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Watching a great period drama is one of my favourite ways to unwind. I’ve seen almost all of them – from Shakespearean drama to Life on Mars. Whether it’s pure fiction or based on real historical events, I love escaping into another time period for a bit. The only downside is the inevitable period drama hangover: that horrible time after its finished when all I want to do is jump back into that world again. Thankfully, that’s where books come in!
January 23, 2017
0 CommentsIt’s an all too rare occurrence that I find myself sacrificing sleep to keep the characters in my ears. The Goldfinch was such a book and, despite what I considered an all-too-soap-box-y ending, I thought it was wonderful. Two things happen when I enjoy a book to that extent. One, I insist everyone around me get a copy. (If too much resistance is shown, copies are procured as gifts). Two, I’m ravenous to pursue the author’s other works. To devour their back catalogue, to feel all shaken and entranced once again.
November 28, 2016
0 CommentsIt's Hug a Bear Day! If you've read the blog before, you might have caught that I'm a huge Winnie-the-Pooh fan. Well, I'll confess to you now, that whilst Winnie-the-Pooh might be my favourite literary bear, I love a lot of bears. By which I mean fictional bears, and cuddly bears, and fictional bears that you'd really like to cuddle.
November 7, 2016
0 CommentsWe've picked The Owl & The Pussy Cat by Edward Lear as it's such good fun. Some poems are profound and others are silly (this one's definitely silly), and it's important to remember that there's poetry out there for everyone! Whether you write it, read it or listen to it, poetry can have a really valuable place in your life.
October 6, 2016
0 CommentsBack in May, Bill Gates dropped five books he would recommend that you read. This week Barack Obama has offered us his summer reading choices. And why not be influenced in what to read next by your favourite celeb? You like them, so maybe you'll like their reading choices too!
August 17, 2016
0 CommentsSunday 7th August is International Friendship Day, so this post honours great friends in books.
August 7, 2016
0 CommentsAudiobooks have so many things going for them and there's loads of articles out there about their recent rise in popularity. But what if you're yet to give audiobooks a try? Or don't know what they can offer you? Well let these reasons persuade you. And for all current audiobook listeners, this post is about revelling in the vast array of benefits audiobooks have and maybe discovering some new perks.
July 26, 2016
0 CommentsJames Runcie is a popular crime writer. As an author, he's best known for his series of books about the crime solving vicar Sidney Chambers, which has been adapted by ITV into the Grantchester series. James chatted to Holly Newson about what it’s like to see your work on screen, his favourite authors and what he learnt about writing and fame from making documentaries about J.K. Rowling and Hilary Mantel.
July 19, 2016
0 CommentsRachel Abbott launched her first novel Only the Innocent in November 2011. The book was self-published in the UK through Amazon, and reached the number one spot in the Kindle store just over three months later. Since then, Rachel has written a further five best-selling novels.
July 13, 2016
0 CommentsThis week is National School Sport Week. It's here to encourage school children to participate more in PE and sport. Sometimes we can all do with a little inspiration to get involved with sport, so we've picked out some books for a variety of ages to get you sweating... or thinking about sweating at least!
June 20, 2016
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