Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a great New Years Eve. We had a quiet night at home with grandparent’s playing a few of the games the kids got at Christmas, including Monopoly which got interesting as everyone was surprisingly competitive.
I thought I’d share a few bookish New Year’s Resolutions that I’m hoping to stick to this year:
Read for fun! It’s OK to DNF a book
Don’t panic if you feel you are not reading a book fast enough – you can always post other bookish content.
Try not to take on too many blog tours/ read-a-longs. Remember you’ve enjoyed reading what you fancy.
Remember to update Goodreads
Listen to more audiobooks
Try not to buy too many books (probably not going to happen)
Do more reels on Instagram as you enjoy them and don’t worry about the views!
There are so many great books coming out this year and I’m so excited to read them all. I have quite a few January books to read which I’ll be sharing later this week and I’m hoping to be more disciplined with my reading so I get to read them all!
Good morning everyone and Happy New Year for later! I can’t believe it’s the end of another year. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone again for all their support this year. I started this blog just under 7 years ago, never thinking that I’d get one follower never mind the amount I’ve managed to gain on the various platforms I’m on.
Here are some of the fantastic books I received before Christmas:
The Trade Off by Sadie Jones
Holmes, Marple and Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sittis
The Widow’s Choice by Nancy Revell
One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain
The Hunter by Tina French
Every Move You Make by C.L Taylor
Quint by Robert Lautner
The Hidden Queen by Peter V Brett
Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear
Anna O by Matthew Blake
The Principle Of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
Fruit Of The Dead by Rachel Lyon
The Philosophy Of Love by Rebecca Ryan
As you can see from this pile i’m a bit of an eclectic reader and tend to read a variety of different books. I’m so excited to read all of these soon as they all sound really good. Huge thanks to all the publicist’s for sending me copies of these books and to the lovely Claire from Always Need More Books for my giveaway win of Holmes, Marple and Poe.
Good morning everyone and happy New Year’s Eve Eve (is that a thing?).
I read Wanderlust by Elle Everhart earlier this year and absolutely loved travelling around all the different countries with the characters. One of the standout parts was the character’s visit to Japan which sounded like an amazing country and has just increased my determination to get there.
When I heard about Abroad In Japan I was immediately intrigued as I wanted to learn more about what it was like living there and to live precariously through someone else. I’ve heard lots of great things about this book so I’m excited to read it soon.
Has a book ever made you want to visit a country? If so which one?
Wanderlust by Elle Everhart
Two rivals. Seven countries. Could this be their chance to fall in love?
Dylan Coughlan has just won a trip around the world. The catch? Her travel partner is a random contact from her phone.
And it’s Jack ‘the Posho’, the man she accidentally ghosted. The two couldn’t be more different, and as the trip kicks off, Jack seems like he’d sooner fling himself into the sun than have a conversation with Dylan which does not bode well for her travel blog. She has to create a hit column documenting her travels…and her love life.
Dylan’s willing to do anything, even if it means embellishing her budding relationship. But as the column’s popularity grows, so does the bond between Dylan and Jack. There’s no denying the fire burning between them.
Will Dylan finally let her heart take flight or will she and Jack come down to Earth with a bump?
The glorious sizzling TikTok rom com perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey.
Abroad In Japan by Chris Broad
When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he’d made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan’s history?
Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that came with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world’s most complex cultures.
Spanning ten years and all forty-seven prefectures, Chris takes us from the lush rice fields of the countryside to the frenetic neon-lit streets of Tokyo. With blockbuster moments such as a terrifying North Korean missile incident, a mortifying experience at a love hotel and a week spent with Japan’s biggest movie star, Abroad in Japan is an extraordinary and informative journey through the Land of the Rising Sun.
I’ve made 3000 followers on Instagram and, as promised, I have a giveaway to celebrate.
I have one of these beautiful Yoshi book keyrings to giveaway to one lucky winner. There are lots of different options available and the winner can choose which one they’d like.
To enter: ❤️ Follow me on Instagram (don’t follow to unfollow it’s mean) 💛Comment on the post with your favourite book of 2023 💚Tag 3 friends 💜For an extra entry share to your Instagram story tagging me so I can see it for 24 hours
Giveaway closes at 17h00 on the 1st January 2024. The winner must be willing to share their address and I will contact them from THIS account only. Giveaway on Instagram only. Link to my profile below.
Good luck everyone and thank you for all your support!
Good morning everyone, it’s not too late for a Christmas challenge right? I hope not as I have a Christmas Carol Challenge for you today. I saw this on Instagram and knew I had to join in.
🎄 The Ghost Of Christmas Past (a book you’ve loved this year)
I’ve had a really good reading year and have read some fantastic books. The two that stand out for me though are In Memoriam by Alice Winn and The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers. Both of these are books I recommend often to others and are on my list for the best books I’ve ever read.
👻 The Ghost Of Christmas Present (A book I’m currently reading)
I’m currently reading two books at the moment which are very different to each other. Why Mummy Drinks At Christmas by Gill Sims and Godkiller by Hannah Kaner. I had planned to just read the Gill Sims book which I’m finding a fun easy read but whilst browsing in the book shop I read a little bit of Godkiller and was immediately hooked. When I got home I searched out my copy and couldn’t stop reading it.
🎁 The Ghost Of Christmas Future (A book I’m looking forward to reading)
There’s so many amazing sounding books coming out on 2024 that I’m excited for but these two are probably the two I’m most looking forward to. I was a huge fan of Jo Callaghan’s first book, In The Blink Of An Eye, so I can’t wait to read more in the series. The Book Of Doors is a book I’ve been hearing lots about and I’m hoping to read it very soon as I’m very intrigued.
What book or books are you most looking forward to next year?
Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker needs a family Christmas to bury her woes, with festive films, country walks and a mountain of chocolate.
Her teenage crush Dev is back in their small village as well – and it turns out he’s just as kind, funny and good-looking as she remembers.
But then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas all over again. She’s trapped in a snowy Groundhog Day. But would repeat meet-cutes with Dev really be so bad for a heart that needs mending?
My Review:
The Christmas Wish is a fun, festive and romantic read that is perfect for reading at this time of year.
Firstly I absolutely loved Gwen and enjoyed following her throughout the book. She was such a fun, relatable character and her thoughts or observations often made me laugh out loud. It was really heartwarming to see her try and find herself while trying to help her family with their problems too. Her relationship with her cousin was so wonderful and I found myself wising that I knew them both in real life. I loved that they always stood up for each other and helped each other too.
The story had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. Every Christmas day that Gwen experiences is slightly different and helps throw some new light on her family’s problems. Gwen’s romantic moments with Dev, her old childhood crush, were wonderful to watch unfold, though frustrating at times when you realised he wouldn’t remember any of it.
The ending was brilliant and I liked that the author kept the story going so the reader knows what happened next. I thought there was a lovely message behind the story that you never know what people are struggling with in private.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be reading more from this author in future. If you’re looking for a really romantic, festive read I highly recommend this one.
About The Author:
Lindsey Kelk is the internationally bestselling author of books including I Heart New York, On A Night Like This, The Christmas Wish, and One in a Million.
As well as writing books, Lindsey co-hosts Tights and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network. She also hosts and produces the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage.
Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and three very rude cats.
Good morning everyone I hope you all had a good Christmas. We did, it was a bit hectic with three kids but we had a great time.
Today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books by one of my favourite authors Rebecca Ryan! I absolutely loved My (Extra) Ordinary Life when I read it and rate it as one of my favourite books ever. I was therefore incredibly excited to be invited onto the blog tour for her new book The Philosophy Of Love. As you can imagine I’m very excited to read it soon – though I’m still hoping for a sequel to My Extra Ordinary Life as I’d love to read more about Emily!
Out 01 February 2024.
Do you have a book character you wanted to spend more time with?
The Philosophy Of Life
What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole?
Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers.
Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else.
So the two decide to make a bet: they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does.
But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?
My (Extra) Ordinary Life
For Emily – it’s true. When she watches a documentary on the average human she sees her life. Her job, her hair, her favourite food. All of her – plainly, horrifically average. Even her blood group. Right there and then, she decides she wants more.
She’ll travel the world (i.e. venture out of her hometown)
She’ll become a vegan (it’s interesting to hate cheese, right?)
She’ll do something daring (As long as it’s safety tested)
Nothing will stand in the way of Emily living her best life. Not even Josh and his dimples. Because she absolutely can’t fall in love… that would be too ordinary.
And from now on, Emily is going to be extraordinary.
Good morning everyone and Happy Christmas Eve. It seems like a good time to start this book today! I have loved all of her previous books and found them hilarious so I’m really looking forward to this one.
Huge thanks to Indie Thinking for sending me a copy of this book.
This is my last post before Christmas so I also want to say a huge thanks to everyone for supporting me this year and I wish you a Merry Christmas!
Book Synopsis:
Mummy has always loved Christmas. Sure, the kids turn into demons, the dinner gets burnt to a crisp and Aunt Louisa’s general staggering inappropriateness sends Mummy reaching for the nearest maximum-strength festive tipple, but nevertheless, for her, Christmas is always special.
This year, she wants nothing more than to perfectly fig up the pudding and sit by the fire reading aloud from A Christmas Carol to a rapt, rosy-cheeked audience. But, just like all Mummy’s best-laid plans, this year’s Festive Vision is in danger of being totally derailed by her chaotic family. There’s not much chance of any action under the mistletoe, and the kids are just not playing ball.
Can Mummy find her silver lining after all and bring the whole family together for one moment of harmony, so they can finally proclaim ‘Verily You Are the Queen of Christmas’? Or should she get stuck into the festive spirits and just let it all go?
Gill Sims’ book ‘The Saturday Night Sauvignon Sisterhood’ was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 16-05-2022.
About The Author:
Gill Sims is the author of the hugely successful parenting blog and Facebook site ‘Peter and Jane’. Her first book,Why Mummy Drinks, was the bestselling hardback fiction debut of 2017, spending over six months in the top ten of the Sunday Times bestsellers chart, and was shortlisted for Debut Novel of the Year in the British Book Awards. The four Why Mummy titles have sold nearly a million copies across all formats to date and are published in eighteen territories worldwide.
She lives in Scotland with her husband, two children and two Border terriers, because apparently one terrier didn’t cause her enough trouble.
Gill’s interests include drinking wine, wasting time on social media, trying and failing to recapture her lost youth and looking for one of the dogs when he decides to go on one of his regular jaunts, while trying to stop the other one eating unspeakable things.
Good morning everyone and happy Saturday. It’s been hectic at work this week and one of the things I’ve most enjoyed is giving book recommendations to people.
Here are some of my present recommendations:
❤️ Murder At Maybridge Castle by Ada Moncrieff 🧡The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa 💛I May Be Wrong by Bjorn Natthiko Lindeblad 💚 Conviction by Jack Jordan 💙Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 🩵Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa 💜My (Extra) Ordinary Life by Rebecca Ryan 💟Still Life by Sarah Winman 🩷Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi 💞The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore 🤍 Talking At Night by Claire Daverley 🖤Tom Lake by Ann Pratchett 🩶In Memoriam by Alice Winn
It’s my youngest son’s 6th birthday today so we’re having a family day followed by food at my mum’s later before I’m working all day Christmas Eve.
Over The Rainbow Blog 