2020 Reading Challenge | Handle With Care: Confessions of an NHS Health Visitor by Rachael Hearson

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This year, I have set my Goodreads reading challenge at 60 books this year. This is my nineteenth read and I'm still holding out hope that I can hit target!

Handle With Care: Confessions of an NHS Health Visitor by Rachael Hearson - 3/5 ★★★

Blurb: Health Visiting is one of those professions that most people think is a bit of a non-job. 'You just sit on sofas and drink tea, don't you? It's not like you're a real nurse, in hospital.'

Well, Health Visitors are real nurses, with at least three years training, and they are out there, on their own. No back-up team or support structures to call for help if they're in a dicey situation. No warm lights, tea breaks spent chatting in the canteen, nobody else to ask, 'is this okay, what do you think?'

With over 40 years working in the NHS, Rachael Hearson has been chased down an isolated stairwell by crack-fuelled drug-addicted pimps, threatened by a knife-wielding wife-beater in a hostel, unwittingly visited a brothel...

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Review: I requested this book for review through Netgalley as I loved books in a similar vein, namely 'This Is Going to Hurt' by Adam Kay and Leah Hazard's 'Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story'. I am very interested in learning about jobs that I know very little about. Plus, I haven't had great experiences with health visitors myself. I'm still waiting on my daughter's two-year check and she'll be six in September!

The first half of the book was very slow and it took me a while to get into it. It reads more like a full autobiography, starting with her childhood and it seems like it has a lot of filler that I wasn't hooked on. I much prefer the stories of the clients she visited.

The second half of the book, I loved. It was much more work-based and it was tough to read about some of the houses and situations that were visited by Hearson. You hear about the setting up of a nappy bank which was very much needed, and the judgements of online keyboard warriors who automatically think that these people shouldn't have children and probably spend all their money on drink and drugs, when in reality money issues could happen to anyone. It was even an issue for the author in the recession when her partner ended up unemployed. She was still working in the NHS and they struggled to feed their children and pay their school fees for a while.

It is such an interesting look at what health visitors are required to do and even things that aren't even in their job description. If my health visitors had been like Rachael Hearson, I would definitely have had a much better experience.

A New Peppa Pig book to Raise Funds for Coronavirus Charity

[I have not been compensated in any way for this post. I have however, been allowed to give a copy of the book away directly from the publisher.]

It's such a strange time right now for everyone across the world. Our "normal" living is so different compared to what it was like four months ago and coronavirus is still very heavily a part of our lives.

Ladybird Books have released a new Peppa Pig book, Peppa Loves Doctors and Nurses. 10% of the retail price of this book will go straight to The Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, a coronavirus charity that are doing fantastic work in these tough times. This appeal is run by NHS Charities Together and they will benefit from every copy of this book that is sold this year.

In the book, Peppa and her playgroup have a visit from Dr Brown Bear and Nurse Fox. They learn the importance of washing their hands, staying healthy and they get to experience the brilliant work that doctors and nurses do - things we all should teach our children.

As these are important messages that children should be hearing right now, it can be comforting and familiar to hear them in a book filled with their favourite characters.

Peppa Loves Doctors and Nurses retails at £6.99 and you can purchase a copy from Waterstones.

Ladybird Books would also love to see pictures and videos of your little ones dressed up as doctors and nurses to help support the wonderful NHS staff so join in by posting your images on social media with the hashtag #PeppaLovesDoctorsAndNurses

Ladybird Books have also very kindly allowed me to give a copy of the book away and they will pay the donation so that the charity doesn't miss out. In order to win, just head over to my Instagram account and follow the instructions on the post. Good luck!

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*GIVEAWAY* @ladybirdbooks have released a brand new Peppa Pig book - Peppa Loves Doctors and Nurses. 10% of all sales will go directly to The Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, a coronavirus charity. You can find out more by clicking the link in my bio. They would love to see videos and photos of your little ones dressed up as doctors and nurses, so if you share your images on social media, use the #PeppaLovesDoctorsAndNurses hashtag. Ladybird Books have kindly given me a copy to give away! To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is: - Follow me - Let me know that you would like to be entered That's it! If you want to tag friends who might be interested or share this post, that would be lovely. The giveaway ends at 23:59 on Sunday 21st June. I will announce the winner here and DM them on Monday morning. It is open to UK residents only. [I haven't been compensated in any way for this post but the publisher is allowing me to give a book away directly from them.]

A post shared by Rebecca (@13rebecca13) on Jun 12, 2020 at 6:55am PDT

Sharing Graze Boxes from Rare Grazing NI - Review

[AD/Gifted - I received this item for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Share boxes of any kind are so popular right now and especially in lockdown, it's nice to even send them as a gift to a loved one that you haven't seen in a while.

Rare Grazing NI are a Lisburn based company and, as the name suggests, they specialise in grazing boxes.

They very kindly offered us a box to try and the toughest thing was deciding which one to choose! Whether it's savoury you want or maybe you have a sweet tooth, there's something for everyone. Can't decide? You can even go half and half to get a little selection of everything.

We received the half Classic/half Sugar Rush box and I was very excited to taste everything that was included inside.

Firstly, I was totally blown away by the weight of the box. There are so many items packed in that it's hard to know where to start! Secondly, it just looks absolutely beautiful. So beautiful, that you almost don't want to touch it but it wasn't long before the children got stuck right into the sweets.

With a mix of sweet treats from the Sugar Rush box such as popcorn, cheese puffs and fruit skewers with a Nutella dipping sauce and savoury treats from the Classic box like cheese, crackers and dips; all four of us were kept happy.

The food inside is so fresh and they are so enjoyable to dig in to together as a family. It isn't just a graze box, it's an experience. I think these would make a lovely gift for any occasion or maybe just as a little treat for yourself.

You can find Rare Grazing NI on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find the full menu on offer alongside delivery restrictions on their website.

2020 Reading Challenge | Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

[This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to buy anything through this post, I will earn a few pennies at no extra cost to you.]

If you are a regular reader, you'll know that I set my Goodreads reading challenge at 60 books this year. Here is my review for book 18.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce - 3/5 ★★★

Blurb: Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise - she's just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems...

Just one more night. Then I'll end it.

Alison drinks too much. She's neglecting her family. And she's having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.

I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up.

Alison's client doesn't deny that she stabbed her husband - she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.

I'm watching you. And I know what you're doing.

But someone knows Alison's secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she's done, and who won't stop until she's lost everything.

Review: I bought this book as it was reduced to 99p on Kindle, it had an abundance of four and five star reviews and it was described as being gripping and endorsed by the Richard and Judy Book Club.

Alison is a barrister and is assigned her first murder. Madeleine is accused of stabbing her husband to death and doesn't deny it, but Alison thinks that there is more to the story and that Madeleine is hiding something.

I hated Alison and when I hate a main character, it makes it very hard for me to enjoy the book. Tyce is a fantastic author and my favourite parts of the book were when Alison was working. I just wish there was more of that.

Alison is married to Carl (who I also hated) and they have a six year old daughter called Matilda. It is clear that Alison has issues and a drinking problem and she is having an affair with Patrick, a solicitor that she works with. I hated his character too. It wasn't like she was having an affair with a man who was a million times better than her husband. The lack of likeable characters made this a bit of a difficult read for me.

I don't want to give any spoilers but the stories of Alison's personal life versus the life of Madeleine run parallel and reads nicely. I was sure I was giving this two stars but the fact that I enjoyed Alison's work scenes and the great ending bumped it up a little.