Book Love ~ February

This week's blog post theme is Books, I have plans to share some book adventures here and across the pond from my visit to New York. However I am  kicking off with what has been keeping me entertained & offering escapism on my daily commute through the tunnels of the London tube

• It felt like a Kiss ~ Sarra Manning - Ellie has a lovely life, a family that love her, a fab job in a Mayfair Art gallery, fabulous friends & lots of fun... the only bleak point in her life; is that she is the daughter of a famous rock star, whom fails to acknowledge her existent. Ellies life is turned upside when a bitter ex sells her story to the press, her job, reputation & family life is torn apart.... in walks David Gold her fathers lawyer to help manage the situation & media... here's where the story begins with half truths & perceptions clouding judgement at each chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it has great supporting characters and you warm to Ellie instantly. Her love & loyalty to her family is heartwarming and as her relationship grows with David you really hope that everything works out for her. 
• Beneath the Moon & Stars ~ Amelia Thorne - this is the first of 2 reads from Amelia this month..Joy moves into the village, a stones throw from her childhood home, which has won the accolade of "the friendliest village in the uk" and finds that actually that is a myth. Joy also finds herself living next to a teenage movie movie star who for some reason has taken a dislike to her. Joy however is desperate to try and put down some roots, something she has been struggling with since her childhood. Befriended by the secret gay in the village, Joy trys to overturn the villagers misconceptions of her. This was a delightful book, with a gorgeous hero and a fun and feisty heroine,a lovely book which will make you laugh, get agitated and swoon and hope that you may get a next door neighbour like Finn move in next to you!
• Love Lies & Louboutins ~ Katie Oliver - Katie has written a fabulous series of books in her Austen inspired novels and ticks so many of my boxes... this follows on from Gemmas adventures in "And the Bride wore Prada" where she married wayward rockstar Dominic Heath. Her marriage vows are sorely tested when an old flame Jack appears and it looks like her husband has gone AWOL with a teenage pop sensation. Gemma finds herself getting caught up with an investigation Jack is involved in, involving the abduction of his niece Jools. It was great to catch-up with some characters from Katie's previous books and I loved how they all intertwined... can't wait for book 3 Manolo's in Manhattan
• The Perfect Match ~ Katie Fforde - it was a joy to curl up on the tube with a KF novel, I really enjoyed this book. Bella escapes her life and finds her self living with her godmother. Engaged to her boss Nevil, she is the sweetheart estate agent of the village. Bella is a nice person, moral and sees the good in all, however she starts to question her relationship when things start to unravel at work. Bella's life unravels more when the nephew of an elderly friend turns up and out to be the unrequited married crush that she fled from previously..... with many side stories, along with glorious locations, this book really does offer fabulous escapism and hope for us over 40's that there is someone out there for us all!
• Love me for me ~ Jenny Hale - Libby looses the perfect job, fiancee and apartment in New York overnight and finds herself back in the Virginia seaside town that she fled 12 years previously. Here she has to face many demons, the biggest in the shape of her 1st love, high school sweetheart and ex Pete. Although predictable, this book deals with many heart wrenching issues, the biggest being senile dementia. Libby frustrated me at times, but I still enjoyed this book and the life in this delightful seaside town on the east coast.
• Tied up with Love - Amelia Thorne - this book is sheer escapism from start to finish with a very hot hero!.... Izzy finds herself abducted from the street in broad daylight, blindfolded and handcuffed and thrown in the back of a van, all it seems in the name of love and a very big issue of mistaken identity. Tied to a bed and starring at the delicious Ethan Chase, Izzy realises that things cant be all bad and she could turn this to her advantage... recently jobless Izzy blackmails Ethan to give her a job at "Kidnap my Wife" sexual fantasy business. Sparks soon flair and a romp of a read entails.
Books that tick my boxes on a commute are those that have the ability to transport me to somewhere other than a cattle truck carriage, where sweaty armpits are a regular feature in my face and a seat is a luxury. Amelia Thorne does that in this book.... having just finished watching The Arrow 2 it wasn't hard to imagine Stephen Amell as the delicious Ethan Hawke from the narrative & description Amelia wrote. How much fun was it to then see this video on twitter from the talented Tay from @Chicksthatread on twitter, of Amelias book Tied up with Love.

