What Extras do you Pack for Your Cruise?

If, like me, you try to be organised before a holiday, then I'm sure you get out your 'cruise' luggage well in advance. Apart from anything else the sight of the suitcases, open on the spare bed, increases the anticipation. I won't insult seasoned cruisers with a complete suggested packing list. They could no doubt tell me what to bring. And new cruisers can find endless packing suggestions by searching the internet.
This list is just a reminder of a few suggested extras which could enhance your cruise and save you money in case you haven't thought of them. Can you add to the list?

1. Small empty plastic bottles

To fill with drinking water, before you go ashore

2. A portable washing line from the pound shop

Brilliant for drying small items in a convenient sunny spot in your cabin

3. An extension lead

You can never have too many power points.

4. Washing powder/tablets for the launderette or handwashing

The ones in the cruise shop can be expensive.

5.Anti bacterial wipes

Not all shoreside toilets are hygienic.

6. Plastic ponchos

Easy to fit in a handbag or back pack.

7. A roll of silver foil

In case you want to save some room service items for later. Foil is ideal for wrapping small items of food and storing them in your cabin fridge.

8. String/tape/scissors

Handy for securing banging draws or wardrobe doors in lively night-time seas. Also useful for repairing broken suitcases.

9. A corkscrew

Some cruise lines allow passengers to bring wine onboard which has been purchased in port (to drink in your cabin). In which case this item could be essential!

10 Holiday reading

Most cruise ships have small libraries, but the selection of books can be limited. Why not treat yourself to that special book that you have been meaning to read for ages?  And if you are an ebook/kindle reader, don't forget to use your home wi-fi to download a few good holiday reads before you leave.
(At this point I can't resist mentioning my own recently published novel, called 'Different Genes' which is now available in print and for kindle. This are the links  Printed Book   Ebook

Please feel free to add to my list in your comments.

Three Books: Book Three 'Love Hate and Us' by S P West

My third and final book choice  is 'Love, Hate and Us' by (Bexhill resident) S P West. To add a bit of spice to my blog, this book comes with a warning. If you dislike explicit descriptions of sex or swearing in a book, then this book is not for you. It is definitely an 'after the watershed' read.

The storyline
Brooke never imagined a life away from Emmerton. She never pictured a life without her childhood sweetheart, Brody. But when Brody does the unthinkable, Brooke’s world is turned upside down. Unable to watch as Brody moves on with his life, she decides to start afresh. Unfortunately, leaving her past behind is not a easy as she thought, especially when her past wants her back.

My Thoughts

Written by 38 year old Bexhill-based author, S P West, but set in the USA, the content of this ebook is very far removed from our stereotypical view of understated and respectable life in my sleepy retirement home town of Bexhill on Sea. But who knows what really goes on behind closed doors? And yet, despite its explicit nature, with occasional vocabulary to match, the storyline is unashamedly romantic. The two main characters are handsome, fit, and know how to fall in love and make love with all-consuming physical desire and satisfaction. This is a well written escape from the humdrum of 'real' life. However, this novel is not just a sexual 'romp'. I loved the way the chapters, always in the first person, gave two different points of view. The depth of characterisation varied, but I particularly enjoyed the perceptive descriptions of Brooke's relationship with her sister, Hope. The writing frequently gave us glimpses of the author's ability to transcend her own story-line and explore at a higher level the motives and emotions of her cast of players. 

I contacted Sara, and asked her why she chose the USA as the setting for her novel. She explained "I read a lot, and most of the books I read are set in the USA. It's very easy for me to 'hear' the characters in both American English and British English. I have a lot of American friends that help me keep it authentic." 

.....So if you are not offended by 'adult' content and vocabulary, then this ebook is definitely worth reading....and keep an eye out for the name 'S P West'....if she can write with so much courage and creativity from Bexhill at the age of 38,  I wonder what she will produce in the future? 

You can hear Sara read an excerpt from her books and answer questions at the Writer's Cafe, Wickham Bistro, Bexhill  at 7pm on 19th October 2017.

Amazon Link

Three Books: Book Two The Man in the Needlecord Jacket

My second chosen book is 'The Man in the Needlecord Jacket' by Linda MacDonald
This is Linda's fourth published novel, and her considerable experience as a writer definitely shows in the quality of her writing.

The story
The Man in the Needlecord Jacket follows the tale of two women who are each struggling to let go of a long-term partnership. Felicity meets Coll, a charismatic artist. She hopes for a distraction from her failed marriage, but does not realise he has a partner, Sarah. Sarah is deeply in love with Coll, but his controlling behaviour and associations with other women have always made her life difficult. By exploring the developing storyline from both Felicty's and Sarah's point of view, the reader is drawn into questioning the lines between normal human frailty and psychological disturbance.  
      

My Thoughts
The characterisation is exceptional, and I unexpectedly found myself wondering if there were bits of my own personality in all of the main characters. Considering this is a story without heroes, where the boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour tend to be blurred, this necessitated me indulging in some rather challenging introspection. Am I like that? And yet the thought provoking themes were embedded in a story line which certainly kept me turning the pages.  I would definitely read this novel again and recommend  it to friends.

Amazon Link

Three Books: Book One 'A Bird in the House' by Bronwen Griffiths

 I know..... this is supposed to be a travel blog, but as it is several weeks before we take our next trip, I have decided to fill the gap with a review of three books. I confess that, while I was writing my own book,  I stopped reading other people's, but now I am impatiently tapping the table and waiting for the final proofs of my novel to go to print, I have been making up for lost time and reading as many books as I can. So I have carefully selected three books to share with anyone who might be interested.
I have chosen them because I really enjoyed them, even though they are not yet especially well known. Each book is completely different, and each book left me feeling that it had, in some way changed my view of myself or the world. Each author is also known to me through the network I have become a small part of since I started writing.

My first chosen book is 'A Bird in the House' by Bronwen Griffiths. Bronwen lived in Hastings for over 15 years and published this novel in 2014.

The story tells how refugee doctor, Mohamed, flees war-torn Libya with his young son, Ahmed, after the tragic death of his wife. They find themselves in a Sussex coastal town, similar to Hastings, where author Bronwen lived for many years. Ahmed stumbles into the seemingly tranquil world of widow, Betty, who has been left to cope with her seven-year-old great-niece for the summer. Just as life begins to settle, Mohamed makes the dangerous journey back to Tripoli, where he is faced with the devastation the war has wreaked on those around him. For Betty, the conflict threatens to unearth skeletons from a past she would rather forget.

I loved the way the two countries and their ways of life are woven together throughout the plot. Bronwen uses her local knowledge to create settings for her story which are atmospheric and highly credible. She also describes the actions, words and feelings of the children in the story in a way which shows genuine empathy. Most special was the way that she increased my ability to imagine the life of a refugee and, indeed, of those people who are close to them. The book is immensely readable, easy to pick up, hard to put down, and I highly recommend it.

You can hear Bronwen read an excerpt from her books and answer questions at the Writer's Cafe, Wickham Bistro, Bexhill  at 7pm on 19th October 2017.

Amazon Link