Top 10: My childhood favourite reads

Everyone, whether a reader or not, has a favourite book from their childhood. I've always been a reader, and even vaguely remember the first book I read; it had a purple cover and a little sheep, but I can't remember the title unfortunately.

There's something comforting about childhood stories and that reason differs for each person. For me, it's a combination of feeling comforted when reading before drifting off to sleep, and I distinctly remember the feeling of liberation which comes hand in hand with reading a book that sets a youthful imagination on fire.

I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you from different points of my childhood. They're in no particular order... it would be cruel to pick favourites!

1. The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

So creative and imaginative - I reread this many, many times

2. Harry Potter (all of them!) by J. K. Rowling

I'm still waiting for my Hogwarts letter

3. The Famous Five by Enid Blyton

Loved the mischief these kids got themselves into. I wonder why I identified with the fun, mischievous ones... 

4. The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson

I guess my love of history and research projects began at a young age... and now I have a degree in it. Who'd have thought it?

5. The Twits by Roald Dahl

Again with the mischief! I actually hate this book now, I'm so squeamish and the worms in the beard thing really freaks me out

6. The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse by Beatrix Potter

I loved (and still love) all of Beatrix Potter's stories, but those cheeky little mice in that dollhouse made for such a sweet tale

7. Mr Men and Little Miss series by Roger Hargreaves

Which one are you? I'm definitely Little Miss Chatterbox

8. Spot's Magical Christmas by Eric Hill

Just call me the Christmas fairy - I love anything to do with Christmas

9. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

A must read for anyone fascinated by crafting with the English language...but be prepared for a little bit of madness

10. Beside The Sea (Hannah's Hotel) by Mark Burgess

A lesser known tale maybe, but the colourful characters were just so much fun. Oh, and it has my name in it. What child doesn't feel like a celebrity when this happens?

I don't really know if there was a point to this post, but its always a nostalgic talking point for me and I guess I'm just interested to hear what your favourite childhood reads were? Let me know!

Thanks for reading x

3 inspirational female authors

I've realised recently that I have a bit of a fascination with strong, female writers. All throughout university, I did everything I could to avoid having to study 'feminism' or 'women in literature' - not because I didn't enjoy it, or identify with it, but because it was always the same old story and I wanted to try something different. However, left to my own devices I have discovered why this area is so fascinating. In light of this discovery, I wanted to share with you 3 female authors who inspire me.

J. K. Rowling

This woman has grit. True grit. She has spoken very publicly about the desperately hard times she endured before Harry Potter was born from her imagination. That she overcame these hard times shows an incredible strength of character; that she is very vocal and supportive of other people's problems is another. Even in Harry Potter, arguably just a fantasy children's series, she manages to successfully represent real world problems such as depression and orphaned children, which is what makes it so subtly relevant to so many people.. Since becoming a global celebrity and driven business woman, Rowling hasn't lost site of what's important to her, and for this I admire her most. She remains grounded and committed to her values. 

Daphne Du Maurier

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that from what I've read so far, Du Maurier's novels are some of my absolute favourites. I think there's only so much skill you can learn when trying to be a great writer; the rest is reliant on talent. And this lady had a lot of that! If I could meet her, I'd want to know her top 10 (or maybe 20) tips on how to write a great novel; where to start, how to piece it together and how to keep it fresh are all things I really struggle with. Her ability to craft with the English language in a way that is eloquent yet simple, perpetual and poignant is a talent I can only aspire to match.

Beatrix Potter

I'd like to understand nature and the appreciate the world like Beatrix Potter did. Though I'm not an animal lover, I do love the countryside - especially the Lake District where Beatrix lived for many years. I admire her imagination as it's something I feel I have grown out of, and I absolutely love the idea of giving voices to animals, imagining what their conversations could be beyond the realms of human ears. She embraced her passion and imagination, and possessed great strength and courage which allowed her to publish books in her own name at a time when this wasn't respectable for women to do so. Growing up with the likes of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and Tom Thumb has given this lady a special place in my heart, but as I've matured, I've learnt to respect her for more reasons than her children's stories.

As I've been writing this, it's become clear to me that these three women are all an inspiration to me because they all have character traits I'd like to develop. They embody what I aspire to become as a person, a career woman and a writer. 

I'd love to know your thoughts on this as its something a little different to my usual posts and reviews. Are there any strong female authors you're inspired by?

Thanks for reading x

Book Review: Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

I recently read a YA book to see what all the fuss was about, seeing as there are so many of you YA reviewers out there. I wanted to see why YA fiction is appealing to so many people who are over the age of 18, and who would not generally be classified as the typical market for this kind of book. I've also heard great things about James Patterson's books and thought he would be a great author to begin with for my foray into YA fiction.

