Featured blog posts
I’ll see you at the bookshop!
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.
Ikea’s Strandmon Wing Chair Review
If you’re looking for a comfy armchair that works for a tight budget, then Ikea’s popular Strandmon Wing Chair is the chair for you.
First released by Ikea in the 1950s, this is a classic piece that adds a bit of class to a modern home.
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.
4 Bookshops to Visit in Winchester
Nestled in the heart of Hampshire, Winchester is a beautiful medieval city with heaps of history and plenty of things to see and do. In addition to the wonderful yearly Christmas market, beautiful cathedral and picturesque city centre, there are four wonderful bookshops that are all worth a visit.
Here are four fabulous bookshops that you need to visit during your next trip to Winchester.
Inside Winchester Cathedral
I’ve always felt a great sense of peace inside religious buildings. Quiet structures that often embody hundreds of years of local history, cathedrals tend to particularly pique my interest. Winchester Cathedral is no exception to this, especially as the city used to hold huge significance as the capital of England! There’s lots to see and you can easily spend a few hours taking in everything that the cathedral has to offer.
An Autumnal Trip to Edinburgh
I love coming in to land at Edinburgh Airport. On approach from England, the plane flies over the city, swoops across the sea in a loop and cruises back down for landing. I get a little excited feeling in my stomach every time the plane soars in that loop over the sea and the twinkling lights of the city come into view - it’s a sign that I’m back in my favourite place in the world!
Inside Leakey’s Bookshop, Inverness
During my recent trip to Inverness I finally got the chance to visit the magnificent Leakey’s Bookshop!
Based in an old Gaelic church and spread out across two floors, Leakey’s has been in business since 1979 and holds around 100,000 second hand books. If you like a rummage, then you’ll love this place.
Travelling on a Sleeper Train! | The Caledonian Sleeper Experience
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel on a luxury sleeper train?
The Caledonian Sleeper is a fantastic service that connects London with the Scottish highlands, and allows visitors to travel in style, with their own hotel room on board the train. I had a fantastic experience and I’m so excited to tell you all about it.
The Best Bookshops to Visit in Bath
Over the last few years, Bath has become a literary hotspot. A beautiful city with heaps of history, Bath hosts many of the filming locations for Bridgerton, and is studded with wonderful bookshops.
Today I’m going to take you through the best bookshops to visit during your next trip to this gorgeous literary city.
A Stay at the Roseate Villa, Bath
Upon entering the Roseate Villa, it was easy to see why it’s one of Bath’s popular five star hotels. Run with the feel of a luxury bed and breakfast, the staff were immediately friendly and welcoming, happy to store our luggage until our room became available later that day.
As you can see, the reception area and hallways were decorated with bookshelf wallpaper, which I loved!
Review: Dishoom Edinburgh
Dishoom is something of a London legend, having opened their first restaurant in Covent Garden in 2010. They are one of my favourite places to dine in the city, and now have 5 separate branches scattered around the capital with additions in Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
A Guide to Leith and Portobello, Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities in the world. Not only is it packed full of gorgeous architecture and loaded with history, but it also has some beautiful wildlife and its very own beach out in Portobello. We’ve all heard about the most popular tourist destinations such as the Castle, Grassmarket and the Royal Mile, but why not head out of town for a stroll out to the coast?
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!
Sleeping in a Treehouse! | A Stay at Wootton Park
Nestled high in the treetops of the Warwickshire countryside, just down the road from Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, are Wootton Park’s gorgeous TreePods. Glamping pods on stilts, with bubbling hot tubs and amazing views, we stayed in one of the two, Heavens Above, for just one night.
Inside Edinburgh Castle
During my last trip to Edinburgh I FINALLY got to visit the castle! Many of you will know that I love a good castle visit, so it was lovely to spend a few hours wandering around this one, which is located right in the centre of Edinburgh.
The best thing about my visit was that I got to learn about some Scottish history. As I wandered around there were lots of plaques and signs to read, and the castle is also home to the Scottish War Museum which is definitely worth a look around.
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.
Inside Topping & Company Booksellers, Edinburgh
Welcome to one of my all time favourite bookshops. Topping & Company are a small UK based bookshop chain that started in Ely, Cambridgeshire back in 2002, and has slowly spread across the country and all the way up to Scotland. Edinburgh is the youngest of their four branches, having only opened in late 2019, and it’s also their largest.
Welcome to Zürich’s designated literary hotel, the B2 Boutique. This is somewhere that’s been on my literary travel bucket list for a very long time, and visiting was an absolute dream come true. I’m excited to show you around!
Upon entering the hotel lobby you’ll snatch your first glance of the B2 Boutique’s coveted library. The lobby area has lots of comfy seating options and doubles up as a large coworking space, making it a great place to grab an armchair and a coffee and get some work done, or just relax with a book.