As you can see I've read a an fun mix this month and enjoyed all of them.Here are some previous book posts & literary loves. Pop back this week when I share more Literary loves from across the pond in NY.
...what have you been reading? did you love it or did it not live up to expectation?

Literary adventures in New York...

with Ali and Scarlett.

 Ali McNamara's 3rd book in her From Nottinghill series published late October and with much self control I refrained from reading until I embarked on my own New York adventure early December. I read book 2 on a previous visit and loved reading Scarlett's escapades whilst in the big apple.
Book 3 ~ From Nottinghill with Four Weddings actually sees Scarlett commuting between New York and London as she manages 2 successful businesses each side of the Atlantic... her popcorn business in London and the dragonfly trust in New York. She is also planning her forthcoming wedding with her gorgeous fiance Sean.
In typical Scarlett's ditsy style she finds herself becoming friends with paparazzi darling Gabriella Romero and soon her little life is thrown off plan as it becomes a little hectic. With best friends Oscar and Maddie both having wedding & marriage dramas, Scarlett's perfect wedding is thrown into jeopardy, especially when best man Alex starts to meddle.
This book features so many of my favourite locations in both London (The Globe & Nottinghill) and New York and it was a joy to read whilst stateside.

It was lovely to catch-up with Scarlett and co, like meeting up with old friends. Alli's book features some new locations and old friends from The Plaza to Bradley Cooper and during my stay in New York this time, both featured in my week!.... pop back soon when I share both adventures!... along with a many more.
Thanks Alli for keeping me entertained whilst in New York... it was like having an old friend with me x

14 festive reads from 2014...

Over recent years festive reads have become part of my Christmas musts and a glorious way to spend some 'down'time during the busy holiday season.

I love a Christmas book... and look forward every year to compiling my seasonal wish list... this years selection is as varied as a tin of quality street and as delicious to unwrap.
Here's my thoughts on the 14 read for 2014;

1. Christmas in the Snow - Karen Swan ~ Allegra and Isobel are sisters, however they couldn't be more different. Allegra works in the cut-throat world of finance and is pitching the biggest deal of her life. Isobel is a yummy mummy to a toddler and happy to be a stay at home mum. Although their lives are different they have a mutual bond in caring for their mum who is in the grips of alzheimers. Mysteries and secrets unfold as a 60 year old hut is discovered in the swiss alps which link the girls to the body found. This leads to a impromptu visit to this ski village, where further secrets unfold. Aside from this Allegra is fighting for her pitch and career as a gorgeous one-night stand becomes a business rival and her safe and controlled world starts to un-ravel. I devoured this book when stuck on a delayed train and loved it. It takes you from the corporate financial world of London to the apres ski resorts of the swiss alps, throw in a gorgeous man and a little mystery along with some sisterly bonding and family secrets and you really do have a glorious read *****
2. The Perfect Christmas - Kate Forster ~ Hollywood movie star Maggie embarks on an impromptu trip to London over the festive season with her friend and manager Zoe. Maggie plans to have the 'perfect' Christmas in London. Holly who works at the hotel that they stay at sets on arranging the perfect treats & sights for them during the holiday season, .. Maggie & Zoe embark on their own matchmaking trip during their stay at the hotel, which all culminates in Christmas eve carols at St Paul's Cathedral.... a lovely little read, showcasing London and some festive favourites in a gorgeous little read. ****
3. Forever his Darling ~ Sarah Randall ~ Anastacia is at the top of her modelling career when she finds herself snowbound in the heart of Yorkshire at a Melville House - home and stud farm to Matt Darling. With an abandoned shoot and Christmas approaching Matt & Ana get to know each other with a lot of meddling from his sister and housekeeper. This seasonal read is filled with much fun, misunderstanding and some great characters.... a romp of a read, with a gorgeous brooding leading man.... loved it ****
4. Christmas with Billy and me ~ Giovanna Fletcher ~ in this lovely little novella we re-join Sophie and her movie star boyfriend in Rosefont Hill at the little tea shop. Sophie is anonymously emailed to ask if the Little Tea shop can be used for a Christmas eve proposal, agreeing Sophie along with help from her family create the perfect proposal venue, culminating in a lovely surprise. It was lovely catching up with Sophie & Billy and their lives, especially set in such lovely festive surroundings. This little novella was like a big mug of hot chocolate, warming, delicious and like a very big hug. ****
5. Little Shop of Hopes & Dreams ~ Fiona Harper ~ Alex is the New Years eve kiss that Nicole can't forget and now she finds herself planning his wedding to someone else with her wedding proposal business, the Little Shop of Hopes & Dreams. Alex & Nicole's paths keep crossing, culminating in another New Years eve. This was a lovely read and you completely start to root for Nicole from the start as she embarks on her business adventure, overcoming the school bullies and dealing with the 'one that got away'. ****
6. The Little Christmas Kitchen ~ Jenny Oliver ~ When Ella & Maddy's parents divorced, Maddy lived with her mum in Greece and Ella stayed in London with her dad. Now adults, the girls find themselves trading places at Christmas due to Ella's errant husband's affair and Maddy desperately wishing to leave the Greek island that is home. Both girls embark on adventures that will not just change their Christmas but their lives... with a sprinkling of gorgeous greek christmas bakes and a great supporting cast of characters, this book whisks you from London to Greece in a great little read.***
7. One Hundred Christmas Proposals ~ Holly Martin ~ in this Novella we join Harry & Suzie from One Hundred Proposals in the busy Christmas period. They have committed to arranging 100 proposals in December, culminating in a special New Years eve finale. Engaged themselves, Suzie starts to doubt if Harry still wants to marry her, especially when he starts to behave a little secretly. This was a lovely return to one of my favourite books from 2014 and a gorgeous festive read. delightful. ****
   
