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I’ll see you at the bookshop!
19 of the Best Alice in Wonderland Book Quotes
Born in 1832, Lewis Carroll was the pen name of University of Oxford mathematician Charles Dodgeson. He began his writing career in 1865 with Alice in Wonderland, following up with sequel Through the Looking Glass in 1872.
Carroll was famously inspired to write Alice in Wonderland by family friend Alice Pleasance Liddell, who was a young girl at the time.
The book has been enormously popular since publication, having been translated into at least 174 languages.
Where to Stay in Hamburg, Germany - A Complete Guide
Here’s my guide to the best accommodation in Hamburg, featuring options for all budgets.
Located in the north of Germany, Hamburg is a large port city with more bridges than Venice, Amsterdam and London combined.
Here you’ll find the world’s largest miniature railway (which is much more impressive than it sounds), the oldest opera house in Germany, and plenty of restaurants, cafes and bars.
Take a cruise along the harbour, visit the historic warehouse district and learn about Hamburg’s history in one of the many museums - there’s even one all about chocolate.
Evie Woods Books in Order
An international bestselling author, Evie Woods published her first book, The Lost Bookshop, in 2023. It has since sold more than one million copies and been translated into 30 languages around the world.
Evie’s newest book, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris, is set to publish in early 2025.
Inside Waterstones Piccadilly - Europe’s Largest Bookshop
With over eight miles of shelves, six floors, two cafes and a bar, Waterstones Piccadilly is officially Europe’s largest bookshop.
More than just a bookshop, Waterstones Piccadilly stocks more than 150,000 books, runs events with world famous authors and even hosts its own annual book festival.
I used to visit regularly while living in London in my early twenties - affectionately referring to it as ‘the mothership’ amongst my friends.
Is the Livraria Lello the Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World?
I explore Portugal’s historic bookshop, Livraria Lello, which is frequently named the world’s most beautiful bookstore.
Established in 1906, the Livraria Lello is a bookshop and publisher known for its stunning neo-gothic interiors.
The shop takes its name from founder Jose Pinto De Sousa Lello, who opened his first bookshop in 1881. The Livraria Lello came along 25 years later, opened in collaboration with Jose’s brother.
Where to Stay in Bucharest, Romania - A Complete Guide
I recently travelled to Bucharest as part of my 30th birthday celebrations and had an absolutely fantastic time.
The capital of Romania, Bucharest is a vibrant and bustling city of more than 1.75 million, with a further 2.3 million living within the surrounding metropolitan areas.
While I was initially drawn to the area by Bucharest’s viral spa and water park, I was lured into its old town by the beautiful architecture, modern vibe and abundance of restaurants and bars.
Inside Daunt Books, Marylebone, London
One of London’s most recognisable bookshops, Daunt Books has occupied its iconic premises in Marylebone since it was first opened by Richard Daunt in 1990.
The shop now forms part of one of the largest independent bookshop chains in the UK, with ten branches located across London and the south of England.
Travis Baldree Books in Order
As a professional audiobook narrator, Travis Baldree has voiced hundreds of books over the course of his career. In 2022 he self published his very first book, Legends & Lattes, which was picked up by publishing house Tor shortly after.
This low stakes cosy fantasy novel has been hugely popular with readers, and now forms part of a series.
Outside of writing, Travis also works as a game developer and currently lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Here are all of Travis Baldree’s books in publication order.
BookBeat Review - Better Than Audible and Scribd (Everand)?
Here’s my honest review of the book streaming service Book Beat - plus an exclusive discount code.
The online audiobook streaming service, BookBeat, was launched by Bonnier Books in 2015. The brand expanded their service into the UK in 2017, after initially seeing success in Finland and Sweden.
According to BookBeat’s CEO, the UK was Europe’s fastest growing audiobook market, which made it an obvious choice for their expansion.
B.K. Borison Books in Order
Beginning her writing career as a self published author, Borison followed in the well trodden footsteps of Colleen Hoover and Ana Huang. She was then picked up by a traditional publisher, Berkley, after the Lovelight series took off on social media.
