tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57596459140846248592024-03-24T07:10:58.475+00:00Stories 4 Children blogAmanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.comBlogger1369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-22683025845142226482024-03-21T17:46:00.000+00:002024-03-21T17:46:16.469+00:00Book Review: "Four Eids and a Funeral" by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3IL1IkF" target="_blank">Kindle</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/4ci82hb" target="_blank">Paperback</a><br />⭐ out of 5</p><p>If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll know that I start them all off in the same way and that is by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full heart-load of 5 stars and that I'm always hopeful that they'll all still be firmly stuck in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about taking off stars, usually for copyright or trademark infringement but if there's a magic little sentence then that star stays firmly in place. I also always give my reasons for taking off stars, they don't just disappear for no reason.</p><p><br /></p><p>Let's get going shall we?</p><p><br /></p><p>I love reading and learning about other cultures and I'm hoping I'll come out of the other side of this book a better person cos right now I have to admit that I don't know what an Eid is or even how to pronounce it! I'm guessing that it's a date because of the cover and this is a children's book, but I'm hoping I'll find out for sure as I read this book.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm also a romantic at heart, but comedy is a toughie for me... most comedic books, especially rom-coms don't usually even start a smile... will this book be any different? I really hope so!</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh dear, a trademark infringement already... I'll give the authors the benefit of the doubt, but one more mention of a trademarked or copyrighted anything and the first star is coming off.</p><p><br /></p><p>I don't know anything about Ms Barnes but I already care and understand after a single chapter. Will this book have me in tears rather than laughter?</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh dear, there's a swear at the start of the second chapter that really isn't appropriate for such a young audience so the first star is coming off already unfortunately.</p><p><br /></p><p>And now there's a well-known singer so the wobbly star has officially fallen... that's two stars lost in 2 pages - will they be the only ones?</p><p><br /></p><p>And another even worse swear on the next page that is really only suitable for older teens rather than the younger teens that this book is aimed at... this book started off amazingly well and I could honestly see me enjoying every word, but not any more. Will I get to 25% without losing another star?</p><p><br /></p><p>And another swear two paragraphs later... how on earth did this book get published?!</p><p><br /></p><p>In the space of only three pages, this book has gone from "great going!" to "I give up already" because there's another trademark mentioned. It was a fantastic first chapter but I'm quickly losing hope of regaining that sense of being desperate to keep reading unfortunately.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now children who are still at school are able to legally drive! Maybe I'm out of touch with America, but over here in the UK that's illegal until you've got at least your provisional driving license! That's another star gone now! After only two chapters I'm already down to 2 stars so there's only one possible one left to lose before I stop reading waaay before the end of the book!</p><p><br /></p><p>I've made it through 6% of the book so far this afternoon and I've already had to take 3 stars off... will I make it to 10% without taking off the last one?</p><p><br /></p><p>Apparently there's 6 hours and 45 minutes left in the book so it seems like a good opportunity to finish for the night and get stuck in again tomorrow. Thankfully that chapter was considerably better than the previous ones so maybe the authors were both having bad days when they wrote them?</p><p><br /></p><p>Chapter 6 was OK to good-ish so hopefully I'm over the not-so-good bits now. Gonna aim for another chapter before lunch and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll leave me feeling more positive than negative about the book.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thaaat's more like it! This book definitely has it's good points so the bad ones can almost be put to one side. I've got 6 hours and 8 minutes left in the book apparently so I'm gonna aim for one more as I've read two in just under an hour so I'm hoping I'll've read another one in plenty of time.</p><p><br /></p><p>Just finished reading the third chapter of the morning and I think I get where the comedy bit of this rom-com is supposed to be, but it's a bit gentle for me and I haven't even started to smile yet.</p><p><br /></p><p>Just finished Act 1... does that mean that I'm a third of the way through the book or something? The authors are well into the characters lives now which makes for better reading I reckon.</p><p><br /></p><p>And there goes the final star for copyright usage. Only 36% of the way through and I'm giving up unfortunately.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-47350778480477416362024-02-22T12:16:00.003+00:002024-02-22T12:16:30.933+00:00Aaaand...<p>...we're back.</p><p><br /></p><p>It's taken the best part of a month but the S4CG site (minus the members area) is finally back online.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-30301062755436818532024-01-24T09:11:00.000+00:002024-01-24T09:11:06.617+00:00You'd better hurry up and...<p>...download whatever you want to keep from the members area 'cos it's definitely gonna go, hopefully starting today, but we shall have to wait and see. Basically, get your skates on 'cos the members area is gonna be non-existent soon!</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-58022630643099874112024-01-09T17:22:00.000+00:002024-01-09T17:22:02.530+00:00Aaand...