8. Maybe this Christmas ~ Sarah Morgan ~ this is the 3rd book in Sarah Morgans snow trilogy, and the story of Brenna & Tyler. Brenna has lusted after Tyler since she was a schoolgirl, however Tyler has only ever seen her as his skiing partner and best friend... this Christmas things get shook up and suddenly Brenna & Tyler are more than friends. This book was a lovely return to Vermont and the family ski resort, catching up with old friends. This really is the ideal book of what the perfect christmas would be in a ski lodge, from the breathtaking snow capped mountains to the hot men!.. this book is like a winter snow globe, sprinkling magic and fairy dust on all. ****
9. Sealed with a Christmas Kiss ~ Rachel Lucas ~ returning to the Scottish island of Auchenmor and the lives of Kate and the laird Roddy. Having decided to open up the ancestral home Duntarvie House for weddings, they find themselves agreeing to host a wedding over Christmas for an acquaintance of Kate's who is launching a wedding planning site. When things don't go according to plan with the wedding couple, Plan B kicks in involving Kate & Roddy and a Christmas eve wedding.... loved returning to Auchenmor and Rachel Lucas has written a gorgeous Christmas novella wrapping up Kate & Roddy's story in sumptuous festive style... ****
10. The Great Christmas Knit off ~ Alexandra Brown ~ Heartbroken at being jilted at the altar, Sybil finds solace in her knitting, now her flat is filled with the overflow of her obsession. Realising that she may have caused a huge mistake at work, she flees to her best friend and the village of Tindledale. Here she finds Hattie's House of Haberdashery which is 'run' by Hattie who is now in her 80's and being bullied by her nephew to move into a nursing home. Sybil embarks on helping Hattie reestablish the house of haberdashery by knitting Christmas Jumpers... this was a delightful read, filled with fun and as warming as any Christmas jumper. It will make you want to move to the village of Tindledale and pull out your knitting needles, delightful. ****
11. The Christmas Party ~ Carole Matthews ~ Single mum Louise is new to the corporate world and this is her 1st Christmas party at Fossil Oil Corporation... in amongst the fun, & frivolity of the festive party things aren't as perfect as they first appear and during the evening secrets begin to unravel and loves lost and new attractions start to rekindle and blossom. Spanning 3 days, Carole Matthews yet again sucks you into a story that you don't want to end. A fabulous read with some great characters that become like friends as you get to know them. Bravo CM.. rapidly becoming a Christmas tradition. *****
12. I'll Take New York ~ Miranda Dickinson ~ I adored this book and desperately want the bookshop in Brooklyn owned by Bea. I think it helped that I was visiting New York when I read this book, which made it even more delightful. This book follows Fairytale in New York, but can easily be read as a stand alone. Beas boyfriend lets her down in spectacular style so she swears herself off men, Jake Steinmann moves back to NY from San Francisco after his wife asks for a divorce, a chance meeting as the 2 only singletons at a party see the pair make a pact to no relationships.... as friends they begin to explore the city and realise that the city may have other plans for them. Miranda Richardson has written a book, where New York becomes the 3rd character in the story and I loved exploring some of the paces that feature in this book... a must for any NY fan, culminating in a real "When Harry met Sally" moment on New Years eve.... magical *****
13. Mistletoe Mansion - Samantha Tonge ~ masquerading as a housesitter- newly single & homeless Kimmy moves into Mitletoe mansion over the holiday season. Here she meets WAG Melissa who soon helps her launch her cupcake business by ordering lots of her Merry Berry cupcakes .. with a distracting handyman and a equally disturbing ghost Kimmy begins to live the life she always imagined. A fun read which eased my commute and had me chuckling on the tube. ***
14. The Christmas Bucket List - Ella Fairlie ~ a cute little novella which follows Isobel as she works through her Christmas bucket list in London. Isobel's christmas in her native south africa is a continent away from her perfect christmas imagined. When her boyfriend/boss goes awol 5 days before Christmas, Isobel finds herself working through her list with work colleague Jamie. a delightful read filled with everything we imagine a perfect christmas to be... perfect for curling up in a cozy armchair with a hot chocolate.***

