Monday, 13 March 2023

The March Library Book Photo + V.R.E.Day 7

The March Library Book Photo. Books, mostly ones I'd reserved, picked up from the library van last week.

6 crime fiction, two are authors I've not read before.



4 Non Fiction including Once upon a Tome which is the 'Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller' - sounds interesting. I like what it says about the author "He lives with a house full of books he actively tried not to collect".
No idea why  I borrowed Posh Toast!


The little book on the top is the companion to one I read last year about Mabel the Owl who lived in Christchurch Park in Ipswich also written by Reg Snook. His collaborator is Phillip Murphy who used to work with Colin in the Suffolk County Council Bridge Office many years ago.


Last Month it was that huge haul of 16 books, mainly crime. I read all these except for Snow.

There were two fiction classics and I read both - I liked O Pioneers more than Enbury Heath but neither really grabbed me.


There were 4 Non Fiction last month. The Bookman's Tale was something I'd read before and thought it was all about Ronald Blythe's books and reading but I'd remembered wrong so didn't bother to re-read. I sent Save the World Back with the world un-saved! and Wild was a bit strange. I'm still browsing the Backyard Forest Garden.

I've written a little about the books finished on the separate Books Read 2023 page.

Next Value Range Experiment main meal ............

To use the rest of the Feta I did what I usually do because I'm lazy, and made another Warm Pasta Salad. Didn't bother with a photo as it looked the same as last weeks. (Pasta, feta, olives, tomatoes, mixed frozen veg and Mayo). This  used the last of the mini tomatoes and the olives. Total spent for the month so far adding £2 for my frothy coffees as it's the end of the first week is £43.10.

While looking for ideas for using the rest of the feta (apart from being lazy and doing the same thing again)  I found a recipe that I'd try another time, when the V.R.E has finished and I have chicken breasts in the freezer.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast

There have been some fun comments about my little experiment - especially funny was one that told me that I had plenty of money from selling the house so why was I eating rubbish! 

Oooops seem to have deleted it!

Back Tomorrow
Sue




42 comments:

  1. No knowing what people will come out with! You had a wide variety of books there. I'm familiar with only a couple of them, so thank you for ideas.

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    1. I love to get book ideas from other blogs too

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  2. So eating fresh food and lots of veggies is rubbish? I wonder what they would consider a balanced diet to be.

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    1. Just what I was thinking too! Obviously steak or a roast every meal!!

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    2. Think they missed the point!

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    3. I sometimes think that a few people purposefully miss the point!!

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  3. It's so true that you can't please everybody - and why should you? It's your life, your blog, so keep on keeping on.

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    1. Great fun to get snarky comments - I just delete them

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  4. I am coming to an end of Ann Cleeve's books, so is Anthony Horowitz a good read Sue?

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    1. I've only read the 4 in this Hawthorne/Horowitz series - suggest starting at the beginning if you do decide to read. Have tried others of his and failed

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  5. Gosh, what a pile of books you've read. I am deep in family history (FINALLY building my tree on Ancestry, plus decorating the (hideously) pink bedroom so not reading so much. Keith has been watching "his" type of films and series on tv and when he does that I am happy to read.



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    1. I read loads in February whizzing through crime at a great rate

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  6. Oh Sue. I didn't know you are rolling in money; could you please send me a fiver?

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    1. I sure I could spare a fiver from my millions!

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  7. Nothing like a fresh tower of library books. Best thing about library books once read (or rejected!) they go back for someone else to read. We’re having cold chicken tonight (I roasted a chicken yesterday) and will make a winter salad with leaves from the greenhouse, celery, apple and feta, dressed with a honey and mustard dressing, sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds and served with quinoa. Homemade minestrone soup (made yesterday) for lunch, porridge for breakfast and that all keeps me feeling well-fed and healthy. On Saturday it was just the two of us so I called in at the fishmonger on my way home from work after 5pm and he let me have a piece of cod supreme for half price (the fishmonger is only open Thursday to Saturday). I then went into the deli next door and spent as much on a couple of handfuls of locally grown greenhouse cherry toms as I did on the fish. I roasted the tomatoes with garlic and olive oil before adding the fish and cooking for 12 minutes. Meanwhile husband sautéed potatoes and cooked frozen peas. It was Delicious! Hair cut for me today and on the way I will be passing the farm shop so will stock up on local seasonal veg and fruit. It is very windy here today, perhaps heralding a change in the weather? Sarah in Sussex

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    1. So grateful we don't have to pay for reservations in Suffolk libraries

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  8. Your book list has given me many good ideas, thank you!

