Robert Killington

This book was published recently. It is the last book in the Shetland series. Previous books have been turned into the TV series Shetland. The stories follow Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez, a native of Shetland, and based in Lerwick. I’ve found the stories engrossing. The description of the land and seascape evocative of islands off the coast of Scotland. The weather plays a part in the stories too, and is well described, showing how it can determine the activities that can be undertaken. If you want to get a feel for whether living on an island off the coast of Scotland is for you, this series of books will be you an idea of what it is like.

The story covers a few days, yet packs on a lot. Describing the situation, the landscape. The dialogue seems natural. The story is written from different view points as it progresses. The characters are well described and make mistakes in how they respond in various situations. This is especially true of the interactions between Jimmy Perez and his boss, Willow, who has flown in from the mainland to lead the investigation.

Towards the end of the book there’s what could have been a cliffhanger; leaving an opening for another story. I like that the narrative carries on past the point where the perpetrator is revealed. Especially as this is the last in the Shetland series.

I bought this book at a local independent bookshop.

I can’t remember why I bought this book. It was probably prompted by something I read. It’s catalogued as a children’s book, and published in the UK by Puffin Books. I think some of the best books are written for children – look at the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling.

I enjoyed this story, which I have now discovered is the first of a series of five. The blurb on the back of the book says:

“Charles and Meg, and their friend Calvin, travel through a ‘wrinkle in time’ in search of their missing father. But can they beat the evil forces they meet on their dangerous journey through time and space?”

Spoiler alert: it’s a feel good book …

I found the story engrossing. I was quickly absorbed by the story. The characters are developed in the first part of the book. I found it easy to suspend my hold on reality and enjoy the story.

For a child, there are some interesting learning points, such as, adults make mistakes too – I’ll just mention the issues caused when they arrive on a two dimensional planet. It’s very tempting to give too much of the plot away, so I’ll stop here. If you, or your children, are into science fiction, you (or they) may find this a good read.

You can probably get this book from all good bookshops, and Amazon. Although Amazon is cheap, I encourage you to find and support your local independent book shop.

Latest subscription box from Nero’s Notes arrived today. A lovely Poach My Lobster notebook, Faber-Castell eraser pencil protector, a Calepino pencil AND stickers!

The Cutty Sark looked quite dramatic yesterday.

In the past week, I have come across two magazines in a newsagent. The finds have been serendipitous. I have been wanting to have a look at these magazines for a while without committing to a subscription. What are they? They are:

Flow Magazine; and

Daphne’s Diary.

I’ve enjoyed looking at Flow Magazine, I bought the copy I found. The contents are a mix of self-help articles and creative ideas. I got issue 26 which came with four postcards. These were black and white pictures of Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. It also contained a small booklet with the title Creativity Takes Courage which explains ways to build on one’s creativity, leading to a body of work.

In Daphne’s Diary, I found a lot more of interest to me, and I bought the rather battered copy as it appeared to be the only one they had. It’s an eclectic mix of articles ranging from short stories to recipes to things to make. The presentation is light. The magazine also came with ‘extras’. There were jam jar stickers to go with the article on making jam, and a “mini bullet journal” with instructions on how to use it. The notebook is A6 size and has only a few pages. Useful for scribbling notes rather than setting up a bullet journal!

Where did I find them? In that ubiquitous UK newsagents and stationers, W H Smith.

Make an enemy of Envy

Good advice from Austin Kleon.

I read “The Inside Out Revolution” by Michael Neill over the weekend. I was surprised how quickly I read it, and how many notes I made. I use book darts to mark interesting points in a book, and the edge of this one is spattered with these markers. The book looks at where ones feelings come from.

To me, the book’s message is that if you are in the fast lane and stressed out by it, you need to get into the slow lane and get a chance to look around you so you can get your bearings again.

I’m going to read this book again in a few weeks, as I think there’s more to learn from it.

Testing Irco for posting a photo.

Testing Irco for posting.

Latest Pocket Subscription from Nero’s Notes. What a great selection of goodies.

Is this a cure for my stationery addiction? Or a sign of it? 😉

On 31 August 2018, HMRC published an update to VAT Notice 731: Cash accounting scheme to replace the March 2015 edition.

On 4 September 2018, HMRC published new guidance for organisations that are not VAT registered on how to claim a refund using the online service.

Latest subscription box from Nero’s Notes. A complete fun letter writing kit.

Here, maybe, is a photo I was attempting to show to @stulennon.

Testing posting a photo.

Testing posting a photo.

Adding a photo using iOS app caused a problem last time. Trying again. Has it worked?

Still testing. I thought I’d try a photo of the last subscription box I got from Nero’s Notes. Looking forward to next month’s box. :)

Hello, I’m having a look around and playing with this to get to know it better.