I throughly enjoyed working my way through these 14 reads at Christmas ~ thankyou ladies for such fabulous reads and for keeping me entertained during my commutes & travels over the festive season.

As delicious as a warm mince pie and a cream filled hot chocolate.....

As you can see there is one book I haven't reviewed... pop over here for my thoughts on Alli Mcnamara's From Nottinghill with four weddings actually....

Wednesday Words ~ October

This month Kindle and I have had an adventure whist commuting home from work (more of which I will share late in the post. I have also read 5 books which have kept me entertained as I travel through the tunnels of the London tube.

This months reads;

• The Vineyard ~ Karen Aldous - Lizzie has created a life in Cannes with her small boy and successful beauty business. Estranged from her mother for several years she heads home to find that things have changes and moved on in her absence. Here Lizzie meets Cal who is leasing land from her mother to grow a Vineyard.  I enjoyed this book, but it took some time for me to like Lizzie, the book also deals with some difficult subjects and fluctuates between 2 styles of writing which took some time for me to get used to. However that aside I enjoyed the story and characters and it was nice to escape to the glamour of the South of France for a while.
• Sealed with a Kiss ~ Rachel Lucas - Kate is dumped on her best friend's wedding day by the world's most boring boyfriend, Ian. She is more upset at being jobless & homeless on the back of the break-up and finds herself taking a job on the remote Scottish island of Auchenmor as an all-round Girl Friday. She is not known for her organisational skills and has a disastrous first meeting with her grouchy boss Laird of the Island - Roddy. However Kate finds herself falling in love with the island and its inhabitants. I loved this book from the start, and I along with Kate fell in love with the island of Auchenmor... I even googled highland island getaway's for next year. A fabulous first book, perfect for curling up on the sofa with a large mug of chocolate ~ delicious
• Love Like the Movies ~ Victoria Van Tiem - Kenzi has her life all scripted, fiancé Bradley, successful career, home & kids all planned until Kenzi's ex and the boy who broke her heart enters stage left. Shane embarks on a journey to win Kenzi back by re-enacting all the rom-com movies that they used to watch together. He's just a guy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to trust him again!...this book is a must for any rom-com movie fan, perfect for an afternoon on the sofa with a bucket of popcorn and a soda. I loved it and are now working my way through some movie favourites.
• Gone Girl ~ Gillian Flynn - late to the party on this book and have very mixed views. Amy & Nick have been married for 5 years when she disappears, this starts a huge investigation, with the biggest question being asked has he killed her?... her diary alludes to a marriage that is not what it seems. With huge twists and turns, this book absolutely keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps you turning pages. This book had be completely gripped until the end when it turned completely and now I hate it. I absolutely loath the ending and wish I hadn't read it as I feel like its a waste of time. With how successful this book has been and the noise behind the film I am in the minority, but just feel cheated.

