To Be Read Pile: Ollie Always - John Wiltshire

Blurb

Named after the main character in his mother's infamous Oliver novels, Ollie's been fighting his fictional namesake his whole life. It's a battle for identity he is slowly and inevitably losing. Ex-army PTI, Tom knows all about battles--the real ones that break soldiers. When he volunteers to help with the Oliver situation, Ollie hears more in the offer than Tom apparently intends, for Tom quickly informs Ollie that he's married. Which is absolutely fine, because Ollie isn't gay--that's Oliver. Tom and Ollie discover fairly swiftly that there is often a very fine dividing line between fact and fiction.

Best Line: Ollie’s cries turned into a wail of genuine and total distress. “I’ve put my hand in dog shit!”"

 

This was such a sweet, fun romance! Ollie is neurotic and ditzy and remarkably sweet when he wants to be. He's moved to New Zealand to escape the shadow of his mother's writing and maybe to write his own bestseller in the process. Unfortunately, he's become a little too enamoured with cat videos (we've all been there) and the sexy stranger who likes jogging past his house without his shirt (Haven't been there but I like what I've seen in the travel brochures) to get anything done!

Tom is a life coach who sees a man in some desperate need of coaching plus he's totally gorgeous in an ex-army I-will-solve-your-problems-by-taking-you-for-jogs type way. Not really the path to romance I would have chosen but it works for Ollie. Not that he's gay, of course. Oliver is gay. Ollie is... okay. Ollie is probably a little bit gay.

 I loved the interplay between Ollie's life and the fictional Oliver's. Oliver is a creepy, underage manipulator who uses sex to get what he wants. Despite their personality differences, Oliver's life has mirrored Ollie's but always just been a little bit better. If Ollie got into a good school, Oliver would get in, get perfect grades and probably be sleeping with the headmaster. Living with this constant comparison and knowing that his mother engineered it has left Ollie with an intense inferiority complex and makes every scene with his mother (who is blithely unaware of how weird the situation is)and her friends (hands down the best supporting characters ever) uniquely uncomfortable.

Word of warning. This is one of those books that didn't know when to quit. Chapter 21 has a sweet, charming ending that brought everything together in a way that leaves you feeling buoyant and happy. Chapter Twenty Two onwards is a mire of uncomfortable dithering and sex scenes that were better left somewhere far far away from the shining, silly perfection of everything previous. Do yourself a favour and just pretend that last quarter of the book doesn't exist. Do not make my mistakes.

If you like your romance sweet and silly and charming with just the right level of legitimate angst, Ollie, Always is an excellent choice to while away a few hours on your weekend!

Get it here https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01APNF1UK

101 Ways To Live Better: Make One Healthy Decision Every Day

Welcome to my 101 series, which explores 101 little things you can do to improve your day to day life, and the world, just a little bit.

Our second post is: MAKE ONE HEALTHY DECISION EVERY DAY

Our lives are made up of thousands of little decisions, most of which are subconscious. Our brain is a pro at saving energy and it often does that at the expense of what’s best for us.

That means driving instead of biking, eating quick, high calorie foods instead of preparing something healthy, watching TV instead of playing with the dog and browsing online instead of reading a book.

It doesn’t help that our decision-making capacity is limited. Like our energy levels, it is a resource that is depleted during the day and requires sleep to renew. So, you’ll find it easier to make good decisions in the morning and more challenging at night.

This week I am challenging you to take back some of those decisions from your hind brain. At least once a day, change a bad decision to a good one. Have the apple instead of the chocolate bar. Drink more water. Eat more fibre. By the cruelty free bacon. Go for a walk in your lunch break. Chew gum instead of smoking a cigarette.

Maybe you can’t make a radical change in your diet or go to the gym every day or quit smoking, but every healthy decision you make is an unhealthy one you didn’t make. It improves your health just a tiny bit.

