post. I'm reading a "Bible in a year" plan which has about a chapter of Wisdom/Psalms, one of Pentateuch/history of Israel, one of Chronicles/Prophets, and one of New Testament. I didn't start until the 9th January, but I'm sure I can catch up those few days over the course of the year. So far I've finished the Book of 1 Chronicles and I'm part way through Psalms, Genesis, 2 Chronicles, and Luke.

I do slower book-by-book and topical studies as well, but I find reading in this way keeps fresh the overall themes and narratives and how it all fits together.

7) The Hairy Dieters Eat For Life

Another cookbook. It has lower calorie versions of lots of popular dishes. I like this and their other book (The Hairy Dieters) because they include lovely comfort food, fake takeaways, meals that remind me of holidays, and quick and easy ones. Annoyingly, a lot of the recipes have tomato as a major ingredient (husband and son are allergic) so that rules them out for us, but there are still a good number of things I'll try. Those I've made so far have been excellent.

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Despite the diet cookbook, I'm not actually dieting. Instead I'm trying to deal with my over-eating by eating only when I'm hungry, not when I'm bored or stressed, and stopping when I'm full. I've had quite a few slip ups, but I've lost another 3lb since I started.

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With my Bible reading I've finished Luke and I'm on to Acts.

8) Persepolis

A fascinating graphic autobiography of an Iranian girl growing up first in Iran, then Vienna, then back in Iran. It really put a human perspective on the history and politics of the region. We've all heard about the religious fanaticism but the relative liberalism of some is more surprising. The stark black and white drawings perfectly suit the honesty of the storytelling.

9) The Shock of the Fall

What an excellent book, well deserving of all the attention. Matt is 19, living with schizophrenia, and writing his story as a form of therapy. We read all about his childhood and adolescence, and also his current experiences of NHS mental health services. The portrayal of mental illness and mental health services is very poignant and accurate at the same time. It combines the experiences of a service user with the insights of a professional.

Later in the book Matt observes:
"The worst thing about this illness isn't the things it makes me believe, or what it makes me do. It's not the control that it has over me, or even the control it's allowed other people to take.
"Worse than all of that is how I have become selfish.
"Mental illness turns people inwards. That's what I reckon. It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist."
"I'm stuck looking inwards. Nearly every thought I have is about me - this whole story has been all about me; the way I felt, what I thought, how I grieved."

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edited to correct typo

That sounds very interesting! I just added it to my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I think I found it all the better for being a "service user" in Bristol, so many things rang true.

Thanks for the message. Good luck reaching 60 books,
LT thinks I ''probably won't like'' The Shock of the Fall'. I might put that to the test!
I have a copy of Poppy Shakespeare, somewhere. Seeing it in your library has started me searching. Have you read it?

Gold star for getting through the genealogies of 1 Chronicles!

Your plan seems a bit like mine, although mine is divided into seven categories. I'm currently reading Numbers, 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Amos, Hebrews and John. I think it really helps me from getting stuck in the areas I find less interesting. But then I've been working on this for 2+ years now.....

I also thought Persepolis was really interesting. Not to mention, it was one of the first graphic novels I read.

LOL si. Sometimes LT thinks I 'probably won't like' books I have given 4 or 5 stars. When I am really blown away by a book, I like to see how LT thinks I 'should' feel about it.

Poppy Shakespeare is very good, you should read it since you already have it! I read it before my main experiences of in-patient and day-patient units but in retrospect it too is very grounded in reality. I remember it being laugh out loud funny in places too. And the somewhat unreliable narrator keeps you guessing. You've got me thinking actually, I should re-read it some time soon.

I don't look at whether LT thinks I will like a book, and I rarely bother with recommendations. Mine are all skewed by my husband's books anyway.

Thanks.

10) The Novel Cure by Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin

Written by Bibliotherapists (yes, such a thing exists), this excellent book prescribes novels to read according to your particular ailment. There's everything from abandonment (Plainsong) to zestlessness (Ragtime). Some ailments are met by a single suggestion, others get a top 10, most somewhere in between. I like the fact they are not simple antidotes to the ailment in question, rather books that will join you where you are and lift you beyond. You need never be stuck for what to read or recommend again!

I've added all 742 novels to a list here.

That sounds really cute! I've added it to my wishlist.

Genesis finished, 3 books down. It's amazing how even the familiar stories have plenty new to notice every time I read them.

>23 PaperbackPirate: it's seriously good. Thanks to @souloftherose for the fantastic Christmas present!

