This book was an absolute surprise to me. It's not really like anything else I've read before although it absolutely has notes of other books I've loved including Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone, Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss and Emily Austin's Someday Everyone in this Room Will Be Dead.

It’s hardly been a moment since I posted my review of Beth O’Leary’s The No Show, so I’m coming in unexpectedly hard here with the romance novels. On a practical level it’s just that all my favourite authors of this genre have really been leaning into the Spring and Summer months with new releases but, on a more emotional note, I think these are great reads for pure escapism.

I became an instant Beth O’Leary fan after reading The Flat Share (I’m excited for the TV adaptation too) due to the unique premise, fun note writing format and quirky characters. It was a quick, page-turning read and I instantly went on to download and devour the free Christmas story on her website that followed the characters after the book ended.

Hello strangers! I’ve been so caught up with planning for my theatre tour (not so subtle plug, sorry) that I’ve totally neglected book reviews despite having read some utter delights recently. Today though, that changes!

Gillian McAllister is a pretty cool cucumber. I first discovered her on instagram where she has a significant presence now, updating followers on both her daily writing life and the walks she takes with her dog Wendy in the countryside near her home. She talks openly and often about how she left her job as a lawyer to be a full-time writer and outlines in detail how hard she worked to make this a reality.

Unexpectedly one of my top reads of 2021, I requested this book on Netgalley because I’ve also been writing a novel about a young woman obsessed with dying and I was keen to compare and learn. Of course, because Everyone in this Room will Someday be Dead (let’s ‘shorten’ this to EITRWSBD) starts in such a well written and attention grabbing way I instantly lost the will to write my own novel.

Every year I do my literary round up and every year it sparks off lovely conversations - whether that be with fellow fans of similar books or those that use this list as a jumping off point for their next read. If you’re in the latter camp I’ve included some categorisation/genre information for each book which might make finding what you’re looking for a bit easier.

In Iceland there’s a Christmas tradition called Jolabokaflod, which apparently translates to Christmas Book Flood. I’m sorry, did you hear that? CHRISTMAS. BOOK. FLOOD.

Hello, hello. Nothing to see here. Just me, popping by on October 19th to deliver my September Culture Wrap Up. You nearly got it a couple of days ago but as this delightful website opted to delete the post I wrote yesterday, we’ve now surpassed the halfway-through-October-mark. However, I do think it was worth the wait as September was a classy as heck month for culture for me and I have lots to tell you about.

I usually can’t wait to put together my reading wrap ups at the end of each month but for the last few months, around May onwards, I’ve had an absolutely terrible few months reading wise.

I read a piece recently by Jenny Lawson - AKA The Bloggess - in which she said that when she was anxious she read more voraciously but that when she was in the midst of deep depression she didn’t read at all. Reading for me, like for Lawson, like for many other people, is an escape and a distraction when most needed.

This month was a delightful one for reading. I found myself constantly engrossed in a one book or another and ended the month with my nose still in about three different novels!

I loved Emily Henry’s debut adult fiction book Beach Read last year, so I was delighted when her publishers sent me an advanced Netgalley copy of her new one!

Another month, another wrap up! March has heralded the glacial opening up of our world! That, accompanied by an improvement in weather, has meant that my life of being near constantly glued to a screen or book is, well not over, but certainly adapted. Still, some delightful culture has been consumed and enjoyed. Here we go!

If I were writing in the before times the blog would be chock a block with theatre trips or stand-up comedy nights.

Right. It may have felt like it lasted forever but January is finally over! It has been…okay!

Everything I read in 2020!

2020 has brought a lot of novelty to peoples’ lives, both good and bad. So far I’ve tried writing a novel, starting (and frequently rejecting) new exercise regimes, making short videos of my dog just trying to live her life and have created projects with sub-par results in both embroidery and knitting.

After the delight that was Beach Read earlier this year I’ve been waiting for another feel-good romance with a solid, engaging narrative. And, for the most part, I’ve got to say that The Summer Job absolutely delivered.

Mark Watson is, in my opinion, one of the sharpest, funniest and most articulate artists out there.