Review: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

January 9, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

Opening sentence: “Imagine you’re a bird.” This book gave me one of my, ‘I’m so glad I read this’ moments. I’d heard a few mixed reviews about The Bookish Life of Nina Hill over on Bookstagram and almost didn’t read it, but the gorgeous cover illustration and lure of finding out more about Nina’s (anyone’s, […]

Does the length of a book put you off reading it?

October 3, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

I randomly came across this interesting little site called ReadingLength.com. It uses 300 words per minute as an average reading speed to calculate how long it will take you to read a book. This interested me as, I have to admit, sometimes if I pick up a book and it’s a hefty tome, I do […]

My Author Birthday Sandwich

September 14, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

Yes, quite the intriguing blog title, isn’t it? What I actually mean by it is that my birthday (today: 14th September – Happy Birthday to me!) happens to fall right in the middle of the birthdays of two of my favourite authors. I mean, what are the chances? Let me explain… On September 13th 1916, […]

The Importance of the Opening Sentence.

August 27, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

It has the power to decide if a book is read or not. By me anyway… You may have noticed that for each book I review, I record the opening sentence. When I read it back, months, even years later, sometimes the opening line is all it takes to evoke the whole feel of the […]

Do you use reading as escapism?

July 14, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” – W. Somerset Maugham I recently came across this quote and it got me thinking. You often hear it said that reading is a great tool for escapism; just pick up a book and be […]

Opinion: DNF

November 20, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

DNF: Did Not Finish. Three words I never like to say about my reading choices. I can be quite selective when deciding on a book, which means that those three little letters weren’t really a reality for me. BUT a few recent dreary reads (some I couldn’t even be bothered to review) have made me […]

June Wrap Up / July TBR

July 1, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

From a book festival to a blog tour, I’ve had quite the bookish June! I also managed to read some highly enjoyable books: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness Happier Thinking by Lana Grace Riva Not Working by Lisa Owens The Chalk Man by CJ […]