5 Inspiring Reads for a Mindful March

The art of mindfulness is being discussed at length in literature at the moment and it's easy to understand why. In our fast-paced, digital society it's become harder than ever to focus on the here and now; too many distractions just a quick glance of a mobile device away. I've personally been so caught up in work and the stresses that come with it in recent years that I've hardly had time to focus on me. In 2018 I am making a conscious effort to spend more time on personal development and being present in the moment – with the ultimate goal to feel more fulfilled and happy. Inspirational books have been my first point of call to helping me on this journey, and here are some of my recent favourites.

The Ultimate Guide of Things to Do in Manchester

I absolutely love Manchester. It's one of my favourite places in the UK but one that is greatly underrated. My first visit was driven by meeting up with friends, rather than exploring the city, but since making my first trip down a few years ago I've been back plenty of times and there is always something new to discover. Filled with tons of arts & culture, great shopping districts and wonderful places to eat, it's a city I would highly recommend when hitting up the UK. It makes a good day trip from London as the Virgin Train from Euston station to the heart of Manchester is just over two hours each way (and tickets can be as cheap as £5 each way when on offer), or a long weekend getaway if you want a little more time to explore.

Eugenius! Super Fan Event at The Other Palace

Earlier this month I saw the geeky and 80s inspired Eugenius!, a fun-filled new British musical of which the songs are *still* stuck in my head three weeks down the line. I didn't expect to be back at The Other Palace theatre quite so soon, but when I was invited to a special evening that would also include a Q&A with co-writer Chris Wilkins, producer Warwick Davis (the one and only!) and director Ian Talbot, I of course didn't have to think twice before accepting.

Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy

This book you guys, it's so cool! When I unexpectedly received a review copy in the post from the lovely Scholastic team and saw *that* epic proof cover I knew I'd be in for a treat but I didn't realise quite how much of one. I read Brightstorm all the way at the start of the year, and I am still in awe of its awesomeness and have extensively recommend it since. I can't wait for next week to come around so it's finally published and you all can pick up a copy of this excellent middle grade read too!

Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic Exhibit at the V&A

It's been a while since I added a new entry to my Literary London series and so I was very excited when I heard about the Winnie-the-Pooh exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (better known as the V&A), which makes for a great addition to any book lover's London itinerary. The honey-obsessed Pooh Bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are mostly known for their Disney adaptations, but they originated from a series of written stories. Created by A.A. Milne and based on the tales he told his son Christopher Robin (who inspired the character of the same name), the books date all the way back to the 1920s and so there is a rich history there that has been captured delightfully within the exhibit at the V&A.

Highlights from the Scholastic Bloggers' Book Feast

Scholastic is the actual best. Not only have they recently published some of my most favourite reads, such as Vanilla by Billy Merrell (which I was telling everyone at the event to pick up and read asap as there were a few copies up on display) and Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy (review to come closer to pub date), but they also work closely with bloggers and throw some of the best bookish bashes in the industry. I've been lucky enough to attend their Bloggers' Book Feast both in 2016 and 2017 – and I was thrilled when the invite for the 2018 edition arrived in my inbox. There were many, many, MANY awesome titles presented on the day, and you can find my personal highlights below.

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

How stunning does the proof for The Toymakers look (and you can't even see properly that the door actually opens up and that the edge of the pages are stamped with a toy soldier design too)? I'm sure I'm not the only one who instantly thought of the nutcracker when laying eyes on the lush cover and that magical wintery feel really comes across within the pages of this beautifully imaginative read too.

What I Read in December 2017 & January 2018 – Wrap Up & Mini Reviews

I was overseas in December (away from all of my books) and my camera broke in January (preventing me from taking book pics), so my December reads are looong over-due making this is a double-whammy of a round-up! Out of the eleven books I read these past few months, an awesome four of them were 5-star reads: middle-grade sky ship adventure Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy, inspirational tome of essays O's Little Guide to the Big Questions by the Editors of O, powerful contemporary YA More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer, and non-fiction nature book The Secret Life of the Owl by John Lewis-Stempel, filled with feathered facts and lush woodland descriptions. An eclectic mix of reads, but I fell heads over heels in love with all four of these for different reasons.

Boxing Day and January Sales Haul

December 24th is an important day in my diary. No, not Christmas Eve... we don't celebrate that in the Netherlands (instead we have 1st and 2nd Christmas Day on the 25th and 26th), but the start of the online Boxing Day sales! Spending Christmas with my family back home means I'm never in the UK to hit the sales in the shops (not that I'd really want to during the sleep-eat-repeat routine that is the void between Christmas and New Year's, mind) so the online bargains are the ones to give me my annual shopping sales fix. I posted a Boxing Day Sales Haul on the blog last year and I thought I'd share them with you this time around as well 😊

Eugenius! at The Other Palace

Back In 2012 Loserville, based on the Son of Dork album Welcome to Loserville, transferred into the West End and hooked me in with its loveable and geeky characters, pop culture references galore, vibrant comic book vibe and super catchy tunes. I loved it so much I ended up seeing it 4 or 5 times in its far too short-lived London run. It's still one of my all-time favourite shows, and one I miss sorely, and so I was thrilled when I was watching Eugenius! at The Other Palace this week and it felt like Loserville had returned to London... with bonus superheroes!