BOOKISH BITES: Welsh Cakes

Welsh cakes are not to be confused with drop scones. I’m serious. It’s something we are prepared to fight over. Call them anything other than what they are and they may be withheld from you. You’ve been warned.

If you haven’t had one, Welsh cakes are heaven bundled up into one delicious mouthful. Sprinkled with sugar and dotted with raisins they are sweet, sugary and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. Some people have them with butter, cream or jam (heathens) but I think they are better on their own. These were made by my grandmother from a family recipe that won many a school Eisteddfod competition in their time. I’m hoping she will pass on her wisdom, because they are honestly the best Welsh cakes I have ever had the privilege of scoffing.

REVIEW: The Hours by Michael Cunningham and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Summer Reads pt.1)

The summer holidays are almost over, and I’m back from warmer climes. Santorini and Crete were heavenly, and although I don’t have the tan to prove it, they were both very warm. As always, I wasn’t half as organised as I thought I was. On route to the airport I realised I hadn’t packed Jacob’s Folly by Rebecca Miller. Luckily, I had brought along the #GGBookClub’s July/August read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, so there wasn’t (much) danger of me running out of material while I was away. Here are my thoughts on my Summer Reads:

MISC: Summer Season

I’ve been away in August for a little break. Its been months since I spent any real quality time with my family and the opportunity was too good to miss out on. The Greek islands are one of my favourite places in the world, almost like a second home. We spent a few nights in Santorini before heading over to Crete. Rethmyno is food heaven. The restaraunts are mouth-wateringly good. The frozen yogurt and ice-cream (with black cherries and white chocolate sauce) is ridiculous. It’s also one of the most beautiful towns in Crete. The fortress, the harbour, the churches, the little alleyways and shops and bakers- they are all worth a visit.

Here are some of the highlights from my trip!

 

 

Reviews: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell and The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I don’t think I’ve read much YA fiction since my John Green binge last year, but after reading Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl as part of the Girl Gang Book Club, I had the itch to read more. So I picked up Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On and Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere at my trusty local library. I had heard a lot of positive things about both books on Goodreads and I was interested to see if my views were the same.

READING PLACES: Beerwolf

If you ever take a trip down south to the magical land of Cornwall, then you need to visit Falmouth. It’s one of the places I feel most at home and although small it has the most amazing collection of independent bars, restaraunts and shops. Beerwolf could be my favourite. It’s a bar and bookshop combined, and if there was ever a mix that could beat tea and books, it would be books and cider. I’ve spent many afternoons and evenings reclining in the benches, settle on repurposed cinema chairs, wistfully watching other people play ping-pong and lamenting at my lack of hand-eye co-ordination.

The dolls suspended from the rafters might seem a little off putting, but they are easy to ignore. There’s an extensive collection of beers and ciders on tap, but if you’re not interested in a pint they do a mean cappucino as well.

The only downfall for me is that having left university I live so far away.

 

REVIEWS: First Novel by Nicholas Royle, We The Animals by Justin Torres and Mislaid by Nell Zink

I seem to be burning my way through more books than I can review at the moment. We all go through phases where we can’t stop reading, and recently it seems as if I can barely pause for breath before plunging into the next book. On the one hand, its great because I’ve been making my way through some really brilliant novels but on the other hand, it means that by the time I get around to writing the review three or four books have blurred into one. So, I thought frome time to time I would do some mini reviews instead.

The three books Mislaid by Nell Zink, First Novel by Nicholas Royle and We The Animals by Justin Torres are particularly special because they are the first items I’ve checked out from Central Library with my brand new library card. I picked the books up after reading their blurbs.

BOOKISH BITES: Tea Treasures

Oh no, more tea. I could pretend to be repentant but I’m really not. I got this eclectic mix of teas from two separate TK Maxx stores on the same day for bargain prices. So everyone knows, I didn’t go on some wild search for tea. It just happened, which might sound like the reasoning of an addict, but is actually true. Anyway here are the teas I picked out:

1. High Ground Kenyan Loose Leaf by Williamson Tea
2. Classic Ayurvedic Spice Infusion by Yogi Tea
3. Natursan Alla Vaniglia (vanilla) by La Via Del Te

I am particularly excited about the Kenyan tea. I’ve wanted a Williamson elephant tea caddy for so long and I’ve been looking to try some Kenyan tea for a while too so this will tide me over until I get my hands on the elephant! I’ve tried the Yogi tea already and it’s so good. It has an amazing kick of cardamom that perks you up. Each teabag also has a little mindfulness quote on the label which was a nice surprise. I can’t wait to get into the rest!

Jerry Spinelli, Stargirl (2000)

BOOKISH FINDS: The Hours and If Nobody Speak of Remarkable Things

I fell off the wagon. If I’m completely honest I wasn’t trying particularly hard to stay on. Books are being hoarded under my bed now that there’s no more room on my shelf which some might say is a sign to stop, but those people are wrong. Or at least I’m pretending they are. Anyway, I picked up these two books at Oxfam so although I felt guilty about breaking my self-imposed ban at least the money was going to a good cause!