An Update...

So last year, in January, I set my goal to read, review and blog about 50 books over the year. Clearly, from my lack of posts you can see that I failed miserably! Not one, single, tiny post! Shameful! I will have quite easily read the required amount, but did I blog about them for your entertainment... Well, er, no.

However, I do have my reasons... Excuses? No, they're definitely reasons, valid reasons, honest!
2013 was a difficult year for my family. My mom was diagnosed with Myeloma early in the year and was ill for a significant period of time. Being on my own, coping with two children and no support or other adults to turn to, pushed me to my emotional limits. Having someone so important to me diagnosed with an incurable cancer completely turned my world upside down. We are very close and she's a great support to me as a single parent. She too was a single parent to me after my father passed away in 1988. Completely independent and strong she was a terrific role model to me growing up and a good example of feminism. My mom is also the type that never gets ill, never has time off work and to see her so poorly was tough to say the least. Thankfully, her treatment so far has been successful and she is in remission. It is incurable, but for now I'm are grateful for the fact she is well and more or less back to normal. (Her hair is no longer a crazy frizzy lion's mane after the treatment, but trust me, that's no bad thing!)
Additionally, my daughter lost someone close to her on her Dad's side of the family, so needless to say, I am so glad that vile year is now well behind me.

So, my blog became a distant memory and a victim of my neglect while I took stock of my life. My experience with cancer made me re-assess my life and my goals. I enrolled on an access course at the local college and I will be starting a BA in English and Creative Writing in September at Newman University. My one regret in life was never going to university after I left school. I was itching to earn to subsidise my numerous nights out! At the age of 17-18 I had no idea what I wanted to do in life and there was no way I could have made a choice about my whole future at that point. Even now, my path in life remains fluid, and the more I learn academically, the more I learn about myself. I cannot wait to start uni, albeit at the grand old age of 34! I'm pretty sure I could handle all the partying and keep up with the youngsters during 'freshers' week if I felt the need. Thankfully, for my liver's sake, I don't!

My love of literature remains, and is the reason for my chosen course. My taste, however, in literature has changed somewhat from 17 months ago, when my intentions of book blogging began. I'd like to think that they are perhaps a bit more refined without being snobbish! I now analyse books more academically and in more detail than I would before. I know lots more technical terms and literary devices and the classics and Shakespeare, no longer scare the poo poo out of me.

So, you can now consider yourself updated. You can expect to read posts reviewing books and topics relevant to the mature student's life. I will also be posting about my life as a single parent and a mature student, product reviews and my hobby which is comping! Oh and I suppose I also will post/moan/procrastinate/rant/discuss/share/breakdown... (delete as appropriate) about weight loss and my experience with Slimming World, of which today I am well and truly off the wagon! So, with all that proposed content, the name of my blog may have to be reviewed. Answers on a postcard... (or just in the comments box will do).

I can already guess the impression you have of me! Keep following and visiting and I may just surprise you. This post, by the way, was inspired by my 10 year old daughter, who has created her own blog, and is apparently better at it and more dedicated than I!