Finished Acts and finishing 2 Chronicles tomorrow

11) Exploring Identity

A short devotional type book to get women thinking about their identity in Christ, based mainly on Psalm 139. Written in the style of a women's magazine, with one entry a day for 19 days and personal stories interspersed. Very helpful and challenging for such a short book.

I seem to be in a non-fiction thing at the moment. I'm reading American Gods for the group read and can't get carried away with it. I can't decide if it's me or the book. Having given up on The Picture of Dorian Gray already this year I don't want another DNF so I'm persevering. I like other Neil Gaiman that I've read, and, apart from the sex (is it REALLY necessary to the plot?), I'm enjoying it, I just haven't been carried away with the story despite being quite a way into it. I think it's just me. I've also had bad headaches and nerve pain which really can't help.

Still, the sun has been shining, spring has sprung, and everything just feels so much more positive.

>15 eclecticdodo: Glad to see you enjoyed that one - I'm on the reserve d list at the library.

>20 eclecticdodo: I rarely bother with recommendations. Mine are all skewed by my husband's books anyway.

That's why I have a separate collection for books I want LT to base recommendations on. It seems to work pretty well now.

>22 eclecticdodo: Glad you liked it :-)

>28 eclecticdodo: I remember feeling quite distant from the story for the first half of American Gods. I think I got drawn in more for the second half but I can't remember why. I think the UK version is the author's preferred text which means it includes an extra 10,000 words Gaiman added to the original. I remember wondering at the time whether the shorter version would have worked better...

Sorry to hear about the headaches and nerve pain but hooray for sunshine :-)

>29 souloftherose: We're planning a trip to Tring for the Easter weekend. If you haven't got to the top of the reservations for Shock of the Fall by then let me know and I'll bring it down.

on recommendations, now you say it I have a vague recollection that you can set whether a collection informs your recommendations... goes off to check... oh yes. I hadn't thought of doing that. I'll have to have a think about where to draw the line between his books and our books. Food for thought...

The nerve pain I think was caused by a particularly nasty spot (surely I should have grown out of the acne by now?!?). It's clearing up and the pain has mostly gone.

Came across an interesting test of reading speed: http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/technology-research-centers/ereaders/sp...

It's interesting because it tells you at the end how long it would take to read a selection of classics.

I read very slowly, just above 3rd grader level, so I'm impressed I manage to get through over a book a week. My Bible reading alone is going to take me nearly 100 hours. That's some serious time investment!

Where do you fall?

Finished Ezra and Romans.

I find Romans hard going. I really need to do a much more detailed study to get into it properly. Can anyone recommend a study guide or commentary to help me along?

>32 eclecticdodo: I remember doing Romans with a study group at church years and years ago but unfortunately I can't remember what we used.

We don't have any commentaries or Bible study notes on Romans which seems a bit of an oversight but I can recommend two series I've found helpful in genereal which includ a volume on Romans although I haven't read the Romans edition itself:

Read, Mark, Learn: Romans by William Taylor. I've read Read, Mark, Learn: John and it gives lots of notes and references to the OT but is in short sections suitable for devotional use or group Bible study.

Paul for Everyone: Romans by Tom Wright in two volumes - I've read several books in his NT for everyone series and found them accessible (for everyone), detailed but in short enough sections to use for devotional use.

>33 souloftherose: Thanks. I like the look of the Read Mark Learn one.

>31 eclecticdodo:

I was just above the average college student on the reading test. I can actually read faster, close to speed reading levels if I wanted to, but I choose not to. I stopped reading that fast years ago. I will remember more about a book I read on a long-term basis if I read it slower and more thoughtfully, so that is how I read now. Speed reading was useful when I was in grad school and had to digest a large amount of information for a short-term project (i.e. studying for a test, or researching for a specific essay).

When I speed read through a book, 9 time out of 10, 2 years down the road I will have forgotten even the main plot details of a novel.

>35 abergsman:

When I read it's like I have to say every word in my head as I go along, so I can't read any faster than I could out loud. I'm not sure why. It's a bit of a compulsion - if I miss words, even if I got the meaning, I have to go back and repeat them. I can scan a passage to look for particular words to find my place but I can't read that way.

>32 eclecticdodo: I enjoyed Francis Schaeffer's The Finished Work of Christ: The Truth of Romans 1-8 a couple of year's ago.

>37 CityChelle: Thanks. I'm going to look in the church library tomorrow so I'll keep an eye out for that one. It would be really handy if we had a LT catalogue - maybe I should volunteer?

