Time To Chillax: Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

I love the whole idea of the new year, with its official marking off of the old and welcoming in fresh starts.

Most of all, though, I love the opportunity to chillax after all the pressure of Christmas—you know, decorations, food, presents, full on family-and-friends time—followed by New Year's Eve retrospectives and serious party time. Which is all fabulous and fun, but not precisely relaxing, especially when it all comes at the one time!

So New Year's Day is for finally kicking back, putting my feet up, and mixing up such delights as lying on the couch reading a book or watching a great TV show or movie.

At home, I hasten to add. There's no way I want to move away from that couch and "feet up" time if I can help it!

Right now I have a number of books on the go. Having fallen in love with the Shetland TV series this year, I have the first two books in the Ann Cleeves series to read: Raven Black and White Nights.

I've just finished the first one and really enjoyed it. Despite having seen the TV series, the novel still managed to hook me in and keep me reading so I'm really looking forward to White Nights.

Another two-book pair is Lamentation by historical-crime/mystery writer CJ Sansom and his latest work, Tombland (that's Tomb Land, folks, not Tom Bland, as I heard one fellow bookshop afficionado  say, in a slip of the tongue! ;-) )

The books are set in Tudor England, during the period of religious, political, and social unrest that followed Henry the VIII's breakaway from the Roman Catholic church.

The author's historicism is really good (imho) and the main character, Matthew Shardlake, wonderfully flawed.

I am reading Lamentation right now and have my suspicions who the mysterious antagonist may be, but must read on to find out if I have guessed correctly...

The fifth book on my New Year chillax reading list is Tempest and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles Book One) by Tamora Pierce. I am a longtime fan of Ms Pierce's fantasy fiction, as well as hugely impressed by her output, so really pleased to have a new Tortall adventure to relax with.

As for TV series, besides Shetland, in this past year I've enjoyed time with The Expanse, The Last Kingdom, and Babylon Berlin, so am pleased the latest season of The Last Kingdom is still "to be watched" before the holiday is over.

The Last Kingdom

And then, of course, it will be back to writing, writing... But putting one's feet up with a good book and a TV series or two is a great way to ensure a little refreshment of both mind and spirit before returning to the hard work.

I hope you are all getting in a little chillax time, too, before returning to work. If you have some good reads to recommend or shows to share with your fellow Supernatural Undergrounders, we'd love to see your comment. :-)

In the meantime: Happy New Year!

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Helen Lowe is a novelist, poet, and blogger whose first novel, Thornspell (Knopf), was published to critical praise in 2008. Her second, The Heir of Night (The Wall Of Night Series, Book One) won the Gemmell Morningstar Award 2012. The sequel, The Gathering Of The Lost, was shortlisted for the Gemmell Legend Award in 2013. Daughter Of Blood, (The Wall Of Night, Book Three) is Helen's most recent book and she is currently working on the fourth and final novel in The Wall Of Night series. Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog and is also on Twitter: @helenl0we