Nollaig

For a world that demands to move ridiculously fast on so many levels, I'm very frustrated by it moving slowly where it counts. My bus, which used to run up to 15 mins early in Summer now runs up to half an hour late because, apparently, that is the impact that school runs have on traffic. The transport system in Ireland is terrible anyway, but I'm going to wind up having to leave the house an hour earlier every morning just to get to work on time, assuming the priest opens the gate to the shortcut that early (don't ask) and it's very frustrating. Additionally, I applied for a course online (since apparently I'm going to 'walk' the interview for another job I feel obliged to take) which will complement the work I do, and it was very last minute because I didn't find it until last minute, but my bank are wrecking my head. I have plenty of money in savings - I need to give the college €600 of a deposit before I get my student email etc. It takes a week for money to come out of my savings. So I decided on Friday to go to the bank here on campus and ask about getting a €600 overdraft just until the savings come through. She told me to leave the building, go to a computer, and apply online. A human would then contact me within 24-48 hours, and apparently they process things on Saturdays. Tuesday morning, still no word. Even when I do hear from them, I don't know if my application was eligible, because it was online and I had no human to talk me through it, there's no way to track my application and no number to contact - I literally didn't even get a receipt, so there's no evidence of the application at all, and I also don't know how long it will take to implement, again, because no human to ask. So it might end up being redundant, as I'll get my savings on Friday anyway. I do not understand why banks have moved from human interaction to automation like that. The area of asking for financial assistance is one where there are so many different circumstances and variables that you really NEED to be talking to a person to begin with. But all they do is delay the process by making you film a form as best you can and wait a few days before someone calls you to discuss it, which is all you wanted to do in the first place.

FInished The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. Really enjoyed it, but wasn't as surprising as I expected from the reviews I'd read. Still, quality YA for sure. Now reading the second Kim Stone novel - Evil Games.

Gorgeous out today, cool (14C) and sunny/dry. Some clouds, but I think they'll stay quiet

Finished The Reckoning, really enjoyed it but gave it three stars as I preferred the first book in the series and I gave that four. And apparently the series gets way better, so I'm holding out on the five stars! Now over halfway through The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. It's really good, a very quick read and I can't wait to see what happens.

@Madeleine Various things, and it depends on the person. It can be acidic drinks or fruit, or fatty or creamy food/dairy. Went to a doctor once years ago and that's what I was told, along with there being nothing she could do for me.

it's funny, I don't remember Goodreads ever NOT being there, even though I've only taken to it in the last couple of years. But I was apparently already 19 when it was created - I find that bizzare!

Back to work for me today, after a four day 'weekend'. Was very ill with a flare up of gastritis over the weekend. It's something I've gotten on and off over the years, less so in recent years, due to my slightly improved eating habits. I don't know what set it off Thursday night, but the sensation of sitting in my chair at work today with no feeling in my abdomen or back - no pain, no discomfort, no swelling - is the most glorious thing. Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) is to heartburn/indigestion what earaches are to a pain in your head. So much more excruciating than it sounds. Friday and Saturday night I got maybe 2-3 hours sleep. Sunday night I said sod it, drank 1.5 bottles of wine (which,despite their acidity, amazingly did not cause me further pain) and slept like a baby. It's still there today, but far less so, so it's manageable.

Cold (yay), and dry here, was brighter earlier, getting cloudier now.

Still reading The Reckoning and Ciara's Diary, been sick the last few days so reading has been slow. I've also bought The Loneliest Girl In The Universe, and can't wait to start reading it, but really must finish one of the other two first.

It's written to be humorous, and at times I just got into that and found it funny. Some of the things Eleanor does are genuinely funny, but it's rude to laugh at someone who behaves a bit differently to others, and I found myself disliking that the book was written to be funny in that way.

It was completely unintentional lol!

Silent Scream - Angela Marsons Genre: Crime thriller Synopsis: Even the darkest secrets can’t stay buried forever… Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood …Years later, a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shock the Black Country. But when human remains are discovered at a former children’s home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she’s on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades. As the body count rises, Kim needs to stop the murderer before they strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it’s too late? *** Review: This book represents the first time I have tried a new crime thriller series, and actively disliked the main character (Kim Stone). Right from the beginning, she proved irritating. Her three main qualities are rudeness, being an emotional brick wall, and acting outside the line of duty. It's no secret from the synopsis that there are skeletons to be recovered from the ground early in the story - instead of waiting literally a few additional hours to adhere to protocols, before retrieving years old bodies from a fully secured site, she went ahead and ordered the excavations. Why? The bodies had already been there years, a few more hours made no difference. The site was secure, nobody was getting in and covering it up. This was just the first of many instances where she stepped out of line. Granted, sometimes it works and sometimes it's necessary, but this was just silly. However, aside from my dislike of the main character, I loved pretty much everything about this book. I thought the writing was great, the case interesting, the characters compelling (for the most part - Stace tended to talk with an approximation of a 'Black Country accent', and since I have no idea what that sounds like, her phonetic speech seemed very odd), and the twist was, while a bit far-fetched, at least unpredictable. I genuinely loved the characters of William Payne and Lucy. I thought the inclusion and representation of a disabled person's life was sensitively handled, something I rarely see in the numerous crime thrillers I've read. Overall, I enjoyed much more about this book than I didn't, even warming to Kim a *tiny* bit towards the end after learning more about her. I've already bought book 2 and am looking forward to getting into it. I originally gave it a three, but on reflection I'm going to give it a four. Rating: 4/5