Well, I must confess I've been feeling decidedly sorry for myself. I came down with a cold a week ago and first thought I was going to get away with it, but then spent almost the whole weekend in bed. Monday I called in sick to work and went back to bed (son at nursery). After complaining on Facebook my knight in shining armour came to the rescue and delivered some flu tablets and throat sweets to the door, leaving me feeling a lot less ill and very blessed to have such great friends! The other consolation is the time I've been able to spend reading.

Thankfully today I've been feeling a bit better - we've been to playgroup, home for a few hours, then out to the "big blue shop" (Ikea) and the pet shop, not to buy anything, he just likes to walk around. So, time to stop feeling sorry for myself and get back to work tomorrow. For now, I'm off to bed with a good book or three...

12) Beyond Chocolate

This book presents an alternative to diets. I was stunned by the statistics about how few people succeed on diets and how few of those keep it off long term. Suddenly I don't feel like such a failure! Diets only work as long as we stick to them, they don't solve the underlying issues of our relationship with food. Beyond Chocolate is about intuitive eating - trusting yourself to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied, with no food off limits. Following their simple principles, the authors claim, you will settle down to a healthy weight. So far it seems to be working, I've lost 9lb with very little effort. I'm hoping the follow-up book, Beyond Temptation, will have more on fighting the urge to comfort eat or eat out of boredom as this book was a little light on the practicalities.

13) American Gods

Entertaining fiction. I thought it was a very interesting premise - that each wave of immigrants to the USA has brought their own gods with them, but then forgotten them, leaving them to make ends meet however they can (con artists, funeral directors, slum landlords...). A war is coming between these old gods and the new gods of the age of technology. Shadow journeys through America and the underworld and eventually comes out a hero. However, the book was let down by the unnecessary lengthiness. Apparently there are two versions, perhaps the shorter version is better.

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Finished Nehemiah and on to Esther, one of my favourites.

Hope you're feeling better this week.

Better than I was but still not great. Andy came home sick today and we both felt rather sorry for ourselves all afternoon (fortunately Reuben was easy to entertain). It's been the same bug for at least 2 weeks now, probably 3. Every time we think we're getting over it it floors us again. Still, must stop complaining. It's just that time of year. And I had been doing very well staying clear of bugs up to now.

Off out to a trustee meeting to discuss a very difficult issue. Fun, fun, fun...

Finished Exodus and Esther, and almost done on 1 Corinthians.

The rest of my reading is a little off track. I've had a lot of reading to do for a disciplinary I'm hearing (as a trustee) - a LOT of reading, and even when I'm not reading for it, I feel the need to unwind by crocheting rather than more reading. On the bright side I'm quite excited about my latest project, a bag made double size to be deliberately shrunk and felted.

14) A Girl Called Jack

A cookbook based on a blog by a single mum having to feed herself and her child on £10 per week. As a result all the recipes are low budget and simple to cook. Our food bill was getting out of hand so this has been a really useful read. She advocates eating meat twice a week, fish twice a week, and vegetarian (bean) dishes three times. Also the meat and fish dishes are mostly quite small portions stretched out with other ingredients. This is how I like to cook and eat, so it's nice to feel there's someone backing me up in my ideas. And saving money gets rid of any doubts I had about buying organic.

Finished 2 Corinthians.

Still in a reading fug. I'm seriously thinking about including some of the HSE (Health & Safety Executive, a government agency) guidance I've been reading for work since it's taken a huge amount of my time, and it is sold as a book. In fiction I'm reading To The Lighthouse which I'm finding very comforting even if I can't explain why.

After 2 years of not giving Reuben tomato we reintroduced it last night. He has a strong reaction to tomato puree or concentrate but we were never sure about plain old tinned tomato used as a base for a sauce. I cooked a mild chili which he had last night. He's been a bit more itchy today than normal, but that could just be his underlying allergies having not taken his antihistamine yesterday. It's really hard to tell. I think I'll try a few more times before I make a decision. It would really help if he could cook tomato as so many things I'd like to make have tomato as a sauce base - chili, bolognase, stews, curries. We shall see.

15) legionnaires' disease

HSE guidance on the control of legionella in hot and cold water systems and cooling towers. Very thorough but rather dry. Part 2 (technical) is a little beyond me but helpful nonetheless. Not much else to say really.

Had a fab looooong weekend visiting my parents. We saw my best friends, brother & his girlfriend, granny, nanny, great aunt & uncle and friends from my old church. We went to the bluebell woods, local view point, nature reserve, zoo, park, narrow gauge railway, and allotments. We have a very impressive chocolate haul (mostly Reuben's but how much can a 3 year old really eat?). And wonderful Heather loaned me some books too: quiet and the tough guide to fantasyland.

