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I’ll see you at the bookshop!
App Review: TooFar Media
If you’re looking for something new to read, then I have the app for you.
Author Rich Shapero has created an immersive storytelling experience within the TooFar Media app. Combining fiction with a unique blend of art, video, animation and music to bring readers into the story, there really is nothing else quite like it.
Each of the eleven stories is written by Rich, who aims to write novels that ‘dare readers with giant metaphors, magnificent obsessions and potent ideas’. The app feels like a very natural extension of this philosophy. When I opened the app for the first time, I was presented with all eleven of Shapero’s novels. Each is available to download free of charge and is accompanied by art, animation and sound that you will never find in a physical book. Here’s a closer look at three of the stories.
Willoughby Book Club Subscription Review
Book delivery boxes are all the rage nowadays - available in any way imaginable, for big budgets and small, it can be difficult to decide which ones to spend your money on.
Today I want to introduce the wonderful Willoughby Book Club, a book subscription service owned by Marianne Chala that specialises in individually curated book deliveries. The process is simple. When choosing a subscription for yourself or a loved one, take a browse through their menu of personal book subscriptions. Here you can choose from a wide variety of genres, from the broader ‘fiction’ subscription to more specialised crime, non-fiction, young adult, food and drink, wellbeing, natural history, or home and garden subscription. They even have categories for different demographics of readers: whether you’re shopping for a baby, toddler, child, couple or mum and baby, there really is something for everyone. They even have a bespoke subscription available if your reading tastes don’t fit into any these categories.
Second Hand Book Haul With Rumage.com
I love buying second hand. Not only is it great for the environment, but it’s also brilliant for your wallet, and I’ve saved so much money over the last few years by buying used instead of new.
Any of you who follow my Instagram will know that I love buying new books and I adore bookshops, but I also love the website Rumage (my kind sponsors of this post!). Rumage is a search engine that scours the internet for second hand goods, whether that’s clothing, toys, homeware, books, or anything else.
10 Books for Fans of Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt
First published in 2017, Adam Kay’s legendary memoir, This is Going to Hurt, captured hearts and tickled feathers of those around the nation. Now something of a national treasure, Kay’s first book has sold more than 1 million copies and spent many weeks at the top of the Sunday Times bestseller chart. His Christmas themed follow up, aptly titled T’was the Nightshift Before Christmas, went down similarly well, and his new memoir is set to be released in Autumn of 2022
12 Heart Melting Quotes from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
When did you first read The Fault in Our Stars?
I remember when I did - I was 17, the same age as the protagonist Hazel Grace Lancaster - and it was the first John Green book that I’d ever read. The beautiful language has stayed with me all of these years, and Green’s masterful writing makes it a modern classic in the young adult genre.
13 Chilling Quotes from One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus - Now on Netflix!
Recently adapted into a hugely popular Netflix series, One of Us is Lying sucks viewers into an addictive murder mystery story featuring four high school aged suspects, after one of their classmates mysteriously dies in detention at the beginning of the semester. Based on a book that published in 2018, the series hurtles through the twists and turns of a murder investigation as we try to figure out who killed Simon, and consequently, who is lying.
Here are 13 of the best quotes from Karen M. McManus’ bestselling young adult novel, One of Us is Lying.
Book Review: Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Here it is, the long awaited sequel to Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli’s wonderful YA novel What If It’s Us! Let’s start with a synopsis:
‘Ben has spent his first year of college working on his fantasy manuscript with his writing partner Mario, who is a great Spanish tutor, and an even better kisser. So why can’t he stop thinking about the fact that Arthur’s back in town two years after they called it quits?
Arthur is in New York for a dream internship on Broadway, with a boyfriend back at home that he couldn't be happier with. But when he comes upon Ben cuddled up with a mystery boy, he starts to wonder if his feelings for Ben ever truly went away.
12 Bookish Quotes from The Cat Who Saved Books
Here’s a title that combines three of a book lover’s favourite things - a ramshackle bookshop, a cute feline companion, and a bucketload of books. A short and quirky novel translated from the Japanese by Sosuke Natsukawa, The Cat Who Saved Books is a wonderful celebration of the written word, and I highly recommend reading it if you haven’t already.
Here are 12 of the best quotes that book lovers will adore. Happy reading!
25 Beautiful Quotes from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This is a book that truly changed my life.
I can’t remember the first time that I read The Book Thief, but I know that I was in my early to mid teens. It was the first time I’d experienced writing that felt exquisitely beautiful to read, and completely broke my heart.
Markus Zusak is a brilliant writer - here are some of the best quotes from his book.
