STAY AT HOME BOOK TAG

I recently came across the Stay at home book tag over on Evie Jayne's blog who I've recently started following for reading and book related posts. The tag is created by Princess of paperback over on YouTube. 

I've decided to join in as I love anything book related and it looks a fun tag.

1. Laying in bed – a book you read in one day 

There are many books I've read in a space of 48 hours. But the ones that spring to mind when it comes to in the space of a day, are by Cara Hunter. I absolutely love thrillers and they are my go to genre. I've read 3 of Cara Hunters books with the 4th currently sat on my tbr pile. I love how gripping and fast paced her books are.

2. Snacking – a book that is a ‘guilty pleasure’ read.

I'm not sure I'd call it a guilty pleasure exactly but there is a book that since I've been a teen I've read a few times and that is Before I die by Jenny Downham. It's such a heartbreaking and life affirming read its actually been awhile since I've reread it. The first time I read it I was 15 and then I read it again in my late teens and again in my early 20s. I can't bear to get rid of it when I cull my books. 

3. Netflix – a series that you want to start

I've watched Shadowhunters on Netflix and definitely want to read the book series by Cassandra Clare. There are some other series I want to read which aren't on Netflix or made into shows they are all the same kind of fantasy genre though:

- Games of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

-  A court of thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

- The Lunar chronicles  by Marissa Mayer 

- The Thrones of glass By Sarah J Maas

- Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

4. Deep clean – a book that has been on your TBR for ages.

There are a good few books that have been on my tbr list for awhile and I've only got copies of them this year. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott , Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and The Belle Jar by Sylvia Plath are all classics that I've just never got round to reading although I plan to read them all this year. 

 5. Animal Crossing – a book you recently bought because of the hype.

There are 3 that spring to mind the first is The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary which I've absolutely loved and definitely worth the hype in my opinion. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell I've seen frequently in some of the book groups I'm in and I absolutely loved that one as well. The last one is Half a world away by Mike Gayle which I've yet to read but is on my tbr pile after seeing it in a few groups as a must read.

6. Productivity – a book you learned from or had an impact on you.

The book I can say that has has the biggest impact on me is a very recent one. I only picked it up last week and it's Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig. It's honestly one of the best books you will read if you have a mental illness, struggled with mental illness in the past or even know someone who does/has. 

7. Facetime – a book you were gifted

 I am very particular about books and very rarely let people choose them for me, hence why I have an Amazon wishlist dedicated to books. Stuart however gift ed me two classics for Christmas last year that I'm excited to read. The first is Little Women that I mentioned above that has been on my tbr for ages. Then there is Rebecca by Dephane Du Maurier.

8. Self care – what is one thing you have done recently to look after yourself

I've been making sure I have time to myself to read each day.  I also love having a relaxing bath and facemask at least once a week. 

BONUS – An upcoming release you are looking forward to.

There are quite a few that I've got my eye on:

- The Book Of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult - 

( October 20th 2020)

- Liar by Lesley Pearse (June 25th 2020)

- All The Lonely People by Mark Gayle (July 23rd 2020)

- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 

( August 20th 2020)

- Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell ( August 6th 2020) 

I tag:

Vicki at Tippytupps 
Debbie at My Random Musings 
Kathleen at Kathleen Jowitt 
Sophie at Funnily Enough
Plus anyone else who wants to join in.

April Reads

April has come and gone and I've had another month of  great reads. This month I've got trough 4 books and two magazines. Luckily most of what I've read this month I've really enjoyed.

So what have I read in March:


The woman who stole my life by Marian Keyes 

This was my first book that I read in April and one that I found to be a disappointment. I usual love Marian Keyes books so to find one that I didn't enjoy as much as I hoped was certainly a disappointing start to my month of reads. 

"Stella Sweeney is back in Dublin. After living the dream in New York for a year - touring her self-help book, appearing on talk shows all over the USA and living it up in her 10-room duplex on the Upper West Side - she's back to normality with a bang. And she's got writer's block.

Stella wants a clean break as she didn't exactly leave New York on a high. Why is she back in Ireland so soon? Who is it who keeps calling? Stella wants to get back to being the woman she used to be. But can she? And should she?"

I just couldn't get on with any of the characters and I found the storyline to be poor I'm surprised I continued and finished the book in all fairness.

If you have read this book I'd love to know your thoughts on it and if it's just me who couldn't get on with it.






In the moment magazine

I've decided to stop purchasing this magazine as I definitely prefer breathe. I've found that having read two issues of in the moment magazine I'm not enjoying the content as much, where i feel breathe has more articles that I can relate too. However from this copy of In the moment I enjoyed the article on finding yourself in a good book along with some pod cast reccomendations. There are also a cute happy notes book which came with it which i love.

