Over the last few weeks I’ve been reading The Sapphire Widow by Dinah Jefferies. You may remember the author’s name as I really enjoy reading her books and have reviewed some of them here over the last few years. Today I wanted to tell you a little about her latest book, The Sapphire Widow. The Sapphire Widow by Dinah Jefferies Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child. While Louisa struggles…
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Last week I told you about the Book of Dust Volume 1: La Belle Sauvage. Today I’m telling you about another book I would recommend The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay. Back in 2015 I read The Bronte Plot, also by Katherine Reay, which I really loved. so I was pretty excited to hear she’s written another book as I really enjoyed her style. The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay I received a copy of The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay via NetGalley. I had trouble downloading it initially but had another go and read it in a few days. Sometimes I forget…
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The Book of Dust is a story in three parts. The first part, La Belle Sauvage, is set 10 years before the events of His Dark Materials, and the rest of the story takes place 20 years after that. Did you know that the Book of Dust was published 22 years after Northern Lights was published in 1995? I’m not sure where the years have gone but I loved His Dark Materials, so I was excited when Penguin Random House sent me a copy of La Belle Sauvage to read. I received it over Christmas but it was such a hectic time I didn’t really get into it.…
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I love receiving happy mail and was delighted to receive a small parcel containing a copy of D.I.Y. Dollshouse. I wasn’t sure if it was for me or my children but we’ve all been enjoying reading it. D.I.Y. Dollshouse: Build and Decorate a Toy House Using Everyday Materials is a lavishly illustrated guide for budding architects, builders, and designers, showing them how to build and furnish their own eco-friendly dollhouse using only items found around the house or available for free. Author Alexia Henrion has created a fun-filled book that is all about recycling, re-using and re-purposing. She provides simple…
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I’m pretty sure that all parents of small children will have read at least one book my Michael Rosen to their child. Mine adored We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and still do. Last year we visited the Discover Children’s Story Centre in London to explore Michael Rosen’s exhibition Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake & Bad Things. It was amazing so i was excited to hear about Michael Rosen’s new book, Chocolate Cake. When I was a boy, I had a favourite treat. It was when my mum made . . .CHOCOLATE CAKE! Fantastically funny and full of silly noises, this is award…
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Can you smell the Summer holidays? I can! Today I’m taking part in the book tour for The Summer of Serendipity by Ali McNamara. Read on for my review of this great summer time read, and for your chance to win a copy. The Summer of Serendipity One summer, property seeker, Serendipity Parker finds herself on the beautiful west coast of Ireland, hunting for a home for a wealthy Irish client. But when she finds the perfect house in the small town of Ballykiltara, there’s a problem; nobody seems to know who owns it. ‘The Welcome House’ is a local legend.…
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My 7 year old loves Minecraft. It was the first computer game he played and he still plays it today. This is usually a reward for doing his homework and helping around the house. He likes nothing better than playing it with his Dad. I have to be honest and admit to not knowing how to play. My 5 year old plays too but my 7 year old has Minecraft books, toys and even clothes. It’s fair to say he is a huge fan. Minecraft Master Builder Toolkit We have received a few Minecraft books so I thought I would…
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As I went up to see my daughter for the umpteenth time last night I realised how quickly she is growing up. Despite school, a playdate, a karate lesson and shower she was NOT tired. We asked her to lie down in bed for 10 minutes before she got up to play. I let her play for a while before going back up to ask her to go to bed. This was at 9.30pm! She’s only 5 years old! It’s fair to say she knows her own mind, which is why I knew she would enjoy This is Not a…
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Amanda Blake Soule was one of the first bloggers I discovered and enjoyed reading back in 2005 (when I first started my own blog too!). She is a mother of five, blog and book writer, magazine editor, and maker of all kinds of things. On her blog, Soulemama, she shares tales of her family homesteading adventures from her old farmhouse in Western Maine. She is the author of three books: The Creative Family, Handmade Home, and The Rhythm of Family. I have the first two and I admit they have influenced how I play with my own children. So I…
