August 2024

On Tour!

 

What a month August has been. You can forget Oasis - the Wallers have been on tour...

 

We've been camping, not once, but twice (and I didn’t even drive home in the middle of the night, running over other people’s guy ropes). I didn’t think I’d be well enough to sleep in a tent, but we got a brilliant inflatable mattress and some generous friends who had all the gear and off we went. It was all rather Famous Five. There were bike rides and a slip and slide and football matches and beef stew and ghost stories and a severe telling off from the owner of the site for using wood not coal. He shone a torch in our faces and shook his head sadly and said "We only have one rule here" which is a lie because you were also not allowed commercial vehicles, noise after 10.30pm, dogs off lead or to move the cones.

 

The dogs loved it. Buddy, now stone deaf, wandered off in the direction of sausages and bacon sandwiches. Wiener strutted around telling everyone off and Enzo slept deep in the confines of my blankety bed. I loved seeing the kids go off to explore lakes and have water balloon fights and get muddy. I loved how I had no housework to do. I didn’t even read as much as normal as I was too busy chatting and singing songs from Grease 2. I helped our friend pack down his tent. My independent husband who wanted no help thank you very much struggled with the zipper all alone while we re-enacted ‘We’re Gonna Score Tonight’ as we rolled and compressed.

I still picked up a lot of books. James and his friend Tim got this old seventeen-seater minibus for Bliss’ football team (from North Wales, a 24-hour trip) and we decided to take her out on the open road. Stop one, Manchester, where I met up with my queen Hannah
@apairofbookendspod who very kindly took us for pizza and dessert in the rain and ignored my naughty children. (Why would you put calamari in your sister’s coke? Why!?)


Onwards then to Newcastle to see Great Aunt Pat and Great Uncle Ted for triangle sandwiches and lessons in family history, then a train up to Edinburgh to meet Jenna
@mrssreads,  Jo @gimmebooksjoanna and Amanda @life_in_two_worlds for book shopping and bonding plus lime & coconut cake with hot chocolates. I had only met these people once before, at the Book Taster Live event, but it was like I’d known them all my life. We just slotted together, and the buildings were all so tall and beautiful and the streets were alive and I felt like I was a kid again.


We walked up the Crag (next to Arthur’s Seat) as Daisy wanted to re-enact the scene with Emma and Dexter from
One Day. James and I moaned and huffed and puffed and bickered with creaking knees and bad grace. Daughter Grace waited at the bottom like a sensible person.


We had fish and chips in Leith with the late evening sun falling on the water like stars and this pink and white lighthouse smiling at us and everyone was so friendly and gave us fitbaws and free bread and I thought how I never do enough living or go to new places or let myself eat chips drowning in salt and vinegar washed down with fizzy pop.


On the way back I got to meet up with the incredible superwoman Jenna
@the_book_taster and have a go on her beautiful baby Nora over pancakes and earl grey iced tea. Shoutout to lovely Lottie too. Obviously, we went book shopping and talked about an exciting project that we'll be launching together soon. Watch this space!


I fell asleep on the way home, full of fun and great conversation and dog-shaped longing. Arrived to a house trashed by Zero the cat and a garden full of fallen apples. August is ending and I love the change in the season. The sweetness of the things turning red and gold, the chill in the air. Hot water bottle dreams and fluffy socks. What did I miss?

 

 

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Grease 2. Good grief. I'm still cringing.]

A new short story: 'Janet Fondue's Toaster'

 

Have you ever ventured down the rabbit hole of online product reviews?

 

I've just added a brand new short story to my website. Head over there for a Friday coffee break read.

 

 
Read 'Janet Fondue's Toaster'

My Book of the Month

 

My Book of the Month for August has to be...

 

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

 

I was totally swept away by her story telling and have added all her other books to my list. In fact, I know I’m supposed to reading the classics (we'll get back onto that sometime), but I’ve asked for old Pulitzer Prize Winners for my birthday this year.

 

This one's highly recommended.