• Pieces of You - Ella Harper - Lucy & Luke are soul mates and have the perfect marriage, after eight long, heart-breaking years trying to have a baby, that perfect marriage is crumbling before their eyes.When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted.  - I loved this book, it's a heart wrenching story which will make you ask yourself so many questions. Written under the new pen name of Ella Harper this is a huge departure from Sasha Wagstaffs normal writing, immensely enjoyable, it explores family ties, secrets and heart-ache.... my only advice is to make sure that you have a hankie handy when you read it.. you will need it. - Ella's book was also the reason for my tube adventure this month!

I was so engrossed in reading Ella's Pieces of You standing on the platform at Bond street station commuting home Friday evening, that I completely didn't see the girl rushing towards me to board the oncoming central line tube. As she barrelled into me my Kindle hurtled into the air into the path of the oncoming tube.

As I waited for the tube to leave the platform, and to witness the fate of my kindle I envisaged looking down on the tracks and seeing a  broken little tablet. To my delight my kindle was hanging precariously on the edge of a ledge, still on the page I had been reading!. The team at Bond street were fabulous and due to it being a security/safety risk to leave it there, they chose to stop the trains and rescue my Kindle from the track..... so huge apologies if you were on a delayed Central line Friday evening during rush hour, it was all my kindle & Ella's fault!
As you can see I've read a an eclectic mix this month and enjoyed most of them. Here are my previous Wednesday words posts of books read this year.
 Look forward to sharing my reads next month...what have you been reading? did you love it or did it not live up to expectation?

Home of the Bard....

Before Summer faded and Autumn arrived I spent a beautiful Sunday morning on the South bank exploring some of the London's historic landmarks. The first being the home the theatrical London home of Shakespeare, The Globe.

This was my first trip since I was at school and appreciated it much more. Its a gorgeous building now in its 3rd build as its been a victim of fire on a couple of occasions, now restored its a great venue steeped in history.

 As well as being able to tour the stage and seating area of the Globe, you also get the opportunity to see some of the artefacts and gorgeous costumes from some of the theatre classics. I had a great time exploring this iconic building....

Here's some other Shakespeare related posts from previous adventures in London and New York.

• Bard of Leicester Square
• Borough Market
• Literary Walk - Central Park

This month my friend Ali McNamara release's her 5th novel and 3rd in her "From Notting Hill" series. This one will feature The Globe theatre which I am looking forward to immensely along with New York.... I know what I will be reading later this month!... Looking forward to catching up with Scarlett & co....Here's my From Notting hill to New York actually adventures...

Books about Town - River Trail

Last week  the Books about Town benches in London were auctioned off for charity. They have been one of my favourite things to do whilst exploring London during the summer.... its been like a huge lending library across the London landscape. From the benches visited its created much discussion, lots of fun & laughter and spanned generations.... I hope that the British Literary showcased has seen an uplift in library lends and book sales.
Books have always been my way of escaping and from an early age always had my head in a book. This may be some of the reasons as to why I have loved the book about town trails across London this summer... it brings out the child in me
The only trail I didn't get to do was the one in Greenwich, however I am happy with all that I saw.... A few weekends ago with the sun shining I headed into town early and explored the Riverside trail.
City Hall
Sited around City Hall were a number of benches....

• Through the Looking Glass
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Dr Seuss

 I loved the Dr Seuss bench with Tower Bridge in the background and the new City of London landscape to its left. Completely showcased the vibrancy of the graphics on the bench.

With a backdrop of HMS Belfast and a dancing water fountain close by the Gruffalo bench was a child's delight. As I snapped these images a couple of small children came running along the river bank full of absolute delight to find their favourite woodland creature.

A short walk away from the riverside and in the shadow of the Shard in Clarendon Place stood the beautiful War Horse bench.... Beautifully designed with the symbolic red poppies, and war horses this was a stunning piece of art depicting a heart breaking story.

Back on the Riverside and short walk from London Bridge and Borough Market stood 2 of Britain's favourites - Paddington Bear and Great Expectations. Both icons of our childhood and adult years alike.

The Great Expectations was dark and symbolic to the old masters, whereas Paddington was the perfect epitome of Michael Bond's classic.