<p>...the manuscript and synopsis are finished, so it's time to celebrate with J2Os and chocolate for the rest of this evening now.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-77649617992540825802024-01-09T14:38:00.002+00:002024-01-09T14:38:14.342+00:004 down, only 1 final chapter to go<p>I've just finished the penultimate chapter and been for yet another wee, so I'm gonna have my penultimate single chapter reward choccie and make a start on the last chapter of JanNo.</p><p><br /></p><p>It'll be weird waking up and coming downstairs, knowing that I've finished writing the entire novel in only nine days! Not sure what I'm gonna do with myself for the entire day lol</p><p><br /></p><p>One of my deliveries has turned up, just before lunch, so I'm just waiting for my weekly groceries and the other delivery to turn up now, then I can finish off the three J2O's, the tub of chocolates and a mocktail, then seriously regret it for the rest of the day and evening lol</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-43231674417264371052024-01-09T11:49:00.001+00:002024-01-09T11:49:22.773+00:003 down, 2 to go<p>Just finished my third chapter of the morning and I've only got two more to go, so I've had my single chapter choccie reward and been for yet another wee (not been having a good time with my bladder recently), so I'm gonna make a start on the penultimate chapter now, while I keep my ear out for the door and my lunchtime carer, then my groceries and the two deliveries.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-49527244263155048942024-01-09T10:32:00.005+00:002024-01-09T10:32:59.146+00:002 down, 3 to go...<p>I'm starting to pick up speed ready for the sprint down the finishing straight... the end is in sight now and I can pretty much guarantee that I'll finish it hopefully before my groceries arrive - I can do this!!</p><p><br /></p><p>Time for my single chapter choccie, another hot drink and a wee now I reckon, then I can hopefully get another chapter under my belt before my lunchtime carer arrives.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-2825249318866981922024-01-09T09:11:00.003+00:002024-01-09T09:11:18.926+00:001 down, only 4 to go now<p>I've rounded the final corner of the marathon and can see the finish line in sight. I'm so close now!</p><p><br /></p><p>Time for one of my last single chapter choccies and then I'll get on with the second chapter of the day... the J2O tops will definitely be popping soon but I'm not going to rush it and I've still got my lunchtime carer, groceries and 2 deliveries due, so will have to stop mid-sentence for each of those, but I can do this... I just hope that the last chapter doesn't make me cry lol</p><p> </p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-76611010509317819322024-01-08T15:42:00.004+00:002024-01-08T15:42:25.093+00:005 down, 0 to go<p>I've just finished today's five chapters and I'm gonna stop there so that I can have my two rewards and leave the last 5 for tomorrow so that I can have my 5 chapter reward tomorrow too, as well as the celebratory things to celebrate finishing it in under 10 days without cancelling anything.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-23501861541100067202024-01-08T13:23:00.006+00:002024-01-08T13:23:40.721+00:004 down, 1 to go<p>Just finished my penultimate chapter of the day, less than a minute before my carer arrived, so I've had my lunch and single chapter treat, so I'm gonna go and take my plate out, put the heater on and write my last chapter of the day.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-81716151252021512612024-01-08T11:18:00.004+00:002024-01-08T11:18:26.248+00:003 down, 2 to go<p>I'm impressed with my speed this morning! I've written two chapters in just over the time that it took me to write the first chapter of the day so that's pretty good.</p><p><br /></p><p>My lunchtime carer could turn up any time soon, so I'm gonna have my single chapter choccie reward and make a start on the penultimate chapter of the day... the finish line is drawing closer and closer now and it's starting to feel real that I'll have written my second novel as a young Yule widow in under 2 weeks again. I can do this motivating myself and living alone lark!</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-87611022028922150302024-01-08T09:46:00.006+00:002024-01-08T09:46:57.537+00:002 down, 3 to go<p>Not too bad for a morning's writing... 2 chapters written in about 4 hours, including the time I was with my carer and the ssllooww start to the first chapter.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm gonna have my single chapter choccie reward then get cracking on the third chapter of the morning. If I keep cracking on like this I'll hopefully have made a start on the fourth chapter by lunchtime and the last chapter of the day finished by mid-afternoon then I can stop writing until tomorrow when I'll hopefully finish the entire manuscript and be able to indulge in the rest of the tub of chocolates, and the rest of the J2O's and be finished in under 10 days without putting any kind of halt on my life, like I have for the previous years. I just hope I don't start crying when I put the final full stop of the story into the manuscript tomorrow otherwise I'll potentially have to answer the door to my groceries with a tear-stained face which would be soo embarrassing lol</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-80344077754596245032024-01-08T07:05:00.003+00:002024-01-08T07:05:16.503+00:001 down, 4 to go<p>Just got my first chapter of the day written and I'm gonna stop at 5 chapters today so that I can have my 5 chapter reward tomorrow too.</p><p><br /></p><p>My morning carer could turn up at any time so I'm gonna go for a wee and make a start on the second chapter while I'm waiting for her.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-37501958547554963172024-01-06T18:20:00.005+00:002024-01-06T18:20:36.863+00:005 down, 0 to go<p>I totally forgot about my weekly bath this morning, so I've only been able to write 5 chapters instead of the 7 or 8 that I'd hoped, but that's OK 'cos it leaves exactly 10 chapters left to write, so I'll have the day off tomorrow to refresh my muse (the bath gave me a second wind) then do 5 chapters on Monday and the final 5 on Tuesday, around my groceries being delivered, then I'll have the last can to officially finish JanNo for another year.