The Weekly Brief

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend so far. Blogging and reading has gone a little better this week thankfully.

Blog Posts

Currently Reading

I haven’t put this down all week and I am now so close to the end. After a few hiccups with this book I have really got into it now.

Happy Reading

Etsy

Friday Poetry: Edwin Arnold

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has exciting plans for the Easter Weekend.

My chosen poem this week is by another new poet for me. Edwin Arnold (1832-1904) was born in Kent but spent most of life in India, where he worked as a schoolmaster. He became the editor of The Daily Telegraph on his return to England.

April

Blossom of the almond-trees,
April's gift to April's bees,
Birthday ornament of spring,
Flora's fairest daughterling! -
Coming when no flow'rets dare
Trust the cruel outer air;
When the royal king-cup bold
Will not don his coat of gold;
And the sturdy blackthorn spray
Keeps its silver for the May; -
Coming when no flow-rets would,
Save the lowly sisterhood
Early violets, blue and white,
Dying for their love of light.
Almond blossom, sent to teach us
That the spring-days soon will reach us,
Lest, with longing over-tried,
We die as the violets died.
Blossom, clouding all the tree
With thy crimson 'broidery,
Long before a leaf of green
On the bravest bough is seen;
Ah! when wintry winds are swinging
All thy red bells into ringing,
With a bee in every bell,
Almond bloom, we greet thee well! 

Edwin Arnold

Happy Reading

Etsy

Diddly Squat: ’Til The Cows Come Home by Jeremy Clarkson (Review #12)

Diddly Squat: ’Til The Cows Come Home by Jeremy Clarkson

Blurb

The seeds are being sown, the soil turned, the farm shop restocked – that’s right, it’s time for another riotous trip to Diddly Squat Farm with farmer-in-progress Jeremy Clarkson . . .

Welcome back to Clarkson’s Farm.

At the end of Jeremy’s first year in the tractor’s driving seat, Diddly Squat farm rewarded him with a profit of just £144. So, while he’s the first to admit that he’s still only a ‘trainee farmer’*, there is clearly still work to be done.

Because while he’s mastered the art of moaning about nearly everything, some of the other attributes required of a successful farmer prove more of a challenge.

Who knew, for instance . . .

That loading a grain trailer was more demanding than flying an Apache gunship?

That cows were more dangerous than motor-racing?

Or that it would have been easier to get planning permission to build a nuclear power station than to turn an old barn into a farm restaurant?

But if the council planning department and the local red trouser brigade seem determined to frustrate his schemes at every turn, at least he’s got Lisa, Kaleb, Cheerful Charlie and Gerald, his dry-stone-walling Head of Security to see him through.

Life on Clarkson’s Farm may not always go according to plan. There may not always be one. But there’s not a day goes by when Jeremy can’t say ‘I’ve done a thing’ and mean it . . .

Review

Like the first Clarkson’s Farm book I flew through this book and could have easily read it in one sitting. The format was the same as the first book which I love and the illustrations that marked the different chapters were beautiful. 

The main thing I loved about this book was that Lisa, Kaleb and Charlie featured more and they had their say which didn’t happen in the first book. Like the first book Clarkson really highlights the plight of farmers in the UK and all the red tape they have to work through and I think it was highlighted even more in this book because we learn about the situations of farmers who are local to Clarkson’s farm. 

I found this book even funnier than the first book and I actually enjoyed it more than the first. Clarkson calls himself a trainee farmer and he really is but he is also willing to learn and will try his hand at anything. Even if this means Kaleb coming along and shouting at him for doing it wrong. At least Clarkson is willing to try. 

I can’t wait for the next instalment of Clarkson’s farm and really hope that Clarkson does succeed with beating the council and getting his restaurant. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons. 

🐲🐲🐲🐲

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About the author

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born April 11, 1960) is an English broadcaster and writer who specialises in motoring.

He writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun, but is better known for his role on the BBC television programme Top Gear.

From a career as a local journalist in the north of England, he rose to public prominence as a presenter of the original format of Top Gear in 1988. Since the mid-1990s Clarkson has become a recognised public personality, regularly appearing on British television presenting his own shows and appearing as a guest on other shows. As well as motoring, Clarkson has produced programmes and books on subjects such as history and engineering. From 1998 to 2000 he also hosted his own chat show, Clarkson.

Etsy

WWW Wednesday: 5/04/2023

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you will read next?

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I am trying to get more reading done this week but I keep finding myself distracted by jobs.

What I am Currently Reading

What I have Recently Finished Reading

Another fantastic Elly Griffiths book. I just can’t get enough of Griffith’s books at the moment.

What I Think I will Read Next

Loads of books to read but I need to finish some of the books I have started and not finished first.

Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading

Etsy

Reading My Height in Books #3

Hello!

It is time for another uncomfortable photo of myself standing next to a pile of books. I will be honest the pile of books has not increased much in March as I was struggling to focus with my reading and I kept flitting between books.

The book pile consists of 15 books and now measures 14.5 inches high. This leaves me with 52.5 inches to go.

I am still ahead of 2021 though as the pile was only 13.5 inches high. Hopefully, April will add some more height to the pile of books and be more successful than March.

Look at that pile grow!

Lyra is still refusing to appear in more pictures sadly but hopefully I will convince her to appear again soon.

Happy Reading

Etsy

March 2023 Wrap Up

Hello!

I hope everyone had a good March. My reading was not good in March for one reason or another but my main reason is I just could not focus.

Statistics

Books

Pages: 207

Format Read: Hardback

Review

Pages: 240

Format Read: Hardback

Review to follow

Pages: 464

Format Read: Paperback

Review to follow

15/80 Goodreads Challenge

I am now behind on my Goodreads challenge and my other challenges but hopefully I catch up soon.

Happy Reading

Etsy