My Book bench trail finished outside the theatre home of the world famous author / playwright Shakespeare.  The perfect place to house the bench paying homage to the Author.

I've loved the book benches across the city of the summer and look forward to Paddington appearing for the Christmas and Holiday period.

Here are my previous book bench adventures:

• Bloomsbury Trail - featuring Hercule Poirot, James Bond, Jane Austen & Peter Pan.
• City Trail - featuring Mary Poppins, Bridget Jones, Peter Pan, Wind in the Willows.

Last week the book benches were auctioned for charity and raised a quarter of a million £ to improve literary in disadvantaged areas. The 2 highest bids were £9,500 for the Jeeves & Wooster bench and £9,000 for the James Bond stories.

An evening of ABC ....

Authors, Books and Cocktails.... Wednesday night I spent the evening at the Century Club on Shaftsbury avenue at the first Book Club event from All About You  in association with Pan Macmillan with 3 authors that I have enjoyed immensely over the years.
Lucy Diamond, Karen Swan and Jane Green.
I have featured all 3 several times on the blog as they have all written books that have stayed with me after reading. Lucy & Karen I featured on this  Septembers book post... and have blogged about both previously, here is my Christmas reads post. and Jane's Love Verb featured here

The evening kicked off with introductions from Bernadette from AAY and Caroline from Pan Macmillan, and opening questions to the 3 authors. This was followed by the Lucy, Karen & Jane reading extracts from their 3 books, recently published.
Lucy ~ One Night in Italy
Karen ~ The Summer Without You
Jane ~ Saving Grace
All 3 gave great insight into their books and the inspiration to their writing. They said to all would be writers - "write the book that you want to write".  It was much fun, with lots of laughter ... thankyou ladies for your tips & honesty.
After the questions the Ladies moved to the back of the room to book sign and meet the audience. It was lovely talking to all three, as they all have, at some point caused me to miss my stop on the tube on-route to work.

 All 3 have a book that features in my favourites list and I have both a well thumbed copy, and a copy on kindle.  Jane's - Jemima J- one of my go to books in my 20's the fat girl desperately trying to fit into the society she works and win the heart of her best friend. Karen's - Christmas at Tiffany's - Cassie embarks on an amazing journey between London, New York, Paris after heartbreak and with the support of her 3 best friends. Lucy's - The Beach Café - Evie inherits her aunts beach café on the coast of Cornwall and changes her life in the process...
I had a fabulous evening talking to the authors, drinking cocktails and chatting about books.... thankyou all involved. I look forward to the next one... the goodie bag was a lovely little treat.

It was so lovely to see Jane looking so well and rocking not only fabulous hair but also some gorgeous shoes. Jane was diagnosed with malignant melanoma earlier this year and has been talking about on her recent book tour, women's hour and in yesterday's daily mail.  I hope that her recovery continues along with her fabulous writing.
Excited to hear from both Lucy and Karen of Christmas sequels to The Beach Café and Christmas at Tiffany's.... both now on pre-order!. and looking forward to starting Jane's Saving Grace next week x

Social Media Sunday ~ July

Its that time of the month again when I share what I've enjoyed reading and viewing on Social Media during July. Along with reading what other people have been doing I have also enjoyed the 2 Mollie Makes special editions that were published June/July on Photography and Blogging, full of fabulous content and glorious images.
Blogland

• A Beauty Junkie in London - along with a fabulous library of beauty posts Jen also blogs her travels, life in London and now planning her wedding. I really enjoyed this post on The Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds. I love Bury, it holds a special place in my heart as it where my granddad was born and where his brothers and sisters lived all of their life. There is a lot of my heritage in this historic market town and I am determined to go for a weekend and stay at this gorgeous boutique hotel... thanks for sharing the fab images and the adorable dog!
• Another post from A beauty Junkie in London hit my favourite list for July, this one was on the things that she has learnt blogging. An informative, and honest post with some really useful points and great perspective.. thankyou
• NYC, Style and  a little canoli... I've featured this blog before and keep returning. I am now compiling ideas for my trip later this year and this post about Afternoon Tea at the Plaza has definitely made it onto my MUST list for this year!... a post full of yummy images and a great review.
• finally a recently discovered blog... Little Miss Katy... this great post on a very gorgeous looking coffee shop and deli a stones throw from my office and one that I haven't visited!... watch this space as I will definitely be going soon. Thanks K for sharing, I love a great coffee shop and this looks delightful.

