Book review: Catherine by Essie Fox [blog tour]

Wuthering Heights is truly having a moment again in 2026. There's the new movie adaptation which, apparently, is more "vibes" than accuracy and now there's a fantastic new literary reimagining as well, by the hand of Essie Fox, which retells the story from the perspective of protagonist Catherine. And it is sensational. 

Book review: Carrie's War by Nina Bawden (50th Anniversary Edition)

I read a lot of classics growing up and I particularly loved the children's ones. Think Treasure Island, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Heidi. But there are some iconic books that didn't make it to the Netherlands, or at least not to my local library. Charlotte's Web is one I keep meaning to pick up and Carrie's War is another. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of Carrie's War, Virago Books has released a stunning new hardback edition of the book, and I was lucky enough to be send a copy for review. 

Book review: The Complete Fairy Stories of Oscar Wilde [blog tour]

I love a good fairy tale; whether it's a creepy classic (Brothers Grimm, I'm looking at you), a kids-friendly Disney adaptation, a retelling challenging traditional storytelling, or a contemporary take... if there's a story of good versus evil, with some fantastical elements thrown in I'm there for it. Yet, despite Oscar Wilde being one of the most famous writers of all time, I didn't realise he had a collection of fairy tales under his belt. So I'm delighted I had the chance to discover his stories with a brand-new hardback edition published by Duckworth Books. 

The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen & MinaLima [blog tour]

Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima are the talented duo behind the graphic art in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beast films. The wanted posters, magazines, Daily Prophet, school books, and even the funky labels of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products are all intricately illustrated by MinaLima. While this is already very cool, they also have tons of other beautiful designs under their belt and I especially love their fully illustrated versions of classic tales. After The Jungle Book, Peter Pan and The Beauty and The Beast, last week the latest instalment in this gorgeous collection was published: The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales.

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.

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.

Book review: The Song of Seven by Tonke Dragt

I was so excited when last year I discovered that Pushkin Press had brought out English translations of Dutch children's classics The Letter for the King and The Secrets of the Wild Wood by Tonke Dragt, because – finally – more people could discover the incredible words and illustrations from an author who was a big part of my childhood in the Netherlands. And Pushkin Press didn't stop with her most famous duology either. Together with translator Laura Watkinson they published another work by Tonke Dragt: standalone adventure The Song of Seven.

Book review: Christmas Stories by Scholastic Classics

I'm absolutely loving racing through the festive titles from my Bookish Gift Guide for the Holidays. The beautiful Christmas Stories anthology by Scholastic Classics was a particularly seasonal read that started to get me excited about the upcoming holidays. I mean, with words by Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen within the pages, how could it not?

A look inside the stunning edition of Peter Pan illustrated by Minalima

December is of course the month for of eating chocolates for breakfast and visiting Christmas markets, but not only that, in the lead up to the holidays brands often have special 12 days of Christmas or advent calendar-themed offers and giveaways too. It has been a particular bumper year for that as many fabulous publishers and bloggers I follow on social media ran competitions every single day and I've been extremely lucky winning giveaways from Shaz's Book Boudoir (The Harry Potter Colouring Book), Laura's Little Book Blog (A Snow Garden by Rachel Joyce + Christmas Colouring Books), Quercus (Asking For It by Louise O'Neill) and Harper360 (a creative book bundle, including fiction treats).

While I am super excited to read/enjoy all of these (I wouldn't have entered if not!), it is the stunningly illustrated hardback edition of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and published by HarperCollins I have particularly fallen in love with and I wanted to share some snapshots from inside this gorgeous book with you all. This is one of my favourite classics anyway, but this beautifully illustrated edition by Minalima (graphic designers that worked on Harry Potter) has made me fall in love with it even more. Not only is it filled with gorgeous, eye-poppingly bright drawings, but there are many interactive elements as well, including fold-outs, and my copy even came with a signed poster of Neverland!