I had a nice gentle day at work today, including an hour spent in a queue on the phone to the local council - just the rest I needed mid afternoon, although the hold music got rather repetitive.

Finished Galations

Finished Leviticus and about to finish Philippians Ephesians.

Still not doing much other reading but I have got involved in a rather exciting (to me anyway) group yarn bombing being planned. We're doing a woodland theme so I have the perfect excuse to make all sorts of bugs and things. The half spiderweb I've made so far hasn't met with Reuben's approval - "can you fix it mummy?", no use explaining it's supposed to be like that.

What with that, the trusteeship at Reuben's nursery, and a couple of compliance projects for church, I don't have a lot of time. Oh, and gardening - I'm fighting a war with the snails, they've eaten 4 pea plants, 2 basils, 2 lettuces, a corriander, a courgette and numerous flowers so far, but I've laid a beer trap this evening so here's hoping. When I write it all down like that it seems like I'm doing a lot. I really do have a lot more energy than previously!

Sounds like you've got a lot on!

>51 souloftherose: I may have taken on a bit too much...

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Finished Philippians

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Had an eventful couple of days! My son was wheezing on Thursday and got progressively worse despite the inhaler. We put him to bed as usual then an hour later he woke up terrified because he could hardly breathe so we took him to accident and emergency (thankfully there's a specialist children's A&E 10 minutes away). We spent just over 24 hours there having oxygen and regular inhalers. We're down to 10 puffs of salbutamol every 4 hours (the threshold for releasing him) and with a plan for the next few days to reduce it. They also diagnosed him with asthma (previously the GP wouldn't commit) and gave him a steroid inhaler to have twice a day that will hopefully stop it happening again. It was really scary and also really hard as sometimes he didn't want to take the inhaler or liquid medicines so we had to hold him down and do it by force. They made me up a camp bed in the ward but I only got about 1 hour sleep and husband didn't get much despite going home so we're still really tired today. We're also feeling really guilty as we know he has a house dust mite allergy and the house is in a state so that's bound to be making things worse. My Sister in law is taking him for a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon so we can do some cleaning and vacuuming without him underfoot to breath in the dust we stir up.

finished Colossians and 1 Thessalonians

16 To the Lighthouse

Not my usual type of read, but I'm so glad I risked it. This really is the perfect book for those feeling depressed and overwhelmed. The language is stunning. Even though nothing much really "happens", I found the mundanity deeply comforting. The Ramsey family and various friends are spending summer at their island home. Written as stream of consciousness, we see their deepest thoughts and feelings. I found compelled to read to the end to discover will they go to the lighthouse.

I read the Wordsworth Classics edition which had an interesting introduction to some of the themes in the book. The added endnotes were a little odd - they seemed to explain things which were obvious and leave you on your own with more obscure references.

17) 200 More Slow Cooker Recipes

Another cookbook. Lots of good recipes in here and I'm particularly pleased with the chapter on vegetarian food (I'm not a veggie, but I like beans and we're trying to cut down the amount of meat we eat). The recipes I've tried so far have been delicious and require only a little preparation. Very helpful.

18) 75 Birds Butterflies and Beautiful Beasties

A knitting and crochet book that's been on my wishlist for a while now, I finally had the perfect excuse to buy it for myself (I'm participating in a yarnbombing with a woodland theme). There are loads of lovely patterns in here. I'm loving the thought that has gone into all the different designs of leaves. So far that's all I've tried out but I'll be doing more. There's one fabulous pattern for birdsnests using rafia which I can't wait to test.

Still recovering from our holiday to Studland in Dorset. A lovely place but rather hard work with my husbands family. We managed to do our own thing some days and that was nice, and we got to go out to the pub just me and hubby a couple of evenings. The trouble is, they're the sort of people who have to be "doing" something, not just sitting around reading a book, or letting son play in the sand. I feel like I need another holiday to get over this one.

I didn't get much reading done while away (except some for a mega stressful meeting due to take place this week to do with being a trustee) but I did do some knitting and crocheting for the yarnbombing. And I did drink rather a lot of cider (NB that means one or two glasses an evening, not exactly riotous living!). Something went wrong with the Bible reading app on my phone (I think it couldn't cope without data connection for that long) so I have some catching up to do. I Finished Isaiah and 2 Thessalonians last night though.

In other news... we're getting guinea pigs! We've been thinking about it for a while and have decided to go for it. I ordered a hutch and all the other gubbins online tonight so we should be all set up by next weekend and ready to get them. I can't wait!

Finished Obadiah

The meeting had to be rescheduled to next Tuesday. So now I have another week to stress about it...