Instagram

 

This months favourite Instagram snaps were influenced by the weather, its been gloriously hot in London and across the pond in New York, however its not been without a couple of huge thunderstorms which changed the skies and landscapes in the city. It was also about having fun in the sun as well.

 





• DanTVusa - I am a big fan of Dan's Instagram page and find myself favouriting many of his images, The fact that he is currently living and working in New York also has something to do with it!... this fabulous image of the storm clouds building for a summer storm is so evocative its stunning.
• MPSasu - The Instagram page for the Metropolitan Police helicopter team is one of my absolute favourites, the imagery from above London that they shoot, usually when they are on route back to the base after dealing with their day job is stunning. When the big summer storm hit London in July the crew were grounded, however they di get this fabulous shot of the helicopter lit up by a lightening filled sky.
• BrooklynBaker - BB's Instagram is usually filled with bakes & cakes from his Baked business in new York, however this snap of a heat filled skyline and storm clouds is perfect postcard imagery.  
• Icey_mark is a very old friend of mine and he usually tweets and instagrams images to support his work as an oceanographer, however this fabulous picture of furry friends having their annual summer wash hanging on the washing line really made me chuckle. 3 furry pals looking bright in the summer sun.
• Florence and Mary- this very fun snap of after works drinks in the London sunshine sums up what a great July it was in the City, back dropped to the Shard its the essence of summer 2014

as well as the summer sunshine being a favourite for me in July on Instagram, the Book Benches that have been dotted around London for this summer have also been a favourite. I spent a day in London in July on a  bit of a literary adventure which included seeing some of the benches. This series of posts were some of my most popular with the Richard Armitage post proving to be very popular with many re-tweets & favourites on twitter and over 200 views on my blog!... Here's some of my favourite images on Instagram.

That's it for social media sunday for this month. Here are previous social posts from this year. Thankyou to all that have posted me comments, messages or 'likes' on twitter, Instagram or my blog. They mean a lot and always put a smile on my face...so this month what have you been tweeting, 'liking' following lately? would love to know. What blog recommendations do you have ... happy Sunday x

A Literary Day in London .... chapter 4

My literary day in London culminated in a trip to the Old Vic theatre to watch the literary classic "The Crucible". This book was a set piece at school and I was intrigued to see how this would play out as it was being set in the 'round'.

For those not familiar with the story it was written by American playwright Arthur Miller in 1953. It is  a partial fictional dramatization of the Salem Witch trials which occurred in Massachusetts during 1692 & 1693. Miller himself was held in contempt of congress over the content, one that continues to fascinate and divide readers/viewers to this day.
I am a big fan of the Old Vic theatre, which has gone from strength to strength under the artistic direction of Kevin Spacey. This production again bought a big screen name to the stage to showcase their craft. Richard Armitage (Spooks, Robin Hood, The Hobbit, North & South) steals the stage playing John Proctor, suported by a fabulous cast of veterans and newbies.
With the audience surrounding the stage, the lighting, props and cast placement are critical to creating the atmosphere and intensity of this piece,  Yael Farber delivers this with his direction without the fanfare of gizmo's and gadgets often found in today's theatre. This is a stunning piece of theatre, dark, intense and delivered superbly.

I enjoyed this play, however its not for everyone, the first act is 2 hours long and with a break of 20 minutes this play doesn't finish until after 11... it is long, so plan ahead if you need to catch trains.... equally tough going when sweltering in the summer heat!. However it is a superb piece of American literature bought to life in a unique and simple way, with the actors owning and showcasing their skills to an incredibly high standard. Richard Armitage shirtless gets a big tick from me as well!
A great end to an impromptu literary day in London.... chapters 1-3 can be found at the following links;-

• Chapter 1 - Notting Hill life
• Chapter 2 - Books about Town in Bloomsbury
• Chapter 3 - Parklife 

A Literary Day in London.... chapter 3

Having spent the morning ambling through Notting Hill and then the lunchtime on a Book trail of book benches in Bloomsbury it was time to take a rest and enjoy just being.
I'm not a big sun person, but I do love exploring London's Parks... a stone's throw from Covent Garden is a lovely green space along the Embankment called Victoria Embankment Gardens... Stretching along the river this secluded green space is perfect for taking time out from the hustle and bustle of London life. There are many statues and memorials dotted through the park, one of which is Robert Burns.

