Goodbye 2016 , Hello New Starts!

Hi guys! We have a few hours left until we raise a glass to the New Year , time to think about the past year and contemplate about the year ahead and what we would like to see happen . There may be "list making" , and taking stock of what we have in our lives and what we need . Instead of making resolutions about things we want to get rid of I concentrated more on what I want there to be more off in my life . 

1- Being More Active 

2- Trying to find fun with food again after a year and a half of struggling with new allergies . 

3- Telling people how I feel rather then saying I am ok. 

4- Saying NO more often.

5- Taking time to myself.

6- Learning new things .

7- Spending time with friends  .

8- Letting things and people go that sadden me .

9- Spending more time on what makes me happy. 

10- Read more for pleasure . 

11- Daily Meditation and gratitude. 

12- 3 meals a day

13- Two hours free from gadgets at night.

14- Try New Foods . 

15 - Get my health / medical goals in order. 

16 - Make Hygge even more a part of my life . 

17- Having Fun again! 

My friends , I wish you a very merry new year . I hope you will have health , love , happiness , and joy. Thank you for sticking by me these past years and for your comments and messages  . Xxxxx

Until Next Time xxxx

The Monstrous Child by Francesca Simon. Review

This is a story based around Norse Mythology . The story is told through the eyes of Hel , unloved and unwanted daughter of a giant and a God . She is a half dead child , her siblings are a wolf and a snake and the story begins with her own slithering birth into the world . The story is dark and grim with a real sense of menace and hopelessness . This foggy dark world Hel lives in has a dream or nightmare quality to it where just about anything could happen . 

The world building in this book is  exceptional , from the opening pages you know this is not going to be a light and fluffy read and with that known 

read on ! 

I would recommend this to those who like stories about the Greek gods . 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.co.uk

This book is going to be published January 2017 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then. 

Below please find a link to this book :

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/13658/The-Monstrous-Child-by-Francesca-Simon.html

Christmas Eve

 Hi guys ! I hope you are all well. If you celebrate Christmas , then today is likely to be one of the most exciting days of your year  , the night before Christmas . This is when all food is prepared , last minute wrapping is done, homes are given a last run around with the broom then you're done!

 It's always been my favourite time of the year . Something that was in me as a child at Christmas has stayed with me as an adult. The songs , hymns and fairy lights everywhere in the run up to the big day make it all the more exciting and seeing the unique way each household decorate  makes it feel so special . None of us forget the real reason we do all of this and with that in mind I wish you and your family a Happy Christmas ( if you celebrate this holiday) and may it be filled with peace and joy. I am hoping to spend my Christmas with family .

So tonight it will be a fairly early night for me with my Harry Potter P.j's and Santy Claus socks on and a good book xxxxxx

Happy Christmas Eve!  

In My Mailbox

Today there was another treat in my mailbox curtesy off Lovereading.co.uk

The Monstrous Child by Francesca Simon. This is due to be published January 2017.

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan. Review

This book is told by two people , Nico is the male in the story and Jess is the female . 

Nico is Romanian and he is finding it hard to adjust to England and his well planned future. 

is living in a very troubled home and her life there is unbearable . Both these characters are suffering in their own way . 

At times it can be hard going reading the pain these characters are going through , both alone in their worries and fears. 

We never truly know what other people's lives are like as we look in from the outside so the importance of friendship for survival through the tough times comes across strongly in the story . I recommend this to all fans of a good tearjerker.

 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.co.uk. 

This book is going to be published February 2017 and will be available from Loveeading and all other good bookstores then .  

Below is a link to Lovereading4kids.co.uk

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Recommendations And A Natter!

Hi guys! 

I don't know about you ,but after Christmas is when any gift vouchers I receive are spent on treats,  and in my case they often get spent on books. Ahhhh books.....

The bookshops in January are quite sane ....there is less chance of getting trampled to death for that last copy of that "must read " book... the shops are easing up on blasting the heating and you can finally hear yourself think after the buzz that is Christmas,  and all that goes with that . So , if you are like me , and you a love a good book , but when faced with an "actual bookshop " ,and not a screen with a search bar , you are a bit daunted ....then look no further . 