The guinea pig hutch arrived and I've nearly finished putting it together. Just waiting to hear from a friend of a friend about rehoming a pair.

Finished Numbers, Joel, 1 Timothy and Psalms.

The guinea pigs are here! Two lovely girls from a friend of a friend. 2 Years old, one dark and light brown, the other white and dark/light brown. They're very nervous of their new home but have now worked out how to use the ramp between the hutch and the run. We haven't come up with names yet so if anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them!

Yay for guinea pigs! Sorry to hear the hearing was postponed and you have to go through all the stress of anticipation again.

So the guinea pigs are now called Annie and Clarabel, from Thomas The Tank Engine. I'll post a photo as soon as I manage to take one and upload it, which will be some time this year...

The meeting was postponed again.

19) Guinea Pig Pet Friendly

A short guide to owning a guinea pig. I've previously owned mice, rats and rabbits, and I'd done some research on the web, so I was fairly confident I'd know it all. However there are some significant differences accross the species which this book clearly explained. For example, did you know a guinea pig should only have about an egg cup full of pellet feed a day? The rest of the diet should be made up of hay, grass, fresh leaves and vegetables. Speaking of vegetables, root veg like carrots should only be given occasionally. Also, soft wood saw dust is bad for them and increases the risk of liver disease, so why is it sold with pictures of guinea pigs on the packet?

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Finished Jonah and 2 Timothy.

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I've been feeling totally overwhelmed the last few days and I'm ill too which is a sure sign I've taken on too much. After a nap today and a chat with my best friends I've figured out what I can put on the back burner for now (church committee stuff, handmade gifts to celebrate my friend's adoption and my boss's new baby) and what I need to "let go and let God" take care of (trustee issue, family stresses, friend who is ill and not returning my calls, annual appraisal at work). I have a meeting tomorrow with my care co-ordinator (community mental health team) so I can also discuss strategies with her.

Finished Titus.

Congratulations on your new piggies! I just got a new guinea pig too. I had 1 for 6 years that was also a classroom pet. She died last year so I finally felt ready for a new one. I got another girl, she's white, black, and brown. I named her Junie P. Jones since I like to use book character names, but I changed the B. to P. for Pig.

Good luck with your new friends!

ah, lovely. They're so adorable when they squeek

finished Hosea and Philemon

So I've given up on the beyond chocolate approach and I'm back on the weight watchers. I had a lot of success with the old points plan about 5 years ago, losing 4 and 1/2 stone (60lb). I tried the newer ProPoints a couple of years back but didn't get on with it. So I'm doing the old points on my own (no meetings). Me and a friend are both aiming to lose together so I have some moral support only the click of a keyboard or a phone call away. I'm very frustrated that I'm back here again, as I swore I wouldn't let that happen. But that's what having a baby, spending months in hospital and being depressed do to you. On the bright side, I've done it before, I know I can do it again. Wish me luck.

20) Weight watchers simply autumn

Lots of lovely recipes in here with the Weight Watchers Points values carefully worked out for you (the old Points system, not Pro Points). They're all pretty healthy except they do rather rely on low fat cooking spray - a chemical cocktail I refuse to eat. I don't see why when you could use a spoon or two of oil for only one or two points more per recipe, but that's just me. The recipes are well suited to autumn (it's currently summer, so I'm having to pick and choose lighter ones) and the portions are actually very generous so there's no need to go hungry, one 4 portion recipe did us 6 portions.

21) On Beauty

It took me a while to get into this book but I found the middle engaging and I loved the writting style. The end however was a bit like watching a car crash happen in slow motion as various characters destroyed their lives through bad decisions. I just didn't enjoy watching it all fall apart and I was left with a feeling of emptiness after reading. I'm glad I read to the end, but not a book I would reread.

22) Weight Watchers Seasonally Sensational

Rather disappointing really. I was hoping for recipes using lots of seasonal veg but it's more recipes that are suited to the weather and the sort of thing you might fancy eating in that month, with suggestions of serving with a seasonal vegetable but not included in the recipe. That said, there are some interesting recipes.

We had a really challenging sermon at church this evening on Psalm 32, all about the damage that unconfessed sin does in your life. And how do we become aware of those sins? Through the light God shines by reading his word and spending time with him. I've not been doing my Bible readings the last week or so - I'm in Proverbs for the first part of the reading and I find it really hard going reading a whole chapter when there's often little or no connection between the verses. But it's so important to persevere! I'm off to do some catching up.

