Highlights From the Bloggers Festival 2017

Blogging events are the perfect place to connect with like-minded people, be inspired by bloggers who have done something new and exciting in the field, and discover blog-friendly brands to potentially work with. I really enjoyed the Bloggers Festival organised by Scarlett London last year, so when the return of the event was announced my friend Laura and I immediately booked our tickets. I arrived just as it was about to start, allowing little time for networking with other attendees this time around, unfortunately, however I did have the chance to meet some great brands I love to highlight in this post!

A Shiver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke

A Shiver of Snow and Sky has been on my to-read wish list for a very long time and on my to-read shelf for a few months already but since it's not published until October I've been trying to be really good and not read it just yet. It was a hard task but I managed to refrain from cracking the spine until this month and it was definitely worth the wait. Epic and original, it's been a long time since I've been this gripped by a novel.

Trying Japanese Biscuits! (Japan Centre Haul)

In the last couple of weeks my Twitter feed has been flooded with people sharing their excitement over the opening of Japan Centre on Panton Street. I initially thought it'd satisfy all my Japan dreams by being stocked with fluffy toys, anime-covered homeware and kawaii galore, but actually it was a supermarket and not even the first London location at that, I'd just been completely out of the loop until now. Nonetheless, I made the most of my visit and stocked up on some Japanese biscuits to try, which were cute, colourful and extremely yummy.

Luxury Chocolate Workshop at MyChocolate With Red Letter Days

Chocolate is most definitely in my list of favourite c-things (alongside Canada, cheese and Christmas). Whether a solid bar to nibble on, a spread to upgrade my sandwiches with or a rich liquid to cosy up with on a rainy autumn day; I love my chocolate in all shapes and sizes. However, I don't often stand still by the process that makes all the chocolate I devour so scrumptious. Until I was given the opportunity to attend an actual chocolate making workshop courtesy of Red Letter Days and MyChocolate, where not only we got to make our own truffles, giant chocolate button and cocktail but we learned some nifty facts along the way too. 

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

I already teased this gorgeous new YA sci-fi in my recommendations for autumn reads to curl up with this upcoming season, and for a good reason. Out of all the young adult novels I've had the pleasure to read recently this was by far the most interesting and innovative one. Author Lauren James has created a chilling and completely gripping adventure set in the bleakness of space and I was hooked from the very first page and now crave more books like it.

5 Books to Curl Up With This Autumn

Some books are perfect for scorching summers and others for the iciness of winter, but today I've compiled a list of 2017 releases for my favourite season of them all: autumn. This time of year is cosy, chilly and with the setting in of the darker days and the arrival of Halloween just a little bit creepy; so the books I've selected are a real mixture going from horrifyingly bleak to heartwarming and cosy. But they all have one thing in common: they're great to curl up with while enjoying a hot drink and burning a scented candle to set the mood.

Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

I had the pleasure of seeing Kinky Boots for the first time on Broadway among an audience of its creatives such as Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper in the week before it swept the Tony's by winning six of the thirteen categories it was nominated in, including Best Musical – it was a memorable experience. The show strutted into the West End in 2015 and while it's taken a little while to find its feet (I wasn't as blown away by the original West End cast back then as I was by the Broadway one), it has really managed to carve out a 'kinky' niche for itself in London.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Seek by Anthony O'Neill [blog tour]

I grew up on classic tales such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oliver Twist, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. While I may not have read these tales in many years, I have fond memories devouring them and of the adventures and the depictions of historic times within the USA and UK within their pages. I'm always interested in exploring new cinematic adaptations but what doesn't happen often is getting the chance to return to the bookish setting for a whole new story. Until now, with the release of a sequel to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking [blog tour]

As soon as it hit September the skies started to weep; a miserable way to commence the changing of the seasons. The days are getting shorter and darker, and it's so very easy to get pulled back into the routine and stresses of school and work, the quieter and more relaxing holiday period disappearing into a distant memory. I for one actually prefer the colder seasons, but I too got dragged back into the rut of work and it sometimes can be hard to find enjoyable moments to look forward to. The Little Book of Lykke has been the perfect antidote for me these past few weeks; its sunny exterior and positive contents providing inspiring moments of happiness.

Literary Edinburgh: Afternoon Tea at Colonnades in the Signet Library

It's been a while seen my last travel post because life has been crazy busy, but I am finally continuing with my Edinburgh series! As this blog started out as a book one I always love it when I can write posts with a literary connection and my Scottish getaway was filled with bookish inspiration. One of the first things I discovered during my research is that you can have afternoon tea in an actual library, how cool is that? We of course had stop by for a visit and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Not only were our surroundings in the Signet Library stunning, but the afternoon tea delights on offer were as scrumptious as they were inspired.

What I Read in August 2017 – Wrap Up & Mini Reviews

After reading a massive eleven books in July, August was a bit of a quieter month as my reading high halted. My siblings stayed with me for two weeks out of the four meaning I wasn't commuting by myself, diminishing my reading time to the few longer train journeys we took out to Brighton and Oxford. Still, out of the six books I did manage to finish in August, five were 4-star reads which wasn't bad at all. My favourites this past month were YA alien invasion sci-fi I Am Traitor by Sif Sigmarsdóttir and magical fantasy epic A Shiver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke.

How to Spend a Rainy Day at London Zoo

London Zoo is the perfect summer holiday outing, strolling through the park with an ice cream in hand with friends or family while admiring the exotic animals is pretty idyllic. But what if it rains all day and some of the animals are in hiding? When we went for a visit last week it was the one miserable day sandwiched between 28 degrees summery ones, but that didn't stop us from exploring London Zoo and making the most of it; we just had to be a bit creative (and no, this didn't include a swim with the penguins, though by the end of the day we did slightly look like we had done just that...).