The Royals of Dharia, books 2 and 3: Second Daughter and First Daughter

The other day I reviewed the first book in this series, I have since read the other two books.

Given the titles of the subsequent books, I was pleasantly surprised to see they are both still written from the perspective of Amiri, the Third Daughter.  In the first book, you fall in love with this independent young woman, so I am glad to see how the story develops through her eyes.

At the start of the second book we discover that Seledri, the Second Daughter of Dharia, has been poisoned, so Amiri postpones her wedding to go care for her sister.  This is complicated by the fact that Seledri, is is also married to the man in line for the Samir throne, but all is not at peace there, and it looks as if all is heading towards war.

The third book looks at Nahali, the First Daughter of Dharia, who has to take over from her mother who is injured, to be acting Queen of Dharia in this time of war.  In the role that she was born for can she work with her younger sister Amiri to achieve peace, or is she more concerned with her reputation and rule?

I read these books in a few days, I really enjoyed them.  

I hadn't realised that they were written in "Bollywood style" until I read the reviews after writing my own a few days ago.  Having chosen the book based on title and author's name (Q in my list, if you're following), I had no idea.  Yet, in my mind's eye, I did place the story in the kind of Indoasian landscape, whether it's 'realistic' or not, totally bypassed me as I'm used to reading fantasy.
Similarly I hadn't come across Steampunk as a specific literary genre - I just think of it as a fantasy / SciFi crossover - but that really fits, and I will be looking out for more books along these lines.

There are twists and turns in these books, romance, politics, and advancing technology.  If only there were dragons, it would be my perfect book!

Five Bean soup

Last week, my friend and fellow blogger Dottie Hines, aka Five Bean Soup, did a post about this blog and it's the very least I can do to return the favour.  

The Five Bean Soup blog is a mix of good wholesome recipes, lifestyle blogs and crafts.  I am in awe of that, as the only craft that I am any good at is MosaiCraft, and that's because it's a fancy colour-by-numbers!  For me, though, it is her recipes that I am most interested in and will be trying out.

Dottie is following a Whole Foods Plant Based diet, which is fairly compatible with the 2B Mindset.  The main difference seems to be what you can eat when (for example fruit and other Fibre-Filled Carbohydrates are not recommended at dinner time on the 2B Mindset) and whereas Dottie avoids all butter and oil, on the 2B Mindset it is considered an accessory. ie. If you eat a massive bowl of peas with a spoonful of butter on top, then it's better the have the butter than avoiding the peas.  Having said that, if Dottie could find an alternative to oil in Treat Recipes, such as my Vegan Chocolate Hummus recipe, I'd be all for that alternative!

I particularly liked her post What I Eat In A Day as it reminded me of recipes that I have on this blog that I had forgotten about. I used to have green smoothies for breakfast, and seem to have fallen out of the habit, but smoothies are certainly compatible with the 2B Mindset.  Other breakfast ideas that I had forgotten about include my Overnight Oats recipe as Five Bean Soup has a recipe for Chia and Hemp Porridge.  Similarly, I had forgotten about some of my quick lunch ideas, which may not be as useful to Dottie (for example Egg Fried Cauli Rice contains eggs!), but as I've been looking for some quick Veggie Most lunches, the reminder has been good for me.

So, have a look at Five Bean Soup, and the accompanying Facebook Page.  Give it a like, a follow and a share. Though not all her recipes are low carb, they are filling and satisfying, with a good range of vegan, veggie and omni options.

Weekly Update Y2w30

It has hit me this morning that I'm well into my second year of tracking and trying to lose weight and it's just so slow.  I woke up with a headache this morning, and though it has eased somewhat, I hope that this Meh feeling is just because of that and will go soon.

My Riverford Vegetable Box was so colourful this week, and even though I don't particularly like beetroot I couldn't wait to dig in and eat more vegetables - so much so that many days I forgot to take photos!

This week, however, my weight has remained pretty static, and that has been disheartening if I'm honest.  I keep flip flopping between being on fire, and cba so I stuff my face.  My logical brain knows that this is the reason why I'm not losing weight, and also what a blessing it is that I haven't been gaining! Yet, things are not moving quickly enough for me.

I am still really busy, and am trying to move more even when I have to be sitting either reading or in front of my laptop.  I am dancing on the spot, or annoying my girls by dancing around the room when trying to tidy up or do other chores.

Timewise, despite the mammoth list of things I want to get done over the summer that I listed last week, I feel like my time management is going well and I am getting things done.  Every day, I am doing a little of everything (blogging, reading, mosaicraft, tidying, tutoring, doing my project etc) and in this I am making progress!