Another 3lb off this week and I'm nearly down to 13st. Haven't been really following the diet the last couple of days because I've had a stinking cold and it's just too much effort to keep track. I've probably eaten less today but I went to a womens breakfast at church on Saturday and had a fry up - YUM!

The thing which I can't talk about that was supposed to be happening on the 2nd June and was eventually rescheduled to next Thursday now needs to be postponed again. I feel it like a dead weight hanging over me, and it's not even me that's in trouble.

Oh, and I'm free to write now because the boy is asleep, it's 3.10 in the afternoon and I literally couldn't keep him awake. It's going to be a bad night tonight and Andy has a meeting in our house just after what ought to be bed time so I'll be dealing with it on my own.

Sorry. Not feeling very positive right now.

On the bright side I'm back to my Bible reading and finished Amos a couple of days ago. Not much other reading happening though.

I've finished Proverbs, Micah, Deuteronomy and Nahum in the last few days.

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In other reading, I'm part way through a number of books...

-How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk
-Crazy busy
-Counterfeit gods
-No 1 ladies detective agency
-Mary Poppins complete collection

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I've given up on one book...

23) An Altar in the World

Someone proposed a group read on the Christianity forum a while back but it never really got off the ground. This was the book. I read a couple of chapters but just found it totally wishy washy. Not my kind of book at all.

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I've finished two books...

24) I Quit Sugar For Life

Picked up on impulse in the supermarket because I mistook it for her first book I quit sugar which a number of people had recommended to me. It seems to go over a lot of the same ground as the original book, summarising her principles and so forth, so not a wasted buy. There are loads of interesting recipes too, all no or low sugar (obviously) but also gluten free/paleo, and generally rather healthy. Quite high in fat but with an emphasis on healthy fats. An interesting read.

25) Everything you ever wanted to know about classical music but were too afraid to ask

More than an introduction to classical music, this is a thorough grounding in the history of music. The structure can be a little repetitive, going over principle trends in classical music then the different composers and their best works, it probably reads better as a reference book than a straight read and it's something I'll be coming back to. What I especially enjoyed was working through it with iTunes at the ready to listen to samples of the different pieces to get a real feel for them. It's really helped me establish who I like (Saint-Saens, Handel, Verdi...)

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And I've put on 1lb, because I had a stinking cold last week and I've been really stressed and just couldn't be bothered. Back to it this week. Except my friend made me gluten free millionaires shortcake today. And I've just baked some beetroot chocolate brownie (well the beetroot needed using up, I may freeze some...)

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The meeting I can't talk about is now scheduled for the 5th August. Related to that, I got an e-mail today that basically, reading between the lines, questioned my integrity. It's got me really riled up. Good thing I have a lawyer to check my response for me...

26) No1 Ladies Detective Agency

I'd heard great things about this series so when I saw the first book in a charity shop I snapped it up. I wasn't disappointed. I love the writing style which perfectly captures the way many of my African friends speak. I love the references to Botswana history and culture, although I must look a few things up. I also love the way the story is told with lots of smaller cases interspersed that help build up a full picture of the characters. It was so good I read nearly 4 hours solid last night to finish it! Definitely a series I'll be continuing.

Reuben said the funniest things this morning:

"Mummy, when you were a boy..."

After explaining Mummy's are grown up little girls, Daddy was a little boy once:

"Mummy, when you're a boy next Thursday..."

No Reuben, Mummy won't be a boy on Thursday

"Friday?...Saturday?..."

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I thought it was just pronouns he was struggling with but it seems the issue lies deeper. I'm glad he's not too conscious of male and female, and the stereotypes that go with them. But it is a little awkward when he insists on calling everyone a "he".

So cute!

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is on my list to read this year. Glad you liked it!

27) Crazy Busy

A Christian book about busyness. With chapters on pride, mission creep, prioritising, kids, technology and the importance of rest. This book is different to others I have read on the topic in that it is more thorough. The author has read widely on the subject and distills a lot of wisdom into one handy book. Crucially, and where this book differs from others, it includes a chapter on when God wants you to be busy and the dangers of automatically assuming busy is bad.

28) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome the facts

Part of the NHS Reading Well, Books on Prescription scheme. I wasn't actually recommended this book by my doctor but I saw it in the library and thought I'd give it a go. Having had CFS/ME for at least 15 years a lot of this wasn't new to me but rather a crystalisation of a many of the things I've concluded for myself. This book is contraversial because it suggests management techniques rather than any cures, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise/activity therapy (GET). These are unpopular because their use to some suggests an understanding that CFS/ME is all in the mind. However, they are based on sound research evidence as the most effective option looked at to date so it's the best we have. CBT is used to help cancer patients deal with their illness so the suggestion it is treating CFS/ME as a psychological illness is simply unfounded. GET, when done properly, is about finding a base line activity level that is sustainable and VERY SLOWLY increasing as you are able, it's a more controlled version of what many people do already. I wish I'd had this book earlier on in my illness, although I probably wouldn't have accepted it so readily back then because I was looking for a miracle cure. There are parts I disagree with, including the assertion that CFS/ME is never life threatening which is simply untrue. However, it is a very helpful book.

