November Wrap Up…

Welcome to my November Wrap Up. I didn’t have a great reading month in November, finishing just 1 book (1 book off my TBR). I also received 2 ARC’s this month. I have reviews up or coming up for these books so as usual this is just going to be a brief rundown on each book I read.

Without further ado, let’s get into my November Wrap Up:

Death On The Nile by Agatha Christie: This is a book that I have been wanting to read for a while, so I am happy that I finally got around to it. I will admit it was a little slow at the start but once the pace picked up I was drawn in and excited to see where the story was going. After reading this book I think I will add a few more Agatha Christie books to my TBR.

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That’s it for my November Wrap Up. I hope you all had a great reading month. Let me know what you guys read this month in the comments section.

GEM

Family Of Books Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Family Of Books Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

PARENT – A BOOK THAT HUGS YOU WHEN YOU NEED IT.

Wishyouwas by Alexandra Page

PARENT – A BOOK THAT GIVES YOU MORALS AND RULES TO LIVE BY.

No F*cks Given by Sarah Knight

YOUNGER SIBLING – A BOOK THAT’S SO CUTE IT’S ANNOYING!

The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

OLDER SIBLING – THE BOOK THAT’S HARD TO LIVE UP TO.

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons

GRANDPARENT – THE OLD FAV WITH WISDOM AND A CERTAIN SMELL.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

AUNT – THE BOOK YOU CAN READ WHEN YOU NEED TO FEEL YOUR EMOTIONS.

The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford

UNCLE – THE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH.

The World’s Worst Monsters by David Walliams

YOUR CHILD – THE BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE FOREVER.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

EXTENDED FAMILY – THE BOOK THAT SHOWED YOU THAT LIFE CAN BE DIFFERENT TO WHAT YOU KNOW.

The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

GEM

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Joke Book

‘Which famous writer goes best with a hot dog? Roll Dahl of course!

What’s green and goes up and down? A Snozzcumber in a lift!

What’s a rabbit’s favourite music? Hip-hop!

Laugh yourself silly with Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Joke Book, this brilliant little book is filled with over 400 hilarious phizz-whizzing, whoopsy-splunking jokes, limericks and riddles.

Based on Roald Dahl’s most famous and best-loved characters you will be chortling away with Matilda, Charlie, George, The BFG, James and many more!

Roald Dahl was full of fun and mischief, and LOVED all kinds of jokes- the sillier the better, like chocolate-covered chickens to grizzly, grouchy grandmas to the disgusting Twits this marvellous book of fantastically funny jokes will keep you and your friends chuckling for hours.

This side-splitting book includes Roald Dahl’s own ‘knock-knock’ jokes, keeping all practising jokesters amused for hours!’

This book was great.

I love a good joke book so I was excited to get to this book during my Roald Dahl readathon. I went into it with high hopes and I am happy to say I wasn’t disappointed.

One of the things I loved most about this book was that it revisited so many Roald Dahl characters that I adore. Having jokes that take place solely around beloved characters is something I have never seen before and it made for a really great reading experience.

As with all of the Roald Dahl books I have read recently, this book was illustrated by Quentin Blake. The illustrations in this book perfectly capture and elevate the jokes and situations that the jokes are set it. Having images to go with the jokes just made everything more entertaining.

This is one of those books that you can pick up and read at will and it will never not put a smile on your face. After reading it I can see why this book is so loved by readers of all ages.

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Joke Book is a must-have for all young readers and all readers who are young at heart.

Planning Christmas 2023!

Welcome to another Sunday Session.

As it is less than 30 days until Christmas, I have decided that today’s post will be about my Christmas prep.

Before jumping into my prep I should state that I hate shopping in general and I hate being rushed and overwhelmed. Because of these things I love to be organized and have everything planned so that I can have a smooth run up to Christmas.

I am happy with how my Christmas Prep is currently going; I am now hoping that I can keep the good vibes going.

I already know where I need to go for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year; as well as what times, and who else will be in attendance, so I am very happy about that.

As for gifts and the dreaded shopping, I am already making gains in that department too. I have already started my Christmas shopping, and I wrap as I go, and I have orders in place for a few more gifts. Once those arrive I will have completed my Christmas shopping for all bar one of my gift recipients.

I have also got in early and written all of my Christmas cards for this year.

With only two people left to shop for; myself being one of them, I am feeling good about my Christmas Prep this year.

I have also made a Christmas movie playlist and a Christmas book TBR so that I can watch as many cheesy Christmas movies and read as many Christmas books as humanly possible.