When you get the hang of making one healthy decision every day, you can step up and make two healthy decisions every day. Then you’re eating fruit for breakfast and going for a walk. Or drinking water instead of soda and smoking one less cigarette a day.

Slowly, these healthy choices can become more frequent. Good habits can replace bad habits if you are patient and diligent in making a change. Even one small thing a day is better than nothing.

Just remember not to reward good habits with bad habits. Don’t eat a cake to reward yourself for saying no to a cookie. Reward good habits with more good habits instead. Skipped a soda with lunch? Reward yourself with funky neon laces for your sneakers. Smoking less? Reward yourself by borrowing some audio books from the library to listen to while you’re exercising.

One healthy decision every single day is really going to mount up in a year. So what is your healthy decision going to be today?

For more ideas on healthy rewards, have a look at this article with 100+ fun rewards on Fitness for Weight Loss:

http://www.fitnessforweightloss.com/reward-ideas-for-your-weight-loss-journey/

101 Ways To Live Better: Grow Something

Welcome to my 101 series, which explores 101 little things you can do to improve your day to day life, and the world, just a little bit.

Our first post is: GROW SOMETHING

Growing plants is one of the most natural joys we can experience as humans. We have been farming and harvesting since before we were even homo sapiens, and even if you don’t have a huge garden, there is a sense of pride in sprinkling your dinner with herbs you grew yourself. Or you might find you get a better night’s sleep with some plants purifying the air in your room at night.

Some of us find we have a black thumb though. However, that’s just because we don’t understand plants. There are three elements to growing plants.

1. Light.

2. Soil/substrate.

3. Water.

All plants need these things in some degree, though how much and what kind can vary quite a lot. We all know cacti don’t need much water and can handle a lot of light. It’s also true that if they have dense soil and poor drainage, they are prone to root rot. They just can’t handle constant damp.

Likewise, plants can be a bit picky about their light. Some will die in full sun and some will die without full sun. So, if you are picking an indoor plant, look for one that appreciates low light. Even if you plan to keep it by a window. You can set up special lights indoors to allow plants to grow as if they are in full sun. Unless the lights are solar powered though, it could be an expensive venture.

Soil is not just what holds a plant upright. It’s what feeds it. Good quality soil has a lot of nutrients that allow plants to grow. Poor quality soil doesn’t. Good quality soil is created when nutrients are decomposed, such as plant matter, dead animals, poop and other natural waste.  In hydroponic systems, that nutrient must be introduced in another way. The most natural method is fish poop.

Since worms eat rotting plants and fruit, and fish eat worms and plants eat worm poop, you can create a nice circular ecosystem with worms, plants and fish. However any systems claiming your fish will survive picking algae off the roots of the plants are actually cruel and a lie. Your fish will eventually just starve to death. Or in the case of gold fish, eat your entire plant.

You can make your own soil with vegetable scraps. Worm farms produce the best soil. However, a working compost pile is a good second place option. You can also buy good quality soil and add liquid fertilizer to your plants every few months to replace the nutrients yourself. However, the fake stuff will never give you as good results as worm poop.

Do a little bit of planning and research before getting your first plant. First decide where you’re going to keep it. Inside? Balcony? Front step? Observe how much sun it will get and choose a plant that will thrive. Choose a pot that fits both the size of the plant and the decor and feel you want. Depending on the type of plant, ensure there is adequate drainage and/or moisture retention in the soil.

Add a reminder in your digital calendar either every day or every week or every month to water your plant, depending on its needs. And do the same for fertilizer. A spider plant is a fantastic indoor plant and will produce hundreds of babies for you to give to friends. Snake plant is great for bedrooms, as it produces a lot of oxygen at night and will improve your sleep. Basil, mint, chives, parsley, oregano and strawberries are all fantastic balcony herbs and will happily provide you will food all year around, depending on your climate.

Here is an article on the best indoor plants for apartments from Houzz.com.au:

https://www.houzz.com.au/ideabooks/27299305/list/our-10-hottest-indoor-plants