Zenith Book Review

Zenith Book Review 

I LOVED this book from start to finish and there is no part of this book that I don’t like. This Sci-fi world is one of the best I have ever read, it is a work of art. The plot was very elaborate and thought out, the story unravels beautifully and I was not disappointed by anything. I have been waiting to read this book ever since it was announced and it flew past all of my expectations.

The book follows a group of badass female space pirates who make a deal with the dreaded General Cortas that might result in pardon for all their crimes, their slate wiped clean. The deal involves a mission that is close to impossible and it might just be the death of them all. Simultaneously, the leader of the planet Zen Ptera plans on starting a war as revenge for all the injustice committed towards them, with the goal of becoming all powerful.

The main characters in this book Androma, Lira, Breck, and Gilly are amazing people with great personalities, and a family-like bond I love. Even though these people have their strengths and are the best at what they do, they are each written in a very realistic way with flaws and weaknesses which makes them so much more understandable. I love each and every one of these people. We also see the world from Zen Pters’s perspective, which the book so much more interesting and reinforces the title of this book.
I actually pride myself on figuring out the plot twist in the book when I was halfway in, but surprisingly it didn’t ruin the story at all I still enjoyed the ending of the book as much as I would if I hadn't figured it out.
Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings did an stunning job, I loved the world, the story, the plot, the characters, the ending and even the cover is MAGNIFICENT. The book was absolutely amazing and I definitely rate it 5 stars. I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!
I recommend it to all Sci-fi lovers, and I hope you like it as much as I do! 

MY 2020 READING LIST.

I’ve always been a bookworm, as a kid learning to cope with the UK winters I would huddle near a source of warmth with a duvet around me, in my own little world. Back then I relied on the limited school library, but now I have an endless amount of books at my hands – especially with a Kindle! I’m never without an overly optimistic selection of books to get through.

This year I’ve set myself a challenge to read 30 books, having been inspired by Anna and her efforts last year. I made it to 15 myself, not a bad feat considering I didn’t set myself a real target. I’m interested to see how many I’ll get through with a bit of a push!

I got a lot of books for my birthday and Christmas so these have been added to what I like to call “The Stack”, a pile of books sitting next to my bedside table. It’s growing at a rapid rate, but I find it oddly comforting to have them all piled up like that.

If you want to keep up with the books I’ve loved and read, you can follow me on Goodreads here!

Our Women On The Ground // Zahra Hankir
I’m cheating a bit here because I’m already part of the way through this one. I saw this randomly on a booklist on Twitter and thought it sounded like the kind of gripping yet educational read my life was missing. I was right; this book is nothing short of incredible. It tells the story of 19 Arab women who report from their war-torn countries. These women have lived through harrowing life-altering experiences, seen what it’s like at the frontline – all to tell the stories at the heart of the conflict. If you read one book this year, make it this one.

Note To Self // Connor Franta
I’m going through a serious ‘life memoirs’ stage at the moment, and when browsing Amazon and Goodreads for book recommendations based on what I’d already read, this one just kept popping up.
Admittedly, when I first added this to my basket I (rather rudely) assumed this was written by a woman. As it happens, Connor is a (male) YouTuber with a very impressive following (I’ve looked him up since, he looks like a lovely chap).
Anyway, Note To Self is a collection of letters, short stories, photography, poems that tell a story about his life so far. It looks like a very uplifting read, and of course the cover is gorgeous.

Outline // Rachel Cusk
This (also very pretty!) book is a part of a trilogy, Jordan actually got me the three books for Christmas after he spotted another one of Rachel Cusk’s books amongst The Stack. I haven’t actually read any of her work before, bar a quick flick through, but it seems like a dreamy read that sits somewhere between poetry and fiction. I’m interested to delve in to a series, it’s been a while since I’ve done that!

The Most Fun We Ever Had // Claire Lombardo
Another book that I was gifted, this time from my brother and his girlfriend, is this brightly-coloured number. As I unwrapped it, they told me they’d chosen it because it was similar to one of my favourite reads from last year, Expectation by Anna Hope. Whereas Expectation analyses friendships, TMFWEH focuses on the relationship between the four Sorenson sisters. The reviews say it’s gripping, and it’s a hefty ol’ read by the looks of it, but I can’t wait to start this!

