June Wrap Up

You all likely know the drill by now, so let’s just jump right into this month’s wrap up! We’ll start, as always, with the books.

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Books read: 6

Yearly total: 37

1. Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Wivenhoe by Samuel Fisher

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez & Julie Maroh 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Water and Stone by Annette Makino

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Life in Solitude by Aliyah Jackson

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the month: The Glass Woman

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I had another really enjoyable month in terms of embroidery. The following projects were the result, some of which are still available over on my etsy shop.

I’d been having an urge to start dabbling in painting for the first time in years, so after getting hold of some supplies for my birthday, I started playing around with watercolours. I was instantly hooked, with the following pieces just a handful of what I ended up producing.

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Last but certainly not least, we have the main event: the pet pictures!

Ted

Oscar

Frankie (with a cameo from Ted)

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There we have it! Did you have a good month in June? What was the best book you read?

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May Wrap Up

Time for another wrap up! I don’t know about anyone else, but this past month went by really quickly for me. In terms of reading, I’m still plodding along fairly slow and steady (hence why I haven’t been that active on here – sorry!), but in terms of embroidery, I had a really productive few weeks. That said, let’s just jump into it.

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Books read: 6

Yearly total: 31

The books I read in May

1. Hex by Jenni Fagan

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Cats in Spring Rain, curated & translated by Aya Kusch

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Tamlin by Aven Wildsmith

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Fangs by Sarah Andersen

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Jungle Nama by Amitav Ghosh

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the month: Tamlin

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I had a lot of fun with my embroidery projects in May; revisiting a few more past designs and trying out some new ones. Here were the results:

I had a stall for the first time at a small fete at the end of the month. I’d never done anything like it before, but as it was a chilled, lowkey event at a local boutique hotel, it was a nice way to dip my toe into new waters. It was a good experience, and popping up at craft fairs, markets, and such like is definitely something I’d like to try more of in the future!

I also just gave my Etsy shop a big update in the past couple of days, sprucing up the look of it and adding a bunch of new pieces for sale, including those featured above.

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It seems pet updates have become something of a regular feature in these monthly wrap ups, which is fine by me! Ted is around 6 months old now and he continues to be a bundle of cheeky yet delightful energy.

Oscar is as chilled out, patient, and wonderful as ever, and this month also marked 8 years since I got Frankie, so I’ve included a throwback picture of her settling into the house (and my shoulder, lol).

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There we have it! Did you have a good month in May? What was the best book you read?

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April Wrap Up

Time for another wrap up already! As always, here’s a quick overview of what I read throughout the past month, followed by a look at the embroidery projects I completed.

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Books read: 6

Yearly total: 25

The books I read in April

1. My Spirit Burns Through This Body by Akwaeke Emezi

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review 

2. Summon by Elizabeth Ridout

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. The Fire Never Goes Out by ND Stevenson

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. The Appendix by Liam Konemann

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Theatre of Marvels by Lianne Dillsworth 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

Favourite of the month: Theatre of Marvels

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I had a really fun month in terms of embroidery, working on a mix of landscape, animal, and floral pieces. I revisited a couple of past designs (the cherry blossom and the flower crown), and I’m particularly pleased with how the tiger portrait turned out. I’m hopefully going to have a small stall at a local fete at the end of this month, so I’m enjoying the challenge of building up enough pieces to stock it! That said, there are still several things available over on my Etsy.

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Last but not least, I promised some more Ted updates, and I’m happy to oblige! He continues to be a delight, as I’m sure you can imagine.

Just for good measure, here are some recent pictures of Oscar and Frankie: as much as I’m obsessed with Ted, I’m still obsessed with them too!

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March Wrap Up

Though not vast in quantity, when it comes to quality, this is easily one of the best reading months I’ve had for some time. Here’s a look at what I picked up, with links to reviews if you’d like more thoughts.

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Books read: 6

Yearly total: 19

The books I read in March

1. The Antarctica of Love by Sara Stridsberg, Tr. by Deborah Bragan-Turner

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Thistlebone Book Oneby T.C. Eglington & Simon Davis

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Foster by Claire Keegan

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Release the Beast by Bimini Bon Boulash

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

Favourite of the month: The Most Dazzling Girl in the World is fresh in my mind, but honestly all of these were great!

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March was also a fun month craft wise. Finished projects included a matching pair of autumn trees, a large owl embroidery, a little starry landscape, a floral woven wall hanging, and a miniature cross stitch of a cosy cottage. Some of these are still available over on my Etsy.

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I also promised some more Ted pictures last month, and frankly I’m always happy for a chance to show him off! He’s continued to settle in and make friends really well, and he’s still an absolute delight.

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There we have it! What was your favourite read in March?

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February Wrap Up

In terms of both reading and embroidery, it’s safe to say February wasn’t my most productive month, but thankfully there’s a nice reason as to why this time: There’s a new four legged friend in my life! I adopted 10 week old pup Ted earlier this month and I am more than a little bit smitten.

He’s a cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Miniature Poodle), and he’s settled in so well – even the cats are tentatively warming to him, lol. I could gush all day about how cute, friendly, affectionate, fluffy, playful, and delightful he is, but I suppose I’d better mention some books!