Here are some recommendations on some books worth your holiday bucks :0)

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger. This is a beautiful book inside and out . The story is short but meaningful and the illustrations stunning!

The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr Morris Lessmore by William Joyce. This is a  special book full of adorable pictures  and poignant moments sure to bring a lump to your throat . If you like pictures of books , and people with books then both the above books will fill those requirements perfectly!

Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone by J.K. Rowling. Illustrated by Jim Kay. I love this story and it was an extra special treat when I got this . You better believe The Chamber Of Secrets  is on my wish list ! :0)

I never tire of The Ocean At The Bottom Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman . Truly wonderful book and memorable characters ! 

The Unraveling Of Violeta Bell by C.R. Corwin . A mystery book with a cosy feel and a feisty female lead character .

Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews. A festive cosy read. 

Christmas At Claridges by Karen Swan. 

Girl Reading by Katie Ward. For anybody who loves books about books and reading. 

A journal .... A good idea for those who like to keep track of their reading or salacious gossip ;0)

 The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald . This is a small little gem . 

 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.

I always recommend this book and for good reason ! A book about the love of books and friendship surrounded by books .

Buried In Books by Julie Rugg

Howard's End Is On The Landing by Susan Hill. It's a delicious read ! 

Stet by Diana Athill . An Editors Life. I love the honesty of Diana's writing . I recommend all her books. 

If you guys have any suggestions on books I should look out for please put them in the comments .

 

In My Mailbox

In my mailbox today were these two goodies! 

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan. 

The Edge Of Everything by Jesd Giles

Both books are being published by Bloomsbury in the new year. Expect reviews on these awesome titles very soon. :0)

The Bone Field by Simon Kernick . Review

This book started out awesome and just got better as it went on ! The story begins with talk of an old crime with links to the present , the action and intrigue is upped straight away in the first chapter and it's a blissful joyride from then to the satisfying end . 

The main character is a troubled guy who has been through a lot of tough patches and now he works for the police. He is one of those rough and ready guys who I always visualise to be kind of like Macgyver in an emergency situation , basically this is the guy you want helping you or searching for you , he will get the job done! The story takes us from England to France and back again with a crippling amount of bad guys who you would not want to meet up a dark alley . The story was thrilling but had a good dose of eerieness too , I got goosebumps reading parts of this ! All in all a great read that is best read in one sitting as the pace of the plot is quite quick . This would be a perfect read for any thriller fans . Read this , grab a coffee , stay up all night .  

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published January 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then . Below please find a link to the Lovereading website . 

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/

Reading This Weekend

One of the happiest moments in my weeks is when I get notified that books I had on order arrives to the library. This week was especially awesome as I was hoping for some goodies to read over the festive period. Here are the goodies I am hoping to read this weekend and what ever I don't get to I will hopefully finish during the week . 

The Kinfolk Home by Nathan Williams 

Teatime by Cath Kidston

Toast & Marmalade And Other Stories by Emma Bridgewater

12 Books That Changed The World

My Life On The Road by Gloria Steinem

More Weird And Wonderful Words 

In My Mailbox

Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff. How cute does this look! Can't wait to start this . 

How To Hygge by Signe Johansen . Review

This book is beautiful , very sleek with a minimalist feel to it. There is many recipes in it to cover all meal times , snacks , occasions and beverages. This is one of the more practical Hygge books on the market right now with less images and more written content . I liked it's simple ways to make Hyyge part of your life..., from sharing meals , including others, making your surroundings  comfortable and easy on the eye to the point where your home is somewhere you will gain comfort by being in . The idea of going back to basics , making your own desserts , meals , getting back into crafts ( I have always done that) it all makes sense , it creates a feeling , a comforting feeling of belonging . Taking care of yourself and your home properly stirs something inside that makes me feel nourished mentally and physically , it might sound silly but when you have the most basic bits of your life sorted the rest is more manageable . 

Published by Panmacmillan

https://www.panmacmillan.com/books/how-to-hygge

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Review

From the beginning of the book Eleanor comes across as being very different from the general public. Preferring her own company she keeps a distance from those she comes into regular contact with . We learn very quickly  that there may be something the reader is not being told , this makes the plot so good! I was imagining all sorts of past history for Eleanor that would lead her to be the way she is , detached and guarded with exact ideas of how things should be done , when I found out what was going on with this character I wanted to give her the biggest bear hug! Yes, seriously ! What started off as an unlikeable character soon became an unlikely loveable one that I was cheering for . I loved her bravery , gumption and ability to adapt. I highly recommend this to everyone in need of an unusual fabulous heroine. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk 

More info on this book to follow.

