December 2023

The month started off with a sprinkling of snow, in fact, it was more than a sprinkling. It wasn't forecast at all for our area but they got that wrong. We got into the Christmas spirit at the very start of the month by putting up our tree on the 1st.

Daniel and Jasmine spent Christmas with her family in Colorado this year so we decided to bring Christmas forward and spent a lovely 'Christmas Day' with them on the 9th before they jetted off on the 13th. We exchanged presents and had a full Christmas dinner and I have to say, it did actually feel like Christmas.

The following day was very wet, I don't think the rain let up all day but having spent the full day before indoors, we really wanted to get out. Ripley Castle was holding its Christmas market so we decided to have a drive out. Archie wasn't very pleased, he'd been having a snooze on the sofa before being rudely woken up and dragged out into the rain. We didn't stay long but it was nice to get out of the house.

I've read five books this month.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman.

"An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

As the gang spring into action, they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.

With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out?

And who will be the last devil to die?"

This is the fourth book by Richard Osman and by now we expect to be fully entertained, and entertained we were, or at least I was. I loved this book, not the hardest plot to unravel but I find that Richard Osman's writing just gets better and better. This book gives him scope to jump from what he's used to into other, more emotional subjects and I think these parts are written in a sensitive and understanding manner. One of my favourite reads of the year.

The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin.

"You are invited to a summer of sparkling champagne, warm buttery croissants and a little bit of je ne sais quoi...

With a broken heart and a broken spirit, Hattie is in need of a summer escape. So when an opportunity comes up to work at a beautiful, stately chateau in the Champagne region of France she books her flights quicker than the pop of a cork.

Romance is the last thing Hattie is looking for but then she wasn't expecting gorgeous Luc to stroll into her life. With picnics in the warm French sun and delicious trips to the local market, Hattie starts to wonder if a holiday fling - or maybe even something more - might be just what she needs."

I've read every one of Julie Caplin's Romantic Escapes books and enjoyed them all. Yes, it's the usual boy meets girl romance, but each book takes you on a trip somewhere different. I wouldn't say I have wanderlust but this author should be working for the tourism industry as she has me wanting to visit every country I read about. Another thumbs up.

Christmas with the Railway Girls by Maisie Thomas.

"Manchester 1941.

Christmas is the season for family and friends, and this year the railway girls will need each other more than ever.

Cordelia appears to have the perfect life. When her daughter Emily arrives home unexpectedly, she can't wait to introduce her to her friends. But when things don't go to plan, Cordelia must decide where her loyalty lies.

Things aren't going too smoothly for Alison either, Her beloved boyfriend has yet to propose, but there's a charity fundraiser dance and she's dressed up specially. Surely, tonight must be the night.

Colette's friends are envious of her devoted husband; he meets her after every shift on the railway, and accompanies her around town. But Colette has a secret that could change her life - if only she knew who to confide in.

With the festive season fast approaching, the railway girls are hoping for some Christmas magic..."

Back to some Christmas reading now and this is the third book which my pen pal, Pauline, bought me last Christmas. I suspected from the title that this book is one from a series and after a little investigation, discovered that this is indeed the case.

Many books which are part of a series can be read as stand alone stories and this is the case here, however, I do think you'd probably get more out of it if you'd read the preceding books first as many references are made to events which have already happened in earlier books and they're not fully explained. I also had a bit of a job following who was who at first whereas you'd have got to know all the characters gradually from the first books. Having said that, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and wouldn't hesitate in recommending this book if you enjoy fiction set in wartime.

Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley.

"Two Strangers. One big secret. And a Christmas to remember...

Merry has always wanted a family to spend Christmas with, and this year her dream comes true as she says 'I do' to father-of-two Cole. But as she juggles her rapidly-growing business, wedding planning and the two new children in her life, her dream begins to unravel.

Emily is desperately waiting for the New Year to begin, so she can finally have a fresh start. She has always put her family first, leaving little time for happiness and love. When her beloved father Ray moves into a residential home, she discovers a photograph in his belongings that has the potential to change everything.

As past secrets come to light, will this be a magical Christmas for Emily and Merry to remember?"

