(A Very Late…) May Wrap-Up & Favourites

OKAY, SO I KNOW IT IS NEARLY THE END OF JUNE BUT HERE I FINALLY AM WITH MY MAY WRAP-UP… I will be the first to admit that I have been awful at keeping this blog updated over lockdown. Normally I enjoy spending one day a week writing in one of my favourite Lancaster cafes, and as this isn’t possible at the minute I have completely fell out of the habit of writing for this blog. On the plus side, I have enjoyed spending more time away from my laptop and hand-writing in my favourite notepads, which has proved to be a very cathartic experience. I’m hoping to find my writing routine again now that lockdown is starting to lift, and I can’t wait to start posting regularly again.

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Book Review: Such A Fun Age – Kiley Reid

Title: Such A Fun Age

Author: Kiley Reid

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Year: 2019

Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis: When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for ‘kidnapping’ the white child she is actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer, Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right. But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix’s desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other, and the messy dynamics of privilege.

Such A Fun Age is part-domestic drama and part-social commentary. It is a novel about the ups and downs of being in your twenties and it is a novel about the reach of everyday racism. It brims with the drama of a soap-opera whilst taking a nuanced look at the dichotomies of race and class that organize American life.

April Wrap-Up & Favourites

We are now over a month into lockdown in the UK and still learning how to adapt to this strange new life. April has been a month of mixed emotions as we watch communities, both physical and online, come together to support one another, whilst simultaneously witnessing the consequences of the government’s failures. Living through such unprecedented times is a surreal experience, but definitely not one that any of us shall ever forget. April’s wrap-up is a summary of the things that have kept me sane during lockdown. I hope you are all safe and well.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Bought In Preparation For Lockdown

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana @thatartsyreadergirl. This week’s theme is Books I Bought Because…

It has been SO LONG since I took part in the Top Ten Tuesday tag that it feels strange to be finally coming back to it! A mixture of demotivation and lack of excitement about the weekly themes has just meant that I haven’t found the inspiration to sit down and blog for a while. This week’s tag will give me the chance to show what I have been doing over the past few weeks instead though – preparing my lockdown TBR! When it became clear that lockdown was looming, I took the opportunity to stock up on books from my local library and purge my shelves for titles that have been left unread. By the time the UK was placed under lockdown, I felt safe in the knowledge that at least I would have plenty to read!

Mystery Blogger Award!

Photo by Alfons Morales on Unsplash

Thank you to the wonderful Elara over at Spell Bookworm for nominating me for the Mystery Blogger Award! Check out Elara’s blog for lots of witchy bookish goodness. It is such a lovely feeling to see the hard work you put into your blog recognised, so I was over the moon to be nominated!

March Wrap-Up & Favourites

I think we can all agree that March has been a very strange month. What started off as a normal month here in the UK has gradually descended into a healthcare crisis and a full lockdown of the population. For the vast majority of people, the current circumstances are beyond anything we have experienced before. As we all begin to find ways to navigate our new lives indoors, it’s important to remember to still look on the brightside and find everyday things that bring us joy. That is why I’m here with my monthly wrap-up, and my favourite things from the month of March. Stay safe x

Things To Do Whilst Stuck Inside

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash

With the prospect of weeks spent locked indoors stretching out indefinitely in front of us, it is easy to feel restless and deflated. Personally, I really struggle being cooped up with no work and nothing to do, so I’ve tried to build a routine to fill my days. With a quarter of the world’s population currently in lockdown, I can guarantee that I won’t be the only one feeling this way. Below I have compiled a list of things to do whilst stuck at home and I encourage everyone else to do the same – if we all pool together our ideas hopefully we can hold boredom at bay!

Mid(ish)-March Update: Staying Positive When the World is Telling You Otherwise

The past month has been a surreal blur, one that has left us all existing in a strange sort of limbo. Under these strange circumstances it can be hard to find the motivation to do anything other than anxiously scan the news and stay immobilised under a mountain of blankets. After a few weeks of travelling to and from work in a daze and finding little to enjoy about being stuck in the flat the rest of the time, this morning I finally found myself sat back down at my laptop ready to write.

Over the previous few weeks, I’ve found immense solace in reading and have thrown myself into books as a means to escape the scariness of the present. I’ve emerged blinking from my bookish slumber to realise that not all is lost, and to share the things that I have found hope and positivity in during a time when the world seems to be telling us to feel otherwise.

5 Reasons to Love World Book Day

On my way out of the house this morning I passed two very hungry caterpillars, a Gruffalo, Willy Wonka and a Gangsta Granny. This could mean either one of two things; I’d been drinking with breakfast, or it’s World Book Day.

A day dedicated to celebrating books and reading, World Book Day takes place on 5th March across over one hundred different countries. Unless you are a child, parent, bookseller, librarian or teacher the day might just pass by unnoticed, much like any other. I’m here to change that and tell you five reasons why you should love World Book Day.

March Currently Reading & TBR

Generally I read by whim. Since finishing university last year I have really enjoyed the freedom of being able to pick up whatever I feel like reading without having set texts, deadlines and never-ending reading lists. After starting off 2020 in a bit of a reading slump I decided to make a TBR for February to get me excited about reading again. Although I didn’t stick to my list or read all of the books on my TBR, I found it gave me something to look back on if I was struggling to decide what to read next. Therefore, I’ve decided to do the same thing for March! This is a quick summary of what I’m currently reading and what I’ve got on my ‘potential pile’ for the month of March.