Tuesday 14 April 2015

Two on Tuesday x


Welcome to another edition of Two on Tuesday, a post sharing things I have found and loved in the past week.




Firstly, a little indoor gardening. For many years I have had houseplants, they are beautiful and I love to see greenery and the odd flower in the dull winter months and when I lived in the flat having no garden it was my chance to get all green fingered. At the moment my plants are having a fun time growing new leaves so I am all about the plants. So colour me happy when I found this lovely post about making your own terrarium.



A mini greenhouse with little to no upkeep and hours of beauty to watch. What is not to love about this idea?



Secondly, a book review and recommendation. I have been busily reading through my pile of books and last week finished this book.......



This is my review from Goodreads.............

I came to this book after reading a brief synopsis in a magazine and thought I'd give it a go. The story centres around a grieving family - Sarah, Angus and their daughter Kirstie aged 7. Kirstie is the surviving twin after her identical twin sister Lydia died in an accident. The family are about to move to an isolated island near Skye when Kirstie tells her mother that she isn't Kirstie, she's Lydia and they made a mistake. Kirstie died. This sets off a chain of events which will significantly affect the whole family.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, a ghost story, a thriller, a crime novel or an emotionally tugging drama. What I got was a little of all those. The story moves forwards and back seen from the perspectives of primarily Sarah and Angus as they try to make sense, if you can, of losing one of their daughters and being face everyday with the fact that they still have another daughter who is in great distress, as are they. The sense of isolation of all the characters is portrayed brilliantly, communication is a central part of the story, or lack of it in this case. Everybody has secrets they can't, or won't share. 

The beautiful Scottish islands are described perfectly and the imagery is beautiful. The island is literally cutoff everyday by the tide and the family rely on a boat to go across to Skye. The ideas of local folklore and Gaelic lyrical language are also highlighted in the book. The final pages of the story kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the very last lines. I would recommend this book to anyone.


Would you/have you made a terrarium? and what books are you giving 5 stars?


6 comments:

  1. I've never made one, but I could certainly be persuaded to give it a go when I look at the lovely illustrations in these instructions. Aren't they cute?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. they look so beautiful I want to go make one immediately x

      Delete
  2. What beautiful terrariums ... Terraria? Yes, indeed I'd want to make one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I fear it could become addictive Alexa lol xxx

      Delete
  3. These were quite the "thing" in the 1970's, and I made several.
    Certainly peeks my interest again!
    Thank you,
    Rinda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember my mum had one in a mini greenhouse affair
      Jo x

      Delete

Hello and thank you so much for stopping by. It is always a pleasure to read the comments I receive and to meet new friends. I try and reply to comments on friend's blogs as much as possible. I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog and look forward to seeing you here again soon. Love Jo xxx