Below please find a link. 

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/

The Affair by Wendy Brooke. Review

The story is set in a small town in Cheshire and revolves around two families.  The story is told through the eyes of Scarlett, a pregnant teen at the centre of the story , Nina her mum and Vicky , a very concerned wife. 

I read this book in one sitting as I flew through each page hoping for clues as to who was mystery man was . The story has quite a lot going on but it never gets confusing , each females perspective is vivid and engrossing and when you combine all three women's stories together and how they are linked it is awesome ! There is some red herrings thrown in so you are never quite sure if your guess work is correct but that makes it all the more fun. My one fear while reading this was that I would not get all the answers by the end of the book as Scarlett is good at keeping secrets , even from the reader . Let's just say the ending was all I hoped for . Awesome book ! You won't want to put it down! 

I received this book from the lovely people over at www.lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published January 2017 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then . 

Below please find a link to this book on Lovereading:

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/16708/The-Affair-by-Amanda-Brooke.html

In My Mailbox

A Tragic Kind Of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom . This is a review book sent by www.lovereading.co.uk

What Alice Knew by T.A Cotterell. Review

This was a very good story to read, but it is a little harder to review. I read this in two sittings and it was best done this way as there is a lot of psychological messing with the reader . Without giving anything away we learn quickly what happened on the night in question,  but even with the facts we are left with more questions then answers  . Alice is a very confusing and unlikeable character , I tried in vain to see things from her perspective but I struggled . Ed is Alice's husband and he is a doctor , throughout the story I was never convinced that Alice or Ed were telling the truth, Alice seemed like this beautiful talented artist / wife/ mother , but her eagerness to believe bad of her husband was unusual and her husband's actions were strange as they were completely out of character from the information the reader is given .  All in all it is a terrific story with an ending open to interpretation that will have you thinking of the story again and again. .

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at www.lovereading.co.uk.

This book has now been published.

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website:

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/16799/What-Alice-Knew-by-TA-Cotterell.html

Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan. Review

This is a love story set in space between a man and woman ,Cerys and Max . The story goes back and forth in time , in the past we learn of how they meet and their relationship to each other , then in the present day it's a countdown in space . The story is quite tense from midway through the book , every time we go from past tense to present day the countdown has got lower and I found myself reading quicker desperate to know what was going to happen and would there be a successful rescue attempt . I really liked that there was not a huge amount of characters to keep track of , the story is more concerned with these two main characters who are in love and in trouble. I would say this is more of a YA romance story then anything else . Very enjoyable!

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at www.lovereading.co.uk.

This book is due to be published January 2017 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then . 

Below please find a link to the Loveeading website:

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/

Dodgers by Bill Beverly . Review

The story is set in Los Angeles and is centred  around a main character called  East. East works for a drug organisation but his input is fairly minimal until he is asked to do a different type of job . This book is about choices , relationships  and  the monumental seconds in life that can completely change your future. The story could at times be brutal , these characters are no gentlemen after all , but it did not fail to pull at the heartstrings too . I look forward to reading more by this author . 

I received this book for a review from the lovely people over at www.lovereading.co.uk .

This book has now been published . 

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading.co.uk website:

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/15752/Dodgers-by-Bill-Beverly.html

Reading This Weekend

Hi guys! I hope you have all had a great week . This weekend is going to be all about comfort reads with some review books thrown in as well. Below are some of the goodies I shall be reading .

How To Hygge by Signe Johansen

The Marvels by Brian Selznick 

Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan

What Alice Knew by T.A. Cotterell

The Affair by Amanda Brooke 

Tis The Season !

There is something about fairy lights that warms my heart every time I see them . 

I have been popping up strings of fairy lights today in a bid to make the kitchen even cosier and Christmassy . I thinkJ have reached the right amount of sparkle  :0)

I have been looking through my Christmas reading lists ( yes plural) this week so you will see the lists I have come up with for recommendations in a few days time ... There is quite a few books mentioned .... 

