Author Archives: Kate

About Kate

Find my niche? Such advice is gleefully ignored here where I spread the bookish, crafty, navel-gazing, teevee, mama love.

Book Review: Blameless

Posted on by
Reply

Blameless (Parasol Protectorate, #3)Blameless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*contains spoilers*

I am still enjoying this series of supernatural happenings set in Victorian England (and in this case, Italy too). There is plenty of pretty dresses, passionate characters and humour so make the read enjoyable and swift. I am not sure I was quite as taken with this third instalment – it fell a little flat for me but that could have simply been my frame of mind rather than anything to do with the book itself. By separating the lovers/spouses Lord and Lady Maccon, I assume there was supposed to be some tension but I can’t say I was worried at any time that these two would stay apart. Still, it was diverting and amusing which is really all you want from this kind of book. I am still hoping that this series gets made into some kind of film or series as the visuals provided by Carriger of this steampunk Victorian society would look fantastic on the screen.

View all my reviews

Woody Woodpecker

Posted on by
Reply

Last Tuesday, we had a visitor from a woodpecker. According to our bird book, this one is a young male Great Spotted Woodpecker – he has a lovely red patch on his head.

A few days later, he came back for some more peanuts.

a closer look:

We haven’t seen him since but I found it all very exciting. Perhaps I have been spending too much time with Evelina who still exclaims ‘birdie!’ every time she looks out of the window, whether there is a bird there or not.

5 Questions about Books

Posted on by
Reply

I was tagged in a book meme by Stacey so here are my answers:

1. One book that changed your life?

This is really hard. I think there have been several books which have had a profound effect on me. I know this will probably sound very generic but I must say that Harper Lee‘s To Kill a Mockingbird informed a lot of my reading as a teenager and the theme of injustice resonated with me, as someone who cannot stand it when things are unfair and unjust. I wrote my A Level extended essay on the theme of racism and injustice in the American South, including novels by Alice Walker and Toni Morrison.

2. One book you have read more than once?

This selection is much less high-brow but excellent entertainment: Olivia Goldsmith‘s First Wives Club. I really enjoyed the film which was based on this book but the book is darker and edgier. It is very satisfying and also touches on the idea of justice and getting even.

3. One book you would want on a desert island?

We have War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy sitting on our book shelf. It is something I want to read but I just don’t have the time at the moment. Being on a desert island, I would have PLENTY of time to read this tome.

4. One book that made you laugh?

I am trying to think of books that have made me laugh because I know I have read plenty – I can vividly remember laughing silently on the train with tears streaming down my face trying to keep my mirth to myself but I can’t rememeber what I was reading. The last book I read to make me laugh out loud was Blameless by Gail Carriger.

5. One book that made you cry?

Again, there are plenty of books that have made me cry. One of the recent books I read that left me in tears was Louis Sachar’s There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom. It was so moving, so well-written and so pertinent to my decision to become a teacher.

I won’t tag anyone in particular but why not answer these questions yourself? If you do, let me know in the comments.

Avengers

Posted on by
2

On Monday, Rich and I went to watch The Avengers (or is it Avengers Assemble? I am confused by the changing title) in Solihull. The cinema was packed since it was a rainy bank holiday. People were taking their five-year-olds to see this – I don’t get that. Despite the constant rustling of sweeties and the incessant stream of people going to the loo (and not just the kids), we really, really enjoyed it. Some parts were proper Laugh Out Loud funny. Thigh-slapping funny. Plus, I cried, because I am way too invested in these make-believe characters.

There were some parts of the script that screamed Joss Whedon and it was really great seeing those words come out of the mouths of these established characters. I must admit that I am not a proper comic fan – I have only watched the movies (Iron Man 1 & 2, Captain America, Thor) and I have’t (yet) read the comics although I know it’s just a matter of time before I start. It’s knowing where to start with such a massive universe; I haven’t a clue. I want to watch all these films again now. And I think I hear that there will be an Avengers 2 (AWESOMENESS!).

Anyway, we had a blast. Evelina spent a happy couple of hours with her nanny and grandad. And I got to wear my new red shoes!

Choosing Childcare

Posted on by
3

Since finding out that I was going to be starting on the PGCE course in September, my sole preoccupation has been childcare for Evelina. I knew I wanted flexibility, the possibility of the occasional early start, a homely environment and of course, the best possible carer for Evelina.

I decided to go for a childminder because I felt this would fit in best with the other care that we already have in place – ie Evelina’s grandma. I used the Warwickshire Family Information Service site to search for childminders nearby and from there, I contact a few to find out what who had the right availability and who sounded to fit our requirements.

We met with a lady last Saturday and I felt so good about it I was ready to sign on the line right there but we took a week to ruminate. I had concerns about nap-time because Evelina is an excellent sleeper so long as she has the right setting. Sharing a room at nap-time with other babies might be interesting! But by then, she will need less sleep and learning to adapt isn’t such a bad thing for her.

I am still waiting for the university to confirm my place now that my CRB check has come through but unless I have any more major wobbles, I think we have found our minder! The most important thing was that Evelina seemed completely at ease with her and I really liked her sixteen-year-old daughter too which is a good sign!

Here is a handy checklist in case you are meeting with a potential childminder – I asked all my friends for things to ask about and these are all their suggestions:

  • Messy play provision
  • References from other parents
  • Does she attend toddler groups?
  • Sample menus
  • Discipline
  • When will she take holidays?
  • Sleeping arrangements for nap-time
  • Ofsted rating / CRB check
  • What other children does she look after?
  • Does she have pets?
  • What is your gut feeling?
  • How does your child respond to the environment and the carer?
  • Daily routine
  • Accident book / First Aid / Insurance etc
  • How is child’s progress reported back to you?