Monthly Catch Up #6 – June 2019

Howzit!

I really wanted to started with something breezy, like how it’s summer and I’m enjoying the lovely weather, but every morning when I leave for work I have to wrap myself in scarfs, cardigans and jackets for fucks’ sake. Even after living in England for 12 years, I just simply can’t get over the lack of summer.

A week in Tenerife was a great break from this though, and I’m quite happy with our choice to go there, even though the strength of the sun reminded me of death rays from some sci-fi. So heed my advice if you ever decide to visit, and be prepared to spend majority of your time applying sun screen over and over again. For me this is quite a normal behaviour, I even do it in London, or when it’s cloudy. You never know… You don’t want to be that guy who turned into a lobster or a roast chicken fifteen minutes in.

I loved our hotel (Corales Beach), and would definitely recommend it, but bloody hell, the staff had no chill for sure.

Constantly hovering and fretting, coming up to our room at least three times a day, it was a bit too much. I was quite impressed with the food though. The restaurants nearby were all right (apart from the one tapas place where the food tasted like it was made by an enthusiastic amateur), but a lot of them were still closed during the week we were there.

Mount Teide is totally worth visiting, but I have to say it’s a pain in the ass to get there. Not only the drive there is tedious, but getting tickets was fucking mission. The payment kept declining (only to find out later that they charged us three times), they never sent a confirmation email, when we phoned them they kept hanging up, and finding a parking spot was nearly impossible.

This view is pretty awesome though…

The base station for the cable cars is pretty chaotic. There’s a small cafe and a gift shop, but outside, where you are supposed to wait for your tour guide (if you have one) there was no shadow anywhere. Add to the blazing sun the constant gusts of wind blowing sand around, and you are in for a treat! Not only my eyes and mouth were full of it, but somehow I managed to accumulate a pile of it in my bra too. Nature’s mysteries and all.

The walk on the mountain was amazing though, even considering all the assholes insisting on wearing ballerina shoes (and slipping like a mofo), floaty skirts and whacking everyone with their selfie sticks. Why they are not banned is beyond me.

I’m good at looking unimpressed…

On the upside, our tour guide took a shine to me and she helped sort out the payment thing, so I got my money back at the end after emailing them.

To finish off June on a high, I managed to take myself out of commission for a whole day this week, after I tried this allegedly super amazing bee pollen food supplement for breakfast and instantly developed an allergic reaction to it. Thanks to my swollen lips and throat my manager thought I was near death when I called in sick. Note to self: pollen should not be eaten, even if it’s sold as food.

Being on holiday doesn’t always mean I read more. Coupled with not being able to sleep however, I ended up reading a bunch of books on the hotel balcony. I can’t say I was all that impressed by some of them, but it was quite the adventurous month and I ended up trying some genres I don’t normally read.

A Merciful Death was said to be a romantic suspense, but it actually wasn’t all that romantic or suspenseful, so I really liked it. The small town mystery about the preppers was pretty cool.

Whiskey Rebellion was another mystery with a slightly romantic plot line. The swooning protagonist could have become annoying really fast, but due to her clumsiness she somehow managed to end up in all sorts of ridiculous situations, so it was bearable. So even though it was way more steamy than what I normally read, the hilarity of the whole thing made the book quite enjoyable.

My June fave was definitely Jar of Hearts. It was everything I want from a dark thriller, and more.

I don’t know, guys… I’m just not really feelin’ it lately. This month I squeezed out one review and a handful of shorties.

The Passengers by John Marrs
Scandal, Lies and Tattoos – What I Thought #1
Podcasts, Heretics & Runaways – What I Thought #2
Curses, Mysteries and Teen Drama – What I Thought #3
Russian Mafia, Homeless Cops and Rogue Posties – What I Thought #4

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.

Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer – or should she run while she still can?

I’m actually not planning anything big for next month. I have a couple of days off, overlapping with my bestie, so we may go to Durdle Door.

I look forward to seeing what you guys are up to!