Book review: On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Carrie Hope Fletcher is well-known among teens and young adults. Not only for being the sister of McFly's Tom Fletcher and sister-in-law to author Giovanna Fletcher, but also for her inspirational YouTube channel filled with positive messages, videos and songs, which has over 600,000 subscribers. Not to mention that Carrie has graced the West End boards more than once, most recently in Les Miserables in which she was wonderful. She's multi-talented, that one. However, writing a book is something quite different to performing on stage (or on YouTube), so how does her first venture into the world of fiction fare?

Book review: The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I don't often read children's novels nowadays, unless I'm hit by a bout of nostalgia and seek out a childhood favourite (I'm currently rereading: A Series of Unfortunate Events, soon to be followed by Harry Potter). It's not that I don't enjoy them, on contrary, but more so that they aren't on my radar anymore since my younger siblings have hit their teens. And that is a shame, as there are still many fantastic children's books being published, case in point the stunning The Girl of Ink and Stars. This is a future classic, I'm sure.

Highlights from Chapter 5's Proof Party

Last week my lovely friend Laura invited me to join her for the proof party of Chapter 5 (Hodder & Stoughton's YA list), which was a brilliant break from what was a very stressful week at work. In the days leading up to the event I'd been stalking eyeing the Chapter 5 social media channels for any hints as to what books and surprises would be at the Proof Party, and from it I'd made a wishlist of top 3 books I loved to see. And lo and behold, all three books were at the event and I managed to pick up a copy of each! You can find out more about them below.

Book review: Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

Chicken House came on my radar recently as they've published critically acclaimed novels such as The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel. They stand apart from so many other young adult and middle grade publishers because their books have kick-ass female protagonists and tackle difficult subjects. Though rather than the topic (mental health in Under Rose-Tainted Skies) taking centre stage, it is the characters that do and the subject just happens to be something that is a part of them.

My Month in Favourites – June 2016

June was a crazy busy month. I was in the Netherlands for part of it yet I still managed to pick up a new TV-show and watch the entirety of it (hi Brooklyn Nine-Nine obsessions, hi), I started rereading A Series of Unfortunate of Events in anticipation of the Netflix adaptation, I went to events such as West End Live, the London Musical Theatre Orchestra launch gala, and The Bloggers Summer Hangout, and I still managed to do lots of shopping (new favourites include stationery brand Kiki-K and two new handbags I bought) and finish all my end of quarter reports at work. It was a full-on but productive month.

London Musical Theatre Orchestra Launch Gala

As a avid musical theatre fan I was thrilled to hear about the launch of the London Musical Theatre Orchestra's (LMTO) first public season later this year, and honoured to attend their gala evening in the beautiful The Great Hall at the Bishopgate Institute earlier this week. We had the chance to hear a sneak peek of the orchestra's marvellous musical theatre repertoire as they were accompanied by West End stars such as Ramin Karimloo, Ashleigh Gray and Hadley Fraser. 

Interview with Cathy Bramley about The Plumberry School of Comfort Food [blog tour]

Women's fiction favourite Cathy Bramley has a brand-spankin' new novel out today, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. I recently had the chance to chat to her about the new book, why she owes Jenny Colgan a pint, the differences between her self-publishing and traditional publishing journeys, and the age-old dilemma: Victoria sandwich or lemon drizzle cake? I'm very excited to say that the interview is a part of the blog tour for the novel, with each stop revealing the answer to one of the questions. I'm kicking off the tour today with the first question.

Film review: Now You See Me 2

When I saw Now You See Me in cinemas back in in 2013, the action-packed tale of mystery and magic had me completely gripped from start to finish. I was just as enthralled by the escapades and seemingly impossible illusions of The Four Horsemen as the members of the audience watching their show and while the ending was a tad predictable, it didn't detract in the slightest from the fun of the previous 90 minutes. Fast-forward a few years and a sequel is now being released in cinemas, comprising almost the same cast. But did it capture the excitement and jaw-breaking trickery of the first film?

Top 5 brands from the Bloggers Summer Hangout

The Bloggers Hangout is a great place to be a part of as a blogger; they organise fun events and introduce bloggers to exciting new brands. For their 3rd anniversary they hosted a three-day long party at the Strand Gallery in Central London. Did you not make it to the event? Don't despair, I've rounded up my favourite brands below!

Book review: Last Dance in Havana by Rosanna Ley

Last Dance in Havana is part of the #QuercusSummer campaign, in which bloggers are challenged to read and review one Quercus summer title each month between June-August, and it couldn't have been kicked off with a read that evokes more sunshine and summery feelings than Last Dance in Havana by Rossanna Ley.