February Round-Up

After the seemingly endless month of January, I cannot believe how fast February has zoomed by! Personally, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. Starting to look beyond my university bubble and thinking about what I’m going to do afterwards has led to a monster downwards spiral in terms of confidence in my own ability. I’ve been sorely tempted to just apply for jobs that I could have done pre-MA and take the easy route, despite desperately wanting to become self-employed and forge a career within the writing/publishing world. Instead of focusing on what I can do and what I am good at, my mind has dwindled me down to a bag of negatives and I’ve picked myself apart and convinced myself that I can’t do it. I’m picking myself up again, but it’s hard work to change such a negative mind-set.

Despite all of that, I’ve found some comfort and escape in my blog and the reading I do for it. I haven’t read quite as much this month as last, mainly because of my time being dictated by coursework – but I have enjoyed immensely what I have read.

Right back at the beginning of the month, I enjoyed three short stories from The Scott Family Short Story collection by Amanda Paull. Let’s Dance, A Christmas Day Kerfuffle and Fenella’s Fabulous Fountain Fondue provided some much needed light relief as I managed to snatch reading time during coffee breaks and my daughter’s nap time.

I was thrilled to find that I had another light and romantic novel next on my TBR, with Summer on the Italian Lakes by Lucy Coleman. Lovely and enjoyable – it was just what I needed!

The next book absolutely blew me away. The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood by Susan Elliot Wright had me immediately turning off my Kindle and reaching for my phone to pre-order the hardback. It dealt with themes that were very recognisable to me and it was just so beautifully written that I was drawn in from page one.

As I’ve been writing quite a few short stories recently, I’ve quite naturally been drawn to them, and so I jumped at the chance to review Dark and Fluffy Volume II by Janet Stock. An eclectic selection of short stories to suit a variety of moods, it was a wonderful accompaniment to my morning mug of coffee!

Finally, and I had been waiting for this one for a few months…… Spring at Taigh Fallon by Kirsty Ferry. I’ve now read several of Kirsty’s books, even pre-dating my blog, and I’ve always enjoyed them immensely. This time I loved the gothic setting of Taigh Fallon, and of the classic influences of Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice throughout.

March is set to be another quiet(ish) month on the book review front as I focus on my own writing and my course, but I have some really exciting reads coming up over the next few months and I can’t wait to get started!