1. H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald - this was an autobiographical book which felt more like a story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It made me think. And makes me look for Goshawks in woodland.
2. Snow Falling On Cedars by David Gutterson - Heavy, gritty and grisly. I loved the depth of the story and characters. It was cold, cold and made for a proper wintry read. The level of racism within the story made for uncomfortable reading at times but was central to the story. 
3. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan - A charming read which reminded me of the Trouble With Goats and Sheep (which was good but not amazing) and A Year of Marvelous Ways. It was sweet.
4. Sepulchre by Kate Mosse -I love her writing and characters. I read The Winter Ghosts (very quick read) and Labyrinthe but Sepulchre was my favourite. Historical meets the past not letting go. 
5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by  Neil Gaiman - This wasn't initially a book I felt comfortable with as it's not fantastical* as in involves dragons but it's more trippy dream like so my little mind struggled with this. However, I keep thinking about this book and how interesting (and scary at times) it was which is clearly a good sign and maybe I'll be a little braver in reading more by this author.
6. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier - a classic. I was struck by how annoyed I became about the datedness of the characters' relationships with each other but I loved galloping from page to page, desperate to find out what was happening.
7. The Primrose Path by Rebecca Griffiths  - A page turner. Sadly not flower-ful as the title may suggest but a read I recommended to Mum and she loved it which made me love it a bit more.
8. The Jackson Lamb series by Mick Herron maybe not one book technically but you must read them in order. I've read the first two and they are curious books as the characters which demand your support and backing are all such flawed humans. Yet I'm driven to keep reading. Spying literature at it's best.
9. The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins - Another book I couldn't bear to put down. I raced through this, gripped! Film wasn't as good but they never ever are.
10. The Life of Pi by Yan Martel - I can't believe I didn't include this one before. I'd put it on my top 5 ever, it was brilliant. Heart wrenching, scary yet written in a wonderful way. You must read this one.
11. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - I dithered in whether to include this as it's an enormous book full of turmoil and heart-wrenching sadness. Of course it's a masterpiece, but it's definitely not for everyone. If you like your characters deep and detailed this is one for you.
12. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - Another book I became absorbed in. I enjoyed the unorthodox storyline, it kept me reading to reach the conclusion.
13. Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna - Initially I wasn't going to include this as a good chunk of the storyline was sad but this book was huge and I did find myself immersed in the book. One of those which has lots of food in it and makes me crave Indian cuisine.

1. The Fall by Simon Mawer. This was a brilliant read cover to cover. Great story and each chapter kept my attention. Mountain-full.
2. The Hours of the Night by Sue Gee. Oh! Gardens and the stark Welsh countryside. It was a book with such an ugly cover yet an unusual story which I found enthralling.
3. Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor. Total immersion into the countryside in the midst of tragedy. This was a dark read but one I enjoyed. 
4. Eve Green by Susan Fletcher. A debut novel but one that I fell in love with. 
5. The Running Hare  by John Lewis-Stemple. I suppose it counts as non-fiction but this read was so good I didn't want it to end. 
6. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffeneggar. The temptation to read on and on and never put the book down was immense. Such an addictive story even though I found the film terrible. I also read Her Fearful Symmetry which didn't enthrall me but did keep me guessing.
7. Inferno by Dan Brown. The film was a steaming pile of poop but the book was gripping and absolutely terrifying. Stick to the book, it's a thriller.
8. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. A historical thriller of sorts. Shook me up and set me on edge.
9. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. I laughed from start to finish. Well written and judged. I love a lighthearted book every now and again. At some point I'll read the sequel.
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. All of Hosseini's books are utterly heart wrenching and humbling. Do not miss out on a single one. I think I shed more than a tear for each. A Thousand Splendid Suns was a close second favourite.
11. Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin. Hello flower based thriller!
12. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud. This kept me reading. Aren't we all raging? This struck a chord with me.
13. The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams. A curious tale which I enjoyed and a really interesting insight into moths too.

Now this is a sight for sore eyes, a much longed for weekend treat. Sitting down on the sofa with a steaming mug of coffee, a scented candle burning and my latest assortment of books. The prospect of curling up under a blanket and having a good read is sheer bliss. Chris consults the Allotment Month by Month book as his bible for all things allotment based, it's a really good resource. The two others are recommendations I have procured for myself and intend to work my way through in the fullness of time.

This fabulous mug features artwork from local Norfolk artist Amelia Bowman who I have recently discovered and fallen in love with her style! Amelia creates collagraphs (which take their name from 'collages') which are beautiful designs created on a rigid surface and rolled through a print press, of course it is far more technical than that but you get the idea.

What I adore about Amelia's designs is that she has captured scenes from Norfolk which are familiar as well as further afield which she then produces in limited editions in her different patterns. If you notice the titles have the prevailing pattern in brackets. I'm pleased to share with you a small selection of pieces with you

Beach Huts (Ixia)

Cley Windmill (Clover)

London Skyline (Floribunda)

Wells Harbour (Anemone)

Norwich

Norfolk

Low Tide

Wymondham

I spent ages admiring the amazing range of patterns, oh my gosh, they are so pretty! I can't help thinking they would make for fabulous wallpaper or curtains, what do you think? My favourites are 50's Hydrangea, Daisy Daisy, Bobble Tree, Morris leaves and Folk Flower but they are all unique, what is your favourite? I'd love to know.

Amelia Bowman has an etsy shop selling a selection of prints, posters, mugs and tote bags and a range of stockists but for any enquiries you can contact Amelia direct.

I don't know about you but I'm looking to add to my collection!

Sophie

Thank you to Amelia Bowman for sending me the mug (and a tote bag, not pictured). All opinions my own.

I’ve been taking part in Fiona’s health and fitness challenge this month. The first week's challenge was to eat three healthy vegetarian main meals. By the time I read about this my weekly mealplan had already been made and booked for delivery so I wasn't about to make any changes but I knew that two healthy fish dishes were part of the week's meals. This one was actually horrible in fact, however I usually make it with trout which is delicious but using cod was a mistake as it stayed wet and fishy. All part of the learning curve. Super healthy and nutricious nevertheless.

Fiona also challenged us to has been to exercise three times. Check! Two bootcamp workouts (one of which was so badass, I'm so sore and it's getting worse) and one workout with Carly Rowena before my YouTube broke. After three busy but workout-less weeks it felt quite a struggle getting myself back into the swing of regular exercise but I made it.

Can you tell what it is yet? Abs looking far better than I deserve, but I think it was good timing....and light...and angle.

The hard work starts now

Fresh off my Blogging Good Read guesting with Alex I've decided to make more of an effort to get through the books that I've been meaning to read for some time. I'm halfway through The Buried Circle by Jenni Mills (which I started last year in holiday and have read about 10 pages since) and I'm determined to finish so I can move on to another, smaller novel. If you want to know what I thought of these three books then head on over. My choice was The Colour by Rose Tremain.

It's not Christmas, not new year just back to everyday. Time to get busy doing something useful.

Sophie