    Thanks too for sharing the recipe!

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    1. Hi, thank you for visiting my blog. I'm doing a short experiment see how much one person would spend for a month if they used mainly the value range products from supermarkets.
      I shall pop over and read your blog.

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  9. So funny your last comment:) lovely new pile of library books to get stuck into, I like the look of the bird books especially.
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. Plenty to read through March - thank goodness

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  10. Lovely pile of books to keep you engrossed. Fortunately I can eat Pulses, so that’s what I use mainly, tinned pulses, toms and beans, full of fibre and nutrition. I don’t eat pastry though so the quiche is all yours. Enjoy the books. Sarah Browne

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    1. I enjoyed the quiche lasting 4 days - an easy week

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  11. What a great pile of books to keep you going. The only two I've read in your fiction pile are Ann Cleeves The Rising Tide and The Royal Baths Murder by JR Ellis. I like the look of the bird book and the sound of your warm pasta salad:)

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  12. I just found Posh Toast second hand on a site I like for used books. Still haven;t gotten to the Horowitz book but I did like The Rising Tide. I tink I'll also make a pasta salad as yours sounds very good.

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    1. I have no idea why I borrowed Posh Toast as the only way I tend to eat toast is with marmalade!

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  13. You've got another nice collection of books. Buying value goods is working very well. Your experiment shows this quite nicely. Everything you've made looks delicious.

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    1. So far so good, should end up about half the price of the "average" one person spend

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  14. Now, that's a serious bunch of books and I see some really good titles there that interest me. I have my Feb. reading up. March will be slow. I'm into a 600 page bio of Eleanor Roosevelt and the pages are "big." Plugging away but I don't think it will be a banner reading month!

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    1. Oh dear, that biography sounds heavy going in so many ways!

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  15. I am enjoying your VRE experiments. It is your business what you do with your money, not ours. Thanks.

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  16. Looks a great library hall.

    This is the first time I have seen you reference nasty comments.

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    1. I usually just delete without mentioning but this one from Anon made me smile at how odd and pointless some comments can be

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  17. I am really enjoying your experiment this month. I do not think you are eating rubbish.... People need to mind their own business and if they don't like it, perhaps don't read or eat.

    God bless.

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    1. I don't think I'm eating rubbish either, it's all been very tasty, plenty of veg

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  18. Nice book haul! I really am interested in those Reg Snook books. Christchurch Park is one of my favourite places to visit when I'm home. Do you happen to know if they are still in print?

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    1. This little book dates from 2014. Published by Gresham Publications. But there is a Friends of Christchurch Park. www.focp.org.uk to go to for info.

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  19. "He lives with a house full of books he actively tried not to collect". Now that sounds intriguing. I sometimes think that I would love to live in a house FULL of books, but then I go and declutter and end up with less, that's not the way to fill the house now is it, I'm doing it all wrong.

    I love some of the comments that you are letting through, they are just on the verge of real criticism ... I would LOVE to read the others, especially if they are anything like some of my deleted collection.

    I like the sound of 'Posh Toast' .... ooh I'm REALLY missing bread, toast and pastry at the moment.

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  20. I reckon shelving full of books all round a room must be good for insulation!
    I've only deleted that one comment from Anon - the rest have been let out. Usually I don't even mention the ones I delete but that one made me smile as it was just so silly and I deleted it just to say I'd deleted it!

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  21. ARE YOU JOKING???? Who on earth would feel justified in making comments about yoru financial situation? Judgemental people amaze me. It always makes sense to live within (or better yet) below your means.

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  22. I love that there are so many crime/mystery titles there.

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