• Colourful Fun Embroidery
    What I'm reading

    Colourful Fun Embroidery by Clare Albans

    June 16, 2020 - By 

    I seem to have my reading mojo back in the last week or two. I set myself to read 35 books this year as part of a Goodreads reading challenge and so far I’ve read 9. I love to read a mixture of fiction and non-fiction and my latest read is Colourful Fun Embroidery: Featuring 24 modern projects to bring joy and happiness to your life! by Clare Alban. I love a sewing book and this was a fun read. Disclosure – thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. Colourful Fun Embroidery by Clare Alban Take time out to be…

  • Win a signed copy of The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies
    competition - What I'm reading

    Win a signed copy of The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies

    May 14, 2019 - By 

    I love it when I find an author I enjoy and discover they’ve written lots of books! One such author is Dinah Jefferies who write historical novels set in exotic parts of the old British Empire, such as The Sapphire Widow or The Tea Planter’s Wife. I recently finished reading her latest book, The Missing Sister, set in 1930s Burma. The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies A stolen sister. A daughter determined to uncover the truth. Belle Hatton has embarked upon an exciting new life far from home: a glamorous job as a nightclub singer in 1930s Burma, with a…

  • The Doll Factory book cover
    What I'm reading

    The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal {book review}

    January 13, 2019 - By 

    Image credit I love getting lost in a good book and I am delighted to share with you my first book review of 2019, The Doll Factory, the debut novel by Elizabeth Macneal. It’s an intoxicating story of art, obsession and possession set against a backdrop of The Great Exhibition in London. I thought the cover was very appealing, featuring a bell jar full of objects which appear in the novel – a butterfly, an iris, a girl, mouse, peacock feather – all trapped inside. The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal London. 1850. The Great Exhibition is being erected in…

  • How the Light Gets In
    book review - Family Life - London

    How the Light Gets In {book review}

    June 19, 2018 - By 

    How the Light Gets In is the exciting new book from award winning short story writer and novelist, Clare Fisher. You may remember that I reviewed her debut novel All the Good Things last year. From the publishers that brought you Attrib and Other Stories by Eley Williams, How the Light Gets In is another spellbinding short story collection. How the Light Gets In by Clare Fisher A book of very short stories that explores the spaces between light and dark and how we find our way from one to the other. From buffering Skype chats and the truth about beards, to fried chicken shops and the…

  • book review - Family Life - What I'm reading

    The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

    March 3, 2018 - By 

    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…

  • Alethiometers and daemons
    book review - Family Life - What I'm reading

    Alethiometers and daemons {La Belle Sauvage}

    February 26, 2018 - By 

    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.…

  • D.I.Y. Dollshouse by Alexia Henrion
    book review - Craft book review - homestyle - What I'm reading

    D.I.Y. Dollshouse by Alexia Henrion

    October 14, 2017 - By 

    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…

  • The Summer of Serendipity book review
    book review - competition - homestyle - What I'm reading

    The Summer of Serendipity {review and giveaway}

    July 20, 2017 - By 

    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.…

  • Minecraft books to help you through the Summer holidays
    book review - homestyle - What I'm reading

    Minecraft books to help you through the Summer holidays

    July 19, 2017 - By 

    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…