I'm doing some serious thinking about whether I'm going to continue working. I'm just dreading going into work at the moment, I can't concentrate, and I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the way things (don't) work there. I used to need work for the adult interaction and the intellectual challenge, but I think I've moved on from there. I have more friends now, Reuben is older and easier to interact with, I'm involved in some community groups. It used to be that I was confident at work and not at home, now it's the other way round. The question is, can we afford it? We're going to sit down over the weekend and work out budgets.

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I finished Zephaniah but stalled in Jeremiah. Four chapters a day is too much. I'm trying to decide whether to stick it out for the year (I'm only half way through) or switch to something slower. I hate to give up but ...

I quit my job yesterday! I have 6 weeks notice but with holiday that takes me to 3rd September.

The trustee issue that I've been stressing about is almost over. Well, until the employment tribunal, but it's out of my hands at that point.

I've been reading a fantastic book the ministry of a messy house. Here is a woman who understands my level of mess...
"A vital part of housekeeping is ensuring the safety of visitors. This starts with the avoidance of serious injury on entry to the home. My aim is to keep the hallway clear enough so that visitors do not break bones on entering, falling over shoes, swimming bags or boxes of Sunday school crafts. This is harder to achieve than you might think. But it's worth persevering."

oops, I've been AWOL for a while. Still, I don't think anyone's noticed...

I'm so relieved to have finished work. They gave me some lovely flowers and 3 very nice bottles of wine as well as a very pleasant last day - a bit of handover and tidying up followed by a pub lunch and generally sitting around chatting in the afternoon then home early. I'm reassured that my replacement will do a good job, and that both she and my boss understand the areas I haven't been able to keep up on as well as the things I actually did do.

Oh, and even better, when sorting out my replacement they realised that the wages didn't add up. They've been underpaying me for the last 3 years and owe me a significant leaving bonus! It happened when we went through a very tough time as a department (so I'm not altogether surprised I didn't notice) and I increased my hours temporarily, they forgot to increase my wage. Then when I dropped my hours again they cut my wages. The HR department seem to mess up every year, usually it's over bank holidays and leave allocation. I'm just glad they spotted this one as I never would have realised!

So from this week Reuben is doing 2 days a week at nursery, which is just a little bit more than the government funded hours. My parents are down to help me get on top of the mess in the house yet again. This time I really will keep it going... I hope. I don't think I can stand the disapproving sighs from my Dad again. Mum says he's only cross because he sees so much of himself in me which kind of makes sense, we're both very messy people. They've just popped out to get a few bits so I have 5 minutes.

I've also started exercising a bit. There's a GP referral, exercise on prescription scheme that gets you 12 weeks very subsidised gym membership so I'm going along a few times a week. Nothing too strenuous, just walking on the treadmill and some hand biking, but I'm getting faster already. I'm hoping to try a beginners circuits class on Wednesday. I'm hoping it will help with the weight loss. I worked out I have another 50 pounds to lose.

I've done a bit of reading the last month but I don't have any more time for reviews so I'll come back later...

It's nice to see you!

Wow - I think it's cool that you were able to quit your job and spend more time with your son.

LT seems to be very quiet lately. There is more traffic on the 75 books group.

Losing weight, messy house, exercising, depression. Those are the things I am battling, too. I just started WW last week. Again. I'm quite impressed by what they are calling their 'Quick Start' program here in the US. It's all power foods, so you don't need to keep track of points. I never thought that program would work for me, but the first week went better than expected, so I'm going to do it again this week.

All the best to you!

Hi Streamsong, good to know someone is there!

I hope your weightloss goes well. I can testify that weightwatchers works (I lost 60lb a few years back and only put it back on because of illness). I've lost 2lb the last week, so I've made a start at least. An idea I got off pinterest is to write out how much you weigh and what your target is, break it up into 5lb intervals, then write down a treat you will give yourself for each milestone. A few of mine are a new bag, a book (YAY!), jeans that fit well (at the half way point), an evening at a show or concert, ending with a new camera. They don't have to be expensive (ok, the camera will be, but we need one anyway), it's more about allowing yourself to do something for yourself. I'm a bit of a bargain hunter and the hunt is half the fun...

