Sunday, 27 October 2019

Around The Blogs With Chuckles


We all enjoy snooping and lurking on other people's blogs right? Why not share those entertaining things you found with other readers and bloggers too! Welcome to Around the Blogs with Chuckles, where I take time out to show you some of my favourite blog posts from the previous seven days and link you up so you can check them out. 

This week!
 
1) Book Review-Tinfoil Butterfly by Rachel Eve Moulton 
Barb's review.

2) Boosting Your Immune System
What you should be eating.

3) Get More Vitamin D in winter
Boost your body's health!

4) The Inequities of EBooks
Sam looks at the down side.

5) Book Review-Survive The Chaos by Grace Hamilton
Carole goes apocalypse.

6) Read A Series In A Month
Nicci is ready for the challenge but are YOU joining in?

7) Book Review-Escaping The Asylum by Siggy Galaen
Stephanie Jane's review.

8) Book Review-The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow
Another review from Carole.
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Chuckles Mini Reviews Catchup


I review everything I read, on my blog and on Goodreads. Most reviews are of a decent length but sometimes you don't have much to say about the book because of its length or you DNFed it or various other reasons. In cases like that it makes sense to write a few mini reviews in one post and clear them out your way! So lets catch up with some reviews from September and October!

1) Alan Clark-Diaries 1972-1982
INTO POLITICS begins in 1973 with Clark's selection as Tory candidate for Nancy Astor's old seat in Plymouth (rival candidates included future Conservative luminaries Michael Howard and Norman Fowler). Alan Clark describes his election to the Commons in the 1974 general election; his years as a backbencher coincide with Edward Heath as PM, his downfall and the arrival of Margaret Thatcher. This volume ends with the inside story of the Falklands War. In his private life Alan and his wife Jane and their two young sons take over Saltwood Castle, previously the home of his father Kenneth (Civilisation) Clark. His enthusiasms for the estate, skiing, fast cars and girls are never far away.  

People have raved about him being the greatest diary writer ever so I was expecting something really great from the diaries. I knew that there would be things about his personal life in them as it says that the diaries are published as they were and not heavily edited to take out anything embarrassing and contraversial. But I did expect him to talk more about the major political events that were going on. I found myself greatly disappointed. I know that we talk about ourselves in diaries but Alan takes this to a whole new level of self obsession. He goes on about all the women he is sleeping with, how upset his wife gets about it but it doesn't stop him, his fancy home and chalet in Switzerland, his cars, his gambling addiction, his debts, his kids, women he meets and tries to pull, and moaning on about every fatal illness he is sure he is suffering from (he is a confessed hypochondriac). In one year's entries he thinks he has latent salmonella, terminal blood poisoning, oncoming paralysis, malignant conditions-being his doctor was certainly a challenge. 

What bugged me most was that there was so little detail on his political career-we get him complaining about his career going nowhere, which is because he has a habit of insulting people and saying dumb shit including some shocking pro-Nazi stuff that offends people. His string of women also upsets people, gbearing in mind the different views on behaviour in this time period. He praises Hitler, agrees that the way forward is a genetic need for racial purity and supports Nazi ideals, which makes him vile in my book. His mentions about politics tends to be when he is talking about himself-ie his speaking out for the Falklands War is about how many TV appearances he notches up and how it can boost his career but nothing about the main events of the war or the soldiers who died. He was also going on about collusion between Britain and Argentina to allow the invasion which really annoyed me. He leaves out things like the leadership contest that sacks Ted Heath, details on General Election campaigns and most of the big political topics. These are personal diaries that hardly mention politics so I found them very dull to read and not what I expected them to be. I don't recommend them.

Read October 2019
1 star.  

2) Ezekiel Boone-The Hatching
Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake.

I think most of my blogger friends loved this one so I went into it with pretty high hopes but I was really disappointed with it. Bookstooge wrote a review that put me on alert about the book so I decided to make it priority to get it out of the way and I'm glad I did. Firstly I didn't like any of the characters. None of them. I particularly disliked foul mouthed Mike who can't seem to get through a simple sentence without a multitude of swearing and he was a pretty poor cop too. He is mad at his ex wife and gets out of his car at the stakeout wearing badge and vest to talk to her on the phone in private, blowing the stakeout and getting his partner shot. Total Muppet. Melanie is a complete bitch who only seems to think about sex with her grad student. The President is banging her chief-of-staff behind the back of the husband she married to boost her career and seems bored by the job, the tour guide wants to cheat on his girlfriend because she might be cheating on him. These people are all complete morons who are running around like horny teenagers and I WANT the spiders to eat them all.

Oh yes the spiders! In amongst all the sex shennanigans we do get the odd appearance of the spiders. They eat the tour group and bring down a plane with the survivor on it. They seem to be a bit of an afterthought to the relationship and fertility issues that the characters were having and I got bored with that and the swearing. The author seemed to prefer the swearing than trying to write clever dialogue. I just got so bored with it.