Ordinary People // Diana Evans
I’m adding this one here to hold myself accountable – this was also a present from Jordan (what can I say? I’m vocal about my love of books!), and he said he searched The Stack, my bookshelves and my Kindle to see if I had read this. Luckily I hadn’t, and I planned to start it over the holidays but I just couldn’t get in to it! It has quite mixed reviews, but a lot of people have told me it’s worth sticking to. As you can tell, I love reading books about relationships, especially when the characters are slightly flawed and have a believable authenticity to them – I’m hoping I manage to finish this one.

My Favourite Manson Girl // Alison Umminger
I have a slightly morbid fascination with the Manson Family; I read The Girls by Emma Cline (which I ADORED), when I was in Los Angeles a few years ago and have been looking for something similar ever since. This popped up on my Goodreads recommendations and I thought it sounded like just the read I was looking for.
Set in LA, the story follows Anna who sets off for a new life in the city – she hopes for a glitzy summer of celebrities and parties, but I’m guessing that’s not exactly how it goes down. I’m just itching to read this!

Juliet The Maniac // Juliet Escoria
One of my favourite genres (of books, TV, film…) is definitely ‘coming of age’, although this book sounds darker than your average teen memoir. This was recommended to me after I read Three Women (which was possibly my favourite book of 2019), and the reviews are pretty strong.
The story documents teenage Juliet’s journey of self-destruction and emotional turmoil, it sounds like a heavy one but the reviews say it’s also incredibly moving. I’ll keep you posted…

Ask Again, Yes // Mary Beth Keane
I don’t own this book yet but it keeps popping up on all my recommended lists so I know it won’t be long before I cave and add it to The Stack. This story centres on two families, specifically their two children Kate and Peter, who grow up together until one day tragedy divides them. Years later they reunite – the reviews say it’s quite a sad story but brilliantly written, which sounds right up my street!

Cold Sunflowers // Mark Sippings
This book first came to my attention when I noticed it had almost a full five stars on Amazon – unheard of, I tell you! I’ve already got this downloaded to my Kindle (I think I have some sort of long-buried anxiety over having no books to read…), and it sounds like a really lovely story.
The description introduces two characters, 17 year old Raymond who seems to be a bit of an awkward kid, and Ernest, a man in his seventies who has lived a very full life serving in the war. Their unlikely friendship is the focus of the story, which sounds incredibly endearing!

Commonwealth // Ann Patchett
I keep seeing Ann Patchett books pop up all over the place and I’m desperate to see what all the fuss is about! I’ve added Commonwealth to my ‘to read’ list, it seems like a good place to start.
This is the tale of two families torn apart by a chance encounter, and the story is spread over five decades – so quite a beefy read I can imagine! The reviews say it’s wonderfully written and surprisingly funny, so it sounds like my kinda thing.

So I have quite the list to get through! Have you read any of these? What’s on your to-read list?

Things To Watch, Listen To & Read This Autumn

Hello! So as I write this, the sky is grey and full of rain clouds, I have a hot cup of coffee next to me, and Gilmore Girls is playing in the background – and I could not be HAPPIER.

Although, I do feel like Summer barely visited the UK, and last week I got soaked every day walking Frank- I do love Autumn.

And now we are officially into October, it’s time for what I like to call ‘the cosy season’, so I thought I’d chat about some things that I’ve enjoyed watching, listening to and reading – in case you’d like some inspiration this Autumn.

Things To Watch –

SO I won’t go into too much with my watches for October, as there’s a whole separate post coming on that, but here are a couple of things that I’ve watched recently that I’ve loved.

Stranger Things

So, definitely must be one of the last people on the planet to watch Stranger Things, but if like us, you’ve been living under a rock. now is the perfect time to watch the sci-fi-y series on Netflix.

A little creepy, but not too scary, it’s perfect for this time of year as we approach Halloween, we weren’t sure that we’d like it, but we really enjoyed it. Definitely worth the hype, and the characters (especially Dustin & Eleven) will steal your heart.

Gilmore Girls

It’s annual re-watching time of my favourite cosy show- Gilmore Girls. It’s the cosiest programme in my opinion, and feels like you’re getting a warm hug/drinking a hot chocolate on a cold day.