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman Genre: Fiction/Humor/Drama Synopsis: Meet Eleanor Oliphant. She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully time-tabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. Then everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living--and it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one. *** Review: This is yet another one of those heartwarming stories about an odd, quirky, possibly grumpy, likely anti-social individual learning how to reintegrate into the community, making friends and finding happiness along the way. From the description, she sounds just like me (minus the vodka). I tend to say exactly what I think, because I can't stand people who don't (doesn't make me rude, I have tact; I'm just honest). I avoid socialising, and don't even socialise at work (like Eleanor). I stay home all weekend, and read, game, etc. To me, this is a good life, and it's not one that needs to change in any way. Now, granted, Eleanor's life does need to change. She has issues which become readily apparent, which go beyond what is mentioned in the synopsis - and that's fair. She needs some help, she should get it. But what I don't like is how anyone who doesn't fit the average is seen as kooky and a source of amusement for readers. Not knowing about fashion, makeup, waxing, pubs, there's nothing wrong with this. There's nothing funny about someone who doesn't understand the assumptions that socially-ept people make. And yet, all of the humor in this book (and I laughed, too, before realising I was frequently laughing at myself), derives from Eleanor's inability to function as 'normal' people do. That does not sit well with me. Raymond, however, is the reason this book got 3 stars. I love Raymond, he's a fantastic character. A simple guy who takes pleasure from simple things. While sometimes baffled by Eleanor's behavior, he does not laugh at her (as the reader does), he simply accepts her, or gently assists her in situations where she risks causing offense or complete confusion. But he never judges her, only supports her and never tries to change her. This is an attitude all people should aspire to, and if for no other reason, Raymond's handling of Eleanor makes this book worth reading - the kind of people who laugh at Eleanor (myself included) are the kind of people who need to read about Raymond. Rating: 3/5

It's the b-movie equivalent of BBC family shows. I adore it - it's sometimes cheesy, and not always stellar tv, but when it IS good, it's fantastic. I adore the characters and their stories. It's one of my favourite shows.

Finished Tall Oaks. Distinctly did not like it. Entirely character driven and all the characters were flatter than pancakes, so I really didn't give a toss about what happened to any of them. Enjoying Ciara's Diary so far, and have started the second Meave Kerrigan thriller - The Reckoning.

My poor plants are drowned now, can't win!

An Amazon pre-order arrived today: Ciara's Diary 1999-2002: Sense and Shiftability. Ciara's Diary is a segment on a radio show I love (Chris and Ciara) and is made up of said Ciara reading entries from her teenage self, just before, and while attending, college. It's hilarious. Very relatable to Irish people from the same generation. Now she's published the whole set in this book, which I cannot wait to read!

Rained heavily again last night, but dried up by this morning. Fairly bright out, lot of cloud though. I'm happy enough for it to rain at night because my flowers and plants need it!

I've started Tall Oaks, as it's getting a lot of attention and I'm curious. So far, so good.

Patriot Games by Tom Clancy. Never heard of it!

I'm afraid my two favourite bromances are not from books - Miguel and Tulio in The Road To El Dorado and Merlin and Arthur in BBC's Merlin!

Hey, nothing wrong with everything being perfect, Frankie! Everyone deserves to luck out with things from time to time. Shame about the smoke smell, though, hope you get rid of it!

Finished Eleanor Oliphant. My opinion remains the same - quirky oddballs as a source of amusement to readers doesn't sit well with me. But yay, Raymond. Lovely, lovely Raymond. Also read The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes, which I had never read before despite my absolute love of the film based on it. My OH whipped out the book during a chat about the movie, which he also loves! It's.... very different, and very odd, but I liked it. Also nearly finished Silent Scream by Angela Marsons. I dislike the main character, but I'm developing sympathy which is making her tolerable. Also, the 'whodunnit' element is very obvious. Otherwise, a very enjoyable book.

15C so cool enough and fresh. Totally overcast, it may well rain. We had weather warnings for rain over the weekend in 14 counties, heavy rain and flooding.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a web series