Breathe Magazine 

There are some many fab articles in this issue including how to say yes, the power of anger, conscious eating, living with clastrophobia and more.  I even loved just flipping through and looking at the gorgeous artwork. 

A Gathering light by Jennifer Donnelly 

Based on a real murder at the turn of the century this a moving novel. Although not like the type of thrillers/crime stories I love to read I did enjoy this book.  I found it to be an easy read and finished it within a day.  It's a YA historical novel and I must admit a genre I actually do enjoy reading about. 

When Mattie is given letters by a guest at the hotel where she has a summer job, she thinks the guest is simply upset. But when the woman is found drowned next day, Mattie must decide whether she will read them, or burn them as requested. A touching funny surprising novel set in 1906 and based on a true story.


The characters of Grace Brown and Chester Gillette, as well as the facts of Grace's murder in the Adirondacks and the fishing out of her body from the waters of the Big Moose Lake, are actually real people and events although the character Mattie is fictional.

Close to home by Cara Hunter

This book has to be my favourite from this month's reads. Close to Home is part of the Richard and Judy book club and I can see why they chose it. Close to Home features many twists and turns along the way and is a gripping novel. 

Eight year old Daisy Mason goes missing at a family party, no one saw anything- well that's what they are saying. DI Adam Fawley tries to keep an open mind but knows 9 times out of 10 it's someone the victim knew. That means someone is lying.

I was gripped throughout the book and hardly dared put the book down as I just wanted to keep reading til the very end. This is a fantastic debut by Cara Hunter and I can't wait for more of her books and read more of the DI Adam Fawley series.

In a dark, dark wood by Ruth Ware

It's an enjoyable thriller definitely not as good as Close to home or some of the others I have read. This is the only book I've read by Ruth Ware and I'm definitely interested in what her other novels are like.

Nora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.

Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind.

But something goes wrong. Very wrong.

Some things can’t stay secret for ever. 

The spooky setting really helps make the tension in the book between some of the characters. There are a few twists and turns and I did find myself guessing a few of the things that would happen correctly. 

Message in a Bottle

Around April time I was given the opportunity to be a part of the launch team for a beautiful personalised book Message in a Bottle this project started out on Kickstarter and now 5 months later here is the book!

I have really enjoyed being part of the team and reading updates from Tuire and the team and putting my thoughts into how some of  the pages of the book look etc. 

When the book arrived I was so excited to see how it has turned out. I didn't even tell Stuart about it (how I kept quite I don't know). After seeing the pages on screen it was so exciting to see the book in print. The book is a personaslised one and you may know by now that I love personalised items. The hero of Message in a Bottle is a little bird Kiki, who loves an adventure and finds a message in a bottle and decide's to deliver the message to the owner. The book is personalised for your child including their name and address on the bottle, their name throughout the book and a very personal message in the back. 

When the book arrived, Stuart and I have had a read of it together.We are yet to read it to Blake as we going to give it to him for his Birthday in December but I know he is going to love it. 

The book itself  has breathtaking illustrations which are bright and colorful and even causes the reader to rotate the book. The book is eye catching and the pages of the book are of high quality paper, including the cover. 

One of the best bits of the book is that you get to read the letter in the bottle. After experiencing the adventure with Kiki you get to see what the letter says. 

We picked a special message from the selection offered and chose one especially for Blake's birthday. 

I love this book, its not just any book its a keepsake for Blake to have in years to come. 

It also has plenty of things for us to chat about such as the different animals and countries too. 

The book is very easy to create and there is a step by step guide on the website on how to do this. You can even include a photo of your choice that you would like to add on the page with the letter. 

We are really thrilled with the book and know others would love the book as much as I know Blake will.

If you would like to get your hands on a copy of the book than the first 10 of my readers to use code TM208U at the checkout will get 15% off the book. 

Play The Forest School Way

The forest school movement is gaining in popularity over the last few years. Forest School is a way to help your child to connect with nature and learn new skills by being adventurous and having fun. This is done with woodland crafts, games and other activities. 

I love the whole idea of forest school and children getting out and learning outdoors. I recently found out that once a month a playgroup will be running on a Saturday morning at a local woods which is suitable for all ages and am tempted to see what the next session in July is like. 

I was recently sent a copy of Play The Forest School Way which will be released on the 16th June RRP £12.99.  It's packed full of ideas for children from the ages of 3 up 11 years old. Some of the ideas in the book are: 

- Nature Jewelry

- constructing a bow and arrow

- building shelter

and 

- Foraging for food. 

The book follows the forest school philosophy of encouraging self-esteem, confidence, risk management and social skills within an outdoor environment. The book is to aid parent's to follow aspects of forest school in the way they handle play sessions. Each of the activities in the book are targeted for different age ranges, for playing in groups and for with just one or two children. The book is written for parents and carers however the instructions are written simply so children can read them too. I love that the book is made robust so that it can withstand outdoor handling. 

