Now, Then and Every When by Rysa Walker

This was my W in my alphabetical list, and I guessed by the title it would be about time travel.
I wasn't wrong.

This book follows the story of Madi, who is living in her grandfather's home in the year 2136.  He was a prolific writer, though there is mystery surrounding his works as some people don't believe he actually was the author of everything he wrote, due to differing styles and topics. One day, she finds something emitting a light in the back garden - she digs it up, and it's a medallion.  She can see it is emitting a light, but other people can only see a dull piece of metal.  Madi realises this medallion is a CHRONOS key and she can use it to travel through time and space.

I'm not going to go through too much of the plot, because I don't want to give it away - not least for those of you who realise that this series is a prequel, so already know some of the characters.  I didn't realise it was a prequel, so read this in it's own right.

The blurb says:

When two time-traveling historians cross paths during one of the most tumultuous decades of the twentieth century, history goes helter-skelter. But which one broke the timeline?

In 2136 Madison Grace uncovers a key to the origins of CHRONOS, a time-travel agency with ties to her family’s mysterious past. Just as she is starting to jump through history, she returns to her timeline to find millions of lives erased—and only the people inside her house realize anything has changed.

In 2304 CHRONOS historian Tyson Reyes is assigned to observe the crucial events that played out in America’s civil rights movement. But a massive time shift occurs while he’s in 1965, and suddenly the history he sees isn’t the history he knows.

As Madi’s and Tyson’s journeys collide, they must prevent the past from being erased forever. But strange forces are at work. Are Madi and Tyson in control or merely pawns in someone else’s game?

The beginning is slightly complicated in its style, as it flips between three time zones (2100s, 2300s and the 1960s), inter-spaced between the chapters are quotes from various historical documents, which hint towards a Genetics War, a company called CHRONOS, and a "virtual reality" game called Temporal Dilemma.  However, once you get used to this, the story is really gripping. 

I loved it.  There is so much going on, and I'm sure if you were aware of the original series it would be even better, but as a standalone, it was great.  There is so much going on, and it is interesting to read about things in the past, and seeing things in the future written-as-past, as well as things in the far-future.  

In fact, my main annoyance with this book is that this series is a prequel and Book 2 of this series isn't out until JANUARY 2021!! I have already pre-ordered it, but it's ages until January!  Additionally, because I know there a series that comes after this one, I don't want to start reading those, because I'd like to finish reading the prequels, beforehand.

Gah! Life is hard when authors don't write fast enough! 😉😆

Weekly Update Y2 w36

Last week I extended my timeline of trying to get below 90 kilos, as I only got to 90.7kg.  
This week I have lost weight - yey! - but only to 90.3kg, so I will be extending my timeline again.
I will get through this barrier... eventually.

My exercise had to go on hold this past week too.  Clearly I'm getting old, as I woke up last week in agony, not being able to move my neck.  It hurt just to sit up and walk around the house, so I wasn't going to be walking or jogging anywhere.  Fortunately, that only lasted a couple of days, and though my neck doesn't have full mobility again yet, I can walk around and drive without issue.  

I'm still looking for sponsorship for the 2020 Race For Life, so if you haven't sponsored me yet and can spare a couple of quid, please click https://tinyurl.com/sponsor-musings

So, for this week I am going to keep up the water, keep up the exercise, and I am going to eat more vegetables.  And, I am yet again, going to try and break through the 90kilo barrier.

Weekly Update Y2w35

I missed last week's update - not just because it was a bad week for my weightloss.  I genuinely was really busy.  As I shared in my update on facebook we have been working hard to redecorate the girls' bedrooms, sort out all the toys that the no longer play with now they are getting older, and I'll eventually get my own study.  This has actually taken most of my time, so I haven't worked any more on either the MosaiCraft I am currently working on, or the other project I mentioned a while ago.  My hope, when I do get my study, is that I'll have a space where I can work and get the work done that I need to every day.
In the same update, I mentioned on FB, that my mum's cancer has returned, and my dad now has prostate cancer.  I did manage to visit them both in August, for which I am grateful.
And, in addition to all that, it was both DD2's 10th birthday and my husband's 38th this past week, so I've been out for food a bit more that normal.

I had set myself the challenge of getting below 90kilos by September.  Honestly, I have not done well, not least before of the aforementioned reasons.  Technically I haven't failed yet - it's not September until tomorrow, but realistically I doubt it will happen.  Hopefully a single week more will get me down to that weight.

I do have some positives though, despite my spike in weight: I am easily drinking a good amount of water at the moment, and I am exercising and going for walks.  I have even signed up to do the 2020 Race For Life (in case anyone wants to sponsor me and can spare a pound or two, please click HERE) as a way to encourage me to keep going out.  I even went out last week when it tipped down, and got absolutely soaked!  But I did it, and the shower felt even better than usual afterwards!

So, for this week I am going to keep up the water, keep up the exercise, and I am going to eat more vegetables.  Last night I ate cabbage steak topped with taco seasoning and cheese and it was delicious! Now schools are going back next week, I need to get back in the habit of eating properly and preparing meals in advance.
And, I am yet again, going to try and break through the 90kilo barrier.

Stronger Than Magic by Melinda VanLone

 This book was V in my list, and I'm getting excited about completing my challenge!

The blurb says:

Tarian Xannon never wanted to inherit her family’s power until someone tried to steal it.

