February 2019 - a wrap-up

Blog Posts:

I managed to publish 5 blog posts in February – and I am very proud of myself for managing to create content for my blog when I seem to be working most of the time! Here are the 5 posts – if you haven’t read them yet, this is the perfect chance!

• Interview with Kim Fu – author of The Lost girls of Camp Forevermore
• Best Book Releases to Watch Out For – 21^st February
• Ten Book Series I Loved as a Young Girl
• My Bookish Pet-Peeves – Part One: Snobbery
• Fiction Review – The Silent Patient

Book Log:

Compared to January, I didn’t manage to read as much. However, I did manage to read The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington in under two days so that is a big deal for me, the slow reader! Here are the books I read, and a few lines on what I thought of them:

• The Silent Patient

This thriller was SO good - I really did not see that twist coming, and as such I give this book a high rating. See review link above!

• Don't You Forget About Me - Mhairi McFarlane 

Oh God this book really gave me ALL the feels. I just loved the main character - her flaws and her greatest attributes - and I could feel her warmth. I love her complicated love life - the way she reflects back on her past and tries to build on from it. I just couldn't put this book down - I hated Robin and wanted to shake Lucas and I wanted to hug Georgina. I love the complexity of family relationships as well as other kinds of relationships with people. I love that Georgina takes on the challenge of public speaking and totally aces it. Her stories were so fun to read - and as she was speaking on stage it was as if I was listening to her - not just reading her words. I cried and laughed throughout (probably cried more!) and this book made me feel raw and content inside.

• You Can Take Her Home Now

This novel is so eye-opening about many things: motherhood (of course!), but also friendship, relationships and life itself. I do not have any children myself but I think this is why I enjoyed the book so much. It is a rather slow-burner of a book, but all the descriptions of looking after a newborn baby, the stress of dealing with body changes and lifestyle chances is so interesting and fascinating - I really couldn't put the book down.

I like how the book began with Emily giving birth to her daughter Lucy - there is no 'before' baby in this book except through Emily's wistful memories. This book is all about struggling with motherhood and accepting how it changes life around you - going back to work eventually, and getting things back to normal with her boyfriend Nick. 

The book is a really beautiful but honest outlook of life around having a baby - and I was engrossed in every word.

• The Familiars

So this book really just had the most beautiful cover! The chunkyness felt so good in my hands - and despite the size, I devoured it in under three days. I just loved the historical setting, the witchcraft aspect (although it could have been explored in more depth), the fierce heroine and the way relationship dynamics was explored through each of the characters. This is a must-read! 

• The Red Ribbon

Oooh - this book is something that ALL young women and men should read. It's about strength and hope, and the will to survive in the darkest of times. Set in the Holocaust, The Red Ribbon follows a sixteen year old Jewish seamstress who one day dreams of opening her own dress shop. At the concentration camp she is in, she gets a 'job' as a seamstress and starts making dresses for the female guards. She makes friends with a posh girl called Rose who is there as she is apparently a 'political enemy'. The whole novel is both heart-breaking and uplifting at once, and I sped through it in two days! One of the best YA books I have read in a while.

Going Out:

Normally I would have a coffee log inserted here, but I hadn’t tried any new places in February. This is a surprise for me, because I do love trying out new coffee shops. I did go to The Brew House in Hampstead Heath near Kenwood House, but I have been there many times before. Funny story: I asked for a ‘Babycino’ thinking I would get a saucer cup of hot milk – instead they gave me a shot glass size cup of warm milk with a sprinkling of chocolate on it. So essentially, all I got was a very mini not so hot hot-chocolate.

Anyway, February turned out a good month for me because I went to TWO author talks, plus I attended my first ever blogger event which was incredibly interesting. And lastly, on the last day of February I went to a literary themed pub quiz organised by the lovely Helen Harradine from Inspired Selection. Now without further ado, here are some pictures from each night:

Tuesday 5^th February: An evening with Karen M. McManus at Piccadilly, London

I read Karen McManus’s book, One of Us is Lying, last year and LOVED IT. So I was super psyched to hear she was coming over from across the pond to do an author talk in London. It was a truly interesting evening, it being my first author talk event, and listening to Karen discuss her new book and the YA thriller theme which is up on the rise. Plus, one of my favourite authors, Cally Taylor, was there on the panel – so this was a bonus!

The panel in conversation

Karen M. McManus signing my book!

Thursday 7^th February: The Hot Mess Clubhouse with Lucy Vine and Sophie Kinsella (Gower St)

It was truly lovely to see and listen to Sophie Kinsella in the flesh. This was a fun, entertaining event where I learnt about Sophie’s writing processes, her personal life, and about the many books she has under her belt!

A rather pretty set-up

Sophie Kinsella (left) and Lucy Vine (Right)

Saturday 16^th February: Women of History Blogger Brunch (Heather Morris & Lucy Adlington)

I absolutely loved hearing Heather Morris and Lucy Adlington talk about the Holocaust themes in their books as well as their writing processes. Heather Morris’ novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a stunning novel of hope in dark times – so I was really pleased to be get to be able to meet her and get a book signed. I hadn’t read The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington, but I got a free signed copy and went home and started it straight away. I finished it the next day – I just could not put it down.

The Red Ribbon and The Tattooist of Auschwitz - lots of books!

Food spread for the brunch! Yum.

Heather Morris doing a reading of her book

Me sitting on the floor like a primary school student! My legs got cramped but it was actually quite nice on the floor.

Thursday 28^th February: Literary Pub Quiz at The Miller Pub

This was a super fun team-work event where I got a chance to catch up with my new friends! The quiz itself was a bit tricky for me at times (I have never been good at quizzes anyway) but I managed to get two for the team! This charity event was organised by Helen Harradine from Inspired Selection.

So in all, I think February went quite well. Personally there were some dark moments and I had some issues to sort out, but all these events really helped me rise above them. I also focused more on my art work which as always helps me to settle my nerves and fears for a few moments! I got the March pages ready for my bullet journal. I need to write a separate post about this!

Anyway, March is looking up – onwards and upwards! To close, here are a few pictures of art work I have done in February:

Bullet Journal: March

I'm exploring the colour Pink in my art work

Experimenting with acrylic paint

This is my most fave design so far!