Sunday, 4 April 2021

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!
 
What is it with the weather right now? One day it is pissing with rain and the wind is howling, next it is cold and dull, the next two days after that I'm out in a T Shirt painting in the warm sun and today it is freezing cold again with rain and wind forecast tomorrow! Just get a grip Weather Boy why don't you! I can't get anything planned right now! I did at least get a second coat of varnish on both sides of the front fence and on our side of the back fence that we got replaced recently. Still more to do out back but progress is good. It wasn't all good news. There was a hairy spider in the bathroom last night that had me running out screaming for my dad! WHY are they so hairy and creepy and horrible! I hate them!

On the book front there are just too many coming out this spring that I need to buy. Another three just found their way in and I've now spotted on Amazon that three new books by favourite authors Hunter Shea, Darrell Maloney and Robert Boren have been released so I must buy them this week too. Argh! But c'mon who can resist a Hunter Shea book called Bigfoot In The Bronx??? I've already got my order in! reading has been slow due to all the stuff I've been doing in the house and garden but I hope to get back on it tonight. I hope to get a few DNFed over the coming month to get the numbers down a bit.

Chuckles Blogging World
Had a bit of catchup to do with visits and comments as I lost a few days blogging time to the varnishing of fences. I didn't get as many posts done as I wanted to but maybe next week.
 
Book Reviews
none this week
 
Regular Posts
 
Top Ten Tuesday

6Degrees Of Separation
 
Around The Blogs With Chuckles

Discussion Posts
 
Chuckles With Chuckles Dumb Quiz Answers #2

Spring Things #4
 
Reading Challenges 
 
Tackling The TBR

Films & TV & Music
I watched my collection of Jaws films this week and watched the two celebrity editions of SAS Who Dares Wins, which I enjoyed more than I expected! Bought a set of SAS dvd documentaries which I look forward to watching. Listened to my mp3 player during my painting this week-four hours of all my favourite tunes!
 
Book Tags/Blog Awards 
none this week
 
The Week In Review
It was mostly about getting varnishing done this week, doing my exercises even when I didn't really want to, and then fitting in some chill out time to rest.
 
The Week Ahead
I haven't picked up that dinosaur book for two weeks so I have to read that and try to look at a few I might not like to get a few DNFs going!
 

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Saturday, 3 April 2021

Spring Things #4

 
THURSDAY
Today my dad got a phone call from the hospital to offer him a potential place to get the long awaited knee surgery he needs. Trouble is, our local hospital is Covid swamped right now and the nearest place that can take him is Greenock-18 miles away. If not it will be at least a year to wait and he's suffering too much with it for that. He can't drive himself back as he can't drive for 8 weeks after the surgery, and I can't drive either so it'll be taxi there and back. That'll cost a fortune but there is no other option really as their hospital is safer from Covid right now. I just hope we can get our second vaccine doses before my dad's surgery as we could also have transport problems getting to Clydebank if I'm called back there for the second dose. I'll be hoping for those blue NHS envelopes to appear very quickly in the post! 

FRIDAY
The weather was actually nice this morning-slightly cool breeze but sunny out in the open and a clear blue sky so I was out at ten thirty this morning getting the second coat of varnish on the back garden fence. It took four and a half hours without a break but I was really pleased to get that done before wasp season comes.It was nice sitting out there just listening to my music in complete peace and quiet without being attacked by nature!

I've also decided to order a bit of exercise equipment, now that I seem to be sticking to my routine. I've ordered a set of weights. I have a set but they are way too heavy to lift so I'm going for a smaller set of three that will be easier to use. I've got an order in for a mat to lie on, and those exercise band things which I'm not sure about but it will help my dad with rehab for his knee after the operation. It doesn't feel natural to actually be excited about getting exercise equipment in the post!
 
SATURDAY 
I was out in the front garden at 7.30 this morning, keeping an eye on the bins after I unlocked them, and I got the second coat of varnish on both sides of the front fence. I might do a third coat just on our side at a later date if I want a deeper colour on it but for the moment the front is done. It was sunny but a bit of a chill out there this morning but I sort of went numb after twenty minutes and just ignored it! By 11am the sun was fully out and it was lovely! Just sitting there with my mp3 player on, the sun on my face and getting stuff done! It's been a really productive weekend for me. 