On top of that, I am also happy with my Bookmas Prep and how it is all coming together.

Hopefully, all my prep pays off and I can have a happy and calm Christmas with the people that mean the most to me.

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That’s it from me today. I will catch you all next week for another Sunday Session.

Happy Reading.

GEM

The Dahlmanac Fun Facts and Jokes by Roald Dahl

‘It’s a Roald Dahl extravaganza!

This is an almanac with a difference! This is a fun-filled compendium bursting with Dahl-tastic treats: jokes, activities, fun facts, quizzes, and extracts from Roald Dahl’s own letters – stuff that EVERY Roald Dahl fan should know! This is the perfect book for all kids – whether they’re Roald Dahl fans or not – to dip into and pick up funny/extraordinary/unbelievable facts.’

This book was great.

Since I started my Roald Dahl read-athon, this is one of the books I was most excited to get to. I hadn’t read it before, so I was excited to get some extra information about Roald Dahl, on top of that, I love quizzes and fun facts, so this book was calling for me.

I loved that I could pick this book up and put it down at will; even though I read it in one sitting, knowing that I could put it down since it didn’t have a narrative was great as sometimes I need a book that I can read in quick bursts while I have a spare minute rather than a book that I need to concentrate of a storyline.

Another thing that I loved about this book was just how much information and interesting facts were in it. As this book is targeted a Middle-Grade readers I hadn’t expected the contents of this book to be so extensive. The way this book was set out and the mix of fun and informative sections made for a really great reading experience.

As with all of the Roald Dahl books I have been reading recently, this one was also illustrated by Quentin Blake. The illustrations in this book were wonderful. They were fun, funny, and varied in where they were featured which added an extra layer to this great little book.

The Dahlmanac Fun Facts and Jokes by Roald Dahl is a must-have for all Roald Dahl fans.

Good Intentions Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Good Intentions Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

EXERCISE MORE

THIS IS A BOOK THAT IS A REAL CHUNKSTER.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

LOSE WEIGHT

A BOOK THAT IS NOT A CHUNKSTER; A SHORT STORY OR NOVELLA.

The Purple Pimpernel by Anthony Thorogood

EAT HEALTHY

A BOOK THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU. THIS IS A BOOK THAT MADE YOU FEEL SO HAPPY THAT YOU WANTED TO GIVE IT A BIG HUG.

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons

FULFILL YOUR AMBITIONS

A BOOK THAT HAS A LOT GOING ON. PLENTY OF DIFFERENT THREADS, POINTS OF VIEW, AND ACTION, BUT EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY COMES TOGETHER IN A VERY SATISFACTORY FASHION.

The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele

SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY

A SERIES OF BOOKS THAT YOU LOVE AND THAT HAS DEVELOPED MORE THAN YOU EVER ANTICIPATED.

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

TICK OFF AN ITEM FROM YOUR BUCKET LIST

REDUCE THE TBR. CHOOSE A BOOK FROM MOUNT TBR THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ SOON.

Paper Hearts & Summer Kisses by Carole Matthews

SAVE MONEY

A BOOK THAT WAS AN ABSOLUTE BARGAIN – YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE CRAZY, IN FACT, NOT TO HAVE BOUGHT THIS BOOK.

The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare

GET ORGANISED

A BOOK WITH A GLOSSARY, MAPS, USEFUL WORDS, AND LISTS OF PEOPLE — THIS BOOK IS ONE HELPFUL BOOK, IT WANTS YOU TO KNOW ALL THE THINGS AND IT’S NOT AFRAID TO USE FOOTNOTES AND OTHER DEVICES TO HELP YOU DO SO.

Parkland by Dave Cullen

START A NEW HOBBY

A BOOK THAT IS OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. PERHAPS EVERYONE WAS RAVING ABOUT THIS BOOK, MAYBE IT WAS OVERHYPED. YOU HESITATED TO PICK IT UP, IN FACT, BUT WHEN YOU DID – YOU LOVED IT.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

GEM

Esio Trot by Roald Dahl

‘High up in a tall building lives Mr Hoppy all alone.

Downstairs lives Mrs Silver.

Mr. Hoppy is in love with Mrs. Silver, but her heart belongs to Alfie, her pet tortoise. With all her attention focused on Alfie, Mrs. Silver doesn’t even know Mr. Hoppy is alive.

Mr. Hoppy is too shy to approach Mrs. Silver, Oh, if only Mr Hoppy could perform some great feat that would make him a hero in her eyes! Then one day his mind goes click and an amazing idea rushes into his head.

