Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?

I loved this book. I read it while feeling pretty poorly and still laughed aloud at some of the stories.

This is Fran Hill's lighthearted memoir of a year in the life of an English teacher. Based on true events it is both funny and poignant in turn.

It is written in diary format, divided into terms. Fran and her fellow teachers suffer two Mocksteds and one Ofsted as well as trying to stay in top of lesson planning, marking (with a purple pen - what happened to the red pens of my youth?) and actually teaching.

Fran is also called upon to start a school magazine along with her enthusiastic Journos.

There are hidden depths to this book as Fran's childhood begins to catch up with her present and the ever-present marking threatens to engulf family life entirely. Then there is the daily battle with the Mirror and Bathroom Scales - who can't relate?

I really enjoyed it and can say it was worth the wait to read it. (I read Fran's first book Being Miss about four years ago and have been longing for the second ever since.)

If you're looking for a good read, look no further. I've awarded it a well-deserved 5*.

Oh, there's lots of chocolate, cake and Bailey's in it. So be sure to go on a cupboard rummage before opening it.

It Started with a Tweet

I borrowed this from my local library a couple of months ago; I was looking for something I'd not read before and was attracted by the title. I enjoyed it so much that when I spotted it in a bookshop recently, I squeaked with excitement and bought it.

Each chapter is headed with, 'Time since last Internet usage:  '.  Initially the time is in seconds but as the book goes on this changes.

It opens with social media addict Daisy on a hen do. She comes across as fun, overworked and shallow, living her busy London life through her social media accounts. Until she accidentally sends a very personal and inappropriate tweet from her work Twitter account. She gets the retweets and likes she's been craving... along with a deluge of unwanted attention and the prompt termination of her employment in a social media marketing agency.

At this point her older sister swoops in and carries her off to North Yorkshire for a social media detox which involves tossing both their mobile phones down a well.

During her detox, Daisy rediscovers the satisfaction of being present, of living life here and now rather than through her phone. She realises she doesn't have to tweet and Instagram every single mundane moment of her day: who cares what she's eating for breakfast?

This is a funny book with plenty of laugh out loud moments. Though lighthearted it's not frivolous: it makes the reader re-evaluate how we use social media and how easy it is to get addicted to our smartphones.

It's a brilliant read and I'm happy to award it 5*.