Category: Personal

Why I haven’t been writing many book reviews

Published on by Margaret22 Comments

I am so behind with writing about what I’ve been reading this summer.

Here’s the reason –

This is something I’ve been thinking about writing about for a while now, but now seems the right time, because in June I spent three weeks in hospital for major surgery and currently I’m having chemotherapy as a precautionary measure. Today I started my second session out of four, beginning with an IV drip over 3 hours. One of the side effects is that I have bad pins and needles in the hand where the cannula went and also up my arm. I can’t touch cold things or metal – the fridge, our door handles etc, including my laptop. I’m using a heat pad to alleviate the pain and that means using the other hand on the laptop and that is difficult ! It will gradually go away, but until it does I’m sorry but I won’t be posting very much.

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Published on by Margaret18 Comments

I’ve been having pain and pins and needles in my right hand – in my little and ring fingers and down the side of my hand and arm up to my elbow. I contacted my GP. The surgery is not offering routine appointments and offered me a telephone conversation. It wasn’t easy to describe in detail and three phone calls later from a trainee doctor, who kept going to consult his supervisor, he said my ulnar nerve is damaged.

I looked it up online and it is called Ulnar neuritis or Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and it is very common – I had heard of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome but not Cubital. The ulnar nerve runs around the inner side of the elbow in a groove just behind a bony prominence (medial epicondyle). The nerve, where it lies in the groove, is covered by a tough layer of tissue which forms a tunnel (cubital tunnel). It is important as it controls the small muscles in the hand which are particularly important for fine movements such as doing up buttons and it is also responsible for normal feeling in the little and ring fingers.

Most often Cubital Tunnel Syndrome occurs because of leaning on or sleeping with a bent elbow for long periods. In my case it’s caused by sitting at the computer in a carver chair leaning my arm on the hard chair arm with my wrist on the hard edge of my desk. It began a while ago and has gradually been getting worse, until I couldn’t bear to type any more.

So, as well as wearing the wrist strap and taking anti-inflammatory tablets I’m trying to adjust my position and also learning how to write on my husband’s iPad using voice control, so I’m hoping to be back blogging properly soon.

Wrist Problem

Published on by Margaret20 Comments

wrist support

I have a problem with my right hand and arm at the moment and am finding it painful to type etc, so I’m not going to be around much on the blogs until it improves.

Be back soon, I hope!

Birthday Gifts!

Published on by Margaret12 Comments

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There was a book in this beautiful little gift bag – see below.*

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Yesterday was my birthday – these are some of the gifts I received, including a little pile of books. From top to bottom they are:

  • Historical Noir: the Pocket Essential Guide to Fiction, Film and TV by Barry Forshaw – a reference book that will keep me informed about historical and not so historical sleuths. One to dip into frequently, I suspect. (*This was the book in the gift bag.)
  • The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley – I loved her first book, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, so I’m expecting (hoping) this will be just as fascinating.
  • I’ll Keep You Safe by Peter May – one of my favourite authors, writing such richly descriptive books. This is set in the Outer Hebrides, like his Lewis Trilogy.
  • Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh – a new-to-me author, so not sure what to expect, but Ian Rankin is quoted on the back cover: Great hook and the book lives up to it. I hope so.
  • The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine – another new-to-me author. Another book set in the Outer Hebrides, set in a crumbling estate with a century-old secret, historical fiction set in 2010  and in 1910, described as ‘An echo of Daphne du Maurier‘.
  • Origin by Dan Brown – I know lots of people criticise his writing but I find his books entertaining. I’ve read a few and whilst they are formulaic and not great literature I have enjoyed them – pure escapism!

Blog Anniversary 12 April!

Published on by Margaret27 Comments

Today is the 8th anniversary of BooksPlease. Eight years ago I’d just left work and had more time to read and write about books, so I began this blog partly to help me remember what I’ve read and also to extend the pleasure of reading and to record what I thought about the books. And so ‘BooksPlease‘ was born.

I thought of calling my blog ‘Books Matter‘, or ‘Book Matters‘ but decided that it should be ‘BooksPlease‘ because they do and also because if somebody asked me what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas when I was a child I always said ”ooh, books please!‘

Right from the start it’s been more than just a book blog and I’ve also written about art, pets, places I’ve visited, personal anecdotes or thoughts, cookery, walking, travels and holidays, and about crafts, such as knitting and cross-stitch – and well, anything else that interests or pleases me.

On the book front a recurring theme over the years has been ‘what to read next‘. Choosing what to read next is almost as pleasurable as actually reading  the books.

This is the first photo I posted showing a pile of some of the books I had waiting to be read in April 2007. It seems so long ago now!

 

I don’t always manage to read all the books I list as possibles but in this case, although it took me a while, over the years I have read these books (with one exception, The Sound of Paper by Julia Cameron, although I did start it –  my bookmark is still at page 61).

I really enjoy blogging  – the contact with other book bloggers, exchanging views on books and finding yet more books to read makes it even better. I love reading your comments and hope you’ll continue visiting and commenting on my blog – I really do appreciate it.