Perfect for snuggling up with on a rainy afternoon with a blanket.

Things To Listen To

My Dad Wrote A Porno

I stumbled across this podcast when I saw that Alice Levine was part of it, which I hadn’t realised before. So the title very much gives the premise of this podcast away- Jamie’s (the podcast narrator) Dad has decided to write some erotic literature, and Jamie and his two pals Alice and James decide to read said porno round the kitchen table and react to it.

Now, as the title suggests, it’s a bit rude, and not one to listen to whilst parents are around, or when young ears are in the room, and warning you may laugh out loud at this if you listen to this in public.

But this is the FUNNIEST thing I’ve heard in a long time, I sit and choke on my drink most episodes and the neighbours probably wonder what on earth I’m cackling at.

I would 100% recommend it, if like me you have a smutty sense of humour, I’m currently on book 3 and love it. Let me know if you listen to it!

Things To Read

Date Night : Samantha Hayes

So this book isn’t my usual genre of book, I’m usually a chick-lit kinda girl, nothing that requires too much thinking. However this came up in my suggestions on my Kindle account, and I had to download this after reading the sample.

The story centres around Libby and Sean, who go on a date night as the title suggests, however when they return home, they find their teenage babysitter Sasha missing, yet their 5-year-old daughter is safely asleep upstairs. With no sign of a struggle and all of Sasha’s stuff in their living room, the book goes backwards to events before the date night to the date night itself, to the present (after date night) on a twisty turvy journey of what happened to Sasha.

This had me gripped, I raced through it as I wanted to know what happened. I totally didn’t guess the ending and there was a twist I was not expecting. I didn’t find it the most relaxing read, but I throughly enjoyed it and will be checking out the author’s other books for sure.

The Man Who Didn’t Call -Rosie Walsh

SO this definitely falls under the more chick lit category, but this isn’t as fluffy as the usual books I read. Here’s the blurb because this describes the book in a much more thrilling way than I could :

‘Imagine you meet a man, spend seven glorious days together, and fall in love. And it’s mutual: you’ve never been so certain of anything. So when he leaves for a long-booked holiday and promises to call from the airport, you have no cause to doubt him. But he doesn’t call.Your friends tell you to forget him, but you know they’re wrong: something must have happened; there must be a reason for his silence.’

Sounds good right? I couldn’t put this down as I needed to know what happened and there was a twist which I wasn’t expecting! Such a good cosy read!

So there we have it, some of my recent fave things to watch, listen to and read this October.

Let me know if you take me up on any of these suggestions and also let me know if you have any faves, as I’m always looking for new things to watch and read!

Simple Salted Caramel Brownies

With a new routine comes new reasons to explore some favourite recipe books, old and new. With a recipe books lining a shelf in our pantry, armed and ready to supply inspiration for evenings filled with cooking for two- it’s become one of my favourite simple pleasures sitting down on a Friday to do the weekly food stop- whilst fingering through pages of new bakes and dinners- mulling over mutual loves and things we’ll try for the week ahead…

One of my favourite new books from that shelf has to be Laura Jackson and Alice Levine’s, Round to Ours. Already being two of my favourite people- be it for their style or skills (be it supper clubs to podcasting), I’ve been so excited to take one of their recipes for a spin. Although the book is mainly menus for gorgeous gatherings and delightful dinner parties, there are dishes that can cater for afternoon treats and simple suppers- with the salted caramel brownies from their ‘Movie Night’ menu particularly piquing my interest. So, with dinner with friends in the diary, I decided to bake these and take them along as a surprise desert- and it’s safe to say they went down a total storm! I thought I’d share the recipe here, and can guarantee if you like this, you’ll love the rest of the book too.

You Will Need:
100g Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
125g Unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
250g Granulated sugar
2 Large eggs
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tsp flaky sea salt
100g Plain flour
12 Squares of milk chocolate containing caramel pieces (I used Galaxy Caramel)

– Heat your oven to 170 degrees. Line a baking tin (28 x 20cm), with baking parchment, leaving extra up around the sides.

– Place the dark chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water) and leave until just melted.

