Monthly Roundup – March 2023

March has been a frustrating month although there have been highlights. We celebrated husband’s 60th birthday, starting his special weekend with a family meal at a local pub and then enjoying a little party at home on the day itself. I ran my 100th Parkrun, earning myself a new milestone t-shirt. My hamstring injury, however, continues to bother me. Trying to be sensible I was resting it during the week for much of the month. This didn’t seem to help. A lack of running and visits to the gym also left me feeling blob like and not tired enough to sleep well. Desperate to get back to exercising I have been undertaking some short and easy runs this week alongside light weight work and a few bike rides. So far my hamstring seems no worse. What I seek, though, is improvement. It would make me very sad if running my usual, slightly longer distances became too problematic for my aging body to deal with.

Husband’s health continues to be a worry. Following a meeting with a cardio specialist he submitted himself to a series of tests that will ascertain if he’s a suitable candidate for the recommended remedial treatment. Until then he remains on medication and cannot do anything that will raise his heartrate. His stats are still all over the place suggesting he remains at risk of something more serious although he is, mostly, taking it easy just in case.

Daughter has enjoyed some annual leave this month, including a five day walking holiday in Wales. She received a job offer from her first choice in the next round of hospital placements so now knows where she will be working for the upcoming three years. Given her countrywide ranking after interview this was not a surprise but it is still good to have the uncertainty lifted. She will continue to have the option to live at home which removes any pressure to rush into decisions around accommodation.

With sons making no big changes to their routines family life remains fairly settled – a good thing in my view. When I catch myself thinking it would be nice to get away for a weekend adventure I remember to be grateful that husband’s health issues were caught early enough for treatment. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country. There is much to enjoy from our doorstep.

I posted reviews for 8 books in March. Robyn added a further 4 reviews.

As is customary in my monthly roundups, click on the title below to read the review and on the cover to learn more about the book.

Fiction

 
Death of the Author (in Triplicate) by Marc Nash, published by corona\samizdat
Birthright by Charles Lambert, published by Gallic Books

 
God’s Country by Kerry Hadley-Pryce, published by Salt
Nothing Special by Nicole Flattery, published by Bloomsbury

Short Stories

Lunate vol. 2, published by Lunate Journal

Graphic Novel

The Book of Niall by Barry Jones

Poetry

Festival of Cats, published by Crumps Barn Studio

Non Fiction

Travellers to Unimaginable Lands by Dasha Kiper, published by Profile

Robyn Reviews

 
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arif, published by HarperVoyager
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones, published by Hodder & Stoughton

 
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones, published by Little Brown
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, published by Orbit

Sourcing the books

Robyn has exercised restraint this month in picking up new purchases. She also had a small clear out so may actually find room for these on her shelves.

I, meanwhile, was sent an embarrassment of riches for which I am very grateful.

As ever I wish to thank all the publishers who send me their books to review – the arrival of a book parcel remains a cheering event in my day.

My thanks also to those who share my words across their social media platforms – your support is always appreciated.

And to everyone reading this, I wish you and yours good health – something we so often take for granted until issues must be faced. Here’s hoping our personal experiences improve with the weather and the year proceeds better than it started.

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