I've decided that I'm bored with my hair colour. As a child I was redheaded but as I got older my hair basically went a dark brown shade. I used to colour my hair as a student, trying out cherry red, blue and purple at various times then dying it black when I was at work. When I stopped working I dyed it black with a platinum blonde stipe down the middle. I kind of looked like a skunk but I did it to show solidarity with the English cricket team when they won the Ashes in 2005-I was copying the hairstyle of Kevin Pietersen! (below) When he dyed the stripe blue I did it too for a laugh. My parents at the time thought I was mad!


Anyhow, I've decided to dye it for the first time in about twelve years and I'm going for a nice shade of vivid purple. It should be arriving in the post today. 

One of our neighbours has just offered to drive my dad to the hospital in Greenock when he goes in and to collect him a couple of days later when he gets out. That is such a relief to me because taxis are not a great way to travel that distance as some won't go that far, there are sometimes boundary charges for going into a different area etc. 

My beloved football team St Mirren have progressed through to the next round of the Scottish Cup with a great 3-0 away win at Hamilton. Happy days and a beer to celebrate tonight!!!

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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. 
 
It is vital that we all stick together online at this time. Do what you can to show some love to other blogs, to books and authors and let us all know that you are staying safe and well. Hearing from our friends will make it easier to deal with whatever is coming during the pandemic. Stay safe everyone.
 
This week!
 
1) Book Review-Solutions And Other Problems by Allie Brosh
Katherine's review.
 
2) March Book Haul 
AJ's list.
 
3) Book Review-Gathering Dark by Candice Fox 
Carole's review.
 
4) Book Review-The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
Heather's review.
 
5) Book Review-Severed by Joshua Marsella 
Erica's review.
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#6Degrees Of Separation-April

 

I'm taking part in #SixDegrees of Separation, which I first saw on the blog of Bookstooge over at https://bookstooge.wordpress.com/  Started by Annabel Smith and Emma Chapman, now hosted by https://booksaremyfavouriteandbest.com/  On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.

It is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life. She dreams of greater things but Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and soon she and her three children find themselves trapped in a decimated mining town. As she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves. It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest.

Yeah not my kind of read for sure. I tend to try and avoid depressing life stories where possible, whether fact or fiction. I did decide that the easiest thing to do was to stick with the Scottish theme and selected a bookwith great Scottish characters...

It was supposed to be a simple mission. A suspected Russian spy boat is in trouble in Canadian waters. Investigate and report are the orders. But when Captain John Banks and his squad arrive, it is to find an empty vessel, and a scene of bloody mayhem. Soon they are in a fight for their lives, for there are things in the icy seas off Baffin Island, scuttling, hungry things with a taste for human flesh. They are swarming. And they are growing. 

I love the Scottish characters in this book, the Scottish humour and the full creature feature kickass ride that comes with this book. I really enjoy their adventures and have quite a few more to read. Another book I enjoyed with a sea monster element was...

Marine biologist Dr. Mason Rayman is experimenting with gigantism in sea creatures when he accidentally creates a monstrously large sawfish. When it grows so big he can no longer keep it in his Miami lab, he is preparing to have it destroyed when he learns he is being terminated from his position. By way of revenge, he dumps the oversized shark relative into the ocean, where it soon roams out of control, slaughtering bathers at nearby trendy South Beach.

I really enjoy this kind of read and it was fun to be following the action with the bad guy for a change. It really makes you wonder what else is being dumped in the sea! And if you were looking for another reason to stay out of the water, then this next book is probably it...

Rick and Corinne Scully and their kids have visited Florida's Captiva Island many times. This year, they've brought along their best friends. The Scullys never expected a hurricane that would sweep through the Gulf Coast, or the century-old shipwreck that washed up on the shore. They never knew about the military research being done at a nearby marine institute--and the test subjects that escaped during the hurricane. In the aftermath of the storm, they  believe it's safe to go back in the water. . .but they're dead wrong.  

Shark! I've been fascinated by sharks since I was first scared of Bruce the shark watching Jaws as a kid, screaming at the face in the hull of the damaged boat! And if sharks are what you love, then this is exactly my kind of shark read in the horror genre.

Salechii: A Shark Park is supposed to be all about learning to respect and protect sharks, however after a Level-5 Hurricane hits and the sharks get out of their pens, the only lesson learned is how fast can you swim? 

