A lovely little book market in London

March 22, 20153 Comments

“If you take a book with you on a journey,” Mo had said when he put the first one in her box, “an odd thing happens: The book begins collecting your memories. And forever after you have only to open that book to be back where you first read it. It will all come into your mind with the very first words: the sights you saw in that place, what it smelled like, the ice cream you ate while you were reading it… yes, books are like flypaper—memories cling to the printed page better than anything else.”
― Cornelia Funke, Inkheart

I love old books. They tell you stories about their use. You can see where the fingerprints touched the pages as they held the book open. You can see how long they lingered on each page by the finger stains. Jack Bowman

March 20, 20156 Comments

I wanted to hold onto and exploit the power of narrative. This is not only a book about a great storyteller, but there have to be stories about the storyteller. Stephen Greenblatt

March 20, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve finished….it’s all over

May 10, 2014May 10, 201414 Comments

I've finished....it's all over

I have finally finished my degree, it is all over! Cannot believe how quickly it’s gone. On another note, today will be spent, only reading! Expect lots of reviews, quotes, debate, guest posts and more this coming week! 😀 ❤

One Year: My Little Book Blog

May 1, 2014May 1, 201411 Comments

It’s been a year since I started this venture, and I can’t explain how much this blog has come to mean to me. I’m trying not to be soppy but, honestly, the last year has been incredible, and a lot of it is due to blogging. Despite the stress of a difficult relationship, a tough final year of university, and suffering from a stressful housing situation, this blog has always been there. It has taken the blows of a difficult year, and it has absorbed them. Not only that, I have spoken to and discussed ideas with so many incredible bloggers, who have commented, liked and viewed my posts whilst offering advice, and discussion. Blogging can be a lonely world, and often you can feel alone; here I have never felt more supported. This blog has helped me to grow and explore not only new books but new ways of writing, new authors, and most of all a new me. Now this is getting soppy so I should probably pause, and tell you that this month I gained 4,361 views. 4,361. I can’t believe that a month ago I was celebrating 10,000 views, and here we are a month later and now I am well on the way to celebrating the next milestone, 20,000. Goodness. If you had told me a year ago everything that has happened here I would have laughed at you. But here we are. All I ask is you keep following my journey; I have no idea where we are going, but I can promise you it will be one hell of a ride.

Do not compare yourself to others.

April 7, 2014April 7, 20146 Comments

Do not compare yourself to others.

One of the things that being at University has taught me is to always be yourself; comparisons appear to be important first. Someone may seem to be overtaking you in their abilities, or their experience. Feelings of jealousy are extremely detrimental not only to your own personal confidence but also can be destructive to friendships and in your faith in your abilities. You have no idea what is eating at someone in the places you cannot see; a destructive family, a difficult relationship, money troubles. Problems eat away at the best of us and at times it can feel like you are getting no-where; however, instead of expressing these difficulties we can all be guilty of putting on a brave face, only showing our best bits. Let’s celebrate our flaws and stop comparing ourselves, when we could just be improving ourselves. For the better.

NY!

January 2, 2014January 2, 2014Leave a comment

NY!

30 Day Challenge

November 25, 2013November 25, 20133 Comments

It’s Monday morning again..how does the week go so quickly! I do not know! Anyway I am reaching the end of this challenge and it’s going to be odd not writing this every morning, however I think I should just be proud of actually finishing it without being too difficult about the questions!

So, today, the question is, ‘the book that changed your opinion about something and I think it would have to be, ‘Eat, pray, love. By Elizabeth Gilbert.’ Before someone asks no the film did not stand up to the brilliance of the book and I will not be watching it again! However the book is a stunner and it taught me that no matter what I’m doing in my life, how stressed I am, how panicked I am about an essay or an exam, I know that that is not the only path I could take.

I know that a lot of people hated the book and I’m not sure why! I read it a couple of bursts but overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it highly. However it wasn’t the writing I enjoyed the most but the stance; it’s all about asking the simple question, “what do I want.” At the moment that is finishing my degree and getting a good mark but in a couple of months that could change to backpacking around Thailand with a one way ticket. This book only showed me that it is possible…oh and to worry less.