I have read four very different books this month but all five star reads. “Deadline” is a debut thriller written by TV personality Steph McGovern whereas “The Nightingale” is a historical fiction story set in France during the Second World War. We then travel across the Atlantic to Washington State to meet Marcellus the octopusContinue reading “Books of the month – October 2025”
Author Archives: theramblerni
Autumn – a time to hibernate?
“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun.” This is an extract from the “To Autumn” poem written by English romantic poet John Keats and it was published in 1820. Perhaps you remember it from your school days? But the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” is definitely upon us now as theContinue reading “Autumn – a time to hibernate?”
Books of the month – September 2025
Autumn is just around the corner so it’s a good time to stock up on books, whether it’s from your local library, a charity shop, a bookshop or online. Here are some ideas about you could read next. It’s a bit of a mixed bag this month – some of the books are big hitsContinue reading “Books of the month – September 2025”
Bloom where you are planted
A few summers ago, I was walking part of the North Down Coastal Path near Holywood when I came across some dog daisies growing out of a wall. (Apologies to all gardeners who know the correct botanical name for this plant!). Clearly, the dog daisies had not been formally planted there by a gardener butContinue reading “Bloom where you are planted”
Books of the month – August 2025
Last month, I published my first blog about my books of the month for July. Feedback was really positive so many thanks for everyone who commented. I’ve therefore decided to do it again and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. As before, I’ve rated them out of five with five stars being excellent andContinue reading “Books of the month – August 2025”
Turning Sixty
Sixty is one of those milestones in life – like 18, 21, 30, 40, 50 and then there is 60! Is it the start of old age? Well, I’d rather think not. Instead I’d rather see it as 50 plus 10 – sounds a bit younger doesn’t it? I had my 60th birthday on 8thContinue reading “Turning Sixty”
Books of the month – July 2025
Do you like to read but have difficulty selecting the next book to read? As an avid reader, I often depend on recommendations from friends as to what to read next. I therefore thought I would share with you some of my recent reads. I’ve rated them out of five with five stars being theContinue reading “Books of the month – July 2025”
Beware of the scammers
Have you ever been scammed? Having worked for the Northern Bank in my early career, I naively thought that I would be able to spot a scammer easily and wouldn’t be sucked in by their sneaky ploys. But I was totally wrong and last week, I became another victim of a very sophisticated team ofContinue reading “Beware of the scammers”
Focus on what you can do
Last year I hurt my lower back and as a result, there are certain tasks that I struggle to do independently. Sometimes this really annoys me but instead of dwelling on what I “can’t” do, I have to focus on what I “can” do. Friends and family are brilliant at bridging the gap but theyContinue reading “Focus on what you can do”
Perseverance
A few weeks ago, my eldest son Jonny completed the Belfast Marathon after running 26.2 miles around the streets of Belfast. It was the culmination of many months of training but on the day, he had to persevere to get to the finishing line. It was definitely a “proud Mummy” moment as I found himContinue reading “Perseverance”