Interview with Oh Reader Editor-in-Chief Gemma Peckham
I’ve been looking for a magazine about books for a long time, and was thrilled to discover Oh Reader at the end of last year. As a book lover I enjoy having a physical object to read in my hands, so this publication feels like a real treat.
Earlier this month I was delighted to have the chance to speak to Oh Reader Editor-in-Chief, Gemma Peckham, all about her fab publication. It’s a bit of a long read, so grab a cup of tea and settle down to hear all about your new favourite magazine.
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow - Book Review
If you’re looking for a haunting young adult read about rising from the ashes when you have nothing left to live for, then this is your book.
Kathleen Glasgow has been open about her own mental health - about cutting, drinking, and being a girl with scars on her skin.
16 Quotes from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is a master of the written word. Any fans of the Grishaverse will know how completely immersive and atmospheric her writing is, with characters that leap off the page and live in our hearts.
Six of Crows fans, this is for you. Here are 16 quotes that will make you want to reread the books ASAP.
Tips for Getting into Publishing When You Don’t Have Much Money
So you want to work in book publishing, but you don’t have any connections/money/don’t live in London? You’re in the right place.
When I was starting off in the industry I didn’t have any connections, money, or anyone to just ask for advice, so that’s what I want to do for you. I left publishing in 2021 after 5 years that were brilliant, but hard too. I spent my initial few years in living situations that were often, looking back, very unsafe, and I want you to have an easier path than I did.
24 Inspiring Quotes from They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
We Both Die at the End has taken the world by storm. First published in 2017, it had a resurgence five years later due to BookTok - that’s TikTok’s bookish community. Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2021 and with a sequel coming out in 2022, Silvera’s popular science fiction novel isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Here are 24 of the best quotes from They Both Die at the End.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood - Book Review
I love reading campus novels, so I just had to pick up ‘that TikTok book’ The Love Hypothesis.
There are so many things that this book does well. For one, it doesn’t fall into the typical romance book trope where the brooding male love interest is actually a bit of an asshole. Initially he does seem unfriendly and antagonistic, but it turns out that he’s actually a really nice guy - just misunderstood. It’s refreshing to read an enemies to lovers story where the main character’s love interest isn’t actually toxic (I’m looking at you, The Hating Game).
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover - Book Review
This book was SO much more than I anticipated.
It Ends With Us was a typical ‘Instagram made me buy it’ book. I’d vaguely seen people talking about it for years, but never quite felt the urgency to pick it up until very recently, when it seemed to have a resurgence in popularity. I bought myself a copy under the assumption that it was something to do with domestic violence, and that there would be a bit of a romance, and, well, that’s it. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
15 Uplifting Roald Dahl Quotes
What’s your favourite Roald Dahl book? Growing up I always loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, while others have a soft spot for The Witches or James and the Giant Peach. Regardless of whichever was your favourite, Dahl was brilliant at writing magical, uplifting quotes that have and continue to inspire millions of children around the world. Here are 15 of my favourites!
Michael Morpurgo Book Recommendations
One of Britain’s most beloved children’s authors, Michael Morpurgo has been a staple in school libraries for decades. He’s written around 130 books, with the first being published in 1974, and held the title of Children’s Laureate from 2003 to 2005. One thing that many people don’t know is that Michael discovered his love for writing later in life, initially joining the army and training at the prestigious Sandhurst College, before settling into teaching.
Where to Spend Your National Book Tokens
I do love a National Book Token. They remind me of my school days, when I would receive a paper token on World Book Day to spend on a free book. Nowadays I love that purchasing a book token allows the recipient to spend it in heaps of independent bookshops all over the UK (as well as Waterstones, of course).
How to sell on WeBuyBooks.com
Have you ever wondered how to make money from your unwanted books?
Perhaps you thought about setting up an Amazon shop, or selling your old books on Depop? There are lots of different options out there, but today I want to tell you about WeBuyBooks – which is the service that I use and can highly recommend.
Welcome to the Viking Skaga - one of Viking Cruises’ noble river ships. She takes her name from an ancient Norse myth, where the Valkyrie Skaga rode into battle and escorted the dead to Valhalla, before preparing them to fight in the epic battle of Ragnarok.
A relatively new ship, the Viking Skaga only entered the fleet in 2020. At just 410 feet and carrying 168 guests and 48 crew, she was built specifically to sail down the Seine in France, although the specific itinerary will vary depending on the time of year. I was fortunate enough to join the ship for her week long Christmas on the Seine cruise, which starts and ends in Paris, calling at Vernon, Caudebec-en-Caux, Rouen, Honflour (via an excursion) and Les Andelys along the way.