Read October 2019
DNF 1 star.

3) Robert Boren-Horror Road
Written by the author of Bug Out!, this series starts where the Bug Out! series left off, at an isolated RV Park in Kansas. There is an evil presense at the RV Park. It has awakened due to the presence of powerful psychics Jake and Frankie, and now it threatens them with possession. Related paranormal activity begins at two other locations, resulting in gruesome deaths.
Jake and Frankie can see what is happening as the evil presence reveals itself to them. Can they stop it? Ghosts become more active as the spirit's plans take shape.

Jake and Frankie know that they must join forces with another group of psychics to battle the pure evil which is tormenting them, but they are over a thousand miles away. A powerful medium has awakened, ready to do battle, but so have new minions of the ancient evil. It's a race against time and space.

This literally starts where the original Bug Out series ends with the survivors going their own ways. It is assumed that you read that series first before starting this book and that you know the history of this RV park, the murders that took place, Frankie's psychic past and who the other characters are from the war. If you haven't read Bug Out you won't know any of this and the author doesn't really elaborate in detail so you might get a bit lost with the story and the layout of the RV park that is described. That is not a critical comment to the author as I did read Bug Out, I'm just pointing it out to other readers. Jake and Frankie have stayed at the park but with everyone gone they both become aware of an ancient spirit, the one that inspired the previous massacres and wants to encourage another one. Jake and Frankie discover that her old psychic friend and her new group are experiencing similar issues connected to a dead murderer and as the spirits get more aggressive they need to join forces to fight it. 
 
Firstly there is nothing at all wrong with this book. The author knows how to tell a story and how to make you care about the characters and it was great to see Jake and Frankie again. The issue I really had with it is the slow burn nature of the plot and the repetitive nature of the spirit. When we are with Frankie, she gets temporarily gets taken over, passes out, wakes up, wants sex and has amnesia. Rinse and Repeat. She and Jake seem to wander from the trailer to the barn to the kitchen to the clubhouse somewhat aimlessly, switching the TV on and off as they go but not really doing anything but talk about the latest incident which the reader has already witnessed when it happened. Their plot was a bit dull. Sandy and Herb go with their friends to an event/seance concerning a dead murderer. Despite getting annoyed with the skeptic on the panel I did find the whole murder background more interesting. I didn't care much for the teenagers in the wood side plot. Like I said it just didn't turn out to be my thing as I'm not a huge fan of ghosts and spirits and only tried it as it was a spin off from Bug Out. Those interested in the psychic side of ghosts will enjoy this much more.

Read October 2019
DNF 2 stars.
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Chuckles The Bear: Winter Hibernation Guide


It is that time of year again when it is getting cold outside and I want to just curl up in front of the TV and roaring fire with a mug of hot chocolate, or snuggle under the duvet with a cuddily toy monkey and a good book. I am Chuckles 'Bah, Humbug' Bear and I'll show you all how to be a hibernating beast like I am!

The truth is, I enjoy winter as long as I don't have to go out in the freezing cold! I hate crowded shops, Christmas music, trying to find a parking space, falling on my face on black ice (my paws have no grip and I have no sense of balance) and that terrible wet bear smell when your fur gets wet or damp. Yuck! I ensure that in the months before winter I stock up on everything I need to last our family through to about February/March next year. That means we only need to nip to the local shops for things like bread and milk and can avoid the shopping chaos!

SEPTEMBER 
Week One-My dad was in for a handful of items in the supermarket so I picked up the cheap bottles of no frills salt-eight of them. This will be used for clearing the garden path in case of winter snowfall. I already have four left over from last winter so I'm ready to go in case the forecast of harsh winter weather is correct. Pity I don't have a House Elf to actually do the shovelling when the snow comes!

Week Two-Along with my normal shopping this week, I picked up the extra stock cubes that I'll need for my batches of winter soup. I grabbed six packets of chicken, four beef, four ham and two vegetable. This is added to my stock that I haven't used this year. I tend to make soup every three days for myself and my dad. I also picked up packet sauces with a use by date well past next year. This stocks me up on all my casserole sauces, bread sauce, cheese sauce, fish sauces, curry sauces that I'll need for all the meals I'll be making over the winter. I also bought a few extra bags of toilet rolls. A bear must have butt comfort y'know!

Week Three-Amazon ordering time! I got in a supply of AA, AAA and D batteries which we use in our clocks, MP3 players, and the lanterns I have set aside in case of unexpected power cuts so we have light. I also bought a couple of boxes of latex gloves, face masks and mob hats ready for any kind of flu outbreak or pandemic. Us bears are sensitive to germs and after getting a mild form of Aussie Flu earlier this year I'm taking no chances! I also bought a few bags of charcoal.

