Guys, meet Herbert the office plant! He may seem a little spiky at first, but deep down he’s a sweetheart. For the last few months since moving my desk into Frankie’s old nursery I’ve been on the lookout for a little something to brighten up the place. Fortunately, I have a super-talented artist best friend named Jess (@birdsnestsforhair) who creates gorgeous pots, paintings and all manner of art for just this purpose. Enter Herbert. All of Jess’s pieces are colourful, heartfelt and gloriously unique, AND they make perfect gifts (just sayin’ 😉). If you’re on the hunt for something a bit spesh either for yourself or a loved one, do check out her Insta. 💕
New holds in from the library: THE AGE OF MIRACLES by Karen Thompson Walker, which I’m keen to read after *loving* THE DREAMERS earlier this year (her prose is 🙌🙌🙌), and WHO’S AFRAID by Maria Lewis. I’m really keen to read her new release, THE WAILING WOMAN, but I haven’t read her before and I’m told that WHO’S AFRIAD is a good place to start (thanks, @aus.fangirl.reads & @alicejaneboere 😘😘)
I’ve had Stephen Fry’s MYTHOS sitting on my shelf for well over a year and, given the size of my ever-growing TBR, it was set to languish there for a good few years to come. So I’ve been listening to the audio book which Fry narrates, and its everything you’d expect: the Greek myths retold with Fry’s signature wit. I love Greek mythology, but my knowledge is patchy—I know a truckload about some stories and next-to-nothing about others, so I’m enjoying the overview to put everything in context. Plus, I’m having a lot of ‘oh, *that’s* how that name’s pronounced’ moments (here’s looking at you, Mnemosyne). Even if ancient mythology isn’t your thing, so much in the modern world (and in modern English) has roots in the ancient Greek gods and myths—it’s handy general knowledge to have in your back pocket, and Mythos is a fun and accessible way to get your head around the basics.
After two weeks without my laptop, I finally got my baby back!!! 👩💻 Apparently she’s part of a batch of MacBook Pros with dodgy display lights, so Mac fixed her up for free (I know. Whaaaat???) I still missed her like crazy, but it was a bit of a blessing in disguise for my writing as it gave me the chance to spend time with my characters and work through some structural issues in my head, including some bits that have niggled for ages. I’m not going to do anything OTT like attempt NaNo with only half the month left, but I am really excited to get stuck back into the business of putting words on the page.
