THE NEVER-ENDING BOOK STORY

Welcome along to Chapter 12 of The Never-ending Book Story. I hope you are well and staying nice and alert. The weather is improving again and that makes the lockdown a bit more bearable, doesn't it? Imagine if this had all kicked off in mid-November. I think we'd all be struggling a bit more if we were faced with constant rain and freezing cold weather. Mind you, it would be an excellent excuse to snuggle up with a great big pile of books in front of a blazing log fire.  I've slowly regained some concentration skills and am able, now, to read a lot more than I was at the start of the pandemic. I'm hoping to feel confident enough to take a little detour into The Mirror and the Light in the next week or two. I've been dipping regularly into The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstein which I would thoroughly recommend if 'fantasy fiction' floats your boat. It's beautiful and beguiling. Just the ticket for these troubling times. You'll recall from the last c

Welcome back to the Never-ending Book Story. I hope you are keeping well and staying safe and that you are finding the lockdown bearable. It seems to feel quite normal now. It's funny how something so drastic quickly becomes the accepted reality. My family and I feel very fortunate to be able to access peaceful, relaxing countryside within a few minutes walk of our house. With a 6-year-old boy in tow who needs to be exercised daily like a dog, we are thankful we have some empty, open space to utilise. Just lately we have really been enjoying connecting with the outside world and our son loves exploring and spotting wildlife. In the last few days alone, we have seen plenty of rabbits, butterflies and birds. Others, I know, are not quite so fortunate. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, there is something very calming about the natural world. It is so good for the mind to get out into the fresh air and to be among the trees, plants and wildlife.  I really feel for those who ca