My parents have gone home. The house is wonderfully tidy and clean. And quiet. I'm enjoying a sit down!

books I've read lately:

29) The Ministry of a Messy House

A fabulous book. All about opening up our lives and our homes to our neighbours (in the New Testament meaning of the word). I feel enormously encouraged that the author understands the level of messiness we live in, and still has people over. I've definitely fallen into the trap of wanting to get everything sorted before I even consider inviting friends beyond the doorstep, let alone acquaintances. But being open about our lives is enormously powerful for building relationships. I've been encouraged to make a start over the last 6 weeks, and been rewarded. I only feel slightly hypocritical writing this the day my parents have finished, erm, getting the house sorted for me. The thing is, we live in a society that promotes perfection, in your home, cooking, kids, lives in general. No matter how tidy things are, it's still easy to fall into the trap of thinking "when I get the bathroom redone..." or "when little Reuben gets through this phase...". The truth is, we're never going to have perfection. We need to get on living our lives in the mess and welcoming in a community of messy people.

30) Compendium of Quilting Techniques

I've always wanted to try patchwork, so when I saw this book I couldn't resist. It's from the same series as my knitting and crochet titles, and once again, is a thorough introduction to beginner and some advanced techniques, written by an expert in the field. I read it from cover to cover. The many photos demonstrating the techniques really help to inspire. My friend Emma has told me about a fabulous quilting shop in the city, the dining room table is finally clear to sew on, and I now have all day Wednesday free, so what am I waiting for?

Just wanted to say hi! That's awesome your employer noticed you were owed some money. I hope you're enjoying the time off with your son (and cleaning your house)!

oh dear, I've been away for ages again...

We got the house sorted and on the market (http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-32491356.html), accepted an offer, had our offer on another house accepted but then got gazumped, found an even more suitable house and put in an offer, and are now waiting to hear if the vendor accepts. It's so stressful!

I had a meeting with the nursery to discuss my son's behaviour. I suspect they've left it rather longer than they normally would because me being a trustee puts them in a bit of an awkward situation. The concerns about his social development have been growing slowly and we're now seriously considering he could have aspergers or something. I've got some appointments over the next couple of weeks to discuss it and also get his hearing checked (I think it's more of an attention issue, but it would be a pretty poor show if a Deaf Studies graduate didn't notice her son's hearing loss...). In the mean time, we've swapped his nursery days around a bit to minimise contact with the children he clashes with most often.

Oh, and Ofsted have got their knickers in a twist over my mental health and whether I'm a suitable person to be a trustee at the nursery, like somehow I'm a danger to children, even though my role is management anyway so no contact time. It feels like I'm under scrutiny. I am under scrutiny! They want a medical report before they make a decision, forget that I've been doing the role for nearly a year now anyway.

I've completely lost track of what I've been reading. I know I've finished a few books, I just can't remember which...

31) The earth hums in B flat
Really should have writted a bit about it straight after I finished... Struggling to do that now... Loved it though.

32) Tears of the Giraffe
Also finished a little while ago... Book 2 in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Nice and light reading but addictive.

so, the second house didn't work out - the vendor accepted a lower offer from a cash buyer with no chain. Annoying but we just have to accept that it wasn't God's will. That house did need a LOT of work, including a new roof! I just have to remind myself it's for the best.

Today we put in an offer on another house and are waiting to hear on Monday, again. This is the third weekend we've had that so it's getting kind of tired now. This house is a bit smaller but hardly needs any work so that's a huge bonus. It's slightly further out than we were hoping for but we've been cycling around the area and it's not too far, Andy would still be able to cycle to and from the station for work and we'd be able to cycle to church and walk to local shops. We've put in our best and final offer and there's one other bidder doing the same on Monday morning, then the vendor decides. On the bright side the agent did let slip that ours was a "strong offer" (not sure if that was the value or the fact we have first time buyers for our house so a very short chain). But again, if God wants it, it will be, if not, back to the drawing board...

I've hardly done any reading, I'm far too stressed out, not to mention busy! And our buyers want to come measure up on Thursday so I need to get on top of the mess that's already crept back into the house.

Funny story - One of the things I did when viewing the house is stick my hand up the chimney to see if it's open etc. Reuben copied at home and pulled down the chimney balloon* and with it came an old discount voucher that must have fallen in somehow. He promptly declared it a message from Santa and is now very excitined...

* a chimney balloon is a big inflatable sack you stuff up the chimney and blow up to stop the drafts in winter