Featured blog posts
I’ll see you at the bookshop!
Southampton’s Secret Beach: Weston Shore
The city of Southampton is well known as one of the UK’s major ports – a place to catch a cruise or peruse the yachts in the marina. But did you know that it actually has a secret beach that only the locals know about?
Situated on the east side of the city, Weston Shore is the single remaining beach in Southampton. It’s shingle rather than sand, but that doesn’t take away from just how lovely it is.
A Visit to Hitchin Lavender
If you’re looking for a beautiful yet affordable location to shoot some photos in this summer, then you’ve come to the right place.
Hitchin Lavender is a working farm based in Hertfordshire, just a short drive away from the town of Hitchin. The flowers bloom from mid-June to late-July, depending on the species, and they have two main varieties (angustifolia and lavendin for the botanists out there), but have more than 60 proudly blooming in their display area.
Inside the Original Blackwell’s Bookshop, Oxford
Blackwell’s is one of Britain’s oldest bookshop chains. Situated in the heart of a historic student city, the original shop is based on Broad Street, Oxford, where it originally opened its doors in 1879. But it isn’t just the shop’s history that makes it worth a visit. The Broad Street shop holds the world record for the largest single room in the world selling books - you’d have no idea from the outside!
A Bookshop Guide to Cecil Court, London
Tucked away just beside London’s well known Leicester Square, Cecil Court is a magical little street lined with gorgeous victorian style bookshops. This street is said to have inspired Diagon Alley from Harry Potter and you can definitely see why – it’s a location that any book lover needs to visit in London. Keep on reading to discover the eclectic range of bookshops that line the glorious Cecil Court. You won’t be disappointed!
Tripp Suitcase Review: The Holiday 6 Case
I remember the first time that I saw a piece of Tripp luggage on Instagram. It was a banana yellow ‘Holiday 6’ case, with a hard shell and four wheels. It looked so freaking stylish! And once I’d invested in one myself I felt like I was part of a secret club - I saw them everywhere. In the airport, on the train, and even just being wheeled around London.
My Top Blogging Tips | A Guest Post by Kate from Reading Through Infinity
Running a blog can be such a fun and fulfilling hobby. Creating content about things you love and finding a community of like-minded people is incredibly exciting. That’s why so many of us do it. For the love, fun, and passion of talking about things we’re invested in.
How to Request Proofs and Review Copies From Book Publishers
Book blogging, Instagramming or YouTubing can be hard work. Building an audience and posting consistently takes a lot of time and effort and, even though we love it, sometimes it’s nice to get a little something back in return. In this post I’m going to explain how you can start requesting books from publishers right now, with the audience that you already have - it’s a lot easier than you might think.
20 of the Best Jacqueline Wilson Characters
I can’t think of a more iconic children’s author than Jacqueline Wilson. A previous children’s laureate with more than 100 books to her name, JW’s titles have been read and enjoyed by multiple generations of kids.
But out of all of those books, which are the characters that stand out the most? I’ve had a look through Jackie’s back catalogue and picked out 20 of her absolute finest - let me know if you agree!
I Was Bullied.
In honour of Anti Bullying Awareness Week, today I want to talk about what happened to me while I was in school, and the profound affect that it had on my life.
I know that I’m far from alone in the fact that I was bullied. SO many children and teenagers are bullied at school, and the long lasting effects of that are very real. The shame is something that’s difficult to shake off, and even now I still feel embarrassed to admit that I had a horrible time at school.
An Interview with Lauren James, Author of The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker
The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker is one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year. Not only is it written by the wonderful UKYA writer Lauren James, but it’s also her first fantasy book and features a gang of magical, 18-year-old ghosts.
A huge thanks to all of you who submitted your burning questions for Lauren to answer over on my Instagram - read on to hear all the juicy details about her new book. Enjoy!
An Interview with Heartstopper Creator Alice Oseman
Alice Oseman is one of my favourite authors. For those of you who are new to her work, Alice is a brilliant UKYA writer, with four published novels to her name and one fantastic webcomic, Heartstopper. Naturally, I’ve been super excited to read her brand new book, Loveless, and jumped at the chance to find out more about her latest cast of characters.
I took to Instagram and asked you guys to submit some questions for Alice all about Loveless; thanks so much to everyone who submitted a question, there were loads of great ones and I selected the best to feature as part of this interview.