Even though Blake is too young for the activities mentioned in this book at the moment I definitely feel it will come in handy for using when he is older but also gives me more knowledge and understanding on the whole forest school concept. 

Have you ever gone to forest school? if not is it something you would be interested in doing? 

Giveaway Size HH Book

You may have remembered at the beginning of April I wrote about a book I have been reading called Size HH by Eva George. Which is a pocket guide all about how to feel great about yourself, ditch the scales and focus on health for long term weight control and happiness. The book has 4 fab sections about the mind, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle. 

The book is for busy women and Mum's (like myself) who want to: 

• Lose excess weight without dieting or going hungry 

• Change unhealthy habits for life 

• Create a more positive body image 

• Learn how to use food as a tool to feel and look better than ever 

• Instantly improve figure and wellbeing with stretching, posture and breathing techniques 

• Tone parts of your body without dedicating hours of time, or disrupting your current lifestyle.

Now I have the chance to giveaway 3 copies of the book to you my lucky readers. 

HOW TO ENTER:

- Enter via the rafflecopter below

- Leave a comment below answering the question in the rafflecopter 

- Make sure you are following all social media accounts in the rafflecopter

- The more entries you complete the better the chance of winning

T&C

- This competition will close on 21st May 2016 at 12.00am GMT 

- The winner will be chosen at random and notified via email, twitter or facebook

- Open to UK residents ONLY

- You must be a UK resident and over 18

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Size HH Book review

I've been pretty guilty over the last month or two of getting sucked into the 

world of Netflix and Pretty Little Liars.

This has meant that sitting down and reading a good book hasn't happened as often as

I would have liked. I however made time to read this little self help type book. 

Size HH (Happy, Healthy) written by Eva George is an easy to read pocket guide all about how to feel great about yourself, ditch the scales and focus on health for long term weight control and happiness. The book has 4 fab sections about the mind, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle. 

The book is for busy women and Mum's (like myself) who want to: 

• Lose excess weight without dieting or going hungry 

• Change unhealthy habits for life 

• Create a more positive body image 

• Learn how to use food as a tool to feel and look better than ever 

• Instantly improve figure and wellbeing with stretching, posture and breathing techniques 

• Tone parts of your body without dedicating hours of time, or disrupting your current lifestyle.

The Mind section has really helped me to think about why I maybe having issues with my weight recently. I am ashamed to say I have gone back into old habbits and now weigh a little bit more than I did when I was pregnant with Blake. This section has helped me to realise until I have a positive mind set loosing weight just isn't going to happen. 

The Lifestyle section has also helped me with thinking of things and how 

your lifestyle can impact on your weight loss. One of the tips is to change one of your habits so from now on I am going to try and change the habit of grabbing for chocolate straight after dinner. This has always been my downfall as I tend to be good during the day. 

My 3 meals a day are healthy but I end up over indulging with chocolate and other unhealthy sugary snacks in the evening when I'm not even hungry. 

The nutrition section is about most things we know we should be doing sometimes we need reminding of. Such as drinking more water, eating slower, eating a healthy breakfast such as porridge and other tips and advice in regards to eating well. 

The exercise section has great ideas for helping to tone up your body from ideas on how to 

fit toning up exercises into your day to stretching and breathing techniques. 

This section has been helpful to me as it gives me ideas on toning up when cleaning, standing, doing the laundry etc which I definitely want to start implementing into my day to day life.

Size HH can be purchased on Amazon. 

Do you think this is the type of book for you? 

comment below. 

The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home

If you are a regular reader you will know by now that we love to read. 

We started reading to Blake from a young age which we thought was very important. 

Last year when Blake was 6 months old we had a chance to review

 The Little Boy Who Lost His Name which you can read about here. 

If you have a little girl than their also a version called 

The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name. 

Now the people from Wonderbly have now released a new book

The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home. 

Its a cute little story that includes your child's name and also a map of where they live. 

The story is about your child getting lost in space along with a robot called Hubble

that likes making lemonade. 

In regards to personalising the book you are able to : 

- Choose the character in the book so that they have

the same hair color, skin tone etc as your child.

-Your child's name is mentioned throughout the book 

- The flag is also personalised for your country

- along with an epic landmark 

-  and a map of where your childs home is and door number. 

Again like the Lost My Name books I feel that this book will also be 

a fab keepsake for when your child is older.

The images as you can see are bright and colorful meaning that 

the book will keep your child's attention. 

We love that you can personalise the book on so many levels and that 

the story is fun and engaging. 

What do you think of the new book?

Do you think its something that you would buy for 

your child? or maybe for another child in your family

if you don't have children yourself?