You may remember that I read The Merry Christmas Project in October, a book which my pen pal bought me last year. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the sequel, well this is it.

A year has passed and a Christmas wedding is on the cards, new characters are introduced and there's a dementia storyline running alongside the usual boy meets girl romance. I'm so pleased I bought this second book in the series as it was just as enjoyable. Another entertaining read. 

Celebrations For The Woolworths Girls by Elaine Everest.

"It's February 1952 and while the nation grieves the death of King George VI, life must go on for the Woolworths Girls.

At the Erith store there is a new temporary manager and Sarah is getting more than a little concerned by problems he seems to be creating. The whole mess is enough to make her want to resign.

Meanwhile, Ruby is extremely worried about her friend Vera and, with illness causing a problem from Vera's past to come flooding back, she knows it's going to take a lot of strength and willpower to do what needs to be done.

Then there is Freda, looking forward to the arrival of her first child, but sick with worry that her Tony won't have returned home in time for the birth, let alone to run the Erith store.

As coronation day for young Queen Elizabeth II approaches, the girls from Woolworths celebrate friendship, family and overcoming anything that life can throw at them..."

The latest offering in the Woolworths Girls saga. I've read all the books in the series and they never disappoint. I am beginning to get a little confused about who is who though, after nine books we not only have the original characters but there's now their husbands and children, not to mention other unrelated characters who have been introduced along the way, and I'm not the best with names. It does keep me on my toes trying to follow who's who. Another enjoyable read though, I like the storylines which this author comes up with and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Haworth was hosting its Christmas celebrations in the run up to the big day. Unfortunately, the torchlight procession on the 9th of December was cancelled due to high winds and rain, though I believe it went ahead on the 10th. On the 16th we had a drive out for their Christmas Music Weekend. We saw a traditional brass band playing carols and a ukulele band too. Inside the church was the most beautiful organ music, very atmospheric. It was a nice day out.

I'm not a huge film watcher so there's lots of Christmas films which I've never seen. I decided I'd make the effort to watch some of them this year so during December Mick and I have watched quite a few, by my standards anyway. We've watched The Snowman, The Snowman and the Snowdog, The Polar Express, Elf, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Genie, Arthur Christmas, Deck the Halls, Scrooged and of course, no Christmas film viewing would be complete without National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Some of these films I've seen before and some I haven't. Some I thought were considerably better than others and some which were firm favourites already and some which I'll never bother watching again!

Christmas Day was lovely. Eleanor and Jacob joined us around midday as Jacob had been working a night shift on Christmas Eve so he caught up on a couple of hours sleep first. It was much quieter than usual with it being just the four of us but Daniel and Jasmine video called us in the afternoon, they're seven hours behind us in Colorado so they'd just got up. They were having a nice time with Jasmine's family. We may have been two men down but we still enjoyed our Christmas dinner, cooked mostly by Mick with just a little help from me (doesn't it always taste better when you don't cook it yourself) and enjoyed some games. We picked up a couple of new games when Tesco were having their toy sale, each of these cost just £5 and they've been a big hit.

We'd planned to have a drive to the coast on Boxing Day but I wasn't feeling my best so that didn't happen. I didn't want to stay cooped up in the house so we took ourselves off for a walk down the lane. We'd had some terrible storms and were due more but it stayed dry and still while we were out. I'm glad I got out when I did as I've been a bit under the weather ever since with a hacking cough which is so bad that it's making me sick. I've been testing for Covid but each test has shown negative, thank goodness.

Daniel and Jasmine arrived home on Friday evening, worn out after a long haul flight and then having to hang around at Heathrow for a connecting flight to Manchester. Mick drove over to pick them up so they didn't have to worry about getting home from there. We had a lovely time yesterday hearing all about their trip and catching up on each other's news and we're expecting everyone round again later today for the New Year's celebrations. I'm sure there'll be drinking and games involved, though I think the strongest drink I can manage at the moment is a cup of tea!

That just leaves me to thank you all for visiting my blog and for all the wonderful comments so many of you leave throughout the year. Every one of them is very much appreciated. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024.