So today is Valentine’s Day (just in case you weren’t aware with the plethora of fake pink hearts and sickly coloured balloons hung everywhere) I’m not really a fan of the day myself. Whether single or not I find any kind of enforced ‘fun’ very offputting and valentines is no exception. As soon as February rolls around the price of flowers doubles, you can’t find a birthday card for love nor money as Valentines day tat takes over Clinton’s and all restaurants up their prices and start advertising their menus with ridiculous names, a burger is a burger even if it’s served in a pink bun and called a lurve burger.
Even if you can afford to go out you have to book 6 months in advance as couples who spend the rest of the year ignoring each other feel the need to go out on the 14th. Then if you do go out, the pressure to be ‘insta’ ready and look like you are having the best time is just too much, lets be honest after a couple of years together most of us would rather just sit in front of the tv scrolling through twitter than listening to piped musak paying double the price for a meal.
Personally I’d rather spend the night reading a good book (lucky old Mr F) so if that’s you, here’s my top 5 anti-Valentine books in no particular order.
My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite A fabulous story. Admittedly there are probably easier ways to break up with someone but this is how to do it with style.
He’s just not that into you by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo Ok so this isn’t a crime fiction book, however it is one that I would recommend every single woman should read, it will change your life. (or just watch the film!) Simple but effective
Sweetpea by C J Skuse More of my normal style, this is the perfect read for anyone who has ever sat around seething about some minor gripe and hoping to do something about it. I love this series that’s been described as Bridget Jones meets Killing Eve.
Psychopaths Anonymous Just a fabulous confident woman who kills people who gets in her way. A great story with a great character. What’s not to like.
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain One of my favourite series of all time, Who doesn’t love a kick ass serial killer, and Gretchen Lowell is certainly that.
Of course that’s just my selection of non-valentine I’m sure there are lots more, but remember a love of female serial killers is for life not just February 14th!
Tuesday night was spent in Cromer. One of my main memories from my Cromer childhood was obviously crab fishing off the pier. Many a weekend and evening were spent hanging over the pier barriers dangling a length of orange baler twine into the sea with a piece of fish on the end. Inevitably either a scary seagull would swipe the fish before it hit the sea, or the hook would get caught on the pier, never to be retrieved again. This would lead to us being ushered home in disgust for loosing yet another piece of fishing equipment. Very occasionally the line would make it down to the sea and an actual crab would be stupid enough to think a piece of Iceland’s frozen fish would be a tasty snack. All eyes would then be on the Father as he slowly winched up the line with the crab dangling off. Just when our waiting bucket might actually see a crab in it, said crab would let go of the fish and wave at us all as he made his way back down to the sea.
We went to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where we watched the young orangutans learn to climb. We saw sun bears lolling in trees. We even saw a wild baby orangutan spitting it’s own wee at those trying to get a photograph (Which clearly Mr F thought was the funniest thing he had ever seen
). We went on a river trip and saw Sea Eagles and Probiscus monkey’s. However the promised gibbons and pygmy elephants were clearly off on holiday themselves as they were nowhere to be seen. We also spent a night on Turtle Island, where we got to see a Green turtle lay eggs, and even got to help some hatchlings reach the sea. It was absolutely amazing.
A crime readers blog 