– Take off the heat and use a balloon whisk to whisk in the sugar, then the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and half the salt. Gradually sift in the flour and then stir using the whisk.

– Pour the mixture into the tin, spreading it out so that it is even. Press a piece of caramel chocolate into the surface at regular intervals (so that when cut into 12 there is a piece at the centre of each), and sprinkle the surface with the remaining salt.

– Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in an area with no caramel comes out without raw batter on it. The brownies should also be starting to come away from the edges, and gently cracking on top. Leave to cool- or eat them when they’re straight out of the oven if you can’t wait (and while the centres are still runny).

Recipe care of the wonderful Jackson & Levine, whose book is an absolute treasure.

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall (Outlander) by Diana Gabaldon Book Review

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall (Outlander) by Diana Gabaldon Book Review 

With the release of this recent collection of novellas, Gabaldon seeks to pull together a number of her shorter pieces for the reader’s enjoyment. With some mention of Jamie Fraser, a peppering of Roger, and even the elder Fraser, the vast number of stories have some Lord John Grey connection. When I undertook my Diana Gabaldon binge in the summer of 2015, I sought to read her entire collection in chronological order, which sandwiched Outlander novels with a number of the Lord John pieces. A number of the novella found within this collection were included in this binge. I have chosen to resurrect these reviews for those stories I have already read in this collection, so some of the comments might seem out of place in 2017. The latter two pieces are those I have never read and so their reviews are brand new to me and those who follow my postings. I hope you will enjoy my summaries and encourage anyone with a massive amount of patience to tackle the larger Outlander/Lord John collection. 

The Custom of the Army:

It all begins with an electric eel party and a duel that goes horribly wrong. A night of apparent debauchery leads our famed Gabaldon character in a heap of trouble everywhere he turns. In an attempt to hide himself while he is persona non grata, Grey agrees to act as a character witness for a friend facing court martial, in CANADA. With an additional familial matter to handle while he is away, Grey embarks on an adventure to the New World and mixes it up with the British Army (currently at war with France in Quebec), while he hunts down a man keen on abandoning his duties. Gabaldon shows the reader another humorous side of Grey who, without Jamie Fraser around, is quite a civilised gentleman.

Gabaldon does a great job in keeping the LJG series moving forward. With some great storytelling, time appropriate characters and wonderful narration, anyone who is a fan of the Outlander series or the full-length Lord John Grey books will not be disappointed. This book sits nicely as a stand-alone, hence its unofficial non-labelled nature between many of the other pieces of writing in the series.

The Space Between:

In this novella, Gabaldon chooses two lesser characters and send them on a journey mentioned towards the end of An Echo in the Bone. Young Joan MacKimmie, step-daughter of our beloved Jamie Fraser, heads to Paris to answer her calling and train to become a nun. Sent on her way with Jamie's nephew, Michael, they travel through the streets of Paris in a short and jam-packed story. While Joan seeks to make herself a bride of Christ, she wrestles with voices only she can hear, which offer both advice and glimpses into the future. As she prepares for her entry into the convent, she begins to question everything she has come to believe, which led her to this point. Michael, who may have been sent as a bodyguard, fights his own inner demons on the trip, part related to his growing feelings for this young woman as well as the knowledge his Aunt Claire gave him about the not too distant civil uprising in France, with Paris at its heart. Michael and Joan struggle to balance their responsibilities with what the heart desires, creating a space between logic and emotion. They must also fend off the plans of a sinister man who seeks revenge for Claire Fraser's antics when last she spent time in Paris. Learning of the connection Joan and Michael possess to La Dame Blanche, they are spun into a web of deceit and potential disaster. With a sprinkling of time travel discussion (of course, no Outlander story can ignore the Stones), Gabaldon moves her major sub-story forward while keeping a little more of the full time movement situation for the final novel. Brilliantly composed with just enough to keep the reader wanting more.

As the number of remaining Outlander stories dwindle, I am left to pay special attention to these tales. Having taken the time to re-read the entire collection, I have taken away so much and learned a great deal, both about the history of the time as well as the intricacies of the characters Gabaldon has set before the reader. As mentioned many times in previous novels, Gabaldon may introduce minor characters throughout, whose importance is only known much later. This novella is a wonderful case in point, where the likes of Joan and Michael receive only passing mention in earlier stories, but now play central roles. One could say the same for Comte St. Germain, who acts as a Stephen Bonnet or Black Jack Randall of sorts. Wonderfully spun in such a way to entertain and intrigue simultaneously.