Now you can listen to Birdie

 

I'm delighted to let you know that the audiobook version of Goodbye Birdie Greenwing is now available. Here are some direct links for you...

 

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing on AUDIBLE

 

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing on BOOKBEAT

 

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing on SPOTIFY

 

It's always a little strange hearing the words you've written read aloud but I'm so pleased with the results. The narrator, Emma Powell does such a great job - I'm particularly impressed with her Polish accent. Here's an EXCLUSIVE preview for you. It's a short clip of THAT infamous scene with Ada and Aleksey. Enjoy!

 

x
 
Mute
00:00 00:00

 

 

Come and say hello at Chapter 34 Books

 

I am doing an event at Chapter 34 Books in Shoreham next week. It's on Wednesday 4th September starting at 7.00pm and you can get a ticket HERE.

 

@tillylovesbooks, @mybookscape, @Always_Need_More_Books and I are each supposed to be selling you the ONE BOOK we recommend this year. @the_sara_post and @little_wolfsbks are also due to give recommendations.

 

We went out for pizza and banoffee pie to try and decide what to pick. We used to be sat near the window when we went but have since been relegated to the table by the toilet. Sara brought along some out-of-date garlic sauce and Kath licked her plate clean. We are such genteel ladies.


I have about ten recommendations and feel rather cross with
@chapter34books that I am only allowed to pick one. I have submitted my choice, but I still feel bad for the books I left out. When I was a kid, I used so much of my quilt keeping my teddies warm that there would be none left for me. This is how I feel about my book characters. I just want them all to be okay. So, which book do you think I chose?

 

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella

 

Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo

 

Long Island by Colm Toibin

 

Voyage Of The Dammed by Frances White

 

 

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Ah, I see what you did there. They'll have to come along to the event to find out what you've selected. Sneaky.]

 

My husband's life-changing books. Yes, really.

 

From big name authors to leading Bookstagrammers and even bookshop owners, I've said it before but I'm always blown away by the great contributors to my 5 Books That Changed My Life feature. And now, ladies and gentleman, I bring you the selections of my nearest and dearest, my husband Mr James Waller.

 

He's actually come up with some cracking choices. You can check them out over on my website.

 
Check out James' life-changing reads

People-Pleasing Failure of the Month

 

A brand new Enzograph regular feature! Well, maybe... I'm just hoping that if I record and share the all too numerous examples of my people-pleasing then I might be able to develop the strength and resolve to make some changes. And you know how much I like to share. Plus, this one involves ice cream so it's a particularly upsetting example that's been playing on my mind.

 

I went to a lovely local ice cream parlour with my husband the other evening. I won't name names. I really wanted the Hokey Pokey (honeycomb) flavour; in fact I'd been dreaming of it throughout the day and I was really looking forward to it. So WHY did I crumble and go for the lemon and tarragon flavour because the sales assistant kept trying to sell it to me? Lemon and bloody tarragon, for goodness sake. And she was particularly enthusiastic about the pine tree flavour too. I know, right?! Was she on a special commission? Was she trying to get rid of the poor sellers that were about to go off?

 

Anyway, I bought a scoop of each. Hated them. And then had to go to another ice cream parlour to get what I really wanted in the first place after buying not one but TWO awful flavours that I really didn't want. Just to please the sales assistant. Sheesh. INSERT GRIMACE EMOJI. 

More reviews and recommendations...

 

A vanished girl, a visit to 18th Century London, long lost love and a gripping real life trial... Just some of what you'll find in the many new book reviews I've added to my website. Take a look if you're in need of a recommendation.

 

 
My Latest Book Reviews

The Parting Shot

 

Those Manchester desserts I mentioned... Will you just look at the extravagant Biscoffy loveliness of this!? Mmmmm.

 

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, it looks gorgeous, Ericka. But next time we go camping and we need a new four-man tent just to accommodate your enormous bottom, don't come crying to me.]

 

 

Onwards into autumn

 

It's September on Sunday. Goodness. Back to school. Dreams of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Bring it on, I say. See you all next time.

 

Peace and paws out, people
Ericka (and Enzo)

 

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