If Mr. Hoppy’s plan works, Mrs. Silver will certainly fall in love with him. But it’s going to take one hundred and forty tortoises, an ancient spell, and a little bit of magic.

Can shy Mr Hoppy win Mrs Silver’s heart?’

This book was lovely.

As I have been making my way through some Roald Dahl books recently, I have come across a few that I have never read before, and Esio Trot is one of them. I’m not sure why I never read this book as a child but I am not unhappy that my first time reading it was as an adult.

Of all of the Roald Dahl books that I have read recently this is by far the sweetest. I adored the plot of this story and the interactions between the characters were really beautiful. In saying that, this is still a Roald Dahl book so it was both entertaining and funny as well.

Adding to the fun were the fantastic illustrations by Quentin Blake. The illustrations perfectly complimented the story being told while also elevating this book to a whole new level. The combination of writing and illustrations was truly magical in this book.

Roald Dahl has done a beautiful job with Esio Trot. On top of a sweet story with many funny moments, the character was really well written making it easy for the reader to follow their story. The writing itself was well-paced and easy to follow making it a great book for Middle Grade readers.

Esio Trot by Roald Dahl will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Pointless Facts 43!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts, I am going to stick with my plan of posting a new list every month; at least until it stops being fun for me. So I hope you all enjoy this month’s installment of Pointless Facts.

The London Tube introduced vending machines that print out random short stories of a selected genre on receipt-like scrolls. The commuters can choose between one-, three- and five-minute-long stories.

Australia is home to the longest fence in the world which is 5,614 km long.

As of the year 2019, there are almost 130 million books in the entire world.

There are 60 designated wine regions in Australia that produce approximately 1.35 trillion bottles of wine every year.

Bibliosima – the word for loving the smell of old books.

Brisbane, in Australia, hosts the cockroach racing world championship.

The word ‘bookworm’ originated from insects that live in and eat the binding of books.

There is a mountain called Mt Disappointment in Australia because of its view from the top.

People from Iceland read more than anyone else.

Australia is also the driest inhabited continent in the world.

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s pointless facts. Let me know in the comments if these pointless facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

GEM

The Giraffe And Pelly And Me by Roald Dahl

‘Who needs a ladder when you’ve got a giraffe with an extended neck?

The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company certainly doesn’t. They don’t need a pail, either, because they have a pelican with a bucket-sized beak. With a monkey to do the washing and Billy as their manager, this business is destined for success. Now they have their big break—a chance to clean all 677 windows of the Hampshire House, owned by the richest man in all of England! That’s exciting enough, but along the way, there are surprises and adventures beyond their wildest window-washing dreams.

Billy’s biggest wish is to turn a weird old wooden house into a wonderful sweet shop. But then he finds a giraffe, a pelly, and a monkey living inside – Now they’re the Ladderless Window Cleaning Company! They become best friends, and now that they have a promising job to carry out, there’s a chance that Billy’s scrumptious, galumptious dream just might come true…’

This book was great.

As I have been making my way through some Roald Dahl books recently, I have been genuinely surprised by how many of them I have never read before; I had thought I would be on a re-reading journey. This book is one of the Roald Dahl books that I got to read for the very first time.

Reading this book for the first time meant that I was surprised and excited by all the twists and turns in this book, and I got to experience the highs and lows as the story unfolded which kept me interested and engaged in the story until the very end.

Roald Dahl did a great job with this book. The story was weird and wacky while still having a lovely message and emotional moments. The characters were fun and compelling and the writing was perfectly paced and easy to follow.

Adding to Roald Dahl’s great story were the fantastic illustrations by Quentin Blake. All of the Roald Dahl books I have read recently have been illustrated by Quentin Blake yet every time I see his illustrations I am surprised by how wonderful they are and how much they elevate the story.

I am so glad that I have finally read this book and I am excited for my next Roald Dahl reading experience.

The Giraffe And Pelly And Me by Roald Dahl is perfect for Middle-Grade readers.

Desert Island Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Desert Island Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

WATER

A BOOK YOU SIMPLY CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

FOOD

A BOOK THAT IS A CLOSE SECOND ON YOUR FAVORITES LIST.

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

SHELTER

A BOOK THAT MAKES YOU FEEL AT HOME AND SAFE.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

FLARE GUN

A BOOK THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO A PERSON WHO DOESN’T READ.

Dear Lover by Samuel Johnson

FIRE-MATCHES

BOOK THAT WARMS YOUR HEART.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

COMPASS

A BOOK THAT DIRECTED YOU TOWARD YOUR LOVE FOR READING.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

GEM