When writing, Borison specialises in cosy contemporary romances with emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon worthy settings. She currently lives in Baltimore with her husband, toddler and giant dog.
Layne Fargo Books in Order
Currently residing in Chicago, Layne Fargo has a background in theatre, women’s studies, and library science. Her books are unapologetically feminist, and have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
I recently read The Favourites, which adds a dark spin to the current sports romance Booktok trend, and thought it was absolutely fantastic.
Bal Khabra Books in Order
Bal is a Canadian romance author who published her first book in 2024. Her spicy sports romances are sprinkled with references to her South Asian roots, celebrating the beauty of being raised within two cultures.
With two published books and one more to come in 2025, Bal is certainly a writer to watch.
Inside Waterstones Gower Street in London
Here’s my review of London’s historic branch of Waterstones on Gower Street in Bloomsbury.
Known to be the second largest bookshop in Europe that sells both new and used books, Waterstones Gower Street is based in a beautiful grade two listed building in Bloomsbury.
Here you’ll find five miles of books to browse, spanning across five floors - four of which are non-fiction. There’s thought to be around 200,000 titles available in the shop as well as records, board games and art supplies.
The Book Elephant - Bookshop Review
I visited Elephant and Castle’s brand new bookshop, The Book Elephant.
Opening for a soft launch in January 2025, The Book Elephant is located in Elephant and Castle, making it the first bookshop in the area since The Kennington Bookshop closed in 2015.
Inside Hatchards Piccadilly in London - Bookshop Review
Here’s everything you need to know about London’s oldest bookshop.
Founded in 1797, Hatchards claims to be the oldest bookshop in the whole of the UK, and is held in high regard as the bookseller to several generations of the royal family.
Their flagship shop is based in Piccadilly Circus, in the same premises that it’s occupied since 1801. The shop has a gorgeous dark green facade, with dark wood interiors and five floors filled with books.
The Best Bridget Jones Quotes
Helen Fielding is the author of the legendary Bridget Jones book series, which has sold millions of copies around the world.
The first book, Bridget Jones’s Diary, was first published in 1996 and adapted into a highly successful movie starring Renée Zellweger. Fielding later wrote an additional 3 books, with the last being penned in 2016. The fourth movie in the Bridget Jones series, Mad About the Boy, was released in 2025.
All of the Bridget Jones Books and Movies in Order
First published in 1996, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding has sold millions of copies around the world, with an enduring appeal that relates to several generations of women.
The books themselves were published in an order that doesn’t follow the story chronologically, and I have to admit, it’s something that I’ve found incredibly confusing in the past. The movies, on the other hand, do follow the chronological order of the story, instead of the publication date of the books.
16 Pride and Prejudice Quotes About Life and Love
Dating back to 1813, Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s second novel, and explores the expectations that society places on women - particularly within marriage and romance.
Despite its popularity, Pride and Prejudice was initially published anonymously and Austen only ever received an initial sum of £110, losing out on any further royalties. The first edition published in three separate volumes, before it was later compiled into the novel that it is today.
Pride and Prejudice has an enduring appeal that has seen it adapted into a number of films, stage shows and television series over the last 200 years. Most notably, this includes a 2009 film adaption that features Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett, as well as a 1995 television series where Mark Darcy is portrayed by Colin Firth.
Here are some of the best quotes about love and life from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Talia Hibbert Books in Order
Here is everything you need to know about Talia Hibbert’s books.
With more than 15 novels to her name, Talia is a bestselling romance author currently living in Nottinghamshire.
In a similar way to many other romance writers, Talia started out by self publishing their first novella before being picked up by a traditional publisher. They specialise in writing diverse and inclusive romance stories, inspired by their own long term relationship and experience of living with fibromyalgia.
Lucy Score Books in Order
Here is everything you need to know about Lucy Score’s work.
Now a New York Times bestselling author, Lucy Score originally self published her first novella, selling 36 copies before it was picked up by a small publisher.
Several years later, Lucy signed a print publishing deal with Things We Never Got Over, which became hugely popular on TikTok and was the first of her books to hit the New York Times bestseller list.
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.