The Plague of Zombies:

In Gabaldon's final piece (to date) of Lord John-centred writing, she succeeds in weaving another great tale with her ever-resourceful Lord John Grey at the helm. In Jamaica on official business, Lord John is soon drawn into a phenomena new to him; the emergence of zombies. Waking one night by a visitor whose human form is questionable, Grey wonders if there is more to this myth than strict lore. When the Governor is found murdered, the scene leads many to believe a pack of zombies may be behind the crime. However, Grey is not so sure and mounts clues to turn the investigation in another direction. With many wishing him gone (from office as well as from the earth), the Governor's demise leaves many suspects for Grey to ponder. That said, the power of zombies appears stronger than even and Grey seeks to learn more about them if for no other reason than to quench his curiosity. Another great novella by Gabaldon to keep the reader on the edge of their seat and with an eye on packs of unknowns lurking the streets at night.

Gabaldon's OUTLANDER series is one of my great guilty pleasures. Her plethora of characters leaves a great opening for many interesting branch-off stories or novellas. That said, her character Lord John Grey, whose role in the Outlander series is minor in the first three novels, is one perfectly suited for a series of novels. An 18th century Sherlock Holmes on one hand and a tyrannical man whose lust for Jamie Fraser fuels a powerful hatred in the main novel series cannot be discounted. Gabaldon has done a masterful job of painting a calmer and more likeable side to Grey in this series, as well as jumping on the 'zombie' bandwagon made overly popular by THE WALKING DEAD. A great novella for fans of the series or newbies alike, it makes for a highly entertaining read for the curious reader.

A Leaf of the Wind of All Hallows:

What ever happened to Jerry MacKenzie, father of Roger, whose plane went down during the War effort? As Gabaldon mentions in the story's preface, discussion of Jerry opened in An Echo in the Bone, where Claire admitted that the story Roger knew was not entirely true. With Roger finally encountering Jerry in 1739, something must have happened related to the Stones, but the story is again not flushed out. Gabaldon chooses this point to offer a real account of events, just in time as Outlander fans are surely tearing their hair out with wonder, as the cliffhanger found no resolution within Written in My Own Heart's Blood. Spitfire pilot Jerry MacKenzie is approached by MI6 (and Frank Randall no less) to help in the execution of a covert mission behind the Iron Curtain. While out on reconnaissance, Jerry develops engine trouble and crash lands somewhere in Northumbria. As Jerry seeks to get his bearings, he discovers that he's been propelled into the past, but has no explanation for events. When he comes across a mysterious character, a little is revealed, including how to get back, but no clear understanding of the Stones is made known. Returning to modern times, Jerry comes across his wife, Marjorie, but is not in a position to reach her to discuss his revelations. Filling a few cracks in the Outlander storylines, this short story fits nicely, yet leaves much to the imagination. 

Virgins:

VIRGINS, a novella penned by Gabaldon years after she made Jamie Fraser a successful protagonist in the Outlander series, opens the collection nicely. In it, Fraser and his friend, Ian Duncan, embark on the life of young mercenaries, well away from Scotland. It's 1740 and the boys, aged nineteen and twenty respectfully, find themselves out in the world, experiencing all that it has to offer. While Duncan sees that his friend is holding onto a secret, nothing prepares him when he learns the truth. Captain Jack Randall came to Lallybroch and embarrassed Fraser, along with his entire family, leaving Jamie banished from his own estate. Jamie uses the attack and belittling to fuel his fire to become a man in a hard-knock world. Along the way, Jame and Ian learn about fighting, sex, and what it means to be independent, all while crossing paths with many a clan unlike themselves. These 'life virgins' soon learn the ways of the world while vowing to protect one another. The novella opens the door to what is sure to be a wonderful series, at least for Jamie, as he hones his skills and returns to face Randall in the years to come. The awkwardness that he will encounter (as Outlander fans know all too well) should make for an ever-changing flood of sentiment in the man's brain...but we have many many pages to learn all about that.