</p><p><br /></p><p>Gonna crack open my 5 chapter J2O reward and my last chapter choccie of the day, then veg out until bedtime I reckon.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-46693566969698917582024-01-06T12:04:00.006+00:002024-01-06T12:04:36.986+00:004 down, 1 to go<p>I've just written my fourth chapter of the morning and my lunchtime carer could turn up at any point, so I'm gonna enjoy my fourth chapter choccie of the day while I wait for her.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'll definitely be getting my 5 chapter reward today, but how many more than that will I achieve I wonder?</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-86520606689612235212024-01-06T10:39:00.006+00:002024-01-06T10:39:49.515+00:003 down, 2 to go<p>Just finished my third chapter of the morning, so hopefully 7 chapters should be pretty easy and I might even be able to sneak in another day with 8 chapters would be awesome!</p><p><br /></p><p>Gonna have my chapter choccie and see what the time is doing after that before I decide on having another hot drink or not.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-33935419783528358852024-01-06T09:13:00.002+00:002024-01-06T09:13:10.055+00:002 down, 3 to go<p>Just finished my second chapter of the morning and I'm shivering 'cos I'm so cold, but can't put the heater on until my lunchtime carer has been and gone otherwise I'll lose it all while the door is open. I've earnt my second chapter choccie reward though, so I'm gonna devour that now and get cracking with chapter 3 I reckon.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-41127400717710258482024-01-06T06:49:00.004+00:002024-01-06T06:49:36.801+00:001 down, 4 to go<p>I was awake and down here before 5am, so I've already cranked out my first chapter of the day and I haven't got any visitors (other than the carers) coming today, so I might be able to get another 8 chapters written today, with any luck... just four more to go before I get my 5 chapter reward though!</p><p><br /></p><p>Time for my first chapter choccie of the day now, then make a start on the second one while I wait for my first carer to turn up.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-17531482435772904352024-01-05T18:42:00.003+00:002024-01-05T18:42:16.107+00:008 chapters... <p>...in one day have just been achieved for the first time in JanNo24 with enough time to scoff my single chapter chocolate and check my emails for the first time in 24 hours, before I take my last two pills of the day and climb into bed.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm seriously impressed with myself now and I'm gonna enjoy ever last taste of that chocolate and go to bed with a smile on my face.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-63293518977261555742024-01-05T17:33:00.005+00:002024-01-05T17:33:43.129+00:007 down, 15 to go now<p>I've cracked it with the 7th chapter of the day so I'm gonna have my single chapter choccie reward then get cracking straight on with chapter 8 so that I don't have to either rush it or have a late night tonight. It wasn't an early start either so to hopefully get 8 chapters written as well as the two carers and the assessment has really impressed me today.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-80657626311129222022024-01-05T16:32:00.004+00:002024-01-05T16:32:24.596+00:006 down, 16 to go<p>I might just about be able to sneak in 8 chapters before I hit the sack, but it all depends on how fast I type this next chapter. I've written 6 today though and I'm well into the teens left to write now, so unless something goes seriously wrong that I need to sort out straight away, I'm right on track to finish on Tuesday now that my bathroom refitting has been put back by a week to it's original date so I don't have to worry about my bladder as well as my writing next week, thankfully.</p><p><br /></p><p>I've got potentially my last cuppa on the go and my single chapter chocolate reward, so I'm gonna devour that and crack on with chapter 7 now I reckon.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-70873022793428547052024-01-05T14:56:00.000+00:002024-01-05T14:56:03.781+00:005 down, 0 to go<p>I've just earnt my 5 chapter treat as well as the single chapter choccie so I'm happy with that. Writing another two chapters in about 4 hours is pretty achievable but I wanna aim for at least 7, ideally 8 today.</p><p><br /></p><p>I've drunk my 5 chapter reward already, so time for my single chapter choccie then crack on with my 6th chapter of the day.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-35546096281671749052024-01-05T12:25:00.003+00:002024-01-05T12:25:51.435+00:004 down, 1 to go this afternoon<p>I'm rattling through the chapters at a good speed this morning 'cos I've just written my fourth chapter of the morning so I'm gonna go for a wee, have my chapter choccie reward then wait for my carer before I start on my fifth chapter.</p><p><br /></p><p>Will I be able to write 8 chapters today instead of my usual 7??</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-34253591131903131612024-01-05T11:19:00.007+00:002024-01-05T11:19:54.827+00:003 down, 2 to go<p>Just finished my third chapter of the morning and my second carer could turn up at any time, so I'm gonna have my single chapter choccie reward but not another drink, even though I'm gasping.</p><p><br /></p><p>Will I be able to write another 7 chapters before bedtime today? I've managed it most days, so I'm cautiously hopeful that I'll manage it today too, but we shall see.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759645914084624859.post-83849190268271741652024-01-05T10:09:00.006+00:002024-01-05T10:09:59.929+00:002 down, 3 to go<p>The assessors have just gone and I've finished my second chapter of the morning, so I'm gonna make my third (or is it fourth?) drink of the morning and then have my reward before cracking on with my third chapter of the day, hopefully before my lunchtime carer arrives.</p><p><br /></p>Amanda Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353121618263219151noreply@blogger.com0