In other news .... How much hot chocolate is too much hot chocolate ????

It's my favourite drink this time of year! But let's be honest ... It's a daily routine at this point . If you happen to be near a KFC where you live , check out their hot chocolate with cream ... It's dreamy! 

Come the spring I will have to be weaned off this chocolaty goodness .... But until then ........ 

I have been getting out my Christmas kitchen items from previous years as well as topping up with smaller bits I needed like these. 

They are just so pretty and festive ! It is worth having a look around for bargains this time of year , items like this that will last for years can be a great addition to your Christmas accessories box if you like to decorate on a budget while adding a few things to it each year. 

While decorating and writing my Christmas cards I love to put on Christmas tunes and my favourite songs so far this year that are on repeat are :

Last Christmas by Wham

Driving Home For Christmas by Chris Rea

Fairytale of New York by the Pogues

Santa Baby 

Rocking Around The Christmas Tree by

Brenda Lee

Merry Christmas Everybody

By Slade

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by Andy Williams 

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Bruce  Springsteen 

Let it snow ! Let it snow , Let it snow by Dean Martin 

 Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes

The Art Of Hygge by Jonny Jackson & Elias Larsen

Well , if any book screamed cosines it is this beautiful book ! If you have not read any Hygge books yet then why ever not? 

This is one of the more practical books about Hygge that I have come across recently ... It includes photos, which were very pleasing to the eye... Crafts ... DIY.. Recipes for snacks and drinks ... Basically plenty of inspiration to make your surroundings as comfortable and relaxing no matter where you are or what the season is ...all of this leaves the reader in a better state of mind then when they started reading . If your head feels like it needs an off switch sometimes maybe dip into this book and take some of its advice xxxx

The Book Depository

 http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Art-of-Hygge-Jonny-Jackson-Elias-Larsen/9781849539555?ref=grid-view

Mind The Gap by Phil Early . Review

This is the bittersweet YA story about two friends who live in a rough area of a town  . Closer then brothers , they look out for each other and the two of them almost make one whole person . When one of their fathers die its up to the other to save his friend from hurtling down into a deep dangerous depression that he might  not see his way back out of. 

This book had many moments that gave me a lump in my throat , the boys friendship with each other was touching and sad at the same time . The fierce loyalty that Mikey's friend showed to have for him was momentous especially the price he paid for it . 

I recommend this for all fans of YA who are interested in books about loss and depression .

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at www.loverading.co.uk

This book is going to be published January 2017 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then . 

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9781781125892/Mind-the-Gap-by-Phil-Earle.html#

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox today for review from Lovereading is "The Affair" by Amanda Brooke.  This is the story about a young girl ( 15) who finds out she is pregnant and she won't say who the father is. This sounds like it is going to be an #upallnight read! 

www.lovereading.co.uk

In My Mailbox

Awesome novella in today by Phil Early - Mind The Gap . It's a lovely looking book and judging by the few pages I have read it's even lovelier inside.

Hygge , The Danish Art Of Happiness by Marie Tourell Søderberg. Review

I don't know about you but I have been seeing a lot of books about Hygge this year especially the later half of the year and no better time to talk about this cosy experience then the colder months of the year. 

Inside this book is a large selection of beautiful photographs capturing the essence of Hygge , well ...., as well as a picture can , as it is more a feeling then an actual thing. 

The author explains well the elements of Hygge and others experiences with it in different ways . For example  , traditions , decorating  , relationships and friendships to name but a few . The author also talks to various people about their own experience with Hygge giving me a better all round explanation of how it is experienced . 

I did notice while I was reading the book that an overwhelming calm came over me , my phone was on silent and there was nothing to disturb me , I created my own type of Hygge while reading about it . Beautiful inside and out , this would make a beautiful gift ! Also helpful was the index at the back of the book giving suggested  further reading lists , and there is even a Hygge music playlist recommendation nearer the middle of the book ( from what I can remember ) . 

Anyway,  I do recommend this book to all fans of being cosy and comfortable and feeling nurtured . 

Here is a link to this book on The Book Depository

http://www.bookdepository.com/Hygge-Marie-Tourell-Soderberg/9780718185336?ref=grid-view