How to Spend a Bookish Weekend in Edinburgh
So you’ve booked a trip to Edinburgh, but you’re not sure how to fit all of your sightseeing into one weekend. Now what?
I’ve got it sorted for you. Here’s my two day itinerary (plus travel days) that will take you around the best of the city, featuring some wonderful bookshops, fascinating history, delicious restaurants and lovely walks. It will leave you enraptured by what you’ve seen but desperate to come back and carry on exploring. Have a brilliant trip!
Inside The Bookshop, Wigtown
If you’ve read Shaun Blythell’s Confessions of a Bookseller, then you’ll know that The Bookshop is something of a book-shaped celebrity. Nestled in the heart of Scotland’s National Book Town, the shop has around 100,000 books spread across a mile of shelving, making it the country’s largest second hand bookshop. It’s also Wigtown’s oldest bookshop, and is run by author Shaun Blythell who has written two books about his time as a bookseller.
Self Published Authors, Here's Why You Need to Enter the North Street Book Prize
The world of book publishing is one crowded party. It’s estimated that between 600,000 and 1million books are published every year across the globe, and that’s not counting the millions of titles already in print, jostling for competition with each new release. Well, here’s an opportunity that will set you apart from the rest, and has some amazing prizes that will help you to up your marketing game.
Jacqueline Wilson Book Recommendations
Jacqueline Wilson is one of the UK’s most prolific children’s authors. With more than 100 books to her name, Jackie is a former children’s laureate and a childhood favourite for several generations of kids. She’s truly a national treasure and, while her books are brilliant for children, I’ve really enjoyed revisiting them as an adult. Here are 15 of the best Jacqueline Wilson books that you should read, regardless of your age.
A Day in the Life of an Assistant Editor in Book Publishing
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in book publishing? Just a few years ago I had pretty much no idea what anyone in the industry really did – despite having a keen interest in books and how they’re made. It all seemed so mysterious and elusive. What was the life of a book editor like? Would I even enjoy it? As it turns out, yes, I would, but at the time I had no idea!
How to Build a Reading Fort in Your Own Home
If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own secluded reading space, with blankets draped across the walls and filled with cushions to lounge on, then you’re in the right place. Here I’ve put together a step-by-step guide that will show you how to construct your own reading fort, using items from around your home.
Introducing GG's Yard, the Perfect Bookish Retreat in the South of Scotland
As a lifelong city dweller, I frequently dream about the rolling hills and sweet air of the countryside. There’s a certain stillness and silence there that just doesn’t exist in London - however much I love the hustle and bustle of the big smoke. So back in January, when I set off for my trip around the south of Scotland, GG’s Yard easily stood out as a highlight of my itinerary. Eyeballing photos of squat little cabins, dotted along the sloping Galloway hillside and facing the sea, I could picture myself sprawled out in bed, clutching a book while the sun set before my eyes.
A Bookshop Guide to Wigtown, Scotland’s National Book Town
I’m about to let you in on what might just be Scotland’s best kept bookish secret. Hidden down in the south west, deep into the county of Dumfries and Galloway, is a little dwelling named Wigtown. Appointed as Scotland’s national book town in 1998, Wigtown is home to a number of wonderful bookshops, all of which come in various shapes and sizes. You’ll find brand new bestsellers next door to piles of secondhand tomes, with a room out the back dedicated to rare and antiquarian titles.
6 Books to Read about Depression
Here’s the truth: 1 in 4 people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, yet for some reason there’s still a huge stigma attached to suffering from a mental health problem. Slowly but surely we’re starting to talk, to our friends and family, online and in the media, but there’s still a long way to go until mental health is viewed as seriously as physical health. Until treatment is readily available to those who are ill, and until shame and secrecy don’t come attached to the diagnosis of a mental illness.
Welcome to the Viking Skaga - one of Viking Cruises’ noble river ships. She takes her name from an ancient Norse myth, where the Valkyrie Skaga rode into battle and escorted the dead to Valhalla, before preparing them to fight in the epic battle of Ragnarok.
A relatively new ship, the Viking Skaga only entered the fleet in 2020. At just 410 feet and carrying 168 guests and 48 crew, she was built specifically to sail down the Seine in France, although the specific itinerary will vary depending on the time of year. I was fortunate enough to join the ship for her week long Christmas on the Seine cruise, which starts and ends in Paris, calling at Vernon, Caudebec-en-Caux, Rouen, Honflour (via an excursion) and Les Andelys along the way.