 Week Four-Dug out my two camping stoves from storage and checked them. One is run on gas (the cannisters are well stored as bears can be pretty flammable) and the other burns wood, alcohol and charcoal. We have a tree right beside our property and a public park five minutes walk away plus a pile of wood in the garden. I bought charcoal last week too. This means we have two sources to make hot meals even in the case of a prolonged power cut.

OCTOBER 
Week One-Aldi. I did my big shopping list of tins-tinned fruit, vegetables, pasta, fish, meat, soup, custard. This tops up the cupboard tin supplies I already have. I don't like vegetables but I do blend them into liquid form to use in the soups. I also bought tins of chicken and beef curry, minced beef and onion and chicken in white sauce (all great tasting on toast for a filling dinner!) I also topped up on jars-curry and pasta sauces, tuna pasta bake sauces and other stir in sauces, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and chicken bovril to ensure a variety of hot drinks for the discerning bear. Six full bags of messages for £70 is pretty good to fill a cupboard shelf or three! My cupboard is nearly full again!

Week Two-Checking the cleaning supplies. I have a second cupboard where I store cleaning products and I'm months ahead on soap powder and fabric softener, washing up liquid, air fresheners, furniture polish, shampoo, shower gel, cleaning products, dusters, cloths, scouring pads etc. I checked my tin inventory and I'm happy that I have everything. I also checked the bedroom cupboard to ensure my spare sleeping bags, furry blankets and warm weather clothes are easy to grab if required. I repaired a few rips in the sleeping bag in case it is needed and cleared space to store the water. I checked the first aid kits are full-one in the car, one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom and one in the living room. I also ordered extra bulbs for all the lamps we use, a few bags of candles and vitamin C crystals to boost the immune system. Got my flu jag at the doctor this week too.

Week Three-Aldi. This visit was about a stock of bottled water which you need the strength of a bear to bloody lift, a few more items of meat and fish to freeze for winter and collecting a couple of turkey and stuffing rolled joints for the festive period. This fills the freezer section nicely. Poundland was next. They have a great medical section so I bought a bit more paracetamol, ibuprofen, antiseptic cream, boxes of fabric plasters etc. I also got a few tubs of salted caramel muffins and double choc muffins to use later this winter. A bear has a sweet fang and the beast must be sated!

Week Four-ASDA. This week we'll be stocking up on my favourite cough bottle Covonia to ensure we have a few extra bottles as soon as a cough gets started. Us bears can't be too careful with our throats as it restricts our roaring ability. I'll also be starting to stock my dad's Diet Pepsi and my Barr's Limeade so we have plenty in the house. We also intend to recycle the tap water that we've been storing in the hall for a few months so that the supply is nice and fresh. The discarded water will be reused in the garden. I'll be doing a check to see if there is anything we've missed for food and drink. We will try to get the last of the painting done for this year but it depends on the weather.

NOVEMBER
Week One-Supermarket. Diet Pepsi and Limeade to be bought and Pot Noodles for my dad. Maybe more bottled water just in case we need it and maybe a few boxes of our favourite chocolates for winter treats! I love Roses, Dairy Box and Thorntons! I love Lindor but it is really pricey. Get in 4 bottles of Buck's Fizz (a family tradition!) a chocolate and maybe a cheese advent calander for me for fun, and my Terry's Chocolate Oranges! Visit the dump to get rid of the last of the rubbish for the year ie empty paint cans and bleach bottles. Go to the local shops to stock up on their noodles and those packet pasta things you just add hot water to.

Week Two-Charity Shop. Need to get rid of quite a few bags of unwanted books that I'm finished with. This will probably take more than one visit as I'm having a mass clearout this winter. This lets me get space back for phase two of the clearout which I'll be doing over December and January. I'm determined to get space back to get stuff off the floor. My dad and I plan to clear the hall and get it looking less like an atomic bomb went off.

Week Three-Order any remaining stuff I need from Amazon-the last of my book buying until mid January, and any other odd things I need for the house. The cleaning will focus on the mess my dad loves to leave in the living room so I have it nice and tidy for winter. 

Week Four-Last Amazon packages will be arriving before the Black Friday chaos. I'll use one more supermarket trip to stock up the fridge and ensure it is full and ready to use. Any bits and pieces can be grabbed here like cheese, margerine and other stuff with shorter dates on them. The kitchen will get a deep clean just to make sure everything is nice and tidy and we're not living in a germfest hell hole. I'll be looking at videos of the Black Friday chaos online. Honestly it looks like the Running of the Bulls in Spain!   

DECEMBER 
Week One-Our repeat prescriptions will go in to the local pharmasist and be filled this week, which means we won't need anything else until next year. Start using up all the supplies in the fridge before their dates are up.  Relax as the Christmas shoppers go mad at each other and get stressed out while we relax in our bear cave and watch films and TV!

