Review: The Waterlands by Stephen Rutt

Any place where water and land join together is where an alchemical sort of magic occurs. So says Stephen Rutt, author of The Waterlands.

It's a lyrical, poetic work of non-fiction that gives us a grateful pause from everyday life.

Barrel Jeans and Woven Mary Janes

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. As our "faux Spring" draws to an end for the time being, I was thrilled to get away with just a short jacket over jeans and a shirt for a visit to the Turner & Constable art exhibition.

Barrel jeans are still everywhere and I liked the mocha colour of these, from Reiss. One of the big trends for Spring Summer is woven Mary Jane shoes. I wear mostly flat shoes and it's great to see this style in vogue. Mine are current, from M&S. They were comfortable from the get-go. 

Hot Books for March {2026}

 #WOYBS

Dear friends. Welcome to another month's reading. It's a varied selection with a 5 star short story collection, a couple of mystery/thrillers, and a heart warming tale of bereaved women who find friendship.

Non-fiction features a book on the notorious Victorian baby killer, Amelia Dyer, and how to reinvigorate your body through menopause with delicious and time-saving recipes. 

All the books were received as free digital advance copies from NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an honest review. 

The Zouave by Van Gogh: Favourite Paintings

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends.  For the second part of my favourite paintings series I've chosen an unexpected van Gogh.

The choice of van Gogh is obviously not unexpected. He is one of the best loved artists in the world. But his most admired and copied paintings tend to be the flowers  (irises, sunflowers, cherry blossom), the self portraits,  and the starry night series. 

I have had crushes on all of those at different times of my life. We have a reproduction of Irises in the front room.  It's true to say I have never met a van Gogh I didn't like.