THAT’S A WRAP : June 2019

So June happened. I’ve been expecting this heat wave to finally break, but apart from a few overcast days that were uncomfortably muggy, my poor Welsh personage hasn’t had a chance to cool down. I’ve been demolishing as much ice cream as I can get my hands on which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’ve also remembered that the summer months mean pollen and pollen can only mean one thing: hay-fever. It’s no coincidence that I am a bookworm who prefers to bury myself under the covers, and while I thought it would be nice to take a book outside for a change, I have been reminded that I’m actually quite allergic to the outdoors. No lying in the grass to read for me.

It’s not all bad news though, I’ve managed to read some pretty good books this month!

REVIEW: Promising Young Women by Caroline O’Donoghue

Caroline O’Donoghue’s debut Promising Young Women is a novel that will speak to women who have felt the pressure to achieve, to work hard and play hard, women who have struggled to have their voices heard in male dominated industries without being accused of being hysterical or cold. It will speak to young women who have found themselves in situations they aren’t quite ready to handle, women who would rather burn out than openly admit that they are struggling, because struggling proves that you aren’t good enough (and you’ve been telling yourself that anyway).

That’s A Wrap: May 2019

Another month over and it feels as if we’ve been propelled in to summer without much warning. I’m not sure what I was expecting really, considering it’s June, but as a former resident of the green and rainy isle of Wales, I’ve learnt not to take the seasons for granted. Back home, we don’t always get a summer. Sometimes if we’re lucky we get a weird last minute heatwave at the end of September, as if the weather’s suddenly woken up and realised it was supposed to be doing something different between March and October, but most of the time its either mild and rainy, or cold and rainy. I’ve gone off on a meteorological tangent here, but what I’m trying to say is summer’s here. Let the lazy outdoor reading commence!

MISC: Reading List Round-up 2017 & 2018 Reading List

The last couple of years I’ve set myself a reading list to tick off. The goal is to read some books on my TBR that are dusted in cobwebs, or pick up a book that I normally wouldn’t. The problem is that I rarely stick to it. So many books get published each year that catch my eye. Books get given to me, or I buy them spontaneously (it’s about the only spontaneous thing I do) and even though I have the best intentions, sometimes telling yourself ‘I have to read this book’ can put you off.

BOOKISH FINDS: Camden

Camden Town is a great place to visit. It’s vibrant and busy and packed full of interesting cuisines and shops, and vintage clothes. It has everything you could want, including a Waterstones. I’ve been in a few times, just to admire the books. In the fiction section downstairs you can heard the distant rumble of the Tubes racing by, and it’s a quiet refuge from the bustle if you’re not a huge fan of crowds. I went in last week to buy my soon to be brother-in-law David Rodigan’s autobiography for his birthday, because I’m one of those pushy bookworms that tries to sneak literature into most celebrations, and I couldn’t help buying something for myself as well.

MISC: 100 Followers Giveaway

100 followers to me is a very big milestone, and to celebrate I wanted to give back to all the lovely people who have read my posts, liked them, commented on them or just had a little poke around. I did think about doing this over on my Twitter, but it seemed more appropriate to do it here. So, I’m giving away a copy of my favourite book The Perks of Being a Wallflower and my favourite read of 2017 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

How do I enter you ask? Well here are the rules:

• You have to comment on this post and tell me what your favourite book is and why
• You must comment on this post on or before the 17th October 2017. Late entries won’t be accepted.
• Only one entry will be accepted per person.
• You don’t need to be a follower of the blog, but feel free to follow if you like what you see!
• You must be a UK resident over the age of 16
• You must be happy to provide a shipping address if successful.
• Only one entrant will be selected to win both books (I wish I had more, I’m sorry)

I’ll announce the winner on the 18th October 2017 and once I’ve got the shipping address I will send out the copies ASAP. I am moving next week so I’ve timed this wonderfully (not) but I will let the winner know when I’ve sent the books so they know when to expect them!

So what’s your favourite book and why?

TOP TEN TUESDAY- 3rd October 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a different topic that one of their bloggers answers, and they invite others to join in, by posting their answers as a comment of by creating their own blog post.

I’ve missed out on the last few weeks of Top Ten Tuesday, but I’m back and looking forward to sharing this weeks picks! The topic is Top Ten Book Boyfriends/Girlfriends (which characters do you have crushes on?), but I’m picking characters who have a special little place in my heart.

BOOKISH FINDS: Feminist Fiction, Mesmerising Mags and Sunny Socks

After two year of part-time study, furiously writing and re-writing, reading and analysing, I’ve finally finished my Masters, and although I’m relieved and proud of what I’ve achieved, and excited to be let loose on whatever books I choose, I am a little bit sad. For a while now it’s been my main focus, and without it I feel a little adrift. So to cheer myself up I did what I do naturally; I bought some books.

WWW WEDNESDAY- 13th September 2017

WWW is hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Each Wednesday book enthusiasts share their reads by answering three questions:

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

It’s been a few weeks since I took part in WWW Wednesday, so here is a run down of what I’ve read in the last few weeks.

REVIEWS: Which came first, the book or the TV show? Reviewing Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Its very rare that I watch a film or TV adaptation before the book. I often end up missing out on seeing things at the cinema, or watching shows when they’re on because I haven’t had a chance to read the books first. It’s why I still haven’t seen Room, and why I raced through the A Song of Ice and Fire series (because I was not missing that, the night is dark and full of spoilers after all). The book is a reader’s chance to experience the author’s vision in its truest form, and I like to get to grips with that vision before being confronted by a more condensed interpretation.