And I have just bought some more books (yeah, I know!) in the hope that meal prepping may be the secret to me getting on top of eating healthy meals on the nights that I don't have the mental or physical energy to cook.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

Third Daughter is my Q in my series of authors and I enjoyed it so much, that I have bought the next book in the series, Second Daughter.

The blurb says: 

Sneaking out of the palace wasn’t one of Aniri’s best ideas. But she’s the Third Daughter of the Queen of Dharia—zero responsibilities and zero royal duties. She’s just the backup daughter, in case her older sisters’ arranged marriages—to take the crown or broker an alliance—don’t quite work out. But once Aniri reaches her 18th birthday, she’ll be truly free… and then she can marry the charming fencing instructor she meets for fevered kisses in the forest.

But then the impossible happens—a marriage proposal. From a barbarian prince in the north, no less. And if Aniri refuses, the threat of their new flying weapon might bring war.

So she agrees to the young prince’s proposal, but only as a subterfuge to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she doesn’t love. But once she arrives in the sweeping mountains of the north, she discovers the prince has his own secrets… and saving her country may end up breaking her heart.

This book surprised me by how much I enjoyed it.  It is a romance, full of both high and low emotions.  You are really transported into Aniri's world and feel what it must be like to have your chance of freedom snatched away from you.  Aniri is a head-strong, independent young lady, which is great to read about as the protagonist in a romance novel!  Not only that, Susan Kaye Quinn has created a world that satisfies my love of fantasy novels too - a different world, with it's own royalty, deception and technology.

I don't know if this book would be classed as Young Adult, given the age of Aniri, however, it certainly won't only be enjoyed by teens, as I enjoyed it lots.  

Weekly Update Y2w29

I'm a bit delayed with my usual update.  Life has suddenly got really busy - in a good way, but busy nonetheless.

I'm still tutoring atm, though that will end next week, as I've decided to take the whole of August off.  We've not got any plans to go anywhere (yet) but have lots of other projects to do and catch up on.
I'm still doing my MosaiCraft project.  I am now over halfway (currently on base plate 18 out of 30), but it has slowed down a lot, because I'm not sat outside as much as I was at the start of lockdown.  Instead, I am spending much of my time on m computer, not blogging, but working on my new project.  I am trying to spend a few hours each day on it, at least. It is going very slowly though, not least because I am doing it all myself.  I've set myself a deadline of Christmas to have it finished, but I have no idea if that is realistic or not?

Similarly, I am not reading as much as I was.  I am still several books ahead of my GoodReads yearly challenge, and I have a book that I am still yet to review, but I feel like I am spending more and more time on my laptop - much to the chagrin of DD2 who always wants my laptop to play Minecraft!

I'm also still singing with The Collective Virtual Choir.  I'm on my third song with them, but even that has taken a bit of a backseat, and I've been unable to go as many rehearsals as I would like.  Many are being recorded, so I can catch up, but that still requires time to actually watch them.  Today/tonight is the deadline for recording song 3 for feedback, and I still haven't had time to have a go yet, I just hope that when I do, the background noise is quiet enough for the recording to be acceptable.

So, that's all my excuses out of the way.  This past week hasn't been great in all honesty, but focusing on the positives, my weight today (which will be counted as part of next week's update) has finally got below 91kilos - again.  It's almost like to consistently lose weight, I need to reduce the takeaways, reduce the alcohol and up the exercise - who knew??!!

There is still the overall trend downwards from the start of the year, and even my localised peaks are reducing, but I have more work to do.

This week, I have been able to keep drinking Water First, and am hitting my water target of 90 fl oz (2.5litres) each day.  Yes, it does mean that I need the loo lots, but I notice the effect on my body when I don't drink enough, so I'm happy to continue.

I'm also getting back into the habit of eating Veggies Most.  Some examples from this week have included aubergine crisps, meatballs on courgetti spaghetti, and roast turkey with potato salad on a bed of courgettes.  Aiming to eat over half of my meals to be vegetables has been a challenge at times, especially lunchtimes because it's all too easy to make a sandwich or have a bowl of cereal, but yesterday I had an omelette stuffed with mushrooms and spinach, which was delicious, so I need to keep reminding myself that it is possible to eat Veggie Most meals that don't take ages to prepare or cook.

I have had some good news (ish).  For the surgery I want (my reason for losing weight - click on the Mastectomy label in the word cloud to the right), rather than getting down to a BMI below 25, which I thought, depending on the surgeon I may only need to get down to below 28 or even 30!  In real terms, that's still shitloads of weight I need to lose, but slightly less than I thought.

