1) I must say that I am struggling slightly with The Goldfinch. It is taking a hell of a lot of time and effort to wade through it, and I’m starting to lose heart! I know that it’s probably sacrilege to say so, because this was “book of the century” or what have you, but I’m actually getting just a little bit bored! It’s beautifully written and the characters are superb, but there’s just not quite enough going on in the action department to hold my attention. Anyone else feeling that way with The Goldfinch? Who’s finished it and loved it? Give me some hope – I’m determined to get through to the end, but I need to know that it livens up a bit – I’m just over half way through at the moment….

2) Currently burning away in my dining room; the Inner Strength candle from luxury beauty brand Aromatherapy Associates. I have always found the brand’s aromatherapy oils and unguents to be incredibly effective – the Deep Relax bath oil especially. These are clever blends that do what they say on the tin – revive, support, nourish, de-stress… Inner Strength has a beautiful combination of frankincense and cardamom to “uplift and inspire” and 10% of the proceeds go to the charity Defence Against Cancer. You can find it at Aromatherapy Associates.

3) Pets. Mr Bear having a weekend snooze, above. Actually, who am I kidding? He’s like this most of the time! Below, Dexter the Cockapoo. Taken from a a bit of a weird angle… I must try harder with next week’s pet photos – maybe something Halloween themed?!