I picked up Witch and Wizard - the first book in the series - as I'd had it sitting on my shelf for years. Personally, I don't think it was for me. I enjoy books which are 'well written', though I understand that for many people this in itself is subjective. In this case, I thought the language was over simplistic and didn't attempt to do anything interesting with sentence structure that might have made the read more compelling. As the novel was plot driven, I expected more to happen; I wanted more action, more adventure, and less 'writing in' to each plot milestone.

On the other hand, it was an easy read, and I appreciate that I'm not used to reading YA fiction. I may have enjoyed reading this when I was much younger, but I don't think that this is a genre I will be exploring much further I'm afraid. Despite the novel's faults, the concept of children saving the world from meanie adults, and a new political system, was rather fun. The innocence of children often exposes the harsh realities of the adult world, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it turned out that this novel was intended to be slightly allegorical - alas, I feel that it is just fantasy.

Sorry folks, you can't say I didn't try! Maybe I was reading the wrong book. Let me know in the comments if you have any YA recommendations for me.

Thanks for reading x

TBR list: #tometopple readathon

I've never taken part in a readathon before as I always seem to miss the beginning of them, but this time, it's happening. Whilst perusing my Twitter feed today I saw lots of people hash tagging #tometopple - so naturally I was intrigued by this. After some investigation, I discovered that this has been set up by Samantha from Thoughts On Tomes (you should totally check out her blog, FYI).

As those of you who read regularly are probably aware, this is the year I've really been able to get back into reading again after finishing my degree. But, whilst I've been working my way towards my goodreads challenge target of reading a measly 15 books this year (I know I know, it's very low!), I've been ignoring the bigger books on my TBR list as I'm simply intimidated by the sheer size of them. I'm hoping that by taking part in this readathon, I'll be able to knock at least one of these on the head. Bring it!

The readathon will take place from 5 June until 19 June and challenges us to read a 500+ page book. So in the meantime, I've put together a TBR list. I think it's a bit ambitious for me to read more than one, but as I'm trying to be more of a glass-half-full kinda gal, I've picked three.

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

745 pages

Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkein

1244 pages

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery

768 pages

I really can't choose which to read first, so if you've read any let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear if you're getting involved in #tometopple too. As always, I will review whichever I read, and all will be read... eventually!

Thanks for reading x

Review: Dubliners by James Joyce

Yes, that's right. I'm finally biting the bullet and dipping my toe into the world of James Joyce. I've been warned many a time not to bother reading the likes of Ulysses and A Portrait of the artist as a young man... but I like a challenge. And, chances are, if someone tells me not to do something, I'm probably going to go ahead and do it anyway, especially when it comes to reading! I decided that Dubliners, which has been sat on my shelf since it was a possible A level text, would be a great introduction to Joyce given that it's fairly slim, with only 250 pages to get through.

I began reading this when I had a couple of hours spare on a train and managed to get through 50 pages. I despise starting a new book on public transport because my attention span can be incredibly poor in busy environments, but I gave it a go. As suspected, I didn't get into it, failed to grasp the point of the text, and was confused as to why - four chapters in - I hadn't crossed the same character twice. It wasn't until I got home and picked it up again a couple of days later that I realised it was a collection of short stories... which makes so much more sense!

As someone who never reads short stories (apart from Tales of Beadle the Bard, of course) I found the structure of the collection quite difficult to get my head around. I found that the stories never felt finished, and that I never knew the ending, or fully understood the messaging. After a bit of investigation, I discovered that this was Joyce's intention. The protagonists of the collection are a range of adults and children who stand on the edge of middle-class society. The short stories were intended for the inhabitants of Ireland in the early 1900s to see themselves, and the problems of the lives they were living. An observational piece, Dubliners creates a cynical, and quite negative, snapshot of Dublin just after the turn of the century, depicting the mundane routine and the desire to escape it.

The stories themselves are beautifully written. The wording is simple but effective, and flows in a way that encourages the reader to feel at one with the ordinary characters featuring throughout. Joyce's narrative style remains detached, as though he was simply sat on a bench describing what he was seeing in Dublin, but not passing judgement himself.

Once I understood the context of Dubliners, I was able to appreciate the value of the collection not just as a selection of short stories, but as a potential historical source. Overall, I think it's a really perceptive piece of fiction that creates an image of life in early twentieth century Ireland. However, I will hold my hands up and admit that I didn't read the last short story as I was a little bored by this point, but I'd read enough of the collection to appreciate it's purpose.

I think I'd like to try some more short stories, so if you've any to recommend, do let me know!

Thanks for reading x

Tag: Lush upon a time

Lulu over at Lush Upon A Time created a wonderful tag, so we can get to know what others like/love so much about Lush. Thanks to Louise for tagging me in this (ages ago!), you seem to be the font of all Lush knowledge!

