What do you mean it’s Sunday evening already? Sooty appears as cross with this state of affairs as me. Lots of good things ahead this week but why aren’t weekends longer?

Yes of course I already have far too many books to read - my own, ebooks and library loans - but of course when I found a book token I instantly went to a bookshop and treating myself to a new book to brighter another miserable weather day. 💙📚

Mr Norfolkbookworm has had a stressful work week but to de stress at the end of Friday has made an amazing smelling gingerbread cake for the stormy weekend. This is a sweet that's equally nice with a cup of tea or as a dessert with custard. I feel very spoiled.

Looking out the window now it's hard to believe that we had a warm & sunny walk before work this morning. Glad I picked up my library reservations yesterday so I have plenty to read as I hibernate!

Foul weather here and cat has decided it is time to hibernate and has been asleep on my lap all afternoon. He’s just woken up enough to check out my current read (Madonnna in a Fur Coat) for my Turkish #ReadTheWorld pick #BookSky 💙📚

After an incredibly busy (with mostly nice things) three weeks I now have a week where I have nothing in my diary. This feels very odd but I need a rest. While I’m doing things I can forget I have a brain injury but when I stop it’s like hitting a wall, hard. #chronicillness

Exhausted Cat Can't Stay Awake

Alt: Exhausted Cat Can't Stay Awake

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Today we took mum & dad (who’ve been up all weekend) on another two of our favourite walks. We were rewarded with some great sightings including 3 bearded reedlings and mostly stayed dry too! I really hope I’ve not given them my cold but as M hasn’t caught it all week I’m hopeful!

Today we learned that when the two ends of a rainbow that you are watching over the sea join up a downpour is incoming!

There was a fabulous cloudscape over the house a little while ago. I’m sure it presages bad weather but it was pretty to look at as I wheeled the bins back.

When you have a transfer time at Schiphol of only 36 minutes & your new gate is 27 minutes away including passport control it is stressful. Then your passport doesn’t work in the e-gates so you have to join a new queue. I made it with 3 minutes to spare only for the flight to be delayed 45 mins 🤦‍♀️

I'm going away for a few days tomorrow and really need to pack and sort out all sorts of things *but* the cat is asleep on my lap so of course I can't do anything. Not stressed at all, honest... 🐈‍⬛🧳

My brother in law has been in Norfolk visiting this weekend (at a hotel not in the house thankfully) and it has been exhausting - he and M are more different than chalk and cheese, but thanks to the glorious weather it has been just about bearable.

Having read the 2nd Sally Carson book “The Prisoner” from Persephone Press and enjoying it (although not quite so much as “Crooked Cross”) I was very pleased to see that they’ve confirmed the final book in the trilogy will be out next April. That will be going on my birthday list! 💙📚 #BookSky

This little squirrel really didn’t have any fear today, pretty much sat on M’s foot eating his acorn. It seemed quite small compared to the others so we assumed a late kit.

Another beautiful lunchtime here in Norfolk so after a walk around one of the local nature reserves we managed lunch outside, by the river, watching the sailing.

Halcyon day today - warm but not too hot, blue sky, pleasant walk & then a delicious lunch. 🪶📷

This week is #MigraineAwarenessWeek so of course my migraines are taking this week to make me very aware of them. Not had one this bad for months and I think that after the pain it's the heightened sense of smell that's the worst thing. Or the blind spots and dancing lights... #poorly

Migraine

Alt: Cartoon of the donkey Eeyore banging his head against a tree

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I’m persevering with How Can My Manager Be So Stupid but like Kyoko in the book I’m just not really connecting with it. One thing is true however is that however screwed up it was working for a chain bookstore 20 years ago that has nothing on Japanese book selling 😳 #BookSky 💙📚

So I don’t think How Can My Manager Be So Stupid is going to get me over my Cazalet book-hangover. It is amusing, cringe inducing, & also horribly familiar as someone who’s worked in a bookshop *but* I have a feeling that it going to be another enemies to lovers story. Hope I’m wrong 🤞🏻 #BookSky 💙📚

On a walk yesterday where we expected to see fungi but didn’t we were rewarded with lots today. If anyone in the Norwich area can recommend where we might see fly agarics as they start to appear I’d be grateful as I’ve only seen a few in Kent in recent years. #mushroom #toadstools 🍄

I absolutely loved the follow on Cazalet novel from Louisa Young, first time in ages I’ve found an authorised sequel that was as good (almost better) than the original. I have a real book hangover but hopefully my new library book will dispell it! Japanese fiction book cure? 💙📚 #BookSky

I have an eczema flare currently and it's all over my dominant hand. It is so hard to get enough emollient on the affected area *and* continue with daily life. I'm leaving greasy smears all over the place and having to be careful not to get it on the cat - paraffin isn't good for them I'm sure!

Newest book delivery for my #ReadTheWorld project might be a bit of a cheat but until I can find anything else from Lichtenstein is will have to do…I love Gallico’s Mrs Harris books, and the Snow Goose, so hopefully this will be fun at the very least.

It’s my #ReadTheWorld book group on Tuesday and we’re off to Italy this month. I’ve read @foundryeditions.bsky.social The Little I Know by Valerio (tr. Wood) and am now also trying @dauntbookspub.bsky.social The Road to the City by Ginzburg (tr. Frenaye) - both excellent #namethetranslator 💙📚

Ran out of time to gather my thoughts on #WITMonth reads today so here’s my random round up for August. Non fiction, fiction & translations get a mention *and* I got to cross off quite a few new countries in my #ReadTheWorld project. norfolkbookworm.blogspot.com/2026/09/augu... #BookSky 💙📚

August Round Up

Another month gone, and as I type this the weather also seems to have left summer behind and turned more autumnal, although more heatwaves...

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Very pleased to see a new ivy bee nest marked out at Earlham Cemetery today - and I think that there must be a 4th one on the other side of the space if the numbers flying around as far as you can get from the drive way are to go by. #urbanwildlife

My August reading featured lot of books qualifying for #WITMonth and I hope to talk about those on my blog soon. I read a lot of translated fiction and it was nice to concentrate on women authors a bit more rather than language/location. A good reading month on the whole tho’

Absolutely didn't expect a dry walk today - it was very threatening when we started out. Also didn't expect to see swallowtail caterpillars and 20 common lizards - especially as we've not seen either during the main summer months!

Amazingly we got a dry late morning walk today, and then a very tasty lunch at a pub we'd not visited for years. Sadly the rest of the afternoon got swallowed up in a traffic jam and chores. Tonight calls for a nice meal, wine, good books & a Tim Curry film.

The list of submissions to the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation 2026 is now available on our webpage. The prize is in its 10th year and we're delighted to have received a record number of submissions from a record number of languages! 🎉 tinyurl.com/32ms3tsy