A Fugitive Green:

In a story set around 1744, Minerva ‘Minnie’ Rennie is living in Paris with her father. They run a somewhat successful bookselling business, but it is merely a front for some of their more deceptive work: espionage, blackmail, and a little robbery. At seventeen, Minnie is ready to find herself a husband, but has been kept shielded from men by her overprotective father. However, an Englishman is said to make the best husband, so she is sent off to London to find a man and help her father with an especially interesting assignment. Meanwhile, the Duke of Pardloe, Harold (Hal), brother of the popular Lord John Grey, is still mourning the death of his wife and infant. They both perished after the onset of premature labour occurred when Hal engaged in a duel with his wife’s lover, Nathaniel Twelvetrees. The fallout of that duel and the death of his wife has kept Hal trying to justify his actions, though he has no firm proof of the affair. After Minnie arrives in London and is given the task of securing the collection of letters between Esme and Twelvetrees. Sly as she might be, even Minnie is sure to find this task somewhat difficult. Minnie is also left to discover a family secret that will shock her to the core, burning in a nunnery. While Minnie tries to secure copies of the letters, she encounters Hal and is somewhat besotted with him. This chance encounter turns somewhat steamy after she is caught red-handed trying to locate the letters. Returning to Paris, Minnie recounts her story to a curious father, who can see he has a well-trained daughter on his hands. However, when she reveals two secrets, all bets are off. A wonderful story that even allows the beloved Jamie Fraser to make a cameo appearance. Gabaldon is able to tie off a few threads left dangling in past stories as she adds to the Outlander/Lord John Grey chronology.

Besieged:

In the waning days of his military governorship in Jamaica, Lord John Grey is preparing to head to the America Colonies, not yet in full insurrection mode. The year is 1762 and life has been decent for this man of many adventures. He receives his step-father, who passes along a message that Lord John’s mother, the Dowager Duchess of Pardloe, is in Havana and may need to be collected. While this seems like a lovely side journey, news that the British Navy is on its way to seize the territory in its ongoing battles with Spain, leaves Lord John a little less at ease. Gathering his retinue, they make their way to Cuba and soon learn that the Dowager has made her way into the rural areas, alongside some other members of Grey’s extended family. Added to the upcoming siege is news of yellow fever, which has been making its way around the region. Choosing to arm himself with a few Spanish-speaking individuals, Lord John ventures far from the beaten path and encounters some less than pleasurable individuals who seek to form their own slave insurrection. What follows will test Lord John to his core and may put a significant flavour to the intended mission. Another great story that shows the softer and more compassionate side of Lord John Grey during his continued missions around the New World.

While not entirely full of new stories, the collection is well worth the time invested by the reader. Gabaldon is not only the master of the genre, but finds new and exciting ways to link passing mentions in some of her larger pieces with novellas that explain or further the already-developed piece. History is, at times, fluid when Gabaldon is at the helm, but it is the intricacies of the narrative that makes this collection a stunning compendium. Many will know of Lord John and Jamie, but it's these minor characters who are given some centre stage time that enriches the experience for all. 

Kudos, Madam Gabaldon for this lovely collection. Please allow me to speak for your entire fan base when I say, ‘we thank you for these short stories… but when can we dive into BOOK NINE?’. There, I said it!

Intense first sneak-peek of BBC’s ‘His Dark Materials’ series released

If, like us, you’ve been eagerly anticipating the first look at BBC and HBO’s His Dark Materials, this sneak peek will give you chills.

Released early on Sunday, the 30-second clip showcases some of the central characters of the television show. In the video we get prolonged moments featuring star Dafne Keen as Lyra, Ruth Wilson as Mrs. Coulter, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, Clarke Peters as The Master and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby.

However, eagle-eyed His Dark Materials fans will also be able to spy Tartars, Bolvangar, Trollesund, and a few more tantalizing teases. Including, yes, an apparently square alethiometer.

In a press release, Jane Tranter, Executive Producer for Bad Wolf, said, “We wanted fans to have a tiny glimpse of His Dark Materials. As with Lyra, there are many more worlds to discover as we start upon this epic journey.”

