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...).

The Glow of Fallen Stars (Ventura Saga #2) by Kate Ling

Last year I joined my friend Laura at the Books With a Bite blogger evening, where YA and children's teams across the Hachette Group presented some of their most exciting upcoming titles. One of the books that came on my radar during the evening was The Loneliness of Distant Beings, a debut by UK author Kate King. The space opera adventure sounded both intriguing and romantic, and I really enjoyed it. So I was very excited when I was unexpectedly sent a copy of the sequel, The Glow of Fallen Stars.

I Am Traitor by Sif Sigmarsdóttir

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but surely I'm not the only one who gets pulled in by a stunning design? I rarely read science fiction novels, and if I do they're more on the post-apocalyptic / dystopian side of things, they almost never are about alien invasions. But the striking red cross on top of the otherwise monochrome cover art was so eye-catching that from the moment I saw I Am Traitor, I was bought in and it was calling me from my to-read shelves so much that it magically made its way to the top of my to-read pile just days after I got my copy.

13 The Musical at Ambassadors Theatre

Photo credit: Roy Tan I first became aware of 13 The Musical back in 2012 when the National Youth Music Theatre performed songs from the show at West End Live and I was instantly hooked. The tunes by Jason Robert Brown (of The Last 5 Years, Honeymoon in Vegas, Songs for a New World fame) were immensely catchy and I've been keen to see a full version of this musical ever since. And I finally got a chance to do so this week with the British Theatre Academy's incredible West End version comprised of a mega-talented cast of young performers. Combined with the funny book and excellent score it makes this production an absolute must-see.

The Lustre of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller

Sometimes you're in the mood for a feel-good read to take you away from the stresses of every day life – and The Lustre of Lost Things is just the novel to fit this purpose. It is a wondrous tale filled with eclectic characters and magical realism, bringing the dark and greyness of New York City alive through the imagination of a young boy on the adventure of a lifetime. Sophie Chen Keller's story is whimsical and delightful, the perfect anecdote to all the horrible things currently happening in the world.

Plan52 escape room at clueQuest

Ever since trying my very first escape room in Canada last year I've loved this strategic adventure game where you have to put your puzzling skills to the ultimate test to uncover a mystery and (as the name may give away) escape from a locked room – usually several consecutive ones, where each room gets just a little trickier than the one before. It's an activity that has really gathered popularity in recent years with a variety of adventures popping up across the UK capital too and this week I had the chance to try the first game at clueQuest near King's Cross: Plan 52.

Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

The mesmerising One by Sarah Crossan was my absolute favourite book from 2015. Not only was her use of verse unique and beautiful, adding another level of depth to the book, but the story of conjoined twins Grace and Tippi was also a stunning mixture of normal teenage angst and heart-wrenching extra-ordinary circumstances. It certainly was a young adult novel like no other I had read before (or since) and she has captured that same combination of elegantly written verse and a highly original story in her new novel coming out next month: Moonrise.