Week Two-Continue with using stuff from fridge and freezer for meals. Continue to smugly sit indoors and watch TV in front of the fire as everyone else rushes around like nutters to buy in a few days of food! Doing nothing except the necessary housework needing done.

Week Three-Ensure we have two big jugs of milk which will get us ahead of the dumb panic buy of milk that seems to go on despite the local shops being open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day morning and Boxing Day! Seriously why would you wait until Christmas Eve to start buying in your Christmas food???

Week Four-Around the 27th or 28th we'll buy more milk to last until New Year is over with. Maybe bread but we shouldn't need anything other than that. This bear hates New Year and sees no point to it so I'll be in my bed before midnight and hopefully will sleep through the stupid fireworks! 

TOP BEAR TIPS
1-have at least one source of light that can safely be carried room to room in event of a power cut ie battery torches, oil lanterns, candles inside a glass cage etc
2-have at least one source of non gas/electrical cooking in case of power cut ie camping stove with bottled gas, wood burning stove etc
3-stock up on your cold remedies NOW so you don't need to go hoofing out in crap weather when you feel terrible
4-stock up on food and bottled water to do you through winter just in case you get a spell of bad weather or family illness to deal with
5-instead of electrical blankets, put a sleeping bag on top of your bottom bed sheet. Lying on top of a sleeping bag with a warm duvet on top keeps you cozy and if you go to the loo in the night, the sleeping bag retains your body heat so no cold bed to get back into! 
6-stock up on batteries and other essentials

Have a Beary good festive season!
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Friday, 25 October 2019

Chuckles Friday Reading Roundup


Welcome to my Friday Reading Roundup! This feature will show exactly what I've been reading and DNFing through the week. 

 READ
2 stars, 2.5 stars and 2.5 stars. Disappointing!
 

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Chuckles Weekend Roundup


Welcome to my feature Chuckles Weekend Roundup where I will be looking at what books I've received, anything interesting I've done or bought or watched and other random stuff. I'll be taking a look back at what happened in my blogging world too, sort of like The Sunday Post that some of you do! 

Please note that I'll be visiting your STS/SP as normal, but I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow DISQUS to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I am the only one who does that on my social media! I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. Sometimes, I have problems leaving messages on blogs hosted by Wordpress-they try to block me because I deleted my account with them but I will persevere as it only happens the odd time!
****************
 Another week gone and the clocks are about to change this weekend. There is that winter bite to the air as I get my last supermarket shopping trips done with! The freezer is full of meat, fish and meals, my cupboards are nearly full and ready to go and I just stocked up on bottled water and essential winter medical stuff so I don't need to traipse out when I'm already feeling ill! Soon I will do my bear thing and go pretty much into hibernation until the festive season and sales are finished and sanity returns to shopping centres! I might do a post about Chuckles the Bear and what I'm getting up to!

This week I did get back into reading. Spooky Booky month has fallen a bit flat as I haven't been targeting the horror books that were on my initial list. Instead I'm going for the books I think I'm less likely to want to keep and those with questionable reviews or that are in less favoured genres. It's pretty much an attempt to clear the decks of books to give me space on my shelves. The more I can read, DNF and delete, the lower the TBR number by the end of the year. And that makes me happy!

DOWNLOADS
 
 
 
PAPERBACKS/HARDBACKS
 
 

Chuckles Blogging World
I'm working on a few things on the computer at the moment. I'm putting together a list of everything on my ereaders Maurice and Myrnin, noting the number of pages and comments from reviews about love triangles, pacing, poor characters and so on, to help me when I'm deciding what to read next. It's taking quite a while as I'm going through a lot of reviews for each book to get a good sense of what people liked or hated about it. I have deleted a few from my Goodreads list as I've went along if there are too many things I don't like the sound of. This task will continue next week too.
 
Book Reviews 
 
Gin Phillips-Fierce
 
Retro Rescued Reviews-Resident Evil Genesis

Regular Posts
 
Chuckles Friday Reading Roundup

Around The Blogs With Chuckles
 
Top Ten Tuesday
 
Books From The Backlog
 
Discussion Posts
 
Chuckles Chuntering

Book Challenges
 
Tackling The TBR
 
Films & TV 
In the afternoons this week, my dad and I watched Sasuke 28 and season 5 of American Ninja Warrior. At night I watched and enjoyed Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge seasons one and two and season one of The Titan Games. 
 
 Book Tags/Blog Awards
 
Halloween Creatures Book Tag

Currently Reading/Up Next
It's hard to choose in advance when you're mood reading! I'm finishing up with Relic which was more mystery than horror which was a bit disappointing. These might be the next planned reads.
 
 
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