What was your first…

1. Lush Bath Bomb?

This was so long ago now! I think it may have been the Little Lush Pud. It was a Christmas one shaped like the most adorable Christmas pudding... funnily enough!

2. Lush Bubble Bar?

The Comforter I think!

3. Lush Massage Bar?

I've never actually tried a massage bar, but they look so intriguing!

4. Lush Kitchen Item?

Ok, confession time. Until I read this tag on Louise's blog, I had never heard of Lush Kitchen. I know, where have I been?! But, now I know it exists I will definitely be checking this out on their website.

5. Lush Shower Gel/Cream?

Happy Hippy - very fresh and perfect for a morning shower.

6. Lush Shower Jelly?

Never used one, I'm not sure if I'd find the texture a bit weird if I'm honest.

7. Lush Fresh Face Mask?

I had a mask of magnaminty absolutely years ago! But I think I'd like to try one now my skin is a little older than 13 and see if they live up to the hype. Maybe this will be my next purchase.

8. Lush Bar of Soap?

I don't really use a bar of soap so I don't think I've ever used one from Lush. 

What is your favourite…

1. Lush store?

Every Lush store I've been in have been similar in size, so I guess I'd say Sheffield as I'm in there at least once a week! I did recently visit the York store which was amazing!

2. Lush Bath Bomb?

I haven't tried any new ones recently, so I think my favourite is still the Dragon's Egg. It's white, with confetti (it dissolves, don't panic!) and an orange centre with gold glitter in. The best bit is the popping candy which is so soothing to listen to whilst relaxing in the bath.

3. Lush Bubble Bar?

The Comforter, no question!

4. Lush Massage Bar?

Never used one!

5. Lush Kitchen Item?

Never used one - I definitely need to up my Lush game by the looks of things.

6. Lush Shower Gel?

Hmm, I didn't really like Snow Fairy at first, but it's definitely a favourite now. I think I'd love the comforter one as well, but I need to try it first just to be sure.

7. Lush Shower Jelly?

Never used one!

8. Lush Fresh Face Mask?

Can I say Mask of Magnaminty even though I used it about 10 years ago?

9. What Lush products would you like to see come back/haven’t had a chance to try yet?

There are so many I haven't tried yet! I'd love to try the Frozen one, and I'd also like to try a fresh face mask to see what all the fuss is about.

So it's become quite apparent that I really need to spend more time getting to know a variety of Lush products instead of going for what I know all the time. I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you do have a go at this, give me a shout so I can get some ideas... any reccommendations for Lush products will be welcomed. And who knows, I might even get enough for a haul!

Thanks for reading x 

Kindle Freebies: Not Dreaming of You by Nina Cordoba

As I sit down to metaphorically pen my first review of the series, I'm wondering how I'm going to make my way through this ever growing list of books...free or not! I've also just properly discovered Book Tube (I know, where have I been?!) so as I'm watching people's channels, my Amazon wishlist is growing longer and longer!

Let's kick the series off with Not Dreaming of You by Nina Cordoba. In all honesty, as a free Kindle chick lit with a pastel cover, I didn't have very high hopes for this novel.

The novel begins very much like most traditional chick lit novels do, with a girl who is described as being really pretty and popular, and looking for someone who is husband material. As usual she is looking for an equally hot guy, but when she meets one, she doubts that someone this popular with the ladies could ever be a respectable husband. Although at this point the ending is incredibly predictable (spoiler alert, they get engaged), the plot takes a few twists and turns which make this an easy read but still a refreshing concept for a chick lit.

At first, I was gripped by the concept that the pretty girl, named Kiki, was looking for a guy who met her list of criteria which she gained from a psychic dream at the age of 13. She signs up to a dating agency to attempt to find said list-fitting man, and a reporter accompanies her on dates with the intention of proving that dating agencies are for crazy people.

However, between 40 and 60% of the way through the book (oh Amazon, would it be too simple to give us page numbers?) I found that the plot was sticking a little, and progressing rather slowly. But if you can manage to get past that, the pace picks up again, throwing in the odd twist to elongate the story.

I did initially think that the novel was going to end at the half way mark as it seemed to be very predictable and drawing to a close, but I was delighted to find that Cordoba wasn't going to be altogether predictable in the structure.

The novel doesn't really cover any significant themes in detail though she does seem to be making a point that dating agencies aren't just for crazy people with no people skills. Cordoba briefly touches upon the grief a woman can feel upon discovering she may not be able to have children. Despite this, it's a lovely novel to read if you don't want to have to think about things too much as the characters are very fairytale-esque in their physical descriptions but easy to relate to in personality.

My rating: 7/10

I would love to know if you've read this or if you read it in the future!

Thanks for reading x

Why did I start a blog?