Who doesn't like the idea of exciting kinds of themed parks? This one is an undersea complex with a range of sharks to look at and there are the coolest AI robots there to assist the guests. But when the hurricane hits, the place ends up flooded and they have to get through shark infested corridors to escape. It turns into Deep Blue Sea meets Jurassic Park style adventure. I loved this short series! If you want to go a bit further afield on holiday to visit a totally different kind of theme park, I suggest you probably want to avoid this one...

It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for 40 years. They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world. Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed. A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time. The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong...

Jurassic Park with dragons and Chinese security soldiers who are every bit as deadly to the unlucky visitors at the park. I really enjoyed the high octane ride of trying to avoid the dragons, dodge the men with guns trying to silence them and prevent the dragons escaping. 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon shares the incredible, thrilling, uncensored story of Game of Thrones, from the creators' first meetings with George R. R. Martin and HBO through the series finale, including all the on-camera battles, off-camera efforts, and the many controversies in between. The book also features more than fifty candid new interviews, rare and stunning photos, and unprecedented access to the producers, cast, and crew who took an impossible idea and made it into the biggest show in the world.

This was a brilliant behind the scenes book for any fan of the TV series as it gets the views of the actors and crew throughout, and covers pretty much everything you want to know. I loved this book and gave it a five star review.

So there you are. Shuggie Bain to Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon in six steps. 

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Wednesday, 31 March 2021

Tackling The TBR March#4

 

 
In December 2018 I launched Tackling The TBR, a challenge to reduce the ever extending TBR pile and 2019 was pretty successful in that regard. In 2020 I intended to make a big effort to reduce my TBR by buying less, getting stuff read and getting rid of the things that I just don't want to read from my bookshelves and my ereaders Maurice and Myrnin! However the darn Coronavirus Pandemic has put the skids under all my plans and I had to suspend the challenge. I've now decided to bring it back in a bid to kickstart my TBR reduction as nothing else has been working.
 
The TBR total shown is the total number of books I own but have not read yet-wishlist books are NOT in my TBR! Sometimes there will be a difference between the books read and new total-if I read a book not on the TBR it counts for books read for the week but not for this challenge.

BOOKS IN
-Books in refers to bought, downloaded or gifted books being added to the TBR list. 

BOOKS OUT
-Books read refers to books read that were ON the TBR and DNFed is obvious. 
-Deleted from the TBR are books I lost interest in reading, or sequels to DNFed books I no longer want to read and have been removed without starting to read them. These three categories added together are my books 'out'.

I'm posting my progress on the 7th, 14th, 21st and final day of the month as before, even if there is no progress to report and anyone else is welcome to join in. No rules, set up your posts how you want and when you want, just reduce the pile! And each week I'll add my new week to the end of the post so I can track how the whole month went.

********************
March 1st-7th
TBR Start Total: 1531
 
BOOKS IN:
New Books In: 1
 
BOOKS OUT:
Books Read: 4
Books DNF: 3
Others Deleted From TBR: 0
 
Target Total: 1500
 
New Total: 1524
 
Another decent reading week, rattling through some short horror and either finishing or DNFing them. Either way it gets them off the TBR which is good!
********************
March 8th-14th 
 
TBR Start Total: 1524
 
BOOKS IN:
New Books In: 4
 
BOOKS OUT:
Books Read: 6
Books DNF: 0
Others Deleted From TBR: 5
 
Target Total: 1500
 
New Total: 1517
 
Another good week for getting stuff done, reading 6 books which offsets the four that I bought and downloaded. I also cleared 5 other books I no longer wanted to read off my e-readers which was an added bonus.
******************** 
March 15th-21st
 
TBR Start Total: 1517
 
BOOKS IN:
New Books In: 0
 
BOOKS OUT:
Books Read: 2
Books DNF: 1
Others Deleted From TBR: 0
 
Target Total: 1500
 
New Total: 1515
 
I got a bright start to the week for reading but have taken a few days off it to watch a few dvds after my hard work painting!
******************** 
March 22nd-31st
 
TBR Start Total: 1515
 
BOOKS IN:
New Books In: 4
 
BOOKS OUT:
Books Read: 1
Books DNF:
Others Deleted From TBR:
 
Target Total: 1500
 
New Total: 1518
 
OK took a little bit of a hit this week due to a few new books I ordered and less reading than I had hoped for this week. I'll get back on it next month! The new plan is to tackle books lying forever on my tbr or those with mixed reviews that might be DNF candidates.
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