Edit to add:
I totally forgot to mention that over the summer we're changing our house around and redecorating.  DD1 has decided that her box room is too small for her (which tbf it totally is) so is moving up to the Play Room.  The Play Room is a total misnomer - it's really the Kids' Junk Room.  I avoid going up there as much as possible as it's not good for my stress levels.  However, as she wants that to be her room, I'm having to go up there to tidy up all the crap toys, that the girls haven't played with for years and years.  As DD2 still plays with these toys on the rarest of occasions, she wants many of them moved into her room, which means that the big 4x4 Ikea bookcase will need to be moved into DD2's room. 
Additionally, as DD2's room has never been decorated since we moved in 5 years ago, we're taking the opportunity to redecorate - which has involved me spending 2 full days tidying her room too, in order to get the floor empty enough that we can redecorate.  Obviously, it will be easier to redecorate before moving a giant bookcase in there.
And because DD1's new room was the playroom, the carpet is what was in the room when we moved it, and not only was it bad then, it is covered with paint and other stains, so she needs new flooring before she can move in.
DD1's old room, is going to become MY room - yey!  It is going to have a comfy sofa bed that guests can use, but I can read on, and a desk and chair so tht I can work in there, rather than on the dining table as I am atm.  Given I'd quite like to keep tutoring online, it will be a nice quiet room free of distraction, and NOBODY ELSE will be allowed in. Ever! My own space, that I can use to get away from everyone - yes!
So I'm still busy.

You Can Drop It! by Ilana Muhlstein

I read this book with my friend as we look to encourage each other with our weightloss aims.

I suggested we read this because I loosely follow the 2B Mindest (click on the word cloud to see my other posts) and I like what it says and what it stands for.  I makes sense - both common sense, and it is back by science and research. It is not a fad diet, but a skill to learn in order to approach food sensibly.

The blurb says:

My name is Ilana Muhlstein and I wrote You Can Drop It! to help you learn my personal and proven system to drop weight and keep it off—without sacrifice—and it’s so simple that you’ll love it! This unique approach has become famous thanks to my renowned 2B Mindset program. The 2B Mindset is designed with the built-in ability for customization so that it is optimally effective and can work for everyone. It has already helped thousands of people lose weight—some more than 100 pounds—while never asking them to go hungry or cut out the foods that they love.

You Can Drop It! doesn’t just give you the key knowledge you need to lose weight. It adds motivational principles and real-life examples and it’s the perfect complement to my successful program.

No counting calories! 

No portion control!

No feeling hungry! 

No off-limits foods! 

No exercise required!

Finally—weight loss with FREEDOM!

Here’s Exactly Why YOU CAN DROP IT! Will Work:
You're going to feel full and satisfied. (You can still eat comforting foods, in big portions, and enjoy 50+ delicious recipes inside.) 

You’ll eat the foods you love. (Nothing is off-limits, not even dessert or a glass of wine.) 

You’ll be in control. (Say goodbye to emotional and mindless eating.)  

You can finally keep off the weight! (These powerful weight-loss tools will be yours for life.)

The 2B Mindset method changed my life and thousands of others. With this book, you’ll learn how you can do it, too. Best of all, you won’t be doing it alone! Join me now and let’s get started with a journey into the mindset that will give you a lifetime of feeling strong, lean, confident, happy and healthy!

I struggled with yo-yo dieting the whole first half of my life. I was always the big one in the group. By the time I turned 13, I weighed over 200 pounds, and I felt terrible about myself. That’s when I realized I had to break the cycle.

Through trial and error, and lots of research, I discovered a simple and effective way to lose weight, while still eating large portions and the foods I loved. Over time, I lost 100 pounds, and kept the weight off. . . even after having two beautiful children.

My secret? It’s called the 2B Mindset. It has helped thousands of my clients lose weight too— and now it will help you.

I’ve helped more than 240,000 people between my private practice and the 2B Mindset program— and this impressive group is growing by the day. I am committed to getting everyone within our growing community the results they want and deserve and I look forward to helping you, too.

That’s why I spend so much time working with my Mindset Membership community—which you will love being a part of as you read this book and beyond. That’s where I host live Q&As, have one-on-one sessions, provide new meal plans and add new recipes every single week. Now it’s your turn to finally get the body you want—and I have every tool here for you to do it! 

As someone who already has access to all the 2B Mindset videos, recipes and help on offer, I found the book didn't add anything.  It was a good reminder, and we all know how much I like books, so I wouldn't say it was a waste of money for me, but certainly wasn't necessary.

Much of the book goes through all the different facets of the 2B Mindset, including why it's called the 2B Mindset, and why I hashtag some of my posts with #WaterFirst and #Veggies Most.  There is a lot of information in this book, on not too many pages, so it shouldn't feel overwhelming to anyone.

