A Few Favourite Novels

 

I always love reading book recommendations so I thought it would be appropriate for me to do my own. Just as a heads up, I enjoy reading a range of genres but find myself drawn to dark thrillers, romance and other stories fuelled by mystery.

Ingo by Helen Dunmore. I vividly remember this from my childhood as being one of the reasons I am such a water baby. It is set in a beautiful and dangerous world under the sea where two children realise they have the power to learn the ways of sea creatures on a search for their father lost at sea. This is written in such a clever way and I would recommend this to both children and adults who are seeking an interesting book with bizarre dreams upon reading.

Gone girl by Gillian Flynn. There has been a massive hype surrounding this book and the recent film and my god it is deserving of it- if you like treasure hunts, crime and twisted love then give this a go- I finished it in one sitting!

The Search for Wondla and The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Diterlizzi. Both captivating reads, in terms of age recommendations TSC is definitely one for those up to the age of 13, a magical goblin filled world with beautiful illustrations inspired by nature. The Search for Wondla trilogy is one which I struggle to put down, I am yet to purchase the third book but all I can say is to ignore the fact that this is labelled 'for children' as there are moments when the story gets dark and weepy- believe me. Diterlizzi has an ability to explore senses so fully through his words that you genuinely feel involved throughout, if you are interested in what those in the future will discover from our world then please read them!

Why we broke up by Daniel Handler. The main two characters in this book, Min and Ed are breaking up, we are introduced to their relationship through a letter written by Min which describes items in a box which she is returning to him. Inside the box is bottle caps, movie tickets, matches and a number of other things collected over the course of their giddy and heartbreaking relationship. This book accurately portrays heartbreak in a way that teaches not to be bitter, but grateful for the things we learn over time spent with someone.

The following are books which would be perfect as a gift as they are both easy reads and wonderful ones at that:

The Memory Keepers daughter by Kim Edwards. A heart wrenching story about a man who gives away the twin sister of his son at birth so that his wife won't find out that she has down-syndrome. If you like books which are realistic yet written in a beautiful way then I'm sure you will love this one.

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. A quick and enchanting read about life in the 'roaring twenties' with a devastating ending. If you like glittering worlds and a novel that will stay with you for all your life, pick this up.

A few other mentions: His Dark Materials, Inkheart, The Goldfinch - more to come soon no doubt! 

Six Happy September Thoughts

 

Woodland walks- Autumn is the time when my family and I try the hardest to make some time to spend together. We all cram into the car, dogs and all! Equipped with flasks of hot drinks & cameras (standard), and head to the nearest forest. These are moments I cherish as I doubt I would remember an average evening of watching tv together in say, five years, but wandering around the great outdoors discussing anything and everything- I'm sure those are the days I will look back on fondly.

 

Christmas is coming- (mistletoe above) Now I manage to supress the squealing until mid-October, and we never buy our tree until late December, but I can't deny how truly excited I am every year! December 25th holds so many lovely memories and there is just something about snuggling up in a living room filled with loved ones, reading a book. 

 

Seaside lunches- As the days grow colder, I adore wrapping up in cosy clothes and bracing the sea-air as my family and I head down to the restaurant on the harbour. It quite literally floats at the end of the pier, so despite the initial slight sea sickness, it is pretty incredible to overlook the stormy waves whilst tucking into a hot meal.

Bathtime- Regular pamper evenings are a must, I'm much more of a fan of these around this time of year. You have struggled through hard days of work, followed by wind and rain- what better way to let it all go than with bubble bath/bombs, a cosy dressing gown and some ben howard? 

 

Grateful- This time of year I try to be extra positive about life, given that I and so many people I know are so lucky in many aspects of life. As a city girl at heart, the seaside still holds so many wonders each and every day that I long to discover and capture these moments on either a camera or written inside my notebook. This time of year I tend to cram a lot more thoughts onto paper, which hopefully means I will be more motivated to blog!

Winter pleasures- Last, and by no means least, September brings with it an excuse to wear oversized christmas jumpers and drink way too much tea. I won't go into that much detail, I'll end up rambling.. You get the jist, I bloomin love this time of year.

♥