Hayley Posted October 3, 2024 Posted October 3, 2024 This year has been the first that I didn’t start a book blog in January and, honestly, I missed it! I’ve been tempted to start a couple of times and held back, not exactly sure how I wanted to do it if I started. But now I have my idea. This will mainly be a book log, but it will be a relaxed one. Partly because I’m expecting to be pretty busy in the coming months. You may have seen me semi-complain about how busy work has been elsewhere on the forum, and that’s partly because I’m in the early stages of (hopefully) setting up my own business, rather than working entirely as a freelancer. I also wrote a small book chapter (as you’ll see in the writing thread) AND… the biggest news: I’m pregnant. I’ve been waiting until after my first scan to tell people, but everything went perfectly and I feel like it’s safe to say it out loud now! So bookish and life updates to come! 😄 4 Quote
Madeleine Posted October 4, 2024 Posted October 4, 2024 Congratulations, and good luck with all your new productions! 1 Quote
France Posted October 4, 2024 Posted October 4, 2024 Many congratulations - on all your creations! You get a lot of reading done during feeds, it doesn't take long to master holding a book in one hand and the baby in the other! 1 Quote
Hayley Posted October 4, 2024 Author Posted October 4, 2024 4 hours ago, France said: Many congratulations - on all your creations! You get a lot of reading done during feeds, it doesn't take long to master holding a book in one hand and the baby in the other! Ooooh, really!? That’s an exciting prospect (and thank you!) 😄 If anybody has any other excellent tips for me, by the way, they’re much appreciated! I have three older sisters with four children between them, so I’m quite used to babies, but there’s so much more to think about when it’s your own! Quote
poppy Posted October 5, 2024 Posted October 5, 2024 That's wonderful and exciting news, Hayley! A very big congratulations xx 🥰 1 Quote
Hayley Posted October 5, 2024 Author Posted October 5, 2024 10 hours ago, poppy said: That's wonderful and exciting news, Hayley! A very big congratulations xx 🥰 5 hours ago, itsmeagain said: Congratulations Hayley. 🏆 Thank you ☺️ 1 Quote
Hayley Posted October 15, 2024 Author Posted October 15, 2024 10 hours ago, Brian. said: Congratulations on all accounts. 🤩 Thank you 😄 Quote
Hayley Posted January 12 Author Posted January 12 It's well past time I updated this! I have started to a few times and always been interrupted by something, so I'm going to try keeping this one short! I feel like so much has happened since I last posted - I'm certainly a different shape and significantly heavier! Something I wasn't quite anticipating is how tired I was going to be. That is partly why I haven't posted yet. Doing the same amount as usual utterly drains me most days. Everyone makes out that you get some sort of magical energy boost in your second trimester, but (as I have now learnt) it doesn't work that way for everyone! This week will be the start of my third trimester, which is a little scary, but everything is going well. In fact, the baby is kicking me as I write this . I've just finished a week's break, during which we started to sort the house out in preparation. Not the most relaxing of holidays, but it gave me the brain break I desperately needed (speaking of which - as much as I hate the fact - I've also discovered that "baby brain" is apparently real - I have to keep noting things down so I don't forget them!). I managed to read 19 books last year and will try to do a quick ratings wrap up soon. My Goodreads challenge has been set, once again, to 50, so I can see how close to it I get in 2025. It's definitely going to be an interesting year, so I have no predictions! My first book of the year has been The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale (started just before Christmas 2024 and finished today). I would have finished it earlier, but had a break of about five days when I sensed I was coming to an especially sad part - at times I'm just more intensely emotional right now and I didn't want to traumatise myself 😅. It's a good 4/5 though - a great book for seasonal Christmas reading! I got The DallerGut Dream Department Store by Mi-Ye Lee and The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke as Christmas presents and I'm really looking forward to both of them - but I don't think I can resist the Susanna Clarke one any more, so that will almost definitely be my next choice! I hope you all had wonderful Christmases and wish you all the happiest New Year! I hope I'm going to be around a lot more now that my house and brain are more sorted! 2 Quote
lunababymoonchild Posted January 12 Posted January 12 Good to hear from you and glad that things are going well. I read The Wood at Midwinter and loved it, but it’s not very long 😒 1 Quote
Madeleine Posted January 13 Posted January 13 I read The Toymakers a few years ago and really enjoyed it, it's very vivid isn't it! Quote
Hayley Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 On 1/12/2025 at 7:29 PM, lunababymoonchild said: I read The Wood at Midwinter and loved it, but it’s not very long 😒 I know, it's tiny! I would love a longer book set in the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell again! On 1/13/2025 at 10:37 AM, Madeleine said: I read The Toymakers a few years ago and really enjoyed it, it's very vivid isn't it! Yes, that was my favourite thing about it! The descriptions of the emporium and the toys were so beautiful and really captured the magical feeling. I only didn't give it five stars because... Spoiler Emil's character arch seemed a little bit odd and jarring at the end - almost like that wasn't the way the story was originally meant to end? I could absolutely have accepted that he'd so something stupid out of jealousy and desperation, but he very suddenly just decided to lock his brother away in a torturous situation for the rest of his life. There isn't even any suggestion that he feels bad for his wife or child! I think it was because the author wanted a way of putting Kaspar in a situation that would symbolise his recovery but it seemed a little bit odd to me! Quote