Recently, I have noticed that this is a topic that has come up again and again during Twitter chats and conversations I've had with other bloggers. When I finished uni, I knew I NEEDED (dramatic emphasis is completely necessary, no apologies) to start a blog to let me have somewhere to rekindle my love for writing and rediscover my passion for creativity. During my conversations with other bloggers about this, I realised there must be deeper reasons for me starting a blog than on the surface, so I got to thinking about other reasons which persuaded me to take the leap and join the bloggosphere!

On a side note, I really want to write a list post, so thought I would use this as an experiment.

Reason 1 - Creativity

As I have already said, I wanted to write creatively again. My course at uni was undeniably a writing degree through and through, but it had left me feeling restricted in terms of structuring pieces, in the content I could produce and in all honesty, towards the end I wasn't really enjoying it anymore.

Reason 2 - Job Prospects

Because of what I would like to do for a career, a blog is definitely something that will help me demonstrate my writing style to potential employers. In fact, whilst I have been sifting through application after application, more often than not, having my own blog and being able to show competency with social media is a desired requirement! I'm also hoping that by writing about things I am passionate about, my writing will be at its best, and will improve more - its a well known fact that writing is often worst when its a piece with no passion behind it! Fingers crossed its been a good move for me...

Reason 3 - A Project

I LOVE lists and short term goals. It makes me feel like I'm achieving things, making progress and improving myself if I create visual targets, or can cross something off of a list. So, after uni taking up so much (all of) my time for the last three years, as much as I was looking forward to a more relaxed lifestyle for a while, I still felt that I wanted a project to make me feel like I was being productive with my time. Linked to reason number 2, I also wanted to feel like I was continuing to work towards my goals, as I know finding a graduate job can take a while sometimes.

Reason 4 - A hobby!

I think this is perhaps the most important reason, which is why I saved it until last. Everyone needs a hobby. It's so nice to have something that relaxes your mind, distracts you from everyday pressures and commitments, and makes you feel like you've had some 'me time.' My blog is a reflection of things I love, and although I don't post about my personal life, I still feel like it is becoming 'my online space' rather than just 'a blog.'

The difference here is that I've grown a little attached to this page - it's more than just something for me to aim for, something to help my career, and somewhere to be creative. My blog is something I am proud of.


Why did you start blogging? Are your reasons similar or different to mine?  Should I do more list posts in future? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading! x

Roald Dahl's 'Boy' and 'Going Solo'

Okay, so I realise that Roald Dahl is technically a children's author, but to me his stories are timeless and I know to many (including me!) they are well loved. Many a time I'll come across something in everyday life that takes me back to his colourful, mischievous narratives. For a while now I've been eyeing up his two-part autobiography, and as luck would have it, it was a perfect, easy read to ease me back into reading for pleasure after the chaos of finishing my degree!

As I have a love for autobiographies anyway, I found this a compelling companion to my morning coffee, but it was more than about simply satisfying my nosy needs. Boy in particular is very reflective of Dahl's writing style in his children's books like The BFG, which is great as its incredibly insightful but so easy to read. I laughed along with the children's cunning plans to get revenge on the miserable shop keeper, and felt their pain of being in a boarding school where the cane was used as punishment. Fast forward a few years, Going Solo is all about Dahl's time in the RAF during the war and takes a slightly more adult tone, yet remains very personal and reminds us as readers that the people fighting were as ordinary as you or me. I'll admit myself that I sometimes need to be reminded of this instead of generalising and seeing the overall picture!

There was a particular passage in Boy which really stood out for me. In this passage, Dahl paints a writer's life as 'absolute hell' in comparison with a business man's lifestyle, and says that it is because a writer is their own manager, sets their own work hours, and can never come up with enough new ideas. It sounds like this is something that was really coming from his heart - the words were so passionately written. I'll admit that coming from someone I admire, from someone who I thought loved writing, it upset me a little! 

I feel like this is very close to the heart of many bloggers, including myself! I have to admit, it has always been my dream to be a writer in one way or another, and at the moment it very much remains a hobby. But who knows what will happen in the future?! I am under no illusion that a writing career  would be challenging, with definite peaks and troughs, but I'd like to think very enjoyable for the most part. Being my own boss would also be great as I like to think I'm super organised, although setting your own work hours could potentially upset the work-life balance that we're all supposed to maintain.

Right now, I feel very positive about having a career that involves writing, as I have always said I want my career to be something I love, that I'm passionate about, and isn't something I've just chosen because its well paid, or because its expected of me... where's the fun in that?! However, this is possibly because I'm fresh out of uni, so maybe ask me again if I'm still unemployed at Christmas! I wonder if my view of writing for a career will change to become sympathetic of Dahl's... I certainly hope not!!

What are your thoughts on this? Do full time bloggers or novelists agree that writing is a challenging but also rewarding job? 

Thanks for reading! x