The one aspect of His Dark Materials that is still being kept under wraps are the daemons. Daemons, a physical manifestation of a person’s true self as an animal, are hugely important in the His Dark Materials world. “We’re keeping our daemons close,” the tweet introducing the sneak-peek said, leaving a little something for fans to look forward to when a full trailer drops.

His Dark Materials wrapped filming in December 2018, and production is already underway on a second season. The first season will comprise of eight episodes, and they are slated to air at some point in 2019.

MY 2019 READING LIST.

What I’ll be reading this year…

I’ve seen so many resolutions this year that involve reading more books, whereas one of mine should probably be read less books! I feel like I get absolutely nothing done when I have a good book on the go, especially a really gripping one. Everything just gets neglected until I finish it, and then I start another and the cycle continues…

Instead of telling myself to read more this year, I want to read better – no more hurried works of fiction that leave me underwhelmed and rolling my eyes. Life is too short.

I’ve gone through my reading list and I thought I’d share what I’m looking forward to getting through this year – hopefully you lot can recommend a few good ‘uns in the comments too.

MORE UPLIFTING STORIES

A lot of the books I read seem to be psychological thrillers, especially when I’m travelling because they pass the time so quickly. As gripping and addictive as they are (seriously, is there a better feeling than reading a page-turner?!), I find myself feeling a bit disconnected and sometimes even a little anxious once I’m done.
I want to read more positive stories this year, anything that inspires or lifts me up – especially true stories! I’ve heard such good things about Educated by Tara Westover, so I think that’ll be next on my list, and I’ve also got The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah saved in my Kindle pile.
I absolutely loved both Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Lion by Saroo Brierley so I’m hoping to find more like this – I need more inspirational stories from here on out!

MORE INFORMATIVE READS

I think I can probably justify the hours I lose to reading if the books I read were a little bit more educational, so I’m telling myself I have to be smarter with the books I choose.
My first pick is going to make this task seriously easy; Anna sent me her book ‘An Edited Life‘ and I knew from just a quick flick through that it was going to be an enlightening read for me. I always look to Anna for advice on getting my shit together, so an entire book should help me somewhat!
Sitting in my Amazon basket is The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, which focuses on ways you can improve your life by waking earlier and being productive first time. I’m a morning person for sure, I often wake up at 4am because my brain goes in to overdrive, but I’m not the best at embracing these early starts (I usually sit at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and stare in to space) so hopefully a few tips should have me changing my ways.

MORE OF THE CLASSICS

I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t read many of the popular literary classics, and most of the ones I have read were when I was at school and um, forced to… heh.
My friends Emily and Jess sent me Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy in a parcel recently and I’m determined to read it, and not just because the cover is beautiful! It’s tempting to just watch the film, but I know reading the book first will be so much more satisfying.
I have a couple of Jack Kerouac books that I want to make a start on too – I love looking at all the Penguin Modern Classics covers, I always want to buy the lot whenever I see them.

So, reading that back has made it sound like I’d quite like to take all the joy out of reading! I think (hope??) I can find a balance between the easy bestselling chart books I only seem to read at the moment, and the more classic or educational reads I feel like I should be delving in to. I’ll keep you posted as I go – what’s on your reading list for the coming months?

THE BEST HEALTHY COOKIES

I'm a bit of a sweet tooth fiend when it comes to the weekends, especially when chocolate biscuits are involved - wave a packet of McVitties dark chocolate digestives anywhere near me and I'll be salivating. In order to avoid the inevitable mid-day sugar crash though I decided that making my own sweet treats would probably be best and began searching for the perfect healthy cookie recipe. For a long time it was an almost impossible task but just as I was about to give up hope and resign myself to the fact that flavour and 'good for you' ingredients just couldn't coincide I discovered Ella's blog

One of my favourite recipes from both the blog and book are the Chocolate Chia Cookies. These couldn't be easier to make (anything that can be thrown into a food processor all in one go gets a thumbs up from me) and they taste delicious, honestly better than any other biscuits I've tasted and bonus - they're packed full of good ingredients! A batch of these make for the perfect fuss free Sunday bake and will have your home smelling gloriously chocolaty without any of the guilt!