Tarian Xannon is used to leading a double life. In one, she’s a modern day bounty hunter. In the other, she’s next in line to inherit an ancient mantle of power. She loves the first job, she’s not sure about the second.

When a demon steals her blood, and with it the ability to use her family’s power, she must embrace the duty she’s been denying or catastrophe will consume both her worlds. Now it’s a race against time to find and destroy the demon before he turns her into his puppet.

As the demon grows stronger, Tarian’s ability to resist grows weaker, and now saving the power she’s never wanted is the only thing that matters.

I read Stronger Than Magic in a day.  Overall, it kept my attention and made me want to know what was happening next.  I would even go so far as to say that I enjoyed it, and I have added the next in the series to my wishlist.  I didn't realise until halfway through the book that Tarian was meant to be 24yo, as she does act a lot younger (think 18/19yo), and some parts of the story don't make sense (women have power, but in reality are only incubators for children) but if you like fantasy, this book will allow you to spend an enjoyable few hours.

However, there are three issues that I have with this book:

1. There are three fairly detailed sex scenes.  Not a bother if you're YA or older, but if you were to give this to your teen you may want to be aware of them.
2. Twice this book disses human religion (specifically Christianity) as "worshipping an old man in the sky".  Firstly, that's a ridiculous straw man, and I don't know any Christians who do indeed worship an old man in the sky.  And secondly, this is a book about magic and demons and is set in a fantasy world where dolphins are Ancients.  It was just totally unnecessary comments by the author.
3. What is stronger than magic? The title of the book seems to have no relation to what is happening in the story whatsoever.  Normally when books talk about 'stronger than magic' they mean 'love' - this book isn't about love at all, just sex.  And everything not about sex is about magic.
   

Plague 99 by Jean Ure

As I didn't have a U in my alphabet list, Plague 99 by Jean Ure was recommended to me by friends.

It is aimed at teens/YA and is about a plague that has appeared and affects the UK... timely!

It is about a young 13yo (I think) girl called Fran, who goes off on a youth camp for the summer, and returns to a deserted London.  Away at camp, nobody had any idea what was going on in the rest of the world, and Fran has to come to terms with the impact the virus has had on her family as she struggles to survive.

The blurb says:

Almost overnight a plague has wiped out the population of England. The only survivors seem to be three very different teenagers. Together they must come to terms with the man-made devastation around them. Fran, Harriet and Shahid have the power to rebuild society, but do they have the courage?

As the book starts, I think it is very obviously written for teens, however, don't let this put you off reading it.  The plot progresses, and you become drawn into their world, and it is interesting to see things from the view point of a teen.  Surviving is not easy for Fran or anybody else who remains.  She meets a boy from her class at school and with her best friend Harry, they try to make sense of everything around them, and determine what they need to do and where they need to go to for food and shelter.

Despite the beginnings, I really enjoyed this book.  So much so, that I was going to buy and read the second book in the trilogy immediately - the only thing that stopped me was that it no longer focuses on Fran, and I was desperate to find out what happened next in her story.  I have added the subsequent books to my wishlist, and I have recommended this book to DD1 (12yo).  I really enjoyed it.
 

Weekly Update Y2w33

So, last week I made a commitment to get below 90kilos by the start of September.

As part of that, I have tried to go for more walks, and I have been out for walks 4 times this past week, I have a new mammoth water bottle (that holds 2.2litres) that I have been succeeding to drink each day, and I am trying not to eat carbs at night.

Last week I was 91.3kg, and this morning I am 90.9kg, so after an up-and-down week, I have lost weight overall.

And you can see that the yellow line in starting to dip downwards again - hurray!

This coming week, I am going to keep doing the same things: drink plenty of water, eat plenty of vegetables, and get some exercise.

If I keep losing 0.4kilos a week for the next two weeks, I should just reach my goal by the start of September.

Let's keep going!

Joyful by Toks Adebiyi

 

The blurb says:

Successful or not. Rich or poor. People use plenty of terms to determine and define happiness—but is it really joy they're seeking? Author Toks Adebiyi shares examples from his time in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom in the inspirational memoir Joyful. Like many others, Toks got caught up in the push for wealth and popularity and dreamed of becoming the next Richard Branson or Robert Kiyosaki. But when events in his life brought him back down to earth, he began to redefine what joy meant to him. Here, Toks shares what he found, laying out a path for others to follow in advice-filled chapters such as "Loving Yourself" and "Mind Your Environment." All throughout, he includes action points to aid others in their own pursuit of joy. Joyful is specifically targeted at young readers and families. This lighthearted, easy-to-read guide will help you find what matters most in your life—and what you really need to find inner peace.

I found this book to be a mixed bag. 

At first the book reads as if it adheres to the Prosperity Gospel, but if you persevere you realise this isn't the case.  There is also much of this book that is just biography, and anecdotes of his own inspirations and prejudices.  The chapters are very, very short, I hadn't realised that it was purposely aimed at young readers, so that may be the reason why? 

And some of the comparisons are hilarious - when discussing the idiom [paraphrased] "the wealthiest people are not always the richest and the richest people are not always the wealthiest" he gives the example of someone who has a one hundred million pounds of savings but is depressed and gets divorced, compared to someone who has one hundred thousand pounds of savings, who is happy and content. £100,000!!!! That's still someone who is really really rich!  I do agree that you can be economically poor, yet rich in life, but this was not the example to choose!

However, within the book are nuggets and gems, hidden amongst the other stuff.  I got the book because it was free on Kindle, and if you can get it for free it is definitely worth reading.