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Books read: 6

Yearly total: 13

The books I read in February

1. Chouette by Claire Oshetsky 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Under Her Skin, edited by Lindy Ryan & Toni Miller

⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Chasm by Dorothea Tanning

⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. The Madwomen’s Ball by Victoria Mas, tr. by Frank Wynn

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

6. Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the month: Chouette

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As for embroidery, I’m just finishing up a matching pair of tree designs which were requested by my cousins, but the following pieces are all up for sale over on my etsy shop: a large whale hoop, a contemporary rainbow piece, and a squirrel cross stitch magnet.

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How was your February? What was your favourite read?

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January Wrap Up

My reading year is off to a somewhat tentative start, as I found myself reaching mainly for short reads as and when a burst of motivation hit. Given my desire to ease the pressure on myself if/when a slump is lingering, I’m okay with that! Besides, there were a couple of gems in the mix.

Here’s a quick summary of the books I read, with links to reviews if you’d like to know more.

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Books read: 7

Yearly total: 7

The books I read in January

1. A Lick and a Promise by Imelda May

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review 

2. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Love by Hanne Ørstavik, tr. by Martin Aitken

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. The Wild Swans by Jackie Morris

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Coma by Zara Slattery 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. The Wild Life of the Fox by John Lewis-Stempel

⭐ ⭐ | Review 

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Favourite of the month: A Psalm for the Wild-Built

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Meanwhile, I had a pretty productive month craft-wise. As well as a couple of classic floral pieces, I loved working on a slightly larger embroidery of woodland animals, and I tried out an aerial landscape for the first time.

I’ve also been continuing to delve into hand weaving a little more, which resulted in the mini wall hangings and decorations shown below.

(Some of these pieces are still available over on my Etsy shop.)

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December Wrap Up

Before I highlight my favourite reads of the year, and take stock of my reading year as a whole, there’s just time for one last monthly wrap up. Let’s just jump right into it, shall we?

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Books read: 8

Yearly total: 101

the books I read in December

1. Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

2. Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Festive Spirits by Kate Atkinson

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. The Wren-Boys by Carol Ann Duffy

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Christmas Poems by Wendy Cope

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Snow by Marcus Sedgwick

⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. Wild Words by Kate Hodges

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the month: Wild Words

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Since December always seems to end up being a bit of a hectic month, I didn’t get through a huge number of embroidery projects, but the ones I did work on, I loved. These included a couple of larger pieces – a pair of blue tits, and some Van Gogh inspired sunflowers – and a couple of mini pieces – personalised reindeer decorations for my niece and nephew. 

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There we have it! What was your favourite read in December?

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November Wrap Up

Well… November happened. On a personal level, it was far from a great month, I’m afraid. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to my beloved pupper, Barney. He was the sweetest, gentlest bundle of scruff, and I’ll miss him every day, but I know he had a long and happy life. 

I felt I had to acknowledge his loss, but in the spirit of normality, here’s a quick wrap up of the reading and embroidery projects I managed throughout the month during happier moments.

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Books read: 7

Yearly total: 93

The books I read in November

1. Come Closer by Sara Gran

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. The Employees by Olga Ravn, tr. by Martin Aitken

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

7. The Fell by Sarah Moss 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the month: You Better Be Lightning

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Aside from a distinctly summery beach hut scene (which was a commissioned piece), most of my embroidery and weaving projects for November had a distinctly cosy and Christmassy feel. I particularly enjoyed working on the little robins, which I have a real soft spot for. Some of these pieces are still available to buy over on my Etsy shop if you’d like to snag one in time for the holidays!

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There we have it! What was your favourite read in November? Are you on track to hit your goals before the end of the year?

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October Wrap Up

October was definitely another month where quality took precedence over quantity when it came to my reader, but I can certainly live with that! Here’s a quick roundup of my month in books, followed by a look at the embroidery (and weaving) projects I’ve been working on.

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Books read: 7

Yearly total: 86

The books I read in October

1. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Mrs Fox by Sarah Hall

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

4. Come See the Living Dryad by Theodora Goss

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Endless Night by Agatha Christie

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman, tr. by Leslie Camhi

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

7. Women & Power by Mary Beard

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

Favourite of the month: Tonight We Rule the World

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Thankfully, October was much more productive for me when it came to embroidery. This included getting a head start on some festive bits and pieces – It’s early, I know, but I wanted to make sure I factored in plenty of time for international shipping, and for those who like to get organized ahead of the game! I’ve also been trying out (and loving!) hand weaving, which led to a few mini wall hangings. Here’s a look at the projects I completed throughout the month, some of which are still available over on my little Etsy shop.

What was your favourite read in October?

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September Wrap Up

September was definitely a month of quality over quantity, as though I picked up fewer books overall than usual, two of them are real contenders for my reads of the year list. Links to reviews of each book can be found below, followed as usual by a little look at the embroidery projects I’ve been working on recently.

Books Read: 8

Yearly total: 79

1. The House of Former Lovers by Kirsty Logan

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Mother/land by Ananda Lima

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Love and Fury by Samantha Silva

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Lemon by Kwon Yeo-Sun, tr. by Karen Hong

• ⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. Brand New Ancients by Kae Tempest

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the Month: Once There Were Wolves & Love and Fury

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As for embroidery projects, I completed a landscape and a custom necklace, both of which are off to their new homes. I also worked on a couple of mini Halloween themed pieces and a floral design, which can be found over on my Etsy.

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Did you have a good month? What was your favourite read in September?