The last chapter is a bit of a sales pitch, which is kinda understandable, but kinda annoying too.  That said, I did lose weight whilst reading it! 1.5kilos over 6 weeks isn't bad going, especially if I can keep it off.  I also made lots of the food and recipe suggestions too - I don't know how I lived my life before enjoying Roasted Cabbage Steaks or Noah's Ark Dressing (which goes with almost everything!).

If you haven't heard of the 2B Mindset before, I certainly recommend the book, as well as to follow the FB pages that give daily reminders of ways to think about food, and various recipe ideas.

If you already follow the 2B Mindset, it probably isn't worth getting unless you're a bibliophile like me.

Weekly Update Y2w28

This week wasn't as good as last week, but not horrendously bad either.

My weight has gone up this weekend.

Entirely my fault what I put in my mouth, so I'm not making excuses, but we have had a lot of food in the house that we don't normally have: peanuts, snacks, marshmallows, sweets, cookies etc.  My husband took part in the Quarantine Backyard Ultra on Saturday, and needed a lot of high calorie snacks to help him run.  From being somebody who had only run a single half marathon before, he racked up an astonishing 36 miles over 9 hours!  I'm very proud of him, and my step-father-in-law who also competed.  (At time of writing, the race is down to the last 2 competitors who is on their 48th lap!  Wow!)
I do much better when I don't have these foods in the house.

We also had a BBQ yesterday.  I enjoyed having a naked burger on a big salad and home made
dressing. It was delicious.  Unfortunately, I also had two smores made with those giant marshamllows and digestive biscuits, as well as having marshmallows randomly through out the evening.
Again, I do much better when I don't have these foods in the house.

It's a new week, and I have another chance to try again.  At least my 'highs' are not even reaching 92kilos anymore, and my lows are regularly below 91kilos, that that is a good improvement.

Weekly Update Y2w27

Overall, I've had a good week this week.  I hit a new lowest weight, and though I haven't managed to break through 90kilos, I'm not gaining and that's the main thing!

For the past three weeks I have started exercising again by going  on walks with a friend, and with the family last Saturday.  It definitely raises my heart rate, though it's not too fast as I can still hold a conversation. It's certainly nice to be out of the house after being locked down for so long.

And I have finally finished Ilana Muhlstein's You Can Drop It (I'll write a review in a different post).  I am eating more vegetables, and enjoying different flavours and textures, and I'm genuinely not missing carbs in my evening meal.  Even yesterday, my family and I went to a drive-thru cinema and could order food to our cars, I had a naked burger, salad, coleslaw, a handful of sweet potato fries (giving the rest to my girls) and instead of dessert, I had a butterscotch milkshake. I'm not pretending the shake was 'healthier' than a regular dessert, but it was a treat that I could savour and enjoy.

So, this week, I am looking to cement Veggies Most, and hopefully break through this invisible barrier of 90kg.  I have already gone for a 4km walk today, and will see if I can sneak in another exercise at the end of the week.

Ties That Bind by Anne Patrick

I could not put this down.  Ties That Bind is a thriller that stars Jo McDaniels, an FBI profiler with 10 years experience.  After years of study, training and a wealth of cases under her belt, Jo is called to use her special talent to investigate a serial killer back in her hometown of Claremont.  However, Jo is estranged from her family so going back isn't as easy as it may seem.

The blurb says:

FBI agent Jo McDaniels has been called to her hometown of Claremont, Oregon, to help on a grisly serial murder case. As with most profilers, she is able to take the evidence, background of the victims, and crime scene photos, and reenact in her mind what took place between the killer and the victim. But what if there are no crime scenes and the victims have been decapitated in order to hide their identity? This is where Jo's unusual gift comes into play. Unlike other profilers in her field, she is able to sense what the victim felt prior to death. She not only feels their emotions, she feels their pain.

Sheriff Austin Garrett doesn't quite know what to think of the beautiful and sassy profiler with a unique gift that defies all reason. He's willing to try anything, though, to stop the monster plaguing his community.

But can Jo and Austin find the killer before he makes it even more personal?

I chose this book as my P in the alphabet of author's names that I haven't read yet, and I am very glad that I did.  It is full of suspense, and whilst the murders are horrible, there is no excessive gore or mutilation that can be found in other books.  

What I particularly liked about this book is that despite there being two more obvious suspects, the evidence keeps swinging one way and then the other, so you cannot be sure in your predictions.  The author keeps you on the edge of your seat as each bit of the plot unfolds as we move towards the climax of the story.  Really enjoyable and well written.  I have added the sequel, Malice, to my wishlist and will read that soon as I've finished going through the alphabet.