Le Weekend, c'est Grey and Wet.

I had a mission yesterday, and I'm quite excited to have headed into the depths of Devon to accomplish it. No pictures of this bit, cos it would mean nothing, but I went to find an archery shop, and I bought a wrist guard, finger tab, and a quiver of my own... *g* They're not gorgeously rustically ye olde leathere, which is what I aspire to one day, but they're mostly black and red and Will Do the Job. We're not "allowed" to buy our own bows and arrows and so on yet, not until we've been proper club members for a while, but they said it was a good idea to have your own things like this, and I agreed... Plus, shiny new toys. *g*

But then I decided to come home via Montacute House, thinking I'd have a walk around the grounds while the weather was still holding, and it turned out the house was open, so I walked around there instead while the season is still quiet... I didn't have much time to linger, but I managed a few pics... *g* From my favourite room. Obviously.

( It was a Tudor house... )

Today the world is grey and wet and windy, and an excellent day for staying indoors. I currently just want to read all the books but I will probably do other things too... *g* Such as review some of the books that I've been reading, and am behind in doing...Oh, and I've been thinking it might be quite handy to have a list of m/m books that I've liked and ones that have been recced etc., cos I'm still struggling to find ones that don't niggle at me, and I'd like to try and work out why. So maybe that'll be a job for today. And some writing. And some tidying. And all the dozens of things that I probably don't have time for with our Lost Hour. But pottering. There'll be pottering. *g*

How's your weekend? *g*

Books 2015 - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Even if Blue hadn't been told her true love would die if she kissed him, she would stay away from boys. Especially the ones from the local private school. Known as Raven Boys, they only mean trouble. But this is the year that everything will change for Blue. This is the year that she will be drawn into the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys. And the year Blue will discover that magic does exist. This is the year she will fall in love.

This is marketed as a young adult book, and it is, of course, about young people who are nearly adults, and it's about growing up and fitting in - or not. And magic. It's also about a quest to find the burial place of Welsh prince Owain Glyndwr, by a boy who believes that his body was taken across the ocean to the New World, to Virginia, to protect it, because it was said that one day he would rise and lead his people back to freedom, rather like King Arthur. The boy is, of course, one of the Raven Boys, but for he and his three friends, nothing is as simple as them just being wealthy or privileged, or even just ambitious. Blue is the non-psychic teenager in a house full of family members who are also all psychic women. Her only talent seems to be that she amplifies the talent of other people. And, of course, that she will kill her true love if she kisses him. It all makes for an interesting cast of characters, and an interesting story - although I do tend to quail when mythological heroes are moved to other countries mostly, it seems, so that people can write about them in their own countries. But it turns out that this is the first story in a series, so we'll just have to wait and see... *g*

. It's also the first book I've read for my Once Upon A Time reading challenge. In this quest you will be reading 4 books total:
- one fantasy
- one folklore
- one fairy tale
- one mythology - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I wasn't expecting it to fit the mythology requirement, I thought it was going to be straight fantasy, but it's not just a world where the magic of leylines is real, it's the kind of magic that could bring back a Welsh prince, who will then grant a favour to whoever wakes him. And all the Raven Boys need something...

The other thing about it, is that it's not a book written to talk down to "young adults" - it takes their intelligence for granted, so you can concentrate on the story and the characters and just enjoy it. *g*

Turns out it might be spring after all

The rain stopped around lunchtime, so I went for a walk in the blustery wind after all, and look what I found - a scattering of blossom, then a little crop of crocuses...
...and then little sproutings of primroses and wild violets too!But even more spring-like? The reason I went out in the first place - Landlady texted me to say one of their sheep had dropped two wee lambs, if I wanted to come and see... *g*
Though I'm not sure this year's first day of British Summer Time was the very kindest weather for them to end up in! They're not even two hours old in this pic - awwww... *g*