With a couple of hours to kill before walking across the river to the Old Vic, I settled down under a tree and enjoyed a read on my Kindle and laying watching the clouds drift across the blue sky.
The park was busy but not overcrowded. A local office team build looked huge fun and involved lots of frivolity ad I think a little alcohol.

Here are some of the reads that I have been enjoying in the Park this month.

A Literary Day in London ... chapter 2

As previously blogged a day in London recently became a bit of  Literary Love Day, here is Chapter 2 of my day...
After exploring Notting Hill in Chapter 1 I jumped on the tube to Holborn, an impromptu stop in Bloomsbury Square Gardens made me discover the fabulous Book benches dotted around the city, (more details here on Books about Town site) The Book benches will be across London from now until the 15th September and showcase 50 of the best of London's Literary reads.  There are 4 trails across the city and I am hoping to see as many of them throughout the summer.
Downloading the Bloomsbury trail map I managed to see 4 of the benches as they were a short walk from each other and loved them. The benches are decorated front, and back, there are also little surprises hidden within the pages on the sides.
Bloomsbury Gardens
Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly ;this bench is situated in the lovely Bloomsbury garden overlooked by some of London's majestic architecture and a short walk from the British Museum. Filled with some of Agatha Christies most iconic symbols from her Poirot books its a gorgeous representative of one of Britain's most loved authors.



James Bond Stories ; This bench is situated opposite Hercule Poirot, thus displaying one of the most iconic detectives and MI5 operatives alongside each other that this country has seen in the literary world. This book is a mixture of colour, brutishness and cool objects synonymous with 007. I love the Ian Fleming signature in the book sleeves.

Red Lion Square

A short walk from Bloomsbury gardens into another square of greenery of London sits one of children's literary icons from JM Barrie, there are 2 JM Barrie benches across the city this one is themed "Always Try to be a Little Kinder than necessary" This is a gorgeous colourful bench, a short walk from Great Ormond street Hospital, featuring fairies, monkeys, mermaids and a small boy flying across the London skyline with Big ben.

Queen Square

My final bench found on my short walk was Pride & Prejudice, which I discovered in Queen Square, adjacent to Great Ormond street campus. I loved this bench, it features Elizabeth and Pemberley along with a Mr Darcy on the back. Sitting amongst the greenery and shade of a majestic tree, this was the perfect place to sit a while, enjoying the view and reading my kindle with a lolly from the ice-cream van.

 

This stroll through part of the city that I hadn't really explored before was an unexpected treat and one I will be doing again. This is a must for anyone who has a love for books. Great fun for big & little kids alike.

 

chapter 3 continues tomorrow.....



A Literary day in London .... chapter 1

A couple of weeks ago saw me spend a lovely day exploring London. This was my last day off for a couple of weeks, so I ignored the housework and headed into London to enjoy a day of exploration.
The day turned into a bit of an unexpected Literary fest, which is too big of a novel to blog in one post so I have  split it into chapters.
Chapter 1 - Notting Hill
My day started in Notting Hill where I ambled around the side streets before exploring the sights and sounds of Portobello Road.
This is one of my favourite parts of London, which was showcased to its finest in the summer sunshine.

Notting Hill features I many of my favourite reads in recent years; Christmas at Claridges ~ Karen Swan, and the fabulous From Notting Hill series by Ali McNamara. The Notting Hill movie is now 15 years old, but I appears the love affair with the movie and area is still a huge draw and still brings lots of tourists to the streets.
Here are a few photos of some of the famous sights from the movie, including the big door, the Curzon cinema, the book shop and the coffee corner.

Walking through the market in the sunshine was gorgeous and the wares on sale from the market traders were as eclectic as you would expect from this famous market. With the sun shining in the sky, the hat man was doing a roaring trade. I loved the vintage cake stand stall along with the collection of cameras from the adjacent stall.

It was just lovely strolling along the colourful streets and glimpsing into peoples lives from this area. I love the hidden gardens and mews in and around this area. Perfect part of the city and worth any page in a book.

to be continued tomorrow with chapter 2.......