willoyd Posted January 15 Posted January 15 We became grandparents for the first time back in October, and seeing our daughter-in-law and son learning/dealing with their new baby has brought it all rolling back! You'll do really well if you get even half way towards your target! DiL was also very tired during her second trimester, so, as you say, things don't always (rarely, actually) work according to the book! For some reason, I missed you starting your blog, so a very belated but still heartfelt congratulations, and all the best for the next few months (and beyond!). 4 Quote
Madeleine Posted January 15 Posted January 15 13 hours ago, Hayley said: Yes, that was my favourite thing about it! The descriptions of the emporium and the toys were so beautiful and really captured the magical feeling. I only didn't give it five stars because... Reveal hidden contents Emil's character arch seemed a little bit odd and jarring at the end - almost like that wasn't the way the story was originally meant to end? I could absolutely have accepted that he'd so something stupid out of jealousy and desperation, but he very suddenly just decided to lock his brother away in a torturous situation for the rest of his life. There isn't even any suggestion that he feels bad for his wife or child! I think it was because the author wanted a way of putting Kaspar in a situation that would symbolise his recovery but it seemed a little bit odd to me! Yes I thought it went off a bit towards the end, the tone changed so much it almost felt like a different book, perhaps he wasn't sure how to wrap it all up? Quote
Janet Posted January 15 Posted January 15 On 10/3/2024 at 10:13 PM, Hayley said: AND… the biggest news: I’m pregnant. I’ve been waiting until after my first scan to tell people, but everything went perfectly and I feel like it’s safe to say it out loud now! I haven't posted for many years, but I just wanted to say a belated congratulations. That's wonderful news. 3 Quote
Hayley Posted January 24 Author Posted January 24 Thank you @muggle not, @willoyd and @Janet (it's great to 'see' you again by the way!). On 1/15/2025 at 9:21 AM, willoyd said: We became grandparents for the first time back in October, and seeing our daughter-in-law and son learning/dealing with their new baby has brought it all rolling back! You'll do really well if you get even half way towards your target! DiL was also very tired during her second trimester, so, as you say, things don't always (rarely, actually) work according to the book! For some reason, I missed you starting your blog, so a very belated but still heartfelt congratulations, and all the best for the next few months (and beyond!). Congratulations on becoming a grandparent! It's actually very nice to hear someone suggest that everything might not be complete, and that's fine. The pressure for everything to be 'perfect' before the baby arrives is stressful! Although I do frequently try to remind myself that there aren't really that many things that need to be in place. We have actually done a lot already! Solidarity with your DiL's tiredness - my new hope is that it doesn't get much worse now in the third trimester! On 1/15/2025 at 10:43 AM, Madeleine said: Yes I thought it went off a bit towards the end, the tone changed so much it almost felt like a different book, perhaps he wasn't sure how to wrap it all up? It did actually, yeah! My prediction was... Spoiler Due to all the hints that the two brothers needed to work together to make their magic as powerful as Papa Jack's, it was Emil who would help Kaspar to recover from PTSD, through the use of toys they would build together. And then that, with their powers finally fully flourished, Emil would take over running the original Emporium, while Kaspar would move his family to Paris and start a new Emporium, thus filling the place where his trauma originated with magic and hope again. I'd have preferred that! 2 Quote
~Andrea~ Posted February 19 Posted February 19 Oh my gosh, how could I have missed this? Massive congratulations on the pregnancy Hayley, how exciting!! And starting a new business as well! All such lovely news. 🎉 1 Quote
Hayley Posted April 26 Author Posted April 26 A lot has happened in the last few weeks 😄. We have a beautiful, healthy baby boy (7lbs, 4oz). I can’t begin to explain how much I love him 🥰. The only reading I’ve done since has been Beatrix Potter - I was working my way through the series on project Gutenberg in the middle of the night, reading out loud partly as a way of keeping myself awake (REALLY hard not to fall asleep with a warm sleepy baby on your chest, when it’s 4am and you’ve hardly slept 😅). We’ve just reached week 3 though and, though I don’t want to jinx it, he has only been waking up every 3 hours for the last couple of nights! Maybe it’s the improved sleep but I actually feel like there’s time to do something ‘normal’ now, so I’m about to start with the seemingly gentle Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee (after I have a quick browse around the forum to find out what I’ve missed 😄). 5 Quote
poppy Posted April 27 Posted April 27 A HUGE Congratulations to you all, Hayley. He's absolutely gorgeous 🥰 xx 1 Quote
Madeleine Posted April 27 Posted April 27 Congratulations, he's adorable,and glad you're starting to get back to "normal"! 1 Quote
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